Page 23 of Phoenix Falling
One of the other males stepped forward. “And why not? You said they’ve been here for over four months already, hidden away.”
“And I spoke the truth.”
The male held his hands out. “Then what’s the fucking problem?”
A chorus of agreement came from the Archai behind them. My muscles tensed, and deep in my chest, my anger turned slowly to fury as I pictured the state of those fourteen females, battered and bruised and starved, the day that we’d rescued them. I thought of everything they’d been through just to get themselves back to some semblance of normal, and that fury erupted like a flash fire. I surged to my feet.
“The problem is that you’re a bunch of fucking assholes! That’s the fucking problem!”
The group jerked back with a collective gasp.
I no longer cared about diplomacy. I’d sworn to protect these females, damn it, and that was exactly what I intended to do, greedy males or not. “Why would I introduce them to you? Look at yourselves.” I let my phoenix rise, silver light flashing before me as he stared out of my eyes, equally angry at the treatment these males seemed to expect from our most precious females. “No respect, no concern. Just ‘me, me, me’ and ‘what I want.’” I pounded on my chest, a mockery of the earlier male’s demand. “Not on my watch, I can fucking guarantee that. You’re in here arguing over these females like dogs locked in a pen with only one bone. They have been brutalized, many of them raped. Tortured. Do you get that? Do any of you?” I looked around, my rage expanding even more at the lack of comprehension on their blank faces. “Do you think there is any way they would approach you willingly like this? You would terrify them on sight.”
Mutinous expressions stared back at me, unwilling to give an inch. And that was exactly how they would act with our females. Possibly had already acted with members of our clan in the past.
God, Lyris had been right.
I straightened my shoulders and brought my voice back to a more royal level. “There will be no introductions until I am assured that every male in this community will be treating these females with the upmost respect and patience.”
“And how do you intend to do that,” Derek sneered.
My smile made the male blanch. “For that, Derek, you will not have a chance at one of the females, period. Not”— I flashed him a look that would have felled a human— “one. Do you understand?”
The males around Derek began to slowly back away from him as if afraid his sentence would become their own. They had no idea how tempted I was to do just that. But I would abide by my word to Lyris.
“For the rest of you, get ready because I’m sending you back to school.”
ChapterTen
IMOGEN
Demetri was the sexiest man I’d ever seen. Not that he was a man; he was a shape-shifter. Even having months to get used to that idea and seeing some pretty shocking transformations in that time, I couldn’t imagine him in another shape, another form. He seemed too confident, too centered in his own body.
And what a body it was. He had to be a good six-and-a-half-feet tall, with broad, powerful shoulders and muscles pronounced enough that I could outline them even through his T-shirts. His hair was a bit shaggy, thick, a range of blond tones that matched his twin’s and complemented his suntanned skin perfectly. If he hadn’t been so big, I’d have sworn he was some surfer from California, and I had no idea how a shape-shifter that lived underground was actually tan, but that was Demetri, a puzzle wrapped in a gorgeous package that I actually itched to open and explore.
I’d honestly thought, six months ago when I’d been…changed…that I’d never have a libido again. The devastation of losing my family, my life as I’d known it, the constant threat of rape and violence had killed the emotions inside me. It wasn’t until the Archai had rescued us that I’d begun to wake up again, rediscovered warmth and even some semblance of happiness with the women I now called my sisters. But desire? Need? No. My memories were too horrific for that. I hadn’t been raped, though I wasn’t sure why, but my sisters—they’d endured more than anyone should ever be asked to endure.
Until one day, out of the blue, I’d walked into our dorm and met Demetri’s green-gold gaze across the room. That was it. Just looking into his eyes had awakened the rest of me in an instant. I’d known him before then, but in that moment I finally saw him. And I was changed all over again, this time for good.
If the smile that lit up his face as he caught me watching him now was any indication, I wasn’t the only one.
“What are we doing, Immy?”Clara asked silently, a tinge of worry underlining the telepathic question. Lyris had asked us to change into workout clothes, but she hadn’t given us any information beyond that. Now Demetri was leading a small group of men and women into the room where we waited. I knew my sisters were nervous, but I had complete trust in Demetri and his twin, something else I’d thought would never return. I, of course, had the benefit of my gift—lie detecting, or truth detecting, as I preferred to think of it. My sisters often looked to me for reassurance, one positive consequence of my change.
Whatever was happening, it would be for our benefit, I was certain.“Nothing to worry about, little one,”I sent back, placing a calming hand atop her dark hair, braided to keep it out of her way. Then, to Demetri,“You have everyone nervous.”
We hadn’t been communicating telepathically for more than a couple of days, but the connection was so powerful. More than I’d ever experienced with another human being. We couldn’t walk through each other’s minds freely—not that I’d be comfortable with that—but the telepathic touch felt far different than it did with anyone else.
Demetri winked my way before addressing the group, his voice as gentle as it had been every time he’d spoken to one of us. Something else I admired about him.
“I apologize for the wait. I was gathering some help.” He gestured to the others behind him.
“For what?” Darcy asked, cocking a hip. Nineteen and fearless, she never failed to speak up.
“For training,” Demetri said. “I don’t have to tell you that there are threats in our world—you out of all of us know this full well.” Sadness flickered in his eyes. “The idea that even one of our females would experience such a threat…” Demetri looked to me, and I swore something moved behind his eyes.
His animal, I realized. Staring out at me. I shivered.
“These are trying times, and none of us can assume total safety. We want to give you a fighting chance should you ever face danger again.”
