Alright, so, today’s mini-bio might be a tad awkward, because I’m going to highlight a character that, up until this point, you’ve only ever heard bad things about (unless you’ve read Aquarius). But today is, in fact, James Hansen’s birthday, so let’s do him justice!
Basic Info:
Age in Aquarius: 29
Height: 6’0 | Weight: 160 lbs.
Hair: short medium brown | Eyes: cedar brown
Human Race: German-American | Species: Angel
Hailing Planet: Ninurta (Saturn)
Ability: none
Rank: former Royal Advisor; none
Specialties: strategy, realistic, honest to a fault, takes the initiative
Roommates: Ethan Bishop & Trent Williams
Best friends: Wesley Craft & Mike Flynn
Mentor: Ethan Bishop
Soul mate: Holly Burns
Three facts about James:
- James was the first member to have a soul mate who is a demon. Likewise, Holly was her tribe’s first to bond with an angel.
- He was raised in the Escondido Colony of southern California until bandit raids wiped out the town. He and his older sister were the only survivors.
- His problem with Jeremy stems from a mishap shortly after the psychic was recruited. He was only thirteen and had little control over his powers.
My thoughts on James:
As with all of my minor characters, James was simply meant to fill up the background space with a name and a face. I never expected to create such a complex person–which might be one of the few things he and Wes have in common.
James was born to a small family in Escondido, California. His father left when he was very young, and his mother was verbally and emotionally abusive. His older sister, Erin, did her best to make up for their mother’s faults, rearing James as if he were her own child. Since their mother was manipulative, she was able to convince the other colonists that her children were horrible, ungrateful, and taking advantage of her–so when they tried to speak out against her neglect and abuse, no one would hear it.
When James was around sixteen, Erin made plans to run away with him and enough supplies to last them for a month. Their mother’s latest boyfriend–a promising defender of the colony–discovered their plan and got into a fight with James, nearly bludgeoning him to death with an ashtray. Erin shot his assailant dead, and was arrested by the colonial leaders. They held her for two days as they heard from both James and his mother, unsure who to believe. The stagnant trial was brought to an end, however, when a massive group of bandits ambushed their encampment. James used the confusion to free his sister from her prison, and the two stole their mother’s car and escaped.
The two drove nonstop for a few hours until they crossed the California-Nevada border and were stopped by the then-nomadic Ninurta Court. Ethan, as the the prince of that time, saw the potential in James’ soul and recruited him for their cause. He also saw to it that they escorted Erin to the St. George Colony in Utah, giving the siblings ample time to say good-bye. James visited her whenever the court was near enough during their travels, but now that they’ve settled in Enterprise he visits her at least once every couple of weeks. She’s intrigued by the concept of soul mates and excited to meet Holly Burns when she returns from her mission. Erin met a good man in St. George–Triston Dorsey, one of Hunter’s older brothers–and the two help defend the colony and scout for supplies. She is now the mother of two little girls, and James is their favorite uncle despite having, like, eighty other options.
James dove headfirst into his duties as a member of the Ninurta Court, training daily with his brethren while learning whatever he could from Ethan. It would be another few years before the prince would nominate the dedicated young man as his royal advisor, with the courtsmen in unanimous agreement. He led the court by Ethan’s side for five years–and it was during his tenure as lieutenant that Jeremy was found wandering alone in the desert.
The thirteen-year-old orphan had kept to himself since he was taken in and, with his telepathic abilities discovered just a couple days following his rescue, listened in on his brethren’s thoughts often. Even as a nomad, he had been sheltered from the world, isolated from others, so he used his abilities to learn about his supposed brothers. He eavesdropped on private conversations, internal thoughts, and even dreams. It was through one of James’ dreams that he learned what had happened to the advisor preceding the ambush on his colony. When James reported to Ethan that he would take a couple days to visit his family, Jeremy asked him if he meant the sister who killed his stepfather. Upset that his family history was known by someone other than Ethan, he went off on the young psychic, calling him a nosy freak. James held onto this negative interaction for years, despite the warnings of Ethan and Liam. He was removed from his position a few years later when it was discovered that he was encouraging new recruits to either bully or isolate Jeremy. Albert was chosen to replace him following Liam’s ascent to power, and he used his influence to keep James and the others off of Jeremy’s back. While they did stop directly bullying him, they replaced their teasing and remarks with neglect–in other words, the younger members of the court collectively ignored and avoided the psychic, spurred on by the belief that he could listen in on their thoughts and dreams without remorse.
James is definitely the type to hold a grudge. He’s very protective of his family, both in St. George and in Enterprise. He’s smart and charismatic, but has a tendency to be selfish, stubborn, and even childish. He never physically harmed Jeremy–since he was attacked by his mother’s boyfriend, he abhorred violence against youths–but he certainly brought the psychic down with passive remarks and taunts. Even Erin, who heard about the encounter from him, has spent years telling James to move passed his issues with Jeremy, since that happened back when he was very young and still growing accustomed to his abilities. James never budged on his stance until the psychic pushed back shortly after Gio’s recognition, prompting the court to see a different side of him. While I doubt the two will ever be friends, I certainly foresee an apology from James in Jeremy’s future, possibly spurred on by their individual links to the Zulwini Tribe.
There’s also this scene in an upcoming book involving that I’m dying to write about: James and Holly will be involved, as well as members of both groups, and we’ll get a better idea of everyone’s combat prowess.
For those of you who don’t know, James is a supporting character in my trilogy Saturn Rising, which is the first installment of The Chronicles of Life & Death. The first book, Aquarius, is available now on Amazon as an e-book and paperback. You can even read it all for free with Kindle Unlimited! Learn more here.
Photo by DEVN on Unsplash
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