Page 19 of Adtovar
“Bozzo used me as a cleaner when I first arrived.” Maddie gave a sneaky little smile. “He didn’t think I was tame enough yet for a prize. One day, I was cleaning the dining hall after a meal and dropped some of the charcoal on the floor. It reactedwith a puff of smoke when it hit one of the stones. The rest was easy to figure out. I’ve noticed some small yellow crystals lying about that I think might be sulfur—which means I could make gunpowder, but I haven’t been able to test that theory.”
“Gunpowder?” The word didn’t translate.
Maddie held her hands wide apart to demonstrate, “Big boom.”
“Ahh. And you used thesaltpeterexplosions to make Bozzo think your voodoo gods were smiting him?” I moved from the doorway, settling into the rickety wooden chair.
Maddie’s full lips curved into a guilty smile. “Yep.”
“Brillant,” I admonished. She was the most extraordinary woman I had ever encountered, a dazzling combination of brains and beauty. On the Aljani home world, Ajaxiun, a female, was either, but never both. Those with beauty became mates and courtiers while the ones with the brains, while not wholly unattractive, devoted themselves to politics and sciences.
“How did you become thisengineer? Is it like the Garoot where you are born with the knowledge embedded in your DNA?” For Aljani females, extreme intelligence was a natural birthright. DNA manipulation of the fetus, while within our technology, was not something we practiced unless to save the life of the child or mother.
“I wish,” Maddie snorted. “I studied my ass off and got a full scholarship to MIT. You might not believe it to look at me, but I was a nerdy girl.”
“Nerdy girl?” Our conversation was proving as much an Earth vernacular lesson as it was delving into Maddie’s history—both fascinating subjects.
“You know....” Maddie’s cheeks flushed as she drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. “A nerdy girl—a girl more interested in books and learning. Girls who aresocially awkward and perennially stuck in that ugly adolescent stage... at least I was.”
I propped my elbows on my thighs and leaned forward, catching her deep brown gaze with my own. “I cannot imagine there was ever a time you were not beautiful.” Her rich brown skin and spasm of curls were not common in the cosmos, which to me made her all the rarer and more breathtaking.
Maddie’s cheeks took on a deeper reddish hue. Our gazes locked, creating an invisible thread that seemed to weave an entire universe between us. I wanted the moment to last forever. I wanted her to last forever. Then a flicker of discomfort washed over Maddie’s face. She cleared her throat softly, the sound barely audible in the stillness, and her fingers reached up to adjust the multicolored headband that kept the halo of curls off her face.
“So,” she began, clearing her throat again. “How do you think you’ll fare in the arena? I could make up some explosives to help you.”
Her eagerness was adorable. “I think I will do fine. The intel we received on Bozzo’s setup didn’t indicate his pit housed anyone with outstanding skill.”
“There’s Melakor.” Her face contorted into an exaggerated scowl. Despite the effort, she looked cute.
I felt sure the scowl that settled on my face wasn’t as delightful. “A male that beats a female isn’t strong. He is weak.”
“Still, if you get a chance, kick his ass for me?”
“It will be my pleasure.” For her and for the injury Lafalia endured, I would not wait for fate to give me the chance. I would make one myself... and enjoy it.
From down the dimly lit corridor, I heard the clatter and commotion of the dining room prepping for the evening meal. The sounds of clinking dishes and hurried footsteps echoed against the stone walls. While the scents wafting through the airweren’t exactly what I would describe as appetizing, at the very least, the food smelled edible. A rare luxury that not many of the gladiator pits I had inhabited could boast.
I rose from my seat, planning to offer Maddie an escort to the dining hall. She sprang up as well, her movements light and energetic, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet. Her eyes flitted over me nervously, like an insect hovering before landing. Then a delicate smile formed on her lips, softening her expression. With a graceful bounce, she moved to my side, rising onto the tips of her toes as her lips brushed my cheek with a feather-light touch.
The gentle, barely there touch of her lips against my skin made my knees weak. Her subtle, sweet fragrance overtook my senses, pushing away all thoughts of food for something far more exhilarating.
A kiss.
Kissing had not always been in the affection repertoire for Aljani. It had only come into fashion in the years since Duke Ako took the human female Helene as his mate. I’d certainly seen my daughter Willa and her mate Charick kiss enough to have a working knowledge of the concept.
Except I didn’t want just a simple kiss on the cheek from Maddie. I longed for the warm press of her lips against mine, the electric connection that would spark as our mouths met. I yearned for the intoxicating dance of her tongue with my own, a tantalizing exploration that promised both mystery and delight.
Yet before I could make a move on my desires, Maddie stepped away.
“Thank you Adtovar.”
I laid a hand over the spot on my cheek where the feel of her lips lingered like flickers of a dying flame. “For what?”
“For giving me the chance to go home. Back to Earth and my family.”
Home.
To Earth.
