Page 36 of Adtovar
I would willingly lay down my life to see Maddie rescued. But her fiery spirit, the unwavering determination in every gesture, and the deep, unyielding desire that shone brightly in her eyes whenever she gazed at me, kindled a sense of optimism in my soul.
“It is said the only way to kill aUglyheadis to stab it in a weak spot at the nape of its neck. Of course, to do that, you must get by the long poisoned spikes running over its back and shoulders.”
“So, you can’t get too close, got it,” she huffed and began pacing but stopped in her tracks as her eyes lit upon the cot, where her mortar and pestle hid under the blanket.
“Other than the weak spot, is theUglyhead’sskin hard to penetrate?” The question came out as barely more than a whisper.
“No.” I tried to follow her line of thought and came up empty as to what she might be planning. “A blade can breach the skin, especially in the weaker spot on the back of its neck. Theproblem is getting the blade into the skin without being nicked by one of the spikes. The poison it secretes kills in seconds.”
Her smile stretched wider, lighting up her entire face, and with an exuberant whoop of joy, she propelled herself into my arms.
“If we can’t stab it. We’ll just have to blow its ass up!”
Chapter 15 - Maddie
I awoke nestled in Adtovar’s embrace. He lay wrapped around me, my back pressed against his broad chest, with one arm securely draped around my waist. His hand rested in its usual spot, gently cupping the curve of my breast. His breathing was slow and rhythmic, a sign of deep, undisturbed slumber, thank goodness. Yet, for me, rest was elusive, slipping through my grasp like sand. The final battle loomed today. Though I had been wearing a mask of positivity, steadfast in my belief that he would emerge victorious, a persistent worry buzzed around me like an irritating gnat, refusing to be swatted away.
My love for Adtovar was intense, often feeling surreal, as if my emotions were woven from the threads of a dream. If someone had told me on the day of my abduction that I would eventually choose to stay with my alien mate rather than return to Earth, I would have considered them utterly insane. Yet, an undeniable truth resided in my heart—I had never felt more complete, more secure, or more perfectly aligned with my own soul than when with Adtovar.
Granted, I would like to visit Earth one last time. Simply to give my Aunt Juanita a big hug and reassure her that everything had turned out fine. Better than fine. A smile tugged at my lips as I imagined introducing my aunt to Adtovar. Juanita believed in voodoo spirits. I suspected she would take the revelation of my alien mate in stride.
My gaze darted to the small, rickety table in the dimly lit corner of my cell, where a pile of small cloth pouches lay haphazardly stacked, barely visible amid the shadows.
Twenty-six gunpowder bombs.
Collecting the stones and grinding them into powder was a task that came together with surprising ease. I had already acquired a sufficient stockpile of niter and charcoal, and Adtovar managed to procure more sulfur crystals from around the gladiator cells. No way in hell would he let me go back there again.
Figuring out the delivery method and incendiary device proved to be the most challenging, as was often the case when working with explosives. With the females’ help, we stitched together twenty-six small bags from every spare piece of cloth we could get our hands on. Soaking the bags in a concoction of fermented alcohol that Emmiait procured from her culinary friend, Ockus, made the fabric especially flammable. Once the edge of the pouch was lit, the flame would carry to the gunpowder stored inside... and BOOM!
Coming up with the fire was the hard part.
Emmiait possessed only a single fire stick, and it seemed that aliens had yet to embrace the concept of matches. Fortunately, most of the guards carried a similar fire-starting device. However, acquiring them was far from easy or pleasant.
While we couldn’t barter with the guards for fear they’d catch on to our plans, fortunately, or unfortunately, as the case may be, they turned out to be as horny as the gladiators, easily buying the excuse that since prize night had stopped, the females were lonely. I’d shed more than a few tears at what the females endured to gather the final tools for our plan. Yet, each one of them assured me without hesitation that they were prepared to tolerate that and, even worse, if it meant a chance of freedom.
Our scheme was deceptively simple.
Adtovar would carry the larger, more potent bombs, ensuring he could kill the Uglyhead easily and quickly. Protecting my mate was the highest priority. However, we realized that once Bozzo discovered his scheme for an easy payout thwarted, he’d likely renege on his promise of freedom... unless, of course, there was a more urgent concern occupying his mind.
Each of the females would carry smaller versions of the bombs and strategically set them off in specific areas of the arena to incite chaos among the spectators. Adtovar would use his explosive devices to eliminate the Uglyhead and blast his way out of the arena. I would deploy my bombs to obliterate the underground before making my way to the rendezvous point just outside the arena where, hopefully, the crew from theHistoriaawaited.
We would leave this place much better than we found it… in rubble.
Adtovar shifted in his sleep, a soft sigh escaping his lips as his arm tightened around my waist, drawing me closer. I melted into his embrace, savoring the warmth and solidity of his body pressed against mine. I loved him... so fucking much! We had spent every possible moment together over the past few days, so enraptured with each other that the other females had taken to teasing me about ourmating frenzy.
Adtovar stirred once more, the cadence of his breathing shifting subtly enough for me to sense his awakening.
“Good morning,” I murmured, turning within his embrace to gaze into his eyes.
He slowly blinked away the remnants of sleep, stretching as a yawn escaped his lips. Leaning closer, he pressed a warm, lingering kiss on my lips, his warm, musky scent invading my senses. “Good morning,” he crooned softly.
I cradled his face tenderly in my hands, my fingers brushing lightly against his pale skin as I gazed into the depths of his pale blue eyes. I hadn’t spoken the words yet; I hadn’t needed to. But as the shadow of the day loomed closer, I realized I couldn’t go one more minute without expressing what lay in my heart.
“I love you.”
Adtovar’s smile was tender, a warm expression that reached his eyes, making them sparkle like stars in the night sky. His fingers brushed lightly over my cheek, sending a small shiver down my spine. “I love you too,” he murmured, his voice a soft caress that wrapped around my heart.
I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, pulled him closer, and kissed him with a fierce urgency. Despite my efforts to push it aside, a nagging worry gnawed at my insides, clinging to my soul like an inescapable shadow.
