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

Chapter Forty-Six

The sound of voices drew Seraiah's attention to the back of the dragons' cave, where she spotted Lonan talking animatedly. The dragons appeared to be listening raptly to whatever story he was telling. If Seraiah had to guess, she would say it was probably a story about mushrooms.

Lonan was finishing up his tale when she approached. To her surprise, he wasn't talking about mushrooms, but rather he was telling the dragons how they'd escaped from the beetle. They seemed impressed, but maybe they were only being polite.

Seraiah snorted at the idea of a well-mannered dragon.

"Do you have any interesting stories to tell, human?" Riv asked her when Lonan was finished.

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not, and I think we should be going." She looked meaningfully at Lonan. There was no use in staying here if they weren't going to get a golden scale.

"There is no rush. Why don't you tell us about how you came to be involved in a faery game? Last night you told us what you're looking for, but not how you got tangled up with the fae in the first place."

"Yes, that sounds like it will be a good one," Isaour agreed.

All three of them watched her expectantly.

Did it matter if she took a few minutes to tell them the story? She supposed not since she was already going to be late returning to Nyrene, and it wasn't like she'd come up with another plan for how to give the Summer King a golden dragon scale.

Seraiah settled herself into a cross-legged seat and began her story.

Lonan had already heard it, but he listened intently all the same as she told them about Sterling and everything that had happened so far on her journey to find her sister. They were sympathetic and angry at the right moments and didn't interrupt to ask questions.

"It's too bad there is no such thing as a golden dragon," Riv said when she finished.

"I don't know what I am going to do now," Seraiah mumbled miserably, climbing to her feet. "There has to be something I can do to fulfill the Summer King's request."

She just needed to think. It sounded impossible to outsmart an immortal being who'd already lived who knows how many years, but there must be some kind of loophole. He couldn't have given her a quest that couldn't be fulfilled.

A glint of something caught Seraiah's eye as she stared past the dragons into the back of the cave.

"What do you have back there?" she asked Isaour.

"Our hoard, of course," the dragon answered. "A few bits and bobs. You know. Nothing special."

Seraiah slipped past them and found what the dragon had described as a few bits and bobs were actually piles and piles of jewels—and gold. As she stared at the mountains of treasure a plan began to take shape in her head.

She whirled around and rejoined the group. "I think I have an idea," she announced. "I think I know how I can beat the Summer King at his own game, but I will need your assistance."

"It's been awhile since we have had some fun with the Summer King," Isaour said. "What do you have in mind?"

Seraiah quickly explained her idea. "So, what do you think? Will you help me?"

The dragons gave her toothy grins. "We would be delighted to."

A renewed sense of hope filled Seraiah at the prospect of having a plan for getting Kestrel back and beating the faeries at their own game. She only hoped it wouldn't anger the Summer King, and he refused to honor their deal.