After stumbling through the dark for so long, Damien at first thought he was imagining the pale, green glow that filled the tunnel ahead. It looked familiar, but without his sorcerous senses everything seemed washed out, the important details missing. He’d only been a true sorcerer for a little over a year and his extra senses had awakened three years before that, but even so he found it hard to cope with their loss. Dad would laugh if he could see Damien stumbling, weak and pathetic, like a child taking his first steps. Damien wanted to laugh at himself, but he lacked the energy to spare.

When he got closer he realized what the light was: concentrated earth force. He hadn’t had any training so according to Leah he shouldn’t be able to detect the energy.

She also said your own light blinded you to it. You’re a lot less bright than you used to be.

“Is that an insult or compliment?”

An observation. Hurry up. My awareness has expanded enough that I can sense the wolves getting closer. We need a defensible position.

Another wave of jealousy washed over Damien. He ignored it. His happiness at having Lizzy with him and recovering far outweighed his distaste at his own weakness.

The light grew brighter and eventually the tunnel widened into a grotto. The source of the glow was a shallow pool at the far end of the cavern. It reminded Damien a great deal of the pool that had restored Leah. Perhaps it could do something similar for him.

There’s no time. This chamber is too open. There are at least three wolves less than a minute behind us. If we fight here you’ll be torn to pieces.

“How much power have you gathered?” Damien studied the ceiling near the tunnel entrance. Eight large stalactites dangled there like oversized icicles.

This is a bad idea, Damien. If you seal the tunnel we’ll be trapped.

“Doesn’t matter. If the pool heals me the stones will be nothing more than a nuisance. If it doesn’t we’ll be no less dead than if we tried to fight off three of those wolves with the power available. Get ready.”

Lizzy projected wordless distress, but gray energy gathered along her blade. Down the tunnel three pairs of glowing eyes appeared, getting closer by the second.

Damien slashed Lizzy, releasing the power. The blast hammered the hanging stones. All eight stalactites came crashing to the floor along with boulders the size of huts. When the dust cleared the entrance was sealed tight. It would take weeks for the wolves to dig through that, if they could do it at all.

What now?

Damien walked over to the pool, set Lizzy down at the edge, and stripped. When all his filthy, ragged clothes sat on the edge of the pool beside her, he eased into the water. It was warm and pure. His minor aches vanished in an instant. The mass of pain in his hand dulled to a throb. He lay back and floated on the surface, eyes closed.

It felt like the light of the world had flowed into him. He understood now why the druids were so secretive. Who would want to share such a wonderful resource?

A sort of euphoria filled him and time became an irrelevant, abstract idea.