Flashback ( PDFDrive )

“I can handle it,” Timkin said behind them. “Levitation was one of
my strengths at Exillium.”
Sophie glanced at Fitz, wishing they were trusting people she
actually liked. But they’d lost enough time.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s go.”
• • •
Under different circumstances, Sophie might’ve enjoyed how much
the Hekses flailed and screamed when she made them plummet into
the void—or the way they landed in a heap among the grassy dunes.
But she was too focused on the agonized whinnies slicing through
the ocean air—which were so much louder than they’d been before
Sophie and Fitz left. And she couldn’t stop thinking about the look
that Vika and Stina had shared when they’d been talking about how
early it was for Silveny to be in labor.
There hadn’t just been worry in their eyes.
There’d been dread.
It was the kind of look that people gave each other when they
already knew what was going to happen and didn’t want to break the
bad news yet.
“We’re over here!” Edaline called. “Hurry!”
They ran as fast as they could.
But it didn’t feel fast enough when they reached the cove and saw
how much Silveny’s condition had escalated. She was thrashing and
kicking now, flapping her wings and rocking her head as Edaline
fought to hold her down and Grady struggled to calm Greyfell, who
was bucking and screeching.