Athena's Ashes

by Jamie Grey

  “You assured him, huh?” She raised an eyebrow. “And how did you know that?”

  Finn tugged at his collar again. “I thought… since you were working for MYTH…”

  “That I’d give up the only job I’ve ever been good at?”

  “I…”

  “Save it, Finn.” She shook her head. “Neither you or Viktis know anything about my future plans. And to be honest, right now my only plan is surviving this mess. After I know I’m not going to die, I’ll think about what comes next.”

  She’d spent most of her life planning what would come next—an early retirement on a vacation world. But she knew no matter what happened, that could never work for her now. If she was really honest with herself, she was hardly the type to settle down. Either in life or relationships. Which made her current situation all the more confusing. Part of her wanted to see what happened with Finn. Part of her wanted to run the moment this was over. She wasn’t sure which part would win at the moment.

  Finn’s voice deepened, and he leaned forward to rest his hands on the table across from her, his gaze at her eye level. “I’ve been thinking about what comes next since we went on the run.” He looked like he wanted to devour her for lunch.

  Renna swallowed.

  “I hate that you left as we were getting to know each other again. I missed you, Renna.” He smiled wolfishly. “Obviously you missed me, too, if you took control of the Athena to get us back here.”

  Heat blossomed in her face. “That had nothing to do with you,” she protested, getting to her feet. “I was unconscious. I didn’t even know what I was doing.”

  Finn circled the table, and Renna backed away from him until she hit the wall. The expression on his face made heat pool between her legs and her mouth go dry. He stopped, just far enough away that he wasn’t touching her but close enough she could feel the heat from his body.

  His blue eyes bore into hers. “Look at that. The Star Thief’s afraid,” he said softly.

  She shook her head, her tongue darting out to lick her suddenly dry lips. Finn’s gaze dropped to watch. Once upon a time, she would have used that to her advantage, to seduce him and turn the tables. To take control of the situation. What the hell had happened to her?

  She inhaled Finn’s scent—citrus and sandalwood. Damn him, he was right. She had missed him. But with everything going on now, she couldn’t afford to let him distract her. She couldn’t think about the future. There was only the present.

  Damn, she wanted him, though. Now. On the freaking mess hall table.

  Finn’s gaze trapped hers as he caressed her jaw with one of his long fingers, letting it drift lower down her neck to brush butterfly-light against her collarbone.

  Renna’s skin tingled with fear and desire and lust until she could barely see straight.

  And then he lowered his lips to hers. Just a soft brush of skin at first, but heat zapped through her and she sucked in a breath.

  Finn took that as an invitation, smiling before he kissed her again softly. The feel of his mouth against hers sent a blaze of fire through her. Renna curled her hands into his arms, and he jerked her to him, deepening the kiss. He forced her mouth open, stroking her tongue, teasing her until she moaned.

  “Finn,” she whispered, pressing herself against him, her fears forgotten for the moment. His hands tangled in her hair, and he kissed her until she was dizzy, until her knees trembled—along with other, more intimate parts of her.

  He pulled away slightly to press kisses to her jaw, sliding his tongue against the sensitive skin beneath her ear. They were tangled in each other, his hard strength holding her against the wall. And she felt an even harder part of him pressed against her.

  Another surge of heat shot through her. Gods, she’d missed him. She didn’t care what it meant at that moment. “I want you.”

  “I know.” He nibbled on her earlobe before capturing her mouth again.

  “Hey, what are you guys doing?” Myka’s voice made them shoot apart so fast that Renna grabbed the wall, using its strength to hold her up so she wouldn’t slide bonelessly to the floor.

  “Why do you always have to kiss like that? It’s gross. It’s like you’re eating her face or something.” He grimaced at them and then dropped a bowl of stew on the table. “Miss Mary said she’d bring out some biscuits in a minute, and you’d better eat before it gets cold.” He put his hands on his hips like a mother hen, his gaze shifting between the pair.

  Finn ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. “Better do what he says, Ren. You don’t want Myka and Miss Mary to gang up on you. You need to eat to keep your strength up.” A feral smile curled his lips. “For later.”

  TWENTY

  Renna ate her stew and tried to ignore the desire burning in places she didn’t even want to think about. Somehow she was able to hold a halfway coherent conversation with Myka, but that might have been because he was full of stories about being on the run. She just had to nod her head and look interested.

  She wanted to kiss Miss Mary when the cook called the boy back to the kitchen to help with dinner.

  Myka threw his arms around Renna and squeezed. “I’m glad you’re back.” Before she could respond, he disappeared through the kitchen door.

  What the hell was she going to do now? She couldn’t lock Finn in his cabin and have her way with him while he and Jayla were busy planning their next steps. She was too keyed up to sleep. And staring at the walls in her cabin would send her right over the edge.

  The only thing left was blowing off some steam in the ship’s weight room. She quickly changed into workout clothes and pulled her arms behind her back, enjoying the pop of her joints as she stretched. She swung them back and forth. Interesting. Not a twinge from injuring her shoulder back at Samil’s warehouse. Aldani must be a magician.

  She’d have to ask him about it later. Right now, the only thing she wanted was to imagine Thana Samil’s face on the punching bag in the corner.

  She switched on the machine and took a few jabs at the floating, stuffed orb. Her fist connected with the synthetic white ball over and over, her muscles burning with the exertion. The punching bag dodged as she struck, but her hits struck dead center. It was as though her fists had a homing device inside the orb as she pummeled it with powerful strikes.

  Renna stopped to stare at the hovering machine, a frown furrowing her eyebrows. “What the hell is going on?”

  She plucked it from the air and turned it over to check the controls. The float mechanism was supposed to be randomized so you had to work for the sweet spot, but she was hitting the damn thing like it was standing still.

  A quick check confirmed it was set up properly, and she set it back in the air, letting it rise to face height. “Okay, little guy. Let’s try this again.”

  She threw a right hook, but her fist still connected with the bag dead center. Left hook, right hook, uppercut. Each one landed with precision.

  Renna blew her escaping hair from her eyes. Did the bag have a faulty mechanism? “Screw this. I’m done,” she said. Before she could grab the thing to switch it off, it gave a low beep and fell to the floor as the grav thrusters cut off. She blinked at the now-deactivated device before stooping to pick it up. She switched it back on and it hovered in front of her, waiting for her next command.

  She raised her arm and faked a punch. The thing seemed to throw itself in the way of her punch, instead of away from her. Like it knew exactly where her fist was going to land.

  Off, she thought.

  The beep sounded again, and it fell to the floor with a thump.

  She rubbed a shaking hand over her face and glowered at the ball on the floor. Since when could she connect to gym equipment with her implant?

  A heads-up display instantly appeared across her vision with calculations, charts, and dates. Renna froze, staring at the details as her hands went clammy.

  A green date flashed in the center of the display. According to her implant, this new talent h
ad started three days ago. Around the time Samil had started giving her the new drugs. Somehow they’d increased her neural connections. That had to be how she’d controlled the Athena, too.

  A tingling started in her chest, and she pressed a palm to her ribcage as if she could stop her heart from beating its way out. Yet another piece of evidence that she was changing. That her implant was transforming her into something else. She needed to find a way to stop it before she lost everything that was important to her. Before she lost herself.

  A man’s voice jerked her out of her downward spiral. “Usually people come here to use the equipment, not stare at it.”

  Renna spun around to find Lieutenant Blake leaning against the hatch, a smirk playing across his lips. He wore MYTH-issued workout clothes—a gray top and close-fitting pants made of some shiny material that grazed his tight muscles. His blond hair was still carefully messy, and sandy stubble shadowed his chiseled jaw.

  “Maybe it was staring at me.” She forced her racing heart under control and smiled at him. No need for him to see how freaked out she was.

  “I could see why.” His gaze took in her figure-hugging shirt and leggings.

  Renna took the bait, slipping into flirting as an easy distraction. She preened a bit, pushing out her chest and turning her hips. “I specialize in gorgeous.”

  He pushed himself off the doorway and stalked toward her. “And how about combat? Are you as good at fighting as you are at bragging?”

  “Better,” she said with a slow smile. “Wanna try me out?”

  Despite his good looks, Alistair Blake was no Finn, but fighting was an even better distraction than flirting. And being physical always made her feel better, even if it wasn’t the type of physical action she craved.

  “Oh, most definitely.” Blake circled her, seemingly relaxed and at ease, but his gaze followed her every move. “I can go easy on you. I’d hate to hit an injured woman.”

  “Don’t worry, love. I like it hard and fast.” The innuendo slipped from her lips, part of the trash-talking of the sparring ring. She shivered. The only one she wanted hard and fast was Finn. She craved him like a drug and that scared the hell out of her.

  Blake chuckled as they slowly spun around each other. “Don’t forget you asked for it then.” He lunged, his fist missing her jaw by centimeters.

  Renna jumped out of the way. “Handsome and deadly. Why aren’t there girls lined up at the door for you?”

  “I’m too much for most girls to handle.” Blake smiled, a dimple flashing in his cheek.

  Renna struck back, darting around his defenses. Her fist landed squarely in his abdomen and the lieutenant grunted. But he followed up before she could recover, landing a quick jab on her jaw.

  Her head snapped back and stars danced in her vision. “Not playing around, are we, Lieutenant?”

  “Call me Alistair. You’re not MYTH yet.” He took a step back, swinging his shoulders a bit to keep them loose. “And you should know I never play at fighting or beautiful women.”

  A grin snuck to her lips. “Good to know.” The guy was a charmer, that’s for sure. Quite a difference from the steamy, intense lust Finn’s very presence caused. Another surge of hunger shot through her.

  Focus, Renna.

  She danced around Blake for a few more heartbeats, gaze locked with his. They were close enough that his hot breath whispered against her neck, and she shivered.

  He took that moment to throw an uppercut, bringing him even closer to her. Renna blocked it and grabbed his arm, twisting it behind him until his hard back muscles were pressed against her chest.

  Blake struggled, the veins in his biceps standing out, and with one smooth move, he reversed their positions, flipping her around until he had her in a chokehold.

  “How the hell did you do that?” she wheezed, bucking against his chest. His scent enveloped her—spearmint and spice and something sweet she couldn’t place. It was a clean scent, one that reminded her of bright summer days. Far different from Finn’s sexy sandalwood.

  Something that felt like desire stirred inside her like a waiting beast. Gods. It had been so long since she’d been with Finn. Damn Jayla for keeping him away so long.

  “I’m very talented,” he said, a smile in his voice, jerking her attention back to the fight and away from the heat growing inside her. Blake’s arm loosened ever-so-slightly, and she took her opening.

  Renna twisted away from him, breaking his grasp before spinning to face him again. “Want to show me exactly how talented you are, handsome?” she asked teasingly. Her gaze dropped lower, to his muscled thighs, then traveled back up to his face. She wanted Finn more than she’d ever wanted another man, but damn she wasn’t dead yet. She could still admire the view.

  He blinked at her, cheeks turning pink. “No. I didn’t mean…just forget I said…”

  She grinned. “You’re a tease then?”

  He stumbled a bit as they circled, catching himself before he went down on the mat in a tangle of arms and legs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He threw a clumsy punch to cover his embarrassment that Renna sidestepped easily.

  Well, well. Flustering the adorable Alistair Blake might be her new favorite thing.

  She attacked again while he was still distracted, bluffing with a jab and striking with an uppercut. He blocked her first punch and missed the second. Renna’s hand connected with his jaw with a satisfying thunk.

  “Ow,” he said, rubbing his chin and glaring at her with puppy dog eyes. “That hurt.”

  She winked at him. “Sometimes love hurts, handsome.”

  “Is that so?” He cracked his knuckles. “Then let’s get serious. I’m not going to let a wispy thing like you take me down.”

  “Keep talking like that, and I’ll do more than take you—” She let her gaze drop to his waist again with a suggestive grin. “—down.”

  Blake sucked in a breath, then started coughing. His face turned a mottled red, and she bit back a grin. He was so easy to set off. She was having way too much fun with this.

  “Put your hands up, woman,” he said once he’d gotten his breathing under control. “Let’s do this.”

  He settled into his fighting stance, and she couldn’t help but admire the way his arm muscles flexed. He was almost as muscular as Finn, but there was something about him that seemed to lack Finn’s edge of danger. Blake just needed a few dangerous missions to toughen him up. He needed to get out of his comfort zone.

  “Come get me, baby.” She curled her fingers at him, beckoning him toward her.

  They attacked at the same moment, throwing punches at each other in a frantic bid to win. Renna felt her fist connect with Blake’s washboard abs, then grunted in pain as his hook caught her across the jaw. They flailed for a good minute, neither giving ground, until Blake feinted and she fell for it, throwing her whole weight behind a punch that totally missed him.

  He grabbed her arm, spinning her back into a hold against his body. Her face was inches from his as they panted, and the strong beat of his heart raced against her chest. The sheen of sweat highlighted his chiseled cheekbones and shimmered across his nose.

  He lowered his head a fraction, dropping his gaze to her mouth.

  Was he going to kiss her?

  For a nanosecond, a tiny part of her wanted it, wanted to see what his full lips would feel like on hers, how he’d taste. But she couldn’t do this. Not to Finn. Renna struggled in Alistair’s firm grip for three ragged breaths before she maneuvered enough to push him away.

  Goose bumps rippled across her skin, and her head swiveled slowly toward the door as Finn stepped across the threshold.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Finn asked.

  She blinked at him as the ice in his voice sent a shiver down her spine.

  Blake raised an eyebrow. “What does it look like? We were sparring.”

  The captain strode into the room, fury in every tense muscle of his body. His glare alternated between Renna and B
lake, but finally came to a stop on her.

  He fisted his hands together in front of him, as if he didn’t think he could control himself. “I trusted you, Renna. I believed you when you said you’d changed. I should have known better.” He turned to Blake and poked a finger into the man’s chest. “And you! I thought you were my friend. A brother. That wasn’t sparring. That was…” He broke off and shook his head. “What else have the two of you been doing since I’ve been gone?” His furious gaze froze them both where they stood.

  Renna opened her mouth to protest, to redouble Blake’s proclamation, but he cut her off with the wave of a hand. “I’m done here. I don’t want to hear your excuses. There’s nothing left to say.” His whole body quivered with barely suppressed rage.

  Renna’s heart shattered at the hurt in his eyes. “Finn. Stop it. It’s not like that,” she protested. But he was already out the door. Her mouth went as dry as a desert. Finn still didn’t trust her. That hurt more than even the prospect of turning into a robot.

  Blake put a hand on her arm to stop her from following. “He’s too angry right now. He won’t listen to a word you say. Give him a little time.”

  She exhaled, her whole body deflating. “As much as I like you, you know nothing is ever going to happen between us, right?”

  He smiled. “I know. I’m way out of your league.”

  Despite herself, she chuckled. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I’m going to go get cleaned up. Thanks for the fight.”

  “Any time.” Alistair paused and, just before Renna left the room, said, “Renna?”

  “Yes?”

  “Finn’s a very lucky man. Don’t let him forget it.”

  TWENTY-ONE

  Renna marched down the Eris’s corridors to her cabin. Emotions swirled and battled inside her, swinging between fury that Finn thought she’d cheat on him and disbelief that he could be upset when they’d never agreed to stop seeing other people. Even worse, he’d involved someone else in this mess. Poor Alistair had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.