Maybe he was having a fever or something, because when Riley came to, the first thing he saw was Kael's face above him.
Huh?
He blinked slowly, eyes unfocused. Something warm cupped the side of his face—a hand. Kael's thumb brushed lightly against his cheek as if checking whether he was conscious.
Riley's voice came out rough. "What… what happened?"
"You blacked out," the golden dragon said. His tone was calm, but his eyes were sharp, watching him closely.
Riley frowned, confused for a moment, but then everything rushed back into his mind. The story. The fire. The servants. Lord Rueben. The replica. The screams.
His heart clenched so tightly that he curled inward without meaning to. His face scrunched up, and he looked like he was about to cry all over again.
