Nothing's Fair In Love And War | Zarry

Part Eighteen

Harry was coughing and gasping. His eyes blurred, but he could still see the redness dripping to his palms and the floor, and Taylor's high heels slowly approaching to him.

"I didn't want to do this at first, Harry." Her voice was above his dizzy head, calm and exquisite. "Maybe it had always been in my mind, but I never planned to accomplish it...until you gave me the idea."

Something floated down and dropped next to Harry's hand. Harry didn't need to look at it to recognise what it was.

"Ten of Swords." Taylor stepped on the card as she walked closer, "Remember when we talked about the meaning behind it? You mentioned something important: death. That's right. But you missed another iconic symbol there."

Betrayal.

Harry closed his eyes, uttering something out of his throat.

"Excuse me?" Taylor asked sweetly.

"...why...?"

"Why not? My dear." Taylor kicked his arm with the tip of her heel, "Except for your ability of prophecy, there's no part of you that is worth to be called a witch. You can't even practice the most basic witchcraft. Can you make a pencil fly? Change its colour or size? That's the common witchcraft test that every parent would make their children try at the age of six or seven. And, lord, you can't even accomplish any of this when you're at your early twenty."

"You..." Harry coughed another blood, "You try...try to kill me because...I am...useless...?"

"I'm actually doing you a favour, darling." Taylor grinned, "Your talent is very unique and powerful. But look at you, if you know how to use your talent properly, will you be lying here, struggling for another second to breathe? What a waste with ability like that! I guess you don't know anything about dark magic either, do you? Don't you know that witches can absorb someone's power by taking their lives?"

She stepped on Harry's shoulder to turn his body forward, "Nobody would care about your death. I'm sorry but that's the truth, honey. But if that comforts you: I will tell the coven that you sacrificed your life to keep me alive. At least you can die as a hero. That's my mercy for you."

Taylor strengthened on her heel that made Harry cry out a bit, "You were supposed to die last night... Maybe my fragrance didn't work on you. You don't know how disappointed and shocked I was when I didn't wake up to your dead body at my door." She sighed dramatically, "But maybe this way is better. I will return to the banquet later, declaring the bad news to everyone... We will weep some tears at you epic story so you can rest in peace." She smiled, bending over to tap Harry's cheek. "And then we will keep partying, celebrating for my new life."

Harry whimpered. He could hardly hear Taylor's voice now.

"Don't worry, the most painful part of the potion has passed. It will soon paralyse your nerves, so when you die you wouldn't even feel it." Taylor chuckled and picked up the card next to him, "But I'm running out of time. Kalisha must be looking for me now. I have to go back there. I can leave you all alone here but...I'm just a little bit impatient."

Taylor snapped her fingers. The card soon transformed itself into a real sword.

"I'm not sure how fast the potion works... Maybe your system can still function. So this might be gonna hurt." She gave Harry an apologetic smile, "But even if it does. It won't last too long."

Harry watched her raising the sword, and he closed his eyes.

"NO!"

In the dark Harry heard a familiar voice in a distance, and Taylor's sword tingling on the floor. An invisible wave attacked Taylor and pushed her to the opposite side of the vault. Bottles were dropping down from the shelves and broke into pieces. And someone was lifting him up into his arms. Harry opened his eyes defencelessly.