Page 18 of Adtovar
Adtovar scrutinized my face intently, his gaze lingering as if searching for some hidden agenda. His eyes shifted, catching sight of the pale green dollop of cream perched on my index finger. He inhaled deeply, a breath that seemed to gather his thoughts, and with a subtle nod, gestured for me to proceed.
Touching his curved horns was not what I expected. They were cool beneath my fingertips, smooth and sleek like the polished surface of a pearl. The horns gleamed in the dim light, displaying a mesmerizing array of variegated shades—white, cream, and just a hint of gold. I carefully applied the cream at their base, where the horns emerged seamlessly from his pale skin. Adtovar exhaled deeply, his breath carrying a sigh of relief and contentment.
“Does this feel better?” I knew it did. The way he rubbed his head against my hand was like a cat getting its ears petted. Only the purr was missing.
“You have no idea,” he moaned. I felt a shudder, like the faint tremor of an earthquake traveling through him.
I carefully massaged the cream into his skin, my touch lingering even after every drop had been absorbed. I knew I should stop touching him, but my hands wouldn’t obey, captivated by the warmth and firmness beneath my fingertips. The sensation was intoxicating, and I found myself unable to pull away.
“I’m really sorry you have to fight again. If I ever meet your daughter—I’ll make sure she knows that you did it to save me... save us,” I murmured softly as my fingertips ventured cautiously around the base of his horns. The sensation was akin to stroking a tiger; though his exterior seemed tranquil, I could sense an intense power thrumming just beneath the surface.
“Well, isn’t this sweet?”
A large guard loomed in my doorway, his hands clutching a bundle of dark blue fabric, the rich hue unmistakable as a gladiator tunic. I bristled at the thought of Adtovar being forced to don the garment like a slave. Yet, I couldn’t help but imagine how the deep, vibrant blue would accentuate his features.
Adtovar stood slowly, like a big cat stretching after a nap. His blue eyes focused into pale blue glare that dared the guard to say anything further. “Yes?”
The guard let out a disdainful snort, a sound full of contempt and derision, but there was no mistaking the flicker of fear in his eyes.
Seeing him up close made me realize I knew this guard. Although usually only gladiators were allowed near the females, this guard once found Emmiait alone. The encounter had beenbrutal, leaving her with a black eye and swollen girly parts that lingered for weeks.
“What do you want?” I spat at him.
His beady eyes flashed, something I took as a victory.
“I wondered why the great champion Adtovar wanted a cell near the females. I guess now I know.”
“Don’t be an asshole,” I shot back, my words accented by the low warning rumble coming from deep in Adtovar’s chest. I only wanted to help remedy his itching. But the gentle way my fingers moved over the texture of his horns, the way Adtovar seemed to melt at my touch, and the quiet closeness of our interaction—it had felt intimate. Something I’d be damned wanting the guard to know, or anybody else for that matter.
I took a step forward, raising my hand and letting my index finger circle in the air. Something I had done to Bozzo dozens of times. “Get out of here. Don’t make me hex you.”
The guard’s demeanor shifted noticeably, his eyes widening with a mix of disbelief and fear. His hands trembled slightly, and he took an unconscious step back, as if putting more distance between us could somehow stop the power I claimed to possess. He turned on his heel so abruptly and dashed from my sight that I barked out a laugh.
“That was impressive,” Adtovar chuckled, moving to the doorway to ensure the guard’s departure.
“A girl does what she can.” I flopped onto the cot, recognizing that it now held Adtovar’s richly masculine scent. I’d either sleep like a baby tonight or not sleep at all, probably the latter.
Adtovar crossed his muscular arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame, his pale blue eyes regarding me curiously. “I don’t trust Bozzo. If you can wield magic, we might need it to help us escape.”
I gazed at him. Looked beyond his exquisitely handsome face and glimpsed the male within—the male who willingly broke a promise to his daughter to rescue me. He might be an alien with horns, but at his core, Adtovar was a good man. I couldn’t lie to him, not anymore.
“Honestly,” I lowered my gaze, feeling sheepish as hell. “Any hexing and smiting I do isn’t because of any magic.”
“But you made things explode.” Adtovar didn’t seem stunned by my confession, only curious and a little amused. “Bozzo told me you nearly blew him up once.”
“I did. But not because I’m a voodoo priestess,” I admitted, the guilt I felt overtaken by pride. “It’s because I’m an engineer.”
Chapter 9 - Adtovar
“Engineer?” I rolled the word around on my tongue. I knew the concept, of course, but in my experience, engineers were creators and builders—they did not destroy.
“Yes,” Maddie curtly nodded, her smile widening. I could see the pride she felt at the distinction. “Technically, I’m a biotechnology engineer with secondary degrees in environmental health and chemistry.”
“And because of this, you know how to blow things up?”
Her laughter tinkled through the air, like the sound of faint bells. She glanced downward, her small foot kicking at the gray pebbles littering the floor. “Pretty much. Because of this, I recognized the gray stones are something called niter, a naturally occurring mineral made of potassium nitrate—we call it saltpeter on Earth. Mixed with the activated charcoal used around here for cleaning, it gives off a nice little explosion. Not a strong one, mind you, but enough to scare the shit out of Bozzo.”
I laughed, unsure of what impressed me more: that she possessed this knowledge or had used it to keep Bozzo in line. Brilliant as well as beautiful. Anyone would be proud to call her mate. Of course, my horns itched like crazy the moment the thought passed through my brain.
