SIREN'S POV.

I was sitting in my room when my mother was shot dead and the house set on fire.

I was listening to everything going on downstairs on the first floor. Although I was on the third floor I could hear everything. Every chiming laugh from my mom, or the excited squeals from my two younger brothers. All that was missing was the twins, my two older brothers, shouting and my father's laugh booming down the hall as he chased Caspian, the youngest.

But Dad had died a few years ago fighting against what was left of Melvolent's army. They were still at large and Shadow and Maxi had gone out to hunt them down as soon as they had gone through the Surge. They had been gone a year but I knew they were safe.

"Boys go to the room," I heard my mom whisper. Feet thundered up the stairs and my door was opened quietly. The two boys slipped in.

Caspian was five years old and he was pretty, almost angelic. He had feathery hair, that ended in curls at his shoulders and was a startling shade of white/blonde. His eyes that were like molten cold were framed by thick lashes. His skin was tanned slightly, as much as it could be in Irish weather. I could feel his terror and winced slightly. My brother had been developing a magic of being able to manipulate people's emotions and projecting his own to affect others. It was a strong magic that required him to be calm nearly all the time. Now though, his powers radiated.

"Caspian," I sighed and held out my arms. He crawled into them and Dimitri followed closely, closing the door. The two boys huddled close to me and we sat in silence, Caspian blocking his ears while Dimitri sat with his eyes closed, wringing his hands.

I took in my second brother. Dimitri was nine and like Caspian was angelic. He had thick brown hair and irises that were such a light grey, they looked white. His skin was slightly paler than Caspian's. The child looked like he was getting ready to leave his body, so I kept his hand in mine. Dimitri had been fascinated by ley-lines, and how souls moved. After watching countless cartoons and reading about it, he managed to extract his being from his body. Like a ghost. But he could return at will. The only problem with Dimitri's power was it left him sick for days. Mom had managed to persuade him to start working with the Elements. Already, he was the master of his powers.

The two young boys looked like Maxi and Shadow. While Caspian took after Maxi only their irises different, Dimitri was the spitting image of Shadow. Again like Caspian and Maxi, the boy's irises were different colors. Maxi's was a grass green that was unbelievably vivid, while Shadow's were like a cat's. They shone a bright yellow, his pupils even became slits some times.

All the boys had been described as angels, in both looks and behavior.

Then there was me. I was the loose cannon of my family. The only girl. No one ever called me an angel. I was a wicked child when I was younger and never went outside, preferring to stay indoors and perfect my reading and musical skills. My eyes were a deep brown that was almost black and they got darker everyday. My hair was almost black as well. It was a dark brown, almost exactly like my mothers. I had my mother's pale skin, while the boys got my dad's complexion. I was called a witch and a demon by my cousins.

My magic was hard to describe. My mother had a fascination with the Dead Men, Saracen Rue in particular. So when she noticed I had tendencies like Sensitives, she worked on getting me to infiltrate peoples minds, exposing their memories. I had a photographic memory, I could remember what I saw. When what I was doing was found out, I was bullied endlessly. So I used the memories against their owners, revealing their worst nightmare and their best kept secret. I terrified those around me.

I closed my eyes and listened. Mom was talking quietly, quickly, begging someone. My eyes shot open at the gunshot. Caspian let out a stifled scream smothered by my bed sheets while Dimitri muffled a sob. There was muttering then footsteps. Then the front door closed. I stood and walked to the bed room door letting my hand rest on it. I opened it quietly and crept down the stairs. I only made it halfway down the stairs.

The smoke enveloped me, making me cough and my eyes water. The smoke appeared so sudden. I watched in horror as the flames enveloped the stairs and started to search along the walls, claiming everything. I ran back to my room, barely making it up the flight of stairs before they collapsed, leaving us trapped on the third floor. I flung my door open distressed at the smoke that was in my room. I could hear the boys sobbing and coughing. I closed the door and opened a window. I leaned out and came nose to nose with a man.

"How many are there?" he demanded. He was tanned and muscular and good looking. His memories flashed through my head and my eyes widened.

"Three. Your Dexter Vex."

"I know I am. Here, come with me," he reached to pull me out. I backed away and shook my head.

"The boys first," I said and turned back into the room to find Caspian behind me. I lifted him on to the window where Dexter waited patiently. He smiled at Caspian who was wide eyed. Slowly, Dexter took the boy into his arms and suddenly he was falling through the air, Caspian's scream ringing in my ears. I watched horrified as at the last minute they stopped falling and were gently rested on the ground. Dexter said something and he shot up in the air again.

"Might want to hurry," he said. "My source of flight is getting tired and the other two who would be able to do this are otherwise preoccupied." I nodded and hunted for Dimitri. Without thinking I sucked in a breath and coughed my vision blurring as I hacked up my lungs. Dimitri was suddenly there and I could see the flames on the door. I grabbed his hands and lead him to window where Dexter was waiting. They fell and I watched. Dexter landed and said something again. The man beside him was sagged over.

"ERSKINE COME ON ONE MORE TIME!" he yelled. I looked back at the door and gulped as the flames, like hands started to reach towards me.

"Ms Loss," a smooth, velvety voice said. I looked behind me and reeled back nearly landing in the flames.

"Skeleton," I whispered and then started coughing again. Fingers encased in gloves wrapped themselves around my arm and suddenly I was being lifted. We were moving, stopping briefly. I watched the skeleton pocket something.

"Ms Loss," he said again. "Do you trust me?"

"Not particularly," I rasped. My fingers curled into the lapels into his suit. "But if it makes you get me out of here then, yes I trust you with my life." As the man stood on the window sill, the memories rushed past me. "Also Mr Pleasant, I hope you utilize your magical prowess."

"Now where," the skeleton almost purred. "Is the fun in that?"

And so we fell. The ground rushed towards us and the breath was snatched from my lungs making it impossible to breathe, much less scream. Just before we met the ground we jolted to a stop. I cracked open one eye to see two men, their teeth gritted as they lowered us to the ground. As soon as Mr Pleasant's feet touched the ground I was taken from him and then the person ran.

"May I ask your name?" he asked and I realized it was Dexter.

"Siren," I mumbled, my throat aching. "Where are we going?"

"Ghastly's van. There are healers there. Your brothers are fine, Dimitri, he said his name was, he had a small burn," I nodded. "Think you can stay awake?" I shook my head. "Well you'll have too."

"Not good at following orders," I mumbled and let the darkness swallow me.