Pax Novis by Erica Cameron

Author:Erica Cameron
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Teen & Young Adult Careers Fiction eBooks; Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction & Dystopian Romance eBooks; Teen & Young Adult Gay & Lesbian Fiction; Teen & Young Adult Sci-Fi Mystery eBooks; Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction Action & Adventure; Teen & Young Adult Space Opera; Teen & Young Adult Romance Thrillers & Suspense; Teen & Young Adult Romance eBooks; young adult; young adult science fiction; young adult romance; young adult mystery/thriller; science fiction; romance; mystery/thriller; outer space; hard science fiction; spaceship; stowaways; lgbtq fiction; lgbtq YA; Forbidden Romance;
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Published: 2019-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

Riston sat up sharply, blinking sleep from zir eyes and trying to bring zir brain online. What had woken zem up? Nothing seemed out of place, there were no noises echoing through the corridors, and everyone was where ze’d last seen them. Treble, Greenie, and Tinker were asleep on the floor of the junction, and Shadow was—

Gone. The perch where Shadow had been waiting out his shift on watch was empty.

Heart lurching, Riston pushed to zir feet and clambered up the ladder. Maybe he’d simply moved deeper. Please, ze thought, let him still be here.

The narrow passage was cold, unlit, and empty.

Riston called Shadow’s name, quietly at first but louder with each unanswered repetition. Ze only stopped when a small hand pressed against zir calf.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Tink asked.

“He’s not here. He’s not—” Riston almost bit zir tongue when a sharp, insistent ping from zir tablet echoed through zir head. It was what had woken zem up, ze now remembered.

Shifting zir leg, ze nudged Tinker out of the way, let go of the step, and dropped a meter and a half back to the ground. Ze grabbed zir tablet off the wall and brought the alert up with a few swipes of zir trembling hands. The waiting message was from Shadow.

5IR-M3. SOS.

This is my fault. Don’t blame yourself. I’m sorry. I wanted to keep you all safe.

Riston’s heart dropped and fear gripped zir chest. The first message had been sent three minutes ago. The second didn’t make any sense. What was his fault? What had happened? Thrusting the tablet at Tinker, ze jammed zir hand into the highest inset ladder rung ze could reach and hauled zirself toward the shaft three meters above.

“What’s happening?” Fear rang in Tink’s voice.

“Nothing good.” Dread built in Riston’s gut, a depthless cold ze could barely breathe around. “I’m going to find Shadow. You all better damn well stay hidden until I come get you.”

“Riston!” Treble hissed, her demands for an explanation implicit.

Ze ignored her, not even looking back until ze was sitting on the ledge of the shaft. Three fearful faces looked up from below. “Shadow’s in trouble. I don’t know how bad it is or what I’ll have to do to get him out of it, so prepare for the worst. All I need you to do is keep yourselves safe until either I get back or you get off this ship.”

Then, without waiting for a reply, Riston left. Ze hoped it wasn’t for the last time, but that hope was microscopically small. The apology Shadow had sent sounded too much like a goodbye.

Riston felt as loud and heedless as a wrench clattering down a shaft, but ze couldn’t help it. Fear pushed zem faster even as caution slowed zem down. Still, Shadow was in trouble, and he’d only suffer more if Riston got caught before ze reached him. That was a mistake Riston would never forgive zirself for.

5IR-M3, Shadow had sent. Deck five, inboard, rear, maintenance shaft three. It was a

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