Erik continued climbing down the rope. Soon he would be near enough to the water to risk dropping. It was not far to shore for a grown man who was a strong swimmer. But in this rough sea, a boy would never make it. And if Ragnall fell, it was far from certain that Duncan could find him in the water before his son disappeared under the black swells of the sea.
He thought of Moira’s suffering if he failed to save their son—and knew he simply could not fail.
“Let him go, Erik,” Duncan said over the wind as he closed the distance between them. “He’s just a wee lad, an innocent.”
“There are no innocents!” Erik shouted.
“I can’t grab you and also save the boy,” Duncan shouted. “Let me take him, and you can escape.”
“How do I know ye will choose his life over taking mine?” Erik shouted back as he continued climbing downward.
“He’s my son!” Anguish tore at Duncan’s heart.
Duncan was nearly close enough now to grab hold of Ragnall. He stretched his arm out, praying Erik would not pitch the boy into the sea before Duncan’s fingers grasped Ragnall’s shirt.
Erik released one hand from the rope to swipe at Duncan’s arm with his dirk. As Erik’s body swung to the side, Ragnall cried out. Duncan’s heart stopped as his son was rammed against the sheer rock cliff.
“Hold on, Ragnall!” Duncan shouted.
In one motion Duncan kicked Erik’s face with his boot and swept down to catch Ragnall by the back of his shirt. He felt the shirt ripping as he jerked the boy up. Before it gave way, he caught his son’s small body between himself and the rope.
“I have ye.” Duncan held his son against his chest and gasped for air.
“Arrgh!” Erik started up the rope, swiping his dagger at Duncan’s legs.
Why in the hell wasn’t Erik going down the rope and escaping with his life while he had the chance? Erik was coming at him like a madman. Duncan kicked him in the head, hard enough to stun him. This time, Erik dropped like a stone. The sound of the splash was lost in the wind and the roar in Duncan’s ears.
Duncan feared Ragnall’s thin arms might be too tired to hold on to Duncan’s neck—and he just did not want to let go of him—so he started climbing up the rope one-handed. It was slow going, hauling the two of them up with one arm, then wrapping his feet in the rope to give him the leverage to push up and grasp the rope higher again.
Duncan’s hand slipped on the rope. Ragnall screamed as they dropped a foot before Duncan could brace his feet and stop their downward slide.
“It’s all right,” he said. “It’s all right.”
Damn it. His hand was wet with blood. Erik’s blade must have sliced his arm. Now every time Duncan moved up, he had to stop and wipe the blood on his shirt so he could grip the rope again.
Duncan was breathing hard when he finally reached the top and heaved himself up to the window. The light from the lamp still burned in the turret room with a welcoming glow. When he looked down to lift Ragnall inside, he saw that the boy’s eyes were squeezed shut and his fingers were latched on to Duncan’s shirt like barnacles on to a rock.
“You can let go now, son,” Duncan said. “We made it.”
* * *
Erik fixed his gaze on the castle he had lost while Hugh’s boat carried him farther and farther away. As he watched the castle’s outline disappear against the dawn light, he thought of all the wasted years. He had devoted himself, utterly and completely, sacrificing all else to his goal of rising from his poor beginnings to the exalted position of keeper of one of his clan’s strongholds.
In one night, that damned Duncan MacDonald had ruined everything. Erik had escaped with his life and nothing else. After losing Trotternish Castle, he would never have the respect of his chieftain or clan again.
It did not improve Erik’s mood to know that he had the slippery devil standing next to him to thank for his escape. He was tempted to kill Hugh Dubh for that black favor.
“You’ll want revenge.” Hugh said.
“Revenge,” Erik repeated, and the word tasted sweet on his tongue.
“I know how ye can get it,” Hugh said.
A new purpose took root in the ashes of his ruin. Erik would pursue it as ruthlessly as he had pursued his ambition to rise in his clan.
He would destroy Duncan MacDonald and everyone he cared about.
Chapter 40
