Faithfully

Chapter 5

Acantha's POV

Hearing that question coming from Kaine had me ducking back behind Loughlin Ó Dálaigh, it wasn't after that kiss he gave me that his identity came to me without me even asking his name. How that came to be, I have no idea but I am just going with it. I knew that I will have to tell them sometime soon, but at least till I am ready. I mean this has been going on since the early 1650. I remember that day clearly, but it also brings back way too much bad memories for me to even think about it. "To be honest since the early 1650's we were cursed, a witch cursed our family because she said that I wasn't old or woman enough for her son, and she told her son that our father said that he is good enough for me. The man I should have married is him, Loughlin, the curse was set in motion the minute I turned 17 and I have been stuck as a 17 year old since then. Once ever 30 years you two die and are reborn only to find each other and fall in love again, it's a never ending cycle. The only way to break the cycle is if I am to find the man I would have married a few years later. I never did until now." "So you have been living with us as a caretaker of some sort till now?" "Yes, but as the years went on you two started to break the cycle, you were no longer brothers, but lovers since the last 150 or so years. I have tried to stay longer than I should but in the end I had to leave, if either of you were to find out who or what I am to you it would have caused a lot of problems. But I guess it doesn't matter now. You Kaine, are my little baby brother Rouxs, and you Zac, are my little brother Ran, but I guess seeing as you somehow knew who I was when you came to see me, you know who you are to me?" I just saw him nodding his head but he had a look to him that doesn't suite him at all. It seemed angry, upset and something else. I couldn't place it. "You never told us, I thought that we meant something to you?" "You do Kaine, trust me you do. It is just that I was told that I should never tell you. You don't know how it broke my heart each time I had to leave you. I saw that either you or Zac would start to remember and then I had to go. I really wanted to tell you, but you had to know on your own. If Zac could remember why didn't you?" I saw Kaine thinking about that, he tried really hard but just didn't get it. And to be honest, I have no idea on how to tell them.

I walked around Loughlin towards Kaine, he didn't see me and I wanted it to be like that. I looked at Zac and he seemed to interested in Loughlin to even notice me walking towards Kaine. The minute I was in front or him I put my arms around him and pulled him to me. It took a few minutes for him to register who it was, and when he did he clung to me and started crying. Between the sobs and hiccups it was hard to actually hear what he wanted to say. It was a weird scene because my little brothers are actually taller than me, but the way we held each other people could see that we loved one another. "Shh Kaine, it will be alright. I promise I won't leave anymore, because now you both know who I am to you now. And I promise now that no matter what I will try and protect both of you. I mean I just found you two again and I won't be leaving anytime soon." "You have too, I mean, you have to marry Loughlin to remove the curse on you, don't you?" I just nodded my head at him, I mean I couldn't talk. This is the most that Kaine had ever talked to me with so much emotion. Other times that he did talk to me it was because he had too, but I think it is because I am his sister and not just a friend anymore. I still do not know how to process all of this, I mean I can finally talk to both of them without worrying about the consequences of my actions now.

I still don't know if they know that I am half witch, I guess there is only one way to find out. "Don't even think about it Aca, I do not need to read your mind to know that you want to do." I whipped around in Kaine's arms to see that Zac was looking at us and he did not look to happy about it either. When I tried to move away form Kaine he held me tighter to him. I did not like this at all. I knew something bad happened to Zac when he was taken, I felt it. But this is something I really don't like. "Don't fight him sissy, I know he mean you no harm but has to make sure. We love you, we really do, but what happened to you no one should have endured. Please just let him make it better." "No, let me go, I don't like this. You are not the same since you have been taken, I can feel it. You're aura is too dark, it is not white anymore. I just want my old little brother back. What happened to him?" "He died, he died the day he really died for the first time. Since then I felt that things inside me has changed. I can't change who I am Acantha, this is who you made. You were the one who always told me to go after him, you were the one who always told me that he is the one who will make me a better person. Yet all I have done since we started dating was either hurt him or you. When I say or do something bad he runs to you, when I do the same to you, he always finds you somehow and you two always talk. It seems that I am the one who is left out of this relationship."

"Kaine, please, I will listen to him, but let me go to him." Once those words left my mouth, Kaine released me and I ran to Zac, I put my arms around him like I did with Kaine. The minute I did that, we both were shocked, I don't know what it was but I saw his old aura returning to him. He was beginning to be my younger brother again. I kept a tight hold on him the entire time, it wasn't until he was bathed in a white light that I knew he was the old Zac again. "I don't know what happened to me, it was so dark. I was scared the entire time, I knew what I did but it felt wrong the entire time. Don't leave Cathy, I need you with us." "Oh Zac, you know that I will never be to far away from either of you. But if we want this curse to be removed form us as a family I need to leave. I need time with Loughlin, so that we can end this once and for all. You know that Kaine will always look after you, and you know that I am just a phone call away if you need me. Please Zac for us as a family I need this. I love you too Zac, always have and always will. Nothing can break us now, the bond we share now is stronger, and it will keep growing stronger the more we stay in touch with each other." I pushed him a bit away form me but he tried to pull me back to him. I just smirked at him. Pulling myself closer to him again and standing on my toes I whispered in his ear. "Do you want me to put a protection spell on both of you? I mean I will be gone for a while and I don't know when I will be back again.?" I just felt him nod his head on my shoulder. I pushed him back and held my hand out for Kaine, once he took my hand I took Zac's too and I chanted something in a language that everybody probably forgot. I made sure that no one could hear me, but only Zac and Kaine.

It felt like an eternity before the spell was done, and I saw that both of their aura's was now combined with mine and I was happy about that. "Now you two will have a little added protection." I heard Kaine snort in my direction and I really didn't see it as funny, even though I knew what he meant by that. "No Kaine, not like that, can you at least get your head out of the gutter for a few seconds?" With that he busted out laughing causing Loughlin to actually jump. To be honest I have actually forgotten that he was even there. I knew he was waiting for me to finish up with my brothers, but I did get a bad vibe about this whole situation with him. "You sense it too Cathy?" "Yeah, I don't know what is going on, but he changed the minute that I hugged Kaine, and to be honest, I don't like it. I need to do something and fast, I will go with him, but I will need you to send me some things. I will get you the address as soon as possible. But for now, keep each other safe for me." With those words I walked back to Loughlin and I held his hand. I guess I startled him because when he looked down he started to scowl but it soon changes to a smile. I have a feeling that I will have my hands full of this one. I pulled him away from my brothers, because to be honest, I really don't want him anywhere near them at this stage. I don't really trust him, but I am putting on a front for them, because I know that if I even just show the slightest bit of nerves or any other type of emotion other than happy, they will know about it and they will take me away from him.

"I will come back Zac, please just try and stay out of trouble for a while, and keep Kaine protected at all times. I don't want to hear about him going awol on me again or you for that matter." "Ha, you do not need to fear Cathy, I will take care of our little brother, but to the world they know us only as friends so they think something is happening that will take you away from us, but I will keep him safe and I will try to not hurt him or you anymore. I can't take it when I do that" Giving a small inaudible snort at him I knew he would hear me, we started walking away. Giving them one last smile we disappeared around the corner from their view and then from our town altogether. Not knowing what lies ahead for me, I keep my fingers and toes crossed, because I know that this man I was supposed to marry is not the same man he was when we met all of those years ago.