“You’re wrong. You could treat her fairly if you wanted to.”
“But I don’t want to. Why should I? I’m naught but a savage, remember?”
“Then I canna let you wed her.”
“If you’ve a way to stop it, lad, you have my gratitude.” Jamie gave the promise lightly, for he was past hope, and he couldn’t take the boy very seriously.
“I’ll let you go,” Niall stated after a pause.
“What’s that?”
“I’ll let you go,” Niall said firmly. “’Tis the only way. You’ll be gone, and she’ll be safe from you.”
Jamie jumped up. He could hardly contain his sudden excitement. “Are you serious, lad?”
“Did I no’ say it?”
“When?”
“Now, while the tower sleeps.”
Without further ado, the ladder came sliding through the opening. But it stopped just short of Jamie’s outstretched hand, then snapped back several feet.
Jamie was beside himself with disappointment. “’Tis a cruel game you’re playing, lad?”
“Nay,” Niall assured him. “But I’m remembering what you said about getting your hands around my neck. You’ll no’ kill me when you’re free, will you?”
Jamie laughed. “You’re no’ to fear, lad. If you get me out of this tower, you’ll have my friendship for life.”
The ladder slid all the way down, and Jamie climbed it quickly, stiff though he was. The boy was gullible to believe him, yet Jamie had meant what he said. If he could safely escape Tower Esk, he’d owe the lad, and he wouldn’t forget that.
“Och, but you’re bigger than you seemed,” Niall said, awed, when The MacKinnion was standing next to him.
“And you’re as wee as I supposed,” Jamie grunted. Now that he was out of the dungeon, he wanted to get away. “If you’ll just show me where the stable is—”
“Nay, you canna go there!” Niall gasped, already regretting his decision. “Men sleep in there. You’ll be discovered, and I will have risked all for naught.”
“I’ll no’ be leaving without my horse, lad. But dinna fear. I’ll kill no one unless I have to. I’m out of that hole, and I’ll no’ be put back in it.”
“But the alarm will be given.”
“It doesna matter, lad. Once on my horse, they’ll never catch me. Ah, lad, you worry over minor things,” Jamie said as he started moving through thestorage area toward the stable. “I’ve told you I’ll no’ be caught.”
Niall was right behind him. “’Tis myself I fear for, MacKinnion,” he admitted reluctantly. “You’ll be gone—but I’ll be left here to take the blame.”
Jamie turned around sharply, and Niall nearly ran into him. “You’re welcome to come with me, lad.”
“I’m no’ a traitor!” Niall said, aghast. “What I did I did for my sister’s safety. Otherwise, I’d no’ have let you go.”
“I know that,” Jamie said softly. “And, in fairness, there’s something I must tell you. Your oldest sister, she wasna—”
Jamie didn’t have a chance to finish his confession because light appeared on the stairs nearby, and Niall pulled him back between two large casks of meal.
“Niall,” a girl’s voice called out. “Niall, if you’re down there, answer me. Niall!”
“Who is it?” Jamie whispered.
“My sister. She probably went to my room and found me gone, so she’s looking for me.”
