Claim the Stars: A Jensa story

Chapter 6

Kimmalyn POV:

I'd missed walking to dinner with Spensa, and here we were. 

"It's so good to be back," she said. "I missed you."

I resisted the urge to say that she'd probably missed Jerkface more. "I prayed for you every day, dear."

She smiled. "You know I'm an atheist, right?"

"The saint loves you anyway!"

She raised her eyebrows like, horrible decision, really. "Still, it's nice to know that someone had my back."

"We all had your back here, Spin," I said. "I can't tell you how worried we were."

"Turns out my trip was also almost a complete waste anyway," she said, "you found the Doomslugs without me!"

"Don't they have a name?" I laughed as we turned a corner.

"Yeah, but I don't remember what it was. We should come up with our own name."

"Like what?"

"I personally like the name CytoSlugs," she said laughing, "But Cobb thinks it's stupid."

I laughed again as we reached the mess hall and found our table. 

"Is there any change in Alakik's condition?" Spensa asked and the room started to fill up.

"No, unfortunately," Jorgen said, sitting down in front of her. He was followed by Nedd, Arturo, FM, Sadie, and the other two boys T-Stall and Catnip. Skyward flight was whole again at last. We really had missed Spensa. Things like flying, training, PT, dinner, none of that was the same without her. She brought so much presence with her. You could feel it when she walked into a room. 

As we ate, I didn't pay much attention to the food or the conversation. Jorgen looked happy and relaxed. He was engaged in the conversation. He ate casually as he laughed and something that was said. FM was sitting next to Spin and kept looking at her as if she couldn't believe that she was actually back.  Nedd and Arturo joked with Sadie and the other two, making everyone laugh. 

It seemed as if everything were right in the world. We had successfully diverted a Delver away from Detritus. We had found the slugs. Spensa was back. 

I tried not to think about others who might not be as fortunate as us, like Brade, the human slave Spensa had recounted meeting. I sipped my soup happily as my family was reunited again.