"Riley, I'm here," Khalon stated firmly. "Open your eyes and see me."
Riley's eyes flew open, revealing nothing but white, and Khalon refrained from cursing under his breath. What the hell was happening? Riley's back arched up off the bed, his brows drawn together. He fell back onto the bed with a steep gasp.
"I can't find you," Riley whispered hoarsely, his eyes still void of iris and pupil. His voice broke when he next spoke. "I'm scared."
Khalon took hold of Riley's hand and placed it on his where it lay on Riley's chest. "Feel me, Riley. I am here. Tell me. What do you see?"
Riley whimpered, another tear rolling down his cheek before he replied. "Death. So much death. The world is burning. There's no hope. They're all dead. Every last one."
Khalon stared at Ezra, his wide eyes a reflection of Khalon's own. He seemed to snap himself out of it and nodded toward Riley. Khalon cleared his throat.
"Who's dead?"
Riley squeezed Khalon's hand, his body wracked with shivers. He moved his lips but no sound came out. Khalon leaned in.
"I can't hear you, Riley. Tell me."
Riley took hold of Khalon's head and turned it gently so his face was inches from Riley's, their lips almost brushing. Khalon inhaled sharply as a horrifying scene flashed before his eyes. Riley's reply was whispered, but Khalon heard it as if it had been shouted.
"The Soldati. They're all dead."
A fierce jolt of anguish and pain flared through Khalon, and he tore himself away from Riley and the bed, his chest heaving. Tears welled in his eyes. Oh Goddess above! Khalon shook his head. This couldn't be. Every last warrior dead. Adira, Ezra.... Khalon shut his eyes tight in an attempt to get the image of Rayner's lifeless, broken body out of his mind. His amber eyes, once filled with such mischief, were vacant, his handsome face and strong body smeared in his own blood caused by the sword piercing his chest, pinning his corpse to the earth. Khalon saw it clear as day, as if reaching out, he might be able to touch Rayner's bloodied cheek. The smell of burning, rotten flesh stung his nostrils and he gulped fresh air through his mouth. It wasn't real. He shook his head of the haunting vision.
"Khalon!" Riley gasped and bolted upright, his eyes wide and back to their former state as he clutched the blankets on either side of him. His face crumpled, and without thought, Khalon was immediately at his side, drawing Riley into his embrace.
Riley buried his face against Khalon's chest, his arms wrapped tight around him. Riley's sobs made his body tremble, and he clung to Khalon as if releasing him would thrust him back into the carnage. The brief glimpse was enough to unsettle Khalon, and he was a warrior king accustomed to death. He could only imagine how spending any time at all in such horror would feel to a human. Khalon let his cheek rest against Riley's head and he tightened his embrace, offering what comfort he could.
"It was only a terrible dream," Khalon assured him softly. He dared not speak the truth. There was no sense in frightening Riley any further. He ran a hand over Riley's back before giving Ezra a subtle nod. Ezra placed a hand on Riley's shoulder.
"Sleep now, Riley Murrough. Dream of coffee and sweet cakes."
Riley's body relaxed against Khalon, his arms slipping from around Khalon's back to fall at his sides. Carefully Khalon laid him down, relieved at the smile on his boyish face, his expression no longer plagued by fear. Khalon ran a hand over the feathery golden locks before pulling away to stand.
He followed Ezra into the foxling kitchen, both of them having to duck through the doorway so as not to hit their heads. When he turned to face Ezra, his suspicions were confirmed. "He is Saugur."
Khalon shook his head. It couldn't be. "There has not been a Saugur since the days of our forefathers, and never has there been a human Saugur."
"Never has there been a human Soldati prince," Ezra reminded him. "I did not believe either was possible."
Khalon let out a heavy sigh. "I have no bloody notion what the hell is going on." He met Ezra's amber gaze. "The Eye flows through you, Ezra. Can it tell us nothing?"
"The Eye cannot find what has never been."
Ezra took a seat at the small kitchen table and Khalon joined him. Why were foxlings so blasted small? Khalon barely fit in the chair, his knees bent somewhat awkwardly. Ignoring his current discomfort, he studied his dear friend. It did not bode well that Ezra was at a loss.
The Soldati Eye saw all and Ezra was its voice. Whenever a new Soldati became king, the old king's trusted council stepped back to make way for the new king's council. After his father's departure, Khalon knew of no better council than that of his childhood friends. There was no one he trusted more with his life. Rayner, Ezra, and Adira had been by his side all his life. The moment Khalon became king, the Eye chose its voice, a Soldati warrior who would be connected to its power and fathomless knowledge. It chose the gentle and quiet Ezra. It made sense. When they weren't training or fighting, Ezra's nose was always in a book. He was a calm and peaceful soul. A healer even before the Eye chose him.
"I don't understand why the priestess would mark him," Ezra said, his blue eyes filled with concern. "It seems to me an exceptionally cruel jest."
Khalon let out a heavy breath. "I have been telling myself that very thing since we found him."
"No, not because he is a human." Ezra's eyes glowed a whitish blue, signaling the use of his powers. He was most likely communing with the Eye. Finally they might have some new information. Ezra let out a gasp and Khalon straightened.
"What is it?"
Ezra's eyes returned to their usual blue and he met Khalon's gaze. "If Riley is truly a Saugur, he will die."
Khalon stared at him. "What?"