"Boys," Quen clarified instantly. "I don't have anyone I can talk to here about them. There seem to be a lot of ... well, virgins among the senior mages. The mages in my classes are all younger than me, and everyone here knows my brother. I don't really want all the details of my life getting back to him. But you..." Quen smiled. "You're an actress. I bet you have boys falling all over themselves for you.
"And you're completely right about Merri," she added. "No matter what I say, he doesn't see me as anything other than a little sister. I know he's a lot older than me, and I really was little more than a child when we met, but I've grown up." She sighed. "He's just so determinedly oblivious. I'm certain that if I just came out and said 'Merri, I love you,' he'd pat me on the head and say 'Aw, Quen, I love you, too. You're just like a sister to me.'" Quenten shook her head. "If he were more ... canny, I'd think he was trying to let me down gently, but he's so guileless."