I Will Breathe (Forbidden Book 1) by Regina Puckett Page B

time she had stored everything back on Airus, the sun had sunk toward the treetops. Without a moment to spare, she headed for the trading post. If she could wrap up her business with Shatter fast enough, she could have the valve replaced and be back on her way before nightfall. It was never smart hanging around this corner of the world for very long. There was no point in taking any chances that someone might become a bit too interested in her airship. She would defend it at all costs if she had to, for she certainly had no intention of losing the only home she had ever known.

Chapter Two
    “Before you head out, I have one last thing for you to load.”
    Liberty stopped in mid-step and turned to face Shatter. “What? I have everything I need loaded.”
    For the first time since she had been dealing with the tough-old coot, Shatter appeared uncertain. He furiously scratched at the gray stubble on the side of his face and hemmed and hawed for a couple of seconds before finally blurting, “You’ll have to come and see for yourself. He’s in the back, sweeping.”
    What was the old man up to? It was getting late and she should already be in the air already. Liberty’s first thought was to pretend she hadn’t heard, and leave, but when he headed toward the storage room, she followed. He stopped without warning and she plowed headfirst into his bony shoulder blades.
    Liberty stifled a curse and pushed her red curls out of eyes to get a better look around the cluttered room. She suspected Shatter’s idea of organization was to toss things in and see where they landed. Grime and dust covered everything, and the only light in the room came from a couple of narrow windows near the ceiling. Since the sunlight was quickly fading, she could barely make out anything in the dimness.
    At first she didn’t see anything of interest until a movement, followed by the clicking of metal on metal, caught her attention. Liberty stared but did not understand what she was seeing. Whatever moved and whirled was the size of a small child but with metal legs and arms. A ball of glass sat where the head should’ve been. It wasn’t until the thing blinked and took a step forward that Liberty finally understood it was a robot.
    Shatter waved it over. “Come here, Boy.”
    Liberty took a step back when the robot obeyed.
    Shatter spoke over his shoulder to her. “That’s his name, Boy. Tinker make him the year after your father found you abandoned during one of his flyby trips. I don’t think Tinker knew how lonely he was until your father dropped by with you and stayed for a long visit.”
    Boy clicked and clinked across the wooden floor, dragging a broom along behind him. Liberty at last overcame her surprise and asked, “So what do you have that I need to load onto Airus? It’s getting dark and I still haven’t replaced that pressure valve yet. If I don’t get back soon, I won’t have enough light to do the work until the morning. I can’t keep Airus grounded overnight. You know as well as I do how dangerous that would be.”
    Shatter pulled at the collar of his shirt, as if it were suddenly too tight. “Boy showed up here out of the blue with a note, day before yesterday. Tinker wants you to take Boy with you.” Shatter scratched the side of his nose and avoided looking at Liberty.
    Her mouth silently opened and closed before she finally spluttered, “What?” She looked back at the robot. It stood just a couple of feet away, still holding the broom.
    Shatter nodded at Boy. “Tinker wrote that since your father’s death you’ve been alone. He thought Boy could be of some help, and it would keep him from being used for spare parts.” He leaned closer to Liberty and whispered. “Just between the two of us, I think Tinker might be a little off his rocker.” He chuckled. “But then who isn’t? You have to be a little crazy to survive in these conditions. After the devastation caused by The Great War, there’s only a handful of