Chapter 16 #2
“Anything is possible.” Trevill’s gaze sharpened. “I know you believe me guilty of treason, but I did not hire the assassin who tried to kill Jayveh, and I do not know who did.”
Truth rang in those words. Despite everything, Carver was inclined to believe him—in this, anyway. “What about the mercenaries on the road? Did you hire them?”
“No.”
The answer was given with no hesitation. And since Trevill had been in danger during the attack, it seemed plausible that he hadn’t instigated it. But a fellow conspirator might have.
“Did you have an accomplice outside of Esperance?”
Trevill’s lips thinned. “No.”
The hesitation was slight, but telling. Carver purposefully lowered his voice. “You might be able to save yourself from execution if you cooperate.”
Trevill’s spine straightened. “I am guilty of nothing, thus I have no accomplice.”
Carver considered the chancellor. He knew Trevill was guilty, so he may indeed have an accomplice—but Trevill seemed genuinely surprised that an assassin had struck Jayveh.
Since that was Carver’s current goal in questioning Trevill, it was easy for him to ask, “Do you have any idea who at the palace might want Jayveh dead?”
Trevill frowned. He leaned back against the wall behind him, the chains around his ankles clinking as he shifted. “With Argent missing and possibly dead, Jayveh has become one of the most important people in the empire. That makes her a target. Especially if her pregnancy is known.”
All true, unfortunately. But because Carver wanted to understand Trevill’s reasoning, he asked, “Why?”
“You know as well as I do that if the emperor dies without an heir, the emperor’s advisors rule until a new heir can be selected. Someone could be vying for the throne.”
A conclusion Carver had just drawn as well.
“The chancellors are tasked with choosing the new heir.” The emperor had written that law himself, at the formation of the empire.
It had never seemed ominous before, but .
. . “If something happens to Jayveh and her child, the chancellors would have unprecedented power,” he murmured.
Which, by default, meant the church would lose power. That fact alone made it less likely that the clerics were behind the assassination attempt. They would want a clear line of Vayne successors, to better continue their spiritual reign in the empire.
“If you’re thinking one of the chancellors would try to kill Jayveh in a bid for power, you’re wrong,” Trevill said. “No chancellor is allowed to be appointed as the new heir.”
“And yet, the chancellors would still control the empire.”
“Collectively,” Trevill allowed. “No one would have more sway than another.”
“You’re forgetting,” Carver said slowly. “There is one chancellor who has more influence than any other.”
Trevill’s eyes met his. “Chancellor Morav.”
The head of the emperor’s advisors.
“I need to know everyone who saw the letter Jayveh sent you,” Carver said.
He’d left Trevill’s cell a quarter hour ago and was now sitting at the wide desk in the emperor’s office.
The emperor—seated across from him—frowned.
The lines in his face were deep, his exhaustion clear.
But his eyes were alert as he said, “I shared it with only a few. Your father, of course. And Morelli and Keats, as it directly concerned our fight with the Rising. I also shared it with High Cleric Lisbeth.”
Hector glanced up from his small desk in the corner, where he was jotting down notes. “You also shared Jayveh’s report with Chancellor Morav, Your Eminence.”
The hairs on the back of Carver’s neck lifted at the sound of that name. “Was there anyone else?” he asked the steward.
“No,” Hector said with confidence.
“Why is this so important to know?” the emperor demanded.
Carver sighed. “The assassin must have been hired by someone who knew we were coming, Your Eminence. Someone who knew Jayveh would be in that room. This sort of attack couldn’t have been planned in a day.”
The emperor’s eyes darkened. “I trust everyone I shared Jayveh’s letter with. Implicitly.”
Carver wasn’t as convinced, but he said, “Perhaps they mentioned it to someone else.”
The emperor glanced at Hector, who immediately nodded. “I will make discreet inquiries to learn who they might have told,” the steward said, jotting down a note on a separate sheet of paper.
“What exactly was in Jayveh’s letter?” Carver asked.
The emperor’s brows knit. “Only the basic facts. That Tam Ja’Kell was a rebel, and that she abducted Argent.
Jayveh also mentioned that Trevill was a traitor.
Of course, she also told me that she’d made the decision to leave Esperance and bring the remaining Chosen to the capital.
And she told me who of the Chosen had been killed. ”
“Did she inform you of her pregnancy?”
“Yes.” The skin around his eyes tightened. “You think someone targeted her because she’s with child?”
“I don’t know. Trevill mentioned something.
A theory. I’m not sure how much weight it carries, but .
. . If something happened to you, Your Eminence, and there was no heir, control of the empire would shift to your chancellors.
” He hesitated, then added, “Chancellor Morav holds the senior position, which would give her the bulk of that power.”
The emperor’s eyes widened. “Lin Morav has faithfully served me and this empire for decades. She would never endanger Jayveh or her child.”
“I don’t have any evidence, only speculation,” Carver was quick to say. “How did Morav react to the news of Jayveh’s pregnancy?”
“She was congratulatory, of course.” The emperor frowned. “She was concerned for Jayveh’s safety, however. She believed we shouldn’t announce the pregnancy until Argent was found.”
Something in the emperor’s tone made Carver ask, “Did someone disagree with that?”
His lips pressed together. “Lisbeth thought it would be wisest to announce the pregnancy. She believed it would show strength. That the continuation of the Vayne line not only proved the permanence of the empire, but that Jayveh and Argent’s union was blessed by the Divinities.”
Announcing the pregnancy could also put Jayveh under even greater threat.
The emperor continued before Carver could speak. “Your father agreed with Morav, though. That secrecy for now is best.” His brow furrowed. “With someone already targeting Jayveh, I must agree. Until this threat is ended, I think silence is our best course.”
Carver nodded, showing his agreement. Then—because he couldn’t dismiss this completely—he said, “Trevill also mentioned that Chancellor Morav argued against forming the Craethen Council.”
The emperor leaned back in his chair, blowing out a short breath. “She had concerns, it’s true. But she wasn’t the only one.”
That aligned with what Trevill had shared. Carver glanced at Hector. “Can you get me a list of names? Anyone among the chancellors who resisted the idea of the council?”
Hector dipped his chin. “I’ll search my notes and make you a list.”
The emperor’s troubled eyes met Carver’s. “Do you think Jayveh alone is in danger, or is this just the first strike against all the remaining Chosen?”
“I don’t know. It’s too early to tell.” Honestly, they wouldn’t know unless they found the traitor who hired the assassin.
Or until another assassin struck.
“Do you believe Trevill was lying?” the emperor asked. “That he hired this assassin before ever leaving Esperance?”
“It’s possible, but I don’t think so. He seemed surprised by the attack on Jayveh.”
“But he still betrayed me.” The emperor’s forehead creased. “I can hardly believe he hired an assassin to infiltrate Esperance. That a man I trusted would endanger you all.”
“Trevill keeps insisting he was framed,” Carver said, feeling the need to give a full report of what the imprisoned chancellor had said. “He mentioned two chancellors he claims are rivals: Janson and Kulver.”
The emperor looked toward Hector. “Are they rivals of Trevill’s?”
“Both men have competed against Trevill on different issues,” Hector confirmed. “Kulver is new, so their disagreements are more recent. But Janson has argued with Trevill for years.”
“Trevill said they both wanted his position in Esperance,” Carver added.
“I believe that’s true.” Hector’s brow furrowed. “I’ll review my notes on those meetings and let you know what was actually said. I can also verify if they were ever against the Craethen Council.”
Nothing happened in the palace without Hector knowing about it—and having a written record.
Carver inclined his head. “Thank you.”
The emperor frowned. “You said Trevill mentioned High Cleric Bartholomew’s departure, and High Cleric Lisbeth’s appointment here.”
“Yes. He said the timing of the replacement was suspicious to him.”
“I trust Lisbeth completely,” the emperor said, finality ringing in his voice.
“I do, however, find it interesting that Trevill tried to cast suspicion on her—and Highest Cleric Jeremiah, by extension. Perhaps it’s another indicator of his guilt, to attack men and women of faith.
” The emperor looked over at his steward. “Hector, please leave us.”
Hector didn’t blink at the sudden dismissal. He merely bowed his head, gathered his things, and swept out of the emperor’s office, leaving the emperor and Carver alone.
The older man’s shoulders sagged, his full age suddenly showing through.
“I can’t lose her, Carver,” he said, his aged voice a low rasp.
“Her or that precious child she carries.” Desperation shined in his eyes, along with unshed tears.
“When we find Argent . . . I cannot bear the thought of facing him if an assassin stole the woman he loves, and his unborn child. Heartless killers have stolen too much from him already. She’s in my care—her and the babe.
I can’t—” His voice cracked, halting his words.
Carver rose from his chair. He rounded the large desk and knelt beside the emperor’s chair, setting a hand on his arm. It felt so thin. Frail.
In this moment, Carver wasn’t a general kneeling before his monarch. He was simply trying to give comfort to the grandfather of his best friend. A friend he hadn’t been able to mourn properly, because everyone else clung to the belief he still lived.
“Jayveh is well protected,” Carver said firmly. “Her guard has been doubled, and we’re alert to the threat now. We’ll find whoever hired the assassin.”
Despair still coated his voice as he said, “There were no clues on the assassin’s body.”
“The biggest clue is in the fact that he struck so quickly. Whoever hired him knew we were returning early. We’ll look to those who knew and begin there.”
The emperor’s eyes dimmed. “I hate to believe any of my advisors could be responsible for sending a killer after Jayveh, but . . . I already know too well that a man can only betray you if you first choose to trust him.”
With how distant the emperor’s gaze now was, Carver didn’t think he was talking about Trevill. Carver wondered if the emperor was thinking of Saul Von instead. The empath had once been a friend to the emperor—before he’d murdered his wife.
“We don’t know that it’s one of your advisors,” Carver reasoned, his voice gentle. “Anyone you informed could have told others. Servants would have been informed as well, so they could prepare rooms.”
“Yes, but hiring an assassin costs a great deal. Doesn’t that indicate whoever hired the assassin was wealthy?”
“Most likely,” Carver agreed. “But it’s also possible this was the Rising. If they have ears in the palace, they could have learned of our coming. They could have easily put someone in place.”
The emperor nodded slowly. “Ask Morelli and Keats to question their rebel contacts. Perhaps one of them has heard something that could confirm this theory.” He settled his free hand on top of Carver’s, bony fingers squeezing weakly. “I’m glad you’re here, Carver, to help me find this traitor.”
His stomach twisted. Saints, he’d gotten so wrapped up in the mystery, desperate to know who was trying to kill Jayveh so he could protect her, he’d forgotten this couldn’t be a task he took on.
He’d made a promise to Amryn. They needed to leave in the morning.
He knew he couldn’t push his wife for more time than he already had.
Her terror when it came to the knights was understandable, and gut-wrenching. He had to get her out of here.
Carver cleared his throat. “Your Eminence—”
A brisk knock on the door cut him off.
“Enter,” the emperor called.
Carver rose to stand at the emperor’s side, watching as the door swung open.
A man strode in. His features were pinched, with fine lines extending out from the corners of his eyes. He was old, though not as old as the emperor. Sweat gleamed on his bald head, and his robe—though dusty—marked him as a high cleric. But he was more than that.
Emperor Vayne straightened in his chair. “Holy Superior, I didn’t expect you so soon.”
“We traveled through the night,” Highest Cleric Jeremiah—leader of the Church of the All-Seeing Divinities—said. “My companions and I felt great urgency to reach you.”
Three men trailed after him. The one in the lead had dark hair with silver at his temples, long enough that it brushed his shoulders. The other two were younger, but they all had the same dark hair and facial structure. They also all wore the same red uniform, and the same crystal-domed ring.
Carver’s heart stopped. The knights were early. And he knew exactly why they had rushed to reach Zagrev.
Renault Quinn’s jaw was tight, the gray in his hair more pronounced than the last time Carver had seen it. His ice-filled eyes were as sharp as ever as he looked between the emperor and Carver. “Where is Rivard?” he demanded. “Where is my son?”