There’s a fire extinguisher in the pantry, my mind supplies. It’s a small thing, no match for this blaze. Assuming I could even find the fire to douse. So far the only thing I’ve seen is smoke. Heat seeps under my skin and behind my eyes. It radiates from the beams of the house, as if it’s already on fire and I just can’t see the flames.

Smoke invades my throat, and I cough—which only draws in more smoke to my lungs. It burns. Something falls in front of me—a piece of the house, about a yard of wood, still on fire. I stagger and glance behind me.

Beau has his hand on the back of Paige’s head, keeping her face turned toward him.

I lead them around the obstacle and reach for the front door. A shriek of pain escapes me, unable to be contained as the heat from the metal knob sears my palm. I use the hem of my shirt to shield myself and try again. It still burns, but I force it open for Paige’s sake.

The door finally slams open, and I stumble out onto the wet grass, panting, coughing. Mr. Rochester sets Paige down a few yards away and then comes back to haul me farther from the house. I turn back, and from this angle, I can see where the fire started. Somewhere high. The attic, most likely. The flames soar to the sky even as the bottom crumbles under the weight. It feels like there’s still fire in my lungs, fighting to get out. I can’t stop coughing. Beau coughs too. Paige looks like she’s in shock, her eyes wide, tears falling down her small cheeks.

Suddenly she lets out a scream. “Kitten!”

“Oh God.” I glance back at the second floor, which is dark, the window clouded with smoke. Is the kitten still inside? I didn’t see her. Then again it was so crazy, so fast, so scary. What if she was curled up in a corner, afraid, unable to meow because of the smoke?

I’m standing before I even fully form the thought, already heading back inside.

Strong arms haul me back. “Don’t you fucking dare,” Beau says.

I look back at him, unable to shake free. Moments pass in strange measures of time. They jump over minutes and make seconds last forever. I can feel the press of his thumb inside my elbow. I can hear his breath sawing in and out of his body, rough from the smoke. It takes only moments for me to consider—he needs to stay alive for Paige’s sake. I’m the only one here without commitments, without family. I’m the only one who wouldn’t be missed if I died in that house. It would be a sad thought on another day, but now it’s galvanizing. This is my purpose.