Free Fragile Reign (Mortal Enchantment Book 2) by Stacey O'Neale Page B

them.
    “Push aside. We’re here to see Orion.”
    They continued to speak to one another in their language, appearing as if they were debating something.
    “I don’t have time for this. My friend is dying and we need Orion’s help.” When they continued their mumbling, I sat Marcus down on the ground, leaning him against the rocky cave wall. A ping of disappointment settled in my chest when I noticed his eyes were still closed. I had hoped he would show some sign of recovery. My anger raged, burning away any patience I had left. They will take me to Orion. Now.
    And if necessary, I will cut through every one of his fae to get to him.
    I unsheathed my sword, pointing the blade at their necks. “I really don’t want to hurt anyone else today, but if you don’t get out of my way, I’m going to slice right through you both.”
    They eyed my weapon with curiosity. Perhaps they recognized it? I warned them one last time by swinging my sword once in the air. That must have done the trick because they both moved out of my way. As they scurried away, I sheathed my blade and hoisted Marcus back over my shoulder. “We’re almost there, buddy. Just hold on for me.” I said, hoping he could hear me somehow.
    We entered the main foyer of the caves, racing through the lavish interior. The cathedral ceilings seemed to go on for a mile, reinforced with shiny gold trimming. As we hurried through, we passed massive crystal chandeliers lining both sides of the walkway. The travertine limestone floor had the woodland court symbol engraved into every honeycombed colored square. Directly in front of us, a mural—the size of a baseball diamond—had been painted to symbolize the woodland court. In the picture, the king and queen sat in the forest surrounded by dancing faeries. Everyone looked very happy and beautiful, which was a pretty accurate representation of the court.
    Next, we rushed through another grand foyer. This one had two levels and was shaped like a hexagon. I circled around, scanning each one of the golden doors. I hadn’t been here since I was a child, but I remembered getting lost several times by entering the wrong door. Some went to different locations within the castle. Others went outside, but my favorites were the magical pathways. Woodland portals are very different from the other courts. I didn’t always end up where I wanted to go. Faeries had an interesting sense of humor. Tension built in my chest, knowing Marcus was fading fast. I had to get him to Orion. I was running out of time.
    Marcus would have no problem finding Orion in this maze. He could figure it out just by sniffing the doors. “I could really use your nose right now.”
    I put my hand on the closest door. Room temperature. I hustled over to the next one. This time, the door was much cooler. I checked the other four remaining doors. Most were tepid except for the second door I checked. Temperatures inside the caves were always cold. It made sense that this one must lead to the rest of the caves. I wasn’t completely confident, but I had run out of options. I turned the doorknob and made my way inside. A sense of relief came over me when I realized I had entered Orion’s throne room.
    As a child, I had been invited to a few woodland balls. Orion had always been kind to me. He probably sent for me because he knew my mother never would. Every time I attended a party, hundreds of fae in every size and shape took up every inch of the throne room. The space was decorated with hundreds of flowers in a riot of colors. The intoxicating scent of perfectly cut blooms filled my nostrils. The only thing that smelled better was the food. Gold tables stretched along walls filled with every fruit on the planet, along with the sweetest French pastries I had ever tasted. Marcus always insisted on coming with me on my trips. He said it was to protect me, but I knew better. He came for the food.
    But this wasn’t the throne room I remembered.
    This