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  The Dark Bazaar

  The Berkano Vampire Collection

  Division 8

  A Fallen Sorcery Novel

  Melanie Karsak

  MelanieKarsak.com

  FallenSorcery.com

  The Dark Bazaar

  Clockpunk Press, 2017

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without permission from the author. This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed are fictional. Any resemblances to the living or dead are purely coincidental.

  Published by Clockpunk Press

  Editing by Becky Stephens Editing

  Dedication

  For the Boz family. Thank you for showing me the wonders of Istanbul (and for all the good food!).

  And for the Cultu family. Thank you for your many past kindnesses

  Teşekkür Ederim

  The Dark Bazaar Extras

  Pinterest Board

  No one returns from the Dark Bazaar

  I am the last full-blooded witch in Istanbul. When a magical rift tore the world apart, humans, witches, and vampires were left behind. Peace among us has never been easy. But now, our fragile accord is crumbling.

  The vampires have started abducting humans, taking them to the Dark Bazaar to be sold for their blood—or worse. Mehmet the Wise, leader of the humans, has withdrawn his people behind the walls of their zone. And the elders of my magical order, charged with keeping the peace, are doing nothing. A war is coming, and I’m the only one who seems to give a damn.

  To save my district, I’ll have to put my faith in the one person I trust the least: Erlik, King of the Berkano vampires. The vampire’s charms are no match for my magic, but there is a sparkle in his eyes that promises to be more dangerous than anything else in Nazar. And I just can’t seem to look away.

  Maybe what they say is true. No one returns from the Dark Bazaar. Including me.

  Join Pelin in her quest to save Nazar in The Dark Bazaar.

  Chapter 1

  I gripped my evil eye amulet so hard my hand ached. The energy inside the blue glass charm crackled, blue and silver light swirling around my hand. Casting an enchantment over myself, I took on the appearance of a female vampire with long black hair, pale skin, and shimmering silver eyes. The magic also masked my scent and draped me in shadow.

  I didn’t dare be discovered.

  Not here.

  Slipping through the ruins of Istanbul, I edged closer to the entrance of the Grand Bazaar, home to the nest of the vampires that ruled the city at night. My order had renamed the place. We called it the Dark Bazaar. There was nothing grand about the labyrinth from which no human ever returned or witch dared to walk.

  Which was why sneaking into the Dark Bazaar was about the stupidest thing a witch like me could do.

  But I had to.

  Ahead of me, a human woman screamed as a tall, dark-haired vampire dragged her by her hair toward the entrance. The vampire’s eyes glimmered silver. His face contorted angrily, his furrowed brow marring his features. He jerked on the woman’s blonde hair again, grinning madly. His fangs flashed in the fading sunlight, a mass of jagged prongs filling his mouth.

  Behind him, a female vampire with short black hair carried the human woman’s tiny baby. The vampiress cooed menacingly down at the bundle. Her mouth was a sea of razor-sharp fangs.

  “Smells so delicious,” the vampiress purred.

  “Not for you,” her companion snapped.

  The human woman stared at the vampires, her eyes wide with fear. She screamed and struggled to get free. But there was no escaping. The vampires out-powered her.

  Gritting my teeth, I moved like a wraith behind them. They passed through the gate and entered the dimly-lit bazaar. I had no business getting involved. In fact, I had no business beyond the walls of my order at dusk.

  But the vampires were not supposed to be hunting yet either.

  Though some of the Rift-cursed vampires were able to endure the sunlight, they had abducted the woman before curfew. The sun hadn’t set. They were breaking the law.

  Taking a deep breath, I glanced up at the stone entryway. Grand Bazaar was written overhead. The narrow aisles of the bazaar were dimly lit with strings of bulbs and colorful glass lamps. The illumination from the lights cast a multicolored glow on the dirty marble floors of the bazaar.

  The vampires had electricity. That was unexpected.

  Creeping, I followed the vampires inside.

  I could sense other vampires nearby. There were so many of them. I shivered, my skin prickling with goose bumps. But I reminded myself that there was little a vampire could do to a witch like me. But still.

  The air within the bazaar was cool. There was an odd smell on the breeze, the scents of sandalwood and something heady and feral perfuming the air. I glanced around at the shuttered shops. The small vendor spaces, which had once sold gold, pottery, blown glass, paintings, rugs, and clothing, were in disarray. The glass windows of the gold and jewelry stores had been shattered. Dust collected on the counters inside. The vandalizing was not the work of vampires. That was the work of humans, misdeeds done long ago.

  It had been ninety-nine years since the Rift. Humans had not known that their world had been destroyed, not by war or disease, but by magic. Lore told that witches and vampires had banded together to end vampirism. Then a witch and vampire had fallen in love. Their tryst had caused the Rift. The ground had shaken. Magical storms ripped apart the fabric of the world, Istanbul had nearly fallen, and the world had divided into new shapes. Only the quick work of the witches of my order had saved us all. Hastily erecting a magical barrier over the city, the Order of Umay had saved and cursed us in a single act. Witches, vampires, and humans had been caught in the same net. Now, we barely survived. With no ability to communicate with those beyond the barrier, we were isolated.

  The human woman screamed again.

  “Shut her up,” the vampiress hissed.

  The vampire struck the human woman so hard she went limp. Cursing, he threw the unconscious woman over his shoulder then headed deeper into the bazaar.

  The baby wailed.

  Dammit.

  The child’s pure blood would have them all curious and hungry. I picked up my pace. I needed to get this done before they got deeper into the nest and before I lost my nerve.

  The vampires had turned the corner between a Turkish rug stall and display of colorful glass perfume bottles when I caught up with them. In the next row, the bazaar’s goods changed drastically. Instead, humans were shackled to the floor. Jars full of blood and other human body parts were on display. The vampires were getting ready for the night bazaar to begin. The despair emanating from the humans was palpable.

  Rushing behind them, I twisted my hands and dropped the shadow spell that had hidden me. I kept the illusion that I was a vampire intact. I didn’t need them realizing who I actually was.

  Finally sensing someone behind them, the vampires turned.

  “Who are you?” the vampiress hissed.

  I stepped toward the male vampire and lifted my hand. “Sleep,” I commanded, casting an enchantment over him.

  He stiffened then fell to the ground, the human woman tumbling onto the floor with him.

  “Who sent you?” the vampiress hissed.

  Her questions struck me as odd. “Hand me the baby,” I said. Touching the glass amulet on my chest, I pulled magic from within the talisman, putting strength behind my words.

  Stepping forward, the vampiress handed the baby to me. “But my orders,” she protested, knowing she was acting against her will but unable to stop herself. “She…she…w-will…” she stammered.

  The vampiress set the squalling bun
dle in my arms.

  “What’s going on here?” a voice called from the far end of the hall.

  I looked past the vampiress. At the end of the hallway was one of the Berkano vampires. The large brooding figure glared down the aisle toward us, his eyes gleaming with menacing silver light. The Rift-cursed vampires before me were easy prey, susceptible to even the simplest spells. A Berkano, dating from before the Rift, was another matter entirely.

  Twisting my fingers, I drew a sigil in the air, casting an enchantment on the vampiress that would confuse her and dull her senses. It would only last a few moments, but it would be enough.

  My eyes flicked from the Berkano at the end of the hall to the unconscious woman lying on the floor. I had to make a choice. There was no way to save both the woman and the child.

  Dammit again.

  Holding the baby tight, I turned and dashed back toward the entrance to the bazaar.

  After a few moments had passed, I heard the vampiress call, “Hey! Where are you going? Demir, get up,” she yelled at her companion.

  As I turned the corner, I heard the male vampire say, “What? What happened?”

  “She’s got the baby! Whore, when I get ahold of you, I’m going to rip you limb from limb.”

  I raced away from the bazaar and back out onto the street. Thank Mother Umay, they had not seen through the enchantment to the real me. They’d only seen the illusion of another vampiress. If they had known who I really was…

  I glanced down at the little baby who was staring at me wide-eyed with fear.

  “Peace,” I said softly, setting my fingers on the child’s brow near her unseen third eye. The baby’s eyes closed, and the pretty little creature, wrapped in a pink blanket, fell fast asleep. Gripping her tightly, I turned and raced into the ruins of Istanbul.

  Chapter 2

  Holding the baby tight against my chest, I fled down the narrow streets. I crawled over a fence and cut across the cemetery. The moonlight illuminated the ruins of a mosque ahead. The vampires were gaining on me. I could feel them in the darkness.

  Pumping my legs hard, I jumped across a fissure in the ground, a remnant of the destruction the Rift had caused. I turned the corner and raced into the mosque. I stopped a moment to catch my breath then looked around. A small bundle of rugs lay forgotten by the wall.

  I set the baby down then turned toward the entrance.

  They were coming.

  I closed my eyes and drew magic from the ground.

  “Mother Umay,” I whispered, touching my evil eye pendant as I called upon the spirit of the great mother. Magic crackled all around my hands. In my mind, I perfected an enchantment. Moving my hands overhead, I made a dome of magic over the child and me, masking us from sight. There was nothing where I was standing. Nothing. Only a jumble of rocks. A collapsed wall covered in vines. A heap of prayer rugs. Nothing else. No woman. No baby. The illusion would fool their eyes. The dome would block out our scent and the sound of our heartbeats.

  A moment later, the two vampires came to the doorway of the mosque.

  Holy ground. They paused. They could enter, but not without it causing significant pain.

  The male vampire sneered, revealing two rows of razor-sharp sharp teeth. His heavy scowl deformed his features, his eyes flashing.

  “I don’t see her,” the vampiress said. “Don’t smell her either. You?”

  Nostrils flaring, the vampire inhaled deeply. He frowned then shook his head. He stared into the darkness, his eyes examining every corner.

  I held my breath as his eyes passed over my illusion.

  He sneered. “She must have gone around.”

  “Who the hell was she?”

  “Not one of Nadjla’s.”

  “I didn’t know her. You suppose Erlik managed to make a new vampire?” the vampiress asked.

  Her companion snorted defiantly. “Yeah, right. Who cares who she is? If we don’t find that baby, we’re screwed. Let’s go,” he said then they turned and ran off into the darkness.

  I waited until they had moved far away from me. I touched my amulet once more and cast my senses out. I could feel the vampires in the Dark Bazaar. The energy coming off them was dark and forbidding. How had a witch ever come to love such a creature and love him enough to undo our whole world? The thought sickened me. I cast my senses even further afield. There were vampires to the north and east of me, hunting for any humans out after curfew, but there were none close by.

  Creeping, I bent down and picked up the baby. The sweet little thing was sleeping soundly. Her long lashes lay on her cheeks. Such a lovely creature, she was no more than two months old, if that.

  Setting back off into the night, I moved away from the old section of the city. I headed in the direction of Yedikule Fortress and the human safe zone. It was too far to get to the actual citadel at this time of night, but I could get to the wall. From there, I knew where to go. Moving quickly, I shifted down the back alleys, my eyes and ears honed in, listening for danger.

  I could feel the vampires hunting. They were moving across the city like rats.

  I quickened my step. I needed to make it to the human zone and back to the order before anyone discovered I was missing. I had no business out at night, I knew that, but something had felt wrong these last few weeks. Our district was changing. I looked up at the blue dome overhead. Nazar. The word meant evil eye and was the same word we used for the evil eye charms the witches of the Order of Umay wore. After the Rift, the humans had renamed Istanbul. To them, there was no Istanbul anymore. There was only Nazar, the evil eye overhead that protected us from evil. The blue barrier, streaked with silver and golden light, watched over us all. Erected during the Rift, our barrier kept out the magical storms that raged on the other side, storms that would destroy us if the barrier ever fell. But our dome was fragile, unstable. Only with the help of the Order of Umay did the barrier stay in place. Without us, Istanbul—Nazar—would fall. But something was wrong. Emine would say I was paranoid, but I could feel something changing. Nazar was in danger.

  At least, that was the reason I used to justify being beyond the walls of my order after curfew. The fact that I felt like a caged tiger only had a little to do with my forbidden wanderings. And my nocturnal adventures had revealed a truth. For weeks now, the vampires had been breaking the rules. The Rift-cursed vampires had been hunting at dusk, breaking the law. Why? Why had Erlik, the king of the vampires, permitted it? And why wasn’t my order doing anything to stop it?

  Of course, asking my elders to get involved proved problematic. I only knew the vampires were hunting before curfew because I was outside the walls of my order after curfew, which was not permitted. I was breaking the law as well. But I hadn’t meant any harm. I hated being kept behind walls. Hated not having a life. A witch of the Order of Umay, I was bound to service, a keeper of the barrier. My sisters and I were tied to our role as keepers of the dome.

  And I hated every single moment of it.

  I approached the fence that marked off the human safe zone. Moving away from the lights and the guards at the main gate, I headed toward a ruined building close to the dark waters of the Bosphorus. The waves slapped loudly and violently against the breakers.

  I entered the building, stepping around stones and timbers, then exited the back of the structure. There, I found the chain-link fence. Pushing aside a small hole in the fence, I slipped into the safe zone.

  It wasn’t that the human zone was so well fortified. Simply enough, the vampires were not invited within. That small fact kept them out.

  Slipping down a side street, I headed toward the old fire station. I knew I would find him there. From the ruins of a building close by, I watched humans gathered around a table looking down at a map of the city. Two men were gesturing wildly. They had blood on their shirts. Their distress, emanating from them like waves, moved me. I bade myself to ignore the rush of angry and worried emotions swelling up in me.

  Then, I saw him.

  Aydi
n stood with his arms folded across his chest as he listened. He had a serious expression on his face, his forehead wrinkling as he scowled with concentration. He nodded on occasion as he considered the men’s words. I smiled, my gaze drifting across his body. His dark hair curled along the neck. I imagined hooking my finger into each curl, tickling his neck until he smiled. I eyed his lean, muscular figure.

  I’d been slipping out of the order at night for weeks. Roaming the city. Watching. Helping, when I could.

  At first, no one had spotted me.

  Until Aydin.

  For the last two months, our friendship had been building into something more. Mixing of witches and humans, unlike the mixing of vampires and witches, was not forbidden. It was simply frowned upon. I still didn’t understand why. Human parents often produced children who were gifted. Magic ran in the humans’ veins whether they liked it or not. And pairings of witches had seldom produced magical offspring since the Rift. Our world was changing. Maybe it was time for that law to change. Humans and witches should be able to freely meet, fall in love, and have sex.

  Focus, Pelin.

  Holding the little baby gently, I extended my hand. Twisting my fingers in a circular movement, I conjured the illusion of a blue moth. Lifting my hand, I blew on the illusory creature, sending it Aydin’s direction. The moth flickered across the space then fluttered around Aydin. The unexpected nuisance temporarily distracted the men. They waved it away. I twisted my fingers, making the illusion dance in front of Aydin. Finally, an expression of realization washed over him.

  Moving my hand, I called the illusion back to me. The moth drifted peacefully on the wind. Aydin eyed its path then turned back to the men.

  From this distance, I couldn’t hear Aydin’s words, but he said something to the men, and they dispersed. He turned and followed my moth into the darkness. I crept back, away from the light.