a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. They all had that same look. That watchfulness, like they were just waiting for something to go wrong.
The path narrowed, and the man in front of him dropped back, following Bannon as they all formed a queue. They headed down the slope where Bannon slid headfirst into the MacLeans. He shuddered at the thought, and his face began to throb where Ochre Nose hit him.
Bannon led Flùr through two boulders and rode out into the open larger area, where Bannon and Louie had been tied up. In the daylight, it seemed less ominous. With no areas disappearing into shadow, the space was smaller than Bannon had thought. It had an almost cozy feel to it, with cliff walls going straight up on each side and one way in and one way out. Bannon raised his chin and shielded his eyes against the sun, trying to see the top of the cliff.
Skye in daylight, without a storm and impending death, was a sight to behold. It seemed almost mystical like two sides of a coin—the foreboding clouds and the inviting light behind them.
A whistling sound dragged Bannon from his wistful observation.
What was—
At the front of the line, a piece of the cliff exploded, and small fragments of rocks rained down on Ciaran and Angus, like someone had kicked rocks off the cliff. Strange.
Were they being ambushed from above? Bannon’s gut felt as though someone were trying to strangle it as he squinted up at the cliff. There was no one up there.
Ciaran ducked, holding up one hand to ward off the debris, and Horace backed up. The clansmen near Ciaran spread out like ants who’d had their ant hill stepped on. They all went into action. The men behind Bannon rushed forward, as though they were privy to something Bannon was not.
Louie had stopped and glanced back at Bannon, clearly as puzzled as he.
The whistle sounded again as Ciaran reached over his head and pulled his sword from the scabbard on his back. He held it forward like a lance and leaned forward. Horace charged down the narrow pass, out of sight. What the…?
More rocks fell from the opposite side of the cliff, but this time a black burn mark marred the spot.
Oh my galaxy. We’re being shot at! The canyon had disguised the sound, but Bannon was certain that must be it. Why else would rocks break off that way? He tightened his knees on Flùr, and they lurched forward toward Louie, his only thought to protect her.
Fortunately, she clued into what was happening too and stayed put.
Several more MacKays charged forward toward the pass, riding between him and Louie. It was like running down a long tunnel in a nightmare and seeing your goal but not being able to reach it. Bannon’s heart raced, rushing through his ears like waves of the ocean. He had to protect her.
Louie’s horse pranced in place, but she quickly calmed it.
Shouting came from beyond the pass, echoing off the rocks. The pew sound of fraggers being fired filled the air.
Soon he and Louie were alone on the narrow pass.
“What do we do?” she asked. “We have to help.”
Bannon was torn. It wasn’t in his nature to not stand up for himself, but he didn’t want to leave Louie, and he definitely did not want her fighting. “Stay here!” He reined in close to Louie, leaning forward and getting right in her face. “So help me, if you get killed, I’ll never speak to you again!” He left her gaping after him and heeled Flùr down the path, his stomach somewhere in the vicinity of his throat.
The clash of steel met his ears before his eyes registered what he was seeing. It was chaos. Complete and utter chaos. Highlanders fought on the ground and on their horses. Slashing and stabbing at men in black jumpsuits. Forty or so against twenty MacKays, but the MacKays were doing okay, especially considering that some of the mercenaries had fragger pistols. The men with fraggers stood in the middle of the crowd, taking aim. Already a few Highlanders had fallen.
Bannon’s throat tightened, trying to close up. He searched for Ciaran but didn’t find him.
Angus had flung himself off his horse and onto a mercenary. In a split second, he dispatched him. Blood sprayed as he slashed at the man’s side, leaving the man’s forearm dangling from what looked like skin or tendons.
Bannon swallowed back bile and turned away from the sight.
The