The man who had been trying to kill her only moments ago was now the one struggling to breathe. Erebus staggered where he stood, his chest rising and falling violently as he tried to suck in air. Each breath tore out of his throat like it hurt him to breathe, as if he were the one who had been stabbed instead of her. In only a few seconds, the color drained from his face until he looked pale and bloodless, as though the life inside him had suddenly been pulled away.
The sight left Evangeline frozen in shock. She watched him gasp desperately for air, watched as his arm trembled while he stretched out his hand toward her. It looked almost like he was begging her for help, fingers reaching weakly in her direction.
What happened?
Her mind spun uselessly, unable to understand what had just occurred. Did the black gecko have poison in its system? Had something bitten him? Or had she somehow survived through sheer luck?
