Transgression (Ménage)✔

⊰27⊱

Ciarán shakes his head before he turns to me and says, "You are so stupid for being so brilliant...you know that?" He pauses a moment, and I am about to interject when he finishes, "I don't want ties! Bonds make you weak... the other party can manipulate bonds...I will not allow someone into my life to drag me down."

"I can't do this anymore...Ciarán..." my voice trails off. I don't want to be around my brother...not like this. Something inside of him is different, and I can already tell that we have many walls between us that perhaps time might break down...but until then, I do need to listen to him.

I have to give him space.

I have to stop acting out on my impulses of wanting to be in every aspect of his life.

I'm not going to be able to, and I can't keep fighting for something that I can't win...I'm only pushing my brother away by trying to be part of his life...

I release a sigh and turn on my heels before muttering, "Have fun with your friends..."

"I will," he retorts with a huff, tears coming to my eyes as I slowly walk away. I didn't realize how much...how much those around me are changing and how everything is affecting me. I don't know what I want anymore in life because the only thing worth living for is perhaps my little brother...

"I'll walk her home," Mercury's voice makes my skin crawl, glancing over my shoulder just as Ciarán shrugs his shoulders as if it doesn't matter to him. What was it that made my brother want to protect me at Grandpa Keir's anyway?

"I'm just fine, thanks," I don't look at Mercury, breathing out as I begin to walk away.

It's my brother that teases and says, "Acacia is just a scared little girl...maybe you should make sure she gets home all right, so our parents won't flip at me that their precious baby girl got lost and hurt herself."

"Ciarán!" I turn around and snap at him, "Stop it!"

"Just go away, Acacia! You're my problem that I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life! Let me have a damn break from it!" He turns away from me while running off down the edge of the canyon way. Cypher chases after him, the two of them jumping across the way with ease and leaving me feeling completely broken. My brother...

...I am a burden.

I always have been and always will be...

"Let's get you home then," the glint in Mercury's eyes tells me otherwise, and my brother wouldn't listen to me at this point anyways...even if I wanted to tell him what's going on. It's too late for anything, my parents completely blinded at the liar I have become, and it's only going to get worse because I had already back-talked to Mercury and also came along with my brother when I knew I wasn't supposed to.

All to avoid the confrontation I know I'll get with my parents in regards to what happened with Taron...

I walk in front of him, his strides evenly keeping up with mine as we walk a good twenty or so minutes away from the canyon...though I don't recall Ciarán taking this route and I'm not used to this forest. In Grandpa Keir's territory...I feel safe that I can explore anywhere and not be afraid. The castle grounds don't hold that security, because different covens build closer to us, never knowing who might be lurking in the woods.

"This is about a good distance..." his voice trails off, sending a chill down my spine when he orders me, "...stop."

I slowly turn around after halting, the two of us near a very large almost hallowed out tree. He stares down at me while tilting his head to the side and asks, "Why did you run away...Acacia?"