Page 40 of Phoenix Falling
“Oh?” James’s eyebrows rose.
“You are referring to Imogen and Demetri,” Nala said in what seemed to be her usual calm voice.
“I am.” I continued to glare at Grim.
He held out his hands. “Hey, don’t get mad at me because one of your warriors has raging hormones.”
Nala laughed, seeming unconcerned over something I was very concerned about. “Males are not the only ones who can have raging hormones,” she put in before turning back to me. “But I do understand your concern. However, my king, I believe that this could also be a positive for our clan.”
I kept myself from wincing at the title and gestured for everyone to take a seat before rounding the desk to do the same. “How so?”
Nala folded her hands on top of her crossed legs, regarding me serenely. I wondered if anything ever ruffled her. “This is a time of uncertainty, a time when upheaval in our society could lead to severe disruption. But if our people have something to rally around, something to celebrate, that can pull them together instead of tear them apart.”
“Even the males?” James asked.
She nodded. “Even the males. It can give them hope. And if we start the classes immediately,” she added, “they can see actual progress instead of only knowing that they may meet a female at some undetermined time in the future.”
“Some of them definitely won’t be meeting up with females,” Grim said. “We’ve got a few hotheads that can’t seem to keep their—”
James cleared his throat, frowning in Grim’s direction.
Again, Nala laughed. “I get your drift. And that’s part of what this class will identify, is those we need to keep an extra eye on.”
“Nala,” I said, drawing her attention back to me. “Knowing what you know about the shifter mind, what are the chances of the Anigma returning? How long will they leave us alone?”
“Not long,” she said bluntly. “In fact I’d be surprised if they aren’t here already.”
I looked to James. Nala seemed to understand that look. “There have been signs, haven’t there?” she asked.
I sighed. “There have. Not definitive ones, but I’m not waiting for those to go on the offensive. We must keep the clan safe.”
She shifted in her seat. “This brings up something else I wanted to discuss with you.”
“Anything,” I assured her.
She paused as if considering her words. “We have some possible psychs under surveillance, mostly blood relatives that we’ve tracked down from the females we have already adopted.”
I kind of liked that term,adopted.We certainly would never have taken these females away from their natural families, but that we could provide one for them in their time of need felt good.
“I’m familiar,” I said. “What about them?”
She shifted again. Nervous, I realized. What could make this self-assured psych nervous?
“Most of them, as I said, are blood related and have no idea of what is going on. But there is one…”
“The female who was attacked a few months ago?” Lyris had made sure the female arrived safely at a hospital, but because she had not been bitten, we had not brought her in. Better to observe, we felt at the time.
“Yes.” Nala hesitated. “I’m concerned in particular, with the Anigma more than likely having access to the records that were available to Maddox’s contingent, that Raine might pop up on their radar again.”
“Raine is the female?”
“Yes.”
I could see her point. “And what would you like to do about that?”
Nala straightened her shoulders. “I’d like permission to approach her.”
“Not bring her in?” Grim asked.
