Lyall frowned. ‘What fresh hell is this, and what does it have to do with Giselle?
‘Domnhall MacGregor was found to have been involved in an English plot to topple the King. He was tried and sentenced to death. The King’s executioner dragged him out into the yard, with everyone looking on. He hanged and gutted him. His corpse, or what’s left of it, now blows in the wind at the gates of Urquhart Castle, for all to see, as a warning not to cross King Robert.’
‘How, in God’s name, could they execute someone as powerful as MacGregor?’ said Cormac. ‘I can scarce believe he would turn on his King.’
‘Someone in his clan betrayed him, Lord. I heard rumours that one of his own sons gave him up, but I had to be careful who I spoke to. There was a dangerous mood at court.’
‘Who? Who gave him up?’ said Lyall. Anger and dread overtook him, and he felt sick to his stomach. He knew what Ramsay was going to say before he said it.
‘It is said his oldest son denounced him. It was Banan, Lord.’
‘And what of Domnhall’s clansmen, his other sons, did they do nothing?’ asked Cormac.
‘No, on pain of death, they held their tongues, and stood by, as their Laird was butchered. The Clan MacGregor is now ruled by the iron fist of Banan MacGregor.’
‘Banan gave up his own father. By all that is holy, how could he do it?’ said Cormac.
‘He is capable of anything.’ Impotent rage took hold of Lyall, and he rounded on Ramsay. ‘He is a devil, and you let him take Giselle, you bastard.’
Cormac got in between them.
‘’Tis not his fault, Lyall, and Ramsay has done well to find out where they went. He has risked his life to ask dangerous questions of dangerous men. It’s clear he has taken a beating. Who do you think did that?’
‘I beg pardon for my failure, Lord,’ said Ramsay.
Cormac pushed Ramsay away. ‘Let me talk to Lyall, Ramsay,’ he said. ‘I will come and find you presently.’
‘Forgive me,’ Ramsay called back. ‘This Banan was a fiend, Lord, he had the rage of a mad dog. There was no reasoning with him. He threatened the women and my Lady Ravenna. He said he’d give them to his men as an amusement.’
Lyall rushed to his horse, but Cormac caught hold of his arm and flung him around.
‘What are you doing?’ shouted Cormac.
‘Going to Urquhart.’
‘And what will you do when you get there? Barge into the middle of this and demand Banan gives her back. How will that go, now that he has the King’s trust and a mighty clan at his back?’
‘I cannot leave Giselle in his hands. She will be terrified. I must free her before it is too late.’
‘Brother, it is already too late. Whatever Banan would do to her, has been done by now.’
‘No.’
‘Face it, for it is a fact. My words are harsh, I know, but all you can hope for now, is that Giselle still lives.’
Lyall put his fingers in his hair and dug his nails in hard. ‘Cormac…’
‘I know. I know, brother. Bear your pain and think about how we can recover her.’
‘I need to find Banan,’ growled Lyall, ‘and I need to kill him.’
‘Good, and I swear if you don’t kill Banan, I will, but we must be clever about this.’
‘While you are being clever, Cormac, I am going to Urquhart, and you are not going to stop me.’
‘Oh, yes, I am.’
The fist came out of nowhere, and Lyall’s world turned black.