Elle just glared. “Can’t you change it? Get to them early somehow?”
“I’ll update the system today to make it faster,” Lacey said. “We’ll find out what you need, Elle. It’ll be okay.”
“You don’t know that!” Elira snapped. Her voice cracked—barely—but she didn’t stop. “None of you do!”
“Elle—” Phoenix began, but she turned on her heel.
She took a sharp breath, then stormed out of the room.
Phoenix and I exchanged a look, then followed.
Maddie stayed behind.
She leaned over Lacey’s table and sniffed one of the bubbling jars. “Is that white root?”
“Good nose,” Lacey said, smiling. “I’m working on a new communication potion.”
“Have you tried lemon flower? It’s good for signal clarity and stabilization.” Maddie asked.
Lacey raised an eyebrow. “You know your plants.”
I nudged Maddie’s shoulder. “Catch you later, Mads.”
She blushed and waved me off, shooing me toward the door.
Elle was storming her way toward the training field like she was about to jump out of her own skin.
She yanked off her jacket and threw it to the ground, then snatched up a practice sword from the rack.
Without hesitation, she launched into the dummies—swinging with a ferocity that startled even me.
Slade, who had been walking nearby, turned at the sound.
Phoenix sighed and made his way over to him.
I stepped closer to Elle, where a group of soldiers had gathered to watch. It didn’t take long for more to trickle in—curious, whispering, drawn by the sound of fury in motion.
Some of them smiled. Others elbowed each other, like this was a show.
My jaw tightened.
They wore the deep green of Virell—neatly pressed, perfectly stitched. Clean. Polished. Not one of them knew what it meant to fight for their life in the dirt. Not like we did.
Not like she had.
I caught one of them grinning and looking her up and down—like she was entertainment.
I stepped into his line of sight. Didn’t say a word.
Just stared.
He looked away first.
Smart.
But others weren’t so bright.
Elira, sensing the eyes on her, turned slowly—her gaze landing on a particularly tall soldier lingering near the edge of the field.
