The Traitor's Wish

10. The Castle's Fire

TTW Ch10
The palace was on fire. Emma woke to scorching pain as sweat dripped down her body. Her bed frame was engulfed already with the flames. Black smoke filled the air. She jumped up, rushing to the door. The heat was indescribable. It was roasting her body from the inside out, like a furnace.

Her home was slowly burning her alive. She pushed hard against the wooden door. It was hot to the touch. The fire was surely larger on the other side, but it was her only way out. Emma pressed her back against the frame, using her weight to open it a small sliver. She could slip out, but a wall of fire was between her and the next room.

Suddenly the door was pulled open from the other side. Large arms reached through the smoke and grabbed her, pulling her out quickly.

Smoke filled her lungs. Emma let out a choking cough and collapsed on the floor. Her lungs searched for just a breath of fresh air. The hallway was a lit with flames all throughout, but she could see a path to the large glass doors that led to the garden. She struggled to her feet, preparing to run when she heard a muffled cough and was reminded of her savior.

Emma glanced down, laying eyes on him and falling to his side. Killian Jones was laying on his back, heaving in the filthy black air.

"Killian?" She cried out in shock, caressing his face. His eyes opened slowly, revealing the all too familiar blue. With all the pain her was clearly in, his eyes looked content. He saved her. She was safe.

"I saw the smoke-" his voice went rigid with the loss of oxygen. "Came quick as I cou-" his eyes closed tiredly.

She shook him back awake. "No! Keep your eyes on me. I'm going to get you out of here." She promised, tears springing to her eyes.

"Em-ma.. No, you need to run." His last wish. He wanted to see her to safety, but he was so tired. The darkness was comfortable. He felt ready.

"No! Don't give up on me. You can't give up on me. Don't give up, Killian." She cried out over and over, weeping over his dying body. "You- you can't leave me. Please, Killian, come back. Please stay here!" She could not control the wheezing of her lungs. Her last hope of escape was covered with a bright red flame as black smoke swirled around the two. She kissed his cheek and fell beside him, wrapping his lifeless body in her arms, as she took her last breaths.

She heard the clanging of cups and leaped up from her sleep, banging her head on the canopy of her bed. Emma swore in pain, rubbing the bump on her head.

"Emma! You almost gave me a heart attack." Her mom exclaimed, taking a seat as she caught her breath.

"I could say the same to you." Emma said, rolling her eyes as she laid back with an ever growing head ache.

"Get up." Her mother ordered.

She was slightly surprised. Emma knew she had been moping, but so far no one had bothered her about it. She did not care if she rotted in her room the rest of her life. The pain still had not left her. Every night she had nightmares of losing him. Some were the memory of him leaving her, and sometimes it was twisted, like last night. She failed him. She wasn't enough.

Snow White interrupted her thoughts, "Get up. It's a busy day ahead."

"I don't have anything today." Emma said flatly. Her attitude was driving her mother crazy recently. She knew the young girl was heart broken, but the man that did that to her, he was terrible, nasty, and on the run. Emma would find her true love, and he would be so much greater than that man.

"You've done nothing for weeks. Fall is beginning and your eighteenth birthday is coming very soon. It's time you start behaving like an adult. So I've made you a schedule."