Tess figured she had to be mentally disturbed. First there are demons and now angels? Yet the whole the fact that Silas just told her he was an angel didn't seem to affect her hugely.

  "What do you mean you're my guardian angel?" Tess's throat felt scratchy and raw. Silas seemed to struggle for an explanation.

  "When a human is born, an existing angel is assigned to protect them. We are not allowed to reveal ourselves to our human, so we stay invisible. Most angels keep watch over their human day and night." Tess gasped, wondering what he had seen. Silas narrowed his eyes.

  "No, I haven't seen you naked. What do you take me for?" Tess guiltily looked away.

  "I just wanted to make sure." She moved her head to look at him again and clenched her jaw as pain shot through her neck.

  "I wish you would stop doing that." Silas growled. Tess looked at Silas defiantly.

  "It won't kill me."   

  "But it makes me cringe." Silas leaned back in the chair he sat in. Tess wondered if he could feel her pain.

  "So can you feel any pain I'm in or read my thoughts?" That would explain things that she felt Silas knew, even though she hadn't said anything.

  "I can read some of your thoughts and I can sense when you're endanger, along with feeling some of your pain. It's a limited ability, so no rules are broken."

  "Rules?"

  "Along with not being able to reveal ourselves to humans, angels are not allowed to slay the innocent, fall in love with a human, interfere with minor problems, interfere with the family, or indulge in human practices." Tess quirked an eyebrow.

  "You're not allowed to fall in love with humans?"

  "It's like humans with humans, angels with angels." Silas told her. Tess closed her eyes, finding herself worn out. She opened them back up, sensing Silas was worried about her.

  "If you are supposed to guard us day and night, how come people still die?" Silas look saddened by her question.

  "If a human had an internal issue, like cancer or another disease, we are not allowed to interfere. We also cannot keep them from dying of old age."

  "Okay, but what about people dying unnaturally?"

  "If someone dies from an accident, their angel had already sacrificed themselves at some point in the humans life to protect them. You only get one angel to protect you from death and if they die, they no longer can protect you." Tess wondered how Silas had made it this far since she wasn't exactly the safest person. She thought back to the night they came home from the track meet. The drunk driver had seemed to swerve suddenly and miss them. Tess looked at Silas.

  "Did you save my family from that drunk driver?" She asked.

  "I saved you, yes." Silas answered. Tess wondered why he had only worked to save her.

  "Where were my parents angels?" Silas looked away.

  "Dead."

  "Oh,. Tess remembered looking at the dent in the front bumper.

  "How'd that dent get in our bumper?"

  "Your father clipped me, when I was pushing the car back to its lane."

  "We were going fifty-five miles an hour, how are you not dead?!" Tess coughed from talking so sharply.

  "Angels are sturdier and more powerful than humans." Tess quickly let the new information sink in. Silas had been with her his whole life and she didn't even know it. It explained why she felt so safe around him and why he was constantly worried about her.

  "Now tell me what you said to the demon." Silas said suddenly. Tess jumped with fright and her whole body protested. Silas immediately looked guilty.

  "I'm sorry." He apologized. Tess gripped her blankets.

  "It's okay; I'm just a little jumpy. I said, 'away from me unclean spirit', but in Latin."

  "Do you know what you did?" Silas asked.

  "No, but I figured since it kept him away from me, it was good."

  "It was a Seer's spell you cast to keep him away from you."

  "How do you know?" Tess asked him.

  "Angels are well acquainted with the way of Seers."

  "Why?"

  "Seers and angels have worked together many times to try and defeat evil. All of which have failed." Tess wanted to ask why, but she changed her mind.

  "How could Levi get possessed by a demon?" Tess choked on Levi's name.

  "A demon can only possess a human if the human allows it. Once they are possessed there is no going back. The demon takes control of their body, trapping the person inside themselves." Tess shook her head.

  "Levi would never allow something like that." She denied the claim.

  "Tess, look deep down within you. He was willing." Tess didn't want the truth, but she knew it was there.

  "But when I cast the spell he returned to normal and cried out for help."

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  "Your spell weakened the demon, giving enough room for Levi to take back his body for a few seconds." Silas explained.

  "He regretted it, Silas." Tess tried to hold back her tears, but the day had been too much stress for her.

  "I believe he did." Silas tried to touch her hand for comfort, but Tess's mind went on the defensive and she yanked it back. Silas looked hurt.

  "Tess, I'm not going to hurt you."

  "I know," Tess gulped, "I can't bring myself to be touched by another, not right now." Silas seemed to understand.

  "Do demons have names?" She asked.

  "Yes."

  "What was the demons name that possessed Levi?"

  "We don't know who the demon was for sure, but I have an idea of who it was." Silas stopped and Tess noticed he didn't want to tell her.

  "Please Silas, I need to know." Tess pleaded with him. She wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if she didn't know the demons name. Silas gave a frustrated sigh.

  "His name is Akbar. He is a powerful and likes to play with his victims." Tess shivered, thinking of the demons rough touch against her skin.

  "He said something about me being different, what did he mean?" Silas looked confused.

  "I'm not sure yet." Tess started to drift to sleep, but remembered the injury on Silas's forehead. There was caked blood all over the gash and Silas made no attempt to get rid of it.

  "Silas, you should take care of that injury on your forehead." Tess suggested.

  "It will be okay. There are different injuries that need taken care of."

  "Like what?"

  "Like the glass shards in my wings." Silas answered, turning to the side. Tess could see the glass shards glittering in his wings. Tess cringed, wondering how painful it was.

  "Let me help you." Tess sat up, screaming on the inside because of the aches in her body.

  "No, Tess, you need to rest." Silas turned to face her quickly. Tess frowned.

  "I won't rest knowing that you're in pain." Silas face contorted with indecision and finally he nodded.

  "Fine." He turned back around and stretched out his wings. Tess gently reached out and almost shivered at how the wings felt underneath her fingertips. They were softer than anything they she had ever felt and were cool to the touch.

  "Pretty cool, huh?"

  "They're magnificent." Tess said dreamily. She began to pluck the glass out of his left wing. It was a slightly difficult task, as some of the shards were hidden under the wings feathers. For some reason she didn't have a problem touching his wings, but the thought of someone touching her still made her cringe. She pulled out a particularly long piece of glass and Silas tensed.

  "Did I hurt you?"

  "No," Silas fluttered his wings, "they're just sensitive."

  "Oh." Tess answered. They sat in complete silence as Tess moved from his left wing to his right. The pile of glass on Tess's nightstand grew steadily while she added more and more glass into it. Tess let out a tired breath when she drew the last piece of glass out.

  "There, I think that's all of it." Silas drew his wings back toward his body as he turned around.

  "Thank you." He smiled. Tess wished she could put a smile on her face, but the day was still bleak for her. Silas tried to stand, but he winced and stumbled.

  "What's wrong now?" Silas pulled up his pant leg and Tess gasped. She had completely forgotten about the stab wound.

  "Silas, why didn't say anything earlier?!"

  "I was busy taking care of you, I must have forgotten about it." Tess frowned, knowing he was lying. She got out of bed, much to the protest of her body. Tess went into her bathroom and searched for some bandages and wrap. It took her a few minutes, but she finally found them and carried them back to Silas.

  "Sit on the bed and put your leg on the chair." She commanded him. Silas grinned.

  "Yes ma'am." Tess grabbed the cup of water and washrag while Silas settled himself on the bed. She held Silas's injured leg and turned it to the side so she could work on the injury. As soon as she touched the gash with the washrag, Silas sucked in air through his teeth.

  "Sorry!" Tess internally cringed.

  "Just hurry up and clean it, if you can." Silas gritted out through his teeth. Tess worked as quickly and as gingerly as possible, but Silas still jerked away a couple of times in pain. Tess put a large bandage on the wound and then wrapped it.

  "You really should see a doctor."

  "Another thing about angels, we heal faster than normal. How else would we be able to keep up with you?" Tess let herself smile, finding it relieving. Tess saw Silas straighten suddenly his whole body going stiff. He looked at her with worried gold eyes. 

  "Your parents are home."