I looked back at the blood witch. Her hands hung limply at her side, and she stared vacantly forward. She was a puppet. She was not in control of her magic. Something was very wrong here.
Turning back, I looked at Erlik. With a nod, we turned and ran toward the city. Our flight was short-lived, however, when Nadjla landed on the bridge in front of me. I slid to a stop. It was bold of her to cross the bridge. And careless.
“Erlik…what a surprise to find you here. And with a Priestess?” She wagged a finger at him. “Naughty boy.”
“Move,” I told her.
I could feel the other vampires gathering behind us. They had not crossed the gap in bridge, but they were watching. Looking back, I eyed the blood witch. She stood swaying. I squinted when I looked at her once more. She seemed so familiar. As if she could sense me looking at her, she looked up at me. Her dark eyes, glinting with vampire silver, shimmered with unspoken terror. I cast a glance back at the other vampires. They paced, and I felt their anger, but I also felt apprehension. Seeing their king before them, their purpose faltered.
“So, you are Pelin, aren’t you? We’ve been looking for you,” Nadjla crooned at me.
I turned back to her. She was both beautiful and terrible to behold. All ivory white skin, red lips, raven-black tresses, and stunning beauty, it was no wonder Erlik had saved her. But there was a madness about her smile and the gleam in her eyes. Beyond being a vampire, she was not mentally stable.
“Kneel before your queen, girl,” she spat at me.
The ridiculousness of her demand caught me off guard. I laughed. “Before you? I kneel to none but the gods. You’re nothing.”
“And where were your gods last night? I am your god now.”
Her words made my blood run cold. What, exactly, had happened at the order last night? Suddenly I was filled with a terrible rage. I set my fingers on my amulet. The evil eye sprung to life, a flash of blinding silver and blue light emanating from the amulet.
Erlik closed his eyes.
Nadjla winced.
Gathering my strength, I advanced on her. I walked slowly toward the vampiress who’d turned and looked defiantly at me, her silver eyes blinking in the bright glow of the magical light.
“Why don’t you kneel instead?” I twisted my hands and sent bolts of searing pain toward her knees.
A look of surprise then great pain flashed across her face. She fell to the ground.
“You forget the order of things in Nazar, vampiress. Your blood witch can only do parlor tricks. You, and she, are nothing compared to the witches of my order.”
Nadjla laughed, her voice strangled with pain. “Your order is done,” she said through gritted teeth. “Go and see, you smug bitch.”
“You’d best hope you are wrong, because your blood witch doesn’t have the strength to protect your sorry life. Withdraw your minions. Keep a rein on your abomination. And if I find you have done harm to mine, I’ll be back to finish you.”
She was about to retort smartly when I send another wave of pain through her whole body, this time rendering her flat on the ground.
“That’s better. Stay there,” I told her.
“You bitch,” she seethed.
I motioned to Erlik.
He looked down at Nadjla. “What have you done?”
Nadjla laughed but said nothing.
Frowning, I turned and left, Erlik following alongside me.
The spell I had cast on Nadjla would keep her pinned to the ground in terrible pain long enough for us to get back into the city. I sneered. Evil vampiress. Who did she think she was? Her rebellion was about to be short-lived. First, I would check on my order and on the humans. And then, together, Mehmet, Erlik, and the order would decide what to do. First, however, I needed to get to Emine.
When we reached the end of the bridge, we moved quickly and unimpeded back into the city.
Erlik looked up at the sky. “I must retreat from the sun and meet with my people. I’ll find you as soon as the sun sets. I’ll ready my people. We must end this quickly. You should go to your order. Nadjla…I fear what she has done.”
I nodded. “I will. And I will go to the human zone and warn them. We must work together with Mehmet to quickly restore power and peace.”
“Be wary. It is not certain he can be trusted.”
I nodded but said nothing. I did trust the human leader, but something was clearly wrong in the human zone.
Stopping, Erlik looked down at me. “Stay safe, Pelin.”
“And you.”
He smirked. “You have a wicked side, Priestess.”
Indeed, Emine would have been vexed with me for letting my anger get the better of me, but Nadjla had deserved it. “And?”
“And I liked it. She’s had that coming.”
Leaning in, he kissed me quickly. “I’ll see you soon.” He turned and rushed back in the direction of the Dark Bazaar. I headed in the direction of the order. Not long thereafter, the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon. I cast out my senses feeling for Erlik. I could sense him far away in a dark place. He had made it back in time. But when I turned my magic toward the order, I was met with a different wave of emotion. From the direction of my home, I felt pain and fear.
Chapter 26
As I neared the order, the sun glimmered on the horizon. Soft hues of pink and orange lit the skyline. I felt for any vampires nearby. I had not been followed from the bridge. Perhaps my little show of power had been excessive, but it was apparent that Nadjla’s vampires were out of line and the order would need to take the situation in hand. I tried to calm myself, attempting to see a diplomatic and less carnage-ready approach to the problem. But all that faded when I arrived at Topkapi Palace, my home. The shield protecting the order was down. Massive scorch marks scarred the walls, and a thin trail of smoke rose up from the tower.
“Emine,” I whispered then rushed to the palace walls. I was about to climb over the wall when I felt…something. Things inside were not right, and not only because of the damage of the blood witch and the magical storms.
Once more, I pulled an enchantment around myself, cloaking myself from view, then I entered the compound. Everything was eerily silent.
Since I was closest to the third courtyard where my order lived, I stopped there first. The chambers were we stayed were empty, and even more alarming, there were signs of trouble. Tables and lamps had been overturned, and there were burn marks on the walls from magical blasts.
My heart in my throat, I raced down the mosaicked-lined hallways to the other end of the palace. The room where Mira and the other young acolytes stayed was empty as well. But here, thankfully, everything appeared untouched.
Moving quickly and quietly, my eyes alert for magical traps such as that the blood witch had created, I headed back across the courtyard toward the tower. The roof had taken damage and smoke trailed from above. The guards were gone.
I raced up the steps and pushed open the door.
Broken glass was everywhere. Furniture was turned over. One wall was charred black and still smoked. The supporting roof timbers had collapsed in one section.
Then, I felt her.
“Emine,” I said with a gasp.
Looking around, I searched for her. I could feel her but not see her.
I dropped the enchantment that hid me. “Emine, where are you?”
A moment later, I heard a soft cough. “Here. I’m here,” she said from the back of the room.
Pushing chairs aside and skirting around the large wooden meeting table that had been turned over, I found Emine sitting in the corner, her back against the wall. Blood leaked from a wound on her forehead.
“Thank Umay you escaped unharmed,” she whispered, reaching out to touch my face.
“What happened?” I asked.
“There was a strike. Powerful dark magic. It knocked me unconscious. I don’t know what happened. When I woke, I heard screaming. Baran and his acolytes came here searching for me, but my spell h
id me. Where were you?”
“In Taksim.”
“Taksim?” she asked then coughed heavily.
“I’ll bring you some water,” I said then moved to rise.
“No. No. Stay. What did you see in Taksim?”
“Nadjla turned a witch into one of them.”
“A blood witch,” Emine said, her voice sounding gravely concerned.
“What happened to the others? Where is Zeynep? Meryem?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered then coughed again. “Baran took them.”
“Took them? Took them where?”
Emine shook her head. “You must stop him. You must protect them, protect all of them.”
“Emine, there is no one reinforcing the dome right now. What should I do? I must find my sisters, but the barrier—”
“Looks stronger than I have ever seen it before,” Emine finished for me. “How, Pelin? It was your magic that healed the dome? I could feel you but not see. What did you do?”
“I…” I began then paused. I looked up at the dome. Emine was right. It did seem strong. It was then that I realized the truth, realized how I had repaired it differently than before. “The vampire, Erlik…I know you said not to trust him, but I do. I borrowed his magic, took energy from him, and used it to reseal the dome.”
“This is…unforeseen. A new day is coming for Nazar. Lead our people well, Pelin.”
“Don’t talk like that,” I whispered, gently squeezing her hand. “I’ll find the others. I’ll bring a healer.”
“No, it is too late. The dark magic has infected me. I was only holding on in the hope you would come. Pelin, my granddaughter, I love you. I am so proud of you. Be brave, my girl. Hard times are coming. Be brave and trust in your heart.”
“I love you too,” I whispered gently.
“Now go and find the others. You must stop them, and you will need your sisters. Go, my dear.”
“I can’t just leave you here.”
“You must.”
I exhaled deeply then closed my eyes. Tears trailed down my cheeks.
“Be brave and trust your heart,” Emine said once more, her voice sounding so soft and far away.
Taking a deep, shaky breath, I opened my eyes.
Emine was gone. She stared glassy-eyed at the dome above us. Her life’s work protecting Nazar was falling apart. Moving gently, I closed her eyes.
I would protect the others, but first I needed to find the warlock, Baran, and choke the life from him.
Chapter 27
I raced back down the tower steps. There was evidence of a massive struggle and not a physical one. From the scorch marks on the sides of the buildings to patches of ice on the grass to odd vines with thorns twisting from the ground, I could see that there had been a battle between my kind. As I went, I saw that the magical families were missing.
Sneering, I twisted shadow around myself and headed into the section of the palace reserved for the Order of Tengi. The hallways were eerily silent. The reading rooms, bed chambers, and areas of worship were all empty. There was no one there. I padded down the marble halls looking and listening. When I finally did hear a sound, I winced. It was coming from the direction of the old prison.
Picking up my step, I raced for that section of the palace, my eyes watching for magical traps. I pushed open the doors to the prison then balked. The young witches of the first order where trapped inside the cells and Ender, the eldest leader in of the Order of Tengri, lay bleeding on the floor. Nearby, Meryem lay either dead or unconscious.
Seeing the terrified faces of the girls as they gazed out of the cells, I dropped my mask.
“Pelin!” Mira exclaimed, gripping the bars her cell.
Rushing to them, I pulled down the lever that opened the doors.
Mira rushed to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Thank Umay, we thought they took you too.”
I kissed her on the top of the head. “I’m all right. Are any of you hurt?” I asked, looking them over as I counted. All nine of them were there.
“We’re all right…just…scared,” Mira said.
The others nodded.
“Please check on Endur,” I told her then rushed to Meryem.
Kneeling beside Meryem, I felt for a pulse. She was alive but unconscious.
“Bring some water,” I told one of the acolytes, pointing to a fountain at the other end of the hall.
The girl nodded then sprinted off.
Mira and two of her sisters knelt to tend to Endur.
“Is he alive?” I called.
“Yes, but…barely,” she said. “He—he and Meryem—saved us.”
“From whom?”
“Baran,” Mira said in a disbelieving whisper, “and the acolytes of their order.”
I set a loving hand on Meryem then went to the elder.
The girls had set Endur up, leaning him against the wall. I knelt in front of the old man. “Endur?” I said softly. “Can you hear me?” His eyes were closed. Blood leaked from a contusion on his head.
“Pelin?” he whispered.
“Yes, I’m here.”
“Emine. How is Emine?” he whispered.
I cast a look back at the girls who all stared at me.
Turning back, I took a deep breath then said, “She’s dead.”
Some of the girls gasped.
Endur opened his eyes and reached out for my hand. “Baran has betrayed our people. He has aligned himself with the vampiress Nadjla. You must warn Mehmet the Wise. Quickly. Before night comes again.”
“Where are the others, Zeynep, Isla, Suzan, all the others of my order?”
Ender shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“And Taavi and Cain?” I asked, referring to the other two elders in the Order of Tengri.
Endur shook his head. “I don’t know. We were separated in the fighting.”
“Are they aligned with Baran?”
The old man winced. “I don’t know.”
A sick feeling wracked my stomach. “How were Baran and the others able to overcome my sisters? Zeynep’s power alone…”
“They were attacked unexpectedly then bound in enchanted silver,” Mira answered. “I saw it. The same would have been our fate if Endur and Meryem had not fought them off. Once they had your sisters, they withdrew from the fight.”
“Who put you in the cells?”
“I did,” Meryem said as she rose slowly. “The cells are charmed. Only a witch can open and close the doors.”
“Meryem,” I whispered, my eyes meeting hers.
She nodded to me as she held her head. There was a large bruise above her eye. She squinted in pain.
“The first courtyard families are gone,” I said.
“They tried to escape when the fighting began. They fled into the city. Pelin, I’m sorry. I knew Baran craved power, but I never thought…” Endur began but started coughing.
One of the girls brought him a cup of water, but he waved it away.
“No one could have prepared us for this. Nadjla created a blood witch. It was she who has been attacking the dome…and us. I don’t know what part Baran has to play, but I have seen the product of his deception with my own eyes.”
“A blood witch,” Meryem repeated, her voice full of awe and fear.
“Baran has always been jealous of Emine, jealous of the Order of Umay. He seeks to end you,” Endur said.
“Let us move you,” I said. “You must take rest.”
“No, leave me here.”
“We can’t simply let you lie here.”
Endur laughed. “I am old, and I have had enough. I’ll wait for you here, die, or get up when I can. I have no more fight in me.” He coughed again then said, “Hurry, Pelin. You must hurry before it all falls apart.”
“Thank you, old friend,” I whispered. “May Umay and Tengri guide us all.”
I exhaled deeply then turned back and looked at the girls. “I need to get you somewhere safe,” I said then turned to Meryem. �
��Can you walk? Will you be all right?”
“I have to be.”
I nodded. “Girls, it’s time for us to go.”
No doubt the other magical families had gone into hiding in the city or had gone to the human zone. Many of them still had family in the human community. They would not be safe there if Nadjla and the vampires made their attack.
As we exited the corridor, I looked back at Endur.
He lifted his hand in farewell.
I hoped to see him again.
“Where can we go?” Meryem asked as we stepped back out into the courtyard. Her voice was filled with despair. “Perhaps the human zone?”
“No. It’s not safe there either, especially if Nadjla and her kind start hunting. They are abducting the magically gifted humans, fledgling witches, and then they are sacrificing them. No. Not there. The girls will not be safe.”
“Where is safe?”
“The Dark Bazaar.”
Chapter 28
I led the girls through the winding streets of Nazar to the entrance of the old bazaar. I could sense their reluctance when we neared the entrance.
“Are you sure?” Meryem whispered. “If the vampires take control…”
“Then we are all lost. Erlik’s people respect our order. We are safe here. And believe it or not, the vampires may need our help.”
“Pelin,” Mira said, her voice filled with apprehension. She slipped her hand into mine.
“Remember your power. With a word, you can cripple any vampire to the ground. But right now, Erlik’s nest is truly the safest place for you. The humans are at risk for attack, and I cannot hide you there. We have all been taught to fear the vampires, and surely some are a threat to us, but they are not all what they seem.”
Meryem raised an eyebrow at me but said nothing. She walked beside me as we headed into the Bazaar. As before, I passed the abandoned stalls lined with gold jewelry, pottery, and stunning worked glass. The morning sunlight, its rays shining faintly into the entrance, caught the colorful glass of the lanterns. An array of colorful light glimmered.
Turning from the entrance, I led the girls down the hallways into the labyrinth that was the Dark Bazaar, away from the ruins of the mortal world and into the world of the vampires.
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