Movement near the far wall caught his attention. He kept his face toward Hannah, but his breath fell hard into his gut. Ella, dressed in her black mask and black leather armor, stood silently up against the corner, out of view from the Mackays who watched Cain and his armies.

Bloody foking hell. He’d ordered her to stay at Girnigoe. She’d disobeyed him. Blasted woman was going to get herself killed! His fingers bit harder into Seraph’s reins.

“Cain,” Bàs said.

“I see her,” he whispered.

“Fok,” Joshua said.

Cain held his gaze forward. “Continue the plan.”

Joshua shifted in his saddle. “Which is now…?”

Cain had planned to get close enough to snatch Hannah back, shielding her from arrows with the targe that was easily lifted from off his back. But now he had to worry about Ella getting caught in the crossfire.

“Be prepared to hand Hannah off to ride to Girnigoe when I retrieve her,” Cain said, his words low on the breeze. “Then I will save Ella while ye two focus on any guards who are idiot enough to run out.” Keeping his face forward, Cain watched her from the corner of his eye. She nocked her bow with an arrow, holding it ready before her but pointed toward the dirt below her boots. Did she see the men above her? They could fire straight down, piercing her skull through the leather hood.

“Hew Mackay is dead,” Bàs whispered. “No matter what.” The lethal words, coming from behind the skull mask, were not to uphold the legend. They came from Bàs’s heart as the three brothers watched Hannah’s glistening eyes. She stumbled across the beaten grass, a mix of fear, sorrow, and shame dulling her pretty face.

Hew stopped about five yards before them and met Cain’s gaze with a smirk. “Anything happens to me and Randolph will shoot your sister first and my men will shoot all of ye.”

“I would think ye would care more for your betrothed than your own life. Or do ye see our sister merely as a pawn to unite two warring clans?” Cain asked.

Hew frowned. “She helped me to escape Girnigoe. I love her for that, and soon she will earn my complete loyalty as my wife. As long as the Sinclairs leave Clan Mackay be, Hannah will remain healthy and happy here with me.”

A small sound came from Hannah, and new tears flooded out of her eyes even as she stared straight ahead. Cain held his hand out from his side toward Bàs, stopping him from charging forward. Better her tears than her blood.

“I would speak to her alone,” Cain said, slowly dismounting with his targe strapped to his back.