Natalie arched her brow and let out a small laugh. "So guarding the house makes you worth worshipping now?" Lucky's big round eyes sparkled with pride. "Of course! The gorgeous you gave me the mission because I'm too excellent to ever fail!" Natalie had no words. Baron puffed up his chest. "Boss is right!" Cash stayed silent, trying to keep his head down. Baron snapped him a fierce glare. Cash sagged his wings, muttered in defeat, and echoed weakly. "Boss is right." Then his sad eyes slid toward Cassian. He only gave in because the man of the house was watching. Otherwise, he never would have bowed to that silly dog. Cassian pressed his lips together to hide his laugh, his eyes shining with amusement. Lucky looked at her lackeys, pleased. She wagged her tail and looked smug. She lifted her chin and declared, "Sweet human, leave the house to me! With my clever, brave, beautiful, brilliant self standing guard, no one will ever break into our home!" Natalie's mouth twitched. She had always thought Lucky was cocky. Hearing her talk only proved she was ten times worse. Natalie forced a crooked smile. "Yes, yes. You really are amazing." The words set the room on fire again. Cash flapped his wings so hard the air rustled. His voice screeched sharp. "Human, what about me? I'm amazing too! You used to call me the great bug hunter!"Baron snorted. "You always butt in. You'll never compare to Lucky." Lucky lifted her head proudly. "That was well said." Cash's feathers flared. "Shut up, you bootlicker! Stop butting into everything!" Baron stomped a foot. "You ugly bird! How dare you speak to the great Baron that way?" The three burst into a storm of clashing voices, each sharper than the last. The racket stabbed at Natalie's temples until her head throbbed. She groaned and covered her ears. She regretted every drop of that spring water. So this was the truth. Understanding them was no gift at all. Cassian saw her face twist with irritation. He rose, grabbed some snacks, and tossed them across the floor. He thought it would calm them. Instead, it made them worse. Cash moved first. His wings shot him forward, and his small body cut through the air quick. He snapped up the first bite before the others could blink. Baron's face darkened with rage. To him, the bird had broken the highest rule. Food should always go to the boss first. Lucky noticed Baron taking her side. Her tail flicked with delight. She lifted her chin even higher, proud as a queen on her throne. The room filled with more chaos, wings flapping, paws stamping, teeth snapping. Natalie clenched her jaw. She saw Cash cornered and stepped in fast. "Stop picking on him!" Lucky wrinkled her muzzle. "Natalie, how could you—ow, ow, ow?" Natalie blinked hard. Her brows pulled tight."Ow? What did you just say?" Lucky barked again, louder. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Natalie turned to Cassian in disbelief. "Can you understand her now?" Cassian met her eyes. "I can. She said you're two-faced. She said you're favoring Cash." Natalie's mouth fell open. "She said that?" Cassian saw the confusion in her eyes. A thought struck him. "Natalie ... you can't understand her anymore, can you?" She nodded slowly. "No. It feels like it all snapped back to normal." Lucky barked again, sharp and doubtful. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Natalie's gaze went straight to Cassian. He sighed. "She says you're pretending not to understand." Before Natalie could answer, Lucky barked again, then turned and chomped down on her snack. Natalie frowned. "What did she say that time?" Cassian paused. His eyes narrowed with surprise. "I don't know." "You too?" "Yeah. It sounded like plain barks. I didn't catch it." Natalie's eyes widened. Hope flared in her chest. "So it's back to normal for you too?" A bright smile broke across her face. "So we're both back to normal then!" She spun toward Cash. "Cash, say something." The rooster flapped his wings and cried loud. He clucked.Natalie exhaled in relief. She turned to Cassian with wide eyes. "I really am normal again!" Cassian chuckled, his voice warm. "So am I." They let the noisy trio keep squabbling over crumbs. Natalie tugged Cassian down beside her on the couch. "It looks like the breaking language barrier effect doesn't last forever. It only works for a while." Happiness filled her chest like light. This was better. She could drink when she needed to talk, but the rest of the time she would be free of the noise. If bugs or rats on the street started chatting with her, she would lose her sanity. Most of all, those three were far too loud. Cassian nodded. "It's better this way. Use it when it counts." Natalie tilted her head. "But I drank it after you. Why did I lose it first?" Cassian rubbed his chin. "It must be the amount. I drank more than you did." Natalie nodded, the truth sinking in. She had only swallowed his last sip. She stood and checked—same height, same weight Good. She hadn't turned into some green monster. Still, she knew the truth. Lucky and the others had not changed right away either. Their bodies had shifted only after more and more days of drinking that strange water.