Segreti eyed the prince. “Your… spider senses? I’m not sure I follow.”
“It’s a human thing,” Khalon said with an amused smile. “It means his powers. The Orso have managed to keep themselves hidden from Riley’s Saugur powers.”
“Which is annoyingly impressive,” Rayner pitched in.
“But as I’ve told my prince, the moment any of those Orso begin to form a plot that would genuinely pose a threat to the Soldati, he’d know. As that has done little to ease my prince’s mind, I have asked you here in the hopes that you might offer insight to the Orso in attendance, primarily those most loyal to Pavoni. Can you think of any in particular who might attend whose loyalty you question?”
“I can think of several.” A few individuals came to mind. They’d been the most vocal over the Soldati handing the Orso realm over to Queen Verity.
Riley’s expression turned uncertain. “And you’re okay to report them to Khalon?”
“Any Orso still loyal to Pavoni who would come to this realm to plot its demise is a traitor and will be dealt with as such, whether by the Soldati or Queen Verity.” The idea that traitorous Orso would walk the same grounds as Ezra, or plot to do him harm, had Segreti balling his hands into fists. He would find these vile creatures and put an end to their plotting.
For good.
Chapter Three
“Ezra? Are you okay?”
Goddess above! How long had he been standing at the window woolgathering? Ezra smiled warmly at his prince. “Oh, yes, Your Highness. Thank you.”
Riley studied him, his hazel eyes filled with concern. “The herb tent is up. I thought you’d have bought them out by now. Are you not feeling well?”
Ezra huffed as he turned away from the hall window. He’d intended to stop only long enough to glance out at the castle grounds where many of the stalls and tents were being set up, but instead he’d gotten lost in thought. He faced Riley and smiled. His prince was dressed in his royal garb of black and gold, a thin gold crown nestled on his brow. It had taken some time for Riley to grow accustomed to wearing several layers, and even then, he often ended up shedding layers throughout the day. It baffled Khalon to no end.
Finding a compromise, Khalon instructed his tailor to make Riley’s princely attire lighter and less “chokey,” as Riley put it. The heavier fabrics of his shirt, tunic, and cloak were swapped for softer and lighter ones, meaning Riley remained in his royal clothes until the end of whatever event called for his princely wardrobe. Of course, none of that seemed to stop Riley from battling his cloak. He was constantly at war with it. As if reading his thoughts, Riley swatted the offending item away from his shoulder.
“You know, after wearing this thing almost every day, I don’t understand why superheroes would wear one. Yes, it looks badass, but it’s so annoying and impractical. I got it caught in the door the other day and almost strangled myself!” He glared at his shoulder as if he were contemplating the item’s demise before turning his attention back to Ezra. “Sorry. Talk to me. What’s going on? The festival starts in just a few days, and everyone’s outside checking out the goodies.”
“Why are you not outside, Your Highness?”
Riley shrugged. “Had to pee.” He motioned to his clothes. “It’s a whole process now. Anyway, you were saying.”
“It’s rather strange. I felt perfectly sound, and then suddenly, out of nowhere, a flush came on, and heat whooshed from my face down to my toes. What if I caught whatever is ailing Segreti?”
“I don’t understand. Start at the beginning.”
Ezra did as his prince instructed, from when the Eye decided to play games, to when he ran into Segreti, Segreti helping him fetch the orb, then Segreti’s flushed face all the way to when Segreti kissed his cheek and Ezra’s ailment started. Once he’d explained everything to his prince, he lifted his gaze to find Riley staring at him, eyes wide as saucers. His prince bit down on his bottom lip as if he were attempting to hold something back.
“Do you think I’ve contracted whatever the general has?” Ezra asked, unable to help his concern. Soldati weren’t prone to illness or fatigue; the Goddess had made certain of it. Hard to battle demons if stuck in bed with an ailment.
“Possibly,” Riley said, and it struck Ezra that his prince was desperately trying not to smile.
“Your Highness? Why is this amusing?”
“Oh, Ezra. You’re adorable.”
Ezra frowned. Not the response he’d expected. “I don’t understand.” Why was everyone around him so perplexing? Just this morning he’d walked by Rayner and received a ridiculous smile and eyebrow waggle, as if Ezra was somehow supposed to know what that meant. Then again, his friend had always been full of mischief.
Riley leaned against the wall, arms folded over his chest. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Of course,” Ezra replied. “My prince may ask me anything.”
“Do you think maybe you like General Segreti and that’s why you responded to his kiss?”
Ezra tilted his head in thought. “Well, of course I like Segreti. He’s a very noble warrior, and he helped us defeat Pavoni. Why would I dislike him?”
“No, I don’t mean like him. I mean like him.”
Ezra peered at him. “Are they not the same?” They sounded the same. Was this one of those strange human phrases? Every day Ezra learned something new of the human world from his prince. So many odd phrases.
“Right. I forgot who I was talking to. Let me rephrase that. Do you perhaps feel an emotional connection to Segreti? As you would in… a potential mate?”
Ezra gasped. A mate? “That’s preposterous. Why would I need a mate? And an Orso one at that?” His heart pounded in his ears, and his breath quickened. Goddess above, perhaps he was ill. He’d never experienced such a reaction to the mere mention of a potential mate. Not that Segreti was a potential mate. Oh dear, he suddenly felt quite breathless.
Riley hummed. “Why indeed? Have you never been in a romantic relationship? Or just found yourself needing to… release some tension?”
Ezra felt his cheeks flush. Blasted hell. That he understood. He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. “It’s rather awkward discussing such matters with you, Your Highness.”
“We’re just a couple of guys having a chat. No big deal.”
“I… well, I’ve always… taken matters into my own hands.”
Riley’s expression softened. “You’re a virgin.”
“I’m not entirely inexperienced,” Ezra explained, though he wasn’t certain why he felt the need to do so. “And it’s not as if I haven’t tried to… um, share those experiences with another Soldati. It’s simply that…”
“What?”
“I am connected to the Soldati Eye. Those who do not fear me, treat me as though I were some fragile mystical trinket to be worshipped at an altar. They’re afraid to even touch me. It’s most vexing.” He’d had enough rejections and awkward encounters to put him off the whole finding a mate nonsense.