"What?" Ellie's head shot up, and he looked at me.

"Let's do it. I might have to kill him one time, because he deserves it, but that's fine. He doesn't count. Get up. We're doing this."

He stared at him, seemingly not comprehending my words. Then he stood up and bowed.

"Thank you so much, Killia."

"Stand straight," I said dismissively. "We agreed to disregard the formalities when John summoned me. It makes our friendship awkward. I'm not doing this for you, anyways. It's for me and for John."

"Right," he said, jerking back up to face me.

"Well, where's John? Come on out, kid, don't think I didn't hear you coming up the hill." I glared at the bush right behind us.

The shit in question tumbled out from his hiding spot and walked towards me with a grave look on his small face.

"Lia, who are we summoning?" He asked, clutching my hand. I felt his shivering figure as he pressed against me, scared.

"It's okay. He won't hurt you. I promise."

"The books say he's really evil and bad," he accused, still trembling as he glared at both me and his father with equal terror. We exchanged glances and I looked back at John.

"So am I. I didn't hurt you, right?" I smiled at him, trying to comfort him. I was starting to think I had misunderstood what Ellis had been mumbling about and that he had been scared, not annoyed.

"But you're Lia..." He mumbled.

I sighed and pulled him forwards, planting him in the spot I had been standing at. "Summon him with your dad, kid. I promise on all the food I have that he won't hurt you."

"Will he hurt you?" His question made me hesitate.

I forced a smile and patted his head, starting to remember the actual consequences of summoning my brother. His magical power was a bit too much for the average fairy. The kid could probably explode.

"No, he won't. Just run when I say, okay? It might hurt you a bit."

He looked at me with a trusting gaze, and I turned away, stepping into the first ring of the giant circle. Father and son both began to chant their spells, and I waited as their magic filled the engravings, finally reaching me.

It immediately activated upon feeling my presence. Heavy, transparent and glowing chains tore out of the ground with a roar and wrapped around my body.

I growled in pain as they closed tightly around my wrists and neck, tearing my skin. My wings were pulled tight against my body, feathers ripped out.

The pain of a contract would never be one I would forget. It hurt like getting your magic torn out of you. It didn't just hurt your body, it hurt your pride as a beast. You never imagined yourself being caught by a contractor. You heard the stories of some wrestling against it and failing. We grew on horror stories about it. Going to the academy was odd, milling around and mixing with young humans, fairies, elves, and others, some of whom would grow to be or were already learning to be beast masters.

Everyone swore they wouldn't be trapped, but most of us did.

The force of the chains pulled me down, almost cracking the ground underneath me. I could sense John's reluctance behind me as he saw them, being my contractor. Ellie wouldn't be able to see them, but the kid could.

"Killia?" Ellis said, apparently finding his son's expression as a sign that something was wrong.

"Nothing is wrong. Keep going-"

I choked as the chains pulled tighter around my neck, screeching as they scraped against their individual links.

"Killia?!"

I shook my head and motioned for him to go on.

The next three circles lit up, the chains screeching and groaning again as they lengthened to let me step into them. As I reached the last one, abnormal power began to surge into me, and I closed my eyes tightly, holding back a scream.

John and Ellis began to slow down as their words became fewer.

They stopped, and for a split second all I could hear was the grinding of the chains and my heartbeat pounding rapidly in my ears.

Then the ground rumbled, the chains rapidly flying away from me as my brother burst out.

I could barely turn around as I yelled,"Go!"

I didn't have to say anything else. Ellis caught John and they both disappeared, their nervous expressions the last thing I saw.

Then something slammed into my chest as I faced forwards again, causing me to fold over as I coughed.

I braced myself for another attack, knowing I wouldn't recover in time. Did I mess up something? The irritating brother I remembered would never hit me.

Then I heard a soft, familiar voice.

"Killia?"

I looked up, still heaving,

Song was standing there in all of her white winged glory, with my brother standing next to her. They both looked ultimately confused.

I fell backwards on my butt, my wings flailing as I tried to scramble away.

"A-A-Akeldemos!"

My brother looked stung and impressed by my fear of him.

"Why are you afraid of me, Killia? Did you get affected by those rumors too!? I thought Song told you I wasn't that bad of a demon!"

Akeldemos cast his irritated gaze upon our sister.

She frowned. "I did."

"You glorify EVERYTHING, Song! How was I supposed to know you were for real?! You could probably see Jesus in John Wayne Gacy! And I'm not scared! I just don't want to get near you, you siscon!"

Song looked offended. "I would not. That's extremely offensive, Lia."

"And I care why?" I mumbled.

"Same as always, Lia!" My older brother roared with laughter and inched forward to smack me on the back.

I glared at him, suddenly forgetting my fear.

Actually, that's it. I don't care anymore. His entire existence was too stupid for me to consider worrying about contracting his siscon disease. Should've realized that sooner.

"I..." I took a deep breath.

"Yes? You've missed me, right, you little cutie!" Akeldemos said excitedly, pinching my cheeks.

Did I forget to mention that he absolutely dotes on me?

"HATE YOU!" I snarled at him and kicked him away, sending him flying as he flattened several trees on his way into the forest.

Song didn't even blink as he shot past her, simply sighing and flipping her white blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Killia, sweetie, please stop doing that. He broke a wing last time and had a great time having you carry him around."

I glared at the last tree that toppled, knowing he would be back soon. "It's because he's a damn siscon that he did! I would knock it right out of his dumbass if I could!"

"Oh, don't say that!" Akeldemos had come straight back, his wings, which were as black as mine, flapping eagerly as he flew around me. "Are you hurt from earlier? I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you later."

I gritted my teeth and glared at him. "You're a big shame to this family!" I scolded. "Do you have any idea how long Mother lived to give birth to all three of us? And you became a demon! You're such a shame!"

"So are you, based on that criteria," Song mumbled.

"That's only because Akeldemos set that example!"

"Couldn't you have followed mine?" She asked.

I fell silent. Then I frowned.

"No."

"There you have it," she sighed. "Why were we summoned here?"

"We? As in the two of you?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes. Our summons are combined, you know. To summon me is to summon Akeldemos, and to summon Akeldemos is to summon me."

My jaw dropped and I stared at her, shocked.

"Really?!"

"Yes, really. If you had bothered to listen to either one of us before, you'd know this."

I recovered from my shock and shrugged. "Guess the shit is gonna have three beasts at a time, then!"

Her eyes widened just as Akeldemos set down beside her.

"What?" She spluttered.

"Yeah. Sorry!"

I promptly stuck a finger out in their direction and said,"Sleep peacefully!"

My brother didn't even get the chance to look betrayed as he fell, Song toppling after him. I caught them both and made their wings flap as I lifted off, making their limp, sleeping bodies fly after me.

This is gonna be some surprise.