Page 25 of The Witch who Trades with Death

Chapter Twenty-Five

Sava

The mountains were impassable in winter, but there were ways around them. They just took weeks, if not months, and involved braving both tundra and ocean. The Kingdom of Divaajin had one of the best navies in the known world, so the Ghura weren’t worried about the empire winning by sea. This also meant that messengers, scouts, and spies could go from Divaajin to the Reguallian Empire and back again by hopping on ships, passing critical information as they went.

The Bvamso family welcomed one such messenger that stumbled onto their porch one chilly afternoon with news. He gratefully curled around a steaming cup of tea while he thawed in their sitting room.

The messenger introduced himself as Haka. He was too dark-skinned to not stand out, stout, and missing an ear.

“My first winter,” he said, motioning to it. “I wasn’t prepared for the cold.”

“Happens to the best of us,” Phramanka said. Sava refilled his tea while the family servant Napha came in with a big bowl of stew.

Myrta would’ve been all over Haka, Sava thought, demanding questions about life outside of Pahuuda and stories of far-away lands. She’d always wanted to travel. Had traveled, going with hunters and escorting traders through the tundra and over the mountains. She’d always dreamed of more, of seeing the ocean and big cities and forests.

Sava shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts. They didn’t hurt as much as they used to but were still distracting.

“What news?” Phramanka asked, getting to the point now that Haka was warmed and filling his belly.

Haka swallowed a mouthful of yak meat. “Mm! Sorry – it’s really good. Reguallian ships have been spotted in Divaajinian waters, but our fleet pushed them back. We’ve noticed a few night creatures in the water, but so far, they haven’t been able to bring down any ships.”

“Yet,” Phramanka muttered.

“It looks like the majority of the emperor’s forces are coming for Pahuuda,” Haka said. “While his navy is nipping at our borders, most, if not all, of his land troops are gathering on the other side of the mountains, ready to punch through in summer. I hope you’re ready.”

Phramanka and Sava shared wolf-like smirks. “The mountain passes are narrow and treacherous. Numbers mean very little.”

Haka shrugged. “Very well. My superiors think the emperor is being unusually rash. We all expected him to wait at least a few more years before striking. At first, they weren’t sure why the rush. But then they received news that one of his concubines ran off.”

“Concubine?” Phramanka echoed. That word hadn’t been said in Ghura; it was Reguallian. She glanced at Sava, but he shrugged. He’d never heard it before, either.

“Ah… wife, I suppose is the best translation? Or mistress,” Haka explained. “Emperor Yamueto has dozens. Hundreds, even.”

Sava blinked. “Where does he find the time? The energy?”

“He’s immortal,” the messenger said with a shrug. “Anyway, one of them ran off, and he’s been trying to find her ever since. He must’ve found her in Divaajin.”

“Name? Description?” Phramanka asked. “Maybe we can capture her first, see if she knows anything.”

“She’s a witch,” Haka said between more bites of stew. “They all are. That, or descended from them.”

Sava’s stomach dropped.

“This one’s a desert girl. Short.” He snorted. “She killed another one of the emperor’s wives. Probably argued over his affections. Or jewelry. My wife’s always on me about jewelry…”

Phramanka’s face was unmoved, even as she side-eyed Sava. He swallowed.

“Thank you, Haka,” she said at last. “How long will you stay?”

“The night, if you don’t mind. I’ll be gone in the morning.”

They got Haka settled in one of the guest rooms. By then, Thriman had come home from his own military training, and they told him what they’d learned.

Thriman whistled. “So. She’s either running from him or spying for him.”

“Most likely, yes,” Phramanka said. “And since she didn’t tell us…”

They both looked at Sava. He bristled. “What?”

“You know her best. Do you think she has an ulterior motive?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. She’s kept so many secrets… But if she was on the emperor’s side, why enlist?”

“Better cover story,” Thriman said, without missing a beat. “Not to mention, it gives her better access to the juicier information. Troop sizes, movements, supplies, plans, strategies…”

Sava felt ill. He’d encouraged that woman to stay here, had vouched for her. Helped her. And all this time she’d been married to the emperor?

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Phramanka said, holding up a hand. “She’s been doing this town a great service with her witchcraft, at little to no cost to us. There might be another explanation. Sava’s told us how cruelly the empire has treated its people.”

That gave Sava some hope, but he didn’t chase it. If the emperor had a hundred wives, surely they’d be vying for attention. For power. One way to do that would be to sneak into enemy territory. Haka had mentioned that the bulk of the Reguallian forces were on the other side of the mountains. Perhaps they had a plan to use Khana to cripple them, leaving the passes undefended.

What’s the difference between being selfish and self-preservation?

And yet, she’d looked so scared since she arrived. More so when she’d enlisted…

“How do you want to handle this?” Thriman asked.

Phramanka thought for a moment, then said, “Bring her to me.”