Page 8 of Adtovar (The Alliance Rescue #1)

Fuck! I grimaced, partially because I suddenly realized how much my human daughter’s euphemisms colored my vocabulary, and partly because of Maddie’s insistence.

The Alliance did not have a directive for rescuing other species in slavery.

Not because they didn’t care, but because the political climate involving other species was very different.

Slavery remained rampant in the universe, with some species selling their own kind into captivity for credits or political gain.

The idea of leaving even one slave behind hurt my heart. I understood all too intimately the anguish of having no control over one’s future, the suffocating weight of chains both seen and unseen.

But Maddie alone was my objective and duty.

And after meeting her, I would do anything to keep her safe.

If I could throw her over my shoulder and affect our escape immediately, I’d do it, but there wasn’t.

For this to work and not start a war, Bozzo needed to think I’d purchased Maddie, fair and square.

The more I pondered the dilemma, the more my horns itched. The sensation was maddening, like a persistent tickle that refused to be soothed, and my claws scratched at the appendages in a futile attempt to find relief.

Maddie watched me curiously, and I lowered my hands, balling them into fists at my side.

“I give you my word as a warrior. Once I get you to safety, I will do everything in my power to rescue the other females,” I offered as a compromise.

Her deep, dark eyes widened momentarily like twin pools catching a sudden glint of light.

She exhaled a long, steady breath, a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of her thoughts and rose gracefully to her feet.

Her movements were deliberate as she made her way to the center of the room, where she began pacing back and forth with short, measured steps, the soft shuffle of her feet barely audible on the dirt floor.

“Look,” she started and drew in a deep breath. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just don’t know you. I don’t know anybody on this godforsaken planet—or in space, for that matter—and I need to see with my own two eyes that everyone is safe. Either we all go or none go.”

She halted her restless pacing as she spoke the final words, her gaze locking onto mine. Her stubbornness was palpable, a quality I admired, yet I couldn’t allow it to jeopardize her chance to escape.

I opened my mouth, intending to challenge her obstinance, but the words died in my throat as the faint shuffle of footsteps echoed from the corridor.

Instinctively, I sprang to my feet, a surge of adrenaline propelling me toward the entrance.

My hand shot out, signaling Maddie to retreat from the door, a knot of aggravation tightening in my chest at the thought that Bozzo might have dispatched someone to spy on us.

The door creaked open, revealing a diminutive and fragile female of the Tyrenese species.

Her pale pink skin was a patchwork of green and blue bruises, each one a testament to recent violence.

With every step, she winced, clutching her arms tightly across her ribcage as if to shield herself from further harm.

A deep, angry gash marred her lower lip, and a dark bruise, spreading across her cheek like a storm cloud, swelled shut one of her large, expressive green eyes.

“Lafalia!” Maddie brushed past me immediately going to the female’s side, supporting her with an arm around her shoulders. “What are you doing out of bed?”

“I couldn’t rest.” Lafalia’s voice was raspy, each word tinged with an undercurrent of pain.

“Come, sit down.” Maddie gently guided the woman to the cot, her footsteps deliberate and slow.

Lafalia lowered herself onto the mattress, a soft, anguished moan slipping from her lips as she eased into a sitting position.

Her skin blanched to an almost ghostly pale, starkly contrasting with the bruises that marred her delicate frame.

The severity of her injuries was evident, each mark a testament to the brutality she endured at the hands of an unworthy male.

Anger simmered within me, every fiber of my being yearning to hunt down the perpetrator and pay him back, bruise for bruise.

“You need to sleep, Lafalia,” Maddie insisted, pouring the female a cup of water from a battered metal jug on the bedside table.

“I tried.” Lafalia took a sip, grimacing as she swallowed. “It hurts too much.”

“I’m so sorry.” Maddie brushed a lock of lavender hair from the female’s cheek. “I don’t have anything to give you for the pain. The medi-unit has long been out of medication.”

“What happened to her?” I moved forward cautiously, lowering myself onto one knee to appear less imposing to the injured female.

“Last night was prize night.” Maddie’s dark gaze met mine, her expression saying what her words did not. This is why I won’t leave them .

And now, neither would I.

I could likely do little to avenge the female’s injuries, but I could provide a measure of relief. I retrieved the compact medi-kit Zahavi had provided from my pocket. Carefully, I extracted one of the slim, delicate blue squares, its surface cool and smooth against the tip of my finger.

“This should help relieve your pain,” I said, extending my hand towards Lafalia.

Her one good eye, a vibrant emerald hue, studied me with a mixture of curiosity and caution before darting to Maddie.

At her nod, Lafalia’s delicate fingers inched forward to take the small, translucent square from my fingertip and place it on her tongue.

“I feel better,” Lafalia said after a tense moment of baited silence. Her gaze, vivid and clear, settled on my face, searching and curious. “Who are you?”

Beside her, Maddie issued a relieved chuckle. “This is Adtovar. He’s here to help.”

“Help?” Lafalia repeated, as though she didn’t understand the concept, then drained the rest of her water in one loud swallow.

Maddie took the cup from her, looking pleased.

“You seem to be feeling better.” The gratitude in her dark gaze as she glanced my way squeezed my heart.

“Let me get you some more water, I don’t want you to get dehydrated.

” Grabbing the battered metal jug, she escaped from the room before I could stop her.

I stood up, distancing myself from the bed and easing into the lone chair in the room. The wooden slats creaked and groaned ominously under my weight, warning me of their frailty. Lafalia’s one good eye tracked my every motion, her gaze sharp and attentive.

“I’m relieved the painkiller worked so swiftly,” I remarked, attempting a bit of small talk to ease the awkwardness. Maddie assured her I was there to help, but the extent to which I could trust this female—or she me—was still a question.

“Yes,” she replied, her small head nodding earnestly. “I am in your debt. Which is why....” Her eyes darted to the doorway, a fleeting glance filled with unease, before locking onto mine once more. “You must be careful here.”

A faint smile curved my lips, amusement and nostalgia combined. “I’ve always found it wise to keep my guard up when stepping into a gladiator pit.”

A faint blush deepened the color of her cheeks, painting them with a touch of rosy embarrassment, but she shook her head vigorously, her lavender hair swaying with the motion.

“I don’t mean with the gladiators or Bozzo,” she clarified, her voice a mix of insistence and urgency.

Her eyes darted toward the door once more, cautiously. “I mean with Maddie.”

“Maddie?” I exclaimed, my voice tinged with surprise.

Lafalia gave a slow nod. “You seem kind. I do not wish you to be hurt.”

“Why would Maddie hurt me?” I pondered, utterly bewildered. Nothing I had seen of the beautiful human woman indicated she was a danger to myself or others.

Lafalia beckoned me nearer with a gentle wave of her hand.

I approached her side, once more lowering myself to kneel by the cot.

Her one good eye locked onto mine as she spoke in a hushed voice.

“Maddie is good to the females. She takes care of us. But she doesn’t like males. She uses her powers on them.”

“Powers?” The word hung in the air, its implications twisting the tale into something increasingly bizarre.

“Maddie is a powerful witch,” Lafalia said, her tone dripping with reverence. “She has smote Bozzo several times with her magic. It’s why he leaves her alone and never lets the gladiators pick her as a prize. Bozzo fears what she will do to him.”

That explained a lot.

Witch . I recalled the word from my Earth studies, a term that lingered uncomfortably in my mind.

I’d read about the Salem witch trials, and the tales of persecution and injustice that befell intelligent, strong females had left me feeling deeply unsettled.

On my home world and others, magic most often divided into two categories.

There were the priests and priestesses, devoted followers of the gods and goddesses, who wielded their magic in the service of goodness and light.

In stark contrast were the sorcerers and sorceresses, who dared to explore the shadowy depths of magic’s darker arts. Maddie struck me as neither.

Hearing Maddie’s soft footsteps approaching, I ended the exchange with Lafalia with a smile and returned to my chair.

My thoughts spun in a whirlwind. Lafalia’s words about Maddie hadn’t held bitterness or the intent to sow discord.

I’d encountered enough females in my lifetime to sense when jealousy was at play.

But this was different. There was sincerity in Lafalia’s eyes and genuine affection for Maddie.

Lafalia’s intention seemed not to turn me against Maddie but rather an intercession to keep her safe.

The moment Maddie stepped into the cell, Lafalia relaxed, even though her wide, bright green gaze returned to me often.

No doubt wondering whether I would tell Maddie of her warning.

I did not—at least not yet. Instead, I sat silently, letting Maddie attend to the female, giving her water and checking her many bandages.

Lafalia proved a good patient and, thanks to the painkiller, much more comfortable than when she arrived.

When Maddie finally nudged her back toward her bed and much-needed rest, Lafalia wrapped around her caretaker in a heartfelt hug.

As she turned and walked away, her footsteps were noticeably steadier and more robust, a stark contrast to the frail and weary steps that had brought her to us earlier.

“Now, do you see why I don’t want to leave the females here? Not a single one of them,” Maddie said when Lafalia’s footsteps faded.

“I do, and I understand.” It was true. No female should have to endure such treatment.

“Good.” Maddie sat on the cot, drawing her feet up under her. “So, we can come up with a plan to rescue everyone. Not just me.”

“Perhaps.” I observed her closely for a moment, taking in every detail—the flawless, smooth skin that seemed to glow under the light, the deep, almond-shaped eyes that held mysteries within their dark depths, and the wild halo of curls that erupted from her head like an untamed crown.

There wasn’t a single inch of this female that appeared sinister or malevolent.

The notion seemed absurd, yet I felt compelled to ask.

If Maddie possessed some extraordinary power, bringing her aboard the Historia might put everyone at risk. “I do have one question for you.”

“What’s that?” She cocked her head slightly, the corners of her full lips flickering upwards.

I shifted my weight, leaning forward, ready for what I didn’t know. “Lafalia told me you are a witch.”

Her dark eyes flashed wide, and then she laughed. It wasn’t the nervous laugh of someone whose secret had just been exposed. This was a hearty sound of amusement.

Not what I expected.

“In my world, females who practice the magic of the gods and goddesses are called priestesses. Are you a priestess?” I didn’t even bother mentioning the other option. I would bet my own soul there was not an evil bone in Maddie’s body.

She regarded me with a curious glint in her dark eyes, a soft chuckle still lingering in the air between us. Eventually, she drew a deep, calming breath, her laughter subsiding as she steadied herself. Her gaze remained fixed on me, intense and honest.

“I guess you could call me that. On Earth, I’d be called a mambo —a voodoo priestess.”