"Mmm!"
Without waiting for another invitation, she leaned forward and took a much larger bite, her earlier terror completely forgotten.
Riku chuckled, relieved. He broke off the rest of the bar and handed it to her. Zella took it without hesitation and began munching on it with an enthusiasm that was almost comical. Her fear had been completely replaced by a focused, joyful devotion to the chocolate.
Sherry watched the scene, her head tilted in confusion. "Riku, what in the shadows is that stuff? I've never seen anything like it."
"It's chocolate," Riku said, reaching back into his satchel. "A treat that I got earlier. Here, try it." He pulled out another bar and handed a piece to Sherry. "You will like it."
Sherry eyed the dark rectangle skeptically, then took a bite.
Her reaction was instantaneous. Her cynical, guarded expression melted away, replaced by the same look of wide-eyed bliss that had just been on Zella's face.
