She leans her head on her hand and smiles wanly at him. Of all the wardens, it's Quentin she comes closest to forgetting herself with. She's most painfully honest with Tommy even when she's not flood-affected, but the emphasis there is on the painful; Quentin is the closest thing she has to a real friend, a real confidante, among them.

But he's her teacher, not her friend. She hasn't forgotten the difference yet.

"I'll be all right," she assures him, leaning back in her chair, crossing her legs. "I'm just not used to it. Spies -- we're not known for our non-fiction."