Page 47 of Highland Spy

He turned and found her staring up at him, her eyes still wild with the effects of the drug. The carmine of her lips stood out brilliant red in the golden light of the stable.

She lifted her chin with a determined slant he’d come to know almost too well. “If I can be better, then I want you to tell me how.”

“Ye did verra well tonight,” he said earnestly. “Far better than I expected for a first mission. Ye were right, ye did exactly as ye’d been instructed and ye’ve succeeded in what ye’ve been trained to do.” He patted her on the shoulder, mindful to do so on the good one. “I’m proud of ye.”

A pleased glow lit her face. “Then I look forward to another attempt tomorrow evening.”

Tomorrow evening.

Connor almost groaned aloud.

Unless, of course, Sylvi and Delilah had found something in their venture farther north.

And he hoped to God they had.

• • •

Sleep would be difficult when Ariana’s thoughts were still racing with the thrill of the night’s adventure.

She climbed the long staircase toward the room she shared with Liv. Patches of the plastered white wall were either cracking or missing altogether, revealing the mismatched stonework beneath.

The hour was late and the energy firing through her body had leeched away, leaving her limbs heavy with exhaustion despite the excitement of her thoughts. Each step taxed her and burned at the tops of her thighs in a way she was unaccustomed to.

Such a simple climb had always been so easy.

At long last, the door appeared before her. She pressed her weary body to its cool surface and felt as much as heard the click of it opening.

Something prickled at her senses and shot a streak of wakefulness through her before the door opened wide enough for her to see.

An odor wafted toward—a metallic, fetid smell.

Ariana’s body tensed with renewed energy.

Blood.

She pushed her way into the room and her heart crumpled into her stomach.

There, in the flickering light of the hearth, lay Liv, in a bed stained dark with blood, her face pale, and her body unmoving.

Chapter 12

It was not an easy task to clean spilled blood.

Dawn lit the sky gray and then pale blue long before Ariana and Percy had ceased working.

Liv lay on a clean pallet, her face smooth with a drugged sleep meant to help her heal. The breath Ariana had sworn she’d never see again now rose and fell in shallow bursts from her friend.

The blood had all been washed away, but still its scent lingered and its rich russet color stained the skin around Ariana’s fingernails.

Liv’s head rolled from side to side on the pillow and an almost inaudible moan sounded from somewhere deep in her throat. Percy’s tonic was wearing off.

Ariana darted across the narrow room to Liv and sank down beside her bed.

Liv’s eyes opened in a squint and her brow creased. As if she knew something was not right. “What happened?”

“You were very sick.” It was all Ariana could allow herself to say.

Liv’s hand lifted weakly from her side and trailed toward her stomach, fingers trembling.