Flashback ( PDFDrive )

at Silveny’s side.
Vika slid her hands under the towels and rubbed gently over
Silveny’s baby bulge, feeling every inch before Stina handed her a
corded contraption. Vika pressed one end to Silveny’s abdomen and
the other to her ear, listening in several different places. The final part
of the exam involved Silveny’s tail region and was much more personal
—and Sophie was pretty sure she was going to need to bleach her
eyeballs after watching.
But nothing was as awful as the grim looks that Vika, Stina, and
Edaline all shared as Vika pulled off her gloves.
“What is it?” Sophie whispered, and Fitz wrapped his arms tighter
around her.
Vika sighed, tilting her head back to stare at the sky.
“Unfortunately, it’s what I feared the moment you told me Silveny was
in early labor. Her body is trying to expel the babies because it can no
longer support them.”
The words were so awful, it took Sophie a second to realize, “Babies
—plural?”
Edaline nodded. “Twins.”