A Necessary Evil (Book 1)

Chapter 55

Fake Kalen – Eric, changed back into his guise as Kalen before he left the cell with amused laughter. If he was what was considered a light sorcerer; I couldn’t believe it. Was my perception of light and dark just twisted, or did it seem like the self-proclaimed evil men were actually the good ones? Or did it just seem that way because they both… cared about me?

I found myself hoping for two things when Eric left. One, that Andreas would realize I was missing by himself, without a prompt by Kalen. And two, that if wish number one couldn’t be fulfilled, that Kalen was able to reach Andreas and he would show up in the nick of time to save me. I had once thought that Andreas could never be one of the heroes from my romance novels. Maybe I was wrong. I wanted to be wrong.

It turned out dreaming about Andreas coming to my rescue made me forget about all the other horrible things going on around me, especially about how I was going to die. I kept imagining him stepping in at the last second, just as I believed all hope was lost. He would extinguish the flames and fend of anyone that tried to harm me. Then he would gather me in his arms and take me back to safety, where he would tend to my wounds and kiss me until I felt better, exclaiming how he never wanted to lose me again.

My fantasy kept repeating itself over and over. And before I knew it, the light outside had gotten dimmer. It was only as I heard footsteps that I realized Zane hadn’t come to say goodbye. Maybe it was for the best. At least I was spared the goodbyes from the people who would make me cry. The ones that made me want to live in the first place.

I was content that at least I had spent my last hours thinking about something that brought me some joy. I knew the likelihood of being saved was slim, but the little bit of hope was enough to keep me from breaking down.

I regretted never meeting my real father. No matter what Jane Eleanor said about him, he couldn’t really be as bad as she made him to be. Hell have no fury as a woman scorned. I regretted not being able to reconnect fully with my brother. I regretted not being able to find out what would happen between me and Kalen, or me and Andreas. But most of all, I regretted not getting the chance to be me. To live to at least nineteen.

Eiet opened the gate and I shot him a look of pure hatred. I wished even more than ever now that Andreas would come save me, if for no other reason than to prove to Eiet I had been telling the truth. The other guard that escorted me alongside Eiet this morning was there again. Apparently I was still big enough of a threat without my magic that I required two knights as escorts. I almost laughed at the idea. I was such a tiny girl. How was I going to fight them with my magic disabled?

The walk to the courtyard was long. I was grateful for it as it gave me time to get my mindset correct. But it also allowed time for me to think about what was about to happen. My heart rate jumped, the blood racing too fast through my veins. I could hear it pumping in my ears. My nerves were firing, unsettling my whole being. I was going to die. I was going to die. I was going to die. I couldn’t stop repeating the phrase in my head.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat and kept the tears at bay. We still hadn’t reached the courtyard. Anything could still happen. Eiet could realize he was still my friend and fight off the other guard and set me free. Zane could have concocted some plan to get me out of here before I needed to even see the spot I was supposed to die. Anything could still happen. Even Raphael could show up and take me away. Anything was possible still. Anything. I could survive. I could. Maybe I didn’t have to die. Maybe they will have trouble lighting the fire. Perhaps the wind will blow out the flames before they start burning too brightly. Maybe they forgot the rope to tie me up. Maybe the princess will be late and the execution delayed. Maybe the king wanted to come out and see the execution and they were taking a long time to make sure he was well enough. Any number of things could still happen. I hoped. I prayed.

My breath shook as I tried to calm myself. I had to bite down on the insides of my lips to keep the tears from spilling from my eyes. I was going to cry. But I didn’t want to cry. Not in front of them. They couldn’t see me cry. They weren’t allowed that satisfaction. I wouldn’t allow them the enjoyment of my pain. I wouldn’t allow myself to look weak no matter how helpless I felt.

We reached a big wooden door at the end of a narrow passage way. They stopped and I could feel my hands trembling. This was it. Once those doors opened I was done. I closed my eyes as Eiet reached out to pull the door open. I felt the light of the waning sun on my eyelids before I opened them. The warmth eased my nerves a little, but the thought that it will be heat that kills me sent my mind into a spiral again.

I tried to take in every face I saw in the crowd, and what a crowd it was. There must have been thousands of people, many of whom I doubted even knew who I was. I picked out every single face I knew. People I had once called my friends. My parents. None of them made a move to help me. Some seemed excited to watch a witch burn, while others, like my parents just seemed satisfied for getting rid of the evil that inhabited me.

My eyes drifted to the royal box which was empty, neither the princess nor the king was there yet. My execution would drag on for a least a few more minutes. If Andreas was coming to save me, it gave him some time to get here. I tried to comfort myself with that thought.

In the middle of the crowd there was a stake with piles and piles of wood surrounding it. That was my stage where I would entertain the crowd with my death. A shiver crept up my spine, the moment feeling all too real now that I was face to face with it. Eiet and the guard didn’t stop pushing me forward, even as my legs grew hesitant to take the steps needed until we reached the stake. They meticulously tied the rope around my wrists. They pushed my back to the stake and wrapped the rope around my waist, to make sure I couldn’t get away. By the time all the rope was burned through, I would already be dead.

I was ready and prepped to die. They were only waiting for one of the royals to show up before they lit me like a candle. I wondered if I would burn blue like the candle in my room had. That would at least give me some peace of mind, knowing I could make a statement in death.

I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. The stares from the crowd were getting too much. Finally, Princess Elisa, followed by the king, entered the scene. The minutes left of my life were getting fewer and fewer. I swallowed and the princess addressed the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen, today we watch a witch burn.”