ASHER
It was quiet at first. Just the two of us, Merlin and I, crouched near the edge of the cabin. The shell we were creating for Elira shimmered faintly, glowing in soft pulses of white light. Merlin whispered old words, ancient chants that only someone like him could remember. My hands were pressed against the ground, steadying the barrier as it formed.
Then, the quiet broke.
Footsteps. A crack of a branch. A low whistle that didn't belong to the night.
We looked up.
Men. Fifteen or more. Faces masked, eyes like stone. They circled us slowly, silent but sure. I felt it in my chest..danger. And not just for me.
They lunged.
Merlin reacted first, throwing up a shield that burst one of them back into a tree. I swung my body around and met a blade with my bare arm. Pain sliced through, but I moved.
Hit one in the chest. Another grabbed me from behind. I twisted, threw him off. Blood splattered the dirt.
