He was stubborn, but he was not plagued by the guilt Ella felt at not warning Hannah further about the dangers of getting too close to Hew. She must help fix this. “Hew wants an alliance, either with Clan Sutherland or Sinclair.”

“I will never agree to an alliance with that blaigeard wielding the chief’s sword,” Cain said, his words breaking through the clenching of his teeth.

“If he figures that out, he may kill Hannah in retaliation,” she said and stepped up before him to stare into his fierce face. “I can talk him out of harming her. He has listened to me in the past. If you charge in there, Hannah will suffer.”

“He hasn’t the ballocks,” Joshua said, walking up next to Cain, his arms crossed over his chest. Both men stared down at her, the promise of Hew’s end etched into their faces. The Mackay chief was a fool. By taking Hannah, he had won himself an early death.

Ella shook her arm loose from Cain’s hold. “He is not the true ruler of Clan Mackay. He is a foolish poppet, and the one who pulls the strings might be cocky enough to provoke a war.”

“Randolph Mackay?” Cain asked.

She nodded.

“He has eyes like a rat,” Joshua said.

She walked backward toward the gate, her gaze still on Cain as he stalked after her. “He whispers in Hew’s ear. If Hew doesn’t have the vileness to kill an innocent girl, Randolph does.”

Hew Mackay may have planted a bruising kiss on her, but it was his advisor who persuaded Alec Sutherland to give his daughter to Hew. She was certain that devious plans lurked behind the advisor’s dark eyes.

“Fok,” Joshua cursed, his hands going to his hair. “Hannah is an innocent. We should have continued to lock her in Girnigoe for her own good.”

Ella stopped, planting hands on her hips. “If Hannah had been given proper instruction from her family on how to spot lies spouted by devious men, she would not have fallen for Hew Mackay. Ignorance breeds folly. Locking someone away does nothing but make them want to escape.”

“Enough,” Cain said, clearly impatient to leave. He looked at Ella and then beyond her to her horse, his gaze full of warning. “Tell me about Varrich. I will bring her back, and ye can educate her about liars and scoundrels.”

“I am coming with you,” Ella said.

Cain’s rock-hard gaze met her own. There was not a single twitch to show he would back down. “Hew Mackay wants ye. I will not put ye in danger.”

She narrowed her eyes, trying a different tactic. “You would put my safety before that of your own sister?”