Fires Wash Away Fears

Chapter 5

I suggest listening to Make Me Wanna Die – The Pretty Reckless as you read it. You don't have to, but I did.

I didn't have to wait long before they came to get me. The guardians that is, I wasn't having hallucinations of crazy people coming to kill me. Much. No I'm kidding. But the guardians were scary enough all on their own. They walked inside my cell and stared at me with emotionless faces. I thought that I could detect a slight flicker of sorrow in some of their eyes, but I have a feeling it wouldn't help me either way.

Not that I minded. I knew I was going to die today, no matter what happened. My only hope was that Lissa wouldn't be there to watch.

I walked out of the cell for the first time in months. If felt good, even if I was flanked by 12 guardians. They weren't holding onto me, which I was surprised at, but then again I suppose most of them knew I wasn't going to try and escape, and that even if I did try, I wouldn't get very far. Not with 12 guardians around me, all heavily armed and with the instruction to kill me if I tried to escape.

My execution was taking place in the middle of the courtyard, the central one. That meant that every single person at court would be there to watch me die. I knew I wasn't popular among the Moroi, but I didn't think everyone would show up. It turned out I was wrong.

There had to be at least a few thousand people crowded around the huge pyre in the centre. Of course, they were all standing behind the barrier that had been set up. There was a path way that had been cleared too, that was obviously where we were going to make out grand entrance from.

I took a deep breath as we walked onto it, and up towards the pyre. I felt like I was about to throw up but I knew how I wanted to go and it was with dignity. So I didn't shed a tear, or lose my mask of calm. Being a guardian in training I had learnt how to keep all my emotions off my face and I used that now.

I still felt scared but I calmed a little as I looked out at the crowd and couldn't spot Lissa, or any of my friends here. I checked the bond as well, and felt that she was at Christians with everyone else. Good. She got my note then. I wished I could thank Tamara, but that wouldn't do any her favours. I continued my slow walk, revelling in the cool night air. My execution was being held in the middle of the Moroi day, which was night for the humans. I became aware of every single creature floating in the breeze, every tree standing whispering in the darkness, every twig that crunched under my feet as I stepped on it. I had never been more aware of life and everything in it in those last few moments before I reached the pyre. I was about to walk up the steps when I heard a scream from behind me.

'Nooooo! No! Someone- help! No! No! ROSE!' I closed my eyes for a second, trying to reclaim my emotionless mask. Lissa was here.

I didn't know how she had found out, but when I opened my eyes, her, Christian, Eddie and Mia were all running through the crowd towards me. As they got closer I saw that Adrian was with them. I was surprised at that for a moment, but then I shook it off and continued to climb the steps to my death. I reached the top and looked down at everyone. Most of the people there were Moroi, although there were some dhampirs. I stood silently, completely still as I watched Lissa run faster and faster, along with everyone else, and I saw Mia getting ready to try and put out any fire that she saw.

It touched me that my friends were still trying to fight for me even though all hope had been lost. I guess they must have got that off me. It did make me a little proud to think that. Then I noticed a very angry looking Moroi talking to a few guardians. I could pretty much guess what he was saying: something along the lines of 'don't let them interfere.' I was worried that they were going to cause trouble for themselves, but I knew that nothing anyone said would stop them. I looked around the crowd again, more to distract myself than anything else and it was then that I realised Dimitri was there. I almost lost my expressionless mask for a moment then, but managed (with difficulty) to hold onto it. He was standing away from the others, and was just standing there transfixed. My attention was drawn away from him though, when the angry man gestured to an incredibly nervous looking man. As they walked closer to me, I could hear what they were saying.

'I-I-I-I'm sorry. I don't-dont-think I can. Sorry.' The nervous looking man began to look scared more than nervous and sweat marks were appearing under his arms.

'What do you mean you don't think you can? Just light the fire! It's your job!'

'I-I know, but when I signed up, no one mentioned anything about murdering teenage girls.'

'I don't care! This is an execution! And she-' He pointed towards me, 'murdered the queen!'

The other man was looking very nervous now, and was starting to slowly back away, into the crowd.

'I'm sorry but I just cant!' And with that he turned and ran, swallowed up by the crowd in seconds. I suddenly heard a bang and whipped my head round to see what it was. Everybody looked over as well, and I suddenly saw what it was. Eddie had kicked down the barriers and Lissa was running towards me, with Christian next to her. Until they were grabbed by the same guardians who had escorted me over her.

But as soon as one of them grabbed hold of Lissa, Dimitri was there, throwing the man off her and attempting to fight the remaining guards. Adrian was there as well, using compulsion on the angry Moroi to stop him from doing anything. They were all fighting for me so much, that none of them saw the woman dressed all in black who walked straight past everyone and said in a loud voice used to getting attention, 'lets end this now! She killed the queen, and this is her punishment!'

And with that, the pyre ignited.

It exploded outwards, causing everyone to be thrown back a few steps. The fire hadn't yet reached me, but it was moving fast. I could just about see through the smoke, but what I saw wasn't comforting. Tasha had been the one who had lit the pyre. She was currently fighting with the few guardians I knew were on my side: Mikhail and Tamara. I couldn't see anything else though, until I suddenly heard a voice shout 'No! Rose, I love you!'

I knew that voice.

It was Dimitri.

I frantically looked around for him, trying to tell him to get back before it exploded, as he was so much closer than everyone else, but then I saw him, being dragged back by several guardians and my friends. I felt a single tear escape before it exploded. And then there was nothing.

Author Note: Thank you to whoever voted for this. You rock. I've really enjoyed writing this, but this is the second-to-last chapter. Mostly because this was planned as a 'quick' one-shot that turned into a multi chaptered one-shot, but also because there is no where left for this story. It all centred around this. Sorry for those of you expecting a happily ever after. I hope you like it.