Page 38 of Adtovar
In the aftermath, my limbs felt like jelly, as though they had melted into a formless mass, and the world seemed hazy, a shimmering mist enveloping me as I floated on a euphoric high, detached from reality.
Adtovar rolled to his side, his body warm and solid against mine, still holding me tight in an embrace that felt both grounding and tender.
I nestled myself tightly against him, feeling the warmth and comfort of his presence enveloped me. I wanted to savor this moment, to linger in this embrace and keep the looming uncertainty of our future at bay for as long as possible.
Scalding tears slipped from my lashes, their heat tracing burning paths down my cheeks. I tried to blink them away, but they stubbornly clung to my eyes, refusing to abate. Despite the warmth of contentment enveloping me from being with Adtovar, a persistent worry lingered like a shadow hovering in the corner of my mind.
“It will be okay,” Adtovar murmured. The tone of his voice told me he knew why I cried and would not try to dissuade me from it. Instead, his thumbs swiped softly at the tear tracks on my cheeks.
“Do you promise?” I raised my head to meet his gaze. The pale blue eyes held nothing but honestly... and love. He would not lie to me, I knew it, although part of me wished he would.
“I promise to do everything in my power to return to you,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
I didn’t need the small metal device buried behind my right ear to translate. I knew well what his words meant. Adtovar would not promise me he would survive, because to do that with what faced him in the area this afternoon would be a lie. Even with the bombs that lay on the table, the cloth pouches worth more to me than chunks of gold, victory remained uncertain. All I could do was hang onto hope and believe that whatever led me here to this moment in time did not do it for heartbreak.
“I love you,” I whispered again, laying my head against his chest and buoyed by the heavy, steady thud of his heart.
“I love you, too.” Adtovar murmured, holding me close for a few moments more, before rising to his feet, getting dressed and striding off to battle.
After Adtovar left, I stepped into the shower, though calling it a shower was generous, it was more like standing under a sparse trickle of tepid water that barely wet my skin. Once finished, I made my way to the dining area, where the females awaited at our usual table in the corner. The room was practically empty, but the air seemed to hum with anticipation.
I nibbled on my protein bar, engaging in light small talk, in case anyone might be listening, the words and my forced laughs floating in the air like fragile bubbles. Afterward, the females followed me back to my cell, where I distributed the bombs and firesticks, meticulously reviewing the plan once more.
Each female had chosen a designated section of the arena to cover. An area they felt comfortable navigating. As soon as Adtovar engaged in combat with the Uglyhead, Sureeta wouldbegin a countdown to 100. Then she would detonate the first bomb, a signal that would ripple through the arena like a wave. Each of the others would follow, setting their charges and swiftly moving to new positions, repeating the process in a calculated rhythm. Amid the chaos and confusion, Adtovar would use his bombs to kill the Uglyhead, while I deployed my bombs in strategic locations in the underground—all of us heading to a rendezvous point outside the arena. By the time Bozzo figured out exactly what the hell was happening, we should be safe aboard theHistoria.
I sent each of the females off with a warm hug, warnings to be careful, and a heartfelt expression of gratitude, watching them disappear into the shadows. Then I settled on my cot, awaiting Adtovar’s return. Time seemed to crawl, each second stretching into eternity, so slowly that a dense, suffocating wad of dread began to coil and expand in my gut, gnawing at my nerves.
As spectators filed into the arena, the air filled with the muffled rustle of footsteps and the low hum of voices. Adtovar had only a brief window of opportunity to retrieve his bombs before the moment slipped away. A mix of determination and worry coursed through me as I rose, carefully packing my small bag with the remaining bombs and firesticks. I stepped into the corridor, hoping to meet him in transit before it was too late.
“Maddie!”
Lafalia came tearing from the shadows, her striking green eyes wide with urgency, gleaming like emeralds in the dim light. Her pale lavender hair, usually neat and composed, now whipped wildly around her head in a tumultuous swirl as if caught in a whirlwind.
“What is it?” I placed my hands over her shoulders as she came to a stop by my side, panting heavily.
“Bozzo....” She gasped and panted, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath.
“Calm down.” I tugged her back into my cell, getting her a glass of water. She grasped it with shaky hands and drank deeply, the cool liquid seeming to soothe her frantic demeanor.
“Bozzo,” she said again, her delicate features blooming into a furious scowl. “Bozzo decided Adtovar’s match will be anuchimatch.”
“Uchi?” I repeated, but the word didn’t translate.
“Uchi means unclothed,” Lafalia explained. “It means Adtovar will have to fight naked.”
Fuck!
Granted, my favorite type of dress for Adtovar was nude. But in this instance, it meant he wouldn’t have any way to conceal the explosives needed to kill the Uglyhead.
Fuck!
My mind scrambled, frantically searching for a way to navigate the obstacle.
“What are we going to do?” Lafalia regarded me with wide-eyed concern.
I didn’t have an answer save one. There was absolutely no way in hell I would leave Adtovar to fight alone. I’d just have to figure out how to deploy the bombs against the Uglyhead myself.
“Listen to me.” I grabbed Lafalia’s shoulders, giving her a little shake. “You and the others follow the plan.”
