Mariota caught Seamus’ eye. “Where’s Alber?”
He got up and walked casually around the camp, but returned in moments. “In his plaid on the far side of the second fire,” he told her. “’Twasna him to spook the horses.”
Later that morning, they crossed a narrow glen and once they reached the woods on the other side, she realized Alber was not at the front of their group with her father. Where had he gone?She’d kept Valkyrie with her so far this morning, but knew Alber could circle back and pace alongside her but out of sight behind trees. Waiting for his chance. To shoot arrows at Valkyrie from the trees? Or her?
“Anders, Seamus,” she said softly. Once she had their attention, she nodded toward the front. “Alber is missing. Do ye see him behind us?”
Both men shook their heads.
“He may be alongside us, out of sight,” she told them.
“Damn the man,” Seamus muttered and pulled his reins to turn his horse.
“Wait,” Anders called. Seamus turned back.
“If we move away from Mariota, she’ll be a clear target. If he’s out there, that’s what he’s hoping for. So we stay by her.” He signaled to the two closest Sutherlands. “Elias, Erik, form up with us. Elias, in front of Mariota, Erik, directly behind her.”
Seamus called for MacKay guards to close in as well.
Mariota appreciated the wall they formed around her, but she didn’t want them to get hurt. Her father had promised to keep Alber under control. “Da,” she called out, attracting his attention. He frowned at the close guard around her and rode back.
“What are ye men doing?”
She didn’t give any of them time to answer. “Where’s Alber, Da?”
MacKay frowned and looked around. He pointed at two of this men among the guard around her. “Find him.”
“Nay,” Anders objected. “We stay with Mariota. Send some of yer other men to find him.”
“My men do as I command,” MacKay responded, going red in the face.
“Not this time,” Mariota told him. “He’s after me. He’s in these woods, somewhere close. These men stay with me.”
“Damn it, lass,” MacKay started, but Mariota stared him down. She was pleased to see that her father also didn’t trust Alber, perhaps even that he wasn’t choosing Alber over her.
But that would mean there was another reason for always keeping him near. She couldn’t think of a reason that didn’t make her father’s actions seem suspect— that he knew all along what Alber had been doing, and had allowed it. Or worse, that Alber had some hold over him that stayed her father’s hand. She didn’t like the alternatives.
“Fine. Ye two, back there, search along our back trail,” he ordered, pointing at his men following Mariota’s group. “And ye two, go left, two more, go right. Five of ye scout ahead. Find the bastard.”
As the men began dividing up and moving out as their laird directed, Alber rode out of the nearby trees. “What’s amiss?”
“Where have ye been?” MacKay snarled.
“What? Can a man no’ take a piss without causing— whatever this is?”
“With me,” MacKay demanded turned his horse and kicked it forward.
Alber let his gaze slide over the men around Mariota, then settle on her like a veil of slime. He gave her a nasty grin, eyes slitted but teeth exposed, kicked his horse and followed her father to the front.
“I’m going to have to kill that man,” Seamus said.
“After I do,” Anders told him.
“Nay, lads. After I finish with him,” Mariota told them, giving in to the shudder his gaze had raised from her chest to her fingertips. “He’s going to make a mistake he canna recover from. I’ll see that he doesna.”
They arrivedat the MacKay keep later that day. Mariota dismounted and, escorted by Seamus and Anders, took Valkyrie to the mews and the care of the hawk master. He would keep her safe.
Out in the bailey, Mariota paused and looked around. This was the only home she’d ever known. It was familiar. She had a few friends here, though. Her closest childhood girlfriends had married into other clans and were gone. Was she glad to be back? She wasn’t ready to answer that question. Too many issues remained unresolved.
