Highlander's Beautiful Liar A Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance Historical Novel - Adamina Young Page 0,61

and the MacKays were greatly skilled, but they didn’t fight with the same passion and desperation as he and his men did. Knowing that Cora’s life was at stake was all he needed to slash his way through. Echoes of battle cries and the slash of swords echoed off the trees, and when more Campbell men came to their aid, Alec fought his way through them too.

When they were surrounded, he turned and looked back. So far, all of his men were standing, but there was blood. “Surrender,” the Campbell captain demanded.

Suddenly, there was a war cry from the woods, and all heads turned as another dozen men rushed to them on horseback. They wore no colors; in fact, they looked like farmers, but they didn’t hesitate or slow as they descended. It took only a moment for Alec to realize that the new group of men were targeting Campbells.

And only the Campbells.

When the surviving guards retreated, Alec turned, his sword hitting another, and he looked into familiar green eyes.

“Ye are Alec Sinclair, new laird of the MacKays?” he asked without lowering his sword.

“Aye,” Alec said tensely.

For a moment, Alec thought the young man would issue a challenge until Kane stepped forward. With a grin, the young man lowered his sword and dropped to his knee. One by one, the new men did the same. “I am Daniel MacKay. We are all MacKay blood, and fiercely proud of it until Seth took over for his father. When we refused to swear fealty to a man who would let his own people starve, we fled lest we be murdered in our sleep. Kane and my sister speak highly of ye. We arrived at yer keep just as ye left, and we rode to yer aid when we heard that Duncan’s daughter was in trouble.”

These were the men that Seth had run off. Strong, strapping lads, and skillful with a sword. “Rise,” he told the boy. “Today, I am thankful for yer aid, and when I have earned yer trust and respect, then ye may kneel before me.”

He turned to Kane. “Thank ye,” he said softly.

The man just shrugged. “We need Mackay blood. Yer lot is looking a little haggard.”

Bleeding from his arm, Jamie reached out and decked him half-heartedly, and the men laughed. “The cowards that ran will be telling Innes of our arrival. This isnae over yet.”

After ensuring that all wounds were superficial, they regrouped and made their way to the keep. There were no other interruptions, but Alec was no fool. Seeing no guards standing at the gate or at the doors, he knew that Innes was waiting for him inside.

They all filed in and found Innes waiting for him inside. His men lined the walls, each with a weapon in their hand. From the looks of things, they outnumbered Alec and his men three to one.

And yet his men didn’t waiver.

“I heard ye were spouting lies that I kidnapped yer sweet little wife,” Innes said casually. “For yer head alone, I could have that.”

“Are ye claiming that she isnae here?”

A vile smile spread over the man’s face. “Oh, she is here, chained to the bed of my chambers and guarded. I hear she likes it that way.”

“For that alone, ye will die, but yer men here doona have to die with ye. When the King hears word that ye killed yer brother, ye will not have this clan for long, Innes.”

“The King!” Innes spat and jumped to his feet, drawing his sword. “For years, we have heard of the Sinclair heroes. First yer father, and then the beloved sons. It must be nice to be the King’s favorite, but ye couldnae even keep yer wife by yer side. I cannae wait to kill ye.”

Alec liked the murderous look in the man’s eye. He wanted Innes’s men to see him for his crazed and depraved obsession. “What are ye waiting for?”

Glancing behind Alec, Innes hesitated. Even outnumbered, he was worried. A coward. “Ye and me,” he declared finally. “Strike me down, and the lovely Cora is yers.”

“Yer word is no good, Innes. We all know that, but believe me when I tell ye that will not leave her alive. For all yer bluster of having a clan, ye havnae the strength for it.”

With furious bellow, Innes attacked. Alec deflected the blow, but he hadn’t realized how much the previous fight had taken out of him, and Innes managed to push him back just a little. Behind him, his men