Page 41 of Enchanted Shadows
I smirked. “Go.”
One by one, they all came up. Pippa the Pepper. Vivian. Fern.Summer. Rose. Elsie. Jaya. Erin. Sam. Remy. Magnolia. Zara. Wren. Until only Harlow remained.
I walked over to where she still sat, her arms around her knees.
I sat down next to her. “What’s eating at you, Harlow?” She was one of the oldest of the group. Probably remembered as much as Molly and I did. But also, one of the fastest. And Enchanted. Strategically, she made the team stronger.
“It’s my family. I fear for them if I do this. I wanted to do it for me, I just never considered how it would affect them. The danger it would putthemin.”
“I understand,” I told her. I’d spent years distancing myself from my family in an effort to keep them safe.
“Our cousins are loyalists. They were there last night. They could have very easily joined in with the others who were taunting us. I was terrified and hid in the back behind the others. I just—” she took a deep breath. “I think I need to go home and protect my family. Stop hiding.”
“It’s not an easy decision,” I told her. “If that is what you feel you should do, go. Not that you needed my blessing.”
I moved to stand, reaching a hand down for her.
She gave me a smile and took my hand. “Thank you. For coming after us last night. For teaching me to defend myself.”
“If things with your cousins get too messy, you’ll let me know?”
She gave me a nod. “You’ve got it, General. You might be scary, but it’s the good kind of scary. I’m glad you’re on our side.”
Whatever that meant. Dammit, we would miss her skillset though. But again, just like with Aletta, I wasn’t about to force anyone to be here. And especially after last night.
I walked back over toward Emric, ready to check on the runners.
“You were right,” he said quietly.
“I typically am. Can you be more specific?”
“They’re different,” he agreed, oddly serious.
“I need you to do something for me,” I told him as we walked. “Can you dig into one of the women’s pasts for me? She mentioned being scared of someone. And she’s from Nerede, but I wonder if there are some relatives who are loyalists. Even just knowingwhomight help us be more prepared.”
“Prepared for what?”
I rolled my neck to the side, stretching it. “Whatever is coming.”
“Nerede, huh?” he asked after a moment of thinking on it.
I gave him a nod. “There is something dark in her past, but she doesn’t trust me enough to say anything yet.”
“And my digging will make her trust you more?”
I gave him a shrug. “I don’t give a damn if it keeps her safe. I don’t feel right sending one of them home in forty-some days wondering if they’ll return or not.”
Emric gave me a nod. “I’ll get right on it. Say no more.”
As they finished their double run, back-to-back, I told them, “If a single one of you sneaks out again, don’t bother to return. Understood?”
Most of them were breathing so heavily, there wasn’t a response.
“Understood?” I said more loudly.
“Understood,” Wren said with a nod. “I’m sorry I put the team at risk.”
I wasn’t her brother from the night before, giving her a hug. Right now, I was her general. “Don’t do it again. Now. Who’s ready for the obstacle course?”
