[Miranda_]

Not to be outdone, Maris took the shape of a leopard and snarled, showing her teeth. "Who says it's a joke?" said Rian sardonically. "A kid down the road from me got taken by the Blackbirders only last week. No-one ever saw a thing. Weird it's only kids they take; I talked to a girl last week who said that she nearly got took, cuz altho she's sixteen she's little for her age, but they looked at her daemon and saw he didn't change so they left her. I could take you to see her if you don't believe me."