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"It's just not the same without him," Yasmin whispered, a tear finally spilling over. "Javad knew how to make Essa laugh when he became too serious. He knew exactly how many kisses Cyra needed before she would sleep. He..." She broke off, wiping her cheek. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize for missing him," Soraya said, reaching to squeeze her sister's hand. "You're entitled to your grief."

A small, tense silence fell over the kitchen.

"We met with Vrog today," Soraya finally said, breaking the silence. "He's the guy who's in charge of homeschooling in the village. He's such a nice man. The girls liked him immediately. He's half Kra-ell, but you wouldn't know except for how tall and skinny he is."

Kyra welcomed the change of subject. "How did it go?"

"He's brilliant." Soraya's expression became animated. "He used to run a college preparatory high school in China for English-speaking students. Now he's adapting the curriculum for our children."

"He designed programs specifically for the Kra-ell children who came to the village with only minimal English, if any," Rana added. "He's going to modify it for Farsi speakers as well. We can all use it so we can stop relying on these translating earpieces."

"I almost forgot to mention," Soraya said. "In the meantime, the children will be using this fascinating AI language teaching program. Arezoo has taken to it immediately. She says it's like having a conversation with a real person."

Kyra's interest was piqued. "I'd love to see it. Is Arezoo here?"

"She and her sisters are in the backyard," Soraya said. "They are showing the program to Essa. I'll call her."

She walked to the living room, opened the sliding door, and called out. "Arezoo! Kyra wants to see the language teaching program."

A moment later, Arezoo stepped into the living room holding a laptop, her long, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"Hi, Aunt Kyra," she greeted with a bright smile. "This thing is amazing." She put the laptop down on the countertop. "You don't need it because your English is already perfect, but I'm learning so fast that I can't believe it."

"Show me," Kyra encouraged.

Arezoo sat beside her at the island, taking her mother's seat, and pulled up a program with a colorful interface.

"It's designed to feel conversational," she explained, navigating the menus. "You can choose different topics or just have an open dialogue. The AI learns your speech patterns and adjusts to your level. You can even talk to it instead of typing."

She demonstrated, speaking a phrase in English with a slight accent. The program responded naturally, offering corrections while maintaining the flow of conversation.

"It's quite sophisticated." Kyra was impressed. "And you are right. You seem to be picking up the language quickly."

"It helps that I studied some of the basics in school," Arezoo said. "But yes, this makes it easier. It's nice to have someone to talk to besides my sisters and cousins." She smiled sheepishly. "Someone who is always polite and complimentary."

Kyra studied her niece. Despite being surrounded by family, Arezoo was isolated—a young woman in a strange place, cut off from her group of friends and everything else familiar except her immediate family.

"It's hard to adjust to a new place," she said. "Especially when there are not many people your age here. But as soon as you learn enough English, you can enroll in college and meet many young people."

Arezoo's eyes brightened. "They will allow me out of the village?"

Kyra nodded. "This is just a transitory period. In time, you'll get your own car, and you will be able to go shopping in Los Angeles, see movies, and do all the fun stuff people your age do. Naturally, you'll be under compulsion not to reveal anything about immortals, and you won't be able to invite anyone to your house, but that's a small price to pay for all that this community gives you."

Arezoo blanched. "How am I going to pay for all these things?"

"From what I understand, the clan pays tuition, and all the expenses associated with higher education, and I'm pretty sure you'll get a stipend as well, but I'm nearly as new to this place as you are, so I'm not clear on all the details yet."

"We each got a credit card," Rana said. "We can order anything we want, and it gets delivered to the keep, and from there the Guardians bring packages here. I asked what the limit on our spending was, and the man who delivered the cards laughed, saying that I shouldn't worry about it. If I overspend, I'll get a warning on my phone."

"Interesting." Kyra frowned. "I need to tell Jasmine that. She got a credit card as well, and she's still waiting for someone to tell her to stop using it. Evidently, she hasn't gone over the limit yet, or she would have gotten a notification."

Arezoo gaped at them. "Are you serious? I need to order more clothes, more shoes, makeup, a straightening iron." She pulled her ponytail over her shoulder. "See how frizzy this is? I need to tame it."

Kyra laughed. "Go for it, girl."

Soraya shook her head. "We are guests here, and I will not buy anything above what's absolutely necessary. I will get a job, and you and your sisters should get jobs as well to pay for your things. I heard that babysitters are in high demand."