Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

" M arcus? Marcus?" Kaden bellowed up at the castle wall. "Wake up the men, damn it, and open this portcullis."

Action happened fast. A familiar face appeared above the top curtain wall, then the portcullis moved. Guards gathered, raising pikes until they saw Kaden's face and lowered them again.

Kaden made his horse move around, looking back at the crowd behind him.

At the head of the group was Cassian, his sour expression just about visible in the orange light from the torches pinned to the castle wall. Beside him was Elara, who was staring nervously at the rising portcullis. Behind the two of them were a group of eight soldiers, none of which looked happy to be there.

"She'll be here," Kaden promised Cassian. "She willnae be hurt."

"I need tae see it with me own eyes," Cassian said urgently.

"I ken. I'd be the same if it was one of me sisters." He turned the horse once again and rode under the castle gate, into the yard.

As he appeared, Marcus ran out from one of the turret spiral staircases, hurrying toward him.

"Ye're alive."

"Of course I'm alive," Kaden said with a laugh. They clapped each other on the shoulders in greeting. "Though there was a moment where it looked like I might nae be."

"What?" Marcus' eyes shot to Elara behind them who blushed scarlet in the orange torchlights.

"Nae because of her," Kaden said soothingly to his friend. "There is much tae tell ye." When the steward appeared at the door of the castle, bleary-eyed and shaking himself, rather like a dog in his effort to wake up, Kaden stepped toward him. "Prepare rooms and food fer our visitors at once and bring the Lady Lydia tae see them. There is business tae discuss. Wake the council too. We all need tae meet."

As the group descended their horses, Kaden took the opportunity to whisper in Marcus' ear.

"Tell me she's unharmed, Marcus, or Laird Lamont here will have me guts spilled on this courtyard in the next few seconds."

Marcus' eyes widened.

"That's Laird Lamont?" He looked toward Cassian, who was now in deep conversation with Elara as they made their way toward the keep.

"Evidently he struggles tae calm his sister's temper any more than we could." When Kaden smiled with these words, Marcus looked at him attentively.

"I kenned ye liked her. Dinnae tell me ye bedded her, Kaden. Nay good can come from bedding a laird's sister before marriage."

Kaden shifted uncomfortably, praying that Cassian would never find out that he and Elara had already made love more than once. He knew well enough that he would have wanted to run his sisters' husbands through if he had discovered they had jumped before the ceremony.

"Ye havenae answered me question, Marcus. Tell me Lady Lydia is unharmed?"

"Of course, she's fine," Marcus said hurriedly, his voice spitting. "I'm nay monster. Doesnae stop her despising me. If she could have grabbed me sword, then ye would have been more worried about me health than hers."

"Aye, somehow, I dinnae doubt it." Kaden smiled and followed the others into the keep.

He made arrangements with the steward for a number of rooms to be prepared, then made his way to the great hall where he found Lydia being embraced by her brother, with Marcus watching on with iciness and distrust in his expression. Elara stood off to the side. When she saw him, she moved toward him.

Knowing he could not kiss her in this company, not if he wanted to live, he took her hand and turned it over, raising it to his lips to kiss the back. He saw the way her breath hitched.

It was a far cry from the intimacies they had already shared, but it was plainly enough to remind them both of what it was like. They both just stared at one another for a minute.

"Are ye all right?" Kaden asked eventually.

"Me? Ye are the one who was beaten up by me braither's men."

"They have tae try harder than that." He chuckled.

"Ye two did what!?" Cassian suddenly barked.

"Ah…" Elara paled, turning as she kept her hand in Kaden's. At once, Kaden saw what had happened. Evidently, Lydia had just told her brother of the original reason as to why the two of them were in the Stuart clan. "He's never going tae let me leave the castle again."

Lydia looked upset, constantly fidgeting as Cassian turned increasingly red in the face.

"What were ye two hoping fer?" Cassian asked wildly. "Elara? Had ye taken leave of yer senses?"

"I got tae the truth, didnae I?" she said in frustration. "The plan still obtained the wanted result, even if it didnae progress as we thought it would."

"Ye are mad, sister, ye really are. Speaking of madness. Kaden," Cassian snapped. "Would ye let go of me sister already?"

Kaden reluctantly released her, though the two of them stole another quick brush of their fingers as they released each other.

"Someday, I swear, Elara. Ye willnae always be the source of tumult in me clan," Cassian muttered darkly.

Maybe I want the trouble in me clan instead.

Kaden kept the thought to himself, though, as he looked at Elara. He wondered if she had thought the same thing, as she stole a glance at him.

"Me laird?" the steward's voice came from the doorway.

"Aye?" Both Kaden and Cassian said in unison, before Cassian shook his head.

"Me apologies," he said with a shrug. "Habit."

"It's the council," the steward said. "They'll be ready tae meet ye in an hour."

"So, now ye have heard everything," Kaden said solemnly.

Everything they need tae ken.

Kaden looked around the council room, not just addressing Marcus and the council members, but most particularly to Cassian. He and Elara had explained together what they had heard from his father's old advisor and then what had happened with Annabella and Dylan. The confessions, the secrets, the truth behind the arson attack.

"And now… we face war?" Young Maddox was the first to speak. The rest of the council looked in shock, staring at the table, but Maddox looked fully to attention.

"They'll want vengeance for escape. Imagine a cornered wolf in a wolf trap." At the words, Kaden glanced at Elara. She pinkened in the cheeks, clearly remembering what had happened when they too had fallen into such a trap. He looked away quickly, not wanting to remember that soft kiss right now. "They will be fighting twice as hard as before with nothing tae lose. Their sins are nay longer secret. Fer them, it's either fight us and take our clans tae dominate and survive or go on the run from the king and law, fer when we report their arson."

"Laird Campbell isnae a man who runs," Cassian said slowly. "He'll fight tae the bitter end."

"Then I suggest we dae the same." Kaden held his gaze, needing Cassian to trust in him as an ally if they were going to have a chance of defending themselves in their upcoming battle.

"I suggest a careful war plan," Maddox said somewhat hesitantly. Once more, some of the elder council members glowered at him for speaking out, distrusting his youth, but Kaden encouraged him on, knowing he had a wise head on his young shoulders.

"Go on," he urged.

"If Laird Campbell is this bloodthirsty, then he is a man who will hold ground, set traps fer troops advancing intae his territory. Tae go on the attack will be hazardous. I believe ye will need a better war plan rather than just one of brute strength, me laird."

"Aye, I agree with ye," Kaden nodded. "I suggest we all take some sleep. It's late. We'll come together tomorrow morning and make a plan."

Many of the council nodded and left, all muttering between themselves as they went.

Marcus, Lydia and Elara all took seats at the table which had been vacated by the council members. Cassian sat forward in the new quiet, toying with a candle on the table.

"I hope ye ken now, Cassian," Kaden said slowly, "clan Stuart was never yer enemy. We'll be yer allies, if ye'll have us."

Cassian sighed heavily, still toying with that flame. He looked between his sisters, his gaze settling on Lydia.

"Were ye hurt? Did he lay a hand on ye?" He pointed straight at Marcus.

At once, Marcus sat stiffly in his chair, his fingers loose on his weapons belt.

"What kind of man dae ye think I am?" Marcus said, his voice dangerous in its quietness.

"A mercenary," Cassian pointed out with ease. "Whispers have spread far that the Laird Stuart's right-hand man is a mercenary."

"That doesnae make me –"

"He never hurt me," Lydia cut in, her voice quiet, yet powerful. It was curious to Kaden, the way she was avoiding looking at Marcus as much as possible. "I wouldnae have blamed him. He nearly died at one point chasing me down."

"What!?" Kaden spluttered, half laughing, but leaning forward in alarm.

"I fell in a river," Marcus said embarrassedly, trying his best not to look at anyone now. "And I didnae nearly die."

"All I'm saying is, despite how angry he was, and oh, aye, was he angry, nay, braither, he never once hurt me." Lydia had softened her voice further.

"Good. And ye?" Cassian turned to Elara. "Has he hurt ye?"

"Nay," Elara said hurriedly. "Nae once. He saved me life, Cassian. Kept me safe fer days riding through strange territory too. Is that nae the sort of man ye want as an ally?"

Cassian sighed once again. His eyes flitted up, just a little, but it gave Kaden some hope for the first time in hours.

"Aye, that's a good man tae have as an ally. Nay a bad thing either tae have a man who also wants revenge, as we dae, fer an ally," he said carefully. "Aye," he sat straight suddenly, "we fight together. We stand as allies."

"Thank God," Elara murmured as even Marcus made a sound of relief. Kaden sat back, abruptly far more comfortable in his chair.

"I may be willing tae fight together, but there is on one thing I cannae agree," Cassian narrowed his eyes once more.

"Ye will still nae give us yer blessing, aye?" Kaden asked, reading his mind.

"Exactly. I cannae allow ye tae marry her."

"Marriage?" Lydia spluttered as Marcus' jaw dropped. "Ye two want tae marry?"

"Ye are hopeless, brother," Elara said, the disappointment palpable. Kaden shifted his foot under the table. Just far enough so that his leg brushed hers. It was a soft intimacy, hidden from anyone else in the room.

I'm still here, even if we cannae marry… yet.

"I cannae dae it," Cassian's voice was sharp. "Now, I suggest we all get that rest. We'll need it if we are going intae battle."

Everyone stood, all except Kaden, for he felt the loss of her touch most acutely.

"Cassian, before ye retire fer the night, share a drink with me? I want a private word," Kaden called to him.

Cassian looked back at him. He looked more tempted to supper with a wolf.

"Cassian," Elara muttered sharply.

"Calm yerself, sister." Cassian turned away from the door, facing Kaden once again. "Aye, as ye wish. We will share that drink. There, I want tae hear everything ye are holding back about yer little trip with me sister."

Elara's eyes widened behind her brother's back so much that Lydia actually snatched her arm and pulled her away.

"As ye wish," Kaden said, doing his best to keep his voice level as he moved to his feet. "I'll tell ye everything ye wish tae ken."