Emanate: Insight Series ((Insight) Web of Hearts and Souls) by Jamie Magee

essence within it. Because I am your First, you would have been weak enough for him to get one last blow in.”
    That maternal feeling was firing off in my soul once more . Somehow, I knew without a doubt that the blow Donalt would have given Adonia would have killed Justus—which was crazy; he was already the walking dead.
    I needed to figure out what this ‘First’ business was all about, but I wasn’t going to ask him, not yet anyway.
    I wanted to thank him for saving me from two different ways that Donalt had planned to take me out, but my pride stopped me. Instead, I told myself: one, my soul would have never been put in that vessel; and two, no blow to Justus should hurt me. I didn’t even know him. He may look twenty, might be some kind of walking God, but as far as I cared, he was a stranger, apparently a black sheep from my father’s past.
    That was a tough lie to swallow, but I choked it down.
    “I didn’t feel anything when you struck her, so obviously you prevented nothing.”
    “Because I can end my essence. If anyone else had dared to do that , you would have felt something.”
    “All right , fine—I give. Let’s play this imaginary game for a moment. What is a First? Why on Earth would a blow to you hurt me?”
    I saw a glint move across his stare. “A First is the first bein g created from the sovereign’s essence. Basically, in a way, I made you a sovereign, just as the first child gives the title of mother to the woman that carried it. My job, duty, is to protect you. To help advise you on how to protect the line of Escorts that we will create. You protect me. I protect you.”
    “All right, funny. Real funny.”
    He raised his brow to question me.
    “I’m aware I have dark energy in me. One of Landen’s friends, Phoenix, explained that all to o well to me. I don’t need you showing up and telling me that I am creating exactly what I’m set to destroy.”
    “Well , good, because that’s not what I’m doing.”
    I furrowed my brow at him.
    “You’re not ready to hear this, or understand it. You’re not ready for what Chara needs you to do, what the Creator needs you to do. You won’t be until you learn to listen.”
    “I heard that lesson, too. I heard every word you said.”
    “Heard ,” he repeated as he looked away.
    I let the silence linger for a moment , taking in deep breaths and trying to ‘listen,’ but I couldn’t shut my mind down. None of this made sense.
    “How long do we have to stay here?” I asked, trying not to breathe in the foul odor of our little box.
    “Those tears I threw on Donalt would have enraged him, caused him to send out a call to all in his command. The strings are blocked right now. They will give up soon enough.”
    Tears? I wasn’t even going to ask.
    “Do you have any idea how furious Landen is going to be when he figures out I’m gone? That I’m here?”
    “Not under his command, yet. ”
    “But you’ re under mine. Get me out of here.”
    “No. I am not under the command of your ego.”
    “Quit saying that.”
    “Then let your soul out of its cage. It will definitely make what is coming at you easier.”
    “Which is ?”
    “I don’t want to spoil the surprise ,” he said, mockingly raising his brow.
    “How is this Esterious?” I asked as I heard laughter from the other side of the wall.
    “This is w here the warriors come to blow off steam.”
    “Oh , so now they have warriors, too? I thought the bad guys were the priest?”
    “Do you think that people like Alamos fight on the front lines? No. They find poor, blind souls to do that.”
    “So the warriors are permitted to laugh?”
    “I said they were warriors. I didn’t say they fought for the priest. This is what you might call the open-minded citizens of this world. They plan attacks on the palace. On anyone in power, really.”
    “They plan to attack Drak e? Is that what you are saying?” I couldn’t help it, it was a reflex. I stood so abruptly that the table