Cassian (The Immortal Highland Centurions #2) - Jayne Castel Page 0,3

face and shifted her gaze left, to where a man dressed in sooty leathers stood outside the smith’s forge, legs akimbo.

Blair Galbraith was staring at her.

Big and bulky, with a thick auburn beard and long hair of the same color that he’d tied back with a leather thong, the smith wore a formidable expression this morning. He stood there, brawny arms folded before him, glaring at her as if she’d done him some personal offense.

Aila swallowed, her gentle mood evaporating as tension knotted in her belly.

She hadn’t—but her sister had.

Aila’s fingers tightened around the basket’s handle. She shouldn’t have come down to this area of the lower ward alone. She should have asked one of the other maids to accompany her, but she’d been so excited at the prospect of making posies for the church, she’d forgotten that the forge lay adjacent to the chapel.

Heather had warned her younger sister to stay away from this corner of the keep.

Aila remained frozen at the top of the steps and considered whether or not to attempt a greeting. Deciding against it, for she didn’t want to encourage any interaction, she continued down the steps and then turned right, heading for the postern door and the stairs that led up to the upper ward.

Galbraith’s stare drilled into her back, but Aila did her best to ignore it.

She wished she and her kin didn’t have an enemy within the castle, but the events of just over a month earlier weren’t Heather’s fault.

Her elder sister had once been wed to Galbraith’s brother, Iain. However, when Iain never came home from war, Heather had eventually returned to live at Dunnottar. And the very day of her arrival, her husband had risen from the dead.

Things were never going to end well after that—especially since Heather had fallen in love with Maximus, the man who’d accompanied her north to Dunnottar.

One evening, Iain cornered Heather and tried to kill her. He’d have succeeded too if Maximus hadn’t interceded. Iain Galbraith ‘disappeared’ that night. Never to be seen again.

Few besides his brother had mourned him. Heather’s husband had been a bully, and his brother was cut of the same cloth.

Aila couldn’t get away from Blair’s stare fast enough. Flinging open the postern door, she fled up the stairs. But she’d only gotten halfway up when a large hand clamped around her arm and hauled her backward.

Aila’s cry of surprise echoed up the stairwell. Turning, she shrank back against the damp stone to see the smithy looming over her.

“I was wondering how long I’d have to wait,” he growled. His grip on her arm increased, and Aila gave a gasp of pain. She tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he was a man of formidable strength.

“Let me go,” she pleaded, her heart fluttering like a caged bird against her ribs.

“I don’t think so. I’ve been waiting to see yer whore of a sister … but ye will do well enough.”

Aila winced at his crudity, even as indignation rose within her. How dare he speak of Heather in such a fashion? Raising her chin, Aila forced herself to meet his belligerent green gaze without cowering. “Heather isn’t to blame for yer brother’s disappearance, Blair.”

“Aye, she is.” He gripped her by the other arm and shook her, his gaze narrowing. “She and that cèin devil. I don’t know how they managed it … but they somehow did away with Iain, so they could be together.”

A chill settled over Aila, dousing the indignation that had given her courage. His fury scared her, and she started to sweat.

“That murderer is now part of William Wallace’s band.” His voice lowered to a growl. A vein pulsed in his neck, and his fingers now bit into her flesh. “He kills my brother and gets rewarded for it. De Keith and Wallace both pretended his death didn’t matter … and they’ll pay. Ye all shall pay!”

Aila stared back at him, fear clenching in the pit of her belly. Menace crackled in the air between them.

Blair leaned in closer, bracketing Aila against the wall. “I’ve recently received disturbing news,” he continued. “My cousin’s rotting corpse has been found north of Stirling. He and his men were butchered like dogs … Maximus and Heather are to blame!”

Aila’s breathing quickened, panic roiling in her belly. “I don’t know anything about this.” She tried to twist out of his grip, yet he held her fast. It was the truth; this was the first she’d heard of it. “My sister had