Chapter 31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

K aden…

Elara saw his lips frame her name, though she didn't hear him. There was so much she wished to say, so much she wished to shout to him, to warn him this was a trap and that he should run now, keep himself safe, sprint far from there. Had there been no soldiers beside her, she would have run to him, embraced him tightly, whispered she loved him, but that was impossible.

"Ye fool," Cassian muttered. "Ye shouldnae have come."

He said what Elara couldn't bring herself to say.

In response, Kaden raised his eyebrows.

"Would ye rather be dead, Cassian?"

"Ye eejit. They are going tae kill me anyway, whether ye came or nae. Now they'll kill ye as well as me and take both of our clans." Cassian shook his head in despair.

Elara tried to nudge him in the arm, to make her brother be quiet, but apparently, he had lost any patience he had left. He didn't even show he noticed her nudging him at all.

"What have ye done tae them?" Kaden rounded on Annabella and Dylan.

"Just a little pain," Annabella said with a satisfied smile. "Why dae ye like her so much?" She cocked her head to the side, her eyes pinning on Elara.

Trying not to show her fear, Elara stood that bit taller, raising her chin. She knew she looked a fool for even attempting it. She walked with a limp, she was starving, and her hair was bedraggled from where the guards had grabbed it to drag her into that dungeon.

"She's naething." Annabella's voice was desperate in its quietness. "She's like a ghost." In emphasis, she touched her richly dark and beautiful hair. It was nothing like Elara's nearly white hair.

Elara didn't raise a hand self-consciously toward it though. She remembered instead the way that when she and Kaden had last made love, how he had bundled his fingers in her hair, pulling on it, adoring it.

"She is naething," Annabella insisted.

"She soon will be naething, without life in her," Dylan reminded her. Annabella sidled up to his side, running her hand up his arm. Dylan kept his gaze flicking between Cassian and Kaden.

It struck Elara that the husband and wife before her had rather different motivations for this moment. Dylan thought of the advantage by getting rid of two lairds. Annabella may have wanted that, but she also saw a chance for revenge.

"Enough," Kaden snapped. He delved a hand into his pocket and pulled out a richly black velvet purse. He shook it in the air, making it plain by the jangling sound that there was money inside. "It's what ye ask fer, isnae it? Money."

He threw the purse at the pair of them. It dropped between Dylan and Annabella on the floor, but neither one of them reached down to open it. They just left it there, not really sparing the time to glance in its direction.

"Ye wanted a ransom?" Cassian said in disbelief. "Did ye actually think that's what they wanted, Kaden? Ye are more of a fool than I gave ye credit fer."

Kaden shot a silencing look Cassian's way, though little good it did, for he simply scoffed. Sensing there was more afoot here, Elara elbowed Cassian, trying to make him fall silent.

"However, much ye want, I'll pay it. Just release them all. Release Elara, her family, and their men." Kaden dug his hands in his other pockets. "Ye want money? I'll pay ye everything I have." He tossed other coins at them. They tinkled together on the cobbled ground. "Ye want land? I'll give ye that too." He reached for the clan brooch on his waistcoat, the very brooch Elara had barely seen him take off since she had returned it to him the first night they had met.

"Ye… what?" Annabella stepped forward from Dylan's side.

"I'll give ye anything I want. I'll give ye the whole damn clan if that is what it takes, just release them."

Elara felt Cassian ripple with surprise at her side. To Marcus' credit, he didn't react in the same way, though she saw the briefest glance of surprise he Kaden.

"Ye would dae that. Ye would give up yer birthright, what yer faither worked so hard tae protect, all of it… fer a woman!?" Annabella screeched.

Dylan didn't bother trying to calm her. He just scratched his chin, absentmindedly, as if talking of murder and giving up clans was an everyday occurrence for him.

Annabella held out her hand to Dylan. He reached into his weapons belt and pulled out a dirk, passing it into the palm of her hand, then Annabella advanced toward their group.

"Nay," Cassian said, moving in front of Elara, noting even before Elara could, exactly where he was looking.

"Out of the way," Annabella snapped. "Restrain him."

A soldier grabbed Cassian. By grabbing his arm and pushing it up behind his injured back, Cassian was completely incapacitated.

"Dinnae ye touch her!" Kaden barked, but before Elara could back any further away, she was in Annabella's clutches. Flung around, she found her back pressed to Annabella's front, a dirk at her neck, the blade turned up so that the very tip was pressed into the underside of her chin. "Stop!"

Elara didn't dare move, fearing what Annabella would do with that blade if she so much as shifted an inch.

In front of her, Kaden reached out with both hands.

"Come any nearer, and…" Annabella didn't need to finish the threat. Kaden had stopped, and they all knew very well what she would do if he did move.

"I'll do anything. Ye can torture me if ye like. Give me any sort of pain imaginable. Just let them all leave, Annabella. Yer anger is nae against them, it's against me. Take me. Take me clan. Leave them."

"Ye would dae that?" This only enraged Annabella further. "How could ye possibly? Why is she worth it? What can she possible give ye?"

Elara was struggling to breathe now. Annabella's other hand was slowly starting to choke her, though she reckoned Annabella didn't realize this. Her grip was tightening in her anger.

"This has naething tae dae with ye," Kaden barked. "She has nothing tae dae with ye. She's done naething tae hurt ye. Release her!"

"Nay. I willnae!" Annabella screamed. "The lengths ye would go tae fer her. Ye always loved another, eh? Ye put yer sisters first, now her."

Elara felt hot tears falling on her neck, though they were not her own. They were Annabella's – fiery tears of fury.

"What the hell has that got tae dae with anything happening now?" Kaden roared. As Annabella started back, dragging Elara with her, Kaden moved forward. Evidently, the mention of his sisters had taken him into new realms of fear. "Why doaeye hold so much resentment toward me when our betrothal was ended by yer faither?"

"What?" She pressed that blade tighter to Elara's throat.

With desperate hands, Elara reached up. Her fingers latched around Annabella's grip on the hilt of the dirk, trying to press it an inch further away.

"Nay. Nay, ye're wrong. He would have told me. He would have told me if he'd ended the betrothal."

"Why would he tell ye that when he kenned ye would take it so hard?" Kaden asked wildly. "Ye were too obsessed. Too immature. Ye werenae ready fer marriage," he said hurriedly. "Yer own faither decided an alliance didnae need tae happen with marriage. It could happen by treaty, and that is what we agreed. Dinnae hurt Elara fer a decision yer faither made."

Her grip on Elara began to loosen. Suddenly, Elara could force that blade a little further away from her neck. Annabella's fingers softened enough for Elara could take a full breath again.

Now.

Elara knew it, even before Kaden gave her the subtle signal of a nod.

Elara lifted her foot and stamped down hard on Annabella's toes. The shock enabled her to prize the dirk from Annabella's hand, winding the woman by elbowing her in the gut.

"Nay! Take hold of her," Dylan roared, but the guards had been too slow in their surprise.

Elara had sprinted away from Annabella's grasp, running straight for Kaden. He caught her in a kerfuffle of arms, just as Marcus pulled out a basilard, hidden from within his waistcoat. He threw it at the guard which had hold of Cassian's captor.

It missed Cassian's ear by a whisker, landing straight in the guard's shoulder. He fell to the ground, crying out in pain, as Cassian was released.

"Now, Kaden!" Marcus bellowed.

Elara gripped onto Kaden tight as he reached under the back of his shirt and pulled out a small, loaded crossbow. It was tiny compared to the usual crossbows she saw, but he held it high into the air and fired it at the clouds. The sound was shockingly loud for something so small, like a giant whip crack.

In the distance, there was a bellow.

Elara turned, as did many others in the yard, looking to the closest hill, where a series of burning torches were suddenly lit. Like distant fireflies, they grew in number, until it became clear that a whole battalion of men was gathered on that hill, and they were now on the move, bearing down toward the castle, ready to attack.

"Get them, now," Dylan ordered. "Before those men reach this castle. Annabella, get back."

Elara moved behind Kaden's back, straining to get one glimpse of Annabella.

The woman hadn't moved. She stood stock still, breathing heavily, her hands balled into fists. One of the guards had to sweep her aside as he reached out, trying his best to capture Lydia.

Marcus got there first though. With one swipe of another basilard, he cut the guard across his forearm, then swept Lydia up into his grasp with his other arm. Lydia hardly looked thrilled to be in Marcus' arms, but at that moment, her hands gripped his shirt tight, not wanting to let go.

"Kill them. Kill them all," Dylan demanded, waving his hand at the nearest guard in the tumult, begging to be given more weapons.

Elara was backed up by Kaden as two soldiers moved toward them. Kaden lobbed the small crossbow at one, stunning him enough across the brow to knock him back. He pushed Elara even further behind him, keeping her safe, just as the other soldier lashed out with a blade.

"Nay!" Elara screamed as Kaden's arm came up to take the blow.

He grunted, gritting his teeth through the pain as the blade sliced his shoulder.

"I'll dae the job meself," Dylan muttered from some distance.

Kaden kicked the soldier who had stabbed him. The man went down and was promptly piled on by some of the Lamont soldiers who had broken free, but now they had another attack to contend with.

Dylan was there, bearing down on Kaden and Elara. With Kaden's arm bleeding so badly, he couldn't even take hold of the basilard he was trying desperately to pull free of his belt.

"Get back," he pleaded with Elara. "Use me as a shield."

"Are ye mad? Ye're injured enough as it is!"

"I dinnae care, Elara."

Dylan was there, bearing a sharp dirk in his hand. He raised it high, ready to bring it down in Kaden's chest when there was a horrible sound of skin slicing.

Dylan's jaw went slack, his hand stilled in the air with that dirk.

Elara looked down, seeing in horror that a blade had been pressed through his stomach. She silently screamed into Kaden's back, the terror of what she had seen too much to bear.

Kaden shielded her from seeing anymore, though she heard it. She heard the groan of pain, heard the thud of Dylan's knees on the cobbled ground, then heard his body slump.

"Marcus?" Kaden whispered.

Daring to peek around, Kaden's arm, she saw Marcus standing just behind Dylan's fallen body. In his hand was now a sword he had taken off one of the MacNaughton soldiers.

"Thank ye," Kaden said breathlessly.

"Any time," Marcus promised with a smile. He gave a whistle and the troops burst through the open portcullis.

Elara stepped out from Kaden's back, amazed to see that it wasn't just the Stuart men that were here. There were others too, including Nathan, her brother's right-hand-man, and Lamont soldiers. They broke off in different directions. Some soldiers moved to secure the MacNaughton men in the yard, as other rans toward the castle keep and the walls, hunting for others to subdue.

"I dinnae believe it," Cassian's voice broke through the raucous shouts of the soldiers.

He stood a short distance away, Lydia holding onto his arm. Behind him were the other Lamont soldiers who had been freed from the dungeons. A few feet behind them stood Annabella. She was not under arrest but seemed to be no danger now as she stood there crying, her hands over her face, no weapon on her.

"Dylan, Dylan!" she cried out with her tears. She ran forward, flinging herself over the body of her dead husband.

Elara looked away, finding the sight too awful to bear.

Cassian moved forward, with Lydia still holding onto his arm.

"Seems ye are nae quite as much the fool as I thought ye were, Kaden."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kaden said, trying to raise his hand to cover the bloodied wound on his shoulder.

"We need a healer." Elara moved beside him.

Lydia hastened forward, peering at the wound with Elara.

"This wound needs tae be cleaned before we can sew it up."

"I'll go check on the men," Marcus said, shooting one pitiful glare down at Annabella before he walked away.

Elara held tightly onto Kaden's arm, watching him bear with the pain as the cleanup of the mess in the MacNaughton castle began.

"Elara?" Cassian called to her.

"Aye?" Though she did not turn to look at him as he spoke.

"Elara!" He now shouted her name to get her attention.

"Nay!" Kaden barked at the same time.

There was sudden movement from all angles. Elara was practically dragged off her feet by Kaden's bleeding arm as Cassian stood in front of her, blocking her.

All too late, Elara saw what had happened. Annabella had moved to her feet, the blade which had been in her husband's hand now in her own. She had raised it over Elara's head, but Cassian moved in the way.

"Nay one hurts me family," Cassian said, his voice deathly. Then he thrust Annabella to the ground.

Elara heard Lydia scream, though she had no voice herself as she saw what Cassian had done as he moved aside.

To stop Annabella from hurting Elara, he had struck Annabella in the stomach.

A wound just like that of her husband's, she stared down at it, her eyes filling with more tears as she stared baffled at it, then she dropped over Dylan, falling like a plank of wood. There was a heavy thud of bodies.

"Time tae get away from all this death, shall we?" Cassian said, turning to Lydia and taking hold of her hand.

"Ye killed her, ye killer her," Lydia was groaning as Cassian steered her up into the castle.

"She would have killed Elara. It was defense."

With shaking hands, Elara went back to Kaden's wound, trying her best to staunch the bleeding. Just like her, he was doing his best not to look at the two dead bodies before them.

"Someday, there will be nay more death, nay more murder," Kaden said quietly, taking her waist and helping the two of them to walk around the bodies toward the castle. Elara leaned on him, still struggling with her limp. "Someday."

"Tomorrow, I hope," Elara prayed.

"It's over. Believe me, Elara. It's over now."

They made their way into the castle. Within minutes, a makeshift camp had been prepared in the great hall. For those injured, they were being attended to on one side by the castle healer and by Lydia. Marcus had taken charge of affairs and was ordering any man who refused to accept his laird and lady's deaths into the dungeons. Any man who wished to change allegiance was permitted to stay if they lent a helping hand to the injured.

Elara sat beside Kaden, helping to nurse his wound when Lydia was called elsewhere to deal with the rest of the sick.

"Me braither is right," Elara whispered to him. "Ye are a fool. Ye could have died."

"I had nay choice." Kaden shook his head, laying his hand over hers. "I would nae have left ye here, Elara. Nae fer anything."

"All right, nae more sickly-sweet stuff whilst I'm here," Cassian said sharply, sitting down opposite him. He had no shirt on but was heavily bandaged now because of the wounds on his back. "Kaden, I have tae thank ye. Though I did think ye coming here was a suicidal mission, clearly, I was wrong." He nodded his head at the busyness of the great hall. "Thanks tae ye, we are all safe, and now, nay war will happen. We owe ye our lives."

He held his hand out to Kaden. Elara was so shocked that she did not dare move. Eventually, when Kaden had moved past his own shock, he took that hand and shook.