The Weapon Maker

4

"What did you do to me?"

She was on the verge of tears but calm. Her whole body was covered with thick black lines of ink, twinging around her skin, reaching her neck.

"I only did what you asked for." his reddish eyes looked at her up and down.
She was sitting down on the floor, curled up in a corner, looking up at him.
The tattoo was visible beneath the thin, transparent dress he had made her wear for the ritual.
Her pale skin looked even paler with the white dress, almost like a ghost.

"Stand up. Now." he commanded, but she didn't move.
"I said stand up. Crucio." he yelled.
Her body was shaking uncontrollably, and the pain was excruciating. But she didn't scream.
She tried to hold it. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of her being in pain.
He stopped for some seconds, and she took a sharp breath.
"Crusio." his voice echoed in the room, and her body shaked even more.

When he stopped, she was out of breath.
Dragging her body on the floor while she was trying to stand.
With the help of the wall, she tried to stand slowly, leaning on the wall eventually.
Blood was dripping from her nose.
"Forgive me, my Lord." she bowed.
"Please, forgive me." she tried to walk towards him.

He approached her first and grabbed her body, preventing her from falling.
He held her gently, putting his arms around her like she was a baby, with one hand on her waist and the other at the back of her head.
Her head was resting on his left shoulder.
He turned his head slightly so his lips were almost touching her ear.
"It's alright, my dear. You did beautifully."
he whispered, and she felt his warm breath on the side of her face.
She was cold. Frozen.
He moved his hand from her head lower to the back of her neck.
He squeezed it and made her look at him.
"I know you didn't mean to be disrespectful."
She gave him a faint smile before the darkness took her.
Her body became heavy, and he held her.
He took her in his arms and carried her body back to the table she was lying on moments ago.

He looked at the tattoo on her skin.
It started from her ankles reaching her neck and stopping there.
It was a mixture of the shapes of branches and lighting.
The ritual was successful.
They had created together this time, something powerful, but with a cost.
And she was too willing to become the experiment.
He left the room, letting her rest. She had exhausted her powers for the day.

Rigel woke up hours later.
Her whole body was aching. Opening her eyes, she saw darkness. Not a single light.
Then she felt the hard surface of the table beneath her back, and she remembered what had happened.
She got up, sitting at the edge of the table, trying to prepare herself to stand.
Her feet touched the floor, and she made a step.
Then, another one. At the third, she almost tripped, but she didn't fall.
She reached the door and left the room.

The corridors were dark as well.
She moved downstairs to the first-floor living room.
A strong light was coming under the door.
She knocked first and then entered.
He wasn't alone.

He was sitting on the big armchair, and in front of his feet, was a masked person on they knees.
It was one of the new ones.
Rigel recognized his mask. Abraxas Malfoy.
He was three years younger than her.
Slytherin, of course.

He lifted his face to look at the door.
He saw Rigel. She was still wearing the thin, transparent dress.
She had forgotten. But she wasn't ashamed.
Abraxas' eyes moved from her feet to her face, slowly taking in her body.
He looked at the black marks around her curves for a little longer.
"Was I clear?" Lord Voldemort's voice made Abraxas turn his face back to the Dark Lord, flinching at the sound of his voice.
"Yes, my Lord." Abraxas bowed his head again.

Rigel walked to the liquor cabinet.
She took her time, pouring some fire whiskey.
She watched the light brown liquid leaving the crystal bottle and filling the low glass.
She put the bottle back to its place, and the bottle made a little thud on the wooden buffet.
She took the glass and turned around, leaning her waist to the buffet and watching the two men.