The fury in Brynja’s gaze simmered until it was as cold as any he’d ever seen.
Jowell said, “Ignore him. How can we help?”
Brynja turned her back to Hagen and spoke directly to Jowell. “Since you and your friends are here, may I ask a question?”
Hildi came up to stand beside her, crossing her arms. Hildi was half a head shorter than Brynja with darker hair, but he had had to agree with Jowell. She was also a fine beauty.
“Of course,” Paden said. “We’ll help however we can.”
“Do you patrol Mull?”
“All the time.” Jowell stepped forward, eyes sparkling with interest. Jowell had always been a bit more intense.
“Have you seen any unwelcome strangers?” Brynja asked, crossing her arms. “New ones?”
Hagen looked to Artan, confused. “We haven’t. Artan? Simone? Are you looking for someone in particular? Clyde is dead. He was the one who came for Sheona, correct?”
“Clyde is dead,” Simone confirmed. “And Roger won’t bother anyone again. He’s in chains, as far as I understand. We haven’t seen anyone on Mull, but we’ve all noticed a boat circling Iona of late. And we don’t know who they are. Can’t get close enough to identify either of the men in the boat. They’re quite careful. No one comes near Iona that often.”
“Any idea where they’re from?” Jowell asked, swinging his chestnut-colored locks away from his face. “Where do they go when they leave?”
“We don’t know,” Artan explained. “They could be from Coll or Tiree. Ulva. The mainland. We have Thane and his men keeping watch as well.”
Thane MacQuarie was chieftain of Clan MacQuarie, situated on the northwestern side of Mull.
“Any idea who it would be?” Hagen asked, his hands settling on his hips. A fury was building inside him—he had a sudden inkling of what they were going to say.
Brynja waited until the others all denied knowing the identity of the fools in the boat. Then she said with a conviction that didn’t go unnoticed, “It’s the other one.”
“Which one?” Paden asked.
Hagen’s hand ran down his face. He knew exactly what she meant, but he had to curtail his urge to bellow like a banshee.
Simone nodded, crossing her arms. “The other one who was after Sheona. No one knows who he was. You’re probably correct, Brynja.”
Hildi hung her head. “I’m afraid of him.”
Jowell took two steps closer to Hildi, something telling to Hagen.
“He doesn’t frighten me.” Brynja glanced at Hildi. “I’ve seen him before. I put my dagger in his upper leg. So you can all guess what he wants. Or should I say who?”
“Vengeance,” Hagen whispered. “He’s after you, Brynja.”
“I can’t discount that belief, Grant,” Artan said.
Hagen knew who he was going to be after. An ugly bastard with a wound in his leg.
The buffoon was about to gain a few more wounds.
Chapter Three
Dugan
Sholto Landrum strode toward the cottage on Tiree, hoping to find his cousin inside. The man had been off to the mainland making deals that he didn’t like. Oh, he knew all about Kelvan and Glenna of Buchan, how they’d made deals selling bairns, and they’d both died for it.
So why his foolish cousin wished to make the same kind of agreements he didn’t know, but he’d come along and heard Kelvan’s operation was available for anyone with enough guts to take it on. Dugan had jumped at the opportunity, but then again, his cousin had always been a blind fool about some things.
So Dugan took over the operation on Tiree, always in search of more bairns.
