Page 19

“I’m glad that ye understand,” she said sweetly.

“Aye, but it was hard at first. Until I got tae know ye…” A thought began to form in his mind. It was cloudy at first, but soon became clear, although he didn’t know if it was going to work. “Perhaps that is the key. Perhaps they just need tae know ye. I think we should arrange a time when people can come tae talk with ye and ask ye anything they want. Once they see that ye are a reasonable and nice person, they will nae be able tae hate ye, and they’ll see that us leading them will be good for the clan.”

“Oh, aye. I hae plenty of ideas for ways things can be improved around here,” she said. “But I dae worry that they would hurl abuse at me.”

“I wilnae let them,” Kevan said in a protective growl. “I’ll make it clear that any man who dares tae humiliate ye or abuse ye will be punished tae the full extent of my might. If they wilnae respect me, then I can at least make them fear me.”

“Dae ye really think it will work?” Maura asked.

The anger faded from his eyes for a moment as he looked at her. “I dinnae know,” he admitted, “but I think it’s the best choice we hae.”

Kevan and Maura stayed together for a little while longer, sharing some comfort and affection. It struck him as ironic that the only person he found solace with was someone who was considered the enemy, but it was impossible to stay angry at Maura. She was not responsible for any of this, aside from the marriage, and even that had been done with good intentions. When his mind was free from doubt and grief, he knew that she was right. A war between the two clans would have been the worst outcome for all of them. Blood would have been spilled over the land, and even if the McGrory clan managed to wrestle some villages from the Calbraith clan, the loss of life would hardly have been worth it. It wasn’t the future that John wanted for his clan.

Kevan spent a moment thinking about the man John was and how Wallace would have reacted had John remained alive and taken his place as laird. Wallace didn’t know the revolutionary ideas that John wanted to put in place, or how he wanted to change the clan’s ethos to be more peaceful and cooperative with other clans. Would John have lived up to Wallace’s idea of a strong laird? It was a shame that Kevan would never get a chance to find out, but he had to try to do his best to protect John’s legacy, and that meant to maintain peace above all else.

His mind was occupied with these thoughts as he went to see Wyl to arrange another meeting, this time to announce to the clan that they would have the opportunity to speak with Maura and air any grievances they had. It was better to get this all out in the open rather than listening to whispers that ran around the castle like phantoms. He walked briskly, but because his mind was not on his surroundings and because he felt safe in his own castle, he did not see the attack coming.

Four men emerged from the darkness and swiftly wrestled him to the ground. One of them punched him in the gut, causing the breath to burst out of his lungs. Another wrapped Kevan’s head in his arms, bending his body down. Kevan struggled to break free. He lashed out with his arms and legs. He even tried to sink his teeth into the burly flesh of the man who had him by the neck, but he just couldn’t quite get purchase. Another man came up and stunned him with a blow around the face. Pain flared, and stars began to dance before his eyes. He slumped to the floor and felt the cold stone, along with the impact of other punches and kicks. He curled himself up as blows rained down upon him in such a flurry that he never had a chance to defend himself. There were dark curses, calling him traitor and betrayer. Globs of phlegm were spat and stained his clothes, and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.

The attack was over almost as swiftly as it had begun. Footsteps thundered away like the hooves of galloping horses. Kevan had never been subjected to a cowardly attack like that before. He coughed up blood and pushed himself to his knees, using the stone wall for support. His vision was blurred, and he almost fell. Pain filled every part of his body. He groaned, wincing as he clasped his side, as his skin was tender. As he pushed his tongue around his mouth, he felt a couple of loose teeth. But the pain that hurt most of all was the fact that his own clansmen had done this.

“Who did this tae ye?” Maura cried when she saw Kevan staggering back into the chamber. His skin was black and blue. There were dark welts appearing on his skin, and blood trickled from his lips. He groaned as he sank into the bed. Maura did her best to make him comfortable. She called for servants who looked alarmed when they saw the state of their laird. She ordered them to come back with some water, a clean cloth, and herbs. Once this was done, they were left alone.

“I didnae see their faces. But it doesnae matter. It could hae been anyone,” Kevan groaned. Each word was labored and punctuated with heavy, wheezing breath. When Maura made the lightest dab to his wounded skin, he winced. She winced too at the sight of blood.

“They’re monsters. Ye hae tae dae something,” she said. Anger burned in her heart more fiercely than fear.

“What can I dae? They clearly dinnae want me tae be their leader. The only mercy I hae is that they didnae kill me, but maybe they just want tae make me suffer.”

The thought gave Maura a chill. She had never felt at home in this castle, but suddenly it seemed more like a prison than ever before. Her skin tingled and fear clutched at her throat.

“Dinnae say things like that,” Maura said as she dressed his wounds and applied healing herbs, wishing that Elise was there to tend to her brother.

“It’s true. They dinnae want me here. I failed John in life, and now I’m failing him in death.”

“What dae ye mean?”

“John, he…he wanted the clan tae be different. Life haes always been hard here, and Wallace made sure that anything he did favored him. Every deal he made was only made with terms he saw was fitting. But John wanted tae change that. He wanted people tae think of the McGrorys as friendly people, as people who ye could come tae and ask for help without feeling as though it would cost ye anything. And I know that’s the kind of laird that I should be…but I dinnae know how.”

Maura pursed her lips. “I dinnae know how tae help ye with that. But for the moment, ye know we cannae stay here.”

Kevan’s eyes flashed at her. They were yellow and bloodshot, but she could see the confusion clearly. “What?” he gasped.

“Kevan, this place is nae safe. If they can dae this tae ye, what are they gaeing tae dae tae me? And it’s nae as though any of them are gaeing tae give each other up. Ye cannae punish them all. If they dae this again, ye may nae survive, and I dinnae want tae see ye be killed. We should gae back tae my clan. We’ll be safe there. We can regroup and remind yer clan that ye are the key tae holding the peace. If they kill either of us, the marriage pact will be broken and there will be war. And I dare say they would be more fearful of that prospect if they knew ye were fighting against them.”

“Aye, and it would only confirm in their minds that I was responsible for John’s death,” he said.

“At the moment, I dinnae see why ye should be loyal tae them when they are nae being loyal tae ye. We must leave, Kevan. Surely ye can see it’s nae safe?”

She was afraid that Kevan would argue with her and try to convince her to stay, but perhaps the pain he was under was convincing enough. He lay his head back and gave her a slight nod before he closed his eyes. She continued tending to his wounds and let him rest for a while. She jumped every time she heard a noise outside her door, worried that it would be an assassin coming to finish the job. But for the moment, she and Kevan remained safe.

14

Maura and Kevan skulked away from the castle during the small hours of the night, when the moon was at its peak. They crept quietly. Maura had to help support Kevan’s weight, as he was still feeling shaky after his beating. A quick rest had helped repair his fortitude, and she was astounded at the willpower of the man to be back on his feet so quickly. She had asked him if he felt strong enough to ride, and he had replied that he had little choice. It felt as though danger lurked around every corner, and there was nothing preventing them from being attacked again. There were dangerous men—men out for blood—and all Maura wanted was to be back in the safety of her own clan.

They made their way to the stables and prepared the horses. There were few people about at this time of night, so Maura and Kevan were able to go about their business undisturbed. There was no doubt that Wallace and the advisor would be furious that she and Kevan had fled. Perhaps it would not do anything to allay the fears of betrayal from his people either, but there was no time to think of any of that. They needed to be somewhere safe, where they could regroup and count on their allies, and the only place Maura knew that was safe was at home.

She never thought she would be returning under these circumstances. She knew that life in the McGrory clan was always going to be difficult, but she had never expected it to be this rocky. At least she could trust in Kevan, though. He had proven his honor to her, and the more she had gotten to know him, the more she found she liked him. She helped him onto his horse and then swung herself up to straddle Scone.