The barrier surrounding Jax and me glowed brighter, its light shifting from soft amber to harsh white. I pressed my hand against the inside surface, watching the strange shimmer ripple outward like the skin of a living creature. It felt aware. It felt conscious. It felt as if it were watching me.
Hazel reached for us.
The barrier rejected her.
A violent burst of force shot outward and slammed her backward into a bone pillar. She hit the ground with a cry of pain, her shoulder colliding with the ancient rib hard enough to make cracks splinter down the bone.
Zack rushed toward her, panic etched across his face, but when he tried to push through, the barrier flung him even harder. The blast threw him into the air, sending him tumbling across the cracked floor. He rolled until he struck a
