Page 35 of Phoenix Falling
“Demetri.”
Her voice in my head was like a touch, so intimate it made my body instantly hard.“Imogen.”
A frown curved that sweet mouth.“What’s wrong?”
I cleared my throat. “Nothing,” I said aloud, trying to give myself some breathing space. It had been a long while since I’d struggled to hide desire from a female.
“Then why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
She waved a hand in the air. “All…worried.”
I had to smile at myself then. Shake my head.“You read me pretty well, you know?”She’d proved that the past few days as we’d begun communicating telepathically. Touching her mind could be overwhelming, unlocking a vulnerability in me that I hadn’t experienced with anyone, including Lyris. But it also felt right. Perfect, actually. And as familiar as my communication with my twin. Odd how you could know someone a couple thousand years and know someone a handful of months, and yet you were completely at home with both of them.
“Demetri.”
“I’m being ridiculous.”
She patted the mattress in invitation.“Really? How?”
Clearing my throat one more time, I sat on the edge of the bed. “Imogen, would you join me for last meal?”
She was quiet so long I began to think she really was going to turn me down, but what she said was, “Is it allowed?”
Valid question. We were adults, but we weren’t exactly free right now. There were restrictions where the women were concerned, for their safety and the peace of the clan. Imogen had not left the dorm since she’d arrived. “Well,” I said slowly, “Sun is in another meeting right now, so I can’t ask him, but I have Grim’s permission and, probably more importantly, Lyris’s.”
Imogen glanced over at my twin, who wiggled her fingers at us.
“Now I just need yours. Only if you want to,” I assured her quickly.
Please want to.
“I do.” Her words were rushed as well; then a pretty blush darkened her cheeks. “I, um, definitely want to have dinner with you.”
Relief had a tremor running down my spine. “Good.” I held my hand out. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“My quarters.”
Her hand fit perfectly in mine, as if her body had been made to be my counterpart. We had so many obstacles between us—my age, her status, the clan issues, the fact that she’d been terrorized. I had gathered from things Lyris had said (and not said) that Imogen had not been raped, but I wasn’t naive enough to believe nothing had happened to her in Maddox’s camp. I’d never asked her, nor would I ask Nala, but I hoped, someday, that Imogen would tell me herself.
The Warriors Council had suites in a particular part of the lair, not far from Sun’s and Solomon’s quarters. In the hallway outside the dorm, I laid a cloak over Imogen’s shoulders, put the hood over her head to obscure her identity, and led her to my rooms, ignoring the curiosity of clan members as we passed. Ignoring the angry glances from males who looked at the figure I guided through the halls, noted her smaller stature, and wanted her without even seeing her, as if she were a piece of meat to be handed around instead of a female who deserved to be treasured. I made note of those glances, though, knowing I would pass the names on to Grim. It was too much of a risk to expose any of our females to men with that kind of attitude, whether they’d been through Lyris’s proposed classes or not.
At my quarters, I opened the door and gestured for Imogen to precede me inside, then followed her, closing the door behind me. Imogen removed the cloak and dropped it onto a chair, her head turning to take in my home, seeming to catch every detail. I watched her, soaking in details myself. Her light brown skin spoke of her mixed heritage, creamy and smooth across the delicate bone structure that screamed out for protection, though I knew from our training that she could stand on her own, at least against humans. Dark hair shone even in the dim light of the lair as it lay around her shoulders. Her body was petite but tall for a female, and I knew she would fit well against me. Just the thought of having her in my arms made my hands want to tremble, but I shook them out and strode toward the kitchen to distract myself.
“You have your own kitchen?”
I shrugged. “I know it’s unusual, but I enjoy making my own food. And honestly, sometimes there are just too many people in the food hall.”
“I can imagine. We haven’t eaten there yet, but being in the dorms can be similar. Sometimes I lock myself in one of the bathrooms and take a long soak in the tub just to be by myself for a little while.”
I pulled out a small stool at the end of the counter, and Imogen took a seat. “Do you resent being stuck in the dorms right now?” I asked.
“Sometimes. All of us do. I mean, if you’re the good guys, why do we have to be hidden away?”
“That’s a really good question.”
