Page 42 of Adtovar
“I will come get you personally should anything change with her,” the youngling promised me with as much seriousness and conviction as an adult.
I hesitated to accompany Ako. He was not just my captain; he was also my friend. I knew he wouldn’t compel me to abandon Maddie’s side. But Maddie herself would want me togo. She would urge me to ensure Bozzo faced the consequences of his actions against the females—against all of us. The thought of leaving her tugged at my heart, yet I could almost hear her voice prodding me to my duty.
I leveled a threatening finger at George. “If anything happens and you don’t fetch me immediately, I’m kicking your ass too.”
George’s dark eyes rolled dramatically back into his head, a theatrical gesture in response to my hollow threat, which served merely as an aside to Ako’s slow, rumbling grumble.
“Don’t threaten the youngling. The human females don’t like it.”
We departed from the sterile, white-walled medi-bay, footsteps echoing softly as we navigated the narrow, metal-lined corridors of theHistoria, heading toward the lowest level—the brig. Despite being the least desirable area of the ship, it boasted a surprising level of comfort compared to Bozzo’s dismal accommodations. The cells were large and clean, thanks to daily attention from the cleaning bots. Each cot held thick padding, promising a decent night’s rest. Every cell came equipped with its own shower and toilet, offering a level of privacy and comfort that was unexpected in such a location.
Bozzo sat regally in the center of the cell as if he were a king holding court. They had brought in a larger, padded chair to accommodate his considerable bulk, a gesture that seemed overly indulgent in my view. I’d have made him sit on the floor.
As he noticed our arrival, black gelatinous lips curled into a self-satisfied grin.
Surely, Ako would let me punch him at least once.
The guard on duty swung open the heavy cell door and let us inside. The door clanged shut with a resounding echo, and the sharp click of the lock securing reverberated through the cold, dim space. I positioned myself against the steel bars, theicy metal pressing into my back, while Ako chose the only other seat available. It was a small, utilitarian metal chair that looked almost laughably inadequate to support Ako’s substantial frame, much less Bozzo’s.
Bozzo inclined his head, his gelatinous form rippling from the motion. “Duke Ako, good to see you. Adtovar, you are looking better than the last time I saw you.”
I growled in response. The last time Bozzo saw me, I sat on the dirt floor of the arena, blood and guts of the Ungeheuer raining down on me as I held my dying mate.
Ako waved away Bozzo’s words with a flick of his wrist. “We are here as you requested, Bozzo. Why did you wish to speak to us?”
Bozzo shifted in his seat, his piss-yellow eyes darting to first me, then to Ako. “It is about the charges leveled against me.”
Ako chuckled softly, his expression was one of amused disbelief. “Really? Your own records corroborate the allegations of human slave trafficking and a dozen other serious charges.”
Bozzo snorted as though he thought the whole idea preposterous. “I would like to discuss the removal of the human slavery charges.”
His request did not surprise me. Despite the other evidence amassed against Bozzo, the human slavery charges were the most damning. Under new Alliance laws, that charge alone was enough to condemn him to a lifetime on a desolate prison planet.
Ako agreed with me, as evidenced by his deep chuckle. “Surely you jest. We discovered evidence of over a hundred humans sold through your arena in the past several rotations.”
Bozzo contorted his features into a twisted, hateful expression, as if the very notion of treating humans like cattle was not only acceptable but entirely reasonable.
“Why didn’t you sell her?”
I don’t know why I asked the question. His answer wouldn’t sway my opinion of him in the least, but I was curious. Of all the humans that had passed through his grasp, Maddie was the singular exception. One he hadn’t regarded as mere merchandise—a way to make a quick credit. He certainly hadn’t treated her with kindness, but he had kept her, a fate far better than what befell the others.
Bozzo’s fat lips quirked upward, and he released a sigh that made his gelatinous rolls tremble. “Maddie was... special.” His piss-yellow eyes locked onto mine, and for a fleeting moment, a connection sparked between us. An unspoken acknowledgment that we both recognized Maddie’s worth. A moment broken by Bozzo’s hateful laugh. “If she hadn’t helped you, the Ungeheuer would have killed you.”
Twice. Surely, Ako would let me punch him twice.
Ako shifted in his seat, aggravated by the turn of the conversation. “I’m curious, Bozzo. Why do you think we would ever consider dropping the human slavery charges against you?”
Bozzo’s beady eyes narrowed on the Duke, but his smile was wide, showing a mouthful of yellow teeth. “Perhaps there is some information I could trade.”
Ako’s lips pursed for a minute as he considered. “I don’t know of any information you might have that we would want. We have the records for the human slaves you trafficked. Alliance intelligence has already located many of them.”
For one whose leverage just disappeared, Bozzo didn’t seem too bothered. In fact, the smile that curled his bulbous black lips was utterly menacing. “I bet I can change your mind, Duke Ako.”
The laugh Ako barked was devoid of humor. “I doubt it.” The metal chair creaked loudly as he rose.
“Ambassador Yaard departed from Budak only a few days before Adtovar arrived.”
Ako and I shared a glance as Bozzo’s words stilled our departure. Ako recovered first, although from the tense way he held his body, the revelation had affected him more than he wanted to let on.
