A Fire Within (These Highland Hills, Book 3) (26 page)

He cursed his own stupidity. How could he have so easily
forgotten the name he had first given her? He knew she was
quick of mind. What could he now say to her to divert her from
knowledge that could well threaten the safety of this party and,
ultimately, the entire clan?

Whatever he did, it was likely already too late. Though Dar
doubted Caitlin would knowingly betray them, he couldn't risk
the chance that her brother had also learned of his use of the
MacFarlane name and had deduced the same likelihood of where
they were headed. Niall Campbell, from all reports, was also
particularly sharp-witted.

"Aye, that's indeed where we're headed," he said as he urged
the gelding forward to a faster pace. "And likely, as well, the
chances are strong that yet brother might also be headed that
way.

She was quiet for a long moment. "Knowing Niall, that's verra
possible. What are ye planning to do about it?"

"What else? I have to tell Athe. We can't risk implicating the
MacFarlanes any more than we may already have done, not to mention taking the chance of having yer brother awaiting us
somewhere along the way."

"Ye're never going to be able to dispose of me, are ye? Leastwise,
not without risking yet clan in the process?"

"Dispose is too strong of a word," he replied, not liking at all
some of the meanings associated with the term. "But I'll also
admit the easiest part of this whole hostage-taking plan has become the most difficult. Who would've thought returning ye to
yer brother would've become nigh to impossible?"

"It's almost as unbelievable as the thought of me ever being so
torn between being returned and staying with my abductor." Caitlin sighed. "I don't know how I'll ever explain that to Niall."

Dar chuckled softly as they neared the head of the column,
with Athe, Feandan, and Kenneth at its lead. "Just tell him I
bespelled ye, and ye didn't know yer own mind."

"But that might condemn ye as a warlock, and ye know the
penalty for that."

He shrugged. "I'm doomed, one way or another. Though
I'll admit burning at the stake wouldn't be my first choice of
execution."

She shuddered. "Don't jest about such a fate!"

Then they were pulling even with the three men. "Hold," Dar
called, looking over at them. "We need to talk."

Athe glanced up at him. "Do we? It can wait for a few more
hours. We'll make camp then."

"A few more hours may be too late. Even now, Campbell and
his men could be around the next hill. Call a halt now, Athe, so
we can draw aside to speak privately."

Anger flashed in his brother's eyes. He wasn't used to being
ordered about, Dar realized, and especially not by him. But there
wasn't time for pretty words and pleas. Dar only hoped that once
Athe heard what he had to say, he would understand the urgency
of the situation.

"This had better be of the utmost import," Athe growled. He
turned and signaled the rest of the party to pull aside and wait.
Then he looked to Feandan and Kenneth. "Come along. Best
ye hear what Dar claims is so vital."

He paused, eyeing Caitlin. "Leave the wench with some of the
men. Naught's served with her being privy to our talk."

"There's naught that she doesn't already know." Dar swung
off his horse. Before he could lift a hand to assist her, she
scrambled down on her own. "Indeed," he then continued,
turning to the others, "if not for her, we may have soon ridden
into a trap.

Dar's brother arched a brow. "Have a care, Dar, where and
when ye involve her in our matters. The more she knows, the
more tenuous her position grows."

Was that a veiled threat against Caitlin? Dar chose to let it
pass. If all went as he intended, this very day she would be on
her way back home.

"And I say, don't be so hasty to judge." He slipped an arm about
Caitlin's waist, then gestured to a small burn that ran along the
cattle track they had been following. "Over there should be far
enough to speak without being overheard."

"Well, get on with it!" Athe demanded impatiently just as soon
as they were all gathered by the noisily flowing little stream. "Ye
importune us all by yet self-important posturings. I warn ye, I
won't tolerate much more of it."

From long experience, Dar hid his own growing anger. "There's
a strong likelihood Niall Campbell may have surmised we might
be on our way to MacFarlane lands."

Athe's eyes narrowed. "And, pray, why would that be?"

"Because when I first came to Kilchurn, I called myself Darach
MacFarlane. And Caitlin just put together that bit of information with the obvious direction we were heading, and arrived at
that verra conclusion. Her brother likely also learned of my dual identity soon after he returned home. That, combined with the
certitude he's a verra quick-thinking man ..."

A foul stream of curses erupted from Athe's lips. He lunged
at Dar, and only Feandan and Kenneth's quick response managed to prevent him from going for his brother's throat. As it
was, Dar took a few steps back to put some distance between
them.

"Ye fool!" Athe cried. "Why didn't ye tell me this to begin
with?"

"It doesn't matter why I didn't think of it until now," Dar
calmly replied. "What matters is, as soon as I did, I came to ye
with it."

"And now she knows our plan as well," his brother said, gesturing toward Caitlin. "How much more have ye told her? Indeed,
mayhap ye somehow managed to get word to the Campbell of
this, even before we left Dundarave!"

"Ye're daft, Athe!" So, here it began, Dar thought. "I did no
such thing. Indeed, how would I? And, more importantly, why
would I?"

"How should I know?" The red-haired man's hand slid to the
dagger sheathed at his side. "To inveigle yerself with the Campbells, mayhap? I've seen how ye look at the wench. It'd singe the
hide off a boar, it would! Mayhap ye fancy taking her to wife, of
joining Clan Campbell as a broken man."

Dar's laugh was harsh and disdainful. "Ye'd like that, wouldn't
ye? For me to turn my back on the MacNaghtens, once and for
all? Well, it'll never be, Brother. Never!"

Athe's smile was malicious and lethal. "But haven't ye? It's
been evident for a time now that yet loyalties are divided. On
one hand there's the clan and, on the other"-he indicated Cait-
lin-"there's the lass. It's time to choose, little brother. Choose
one or the other."

Dar's hand slid from Caitlin's waist, and he stepped in front of her. "And if I chose the clan, where would that leave the lass?"
Even as he spoke, his own hand moved to his dagger.

"That's not for ye to decide." Unflinchingly, Athe met Dar's
gaze. "Just give her to me and be done with it."

All the possibilities of what Athe might do to Caitlin roiled
in Dar's head. Ravish her, then leave her behind for her brother
to find. Kill her. Or just set her free to find her way alone and
defenseless, back home to her brother-ifshe even could.

None of the choices were acceptable. Yet the alternative to
refusing his brother would surely end in a battle. A battle to
the death, if the eager, bloodthirsty look in Athe's eyes were any
indication. A battle, in his still-weakened state, Dar could very
well lose.

So be it then. Dar shook his head.

"Nay, I won't give ye Caitlin." He withdrew his knife. "It's to
be a fight to the finish, is it then?"

A feral smile twisted Athe's mouth. "Aye, so it seems." His own
dagger came free of its sheath.

"And what of me?" Caitlin slipped away from Dar to move
between the two men. "Before ye two hotheads start slicing at
each other, don't ye care to hear of my plan? A plan that'll solve
all yer problems?"

Dar grabbed at her arm. "Lass, get behind me while ye still
may. Athe won't listen to ye. His mind is made."

"Well, then he'd be a fool, he would," she retorted, jerking free
of his grip. "And, though he is many other unsavory things, yer
brother has never struck me as a fool."

Dar couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did Caitlin imagine Athe wouldn't kill her if it suited him? She was playing a
dangerous game, the secrets of which, for some reason, she had
deliberately chosen not to share with him.

"She has a mind of her own, that one does," his brother said,
surprising Dar with his grin. "Ye may well have taken on more than ye can handle, little brother." He turned his attention then
to Caitlin. "Ye're verra perceptive. I'll give ye that." He made a
slight wave of his hand. "So speak yer mind and be done with
it. What's yer plan?"

"It's simple, really." As if it mattered not to her which option
Athe chose, she gave a small, uncaring shrug. "Ye've no way of
knowing when and where my brother will turn up. Even now,
he could be ahead of ye, lying in wait. But, more likely, he's yet
hot on yer trail."

Athe gave an impatient snort. "Aye? How is that of any news
to us? And what has any of that to do with yer plan?"

"I'm getting to that." Caitlin waited until the auburn-haired
man quieted. "Now, it's also more than apparent ye don't care
much for Dar, and he doesn't care much for ye. So send him back
to head off Niall, with me as the bait. Then ye and the rest of yer
men ride for someplace other than MacFarlane lands. Ye're rid of
Dar and me and, if naught else, my brother will slow if not halt
his pursuit. Well," she added, "leastwise for a time. I can make
no promises for him, of course."

"So," Athe said, cocking his head and eyeing her speculatively,
"ye're suggesting I sacrifice Dar to save the rest of us. Leastwise,
for a time, of course."

She nodded. "If ye think on it a bit, I'd wager ye'd discover
that it solves all yer problems. Being as how ye're hardly a fool,
after all."

"And when are either of ye going to include me and my desires in this?" Dar demanded gruffly. "Because mayhap I don't
particularly wish to end up imprisoned in Kilchurn's dungeon
any more than Athe did."

"But aren't ye also, little brother, the one who's been yammering incessantly about returning the lass to her brother?" Athe
smiled. "Well, for my part, I think the lass has a verra fine plan
here. It's time ye made a choice. Either give her to me to do with as I see fit, and stop challenging everything I try to accomplish
as chief, or choose her and whatever fate that decision leads ye
to. Ye can't have it both ways."

On the contrary, Dar thought, I could have it both ways if ye
were no longer chief. For that to happen, however, Id either have
to kill ye or the clan would have to vote ye out. Just now, though,
the likelihood of besting ye in a knife battle isn't all that good. And
there's no time for a gathering of the clan. Not with Niall Campbell
breathing down our necks.

He wagered Caitlin had come up with this bold scheme in
order to save him. She knew how weakened he was. And, in
presenting such a brazen offer before Feandan and Kenneth, she
also knew it would put Athe on the spot, forcing him to make
a decision.

Nothing had been said, however, about Dar's willingness to
allow himself to be captured by Niall Campbell. And he most
certainly wasn't willing and had no intention of doing so.

In actuality, all he really had to do was get Caitlin within a safe
range of her brother. He could then ride away before Campbell
could get close enough to apprehend him. It was a simple enough
thing, after that, to hide out for a time to heal and regain his
strength.

Eventually, if he still wished it, he could then again seek out
Athe and the clan. Free finally of the responsibility of Caitlin,
Dar could concentrate-because of the indisputable part he had
played in freeing his brother-on getting the clan to reinstate
him. If Feandan and Kenneth were correct, Dar might well have
several men besides them who would back him on that.

On the other hand, how he could get on with his life without
Caitlin was a consideration he didn't dare face just now. For the
present, all that mattered was her safety and his survival. Later
was soon enough to determine where he should go from there.

"When ye present it that way, Brother," Dar finally said, "I've apparently only one option. I gave Niall Campbell my word I'd
keep his sister safe. And it has always been part of the bargain
that she'd be returned in exchange for ye. It's past time that she
was.

"Then get on with ye. Take the lass and ride out now, before
I change my mind." Athe sheathed his dagger. "And bring that
meddlesome hermit with ye, as well. I've no need of the likes of
him."

"Och, ye've a need of him," Dar muttered as he pulled Caitlin
back to him. "Ye just don't understand why."

Athe gave a disbelieving laugh. "And ye do? Is it possible? Is my
little brother finally going soft in the head and turning his life over
to God? I'd believe many things of ye, Dar, but never that."

"Believe what ye want," Dar snarled. "Ye've never known aught
about me anyway."

His brother's sneer faded. "Och, I know far, far more about
ye than ye know about yerself," Athe said softly. "But that's for
another time, little brother. If and when we ever cross paths
again, that is."

They rode for a time, until twilight shrouded the land. Finallyand none too soon for Caitlin-Dar reined in the gelding and
looked over to where Goraidh had pulled up on his mule.

"It's best we make camp for the night," he said. "A cold camp,
however. I don't know if or when the Campbell will come upon
us, but I'd prefer he not take us unawares."

"And why is that?" Caitlin asked from behind him. "My brother's not likely to fill us with crossbow quarrels before he sees me,
so there's no danger of risking our lives if we accidentally come
upon him."

"For one thing"-Dar dismounted and held the horse steady
while Caitlin climbed down-"it's never wise to accidentally
happen upon anyone in the dark. And, for the other," he added
as she walked up to him, "be it day or night, I don't want to accidentally stumble upon a mess of Campbells. I'd far prefer to
find them first, then send ye to yer brother in such a way that I
can also safely make my escape."