Tension pulled at the air inside the room.
Hector’s tongue darted over his lips. “I can explain.”
“You’d better,” Morelli rumbled.
Kulver eyed Hector. “We’re too close,” he murmured. “We can’t ruin this.”
Hector’s focus was on Carver, though his words were clearly for the chancellor. “I believe we have no choice.”
“You have a choice,” Carver said, his voice hard. “Tell us everything here and now, or talk in a cell.”
Kulver tensed. “You can’t arrest us. We’re not guilty of any crime.”
“Conspiracy. Treason. Attempted murder. Take your pick.”
Hector choked. “I can assure you, we’ve done none of those things.”
“You’re not trying to kill Jayveh and the other Chosen?”
Hector’s eyes rounded. “What?”
Kulver snorted. “Are you delusional, Vincetti?”
“Maybe you should start talking, then,” Morelli cut in. “Because things aren’t looking good for you right now.”
Hector and Kulver shared a look. The steward’s shoulders slumped. He met Carver’s gaze. “Do you remember the coded language I taught you?”
Thrown by the unexpected question, Carver answered honestly. “Some of it.”
The older man bobbed his head once. “In my desk in the corner, in the bottom left drawer, you’ll find a book. In it, I’ve recorded all of our findings. It will corroborate what I’m about to tell you.”
“Which is?” Carver asked.
Hector blew out a slow breath. “For the last year, I’ve been investigating a shadowy group within the emperor’s court. The Brotherhood, is what they call themselves.” He gestured to Kulver. “I recruited his help when I realized the Brotherhood had roots in the emperor’s advisory staff.”
“The Brotherhood?” Carver questioned dubiously. He exchanged a look with Morelli, whose brow was furrowed.
Hector’s expression firmed. “I know it sounds mad. At first, I thought I was insane to see such a conspiracy. But time has proven me right. We’ve identified several members, and we’re gathering proof of their illicit dealings. Kulver was recently inducted into the Brotherhood, which has helped speed our efforts immensely.”
Carver shot a look at Kulver. “You were invited to join this group.”
The man flashed an irritating smile. “Believe it or not, some people find me likeable.”
“I don’t believe it,” Carver stated.
Morelli was still frowning. The alertness in his gaze assured Carver that he was taking their story seriously. “What did your induction entail?”
“I swore some ridiculous oaths, mostly about disavowing the church of the All-Seeing Divinities, and I promised to donate a fraction of my wealth to the cause of the Brotherhood.” He pulled a face. “And they made me get a bloody tattoo.”
Carver straightened. “A tattoo? Let me see it.”
Kulver’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he grasped the hem of his shirt and lifted it, baring a flat abdomen that flexed as he twisted to show the small black mark high on his ribs. A hand, palm forward and fingers lifted up.
Carver sucked in a breath. “That’s—”
“Just like Trevill’s tattoo,” Hector finished for him, his face grim. “Perhaps now you’ll believe me.”
Carver stared at the steward. “Trevill was part of this Brotherhood.”
