“I will kill her. Aye, you may kill me, but we both know ‘tis her ye care about, so move!” Rannoch called his bluff.
“Nay, Torcall! Run. He will kill me either way.”
“Shut up, bitch!”
Torcall’s jaw hardened, but he placed his hand on his head and walked. “Be calm, Ceana,” he begged.
“Nae another word from ye both,” Rannoch ordered.
When they came to the square, Torcall saw two women, bruised but still alive, bound hand and foot to the well. Their mouths were gagged.
When Ceana recognized her sister, she let out a frightened whimper.
“If I hear one word, Ceana,” Rannoch warned. Then, he turned to Torcall. “Get on yer knees. Maybe, I will let them leave and escape meself,” Rannoch taunted. “Maybe nae. On yer knees.”
Torcall obeyed. “Do nae hurt them, Rannoch.”
“I have come too far to go back. Lay flat Torcall.”
“I cared for ye like a brother,” Torcall said, pleading with him. “Do nae do this.”
Rannoch laughed. “I have always hated ye. Even me faither loved ye more. Do ye ken how much I tried to master the sword? Ye wouldnae even fight me! Ye would treat me like a bloody child. Tellin’ me to open a forge and build swords so ye could excel! Bastard!”
“Rannoch—”
“Nay. After Celestine left ye, I offered her me love, and she refused me, for she still loved ye. Even when I offered her meself as the best way to get back to ye. She didnae consider me!”
“But what of Amanda? We ne’er had anythin’ between us,” Torcall begged.
“Aye, but ye were friends with her brother, and she fancied herself in love with ye. She told me as much when I asked her to the feast.”
The story was lost on Ceana. Her concentration was on her sister. Alina was weak with pain. The bastard had hurt her. Their eyes met, and even then, Alina’s were filled with reassurance for her.
“And Alina and Lottie?” Torcall asked, even though he didn’t need the answers. It was obvious to him that Rannoch was off his head. He only needed to distract him so he could reach for his hidden dagger. If he was fast enough, he would get to him before he got to Ceana.
“Alina. She refused me love too, but her sin was even greater. She wasnae in love with any man. I wasnae just good enough for her! And Lottie--” Rannoch grinned. “She makes the crimes ye will commit even better!”
“Ye will kill a woman just for refusin’ ye?” Torcall asked. His hand was almost on the dagger.
“Do nae call them women!” Rannoch thundered. “They are whores! Especially Alina. The bitch is—”
Fury filled Ceana, and she threw her head back into Rannoch’s jaw. They tumbled to the floor, and Torcall took that as his chance. He got to Rannoch and placed the blade on his chest, but Rannoch laughed. His blade was still at Ceana’s throat. He sunk it deeper and Torcall let his hands fall in a plea. Rannoch let his hand fall, but before Ceana realized it, Rannoch had thrust the blade into Torcall’s abdomen.
Ceana screamed as Torcall collapsed to the ground. Rannoch turned back to her, but before he could get to her, she took off running.
She would alert people, she decided as tears ran down her eyes. Ceana ran faster than she knew she could. Her lungs felt as though they would burst. She wasn’t afraid to die, but Rannoch wouldn’t get away with it.
She screamed as loudly as she could. Then, just as she was about to scream again, Rannoch jumped on her, and they tumbled to the ground.
Pain shot up her legs, and her tears multiplied. Rannoch brought his lips close to her ears. “I will kill ye now and then, yer sister and Lottie. Goodbye, Ceana.”
Rannoch’s grip on her loosened as the log of wood landed heavily on his head. The knife fell out of his hands, and he fell dead.
“Torcall!” Ceana yelled. He wasn’t dead. He was standing above them, with the knife still in his side as blood gushed out with a force that frightened Ceana.
“Torcall,” she whimpered again, scrambling to her feet.
A brief smile crossed his lips, and then, his eyes glazed before he fell to his knees and then onto his side.
