Chapter 160

KAELOS The clinic's lights shone brightly in the darkness of the night, cutting through the thin fog that hung in the air. I was driving faster than I should have been—not recklessly, but with an urgency that made my hands grip the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white. Beside me, Seraphina sat with one hand on her stomach and the other clutching the door frame. Her face was pale, but she was trying to keep a calm expression—for my sake or her own, I didn't know. “How many minutes between contractions?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady even though every fiber in my body was screaming in panic. “About ten minutes,” she replied, breathing slightly ragged. “But—ah—” she grimaced again, tightening her grip. I pressed the gas pedal deeper. “Kaelos,” she said softly, but there was a tremor in her voice that nearly drove me mad. "These might just be Braxton Hicks contractions. Dr. Helena said that's normal in the third trimester.“ ”Or maybe not,“ I replied sharply—