The edges of Narcissa's lips curled upwards as she watched the limp bodies of Greyson and the wolf that she assumed must be Lexi's other mate, Allen, being dragged along the floor and into the cavern that served as their holding cells.
Her brother Ely's flesh constructs were unhindered by the weight of the two males that they dragged behind them, yet they moved far slower than Narcissa would have liked.
She sighed dramatically as she swept past them and flung open the door to one of the iron barred cages that had seen better days, gesturing impatiently to the constructs.
"Well come on! I haven't got all damn day!" She snapped in their direction, but received no response other than a slow blink as they made their way towards her.
"Really? More prisoners?" a derisive voice came from the next cage along, "Do you not have enough bodies here already?"
Narcissa turned to the woman and smirked.
"What's two more bodies to add to the pile, hmm? Besides, I thought you might like some company. It's been a while since you've seen such finely built males like these two I imagine." she snickered.
"I'd rather you didn't bring any more unfortunate souls here at all and you know damn well that I hold no interest in any other male except the one who claimed me as his."
"Well, it's a good job that I don't give a fuck about what you want isn't it?" Narcissa purred as her lips stretched into a venomous smile.
The woman's shrewd eyes flicked over the motionless bodies that had been discarded coldly in a heap, before lifting her gaze to regard Narcissa coldly.
"There's not an ounce of magick in them so what the fuck do you want with them?" she hissed, "What use are they to you?"
Narcissa cackled as she swung the door closed and twisted an ornate key in the lock before pocketing it and smirking at the woman who glared at her from between the bars.
"You know Ximena, I find it incredibly impressive that even after all these years, you still enjoy poking your nose into other people's business. Didn't you learn your lesson the first time?"
Ximena's lips pulled back into a sneer.
"What lesson?" She spat, "Protecting your family is not something I need to be educated on. I did my part…"
"Oh, is that so?" Narcissa hummed tauntingly, "Do you really think you came out on top by earning yourself a place in here?"
"Better here with a chance to protect these poor souls that you continuously bring down here for whatever fucked up reason you and your depraved master have cooked up over coffee." Ximena hissed, her eyes flashed dangerously.
"Don't fool yourself, hag," Narcissa grinned, taking great pleasure in this exchange and digging at the wounds she knew were still raw after all these years, "You can't save anyone here…not even yourself. It's like history repeating itself relly, isn't it?"
"If you weren't such a fucking coward you would free me from these fucking chains and…" Ximena shot back angrily, her voice rising as her anger grew, but she was cut off by Narcissa's shrill peals of laughter.
"Oh Ximena, I'm a lot of things, but I'm no fool." Narcissa forced out between laughter as she clutched her sides, "I'm fully aware that one on one, you would most likely rip me to shreds in less than a heartbeat."
She straightened up and crossed her arms in front of her as she smirked down at the filthy, bedraggled woman who still carried herself with an air of defiance despite the many corrections she had received during her time here. Seeing her in such a pathetic state and entirely at her mercy filled Narcissa with an exquisite thrill of joy that she savored immensely..
"That's also precisely why you will remain here, locked securely behind the bars of this cage, manacled and sealed to ensure that you can't cause me any more headaches. You should be grateful in all honesty," Narcissa sniffed imperiously, "I gave you a little friend didn't I?"
Ximena bared her teeth furiously in warning at Narcissa as she glanced back at the little bedraggled witch that had been tossed in the cell with her only weeks earlier.
The child didn't belong down here and whatever had been done to her before she was brought here had left her a wreck and almost certainly a former shell of what she may have been before.
If it hadn't been for that scaled man that crept in with his salves and poultices and the occasional potion in the middle of the night, then Ximena was sure that she wouldn't have lasted more than a day or two.
"Don't think I don't know that you've been keeping her alive." Narcissa said softly as her gaze fixated on the figure of the girl that was huddled in the corner of the cell, her dead stare fixed on nothing in particular as she stared blankly ahead, "I don't know how you did it…but I know it was you."
"So what if I have?" Ximena answered defiantly as she tilted her chin proudly and held Narcissa's gaze, "Would you rather I left her to die?"
Narcissa sighed and waved her hand dismissively in her direction.
"I couldn't care less, honestly Ximena. All of this animosity is getting boring. You should really just roll over and accept your fate like a good little conduit. I figured having a little pet might make you more agreeable but clearly, I was mistaken. I can always have Ely come and take her for his collection…Eromaug has no further use for her in that state." She trailed off with a meaningful look in Ximena's direction.
"No!" Ximena yelled as her hands flew to grip the bars in a panic, eliciting a pained yelp as her flesh sizzled against the bars and she retreated a few steps, nursing her hands to her front..
"No?" Narcissa snorted as she leaned towards the bars, her face only millimeters away from the dangerous metal as she peered between the two of them, "Then I suggest you wind your fucking neck in and play nice unless you want the girl to experience my brothers perversions first hand."
Narcissa straightened with a satisfied smile at her silence and turned to leave. She hadn't gotten far before Ximena's hate filled voice called after her.
"You know, you're a real piece of shit Narcissa. When Eromaug finally tires of you, I hope to all of the gods that when you meet your end, you endure as much suffering as you have wrought on all of the innocents over the years."
Narcissa paused and looked over her shoulder, her cold gaze burning into Ximena and filling her with unease.
"Unfortunately for you, my death will only come after Eromaug's life is done, and we all know that could be millenia yet." she answered flatly, "And as long as I live, I will make sure that you stay down here, even when there is nothing left of you but dust."
Ximena's jaw clenched as she watched her leave. For years she had carried with her the spark of hope deep in her chest that someone, somewhere had to be able to put an end to this madness, but until now, that person had not materialized and with each year that passed, that spark of hope grew dimmer and dimmer.