"Okay, yes, they did die and come back," Cassie said. "But it's not guaranteed. The next time they die, the could stay as dead as anyone else. And they're not going to live forever if someone doesn't kill them either."

She couldn't help cracking a smile when he started muttering to himself. Sarcasm meant that he probably wasn't freaking out too badly, and she had plenty of experience with boys being sarcastic at her. She sobered again when he started asking questions about why they were here.

"There are...magical creatures here," she said. "One of them was stupid and opened a door he shouldn't have, and a monster got its claws in the door so it couldn't be shut out. The monster is trying to get the rest of the way in now, and it's making cracks in reality, like a car ramming into another car." Metaphors, similes, those were good. Tangible things he could use.

"This world is more magical than mine, it's got guardians to keep its people safe. But the monster captured some of them, and with the holes in the walls the monster was already making, the magic started getting out and trying to find people that could be temporary guardians. Following me so far?"