I feel dull and empty, suddenly, the ache of where my magic usually resides dead in my chest. Sage shakes his head, paws the ground, then his ear as though in distress. I comfort him with a quick hug, gasping my own loss.

"It's all right," I say out loud in the echoing quiet of the cavern, the dirt and stone floor cold under my knees, even through my jeans. I reach for his mind and come up blank. Sage licks his chops nervously, tail hitting me ...