"N-no… I can manage. We can just book a ride, so please just let us go..." I stammered, my voice trembling as I avoided Alpheus's eyes.
He was trying to get a clearer look at Cairo's face, but I shifted quickly, turning my body slightly and tightening my arms around him.
Cairo's small head rested weakly on my shoulder, the brim of his cap hiding most of his pale face. I could feel the uneven rhythm of his breathing against my collarbone, and that alone made my heart clench painfully.
"Who is he, Sylvia?" Rome said in a low, tense, and demanding tone. His brows were furrowed, his eyes sharp and searching. "Who's the child in your arms?"
"You don't need to know him" I replied coldly, keeping my tone firm though my chest ached with panic.
My grip around Cairo tightened even more, as if by doing so, I could shield him from everything, from Rome's questioning eyes and from the truth.
