"Well..." Noah said, his voice dropping into a casual, slightly dismissing pitch that he hoped would steer her away from digging any deeper.
He offered a small, shrug of his shoulders, looking down at his feet for a fraction of a second to sell the deception. "...he's not very popular. He prefers to keep to himself, mostly. He isn't the type of person who looks for attention or cares about making a name for himself in the upper districts."
Evangeline listened to his explanation, her sharp eyes softening as she watched the earnestness in her son's face.
The deep, protective suspicion that had briefly clouded her features seemed to dissolve, replaced once again by the profound, overwhelming gratitude that had taken hold of her ever since she saw the frost spike manifest over his palm.
She nodded slowly, a warm, genuine smile returning to her face, smoothing out the lines of exhaustion that had dominated her expression when she first walked through the front door.
