"As a human Soldati prince, his body is frail and vulnerable, but he can continue to be Soldati. As a Saugur? A human soul cannot hold the power of the Saugur. Once it seeps into his mortal body, he will wither and die."
"I'm going to die?"
Khalon stood abruptly, the chair toppling behind him and clattering noisily to the floor. Riley stood in the doorway, looking stricken. He leaned against the doorway, his face ashen.
"You should be resting." Khalon picked up the fallen chair before walking over to Riley. "Come, get back into bed, and I'll have Ezra bring you something good to eat once you wake."
"Tell me," Riley insisted, his hazel eyes determined. His expression softened. "Please."
Khalon felt the pull of compassion. He could sense the fear in Riley, yet he also sensed courage. Here was Riley, a human in a strange world of magic, his life threatened by demons, forced to follow a king who had done nothing but show anger toward him, and yet he was soft, trusting, and bold. Riley did not ask for this. He did not deserve to die for someone else's mistake.
"You are not going to die," Khalon promised. "We are going to get you to the priestess and have her remove the mark, as well as the gift of Saugur. She made a grave error. A human should never have been made a Saugur."
"What's a Saugur?" Riley allowed Khalon to usher him back toward the bedroom. "And how did we get here?" He looked around. "One minute we're walking through the woods and the next I'm waking up in someone's bed. Is this a B&B or something?"
"This is the home of Flora, Lasa, and Tinia, a kit foxling family in the village of Selvan. We were attacked by demons in the woods and you lost consciousness. I carried you here."
"Oh." Riley sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his arm, his cheeks turning a rather pleasant shade of pink. Khalon had the sudden urge to sit beside Riley and pull him into his embrace, but he restrained himself.
"You don't remember anything after the walk in the woods?"
Riley shook his head.
Khalon was thankful Riley couldn't recall the terrible vision, though a part of him was disappointed their embrace was equally forgotten. It was a good thing Riley didn't remember the way he'd clung to Khalon, or how through his fear he called out for Khalon and no one else. Soon he would be back in his world with no memory of Khalon or the Soldati. It was best they not grow attached. There was no keeping Riley now. Not that he'd intended to.
"So what's a Saugur?" Riley asked, drawing Khalon's attention.
"A Saugur is a Soldati prophet, one who has visions of what may come to pass should the warnings not be heeded. They are exceptionally rare. There has been only one
other in the history of the Soldati."
Riley tilted his head in thought. "What makes you think I'm a Saugur?"
Damnation. Khalon thought about how much he should tell Riley and decided there was no need to worry him further. "Ezra is connected to a powerful force. Its knowledge is all-seeing. Now rest. When you wake up, we shall dine and see about getting you to the priestess." Khalon summoned a smile. "All will be well." He turned to leave when Riley grabbed his hand, the warmth quickly spreading through him. Khalon schooled his expression as he met Riley's bright hazel eyes.
"Yes?"
"Thank you for, um, carrying me here. For keeping me safe."
"You're welcome." Khalon meant to leave but Riley held on to his hand. As if reading his thoughts, Riley released him.
"Sorry."
Khalon nodded and walked away before he did something foolish. Like stay.
Chapter Seven
RILEY WOKE up to the most delightful smells. His stomach rumbled and his mouth watered. Man, he was starving. When he opened his eyes, it took him a second to remember where he was. That's right. They'd run into demons and were in a cottage in some village. Why the hell did he pass out in the woods? Maybe he'd overexerted himself and not realized it. How embarrassing. Khalon probably thought he was pathetic. At least he was nice enough to carry Riley's sorry butt to safety. He didn't seem too pissed off about it.
There was chatting and a childish squeal, followed by a giggle that made Riley smile. He got out of bed and headed toward the sounds. The cottage was cozy, with an exposed wood-beam ceiling, stone walls, and a stone fireplace. He left the tidy bedroom decorated in earthy tones and walked to what he assumed was the living room. There were vases with colorful wildflowers, the furniture all dark wood with rich hues in reds and browns. The twinkling white string of lights arranged around the walls was charming and gave the place a warm, cheerful air. Riley was absolutely enchanted to discover they weren't lightbulbs, but tiny glowing flower buds. More charming than the decor was the sight of Khalon laughing as he entered the room. Riley stood transfixed.
Khalon's entire face was transformed. His full lips were wide and little creases formed at the corners of his eyes. He looked like a different person. Equally surprising as seeing him laugh was seeing him playing with the little girl in his arms. Her coloring was different to Toka and Tura, with her hands and feet white as snow, the color traveling up before fading into her fair skin. The kohl around her big dark eyes was barely visible and her copper-colored bob bounced as she climbed all over Khalon. She looked to be about six or seven, but he had no idea how foxlings aged. Khalon wrapped an arm around her and carried her at his side like a satchel. She squealed and giggled, kicking her small feet. With a laugh he sat down on the loveseat, taking up almost the width of it. He looked out of place, the black of his hair and clothes a stark contrast against the floral cushions. As if sensing Riley, Khalon looked up. Their eyes met and Riley's breath hitched at the beautiful smile aimed at him.
"You're awake." Gently he placed the little girl on her feet, whispered something in her ear, and smiled as she ran off into the kitchen. Riley stood exceptionally still as Khalon walked over. He stopped in front of Riley, his expression turning concerned. "How are you feeling?"
Riley opened his mouth when his stomach answered with an obscenely loud grumble.
Khalon chuckled. "I guess we have our answer, though I'm not surprised. You were asleep for two days."