Page 7 of A City of Hearts and Feathers

Within minutes, Zoe found herself sitting at the kitchen counter as her estranged aunt and cousins took over. They bought in bags of groceries, made tea, and produced a semolina cake from one of the containers. A lump formed in her throat as they placed a piece down in front of her.

"It isn't a birthday without cake," Emre said, winking at her behind his glasses.

Little things she hadn't thought about in years were rushing back to her. He and Zoe had fought over which books were best as children. She had won the fights because she had been bigger, but Emre knew how to bite. The gangly boy had grown up so tall and handsome.

"Where is Uncle Zeki?" Zoe asked.

"Still working. We didn't want to wait for him," Azize said between a mouthful of cake. Her dark eyes were lined, and her lips were as red as her dress. She, too, had grown up stunning. It made Zoe hyperaware of her smeared makeup and the dirty travel clothes she was still wearing.

"We wanted to make sure you felt welcome on your first night back," Belkis insisted, bringing her back to herself. "The children want to take you dancing and start you off celebrating."

"Oh, please no. I dance terribly," Zoe said quickly, holding her hands up.

Emre smiled brightly. "So do we! It's going to be fun!"

"It's sweet of you both, but I really should stay in," Zoe replied.

Which was true, and yet three hours later, she was standing at a bar, waiting for another round of drinks. Her cousins were an impossible force when they were in agreement with something, and Zoe had no defenses against it.

Upbeat Arabic pop was blaring overhead, and she felt too old to be around so many bright-faced young people. Her cousins had been persuasive, and she really didn't want to be alone.

Azize had gone through her suitcase and put together an outfit before doing her hair and makeup. All the while Emre and Belkis chatted happily to her about everything and nothing that had been going on with the family and Emre's university.

The cousins had then taken her out to clubs one district over, and Zoe was on her way to being gloriously drunk. It had been a long time, and it was good to let go for once. Something silver flashed in the corner of Zoe's eye, and she looked up at the man on the other side of the bar.

His golden eyes held her gaze and then looked away, as if he hadn't been watching her. Zoe was drunk enough to smile back awkwardly. He was gorgeous with curling brown hair that tumbled down his broad shoulders to the center of his chest. Hehad a clipped beard and nicely shaped lips that she found herself staring at.

Wow, they don't make them like that in England,she thought dreamily.

Tattoos crept down both of his arms, but when he lifted his hand to have another drink, Zoe's world tilted on its axis. Inked on the back of one of his hands was an anatomical heart and on the other was a feather. For a split second she saw them covered in blood, her father's body in his arms.

Zoe swayed and shut her eyes.It's your mind playing tricks on you. It's because it's your birthday and you're back in this city of all your nightmares.

Emre touched her shoulder, making her startle. "Hey, easy girl. You okay?"

"Yes. No. I'm actually going to call it a night," Zoe said, and she dared look to the end of the bar. No man with tattoos the same as her father's killer. She really needed to stop drinking.

"I can get Azi and—" Emre began, but Zoe stopped him.

"No, please. Stay and have a good night. I'll just go back to the shop. It's a short walk," she said and then hugged him tight. "Thank you for this. I really needed it. Don't be strangers, okay?"

"We are family. We don't know how to be strangers. Message us tomorrow?" he said and kissed her cheek.

"I will. Say goodbye to Azi for me. Don't let her go home with anyone seedy," Zoe replied, letting him go.

"Don't worry. She's not interested in a hook-up. Her heart lies elsewhere, but she will tell no one who it's with." Emre laughed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, if you get lost, head for Galata, and you'll find your feet again."

"Will do. Thanks, Emre." Zoe did a quick scan of the people around her. No tattooed stranger. She hurried through the crowd towards the doors and into the night air. She took somesteady breaths and let the warm humidity comfort her as she walked. She had missed the heat so much.

Zoe took out her phone and made sure she was going in the right direction. Emre might trust using Galata Tower as a reference point, but she would rely on technology first.

The streets were well lit with restaurants, bars, and hotels. The footpaths were dangerously narrow, but she managed to stay on them and not fall down any stairs that led to basement establishments.

Alcohol was singing through her, easing the tension her birthday always caused. She wasn't usually an anxious person. She prided herself on how level-headed she had turned out, considering who her mother was.

The day had been weird but also good. So she had inherited a bookstore and hallucinated her father's murderer was drinking at a bar? It wasn't the worst birthday she'd ever had.

Zoe thought of her cousins and smiled. Did she dare hope that she had some living family that cared about her? Sweet cousins who didn't want her to be alone and had brought her cake. It was such a small thing, but it meant so much to her. She couldn't remember the last time she had cake for her birthday.

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