I Accept

**Aileen POV**

Shiuku stood tall with a cocky smile plastered on his face. His eyes strayed between my Father and I. He gave no attention to the knight ready to draw steel, or the spineless prince. When Prince Roy did start to say something, the demon lord waved him off dismissively. His gaze never left my Father or I. Chills slithered up my spine.

He wanted to marry me. This is what all his dreams were leading up to. Like hell will I submit to him, and in front of my Father... as if! This seemed poorly planned. There had to be something I was missing. This freak had something else in mind.

Shiuku motioned to a seemingly random black bag. We all had been so focused on the evil man declaring matrimony and not the bag slightly moving. Moving?

A sadistic smirk grew further as he used his wind elemental talent to rip the bag to shreds. A still smoking charred hand fell from the bag. The person inside the bag tried to cough, but just ended up hacking dryly. Already I could smell the putrid reek of burned flesh.

The man was yanked out fully showing off red angry welts and blisters all over his body. His brown hair was plastered down from sweat and smoke. One eye was closed from a fresh cut. Most likely from the careless wind blast used to open the bag up.

Swelling had started on both the mans arms leading to his blackened hands. Agony was clear in his one good green eye. The man looked right at me and his pain seemed to grow. Why?

"Cruel. Do you plan on dicing us up if I don't give you my daughter." My Father may be cold, but he never burned criminals alive. Burning to death was too much even for him. Not for the demon lord though.

"I just thought Aileen would like to see her precious brother." Shiuku brought him to his knees for a better look.

Trevor! Dear God, he had my brother damn near unrecognizable. Shiuku bent down and squeezed one of his blisters. Trevor hoarsely screamed as much as he could.

"Stop!" I screeched. Yes, my brother betrayed me, went to the DSS before me, but hell even if he did hate me; I would never wish this on him!

Again Trevor's eye met mine. I couldn't see any disgust towards me. His eyes started to water the little bit of liquid left in his body. Then I understood. I never should have assumed anything. Prince Roy had put my mind in a fog. My brother had his reasons for contacted Squad Leader Lena. I should have read that message. Despite all going on, I should have listened to Devon enough to look at my phone.

That look in his eyes, he wasn't crying in pain, nor himself. He was afraid for me. Those tears were for me! And my trust had broken so easily...Hurt me, she fell for the trap. I betrayed my brother and gave faith to the words of monsters. I'm a horrible sister and now he's wounded so badly at a demon's mercy!

"And why would I give her to you demon? Because the sorry excuse for a male tried to give her away?" Father clicked his tongue returning to the conversation before Shiuku showed his hand.

"I will heal up this man. He is your precious girl's brother. I would assume his safe return would be appreciated." Shiuku enjoyed talking to my Father. A true battle of tact. Both of them equally stubborn and cocky.

"Why should I care for him? He is not a blood brother, nor my son. He is nothing to me." Father plainly stated.

He's not nothing!

I bit my tongue holding back my weakness.

Rain chose that moment to fall. Little droplets hit my nose. Trevor was still conscious so he should be able to use to water! Good! If nothing else, the rain and his water talent should ease his pain some.

In that moment Shiuku lifted his hands; the rain stopped. Clouds that had been threatening to shower us for the last hour parted letting the sunshine out. He changed the weather as if he were doing a simple chore. He wasted no amount of effort in the motion. A basic wave and now we had a hot summer day.

"I am not surprised Heartless King. There is no changing those stubborn eyes, but what of your daughter? She's the only one I really need to agree and come willingly. I only invited you to this party out of respect. You raised a truly amazing daughter. I am slightly disappointed not to get your blessing."

Shiuku shrugged. He then grabbed Trevor's head lifting him up to be level.

This time I spoke, "why, we all know you could easily take whatever you want. Why come up with this trap? I couldn't even keep you from my dreams!"

I kept my voice unwavering and strong. I offered him no weakness. No way could I show them how much seeing Trevor hurt so brutally was affecting me. One little twist, and Trevor's head would pop off his body. There would be nothing I could do to stop it either.

Father started to speak, but I cut him off. "Why would you need my permission. You are a demon!"

"Of course I do! You'll be my wife. Give me some children and in return I will be loyal and provide you whatever you need." Shiuku paused, "besides, I have to know that you will not be a risk to our child once pregnant."

I laughed, "I could just lie."

"You will wear my mark my strong little one. My mark will bind you to me. I'm sure you've heard about the mind element. You will be unable to disobey a direct order from me. You will be mine."

Mind was the creepiest of all the elements. Persuasion, memory manipulation, control, dreams; pretty much anything the brain has power over. The DSS bans that elemental talent, unless used to help PTSD.

This time I could not talk over Father. "You will go nowhere near my daughter. Why in all the hells would I let her belong to a demon!" Father's outrage clear on his face.

"Shall I kill this man? He is very loyal to you. Even tried to get the DSS to help when he found out about our private time little one!"

That felt like a stab to the heart. Just hearing that Trevor was indeed trying to help me. He believed in me, and I failed to do the same. My heart shattered heart exploded inside my body. I wanted nothing more than to save him.

I said nothing. I hated how Shiuku continued to use the conversational tone Father had started.

Shiuku lifted Trevor up further and punched him in the ribs. I could hear the snapping of several bones as my brother's body clenched up in pain. Fire started blazing around Shiuku's left hand. He made sure we all saw.

Two choices came to my mind. One, Shiuku will kill Trevor and I'm free to go. My only real chain to this dimension will be severed. Two, let Father see how weak I am. That I will never live up to his legend... But save my brother.

My brother, the one who was with me through everything. Good, bad, happy, or miserable; he was there. The brother I hated my first year here as we both were jealous of each other. Someone I grew with and learned to love. The man who let me love myself.

My body took a step forward, not consulting with my brain. "NO!" Trevor got a word out passed his injured lips. "Everyone at the DSS knows there is a high chance for a bad en-"

Shiuku placed his flaming hand around Trevor's throat. His voice died immediately. "I liked it better when you could not talk."
I could smell his burning flesh more now. My stomach knotted as vomit tried to surface. I took another step towards them.

Father grabbed my arm. His face impossible for me to read. His eyes never flicked away from the duo ahead of us. Part of me wondered if this was a bit hard for Father too. He always wanted a son.

With a whisk of his wrist, the fire went out; replaced with a spear of ice aimed at Trevor's arm. The only reason Shiuku would torture my brother was because of me. The chains that bound me to those I loved tightened like a monster's embrace. I wanted them. Even if they made me weak; I needed those links.

"I'll do it!" At the same time I yelled back to Shiuku, I rammed my fist in Father's gut. Father's hold loosened on me just enough for me to sprint over to my brother. Smoke came from all sides of his throat. I glared up at the demon malice dripping off me. He dropped my brother and the ice spear.

I hugged Trevor as tight as possible mumbling apology after apology. Sorry that I had not made the choice sooner, sorry that I could not let him die, sorry that I had ever doubted his loyalty.

"Promise me...Promise me that everyone of my family is safe from you and your demons.No one here will ever have to live in fear of what you may do!"

Shiuku bent down towards my brother once again. He started, "I agree...so then..."

"I'll do it! Just leave my brother alone! I'll go with you!" I cried feeling defeated. Demon Lord Shiuku smiled cruelly down at me.
"Don't look so sad my strong little one. We'll be having a family of our own real soon!" He paused. "Come here love." His lips grazed mine softly.