How to Raise an Assassin

CHAPTER 17: I BECOME ASH'S SLAVE

I don't know who came up with these stupid initiation rules, but I was hating each one more and more.

After getting driven by one of the Mayor's drivers to Royden, I was guided by Ash back into the secret hive underground. Auntie withdrew my blindfold and turned to Ash.

"Did she keep her blindfold on at all times within the past 24 hours?"

Ash hesitated for a slight second but steeled himself with a response that would give an army private a run for his money. "Yes, ma'am."

Auntie gave us a skank face that showed she smelled something fishy; but whatever it was, she didn't pursue it.

"Bring out the bracelet," she shouted to someone in the back. Emerging from the backroom was Devin again, as he wobbled forward with an iron bracelet that looked like it weighed a dozen pounds.

Devin bent down on one knee next to me and lifted up the sleeves of my jeans. He strapped the bracelet around my ankle and rolled the sleeve back over it. The iron bracelet seemed to tighten around my ankle until it snugged itself close enough to my bone to scrape it every time I moved.

After Devin's job was done, he retreated to the back room, leaving me with Auntie and Ash. Auntie looked at Ash and Ash had a wicked grin on his face that meant something was up.

"The ankle bracelet you are wearing," Auntie informed me, "will unlock itself after 24 hours."

These people love their 24-hour deadlines.

"However, throughout the next 24 hours, you will become the slave of a Locust member."

Auntie looked to Ash with a bit of stern face. "Now although my nephew here isn't a full-fledged member yet, he's pretty close to becoming one. And since the two of you seem to be intertwined already, I'll appoint Ash as your overseer."

Ash pumped his fist like Tiger Woods after scoring a hole-in-one. Then Auntie gave her famous skank eye that said Boy, you're embarrassing me. Ash quickly straightened himself up like a soldier.

"Now, some hives don't put restrictions on this stage, but we have two. Nothing sexual, and nothing harmful. Everything else is on the table." Auntie looked down at me and her breasts cast a shadow over my body like an eclipsed sun. "And you must do whatever else he asks of you."

"Or what?" I dared say.

She looked over to Ash. Ash rubbed his arms a bit shy. "Sorry Zay, but it seems like you're not listening to me."

Next thing I knew, a shockwave was sent up my legs to my entire body and I was momentarily paralyzed. I fell to my knees feeling a tingling pain that felt like the shock one gets from touching a light switch in winter, only spread out across my body and amplified. It was brief, but wildly uncomfortable.

With my face towards the ground, I looked up at the two of them and sighed. "I hate you."

Auntie crossed her arms. Meanwhile, Ash rubbed his hands together. "Oh Zay, we're gonna have so much fun."

***

Ash wasted no time making me his slave, or "special servant" as he preferred to call it. For starters, he had me carry him on my back through the tunnels, up the elevator, and into the car that took us to my house. Now, Ash was taking after his father and growing pretty tall. He was already 5' 8'' in seventh grade and although he wasn't fat, he wasn't necessarily a feather either. Carrying him felt like I was carrying a sack of bricks the size of a person.

When we arrived at the car, I dumped him into his seat and collapsed by the door panting like a dog in summer.

"Thank you, my special servant. Now, have us depart to your finest mansion so I can bath in an eloquent jacuzzi with a view."