Never Never by Susan Kiernan-Lewis Page B

mind?
    â€œOf course we’re going back,” she said, edging away from him, her food forgotten. “How can you even say that?”
    â€œSarah…” He looked at her helplessly and then glanced at the wagon behind her with Fiona and Declan in it. “We have to go forward. There’s no future for us back there.”
    â€œWell, there might be a future for Declan back there,” Sarah said loudly.
    â€œLower your voice. Fiona’s upset enough as it is.”
    â€œYou mean you don’t want Fiona switching to my side which you know she’ll do once she realizes you’re crazy enough to want to go on.”
    â€œFiona agrees with me.”
    Sarah jumped to her feet. “I don’t believe it! You’d sacrifice your best friend for this obsession of yours about a stupid castle?”
    â€œDon’t be dramatic,” Mike said between gritted teeth. “Declan is his own man.” But his eyes flitted again to the wagon. Sarah saw the indecision there. The guilt.
    â€œYou know very well he isn’t any more! And now look where we are!”
    â€œI admit it!” Mike said angrily. “I was wrong to let him go off on his own. I made a mistake. I won’t make it again.”
    â€œYou won’t get the chance again. He’ll be lucky to pass gas on his own now, let alone take a walk in the woods.”
    â€œYou’ve made your point, Sarah. I accept the blame for what happened.”
    â€œAnd you’ll go ahead and do what you want anyway.”
    â€œAs long as I believe it’s the right thing for those who follow me, aye.”
    â€œMaybe that’s the key phrase.”
    â€œBe mindful of what you say, Sarah.”
    â€œWhy? Because words have power? How about actions, Mike?” She turned and stomped away from the warmth of the campfire, her mind buzzing with disbelief. They weren’t going back. Unbelievable .
    Sarah felt her fury drumming in her chest as she walked away from the wagons where the road stretched back toward the nunnery.
    She couldn’t leave. Not yet anyway. Not without Siobhan. She just needed to walk and wear down the anger and the hurt.
    The sounds of camp receded and Sarah felt a drape of calmness descend on her the further she got from the noise. She stopped, closed her eyes and took a long cleansing breath.
    When she opened her eyes, she felt a little better. She looked longingly down the dark road as it bent around a far corner on its way back to the convent and imagined walking down that road in the sunshine with Siobhan in her arms.
    She promised herself she would. Soon. If Mike couldn’t see the dangers ahead it was up to her to save Siobhan. And John. Just thinking it made her feel calmer.
    Suddenly the noise from camp amplified. She turned to look back. When she did, the noise softened. Confused, she turned again the road to the convent and instantly saw the true source of the sound.
    People morphed out of the darkness. Heading toward her.

9
    T hings were shaping up nicely and it had only taken the wholesale slaughter of a little less than one hundred men to affect it.
    Hurley strode to the first tier of the Dublin opera house. It smelled like a dung heap and no surprise. While the lions lived comfortably on the stage and orchestra pit in the ancient indoor amphitheater, cleaning up after them was out of the question.
    One of the younger Centurions had the idea that mercy might be shown to any sacrifice who was able to clean a section of the lions’ den and stay alive for five minutes. Unfortunately, after the first week once all the politicians and officers were tossed to the lions, the beasts were always fairly hungry.
    Hurley had known terror was the fastest way to wake up his lackluster troops and that had been absolutely proven in the past three weeks. While it was true he was only one man and could easily be overpowered, none of his men appeared to think in those terms. It confirmed