look. “They are planning the raid on the base for tonight.”
That boulder rolled around in Bannon’s chest, beating him to death from the inside out. He shook his head. That couldn’t be right. Ciaran had promised to wait and give Captain Kindros a chance to arrive before raiding the base. The base was supposed to be a last resort. He’d given Bannon at least a week, and Bannon and Marcus had already set up a beacon on the west tower for when she arrived. They could see the horizon clearly from there and would know the instant a shuttle entered the atmosphere.
Shaking his head, Bannon strode off toward Agatha’s cottage. He heard Louie tell the other two to stay, but he didn’t wait for her company. Anger niggled inside him right along with the shock. He wouldn’t believe it until he heard Ciaran say it himself.
Louie would never lie to us.
That anger carried him all the way to the far wall of the castle, where he ran into a group of warriors. There were at least thirty of them, standing around talking and waiting right outside the fence to Agatha’s cottage. Some were sitting with their backs against the wall, others were standing, and still others were actually sparring.
Bannon ducked through the mass and opened the gate to Agatha’s cottage.
Louie called his name, but Bannon didn’t stop. He marched right up to the door and knocked.
The door opened, and Agatha peered out. “Hello, Bannon.”
“Hi, Agatha.” He knew he should make nice, but the need to see for himself what was going on was just too strong. Agatha seemed to understand. She stepped out of the way and swung the door farther open. “He’s inside, lad.”
It was small and homey. Once his eyes adjusted, he found Ciaran standing at a table, surrounded by Ram, Angus, Patrick, Marcus, and another man Bannon had seen before but couldn’t remember his name. They all looked up at him as he entered.
“Is it true?”
Marcus grimaced, giving Bannon all the answer he needed.
He glanced at the table to find pieces of wood and acorns strategically placed. It resembled a very crude map.
Ciaran smiled at him as if nothing were amiss. As if he didn’t have a care in the universe. “Guid morning.” In that gaze was the memory of last night—the good stuff, not the bad—and that hurt even more.
It was as if a vise were closing in on Bannon’s lungs. “You didn’t answer my question. Is it true?”
Finally, Ciaran sobered, seeming to get a clue that Bannon was not happy. He looked at the men gathered around the table and said, “I’ll be right back.” He came forward and stopped beside Bannon, then leaned down and said, “Let’s go outside fer a minute.”
Once they were free of the door, Ciaran turned to him and smiled again. “I’m sorry I dinna wake ye, but ye looked tired.”
“Are you planning a raid on the base?”
The smile devolved. “Aye.” He held up a hand to stall Bannon. “And before ye say it, I ken I said we’d give ye Captain Kindros a chance tae come first, but after last night—”
Bannon couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “After last night it should be obvious that we are dealing with very dangerous men, and you want to attack them on their grounds?”
Ciaran’s face hardened, his jaw tightening. “They are our grounds. This is our land.”
“Not anymore!” Galaxy, couldn’t he see the IN had the advantage? Bannon grabbed his arms, wanting to shake him, but instead made himself calm and speak rationally. “They will see you coming. And they have a stronghold now. Just wait till Captain Kindros comes, and we can send for help.”
“It can nae longer wait, Red. I’m sorry. They killed our men. They are taking our land.”
“How many more men have to die?”
“As many as need be,” Ciaran gritted out.
Letting go of Ciaran’s arms, Bannon gasped, not believing what he was hearing. “Is your need for revenge stronger than your good sense and logic?”
That was the wrong thing to say. Ciaran’s hands balled into fists. But Bannon refused to take it back. He realized he was doing exactly what he hated people doing to him, but he could not help it. He was tired of the unnecessary death. Didn’t Ciaran realize that he could easily die? They all could.
Ciaran’s jaw clenched tight, and when he spoke, his voice was very measured and very soft. “Ye dinna have tae come with us, then.”