American Royalty III

Part 18: Friends in Low Places

Kit was bored. 

Hanging was boring.

Torture was boring.

Being locked in a Mansion was boring.

Life was just... boring. 

She was used to the fast pace chaos that usually followed her wherever she went, so to do nothing was just, boring.

Hanging there, suspended by her wrists, Kit could feel her pulse pounding in her temples, the blood rushing through her veins. It was a constant reminder of her captivity, of the months she had spent in this hellish place, enduring the cruelty of Voldemort's followers. But despite everything, she had not broken. She was still holding on, still waiting for the right moment to strike.

From behind the door, a voice broke through the haze of her own pain. Narcissa Malfoy, calm and cold as ever, began speaking with another Death Eater. Kit strained to hear, every word more important than the last.

"She's still unconscious, isn't she?" The voice was unfamiliar, rough—probably one of the less prominent Death Eaters.

"Yes," Narcissa responded, a hint of annoyance in her tone. "She's been out for a day now. The girl is tougher than she looks." There was a pause, and Kit could feel the coldness in the air shift as Narcissa added, "But she won't hear anything. We can talk freely for now."

Kit's heart skipped a beat. She won't hear anything. That was their mistake. She was hanging here, barely able to keep her eyes open, but she was listening. And the conversation that followed would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"I still don't understand why we're wasting our time with her," the unfamiliar voice grumbled. "The Dark Lord doesn't even care about her anymore. She's just a nuisance."

"That's not for you to understand," Narcissa snapped. "The Dark Lord has his reasons, and he doesn't explain everything to us. We do our jobs, and we don't question him."

"Yeah, yeah," the man muttered, clearly not convinced. "But when is this whole thing going to end? We're just here, wasting time while everyone else—"

Narcissa's voice cut through, harder now, "Enough. We don't question the Dark Lord's orders. We follow them, and that's all." She paused, as if considering something, before continuing in a quieter, more deliberate tone. "Besides, there's more going on than you know. The Dark Lord's trust in some of his closest followers is... weakening. There are others in the circle who are not as loyal as they seem. Bellatrix has been slipping. And there are rumors about Lucius as well."

Kit's blood froze. Lucius Malfoy? Bellatrix? Voldemort's inner circle was fractured, riddled with suspicion and doubt. These were the very people Kit had once feared most, and now they were no longer invincible.

The man seemed taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say," Narcissa's voice was low and measured, "the Dark Lord isn't as in control as he once was. His grip on his followers is loosening, and some of them are starting to feel... untouchable. Bellatrix has been acting erratically. Lucius, too, is... wavering. We need to watch them carefully."

Kit clenched her jaw, her stomach churning. This was it. This was the crack in Voldemort's army, the opening they had been waiting for. She had no way of knowing when or how, but she knew now: if they played their cards right, if they exposed these weaknesses, they could break Voldemort's hold on the wizarding world. His most trusted followers were not as loyal as they seemed.

The man sounded skeptical, but he did not question her further. "So, what do we do?"

Narcissa's voice lowered even more, her words a dangerous whisper. "We stay quiet for now. We keep an eye on the others, especially those who are questioning their loyalty. And as for the girl..." There was a dark pause. "Once she wakes, we'll deal with her. She's the last piece of the puzzle."