Marnie Ashcroft

Thirteen-year-old Resh has one job: keep six street kids alive. When their gang leader turns slaver, her desperate telepathic scream brings help from the Suerte-a family trading ship where, suspiciously, everything is free. Safety. Education. Hot chocolate before bed. The chance to carve wood and sell it for real money. A family who asks nothing in return. Resh doesn't trust it. She's survived by calculating costs, and experience has taught her there's always a price.
Always. But nine-year-old Rikosh's cat paintings are attracting professional dealers. The kids are building a real business in station markets. And the family keeps not asking for payment. Maybe belonging doesn't have to be earned. A cozy science fiction novel about found family, art, trade, and discovering that safety can be freely given.