In this scene from A Divided Heart, Brinn and his co-teacher, Hahlibeth, have just gotten their foster child into bed.
Excerpt A Divided Heart
On the stairs, Brinn turned and sat, elbows braced on his knees, thinking back over the day. How bizarre was it to have a student of his own in this house, where he had so many memories? Graduation parties for reaching the various levels in the Guild. Long nights spent studying. Being quizzed by Luc, asking him questions, getting his advice. Learning the laws that pertained to the types of theft Brinn planned to pursue. Understanding contracts for theft and how to protect himself against dubious clauses and demands.
He was still sitting there when Hahlibeth came down.
She sat beside him. "I got two pages into a story, and she was out. I thought she might be faking it at first. My brother and I used to do that sometimes. We'd talk in the dark. I finished reading and sat there, waiting, but she didn't move."
"You think she's happy?"
"I don't think she knows what to think."
"Probably right."
Hahlibeth gripped one of his hands and leaned toward him. "She's young. She's in a new place. Her life has been disrupted. We can't expect anything like normal. She doesn't even know what normal is right now. At least, not what's normal for an Academy student."
Brinn set one arm around Hahlibeth's shoulders and hugged her. "I'm so glad to be doing this with you."
"Me too." She leaned against him and then away. "So, what's with the sexual tension between you and Kam?"
He twisted to face her, putting his back against the railing. "Um... What?"
"Oh, don't pretend. It was so thick you could cut it with a knife."
"Hahlibeth, I promise you. There is nothing going on between Kam and me. If you're sensing anything, it's frustration and annoyance."
She chuckled. "Uh huh."
