into their own.”
“Then how come I can?” She dabbed at her mouth with her napkin.
“You’re one of those ‘few’ who can. While you are of this world—
mortal, human—you are not truly a part of it. Not like...normal people.
‘Regulars’, they’re called.”
“That makes them sound like coffee,” Rebecca said, arching an eyebrow.
“So if everyone else is ‘regular’, I must be ‘decaf’, right?” Syd smiled indulgently and shook his head. “You are a Stranger,” he replied. “Not from here, but not from the Otherworlds, like I am. A Stranger.
That is what Healers are.”
“So you’re basically telling me that I don’t belong here,” Rebecca said with a snort. She rolled her eyes and stabbed a bite of egg with her fork. “ I could have told you that. I’ve known that since kindergarten.”
“Ah, but you did not know why,” Sydney countered. “Further, most humans feel they don’t belong from time to time. It’s just that in your case, it’s true.”
Syd leaned down to look at her, trying to get her attention. When she looked up from her plate, he smiled, allowing the tips of his fangs to show against his bottom lip.
“Can you honestly tell me that you aren’t relieved to finally know what you are? Why nothing here has ever felt right to you, or made sense to you?” he asked. “And does it now?”
“I felt...something...last night, when Nana was telling me about...things,” Rebecca replied. She took another swallow of her juice, hoping it would moisten her dry throat. “But you make me sound all special and everything.
I’m not special. I’m nothing. Nobody. I seriously don’t think I’m...whatever you think I am. I’m just me. If you knew anything about me at all, you’d know I can barely handle a pop quiz, and now I’m supposed to handle...
feeding vampires and who knows what else?”
“If you can care for your grandmother all these years, you can certainly manage a fledgling vampire, ghost, ghoul,” Syd assured her. “Or anything else that comes through that portal needing help. Believe me, you’re going to see some things that you’ll truly wish you hadn’t. You wished to study medicine, yes? Become a doctor, and perhaps help your grandmother or those like her? Well, this will be no worse than what you’d see on any given night in any mortal emergency room. Regulars do some of the most horrific things to each other, and for the most ridiculous reasons—if they even have a reason. At least with Ethereals it’s usually either an accident or a war injury, and there’s always a war going on between one faction and another, and some are mortal enemies. Vampires and werewolves, werewolves and ghouls, ghouls and shades—”
“Godzilla and King Kong,” Rebecca interjected. “Bad guys like fighting with each other.” She took another bite of her toast. “So...you’re going to help me learn to be a witch, right?”
Syd scowled. His entire being seemed to change, and the room suddenly felt a whole lot colder. Even darker. “I know some wonderful witches, and you’re nothing like a witch.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened. Oh, wow, she totally hadn’t meant to offend him. What had she said? They were just talking, and—
“I...I didn’t mean—” she began to apologize.
“I know you didn’t.” He stood.
She dropped her fork and pressed herself back hard against her chair.
He shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder. She was surprised that it was warm, not cold. Wasn’t he a walking corpse? Shouldn’t he be cold?
“Hush. I will never harm you. However, you must be careful with your words now. A Healer has certain immunity and clemencies to things, but her conduct is an important part of that.”
Rebecca looked up at him and bit her bottom lip. He thought she’d thought...was she afraid of him? Why? He wasn’t scary.
Well, yeah, he was. Very, but...warm and safe, too. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her. She knew it. She felt guilty
“Then how come I can?” She dabbed at her mouth with her napkin.
“You’re one of those ‘few’ who can. While you are of this world—
mortal, human—you are not truly a part of it. Not like...normal people.
‘Regulars’, they’re called.”
“That makes them sound like coffee,” Rebecca said, arching an eyebrow.
“So if everyone else is ‘regular’, I must be ‘decaf’, right?” Syd smiled indulgently and shook his head. “You are a Stranger,” he replied. “Not from here, but not from the Otherworlds, like I am. A Stranger.
That is what Healers are.”
“So you’re basically telling me that I don’t belong here,” Rebecca said with a snort. She rolled her eyes and stabbed a bite of egg with her fork. “ I could have told you that. I’ve known that since kindergarten.”
“Ah, but you did not know why,” Sydney countered. “Further, most humans feel they don’t belong from time to time. It’s just that in your case, it’s true.”
Syd leaned down to look at her, trying to get her attention. When she looked up from her plate, he smiled, allowing the tips of his fangs to show against his bottom lip.
“Can you honestly tell me that you aren’t relieved to finally know what you are? Why nothing here has ever felt right to you, or made sense to you?” he asked. “And does it now?”
“I felt...something...last night, when Nana was telling me about...things,” Rebecca replied. She took another swallow of her juice, hoping it would moisten her dry throat. “But you make me sound all special and everything.
I’m not special. I’m nothing. Nobody. I seriously don’t think I’m...whatever you think I am. I’m just me. If you knew anything about me at all, you’d know I can barely handle a pop quiz, and now I’m supposed to handle...
feeding vampires and who knows what else?”
“If you can care for your grandmother all these years, you can certainly manage a fledgling vampire, ghost, ghoul,” Syd assured her. “Or anything else that comes through that portal needing help. Believe me, you’re going to see some things that you’ll truly wish you hadn’t. You wished to study medicine, yes? Become a doctor, and perhaps help your grandmother or those like her? Well, this will be no worse than what you’d see on any given night in any mortal emergency room. Regulars do some of the most horrific things to each other, and for the most ridiculous reasons—if they even have a reason. At least with Ethereals it’s usually either an accident or a war injury, and there’s always a war going on between one faction and another, and some are mortal enemies. Vampires and werewolves, werewolves and ghouls, ghouls and shades—”
“Godzilla and King Kong,” Rebecca interjected. “Bad guys like fighting with each other.” She took another bite of her toast. “So...you’re going to help me learn to be a witch, right?”
Syd scowled. His entire being seemed to change, and the room suddenly felt a whole lot colder. Even darker. “I know some wonderful witches, and you’re nothing like a witch.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened. Oh, wow, she totally hadn’t meant to offend him. What had she said? They were just talking, and—
“I...I didn’t mean—” she began to apologize.
“I know you didn’t.” He stood.
She dropped her fork and pressed herself back hard against her chair.
He shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder. She was surprised that it was warm, not cold. Wasn’t he a walking corpse? Shouldn’t he be cold?
“Hush. I will never harm you. However, you must be careful with your words now. A Healer has certain immunity and clemencies to things, but her conduct is an important part of that.”
Rebecca looked up at him and bit her bottom lip. He thought she’d thought...was she afraid of him? Why? He wasn’t scary.
Well, yeah, he was. Very, but...warm and safe, too. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her. She knew it. She felt guilty
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