Page 9 of Enchanted Shadows (The Enchanted Kingdom #6)

“ T his is the real thing, ladies.” I stood, watch ready. “Thirty minutes. Thirty minutes to see what you’re made of.”

A few of the women fidgeted on their feet, ready and terrified for the real timed trial.

We were three weeks into training, this was the point where most of them were starting to feel stronger, starting to see changes in their bodies.

The aches and pains were less soreness from moving muscles in unusual ways and now instead a soreness from building muscle. They were also bonding in record speed.

“There’s no sense in delaying this any longer and letting your nerves get the best of you, so let’s move.” I barked. “Go!”

And then I began running with them.

A few turned their heads over their shoulders.

“Uh, what are you doing?” Sam asked.

“All the better to yell my encouragements,” I told her.

Our feet, arms, lungs all began moving in motion, I noted the speed of the group up front. Jessina and Harlow. They had a brisk pace going. If they could maintain it, they’d be just fine. Maybe even beat their last times by a minute or more.

I ran with the women in the back, yelling at them to hustle and move, steady their breathing with their strides. And then I picked up speed, yelling at each of them on my way by. Would I annoy them? Yes. I was counting on it. They could be mad at me all they wanted so long as they passed the trial.

“Nice and steady on that ankle, Vivian,” I said to her on my way by her. “You don’t want to go too hard and not be able to finish.”

“I’ve got it,” she agreed.

She still wasn’t fully healed, but at least she was far better than she had been feeling. I kept picking up speed until I was with Jessina and Harlow in front, barreling toward the big rock we all ran to.

To Remy, I hollered, “Keep it up. Steady feet, but don’t get too greedy.”

I waited at the rock, yelling again at a few of them while they came by.

I needed to get moving toward the finish line so I could make sure everyone made it by exactly the cut off time, but I also noted that Zara had been running with Molly when I knew for a fact she could have been keeping pace with Jessina.

So when they reached the rock, I ran with them. “Good work, Molls.”

“Thanks,” she huffed back.

“Zara,” I began.

“What?” It was half groan, half snap.

“Is there a reason you’re holding back today? Hanging back to see if you need to rescue anyone else?”

Zara didn’t say anything.

“It’s the good company,” Molly finally offered but it sounded more like a question and less like a statement.

“That may be, but now that we are on the second half, go ahead and get after it, why don’t you? ”

Zara got out between heavy breaths, “Stop. Trying. To. Make. Me. A. Leader.”

I leaned in though our legs and arms never stopped running. “Fine. You don’t have to be a leader, Zara.” I had to stop to inhale deeply. “But what I won’t accept—is you holding back. You not giving me the very best you’ve got.”

And with that I kicked it into high gear, making sure to again yell at all the women in the last half nearing the big rock.

“Elsie, today is your day, move your butt!” I snapped at her.

She ran even harder. Glancing at my watch, I knew she was on pace to make it, but I didn’t want her letting up even a little bit. She could do it. They all could.

“Sam,” I bit out. “How are we going to enjoy your smartass comments if you aren’t here?”

“Rude!” she responded back. “Also the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me!”

I passed Jessina and Harlow on the way to the start, which only seemed to infuriate them.

I made it back in time, but barely. Jessina and Harlow were not far behind me. I grabbed my water jug and took a drink, spilling a little on my shirt as I did. It was a welcomed dampness since I was so sweaty. I stood back up just in time for Jessina and Harlow to cross the finish line.

“Nicely done,” I told them.

“You beat us,” Jessina huffed.

I winked at her. “You don’t get on Team One for nothing.”

“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 you didn’t enjoy beating us?” Jessina asked as she grabbed her own jug for a drink .

“I didn’t say that ,” 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.

“Happi er ,” 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.

Two women still hadn’t crossed the line when the final seconds were running out.

“Thirty minutes!” I finally called out after giving them a few extra seconds. Two more women were gone. And I knew this was bound to happen, there would likely be a few more to go before we really settled into a cohesive team, but dammit if I hadn’t wanted all of them to succeed and pass this.

In the end, all but Harriet and Alison passed.

And I again had to wonder if either one was self-sabotage.

Alison refused to increase her protein intake, afraid of gaining any sort of weight, even healthy muscle weight.

In valuing that over her health, it had affected her performance today.

The worst part was, they’d both made it the last time. Just not the one that counted.

I went over to them while Jessina looked on, like she was again going to keep me from kicking someone out. Zara pulled her over, hand around her shoulder, and whispered something to her .

“Harriet and Alison. I am sorry, but you didn’t pass.”

Alison looked gutted but Harriet was either being damn brave or was fine.

“I’m sure this won’t be the last team of women. There will be other training groups. If this is something either of you truly want, use what you learned here, train at home, and come back strong next time. You didn’t make it this time, but you are not defeated.”

Harriet gave me a nod. “Thank you, General Raikes.”

“You both know you can do this, that will be the hardest part to grapple with,” I told them. “But that knowledge can drive you right back here to try again if you allow it to.”

Harriet went to say a few goodbyes, which I allowed.

And then we were down two more girls. Down to sixteen. Most teams worked best at around twelve. I didn’t want to see any of them go, but it was bound to happen.

I led them in stretches and waited until I was sure Harriet and Alison had left before I told the rest, “Well, Slay Sisters, you just earned yourself the afternoon off.”

After the screeching and squealing died down, Summer asked, “Can we go swimming in the lake?”

My eyes tried to leave my head. “Naked?”

Sam died laughing while Molly said gently, “They do make these things called bathing suits, General.”

“Oh.” I hadn’t ever gotten to do this because the lake was already black for my training. “That’s fine. Again, go together in threes or more. I’ll station Miles a ways off, but please do wear clothes. You never know when he or someone from the castle might pop by.”

Sam grinned at me. “What was your training like that you automatically assume we would do things naked, General?”

We had done a naked run in the forest once, but I wasn’t going to give them any ideas .

Vivian deadpanned, “The men groups probably have back floating contests when they skinny dip.”

I ran a hand down my face. One mess up and they couldn’t just let it slide. “I regret assuming anything,” I mumbled.

“Do you even own a bathing suit, General?” Sam badgered. She just couldn’t help herself.

“I do, but sadly, I have plans this afternoon with my nephews. So no lake day for me.”

“Nephews?” Summer asked, eyes going to Wren.

She explained, “He calls the princes his nephews, even though they’re really not.”

“They really are,” I defended. “I’m their favorite uncle.”

“Yeah, until the one with wings comes to visit,” my sister teased.

“It’s not fair,” I agreed. “Keir had to go and grow wings to compete with me for favorite funcle-dom.” At their weird looks, I added, “Fun uncle? Funcle.”

“Can you tell us about your trips to Dra Skor?” Molly asked.

“I just cannot get enough of the stories.” I could read between the lines with what she wasn’t saying.

After making it quite far in Keir’s Assemblage, she wanted to know the stories, but likely didn’t feel comfortable enough asking Keir himself for them.

“I will,” I agreed. “But some other day.”

As if on cue, Warrick ran over to where I stood in the training pit. I knew Krew and Jorah were going to be in the area today. They had a trip to Nerede planned while Silvia and I had volunteered to watch the two crowned princes.

“Uncle Owen!”

I lifted him into a big hug. He might be twelve now, but I was still bigger. And I was going to hug him until he told me not to. “Warrick. How are you?”

“Good. How are things here? Did they all pass the test?”

The fact that he’d taken an interest in what I was doing and remembered it was the timed trial today did my heart good. “All but two.”

“I’m sorry,” he told me.

“Me too,” I told him back as I ruffled his dark hair before scooping up little Arden to put him on my back.

I turned to find Jorah speaking to Molly, giving her a quick hug. Most of the team were heading in to shower, but a few stayed back to chat.

“Hey,” I snapped. “No outside influence. You know they aren’t supposed to have contact with family and friends for the full ninety days. Letters only.”

“Right, I forgot,” Jorah said as she pulled back quickly.

I knew for a fact she rarely forgot a thing.

“Excellent job to all of you today!” she told the rest of them.

“Nana is making cookies,” Warrick told me. “But can we practice with the bow and arrow you got me?”

“We have all day,” I told him.

We headed with Krew and Jorah to the barns before Warrick, Arden, and I would walk back to the castle.

“Do try not to have too much fun today,” Jorah told us.

“No promises,” I told her and bounced Arden on my back, his giggles loud in my ear.

“Thank you for volunteering,” Krew told me with a slap of a hug to my back. “You didn’t have to do this with your afternoon off.”

“No problem.”

I didn’t tell him that I was exactly where I wanted to be. That being around their family was like being around my own. Being a part of their family grounded me. Krew and I hadn’t just been best friends, we were brothers. Their family was my family.

Jorah and Krew were back from Nerede. I had finally showered and was ready to walk back over to my cabin, when there was a rapid knock on my door.

“What is it?” I groaned.

Miles opened the door without delay. “It’s the forest.”

“What about it?” If there was another fire, I was going to personally filet whoever did it.

“Someone saw some magic,” he began.

I refrained from rolling my eyes. Magic, in an enchanted forest? Who would have thought?

But then he clarified, “ Black magic. General Whitman is already down there.”

“Oh.” An image of the life leaving Theon’s eyes popped into my head. He was dead. I knew he was dead. I had seen it with my own two eyes.

“The guards who saw it say it looked just like Theon’s.”

I stilled. It had to be someone else with black magic like Theon’s.

There was no other logical explanation. But on the other hand, that forest was teeming with the impossible.

Katarina’s magic had been siphoned into the sword, which was home to the purple hydrangea tree; so what if some of his remained?

Miles kept going, “And your training team is a bit rattled now. Two of them saw it as well.”

Yeah, that would be unnerving. I left them to their own devices for one afternoon, and Theon’s magic was seen?

I needed to get back over to the barracks to talk to the team. I needed to brief with the people who had seen the black magic. And note the areas it was seen. See if there was a pattern of any sort.

Miles took a deep breath. “So it goes without saying, the only question here is: how the hell is Theon Valanova’s magic back?”