Blakeshire (Insight #9)(28)

“Call it intuition.”

He tilted his head once as if to agree. “You are fighting the sovereign of obsession … and you, my friend, have been fierce, calculated in that fight. He has swooned you more than once, and each time you are the one that plays him for a fool in the end. He is very aware that he is running out of time with you. You only have three remaining kills. You have made every blow count, even used others to do your bidding just to save your kills for the ones they are meant for.”

For some reason, I felt sick and proud of myself all at once. “I’m not a killer.”

“You are meant to strike the line of obsession, and in order to take out that sovereign you have to work your way up from the bottom. He knows what you are doing. He has even tempted your addiction to winning this war by placing his first in your path more than once.”

“His First?”

“The first with which soul his essence connected. If and when that soul is asunder, he will be weak enough for you to end him.” He glanced over me once. “He has affection for you, but do not let that fool you. His reign, his line, his life, mean far more to him than you do.”

Something about this seemed all too familiar to me; so familiar that I was rather bored with it, almost as if I could care less what the sovereign of obsession felt for me—those emotions would never be returned. I would dare say that my soul knew I was furious with whomever this was, that in time I would deal with him, but at present I had other priorities.

I wanted to focus on that childhood fear right now. “Currently, I’m hunting a very ugly woman that hangs out with an octopus and loves saltwater.”

He nodded once. “That would be the First that is marking you for death, lacking a few details, meaning his essence is male and he was trying to kill an octopus in saltwater. But you see, salt is not really his friend—any of ours, for that matter—which is more than likely why you hid the weapon you need there.”

“A weapon?”

Vade glanced to the doors, then back to me. “I do not know that you did that intentionally, but karma did have its say that fateful night.” He let his words linger for a moment, then he spoke again. “At the very end, before you strike The King of Obsession you will need to be bound. You will have to be complete, which is more than likely why my fellow sovereigns have seen fit to mingle their desires together. Confuse each of you.”

“I’m not confused.”

“You’re furious, jealous, and vengeful.”

“I thought you couldn’t read into my mind?”

He grinned darkly. “I can read your eyes, dear one.”

“And you saw his past; therefore, you know I am justified within my emotions.”

His seemingly calm expression turned cold as stone. “Nothing can justify the wrong that was done to either of you.” He cleared his throat as he found his calm once more. “Know this: there has never been a point where he has not yearned for your very being. Each time he held another and felt empty, it was not her that broke his heart, but you. He could not understand why his devotion was not felt or returned.”

I felt like I had been punched in the gut. I wanted to forgive. I really did, but I was too mad to cross that line. “As far as I know, we cannot change the past, so what is done is done. I have to find my peace with this, and until I do, I will remain at arm’s length.”

“Then you are condemning not only yourself and him, but the souls you hold dear, to doom—for each of you must rise, and that cannot occur if you do not find forgiveness.”

“You heard me tell him that I love him,” I ground out, knowing without a doubt he was not only referring to me losing Drake, but my cousins, my best friend Charlie.

“I did. And your energy reflects the truth of that emotion. Right now, you need to forgive him and find vengeance, for your enemies were the ones that robbed you of the loyalty you demand.”

Exactly whom was he calling my enemy? Willow? No way. I knew where that girl’s devotion was. “If you have been watching any part of his life, then you know that Donalt guy is targeting his vessel. That Xavier and others like him are plotting to take over his kingdom. And as far as I am concerned, those two are already dead. I know who is fighting them, and they will win. Mark my words.”

“The wars against his kingdom…those are Earthly games.”

“You can call them games all you want, but they are real. Souls are in dire need of being saved. I have no doubt that I must find this woman—err, man—but Drake’s war will lead him in a different direction. Fighting at another girl’s side.”

“Willow.”

“You know her?” I forcefully exhaled. I was sure that he did. He seemed too at ease with the way he said her name.

“We’ve spoken. I know her sovereign dearly.”

“Do you, now?” What exactly was this guy trying to tell me? Willow was one of whatever he was?

That really made him smile. “You do realize that he gave up loving her long before you were, how do you say it, ‘found’?” He paused, letting those words settle, obviously sensing the relief they brought me. “His fight for her heart was not as it seems. In her eyes, he saw the freedom of his people. His dreams had already forecast a doomed devotion between the pair of them, and he assumed that was the sacrifice that was needed to set the souls he adores free at last.”