Domnall Maguire scowled. “Want a job doing, do it yerself, eh?” he shouted. He drew his own weapon and spurred his horse straight at Reid. It was a fine warhorse, well trained and caparisoned in Campbell’s colors—part of Domnall’s reward for betraying him, no doubt.
Reid ran straight at him. Domnall grinned, flashing his brown teeth, and lifted the sword for a blow that would take Reid’s head. It was a stupid thing to do, as it left his armpit exposed, the only weakness in the leather armor he wore beneath his plaid. In an instant, Reid whipped out a knife and threw it. Domnall howled as it buried itself in his armpit and dropped his sword. Reid’s second knife took him through the throat. Domnall’s eyes widened as if he couldn’t quite believe this was happening, then he toppled backward off his horse into the mud.
Reid barely gave him a second glance, he jumped over the sprawled body and burst through the flap into the tent, sword held ready.
“No further, if ye please,” said a voice.
Reid skidded to a halt. It was dim inside the tent and he had to squint to make out its interior. It was bare, with no furniture or adornment of any kind. Beneath his feet, the floor was just hard-packed mud.
His uncle, Laird Edwin Campbell stood at the far side of the tent, his hulking figure taking up most of the space. He held a crossbow in one hand, fully loaded, with its bolt pointed directly at Reid’s chest. At this range that bolt would likely go right through Reid’s body.
“Drop yer weapon,” Campbell said. “Unless ye want a foot of steel through yer guts.”
Reid tossed his sword into the dirt. His uncle was alone which Reid found odd. Where were his advisors? His generals? If this was the command tent where battle strategy would be discussed then where were the tables? The maps spread out on them? Why was it empty, with only Laird Campbell here? And for that matter, why had this place been so easy to find with its banner snapping in the breeze for all to see?
“This was a trap,” he said. “Ye lured me here.”
Laird Campbell lowered the crossbow and nodded. “Of course it was. Have ye learned nothing from me?”
“Go on then,” Reid said, raising his chin. “Get it over with. Kill me.”
“Dinna ye think if I wanted ye dead ye already would be? Ye’ve just ridden through my army for Christ’s sake! I brought ye here because I want to talk. Despite yer betrayal—”
“I didnae betray ye! I rescued an innocent woman from yer cruelty!”
“As I said, despite yer betrayal, ye are my blood kin, my only living family. So I will forgive ye. Let’s put it down to having yer head turned by a pretty woman, eh? Ye wouldnae be the first to fall foul of the charms of the fairer sex.”
Reid folded his arms. Where was he going with this? He eyed his sword lying in the dirt. Could he grab it before Campbell could get a shot off with that crossbow?
Laird Campbell took a step forward. “I want ye with me, Reid. I want ye at my side as I take the Muir lands. Do this and ye will have everything I promised ye and more. Ye will rule Clan Muir. Dun Calas will be yers and then ye can have any woman ye want. Ye are my sister’s son. That makes ye my heir. When I’m gone, all I’ve accomplished will be yers.”
“And all I have to do is sell my soul, is that right?” Reid said. “All I have to do is become like ye. I must admit, uncle, ye did a good job. I was almost there. I had almost become as twisted a bastard as ye are. It took Abigail to make me realize it. No more, uncle. I want no part of yer wars.”
“What if I offered ye something ye canna refuse?”
“There is nothing ye could offer me.”
“Are ye sure about that?” Laird Campbell tilted his head as though he’d heard something Reid hadn’t. “Ah! Here it comes, my gift to ye. Right on time.”
There was a commotion outside and a knot of guardsmen burst in, dragging a bound man between them. It took four of them to hold the struggling, fighting man. They shoved him onto his knees and retreated to the edge of the tent, hands on their weapons.
“Face me, Campbell!” the man spat. “Or are ye such a coward ye would hide behind yer men?”
Reid gasped in recognition. “Cinead?”
Cinead’s head snapped around, his eyes widening at the sight of his brother. “Reid?” Then his expression folded into a snarl. “I should have known it was a trick! Abigail almost had me believing ye’d left Campbell, almost had me believing ye aren’t the bastard I thought ye were. And I fell for it! Here ye are, with him!”
“Ye see!” Laird Campbell said to Reid with a grin. “Dinna I always keep my promises? I told ye I would give ye vengeance, my boy. Here it is! All ye need to do is pick up that sword and drive it through Cinead Muir’s heart.”
***
ABI’S HEART WAS THUMPINGso fast she thought she might pass out. She gripped Layla’s waist so hard she must be squeezing the breath out of her friend but Layla didn’t complain. She looked as worried as Abi felt. They sat on the horse at the top of the meadow, looking down on the battle below.
It had become a seething mass of humanity where Abi could no longer tell friend from foe. It was horrifying. The noise, the smell, the way the ground shook under the tramp of so many feet. It was worse than any nightmare. And what made it worse was that they’d lost sight of both Reid and Cinead. She could make out Reid’s forces still fighting but could not see Reid’s white-blond hair amongst them.
“Dear God,” Layla breathed, her eyes wide as she watched the battle unfolding in front of them. “Look at it. Such a mess. Such a stupid, stupid, waste of life. And to think, this might have been avoided if Reid hadn’t taken up with Laird Campbell.”
Abi had to agree. How might things have been different if the brothers hadn’t been estranged the way they had? Would any of this be happening?
