Her eyes dart from Rayana to Rafael to Knox’s murderous expression to my barely concealed amusement, cycling through confusion, alarm, and finally settling on forced enthusiasm.
“I brought the luggage for the flight to the States,” she says carefully. “But I’m sensing the plans may have… changed?”
“We’re going to see the Northern Lights!” Rayana announces like she’s declaring a holiday. “Three days in the wilderness, all of us together. Won’t that be wonderful?”
Queenie’s smile tightens. “Wonderful. Yes. That sounds… wonderful.”
Behind her, Nathaniel appears in the doorway, and his reaction to Rafael’s presence is immediate and visceral.
His whole body goes tense, hand drifting toward his weapon before he controls the impulse.
Something passes between him and Queenie, wordless, and I
