The smile on Ian’s face dropped. “Are you worried he’ll hurt Isla?”
Anger sliced through Hayden so quickly he almost didn’t tamp down his god in time to stop the transformation. “Did Isla ever harm either of you?”
“You know she didn’t,” Ian answered.
“Then why does he hate her so? You were the one who was tortured, not Duncan.”
Arran dropped his gaze to stare at the ground while Ian looked down the center road of the village.
Ian clenched his jaw. “Duncan blames himself for what happened to me.”
“Do you blame him?” Hayden wanted to know.
Ian shook his head. “Never. The only ones I do blame are Deirdre and William.”
“And William is dead,” Arran said.
The men exchanged looks, smiles of satisfaction on their faces.
Hayden pushed away from the cottage wall and looked once more at Isla. “I understand your brother’s anger, Ian. He needs something and someone to blame. Deirdre hasn’t been found yet, and until he’s seen her, that anger will transfer to Isla.”
“Why not Broc as well?” Arran asked.
Ian took in a long breath. “Because Broc fought with us. No one saw Isla. I’ll talk to him, Hayden.”
“It willna do any good,” Hayden said. “He needs time and proof that Deirdre is alive.”
There was a loud crash in one of the nearby cottages followed by a bellow, then a curse, the voice belonging to Camdyn. Hayden waited for Camdyn to exit the cottage, and when he did the Warrior was covered in ash.
Hayden bit the inside of his mouth so he wouldn’t smile at the sight before him.
Arran let out a bark of laughter while Ian quickly turned away to hide his own smile.
“Damned beam,” Camdyn cursed and began brushing the ash from his long black hair. “It cracked in two before I had time to brace it. The fire took more of it than I first thought.”
Hayden couldn’t stop the smile this time. “You don’t say?”
“Verra funny, Hayden,” Camdyn said. “Next time you be the one to go check the sturdiness of the cottages.”
“Another complete rebuild?” Hayden asked.
Camdyn nodded. “I’m afraid so. The fire didn’t take the entire cottage, but the initial structure is so damaged that it would be better if it was rebuilt.”
Hayden made a mental note, adding the tally for how many cottages could be salvaged.
“Is that Isla still out there?” Camdyn asked.
Arran nodded. “It seems Malcolm will have company tonight.”
Hayden didn’t need to look far down the edge of the cliffs to find Larena’s cousin and the only human male at the castle — Malcolm Monroe.
He had risked his own life in helping Larena stay hidden from Deirdre. Deirdre had taken a special interest in Larena as a female Warrior.
Everyone had hoped Deirdre would forget Malcolm’s involvement, but she hadn’t. Her Warriors had attacked and nearly killed him. Broc had found him in time to kill Malcolm’s attackers, but not in time to save Malcolm’s arm from being ruined.
Not even Sonya’s magic could heal Malcolm’s arm. The slashes on Malcolm’s face had healed quickly, but they left scars he would bear forever. Hayden thought them a badge of courage, but he knew Malcolm didn’t agree.
With Malcolm’s right arm all but useless, he felt less than a man. Malcolm was next in line to be laird of the Monroe clan, but he declined to return to his people. As much as Hayden hated to admit it, the clan wouldn’t accept Malcolm as he was now.
Which was why Fallon had made room for Malcolm among them. Hayden liked him, though Malcolm kept to himself, rarely talking to anyone. Malcolm walked the cliffs at night, a lone soul among the rocky outcroppings.
Except now, Isla was there as well.
“Would you have killed her?”
Hayden jerked his head to find Duncan beside him and the others gone. The twin stared at him with cold brown eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“When Isla asked you to take her head. Were you going to do it?”
“Would you have done it?”
Duncan nodded. “Aye.”
That was Hayden’s thought as well. He still didn’t understand why he’d hesitated.
“Answer me,” Duncan demanded.
“The pain that sits in your gut and festers willna ever go away, Duncan, no matter how many people you kill.”
Duncan snorted. “And how would you know?”
Hayden faced the twin and caught his gaze. “I know. You can blame everyone you want, but the blame lies with only one person.”
“Me.”
“Nay. Deirdre. Would you blame Ian if it had been you taken?”
Duncan’s face contorted. “Nay.”
“Then doona fault yourself. There will be plenty of chances to fight Deirdre in the coming days. Save your anger for her.”
“Is that what you’ve done? Saved your anger for her?”
Hayden shook his head. “I did the opposite, though I wish I’d had someone tell me what I’ve shared with you. I let my rage fester inside me until I’ve become a monster in every sense of the word. Is that what you want to become? Is that what you want Ian to see every time he looks into your face?”
Duncan sighed and ran a hand through his long hair. “He suffered, and I could do nothing. Even when we shared the same pain, Marcail took that from me in her effort to help.”
“At least your brother is alive.”
“And yours isn’t?”
Hayden had said too much already. It wasn’t like him to give out advice, but he saw the road Duncan was headed down since he had traveled that same path himself. It wasn’t an easy one.
But then what path ever was?
“Hayden?” Duncan said.
“Nay, but it doesna matter,” Hayden replied. “It was a long time ago.”
Too damn long, yet it felt as if no time had passed since discovering his family murdered.
TEN
Hayden watched Isla from the village long past midnight. Not once did she move or utter a single sound. Duncan and the others had since returned to the castle, but Hayden didn’t want to leave Isla alone.
Not that she was alone. Malcolm continued his stroll along the cliffs, though he gave Isla a wide berth. She seemed not to notice him, but Hayden imagined she detected every detail down to the smallest one.
Hours ticked by and still Hayden stayed just to see how long it would take before Isla crumpled to the ground. But the longer he watched her, the more he began to realize there was more to Isla than he initially thought.
When the first rays of sun peeked over the horizon he started toward her. He didn’t know why, and though he told himself to turn away, his feet still took him to the petite
He stopped several paces behind, and to the side of, her and surveyed the scene before him. MacLeod Castle was beautiful, but it was the sea and the cliffs that truly made the place spectacular. It was no wonder Isla had stood there all night.
So much had happened since Hayden had come to the castle that he hadn’t bothered to look at it as Isla had
