Page 37 of Vicious King

Dad shook his head and chuckled. “No, of course not. There are many other factors that go into the decision to start vetting someone for third-level status. But we’ve been watching you these last few months, and you’ve passed all our tests. So your first interview with the council is later this afternoon. That’s the real reason I invited you out here today.”

I gaped at him. “Today?”

He glanced at his watch. “Yes. In forty minutes, to be precise. We better get moving.”

We trudged away from the private shooting range, back toward the mansion.

“You know your way around the Catacombs, right?” he asked as we stepped inside.

I nodded. Underneath the main Lodge building was a vast subterranean maze of tunnels, chambers and waterways. I wasn’t sure why it was originally built—the most common rumor was that it had something to do with Prohibition back in the 1920’s—but it was nicknamed the Catacombs due to its dark labyrinthine passageways and general creepiness.

I’d been exploring the place since I was young, so I knew my way around every passage and secret entrance like the back of my hand.

“You know the small chamber right beneath the central courtyard?” Dad asked, raising a brow. “The one with the carvings all over the walls.”

“Yeah.”

“Make your way there in twenty minutes. You have to be alone, and you must be wearing your second-level robes. If you didn’t bring them, then have a maid fetch you a spare set from upstairs. You can use a flashlight to navigate your way through the tunnels, but you need to turn it off before you enter the chamber.”

He briskly headed away, presumably to make his way to the chamber with the rest of the council before my arrival.

My pulse raced with excitement and anticipation as I retrieved my robes and then headed for the main kitchen on the ground floor. The closest Catacombs entrance was in the back of one of the many storage cupboards in there.

I pushed aside some boxes to reveal the weathered brick arch at the mouth of the entrance. Once I was inside, the light died like it had been swallowed. I used the flashlight on my cell phone to make my way down the twisting black tunnel.

It smelled of earth and stagnant water. Stones crunched beneath my feet as I walked. Even the lightest of breaths seemed to echo around me, and my light cast an ominous glow throughout the place. When I reached the passage that led to the chamber I was expected in, I switched it off.

I dragged my right hand across the wall, picking up dust and grime. When it gave way to a spot of cool air, I knew I was at the entrance to the chamber.

With a deep breath, I stepped inside. “I’m here,” I called out.

The chamber was steeped in darkness. A red laser pointer went on, hovering above a point about three feet ahead of me. “Sit,” said a deep, commanding voice.

I stepped forward and carefully located the chair beneath the hovering laser. I squinted, trying in vain to see the council through the gloom. I could make out thirteen chairs a few feet ahead of me, arranged in a semicircle, but I couldn’t see who occupied them. All I could make out was a jawline here, the curve of a chin there.

“Mr. King, you know why you’re here. Let’s not waste any time,” said a booming voice from somewhere on the left of the semicircle. “We have many questions for you.”

The first thing I was asked to do was to list my personal sexual preferences. Every single one of them. After that, I was required to reveal my entire sexual history in chronological order and discuss what I considered my peak moments. Then I was asked to discuss every single reward and punishment I’d ever given to Tatum. The method, the reasoning behind it, the result.

After that, the questions moved on to more general topics of ethics and morals. Fictional scenarios were posed, and I had to say what I’d do if I were there in that instance.

I had a feeling I knew what they wanted to hear in regards to that. The men of the council probably weren’t interested in members who liked to abide by strong ethics. Like my father said earlier, corruption was everywhere, and given the goings-on at the parties, it seemed obvious to me that they enjoyed the company of those who shared their taste for darkness. Those who weren’t bound entirely by strict morals.

I told them exactly what I thought they wanted to hear, but I didn’t hear anything that might hint at how it was going so far. No murmurs of approval or mutters of dissatisfaction. Not a peep.

“What are your intentions with Tatum Marris?” came a sharp question from somewhere in the middle.

I hesitated. As much as I’d tried to quash my feelings for Tatum and tell myself it was just lust, I knew they were there. They were real. I couldn’t stand it, couldn’t stand what she’d done to me, but here we were. I felt something for the girl.

I knew that wouldn’t score me any points with the council, though. The majority of Crown and Dagger men didn’t like mushy feelings or ‘girlfriend experiences’ with women. If they wanted that, they could just go to their wife or any old brothel.

But no, that wasn’t enough. They wanted to truly own women for as long as their contracts allowed—no rights, no liberties, no voice. They viewed the girls as nothing more than objects to be paid for then used and abused until the novelty of their pussy wore off, upon which they’d be tossed aside for a new model. That much was clear from everything I’d seen over the years. Why else would they dedicate so much time and energy to the Lodge and the training facility? They needed things done their way, needed to ensure their darkest desires would be perfectly catered to.

“I intend to keep her as long as it takes to destroy her,” I finally replied. The deceitful words felt like acid on my tongue, but I had a feeling they would score me extra points.

“You attended your first Lodge party with her last night, but you refused to share her with anyone. You also refused to touch any of the other girls. Could you explain that?” said an icy voice from the right.

My pulse started to race. Shit. This wasn’t going as well as I thought. I needed a good reason to placate them, and I needed it fast.

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