Hew tilted his head, his eyes wide, which made him look like he’d lost his sanity. “Well, I would not be a very gallant betrothed if I were to let her return to her family who would execute her for her betrayal.”

“We kill our enemies, not our family.” Cain forced himself to smile.

Hew narrowed his eyes, searching his face, and glanced over his shoulder as if seeking counsel. Where was Randolph?

Cain’s jaw felt like it would snap as he held his smile. “Come now, Mackay. I will not harm her here. Come greet us. Bring your men if you are afraid of me.”

The easily maneuvered bastard frowned. “I am not afraid of you or the legend that your lunatic father created from his heretical ideas.”

“I am going to slice him through,” Joshua murmured low.

Cain kept his easy smile and rubbed his jaw to hide his words. “Not until Hannah is safely surrounded by us.”

“Aye,” Bàs said.

“Keep your archers aimed at us while ye bring her out,” Cain advised, and threw his bow and sword to the ground at Seraph’s feet. Both Joshua and Bàs dropped their swords, too.

“I will tear him apart with my hands,” Joshua muttered.

“Put a damn grin on your face,” Cain ordered through clenched teeth. “To lure him out with Hannah, we need to put him at ease.”

“With four armies behind us?” Bàs asked.

That was unfortunate. Cain had been so angry that he hadn’t thought it through enough to keep the armies back in the forest. He must now work with the way the game was set up. There would either be one death today or many that came with all-out war. For, once Cain let his brothers and his own temper loose, there would be nothing left of the Mackays of Varrich Castle.

Cain held up both of his arms. “See, we are unarmed. Do ye tremble so much that ye cannot come down? You have never struck me as a coward, Mackay.”

“Bloody bastard.” Hew turned, pulling Hannah with him.

As Hew and Hannah walked out through the archway, all the Mackay warriors along the wall raised their bows. In the middle of them, Cain saw Randolph Mackay step up as if he’d been waiting until now to show himself. He also held a bow, aimed directly at Cain.

Cain waited, taking in all the people and weapons in play. Men with arrows along the wall with Randolph in the middle. Hannah vulnerable with Hew beside her. Mackay men behind her at the gates on the ground. Had the steward advised Hew to walk out on his own with Hannah? A chill along Cain’s nape made him study Randolph. One wrongly aimed arrow, and Hew would be dead, leaving the way open for Randolph to rule. And he could blame it on the Sinclairs or any Mackay firing down.