Page 1 of Promised to the Ruthless Laird (Highland Whispers of Love #2)
CHAPTER ONE
1 714, Crypt of the Triad
“Edin, ye’ve been chosen fer a mission o’ great import.” The deep, commanding voice of one of the figures broke the silence, reverberating through the ancient crypt. It was a voice meant to be obeyed, each word weighted with authority.
The flickering torches lining the walls painted erratic shadows over the ancient carvings, their forms seeming to twist and writhe as if alive. Edin had stood in this room more times than she cared to count, but its oppressive atmosphere never lost its edge.
It was as though the air carried the scrutiny of countless unseen eyes. The damp chill clung to her skin, seeping into her bones as she faced the three cloaked figures known as The Favored. Their faces were obscured by hoods, the darkness within like a void.
The chamber itself felt as though it were closing in, its ancient stone walls bearing down on her. Even the faint echo of the figure’s voice heightened her sense of isolation. Yet Edin stood straight and unyielding, her outward composure betraying none of the turmoil within. Her mind, however, was a maelstrom. Whenever she was summoned to this crypt, she was tasked with work that danced the fine line between death and glory.
Weakness, she knew, was a luxury she could not afford. To falter, even for a moment, could mean losing everything she had spent her life fighting to achieve. She had to appear fearless, unshakeable as she steeled herself against the unrelenting weight of their gaze.
“A request has come from the Lennox family,” the cloaked figure continued, her voice measured as her fingers tapped the armrest of the high-backed chair.
Edin’s sharp gray eyes narrowed imperceptibly. The Lennox name always brought complications to its cases, reserved only for the most skilled members of The Triad.
“If I may ask,” she said, her voice calm and unwavering despite the flicker of unease she felt, “wasnae Elsie charged wi’ matters concerning the Lennox family?”
The figure on the right answered, her voice cutting through the crypt’s chill. “Yes. But Elsie has chosen a different path; she married and, in doing so, relinquished her place within The Triad.”
Marriage? Edin struggled to keep the incredulity from her expression. To throw away the opportunity to rise, to command respect, all for the fleeting comforts of matrimony? It would be a betrayal of self and purpose.
The mere thought of a quiet life, confined to the walls of a home, suffocated her. The monotony of tending to household affairs, of playing the dutiful wife—no matter how comfortable or privileged—would bore her to madness.
The Triad stood for something greater than human desires, it fought for justice and understanding in a world that thrived on shadows and deceit.
Edin couldn’t imagine looking back on her life and seeing it reduced to the mundane when she could achieve something greater. For as long as she could remember, Edin had envisioned herself as an integral part of the Triad. It was a calling. To belong to an organization so devoted to uncovering truths, solving the unsolvable, and protecting the integrity of their world was a mission.
Edin wasn’t built for tea parties or embroidery circles. She had always craved the thrill of a challenge and the rush of deciphering clues and solving cases. And this wasn’t just about ambition. It was about legacy. It was about knowing she had spent her life doing something that mattered.
The central figure leaned forward, her dark blue eyes catching the torchlight as they locked onto Edin’s. “The Lennoxes have requested our assistance in a matter of utmost delicacy. Their daughter, Davina, vanished some months ago. Evidence has surfaced suggesting she may yet live, hidden somewhere in the Highlands. Ye’ll be accompanying Finley Lennox, their eldest son — the heir,” the cloaked leader stated, her voice then dropping, low and deliberate. “The Lennoxes are nae ordinary patrons, Edin. Their influence is vast, their wealth critical tae our survival. Failure isnae an option.”
Another harsher voice came from the shadows. “Their loyalty is conditional. They demand excellence, and they’ll accept naethin’ less than success.”
Edin’s shoulders straightened instinctively, her mind already turning over the implications of the mission. Every word spoken was a reminder of the stakes. To succeed would be to solidify her position — a promotion, respect and the belonging she had been seeking for as long as she could remember.
To fail… well, she refused to consider failure. It was not an option. There was nowhere else to go and nothing else to do for her.
“This mission,” the leader intoned, “is as much a test o’ loyalty as it is a measure of skill. Prove yerself worthy, and the path ahead will open.”
“I am grateful fer the opportunity.” Edin’s hands clenched beneath her cloak, the motion hidden but no less resolute.
This is me chance .
For too long, she had been a simple tool to The Triad — even though experienced and a skilled herbologist. But this mission could change that. If she succeeded, she would no longer be merely useful; she would become an indispensable asset in an organization that many feared and most turned to for help.
One of the figures shifted. “Yer task will require access to the knowledge center. Ye’ve earned that privilege. See that ye make good use o’ it.”
Edin’s breath hitched for a moment, but she quickly masked it. The knowledge center was sacred ground, a repository of secrets and strategies. Few were granted entry, and fewer still could claim they had earned it. That they trusted her with such access was a testament to the gravity of the mission.
“I understand,” she replied, her tone steady and deliberate. “I’ll nae fail ye. The mission will be completed.”
As the meeting concluded, Edin turned and began her ascent from the crypt, her footsteps echoing in the silence. Her mind stirred with the details of the mission, the gravity of the task, and the rare opportunity she had been given — one she had been dreaming of since her youth. Now, at twenty-five, The Favored had bestowed upon her a responsibility of immense weight — and with it, a chance to prove she was more than just a servant of their will, but someone who truly belonged.
As she emerged into the cold, open air, she drew a deep breath. The weight of expectation still pressed down on her, but it was a weight she welcomed. For the first time in a long while, the path before her was clear. She would succeed—not just for the Lennox family, not for The Triad, but for herself.
For Edin, this mission was the ladder she had been waiting to climb. She’d worked too hard, given too much of herself, and sacrificed more than most. This mission, with all its complexities and dangers, was her chance to prove that she was not just worthy of a higher rank but essential to the organization’s very core. Otherwise, she would fade into oblivion.
The dim light of her quarters cast long, comforting shadows on the walls as Edin methodically sorted through her collection of vials. Each glass container held a carefully crafted mixture, labeled with her meticulous handwriting. The faint scent of crushed herbs and bitter compounds lingered in the air. Her hands moved with the efficiency of years spent perfecting her craft, ensuring every stopper was sealed tight, every label secured.
She reached for a vial containing a pale green liquid, her fingers brushing the smooth surface. “Antidote for nightshade poisoning,” she murmured under her breath, placing it gently in the satchel laid open on her cot. Next came a small bottle of silvery powder — a potent sedative that had proven invaluable in the past. She packed it alongside a collection of dried herbs wrapped in wax paper, her thoughts wandering as she worked.
She thought over what she had just experienced. Edin was well aware of the Lennox family’s deep ties to the Triad. What unsettled her was how much influence a single family could wield over an organization of such power. It felt wrong, a contradiction of everything the Triad was supposed to represent. Wealth and privilege shouldn’t dictate priorities, no matter how generous donations might be. Of course, her opinion didn’t matter, but when measured against the broader needs of society, catering to a wealthy family seemed like the least worthy of causes.
This made the mission feel different — heavier. The thought of accompanying Finley Lennox unsettled her. A future laird, accustomed to command, the kind of man who would see her as a tool. Her independence was one of her greatest strengths, and yet there she was, about to be saddled with a partner who could jeopardize her effectiveness. But there was no way around it.
Her fingers tightened briefly around the vial before she tucked it into her bag. She couldn’t let her irritation cloud her judgment. The mission didn’t leave much space for personal preferences — it was simply about results.
She reached for her small notebook, its pages filled with sketches of plants and their properties, formulas for tinctures, and notes from previous assignments. Slipping it into an inner pocket, she drew a deep breath. The leather-bound book was one of the few things that she could truly call hers — she had written it page by page — and everything she knew was inside those pages.
As she resumed packing, the scene replayed in her mind. The Favored’s explanation of the mission echoed in her thoughts — Davina Lennox, stolen months ago. The thought struck a nerve and she couldn’t stop thinking about the irony of it all. It was cruelly fitting. She, a girl who had once been taken, was now tasked with finding another lost girl.
Her hand hovered, trembling slightly, over a bundle of dried wolfsbane, questions she had worked tirelessly to suppress threatening to break the surface. The family she’d been stolen from remained a void in her mind, faceless and unreachable. All she’d known since then was the calculated efficiency of the Triad, who had rescued her, shaped her, and made her indispensable. They had given her a purpose — one she had clung to because it was all she had.
She knew all too well what it was like to be lost, to belong to no one. Despite her opinion on Davina’s family, finding her wasn’t simply a task; it was a chance to prevent another from suffering the same fate she herself had endured her entire life.
“Focus,” she muttered, her voice sharp. She shook off the thought and secured the wolfsbane alongside the other vials. This wasn’t the time to dwell on the past. Her mission was clear: find Davina Lennox and bring her home.
She picked up her dagger, its blade gleaming faintly in the dim light. Slipping it into its sheath at her hip, she considered the challenge ahead. The Highlands were a treacherous place, and the task of navigating them with Finley Lennox was daunting. She would need to be at her sharpest, her most prepared.
Her thoughts turned briefly to Finley. She had seen him once before, from a distance, during one of the rare times she had been sent to deliver a message to the Lennox family. He had carried himself with an air of authority, his broad shoulders and commanding presence making him hard to ignore. He was a man used to control, and she suspected he would not take kindly to sharing it.
“He’ll need to learn,” she said under her breath. She wouldn’t tolerate unnecessary interference. Her satchel now packed, she fastened it tightly and slung it over her shoulder.
Edin stepped to the small mirror hanging on the wall. Her sharp gray eyes were distant and unreadable, even to her. The face staring back at her, framed by the black braid she had tied with precision earlier, bore no trace of fear, no flicker of doubt, but the stillness in her expression felt heavier today. She adjusted her cloak, the worn fabric rough against her fingers, pulling it tighter around her shoulders.
Her gaze flickered across the room; a bare cot, a battered wooden chest, and the single lantern casting its feeble glow on the cold stone walls. It was a sparse existence, one she had grown accustomed to, yet in its emptiness, it held a strange sense of security.
She lingered for a moment, letting the stillness settle in her chest, before drawing a deep, steadying breath. Stepping out meant leaving that comfort behind and walking into the unknown. But she had survived worse and she would survive this, too.
Her boots struck soft echoes on the stone floor as she moved through the labyrinthine corridors. The air was cool, carrying the faint, earthy scent of moss and damp stone that clung to the crypt-like depths of the Triad’s headquarters. She ran her fingers along the rough-hewn wall as she walked, grounding herself in its familiar texture.
By the time she arrived at the stables, the last light of the day was visible on the horizon, painting the sky in soft strokes of orange and pink. She paused for a moment, her gaze sweeping across the wide expanse before her, soaking in the quiet stillness of the morning.
Edin tightened the strap of her satchel and gave her horse a firm pat on its sleek neck. The creature’s breath clouded in the chill evening air. She swung into the saddle with practiced ease, the familiar creak of leather grounding her for what lay ahead.
The path ahead was narrow, hemmed in by towering pines whose branches seemed to stretch out like skeletal fingers, clawing at the low-hanging mist. Shadows danced and twisted in the dim light of the fading sun, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that matched her uneasy thoughts. Each hoofbeat struck the ground with a rhythmic finality, as if the earth itself marked her journey with solemn acknowledgment.
Her cloak whipped around her in the cool breeze. It was a small thing to focus on, but she welcomed the distraction. Anything to keep her from dwelling too long on the enormity of the mission she had just accepted. The Triad's crypt and its weighty silence were now behind her, but the words of The Favored still echoed in her mind. She was sure she would succeed in her task, but it weighed on her. The Lennox family’s influence, the life of a missing girl, the approval of The Favored — it all coalesced into a single daunting weight. Yet she held her head high, her sharp eyes scanning the road ahead with a determination that brooked no weakness.
“This will change everything,” she murmured under her breath, her voice barely audible over the steady clatter of hooves. It was not the first time she’d told herself that, but tonight the words carried a sharper edge. For years, she had worked in the shadows, completing assignments with precision and efficiency, always hoping that each success would finally earn her the respect and belonging she craved. This mission, however, felt different, more personal.
The terrain grew rougher as the path climbed into the hills. Stones and roots jutted out from the earth, forcing her horse to pick its way carefully. She leaned forward slightly, one hand on the reins, the other resting instinctively near the satchel at her side, the vials clinking softly with each movement. Ahead, the mist thickened, obscuring the horizon and giving the world an eerie, dreamlike quality. The faint scent of damp earth and pine filled her senses, grounding her once more in the present. Whatever lay beyond the next rise, she would face it head-on.
Once I succeed, me position in the Triad will be secure forever.