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A scream tore from my throat as the bird opened its talons, reaching for us. But the shouts of the attackers and the shriek of the bird drowned out the sound.
I tried to think of a way to escape, but Liam kept me pinned to his side, one arm wrapped around my waist, the other shielding my head as the talons stretched toward us.
A hum that shook my bones and a blazing blue light burst from the six stones Liam had laid on the ground. The bird’s talons scraped against the glow but could not reach our flesh.
The men attacked our sanctuary, but the stones blocked their swords. The tendrils of shadow whipped through the darkness, cracking up from the ground as though determined to swallow our barrier.
“I’m sorry,” I said. I don’t know if Liam heard me.
A scream in the distance dragged th
