“You’re the high muckety-muck wizard. Change them back.”

“Perhaps if you stop trying to crush my shoulder I might actually be able to do that. I don’t function well while in pain.”

Dacian shoved closed the door in his mind that demanded lots of violence and released Holgarth. But before Holgarth could do anything other than rub his shoulder, Clarence spoke up.

“I can fix it, I can fix it.” Picking up the staff he’d dropped, he launched into a frantic chant that even to Dacian’s ears didn’t sound right.

With a horrified, “Stop, for God’s sake stop!” Holgarth launched himself at the fledgling wizard.

Dacian didn’t have a clue why Holgarth was so upset, but from the sound of Holgarth’s voice he knew he’d better stop Clarence. He put his speed to good use. Dacian took Clarence in a flying tackle that effectively ended his chant.

Holgarth stood over them, breathing hard and looking pale. He waved his hand in a vague shooing motion toward Clarence. “Begone. Perhaps in a few hundred years you’ll have your power under control, but right now you’re what the common people would call a loose cannon.”

Clarence didn’t take Holgarth’s criticism well. His expression turned ugly, all of his naive-young-wizard persona gone. “You’re not a master wizard, old man. You don’t have the guts to handle power the way it should be handled. You let stupid scruples get in the way of greatness. I won’t make that mistake. I’ll be a hundred times more powerful than you.” With that pronouncement, he once again retrieved his fallen staff and left the great hall.

Dacian didn’t have time to worry about the guy’s bruised ego. The bats were growing more agitated. It was almost dark outside. All it would take was one person throwing open the huge doors leading to the castle courtyard to release them. After that, who knew where they’d go? “Do it now, wizard.”

Holgarth didn’t know that his long life hung by a very thin thread.

He cast Dacian a dark glance. Maybe he did.

Instead of answering, Holgarth flung his arms into the air and shouted a few words in a language Dacian didn’t recognize.

And suddenly everything was back the way it had been. Castle employees continued doing what they’d been doing before their foray into the bat world, completely oblivious. Amazing. But most amazing of all was that Cinn was once again at his side.