Bound by secrets

Chapter 22

The door swung open, and in an instant, my friends flooded into the room. Arlo, caught completely off guard, barely had time to react before they overwhelmed him. Pansy was the first to approach, her wand drawn with a look of pure determination, and Blaise stood behind her, casting a watchful eye over the situation.

Draco was right behind them, his face twisted in rage, his fists clenched at his sides. The energy around us was palpable, and I could feel his fury surging through me. My breath hitched, and the soul tie between Draco and me, usually a subtle connection, flared to life with intensity. His anger, his frustration, it all fed into me, and I felt the heat of it coursing through my veins.

"Let go of her, you bastard," Draco snarled, his voice filled with venom. "You're not getting away with this."

The fire in his words ignited something inside me. The anger I'd been suppressing, the fear, the uncertainty—it all came rushing to the surface. Without thinking, I raised my hand, feeling the pull of the magic inside me. Wandless. A thrill I hadn't known I was capable of swept through me as I focused my energy on Arlo, lifting him off the floor with sheer force.

I heard gasps from the others, but I couldn't look away from Arlo's face. His eyes widened in shock as his body hovered, helpless and bound by my will. The room seemed to spin for a second, my power building, before I slammed him down hard, his face meeting the edge of a wooden table with a sickening crack.

Arlo grunted, dazed, but the force of the impact left him struggling for air. I could feel Draco's fury feeding into me, making me stronger, and I used it to bind him tightly to the chair with invisible ropes of magic. His body jerked in the restraints, but he was completely at my mercy.

My breath was steady, my chest heaving with the intensity of the moment. I glanced around at my friends, their faces a mix of shock and awe. They hadn't seen this side of me, and I didn't care. I was no longer just a victim. I was a force to be reckoned with.

"Why are you doing this?" Theo demanded, his voice sharp as he stepped forward, his wand trained on Arlo. "What's your game, Lamore?"

Arlo chuckled, but it was more a rasp than anything, his voice thick with bitterness. "It should've been me, you know. I was the one who should've lived this life." He paused, shaking his head slowly, as if the words themselves were too painful. "But no, it was always you, Y/N. You got everything."

I frowned, the confusion clear in my expression. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He grinned, but it was twisted, like he was savoring the cryptic nature of his words. "Why did they choose you and not me? You're the one who should've been given up. Not me. It's not fair, Y/N. It's not fair."

My eyes narrowed. The pieces weren't fitting together, but the anger was making my skin burn. "What are you really after, Arlo?"

He looked at me with a knowing smile, as if he was trying to speak in riddles to make me understand. "You've heard about it, haven't you? The prophecy. You know what's coming."

I froze, the weight of his words sinking into my gut. "What prophecy?"

His eyes sparkled with some sort of twisted satisfaction. "The one that says you'll make a great sacrifice. You're the one who will do it, Y/N. You know what I mean. You'll take the task for Draco. You'll die so he can live."

A shudder ran through me at the mention of the prophecy, but I did my best to hide it. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The task. The sacrifice. Was this all some sick plan to make me give up my life for Draco's?

I couldn't let him see how much his words affected me, so I feigned ignorance. "I have no idea what you're talking about. You're just spouting nonsense."