Page 93 of Esperance

“Despite our personal differences, you are a decorated general. And since I have determined that you did not kill her, I could use your strategic viewpoint. Who do you think killed her?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t think that’s the question we should be asking.”

Ivan cocked his head, silently asking for an explanation.

Carver lifted one shoulder. “Whywas she killed?”

Ivan’s brow furrowed. “To send a message.”

“To who?”

His frown deepened. “Maybe the emperor, or the high cleric. A message that this attempt to make peace was doomed to fail.”

“All right, but why choose her? If this was a message for the emperor—a way to undermine the peace—it would have been stronger to have picked someone with deeper ties to the emperor.”

Ivan shifted his weight, his eyes distant as his thoughts clearly raced. “Argent. Jayveh.” His gaze cut to Carver. “Or you.”

“Exactly.”

Ivan considered this. “All of you would be harder to get to. Argent and Jayveh had guards from the beginning, and you . . .”

“Intimidate people.”

Ivan huffed. “Not how I would phrase it, butyenn.So why bother with one of you, if they could get to Cora?”

Carver ghosted a smile, but it was fleeting. “Even if the killer didn’t dare strike me or Argent, Jayveh would have made more sense than Cora. Obviously Cora was lured to that sitting room. The killer could have done the same to Jayveh.”

“But it would have been riskier.”

“Committing murder in an isolated temple was already risky. A little more of a threat shouldn’t have stood in the way of a stronger message. So, why Cora?”

Ivan crossed his arms over his wide chest. “Do you have an answer?”

“Not really. But I think Cora was targeted specifically. It wasn’t random, as you said earlier. She was deliberately lured from her room, killed, and left with a message.”

“Cora isn’t from a notable or wealthy kingdom. As far as I’ve been able to tell, no one here had any grudges against her, or her kingdom. She was arguably the least threatening of all of us.”

“Unless she was dangerous to the killer,” Carver pointed out. “What if she learned something about the killer? Identified them as a threat?” It could have been the imposter—like he’d suspected before—or someone else entirely.

Ivan’s brows slammed down. “A threat to who?”

“All of us. The peace. The empire. What if Argent was the target all along? Or Jayveh, or even me, but Cora figured it out first and the killer had to silence her.”

Ivan considered this. “It would explain why Cora—arguably the least dangerous of all of us—was targeted first. She uncovered a plot to destabilize the peace, and she had to be killed.” He looked to Carver. “It’s an interesting theory, but how would we prove it?”

A good question.

“Did Cora ever mention anything to you about the others here?” Carver asked. “Did anyone give her a bad feeling?”

Ivan’s eyes clouded. “We did not speak much. But I do not recall her saying anything negative about anyone.”

“And did she know anyone before coming here?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.” He eyed Carver. “Could this be the Rising?”

The direct question took him off guard. “I don’t see how,” he hedged. “Esperance has been sealed off from the rest of the empire.”

“Yes, but what if they have someone inside the temple. Do you think that is possible?”

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