Flashback ( PDFDrive )

FORTY
SOPHIE LEARNED MORE ABOUT BIRTH that day than she’d ever
really wanted to know. For instance, she learned that “crowning”
meant one of the babies’ heads was starting to emerge—which was
something she definitely wished she could unsee.
She also learned it was much better to stay near Silveny’s face,
where she could stroke her mane and rub her velvety nose and not
have to think about what was happening around her tail region. And
she could do her best to keep Silveny calm as Vika made a lot of very
gag-worthy splashing sounds that had Fitz turning incredibly green.
“Looks like we have a baby girl,” Vika announced a few seconds
later. “And she’s alive. For now.”
Silveny locked eyes with Sophie, and her desperate voice poured
into Sophie’s head, along with a mix of joy and sadness that twisted
Sophie’s heart into knots.
SOPHIE PROMISE! BABY OKAY! BABY OKAY!
Sophie wished she could give Silveny the assurance she knew the
terrified mama alicorn needed. But she told her, I promise, we’re doing
everything we can.
And they were.
Tarina had already prepared the transport pods, filling them with a
mix of water and fluids from the flasks she’d brought with her. And
she attached a series of suction-cup-style tubes to baby alicorn