Splitting Our Odds Into Evens

Two heartbeats

The force of the circle breaking sent Bonnie backward.

Her shoulder hit the stone before Elijah caught her, keeping her head from doing the same. Somewhere nearby, glass shattered as the last of the candles toppled over, and the voices that had filled the courtyard disappeared so abruptly that the silence left Bonnie's ears ringing.

For several seconds, no one moved.

Then Rebekah lifted her head.

"Kol."

He was still in the center of what remained of the circle.

His body lay completely motionless, one arm stretched beside him. The dark veins beneath his eyes were gone, along with the fangs they'd seen seconds before.

Rebekah scrambled toward him.

Elijah lowered Bonnie carefully against the couch before following. Davina remained on the floor across the courtyard, breathing hard, while Freya had barely managed to push herself onto her elbows.

Rebekah dropped beside Kol and touched his face. "Kol, wake up."

Nothing.

Her hand moved to his chest.

No heartbeat.

Rebekah looked up at Elijah.

Before either of them could speak, Kol gasped.

His entire body jerked as though someone had dragged him upward by an invisible string. He rolled onto his side, coughing and pulling in breath after breath.

Rebekah grabbed his arm. "Kol?"

His eyes opened.

For a moment, he simply stared at her.

Then he looked around the courtyard.

Everything was too loud.

The scrape of Elijah's shoe against the stone sounded as though it happened directly beside his ear. Davina's uneven breathing came from across the room. He could hear Freya swallowing, the fabric of Rebekah's sleeve moving when she touched him.

And beneath all of it—

Heartbeats.

Davina's.

Freya's.

Bonnie's.

Kol's head turned sharply.

Bonnie was sitting against the couch with one hand pressed to her temple, trying to focus through the dizziness.

He could hear her heart pounding.

Then another rhythm reached him.

Faster.

Softer.

Kol froze.

Bonnie looked up and found him staring at her.

For half a second, neither moved.

Then Kol's face changed.

He grabbed the side of his head.

"Kol?" Rebekah asked.

"Everything is..."

He couldn't finish.

There were too many sounds. Too many smells. The blood from Bonnie's nose had dried against her skin, but he could smell it as clearly as if she were standing inches away.

Kol squeezed his eyes shut. "Make it stop."

Freya lifted her head. "What's happening?"

Kol didn't answer.