Above The Flames (The Flames Trilogy #1) (28 page)

Evangeline glared at Jasmine, clenching her fists at her sides. “You!”

Hold on just a damn minute. What is going on?

Evangeline ran to Bael, throwing Amon into the air. He slammed into a tree and slumped to the ground. Jasmine ran toward him, but Evangeline stepped in front of her. “Stay away from Bael!” The angel shoved Jasmine, and she flew back, crashing into Gemma. The girls tumbled to the ground, breathless.

Evangeline scooped Bael up and took to the air, hovering at the tops of the trees. “I have waited so long to be with him. You will not take him from me now.”

Jasmine’s mouth fell open and a sick feeling sunk into her gut.

Evangeline yelled over the treetops. “Demons, away. Into hiding.”

Jasmine sat up and watched the angel disappear, completely at a loss for words.

Beau stomped into view, half carrying a woman and a short man.

“Who are they?” Jasmine stood and moved over to him. “Are they demons?” Jasmine sucked in a breath and reached for Beau’s arm. “What is this? Are you hurt?”

Beau smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “These guys are Angel Blessed. Meet Amber and Teeny. Bael had them locked up.”

“What is on your arm?” Her heart slowed as she waited for the answer.

Beau lowered his gaze to his arm. “Oh, this old thing? It’s just…well…a demon got me. With his claw.”

Jasmine searched for air to draw into her lungs, but she couldn’t find any. A heavy weight settled on her chest, and her vision swam in front of her. She fell back and fainted.

Chapter 35

Repercussions

Jasmine woke in a bed. She felt around her, then threw the blanket from her body and scrambled to her feet.

“Beau! Where’s Beau?” she yelled, frantically moving in a circle to see where she was.

Palms gripped her shoulders. “He’s in the other room,” Amon said. “I’ll take you to him.”

She panted as she followed Amon into Beau’s bedroom. When she entered, she ran forward, dropping to her knees at the side of the bed. “Beau…”

Beau smiled. “Jazzy. Hey.” His voice croaked weakly.

Jasmine rubbed her palm up and down his arm.
This can’t be happening.

She turned to gaze behind her, but the room was empty. Amon must have left. She was alone with her best friend, and ex-boyfriend, whom was dying. His once tanned skin was as white as a ghost. Sweat lined his brow and his upper lip; he grimaced.

“What can I do?” Jasmine whispered, pushing herself up to sit beside him on the mattress.

Beau smiled, his blue eyes boring into her own. “You can lie with me. I don’t think I have much longer.”

Jasmine balled her hands. “Did Gemma try to heal you?”

Beau nodded. “Yes, she wasn’t able to, though. Same thing that happened to her before.” He coughed loudly, his chest rattling as he breathed.

Jasmine’s eyes watered as Beau groaned, pushing into a sitting position. He flinched and let his head fall back into the headboard. “Man. This demon poison is something.”

Jasmine laughed as tears spilled over. “Only you would joke around right now.”

“If you can’t joke when you’re dying, you never really lived, right?” He winked, but winced. “My whole body feels like pins and needles. Even when you rubbed my arm, it felt like hot pokers were attacking my skin.” He shook his head, and then rubbed his brow.

Jasmine’s lip trembled. “Beau, I’m so sorry about everything.” More tears spilled over. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I should have never broken up with you.”

Beau stretched his arm out, but it took him a second before his hand touched her own. “I think we both made m-mistakes.” Another long cough. “And it’s okay. I understand why you made the choice you did. Of course, I acted like an ass at the ti-time.” He wheezed as his breaths sawed in and out.

Jasmine forced a smile and peered into his eyes. “It doesn’t matter. None of that matters. We’re here now.”

Silence stretched around them, only the sound of Beau’s heavy panting filling the space. Jasmine wasn’t sure what to say, so she kept her mouth closed. After a few minutes, Beau grinned. “Tell me about the first day we met.” He slid down and tugged at her shirt. “And lie down with me, please.”

Jasmine squeezed her eyes shut, and more tears leaked down her face. “Do you really want to hear that one?” She rested her head on his shoulder and listened to his heartbeat, which was dangerously slow.

Beau nodded, and then coughed fiercely from the lungs. “Y-yes. That one.”

She remembered it like it was yesterday. A week in town, she’d finally landed a job at the coffee shop. She was adjusting to life with her grandparents, who were pretty awesome, but she was really missing her home and her family, especially her dad.

“I was such a mess. It was my first day at the new job. I don’t think barista was in my nature.”

Beau chuckled. “Yeah, me either.”

She playfully slapped his arm, and pulled back just as fast as he winced. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, just keep going.”

“It was so hot that day, the hum of the air conditioner going strong all day. It was my first day on the job when you walked through that open door looking like you just stepped off a surfboard.” She laughed. “I don’t know why I’m admitting this, but I thought you were pretty sexy. Don’t let that go to your head.”

Beau’s smile warmed her heart. “You’re admitting it because you know I’m dying. And since I’m dying, it won’t go to my head.

The color drained from Beau’s lips, painting them with a gray tint. Jasmine rubbed the back of her neck. Beau didn’t deserve this. He shouldn’t be dying. And even though that was the truth, she knew nothing could stop it from happening.
This isn’t right. It should be me dying, not him!

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and she rolled her head back to see who stood there.

“Jaz. Can I have a word?” Amon asked.

She looked at Beau and smiled with shaky lips. “I’ll be right back.”

He nodded and opened his mouth, but then a coughing fit took over. She squeezed his wrist and ambled to the door.

Amon led her into the hallway, closing the door behind her. “How’s he doing?”

Jasmine looked at her feet. “Not good.”

“The demon poison will move quickly once it enters his system.” His voice was monotone, as if reading from a textbook.

Jasmine raised her head and glared. “You think I don’t know that? I saw my dad die the exact same why.” She put her hands on her hips and moved her head in front of his, gesturing behind her. “He doesn’t deserve to die like this. This isn’t right! There has to be something we can do.”

Amon placed a hand on her shoulder. “You know there isn’t. This is how demon poison works. I’m sorry. He will die a hero, though.”

Jasmine nodded, then dropped her jaw. “How did Bael find Amber and Teeny?”

Amon shrugged. “Probably Evangeline. But it’s anyone’s guess, really.” Amon rubbed his chin. “You’d better get back in there. I will say a prayer.”

Jasmine raised her voice. “Like that’s going to do any good. You’ve got an angel who has turned on the side of good. I get it, it was for love, but she was supposed to be on our side!”

Amon grabbed both of her shoulders. “I know! Evangeline has done something like this before, but of course she’s never gone this far. We should have known.”

Jasmine stepped back. “I have to get back in there. I don’t want to hear the theory on Evangeline right now. My best friend is dying.” Even to her own ears, her voice was cold as ice. She opened the door, walked back inside, and inched it closed. What she wanted to do was slam it, but somehow she restrained herself. She didn’t want to startle Beau. That was motivation enough.

When she joined his side, his eyes were shut. He looked so peaceful. A grin spread across his face.

“I can feel your eyes on me. So, since you are back, why don’t you finish the story?”

“I thought you were sleeping.” Jasmine looked at a picture of a little cottage that hung on his wall, remembering the day he’d bought it at that little thrift store. A ball formed in her throat. “Well, when you walked in, I stared at you the whole time you walked to the counter. And, if I remember right, your eyes were on me too.”

His cheeks reddened. “They were.” His voice was weak.

“I had been pouring a cup of coffee. But since I was looking at you, I wasn’t paying attention to it. I spilled coffee all over everything.”

His laughter filled the air. “I remember that. Your cheeks were so red.”

“Do you need some water?” Jasmine asked.

Beau shook his head. “No.” He panted heavily. “I can’t seem to catch my breath.”

Jasmine rubbed his chest to try to help ease some of the labored breathing. “When you’d made it to the counter you said, ‘Hey, gorgeous. Want to hit the town tonight?’ I said, ‘Nope.’ After that, we were inseparable, and if I remember, we did hit the town that night.”

Beau moved his head up and down, but only a fraction. “We were inseparable, Jazzy. We had a good run. A good friendship. It really meant a lot to me.”

Tears filled her eyes; she tried to suppress them, but they spilled down her face. “It still means a lot to me.”

Beau opened his eyes. “I hope it always will.” A coughing fit started, and foamy white spit gushed out the side of his mouth. He turned his head, coughing still, and spit flew out, soaking into his pillow. Jasmine reached up and gripped her necklace as her chest ached. She turned away, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

She sighed, then crawled onto the bed and curled up beside her best friend, resting her head on his shoulder again. “You can’t leave me, Beau.” She wrapped an arm around his chest. “I don’t know how I’ll live in this world without you.”

“Amon will take care of you, Jaz.” Another long, loud coughing fit. “I love you, though. I really do. Never loved…” he took a deep breath, the sound like sawing wood, “…never loved someone like I did you.”

Her body convulsed and she squeezed him tight. Tears soaked his shirt as they poured down her face. She cried loudly, snot dripping from her nose. Beau’s body shook. More white foam came from his mouth. She leaned into his ear and whispered, “I love you too.” Beau’s smile was the most precious gift in the world, and his whole face lit up as he gave her that smile.

A line of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth as Beau took one final, shaky breath. But he never got the chance. For at 1:20 p.m. on July 17, Beau McDaniels died. Jasmine lost her best friend. The one person she knew better than any other person in the world.

Jasmine moaned. “No! God no! Please! Come back!” She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him up, then wrapped her arms around him. She rocked him back and forth. “Beau. Beau! Please don’t leave me! I need you!”

She gently placed his head on his pillow, and curled up beside him again. A long time passed before she got up. The warmth had drained from his body and his shirt was soaked from her tears. She stood beside him. He looked so peaceful laying there, his face relaxed. Death often looked stress free, not like life at all. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I will always love you.”

Everything blurred together as she stumbled from the room. She moved to her own room and pushed the door open. When she closed it behind her, she leaned her back into it and slid down. She covered her hands with her face. Time didn’t seem to move. Her mind was numb, and although thoughts berated her, she ignored them all. She was frozen, rooted to the floor.

Her hands trembled. She wrapped her arms around her chest and tucked her hands under her arm pits. Then she rolled onto the floor, pulling her knees up into a ball. She fell asleep soon after.

***

The next day, Jasmine stood straight, her feet planted into the ground. Her black dress soaked up the sun’s rays, and sweat rolled down her skin and soaked into the cloth she wore. Her eyes felt swollen, and it was hard to focus through blurry tears.

Caim and Amon lowered Beau’s lifeless body down into a deep hole they’d dug. Everyone was in attendance. Lamia stood separate from everyone, but Gemma and Cole stayed close, linking their arms with Jasmine, providing a much needed strength. Amber and Teeny, whom she hadn’t even met yet, lurked behind everyone else. They fidgeted and looked uncomfortable, but Jasmine wasn’t up for offering warm welcomes. She shivered, a cold chill creeping down her neck.

Amon shoveled dirt, pouring it over the grave. Jasmine’s fingers shook, so she wrapped them around her sides.

When they were finished, they marked Beau’s grave with a wooden cross and painted the letters of his name in blue, the same blue of his eyes. She didn’t know how long it would last, but it was something. The whole town was gone now. The funeral parlor was shut down when the demons attacked. Jasmine wasn’t sure if things would ever get back to normal, but she knew she would die trying to make them that way.

She’d tried to contact Beau’s parents, but they never picked up their phones. Of course, she couldn’t leave a message with the details of what happened. She had to talk to them face-to-face. And she would make sure that when they came home, she’d be here to tell them what happened. If they ever arrived home. The demons could have already attacked them for all she knew.

One by one, everyone moved forward and said a few words. Jasmine went last. She bent over and picked a wildflower from the grass. Then she moved forward and stood over Beau’s makeshift grave. As she laid the flower over the loose dirt, she straightened and blew a kiss. “Goodbye, Beau. You will forever be in my heart and I will never forget you.” Tears dripped down her already puffy cheeks as she turned and strolled back toward the house. “The willow tree will keep you safe,” she whispered into the wind, hoping that it might reach his ears in Heaven.