"Juan, Emi, rear guard." I turned to the laziest genius I'd ever met and the human ray of sunshine who somehow tolerated me. "Emi, keep your healing aura tight and focused. Don't waste energy on scratches—save it for the real injuries. Juan..." I paused, searching for the right way to phrase this. "Just... do whatever you do. But maybe do it with slightly more enthusiasm than usual?"
"Enthusiasm is exhausting," Juan muttered, but his green eyes were already scanning the corridor ahead with the calculating attention of a chess master evaluating the board. "But fine. I'll try to care a little bit. For the sake of the team."
"Skylar, wherever you're most lethal." I didn't need to elaborate. The goth princess operated best as a free agent, and trying to pin her down to a specific position would just waste both our time.
She gave me a lazy salute with two fingers. "Aye aye, captain."
