Blakeshire (Insight #9)(30)



“You do not need to go out to sea to find what you have feared before.”

“That helps. Where, then?”

“Now, you are a brilliant woman. Are you not curious as to why Donalt, a sovereign who could have built his kingdom anywhere, chose that dimension? Are you not curious as to where all the dark tunnels of that palace travel to?”

Of course I was, but that was merely one of a million curious thoughts I had. “I was a little terrified of anything that had to do with that palace, to be quite frank with you.”

“And now, conveniently, you’re not,” he said with a proud smirk.

“Did you have something to do with that? Why do you seem proud every time I mention that I lost fear?”

He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Sometimes it is just beautiful to see how the universe works out our inner turmoil.”

“So it’s in the palace?”

“There are many mysteries in that residence, including the one you are seeking to unravel.”

“Does, um, that First know I’m gunning for her—um, him?”

“Horace? No doubt. He also knows Drake’s weakness. And obviously yours.”

“What weakness does Drake have? And here’s a clue: do not say women.”

He had to hold in a grin. “I told you already: anger. Now you have to ask yourself, what would escalate to the point of erupting the wrath within his being?”

“Are you saying that Horace dude will take me? Put me through all the crap Charlie and Willow have been through?”

“He has tried. More than once. You have outwitted him. Out of the seven, beyond Willow and Landen you and Drake have progressed the farthest.”

“The seven?” I said with a gasp, remembering the hypnosis I was under and the words I said.

“Seven. Seven dark emotions that cannot be handled in their purest form by human souls. Seven sovereigns and their lines were meant to reprieve that emotion, and several of them have failed…therefore, the Creator has found the next souls needed to reign—but you see, there is a process to every transition. Your emotion is obsession. You, along with Drake, have nearly reached the point you need to take down that sovereign. You came so close that the other sovereigns have stepped in and entangled Drake, along with you, into the others. The point is for you to hurt yourselves.”

“Is that the only point there, Vade?”

He moved his head slowly from side to side as anger engulfed his god-like image. “No. They want to take me down, for once they do, they will have the power to invade your reality—the one you were sent here from. My fellow kings are addicts. They see no reason at this point. They have a target and desire, and they will reach it one way or another, unless they are stopped.”

“Then why don’t you stop it?”

“Because I trust my Creator. I trust that it was meant to hurt me and that those who came from my essence will not be a dagger of death, but a blade pointed at victory.”

“Let me sum this up. Drake belongs to you. He was stolen. You didn’t know that, but it didn’t matter because he and I managed to throw a few blows at this King of Obsession person, but then they got wise and started to crisscross us all so we would be too confused or mad to fight who we were after. What I need to kill, is in that palace.”

“A quick mind. I like that.” He cleared his throat. “Madison Marie Blair, there is more I must caution you about.”

“Listening,” I uttered weakly.

“The sovereigns and those that rank highly in their line can imitate any soul for a short time. They will confuse you and do everything in their power to twist you into the emotions you are at war with.”

“Obsession?”

“Jealousy. Anger.”

“All too true,” I admitted.

“My advice to you—instead of daring Drake to step off the stage he is on, join him.”

“Join him? Are you telling me to be cool with him acting like he has a thing for Willow and I am nothing but a look-alike?”

“I adore your anger,” he said with a leer. “I am telling you that several dark souls have their stares aimed at the pair of you, and right now they see Drake as a win. They feel that lifetimes ago they permanently hindered the two of you. The moment they doubt that, they will aim their blows in your direction, just as Drake fears.”

“What exactly did they do lifetimes ago?”

He let silence reign for a moment or two as he carefully chose his words. It was clear that he did not want to lay this all out for me, which made no sense considering I wasn’t supposed to remember any of this anyway.

“When you or any soul such as yours crosses The Fall—Heaven’s gate—you have an immense amount of power within your vessel. Your soul absorbs every part of the flesh; it is meant to protect you, to propel you forward. In your case, that did not occur.”

“I guess bad luck has a knack for following me,” I said.

“On the contrary. The last thing the sovereigns expected was for you to walk into those palace doors to save Drake. Luck is not always blissful; sometimes it manifests as tragedy.”

“Okay, so I guess they killed me then, huh? How did that have anything to do with what has happened since then? With the reason why I am fighting jealousy?”

“Everything. If your vessel had been returned to the Earth properly, if the universe felt you return, it would have diligently guided you into every lifetime past that point…there would have been no reason, purpose, or way that Willow ever would have crossed Drake’s past lives.”

Jamie Magee's Books