“If only Cinead had spoken to Reid instead of doing what he did.”
Layla looked over her shoulder at Abi. “What do you mean? It was Reid who walked out of Dun Calas and took up with Laird Campbell.”
“Yes, and why did he do that? He wouldn’t have gone near Campbell if Cinead hadn’t done what he did.”
“Cinead? What has he ever done to Reid?”
Abi was incredulous. She knew her friend was only being loyal to her husband but how could she sit here and act like Cinead was totally blameless in all this?
“He massacred Reid’s men!” Abi cried. “Just to try and capture him, even though they had nothing to do with the feud between him and his brother. They were just boys, Layla! Is it any wonder that such an act drove Reid to seek revenge? Is it any wonder it drove him to his uncle’s side?”
Layla shook her head. “Abi, I have no idea what you’re talking about. What massacre? Cinead never ordered anything of the sort. In fact, he never once went after Reid, content to leave him be until Reid led a raid against the Muir garrison at Spiny Head and all but wiped them out. And you call Cinead the bad guy?”
Abi stared at her friend, trying to sort through her words. Cinead hadnotordered the massacre of Reid’s men? And Reid had never mentioned anything about a raid at Spiny Head. He’d told her every last dark deed he’d done and that was not among them. So if Reid hadn’t led that raid, who had? And if Cinead hadn’t ordered the massacre of Reid’s men, who had?
There was, of course, only one answer.
“We’ve been played,” she whispered. “We’ve all been played. This has been a trap all along.”
“What has?” Layla said. “What are you talking about?”
“Who would stand to gain by setting Cinead and Reid against each other? Who had the means and the motive to order both the massacre of Reid’s men and an attack on the Muir garrison at Spiny Head?”
Layla’s eyes widened. “Campbell. He’s behind all this?”
“Yes and both Cinead and Reid are down there. Layla, we’ve got to stop them before they kill each other!”
“How?” Layla cried. “There’s an army between us and them!”
Abi scanned the area. To the east, the battlefield was bordered by forest. She turned to the captain of the guards that ringed her and Layla.
“Are those trees thick enough to hide in?”
“Nay, my lady,” he replied. “A force of any size would immediately be spotted and surrounded.”
“What about a small force? In your estimation what’s the largest group that could sneak through those trees undetected?”
“Abi what are you doing?” Layla asked.
Abi ignored her friend. “Well, captain?”
The man rubbed his chin, gray eyes scanning the treeline and the battlefield. “Five at most, my lady.”
“Right. Pick your three best fighters to escort us.”
“Escort ye? What do ye mean?”
“Layla and I are going down there. See that tent in the distance? I’ll bet good money on that being Laird Campbell’s tent and I’d also bet money on the fact that Reid and Cinead will both head for it once they figure that out. Those trees will let us get most of the way undetected so that’s where Layla and me are going. If we can join up with Reid’s forces, we should be able to reach it.”
The captain shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. My orders were to keep ye safe, my lady.”
“Your orders have just changed,” Layla said. “Do as Abi says. Pick your three best men and get ready to ride. We are going to stop my husband and his brother killing each other and you’re going to help us.”
***
REID FELT THE BLOODpounding in his ears as he glared at the man who had become the embodiment of everything he hated. Cinead glared right back, his eyes flashing with fury. His stepbrother looked older, with tiny lines crinkling the corners of his eyes, the strain perhaps of holding the lairdship for these last few years. But for all that, he looked no less vigorous, no less dangerous, no less arrogant as he looked down at Reid as though he was something he’d just scraped off his shoe.
“Well?” Campbell cried. “What are ye waiting for? There’s yer sword, man! Pick it up! Kill the bastard who’s kept ye down for so long!”
