23. THE ANGEL

Another scream on top of mine-a shriek like a chainsaw cutting through rebar.

The hunter lunged, but her teeth snapped closed an inch from my face as something yanked her back, flung her out of my sight.

The fire pooled in the crease of my elbow, and I screamed.

I wasn't alone, there were others screaming-the metallic snarl was joined by a high keening that bounced off the walls and then cut off suddenly. A thrumming growl was grinding underneath the other sounds. More metal tearing, shredding…

"No!" someone howled in an agony to match mine. "No, no, no, no!"

This voice meant something to me, even through the burning that was so much more than that. Though the flames had reached my shoulder, this voice still claimed my attention. Even screaming, she sounded like an angel.

"Beau, please," Edythe sobbed. "Please, please, please, Beau, please!"

I tried to answer, but my mouth was disconnected from the rest of me. My screams were gone, but only because there was no more air.

"Carine!" Edythe shrieked. "Help me! Beau, please, please, Beau, please!"

She was cradling my head in her lap, and her fingers were pressing hard against my scalp. Her face was unfocused, just like the hunter's. I was falling down a tunnel in my head. The fire was coming with me, though, just as sharp as before.

Something cool blew into my mouth, filling my lungs. My lungs pushed back. Another cool breath.

Edythe came into focus, her perfect face twisted and tortured.

"Keep breathing, Beau. Breathe."

She put her lips against mine and filled my lungs again.

There was gold around the edges of my vision-another set of cold hands.

"Archie, make splints for his leg and arm. Edythe, straighten out his airways. Which is the worst bleed?"

"Here, Carine."

I stared at her face while the pressure against my head eased. My screams were just a broken whimper now. The pain wasn't any less-it was worse. But the screaming didn't help me, and it did hurt Edythe. As long as I kept my eyes on her face, I could remember something beyond the burning.

"My bag, please. Hold your breath, Archie, it will help. Thank you, Eleanor, now leave, please. He's lost blood, but the wounds aren't too deep. I think his ribs are the biggest problem now. Find me tape."

"Something for the pain," Edythe hissed.

"There-I don't have hands. Will you?"

"This will make it better," Edythe promised.

Someone was straightening my leg. Edythe was holding her breath, waiting, I think, for me to react. But it didn't hurt like my arm.

"Edythe-"

"Shhh, Beau, it's going to be okay. I swear, it's going to be fine."

"E-it's-not-"

Something was digging into my scalp and something else was yanking tight against my broken arm. This tweaked my rib, and I lost my breath.

"Hold on, Beau," Edythe begged. "Please just hold on."

I labored to pull in another breath.

"Not-ribs," I choked, "Hand."

"Can you understand him?" Carine's voice was right next to my head.

"Just rest, Beau. Breathe."

"No-hand," I gasped out. "Edythe-right hand!"

I couldn't feel her cold hands on my skin-the fire was too hot. But I heard her gasp.

"No!"

"Edythe?" Carine asked, startled.

"She bit him." Edythe's voice had no volume, like she'd run out of air, too.

Carine caught her breath in horror.

"What do I do, Carine?" Edythe demanded.

No one answered her. The tugging continued on my scalp, but it didn't hurt.

"Carine, I…" Edythe gritted through her teeth. "I don't know if I can do that." There was agony in her beautiful voice again.

"It's your decision, Edythe, either way. I can't help you. I have to get this bleeding stopped here if you're going to be taking blood from his hand."

I writhed in the grip of the fiery torture, the movement making the pain in my leg flare sickeningly.

"Edythe." I mumbled.

Carine was bent over me, working on my head. "Edythe, you must do it now, or it will be too late."

"Beau, I love you." she said kissing my forehead. "Archie, give me the scalpel."

"There's a good chance you'll kill him yourself," Archie said.

"Give it to me," she snapped. "I have to try."

I didn't see what she did with the scalpel. I couldn't feel anything else in my body anymore-nothing but the fire in my arm. But I watched her raise my hand to her mouth, like the hunter had. Fresh blood was welling from the wound. She put her lips over it.

At first the pain was worse. I screamed and thrashed against the cool hands that held me back. I heard Archie's voice, trying to calm me. Something heavy held my leg to the floor, and Carine had my head locked in the vise of her stone arms.

Then, slowly, my writhing calmed as my hand grew more and more numb. The fire was dulling, focusing into an ever-smaller point.

I felt my consciousness slipping as the pain subsided. I was afraid to fall into the black waters, afraid I would lose her in the darkness.

"Edythe," I tried to say but I couldn't hear my voice. They could hear me.

"She's right here, Beau."

"Stay, Edythe, stay with me…"

"I will." Her voice was strained, but somehow triumphant.

I sighed contentedly. The fire was gone, the other pains were dulled by a sleepiness seeping through my body.

"Is it all out?" Carine asked from somewhere far away.

"His blood tastes clean." Edythe said quietly. "I can taste the morphine."

"Beau?" Carine called to me.

I tried to answer. "Yes?" I softly managed to say.

"Is the fire gone?"

"Yes," I signed. "Thank you, Edythe."

"I love you," she answered.

"I know," I breathed, so tired.

I heard my favorite sound in the world: Edythe's quiet laugh, weak with relief.

"Beau?" Carine asked again.

I frowned; I wanted to sleep. "What?"

"Where is your mother?"

"In Florida," I sighed. "She tricked me, Edythe. She watched our videos." The outrage in my voice was pitifully frail.

But that reminded me.

"Archie." I tried to open my eyes. "Archie, the video-she knew you, Archie, she knew where you came from." I meant to speak urgently, but my voice was feeble. "I smell gasoline," I added, surprised through the haze in my brain.

"It's time to move him," Carine said.

"No, I want to sleep," I complained.

"You can sleep, baby. We'll carry you." Edythe soothed me.

"Sleep now, Beau" were the last words I heard.