"Magnus," Ada breathed, her hand clutching his arm. "Look. There."
Magnus followed her gaze to the fire. Two men stood in its light, their faces clearly visible.
The first was Donnan. There was no mistaking him—sandy hair, broad shoulders, that easy stance that suggested confidence bordering on arrogance.
The second man was older, taller, with dark hair going gray at the temples. He wore a cloak marked with a crest that caught the firelight—green and gold, a stag's head prominent.
MacTavish colors. Ada's family crest.
Magnus felt Ada go rigid beside him. Her breathing quickened, shallow and rapid.
"That's him," she whispered, so quietly he almost didn't hear. "That's me faither."
Magnus's blood went cold. Conall MacTavish. There. On Barra. With armed men and Donnan—who'd been inside the keep since Ada's arrival, watching, reporting, planning.
Everything clicked into place with terrible clarity.
The poisoned well. The fire. The attack on Ada. The man caught today trying to poison another well.
All of it orchestrated by Conall, using Donnan as his eyes and hands inside Magnus's walls. Magnus had suspected Donnan from the beginning but knowing that Ada’s own father was trying to ruin her marriage? That he had not expected.
"We need tae go," Magnus said, his voice barely audible. "Now. Before they see us."
But Ada wasn't moving. She stared down at the camp, her face pale in the dim light, her eyes wide with shock and something that looked like grief.
"He's been here the whole time," she whispered. "All those attacks. All those people who got sick. People who could havedied." Her voice cracked. "And he did it. Me own faither."
"Ada." Magnus gripped her shoulders, turned her to face him. "I ken this is hard. But we cannae stay here. If they see us we’ll be dead."
"He tried tae have me kidnapped." Ada's eyes met his, bright with unshed tears. "His own daughter. He was willin' tae let those men hurt me, maybe kill me, just tae get tae ye."
"I ken." Magnus pulled her close, pressed a kiss to her forehead. "But right now, we need tae move. We need tae get back tae the keep."
A twig snapped somewhere to their left.
Magnus froze. Ada went completely still in his arms.
"Did ye hear somethin'?" A voice, close. Too close. One of the camp's sentries.
"Probably just a deer." Another voice, further away. "These woods are full of them."
"Check it anyway. The laird said to be careful."
Footsteps. Coming closer.
Magnus's hand moved to the knife at his belt. His other arm tightened around Ada, ready to push her behind him if necessary.
The footsteps came closer.
Then stopped.
"Nay. Naethin' here. Just shadows."
"Told ye. Come on, let's get back tae the fire before we freeze our arses off."
The footsteps retreated. Magnus waited until they'd faded completely before releasing the breath he'd been holding.
"We go. Now." He kept his voice barely above a whisper. "Slowly. Quietly. Dinnae make a sound."
