The Lost Queen (Book 1 of The Lost Queen Series)

Chapter Fifty-Two

Over the next few days, Seraiah worked on her own plan. In her spare time, when she wasn't training or recovering from said training, she was searching the castle library for information on the Cave of Faces. Most maps she came across didn't have it marked, but she'd found one that did—and one was all she needed.

In the early hours of morning, before the sun had even risen, and she was expected in the practice ring, Seraiah painstakingly recopied the map onto a sheet of paper. She noted the places she'd already been to get an estimate of how long it would take to get there. If she was lucky and figured out a way to get a horse, it would be at least two weeks. The cave also happened to be in the middle of a desert. Another thing she knew nothing about, but would have to add to her list to research.

Seraiah sighed. There was still so much she didn't know. It was easier when she had others to rely on, but now she had no one but herself.

It won't be any different from when you went on the Summer King's quest, she told herself as she stared at the map, double-checking she had copied all of the details correctly.

Except even then she wasn't completely alone. She'd had Lonan.

Lonan.

She hadn't seen much of him these last few weeks since returning from the Seelie Court, but according to Kestrel, he'd been exploring the city and enjoying himself. Perhaps it might be beneficial to invite him to go with her. He may not have traveled much outside of the underground, but he still knew plenty about this world that she didn't.

A clock chimed the hour, alerting Seraiah that her research time was up for now. She tucked her newly made map away and hurried to get ready for training.

Ever since the evening she'd found Virelai in Kai's study, she'd thrown herself harder into learning everything Kestrel was teaching her. It served two purposes now. She'd need to know it when she went off on her own, but also it was a way to work out her anger at Kai over the time that had been wasted.

"Alright, what's going on?" Kestrel finally asked, lowering her practice sword. She rested the tip in the dirt and leaned on it as she studied Seraiah.

"What do you mean?" Seraiah asked between breaths.

"I mean, where is all this pent-up rage coming from? You've been like this for days now. It's not a bad thing since it seems to be helping you, but why the change?"

Seraiah shrugged. "It's nothing. Can we continue?" She hadn't breathed a word of what she had seen that night to Kestrel, and she didn't intend to. She might think of Kestrel as her friend, but she knew Kestrel's loyalty belonged to Kai.

Kestrel studied her a moment longer, but didn't say anything else.

When another elf arrived at the practice ring and waved to Kestrel, she called for a break. "I have to go take care of something. Do you mind practicing alone in the meantime?"

"Not at all," Seraiah said. She knew she was taking Kestrel away from her true work and causing Eryx to assume most of her duties again. "I'll practice with the daggers."

After Kestrel left, Seraiah set up targets. She could have worked on her stances, but she felt more like throwing right now. It was much more satisfying.

She set up the targets and worked her way through the practice daggers. Each one was successively closer to where she wanted them. Then she came to her last dagger. It wasn't technically a practice dagger, but the one Kai had given her for her birthday. She always kept it on her, but didn't always use it in her training. She always felt a little bad about using something so pretty.