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I lay on my back and stared upwards, my head comfortably on Romy’s lap, while above me the roof of the cave pulsed with life and energy. I felt distinctly queasy. ‘Bit,’ I said, not wanting to admit that the only difference I felt right now was nausea. ‘How about you?’
Romy wrinkled her nose. ‘Not really,’ she admitted, sounding thoroughly disappointed. ‘Trinity?’
‘Nope,’ Trinity said with a shrug. ‘Guess this isn’t going to be as big a deal as we thought. You don’t suppose our magic has been damaged while it’s been stored here, do you?’
‘Could magic be damaged?’ Romy asked doubtfully. ‘I suppose the only way to know for sure is to ask Emrick. He’s bound to know.’
‘What am I bound to know?’
We jumped at his voice, and I attempted to sit up.
‘No, no, take it easy, my boy,’ he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. ‘You’ve had a trying time. Take a few breaths and let the world steady itself first.’
‘You said it wouldn’t hurt,’ I managed.
‘Well, strictly speaking,’ he said, rather shame-faced, ‘I told Romy it wouldn’t hurt. And I’m quite sure it didn’t, did it, Romy? Trinity? But you—I’m afraid it was always going to be a more frightening experience for you. You had so much to absorb from the previous Great Guardians. I’m sorry.’
‘Why didn’t you warn me?’
‘Why frighten you?’ He stroked my hair gently. ‘Here. This’ll do the trick.’
To my surprise he handed me a Mars Bar.
‘Seriously?’
‘Try it. You’ll be amazed.’
I took a bite and chewed doubtfully, but I must admit that, within a few seconds, I was already feeling better.
‘See? Told you.’
I sat up and offered the girls some of the chocolate, but they refused. They certainly looked a lot better than I felt. In fact, as I watched them curiously, I realised they’d never looked so healthy and alert. Those green eyes of theirs were positively sparkling.
‘You look really well,’ I said enviously.
‘And so do you,’ Romy said, eyeing me in surprise. ‘There’s something different about you. I can’t quite put my finger on it.’
‘Magic,’ Emrick said, laughing. ‘What else?’
‘So you don’t think our magic was damaged while it was in storage?’ I asked doubtfully.
‘Damaged while in storage? This cave isn’t some furniture warehouse. These crystals kept your magic safe all these years. It generates all the magical power on this island.’
‘But where did they come from?’ Trinity asked. ‘These crystals, I mean.’
‘They’ve been here since the beginning,’ Emrick assured her. ‘It powers not just Peloryon Island, but Lyonesse too, remember.’
‘Lyonesse?’ I gazed round in awe. That was some power.
‘Do you remember learning about the sacred places? Well, this is sort of what they look like. Underneath the land, this is what lies there. A giant battery pack, picking up signals and giving out warnings when necessary to the Guardians. Storing magic. Regenerating. Reusing. It’s an extremely efficient system.’
‘So Peloryon Island is one of the five sacred places?’ Trinity asked.
Emrick shook his head. ‘No. There is a sacred place in Cornwall, but it’s not here. This is something entirely separate, and part of the Otherworld, remember?’
I finished my Mars Bar and got to my feet.
‘Are you ready to go home?’ Emrick asked me kindly. ‘Wulfram Pendragon.’
