“Um . . . is our formation right?” Katie asked, plucking at her bowstring. “I mean, I’m fine with this formation if this fight is about to be easy, but isn't she”—Katie gestured to Bonnie—“too vulnerable if this is going to get difficult? The second she’s discovered, she’ll be open to attacks right away. And if she’s the defense target”—Katie turned over and pointed to Viola—“then shouldn’t we make her harder to reach and less visible? Leaving her here is like adding a flashing red light to our vulnerability before starting the encounter.”

“But isn’t that what bosses usually do?” Nick asked impatiently. “Don’t they make their vulnerability very obvious?”

“Um . . .” Katie replied.

“Do you have an answer for that?” Lucas asked, seeing that Nick’s comment had shut her up, even though she likely had a sensible response.

“Nnn . . . I think if we’re going to kill people, we should tighten things up. If you want to dangle her like bait, why not leave her”—she pointed again toward Bonnie—“close enough that she can kill the first person to take the bait.”

Lucas thought about it for a moment and actually did like the idea of making the princess less visible or even potentially using her for bait to lure someone to a death-by-Bonnie demise, but while he was thinking about this, Viola had already started leaving her spot and walking over to him.

“If we’re going to put on a performance,” Viola began, looking about the room, “the props need to be in place, and it needs to be done right.” She grabbed her dress by the hem, lifted it up, and then used the knife she still held to cut it along the midriff, turning a single-piece garment into a two piece. Then she started shredding the outfit without bothering to so much as protect herself. The knife dug into her skin, splattering blood all across the once pristine and beautiful white dress.

Bonnie silently mouthed the words “straight psycho” at Lucas while everyone else watched Viola work. Once she was done cutting both her dress and herself, she turned to Bonnie and said, “Hey, kinky, throw me a collar with a heavy metal chain.”

“What makes you think I have one?” Bonnie asked in a deadpan voice.

Viola raised an eyebrow. “You don’t?”

Bonnie removed her backpack, reached inside and withdrew three different collars, each a different color and pattern, and then a heavy metal chain with a hook attachment. “Which one you want?”

“Give me the black one,” Viola said, extending a hand and catching the collar and leash easily as they were tossed across the room at her. “It’ll contrast well with my dress.” She handed Lucas the end of the chain that was to be used as a leash and then put the collar around her neck. “You know what to do with this, right?”