“Ye need to release her now, Mackay,” Cain said, but Hew shook his head, his eyes wild.

In Cain’s periphery, he saw Ella slip closer to the gate along the wall, but he could not take his gaze off the blade against Hannah’s throat.

What the hell was Ella doing? She was putting herself in jeopardy and distracting him from his mission. Dammit. Ella Sutherland didn’t listen, and she was going to get herself killed, something he would not allow.

He could not even look her way without alerting those above or Hew that someone was creeping flat up against the wall behind him. Even with all his training and strength, Cain felt helpless, unable to act without dooming both women.

Ella slid, step by step, her braid catching on the rough stone. She was near the archway now where guards stood just inside. Did she know they were there?

“Do not move!” Cain yelled, both his hands raised as if to stop time and everyone within his sight. “Do not take Hannah through the archway where your guards stand armed and grinning at your folly. They laugh at their young, untried chief.”

Hew hesitated at Cain’s words, frowning.

“Come closer so we can discuss the union of our clans,” Cain said, willing Hew to come within arm’s reach and not look behind him where Ella stood beside the recessed archway.

Her mask covered the bottom half of her face, and her leather armor lay across her chest, but neither would stop a flying arrow nor a sword thrust. Ella slowly drew back her bowstring, raising her arrowhead, and Cain’s strategic mind played scenes in rapid succession.

If she hit Hew’s hand, sending the blade flying, Cain could hit Hew in the forehead with a thrown dagger. But the thrust to penetrate the skull would cause Hew to fall backward, thus exposing Hannah to Randolph and the archers above. Instead Cain would hit the soft tissue of his throat if Hannah ducked down, pulling Hew on top of her to shield herself. But he couldn’t yell to Hannah to drop because Ella might hit her if Hew moved.

There was no time to do anything but react as Ella let loose her arrow. It flew straight with lethal power. Thwack! It hit right into the back of Hew’s head with such force that the tip broke through his forehead. Hew was thrown forward as Hannah instinctively pushed the knife away from her throat and buckled under the man’s weight. She screamed as they both fell to the ground.