Page 99 of Queen of Nothing

Oliver has been curt.

James hasn’t looked at me.

Mr Younge—he’s always a prick.

No change there.

But Dray should be like that, too.

Ignoring me, punishing me, furious with me.

“Are there seating assignments I’m not aware of?” He arches a dark eyebrow. “Or do you miss the old days of your exclusion?”

I spare him a dull look.

Dray takes another sip of scotch.

Then, coming down the aisle, James is as slender and stringy as he’s always been.

I can’t stop my stare from latching onto him.

He only looks at me with his sheepish brown eyes for a heartbeat. Then he’s tucking his head down and moving a bit faster.

He passes us.

Goes into the back area.

I hear the creak of a door, then a faint thud.

I turn a blank look on Dray, who apparently hasn’t taken his eyes off me, like if he does, even for a moment, I’ll lunge out of the plane.

“So you took James, then.” The accusation is in my flat tone.

It’s not a question, and Dray needs no elaboration.

The corner of his full, pink mouth twitches. Almost pulling into a smirk.

Back at Bluestone, when James revealed his sheer power, Dray probed me about him.

I suggested he leave James to Landon.

My advice obviously went ignored.

Not that I’m surprised.

Dray does nothing that doesn’t serve him.

“He comes in handy,” he says. “If it wasn’t for James, I wouldn’t know if Serena was telling the truth about that child.”

I stare at him from beneath my lashes. “You thought he was mine?”

Something shifts in him. Like an ancient rage stirs. “It was a concern.”

A concern…

I scoff on the frivolous word.

The moment they realised we had a child travelling with us, Father would have fallen into a frenzy. Dray probably raged out on something—or someone.