His gaze drifted further along, to the wall enclosing the church. A figure disappeared behind a tall Celtic cross gravestone. Someone was trying to murder him from within the churchyard? What manner of evil lurked here? It couldn't be McMurdo. He was still in the dungeon—at least he had been an hour ago. Surely he hadn't escaped since then. No alarm had been sounded.

Narrowing his eyes, Dirk watched and waited. He saw no more evidence of the dark-clothed figure.

Isobel crawled across the roof toward him. "Do you see anyone?"

"Aye, but I couldn't see who it was." Gloaming was growing duskier by the second.

He was certain, whoever it was, Maighread had hired him. Who knew how many men she'd hired to dispatch him?

"Come. Let's go back inside."

Staying crouched, they moved toward the door. He opened it and helped her through. They descended to the castle's top floor.

"I'd like for you to stay in your bedchamber until I come get you," he said in a hushed tone. "I'm going to take some men and try to catch whoever shot at us. I'll post a guard at your door."

"Do you truly feel that's necessary?" she whispered.

"Aye. Now that Maighread knows we've… been intimate, she might use you to bring me down."

***

"Why are you wearing armor?" Rebbie asked Dirk quietly when he appeared in the great hall.

Dirk's gaze scanned those present. Though several eyed him with curiosity, none seemed hostile or suspicious. "Why do you think?" Dirk muttered aside, making sure no one was near enough to hear. "Someone is trying to kill me again."

Rebbie gave a dark frown. "What happened?"

"On the ramparts moments ago, an arrow flew past my head. A man was hiding in the graveyard. Some bastard Maighread hired, without doubt. Or maybe it was Haldane. I'm getting the men together to do a search. McMurdo should still be in the dungeon. If he is, the witch has hired someone else. If he's somehow escaped, I'm going after him. I won't be so lenient this time."

"I need my armor too, then." Rebbie's hand flexed on his sword hilt at his side.

"Aye. And we'll wear our helms too."

"There you are," someone said behind him.

Dirk turned to find Aiden looking worried and glancing over his shoulder.

"What is it?" Dirk asked.

"I've been searching all over for you," he whispered. "We have to talk in private."

"We'll go into the library. You go first and we'll be right in." That way if Maighread had a spy in the great hall, it wouldn't appear Aiden and Dirk were together. He didn't want Maighread to know Aiden was helping him. That might put him in danger. Not that he truly believed Maighread would harm her own son, but if she thought Aiden was betraying her, she might decide Haldane was the one she would put in as chief.

A few minutes later, Dirk and Rebbie found Aiden pacing in the library.

"What is it, lad?" Dirk asked after they entered and closed the door.

"'Tis Mother. I heard her whispering to Haldane. She told him to go to the tavern in the village and meet with a man with light hair and a beard."

"She didn't say his name?"

Aiden shook his head. "Nay. If she did, I didn't hear it."

"To what purpose? Is this someone she's hiring to assassinate me?"

"That's what it sounded like. Haldane is to take him a bag of silver."

Dirk muttered a string of Gaelic curses. "You stay here, Aiden. I'll take the men and see what's going on at the tavern."

Moments later, Dirk, Rebbie, Keegan, Erskine and five other clansmen rode away from Dunnakeil along the frozen mud trail. Gloaming had quickly descended to night. The chill wind blew low clouds rapidly beneath the moon, creating moments of meager light mixed with darkness. Although it was difficult to see clearly, Dirk scanned the hills and mountains around them, as did the other men.

Before they'd left the keep, Dirk had checked the dungeon. McMurdo remained locked up. He'd questioned the other members of McMurdo's gang, but none had revealed anything. He had to find out who this new threat was from. Who had shot the arrow at him and who was Haldane meeting in the tavern?

He only hoped Isobel stayed safely in her room as he'd told her. He'd left Conall's second son, Dougal, and another trusted clansman guarding outside her door. Dirk shouldn't think of the kiss on the roof because it might distract him, but 'twas hard to forget the addictive taste and feel of her. The vivid images of her that played through his head heated his blood on this cold night.

The flicker of lantern light at Stackie's abandoned byre beside the trail caught his eye. He drew up. "Someone is in the byre up ahead. It could be a crofter, or it could be an ambush." He dismounted. "Come. Let's slip up on them."

The other men dismounted, drew their swords and followed him. Leaving their lantern behind, and two men to guard the horses, they crept the rest of the way by the moody light of the moon, the frost crunching and crackling beneath their boots.

They slipped in behind the byre and along the side as silently as possible. Hearing rumbling voices inside, Dirk paused to listen but could make out none of their words.

"Do you think 'tis Haldane?" Rebbie whispered.

"Likely."

When one of Haldane's friends rounded the corner alone, they knew the truth of it. Dirk knocked him on the head with the hilt of his sword. He gave a low cry and crumpled to the ground.

"Bind him," Dirk whispered, sheathing his sword.

He hoped the noise didn't alert the rest of the group. When he heard raised voices coming from inside, he figured they hadn't been paying attention.

Rebbie dragged the man behind the stone building.

The arguing continued inside the byre, then a yell cut them off. Haldane, trying to be bossy and commanding. How did they expect to ambush anyone if they were that boisterous? Or maybe it wasn't an ambush after all. Mayhap they were simply having a meeting. Either way, they were likely up to no good.

Haldane and some of his friends were in that youthful, awkward stage between a lad and man. Most of them were tall and strong but had more cockiness than sense. They'd take foolish risks a grown man wouldn't take. They were dangerous, both to others and themselves.

Dirk waited in the shadows at the side of the building where the moonlight didn't reach him.

Another youth popped his head around the corner. "Finlay? Where the devil are you?"

Come a wee bit closer.

Dirk almost grinned when the young man drew his sword and crept forward. Dirk leapt from the shadows, grabbed his opponent's sword wrist and clapped his hand over his mouth.

"Be quiet or you'll regret it," Dirk growled next to his ear. Easily subduing the skinny lad, he dragged him behind the building. "I need a rope and a gag," Dirk whispered to Rebbie.

"'Tis time to put a stop to this," Keegan muttered once both the young troublemakers were trussed up like pigs.

"What's your plan?" Dirk asked.

"I'm going to ask Haldane what the hell he's about. You two stay here."

"Nay, I'd never let you handle this alone," Dirk said.

Keegan was much closer to Haldane than Dirk, having been with him all these years, so maybe he could get through to him. But Dirk still wanted to protect his cousin. Haldane was unpredictable and unscrupulous, especially when he was doing his mother's bidding.

Dirk's party crept around the side of the small stone building.

"You men, wait out here," Dirk told Erskine and the others.