Take Back the Skies (40 page)

‘You look radiant, lass,' Harry said with a fatherly smile, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. She'd missed the kindly man very much recently. She'd missed all the crew; even when they were in Anglya, it was only for a few days, and she didn't always get the chance to see them. She often found herself toying with the idea of repeating the past, of stowing away to join them once again. ‘Are you ready to go?'

‘If I say no, does it matter?' she asked wryly, making the man snort with laughter.

‘You'll be fine, lass. He's a good lad, he'll take care of you,' Harry assured her, offering her his arm. As she slid her arm
through his, she couldn't help but remember heated arguments, glaring matches and her insisting she could take care of herself. But that had been with Fox, and Fox was gone.

She walked with Harry towards a set of tall, ornate double doors. She heard muffled music start up inside, and the doors swung open, revealing a room full of people all dressed in their finery, a deep purple carpet trailing up the aisle to the head of the room. Letting her eyes rest on the young man standing at the end of the carpet, she swallowed, forcing herself to walk in time to the music as they had practised. She had to admit, he looked handsome; his hair, combed neatly to the side, shone like spun gold in the lamplight. Blue eyes bright, and lips pulled into a beaming grin, he was almost the spitting image of his late father at the same age. Standing beside him were Matt and Ben, both looking extremely dapper – if slightly uncomfortable – in their light grey three-piece suits, the vibrant purple bow ties matching the roses pinned to their jackets and the ribbons on their top hats. On the other side of the aisle, Mary was dressed in her royal best, crown atop her head, having easily settled back into her role as queen. She was beaming with joy; Cat wished she could return the sentiment.

Harry walked her steadily past the rows and rows of guests – most of whom she'd only met once or twice, if at all – and came to a halt in front of the blond man. He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek once more, then turned to face the silver-clad holy man.

‘Who gives this woman to wed this man?' the wizened minister asked, and Harry smiled.

‘I do, sir,' he said clearly, slipping Cat's hand into her bridegroom's.

Cat focused on Ben, who stood opposite her once she turned.

‘
You can do this
,' he mouthed supportively, offering a brief smile.

Her lips twitched in reply, and a slight widening of Ben's eyes prompted her to tune back into the proceedings.

‘Do you, Catherine Elizabeth Hunter, take James Christopher Richard Latham to be your lawfully wedded husband?'

She met James's eyes. Taking a deep breath, she gave up trying to calm her racing heart, knowing she was about to seal her fate with two little words. The country had been pushing them together since day one; the plucky young heroine and the charming prince she had rescued. And when an entire nation was involved, things like
feelings
had to be pushed aside. She liked James well enough, and she knew their marriage was the best thing for Anglya – storms knew they needed a stable monarchy – but despite his clear wish for more, she just didn't feel that way about him. Cat could only hope he would eventually be content with friendship. It was all she could give him.

I will never love him
, she thought fiercely, even as she opened her mouth and resigned herself to a life of politics and social sidestepping, all for the good of her people; for they were hers now, after all. And James was looking to become an excellent ruler, as she had always known he would. Everyone knew they would achieve great things
together. Cat just had to focus on that, instead of the ache in her heart at what would never be.

‘I do,' she said, her voice ringing through the large room.

Yes, how things changed, over time.

Text copyright © 2014 by L. A. Saxon

Illustration copyright © 2014 by Jeff Nentrup

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You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

First published in Great Britain in June 2014 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Published in the United States of America in June 2014
by Bloomsbury Children's Books
www.bloomsbury.com

Bloomsbury is a registered trademark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Bloomsbury Children's Books, 1385 Broadway, New York, New York 10018 Bloomsbury books may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at [email protected]

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Saxon, Lucy.
Take back the skies / Lucy Saxon.
pages   cm
Summary: To escape from a planned arranged marriage, teenaged Cat Hunter disguises herself as a boy and stows away on a smuggler's airship where she discovers a world of excitement and adventure.
ISBN 978-1-61963-368-1
[1. Fantasy. 2. Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. 3. Love—Fiction. 4. Youths' writings.]
I. Title.
PZ7.S27432Tak 2014   [Fic]—dc23   2013050276

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