---
I woke to the taste of iron and the hum of magic thick in the air.
A barrier.
Not just any barrier—this one bit at my skin, crawled along my veins like fire ants. I stretched my hand against the translucent surface, and my palm hissed as if pressed to a forge. I jerked back, teeth gritted. My chest rose and fell, more with anger than fear.
"What is this?" I demanded, my voice echoing unnaturally in the shimmering cage. "A joke? You think chaining me in light is funny?"
