Page 16 of Confessions of a Highland Assassin

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CHAPTER SEVEN

Ava paced back and forth in the kitchen, keeping an eye on the horizon. The dark clouds were growing increasingly larger as a cold wind swept through the trees, knocking them about. She tried to keep out the cold by lighting a fire in the hearth but that only succeeded in making the cabin even stuffier.

She had changed into a light grey dress and thrown the ruined green one in the fire. There was no way she could possibly salvage it after the amount of soldiers’ blood it had absorbed. She looked out the window again before walking back to the fire, the last embers of her dress burning away.

Skye should have been back by now. The storm was getting closer as Ava tried to calm her own nerves. Storms always put her on edge. She hated thunder and lightning. A sudden knock at the door made her stop, her breath catching in her chest. Skye lived there and she never knocked. She would just burst the door open without notice. It had to be somebody else.

But who would be out in weather like this…

Approaching the door as slowly as she could, Ava peered out the front window in an attempt to plan ahead. She liked to know what she was facing before she took action. Yet, she couldn’t see anything beyond the ferocious wind knocking the hazel bushes back and forth. Whoever was out there was standing right in front of the door.

It crossed her mind that one of her debtors may be coming to collect their money a little earlier than planned. She placed her hand on the hilt of the dagger she had hidden at the back of her dress. Holding her breath, she reached for the handle with her other hand and prepped herself as she yanked open the door.

Her heart jumped in her throat as the hooded figure stood before her eyes. The wind was whipping the cloak around their drenched body. Ava was about to pull out her blade when Skye pulled back her hood and came rushing into the room, her long blond hair falling freely down her back.

Ava relaxed and removed her hand from the hilt. She quietly pushed the door closed and breathed in relief before turning around.

“I am so sorry, Ava,” Skye panted as she removed her sodden cloak. “I had tae knock, the wind kept blowing me cloak over my face and I could nae see the handle. It was slippery every time I tried tae open the door when I eventually could find it. I ken how ye feel about storms. I tried tae get back as soon as I could when I saw the clouds on the horizon. What happened? Are ye hurt?” she let the wet fabric fall to the ground as she rushed forward and gripped Ava by the arms. “I was so worried something had happened tae ye.”

“Calm yersel’, Skye. Naething bad happened, tae me anyway,” she half-heartedly smiled, trying to reassure her friend.

“What dae ye mean?’’ Skye asked with a frown across her pretty face.

“Come and have a seat while I make ye a cup of tea,” Ava said and gestured to the chair next to the fire. “Ye are soaking wet, once ye are settled I will tell ye everything. And boy, do I have a tale tae tell ye.” Skye did as she was told and took the chair closest to the flames as her friend placed a metal pot on the hook that hung over the fire. She filled it with water from a nearby bucket. “Why did ye nae come? I was waiting there for hours.”

Ava took the seat across as she waited for the water to boil. “A group of men showed up shortly after ye left, so I was otherwise detained and occupied.”

All the color drained from Skye’s face. “Are ye all right, did they hurt ye? Were they demanding more money?” Her words fell over each other as they spilled from her mouth in torrents. “I will track them down mesel’, I swear tae God…”

Ava raised her hands to stop Skye and grabbed her arms in hers. “It was nae like that, dinnae worry. It was a group of soldiers coming back from a battle. They were looking for help. So I let them in and tended tae their wounds. I was already in me disguise and they mistook me for a healer.”

Skye shook her head disapprovingly. She was always looking out for what was best for Ava. “I ken that ye couldnae just leave them out there tae die, Ava, but ye need tae be more careful. They could have been lying just to get intae the cabin. A young and beautiful lass such as yersel’ is an easy target for men…” Her voice trailed off for a second. “Ye ken what happened tae me…”

Ava gave her friend a reassuring look. She knew full well what Skye was referring to but tried to keep her tone as light as she could. “Trust me, it was worth it in the end. I may have found a way that we can get closer tae the laird.”

Skye frowned as Ava stood and retrieved two cups from the cupboard to make their tea. She pulled a bag of leaves from the cupboard and dropped a few into each cup.

“While I was tending tae the man with the worst injuries, his friend thanked me, and said that I had just saved the life of the laird.”

Skye almost choked on thin air. “The laird? As in the man ye were hired tae kill?”

“Aye. The one and only,” Ava placed the cups on the table between them, poured the water carefully over the leaves and took her seat once again.

“But that’s marvelous news, Ava!” Skye’s excitement filled the air. “Please, tell me that ye slipped him some poison and he was gone ‘afore ye even kent it! We can go collect yer money and retrieve Neil as soon as possible then,” she said triumphantly.

“It crossed my mind,” Ava confessed and nodded her head. “But I would nae get me money if I had killed him right then.”

Skye’s hopes fell noticeably as she listened to her friend. “I forgot about that,” she added while remembering the dubious conditions of the deal.

“There was one good thing that came out of it though,” Ava continued as she sipped on her tea. “I overheard some of the men talking. There will be a ball sometime soon where the laird himsel’ will be choosing a wife from the neighboring lairds’ daughters. I could easily slip intae a crowd like that. All we need tae dae is buy some new dresses and find a way for me tae impersonate a lady.”

Skye mulled over the information that her friend had just given her. “Dinnae tell me that ye are thinking of pretending tae be a laird’s daughter, Ava. That’s madness. This whole bloody mission is dangerous tae begin with,” she sipped her tea before placing it back on the table. “I still maintain that we should forget the whole thing. Return the man’s money and we can find another way of repaying the debts. It’s far too dangerous. Ye might end up losing yer own life, never mind Neil’s.”