Captured

Six

With the thick book in my hands, I decide to settle down in the window seat, grabbing the woolen blanket off the back of the recliner. There was a slight draft, a part of the window wasn't secure therefore letting a breeze into the tower. I set the book carefully down and wrapped the dull brown blanket around my pale shoulders. I nestled myself comfortably against the wall, my eyes glazed over as they looked out of the clear glass.

I hugged my knees to my chest and then picked up the thick book. The leather cover was soft under my fingers, probably from years of being opened and worn down. The pages on the inside were a crinkly yellow and I was careful with turning the page that way it wouldn't rip or tear.

My breath hitched as I scanned the table of contents. Vampires, Werewolves, Fae, Sirens, Witches, Warlocks, Dragons, Shifters - page 394. I bit my lip as I flipped to the chapter I was looking for.

Shape Shifters.

Slowly, I began to read.

"Even when Shifters were abundant, in the 1600s, they were always extremely rare. Shape Shifters are blessed with the power to shift their forms. Only extremely strong Shape Shifters can change more than one form, though they will always be strongest in their birth form.

"When the Shifters are born, they are born half human half animal form. it usually results in a human body and face, with animal feet, ears and/or tail. Their eyes are also animalistic when born. Once the babe shifts back to its natural human form it can be up to a few years to decades before they Shift back again. It is also rare for a human to birth a Shifter and only happens once every few centuries.

"Depending on their animal form Shifters take the personality that their animal would have. If their animal tends to keep away from their species, such as a Leopard, then that is how they will act in their human form. They will acquire the strengths and weakness their animal naturally has."

I skimmed over the phases that Shifters go through from childhood to adulthood, my eyes eager to see other bits of information. My finger traced over the neat script, my eyes bright.

"Shape Shifters have only one soul mate, and it is rare for them to find. It could be another Shifter, a Human, even another Myth. Their mate is the person that will be most likely to help pass on the Shifter gene to offspring. It is difficult for a female Shifter to conceive children, often leading to miscarriages. Female shifters are difficult to find, and are extremely rare. Males are more often found in Shifter births. Because of these statistics, males often go after a female Shifter if they are discovered; female Shifters are more likely to conceive children than a different species which can lead to different forms of rape among them.

"After their adolescent stage when they go through puberty, Female Shifters go straight into heat, which can attract Male Shifters from miles around. Though Shifters have one true mate, they are able to Mate with others, though the chances for pregnancy to occur are severely lower than it would be with their mate. It is also possible for a Female Shifter to be mated to other Myths, such as Werewolves, Fae, Warlocks, Vam - "

"What are you doing in here?"

I jumped, heat rushing to my face from embarrassment as my blue orbs flew up to meet his. Uh oh, I thought as I saw his eyes narrow. Casper's arms were crossed over his broad chest, his features hard and unyielding. I couldn't find my voice, like I normally couldn't, so I just stared up at him wordlessly. Guiltily, I found myself looking down at the thick encyclopedia in my nimble hands. "What were you reading?"

Casper's voice had softened a note, but I knew he was still agitated with me being in his library. My teeth sunk down into the soft flesh of my lower lip and I closed the book, remembering the page number 398 for future reference if I was ever allowed back into the tower, and handed it to him. If he was surprised by my choice of reading he didn't show it. Instead, he took the book and placed it back onto the shelf where I found it. "This isn't a book you should be reading," he murmured softly.

I fought the urge to ask why. All I wanted to learn about was the Shifters, I thought. "I don't want you going back and reading through this anymore, okay?" Instead of ordering me to not touch it anymore, he suggested it to me, not unkindly. I paused for a moment, contemplating his words as he watched me in my comfortable position in the chair. He had never said I couldn't come back though. "So, does this mean I can come back?" I asked softly, a hopeful note in my voice.

Even if I wasn't allowed to read that book, there were still thousands upon thousands of new books I could read that were just waiting to be opened, some probably not even touched. He sighed and nodded. "Yes, but if I catch you with that encyclopedia again you will be banned from my tower," he said, rubbing his temple with an index finger. If he was surprised that I spoke for the second time to him, mostly regarding his library, he didn't show it. I beamed and I removed the warm blanket from my legs to go search for a new book.

I limped down the staircase, searching for a novel as I descended. To my surprise, there were sections for every mythical creature. Ancient tales, history books and the like. My eyes scanned each hard cover until landing on a small section of Shifter books, no more than five books for the species. My hopes plummeted a bit, but it was at least something there for me to learn about. I leaned over the side of the railing, reaching out for the shelf which seemed to be just out of my touch. I scrunched my face up in concentration - there was no way I was going to go all the way down the stairs and climb up the scaling ladder to get to these books; my leg wouldn't be able to handle it.

The tip of my finger brushed the first cover and I eagerly reached forward. Inching closer, I almost had the first book in my hands when I heard Casper. "Addie, no," he yelled and the sudden sound of his voice sent me tumbling over the railing, three of the books falling with me. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the impact of the hard ground. I heard the bangs as the books hit the floor, and I realized I had stopped falling.

Trembling, I opened one of my eyes to see Casper had caught me. He had one arm securely around me, while the rest of his body clung to the creaky staircase which groaned under his weight. He pulled me into his chest, and I could hear him mumbling under his breath about how I had no balance. He pulled both of us over the railing and set me down on the groaning staircase. He was breathing heavily, his blue eyes glaring into my own. "Next time if you want a book, you could ask me," he growled and I flinched.

"Sorry," I mumbled, gripping the railing of the staircase with trembling hands. The fall had really scared me. He sighed and I could see out of the corner of my eye his features soften. "You shouldn't have leaned over the side. I would've gotten whatever books you needed if you asked. Next time I might not be here to save you."

Obsequiously, I nodded. Without another word, Casper left me on the staircase, slowly walking in a spiral downwards. When he began to pick up the books that had fallen, I realized that if he hadn't been there, I would've probably hurt myself worse than I already was. He handed me the books when he ascended the staircase. "Why are you reading those books?" he asked. I shrugged and took the small stack from him. It wasn't his concern why I wanted to read about my kind - he already knew everything about his.

I headed up the stairs, my leg aching, but I didn't complain. Instead I just hugged the books to my chest and plopped myself back down onto the window seat, wrapping the woolen blanket around me. Casper stood there, watching me as he leaned against the railing. I ignored him and turned to my books. "Are you going to be here all day?" he asked. I nodded without looking up from one of the leather-bound books. I heard him sigh and then the clangs as he exited the reading nook.

Good, now maybe I can get a little privacy...