Mindfulness Meditation A Natural Practice with Superhuman...

Have you ever wondered if your brain could process quicker, come to conclusions easier, stay focused longer, make decisions swifter, be healthier, or even live longer? If you answered yes, there is indeed a way to do so; you two just haven’t been introduced yet. If you’re thinking of some breakthrough technology, a revolutionary medicine, or perhaps that someone has finally discovered the fountain of youth, think again. Not a breakthrough technology, but rather one of the oldest practices in human history, mindfulness meditation. Regular practice of mindfulness meditation is capable of increasing an individual’s mental efficiency and physical well-being, which allows for an increase in productivity among individuals in the workplace,†¦show more content†¦Driven from this simple practice, various complex results are inhabited in the body and mind. The practice of mindfulness meditation, even for twenty minutes per day, has been proven to increase working memory, strengthen focus, and decrease stress levels. The recent increase in popularity of this practice has led to significant findings achieved through numerous empirical studies pertaining to the effect of meditation upon the various aspects of the mind. Stress seems to present itself quite frequently to the individuals that make up our fast paced society. â€Å"One definition of stress is the relationship between an individual and the environment that the individual appraises as potentially endangering to their well- being (Geary, and Rosenthal).† Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch , Cara Geary, M.D., PhD., and Susan L. Rosenthal, PhD., a Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University organized a study to evaluate self-reported stress levels in academic health care employees before, immediately after, and one year after enrolling in a mindfulness-based stress reduction course (MBSR). Fifty-nine participants enrolled in the MBSR course offered to the employees at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) made up theShow MoreRelatedWhy Is The Supreme Being?5039 Words   |  21 Pagesperson may have their atheistic belief strengthened that there is no such thing as a Supreme Being, for if there were a God, they would never allow this to happen to their Earthly children. Either way, your faith is about to be tested way beyond your capability to understand. At this point, the emotional destruction of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) is settling down in your soul; it is wreaking havoc upon what is left of your every emotional stability. Unless, you have an unshaking, unswerving belief

Essay Good Vs. Evil - Analytical Sentence Outline - 569 Words

Theme: Good and Evil Create a SocietyParagraph 1:CENTRAL IDEA: Conflicts heavily arise between the two topics of good and evil. THESIS SENTENCE: Through common stories good and evil are portrayed through both protagonist and antagonist view, creating morals and opinions, and how societies views have changed over time. Paragraph 2:TOPIC SENTENCE: Common stories portray good and evil through both a protagonist and antagonist view.Paragraph 3: TOPIC SENTENCE: Significant morals and opinions are shown in stories made up of good and evil.Paragraph 4: TOPIC SENTENCE: Societies views have changes over time by the reality brought out in good and evil.Paragraph 5: CONCLUSION: Good and evil represented the two different thoughts that occur through†¦show more content†¦He killed Grendel bare handedly and saved the city from losing any more lives. People have come to expect the good guy to always save the day, whether he dies or not. Significant morals and opinions are shown in stories made up of good and evil. Teachers have their students read fairy tales at a young age to teach morals of everyday life. For instance, in the tale of Beauty and the Beast, a strong moral is placed. The author made it clear to their audience that â€Å"you should not judge a person by the way they look.† Another example of morals in good versus evil epics could be Cinderella, where the evil stepsisters learn that being cruel can come back in the long run to haunt you. Society’s views have changed over time by the reality brought out in good and evil. People used to feel certain ways about different issues, until morals came out of good and evil tales. Slavery was once considered a good thing. Slaves helped do all the hard work the owners didn’t have time for. Segregation was also considered a good thing. Schools, businesses, and even public restrooms were segregated, keeping the â€Å"dirty† black from disturbing the â€Å"clean† white. Martin Luther King Jr. came along and made a statement. He proved to everyone that slavery and segregation was evil and not necessary for the U.S. The views on racism have since then changed, making everyone have equal rights. Good and evil represented the two differentShow MoreRelatedHonour Killing in Pakistan19346 Words   |  78 PagesPolitical Studies One-Year Master In Global Political Science (Human Rights Track) Spring 2010 Supervisor: Erika Svedberg Assistant Professor Malmo University, Sweden Honour killings in Pakistan under Theoretical, Legal and Religious Perspectives An Analytical Study of Honour killings Abuse and Disconnecting Islam from This Ancient Brutal Tradition Author MUHAMMAD ZIA ULLAH MASTER THESIS SUBMITTED, 27-05-2010 Malmà ¶ University Malmà ¶, Sweden Abstract This research sets out to examine the main excusesRead MoreThe Most Dangerous Game8910 Words   |  36 Pagesis changed by it. Round characters tend to be more fully developed and described than flat, or static, characters. If you think of the characters you most love in fiction, they probably seem as real to you as people you know in real life. This is a good sign that they are round characters. Round characters usually have descriptions and dialogue. A characters responses to conflict and his or her thoughts are also revelatory. A static character is a literary character who remains basically unchangedRead MoreConflict Management and Emotional Intelligence63003 Words   |  253 Pages      1   1.2 Research  issues  and  contributions        Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      4   1.3 Justification  for  the  research        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚                  6   1.4 Research Method           Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚         1.5 Outline  of  the  dissertation                                                                  11   1.6 Definitions  of  Terms                    Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   12   1.7 Delimitations  of  scope  and  key  assumptions              Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   16   Read MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pages168 How Creative Are You ? 169 Innovative Attitude Scale 171 Creative Style Assessment 172 SKILL LEARNING 174 Problem Solving, Creativity, and Innovation 174 Steps in Analytical Problem Solving 174 Defining the Problem 174 Generating Alternatives 176 Evaluating Alternatives 176 Implementing the Solution 177 Limitations of the Analytical Problem-Solving Model 178 Impediments to Creative Problem Solving 178 Multiple Approaches to Creativity 179 Conceptual Blocks 183 Percy Spencer’s Magnetron 185 SpenceRead MoreStrategy Safari by Mintzberg71628 Words   |  287 PagesAnd Over Here, Ladies and Gentlemen: The Strategic Management Beast 2 The Design School Strategy Formation as a Process of Conception 3 The Planning School Strategy Formation as a Formal Process 4 The Positioning School Strategy Formation as an Analytical Process ix 1 23 47 81 5 The Entrepreneurial School Strategy Formation as a Visionary Process 123 6 The Cognitive School Strategy Formation as a Mental Process 149 7 The Learning School Strategy Formation as anRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagesintriguing endeavor through the decades. Still, it is always difficult to abandon interesting cases that have stimulated student discussions and provoked useful insights, but newer case possibilities are ever contesting for inclusion. Examples of good and bad handling of problems and opportunities are forever emerging. But sometimes we bring back an oldie, and with updating, gain a new perspective. For new users, I hope the book will meet your full expectations and be an effective instructionalRead MoreCase Study148348 Words   |  594 Pagesconsolidate some of the key concepts in strategic management. If skills development is most important, then the purpose of the text should be to help participants understand concepts and analytical tools which they can apply and practice. Most of the case examples and case studies lend themselves to an analytical approach, and participants should be set tasks that require them to produce detailed and practical solutions. Work assignments for the illustrations and at chapter ends should be useful toRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pagesthink about your fellow employees and your perception of their competence and of their attitudes toward their work, the organization, and you. Finally, reflect upon the organization itself and its policies, procedures, and practices. What were the good things about this job? What were its negative features? How much did the managers, both your immediate supervis or and those at a higher level, contribute to what you liked or disliked about the job? What did you learn about management from this jobRead MoreTop 1 Cause for Project Failure65023 Words   |  261 PagesScope creep, inadequate budgets with inadequate contingencies, ignoring potential risks, fickle stakeholders 7. [pic] Leona Mitchum Project Manager at IRG I work for a small company of less than 100 and I find lack of good time management programs and accurate projection. Another issue in small companies is the desire to meet an aggressive timeline on our part, but the slow signing of documents on the part of the customer. Creep begins to be a huge issue from the beginningRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesAre Sad 107 glOBalization! Should You Expect â€Å"Service with a Smile† All Around the World? 108 Self-Assessment Library What’s My Emotional Intelligence Score? 115 An Ethical Choice Schadenfreude 120 Point/Counterpoint Sometimes Blowing Your Top Is a Good Thing 122 Questions for Review 121 Experiential Exercise Who Can Catch a Liar? 123 Ethical Dilemma Happiness Coaches for Employees 123 Case Incident 1 Is It Okay to Cry at Work? 124 Case Incident 2 Can You Read Emotions from Faces? 124 S A L

Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-Eight Free Essays

Lissa didn’t have to say anything to express her shock. The feelings of utter astonishment pouring into me said more than any words could have. I, however, had one important word for her: Duck! I think it was her surprise that made her respond so quickly. We will write a custom essay sample on Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-Eight or any similar topic only for you Order Now She dropped to the floor. The movement was clumsy, but it removed her body from Reed’s direct attack and put her (mostly) out of range of the window. He still collided with her shoulder and the side of her head, but it only bumped her and caused a little pain. Of course, â€Å"a little pain† meant totally different things to us. Lissa had been tortured a couple of times, but most of her battles were mental. She’d never been in a one-on-one physical confrontation. Getting thrown against walls was an average occurrence for me, but for her, a small swipe to the head was monumental. Crawl away, I ordered. Get away from him and the window. Head for the door if possible. Lissa started moving on her hands and feet, but she was too slow. Reed caught hold of her hair. I kind of felt like we were playing a game of telephone. With the delay in me giving direction and her figuring out how to respond, I might as well have been passing the message through five people before it got to her. I wished I could control her body like a puppeteer, but I was no spirit user. It’s going to hurt, but turn around as best you can and hit him. Oh, it did hurt. Trying to turn her body meant his hold on her hair tugged that much more painfully. She managed it reasonably well, though, and flailed out at Reed. Her hits weren’t that coordinated, but they surprised him enough that he let go of her hair and tried to fend her off. That’s when I noticed he wasn’t overly coordinated either. He was stronger than her, true, but he obviously had no combat training short of basic hits and throwing his weight around. He hadn’t come here for a true fight; he’d come to just push her out the window and be done with it. Get away if you can; get away if you can. She scrambled across the floor, but unfortunately her escape path didn’t give her access to the door. Instead, she backed further into the room until her back hit a rolling desk chair. Grab it. Hit him with it. Easier said than done. He was right there, still trying to grab her and jerk her to her feet. She caught hold of the chair and tried to roll it into him. I’d wanted her to pick it up and hit him with it, but that wasn’t quite so easy for her. She did, however, manage to get to her feet and get the chair between them. I directed her to keep hitting him with it in an effort to get him to retreat. It worked a little, but she didn’t quite have the force to truly damage him. Meanwhile, I half expected Avery to join in the fight. It wouldn’t have taken much effort to assist Reed in subduing Lissa. Instead, out of the corner of Lissa’s eye, I saw Avery sitting perfectly still, her eyes unfocused and slightly glazed over. Okay. That was weird, but I had no complaints about her being out of the conflict. As it was, Lissa and Reed were in a stalemate, one I had to get her out of. You’re on the defensive, I said. You need to take the attack to him. I finally got a direct answer back. What? I can’t do anything like that! I have no clue how! I’ll show you. Kick him-preferably between the legs. That’ll take down most guys. Without words, I tried to send the feelings into her, teaching her the right way to tense muscles and strike out. Steeling herself, she pushed the chair away so that there was nothing between her and Reed. It caught him by surprise, giving her a brief opening. Her leg struck out. It missed the golden spot, but it did hit his knee. That was almost as good. He stumbled back as his leg collapsed underneath him and just managed to grab the chair for support. It tried to roll, which didn’t help him any. Lissa didn’t need any urging to sprint for the door at that point-except it was blocked. Simon had just entered. For a moment, both Lissa and I felt relief. A guardian! Guardians were safe. Guardians protected us. The thing was, this guardian worked for Avery, and it soon became clear his services went beyond merely keeping Strigoi away from her. He strode in, and with no hesitation grabbed Lissa and dragged her harshly back to the window. My direction faltered at that moment. I’d been an okay coach at showing her how to fend off a surly teenage boy. But a guardian? And that surly teenage boy had recovered himself and joined Simon to finish the job. Compel him! It was my last desperate bid. That was Lissa’s strength. Unfortunately, while her earlier drinking had metabolized enough to improve her coordination, it was still affecting her control of spirit. She could touch the power-but not very much of it. Her control was clumsy too. Nonetheless, her resolve was strong. She drew as much of the spirit as she could, channeling it into compulsion. Nothing happened. Then, I felt that weird tickling in my head. At first I thought Avery was back on the scene, only rather than someone reaching into me, it was like they reached through me. The power in Lissa surged, and I realized what had happened. Oksana was still there, somewhere in the background, and she was lending her strength again, channeling it through me and into Lissa. Simon froze, and it was almost amusing. He twitched slightly, rocking back and forth as he tried to advance on her and finish the lethal task. It was like he was suspended in Jell-O. Lissa was hesitant to move, for fear of breaking her control. There was also the issue that Reed was not being compelled, but for the moment, he seemed too confused about what was happening to Simon to react. â€Å"You can’t just kill me!† Lissa blurted out. â€Å"Don’t you think people are going to ask questions when they find my body shoved out a window? â€Å"They won’t notice,† said Simon stiffly. Even the words required effort. â€Å"Not when you’re resurrected. And if you can’t be, then it was just a tragic accident that befell a troubled girl.† Slowly, slowly, he began breaking out of her compulsion. Her power, while still there, was weakening a little-there was a leak somewhere, and it was dripping out. I suspected it might be Avery’s influence or simply Lissa’s mental fatigue. Maybe both. A supreme look of satisfaction crossed Simon’s features as he lunged forward, and then. He froze again. A blazing gold aura lit up in Lissa’s periphery. She glanced over just enough to see Adrian in the doorway. The look on his face was comical, but shocked or not, he’d picked up enough to target Simon. It was Adrian’s compulsion holding the guardian in place now. Lissa squirmed away, yet again trying to keep out of that damned window’s opening. â€Å"Hold him!† Lissa cried. Adrian grimaced. â€Å"I†¦ can’t. What the hell? It’s like there’s someone else there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Avery,† said Lissa, sparing a brief glance at the other girl. Avery’s face had gone pale even for a Moroi. Her breathing was heavy, and her sweating had increased. She was fighting Adrian’s compulsion. A few seconds later, Simon broke free yet again. He advanced on Lissa and Adrian, though his movements seemed sluggish. Son of a bitch, I thought. Now what? demanded Lissa. Reed. Go for Reed. Get him out of the picture. Reed had been frozen during the struggle with Simon, watching with fascination. And like those of the guardian, Reed’s actions seemed a little sluggish. Still, he was moving toward Lissa again. Simon had apparently decided Adrian was the immediate threat and was heading that way. Time to see if dividing and conquering would work. What about Adrian? Lissa asked. We’re going to have to leave him on his own for a minute. Get to Reed. Knock him out. What But she advanced on him anyway, moving with a determination that warmed me with pride. His face curled into a snarl. He was frantic and overconfident, though-not thinking clearly and still moving in an ungainly way. Once more, I attempted to teach Lissa without words. I couldn’t make her do anything, but I tried to make her feel what it was like to punch someone. How to draw back her arm, curl her fingers in the proper way, build up the strength. After what I’d seen her do earlier, the best I could hope for was a decent approximation of a punch, enough to keep him off her and create further delay. And that’s when something truly beautiful happened. Lissa socked him in the nose. And I mean, socked. We both heard the impact, heard the nose break. Blood came out. He flew backward, both he and Lissa staring wide-eyed. Never, never would I have thought Lissa capable of something like that. Not sweet, delicate, beautiful Lissa. I wanted to whoop and dance with joy. But this wasn’t over yet. Don’t stop! Hit him again. You’ve got to knock him out! I did! she cried, horrified at what she’d done. Her fist was also in agonizing pain. I hadn’t really mentioned that part during my coaching. No, you’ve got to incapacitate him, I told her. I think he and Avery are bonded, and I think she’s taking her strength from him. It made sense now, why he’d frozen when Avery drew power to use compulsion, why he’d known to show up when he had. She’d used their bond to summon him. And so Lissa went after Reed again. She got in two more punches, one of which knocked his head against the wall. His lips parted and his features went slack. He dropped to the floor, eyes staring vacantly. I wasn’t sure if he was entirely unconscious, but he was out of this for the moment. Off to the side, I heard a small cry from Avery. Lissa turned to Adrian and Simon. Adrian had ceased any attempts at compulsion, because Simon was engaged in a full-on attack. Adrian’s face showed he’d taken a few hits of his own, and I figured that, like Lissa, he’d never engaged in this kind of physical combat. Without any need for direction from me, Lissa strode over and turned on her compulsion. Simon jerked in surprise, not stopping his attack, but caught off guard. Lissa was still weak, but the walls around him had dropped a little, just as I’d suspected they would. â€Å"Help me!† cried Lissa. With the momentary lapse on Simon’s part, Adrian tried to wield his spirit too. Lissa felt and saw the change in his aura as the magic flowed through him. She felt him join her in their psychic attack on Simon, and a moment later, I sensed Oksana joining the fray. I wanted to play general and shout orders, but this wasn’t my battle anymore. Simon’s eyes went wide, and he fell to his knees. Lissa could sense the other two spirit users-and was a bit surprised by Oksana’s presence-and had the vague impression that they were all doing slightly different things to Simon. Lissa was trying to compel him to stop his attack, to simply sit still. Her brief brush with Adrian’s magic told her he was trying to make the guardian sleep, and Oksana was attempting to get Simon to run out of the room. The conflicting messages and all that power were too much. The last of Simon’s defenses fell as all those mixed messages blasted into him, creating a tidal wave of spirit. He collapsed to the floor. With all of their magic combined, the spirit users had knocked him unconscious. Lissa and Adrian turned to Avery, bracing themselves, but there was no need. As soon as all that spirit had blasted into Simon, Avery had begun screaming. And screaming and screaming. She gripped the sides of her head, the sound of her voice horrible and grating. Lissa and Adrian exchanged glances, unsure how to handle this new development. â€Å"For God’s sake,† gasped Adrian, exhausted. â€Å"How do we shut her up?† Lissa didn’t know. She considered approaching Avery and trying to help her, in spite of all that had happened. But a few seconds later, Avery grew quiet. She didn’t pass out like her companions had. She just sat there, staring. Her expression no longer resembled the dazed look she’d had while wielding spirit. It was just†¦ blank. Like there was nothing in her at all. â€Å"Wh-what happened?† asked Lissa. I had the answer. The spirit flooded from Simon into her. It fried her. Lissa was startled. How could it go from Simon to her? Because they’re bonded. You said she was bonded to Reed! She is. She’s bonded to both of them. Lissa had been too distracted while fighting for her life, but I’d been able to notice everyone’s auras through her eyes. Avery-no longer masking hers-had possessed a gold one, just like Adrian and Lissa. Simon and Reed had had nearly identical ones, with ordinary colors-ringed in black. They were shadow-kissed, both having been brought back from the dead by Avery. Lissa asked no more questions and simply collapsed into Adrian’s arms. There was nothing romantic about it, just a desperate need on both their parts to be close to a friend. â€Å"Why did you come?† she asked him. â€Å"Are you kidding? How could I not? You guys were like a bonfire with all the spirit you were wielding. I felt it all the way across campus.† He glanced around. â€Å"Man, I have a lot of questions.† â€Å"You and me both,† she muttered. I have to go, I told Lissa. I felt a little wistful at having to leave them. I miss you. When will you be back? Soon. Thank you. Thank you for being there for me. Always. I suspected I was smiling back in my own body. Oh, and Lissa? Tell Adrian I’m proud of him. The Academy room faded. I was once more sitting on a bed halfway around the world. Abe was looking at me with concern. Mark also was concerned, but he had eyes only for Oksana, who lay down beside me. She looked a little like Avery, pale and sweating. Mark clasped her hand frantically, fear all over him. â€Å"Are you okay?† She smiled. â€Å"Just tired. I’ll be all right.† I wanted to hug her. â€Å"Thank you,† I breathed. â€Å"Thank you so much.† â€Å"I’m glad to have helped,† she said. â€Å"But I hope I don’t have to do it again. It was†¦ strange. I’m not sure what role I played there.† â€Å"Me either.† It had been weird. Sometimes it was like Oksana had actually been there, fighting right along with Lissa and the rest. Other times, I’d felt as though Oksana had merged with me. I shuddered. Too many minds linked together. â€Å"Next time, you have to be by her side,† Oksana said. â€Å"In the real world.† I looked down at my hands, confused and unsure what to think. The silver ring gleamed up at me. I took it off and handed it to her. â€Å"This ring saved me. Can it heal you even though you made it?† She held it in her hand for a moment and then gave it back. â€Å"No, but like I said, I’ll recover. I heal quickly on my own.† It was true. I’d seen Lissa heal remarkably fast in the past. It was part of always having spirit in you. I stared at the ring, and something troubling came to mind. It was a thought that had struck me while riding with the old couple to Novosibirsk, when I’d moved in and out of consciousness. â€Å"Oksana†¦ a Strigoi touched this ring. And for a few moments-while he did-it was like†¦ well, he was still Strigoi, no question. But while he held it, he was almost like his old self too.† Oksana didn’t answer right away. She looked up at Mark, and they held each other’s gazes for a long time. He bit his lip and shook his head. â€Å"Don’t,† he said. â€Å"It’s a fairy tale.† â€Å"What?† I exclaimed. I looked back and forth between him. â€Å"If you know something about this-about Strigoi-you have to tell me!† Mark spoke sharply in Russian, a warning in his voice. Oksana looked equally determined. â€Å"It’s not our place to withhold information,† she replied. She turned to me, face grave. â€Å"Mark told you about the Moroi we met long ago†¦ the other spirit user?† I nodded. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"He used to tell a lot of stories-most of which I don’t think were true. But one of them†¦ well, he claimed he restored a Strigoi to life.† Abe, silent thus far, scoffed. â€Å"That is a fairy tale.† â€Å"What?† My whole world reeled. â€Å"How?† â€Å"I don’t know. He never elaborated much, and the details often changed. His mind was going, and I think half of what he said was imaginary,† she explained. â€Å"He’s crazy,† said Mark. â€Å"It wasn’t true. Don’t get caught up in an insane man’s fantasy. Don’t fixate on this. Don’t let it become your next vigilante quest. You need to go back to your bondmate.† I swallowed, every emotion in the world churning in my stomach. Was it true? Had a spirit user restored a Strigoi to life? Theoretically†¦ well, if spirit users could heal and bring back the dead, why not the undead? And Dimitri†¦ Dimitri had definitely seemed altered while holding the ring. Had spirit affected him and touched some piece of his old self? At the time, I’d just assumed it was fond memories of his family affecting him†¦ â€Å"I need to talk to this guy,† I murmured. Not that I knew why. Fairy tale or not, it was too late. I’d done it. I’d killed Dimitri. Nothing would bring him back now, no miracle of spirit. My heart rate increased, and I could hardly breathe. In my mind’s eye, I saw him falling, falling†¦ falling forever with the stake in his chest. Would he have said he loved me? I would ask myself that for the rest of my life. Agony and grief flooded me, though at the same time, relief was there too. I had freed Dimitri from a state of evil. I had brought him peace, sending him on to happiness. Maybe he and Mason were together in heaven somewhere, practicing some guardian moves. I had done the right thing. There should be no regret here. Oblivious to my emotions, Oksana addressed my last statement. â€Å"Mark wasn’t kidding. This man is crazy-if he’s even still alive. The last time we saw him, he could barely hold up a conversation or even use his magic. He ran off into hiding. No one knows where he is-except maybe his brother.† â€Å"Enough,† warned Mark. Abe’s attention was piqued, however. He leaned forward, shrewd as ever. â€Å"What’s this man’s name?† â€Å"Robert Doru,† said Mark after a few hesitant moments. It was no one I knew, and I realized how pointless this all was. This guy was a lost cause and had likely imagined the whole idea of saving a Strigoi in a fit of insanity. Dimitri was gone. This part of my life was over. I needed to get back to Lissa. Then I noticed that Abe had gone very still. â€Å"Do you know him?† I asked. â€Å"No. Do you?† â€Å"No.† I scrutinized Abe’s face. â€Å"You sure look like you know something, Zmey.† â€Å"I know of him,† Abe clarified. â€Å"He’s an illegitimate royal. His father had an affair, and Robert was the result. His father actually included him as part of the family. Robert and his half-brother grew quite close, though few knew about it.† Of course Abe would know about it, though. â€Å"Doru is Robert’s mother’s last name.† No surprise. Doru wasn’t a royal name. â€Å"What’s his father’s last name?† â€Å"Dashkov. Trenton Dashkov.† â€Å"That,† I told him, â€Å"is a name I know.† I had met Trenton Dashkov years ago while accompanying Lissa and her family to a royal holiday party. Trenton had been an old, stooped man then, kind but on the brink of death. Moroi often lived to be over a hundred, but he’d been pushing a hundred and twenty-which was ancient even by their standards. There had been no sign or whisper of him having an illegitimate son, but Trenton’s legitimate son had been there. That son had even danced with me, showing a great courtesy to a lowly dhampir girl. â€Å"Trenton is Victor Dashkov’s father,† I said. â€Å"You’re saying Robert Doru is Victor Dashkov’s half-brother.† Abe nodded, still watching me closely. Abe, as I’d noted, knew everything. He likely knew my history with Victor. Oksana frowned. â€Å"Victor Dashkov is someone important, isn’t he?† Out in their Siberian cottage, she was removed from the turmoil of Moroi politics, unaware that the man who would have been king had been locked away in prison. I started laughing-but not because I found any humor in the situation. This whole thing was unbelievable, and my hysteria was the only way to let out all the crazy feelings within me. Exasperation. Resignation. Irony. â€Å"What’s so funny?† asked Mark, startled. â€Å"Nothing,† I said, knowing if I didn’t stop laughing, I’d probably start crying. â€Å"That’s the thing. It’s not funny at all.† What a wonderful twist to my life. The only person alive who might know something about saving Strigoi was the half-brother of my greatest living enemy, Victor Dashkov. And the only person who might know where Robert was was Victor himself. Victor had known a lot about spirit, and now I had a good idea where he’d first learned about it. Not that it mattered. None of this mattered anymore. Victor himself could have been able to convert Strigoi for all the good it would have done me. Dimitri was dead by my hand. He was gone, saved in the only way I knew how. I’d had to choose between him and Lissa once before, and I’d chosen him. Now there could be no question. I’d chosen her. She was real. She was alive. Dimitri was the past. I’d been staring absentmindedly at the wall, and now I looked up and met Abe squarely in the eyes. â€Å"All right, old man,† I said. â€Å"Pack me up and send me home.† How to cite Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-Eight, Essay examples