by Hearst, Amy
“You did not think this would happen, did you?” asked Nardine.
“Ah, my little pearl, I knew it would happen. I just did not know when. But I was willing to wait. You knew that.”
He pulled her down on top of him again, pressing her to his chest and then flipping her over. He mounted Nardine before looking down at her with another smile.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“More than ready,” she responded.
He plunged into her with a force she didn’t expect. The motion took her breath away for a moment, and she began falling. But she could feel Abedi’s arms around her.
Again and again she felt the push as Abedi leaned over her and she sighed in satisfaction. He led her over the edge, stealthily and joyfully. Abedi created a different sexual experience for her. Not the high that Matthias brought to her, nor the steadiness of Gaius. But with Abedi, she sailed on the high seas. They gently rode a large wave and then dipped into the hollows after it. Just as Nardine began to expect an end to the excitement, another wave would roll up, and over they would go once again. Abedi, each time she looked at him, smiled at her in encouragement. She hugged him. Bliss.
*****
The next morning Abedi and Nardine packed up their belongings and saddled the donkey. No one from the ludus arrived to look for them.
“Remember, Joseph,” said Abedi. “If they come, simply say you haven’t seen me since that day at the ludus. And if we are lucky, they will never suspect Nardine and I are together.”
“Do not worry,” Joseph said. “We will be safe. Simply watch out for yourselves.”
Abedi once again wore a white tunic, and pulled the hood down over his face.
“Good-bye my friend,” said Abedi. May the gods of the delta watch over you and the goddess as well.”
“Good-bye Abedi. And take care of the child, Nardine.”
“I will,” she said. Nardine looked behind her from atop the donkey as Abedi led them away from Joseph’s house and toward the entrance gate to Rome. They headed away from all she had ever known. Abedi had it in his mind to sail to Greece. Joseph had given them some more money, but Abedi would have to find work somewhere in order to earn them passage.
She pressed the baby to her chest and smelled Firi. Her daughter’s freshness made her smile.
“Are you frightened?” asked Abedi. “I would not be surprised if you were.”
“No longer,” she said. “I know now that you will take care of us, wherever we go.”
“I will do just that,” he said as he tousled the baby’s short blonde hair. He smiled again as they approached the gates of Rome. “And we will be safe. The goddess promises it.”
THE END
Afterword and Acknowledgments
Some have asked if Africans served as gladiators in ancient Rome. The truth is, no one knows for sure. We do know Africans walked the streets of ancient Rome, along with people from many other cultures, so the likelihood is that there were African gladiators. Keep in mind that slavery of the era had nothing to do with race; there were slaves, and citizens, of every nationality,
I would like to thank my fabulous cover artist, Fiona Jayde, along with my beta readers, who helped me whip The Gladiator’s Goddess into shape. Finally I would like to thank my readers. Without you, none of this would matter!
If you liked The Gladiator’s Goddess, I would appreciate if you would leave a review.
Book number three in The Gladiators’ Gifts series is coming soon.
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The Gladiator's Girl
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