his uncle until after the fight with the MacLeods, he would stand a far better chance of succeeding at both.
"Hugh asked me to host the meeting at my home," Archibald said. "You'll both be my guests, and as such, you'll be protected by the ancient code of hospitality."
"I'll consider it," Connor said, though he had already decided to go.
"If ye wish to meet Hugh," Archibald said, "be at my home in exactly five days."
* * *
Ilysa's heart raced when she heard Archibald suggest Connor meet with Hugh. Unfortunately, she could not tell if it was fear or a true premonition. She needed to attempt to bring on The Sight. This time, she could not use Connor's chamber to help connect the vision to him, so she stole a loose hair from each of the men's tunics to mix with her herbs.
After ramming the bar across her door, she put an extra peat log on her brazier, then cut the hair into the herbs with her dirk. Her hand shook as she spread the mixture over the brazier.
Only rarely had she been able to see the future. On those times she did, what she saw was more a riddle than a clear vision. But now, when she breathed in the pungent fumes, a vision came to her so quickly and with such clarity that she gasped.
She saw Connor sitting at a table laden with food. On either side of him were two fair-haired, square-faced men - his uncles, Archibald and Hugh Dubh. As she watched, Hugh got up from the table and waved his arm, urging the other two to follow. Archibald went at once to join him at the window, but Connor held back.
Don't go. Ilysa did not understand why, but she knew Connor must not go to the window. Leave the room. Leave the house. Now! She tried to tell him, but he could not hear her.
"Come take a look at my new galley," Hugh said, his voice coming to Ilysa as if through a tunnel. "Isn't she a beauty?"
Tears stung Ilysa's eyes as Connor joined his uncles. She felt Connor's aversion when Hugh put a heavy arm around his shoulders and pointed out the window.
In a move so swift Ilysa barely saw it, Hugh drove a blade into Connor's back. Ilysa screamed soundlessly as Connor fell to the floor. Grief engulfed her. Connor lay unnaturally still, his blood seeping out of him. Archibald's face was horror-struck as he looked down at Connor. Clearly, he had not been party to this travesty, and he failed to grasp the danger to himself in time. In the next moment Hugh plunged his blade into his brother.
Ilysa had no idea how much time had passed when she found herself lying on her floor, covered in a cold sweat. After pulling herself up, she stumbled to the narrow table against the wall and poured water from the pitcher into the bowl. Her hands shook so badly that most of the water ran through her fingers as she splashed it on her face and neck. Holding the drying cloth to her face, she rocked back and forth.
She had to prevent this from happening. At all costs, she must stop Connor from going to the meeting with his uncles - or Hugh would murder him.
* * *
Connor stood by the window re-reading the royal summons commanding him to attend the upcoming gathering. He had avoided answering similar summons in the past. When the Crown was nervous, it had a nasty habit of imprisoning Highland chieftains on suspicion of treason or holding them hostage as a preventive measure. Now that the current rebellion was dying down, the Crown was calmer, and failing to obey the summons presented the greater risk.
The gathering was at Mingary Castle, the stronghold of the MacIains, who were steadfast supporters of the Crown in a region where few could make that claim. The gathering and the MacIains naturally led Connor to thoughts about treachery and marriage.
Not long after the Lord of the Isles was forced to submit to the Scottish Crown, the MacIain chieftain turned on his former allies, the MacDonalds of Dunivaig and the Glens. Through treachery, he captured the chieftain, his son, and his two oldest grandsons, who were all executed.
A younger grandson survived because he was in Ireland at the time. That was Alexander, Deirdre and James's father. After the executions, the Crown forced a peace through Alexander's marriage to MacIain's daughter.
At the gathering, Connor must choose which treacherous