Page 16 of Adtovar
“You’re pretty strong, Adtovar.”
“And you’re pretty fat, Bozzo.”
His laughter echoed through the office. “Deal!”
I didn’t laugh.
My stomach churned with unease, and a heavy weight of guilt pressed on my soul as I remembered my promise to Willa—a promise I would willingly break to safeguard Maddie and the other females and secure their freedom.
What choice did I have?
Chapter 8 - Maddie
I sat cross-legged on my cot, fingers deftly tearing apart an old, worn garment for makeshift bandages. The fabric, once vibrant blue and used as a gladiator’s tunic, was now frayed and worn. Age made it soft and supple, perfect for rebandaging Lafalia’s wounds. It was tedious work, yet there was a certain comfort in the rhythmic sound of cloth tearing, a repetitive rip that filled the quiet—something to keep me occupied until Adtovar returned.
I left my room only once, long enough to check on Lafalia, who nestled under a thin blanket, her breathing steady and calm. The once-pinched look of pain had melted away from her face thanks to Adtovar’s medicine. Hopefully, we would be safe aboard his ship before she needed another dose.
Hope.
Ever since awakening as an alien abductee, I found myself faced with two stark options: comply or resist. Each choice carried its own share of inevitable pain. Each glimmer of hope was a fleeting mirage, leaving behind only the jagged pieces of a broken heart and a yearning for something just out of reach.
I missed Earth.
I missed my aunt.
Yet until I met Adtovar, I never dared dream I might see her again and that this existence could be anything beyond a battle for survival, a daily grind with no promise of relief or safety. Now, it was all I could do to suppress the effervescentbubbling sensation dancing in my blood. Home wasn’t merely an abstract idea lingering in the recesses of my past any longer. Now, it seemed a tangible and vivid possibility.
A loud ruckus echoed down the hallway, snapping my attention upward just as two burly guards appeared, forcefully guiding Adtovar into the cell opposite mine. They held him roughly by the arms, treating him with the harshness usually reserved for slaves. Adtovar, though unshackled, offered no resistance.
“Better get some rest, big boy.” The largest of the guards smirked, showing his yellow fangs as he pushed Adtovar through the doorway. “Your first fight is tomorrow.” The guards weren’t the same species as Bozzo. I didn’t know their species, only that they looked like alligators with flattened snouts. They were Bozzo’s personal protection detail, a couple of males I’d nicknamed Fric and Frac.
Adtovar glanced over his shoulder, a sly smile curving his lips as his pale gaze leveled on the guard. “Perhaps I will meet you in the arena... or elsewhere.”
The larger guard’s face turned pale, his light green complexion draining of all color, while his beady black eyes widened with a mix of fear and disbelief. He took a full step back from Adtovar, as if putting more distance between them could shield him somehow. It seemed that the mere suggestion of facing Adtovar in combat had shaken him to his core. I bit back a giggle.
“We better get back.” The smaller guard, Fric, had enough sense to beat a hasty retreat. The larger of the two, Frac, reluctantly agreed with a grunt, turning once to issue a well-placed grimace in Adtovar’s direction.
Adtovar watched them depart, his face a canvas of annoyance. However, when his gaze shifted to meet mine, the tension in his features eased, and his eyes softened like themelting of ice in early spring. His full lips twitched slightly, curving upward in a hesitant effort to form a smile.
“You’re fighting?” I asked, coming to stand in the doorway of my cell, trying to hide the confusion and apprehension that gripped me. Adtovar told me that his days of combat were past. Yet he’d be battling in the arena tomorrow if the guard could be believed. Had he lied to me? Could I trust him at all?
“I don’t have a choice,” he sighed, the broad shoulders lifting in a shrug.
“Why not?” My mistrust waned somewhat, noticing the resignation on his face.
“It was the only way Bozzo would agree to sell you and the other females.”
“I thought you had a lot of money?” I knew he planned to offer Bozzo much more than we were worth.
“I do, and I offered it to him.” Adtovar’s lips curled in a disdainful grimace. “But he feels he can make more by me returning to the arena.”
“So, he was right. You were a champion gladiator.” I hated gladiators, I really did, but I didn’t seem to be able to conjure that feeling for Adtovar.
“A very long time ago.” Adtovar seemed exhausted by the admission.
“A long time ago?” I snort-laughed. “Really? You don’t look a day over thirty.” I’d guess thirty-five tops.
His deep laugh suggested I might be way off in my estimation. “I am well over thirty, little human, trust me.”
