Starbound: A Starstruck Novel (45 page)

“Eric, we did it! Thank you so much! I could never have done this without you.”

He didn’t respond or move, slumped down in his chair, his head tilted at an awkward angle. I reached over and shook his shoulder gently, reluctant to wake him. “Eric?”

Slowly he opened his eyes, but didn’t sit up any straighter. “Contact established?” he whispered.

“Yes, I think so. They didn’t disrupt the power, anyway.”
 

“Done, then. You…Emileia…saved Nuath.” Those last two words were a mere breath, but accompanied by a smile so happy, so peaceful, that I felt like I’d been given a medal. Then Eric’s eyes closed again and he sank even deeper into his chair, his head lolling back, his breathing stilled.

“Eric?” I repeated, tears starting to my eyes, but I knew even before I touched him again that he was gone, his life’s work finished.

The three of us gazed down at Eric’s lifeless body for a long, somber moment.
 

Mr. O was the first to find his voice. “He held on for decades longer than anyone should have to, just so he could accomplish this last task. All of Nuath would honor him as a hero, if they knew.”

I swallowed. “I wish we could tell them. There should be a…a holiday in his honor or something.”

“A nice thought,” Mr. O agreed. “But now, we need to get him back upstairs before someone from the Healing facility arrives. They’ll know already that he’s dead.”

He motioned to Sean to help him maneuver the chair around so they could guide it out of the room. Sean nodded, but then paused to look closely into my face.
 

“Will you be all right?”
 

I shrugged. I didn’t see how I ever could be, with Rigel gone. The Grentl threat was all that had kept me moving forward, and now it was over. My sense of purpose was gone. I looked up at Sean helplessly, not sure how to put any of that into words. Knowing that even if I could, it would pain him.
 

“I just—” I began, when a hum interrupted me.
 

We all turned to see a faint bluish glow emanating from the Grentl device along with the hum, which was intensifying. I glanced questioningly at Mr. O’Gara, since Eric could no longer advise me.

“Do you think I should—?”

He nodded urgently. “Yes. You must. We can’t risk ignoring them again.”

Terrified at the prospect of another session like the last one, I moved slowly to the device. Exactly as Eric had instructed me before, I grasped the two projections simultaneously. The current was milder this time, the sense of
mine
-ness even stronger.
 

“Hello?” I said it aloud, but also tried to project it with my mind, not at all sure how this communication actually worked.
 

There was a pause, during which I could feel my heart beating. Then, without warning, a thought intruded itself into my brain, unmistakably from without.
 

From the device.
 

From the Grentl.

“
WE ARE COMING.”

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Starbound
is the third book in the STARSTRUCK series. If you enjoyed reading
Starbound
, I hope you will consider leaving a review wherever you buy or talk about books. For the latest information about upcoming books in the STARSTRUCK series or any of my other books (listed below), please subscribe to my newsletter (
click here
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brendahiatt.com
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. As always, happy reading!

Books by Brenda Hiatt

Teen Fiction

Starstruck
- An orphaned astronomy geek dreams of escaping her tiny town and becoming somebody and then the hot new quarterback befriends her. But strange things happen: her acne clears up, her eyesight improves, and when they touch, sparks fly—literally! Soon she discovers secrets that change her humdrum life forever and expose her to deadly perils. The middle of nowhere just got a lot more interesting!

Starcrossed
-
The Starstruck adventure continues! Formerly a nerdy nobody, Marsha is the newly discovered princess of a secret civilization. Even better, she’s dating her literal soulmate. But when a new boy arrives at Jewel High, everything M thought she knew about herself and her future turns upside down. Will the destiny that lifted her from obscurity now tear her away from Rigel and their happy ever after?

Mystery

Out of Her Depth
- After her husband leaves her for a younger woman, a newly divorced woman goes to Aruba alone for what should have been her 25th anniversary trip. To force herself out of her comfort zone, she signs up for scuba diving lessons. But when she finds a ring during her first dive that turns out to be a clue in a high-profile murder case, she finds more adventure than she bargained for.

Traditional Regency Romance (teen-appropriate)

Gabriella
- A lost wager obliges a Duke to bring a pretty nobody into fashion for the London Season. Irksome duty turns into something quite different as he falls under the spell of his protege's innocent charm. Gabriella would rather help run her father's veterinary practice than fit into fashionable society but the more time she spends with the dashing Duke, the more conflicted she is. Could this be love?

The Cygnet
- A young lady would rather write poetry than make her London debut until she meets a handsome marquis and Cupid's arrow strikes. She transforms herself to attract him, only to learn he apparently has an aversion to her first love, poetry! Is all lost? (Originally published as
The Ugly Duckling.
)

Lord Dearborn's Destiny
- After a fortuneteller prophesies a statuesque blonde as his perfect match, a skeptical Lord Dearborn meets just such a woman. Blinded by her beauty, he barely notices her cousin, a lively, witty brunette. Though he has more in common with the petite and impoverished Ellie than the divine Miss Rosalind, she is not in his style at all. Will his eyes be opened in time to his true Destiny?

Daring Deception
- The new Earl of Seabrooke needs a fortune—fast! When a young buck cannot pay his losses at the table and offers his sister instead, Seabrooke agrees to wed her sight unseen. Appalled by her brother's bargain, Miss Chesterton infiltrates Lord Seabrooke's household as a servant to prove him a fortune hunter. But even as she gathers evidence, she finds herself losing her heart to the handsome Earl.

Azalea
- After an arranged marriage, Azalea's new husband immediately sails back to England, but she is already in love. When he's lost at sea, she's devastated. Six years later, Azalea sails to England herself and learns that her husband is alive but has no memory of her or their marriage. Worse, he is betrothed! Can Azalea force Christian to remember the truth before he breaks her heart again?

A Christmas Bride
- Holly was so looking forward to Christmas! Not only is it her birthday, it's her first wedding anniversary. But now her husband Hunt, the Marquess of Vandover, is in jail, and it's all Holly's fault. Her attempt to help him advance his diplomatic career went terribly wrong and now her husband stands accused of treason. Somehow, she must save Hunt—and their marriage—and Christmas!
 

Also

(for slightly more mature readers)

Time Travel Romance

Bridge Over Time
- A switch in time! An independent modern woman mysteriously trades places with a near identical ancestress in 1825. Each is desperate to get back to her own time until she falls in love with the very man her counterpart most wanted to avoid. Is this destiny, or simply a cruel trick of fate?
 

Regency-set Historical Romance

Scandalous Virtue
- An overprotected widow ready to kick up her heels meets a notorious rake trying to reform. Each sees the other as a shortcut to change . . . until the sparks fly!

Rogue's Honor
- First book in “The Saint of Seven Dials” series. A duke’s daughter in disguise is thrown into the company of a legendary Regency Robin Hood. Love is the last thing either of them needs just now, but when was love ever wise?

Noble Deceptions
- An American shipping heiress and the new Saint of Seven Dials find themselves trapped into a marriage neither wants. Even as passion turns to love, both hide secret identities that could lead to arrest. If they trust each other with the truth, will it lead to a lifetime of happiness—or to disaster? (Originally published as
A Rebellious Bride.)

Innocent Passions
- A former spy takes on the role of the Saint of Seven Dials to hunt down a deadly traitor but finds himself distracted by a studious and opinionated young lady, newly arrived in London. Is she the innocent bluestocking she appears, or the very traitor he’s been seeking? And which is in more danger–his heart or his life?

Saintly Sins
- A penniless beauty assumes the identity of the Saint of Seven Dials to rescue her young brother from the streets. A nobleman with his own demons is both smitten and intrigued by the lovely enigma, but when he digs beneath the surface, he finds a secret that could ruin them both. But perhaps love is worth the risk… (Originally published as
Wickedly Yours.)

(The above four books are also available in a value-priced boxed set,
The Saint of Seven Dials Collector's Edition
.)

Tessa's Touch
- Tessa has a special gift; with word and touch she can tame the most unbroken horse. But when handsome Lord Anthony gallops into her life, she is faced with a far greater challenge. Anthony thinks Tessa is helping her uncle to sell half-broken horses but soon realizes he must free her from her grasping uncle's trap so he can claim her for himself. (Originally published as
Taming Tessa.)

The Runaway Heiress
- Dina’s only chance to keep her inheritance from her gamester brother is to marry before her twenty-fifth birthday. When her carefully planned elopement goes awry she travels to Gretna Green alone, trusting to chance. There she rescues a naïve young lady from a fortune hunter, earning the gratitude of the young lady’s handsome brother. When he asks her to name her reward, she has her answer ready.
 

Romantic Historical Fiction

Ship of Dreams
-
Accused of a crime she didn't commit, Della flees San Francisco aboard an outbound ship. Kent Bradford is shocked when a beautiful redhead introduces herself as his wife to an important investor. Fearing a scene, he plays along...for now. Set amid the real events of the final, ill-fated voyage of the SS Central America, SHIP OF DREAMS takes the reader on an adventure filled with danger and love.