Ryan caught Narcissa before she hit the ground. Her breathing was shallow, and her face was contorted in pain. Despite her anger and desperation, her body was too weak to sustain her emotions. He gently laid her back down on the makeshift bed of blankets and leaves.
"You need to rest," he said softly. "Didn't I already tell you not to move too much?" Ryan sighed as he looked down at Narcissa's weak form. He brushed a strand of hair off her forehead, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath his fingers.
Narcissa's eyes fluttered open, filled with a mix of fury and fear. "Why did you save me, Ryan? If your goal is to destroy the Malfoy family, why keep me alive? I doubt it has anything to do with Bellatrix's wish. People with power always use others, weaker than themselves for their own gain. They don't care about anyone or their wishes..." She asked in a strained voice as she stared at him.
"It's true," He said calmly, meeting her gaze. His expression softened, a flicker of something almost like compassion in his eyes. Narcissa wondered, how a man who went as far as to kill that many people and burn down an entire village for his revenge, make such an expression. "I had a different plan for you, but what can I say... Had I gone with my plan, Bella would be sad, and, I can't bear to see her beautiful face distorted in sadness... So, I changed my mind. Don't know why I did it. Call it my moment of weakness or maybe I've developed a soft spot for her..."
Narcissa stared at Ryan's face blankly for a few moments, trying to understand what he meant. But, she failed to understand. 'Moment of weakness? Developed a soft spot? For Bellatrix?!'
"But, I'll be using you to make Lucius suffer even more," Ryan leaned forward. He touched her chin and looked into her eyes. "I wonder what kind of face that fucker would make after seeing her wife in another man's arm? Hmmm... Will he beg? Will he cry? Or will he try to kill me to get you back? I guess, I need to think of something good..."
Narcissa felt Ryan's breath on her skin, sending shivers down her spine. 'He's telling me what he is going to do with me?! Why?! Is he mocking me? He wants to do it with me in front of Lucius?!' Her heart began to race as Ryan continued to stare at her, his eyes filled with a dark intensity. She felt a jolt around her body as her heartbeat increased. "You're sick..." She whispered, trying to hide her conflicted emotions.
"Hahahaha... I'm sick? You people can go to any extent to satisfy your greed and goal, but when I do it, I become a sick person. What hypocrites... But then again, you are somewhat different than what I had imagined. You didn't care for your own life and tried to go out there to save your people, despite the fact that you could barely move... Such loyalty is wasted on the Malfoys. I guess, there's still some hope for you after all," Ryan pulled back and walked toward the cave's entrance.
Narcissa didn't respond. She was too shocked to speak. Ryan's words had struck a chord within her, and she felt a strange sense of shame. He was right. She did do many terrible things in the past, killed many, and used many to achieve her goal. But, she never cared about them, not even once. After all, they were only muggleborns... Mudbloods. What did it matter if she killed them? They were lesser beings, and it was her duty to help purify the wizarding world of their filth. At least, that's what she had been told. But now, hearing Ryan point out her hypocrisy, she couldn't deny it.
Narcissa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then after a moment of silence, she turned toward the cave's entrance. She could see smoke rising in the distance and the faint glow of fire. Her heart ached as she thought of all the innocent people who had lost their homes and lives tonight. Ryan did say that he ordered Bellatrix to kill everyone in the manor and only burn down the village, but considering her sister's nature, she was sure that Bellatrix would kill everyone in the village as well.
She knew that this man before her cared only about his revenge, nothing else. But she could also not forget that pain and a flicker of compassion that she saw in his eyes when he was talking about Bellatrix. Right now, all she could do was lay there like a helpless lamb waiting for her fate to be decided by this insane man who claimed to be Ryan Lance. She hated herself for being so weak, but she couldn't do anything. Her wand was missing, and even if she found it, she was too weak to defend herself.
Ryan stood at the entrance of the cave, his eyes scanning the horizon. The flames of the village burned brightly against the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the landscape. The screams had faded, replaced by the crackling of fire and the occasional distant shout. He took a deep breath, savoring the scent of burning wood and flesh.
He glanced back, "How many died due to this stupid war? Did you shed your tears for them too? I doubt you have... Now that you are facing the same crisis, it hurts, doesn't it? This helplessness? Feeling useless while watching everything burn to the ground... Imagine this. Think of the countless deaths that took place during this war. Anyway, Bella's order was to only kill those in the mansion. The villagers are still alive. It was a necessary step to show them how the people affected by this fucking war feel."
"You don't know my sister. She's already killed them all by now. And you, Ryan Lance, even if you are alive, you are no match for the Dark Lord. Once he finds out about this, you will be killed." Narcissa said in a firm tone.
"Nah! It's you who don't know or trust your sister. Tell you what? She's on her way here, right now. If she killed the villagers just like what you said, I'll let you go free, kill her on the spot, and forget my revenge. But if she didn't kill anyone from the village and followed my order, then, what?" He said with a smirk. "I wanted to make a bet, but you have nothing to offer me in your condition."
Narcissa clenched her fists, "I'll do as you say. If Bellatrix really spared the villagers, which I'm 100% sure she didn't, you can have me. Do whatever you want with me."
"I already have you, my lady..." Ryan chuckled. He walked toward Narcissa and knelt before her. "You still don't get it, do you? I own you now. You have nothing you can offer me. I'm not the type of person who cares about status and wealth. Your husband is the one obsessed with those things. Me? I care only about revenge... Mhm... Maybe a little gold for a nice lifestyle. Nothing else matters. But, I got a nice idea. Make an unbreakable vow with me."
"An unbreakable vow? Why?!" Narcissa asked in surprise.
"Hmm... Because I want to make sure that you won't betray me and that you will follow my orders to the point," Ryan smiled. "Afraid? C'mon. Where did your pride go or that arrogance? Put your life on the line... Be daring as you always have been... Unless you are too scared..."
"Then, you too put your life on the line. If you fail, become my slave. Unless you are too scared..." Narcissa glared at Ryan.
"Ah! That's it. That's the spirit I like. Alright, then it's a deal. We make an unbreakable vow. If Bellatrix kills someone from the village, I'll become your slave. If she followed my order, you will be mine, body and soul..."
Narcissa nodded her head.
"Well, we are gonna need a third person for the vow to work. So, let's wait for your sister..." Ryan said as he turned back and looked at the sky. He had faith in Bellatrix. He knew that she wouldn't disobey his order. Although she was crazy and loved killing, he was sure that she would obey his order. There was no doubt in his mind.
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