Page 22 of A City of Hearts and Feathers (The Order of Anubis #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Z oe was trying to play it cool, and it was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. For some reason, she thought Kahil would turn up in jeans again. She hadn't expected him to wear dress pants with a black shirt and jacket. The combination of his outfit with his silver jewelry and his long hair, braided back, made her have the alarming urge to lick him all over. He was savagely beautiful without his soft curls to frame his face, the thin scar on his lip begging her to kiss it.

Zoe looked out of the cab window so she'd stop staring at him like a horny teenage girl with hearts in her eyes. Pull yourself together. You have to impress people tonight.

Zoe didn't know what she had expected, but the Dionysian exceeded it. Flanked on either side by expensive restaurants, it was built right on the water with an incredible view of the glittering nighttime city. People were dressed in designer clothes, waiting to be shown tables or led into the club. She was suddenly very grateful for Azize's choice of dress.

Two Greek pillars stood on either side of the club's main doors. They were painted black and were twined with living grapevines that stretched to the ceiling and ran along trellises.

Two bouncers dressed in red suits stood on either side of a purple and gold door. To the left was a line that stretched along the waterfront. One of the bouncers spotted Kahil helping Zoe out of the car and walked to join them.

"Miss Kartal, please allow me to escort you inside," he said. His eyes were a brilliant emerald green, and she swallowed down a surprised squeak when she saw his pupils were like a snakes.

"Thank you. I'll happily go with you as long as my bodyguard can join me," Zoe said, and instead of taking the bouncer's arm, she reached for Kahil. There was no way she was going to step inside that building without a firm grip on him. There was something about the dark purple doors that made her even more uneasy.

"And your name, sir?" the bouncer asked.

"Akamos is expecting me. You don't need to know my name," Kahil replied, sounding bored.

The bouncer touched a comm piece in his ear and replied low under his breath in a language Zoe couldn't pick up.

"Mister Akamos has confirmed that you are welcome to join us this evening, Aurelio."

Kahil's smile turned sharp. "Splendid."

Zoe wrapped her arm over Kahil's as they followed the bouncer. He opened one of the purple doors and gestured to a staircase on the other side of the dancefloor.

"Go up those stairs. My master is waiting for you on the second-floor mezzanine. Do not wander, war dog. The maenads are restless tonight, and they are still holding a grudge against you," the bouncer warned. His eyes blinked vertically, and he smiled at Zoe with a hint of fang. "Do enjoy your evening, Miss Kartal."

He shut the purple doors again, and Zoe raised a brow at Kahil. As if reading her mind, he pulled her close to be heard over the music and said, "Basilisk."

Zoe's mouth popped open, making Kahil laugh. She really wanted to know what he had done to piss off the maenads but knew better than to ask.

She remembered enough of the history of Istanbul to know that it had been a place where the wine trade had been massive and that Dionysus worship had been popular.

With the basilisk bouncer watching his door and maenads at the bars, Zoe could only imagine what kind of creature Akamos himself was.

Kahil held onto her hand as they moved through the crowds. Heads seemed to swivel in their direction, and the hair on the back of Zoe's neck rose. It was as if they were stars of a show she had no idea they were in.

"What is happening?" she asked, drawing closer to Kahil.

He put a protective arm around her waist. "I did tell you how delicious you look tonight. This is a club where all creatures of the dark are welcome. Your soul shines so bright, Zoe. It makes them want to stand in your sun just to feel the warmth."

Zoe held on to him a little tighter. "Please, don't leave me alone in this place, Kahil."

"Not a chance." He leaned down until his lips brushed against her ear. Zoe's fingers curled into the soft fabric of his shirt, her eyes fluttering closed at the sensation. "If I have my way, your sun and the rest of you are going to be mine and no one else's."

"Kahil, I…" she began, but he shook his head.

"Not here, balim . There are too many ears in this room for me to want to share moments that matter with them." Kahil ran his nose up the side of her neck. "We really need to get this meeting over with so we can move on to more important things."

"Like what?"

"I'll let you wonder." Kahil placed a kiss on her neck and smiled at her. Zoe's heart pounded hard enough to make her chest hurt. She didn't trust what would come out of her mouth, so she only swallowed hard and pointed to the stairs.

Kahil kept her close as they moved around the dancefloor. It was bathed in a purple red light, the dancers writhing together in a wine-soaked worship.

Zoe had to look away from them, the light and the movement hypnotic, trying to draw her in. The beat of the music called to her, begging her to kick off her shoes and go and dance and stomp with the others.

Magic, magic everywhere. Zoe wrapped her hand around the talisman on her necklace, and the impulse to dance lessened until she could think straight again.

They walked past another set of guards before moving up the polished set of ebony stairs. At the top was a private sitting area that overlooked the dancefloor and the bar beneath.

There were red velvet chairs arranged around a table with candles burning at the center of it. Sitting in one of the chairs was the most stunningly beautiful man that Zoe had ever seen. His skin was bronze, and his hair was long, straight, and the color of blood. Bright orange eyes heavily lined in black kohl looked her over from head to toe. Sensual lips lifted in a delighted smile that knocked the breath right out of her.

"Zoe Kartal, you are all grown up," he said, his voice a deep, accented purr against her skin. His orange gaze went to Kahil. "Nice to see you again too, Aurelio."

"Akamos, you know I haven't gone by that name in over five hundred years," Kahil replied with a sigh.

Akamos gave a nonchalant wave of his hand. "A blink of an eye to me, my boy. Come sit with me, Zoe, so that I may look at your splendor more closely."

Zoe took a seat beside him, crossing her legs. "My father used to play chess with you every week. I thought Akamos was some old man."

She didn't mean to blurt it out loud, but she was having trouble reconciling someone like this being friends with her bookish father.

Akamos laughed delightedly. "Oh, I'm a very old man. Oman was a friend indeed. He was a very kind man, but an absolutely savage chess player. Do you play?"

"Only a little, and very badly," she replied honestly.

"I would happily teach you. I so enjoyed your father's company, and I hope that we can continue that relationship."

Zoe smiled politely but knew better than to make promises. "Time will tell. I am enjoying being back in Istanbul although I believe it will take me a little while to settle in and find my feet."

A waiter appeared and placed three glasses of wine down on the table in front of them. Another arrived through the shadows with something square wrapped in black paper.

"A gift for you," Akamos said, and Zoe took the package. Kahil leaned forward in his chair. "Now, now, don't get all uppity, Aurelio. There is no obligation attached to it. I merely thought that she would want it back."

Zoe unwrapped the present, and her heart skipped. " Baba's chess set? Thank you so much."

"He gave it to me to hold onto after our last game. It was the day he died," Akamos said and picked up his wine glass. "I don't suppose you know who killed him yet?"

"No. Anita refused to let us investigate at the time. The leads we had, or could have had, are long gone," Kahil replied.

Akamos hummed. "Interesting that she didn't want anybody looking into it. Don't you think?"

What the fuck did that mean?

"My mother was grieving, sir. She isn't the strongest person emotionally at the best of times. If you are implying that she had anything to do with his death, I would ask you to please stop," Zoe said firmly.

"My darling, I meant no offense. Of course I don't believe Anita was capable of such a thing. All I know is that when murders occur, especially when a man as loved as your father dies, the culprit is usually someone he knows or was close to," Akamos replied before sipping his wine.

"And what else do you know?" Zoe said. Clearly, he had summoned her for more than curiosity.

"I know that he died by being stabbed by someone who knew how to wield a blade and had knowledge of exactly where to strike to cause the most damage." Akamos glanced over at Kahil. "Am I wrong?"

"No, you're not," he replied through gritted teeth.

"I do hope, Zoe, now that you are back at the shop, you will be looking into your father's death as well as this fiasco with the Sais Codex. Have you found it yet?"

Sweat trickled down Zoe's spine. "That is a private matter. I will honor my father's wishes and auction it off when the time is right. Do you wish to be invited?"

"Of course I do. I can't let such an important object end up in Lydia's hands. My people tell me that she has been quite aggressive since you have arrived. She never was all that good at diplomacy despite her position," Akamos said, swirling his wine in his glass.

"And if you do get it, what do you plan on doing with it?" Zoe asked. Kahil shifted in his seat beside her but didn't say anything.

"I'll add it to my magnificent collection. What else would I do with it, darling? Do you think I want to raise an army of the dead and take over Istanbul?" Akamos laughed. "Please, I'm not that gauche. I have enough problems managing the minions that I have now. The last thing I want is more of the little bastards running about."

Zoe laughed politely and had a sip of her wine. It was rich, fruity, and unlike anything she had ever tasted. It was delicious, so she had another mouthful. "Thank you for being honest with me about it. You understand that an auction is still the best course of action to keep the peace. I don't want to be making enemies so early in my career running the bookstore."

"Wise beyond your years. I expected nothing less from Oman's daughter. How do you feel about the Order of Anubis?" Akamos asked.

Zoe looked over at Kahil. "There are parts of it I would definitely like to know better," she said and then quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. "I didn't mean to say that."

Akamos chuckled. "Aurelio has gotten your attention, has he? I have to warn you, he has quite a reputation for being notoriously hard to seduce. It would seem that the old war dog has finally fallen in love."

"Fuck you, Akamos," Kahil growled.

Akamos shook his head. "He's very pretty, I admit, but the personality is far too surly for me."

"Wrong!" Zoe said and the room swayed a little. "Kahil is so perfect. I want to lick him all over. He makes me laugh and smells so good."

"Akamos, what the fuck did you give her?" Kahil hissed.

"I didn't give her anything." Akamos lifted Zoe's glass and sniffed the contents. He chuckled. "Oh, dear. The maenads are playing games tonight. It would seem they are wanting a little payback against you, Aurelio."

"I'm poisoned?" Zoe croaked.

"No, no, darling. You will be fine," Akamos reassured her. "You've just been dosed with a little lust and madness, that's all. Put your knife away, Aurelio, before you hurt yourself."

Akamos looked at Zoe, and for a moment, her vision blurred, and she saw a pair of black wings stretching out from his back. They were covered in orange eyes that blinked at her at different times. Black horns grew back from the top of Akamos's head and were tipped with gold. Zoe startled. The image shifted, and he was back to normal and man shaped once more.

"Kahil… I need to leave…" Zoe said, reaching for him. She began to tip, and the world went sideways.