Delphine was far behind. While the others were able to run at great speed, Delphine couldn’t run much with her legs. It didn’t take long before she stopped to catch her breath. Delphine felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest; she wasn’t a runner and wasn’t used to this. The moment the race began, she regretted the decision to participate. She was close to taking a step back, but the cheers coming from the onlookers stopped her. “Where do I even begin?” she asked herself.
“Weak creature,” she heard a familiar voice mutter behind her. It was Vivian. She was still in her human form, unlike the other girls. “What were you thinking about joining the race?”
Delphine stood up straight, eyeing her. “Shouldn’t you be with the others? Are you really just staying behind to annoy me?”
“You better watch your mouth. Damien isn’t here to save you,” Vivian warned.
“True.” Delphine shrugged. “But you see everyone out there? Yes, they love me. If you try to harm me in any way, they will be on you.”
“Don’t worry,” she said with a sweet smile. “I don’t plan to hurt you…not now at least. My goal is to get Damien back and then I’ll get rid of you. So, just watch your back.” With that, she took off, leaving Delphine behind.
“Bitch,” Delphine muttered, following immediately. “Where would this stupid cup be?” She went on her knees, searching in the dark. The Queen had said the cup was buried close to a tree, not too deep that she would need a tool though, so her hands would work just fine. “This is dirty and disgusting, reminds me of the dungeon.” She got up and moved to another tree. “Only the gods know the amount of germs dancing in my hands.” When she also got nothing there, she moved to another tree, and the next after that. “There isn’t even a prize attached to this!” she cried.
Delphine decided that the next stop would be the last tree she would check. She didn’t care anymore; if the cup wasn’t in that tree, she would just find somewhere to wait until she was sure someone had found it, then went back home. She got there, running her fingers through the moist soil, letting out a wimp whenever she was sure she had touched something like a worm, cockroach, or frog. “It better be here—” she froze as her hands came in contact with something hard. “Could it be?” She let out a joyful squeal, digging around quickly until she had cleared the space around the item.