ARC: Essence Read Online Free

dangerous. It’s the very self-indulgence and excess that caused the Great Quake in the first place. We choose not to be part of it.”
    Ryder raised his eyebrows. “Just think about it,” he said. “The Quake was nearly twenty years ago; lots of stuff has happened out here since.” He paused. “Haven’t you ever wondered what the rest of the world is doing?”
    I frowned. “You guys said you weren’t here to convert me.”
    “We aren’t. Not exactly.” He tilted his head. “My friends and I live in the Sierras now, but we’ll be here a couple more days. If what we’re saying makes sense to you, we’d love to tell you more about what we’re trying to do here.”
    “And what exactly are you trying to do here?”
    He grinned, and dimples appeared at the corners of his cheeks. “Nothing much. Just finally spread some truth.”
     
    CHAPTER THREE
     
    I tried to forget about my meeting with Ryder and his friends.
    I snuck back home and woke early for meditation the next day, and I pushed aside reminders of my outburst when my temple mates commented on my new shoulder-length haircut.
    “I think it looks nice,” my chore partner Juliet said as we dusted the classroom windows before lunch. I did my best to ignore the fleeting look of smugness that flashed in her eyes as she wiped the dust from her hands.
    It was a bit harder to ignore my mother’s disapproval at home. She did her best to stay neutral – as always – but her expression seemed extra guarded as we prepared dinner that night. I often caught her staring when she thought I wasn’t looking.
    The kitchen was dim, as always, and its soft overhead lights barely illuminated the sparse metal appliances and wooden cabinets. My mother stood chopping radishes in her blue cashier’s uniform, and her newly cut hair was pulled back.
    Aunt Marie stood fussing over a bowl of spinach and arugula at her side. The greens – castoffs from my mother’s grocery store job – were past date, as usual, and the tips were slightly wilted and brown.
    If she noticed, Marie hid her disappointment well. As she tossed the salad with fingers thick as sausages, she hummed softly to herself – a reckless habit that drove my mother crazy.
    The women worked like bookends, and they leaned into each other slightly as they chopped canned tomatoes and beets. There was an easy solidarity to their movements – the quiet, neutral confidence that Cedar always preached about – and I felt guilt surge inside me in response.
    “I’m sorry for leaving last night,” I finally whispered. I wished I could squeeze in beside them like usual. “I acted rashly, and my decision was selfish.”
    My mother softened. “It worries me to see your aura so rippled, Autumn,” she said, glancing backward and exhaling as if the tension felt heavy in her chest. “Now more than ever, I’m pleased to hear your emotions are under control again.”
    The guilt in my stomach twisted. “They are; I’m sorry for worrying you.”
    She nodded. Making fleeting eye contact with Aunt Marie, she added, “I have some news, then; I had hoped to tell you earlier. Cedar has invited Brother Thomas to join us for dinner tonight.”
    “Brother Thomas?” I felt my throat close. Mother hadn’t received a visit from a meditation master for years, not since Brady’s conception. The return of Brother Thomas – the master who had conceived me, too – could only mean one thing. “But Mother…”
    “It’s time, Autumn. It has been three months since Brady passed, and Cedar thinks I should try again. I’m almost thirty-five now; I can’t waste time if I want to perform my duties and conceive two children.”
    “Mother, you can’t be serious!”
    The knife in her hand trembled. “Autumn,” she said. “I understand Brady’s death has affected you. It has certainly affected all of us. But I urge you to remember the lessons of your Free Soul Ceremony. Your Essence is precious, and every moment you dwell on