men, someone had sliced him with a saber. He hadn’t noticed at the time because adrenaline was a wonderful thing. Wait, did he say…? “Last time?”
“Aye. I’ve been grazed before.” Ciaran sat on the battlement next to him, but with his feet and legs still hanging down toward the floor. He looked exhausted, but alive. And gorgeous. His hair blew in the wind away from his face, accentuating his stubbled jaw. He looked young and healthy, even tired and with his arm tied into a sling. Bannon had a new appreciation for the man. It was no wonder he was so tough. This place…. Skye was tough.
Bannon had the urge to reach up and touch his cheek. When he’d thought Ciaran was dead, he’d realized he had a real connection with this man, something that went beyond savior and savee—or whatever the person who got saved was called. Oh, that was definitely some of it—Bannon wasn’t a man who believed in love at first sight—but he also admired Ciaran. Galaxy help him, he didn’t know if he could live this life, with the fighting, the hunting….
They didn’t say anything for several moments. They just enjoyed the silence. The light breeze. This place really was as beautiful as it was savage. It was such a contrast to this afternoon. “How do you do it?”
“What?”
“Fight. How did you get used to it?” The stitches in Bannon’s leg started to pull, so he lowered his leg, letting it hang over the side again.
Ciaran’s gaze followed his every move. “It’s what I was trained tae do. I started learning how tae fight practically from the moment I learned tae walk.”
“Did you want to fight?”
“I never thought about it. It’s just what we do. What was expected of me. I was born tae be the next chieftain, and as such I had tae be a warrior. Tae fight with my men.” He said the words as if by rote. As if they’d been drummed into him.
“But what about all the men who die?”
“Whit’s fur ye’ll no go by ye.”
Bannon stared, agog. “What?”
Smirking, Ciaran answered, “What will happen will happen.”
With a grin, Bannon asked, “Is that English?”
“Aye.”
“If you say so.” Aside from the funny words, the sentiment made sense. Fate and all that. It was part of being a leader, Bannon supposed. Something Ciaran had been taught along with how to use a sword. “How old are you?”
“Twenty. I’m the youngest chieftain in our clan’s history. I thought by now I’d have my own cottage out by Agatha’s.” He gave a soft little laugh. After a few moments, he asked, “How old are ye?”
“Twenty-one.”
“Ye are jesting? Ye are older than me?”
“I’ll turn twenty-two in two months.”
“Have ye always wanted tae be an artist?”
Bannon shook his head. “I thought I’d be a politician like my parents and my brother, but….”
“But what?” Ciaran grabbed his hand, rubbing his thumb over the knuckles.
“My father steered me away from politics. He thought it was too demanding for me. That I was too soft-hearted.” He shrugged. “They coddle me. And they don’t listen to me. Blaise does sometimes, but….” He shrugged again, trying to put his thoughts into words. In the back of his mind, he thought he should just shut up, but once the words were out, he realized he needed to say them. Perhaps it was the realization that death could happen to anyone at any time. “It’s like they think I’m an imbecile or something. I try to tell them things, and they ignore me. It’s like they don’t think I can make decisions for myself. Like with Blaise and the engagement. After I found out, I went to my parents and told them to break things off. I told them I thought Blaise was in love with someone else, but they didn’t listen. They just dismissed me. Everyone does. Except Louie. She listens. She understands me.” He snorted at his own musings. Listen to him rambling. He started off feeling bad for the men they’d lost today, and he’d turned it around on himself. How pathetic was that? He really was feeling out of sync tonight. “I’m sorry, I—”
“Nae. Ye have nothing tae be sorry for.” Ciaran raised their hands and brought Bannon’s knuckles up to his lips. His lips were warm and soft as they feathered across Bannon’s skin. “I dinna ken why they dinna listen tae ye. Maybe because ye are the baby of the family? They probably only want tae protect ye.”