Linus
The mall was a complete disaster. As soon as we had arrived, I had the sense to feel afraid and with great reason. How do so many people fit in one place? It made no sense to me. I could tell that Fraden felt the same because of the scowl on his face.
Now, looking in the mirror in the room I suspect I would be calling my home, I couldn't help be thankful for modern salons. I looked amazing. James had convinced me to dye my hair black and need I say, it was working for me. I was in black skinny jeans and a graphic T-shirt. I must admit, I wondered why it is that the herd was so hell bent on staying away from modern civilization. I shrugged then as I admired myself. Shopping wasn't fun, but the end result was great.
"Told you you'd love it." I looked at James who grinned and I shook my head. When did he get here?
"Yeah, well, you didn't really give me much of a choice anyway." He entered the room with a shrug, stuffing his hands on his pockets.
"As long as you like it, doesn't really matter, does it?" I made a face, the people on this house were way to weird.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him as I pretended to fold the new clothing they got me. For a person who was constantly called a 'prisoner' they sure did buy me a lot of things.
"Just, making sure your alright." I stood straighter and folded my arms over my chest to give him a hard stare.
"I see what's going on," his eyes moved to the side nervously. "Your my guard now,huh? I'm his prisoner so he needs to make sure I don't run away and your here to make sure of it,aren't you?" He blinked and a smile broke on his face.
"That's a bit extreme, don't you think?" I rolled my eyes.
"It's the only valid explanation to your sudden appearance."
"I ah...I wanted to thank you, actually." I moved away and narrowed my eyes.
"For what?" I asked him suspiciously.
"For bringing him home," I was taken aback at his sincerity that I looked him up and down with my brows raised. "If it weren't for you...I would have never lived to see this day, so...thank you,Linus."
I didn't even really do anything, I hadn't even noticed that I was opening a prison with a Serpent shifter in it. The thank you made me feel uncomfortable. I didn't know these people, they didn't know me, why were they being so nice? Why were they being so welcoming and open? It made no sense to me.
"What is your deal?" I asked him feeling on edge as I folded my arms over my chest.
"What do you mean?" He blinked adorably and innocently with a tilt of his head.
"It's obvious you know what Fraden is," I paused, his name was not feeling easy on my tongue, let me tell you, I looked back to James who was watching me still. "How are you so calm about everything?" I was honestly very curious how a human, such as himself could be so welcoming and so aware without thinking he's crazy or something.
"I don't know," he shrugged and scratched the back of his head. "I guess, it just makes more sense to me to be this way." He folded his arms lazily over his chest. "I can't imagine being any other way." He grinned.
"This is ridiculous, you know that right?" He nodded. "I mean, you don't even know him but you are actually happy he's here, your thanking me, a complete stranger for doing something accidentally. It's...not normal." I felt my body relax.
"To be honest, I kind of feel like I know him," he shrugged, "and you made my dream if meeting him come true so its only natural that I feel thankful." I shook my head and just tried to get my mind straight. This individual, certainly wasn't normal.
"Where is he anyway?" I asked wondering when we would have that talk he said we'd have.
"Library, trying to catch up with the years." The grin on James' face was too much, I found myself frowning.
"How much do you know about Fraden,really?" I found myself asking, honestly I didn't expect any real fact from him, or even much of a story, but I wanted to know how much his feelings were based on actual knowledge of Fraden and his nature.
"I grew up hearing about him. His story has been passed down from generation to generation. I know a lot more than you do, that much is obvious."
I found myself even more curious, so I studied him.
"And what is his story?" James blinked and stared into my eyes.
"Well," he scratched his head. "Just that he saved this family from years of oppression." He had a small smile suddenly. "His father was a bit of a tyrant, he had to have his way, all the time in every way possible. He had a vision of a perfect world, one where he was boss and everyone else was beneath him. He shunned everyone different and disobedient." James frowned then, "the Cabrera family was dying out because of him." He whispered.
"Dying out?" James looked up from the ground to meet my eye.
"Yeah, like I said, if you were different, you were shunned, and then you disappeared. He killed everyone who opposed him or tried to get away. It was...a dark time and Fraden saved us."
"How did he do that?"
"His father was also a Serpent, so he couldn't be killed, Fraden managed to do what seemed impossible." I looked down in thought.
The Supreme Council deemed me too dangerous for the world and because they couldn't kill me, confinement was the next best thing. I recalled him telling me this on our way here.
"So, serpent shifters are immortal?"
"No," James chuckled. "Only the Cabrera line is immortal. We are from the very first serpent shifter to ever be created, our bloodline is considered the maker of all serpent shifters. Cabrera's are different from others because we are much bigger and can talk to all species of snake." He explained and I nodded slowly.
"So, your a shifter too?" He chuckled and blushed.
"I wish, no," he waved his hand in the air. "Only two members of the Cabrera family can inherit the gene, as long as two still exist, no one will be a serpent shifter in the family." I blinked and shook my head.
"Well that's insanity. Leaving two people superior than their family members seems unfair." He shrugged.
"It's only because snakes aren't exactly social creatures, they don't form packs and all that."
"Still, they are also human and humans are social."
"I don't know, going back serpent shifters of this family have always known to be socially awkward and always seeking solitude. They also have very strong tempers." He said and sat down in a chair by the dresser his eyes shone with excitement. "They bond with only one person, their partner and they don't move on from that," I frowned and tilted my head.
"So they take relationships really seriously."
"Yeah, because even in death, they don't let that person go, makes being immortal a punishment to them if they lose their partner."
"So how does one die?" James opened his mouth and closed it and tilted his head before chuckling.
"It's complicated." I narrowed my eyes at him and he shrugged.
"You know an awful lot about this and seem willing to share but that one fact is complicated?" I smirked as a blush blossomed on his cheeks. "Fine, don't tell me." I sighed.
"I would tell you,but I don't really know you enough to understand your motives. " he stood then. "You have to understand that I will protect Fraden with everything I have."
"I doubt he'll need you for that." I snorted.
"Perhaps," he shrugged and I turned to look at him, he genuinely believed he could be useful to Fraden, and he genuinely wanted to be useful. "Either way, he saved this family from years of grief and oppression and I owe him for that."
"I admire your dedication," I whispered as I finally sat down on the bed, causing the packaging of outfits to crackle. "There's another thing we don't have in common." I joked and sighed. "How do you know so much though?"
"The library has everything." I found myself interested but also discouraged. Reading was not my favourite pass time. "There was a Cabrera who had been hell bent on understanding the serpents in this family, she felt with more knowledge on them, it would eliminate the fear that most family members had towards them."
"Something that makes sense! Of course they'd be afraid, Fraden is huge and all black and scary. I cannot imagine having to live with him." James smirked.
"You already do." I rolled my eyes.
"Don't remind me," I ran a hand through my hair. "So, this fear, was it before or after Fraden's father. "
"Research started before Fraden's father and stopped when Fraden's father was around, he destroyed most of the research actually. I've been trying to gather as much of it as possible."
"Is that what you've been doing with your life? Reading?" He smiled and I was glad for the change in topic.
"I'm an author, I don't have much of a choice."
"An author?" I blinked in surprise, I hadn't seen that coming.
"Yeah, I write novels for a living, mostly fiction."
"I am oddly fond of you now." He grinned.
"Good, I hoped you would." I shook my head at him.
"Don't get any idea's though, I'm not the dating type." James laughed.
"I'm engaged, idiot, I can't get any ideas." I scowled
"Well, that was unexpected." I huffed, "your loss, I'm sure I'm more attractive than whomever you've decided to marry."
"I hardly believe that." I blinked and reared my head back before pointing to the door.
"Out, you've lost the privilege of talking to me." He raised his arms and laughed. The nerve that boy has. I sighed, I'm pretty sure he's, like, 8 years older than me, oh whatever, I can call him boy if I want.