The Soldati General (Soldati Hearts #3) - Charlie Cochet Page 0,1

to leave without being dismissed by his king, but his king seemed to have forgotten he was in the room. Ezra coughed lightly into his fist, and the two gave a start.

“Holy shi—pwreck.” Riley gave a breathy laugh. “I forgot you were there. No offense.”

“None taken,” Ezra replied, smiling warmly at his flustered prince.

“Forgive me.” Khalon smoothed down the front of his tunic as he quickly stepped behind Riley.

“Perhaps we should continue our meeting at a later time?” Ezra suggested politely.

Khalon glanced at Riley, no doubt taking in his flushed cheeks and kiss-swollen lips before nodding fervently. “Yes.” He cleared his throat. “Thank you. I’ll call for you.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Ezra stood and bowed. “Your Highness.”

“Thanks, Ezra.”

Ezra left the room, closing the door behind him. He smiled at the distinct click of the lock. His heart swelled with joy for his king and prince, both of whom deserved the love they found in each other. Khalon was far less irritable these days, and how could he be? Riley was a beacon of light, quite literally. His Soldati prince soul pulsed a bright white glow that at times could be seen—but was mostly felt by all. He radiated warmth, love, hope, and goodness. Riley’s powers were still somewhat of a mystery, but with each passing day they learned a little more.

Now that his meeting was postponed, Ezra had some spare time. Perhaps he’d fetch a book and do a little reading in the garden. That sounded lovely. As he headed for his chambers, he scanned his bookshelf with his mind’s eye, pondering which story he’d lose himself to this time. The castle bustled with activity as everyone prepared for the festival. Servants, staff, and Soldati warriors dashed about, some decorating and readying guest chambers while others arranged meals, refined schedules, or discussed festival events.

Ezra maneuvered around the swift and deft foxling servants, mindful not to get in their way. He risked getting trampled on otherwise. Foxlings had served the Soldati for generations, each position one of honor and prestige. Soldati servants were treated with great respect and protected by the king. The Soldati realm would not have flourished without them, and thanks to Toka, a former foxling servant bestowed with the title and position of Soldati, the law stating servants—and anyone else, for that matter—could not mate above their station had been removed from Soldati law.

Stepping into his chambers, Ezra stopped cold at the sight of the Soldati Eye floating in the center of the room rather than nestled on the black-and-gold velvet pillow where it should have been. The all-knowing Eye flowed through Ezra, offered knowledge and visions of warning, though not on the scale of the prince’s prophecies.

When the former Soldati king passed his crown on to Khalon, the former king and his entire court left for another realm. After centuries of fighting demons, they had earned the right to live out the rest of their immortal lives in peace. This left the Soldati Eye to pick a new voice. And it had chosen Ezra.

Being the voice of the Eye of the Soldati brought with it great power, new dangers, and a heavy burden, but Ezra had accepted the role with pride. With an entire army of Soldati to choose from, many of whom were renowned warriors, the Eye had honored Ezra with its power. Of course, at the time, Ezra had been unaware of exactly what that would entail, or the effect it would have on his personal life—the price he paid for such power. Regardless, to let down the Eye would be to let down his realm. For the longest time, Ezra believed the Eye to be a tool, a magical relic bestowed upon the Soldati by the Goddess since their creation. Lately, he’d begun to question whether there was more to the Eye than he’d originally believed. The blasted thing seemed to have a mind of its own, prone to all manner of mischief.

The glowing gold orb hovered, as if waiting. Ezra arched an eyebrow. “Well? What’s all this about?”

The Eye shot forward, forcing Ezra to dive out of the way. Damnation. Where did it think it was going? He scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping over his own cloak. Darting into the hall, he spotted the Eye floating nearby as if waiting for him.

“I’m not in the mood for one of your games,” Ezra scolded. “I have a book waiting to be read.”

The orb took off once again, and Ezra gave chase. This was