Page 94 of The Warrior
“I intend to find out,” Moira said and leaped to her feet.
“Wait for me.” Niall grimaced as he struggled to stand. “She’s dangerous.”
Moira took Niall’s arm and helped him up. Together they followed the barks and shrieks over the rough ground toward the thick shrubs that grew near the shore. When they broke through the tangle of brush, Moira saw that Sàr had Rhona backed up against a boulder. The wolfhound was so tall that his snapping jaws were level with Rhona’s chest, and he clearly had the woman terrified.
“Sàr, by me!” Moira shouted.
When Moira took hold of the wolfhound’s rope collar, he moved back, but a low growl still rumbled in his throat.
“We should let the wolfhound rip ye apart with his teeth after what ye did to Fergus,” Niall said.
Rhona looked Niall up and down with a sneer on her face. “Ye don’t have it in ye to kill a woman.”
“I do,” Moira said, barely containing her rage.
Rhona met Moira’s gaze, and her sneer faded. “Duncan always underestimated how tough ye are.”
“Tell me why ye were headed to Castle Maol,” Moira said.
“I was going to visit some acquaintances,” Rhona said.
“You’re not some Lowland noblewoman who ‘visits acquaintances,’” Moira said, taking a step toward her. “I know you’ve been spying for my uncle Hugh because I saw ye with him.”
That revelation appeared to startle Rhona.
“’Tis all your fault,” Rhona said. “If ye hadn’t left your husband and taken Duncan away from me, I never would have gone back to Hugh.”
“You’ve never had a shred of loyalty,” Moira said, and suddenly she knew what Rhona had done seven years ago. “It was you who told my father about Duncan and me, wasn’t it?”
Rhona laughed. “So ye finally figured that out?”
“What information did ye give Hugh?”
“There wasn’t much I could tell him except that Duncan had disappeared again,” Rhona said with a shrug. “Hugh already knew that Connor was getting the men and galleys ready to set sail. He figured they were going to attack Trotternish Castle and said he was leaving to warn the MacLeods.”
“I understand how you could betray me,” Moira said. “But how could ye betray your clan—and murder poor Fergus? He thought you loved him.”
“Love?” Rhona scoffed. “That’s not what men want.”
“So what did you want from Hugh?” Moira asked. “He must have promised ye something.”
“When Hugh becomes chieftain, he’s going to make me mistress of Dunscaith,” Rhona said, lifting her chin. “Perhaps I’ll let ye be my maid.”
“You’re a fool if ye believe Hugh would do that,” Moira said.
“If Hugh has gone to Trotternish,” Niall said, “why were you going to Castle Maol?”
Rhona looked back and forth between Niall and Moira. Clearly, this was the one question she did not want to answer.
“I will do whatever I must to protect this clan.” Moira pulled out her dirk. “Duncan taught me how to kill a man with this. If ye have a heart, I imagine it’s in the same place.”
“Ye can’t stop Hugh with just the two of ye,” Rhona said, but her eyes were fixed on Moira’s dirk.
“Tell us now!” Moira demanded and took a step forward with Sàr.
Rhona held her hands up. “Keep that beast away from me!”
“If ye want to live,” Moira said, “you’d best tell me quick what I want to know.”
