Quenten had retired to her room after dinner that night. She'd wanted to get some extra magic practice in, but Merri was out, and she wasn't supposed to practice magic in her room anymore—not after the last time anyway. So instead, she sat in the chair by her window, listening to the sounds of the night and reading the new book she'd just gotten: The Corsair's Choice. The bookseller in the market district had ordered especially for her, with raised dots instead of words so that she could read it with her fingers.
She heard someone coming before she heard the knock on her door. The footfalls seemed heavy and almost hesitant. Other scholars lived in this hall, too, but she had the feeling that whoever was in the hall would stop at her door, and she was right. When she heard the voice, her curiosity turned to excitement. Darius!
Then, she realized that she was holding a book that some might consider inappropriately sexual for their baby sisters to read. She stood quickly, dropping the book on the floor and kicking it under the bed. Then she ran across the room, flung open the door, and wrapped her arms around her brother.
"Darius!" she exclaimed happily. "I'm so glad you came! You've been so busy lately." She pulled away a bit, still resting a hand on one of his arms. "Are you well? You're probably tired from working so hard. You should come in and sit down. I'll make tea."
Quen realized belatedly that her room was probably dark, and she wondered if she should conjure a light.