Kira received the news from Marcus and Neva directly, which was what they had planned — going to her before anyone else, understanding instinctively that she was the one whose knowledge and presence they would need, the one whose specific expertise was not optional.
She was in her kitchen when they arrived.
She looked at them — the quick bloodline assessment that she could not turn off, the reading of people that happened before she'd decided to read them.
She set down what she was doing.
"Tell me," she said.
Marcus told her.
She held very still for approximately four seconds.
Then she said: "How far?"
"Six weeks," Neva said.
"Symptoms?"
"Some nausea," Neva said. "Not significant. Manageable."
"I'll need to assess," Kira said. "The bloodline in Marcus's line through Elara — it's
