I shook my head slowly as I reached my hand out for his.
“No, Lia. Anything you have to say can be said in front of everyone,” he grumbled at me. “I don't need to be coddled and scolded fornot meeting your standards.”
“I would never scold you, Finnian,” I snarked. “Coddle, perhaps.” A smirk threatened to form on my lips, but I suppressed it.
“You don’t think I can do this, do you?” His eyes wandered over each of us as we stood before him. “Even you, Landon?”
“We just want you to be safe,” he answered.
Finnian scoffed. “Let’s not forget that you were critically injured on the battlefield the last timeyouset foot on it. I could say the same for you,” he snapped.
“You’re right.AndI have more training,” Landon admitted.
“That is hardly fair!” Finn’s voice rose alongside his aggravation.
“But it’s the truth,” I stated. “We just want you to be safe.”
“And I want the same for all of you!” he shouted, making me flinch. “No one will be safe out there! Not a single one of you. We could all die. Not just me. Why is no one else thinking of this?!”
Curious eyes of the nearby soldiers wandered to us as his voice continued to rise. Jace huffed out a sigh as he stepped away from our group while waving his arms to shoo the onlookers away.
“I think of that every second of every gods-damn day, Finnian Valderre.” A bite now inched its way into my tone. “I’m sorry that you’re upset, but it’s for your own good.”
“And Avery will be out on the fields when she has just as little training as I?”
“That is yet to be determined, but likely not,” I answered. Avery nodded along with my words.
“I just want to be made useful,” he said sadly.
“I know, which is why we have a new plan.”
Veli stepped up to Finn, her violet stare locking him in a nervous trance. “The world could always use more healers, boy. Your mother banning them over a century ago has made them few and far between.”
His eyes flared and then shot back to me. “You want me to learn to be ahealer? How is there time for such things but not combat training?”
“Look at me, you foolish male,” Veli hissed, and he pursed his lips as he did as he was told. “I will teach you the ways of saving lives. You will be provided with as much training and workings as time allows. You will be much more useful there.”
“How? You are the realm's most talented healer, Veli. And for good reason.”
“She will likely not be in the healers' tents,” I cut in. His brows furrowed in response. “Veli will be needed on the fields.”
“You mean her magic will be needed,” he sassed.
“Precisely,” Veli snapped. “We are all playing roles we don’t necessarily wish to have. Now it’s time to grow up and recognize the areas where your contribution will be most valuable.”
Just as I was about to speak again, a strange and unsettling energy filled the air. Power crackled through the sky as dark clouds quickly moved in on the horizon, and the winds picked up, blowing our hair in all directions.
“What’s happening?!” Avery shrieked, and Gage moved to cover her, shielding her behind his arms as the winds continued to assault us on all sides.
Nox let out a deafening screech in the air as the power continued to surge.
Jace and Zaela sprinted towards us as the last of the soldiers sought cover from the winds, running back towards the barracks on the far side of the field.
We formed a tight circle, our backs pressed against each other, as we each unsheathed our weapons from our sides.
“Veli!” I barked over the roaring winds. “What’s happening?!”
“Someone’s here,” she announced. “I can feel them.”
