Page 70 of The Mad Highlander
He did not let her go. Iris did not want to leave his lap, but the way he had shouted at her had her mind twirling with endless horrors.
“What is really going on, Cayden?” Iris craned her neck, so she could look at him. She brought a hand to his face. “I can tell something is wrong. Ye won’t even look at me.”
Cayden did look at her, and when she saw the look in his eyes, she only worried more.
“Talk to me,” Iris begged.
Cayden held her tight with one arm and brought the other back up to rub his forehead. He looked toward the window again and shook his head. Iris could feel his deep, uneasy breathing lifting her in irregular rhythms.
“He hasnae returned yet,” Cayden admitted.
“Who?”
“Hunter. He went to ensure the others were ready to join us. If he hasnae come back yet, then it means he hasnae been able todo that. He will come back at some point before sunrise to fight with his men; I ken he will, but if he hasnae returned yet, then it cannae be guid news.”
“What does that mean?” Iris asked.
Cayden looked up at the stone ceiling and sighed. “It means that Murdoch’s men will outnumber ours. He set out to weaken us, and he has done just that. Maybe he got to the others in different ways; I dinnae ken. All I ken is that too many men will die tomorrow.”
Iris’ heart beat so rapidly that she thought she might pass out.
I cannae lose ye tomorrow or any day after that. I ken we are meant to be together.
“Dinnae think about it for now, Cayden. I came here to apologize to ye, but that’s not the only reason I came. I needed to be with ye before ye go into battle tomorrow. We have until sunrise, and I dinnae want to waste a minute.”
“Ye sound as if this will be our last chance to be together.”
Iris held her hand on his warm cheek and gazed into his blue eyes until he looked at her. “I dinnae ken what this is. I want to beg ye not to go out there tomorrow, but I ken it will do little. We havenae handfasted yet, and ye go to fight with yer men, outnumbered by the enemy. I want to remain hopeful, but itdoesnae feel very hopeful anymore.” Iris started to cry. “I dinnae want ye to die, Cayden.Idinnae want to die.”
“I willnae let anyone hurt ye.” He kissed her fully on the lips.
Iris’ heart still beat furiously, but her mind was calmed for a moment. She was unable to think of anything except for the Laird. As soon as the kiss ended, everything came flooding back again.
She looked from Cayden’s lips to his eyes. “Aye, but ye cannae be sure of that, can ye? What if there are too many, and ye cannae beat them all? What happens if they storm the castle? What will happen to all of us? I cannae believe this is where we are! Me own cousin betrayed me, and an army marches on us. Even if I wanted to run, there’s nowhere I could go.”
“Maybe ye could,” Cayden claimed. “Take a horse from the stables and ride as far south as ye can. No one will come after ye.”
“No.” Iris gave a half laugh at the thought of it. “This is me home, now. How could ye even suggest that? I cannae ever go back to Castle McCabe. I dinnae want to go anywhere else. This is where I belong.”
“Where ye might die!” The Laird’s chest puffed as he spat the words, and a vein in his forehead bulged.
“Aye, where I might die. There are worse fates than death. I’d rather die in me home than run away scared with no place to go.”
“So, that’s to be me last thought on the battlefield?” Cayden snapped. “If it does come down to it, and someone gets to me, I dinnae only get the pain of dyin’ but the pain of kennin’ ye will be next.”
“And I have nay pain?” Iris shot back. “I’ve been in pain since ye left the castle to get me brother, and I was in pain when he got back, and I thought he might nae live, and now, I have to contend with the pain of losin’ ye and havin’ me cousin betray me. I grew up in Castle McCabe, but it is lost to me, now. It’s lost to Ashton, too. He doesnae deserve that.”
“Ye both dinnae deserve it.”
Iris felt her heart slow a little, and the vein in Cayden’s forehead shrunk.
“Och, I’m nae angry at ye,” Cayden said.
Iris placed her head on his chest. “I ken ye are nae, and I’m nae angry at ye. It’s just this world we live in. I grew up in Castle McCabe with a man I loved, and I thought he loved me. He’s been me brother for years, and now, I find he has betrayed me. I want to kill him.”
Iris felt Cayden’s chest rise and fall.
“Ye will have to get in line.” A growling chuckle came from Cayden’s throat. “Hunter has already laid claim to the man for what he has done to his men. He wants to be the one to stick a sword in him.”
