Page 60 of The Witch who Trades with Death

Chapter Sixty

Sava

Phramanka pinched the bridge of her nose. “When I said I wanted the girl to go in with backup, I didn’t want you in that group.”

Sava counted his arrows, sliding them into one of his two quivers. “Sounds like you should’ve thought of that sooner.”

“It’s a suicide mission.”

“So you’ve said.”

“Maybe the two of us can go with him?” Thriman suggested. “Sell the lie.”

She shook her head. “No. The more people we have there, the antsier they’ll be. And Yamueto might send another attack on us while Khana’s in his camp. But that doesn’t mean Sava has to be there!”

He looked up from his weapons. “Ma, I really don’t want to start this night by disobeying a direct order.” She narrowed her eyes at him. He held her gaze. “I’m not losing another person I care about by standing back and doing nothing. Hate me if you want, I don’t care.”

He finished with his weapons and went to move past his parents into the stone hall. Phramanka stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

He sighed. “Ma, can we not…”

“Shush.” She went over his armor, checking the thickness of the joints and other weak points. “Unbelievable. The only Bvamso who can inherit our family title and estate. And he’s going to provide backup to a woman who can instantaneously heal an arrow shot through her eye.”

“You’re the one who suggested she have back-up!”

“Shush! She’s already got that Cituva girl with her, and the entire rest of her unit. All of those Reguallians who can better blend in with the enemy and not get themselves stabbed.”

“I’m fluent.”

“Yes, you’re very easily mistaken for Reguallian. Don’t stand out among them at all,” Thriman drawled.

Sava glared at his father. Phramanka finished her inspection with a huff. “I suppose it’s our own fault. Should’ve raised you to be a coward. Or at least kept you out of the military. What happened to being a bard?”

He could count on one hand all the times he’d seen his mother cry. Given how misty her eyes were, that count might go up.

He chuckled. “How dare you give me morals and a backbone. That’s every parent’s nightmare.”

She hugged him. Thriman joined them. Sava tried very hard to believe that it would not be the last time.