Raine realized exactly what she had said wrong about two seconds after she'd said it, blamed her tendency to ignore species in favor of simply referring to the hatchlings as children. Unfortunately, she hadn't the time to correct herself before she was yanked off her feet. "Put me down," she demanded, not quite shrill, and was a little unsteady on her feet once he had.

"I'm afraid I've given you the wrong idea," she said in a moment, when she realized that she was not getting out of the hug under her own power. "Ryder's not a human child. He's a hatchling, of the same species as the turtle on which we stand; he was very particular about his choice in parents, however." Had practically shoved her into the Hotel, in fact, which she was still thankful for.