Page 6 of Enchanted Shadows (The Enchanted Kingdom #6)

“ P ull your belly button in as far as possible, keep it all tight. Like those damn corsets you ladies sometimes wear, but done with your muscles this time,” I commanded.

It was the second week. We had done some extra running this morning.

To the big rock and back, then once more to the big rock, but walked back.

We were building up to being able to do the full thing twice.

Once I told them it would only improve their times for the real timed trial, the women had fought me less about it.

But today began my new workout regimen for them.

Abdominal circuit twice a week, one day of arms and back, one day of legs, and one day of stretching.

The abdominals were the link to everything else, so we were all doing the moves together.

It wasn’t enough for them to just do the motions, they needed to know where to squeeze and have tension.

I looked to my watch to see the next minute had passed. “Up next,” I modeled, “legs straight in the air, toes pointed, drop them down one at a time, only letting your heel tap the ground before bringing it back up. Keep your lower back on the ground. ”

It was the hardest move I was throwing at them. And they were struggling. Viv was doing what she could. She’d been on crutches for the first few days after her sprain but was now able to put a little weight on her ankle.

I hoped she could run by the end of the week.

“Death,” Molly whispered. “This is what death feels like.”

I snickered despite myself. It was hard to keep the mask of the rough and tough general around this bunch. This group had a sense of humor I could relate to.

I had them turn on their sides, an arm underneath them, to do an oblique move with their free arm. After properly modeling it for them, I turned to make sure they were all doing the move. All of them were. All but one.

“Zara, care to join the rest of us in death by abdominals?”

She looked pained as she turned her head one direction then the other, but she did join us.

As soon as we were done with that move, I had them switch to the other side.

Zara was doing the moves but still watching the trees and the road to the barns. Like she was looking for something. Remembering she was afraid of someone, I got up and walked in her direction, standing at her side. “Is there something you would like to tell me?”

“What?”

“Why do you keep looking around like you’re looking for someone?”

“I—” she put her arm under her and back out. “I just thought I felt a presence.”

“Wolf?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No.”

“Water break,” I called, some girls sighing with relief.

I reached a hand down to help her up. “Show me the direction.”

She took my hand. “What? You believe me? ”

I pulled her up to standing. “You haven’t seen the things in this forest I have. Show me.”

She pointed. “I first felt it that direction, now I feel it near the barns.”

I looked at her a moment. “You sure you don’t have Iron Will?”

She nodded immediately. “I’m sure.”

I used my magic to sweep around her, and sure enough, her hair blew back.

My magic could work on her, so it wasn’t Iron Will.

She looked uncomfortable enough with my magic around her that I wanted to apologize, but the truth of it was, being around magic on this team was part of the job description.

She was just going to have to get used to the Enchanted.

If Jorah could do it, so could she. “Regardless, you should trust your instincts, Zara.”

“You don’t think I’m paranoid?”

“No. I think you’re in tune to your surroundings. It’s a good thing.” I began walking for the barn, wondering what was over there.

She fell into step behind me, as did a few others, clearly wanting to know what was going on.

We had barely made it twenty paces, when a man stepped out from behind the barn.

I knew who this man was, and I wasn’t truly concerned I couldn’t handle him. I turned to Zara. “Like I said, trust your instincts.”

“What does he want?” Jessina asked me.

“No idea,” I told her, but internally I was building my magic to the surface of my skin. I didn’t really know the man well, but I knew he was a loyalist to Theon. There wasn’t a logical or good reason for him to be sneaking around watching our training.

“So it is true then, General,” Dixon Hill stated.

“Get out,” I snapped.

“I was just going for a walk,” he tried.

My patience was not having it. I used my magic to clamp down on his hands before I brought him to me, dangling him in the air at eye level. “You are not to be here, Hill. And you know it.”

“Just had to see it for myself. A team of all women .”

The rest of the women were waiting, some stayed back at the edge of the training ring, but all of them were listening in. “Watching a team of women train is a bit low, creepy as hell, even for you, don’t you think?” My voice was calm, but I was feeling anything but.

Owen, Jorah snapped down our bond. You okay? Sensing your rage.

Dixon Hill was just caught spying on the women.

What?

Handling it, I told her back.

Dixon cocked his head, a sinister tilt to his lips which reminded me all too much of Theon. “Tell me, do you give them lessons in the kitchen? Personal lessons in the sheets perhaps? And what day is that?”

Forest green poured out of me, this time to tighten around his neck. “You know what, I was going to kick you out and go about our day, but after that, I don’t think so.”

“Tell me, Raikes, which one will you sleep with first? With such potential, however will you decide?”

“Get wrecked.” I tightened the strands of my power just tight enough to hinder him from speaking again as I turned around to the women.

“Remember how I said I would teach you how to properly throw a punch?” I put up my right hand, lit up in green, and formed a fist. “Watch the thumb. You don’t want to break it.

Tuck it across the fingers and use this as your base.

” I used my other hand to show them the area around the first two knuckles.

” I turned sideways. “You want to make sure to drive with your whole body. That’s why the core is so important.

Drive through the legs, core tight, and put your weight behind it.

” I threw a couple practice punches, so they could see the motion. “Got it? ”

They were all just staring at me like I was mad. Maybe I was.

Behind me, Dixon Hill tried to talk but ended up coughing instead.

“Ready to see it in action?” I asked.

A few of them looked scared, a few excited. I was going to take that as a yes.

“Good.” I took two steps, threw all of my weight into it, and landed a punch to Dixon’s nose. A crunching noise was heard before blood began spewing everywhere.

At the sight of the blood, Dixon’s eyes rolled back just before he passed out entirely.

“Figures.” What a weak man. I used my magic to prop him up. “Wren, Jessina, and Zara.”

My sister was there. “Yes, broth—General?”

“The three of you run to the wall and ask for Miles and Allen. Tell them to come right away.”

Without another word, the three of them were running. I could have just told Jorah to send for them from our telepathic connection, but it was good for them to help too.

Within minutes, Miles came running over, beating the rest.

“What the hell?” he panted. “We’ve been watching the wall. How’d he get past us?”

I gave him a shrug. “Could have gone farther down the wall and used his powers to get himself over. Was being a real creep before running his mouth about the women. I tried to knock some sense into him. Not sure it worked though. Might need an extra dose.”

Miles kept shaking his head, not finding any humor in the situation. “Not okay. How’d he get past us at the wall?”

I put a hand on his shoulder. “Miles. I handled it. It’s okay.”

He looked to me, anger and determination in his eyes. “No, it’s not. I won’t let it happen again, General Raikes.”

“I know, Rook.” Every once in a while, you had students who inspired you.

The two of you just clicked. Miles Rook was a good man.

Always had been. His character paired with his determination made him a force to be reckoned with.

And he was his own hardest critic, a trait we both had in common.

So though he sometimes needed tough love, I didn’t feel this was one of those times.

He was going to beat himself up enough over this, he didn’t need me to.

Part of being a good trainer was knowing when you needed to push the team, and when you needed to build them up. Until my most recent assignment, I felt I was pretty good at knowing when to do each.

I turned slightly to speak to Miles and Allen both this time. “You two take him to a healer for his nose, then to the mountain. He’s earned himself a little time of reflection.”

A voice said from the direction of the path to the forest. “Why do I miss out on all the fun?”

Krew stepped around the blood to come stand next to me.

I grinned. “Too busy running the country and healing the realm, I suppose.”

He laughed and turned to the women. “Everyone okay?”

There were numerous nods as they all bowed. A few of them from the lower levels, like Zara and Jessina, were staring at him with wide eyes. He was the king of Wylan, after all.

I said more quietly to him, “There is no way he would have let this be. You should have heard the stuff he was saying.”

“Honestly, he did us a favor. We’ve been looking for a reason to watch him more closely.”

I considered his words, considered all that had just happened.

“Owen?” he asked, picking up on it.

My eyes went to Krew’s. “I’m not fool enough to believe he will be the only one.”

Because I knew him so well, I knew in look alone that he agreed with me.

I let my magic fall as Miles and Allen began using their power to drag Dixon’s still unconscious body to the healers. Could they have lifted him in the air to do it? Yes. Did they? No. A little grass rash was the least of his concerns.