Page 24 of Enchanted Shadows
“Ugh,” she groaned.
“We won, but it doesn’t even feel like it,” Harlow whined. “You tainted our win.”
“No, by running it with you, I made sure that most of the women would make it back here in time.”
“You’re saying youdidn’tenjoy beating us?” Jessina asked as she grabbed her own jug for a drink.
“I didn’t saythat,” I grinned. “I just said it wasn’t my intention. This isn’t a lesson in how I’m still better than you, it’s one in making sure most of the team makes it. It’s about the team, not individuals.”
Jessina looked at me a second, cocked her head, and then she and Harlow were off, running back toward the rock to cheer for their teammates.
The difference was that I hadn’t had to prompt Zara to do the same thing. She just got it. She was a natural leader, if only she’d see it. Believe she deserved it.
Wren and Fern were next in, running hard toward the finish line.
“Excellent,” I told them.
“I do not—feel—excellent,” Fern responded between pants, making my lips twitch.
And then far up ahead came Zara, in fifth place. She was running hard, her blonde braid back behind her.
“Move,” I yelled, just to see if this was the day she finally tried to kill me.
She did increase her speed, not slowing down a bit as she ran through the finish line. She jogged a loop and headed back out. “Happy?” she snapped as she went past.
“Happier,” I told her.
She ran to where I could see Molly running in the distance and fell back into stride with her.
Vivian, Pippa, Molly, and Zara all came in together in a clump.
“Twenty-six minutes,” I told them. “Good work.”
Molly finished and panted to me, “Like I said, good company.”
I wasn’t mad Molly and Zara were striking up a friendship. Not at all. I only wanted Zara to make sure she was pushing herself.
Seeing a brown-haired head in the distance I yelled out, “Sam!”
“I know, I know,” she yelled back even as she picked up speed. “You don’t—have—to say it.”
“Say what?” I asked as she got closer.
“Move.”
She crossed the finish line just as I yelled out, “Twenty-eight minutes.”
Remy, Jaya, and Summer all made it in. Followed by Magnolia. She’d had some aches and pains from training and had slowed her time compared to last time, but she still made it in time. And that was all that mattered.
Harlow and Jessina were still a hundred yards out from me, cheering for their teammates. Elsie came out of the clearing like hell itself was nipping at her heels.
“Go, go, go!” Jessina yelled at her.
Elsie crossed the finish line with a minute and a half to spare.
“You did the damn thing!” I yelled, fist in the air.
Without warning, she gave me a quick hug before turning to hug her teammates. I shook my head, not quite sure what to do with that.
