Kai stared at the girl for a few silent moments. "Imagine this, Mira. Imagine that your parents are drug addicts and abusers, both towards each other and towards you. Imagine that day after day they beat you mercilessly, all the while shouting about how you'll never amount to anything.<br/>"Then imagine your best friend's family. Kind, loving people who treat you as one of their own. Knowing your situation, they provide you with clothes, food, and a place to stay if things ever get too rough at home. They love you as much as they love their own child.<br/>Imagine those things, then tell me: is your real family the blood relatives who insult and abuse you, or is your real family the people who treat you like a person, and love you regardless of the bruises and cuts?" The shapeshifter sighed. "I'm just making a point. I did have blood relatives who I called mom and dad. I had a sister and, before Plum came along, I had a girlfriend.<br/>"I felt bad for my parents back then. See, giving birth to a shapeshifter is something that can happen to any Non family, regardless of the parents' races. My parents, like most, didn't know how to handle a kid who could change his appearance at will, but they did their best.<br/>"On the other hand, when Plum decried to recruit me, all it took was a rumor in the right ears for them to disown me. She told some friends of theirs there had been a shifter whoring his-or-herself out downtown at night. They wouldn't believe me when I told them it wasn't me. Shifters are too rare, they said.<br/>When my girlfriend found out, she didn't want anything to do with me either. My friends at school called me 'slut' and such. Everyone I loved abandoned me because of a fucking rumor." Kai didn't sound angry or sad, but there was a small element of disbelief in his voice.<br/>"And of course, there was no getting away from Plum after she found out I was a shifter. See, every shifter has a tell, something they physically cannot change no matter what. For me, it's my eye. Once she knew that, it was impossible to hide. I couldn't afford to buy colored contacts back then to hide it. Regardless, I was actually given a choice when she finally brought me in front of Celry. He said 'If you choose to stay, you'll find a family here. If you leave, we'll watch you for awhile to make sure you don't tell anyone about us, but we won't chase you anymore.' Of course, young and naïve, I stayed. I did find a family, like he said." Kai sighed again. "Everyone here, no matter what they do, is still a person, Mira. They have thoughts and feelings and dreams just like you. Ever since the witch cast a spell to protect this place from attack, they've been free to leave whenever they want. They can walk out the door and never come back, no consequences. They may have been given an ultimatum when they joined, but now they stay because they want to."<br/><br/><br/><br/>Silas looked at the man, something akin to amusement in his eyes. Her recent withdrawal into herself made Kallista no less dangerous. Her fighting instinct was still there, and clearly some of the ability remained as well.<br/>She may not have realized it, but Kally simply didn't have the strength anymore to throw someone like that with muscle alone, so she'd tossed him in such a way as to put minimal strain on her body without sacrificing power.<br/>Silas smiled, but not in a malicious way like he would if he were going to attack them man. His smile was mocking, and it was directed at his own wife. "So find out why, sheill." It was a challenge, and a bold one at that. The last time Silas had challenged her like that had been in the days when they still lived in the Four Kingdoms.<br/>The man made to get up, but Silas stepped on his throat, and leaned over him. Now, his smile was malicious. "My wife is going to ask you some questions, human. If you answer her untruthfully, I will end you." Removing his foot, he accepted a drink from Cherry, who seemed rather tense all of a sudden.<br/>That was all it took for Silas to realize what was probably happening, though he made no move to stop this turn of events. He did raise an eyebrow at Cherry, causing the vampiress to tense up even more. Turning back to watch his wife beat the shit out of a stupid human, he smiled and shook his head.