Page 62 of Rockwell Academy: The Twist

Frankie leans against the cell door and River’s voice is dull as he whispers, “To control a student the way she controls me. To show I possess the capability to command another person in our ways.”

“So when Autumn went against your instruction, you failed in your task.” Frankie shakes his head in disgust.

“What else?”

I add my question to the others and his head jerks in my direction.

“To fulfill the final three challenges by graduation.”

“Which are?”

I already know the answer but I want to hear him say them out loud and he says defiantly, “Kidnap, rape, murder.”

Frankie glares at him in disgust and asks the burning question. “And Jesse? Is he part of her scholarship to the underworld?”

“Fuck no.” River’s lip curls in derision. “He is completely unsuitable. He doesn’t have the balls for the harder stuff. He’s just her pet to play with because she can.”

“Why would she play with someone when she has people like you ready to do what she wants?” Frankie asks, genuinely puzzled by River’s answer.

“She likes to control, and it’s all a game to her.”

“Why was Christian Duprey here?” I interrupt, catching Frankie off guard as he stares at me in surprise.

River hesitates and lowers his head and Frankie leaps from the door and grasps his face hard, forcing him to look at him.

“Answer the question.”

“To watch the final act.”

Frankie’s eyes search for mine in the darkness and my mouth twists in derision, my uncle’s information searing my mind as I picture the scene.

“Explain.”

River shakes his head. “I can’t tell you.”

This time, I react and as I grasp his hair from behind, I remove the knife from my jacket and holding the gleaming blade against his exposed jugular I hiss, “Then you will die for your silence.”

I press the blade in hard and he gasps, “Okay.”

I hold his head in place as he stutters, “There’s a guy close to graduation, Jerome Michaels. He has passed all the markers, and tonight is his final act.”

“Where?”

Frankie growls and River stutters, “The – the disused house on Pine Ridge trail. Jenna takes her servants there to educate them. Jerome will have kidnapped a girl and will rape and murder her while Miss Sloane and Mr. Duprey observe. Then, as he drinks his victim’s blood, Jerome will be granted membership of The Serpent Society.”

“You are fucking kidding me. You really signed up for that. What’s the matter with you?”

Frankie stands and yells, “I have a mind to take Luca’s knife and end your life myself, you piece of shit.”

“Please–” River begs. “My life may as well be over if they discover I’ve told you.”

He cries like a baby as he huddles on the ground and I stare at him with disgust. Frankie appears lost for words and nods for me to join him outside.

As we leave River sobbing on the ground, Frankie secures the bolt back in position and we head into the main chamber.

“What the actual fuck?”

I share his contempt as he hisses in disbelief. “We must stop this.”

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