The Soldati Prince (Soldati Hearts 1)

The gray stone facade was covered in ivy while expansive and lush gardens surrounded the castle on all sides. Beyond the gardens were thick forests, and above them, the bluest sky he'd ever seen. Riley was horrified to discover they'd not only be going into the forests, but they'd be making the journey on foot with Ezra and Adira in their tiger forms. As a New Yorker, he was used to walking a lot, but he'd never marched through wildlife. He was never one of those kids who always wanted to go camping. Sleeping on rocks and getting eaten alive by mosquitos or whatever furry beasts lived in the woods never appealed to him.

Riley had no idea what direction they were heading in or how long it would take to get there. Thankfully Rayner informed him they'd be stopping at villages along the way for provisions, and the forest would provide food, whatever that meant.

As they walked Riley figured he might as well make the best of the situation. At least the woods were scenic and not some creepy dark fairy-tale woods. The bright sunlight filtered in through the lush trees on either side of the dirt path they followed. It was a sunny day but cool. Thank God. He couldn't imagine trekking through the heat in this much leather. There was a nice breeze. He couldn't remember the last time he'd walked through so much nature. Did Central Park count as a hike through the wild?

Rayner and Khalon walked ahead, neither speaking, but they didn't seem to mind the silence. In fact, Rayner looked content, and Khalon.... Well, at least he wasn't scowling. He looked almost pensive. After what seemed like an eternity to Riley, he stopped to rest on a fallen log.

"You guys don't have cars, or horses? Carriages? Something that moves you can sit down on?"

"We have no need for vehicles or horses," Khalon muttered, sitting down on the log.

"How do you get around?" Riley's question was met with a chuff from Adira, who sat close by, her tail thumping against the grass. "Right, the whole tiger thing. Question: where do your clothes go when you change?"

Khalon folded his arms over his broad chest, looking even more imposing and larger than life, if that was possible. He was dressed all in black, from his black leather tunic to his pants, boots, and shirt, including wide black leather cuffs on his wrists over his sleeves. "Our clothes are like a second skin. When we shift, it simply becomes one with our bodies. Clothes are an invention of man. Unfortunately even our world has conformed to your nonsense and we've been forced to adapt. Entering your world unclothed yields... undesired results." Khalon motioned it was time to get going. Hey, a whole five minutes. Fantastic.

Reluctantly Riley got to his feet and started walking again. "If it's a second skin, do you feel pain when you get your sleeve caught on something or your boot steps on a rock?"

"No."

Cool. So because Riley couldn't shift into anything more than a couch potato, they were all forced to walk. Way to make friends.

Something had been bugging Riley since last night. "Is it really necessary to wipe my memories? I mean, don't you think humans have a right to know about what's out there?"

Khalon came to an abrupt halt and spun on his heels. Uh-oh. He'd angered Mr. Personality. Again. How unsurprising.

"A right?" Khalon loomed over him, which wasn't difficult considering he was about a foot taller than Riley. "You humans are so arrogant. You believe your mere existence entitles you to whatever

you fancy. That you are the center of the universe. For centuries my warriors and I have risked our lives to keep you safe, and yet year after year you find new ways to destroy yourselves. There is no greater threat to the human race than itself."

Wow. Okay. Not a fan of humans, clearly. Before Riley could say another word, Khalon stormed off. Did the guy ever stick around to have a conversation? Or was it just Riley? Did he smell? He subtly gave his armpit a sniff. Nope. He smelled like flowery soap and nature. Maybe he'd just soak in all the greenery, seeing as how Khalon clearly couldn't wait to get rid of him. Was it so terrible they get to know each other?

Around them the birds chirped and Riley smiled when he saw some squirrels playing. Soon some other furry little creatures joined in. A group of rabbits appeared, heading swiftly in the same direction. Did rabbits travel in packs?

"Um...." Riley caught up to Rayner. "Quick question."

Khalon let out a heavy sigh. "Your questions are never quick. And here I thought I might have a moment's peace."

"Your charm continues to astound me," Riley drawled before turning his attention back to Rayner. "Are the animals in this forest always in such a hurry?"

Rayner stopped. He sniffed the air and narrowed his eyes, peering into the woods. He turned and gave Adira a nod. She leaped into action, darting off into the woods while Ezra took off in a different direction. That didn't bode well.

"What's going on?" Riley asked, a chill spreading through him. He didn't like this. Something was wrong. There was a distant roar and Rayner's eyes widened. He grabbed Riley's arm.

"Run!"

Before Riley could ask, the sun was swallowed in darkness, or so it seemed. A thick fog rolled into the woods all around them and Khalon pulled Riley between him and Rayner as they sped down the trail. The fog became so thick Riley couldn't see what lay two feet ahead of him. He trusted Rayner and Khalon not to run him into a tree.

A horrifying shriek resounded before it multiplied into several more, followed by two familiar roars. Riley's heart was ready to beat out of him. He didn't need to be told what was behind them. The tattoos on his arm burned but he ignored it, too horrified by the noises coming from within the fog. He could barely see a thing, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was scared shitless. Whatever number of demons had shown up in the alley last night was nothing compared to what was after him now.

"Khalon, what's happening?" Riley asked as he did his best to keep up with the warriors on either side of him. He really needed to lay off the cake. If he survived he'd have to remember to thank Tura for the boots because his sneakers--and feet--wouldn't have survived the jagged rocks and harsh terrain of the woods. An icy wind whipped in his face and his lungs ached from his heavy breathing, but he continued to push himself, his boots kicking up dirt and pebbles as he raced down the path.

"There's a village not far from here," Khalon informed him. "Straight ahead. Whatever you do, don't look back, and don't stop."

Despite what Khalon might think, Riley wasn't an idiot. He had no intention of stopping until he either ran out of ground or collapsed from exhaustion. Amazing how the threat of being killed by demons unlocked a level of athleticism Riley never knew he had.

The noise intensified and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Something was close. He could feel it. Like it was clawing at his soul. His chest got tight and it suddenly became harder to breathe. What the hell? Was he running out of steam already? He wasn't that out of shape. His lungs burned and he felt dizzy. No, this was something else. His vision flickered, and when a strange pulse erupted from his chest, he got scared and cried out.

"Khalon!"