Assured she wouldn’t fall over, he stomped on the growing blaze but they already consumed the oil soaked floorboards in a crackling, spitting mass of orange. He threw a desperate glance at Alana as the fire crawled up the door and blocked their exit.
The room filled with smoke. If the fire ate through the floor before they choked to death, they’d fall through to the basement and probably be buried alive. He snatched the abandoned knife and pushed Alana further back from the inferno. Her gaze remained on him, fearful, tear-laden as he sliced through her bonds, before kneeling and cutting through the ones around her legs. When he came to standing, he carefully untied the rag in her mouth. She remained quiet as the wooden floor popped and hissed. Each noise made her jump.
The agony tearing at his chest made his hands shake as he threw aside the gag and rubbed at the red marks it had left. Grease covered her shift and a bruise bloomed on one cheek. Her hair was mussed and dark circles rimmed her eyes. He swiped his thumb under her chin and gave her a half-smile. Morgann had never seen anything so beautiful.
“Ye shouldnae have come,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him.
Closing his arms about her, he tucked Alana against him. He found himself surprisingly calm. He just needed to find a way for Alana to get out and all would be well. Everything moved slowly as the smoke swirled around them. The blaze completely covered the front door now and worked its way around the hall. The table would catch alight at any moment so he shifted Alana, arms still tightly around her, to the back chamber. There were no rear doors, no ramparts to escape to. This was a building intended as a home, not a fortress but the windows… He studied one. Aye, that could work.
“I wouldnae leave ye, mo chridhe, but ye have to leave me.”
Her brow creased. “What is yer meaning?”
“The window.” He nodded toward it. “‘Tis wide enough for ye. I’ll drop ye down and ye shouldnae hurt yerself. We’re not that far up.”
Alana blinked and stared at the window. “But… but ye’ll no’ fit through…” She shook her head furiously as she turned to him. “Nay. Nay, I’ll not go.”
“All will be well, I swear it. But ye must go, Alana. I’ll find a way out myself.”
A crack resounded through the hall, the sound of floorboards splitting and she flinched in his hold. Morgann urged her to the window as she clung to him and he carefully but firmly prized her arms away. "Go now, m'eudail, I willnae be long. I cannae find a way out if I'm worrying about ye now, can I?"
Alana released a tiny sob and swiped at her eyes. "Promise me ye'll no' leave me alone."
His throat felt tight and he didn’t know if the moisture in his eyes was from the smoke or the thought of not holding her again. But he made the promise anyway. He would lie again and again if it meant she'd be safe. "I promise."
The prickling heat ate its way through the keep, the glow increasing as it consumed every fragment of wood in the building. By his reckoning, the floors would go first, then the wooden rafters holding up the roof. The castle didn't have long.
Cupping Alana's chin, he claimed a quick but powerful kiss from her. She trembled but Morgann knew she was holding back her fear, brave lass that she was. Ach, if he could only spend a little more time kissing her. But time he did not have.
He set her away decisively, deliberately schooling his expression. He refused to let her see how much the thought of leaving her was killing him. Each thud of his heart seemed to pound in protest. "Climb onto the windowsill and swing yer legs out. I'll lower ye down."
She didn't respond but did as he said, much to his relief. It was tight but she just managed to squeeze through at an angle and sit on the ledge. He grabbed her hands, pressed a kiss to each one. "I love ye," he murmured. "Now shuffle forward." Wriggling, she moved until perched right on the edge. He bunched his muscles. "Bend yer knees when ye land and ye'll be fine."
"I dinnae... Morgann, I—"
Before she could argue, he lowered her as far as possible. His shoulders wouldn't fit through the gap so he couldn't even see her as he did. She squealed and gripped him tight. With a sharp inhale, he released her. Her grip on him didn't last and he felt her go, listened for the thud as she landed but the sound of the raging fire meant he heard nothing. He only hoped she hadn't hurt herself.
Scrubbing a hand over his face, he turned from the window and stared at the door to the chambers. Flames licked at it. Aye, not much time at all. He studied the room, wracking his mind. He didn't want to leave her. He desperately wanted to keep his promise but it was hopeless.