ᴅɪsᴘᴇʟ ᴍʏ ʙᴏʀᴇᴅᴏᴍ | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴅᴇᴜʀs' ᴇʀᴀ

Chapter 55: Reason To Live

Mulciber was restless the last couple of days. He lessened Imperio so that Emily could eat on her own because when he tried to feed her, looking at her with his lustful eyes, she only clenched her teeth.

"You need to eat," he said as if he was raising a pig for slaughter.

She took a bite, but nothing would go through her throat. She wanted to vomit as if all the horrors that accumulated and grew with each day would leave her.

One day, Mulciber came again, shaking a thin silver scalpel he decorated Emily's hands and shoulders with. Her skin burned, but Emily was too scared to feel pain. She knew Mulciber was cautious, waiting for Lucius to come. Emily could guarantee she shouldn't expect anything good after that.

"Lucius will come today," Mulciber told her, and Emily tried to determine how much time has passed since she was here.

"I hope that soon – " Mulciber sighed, "– you will solve all your problems, and we'll finally be able to talk to you the way I've been waiting for."

Emily was silent.

"You are charming, my girl..."

He was going to tell her what he wanted to do with her again, but stopped short and looked around like a hunted rabbit.

"Hello, Emily," said a flat, distinct voice.

Lucius ignored Mulciber's squeaky greeting and gazed at Emily. His eyes wandered over her bare, cut shoulders with no expression. The corner of his lips twitched, his eyebrows went down and his nostrils fluttered, but after a moment the emotions faded away from Malfoy's face.

"Leave," he said to Mulciber.

Trembling irritation and frustration spread across Anthony's face. He didn't care about what Malfoy would talk to the girl, but he liked not only to torture people. He loved to watch others torture them, too.

"Leave," Malfoy repeated, and Anthony, snorting, disappeared behind a door.

Lucius and Emily were left alone. She wasn't afraid of Malfoy. He was too reasonable, and his actions, in contrast to Mulciber, could be calculated.

"Let's talk, Emily," Malfoy said calmly.

He looked around, did not find where to sit, and remained standing. Emily felt his embarrassment. It was a weird sensation ─ to watch the insecure Malfoy, almost shifting from one foot to the other.

 "You know, we have something to discuss," Malfoy he cleared his throat. "I'll say it as it is because we have no time left for games. Once we were in the same school, we were stupid teenagers and hated each other. But now the situation has changed, time for games has passed."

Malfoy cleared his throat again.

"Once you cast a very unpleasant charm on me that turned me into a wolf. And even worse. I see it surprises you? Well... I'll explain. I don't lose my mind in my animal form, but I can't control the moment of transformation. It can come at any time; it's not tied to the full moon or something. It just is, and lately, it has become increasingly difficult for me to keep my body from shifting. An outbreak of rage, joy, pain, unpleasant taste, strong smell... I don't know what can provoke me, and this makes the situation almost catastrophic."

Emily didn't move, having forgotten even about where she was and who was talking to her. She looked at Malfoy, who now seemed to be naked in front of her, with all his fears, feelings and pain.

"I don't know if you understand what you've done," Malfoy stared at the floor tiredly. "But you have to fix it. Because I have a certain power over you, even Anthony doesn't have it. You can endure any pain, I see it. Humiliation, torture, maybe even rape will not break you. But you and I have something in common. Call of duty. I can't say I love Narcissa more than anything or that I love her to begin with but, when she becomes my wife, I will protect this woman as the greatest treasure. Maybe you don't love Remus, Parker, but if you know that you couldn't protect him when it was in your power, you won't stand it. Am I right?"