Emeric clenched his fists, a visceral anger rising within him. “A whim? They have taken Anna and ye call getting her back a whim!”
“I know ye feel for her, lad,” said his uncle, placing a hand on Emeric’s shoulder. “But we must think of the clan. Starting a war would be foolhardy. Ye need to think clear-headed, not let yer heart rule yer decisions.”
Emeric stared at him incredulously. “How can ye say that?”
His uncle’s gaze hardened. “And what of the rest of our kin? Should we risk their lives for one person? One who isnae even one of us?”
Emeric stepped back as if his uncle had struck him. His chest tightened with fury, his mind reeling in the face of such cold pragmatism.
“Not one of us?” He spat the words out, his voice trembling with outrage. “I love her, Uncle! As far as I’m concerned, she’s one of us. And if our clan canna stand up for one of its own, then what are we? A bunch of cowards who would let our own be brutalized and taken from us without a fight?”
His uncle’s gaze faltered under Emeric’s molten glare. The men seated at the tables around the room shifted uneasily, their eyes darting to each other as Emeric’s words hung heavy in the air.
Aislinn was the first to break the silence. She detached herself from Brodie and moved towards Emeric, coming to stand beside him.
“Emeric is right,” she declared. “Anna is my friend. Actually, she’s more than that. She’s the sister I never had. And if ye willnae do what’s right, Uncle, then I will! I will ride with Emeric to get Anna back, even if it’s just the two of us!”
“Three of us,” Brodie Murray said, moving to stand by Aislinn’s side. “Ye are not going anywhere without me.”
An army of three. Emeric looked at each of them, his gaze lingering on Aislinn’s determined face. She had always been the fierce one, unyielding in her convictions. And Brodie...Emeric had accused him of treachery mere moments ago, yet he stood here now, ready to risk everything for Anna.
Another voice rang out from the crowd. “Make that four.” The burly figure of Angus stepped to the front. “Ye’ll need me along to bring some common sense to the operation, my friend.”
A susurration ran through the crowd as more men voiced their willingness to join them.
“We’ve been beholden to the MacDonalds for too long!” someone cried.
“It’s time we taught them they canna push us around!” shouted another.
“And show them they canna take one of ours without a fight!”
His uncle’s gaze met Emeric’s and there was a grim understanding there. This was no longer about Emeric’s personal quest; it had become something much bigger.
The laird of the Mackintosh grinned suddenly, a savage and slightly frightening sight. “By God,” he said, his voice rumbling through the hall. “Feels an age since I’ve felt that Mackintosh spirit. And it feels good!”
An echoing roar filled the chamber as the men took up the cry, brandishing weapons in a deafening cacophony of agreement.
“To arms then!” Laird Mackintosh bellowed. “The Mackintosh are going to war!”
Chapter 23
