for flinching, and making him feel like he scared her.
When he didn’t. He really didn’t.
Does he?
She remembered he could hear her thoughts, and shook her head as she spoke again. “Meaning I can’t be an idiot and expect people to take it just because I’m...me.”
“Precisely,” Syd said. The room seemed to warm, matching his tone as he went on. “You have a lot to learn. You’ll have to do a lot of training out of Regular ways. We can start with names and titles. First, you’re a Healer, born of the line of Panacea, goddess of healing—the first Healer. That means something, as you’ll learn soon enough. Second, you must never identify as anything else. For example, you’re not a witch. They practice a very special kind of earth magic and are loving and tolerant, but most witches wouldn’t heal a vampire like me. Healers like you observe complete neutrality. You respect and attempt to help whatever asks or presents itself for healing, to the best of your ability.”
“Wait—if witches practice magic, doesn’t that make them...like me?” Rebecca asked.
“No,” Syd replied. “They use the magic around them, the magic of this realm, this world, not of the Otherworlds. Oh, there are some mortals who try to use the magic of the Otherworlds, and who succeed with heavy assistance from a demon or other Sinister, but I wouldn’t deign to insult the witches by associating them with dark magic users. There’s a vast difference, Acolyte, between the occult and the Dark. Remember that.” Rebecca nodded, though she wasn’t sure she understood.
“Seventeen is when a Healer’s power manifests in its entirety,” he said.
“And for you...well...let’s hope I can train you enough before you come of age that you’ll be able to manage that when it happens.” The way he said it made the idea of her upcoming birthday sound...
ominous.
“Manage what ?”
“The manifestation of your power.”
“You make it sound like I’ve got some terminal illness and only have until my birthday to live,” she retorted with a scowl.
The vampire didn’t reply. Even with the glasses covering his eyes, the look on his face spoke for him.
He looked...worried. Or maybe mad. She hoped she hadn’t offended him again. She was always saying stuff without thinking, and it always came out so wrong. When would she learn?
“I...um...I was kidding,” Rebecca said, contrite. “It was a joke. This...
this ‘manifestation’ thing isn’t going to kill me, right?” A nervous laugh escaped her.
Sydney didn’t reply right away. It was a long moment before he spoke, and when he did, the answer wasn’t what Rebecca wanted to hear.
“Possibly.”
“Wait,” she said, shaking her head as she held up a hand. She took a deep breath and looked at Syd. “What do you mean, ‘possibly’?”
“I’m not attempting to frighten you,” he replied in a calm voice. “But you must be aware of the dangers, and I will not keep the truth from you out of fear of how you might be affected by it. I am not your ‘Nana’.”
“That’s pretty obvious,” she said with a wry frown. “I suppose I should be grateful that you’re not going to baby me.”
“You’ve been coddled long enough, and exposure to the Otherworlds isn’t for the weak. The manifestation of your Healing ability is almost as dangerous as a Turning. Though I don’t believe it likely —” Rebecca couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but she tried to pay attention to every word.
“—that you will be harmed...or killed, there is a very slim possibility that the manifestation of your power could...overwhelm you. However, you’re a strong girl, and you’ll learn fast. You think on your feet and adapt quickly.
There’s no reason that anything should go awry. Had your grandmother trained you from the time you were a child as she should have, this wouldn’t be as large a concern.”
That didn’t help. Not one bit. Rebecca was just getting used to
When he didn’t. He really didn’t.
Does he?
She remembered he could hear her thoughts, and shook her head as she spoke again. “Meaning I can’t be an idiot and expect people to take it just because I’m...me.”
“Precisely,” Syd said. The room seemed to warm, matching his tone as he went on. “You have a lot to learn. You’ll have to do a lot of training out of Regular ways. We can start with names and titles. First, you’re a Healer, born of the line of Panacea, goddess of healing—the first Healer. That means something, as you’ll learn soon enough. Second, you must never identify as anything else. For example, you’re not a witch. They practice a very special kind of earth magic and are loving and tolerant, but most witches wouldn’t heal a vampire like me. Healers like you observe complete neutrality. You respect and attempt to help whatever asks or presents itself for healing, to the best of your ability.”
“Wait—if witches practice magic, doesn’t that make them...like me?” Rebecca asked.
“No,” Syd replied. “They use the magic around them, the magic of this realm, this world, not of the Otherworlds. Oh, there are some mortals who try to use the magic of the Otherworlds, and who succeed with heavy assistance from a demon or other Sinister, but I wouldn’t deign to insult the witches by associating them with dark magic users. There’s a vast difference, Acolyte, between the occult and the Dark. Remember that.” Rebecca nodded, though she wasn’t sure she understood.
“Seventeen is when a Healer’s power manifests in its entirety,” he said.
“And for you...well...let’s hope I can train you enough before you come of age that you’ll be able to manage that when it happens.” The way he said it made the idea of her upcoming birthday sound...
ominous.
“Manage what ?”
“The manifestation of your power.”
“You make it sound like I’ve got some terminal illness and only have until my birthday to live,” she retorted with a scowl.
The vampire didn’t reply. Even with the glasses covering his eyes, the look on his face spoke for him.
He looked...worried. Or maybe mad. She hoped she hadn’t offended him again. She was always saying stuff without thinking, and it always came out so wrong. When would she learn?
“I...um...I was kidding,” Rebecca said, contrite. “It was a joke. This...
this ‘manifestation’ thing isn’t going to kill me, right?” A nervous laugh escaped her.
Sydney didn’t reply right away. It was a long moment before he spoke, and when he did, the answer wasn’t what Rebecca wanted to hear.
“Possibly.”
“Wait,” she said, shaking her head as she held up a hand. She took a deep breath and looked at Syd. “What do you mean, ‘possibly’?”
“I’m not attempting to frighten you,” he replied in a calm voice. “But you must be aware of the dangers, and I will not keep the truth from you out of fear of how you might be affected by it. I am not your ‘Nana’.”
“That’s pretty obvious,” she said with a wry frown. “I suppose I should be grateful that you’re not going to baby me.”
“You’ve been coddled long enough, and exposure to the Otherworlds isn’t for the weak. The manifestation of your Healing ability is almost as dangerous as a Turning. Though I don’t believe it likely —” Rebecca couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but she tried to pay attention to every word.
“—that you will be harmed...or killed, there is a very slim possibility that the manifestation of your power could...overwhelm you. However, you’re a strong girl, and you’ll learn fast. You think on your feet and adapt quickly.
There’s no reason that anything should go awry. Had your grandmother trained you from the time you were a child as she should have, this wouldn’t be as large a concern.”
That didn’t help. Not one bit. Rebecca was just getting used to
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