“Meris!”
“What do you think you’re doing?” Meris demanded.
“Doing?”
“You can’t leave.”
“I don’t belong here.”
“And I do?”
“Yes, actually. I think you do.”
Lauren was changed. The fire was gone. She seemed beaten and resigned. She tried to move past but Meris blocked the way.
“Lauren, listen to me. When I first saw Shar practicing at the maypole, I understood how important this was to her. That’s the only thing I understood about any of this, but you haven’t been competing with me all these weeks out of whimsy. This means something to you and I’m not going to watch you throw it all away over a bruised ego.”
“Look, I know none of the others want me back.”
“To hell with them. You’re good, Lauren. As good as any of us. You’re part of us. In your own backward way, you’ve pulled the te
