* * *
Alina wiped the tears off her face for the umpteenth time that night. The house was unusually quiet and would remain so for the rest of the night. Ceana had put the tincture of opium in everyone’s drinks except hers. Alina had been there when Ceana had jumped down from the window, and it had been the hardest thing she had ever done in her life.
“They are all asleep,” Ceana had whispered, “I must leave now.”
Alina nodded her head. “Aye, ye must.”
Her sister had been dressed in breeches and a shirt, and her hair had been pulled back into a tight ponytail. “Come here,” Alina had beckoned to her. “Let me hold ye once more.”
They had hugged then and sobbed until she felt her heart would break. “I will miss ye, me dearest.”
Ceana had wiped her eyes. “I will miss ye even more, sister,” Ceana said.
“Now, wipe yer eyes,” Alina said to her and reached into the hidden spot between her bed and the wall. There, she had pulled out a small sack. “Fifty gold coins,” she told Ceana. “Ye will need money.
Ceana’s eyes had watered up again, and she had reached for her sister. Alina had indulged herself in one more hug before she pulled away from Ceana. “Now, ye must leave, Ceana. Godspeed, and I do pray he is worth it.”
Ceana had nodded bravely and wiped her eyes. Right before her eyes, Alina watched her sister become a woman. “I love ye, Alina. Do nae forget.”
Alina couldn’t reply as her throat felt heavy. Instead, she watched Ceana jump from of the window before it fully sunk in that she would never see her sister again.
Remembering would do no good, she reminded herself. She needed to sleep. She had to be asleep like the rest of them. The tincture of opium would wear off by daytime, and she needed to look the part. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.
A sharp movement woke her, but before she could react, a hand covered her mouth. She opened her eyes to see a blade pressed to her neck. Terror filled her heart. It was the killer, she knew immediately.
“If ye scream,” a familiar voice said, “I will slice yer neck.”
Alina tried to pinpoint the voice, but she couldn’t. She needed to think fast, she realized, and so, calmly, she spoke. “And how do ye intend to pin the murder on Torcall this time?”
The man laughed. “I wouldnae tell ye, but ye will be me last murder, and I do nae mind ye dying with me secret. I will kill ye and another whore and dump yer bodies close to the well in the square. Then, I will go to the prisons and break Torcall out. He will follow me blindly as I will tell him his beloved Ceana is in danger, and then, I will lead him to the well where I will kill the fool. By morning, the town will find yer body and the other whore. Then, they will assume Torcall killed ye both and then himself.”
Even though she didn’t feel like laughing, she faked one. “Ye think yerself so wise, do ye nae? I am one step ahead of ye, as is Torcall. Mere minutes ago, me sister, with help from me, broke Torcall out of jail. Ye may kill me, but ye will nae be able to pin it on him.”
“Bloody hell!” the man raged and punched the wall. His rage had blinded him, Alina realized. If not for the tincture of opium, he would have woken someone up. His rage was his weakness.
“A few minutes ago, ye say. Well, stand up. We are goin’ to find him, and if we do nae, I will only sacrifice the pleasure of killin’ him. With the right words, the people would believe he killed ye both and ran. Stand up. The other whore awaits us. She is tied and bound at the spot I have chosen. If ye make a sound, I will kill ye.”
With shaky legs, Alina stood up. Finally, she was able to look the man in the face. A wry smile appeared on her face.
“Ye,” she said. “I should have kent.”
* * *
Torcall held Ceana’s hand as they walked through the dark. Ceana had told him about the path, and if Alina was right, they would come across the opening in a little while. The exit path was inconspicuous because it was one of the only places in the clan that stayed lit by lanterns through the night. He wouldn’t have expected an exit in such a public place and so close to the prisons. From there, safety was fully assured. Ceana claimed that they were too many routes once they passed the opening and took magic powers to find them.
Torcall refused to consider the possibility that the opening had been closed. It couldn’t be—it just couldn’t. After walking for a few more seconds, they came upon the hidden exit. If they hadn’t been looking for it, they wouldn’t have found it. The pair let out sighs of relief. It was then that Torcall realized just how nervous and doubting she, too, had been.
Ceana squeezed his hand lightly. This was it, Torcall thought. Freedom.
“Torcall!” A voice from behind them called.
Torcall froze. Slowly, he turned back and came face to face with his cousin.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Torcall gave a sigh of relief. Rannoch knew he wasn’t the killer. He wouldn’t give away their secret.
“Rannoch,” Torcall said, walking towards his cousin. “Ye must keep this secret,” he said. “I have to go—”
