“Probably less, even though it’s unnecessary.” He laughs again. “It’s one of the reasons she doesn’t like me.”
“Because you don’t care about the cultural faux pas of translating?”
“I don’t care about any of the ones that make no sense,” he says with a smile that I don’t think she’d like either.
“What are the other reasons she doesn’t like you?”
“The usual things a mother dislikes about the person she thinks her son is sleeping with.”
That makes me pause. “But you are sleeping with him.”
“I wasn’t when she decided she didn’t like me.”
An outraged string of words makes me flinch.
Mooralan laughs and looks away as she glares. “She just saw the bite mark on your neck and now she thinksI’mcontrolling you to control him.”
“Ah.” Well, that’s not good.
“Don’t worry, he’s denying it emphatically.”
I chew on my lip. “Is that going to make it worse that you’re translating for me?”
“Maybe.”
Finally,Ferrok and his mother turn to us. “Jade, this is my mother, Corre.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say, looking at her, not Mooralan.
He repeats my words in Sovian while Ferrok looks at the ground. Irritated, I assume, with the inability to translate for me.
“Please tell her that I’m sorry we have to do this in a way that is uncomfortable for her.”
“She’s sorry too.”
She asks her next question, and Ferrok turns to her, answering it even though it was clearly meant for me.
“She wants to know how much to buy his debt. He’s attempting to explain that it won’t work, and that you don’t own him.”
“Tell her there is no price.”
He does, and she goes still.
“Tell her I’m not going to risk his life forherpeace of mind.”
That starts a whole new argument that I cannot be a part of.
She may be old-fashioned, but she’s going to have to make it work.
“Hey!” I raise my voice just as much as I need to.
She flinches and turns to me while Ferrok scowls.
“I understand that you’re concerned for your son’s safety. I understand that this probably seems like it was a bad option. But it’s theonlyoption we had, and it worked, so unless he tells me specifically to release him from this debt. I am not going to do it.”
I take a deep breath while Mooralan finishes translating. “I know you don’t want to have this conversation like this, but I need you to understand that he is safe with me.”
“Safe?” Mooralan doesn’t mimic the disbelieving huff she gives. “Youpurchasedhim. How can he be safe if you own him?”
