Fireglass. Dryden Universe

She found a being made of light. Then someone stole it. Exobiologist Linara Vey entered the Prism Nebula chasing science, not miracles. What she found there was alive, powerful, and terrified, a sentient energy being she calls the lumnith. It saved her life. She promised to take it home. Then her partner betrayed her. Wounded and desperate, Linara turns to Kael Reece, an undercover cop posing as an independent trader.
Kael knows criminals. He knows lies. He knows better than to get involved with a woman determined to rescue a stolen alien intelligence worth a fortune. Unfortunately, knowing better doesn't help much. The lumnith has been taken by men who see only profit, and Linara will risk everything to get it back. Kael's mission is supposed to be about bringing down criminals, not falling for a stubborn scientist with courage bigger than her survival instincts.
Getting the lumnith back is only the beginning. To keep her promise, Linara must return it to the Prism Nebula, a place where ships vanish, systems fail, and old myths warn of things that eat fire and devour power. Kael can protect Linara from the man hunting her. Protecting his heart may be a lost cause.