"That's true," she admits. She sips her brandy and then looks at him for a moment. "If you told me this already, I'm sorry for forgetting, but how long ago was it when magic took over your world?"

She shuts her eyes, grateful that he didn't try to play devil's advocate and take away her tenuous hope. "Maybe. They certainly seem... I don't know. Like they don't quite understand us." She opens her eyes again and stares up at the ceiling. "Julia, she... she acts so naive sometimes. It's weird. Like she's genuinely surprised that no one wants to work with her."