“I understand,” Rannoch said. “Ye must be safe, brother.” Torcall took Rannoch in his arms and hugged him.
“I will,” Torcall said and clasped Rannoch on the back.
“And ye,” Rannoch said, turning to Ceana. “‘Tis brave of ye to save me brother.”
Ceana accepted his hug. “Thank ye, but we must be—”
The blade to her neck stopped the words in her throat. Only then, she knew that they had made a grave mistake.
“Rannoch,” Torcall froze, “what the hell are ye doin’?” Terror settled into the bottom of his stomach.
“If ye move one inch, I will kill her.”
Hearing Rannoch speak so easily of her death frightened her beyond words.
But Rannoch continued. “I cannae let ye go,” Rannoch said, “else who will be responsible for the murders that I will commit this night? I planned two, but now it will be three.” He grinned. “‘Tis so much better, now.”
Realization hit Torcall with so much force that he grew dizzy. Rannoch. It was Rannoch all along. He asked the only question that he could. “But why?”
Ceana wanted to scream, but she didn’t. He would kill her. She doubted it not in the least.
Rannoch laughed bitterly. He pulled Ceana to himself and away from Torcall. Panic filled Ceana, but she could do nothing but obey Rannoch’s tug.
Surprise gradually wore off Torcall, leaving anger and panic. Ceana watched the emotions on his face, and her heart broke for him.
“Do nae hurt her,” he begged Rannoch. “For hell’s sake, have ye nae killed enough women? Ye killed those women like dogs. Why?”
“Those whores scorned me for ye!”
Ceana almost laughed with deliriousness. Rannoch was obviously crazy. There was no use reasoning with him. They were doomed.
“What?” Torcall asked in shock. “What do ye speak of?”
“Bridget!” Rannoch yelled.
Ceana’s eyes widened. Hadn’t Bridget turned him down?
“She turned me down!” Torcall yelled back. Had Rannoch lost his mind? He had gotten Bridget a small necklace, and she had turned him down and scorned him.
“Aye, she did,” Rannoch admitted. “But when I approached her, do ye ken what she said? The whore said that if she had rejected ye, who did I think I was?” His eyes were furious. “And Celestine, sweet Celestine,” Rannoch said with a maniacal look on his face. “She was in love with ye, ye fool!”
Ceana felt as though she had been punched.
“And ye courted her for a while, but ye didnae even love her. She broke things off with ye when she realized you’d been to the whore house.”
Panic filled Torcall. He didn’t want Ceana hearing any of the things Rannoch said. Rannoch noticed it too and grinned. “Ah, ye do nae want yer little whore hearing me speak of yer truths?”
Torcall balled his fists. “Ye will nae speak of her like that or—”
Rannoch pushed the knife even deeper, and Ceana whimpered. “Or what?” Rannoch taunted.
Torcall put his hands in the air and stepped back. “Now walk, Torcall,” Rannoch ordered. “Walk in front of us with yer hands on yer head.”
“To where?” Torcall asked with a cold voice.
“The well in the market.”
“And if I do nae?”
