“Silence, Kilmartin,” Caden growled. “Remove yer arse from me sleigh and land. I’ve killed yer men; ye have nay chance in a fight. We daenae need to carry on as our faithers have. Ye ken I will kill ye. I’ll make ye an offer: sign the treaty our faithers drew up and let us be at peace.”
Kilmartin shook his head slowly. “I willnae. Ye see, I’ve already won.” A twisted smile spread across his face. “Havin yer sister give me an heir was just the beginning of me revenge for me faither’s death.”
The world seemed to screech to a halt. Ava’s gasp echoed across the loch. She held Nathan tighter.
Caden’s heart slammed against his ribs. “What?”
He could not move or breathe. Images of Joanna, pregnant and heartbroken, flashed before him.
“Let me tell ye a little story.” Kilmartin scrunched up his nose in fake sympathy. “Four years ago, yer faither killed me faither right as we were about to call a truce and sign the treaty. I watched as yer bloody faither slayed mine and walked away.
“He didnae even have the courtesy to watch him die. But right before he died, me old man made me swear that I would take revenge on Clan MacCabe. So I did. I plotted and waited for the opportune moment to seduce yer sister. I told her on the full moon that I loved her and that I would make peace for her.”
He spat on the ground. “I would rather marry a goat, but I had a promise to keep. So I bedded her and got her pregnant. It was the perfect plan. I ruined her and any chance of the MacCabes securing an alliance with another clan or ours by marrying her off.”
Caden’s ears were ringing. His hand curled around the hilt of his sword.
It’s nae true. It cannae be true. He’s lying.
Kilmartin continued, “When she gave birth to the boy, I wanted to claim him as me heir, but I refused to offer her a marriage proposal. There was nay way I would make peace with the clan who killed me faither.”
Hatred radiated from both men as they drew closer and circled each other.
“After months of secretly meeting Joanna and the boy, I decided he wouldnae be needing a maither to keep him alive anymore. He was old enough to have teeth, so mother’s milk wasnae necessary. A good nursemaid would do. It was time to take me son and heir home to his real family. So I used the conflict over the fertile land as an excuse. It drew yer faither, braither,and ye away from the castle and left poor Joanna defenseless.” Kilmartin tutted mockingly.
Caden wanted to rip the man’s head off, but he had to hear more.
“I snuck into yer castle—boring décor, by the way—and met up with Joanna to bring me son back home with me. The whiny little thing begged me nae to take the child. Could ye imagine that? A child without a faither?Ican.”
Caden bristled. Kilmartin knew well that his father had died in battle too.
“Unfortunately, the lassie threatened to kill me with her knife. I couldnae let that stand. I couldnae stab her with her own knife either, as it would have raised questions. So I took the candle off the dresser and let it slip.” Kilmartin held up his hands innocently.
“As the flames grew, yer sister still begged me like a dog to marry her. She said we could be happy and have a life together. Her reputation would be restored if I told the truth, and Nathan would have his faither. Can ye believe she threatened me with such a disgusting thing?”
“I’ll kill ye!” Caden yelled.
“Shh, lad, I’m nae finished. Ye are about to appear on stage.” Kilmartin waved him off. “I was just telling her that I would never let her into me family or make peace with yer clan whenI heard ye, Caden. God, ye were bellowing and hollering like a donkey made to run. Apparently, the battle hadnae lasted long enough to keep ye outside.”
He rubbed his temples as if still annoyed by the inconvenience.
“Joanna had the gall to tell me I would never beat ye, can ye believe it?” He let out a shrieking laugh. “I told her we would see about that and warned her that it wasnae over. I told that boy—” he pointed to Nathan—“that I would come back for him. As I left, a beam fell and trapped Joanna inside with the baby, right when you arrived. Imagine me surprise when I discovered that yer dear faither had lost his life in the battle. It was one less thing to cross off me agenda.”
He picked at his fingernails as if bored. “Well, now I’m here to deliver on me promise.” He stared down the blade he lifted and pointed at Caden.
“Ye bastard!”
“Oh, and by the way.” He rolled his shoulders like a cat about to pounce. “Ye’re welcome for the lovely mask. It’s a great way to hide that hideous scar of yers. Now, hand over me son, and I’ll let ye live.”
“I’ll never let ye take him. I will kill ye before ye lay one hand on him, Kilmartin.”
CHAPTER 21
Caden drewin a breath and unleashed a battle cry that came from deep within. It echoed across the loch as he charged at Kilmartin. His bare feet pounded against the frozen ground. He paid no mind to the cold; he was only focused on killing his enemy.
Kilmartin ducked at the last moment and slammed his sword against Caden’s with a sharpclang.
Hate flared hot in Caden’s chest. He growled, spun, and charged again. He swung his sword harder and faster than he ever had before.
