"Uh huh." Miguel nodded, understanding that she wasn't. "My friend Mack is a Changer. He shifts into a kits -- um fox with three tails. And Dante is a spirit guide, but only people that have been to the Land of the Dead or connection with the dead can see him as he really is."

He smiled at Curnen, "I don't tell a lot of people about Dante because it's kind of fun to know that he is different than he seems. Some people see he's special without knowing that he is." Miguel paused a beat and then added, "like you. I knew you were special but I didn't know why. Now I do."

To Miguel, Curnen was special because of who she was, not what she was.