The Enlightened (27 page)

A barrage of questions follow, and everyone learns a little about Hillary’s tumultuous upbringing. She doesn’t call her parents Traditionalists when she’s talking to my moms, but she does describe how she and my biological mom rebelled against their very ‘religious’ and overbearing parents. Her story of my idiotic grandparents is a slight downer to an otherwise happy dinner.

“Speaking of how people met,” Sara says. “You’ve never told us where you met this wonderful woman.” She smiles at Mira.

She’s clearly trying to guide the conversation toward a more cheerful topic. I don’t mind, so I say, “It happened—”

“Let me take that one,” Mira says, surprising me. What follows is another fictional account that makes me sound very assertive and macho. In Mira’s version of events, I approached her at a dance club, bought her a drink, told her a funny story, and all in all, swept her off her feet. Then she goes on to tell them how I took her on a trip to Atlantic City the next day, on the spur of the moment. Apparently, I’m very spontaneous too. By the end, she makes me sound like one of those millionaire boyfriends in romance novels. Then again, I
am
a millionaire. And I
am
her boyfriend. At least, I think that’s what I am. In any case, my moms gobble up Mira’s story with plenty of oohs and ahhs
.

After a couple of drinks, Eugene stands up. He’s solemnly holding a shot of vodka.

“It’s a Russian tradition. If no one minds, I’d like to say a toast,” he says, looking at Mira.

She hesitantly gives him a slight nod.

“Let’s drink to having made great new friends,” he says with aplomb. “Let’s drink to the health of the hostesses. They, who raised such an awesome offspring.” He winks at me. “Let us also drink to newly reunited families,” he says more seriously, “as nothing is as important as family—”

“Za zdorovje,” Mira says and clinks her wine glass to Eugene’s shot glass.

Eugene beams at his sister.

“Zdarove,” my moms mumble, trying to match Mira’s perfect Russian. They clink their glasses with the siblings’.

“Za zdorovje,” Thomas says, seemingly without an accent. He adds his own clink to the mix.

“Salute,” Liz says, adding her glass to the growing crowd of drinks.

“Cheers,” Bert and I say, joining the clicking with our beer bottles.

Everyone drinks and from there, dinner becomes progressively merrier, reminding me of Thanksgiving.

When it’s over, Mira and I end up staying at my moms’ house for the night, while it’s somehow decided that Eugene will crash over at Bert’s. There’s even mention of coding and/or experiments, which I suspect Hillary finds disturbing, even if she doesn’t show it. Thomas and Liz leave together, but of course, we don’t discuss their sleeping arrangements, as it probably falls under strict doctor-patient confidentiality.

“You can take the bedroom on the first floor,” Sara says after locking the door behind everyone. “I changed all the sheets in your room and put new soap and shampoo in the guest shower.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I say, trying to seem nonchalant. It’s weird when you know that your parents know you’re about to have sex under their roof.

“Don’t mention it,” she says. “I hope you two can join us for brunch tomorrow.”

“I’d love that,” Mira says before I can make up an excuse.

Today is just full of surprises.

* * *

“Can you try not to be as loud as usual?” I say after getting Mira’s pesky clothes off her.

“There’s two floors between us,” Mira says with a smirk. “Do you really think they’ll hear me?”

“I have no idea, but it would be weird if they did.”

“Well,” she says, giving me a mischievous wink, “I guess you’ll have to shut me up
somehow.
I’m feeling very noisy all of a sudden.”

I know full well she’s not kidding, so on a whim, I phase into the Quiet and kiss frozen Mira’s naked flesh.

When a second Mira appears in the Quiet and sees where I kissed her body, her breathing gets heavier, and her mischievous look transforms into something far more sensual.

“I like the way you think,” she says as she approaches me, and then our bodies intertwine on the bed with an urgency that reminds me of the very first time we had sex.

When it’s over, I phase out, and then go right back into the Quiet.

After Mira materializes in the Quiet, she says, “Darren, what the—”

Then she stops talking when she sees me. It’s not just injuries that get reset in the Quiet. I’m ready for another round.

“Oh my,” she says. “This is the best idea you’ve
ever
had.”

She jumps on me, and we make this second round more mindful than the last.

And then we repeat the whole experience a dozen times over, getting more and more creative as we go. We even make use of the frozen versions of ourselves. Yeah, don’t ask.

Eventually, pure mental exhaustion overcomes us.

“One day, I want to spend a whole month in the Mind Dimension,” Mira says sleepily, back in the real world. “Just you and me.”

“You say the word, and I’ll do it,” I say. “It sounds romantic.”

She raises an eyebrow, yawns, and says, “Okay. But definitely not right now.”

“No, not right now,” I agree. Scooping her into a spooning position, I hold her, reveling in the warmth of her skin against mine.

As we lie together, I think about the past and all the things that have happened in such a short time. It’s really amazing how much my life has changed. I never would’ve dreamed I’d be where I am at this very moment.

As I drift off to sleep, I think about the future. The nebulous threat of the Enlightened and whoever was manipulating Kyle is still out there, but at this particular moment, I can’t bring myself to care. Whatever comes, I’ll deal with it. For now, in my pleasant drowsy haze with Mira in my arms, I can’t picture a future that isn’t awesome. The details of this future materialize, making me feel as though I can touch them
...
and then I’m fast asleep, and the momentary epiphany becomes a happy dream.

Sneak Peeks

Thank you for reading! If you would consider leaving a review, it would be greatly appreciated.

Darren’s story continues in
The Elders (Mind Dimensions: Book 4)
, which will be available at most major retailers in 2015. In the meantime, you can read about Mira in a short story called
The Time Stopper.

Please sign up for my newsletter at
www.dimazales.com
to be notified when the next book comes out
.

If you like audiobooks, please be sure to check out this series and our other books on
Audible.com
.

And now, please turn the page for sneak peeks into my other works.

Excerpt from
The Sorcery Code

Once a respected member of the Sorcerer Council and now an outcast, Blaise has spent the last year of his life working on a special magical object. The goal is to allow anyone to do magic, not just the sorcerer elite. The outcome of his quest is unlike anything he could
’
ve ever imagined
—
because, instead of an object, he creates Her.

She is Gala, and she is anything but inanimate. Born in the Spell Realm, she is beautiful and highly intelligent
—
and nobody knows what she
’
s capable of. She will do anything to experience the world
...
even leave the man she is beginning to fall for.

Augusta, a powerful sorceress and Blaise
’
s former fianc
é
e, sees Blaise
’
s deed as the ultimate hubris and Gala as an abomination that must be destroyed. In her quest to save the human race, Augusta will forge new alliances, becoming tangled in a web of intrigue that stretches further than any of them suspect. She may even have to turn to her new lover Barson, a ruthless warrior who might have an agenda of his own
...

* * *

There was a naked woman on the floor of Blaise
’
s study.

A beautiful naked woman.

Stunned, Blaise stared at the gorgeous creature who just appeared out of thin air. She was looking around with a bewildered expression on her face, apparently as shocked to be there as he was to be seeing her. Her wavy blond hair streamed down her back, partially covering a body that appeared to be perfection itself. Blaise tried not to think about that body and to focus on the situation instead.

A woman. A
She
, not an
It
. Blaise could hardly believe it. Could it be? Could this girl be the object?

She was sitting with her legs folded underneath her, propping herself up with one slim arm. There was something awkward about that pose, as though she didn’t know what to do with her own limbs. In general, despite the curves that marked her a fully grown woman, there was a child-like innocence in the way she sat there, completely unselfconscious and totally unaware of her own appeal.

Clearing his throat, Blaise tried to think of what to say. In his wildest dreams, he couldn’t have imagined this kind of outcome to the project that had consumed his entire life for the past several months.

Hearing the sound, she turned her head to look at him, and Blaise found himself staring into a pair of unusually clear blue eyes.

She blinked, then cocked her head to the side, studying him with visible curiosity. Blaise wondered what she was seeing. He hadn’t seen the light of day in weeks, and he wouldn’t be surprised if he looked like a mad sorcerer at this point. There was probably a week’s worth of stubble covering his face, and he knew his dark hair was unbrushed and sticking out in every direction. If he’d known he would be facing a beautiful woman today, he would’ve done a grooming spell in the morning.

“Who am I?” she asked, startling Blaise. Her voice was soft and feminine, as alluring as the rest of her. “What is this place?”

“You don’t know?” Blaise was glad he finally managed to string together a semi-coherent sentence. “You don’t know who you are or where you are?”

She shook her head. “No.”

Blaise swallowed. “I see.”

“What am I?” she asked again, staring at him with those incredible eyes.

“Well,” Blaise said slowly, “if you’re not some cruel prankster or a figment of my imagination, then it’s somewhat difficult to explain
...
”

She was watching his mouth as he spoke, and when he stopped, she looked up again, meeting his gaze. “It’s strange,” she said, “hearing words this way. These are the first real words I’ve heard.”

Blaise felt a chill go down his spine. Getting up from his chair, he began to pace, trying to keep his eyes off her nude body. He had been expecting something to appear. A magical object, a thing. He just hadn’t known what form that thing would take. A mirror, perhaps, or a lamp. Maybe even something as unusual as the Life Capture Sphere that sat on his desk like a large round diamond.

But a person? A female person at that?

To be fair, he had been trying to make the object intelligent, to ensure it would have the ability to comprehend human language and convert it into the code. Maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised that the intelligence he invoked took on a human shape.

A beautiful, feminine, sensual shape.

Focus, Blaise, focus.

“Why are you walking like that?” She slowly got to her feet, her movements uncertain and strangely clumsy. “Should I be walking too? Is that how people talk to each other?”

Blaise stopped in front of her, doing his best to keep his eyes above her neck. “I’m sorry. I’m not accustomed to naked women in my study.”

She ran her hands down her body, as though trying to feel it for the first time. Whatever her intent, Blaise found the gesture extremely erotic.

“Is something wrong with the way I look?” she asked. It was such a typical feminine concern that Blaise had to stifle a smile.

“Quite the opposite,” he assured her. “You look unimaginably good.” So good, in fact, that he was having trouble concentrating on anything but her delicate curves. She was of medium height, and so perfectly proportioned that she could’ve been used as a sculptor’s template.

“Why do I look this way?” A small frown creased her smooth forehead. “What am I?” That last part seemed to be puzzling her the most.

Blaise took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing pulse. “I think I can try to venture a guess, but before I do, I want to give you some clothing. Please wait here—I’ll be right back.”

And without waiting for her answer, he hurried out of the room.

* * *

The Sorcery Code
is currently available at most retailers. If you’d like to learn more, please visit my website at
www.dimazales.com
. You can also connect with me on
Facebook,
Twitter
, and
Goodreads
.

Excerpt from
Close Liaisons
by Anna Zaires

Note:
Close Liaisons
is Dima Zales’s collaboration with Anna Zaires and is the first book in the internationally bestselling erotic sci-fi romance series, the Krinar Chronicles. It contains explicit sexual content and is not intended for readers under eighteen
.

* * *

A dark and edgy romance that will appeal to fans of erotic and turbulent relationships
...

In the near future, the Krinar rule the Earth. An advanced race from another galaxy, they are still a mystery to us
—
and we are completely at their mercy.

Shy and innocent, Mia Stalis is a college student in New York City who has led a very normal life. Like most people, she's never had any interactions with the invaders
—
until one fateful day in the park changes everything. Having caught Korum's eye, she must now contend with a powerful, dangerously seductive Krinar who wants to possess her and will stop at nothing to make her his own.

How far would you go to regain your freedom? How much would you sacrifice to help your people? What choice will you make when you begin to fall for your enemy?