Page 8 of A City of Hearts and Feathers

Zoe roamed the streets, a half-smile on her face. For the first time, she wanted to remember her childhood. There had to be good things that had happened to her, like playing with Emre and Azi, that she had pushed out with the bad.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but now that Zoe had stopped freaking out about it, she thought Istanbul was going to be good for her. She needed a refresh, and she liked the warmer spring.

Zoe checked her phone again and turned onto the street of the bookstore.

"Hey, pretty lady! Pretty lady!" a man called to her.

"No, thanks. I'm okay," she said, thinking he was trying to sell her something or get her into the restaurant. She looked up and realized that he was following her.

"Please, I must speak with you," he said, and she picked up her pace.

"Flattered, but no."

"Zoe Kartal, you will stop walking and listen to me," he replied, his voice shifting to something commanding. His eyes glowed red in the shadows of the dimly lit street.

"Look, mister, I don't know how you know my name, but I don't want to talk to you, so fuck off, yeah?" she snapped, her Londoner coming out.

"You have come for the book, and so have we. My master has an offer for you," the stranger said. He smiled, his teeth and nails sharpening into points. It wasn't ahe; it was anit.

The creature reached out a hand towards her, and she stumbled back from him. "Don't run or I will have to chase you. My master wants you undamaged, but you smell so good..."

Zoe bolted, every part of her monkey brain telling her to run as fast as she could. She ducked around parked cars, heading towards the bookstore. A heavy body slammed into her and pinned her face first against the wall of a building.

"I told you not to run, girl. Now, I want to taste. Must taste. Just a little drop," the creature growled, his breath hot and fetid against her neck. Zoe struggled and then stumbled as she was dropped. A huge man had her attacker on the ground, his fists pounding into the creature's face with his silver rings. An unearthly hiss came out of the creature's throat, and he swiped out with his clawed fingers.

"Fucking war dog, get off me," the creature screeched.

The man hit the creature again. A curved blade appeared in his other hand, and he pressed it to the bloody creature's throat. "You laid hands on someone that is under my protection,alukah. You know I have every right to pull your fangs out one at a time and feed them to you."

"I wasn't going to hurt her!" the creature cried pitifully.

"Liar. You tell your master to back the fuck off if he doesn't want a visit from the Order," the man said and climbed off him.

Zoe pressed herself up against the wall as her attacker scrambled upright. His face was a bleeding mess of fangs and red eyes.

What the fuck had been in her last drink? She edged to the door of her bookstore and fumbled for the keys.

"This is not over, pretty one," the creature called before disappearing into the night.

"The fuck it's not," the other man said. He turned around, and the keys fell from Zoe's fingers. "Hey, are you okay? He didn't bite you, did he?" He stretched out his hand to pick up the keys off the footpath. It was tattooed with an anatomical heart and was once again covered in blood. He passed her the keys, and she shrank back from him.

"Y-You killed my father," Zoe stammered, pressing up against the door as her brain broke. The man reared back like she had slapped him. She opened the door and stepped inside.

"No, I didn't, Zoe. I swear it," he said. He reached out for her, but he hit an invisible wall. He yanked his hand back with a sharp hiss of pain. "Fucking Oman and his damn wards. Please, Zoe. You have to believe me. I didn't kill him."

Zoe didn't know what to believe. She had just been jumped by some monster and saved by another.

"I saw you over his body. I recognize your tattoos. I remember you, so don't you dare lie to me!" she shouted at him.

The man's eyes flashed gold in the dim light. "I didn't kill him, Zoe. If you want to know what really happened to your father, I'll tell you everything. The rooftop of this building has a garden that would better suit this conversation. Up there,you can stand in the doorway, still under the wards if you feel unsafe."

"What are wards? What are you talking about?"

"This is a ward." He put his hand in the doorway and was immediately repelled again. "That's protection magic. I can't get in there unless you invite me in."

Zoe sucked in a breath. "Magic isn't real."

"You know better than that. I'll be on the roof if you want to stop acting like a frightened little mouse and talk to me," he said, his voice dropping to a growl.

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