Riley held his arm out, his skin torn where the demon caught him. The small gash was quickly turning black around the edges. Khalon licked at it, the foul stench and burn enough to make his eyes water.
"What are you doing?"
Removing the poison. Hold still. Almost done. There.
"Thanks." Riley smiled and gave Khalon a scratch behind his ear, causing him to purr. Why the blasted hell was he purring at a time like this? Riley's eyes went wide, a shadow casting over them.
"Khalon!" Riley shoved Khalon off of him with a strength Khalon didn't know Riley possessed. Khalon went rolling. He jumped to his paws in time to see a demon slash at Riley, its claws catching him across his stomach and chest.
Riley! No!
Riley fell onto his back, spurting and coughing up blood, his hand covering his wounds as blood seeped through the shredded jerkin.
Oh Gods no. Khalon's fury rose from within his very depths as he stood over Riley's broken and bleeding body. It was a primal rage he had never felt before, one that threatened to tear him apart from the inside out unless released. Khalon's roar shook the trees. His fur bristled and he called upon his Soldati power to free the rage demanding vengeance. A bright white ring of lightning burst from him with a deafening boom. It swept through the forest all around them, consuming and obliterating any darkness in sight and beyond, its force knocking over trees and shooting leaves in all directions. The demons screeched pitifully before bursting into ashes. Khalon destroyed them all.
"Khalon."
Riley's soft whisper caught his ear and Khalon quickly returned to human form. He pulled Riley into his arms and ran a trembling hand over his head.
"Riley... I'm so sorry. I failed you. I promised you I would protect you, get you home, and I failed."
"I'm sorry I couldn't be stronger for you. You deserve your warrior prince."
Riley's words splintered Khalon's heart. "Don't say such things. You are strong, Riley. Strong and brave and kind." How could Khalon have been so blind?
Riley smiled up at him, a tear running down his cheek. "Thank you. I just... want you to know that I was happy, happier than I've been in a really long time. You didn't ask for this, yet you gave me so much."
Riley gasped for breath and Khalon gently shushed him. There was so much blood, and the demon poison would have spread too deep and too quickly for Ezra to stop with his healing. What good was all his kingly power if he couldn't save one human? No, not merely a human.
His prince.
Why did he fight so hard against what was right in front of him, what his heart had been trying desperately to tell him?
"You must rest," Khalon said, placing a kiss to Riley's cheek. He held him close and let his head rest against Riley's. Soon he would be at peace. There would be no more roguish smiles or heartfelt laughter. No wonder coming from his captivating eyes and beautiful face. There was so much Khalon could have shown Riley. "Forgive me for my arrogance. You are far from frail. You are every bit worthy of the Soldati. If there is any unworthiness here, it is mine."
Riley nuzzled his face against Khalon's, his hand on Khalon's chest. "There's nothing to forgive. I would've liked to spend more time with you." Riley's face grew ashen, his lips darkening. Khalon had been drawn to those lips not long ago when he held Riley in his arms. He'd cherish their stolen kisses for however long he had. His heart chastised him, telling him he was a fool for pushing Riley away. Their fate had been forged since the beginning. Khalon had waited centuries, and now his arrogance had robbed him of the chance at a life with Riley, no matter how short. Wasn't a few years of bliss with his human prince worth more than an eternity without him?
"I...." A tear rolled down Riley's cheek. "I accept my position as Soldati prince."
Khalon's eyes widened and his heart splintered. "Riley, no!" He kneeled there, motionless and aghast by what Riley had just done. How did he know?
A shaky smile spread onto Riley's face. "I'm sorry, but I can't let them kill you, any of you, because of me. It's the only way."
Tears blurred Khalon's vision. "Riley, what have you done? Your soul...."
"I know," Riley murmured. "It's worth it."
How could Riley subject his soul to an eternity of nothingness? Why? Riley's sacrifice spoke to the magnitude of his courage. Not wasting what little time remained, Khalon placed his lips to Riley's, though their previous warmth faded quickly and Riley went limp in his arms.
"No, please," Khalon whispered, his face buried in Riley's neck. "Please don't go."
As Riley departed from their world, so did Khalon's strength. The warm white light in his soul dimmed at the loss of his mate, as did his power. It would return shortly once the goddess of the dead, Thalna, claimed Riley's soul. Khalon had brought this upon them. In his damnable arrogance, he had sentenced Riley's beautiful, kind soul to limbo. "Forgive me." If only Riley could hear him, forgive him despite Khalon knowing he would never forgive himself for what he'd done.
Rayner crouched down beside Khalon and wrapped his arm around him, his voice breaking with sorrow. "I failed you."
"No." Khalon shook his head, his body wracked with shivers as the last of his Soldati strength left him. "I failed him."
"Khalon King of the Soldati, why does your heart weep for this mortal man?"