Amazing.

Damien looked back at her, then motioned for her to join him. Selene picked her way across the gravel as another wave came crashing in. She came to a stop beside him, clutching her cloak close to her body. The mist froze across her face, leaving her nose chilled.

Damien didn’t seem to notice the spray or the cold. Instead, he gazed out over the water with a satisfied look on his face. “This is where I first learned of my gift. My father brought me here and told me the history of my family. We were given the gift of the waters to protect our people. But it’s more than that; it’s how I worship the Light. What he gave me I give back to him.”

Damien bent his knees and brought his hands up until they were level with his chest. He inhaled deeply, then slowly raised his palms again. This time, the waves moved with the motion of his hands. Instead of crashing along the pebbles, the water rose in a thick sheet.

He kept one hand in the air, brought a leg back, then pushed out with his other hand. The water mimicked his movement. The wall of water moved out toward the wide cave entrance like a wave, only much bigger.

“When I move the water, I feel a connection to the one who gave me this power.” Damien changed his stance and slowly brought the wall of water back. “I feel peace. I lift the days left to me to the Light in service, then I pray for my people. In the same way I move the water, I want the Light to move me, to use me and my power for the benefit of others.”

“But how did you come to know the Light in the first place? How do you know he’s real? And what is he?” Selene gripped the front of her cloak closed to keep out the cold mist.

“My father and my mother taught me. Then I explored the Light myself. I read all I could at the abbey. He gave life to everything that was created, and his very being brings light to everyone. That is why he is known as the Light. No other title is needed.”

“But where is he? Can I see him?”

Damien chuckled and brought his palm down as if he was going to pat the water. “He dwells in light, and he is Light himself. One of the oldest manuscripts says his light is so immense that mortals cannot approach him. Yet he is near to all.”

“You speak in riddles.”

“Perhaps the sun is a better comparison. It is bright and hot in the summer, but cool and dim in the winter. It is the same sun but can be both blistering and a comfort. The Light is both.”

“And you follow this Light? This being? This—this God?”

“I do. It was my decision to make. After my search, and feeling the power I have been given within my own body, I could see no other path I wanted to take. Following the Light does not mean there is no darkness. Rather, it means there is light in the darkness, even if it is only a single flame. I’ve never been alone. The one who made me and gave me my power has always been with me.”