Page 45 of Laird Of Her Heart

He glanced at the small trebuchet, one they kept for defense and target practice, and then at three small bundles wrapped in rags. Oddly enough, they…hummed. “Ah… What…what are these?”

She grinned. It was a heinous, evil, wicked grin. “A wake-up call.” She turned to Ewan. “Are we ready to launch?”

Ewan glanced at him for guidance—Dominic shrugged—and Ewan nodded. “Let’s do it.”

The trebuchet released its first strange missile. As it flew through the air, the rag wrapping it whipped away. The missile fell dead center in the enemy camp. But before it landed, Maggie was already repositioning the catapult and placing the second missile gently in the cup.

A yowl rose from the camp below. Dominic glanced that way and his eyes widened. Camerons scattered, hither and yon, howling and batting the air around them.

“Fire two,” Maggie warbled. Her tone held far too much glee.

She quickly re-sighted and fired the third and final missile. In short succession, those missiles landed on either side of the camp with similar results.

“What, may I ask, did you send them?” He had to ask. Whatever it was, it was ingenious and evil. The Camerons were in chaos.

“Just a little something sweet.” Like her smile. He longed to kiss her but this was hardly the place.

“What?”

“Beehives,” Ewan said.

Dominic looked out at the field again and his lips quirked. A chuckle rose up within him, and then a laugh. It rang across the ramparts and over the bee-infested lea.

Below, Torquil Cameron glared up at him. And then he shook his fist.

And then, of course, he howled and swatted at his neck. But it was far too late. The bees had found him.

CHAPTER TEN

Battle was invigorating. Maggie found it suited her well. And not just because she’d spent a lot of time studying the history of military strategy, but because it was a damn lot of fun anticipating an enemy’s move and squelching it before it could come to fruition.

She had been right about the clumsy tower. Two iron bolts fired straight into the treads of the front wheels stopped it short. That it stalled close enough for them to rain fire upon it was an added bonus.

They launched the Molotov cocktails first of course, soaking the structure in oil. When the flaming arrows hit it, the conflagration was spectacular. They had the same luck with the cart carrying the battering ram.

The poor Camerons were being trounced. When a ladder came up over the castle walls, her men doused it in more oil and lit it on fire. Then they pushed it back down with long spears. Whenever the enemy amassed to launch another attack, they received another bumble of bees. Any time they ventured too close, her archers let fly.

Just before midday, the enemy drew back, but Maggie didn’t have any delusions that they were giving up. Indeed, the silence was unnerving.

“What do you think they’re up to?” she asked.

Dominic, who had remained by her side, set his arm around her shoulders. “They probably need a rest. So do you.”

She frowned at him. “This is warfare. There’s no naptime in warfare.”

“It concerns me that you are enjoying this so much.” But he said this with a smile.

“It’s kind of fun.”

“Will you at least come down into the bailey and eat?” A table with food and drink had been set up for the fighting men along one wall.

“All right. But I want to know the moment anything changes.”

Dominic glanced at Declan who stepped up to take his position. “You heard the lady. The moment anything changes.”

“Aye.” Declan fixed his gaze on her. She was gratified to see it lacked his usual derision. In fact, there might have been a hint of admiration in his eyes.

Dominic led her down the stairs, holding her hand to keep her steady. Though she hardly needed his help, she liked the feel of his fingers laced in hers. “You were right, you know.”