His breath had tasted like fear for a moment, she thought. She knew the taste, knew the scent. Once, she had tasted it in the breath of Thoth. But his shadow - this boy - was black, unmoving, and she found herself content knowing that he was not Thoth's fate reborn. No, he would live. He was not cursed, not unbalanced. He was not part of the problem. She almost breathed a sigh of relief when she retracted from him but repressed it, her eyes speaking the relief instead.
Her brows rose suddenly at his response however, her train of thought suddenly derailed. Whose decision? Her lip quivered with an unspoken word. He was still young. She reminded herself of the fact. She had begun to grow into her adult flesh and to see with eyes unclouded by youth and folly but he? He was still beneath the curse of youth. And so, she ignored his remark although her eyes flickered to the left, a sign that inwardly indicated her disagreement.
For a moment, she had considered leaving - she had considered digging up her prize and taking it far from him. Yet, his next response startled her: for a moment, she blinked in bewilderment and then, a small laugh. Rather than mockery, her laugh was genuine, amused and impresed by his questions.