Broken Moon Series Digital Box Set

by F. T. Lukens

  “The comms have been mostly static for ages.” Asher shook his head, eyes wide and incredulous. “I can’t believe you all. You’re frightened of a seventeen-year-old twig.”

  Penelope set down her fork. She dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. “He’s a star host,” she said by way of explanation.

  “So? He’s my friend.”

  “He transported us across the cluster,” Lucas said. “Didn’t you see the star charts?”

  “Yes, I know. He saved us. Or do you not remember the ship almost shuddering to pieces.”

  Lucas winced.

  Sighing, Ren took a step back, almost out of the room. “Ash, really, it’s okay. I understand.”

  “It’s not okay!” Asher slammed his hand on the table. He took a breath. “It’s not okay,” he said, calmer. “Now, come over here.”

  Ren stepped inside.

  Asher rolled his eyes. He grabbed the empty plate and the serving spoon. He heaped a portion of the it onto the plate, spilling a few bits of pasta on the table, and then set it in the empty spot next to him. He grabbed a hunk of bread from the basket in the middle of the table and dropped it onto the plate as well. Turning, Asher raised an expectant eyebrow.

  Unable to refuse Asher, Ren crossed the room, head down, and awkwardly lowered his body into the chair.

  “I didn’t mean to put any of you in danger. And I didn’t know the lengths Abiathar would take to find me. I’m sorry. I’ll do anything I can to ensure your safety.”

  Asher puffed out his chest. “They know that. The ship has never run better since when you came on board. You help out in areas you don’t need to. You’re eager to learn even the most mundane operations of the ship. You’ve been nothing but friendly, and they should know you don’t have an evil bone in your entire body.”

  Sufficiently chastised, Penelope rubbed a hand over her eyes and Lucas bowed his head, finding great interest in the puddle of red sauce on his plate. With a grunt, Ollie reached across the table and grabbed the jug of water. He poured a glass and then set it down next to Ren’s napkin.

  Ren stared at his plate before picking up his fork and shoveling in the spirals and sauce.

  It wasn’t acceptance by any means. Rowan glowered. Penny shied away from Ren’s gaze. Lucas didn’t look up and Ollie didn’t try to break the silence with a joke. But Asher smiled and nudged Ren’s shoulder with his own, and that was enough for Ren.

  * * *

  By the next afternoon, the ship was fixed. Everything worked, and it would only be a few hours before the Star Stream was underway again. With that knowledge, Ren hardened his resolve. He wouldn’t allow Asher to keep his promise as long as it put him in danger.

  He threw what he could into his borrowed pack. He left the technical manuals, but he kept the clothes. He’d need them on whatever drift he ended up on, and the other passenger wasn’t coming back for them or for the bag he tossed the stuff into. He would need a few tools as well, just to remain inconspicuous, and he didn’t feel too terrible about throwing those into the case, too. Rowan could purchase more. He’d made sure the Star Stream’s systems were running at optimal levels, and Penelope wouldn’t need them for months.

  He’d be long gone by then.

  He had to leave. There was no question any longer. As much as he wanted to stay with Asher, he was a liability. And as he had tried to protect his brother months ago, he’d do the same for Asher. Even if it meant his own comfort. Or his own freedom.

  He was startled when his door slammed open, but not surprised when Asher strode into the room, red-faced and furious. His hands clenched at his sides with his shoulders pulled back, his arm no longer in a sling, his spine ramrod straight, he looked as if he were going to battle.

  “What are you doing?” he bit out. “Rowan said you threatened her?”

  “Hardly,” Ren said. He shoved a pair of trousers into the luggage. “I asked her to take me to the nearest drift.”

  “Or else you’d take us there yourself by reprogramming the nav controls. I read the message, Ren.”

  “So what? Are you here to stop me?”

  “No,” Asher said. He crossed his arms gingerly. “I’m here to help you pack.” Ren raised an eyebrow. “Of course I’m here to stop you! Stars, Ren, you spend most of your time trying to prove to us you aren’t an idiot duster and then you go and do something like this. Are you addled?”

  Ren narrowed his eyes. He grabbed a cake of soap out of their shared bathroom and put it in the pack. He would miss regular showers.

  “I’m not addled. I’m leaving. I’m not going to put you in danger any longer. It was stupid for me to think I’d be able to be normal.”

  “Ren, you’ll never be normal, psychopathic despots or not.”

  Zipping up his bag, Ren hefted it to his shoulder. “Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.” He brushed past Asher, but Asher grabbed his arm, right above the elbow.

  “You’re not going anywhere.”

  Ren looked down at where Asher’s pale fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt, dug into the skin of his arm underneath. “Let go.”

  “No.” Asher squeezed tighter.

  “Let. Go.”

  “The answer is still no.”

  Frustrated, Ren tried to pull his arm away to no avail. “Damn it, Ash! I’m trying to protect you.”

  “I don’t want your protection.”

  “Well, what do you want?”

  Asher’s mouth dropped open in surprise at the question. He fumbled for a moment, stuttering for words, but then he narrowed his eyes, furrowed his brow. He yanked on Ren’s arm, causing Ren to stumble forward and collide with Asher’s broad chest.

  “Stars, Ash, what are you—”

  The kiss was more a mash of mouths than anything else. Ren felt a frisson of his star seek out Asher’s shoulder, and a thrill of desire ran to his toes. Ren didn’t have time to register much else before Asher pulled away, his expression as shocked as Ren felt. Ren raised a hand to his bruised mouth, rested his fingertips against it as if he could hold the fleeting feel of Asher’s lips there. His pulse raced, and his mind blanked of everything other than the fact that Asher had kissed him.

  Asher had kissed him. His first kiss. And it was something Nadie hadn’t predicted.

  A hysterical laughed bubbled up in Ren’s throat, but he clamped down on it and bit it back as he pressed his fingers against the swell of his mouth.

  “Why did you…?” Ren whispered, trailing off.

  Asher dropped Ren’s arm as if he was burned and hurriedly stepped away. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.”

  “What?”

  “Forget it. Forget it happened.”

  “No, I—”

  “Don’t leave.” Asher shifted nervously. His face flushed; the tips of his ears turned a deep red. Staring at the floor or the wall over Ren’s shoulder, he refused to meet Ren’s gaze. “Just… don’t leave. Okay? I made you a promise. I can’t keep it if you go.”

  “Okay,” Ren said, placing the packed bag at his feet. His voice was hoarse, and his tongue fumbled the word in his mouth. His lips tingled and his resolve lay in pieces at his feet. “I won’t. But we have to let Ollie and Lucas and Penelope choose what they want to do. I don’t want to be responsible for…”

  “I know. You won’t be. We’ll talk with them.” Asher’s gaze flitted up for a moment, his cheeks pink, his mouth wet and red.

  Ren wondered what Asher would do if Ren kissed him back, but he didn’t act.

  They stared at each other for a long moment before Asher ducked his head.

  “I should go.”

  “You don’t have to,” Ren said quickly. Though Ren had no experience with romance, he was fairly certain most first kisses didn’t end like this, with the other party obviously uncomfortable and running away.<
br />
  “I should. I didn’t mean to…” Asher’s fingers twitched. “I’ll tell Rowan you’ve decided to stay. She’ll call a crew meeting and we’ll talk it out. Everything will be okay.”

  “Okay.”

  Asher nodded. He backed toward the door, tripping over his boot and stumbling into the wall. He coughed, straightened his uniform and rested his hand on the door handle.

  “See you soon.”

  And then Asher was out the door, closing it behind him.

  Ren stood in place. He took deep breaths and unclenched his hand from around the bag’s strap. He moved to his bed and sank down on the mattress.

  He pushed a finger to his lower lip. It hurt, especially where one of Asher’s teeth had caught on the tender flesh. It was probably the worst first kiss in the history of kisses, but it was Ren’s, and his alone.

  He couldn’t help but smile.

  12

  “We’re here to discuss what to do next,” Rowan said. She stood at the head of the table, hands on her hips, long blond braid slung over her shoulder. With her shoulders pulled back and her jaw clenched, she looked every inch a captain in her form-fitting black clothes with a pulser attached to her outer thigh. “The ship is running at optimal levels, so we have a few choices.”

  Lucas sat to her left, Ollie on her right. Penelope sat next to her brother and Asher sat across from her. Ren was on the other end, tapping his fingers on the scarred wood.

  “Lucas informs me there is an outlier drift not a day from here. We could head there and hide for a while. Asher contacted the Corps about the Nomad. Maybe they’ll believe Asher’s story now about the cog on our tail.”

  “We can’t hide,” Asher said. “Abiathar will find us. He’ll try to capture Ren again. We can’t let that happen. You saw how powerful he is. If his star were to fall into the wrong hands, the Drift Alliance would fall to Baron Vos. No matter if he’s a duster or not.”

  “Oh, I don’t vote for that then,” Penelope said softly. She tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “What are the other options?”

  “We go to Mykonos and meet with our mother. We’re several days away, but she will know what to do. With the power of the Phoenix Corps at her disposal, Ren would be safe.”

  Ren ducked his head. He hated being the reason all this was happening, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

  “And the other possibility?” Asher asked.

  Rowan took a breath. “We drop Ren off wherever he wants to go and wash our hands of the mess.”

  “That’s not an option,” Asher bit out.

  Ren wilted. “Ash,” he said softly.

  “No, Ren.” Asher turned in his seat, his green eyes glittering. Since their kiss the day before, their interactions had been awkward and stilted. This was the first time Asher had talked to him directly. “It’s not an option.”

  “Ash, if he wants to go, we can’t make him stay,” Penelope suggested lightly.

  Asher glared at her. “Don’t listen to him. He’s an idiot duster.”

  Ren couldn’t help the small tug at the corner of his mouth. “Arrogant drifter,” he muttered. Asher kicked his foot under the table.

  “Well, if Ren can’t leave, that’s not stopping the rest of you,” Rowan said. “You can disembark at the outlier drift and Asher and I will take Ren to Mykonos.” Rowan met Penelope’s gaze. “After everything is over, I’d come back for you.” She looked to Ollie and Lucas as well. “All of you.”

  “I’m sorry, Captain, but that’s bullshit,” Ollie said. “You and whoever else will have to pry me off this ship.”

  Ren’s stomach sank.

  Penelope smiled. “I’m staying with my family.”

  “Same here,” Lucas said. He reached out and took Penelope’s hand.

  “Please, don’t.” Ren’s voice went hoarse and quiet. “Don’t risk yourselves for me.”

  Ollie shook his head. “No offense, but I’ve heard you’re an idiot duster who I’m not supposed to listen to.”

  Ren’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “But… but—”

  “Now it is settled,” Rowan said, cutting Ren off from commenting further. “We will follow a course to Mykonos under full power. Essential systems only to speed us along. Lucas, set a course. Ash, send a message to Mother. Ollie, I want all our weapons inventoried in case we run into something unpleasant. I won’t be threatened with boarding again. And Pen, you take stock of supplies—medical and otherwise.” Rowan placed her palms on the table and leaned over, gaze locked on Ren. “Ren, can you divert power to help get us there faster?”

  “Yes,” Ren answered quickly. It was the least he could do, since they all seemed determined to risk their lives helping him. “Of course I can.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Maybe you should get on that then?”

  Ren shot to his feet and almost tripped over his own chair. Asher grabbed Ren’s arm to steady him, and Ren suppressed a shiver. Not only could Ren feel the pain in Asher’s shoulder, for a moment, he was back in his quarters a day ago, when Asher had molded his mouth to Ren’s and stolen a kiss.

  “Don’t overdo it,” Asher said quietly.

  Ren nodded, a blush burning in his cheeks and up the back of his neck. “I won’t. I promise. And I know how much stake you put in promises.”

  A grin flirted around the corners of Asher’s mouth, and after a small squeeze, he released his grip on Ren.

  Ren ducked out of the common room and headed to the engine compartment with the phantom feeling of Asher’s touch burning on his skin.

  * * *

  Hours later, the ship powered toward Mykonos as fast as the engine would allow. Ren had diverted as much power as he could, but the engine could only stand so much before it would burn up. The Star Stream moved toward the drift at an increased speed, but not fast enough for Ren’s liking. He wanted to meet with Councilor Morgan as soon as possible. He wanted to show her what he could do, why the Baron from Erden was dangerous. The sooner he did so, the sooner he could return home to his mother and Liam.

  Liam.

  He hadn’t thought about his brother in ages. He missed him. He missed his home, and the ache burned a hole in his middle. Ren didn’t know if it was a good thing that sometimes he could forget everything, push it down, especially when he was around Asher.

  Asher, who had kissed him and tried to protect him, and who made Ren’s heart flutter like dragonfly wings.

  Ren thought he had shut down the romantic part of himself the moment he had been captured. After all, the days sleeping next to Sorcha had stirred nothing within him. Now, with the ever-present phantom sensation of Asher’s lips against his, he knew that part was very much alive, and he wanted to give in to it.

  Since the kiss, their interactions were awkward, with stilted words, blushes and barely-there eye contact, and Ren couldn’t live on tenterhooks. He needed Asher, especially when facing whatever lay ahead, and he wasn’t too proud to admit it.

  Approaching the crew quarters, Ren steeled himself. Asher’s door was open, but Ren didn’t want to barge in. He knocked on the frame, and Asher looked up from where he reading his tablet. He set the device down and stood. He wasn’t wearing his crisp uniform, but a soft-looking shirt and a pair of pants, which might have come from Ollie’s closet since the hems brushed the tops of his toes.

  “Hey,” Ren said softly.

  Asher crossed his arms and then uncrossed them. He put his hands in his pockets, pulled them out and settled for placing them on his hips. He hid his wince poorly. His shoulder was obviously sore from their encounter with Abiathar.

  “Hey.” He swallowed. “You doing all right? Do you need something?”

  Ren shrugged. He leaned on the doorframe, trying for nonchalant despite the churning in his stomach. “I’d like to talk, if that’s okay?”

  Asher cast
a glance at the tablet and frowned. “Sure.”

  “Has your mother responded?”

  A furrow appeared on Asher’s brow. “No. But it could be lag.”

  Judging by Asher’s tone, he didn’t believe it.

  “I could check the communication system again.” Ren jerked his thumb toward the hallway.

  Asher waved his hand. “No. I’m sure we’ll hear soon.”

  Ren rocked back on his heels. “Can I come in?”

  Blinking, Asher seemed to realize they were standing in the doorway facing each other. “Oh, yeah, come on in.”

  Ren walked in and settled on the edge of Asher’s bunk. He was so nervous he felt as if he could crawl out of his skin. He kept his back straight and his body tense, and he hated that the familiarity, the ease and comfort, of their friendship had all but vanished.

  Asher didn’t meet Ren’s gaze as he lowered into the chair next to his desk. Ren didn’t know how to begin, and when he finally gathered his courage, Asher cut him off.

  “I’m sorry,” Asher said. He watched his hands, slowly flexing his fingers. “I shouldn’t have… done what I did.”

  Asher’s words felt like a slap. Ren flinched.

  Asher read the reaction the wrong way.

  “You’re my friend,” he added quickly. “The best friend I’ve ever had, and I don’t want to lose that. I don’t want a mistake to ruin our friendship.”

  Asher leaned over to pat Ren’s knee, but he gasped halfway through the action. Grimacing, he snatched his hand back and curled his arm against his chest. He touched his shoulder with his other hand and rubbed the joint.

  “You’re hurt,” Ren said, his concern for Asher overriding his own confusion and disappointment.

  Asher rolled his shoulder and bit his lip to contain a grunt of pain. It didn’t work, and Ren could see the hurt written clearly in Asher’s features.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “It’s not nothing.” Ren stood. “I could help you,” he said, moving to the back of Asher’s chair. “I’ve felt the mechanism before.”