The woman's gaze wavered for a brief moment before hardening again as her grip around the knife grew firmer. The boy looked up at her as if waiting for her to speak, his small fingers clutching her clothes as the silence stretched longer.
"No," she finally said, her voice low and hoarse as if it took her a lot of effort to say out loud. "We were not bitten."
The boy nodded quickly as if to confirm her words, his eyes moving between Laurel and the soldiers. "That's true," he added.
Laurel felt the tightness in her chest ease slightly, and without realizing it, she let out a small breath she had been holding all these while, her shoulders relaxing just a little as she looked at them again, this time with less caution and more understanding.
"Then you can come with us," Laurel said, her tone gentler than before as she straightened slightly. "It's not safe for you to stay here."
