Page 18 of Wedded to the Devilish Highlander
The air was thicker, guards stood tighter, and a buzz of whispered unease clung to the walls.
Calum was waiting by the body, his jaw tight.
“Nay one saw anythin’?” Archer asked in a clipped tone.
“Nae a soul,” Calum murmured. “We estimate that the guard died quickly. One single movement, nay other injuries.”
“Professional work. Trained,” Archer muttered, his eyes narrowing.
Calum nodded. “There was nay scuffle, except entry into the chambers. Whoever did it kenned their way around this wing.”
“And got in and out without bein’ seen,” Archer added, looking around the room to check if anything seemed out of place.
Calum met his gaze, and the two men inhaled sharply. They walked side by side down the corridor moments later, their voices low.
“What are ye thinkin’?” Calum asked.
“They kenned our patterns. Our guards. Our weak points. They waited for their moment and struck. This wasnae random—it was planned.”
Calum gave a low whistle, and Archer chanced a glance over his shoulder to ensure that the young guard was still stationed in front of Eileen’s chambers.
He was.
“Someone from inside the castle, then?” Calum suggested.
Archer didn’t answer right away. His thoughts drifted to Eileen again—her small hand in his, the way she had looked at the blood, the way she hadn’t screamed. She was strong, but she shouldn’t have had to see that.
“Look into it,” Archer said finally. “Quietly. I want names, shadows, and rumors. Anything that smells off.”
Calum gave a short nod. “And the lass?”
“She stays, for now.”
“Is that wise?”
“Mayhap nae,” Archer muttered. “But I’ll nae send her off into danger unprotected. Nae when someone just tried to killmein me own keep.”
Calum gave him a look. “Ye reckon she’s involved?”
Archer shook his head. “Nay. She was beside me the entire time. And if she wanted me dead, she could’ve stuck a knife in me gut when I handed it to her—probably would have smile doin’ it too.”
That earned a snort from Calum.
“The council must be called to order. Immediately.”
“Aye. I’ll call them.”
Still, the unease gnawed at Archer’s gut. The idea that someone inside his walls—someone he trusted—could be behind this didn’t sit well with him. And neither did the thought of Eileen lying in that room, shaken and vulnerable, alone.
“Keep yer eyes peeled,” he said. “And Calum…”
“Aye?”
“If anything else happens, anything at all, I’ll be informed of it before me next breath.”
“Aye, understood.”
As Calum walked off, Archer lingered by the window, watching the sun dip below the trees.
