Pack of Strays (The Fangborn Series Book 2) by Dana Cameron

Author:Dana Cameron [Cameron, Dana]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: 47North
Published: 2014-04-15T07:00:00+00:00

It was easy enough to search for sacred pools in holy places in Istanbul. It was more difficult to narrow them down. Eventually, I found myself in the district of Fatih, an older part of Istanbul within the old walls of Constantinople on the Golden Horn. Once prosperous, the glory of the architecture had become run down: buildings with elaborate carved details now housed electronics shops and bakeries. The busy markets were covered by tarps, to keep the sun from wilting the customers—and the piles of stunning fruit and vegetables. The hilly streets were sometimes cobbled, sometimes paved, but always bustling, I watched as a young boy stopped his mother and sisters, waiting to check for traffic before letting them cross.

In one Eastern Orthodox church, I found what I was looking for: a treasury of silver icons glittered on the walls, and paintings of saints against gold backgrounds covered the ceilings. And in one corner, an arched alcove housed an irregular cutout in the wall. Amid the hand-painted tile and icons, a large, shallow basin bubbled with water.

Noting the heavy doors, the high walls with decorative glass set into the top, and what looked like a very modern alarm system set into the ancient walls, I pulled my scarf closer over my head, as much out of respect as a disguise, and returned to Danny’s.

I explained what I’d seen when I got there.

“And you didn’t get anything?” Danny said. “No response from …?”

“Nothing. Not a peep from the bracelet, not a hair raised. No glowing, no humming—nada.”

“Are you sure? Maybe it was … subtle?”

I frowned. “Danny, since when has this thing ever been subtle?”

“And it’s the right place?” Toshi said. “For sure?”

“Yes! It’s the right place on the maps; it matches what I was told in my vision, and from what I got on the tour today, it’s one of the places everyone has been using for years. That’s the thing with holy sites: often there’s water, and water draws people to a place.” I chewed the inside of my lip. “It makes sense that I had the right church, but—nothing.”

Vee shrugged. “Well, then we are SOL.”

“Wait!” Danny said. “Didn’t you say you could hear dripping?”

“Yes, yes, in a big basin. The wall was irregular there, probably to allow for the natural shape—aha! The site I was looking for wasn’t upstairs.” I slumped. “Okay, how to break into a church and get into the basement where the spring—and probably the artifact—was. I really don’t want to do that. Again.”

“Well, we can help,” Vee said reluctantly.

I know she was still fatigued from the last time she helped. It was good of her to offer in spite of her reluctance, so I tried to make light of it. I snorted. “Yeah, great. A tweaked werewolf, a broken vampire, and an oracle who doesn’t play well with others.”

“Hey. Don’t be mean.” Danny had spoken up out of instinct, but when I turned around to smile at him, he was looking away and blushing.

Oh, hell’s bells. He wasn’t talking about me, or at least not just about me.

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