"Ha, I just bet Emmy would like to speak our language," says Mark.

(She chirps at her name.)

"I have a spell for that! - well not for letting her speak your language, that's second circle and I'm only first circle. But for understanding when anyone talks to me. It's not like the Plasma thing, I can't do it all the time, only when I cast the spell."

Mark and Ilana glance at each other.

"Well, if you wanted to hear what she had to say, we'd be honored," says Ilana after a moment.

"Sure, I can cast it again tomorrow, I only had one today. I have to prepare my spells in the morning by asking Shelyn for them."

"Oh, you can talk to her?"

"I can talk to Her all day long! What's hard is Her talking to me. But I can feel Her presence when I'm praying."

At this point, a young woman carrying an electric guitar walks in. "Mom, Dad, I'm ho— who's this?"

"Have you been following the news about the alien who can heal people?" asks Mark.

"...One of the kids at the gym today said something about that but I thought he was, uh, making it up." She looks Mark up and down.

"Well, he wasn't."

"Hi there! My name is Laia. What've you got there?"

"It's a guitar! Want to hear me play?"