Chapter Four

Silvia pulled her bike into her older brother's driveway. Her brother decided that living in the human world was for him, which didn't bother her. It gave her a place to stay while she was here on business. Surprisingly, he wasn't too far away from that human, Matt.

She turned off her bike's engine and pulled off her helmet with a sigh of exhaustion. The cool night's air felt amazing after the night she had. She ran a hand through her hair as she walked over to the front door and opened it. She walked into the living room and tossed her helmet and jacket onto the couch before she headed towards the brightly lit kitchen where she knew her brother would be.

The moment she stepped into the doorway of the kitchen she had to fight herself from smiling. There stood her brother fixing himself a fresh pot of tea by the stove, his back to her. He wore a long baby blue man's night shirt with his matching night cap that at the tip dangled a small white ball of fur. She enjoyed his weird taste in clothing.

She and her brother were only half siblings. They shared the same mother and they look strikingly similar to each other and their mother. They both have the same long silvery hair as their mother, though his used to be much shorter. His build was taller and stronger than hers, but it was still obvious that they were siblings by their similar facial structure. The only thing truly different was he had green eyes instead of yellow like her and their mother. He took the same strikingly green eyes that his father had. He was also a full demon, unlike Silvia, which could be a good thing for him. He used to tell her that he wouldn't know what to do with wings since he had a fear of heights.

He was one of the only people she trusted. Other than him, her mother was the one she trusted. There was no reason to trust anyone other than her family.

Her brother was finally done with making his tea and was now pouring it into his teacup. He turned around and the moment he saw her, his eyes brightened with such intensity that they changed from a dark green to a lovely light green. His lips pulled back into an even brighter smile, which showed off his sharp canines. "Oh, Silvia, it's wonderful to have you back home!" he exclaimed, completely forgetting about the tea cup in his hands, he moved his arms up and poured it all on the floor.

"Hello Jasper," Silvia said with a small smirk as she watched the tea pool behind him.

Jasper's smile seemed to brighten. "Well you're in a good mood," he said as she glanced at her smirk. Silvia rolled her eyes as he looked down at the tea soaked floor and grimaced when he almost stepped in it. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I made a whole pot of tea," he said with a wink before he went to the floor with a towel and cleaned the floor fluidly without allowing any of the tea to touch his long sleeves.

Jasper stood up and started to remake his cup of tea. "So how is was mother?" he questioned.

Before she had returned to the human world she was with their mother in their world. "She's doing fine. She wishes that you would visit more," she said smoothly. It may have only been an afternoon with her mother, but Jasper hadn't seen her for three days.

Jasper laughed. He turned back around to her and nearly dropped his tea when he finally got a good look at her. "What the hell happened to you?" he questioned rudely as he pointed at her dirty clothes.

Silvia rolled her eyes as she took a seat at the kitchen table and was quickly served a cup of tea by her brother. "Thanks," she murmured as she casted a look of annoyance towards her brother.

"What?" her brother said defensive. "I really want to know what happened to you."

She sighed as she looked down into the tea cup. "You could say I did something that I probably shouldn't have done," she said before she sipped at the tea. She probably shouldn't have saved the human tonight, but she didn't regret it.

"You had sex didn't you?" her brother suddenly blurted. Silvia chocked on her tea before giving him a look of horror as she watched him shake his head at her. "You've needed some good sex. You've been so stressed out lately," he continued. "It was good, wasn't? Of course it was! Look at your clothing!" he rambled on, not even stopping for her to talk.

"Jasper," Silvia said in a warning tone. She shot him a look that she was nearing the point where she wouldn't have any more patients to deal with him.

"Though, I've never thought you to be a person to do something like that, but I've been wrong before," he went on, ignoring her.

"Jasper," she practically growled, but then she sighed. There was no use in getting angry over this. She ran her hand over her face and through her hair as she waited for her brother to shut up.

"Though, who am I to judge? You look happier! More full of life," he said with a happy sigh as he smirked at her. "Well, you look annoyed now, but you did look happy earlier," he teased.

"You done?" she questioned annoyed.

"More or less," he answered with a shrug before sitting down at the head of the table. "So tell me what happened," he said as he finally became serious.

Silvia nodded. "Well, what would you say if I told you I saved a human life tonight?" she questioned.

Jasper gave her a look of surprise. "Well…I don't know. I would probably question you on why," he answered. "And I'm sure you would tell me why and how it all happened." He gave her a look that obviously said he wanted answers and he won't stop bothering her until she told him.

"I honestly don't know why I saved the boy," she answered as she tried to think of a logical explanation. "I guess it was just a feeling."

Her brother nodded as he watched his sister with a thoughtful expression.

"And how I saved him, well, I saved him from getting hit by a semi," she told him. She finished the rest of her tea and looked down in the cup in disappointment that it was already emptied. "I saw him surrounded by a group of demons and they were about to kill him by throwing him out in front of a semi so I just saved it."

"Interesting, tell me more about this human," Jasper said.

"The only thing I could think of that would be of any interest to you is that I believe he may be a seer," she told him. It was her first time seeing an actual seer.

Jasper's eyes widened and he grasped his cup tightly in his hands. "A seer? A human seer? Are you sure?" he questioned.

Silvia gave him an annoyed look.

"Well that is very rare," he continued. "And I'm not just talking about you saving someone. So, how old is the child?" he questioned.

She looked slightly pissed at the saving comment, but chose to ignore it. "I would say he is around eighteen," she answered.

Jasper gave her a look of disbelief. "Sil, I think you may be mistaken about the boy. His kind… they don't live past five in most cases," he said with a soft tone. "The oldest living one was recorded to be about seven."

Silvia frowned. "I know what I saw and I am sure that he is a seer," she told him firmly. "Those demons were not allowing themselves to be seen by the human eye, but that human was still able to see them perfectly fine."

"Very strange…" he murmured to himself. "His parents? Are they possibly not his real parents?"

"Didn't meet them," she answered. "I'm sure he lives with someone. I didn't drop him off at an orphanage or anywhere near one."

"Strange indeed," he commented. "Well, I would like to meet this boy."

Silvia gave her bother a queer look. "Why?"

"There are many things I would like to see if he is an actually seer," Jasper hinted. "Did the demons use any powers over the boy?" he questioned.

"Not that I know of," she answered.

"If the boy is a seer then that is expected. Seers have a strong power or shield of sorts that keeps most mental controlling and mind intrusion at bay, but it doesn't help when the caster is especially strong," he said.

Silvia was impressed at the information. "Where did you learn this?" she questioned.

"I learned it from a few people that were able to study the children before they were killed. It is a shame that we are not able to take a seer from their family because of their young age," Jasper sighed. "But if you are right about this boy's age, then we can take him away and I can study him," he grinned.

Silvia rolled her eyes and tried to ignore her brother's last comment. It was against their world's regulations to take a human child from anywhere. The child had to be at least to the age of years in their world. That would be fourteen when they start to slow down in the aging process. And if what they have heard is correct, seers do not live past the age of five. So why was the boy alive?

"So you saved the boy?" Jasper started up. She nodded. "It wasn't an accident, was it?" he questioned as he got back onto the earlier topic. She kind of hated it when he did that. It never ended well for her. It usually meant he remembered something she wasn't going to like.

"Nope," Silvia told him calmly as she hid her nerves.

Jasper grinned like the Cheshire cat.

"What?" Silvia questioned cautiously.

"You know what that means, right?" he questioned with evident laughter in his voice.

"What does it mean?" she questioned cautiously.

His lips were twitching at her words. "It means you're a guardian angel now," he told her with a sly and wicked look. He was enjoying this.

Silvia was ridged at the thought of being a guardian. She knew about guardians, her father had told her many things about them before he passed away. He was an expert in the area and was a guardian many times as well. The thing she remembered greatly about being a guardian was that you had to be an angel. "You're wrong Jasper," she started hotly. "Only angels can be a guardian and last time I checked, I wasn't."

"You think so?" Jasper mused.

Silvia just glared in return. She wasn't about to say anything more that would be held against her.

"Well, you are wrong about that, my dear sister," he said tauntingly. "Anyone with at least half of their blood being that of an angel can be a guardian. And last time I checked…that was you," he said with a grin as he pointed at her with a wink. "Ah, the joys of being a hybrid!"

Silvia flushed in anger. She knew her brother wouldn't lie to her, not when the truth would bring him some sort of twisted joy. "I'm not a guardian," she voiced firmly with clenched fists.

"According to your father's book, you are a guardian Silvia," he grinned. "You saved him, even if he maybe a seer and you a being of death, it doesn't stop the fact that you are his guardian," he voiced as he leaned back in his chair and relaxed.

Silvia couldn't help but to think about how this had to be one of the worst things to happen to her. Well, not the worst, but definitely in the top ten. She barely had enough time for herself, but now she had to take care of a human that may be on the bad side of a few demons? She was starting to regret saving the boy now. "This can't be happening…" she whispered.

Jasper sat up at his sister's distress. "I could be wrong," he whispered. His sister looked up at him with a look that clearly stated she knew he was lying, but was grateful for the lie. "I know of a way you can make sure if he your ward or not," he said with a small calming smile.

Silvia glanced over at him as she waited for him to tell her.

"All you have to do see if the marking has shown up yet," he told her simply.

"Mark?"

"Yes, your mark to be precise. It will probably be on his back by now," Jasper mumbled as he pointed down at her left hand. On her left palm was an ink black marking of a straight and stable looking cross. Around the cross the words Vita, Mors, Animus, and Custos were written in a circle, while below the cross Eximos was written thickly. Along the center pole of the cross was an elegant writing of Angelus Mortis. Each word had their own meaning in Latin. They were power limiters that every angel of death wore, but each was designed specifically for the wearer.

Jasper gave a slight pout as he looked down at his empty cup. "You can just go by his place tomorrow and check. No harm done either way," he shrugged. "He would probably be happy with seeing you again…or deathly afraid."

Silvia listened to her brother as she stared blankly at her palm. What if her brother was wrong about the guardianship and she goes to that boy's house and makes a fool out of herself? "I think it would be best if I go tonight," she sighed. If she was lucky the boy would be asleep and she wouldn't have to deal with an awkward meeting.

Her brother's head shot up and looked at her with shock etched into his face.

Silvia looked away from him and started to explain herself before he got any strange ideas. "I think it would be best if I go tonight. He's probably asleep and I can do a quick check just in case. It would be best to give as little contact with him as I can, just in case."

Jasper didn't look like he believed her at all. "Ah, young love," he said with a grin as he stood up and put away their dirty cups.

"What do you mean by that?" she hissed back at him.

"This is just like something I would write for my romance novels," he continued to grin as he spoke. "I'll call it 'Love and Lust with Death'." He ducked just in time to dodge a long dark wooden staff from hitting him on the side of the head. His gaze slid over to his sister to see a greatly annoyed look on her face as the staff of her weapon slowly reseeded back into its compressed form on her hand. The outside words had formed a full, thin lined circle before returning back to words.

"Ass," Silvia cursed with a slightly red face.

Jasper gave her a large grin. He didn't care who this boy was, but he liked him. His sister hasn't shown this much emotion in such a long time. "Aren't you supposed to be off reuniting with your lover," he voiced with a horribly done French accent.

"…I'm leaving," Silvia grumbled. She quickly stood up and started to make her way to the door.

Jasper watched as Silvia picked up her helmet and jacket. "Why don't you fly? It would be quicker," he suggested.

"I think I may have hurt them the last time I released them, so not tonight," she answered as she slipped on her jacket. "I'll be back soon enough. Don't wait up."

Jasper walked her to the door and opened it for her. "Well, alright, have fun then," he said as he watched her leave the house. "See if you can get any information on the boy's parents!"

"Yeah, yeah," Silvia murmured with a small wave over her shoulder. She climbed onto her bike and placed her helmet back on. She was out of the driveway and down the street before Jasper had even shut the door.

Silvia was soon on the highway and speeding through the vehicles that were littered about on the roads. Her heart wasn't only racing from the acceleration and weaving through the cars, but it sped up rapidly every time Silvia dared to think of what she may find once she reached the human boy's home.

She knew what she was going to find and every part of her begged for it not to be true. She didn't want to become a guardian. It gave her a strange heavy feeling and it made her heart give out even strange and uneven repetitions. She could already feel the stress of becoming a guardian over whelm her and she has barely been a guardian for more than an hour. She didn't want to end up like her father.

Her driving slowed down as she continued to think. Why was she even going to the boy's home when she already knew that she was his guardian? This was just a waste of time that she should be using to learn more about the boy so she can better protect him. She could find out about the boy's parents any other time. Jasper could hack into the systems and find what he wanted.

She should be finding out who those demons from earlier were and if she has to put a complete stop to them. Maybe if she were to accomplish taking out all the people that wish to harm the boy then maybe that will allow the guardianship to dissipate. The sooner she does this, the sooner she would be allowed to return to her realm and away from the humans.

Silvia pulled to a stop, jarring her out of her thoughts. She hadn't realized that she had driven to the boy's house already. Should she see if the mark was truly there or if this is all a waste of time? It was a waste of time, but that didn't stop her from turning off her bike and making her way towards the house.

She looked the house over to see a light on in the far right window of the second story. That was most likely the boy's room. She could guess that by the dark blanket that covered up most of the window. It wasn't a decorative device usually done by adults.

Thankfully for her there was a small ledge outside the bedroom window that was low enough that she would have no trouble getting onto. She stopped herself from moving to jump. She started to berate herself for even being there. Why didn't her brother stop her? She could kick herself for her stupidity from getting herself into this situation.

She glanced back up at the window and frowned. She wondered why the light hadn't been turned off yet. Worry started to edge into the corners of her mind. The boy could be hurt and may even be dying. She wasn't going to be able to leave with thoughts like that.

She cursed herself and her mind as she stepped back to give herself some room before she jumped up towards the ledge. Her hands were the first to touch the ledge and they were used to steady her body as she got up onto the roof. She was just doing this to check on the boy, she told herself.

She stayed in the shadows as she crept up towards the window. She didn't need anyone seeing her. She peeked through the slit where the blanket didn't cover to see that the inside was nearly bare of anything that she would consider a teenage boy's room. There was literally nothing personal within the room. There were only a few books and some scattered clothing. The furniture itself was ragged and worn out looking, which was shocking to see when the house itself looked much richer compared to what was in the room.

Silvia would hate to see what the rest of the house looked like. Her gaze was quickly brought over towards the low bed in the corner because of some slight movement. It was the boy and he looked pretty sound asleep and not hurt, but the small voice in the back of her head told her that she wasn't close enough to know that for sure.

She grumbled as she stood up and looked at the window for a way in. She soon noticed that the top part of the window had part of the blanket sticking out of it. She used that small opening to force the window down low enough that she could pull herself through it. Once in the room she was able to get a better look at it. It was disappointing, but she didn't allow herself to think too much on it.

Silvia walked over to the boy slowly, as to not make noise to wake him. With him lying on his stomach, it was easy to see the same marking on her palm stretched over his back, but that didn't keep her attention for long. She quickly noticed the bruises and scraps that littered his back. One of them was a large bruise shaped like a foot. She could tell they were fresh. They were just beginning to darken.

She hesitantly reached out to the boy's shoulder and rolled him onto his back. His front was much worse. There were much more bruises and some swelling. She wouldn't be surprised if he had a broken rib or two. He was way too thin as well. She frowned as she noticed him beginning to shiver. She slowly pulled a scattered blanket from the bed and wrapped it around his thin frame. A small smile graced her lips as she watched him pull the blanket tightly around himself as he pulled himself deeper into the sleeping realm.

It wasn't hard to figure out who had caused the damage. She now had to figure out what she was going to do. Was she going to take him away or was she going to leave him here? If she took him away she would be even more responsible for him and would have to take care of him for a much longer time period. If she left him then there was a chance of him being hurt again where he may or may not die. Was she willing to take the chance?

If she was going to get through this guardianship as quickly as possible then she would have to leave him hear because the moment she takes him she would have to give him an entirely new life to live, for better or worse. She decided to selfish, even though part of her begged to save the boy, she couldn't. She didn't want to be tangled up in this mess any more than necessary. She worked hard to gain back the peace in her life. She didn't want to lose it for some human.

Silvia sighed as she walked over to the bedroom door and turned off the bedroom light before she went over towards the window. She gave a small glance back at the boy before carefully climbing through the window and pushing it back up. Even if she can't take him with her, she could at least do something about his caretakers.