Veiled Alliances

Chapter 18

The air in the room crackled with tension as Marvolo, his expression a mix of concern and frustration, approached Lyra. Her eyes, a storm of emotions, met his with a fiery defiance that spoke volumes. Marvolo gently took hold of her arm, his touch surprisingly tender given the circumstances, and inspected the humongous scar etched on her left arm.

"How did you get this?" Marvolo asked, his voice softer than before.

Lyra pulled her arm away, a scowl on her face. "None of your business, Marvolo."

His hand returned to its previous position, his grip tightening slightly, his touch both possessive and protective. "I need to know, Lyra. How did you get that scar and the bruise on your forehead?"

Lyra met his gaze, a stubborn glint in her eyes. "I said it's none of your business."

Marvolo's frustration reached its peak. In a sudden burst of determination, he pulled her into an embrace, holding her tightly against him. His voice, a low and commanding whisper, cut through the tension. "Everyone, leave us. Now." 

The Death Eaters, accustomed to following Marvolo's orders without question, filed out of the room, leaving the two alone in the confined space.

A heavy silence hung between them. Lyra, finally managing to break free, took a step back, her eyes avoiding Marvolo's probing gaze. "How long have you known?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lyra, sensing the shift in the conversation, was taken aback by the unexpected question. "Known what?"

"That I am Rafal, about our past " Marvolo clarified, his eyes locking onto hers.

A flicker of surprise crossed Lyras's face. "Since my fifth year," she admitted, her voice revealing a trace of bitterness.

Marvolo's eyes flashed with anger. "Fifth year? You've known for three years, and you never thought to tell me?"

"Why should I?" Lyra shot back. "You never cared about me."

"That's not true," he retorted, the frustration evident in his voice.

Lyra's expression turned cold. "All this time, you were just using me. You planned to ypur have children with Evelyn Sader kill me. You never cared about me, you were just using our relationship to further your ambitions.

Marvolo, visibly taken aback, countered, "Lyra, it wasn't like that. I didn't plan for any of this to happen. I didn't know I would fall in love with you."

Lyra, unmoved, scoffed. "Talk is cheap, Marvolo. I don't believe you. Throughout our entire relationship, you were manipulating me, using me to take over the world. You never cared about me."

Marvolo's frustration boiled over, his voice rising. "That's not true! I care about you more than you realize."

Lyra, her eyes flashing with anger, retorted, "If that's true, why did you plan to have your children kill me? You lied to me, even when I asked you directly before we got married if you ever had anything with Evelyn Sader."

Marvolo hesitated, his eyes avoiding hers. "I meant to tell you. I didn't want to jeopardize what we had."

Lyra's voice rose with indignation. "Jeopardize? You think lying to me is better? You think I wouldn't find out the truth eventually?"

He shot back defensively, "You're not entirely blameless. You betrayed me. You killed me in the battle against good."

Her eyes flashed with anger. "Because I found your love letters to Evelyn Sader. I realized you were just using me."

He gritted his teeth, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "Agatha and Tedros aren't trustworthy. They're just as bad as—"

She cut him off, her voice rising, "They might not be perfect, but neither are you. You wanted to destroy the world. You're worse."