Free The Gladiator's Goddess (The Gladiators' Gifts) by Amy Hearst Page A

eyes.
    “Fine,” he said. “But we must get you out first.”
    He got the lock opened and grabbed Nardine’s wrist, pulling her out of the cell and down the hallway behind him. Nardine could barely breathe. The other cells appeared to be empty. He left the key on the floor beside the exterior door and pulled Nardine outside. Rain fell from the sky, and Nardine looked around at the darkened ludus in the moonlight.
    “No time to tarry,” said Abedi. “Come.”
    She followed until they came to the rear gate entrance to the ludus .  No guard patrolled this entrance since it was usually locked.
    “The jailer told me he would leave this door unlocked for me,” muttered Abedi. He pushed on the wide wooden doors and they slowly creaked open.  Abedi hurried through, and Nardine followed. He grabbed her wrist again and they ran into a nearby clump of trees. Nardine fell to her knees on the soft wet grass, breathing hard and looking at the ludus , towering above them. 
    “You stay here, Nardine. “If I am not back in half an hour, you should run as fast as you can. You can go back to Joseph’s if you wish. He will give you some money and let you stay for a short amount of time. Be wise and forget about me, and the child, if you have to. Where are they keeping the baby? Do you know? 
    “I saw them give the baby to Claudia. She was going to keep the baby until they found a wet nurse. Perhaps Firi is in her chamber. That is all I know.” She told Abedi how to find Claudia’s chamber.
    “I will try to find her. If I am caught, all is lost,” said Abedi.
    “I understand. I know you will find her, Abedi. Now hurry. The night is slipping by.”
    Abedi left her, and Nardine waited in the dark copse of trees, praying to Abedi’s goddess, asking that she would help him find her baby.
    *****
    Abedi stole back into the ludus the same way he came out, through the back entrance and into the jail. He saw no one, and quickly made his way to a back stairway. After ascending it, he traveled up the stairway to the slaves’ quarters and walked halfway down a hallway to Claudia’s room. 
    Claudia sat up as soon as he entered. “Who goes there?” she asked.
    “Be quiet,” Abedi answered, as he walked to her bed and sat down. “It is I, Abedi.” Claudia had met Abedi once before, when she worked for a day in the infirmary. “I am searching for Nardine’s child. Where is she?”
    “Why? You are not the child’s father , are you? What do you want with it? And how did you get up here?”
    “Lower your voice,” said Abedi. “Nardine is outside waiting for me. She wants me to take the child. But I must be very silent.”
    “How did you get Nardine out of the jail? She was locked in.”
    “Never mind about that. Just trust me that she is safe. Now where is the child?”
    “She is with a wet nurse. The first room on the left after you walk down the main hallway in the master’s quarters. It will be very dangerous to try to get the baby. What if she cries? You could waken the master.”
    “Don’t worry about that. Just don’t tell anyone I was here. You will hear of Nardine’s fate tomorrow. Just hope for the best.”
    “I will pray to the gods for you, for both of you. Nardine doesn’t deserve to be beaten, or to be separated from her daughter. I hope all three of you escape safely.”
    “So do I,” said Abedi . Then he backed away out of the room and into the hallway again. He crept silently past the doorways of the other sleeping slaves, down the hallway and up another staircase. He had to push through a wooden door to enter the master’s chambers.  Abedi saw no guard posted there. He walked down a narrow hallway to get to the main hallway, and turned to his left. The room in question was right there. He could see the cradle from the hallway and hear the snores of the wet nurse in the bed beside it.  Abedi decided quickly not to kill the wet nurse but to try and take the baby silently.  Firi cooperated, merely