The crowd threw themselves on the floor. All of them supplicating themselves except Tor who continued to brandish the torch.
“What is that?” he asked, looking closer at the cellphone. “Some new witchcraft?”
The others by Tor’s side grabbed him, pulling him to the floor. The torch rolled away, the flames dying in the thick mud of the courtyard.
“Forgive us,” one voice cried, soon joined by many others. “Forgive us all.”
“Take me off speaker,” the voice said. Rachel put the phone to her ear as two men ran up the pile of wood, untying the remaining ropes that held the two of them in place.
“Morag?” She asked. “Is that you?”
“Aye. It’s me. Though you can call me ma.”
Rachel almost fell over at hearing those words. “What?” The low battery warning beeped in her ear.
“I’m your mother, Rachel.”
“But-”
We haven’t much time. The key must be thrown into the loch. I will see you-” The cellphone went dead.
“Mom, I love you,” It was too late. She was gone.
“That was your mother?” Cam asked, rubbing his wrists where the ropes had cut into his flesh. “How is that possible?”
“I don’t know,” she replied. “But can we get off this bonfire before we talk about it?”
The still grovelling people moved aside to let them pass. The entire atmosphere of the castle had changed.
“Where’s Tor?” Cam asked, looking around him. “Where is that swine?”
No one had seen him. Cam organized a search party before taking Rachel into the keep and then up to his chamber. He sat in the chair in the corner while she perched on the edge of the bed, holding the necklace in her hand.
“So you could have gone home at any time yet you joined me on the bonfire?” he asked. “Why?”
“I couldn’t let them burn you,” she replied. “Look, I know you love someone else but I had to save you before I went.”
“What? Love someone else? Who?”
“Oh, don’t bother pretending. I saw you kissing her in the courtyard.”
“Alice? She was trying to get me to agree to marry her but I’m not in love with her.”
“But the kiss?”
“I pushed her away, Rachel. There’s only one person I love and it is not Tor’s sister. She said if I married her, she’d get him to stop them all, persuade them no sacrifice was needed.”
“And you refused?”
“I would rather burn than marry one I do not love.”
“So you don’t love her?”
He smiled, getting to his feet and crossing the room, taking her hands in his. “There is only one woman I love and have always loved.”
“And who’s that?”
“The woman sitting in front of me.” He lifted her to her feet. “I love you, Rachel. Could you ever love me?”
