Read Elijah's Chariot (The Forgotten Children Book 1) for Free Online Page A

buses or descending into the metro stations. There were a lot of
school kids at the parade. They were probably just as anxious to get out and
enjoy the nice weather, one of the first sunny days of the season. 
    She
glanced back at her sister to make sure that she was doing okay. She didn’t
mind having to take care of Zhenya – in fact, she kind of liked it. Zhenya
could be impetuous at times, but she always listened to her older sister. And
being responsible for her gave Svyeta a sense of purpose – something to be in
charge of that helped to keep the loneliness of their small apartment at bay.
    Up
ahead at the last corner before their street Svyeta saw a few older boys
playfully shoving some of the younger boys as they passed, laughing loudly at
each other. She recognized some of these older boys – they were a street gang
who were always causing some kind of trouble when they hung out together. They
were from this neighborhood, although she didn’t know exactly where they lived.
One of her friends had told her that they called themselves the Black Scorpions.
Some of them wore pants and coats that looked like they hadn’t been washed in,
well, forever. Svyeta wondered if some of them might even be homeless – it
seemed like more and more kids were living on the streets nowadays. 
    One
of the boys she knew, Ivan, who was just a year or so older and had spiked
white hair, turned and glanced in her direction. She knew him from school where
he sometimes showed up for classes. He recognized her and turned to say
something to a taller and older teenager behind him. Ivan jerked his head
toward Svyeta, let out a short laugh, then turned to stare at her as she
approached, a thin smile on his face.
    “Hey
Svyeta,” Ivan said casually as she and Zhenya made their way by the boys. The
older teen he’d just spoken to, a gaunt-faced boy with short cropped dark hair,
let go of one of the younger kids they’d stopped and pushed him on his way. He
stepped toward the girls, smiling broadly. 
    “I
want to introduce you to someone,” Ivan continued, gesturing at the older boy.
The three other gang members snickered and hung back watching. 
    “This
is Pyotr,” Ivan said. “He’s the leader of the Black Scorpions.”
    “Well
hello beautiful,” Pyotr said as he leered down at Svyeta, ignoring her younger
sister entirely. “Ivan says you go to the same school – you live nearby, right?
Why haven’t I seen you around before? I think I would have remembered…”
    “I
really doubt that,” Svyeta blurted. She’d said it without even thinking, her
nervousness making the words sound accusatory, much harsher than she’d meant
to. “I mean,” she said quickly, “I’m sure there are so many girls your own
age.”
    Pyotr
laughed darkly. “There certainly are. But, I can still understand what some ,”
he tilted his head toward Ivan, “see in you. Makes me think getting back to
school to get some more… learning opportunities might be a good idea.”
    “Pyotr’s
really smart – he doesn’t need school. He always knows just what to do,” Ivan
said.
    “Exactly,
Ivan my friend, well said. In fact, I’ve got an idea.”
    Pyotr
stepped after Svyeta as she started to edge away, holding Zhenya’s hand tightly
by her side. 
    “Some
of us are getting together at Ivan’s place right now, for a little party. You
know, to celebrate that meteorite Ilya or whatever they’re calling it. You
should come over. And you can bring her too,” Pyotr added as he gestured at
Zhenya. 
    “We
can’t – my mom’s waiting for us,” Svyeta lied. “We have to be home now.”
    “Come
on, you’ll like it – Ivan’s a ton of fun. You just need to get a drink in his
hand. Plus,” he leaned in, whispering conspiratorially, “I think he likes you.”
    Ivan
either didn’t hear or pretended not to as his expression didn’t change at all –
he just continued staring, his lips forming a tight line.
    “I’m
sorry,” Svyeta said