Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

" I dinnae like this," Kaden muttered as he brought the horse to a stop.

"What are ye doing?" No amount of Elara prodding him in the back was going to make him move in a hurry. "We have spent two days traveling tae the Lamont lands, and now ye wish tae stop? When can we literally see me brother's castle?"

Kaden still didn't move forward. He eyed the castle warily.

There had been a time when he had thought the Lamont clan was his ally, but if his first meeting with Elara was anything to go by, then he would not be welcome here.

"I can handle me braither," she sighed with exasperation, then her fingers inched around his back and waist and he inhaled sharply, indulging in that touch. "Ye need nae fear him."

"He thinks I'm a killer," he reminded her, though his resistance was relenting now as her hand continued to explore his waist.

"He willnae fer long. I'll explain. Ye and I ken we dinnae have long. Those soldiers could be here any minute. Come on, Kaden."

He sighed and flicked the reins, urging the horse on. They trotted down the valley and toward the castle gate, with Kaden constantly flicking his gaze between the portcullis and the curtain walls. It was a staggering castle, much wider and broader than his own, though baring no turrets as his did.

Elara was increasingly fidgety in the seat behind him, whereas in contrast, he had turned completely still, as frozen as stone.

"Look, look," Elara said, pointing at the castle walls. "That's me sister's maid. Aye, I pray Lydia made it home and escaped yer man."

"Why?" Kaden asked. "Marcus would never hurt a lady, Elara."

"Perhaps nae, but they didnae seem tae like each other very much."

Kaden steered the horse toward the castle portcullis. The guards, though they clearly recognized Elara and stepped aside, glowered at Kaden. None of them called out to welcome Elara home, but watched avidly, their pikes still raised.

The portcullis slid up and a path appeared before Kaden. He steered the horse inside, his gut increasingly tense despite the reassuring brush of Elara's hand on his waist.

"Now!" a voice yelled from somewhere in the distance.

A bolt was fired into the ground, landing about a foot away from his horse's hooves. Kaden had to hold tightly onto the reins to stop the horse from tipping both him and Elara off.

"What the–" Elara didn't finish her curse. Men descended around them. Soldiers with their crossbows extended and swords outstretched. Hands reached for Kaden, and though he held his palms up in surrender, it did little to stop them. He was grabbed from both sides, dragged off the horse and thrown to his back on the cobbles. "Kaden!" Elara shouted.

Kaden was searched frantically.

"I carry just one weapon." He tried to tell them about the blade, but it was already being snatched from him. A mighty kick went to his stomach and, winded, Kaden rolled onto his stomach on the cobbled yard, trying to catch his breath.

"Elara?" a deep husky voice called. Kaden jerked his head to the side. He had met Cassian once, though it was long ago and they had to have been children at the time. He saw nothing of Laird Lamont's face now, only his feet and the heavy leather boots he wore as he marched through the crowd of soldiers.

"Cassian, what dae ye think ye are doing?" Elara cried out. Kaden tried to turn to look at her again, but another kick was delivered, this time to the center of his chest. He rolled over on his back, squinting up at the sky as he bore through the pain. "Dinnae hurt him."

"Are ye mad?" Cassian called to her. "Ye and Lydia have been missing fer days. I get a message from the Stuarts saying they are holding Lydia captive and willnae return her until ye return with him." He must have thrust a finger down in Kaden's direction, though Kaden was busy now trying to fight off the next book that was aiming for his face.

"What?" Elara whispered.

"It read as if ye had kidnapped Laird Stuart. What the hell is going on, Elara?"

"Marcus," Kaden managed to croak out. If anyone heard him, they pretended not to, though he doubted it. Another soldier was now aiming for his most private area. Tired of opting for surrender, which was doing nothing to protect himself, Kaden attacked. He took hold of the soldier's boot and lifted his foot high in the air then twisted it. The man was dislodged onto the ground.

"I said, keep him still," that deep voice came again.

"Marcus!" Kaden called loudly. "Elara, he must have caught up with yer sister. He cannae have read me note."

"Ah. Aye, aye, I see. Cassian, this is all a misunderstanding, ye have tae release him."

"What?" Cassian was sounding irater by the second.

"Fer god's sake, Cassian, call off yer men before they beat the man I love intae a pulp."

The next boot, which had been heading for Kaden's face, halted in the air. The sudden silence extended far and wide.

"Out of the way, Lennox," Cassian said to the soldier bearing down on Kaden. "I'll beat him up meself."

"Are ye mad!?" Elara shouted.

Kaden struck out another man aiming for his face. He managed to make it to his knees and took a blade from one of the soldiers, using the hilt to knock the soldier away, though he caused no injury.

He came to a halt with a fresh circle of soldiers around him, swords all outstretched, their tips at Kaden's chest. Between the swords, he glimpsed Elara, her white, blonde hair wild about her shoulders as she forced her brother back away from the circle.

Cassian had changed much. Where Kaden had only met a boy before, there was definitely a man, with a long-structured face, built heavily in muscle with a wide jaw line. The eyes, just like Elara's, were glaring straight at Kaden.

"Did ye say… ye think ye are in love with him?" Cassian asked in disbelief.

"All will be explained, I promise, just please let him up," Elara begged.

Cassian looked about as tempted to let him go as he would be to let a dragon in his castle.

"He's nae a killer, Cassian," Elara's words caught his attention clearly more than anything else had yet done. "He didnae kill our parents. Please, Cassian, we can tell ye who did. Just… let him up."

Cassian swept his hand away. With the movement, the soldiers lowered their swords and moved aside.

Kaden didn't dare stand, not whilst Cassian was bearing down on him, and he had no weapon. Cassian halted in front of him, his expression full of menace.

"I am nay killer," Kaden said when silence extended between them.

Cassian looked away, plainly not convinced, though there had to be some doubt in him.

"Bring him inside. Keep him restrained."

"Lovely tae see ye too, braither. This wasnae quite the welcome home I was expecting, ye ken," Elara said tartly as she stepped into the great hall. Plates of food had been laid out on the table. She picked up some bread to pick at as she watched her brother pace up and down, his eyes fixed on Kaden who had two soldiers either side of him, restraining him. "I think most braithers would rejoice tae hear their sister is in love, and with a man who wants tae marry her."

Kaden had the briefest of smiles on his lips as Elara looked at him. He winked, for her eyes only, though the intimacy of the moment was ruined when there was a heavy clatter as Cassian forgot to look where he was going in his surprise and fell over the nearest settle bench.

"Ye want tae get married? Nay. Nae on this earth am I letting me sister marry a murderer."

"I am nae a murderer," Kaden spoke for the first time in minutes. He spoke with that same deep and earnest tone that he had done their first day together.

"Cassian, please, listen tae me." Elara rushed toward her brother, laying her hands on his shoulders. "So much has happened. I can explain it all."

"Will ye explain why ye're dressed like that and why ye are suddenly so much a fool that ye believe yerself tae be in love after just a week with this man?"

Elara thought it best not to keep going around in circles. Evidently, Kaden must have had the same idea.

"It was Laird Finnian MacNaughton's daughter and her husband." The words suddenly broke free from him, loudly. "Lady Annabella. Laird Finnian is dead. She married Laird Campbell, and they saw a way together tae extend their power from two clans tae four clans."

"What? Laird Campbell?" Cassian backed up from Elara's grasp.

"Ye ken him? Ye've met him?" she surmised, just from the horror-filled expression in his face.

"Aye, once, many years ago. He propositioned our faither with a battle plan tae overtake other clans. Our father sent him out of this castle with practically pitchforks at his heels." Cassian pulled at his blond hair. "Elara," he addressed her alone, clearly choosing once more to ignore Kaden's presence. "How certain are ye of this?"

"There is nay doubt in me mind after Lady Annabella and her husband attacked us both and locked us up in their castle. They hoped tae kill Kaden and use me as bait tae lure ye there, Cassian, tae kill ye too." He stood there, stunned, his expression numb.

"Ye and I were invited tae that wedding," Kaden spoke up, attempting to draw Cassian's attention again. "I didnae go and neither did ye. There was nay wedding, Cassian. It was all a ruse, a deception. Their plan was tae murder us as well as our parents, tae make our clans weak. Ye and I have only sisters."

Elara felt a twinge in her chest as she saw the glimmer of fear on her brother's face that he was so desperately trying to hide. At last, Cassian looked at Kaden again.

"Our clan would have been weak in battle with only our sisters tae defend them," Kaden spoke very seriously. "Now, they want tae finish what they began."

"That… none of that…" Cassian was struggling to gather his thoughts. He brushed his hair back from his face and started again. "None of that explains where Lydia is."

"Me man at arms hasnae realized I went willingly with yer sister tae question the MacNaughton clan. He thinks Elara is a threat tae me."

"What did ye dae?" Cassian said with heavy suspicion. Elara refused to be cowed by that look, standing tall.

"I wouldnae have blamed her fer doing worse tae me, seeing she thought I was a murderer." Kaden's words drew Elara's focus. Beneath the hardness, and the soldiers restraining his arms, Elara saw a softness in his gaze. She returned it with a smile.

"Stop looking at each other like that," Cassian spat. "This is hard enough tae fathom without ye declaring ye want tae marry a man we thought was a killer."

"Enough," Elara pleaded. "We need tae act fast. We need tae get tae the Stuart clan."

"I quite agree, if by ‘we' ye mean, ‘me.' Ye are staying here whilst I'm going tae get Lydia."

"Nay, Cassian." She stood in front of him, determined to stop him pacing up and down. "The MacNaughton clan are on their way now. They're coming with their soldiers. War is coming tae both clans, Cassian."

"Me laird, me laird!" a voice called from the door. Everyone in the room looked around as a soldier ran in. Red faced, sweating, he'd clearly run far. "Me laird, news from the scouts on the border. Soldiers have been seen marching toward the Stuarts clan."

Kaden grunted.

"Maybe ye'll believe ye own guards if ye willnae believe us." He shrugged the soldiers off his arms, and to Elara's relief, they let go of him. She made to walk toward him, but Cassian blocked her way.

"All right, we'll go tae the Stuart clan, but as fer ye two…" He looked warningly between them. "This mess is hard enough as it is. If ye want me blessing fer a marriage, then ye can rest assured, ye dinnae have it."

"Cassian!"

"Enough, Elara. This isnae the time tae talk about marriage."

Elara glanced at Kaden to see him nod, ever so softly.

He agrees. Talk of marriage must be saved fer another time.

Kaden turned away from the saddle, adjusting the clothes which had been leant to him. The last two hours had passed in a rush. He'd been made to bathe, given clothes, and a horse for their journey. Yet he was not allowed to speak to Elara. She looked at him longingly from where she stood beside her own horse, and he felt he understood that look.

They had both grown so accustomed these last few days to riding the same horse, he knew he could keep her safe when she was behind him. It felt like a wrench to see her at such a distance now.

"Enough." Cassian appeared as if from nowhere, stepping in front of him. "I may be willing to believe ye arenae me parents' killer, Kaden, especially after all that Elara has said about ye this last hour–"

"What has she said?" Kaden asked, unable to stop himself.

"That ye loved yer parents. That's she seen yer grief." Cassian cocked his head to the side, making Kaden feel as if he was being examined like an owl. Kaden stepped back a bit, uncomfortable to be so analyzed. "Relax," Cassian said, with his first trace of a smile. "Believe me, kenning ye are a man who does have a heart is a good thing for ye. Now, as I was saying, I may be doubting ye are a killer right now, but that doesnae mean I trust ye. That's why I'm coming tae get Lydia and see she is safe with me own eyes."

"Then why are ye bringing Elara?" Kaden asked, keeping his voice low. "If soldiers are coming, she's at risk."

"Because me sister is wild enough that it's better tae have her under me nose where I can keep an eye on her and ken what she is up tae." Cassian shook his head, clearly exasperated by Elara. "Besides, if I didnae take her with us, I have a feeling she'd find her own way there regardless." He huffed and turned to his horse.

Kaden chuckled softly, looking back at Elara who was watching them intently together.

"Oh, and one other thing," Cassian said, pulling himself into his saddle.

"What's that?" Kaden asked.

"Me sister may believe herself tae be in love with a man she barely kens, but I am nae fool." Cassian eyed him carefully.

"Neither am I," Kaden warned. "Doesnae change what has happened."

Give us yer blessing…

He still prayed for it in his mind, even though he knew deep down it was impossible.

"I cannae allow it. Ye ken I cannae."

Kaden cursed under his breath and turned to his fresh horse, pulling himself up into the saddle. Maybe for now he and Elara were divided, but once everything was mended, once Annabella and Dylan's threats were a thing of the past, Kaden was determined to find a way to change his mind.