Page 182 of Life and Death
Something was digging into my scalp and something else was yanking tight against my broken arm. This tweaked my ribs, and I lost my breath.
“Hold on, Beau,” Edythe begged. “Pleasejust 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.
“Yes,” Edythe said through her teeth. “I can try. Archie—scalpel.”
“There’s a good chance you’ll kill him yourself,” Archie said.
“Give it to me,” she snapped. “I can do this.”
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.
I screamed again, I couldn’t help it. It was like she was pulling the fire back down my arm.
“Edythe,” Archie said.
She didn’t react, her lips still pressed to my hand. The fire warred up and down my arm, sawing back and forth. Moans escaped through my clenched teeth.
“Edythe,” Archie shouted.“Look.”
“What is it, Archie?” Carine asked.
Archie’s hand shot out and slapped Edythe’s cheek.
“Stop it, Edythe! Stop it now!”
My hand dropped away from her face. She looked at Archie with her eyes so wide they seemed like half her face. She gasped.
“Archie!” Carine barked.
“It’s too late,” Archie said. “We got here too late.”
“You can see it?” Carine said in a more subdued voice.
“There are only two futures left, Carine. He survives as one of us, or Edythe kills him trying to stop it from happening.”
