Mason gave a shaky sob, dropping his face into his hands. “I cannae say, I cannae say! He’ll kill her. He said he would, and he meant it. I’ll nae risk it.”
Evander surged forward, yanking open the cell door. He pushed his way inside, seizing Mason by the shoulders and hauling him to his feet.
Leah gave a strangled scream, throwing herself at Evander. “Put him down, me Laird. Put him down! Daenae ye dare hurt him. Daenae yedare!He’ll tell ye. I ken he will. He’s no traitor, and he adores Lady Bryden. He always has! He’d never hurt her.”
“He never did,” Skye confessed. “He took care of me as best he could. Mason, I’m nae angry with ye. I can see how ye care for Leah, and I ken that ye wanted to keep her safe. But now that ye are caught, do ye really think she’ll be protected? Please, Mason.”
Mason opened and closed his mouth, his expression conflicted.
Evander growled low in his throat. Seizing Mason by the throat, he slammed him against the wall. Leah screamed, backing away, her hands pressed over her mouth.
“I swear to God, ye had better tell me,” Evander bit out. “Enough of this subterfuge. If ye willnae answer honestly for yer own sake, think of Skye. Think ofLeah. Yer choice is simple, which should make it easier for ye. I have run out of patience. Ye can speak, or ye can die. Whatever choice ye make, ye had better make it now.”
Silence descended.
Leah had pressed herself against the wall, her hands still pressed over her mouth. Glancing over Evander’s shoulder, Mason met her eyes, and something seemed to pass between them.
Leah glanced at Skye and swallowed. Letting her hands drop from her mouth, she looked back at Mason with a ragged breath.
“If ye love me at all,” she stated firmly, “ye will tell them the whole truth. Whatever they need to hear. Ye must, Mason, because me loyalty is to the Laird and to Lady Bryden. Please.”
Mason squeezed his eyes shut, breathing heavily. After a long, taut moment, he leaned forward and whispered in Evander’s ear.
Skye frowned. She couldn’t hear what he had said. Was it a name?
Evander’s face tightened. He abruptly released Mason, taking a step back.
“Are ye sure?” he asked sharply.
Mason drooped forward. His shoulders stayed against the wall as if stuck there, but his head flopped forward.
“Aye, me Laird. I’m sure. He spoke to me the day I came to the keep with Lady Bryden. I… I could tell that he was trying to turn me against ye. I daenae like ye, Laird Bryden. I didnae want Lady Bryden to be here, but I kent she would take care of herself if she had to. Then, when I began to fall in love with Leah, he approached me again. This time with threats. He made it clear what I had to do. Me Lady, I… I was meant to kill ye.”
Skye closed her eyes. “Aye, that makes sense. But ye didnae.”
“Nay. I couldnae. No threats would make me do that. And I… I’m sorry. I apologize to ye too, Leah. Ye must understand, me Laird, that Leah wasnae part of it.”
“I never believed for an instant that she was, but if I were a more paranoid and cruel laird, I might have chosen to hang her alongside ye.”
Mason flinched. “I have let everyone down.”
“So ye have,” Evander said briskly. “But ye have done the right thing now, and that’s nae nothing. Come, Skye. We have work to do. Ye can stay down here, Mason, until I decide what to do with ye.”
Mason nodded.
“I’d like to stay with him for a while, if I may,” Leah blurted out, glancing at Evander.
Evander paused, frowning a little. He glanced at Skye, and she gave a tiny nod.
“Very well,” he said. “Just for a little while. Come, wife.”
