Read Online Chronicles of the Invaders 1: Conquest by John Connolly, Jennifer Ridyard - Free Book Online Page B

here.”
    They heard sirens, and from above, the whistling sound of approaching interceptors. Ani put her hand out to help Syl up, but before Syl could take it, another strange hand found hers, yanking her upright and steadying her on her feet. She gave a little squeal of surprise.
    “Are you hurt?” said a male voice.
    In front of the girls stood two young humans, clearly brothers. It was the older of the two who had spoken. In the dust and chaos of the explosion’s aftermath, he had clearly mistaken Syl and Ani for human girls. Syl shook her head, confused, trying to remember her human name, her Italian accent.
    “Do you need help?” he asked, and Syl found herself watching his mouth closely, feeling dazed, seeing it shape the words that she could barely hear. His bottom lip was curved and a little pillowy, and she had an odd urge to touch it to see if it was as soft as it looked, so pink and clean in his dusty face.
    “We’re fine,” said Ani. “We’re just trying to get home.”
    She pulled hard on Syl’s elbow, starting to turn in the direction of the castle, but the younger boy stopped her with an outstretched arm. Now Syl was pushed even closer to the older one, watching his mouth moving once more, half hearing and half lip-reading, near enough to him to see stubble like a little sprinkle of pepper across his top lip.
    “Wait,” he said. “Did you see what happened? Were there people—”
    “We don’t know,” interrupted Ani, jerking Syl’s arm again, and Syl could feel the panic coming off her friend in waves. No human was ever to be trusted, but in the chaotic aftermath of an explosion it would be particularly easy to snatch two young Illyri from the streets.
    “Hold on,” said Syl, and she gave her head a shake so that her ears cleared somewhat. “It was MacBride’s coffee shop—I think that’s where the explosion happened. I didn’t see anyone on the street beforehand, but there might have been people inside. That’s all I know. But thank you for helping me.”
    “We really have to go,” said Ani urgently, and now Syl turned to follow her, but the boy didn’t move, and his younger companion closed in too, blocking their path. This is it, thought Syl. They’ve seen through our disguises. They know .
    “Not that way,” said the older boy.
    “Let us pass,” said Ani. “Please!”
    “You can’t go that way,” he said. “You just can’t.”
    “Why not?” said Ani.
    Syl looked past them. Already there were soldiers and emergency vehicles racing from the direction of the castle.
    “Because there may be another bomb.”
    And as he spoke, there was a second massive blast, and the approaching vehicles were blown apart.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    T hey all turned and ran, not toward the castle but away from it, away from the carnage and bloodshed and ammonia stink behind them, away from the billowing cloud of powdered stone and obliterated flesh, be it human or Illyri. Black-and-gold-uniformed Securitats materialized in the area and swarmed over it like beetles, questioning shopkeepers, searching pedestrians and loading into their armored vehicles anyone who failed to come up with a plausible explanation for being near the site of the explosion.
    Syl, Ani, and the two humans powered down the Royal Mile together, and then the boys veered off down a side street, slowing only long enough to make sure the girls were with them before racing on, left-right-right-left, twisting, turning, finally stopping in a deep-set doorway on a corner.
    “We go left now,” said the older boy, but as they burst back onto the street Ani took the lead, and instead of left she headed right, then took a sharp left down a narrow, urine-scented service alley. Syl followed, and after a heartbeat the boys did too, joining Ani as she crouched in a pool of cigarette butts behind a plastic dumpster at the rear of a greasy shop. She seemed to be hiding.
    “What the hell are you doing?” snarled the older boy, but she put