Page 6 of A City of Hearts and Feathers (The Order of Anubis #1)

CHAPTER SIX

K ahil waited patiently while Zoe disappeared back into the bookstore. She wasn't what he expected. He had anticipated tears and timidity, especially after realizing he had been the one standing over Oman's dead body. She had far more fire in her than her sadness had suggested earlier that day. He hadn't expected the burst of anger at her mother, either, though he'd had one of his own.

What had Anita been thinking not telling Zoe about her family history? It put Zoe in even more danger because she had no idea what was coming for her. His job of protecting her was going to be so much harder than he imagined.

At least she's not boring . He looked at the rolling pin and thought of the way she had stared him down. Her black eyeliner had been a little smudged, and it had made her eyes even bigger. She smelled good, even after a night of clubbing. No wonder the alukah had been about to bite her. With all her golden hair curled and loose, she looked as sweet as honey.

A niggling voice in the back of his head told him that he shouldn't be noticing those things about her. It sounded like Kerem, so Kahil did what he usually did with all of his friend's good advice and ignored it. If he was going to be watching over the girl every minute, it helped that she was so nice to look at.

Kahil pulled some of the faded cushions off the sun beds, shoving one through the wards for Zoe to sit on while he sat on the ground opposite it. He didn't want to sit on the other side of the roof to talk to her.

He searched the garden of dead plants, and finding a water tap, he washed the remaining bits of blood from the plain, thick bands of his silver rings. Walking around with silver knuckle dusters on was alarming. His rings worked just as well, especially on alukah flesh.

He didn't want to remind Zoe any more than necessary of the night she walked in on him covered in Oman's blood, so he scrubbed his hands extra hard. He was surprised she remembered anything at all; she had been so small. He didn't like that she associated him with trauma, but it couldn't be helped.

Arslan had insisted he be the one to protect her and not Kerem, and there was no arguing with their Grand Master when his mind was made up about something. The old man was as stubborn as a goat when he wanted to be.

Kahil sat down on his cushion just as Zoe's golden head appeared on the stairs. She was carrying a small tea tray with a steaming pot. He hid his smile when he spotted the plate of pistachio sprinkled cookies. She might not hate him that much after all.

Zoe placed the tray down on the threshold so his cup was on the other side of the wards. She could say magic wasn't real all she liked, but she was certainly believing that the wards would keep her safe.

"You baked? I'm touched," he teased because he couldn't help himself.

Zoe rolled her eyes. "You really think I had time to make Nan-e nokhodchi since arriving? Belkis brought them with her when she decided to turn up and fill my kitchen with food."

"Your hala is happy you are home again. Let her indulge you." Kahil popped one of the small star cookies into his mouth. "And spoil me by proxy." His sensitive taste buds exploded with rose water, cardamon, and pistachio. He fought back a groan. He had a hopeless sweet tooth.

"You know Belkis too? Why am I even surprised at this point," Zoe huffed.

Kahil took another cookie. "You shouldn't be surprised by anything from here on out. You can be in awe of me if you like, but everything else? I wouldn't waste your energy."

Zoe let out small laugh before stopping herself. "I can't decide if your ego is massive, or you are just saying stuff like that to catch me off guard and make me like you. Or both."

"All depends, is it working?" Kahil replied.

Zoe's mouth ticked. "I don't like you, but I'm willing to hear you out. I brought you some of my cookies, didn't I?"

Kahil picked up the tea pot, and she held her cup out for him. It was out of the wards enough that he could snatch her hand and pull her through them. He considered doing it, just as learning experience for her, but decided he wanted the tea party more. He filled her cup and then his own.

"Okay, you have your tea. Tell me everything," Zoe said. She blew on her cup, and Kahil quickly looked away from her lips.

"Everything? Not enough tea in Istanbul."

"What was so special about this book that my father found? Why did everyone want it?" she pressed.

"Everyone still wants it," Kahil corrected. He sipped his tea. "Do you know anything about Sais in Egypt?"

Zoe frowned. "Like Sonchis of Sais from Plutarch?"

"Exactly like that. The place was real, even if Sonchis wasn't. The priests of Sais were keepers of ancient knowledge, magic, medicine, and stories of the gods, amongst other things," Kahil said and took another cookie. "With all the conquests and wars happening in Egypt, the priests secreted away a lot of the most important manuscripts. They hid them in large pots in the desert and put them in the hands of trusted keepers, who tucked them away in other libraries."

"And what does these priests have to do with any of this?" Zoe asked. Kerem said she restored old texts, and Kahil could tell she loved books by the way her eyes were shining with excitement.

"There was a discovery of such a clay pot a few years after you were born. It had been buried in Asyut, under what we believe was a temple of Anubis. It used to be the city of Lycopolis and was a cult center for Anubis and another funerary deity called Wepwawet, the opener of ways." Kahil ate his cookie, letting his words sink in.

Zoe's brow creased. "Why would they put it there? It seems very intentional to hide it in such a place."

"Very," he agreed. "It probably had something to do with the fact that the codex that they hid dealt with necromancy."

"A codex? They would have been rare at that time but not uncommon. I mean, they found codices at Nag Hammadi, and accounts from the first century C.E. mention them being used," Zoe murmured, thinking out loud. "Sorry. Old books and the history of binding is kind of my job and obsession."

Kahil shook his head. "Don't apologize for being passionate about it. It's good that you understand the significance of it. It makes my job of explaining this to you much easier."

"I can't believe I'm going to ask this but… Was it real magic, like baba's wards, or was it just another funerary text?" Zoe said, sitting up straighter.

"Arslan, the leader of my order believes it was real, and so do the leaders of both sides of the balance. A week before he died, Oman managed to purchase it from the man who had found the codex. In the past, with other texts, the Kartal family's neutrality was respected, and treasures went to auction. Oman had no reason to think it wouldn't be the same this time," Kahil replied, his chest squeezing tight with guilt. "Arslan was worried before the book even arrived in Istanbul. He has…" He fought for the right word for the ancient alchemist's curse. "… experience with other texts from Sais. If the magic in the text proved real, whoever gets it would become insanely powerful. It doesn't matter if its light or dark, with immortal soldiers, they could wage a war against their enemies and take the rest of the world with them."

Zoe rubbed at her temple and held her empty cup out to him. He refilled it as she thought. The Order needed her to accept what he was saying if they were going to have any chance of finding and protecting the book.

"Let me see if I have this right," she said finally. " Baba got the book and hid it somewhere. Then he was murdered and because of the wards on the bookstore, no one has been able to search for it?"

Kahil smiled. "Close. Your father saw how crazy everyone was going over the book, and he grew more and more paranoid. He put the wards up and went to Kerem and updated his will. If he was killed, he wanted to make sure that the bookstore came to you when you were old enough to handle the responsibility of it. It was smart of him. No side could kill you in revenge after his death for fear they would never be able to get their hands on the book."

"Up until now," Zoe added. She put down her tea and shut her eyes. She was breathing deeply like she was trying to contain her anger. It didn't seem to be working. Kahil could smell it boiling off her. "And my mother didn't tell me any of this because she thought if I didn't know, it would all go away?"

"That's my guess too. Anita left Istanbul, thinking that you would be safer in London. The Order argued with her about it. Kerem fought the hardest to keep you in Istanbul where he could watch over you and induct you slowly into our world." Kahil sighed. "Anita wouldn't have it. She did what she wanted to."

"Like she always fucking does," Zoe muttered. She opened her eyes again. "Why was Kerem so invested? Isn't he just baba's lawyer?"

Kahil wondered how mad Kerem would get if he told Zoe the truth. Kerem could hold the smallest of grudges for centuries when he wanted to. He decided to take the risk anyway.

"Kerem was Oman's best friend. He's like your unofficial godfather. Oman was being groomed to join us. When Anita got pregnant, he decided against it. He stayed close with us, but not as a full member. Kerem and he were really close. He adored you."

Zoe's jaw clenched. "More family I wish I knew still gave a shit about me."

"Careful what you wish for. Kerem is like an old woman who will fuss over you until you want to punch him, and Arslan will probably be even worse," Kahil said, with genuine fondness. The Grand Master couldn't resist hopeless cases, and he was going to be wrapped around Zoe's little finger in two seconds flat.

"Let me guess, Arslan is my lost uncle, and you're really my brother," Zoe said, throwing up her hands.

"No. He'll act like your uncle though," Kahil replied and then grinned at her. "I will definitely not act like your brother."

Zoe rolled her eyes at him, but he noticed the tips of her ears still went red. Wasn't that interesting?

"So what do I do now that I know all of this?" she asked.

"You go to bed and get some sleep. Tomorrow I'll take you to see Arslan, and you can make a plan. If Oman has hidden the book with magic, we'll need his help to find it."

"Sleep. Sure. That's certainly going to happen with mysterious books and ghosts of dead fathers haunting me," Zoe said, tidying up the tea tray. She offered him the last two cookies, and he took them before she changed her mind. "I don't know if I can trust you yet, but thank you for making sure that vampire creature didn't hurt me. And thank you for giving me some of the answers I need."

"You're welcome. I'll come by in the morning to get you," Kahil replied, standing when she did. She was about to close the door when he stopped her. "Zoe?"

"Yeah?"

Kahil smiled down at her. "I hope you had a good birthday."

Zoe stared at him like he was crazy and then huffed out a laugh. "Fuck you, Kahil," she said and shut the door.