Laughter caught in her throat, Meg followed her toward the phone, brow arched at the crackle of breath at the other end. When he spoke, Meg's eyes blinked to black. Ilithyia, she knew, hadn't seen her thorny and black-eyed before, but she supposed explanations could come later.

"What a charmer," she drawled, leaning in to speak into the phone, "I've always wanted my own heavy breather. Why don't you come over so we can say hello?"