Silas pitched the old damp tea leaves in a nearby waste bin and steeped a new bundle in the tea cage. He removed the cage when the tea color seemed right for good flavor and descended into a nearby chair with his cup. He was glad, in a strange way, that Arael had been grounded. Under normal circumstances it was punitive to ground a guardian and it often paired with other disciplinary sentences. Even for guardians in good standing with the clan, an injury that lead to a grounding sentence was detrimental to their ability to protect the mortals in a district. He held the cup against his lips and each swallow of smooth warmth loosened his muscles and relaxed his mind.

Guardians and mortals, Silas thought briefly. Really, they were foot soldiers and children―young, like Arael. Two different trainers, he recounted after Arael spoke. Silas lifted his gaze when the tone shifted.

They were alive once.

He choked, and when he sat forward to put the cup down and catch his breath the abruptness of it all spilled even more tea. Silas jumped out of the seat and snatched a nearby roll of paper towels. He tore off and folded one piece under the cup on the coffee table, pressed another folded piece into the couch, and pressed his foot into a folded piece on the carpet. He wanted to say something about how convenient it was that he hadn't used any sugar. He wanted to joke about how clumsy it was of him to make such a mess at this hour. But all he could do was stand as tensely as he had been an hour earlier. Nothing came out except tears.

They were alive once.

He remained silent for a moment. And then another. "Someone I used to guard," he finally managed. He spoke slowly to keep his voice from cracking as best as he could. "Became a shinigami. I didn't find out until today―when I shot him down with an arrow."


Mars ceased to speak when she saw Jason begin to move. She didn't bother to follow or see where he went, and she returned her attention to Lea when the girl mentioned the guardians. "That sounds like a rough day," she started to say. "No, girl, those guys get involved all the time. It's nothing you need to feel at fault for." She paused for a moment and looked away to think. "It's odd that any guardian would know any of our names, though... Especially Jason, since he's so new. But I guess they could know how keep tabs on us? Like how we keep track of their higher-ups to avoid them. That's why we move you guys around so much, to try and keep you out of their major policing areas. Although some of them like Solias, Cecilia, and Anders just show up everywhere so it's hard to figure out how to avoid them with our own..."

She stopped herself mid-ramble and looked to Lea again with another re-assuring pat. "Seriously, don't worry about it. Nevra will be mad at the guardians like always and it will seem like she's mad at you or myself but she'll understand. Trust me. Also, are you sure they didn't overhear you using Jason's name? That might be how they got it."