On the bed, Eve's breathing was evening out...still rapid, still shallow, but steady. Regular. The terrifying pauses and gasps replaced by something that resembled normal respiratory function.
Her eyes were closed now, the terrifying green glow faded, just her normal face....pale and bloodstained and battered, but alive. Definitely, unmistakably alive.
The brothers didn't move. Didn't dare to. Their hands still on her body, still pouring energy through the bond even though the immediate crisis seemed to have passed, terrified that if they stopped, if they let up even fractionally, she'd start convulsing again.
Minutes passed in awful silence.
Then Eve's eyes opened....not glowing now, just her normal amber eyes, confused and unfocused and trying to make sense of where she was.
"What..." Her voice was barely a whisper, raw and broken. "What happened?"
