Page 36 of A City of Hearts and Feathers (The Order of Anubis #1)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Z oe was walking by a river, its waters swirling with dark purple and blue light. Tall reeds and blue lotus flowers lined the banks. She walked barefoot across black sand, a black jackal keeping her company. She wasn't afraid of him or of being so close to the river. They walked by palm trees with a crescent moon and a galaxy of brilliant stars above her.

"I have to go back," Zoe said to the jackal. "I don't want to be here without him."

The jackal shifted into a human form, his black eyes filled with ancient kindness. His voice was like soft thunder in her mind. "If you return, your heart will belong as much to me as it does to him."

"I can deal with that. I'm not a great warrior, but whatever skills and magic I have in my blood, I will devote to Ma'at," she replied. She went down to her knees before the Lord of the Sacred Lands, Counter of Hearts, Master of Secrets. "Please, he has served you so faithfully and deserves the love I want to give him. I will serve you just as faithfully, for all the days I have."

Anubis's hand reached out to her and helped her stand. In his hand was a glistening, pulsing heart. "Return, daughter. And serve long and well." The god shoved her heart back into her chest and the galaxy above her exploded with light.

Zoe's eyes felt like they had been taken out, rolled in sand, and shoved back in their sockets. She blinked rapidly and stared at the roof above her, trying to will the paralysis to leave her body. The dream was leaving her, and her chest ached, her pulse beating too fast.

Anubis gave me back my heart, she thought sleepily.

Zoe flexed her fingers and toes, and slowly her body came back online. She drank the glass of water beside the bed. Not her bed. The sheets were black and gray.

Kahil's bed. Mmm Kahil. Zoe sat up and realized she was dressed in one of his T-shirts. It smelled like him and reached her knees. She rubbed her face and tried to remember how she'd gotten back to the Order.

Zoe's breath caught as it all came back to her in a rush. Burning the book, the bookstore, Ahmet… She pulled up the shirt. A long pink scar stretched across her stomach. She'd been… Wait! How long had she been asleep?

Zoe stood on shaky feet and walked out of the bedroom. Kahil was standing in the kitchen cutting up fruit and wearing a pair of his sexy gray sleep shorts.

"Hey," she croaked.

Kahil whirled about, dropped his knife, and crashed into her. "Zoe, Zoe, Zoe."

"Hi, you okay?" she said, her face pressed into his chest.

"You came back," he whispered.

Zoe's mind fuzzed. "Did I… Did I go somewhere?"

Kahil pulled back from her, part sob, part laugh coming out of him. "Yeah, baby, you could say that." He kissed her, and she hummed against his lips. This was definitely the way she wanted her morning to go. She dropped her hands to his perfect ass and gave it a squeeze.

"You busy or do you want to meet me in the shower in about ten minutes?" she asked.

Kahil grinned and kissed her forehead. "Let me send Arslan and Kerem a message to let them know you're okay, and that I'll kill them if they interrupt us for the next two hours. I want to wash you, fuck you, and feed you before I let anyone come near you."

"Sounds like my kind of plan." Zoe gave his ass a parting squeeze before heading to the bathroom. She felt like she was a bit high. Everything seemed brighter and louder. She peed for an absurdly long time, and she wondered again just how long she'd been asleep. She brushed her teeth and stared at her face in the mirror. She leaned closer and nearly choked on her toothpaste. Her dark brown eyes now had flecks of gold in them.

What the hell happened to me? Zoe spat out her toothpaste and touched the skin about her eyes. It was tender but not sore. Just another thing to ask Kahil. She stripped and got into the shower, her need for hot water overpowering any other strangeness that was going on.

Unlike the rest of the apartment that was elegant and understated, Kahil had a ridiculously lavish shower made of marble with so many water pressure settings that Zoe wasn't game enough to mess with them. She sat down on the marble bench and let the hot spray pound her.

Zoe stared at the scar on her stomach again, running her fingers over it. Ahmet did that to her. He'd killed her father and almost her as well—all for that damn codex. She rubbed at the skin over her heart, the feeling from the dream of Anubis shoving it back into her chest still acute.

The shower door opened, and Kahil's gorgeous bulk joined her in the steam. She really was the luckiest girl in the world.

"How are you feeling, balim ?" he asked, taking a soft cloth and soaping it up.

"A bit disoriented and confused," she admitted, standing up so she could put her arms around him. "What happened?"

"What do you remember last?" Kahil ran the cloth over her shoulders and down her back in gentle strokes. Zoe groaned, the sensation against her skin was overwhelmingly good.

"Ahmet yelling at me, pain, and then nothing," she said, her hand resting on his hip for balance.

"He was about to slit your throat, and Kerem stopped him," Kahil replied, a slight hesitation in his voice.

Zoe swallowed the lump in her throat. "He's dead?"

"Yes, he is. It was you or him. Kerem chose." Kahil lifted her chin. "I'm sorry that it was him, Zoe. I really am."

Zoe nodded, her tears mixing with the water on her face. "Does Zeki and the others know?"

"Yes. Arslan and Kerem went and saw them yesterday. They are devastated, but glad you're alive."

Zoe put her hand over her scar. " How am I alive?"

"I carried you back to the Order. Arslan healed you and…and you drank the elixir. You made a vow to serve with us," Kahil said, his voice hitching.

Memories of an infirmary, Arslan speaking to her, drinking from a black Canopic jar…all of it came rushing back to her.

"I remember," she said, swaying a little. "Did I die, Kahil?"

The muscles in his jaw feathered. "Yes. It's a part of the process. Anubis sends back those he wants to serve him and keeps the others."

Zoe stared up at him, the dream coming back to her. Had it really been a dream or something more? "That's why you looked so freaked out in the kitchen. How long was I…"

"Three days," he replied. Her knees wobbled, and he lowered her back onto the bench. Zoe focused on breathing in and out, her mind racing. Kahil crouched down in front of her.

"I'm okay. It's just a lot," she said, resting her hands on his shoulders. "I suppose that explains the dream I had."

"What dream, love?"

Zoe told Kahil about what she could remember about the river and the heart and talking with the god of the Duat. Kahil placed his hand over her heart.

"He's lucky he sent you back." Kahil let out a shaky breath. "Those were the worst three days of my life."

Zoe rested her forehead against his. "You weren't going to get rid of me that easily, Aurelio."

Kahil cupped her face with his hands, kissing both of her cheeks then her mouth. Hunger and heat burned through Zoe, his kiss lighting her up the way it always did. She pulled him closer and stroked her tongue into his mouth. She didn't know what effects the elixir had on her, but she'd never been so hyperaware of every caress and sensation in her life.

"Stand up for me," he said, his bossiness taking over. Zoe loved it and got to her feet immediately.

He pressed her against the marble wall and kissed and sucked his way over her breasts and down her body. He licked her scar and rested his face against the soft swell of her stomach.

"I thought I'd lost you, Zoe. I thought…" he faltered, his arms coming around his legs.

"I know. It's okay now. We are both going to be fine," she said running her hands over his wet hair.

Kahil covered her stomach and hips with kisses before putting one of her legs over his shoulder. He bent his head and licked her pussy, making Zoe rise up on her toes.

"Holy fuck," she gasped, her hands tightening in her hair.

Kahil pulled back to grin at her. "The elixir does heighten all of your senses, balim . It's going to be fun helping you adjust."

Zoe didn't get a chance to reply before he was back to licking her and fucking her with his incredible tongue. She would be embarrassed later by the sounds that were coming out of her, but it was too damn good to stop. Every suck and brush of his stubble against her sent her body spiraling.

"Come for me, my love. I want you nice and wet for me," Kahil growled, slipping two fingers inside of her. Zoe groaned at the sweet stretch as she adjusted to him. Each stroke and curve of his fingers paired with his wicked mouth made her wind up higher and higher until she was screaming his name and coming so hard her vision darkened.

"Fuck, I missed that sound," Kahil said, nipping at her hip as he lowered her leg. "Lady's choice on how you want it, but I need to get inside of you right now, love."

Zoe was lust drunk, but she knew exactly what she wanted. She bent over and braced her hands on the bench, arching her back enough to make him swear. "I want you to fuck me hard, Kahil. Make me feel it, so I know I'm alive."

Kahil tilted her face so he could give her an embrace that was all tongue and bite. "Anything for you, bella mia ."

Zoe's whole body tightened with anticipation as he stroked the slope of her back and hips before he spread her wider for him. His fingers slid over her before dipping back into her pussy.

Zoe's toes curled as delicious wet heat seeped through her bones. Elixir or not, no one had made her feel like Kahil did. His dick replaced his fingers, and Zoe struggled to breathe as he filled her.

"Yes, Kahil. More. Fuck," she panted, her hands gripping the bench hard.

Kahil moved slowly to let her get used to him before hitting her limit hard and deep and exactly how she wanted. His fingers tightened around her hips as he pounded into her, murmuring praises in a blurred mixture of Turkish and Italian the whole time. Zoe's orgasm tore through her, making her sob helplessly as he rode her all the way through it.

"That's it, my love. Scream for me. Let me know how much you like me inside of you," Kahil panted, leaning down over her so he could kiss and bite her shoulders.

"I love it, Kahil. I love you," Zoe sobbed.

He pulled her face to his. "I love you too. Never die on me again, or I'll burn the world down." He took her mouth again, kissing her deeply, fucking her with his tongue. One hand moved to her clit to pinch and stroke in time with his dick and the next time Zoe went over the edge, Kahil went with her.

They ended up both on the bench with Zoe in Kahil's lap while he gently washed her with tender swipes. She rested her head against his shoulder, safe in his arms, and knew that she was exactly where she belonged.