At the sight of his nephew, a wave of hatred washed through him. Rory was so much like his father, Hector’s arrogant half-brother. Rory brought no men with him, as if to tell the world he feared no one. MacKenzie warriors respected that brazen fearlessness.
And the lasses were drawn to it like moths to a flame, as evidenced by the lass on the back of Rory’s horse. Even from this distance, Hector could tell she was a beauty. A memory of Rory’s mother with her hair flying out behind her as she galloped her horse struck him like a hot poker in his eye.
He had seen Agnes Fraser first, had pointed her out to his brother. She was meant to be his. Instead, she chose his brother. Years later, when she humiliated him again, he made her pay for it and took what she would not give him. But it was not the same, and even in death, he could not forgive her.
The son she loved so much would suffer for the pain she caused him. He clenched his fists as he recalled the grave wrong Rory himself had done to him. Never again.
Hector’s mood lifted as he watched Rory shake his fist and shout at the guards to no avail.Ha, this is only the beginning of your disappointments, nephew.
Rory was obstinate as hell, a fierce warrior, and a crafty opponent. Unlike Brian, who was weak and easy to manipulate, this nephew would be a challenge.
Hector lifted his cup to the window. Rory would test his skills, which would make crushing him all the more satisfying.
***
Rory’s temper rose as the guards kept him waiting in front of the castle gate.
“I am Rory Ian MacKenzie, the son and brother of MacKenzie chieftains, as ye well know,” he shouted, and shook his fist. “Open the damned gate!”
Angus Macrae, the captain of the guard at the castle, appeared on the wall.
“My apologies, Rory Ian MacKenzie,” Angus called down, “but I cannot let ye inside.”
“Have ye lost your wits?” Rory shouted back. “It would be foolish to challenge the MacKenzie clan.”
“Aye, it would,” Angus said. “’Tis not my intention.”
“Then explain yourself.”
“Hector of Gairloch has ordered us not to open the gates to ye.”
Rory should have known Hector was behind this. “Hector is not the chieftain of the MacKenzie clan. He has no right to deny me entry to any MacKenzie castle!”
Fury burned through him. Hector had used the time of Brian’s minority to establish himself in the minds of their clansmen as the only man who could lead them. When the king demanded a hostage from every Highland chieftain’s family to assure their clan’s good behavior, Hector had sent the young chieftain to Edinburgh when he could have easily sent another. Brian was held there for two years, giving Hector a free hand.
“Hector gave the order on the MacKenzie’s behalf,” the Macrae called down.
“He no longer has the right to issue orders in my brother’s name,” Rory shouted.
Brian had failed to put Hector in his place after he came of age, and that had been the source of all conflict between Rory and his brother. Hector was a wolf in the guise of a loyal dog. Brian, along with most of the clan, failed to see that Hector’s intent was to undermine the young chieftain’s authority and hold power himself at all costs.
“My brother would never agree to such an order!” Rory had to believe that. Though they had exchanged angry words, Brian knew Rory only meant the best for him.
When Macrae turned to confer with one of his men, Rory hoped he was finally recognizing the seriousness of his error.
While the Macrae commander was distracted, one of the other guards, a man Rory had fought with at Flodden, took the opportunity to draw his finger across his throat and nod toward the hills in a clear signal that Rory was in danger and should flee. Apparently, he had at least one ally among the Macraes.
Rory wanted to pound his fists against the gate and challenge the guards to try to take him. But the soft warmth of Sybil’s body pressed against his back penetrated his violent thoughts and reminded him that she was in danger too.
Without hesitating another moment, he turned Curan and galloped back across the bridge.
CHAPTER 15
Sybil held on tight as they galloped at breakneck speed across the bridge and down the trail along the shore. She barely held back a shriek when Rory abruptly turned Curan and they plunged into the woods.
After a while, she realized they were following a trail, but it was so old and overgrown that the tree branches slapped at her legs. Someone would have to know about this trail to find it.
“What happened back there?” Sybil asked when Rory finally slowed the horse to a trot. “Why wouldn’t they let us in the castle?”