#Chapter 39: Aftermath

Allen looked uncomfortable with the line of questioning and he left soon after. “Candido, are they…” He took another bite of bread and lifted his own bowl of soup into his hands. “Eat, little one. You need your strength.” If that wasn’t a signal that he wasn’t going to talk about it, I didn’t know what was. So, I ate without complaining. I scooted closer to him and made him feed me bits of cake. Maybe I was pretending a little about being too tired, but Candido didn’t seem to mind. If anything, he seemed to love the idea of caring for me. I smiled and basked in his attention, knowing that he was never like this with Sibyl or anyone else. This affectionate and soft side of him was just for me. Candido hardly left my side while I was recovering. He’d cuddle me close and read to me until I fell asleep. He stayed up and helped me get through the homework I was missing and the lecture notes. His constant attention meant that I couldn’t sneak a check-in with Moon Shadow, b