Conditioned Response (Phoenician #2‪)‬

In the far future on an alien world, humanity suffers under a color-coded caste system with corrupt politicians who use genetic heritage and memory Adjustments to control the masses. Can a Proctor named Raif and a Phoenician named Shayla save the human genome from sabotage without having to surrender themselves in the process?

Shayla didn't ask to be a Councillor. She's Phoenician and Phoenicians were never meant to live among the humans. Or not until the Seven Chiefs had ordered her to do it. They'd entrusted her safety to a human Proctor named Raif. They'd said it was all part of the Plan. Well, the Seven Chiefs could keep their Plan. After thirteen years of living among these aliens, Shayla had plans of her own and they don’t include humans or serving on their World Council.

Raif had never intended for things to go this far. A few months, maybe a year, and he could send the little Phoenician girl back to her people, back where she belongs. But she’s not a little girl anymore and he can’t bring himself to let her go now. He has no idea why he's never seen her like this before but now he can’t think about anything else but having her as his own. A Proctor shouldn't think at all, and certainly not about his Councillor that way. The Seven Chiefs offer her to him, like a bribe, but at what price?

Raif finds himself in competition with his own progenitor for control over his Heir, Brennan, and their collective future. Will he sacrifice his own Heir to have the future with Shayla that he craves or will he sacrifice himself for good of the Plan?