Page 13 of Enchanted Shadows
“She sprained her ankle on the trail.”
Oh. And because they believed this was real, they were going to help her. I felt like a prick for not disclosing that this was the practice run, but I was proud of them for the decision all the same. I knew it had nothing to do with me. They had only known me for a week, but it spoke to who they were. Who they really were, underneath it all.
Another group came in. Wren among them.
“Twenty-four minutes!” I yelled.
Six minutes. Zara and Fern had six minutes to get Vivian here. Could they do it? At what point had Vivian sprained her ankle?
Magnolia and Harlow arrived.
I saw Molly in the distance and was mildly impressed. She was a bookworm, but she had been throwing herself into this and doing everything I asked of her. I guessed this was why you didn’t just judge a book by its cover. Pun intended.
“Hustle,” I called out to her. “Hustle your bustle.”
“That’s new,” Jessina snorted.
“I like to switch it up, make sure you’re paying attention,” I told her.
Molly crossed the starting point and immediately headed for her water, huffing, “This bustle is all out of hustle.”
I smirked. “Twenty-eight.”
Three more made it in.
Jessina was speaking to Harlow. “When you see them, we will run out to help. Carry Viv if we have to.”
I wasn’t sure if a piggy-back ride was explicitly stated in the rules, but I wasn’t certain they were going to make it back in time anyway.
“Come on,” Molly whispered as they gathered around at the starting point. “Come on.”
“At what point did Viv sprain her ankle?” I asked.
“Not long after the big rock.”
So she’d made it at least the first mile and a half before getting hurt. That gave them a chance.
“I see them!”
Sure enough, there they were.
Fern was jogging beside Viv and Zara. Viv had her arm across Zara’s neck, using Zara as a walking crutch.
Jessina and Harlow jogged out and offered to switch Zara, but she shook her head. They were almost in.
“Twenty-nine.”
Sam made it in. Two others were still missing, but it looked like with the extra help, Viv was going to make it.
As soon as Zara and Viv crossed the starting point, a writhing mass of a hug formed on the ground where they gently lowered Viv.
Honestly, these women might take longer to strength train, but they were way faster at forming relationships than my last class had been. Maybe the bright pink nail polish was to blame, but I thought it had more to do with them and knowing that they would be doubted at every turn.
As the final two made it in, one of them, Elsie, immediately started crying.
Sam, who had also struggled today, was there to give her a hug.
As soon as they all quieted down, I barked, “Water!”
