Read Online Attack on Phoenix by Megg Jensen - Free Book Online

took the cleaner route."
    Torsten felt compelled to follow the girl with the pink hair. Something inside screamed she was the key to what they were seeking. But, he knew his friends were right. No one practiced aboveground. They needed to find a way to break into the underground warren of tunnels.
    Torsten nodded, pulling his eyes from the inn. "We should head to the east. The ruins are outside the town. I've read all about them, studied the files available on the vidscreen. If there's anything left to discover, I'll be surprised. Still, it's the best place to start."
    The four defenders left the deadly scene, heading to the outskirts of town. Torsten bit the inside of his lip, fighting the memories flooding back to him around every corner. He'd lived in this town until the age of twelve, until his parents' murder. The market, the inns, the very dirt under his feet felt familiar, but still so far removed from his life, as if he was attempting to remember a dream from long ago.
    Torsten focused on the road ahead. The medivacs sped past them, sirens keening long and high-pitched as they carried the dead to the morgue. Blue lights pulsed on the top of the vehicles, blinding Torsten at intervals until they turned a corner, leaving the street quiet.
    "We're the only ones out here," Leila said, her voice soft.
    "The townspeople are afraid." Mellok squeezed her hand. "As they should be. The dragzhi are out to kill us. They'll be back, and they will take more lives. It's their way."
    "Why do you think they went back to space?" Torsten asked. "This is the first time they've ever gotten into our atmosphere."
    "Commander Bartok told us the dragzhi broke through our defenses in space,” Andessa said. “That's why she said we were being sent to find the Key. This may be just the beginning of the end.”
    Leila stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Torsten had to jump to the side to avoid slamming into her. "We aren't going to die."
    The clouds had parted, and the sun was shining again, as if to prove Leila’s point. There were no dragzhi ships to be seen. No threats of any kind. There was also an unusual lack of birds. In a sky usually rife with activity, the silence was eerie.
    "What other choice do we have? We should head to the ruins." Leila asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She pouted, just like she always did when she wanted her way.
    Mellok kissed her cheek. "You're brilliant, babe. I think we should do it."
    "We really don't have much of a choice," Torsten said. "It's not like we can go back to the tower. Bartok made that clear. We have to do something."
    "Then let's go. Maybe we can find a way underground before the dragzhi return and obliterate this city." Andessa tromped ahead of them, leading the way east.
    The inn was far away now, but Torsten could still see the dog head sticking out of the front of the building. He thought of the girl with the pink hair. There was something about her... something pulling him in a way no other girl had.
    It wasn't her looks, even though she was easy to look at. It was something inside her. Torsten hadn't found a girl worthy of his attention before today. He hadn’t even been sure what it would take to grab his eye.
    "Come on, Tor!" Leila called from ahead.
    He hadn't realized he'd fallen behind. Taking long strides, Torsten jogged until he caught up with the small group.
    The city began to change with every step. The buildings became rundown. Cockeyed signs hung on rusted arms. The street was broken and pebbled. An unpleasant smell wafted through the air, a combination of unwashed body and rotten food.
    Andessa inhaled deeply. "Ah, home."
    "You're from the Commons?" Mellok asked, his nose wrinkled.
    "Yeah. It's the best. No one tells you what to do. You live life on your terms. People from the fancier part of town are too afraid to step into the Commons. But, trust me, this is where the real action happens. People here aren't afraid to be themselves. Unlike back there where