“Mayhap, but does it not seem odd that my uncle would allow a supposed captive not only to join his guard but trust him to accompany them ontheir rounds?”
“What are you saying?”
After all she’d endured, the last thing Cailin wanted to do was upset her, but the master-at-arms’s warning about his distrust for Blar screamed in Cailin’s mind, a suspicion he shared. “I believe Blar rides with them more than to protect the castle but toidentify you.”
Her brows slammed together. “You are wrong.” Though doubt wove throughElspet’s voice.
“I pray so.”
“Ride in the direction in which they were headed,” the lead rider ordered, “and see if you can find them. I will search around the rocks. If I spot them, I will sound the alarm.”
Blar gestured to the distant entry. “I think Sir Cailin and Elspet went into the breaksin the rocks.”
Anger darkened the leader’s face. “You think, but you arena sure. The riders we saw were adistance away.”
“I know what my stepsister looks like,” Blar snapped. “We need to ride closer and look for signs oftheir passing.”
The bow trembled in Elspet’s hand. “Why is he challenging the lead rider? Does he not realize if he convinces the guard to come closer they will see our tracks?”
The desperation in her voice shoved Cailin’s anger up a notch. Aye, her stepbrother had naught to gain by arguing to ride closer unless he wanted her caught. By the pallor of her face, ’twas something she realized.
The lead rider’s face grew hard. “I gave you an order, Blar: go.”
“I know what I saw!” Blar glanced at the other men. “I am thinking that he wants the glory of finding my stepsister for himselfandpocketing the reward.”
The others muttered what sounded like their agreement.
“I say we all stay,” Blar snarled. “I think my stepsister and Sir Cailin are hiding within the rocks. And Sir Jamesknows it too.”
The man called Sir James withdrew his blade. “You willdie for that!”
Elspet stumbled to her feet. “Nay!”
Chapter 12
Cailin grabbed her arm to keep her from sliding on top of the boulder; heart pounding, Elspet jerked free, stared down to where her stepbrother sat with the small band of Dalkirk’s knights. “Sir James is going to murder Blar!”
“Blast it,” Cailin snarled, “get behind me.”
“As I suspected,” Blar spat, his gaze smug, “Sir Cailin is with my whore ofa stepsister.”
Whore? The air rushed from her at his foul accusation, and she wanted to retch. How could he say, believe such? “I–I sleptwith nay man.”
Blar grunted. “Rumor is that you open your legs quick enough for any man.”
Cailin’s arrow flew, sank deepin Blar’s arm.
Her stepbrother screamed, and his horse snorted and stepped to one side. A trickle of blood slid from the wound as he glared up at Cailin. “You willdie for that!”
“Apologize,” Cailin ordered, “or the next one will be in your worthless heart.” His gaze cut to the others. “If anyone else moves, ’twill be his last.”
“I am sorry,” Blar said betweenclenched teeth.
But he wasn’t. Hate spewed from her stepbrother’s eyes, a darkness so vile that shivers swept Elspet. How had she never noticed his true feelings for her before? Pain welled in her chest. Foolishly, she’d believed Blar had accepted her into his family, cared for her, and would protect her with his life. ’Twould seem ’twas all a lie.
“Why do you ride with the Earl of Dalkirk’s knights?” she demanded.
Blar’s mouth tightened; with his good arm, he backed his horse out of arrow range; the others, except for Sir James, followed suit. “Once you come down here, Iwill explain.”
