Free The Enlightened by Dima Zales

along the way?” Caleb suggests.
    I perform the final exercise as he said, shooting, among other things, a couple of barely noticeable beetles and a bat. I’m definitely getting better at this.
    “Do you want to spar some more?” Caleb asks once we’ve returned to the dojo field by the guesthouse.
    “Sure,” I say, deciding to give Paul one last chance to run out of Depth. Might as well take advantage of Caleb thinking he owes me.
    We go at it until I actually lose track of time. Caleb’s feedback gets progressively less snarky and more genuine. I must be improving.
    “Okay. I’ve had enough. Time to face the music,” I say when he throws me to the ground for the millionth time. “I think I’ll go tell them that I’ll do this thing with Julia.”
    “Let me give you one piece of advice,” Caleb says, giving me his hand to help me to my feet—the first time that’s happened.
    “Please do,” I say. “Unless it’s of the ‘how to’ variety.”
    He laughs. “No, though I’m sure I could teach a mini person like you a thing or two in that department.” He chuckles. “I was going to say, you should let Julia hear about this shit from you . Better chance it all goes smoothly later.”
    This is probably good advice, though it’ll be one super-uncomfortable conversation. “Thanks,” I say.
    “Sure. If you need me, I’ll be reading in my room. Thanks to you, I’ve had enough exercise.”
    As I watch Caleb walk away, I think about his advice some more. Talking to Julia—there is something to it. What if my contingency plan doesn’t work? It might be worth having a backup, and she might be of help in that regard. Also, my contingency relies on me looking as though I’m going through with this breeding thing, and if I’m being monitored, talking to Julia would show my good will.
    On a whim, cognizant that I’m just delaying my weird confrontation with Julia, I approach one of the monks doing kung fu.
    He seems to be the most capable of the bunch, his frozen movements reminiscent of a lion or a cobra about to strike. I put my hand on his wrist and enter the Coherence state.

    * * *

    Strike. Breathe. Strike. Breathe.
    Our mind is blank, like a pond on a windless day. There are no ripples on the lake, no movement of any kind, only stillness and serenity.
    I, Darren, find this very odd. I came here in an attempt to sample this monk’s fighting style, but that’s not what I’m getting. Like the Abbot’s, this mind is in an altered state, as though the monk is meditating, despite the fact that he’s moving around. What’s stranger is that when I try to feel light and rewind the monk’s memories, I get a similar result: some nirvana bullshit but no actual memories. That’s really odd.
    Frustrated, I exit his head.

    * * *

    My self-esteem has taken a serious dive today. First, I lose all those fights with Caleb. Then I miss all those targets. And now I just screwed up a Reading. Still, I suspect all this stuff is small potatoes compared to Julia’s reaction when I tell her why she’s here.

Chapter 8

    D etermined, I walk into the mansion-like guesthouse and approach Julia. She’s wearing a sleeveless dress. Without giving myself a chance to flake out, I touch her exposed elbow.
    An animated version of Julia appears next to me, her blue eyes filled with shock. “Darren? What are you doing here?”
    I look at her uncomfortably, unsure what to say.
    “Is something wrong?” she asks, her surprise turning into worry. “You look pale.”
    “I ... sort of have something strange to tell you.”
    “Okay.” She blinks. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
    “You’re not here for the reason you were told,” I say, looking at her.
    “I’m not here for any reason at all.” She frowns. “They’re giving the reins to my mom.”
    “Right. That succession thing? It’s a ruse to get you to come here,” I say, watching her closely. “The real reason is different.”
    “Okay, and are