Take Back the Skies

by Lucy Saxon

  ‘Can I see my mum?’ one boy asked, reaching out to Cat as she passed, and she sighed forlornly at his wide-eyed expression.

  ‘Sorry, but you’re all going to have to stay with us for a little while. The men who took you from your families are still out there, and we need to keep you safe until they’re gone. But I promise you, it won’t be for very long.’

  Most of the children were listening to her, and there was a groan of dismay from several of them.

  ‘Will we be safe here?’ a girl asked, her dirty dark hair escaping from its scruffy ponytail.

  ‘Of course you will,’ Fox said with a reassuring smile. ‘We’ll take you to a safe house in the morning. We won’t let the government get to you.’ The girl beamed at him, her cheeks dimpling.

  ‘It’s bedtime now, dears,’ Alice called out. ‘You need your rest.’

  ‘Come on, bratlings,’ Matt urged from the doorway, drawing several shy giggles. ‘Follow us, we’ll get you all tucked in for the night.’

  The children wearily followed Matt and Ben out of the room. Cat drew closer to Fox, frowning.

  ‘Storms, can you imagine how many are out in the Greaves?’ she wondered sadly.

  Fox’s hand briefly touched her waist, his eyes meeting hers.

  ‘Then we’ll go out to the Greaves when this is over and find them,’ he promised, pressing his lips to her forehead. ‘Come on, you need your sleep.’

  Cat sighed, pulling away from him and ushering the last few children out of the room. She could see Ben up ahead, helping children down the manhole. She couldn’t hold back her smile when he picked up a nervous young girl, dropping her down the hole to where – she hoped – Matt was waiting to catch her.

  They followed the group of children down to the third floor. Matt was directing them through to the storage room opposite the engine room and, peering in, Cat raised an eyebrow. Alice and Mary were busy distributing furs to be used as blankets and allowing children to huddle together in groups of five or six, settling down to sleep in puppy-piles dotted around the room.

  ‘They’re so small,’ Ben murmured, he and Matt drawing closer to the teens. ‘It’s hard to imagine anyone would consider them potential soldiers.’ His face was tense, the scar on his cheek red where he’d been rubbing it anxiously, and Matt clasped his shoulder firmly. Cat doubted Ben would get much sleep.

  Unable to help herself, Cat yawned widely.

  ‘I’m going to head up to bed, if I’m not needed here. It’s been a long day.’ The three men nodded sympathetically, and Matt ruffled her hair affectionately.

  ‘G’night, girlie. Get yourself some rest, you need it.’

  Fox wound an arm around her waist, tilting her head up to press a soft kiss to her lips.

  ‘I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well,’ he said quietly, bringing a shy smile to her face. She still wasn’t used to being able to kiss him like that.

  ‘Goodnight, all of you.’

  Squeezing Fox in a last hug, Cat turned back towards the manhole, climbing lethargically up the ladder. Her eyebrows rose when she saw James waiting in the hallway, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. He pushed away from the wall as she drew closer, eyeing her with a look that set her on edge.

  ‘What do you see in him?’ he asked, and she resisted the urge to groan.

  ‘James, I’m tired, I’ve had a terrible day, and I want to go to bed. Argue with me in the morning, if you must,’ she said irritably.

  ‘Just answer my question,’ he insisted. ‘What do you see in him?’

  ‘What isn’t there to see in him?’ she retorted. ‘You’ve known him for two days, barely. You don’t know what he’s like, so how can you judge whether he’s right for me?’

  ‘He seems like a cocky idiot,’ James said sullenly.

  She rolled her eyes. ‘You don’t know him or me. It’s been years, James. We’re not six years old any more. We’re not best friends any more.’

  ‘I’m not jealous,’ he denied feebly, and Cat snorted.

  ‘Please, you’ve been looking at me since the moment your mother told you of her betrothal plans. I’m telling you now, I don’t care. No contract was signed, and I don’t want to marry you. So please, leave me be.’

  He raised an eyebrow at her.

  ‘You know it won’t last,’ he said evenly. ‘You gallivanting about with the crew here. When this is all over, you’ll be required to take your rightful place in society. You’re the heir to the Hunter family, the last survivor of the Ingate family – it’s your job to restore the legacy of both families.’

  She growled under her breath. ‘The Hunter legacy can go to hell for all I care. My father dragged it through the mud and it’s best to let it die.’

  ‘The people won’t let you do that, though,’ James continued. ‘Especially not after they find out everything you’ve done for them. My mother taught me all my life what would be expected of me if we ever got out of that prison, and I can’t imagine you getting away with much less, being who you are. They’ll expect you to become one of the new leaders – and marrying some low-born skyship boy won’t fit in with that.’

  Cat was incredibly close to slapping James, but she restrained herself; however irritating he might be, he was still royalty. Moreover, if they succeeded, he’d no doubt be ruling the country in a decade or so when Mary grew too elderly.

  ‘When will you understand that I don’t care what the people expect of me? I never have. Who I marry is none of their business, and it certainly isn’t yours!’ They were interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the manhole ladder, and Ben’s head popped up, his smile dropping when he saw them.

  ‘What’s going on?’ he asked curiously.

  ‘Nothing,’ James insisted shortly, turning on his heel. ‘Goodnight, Catherine.’ He stressed her full name, giving her a pointed look, before disappearing into a spare bedroom. Ben came up beside her, looking at her with a frown.

  ‘What was all that about?’

  She sighed, shaking her head.

  ‘Don’t worry about it. James is just trying to remind me of my place in society,’ she sighed. ‘I’m fine. I just wish I didn’t have to deal with him on top of everything else.’

  Ben’s long arms wrapped around her, pulling her close to his chest.

  ‘Ignore him,’ he soothed. ‘He’s just trying to figure out his place now he’s escaped from the compound. Think how confusing it must be for him right now, Cat. He’s never seen more than his mother and a few guards since he was a wee’un, and suddenly he’s surrounded by people – and all of them commoners. He’s lived on his mother’s stories for too long. But once this is all over, he and Mary will go off to Latham Castle and take their rightful positions, and you’ll likely not hear much of him after that. And no matter what, you’ll always have a home with us.’

  ‘Thanks, Ben. I hope you’re right,’ she said softly, before stepping out of his embrace. ‘I’ll see you at breakfast.’

  ‘Goodnight, sprog,’ he replied fondly.

  She slipped into her room and collapsed on the bed with a bone-deep sigh. She crawled beneath the blankets, curling up in a tight ball. She didn’t think she’d quite processed everything that had happened during the day; it felt like a lifetime had passed in only a few hours. She’d gone from being a runaway with two parents to an orphan girl, and suddenly, their rebellion wasn’t so secret any more. She wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come, and all she could feel was an overwhelming sense of detachment. As if everything had happened to some other girl, and she was just reading about it in a book.

  She looked over at the picture of her and her mother tucked behind the mirror, glad she’d taken it from her old room. Something to mourn besides the few hazy memories of her mother when she was well, and the far more solid memories of a frail, bed-bound woman. All the same, that frail woman had been there to listen to her troubles – when she was awake – and hold her hand while she raged about her father and the unfairness of
life. She had given her the best advice she’d ever had and while she’d found a new family … it wasn’t the same.

  A choked sob escaped her lips, but her face stayed resolutely dry, and she squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to feel something. Still there were no tears, and she bit her lip painfully. Maybe the shock just needed to subside. In the meantime, she could at least get some sleep.

  Chapter 24

  For several moments after waking, Cat was confused as to where she was. It was only when she opened her eyes and saw her bedroom that she remembered the events of the day before, and recognised the odd, dull pain in her stomach. She’d experienced more than enough emotions for a lifetime.

  Glancing at the clock on the desk, she sighed, reluctantly drawing herself out of bed and into some fresh clothes. She wished she could stay curled up all day and mourn the loss of her mother, but she had work to do.

  Their job wasn’t done yet.

  Entering the galley, she was surprised to see she was the last one up; all the children were spread about the room, and the crew were at their usual table with Mary and James. Seeing a gap on the bench between Fox and Matt, she crossed the room to join them, kissing Fox on the cheek. He smiled at her, shuffling over to allow her to slide into her place between the two men.

  ‘Good morning, sleepyhead,’ he greeted her quietly. ‘How are you this morning?’ His tone was light, but there was concern in his eyes.

  ‘Fine, thanks,’ she replied, gratefully accepting her breakfast from Alice. ‘So what’s the plan for today, then? Are we heading back to my house?’

  Ben nodded from across the table.

  ‘As soon as everyone’s done eating. We’ll take the kids in groups. You and Fox can go first, show us the way. We have to be very careful, especially just after the explosion. It’s being passed off as a furnace malfunction, from what I heard earlier when I went to pick up some food. And the government doesn’t seem to have any idea about our little broadcast.’

  ‘I know how we can get in safely,’ Cat assured, looking around at the full galley. There were a lot of children, but she was confident she could manage it. ‘Once we get closer to Greystone, things should be easier. They won’t expect people to be sneaking into government, even if they do suspect rebellion.’

  Finishing her breakfast as quickly as possible, Cat slipped a hand into Fox’s waistcoat to borrow his pocket watch, ignoring his raised eyebrow. They had to get moving quickly, before too many people were up and about.

  ‘I need to put something warmer on. Meet you back here?’ Cat said to Fox.

  ‘Ten minutes,’ he replied, getting to his feet to talk to the children. Cat started towards the door, almost groaning aloud when James got up to follow. Was he not going to give it a rest?

  ‘What do you want now?’ she asked when they were in the hallway, placing her hands on her hips impatiently. He looked down at the floor nervously, before raising his eyes to look at her.

  ‘I … wanted to apologise,’ he answered stiffly. ‘I was out of line last night. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I … I was jealous,’ he confessed reluctantly. ‘I still remember you, you know, from when we were kids. And after my mother mentioned the betrothal plans … I suppose I let myself get carried away.’

  Cat pursed her lips, but couldn’t find it in herself to be too angry. If she’d been locked away for eight years, she’d start developing fantasies too.

  ‘It’s fine. If you agree to leave me alone, we shouldn’t have a problem.’

  His face screwed up in anger, but he composed himself, nodding sharply.

  ‘Of course,’ he said smoothly, sounding forced. ‘I … I wish you the best with … him.’ The words seemed to cause him physical pain. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me …’ He retreated back into the galley, allowing Cat to go into her bedroom and get her coat.

  When she returned to the galley, it was to find the entire crew gathered with the children, looking equal parts anxious and excited. They had been split into four groups, and Cat moved to Fox’s side, turning towards her captain.

  ‘Fox and I will take the first lot. Who’s following on behind us?’ she queried, scanning the faces of each child in her group, memorising them.

  ‘Matt and Benny,’ Harry informed her. ‘Get your lot in, leave Fox to settle them, then go back and show the boys how to get past the wall.’

  Cat nodded, turning to Matt. ‘Bring your group to the boarded-up tram tunnel in Kentridge, if you know where that is?’ The tunnel was hugely overgrown, and most people didn’t realise it still existed. Cat had been using it for years, and never been caught.

  ‘I know it,’ Ben assured her. ‘We’ll meet there. Stay safe.’

  ‘Ready?’ said Fox, pulling his knitted cap from his pocket and tugging it over his hair.

  She nodded.

  ‘Let’s get moving. Right, come on, brats. Stay close together, don’t wander off, and be as quiet as you possibly can.’ Fox ducked his head, lips brushing over Cat’s. ‘I’ll take the rear and keep an eye out for guards. You just worry about getting us there.’

  Leading the kids up to the deck, Cat was buzzing with adrenalin, her grey eyes alert. The children seemed to have slept off the after-effects of whatever they’d been drugged with, and looked around with bright eyes as they stepped into the daylight, as if they’d never expected to see it again. Things were just as chaotic as they had been the night before, but Cat wasn’t worried about being caught in the shipyard. With the amount of traders who had been blackmailed into silence now able to rebel against their captains, it was definitely safe territory.

  The city itself was less busy, the smoke still rising lazily from the pile of rubble that had once been the government compound. Purple-uniformed guards strode in pairs through the streets, but there were far fewer than Cat had expected; maybe more people had been in the building than she’d thought. Or maybe they’d been very lucky, and the blast had reached as far as the guard barracks. Focusing on her destination, Cat slipped into the familiar network of side streets and back alleys, the sound of small footsteps the sole indication that she hadn’t lost her group. She had to hand it to the children; they were quiet as mice.

  About halfway there, she paused, turning back for a quick headcount. Her gaze instinctively found Fox’s, and his lips curled in a brief smile. All safe and accounted for. Smiling back, Cat set off again. They were drawing closer to Greystone, and she could practically taste safety. The only thing they’d have to worry about past the wall was aristocrats trying to make a sneaky escape before they could be arrested, once the foreign authorities arrived.

  She paused at the end of the narrow alley, turning to the children. ‘As quick as you can across the square, and duck round the corner same as I do, OK?’ she breathed, staring intently at the small faces in front of her. Cat rounded the corner and sprinted across the square, not wanting to take the chance of guards passing through. The children ran as fast as they could, filing in behind her, and when Fox appeared he moved to her side, placing a hand on her back as he counted their group.

  ‘All here,’ he confirmed. ‘Let’s keep moving.’

  Cat led the group towards the disused tram tunnel. The weeds grew thicker, ivy clinging to the wall and almost covering the low tunnel. You could only see it if you knew what to look for.

  Ignoring the greenery, Cat ploughed ahead, making straight for the gap in the wire that blocked off the tunnel. It had taken her weeks to make that gap, unable to take a knife of any real use out of the house without her father noticing. It was just big enough for someone her size; to get Matt through, it would have to be a lot bigger.

  ‘Knife,’ she requested, holding a hand out to Fox. He rolled his eyes, nudging past her with his knife in hand.

  ‘I’ve got it,’ he said, hacking away at the thick wire, slowly widening the gap. Cat wrung her hands as she waited, expecting someone to pop out at them any minute. Surely she couldn’t be the only one who knew of the tunnel?

  Minut
es ticked by as Fox worked, until finally the hole in the wire was large enough. Pocketing his knife, the redhead bent away some of the sharper edges so they couldn’t graze people on their way through, then stepped back.

  ‘Lead the way,’ he said to Cat. She ducked through the hole with ease, moving aside for the kids to follow.

  ‘We’re going to have to be very, very careful now,’ she murmured to them. ‘I don’t need to tell you where we are. But don’t worry, it’s not far.’

  The tram tunnel was merely a street away from her house, and Cat’s heart raced as she walked through the familiar neighbourhood. It definitely wasn’t home any more.

  No lights were on in any of the houses, and Cat mentally hoped that the occupants had been in the government building the night before. Everyone on their street worked directly under her father; if he was involved, so were they. Finally, they came to the front of her house, and she heard Fox let out a low, impressed whistle. Ignoring him, Cat continued, hiding behind a row of bushes along the fence-line as she led the way to the back garden.

  ‘I can’t imagine Nathaniel would just leave the back door open,’ Fox pointed out as they reached the door. Cat grinned at him over the heads of the children.

  ‘No, but he does leave a spare key under here. Or, rather, I do,’ she replied, tilting the flowerpot and retrieving the brass key from underneath. Straightening up, she slid the key into the lock, turning it. It clicked loudly, and she stepped over the threshold, into the familiar hallway.

  ‘Wow,’ Fox murmured. ‘Your father must have been a right arse if he made you want to give up all this.’

  ‘All the money in the world couldn’t make him a good parent, and it didn’t make me a happy child. As I think we’ve established.’

  He raised an eyebrow at her, and she could see he was still feeling stunned by the blatant wealth on show.

  ‘To have all this money, all those options, almost nothing stopping you from having what you wanted …’ His voice trailed off as he met her eyes and saw the frustrated expression on her face.