Page 162 of Highland Spy

Her fingertips met a cool line of metal.

Success.

She pulled the lockpick from her hair and settled before the locked gate. After having been locked in the room near Urquhart by Anise, Ariana had vowed to never forget the hairpin again. Footsteps crunched on the loose stones in front of the prison door.

She sucked in a deep breath and held it to keep her hands from trembling. She slid the pick blindly into the lock and searched…

The footsteps stopped.

Searched…

A key sounded in the heavy prison door.

Searched.

Click.

The pick gave under her fingertips and the cell door creaked open. Only a fraction of a second passed before the main door to the prison flew open and Murdoch stepped in.

He locked the door behind him, obviously assuming she was safely bolted to the wall.

Ariana had the advantage of his blindness on her side and could have attacked, but she held back and pulled the bars of her cell door into place.

Perhaps he might leave and his life would be spared.

Vile though he may be, she did not wish to kill again.

“I see ye got away from the wall,” Murdoch muttered. “Maybe ye’re a witch like ye claimed to be.”

“Maybe this place is falling apart faster than anyone realizes,” Ariana replied in a dry tone. Her heart roared so loudly in her ears, it was a wonder she could even hear her own voice.

Mudroch’s eyes fixed on something. “Or maybe ye had help.”

He strode across the room and Ariana saw but a flash of gray fur before Murdoch’s foot came down hard.

“No!” The word ripped uselessly from her mouth.

Fianna darted away from him in the scantest breadth of time.

Murdoch did not give up so easily. He chased the kitten across the room in great stomping footsteps.

Nearer to her cell.

He gave a roar of impatience and edged the terrified kitten into a corner. Poor Fianna balled up and issued forth a useless hiss. Murdoch lifted his foot with a sneer of malice.

Ariana exploded from her cell with all her pent-up anger seething inside her and unleashed it upon Murdoch. Her body crashed into him so violently, he slammed back against the wall and his head knocked back against the stone.

A low groan came from his mouth and he looked down between them to where her dagger jutted from his chest amid a wash of blood.

Horror at her own actions trickled through Ariana like drips of melting snow.

She hadn’t done it intentionally.

Had she?

It’d all happened so fast.

More footsteps sounded nearby. Not in front of the door, but close enough to set her heart on edge.