Page 100 of The Claiming

“It appears that our guest has a yearning to become a member of The Serpent Society. Even going as far as inking the emblem on his wrist as if he already was.”

He shakes his head in pretend dismay.

“He overstepped his mark and was, in fact, merely auditioning for a place in the aforementioned society.”

My uncle takes a knife from a nearby table and holds it flush against Jason’s crotch and hisses, “Apparently, raping a girl assures fast-track entry.”

With one swipe of his blade, he stabs the knife into Jason’s cock and his scream of agony is hard to hear.

I watch as the blood pours down in a river onto the floorboards below and as Jason sobs uncontrollably, uncle Malik hisses, “Who arranged your audition, Jason?”

Jason screams his pain and then gasps, “Jenna Sloane.”

Fuck! I stare at my uncle in shock as he turns to me, his eyes gleaming with malevolence as he says darkly, “Jenna Sloane. Or Miss Sloane to you. The same art teacher at Rockwell Academy who is currently grooming your best friend to take Jason’s place.”

I turn to Jason and yell, “Is this true? Did Jenna Sloane recruit you to the Serpent Society and how?”

I must know every detail and yet, from the look of Jason, his heart could fail at any moment.

Uncle Malik nods to Ali, who moves toward Jason and injects something into his arm and he jerks on the chair as the blood rushes back to his face.

“Torture by pressure point is most pleasurable, but a shot of adrenalin is sometimes required to prolong the experience.”

It’s as if my uncle is taking tea with a friend and not ending this man’s life in the most brutal of ways.

“Tell him, Jason. What is Jenna Sloane’s position in The Serpent Society?”

“Recruitment.” He gasps. “She selects a student and seduces them. Bewitches them and alters their mind with drugs. They will do anything for her because she is the key to The Serpent Society.”

“Is it true that you must commit three tests before you are allowed to be inducted into the society training program?”

Malik whispers darkly and Jason nods, sobbing painfully as his blood spills to the ground.

“Three tests, rape, murder and kidnapping.”

My blood runs cold.

I catch my uncle’s eye and he shakes his head with disgust.

“So, you raped Abigail.” My voice is strong, but I am falling apart inside. “What was Cassie’s fate going to be?”

He says nothing and I yell, “What were you going to do to her?”

I advance slowly as he shakes his head and groans, “Murder.”

My vision blurs as I picture what could have happened if my uncle’s guards weren’t there, because I may have been too late.

I address my uncle in a voice devoid of emotion.

“Have you finished with him?”

He nods, gazing at the scene with a thoughtful expression and as I grip Jason’s face, I stare him straight in the eye and hiss, “You were going to murder my girl. You wanted to. You took pleasure from causing pain, which is why you deserve to experience your own.”

I reach for the knife and rip his shirt open, exposing his chest and then I take my time as I carve one word onto his skin, his cries music to my ears as I balance the scales.

I stand back and admire my handiwork and my uncle snorts as he reads the word out loud.

Rapist

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