Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon Read Free Book Online Page A

enquired, looking around as everyone else dug in.
    â€˜He’s still in the control room,’ Fox explained. ‘Harry willrelieve him after dinner, he’ll grab his own food then. How did you and Matt get on?’ he asked quietly, shooting a glance towards the bulky man, who was deep in conversation with Harry.
    â€˜He’s great, I’ve learned so much already! I never knew there were so many small parts involved in keeping an engine running,’ she gushed. Fox laughed.
    â€˜So you’re enjoying yourself.’
    â€˜Definitely. What were you up to?’ she asked curiously, spooning more stew into her mouth.
    â€˜Just stuff,’ Fox replied evasively.
    â€˜What do you think, Mattie? Can the sprog stay?’ Harry asked, his loud voice interrupting their conversation. Matt looked Catherine up and down, seeming to consider.
    â€˜Yeah, he’s a sharp lad, fine by me.’
    Catherine glowed with pride from the praise. Harry looked around the crew in turn. Alice shrugged, having already said her piece. Fox scowled.
    â€˜Well, I can’t exactly say no, can I?’ he pointed out.
    â€˜Come on, Fox, you know we’re all run a bit thin on this ship. One more can’t hurt, and it’ll give you more time to work on your little projects.’
    â€˜Yeah, it’s fine by me.’ Fox smiled cheekily. ‘Good to have someone younger to bully.’ Alice rolled her eyes.
    â€˜Well, that settles it. Welcome to the crew, Cat. Alice, love, would you dig out some of Fox’s old clothes for him?’ Harry added. His wife smiled and nodded.
    â€˜Will do. They might still be a little big on him, though.’
    â€˜Thank you, I’m sure they’ll be fine,’ Catherine insisted.
    â€˜Where are you from, anyway, Cat?’ Matt asked.
    â€˜Breningarth, born and bred,’ she answered, hoping she could think quickly enough so as not to get caught in her own cover story.
    â€˜We assumed as much, but where specifically?’ Matt continued, holding his bowl out towards Alice with a hopeful look on his face.
    â€˜Just outside Greystone,’ Catherine told him. It was technically true; Greystone was the closest part of common city to the government district she lived in. A lot of kids in Greystone were educated alongside government children.
    â€˜Ouch, hard luck. No wonder you ran,’ Matt said sympathetically. Being the closest to the government district, Greystone barely had any children over the age of thirteen due to the ease of Collecting from there. ‘Are you sure your parents won’t miss you?’ he asked in a low voice, frowning. He clearly hadn’t believed her earlier words.
    Catherine’s smile vanished, and her eyes fixed on her bowl.
    â€˜Like I told Alice, my parents … aren’t around,’ she said awkwardly.
    Fox patted her shoulder ‘Yes, well, that’s always the story,’ he muttered quietly. Catherine wondered again what
his
story was.
    She looked over to include the rest of the crew.
    â€˜What about you, where have you all come from?’ she asked.
    â€˜Well,’ Alice began, glancing at her husband. ‘Harry and I met years ago in Mericus – I’m from there originally. I was sixteen, he was seventeen and flying with his father. My parents owned an inn by the shipyard, and I wasworking behind the bar when Harry and his dad’s crew rented rooms with us. I fell in love with him and when he asked me to come with him, I couldn’t say no.’ Her eyes shone at the memory, and Catherine smiled as the two kissed, their love obvious.
    â€˜I asked her to marry me as soon as it was respectable – wasn’t going to let her get away!’ Harry said. ‘When my dad died, I inherited this little beauty, and we made it our own. Had a few issues when the war began – we lost half our crew to the army, and the other half to their families. Wasn’t so bad