your long lost loves. Or eat your eyes
while you sleep? Pick, pick, pick…”
Edward’s eyes were wide. “What kind of birds do they
have on your world?”
“We have Tibbits. Tibbits that eat eyes out of your
sockets while you sleep. We’re going to need to have a movie night.”
“I don’t think I would enjoy that type of movie. You
know, you’re a little paranoid.” He turned and took the black bird of death
inside.
I followed cautiously as Edward poured himself a drink.
When he put the clay-like bottle in a cabinet, I saw several other carafes. I
couldn’t imagine how that cabinet supported the weight. The crow perched on the
back of the reading chair, which gave the entire cabin a more mystical
atmosphere. The more closely I scrutinized the jars and books, the more I
realized it screamed “old wizard in the woods.”
“If you want anything to drink, there is water, tea,
and juice. Help yourself whenever, just let me know if you empty one and don’t
touch this one,” he said, pointing to a particular carafe, identical to the
others. “This is a juice from milwyd berries. They are a good source of
antioxidants and very gentle on weak stomachs, but you threw them up and your
fever increased when I gave them to you. Other than soup, there was really
nothing I could get you to keep down.”
It occurred to me for the first time that Edward had
worked really hard to take care of me. He was probably worried and doing
everything he could to keep me alive for two days. Hell, my mother never even
took care of me when I was hurt.
I wanted to thank him, but it felt awkward to do so.
Instead, I focused on Tibbit, who was staring at me intently… with death in his
beady black eyes.
“He’s just trying to freak you out. He’s curious
about you,” Edward said, moving to sit in the red chair beneath his pet, who
paid him no mind. I went to sit on the stool across the room. “Tibbit isn’t
usually friendly to visitors, except for Divina. Everyone loves her; including
the animals. Tibbit’s an interesting and intelligent companion. He listens when
you talk and sometimes there’s no doubt that he understands.”
“Do you ever get bored here, alone?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I get the occasional friendly visit
from a neighboring wizard who wants to trade ideas. Divina comes whenever she
feels like it, which might be every few months to every few days. Once every
few decades or so, I might go visit another Guardian to see what they have been
up to. I’ve lived for a long time and spent most of it alone. It has gotten to
the point that I hate being around many people. I don’t usually wish for
company, but I also don’t usually turn down the occasional visit.”
“Do you think you’ll get sick of my company?”
“I never get tired of the company of an apprentice or
child. And you? Do you think you’ll get ‘sick’ of my company?”
I looked down at his drink. “I have the habit of
getting frustrated with authority figures. I don’t like them. Mother treated me
with very little respect, gave me a lot of responsibility, and gave me very little
opportunity.”
“The line between responsibility and opportunity is
very thin.”
“Mother had a knack for not crossing it. Also, I’ve
had three horrible stepfathers. Two were drunks, two were druggies, and all
were abusive. The on-again, off-again stepbrother liked to torture smaller
things, such as little brothers. Oh, and the dreaded boarding-school teachers.
Talk about false hope. Trade Mother in for fifteen better-than-everyone-else
governesses on power-trips and a school full of stuck-up bullies. No matter
where I went, or how old I got, or how far I got, it seemed almost everyone
thought they were better than me and could push me around.”
“I can see how that would be very irritating.”
“Have you ever had that problem?”
Edward smirked. “I’m older by far than the oldest
person on your world and the oldest person on my world put
while you sleep? Pick, pick, pick…”
Edward’s eyes were wide. “What kind of birds do they
have on your world?”
“We have Tibbits. Tibbits that eat eyes out of your
sockets while you sleep. We’re going to need to have a movie night.”
“I don’t think I would enjoy that type of movie. You
know, you’re a little paranoid.” He turned and took the black bird of death
inside.
I followed cautiously as Edward poured himself a drink.
When he put the clay-like bottle in a cabinet, I saw several other carafes. I
couldn’t imagine how that cabinet supported the weight. The crow perched on the
back of the reading chair, which gave the entire cabin a more mystical
atmosphere. The more closely I scrutinized the jars and books, the more I
realized it screamed “old wizard in the woods.”
“If you want anything to drink, there is water, tea,
and juice. Help yourself whenever, just let me know if you empty one and don’t
touch this one,” he said, pointing to a particular carafe, identical to the
others. “This is a juice from milwyd berries. They are a good source of
antioxidants and very gentle on weak stomachs, but you threw them up and your
fever increased when I gave them to you. Other than soup, there was really
nothing I could get you to keep down.”
It occurred to me for the first time that Edward had
worked really hard to take care of me. He was probably worried and doing
everything he could to keep me alive for two days. Hell, my mother never even
took care of me when I was hurt.
I wanted to thank him, but it felt awkward to do so.
Instead, I focused on Tibbit, who was staring at me intently… with death in his
beady black eyes.
“He’s just trying to freak you out. He’s curious
about you,” Edward said, moving to sit in the red chair beneath his pet, who
paid him no mind. I went to sit on the stool across the room. “Tibbit isn’t
usually friendly to visitors, except for Divina. Everyone loves her; including
the animals. Tibbit’s an interesting and intelligent companion. He listens when
you talk and sometimes there’s no doubt that he understands.”
“Do you ever get bored here, alone?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I get the occasional friendly visit
from a neighboring wizard who wants to trade ideas. Divina comes whenever she
feels like it, which might be every few months to every few days. Once every
few decades or so, I might go visit another Guardian to see what they have been
up to. I’ve lived for a long time and spent most of it alone. It has gotten to
the point that I hate being around many people. I don’t usually wish for
company, but I also don’t usually turn down the occasional visit.”
“Do you think you’ll get sick of my company?”
“I never get tired of the company of an apprentice or
child. And you? Do you think you’ll get ‘sick’ of my company?”
I looked down at his drink. “I have the habit of
getting frustrated with authority figures. I don’t like them. Mother treated me
with very little respect, gave me a lot of responsibility, and gave me very little
opportunity.”
“The line between responsibility and opportunity is
very thin.”
“Mother had a knack for not crossing it. Also, I’ve
had three horrible stepfathers. Two were drunks, two were druggies, and all
were abusive. The on-again, off-again stepbrother liked to torture smaller
things, such as little brothers. Oh, and the dreaded boarding-school teachers.
Talk about false hope. Trade Mother in for fifteen better-than-everyone-else
governesses on power-trips and a school full of stuck-up bullies. No matter
where I went, or how old I got, or how far I got, it seemed almost everyone
thought they were better than me and could push me around.”
“I can see how that would be very irritating.”
“Have you ever had that problem?”
Edward smirked. “I’m older by far than the oldest
person on your world and the oldest person on my world put
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