Page 63 of Expose Me

“Good. Still ...” We had no idea what we were walking into.

Zey hummed and reached behind us for a jug of water. He opened his mouth unnaturally wide and poured the entirety of it down his throat. Then he did the same with another two. I wished I had some kind of magic potion that I could drink and suddenly be at my best mentally and physically.

The closer we got, the more everything came into focus. We were definitely looking at some kind of ruin. It was constructed of sandstone, and I could make out the remnants of a few walls, most of them half collapsed. One wall was still intact enough to have a small window in it, and a wide, arched doorway stood near the center of the front wall, but the rest of it was hardly more than rubble.

But it was that pristine white that held the most surprise.

“You seeing this?” I spoke low, keeping my eyes on the figure in white. “Or am I hallucinating?”

“You aren’t. There’s a woman.” Zey confirmed that I wasn’t losing it, but I wasn’t sure if I should feel relieved.

A woman was indeed standing before the ruin, her long white dress flapping in the desert wind. We were close enough now to see that there was nothing in the ruin, let alone a place for someone to live. There was also no sign of a vehicle or any other living soul. It was entirely possible she’d gotten here using magical means but ... why? Was she after the Onuei too? But why not just take it and go?

I stopped the Jeep a good ten feet away.

She had long, dark brown hair, half up to keep it out of her face. The dress was made of simple, light linen, draped on her body delicately, accompanied by a white lace choker at her neck. A wide, lace bracelet sat around her right wrist. A silver chain extended from the bracelet down the back of her hand to a pearlescent ring on her forefinger.

“I can feel the Onuei. It’s very close,” Zey whispered, scanning the area all around us.

“Same.” It felt like she was standing right on top of it. Unless ... surely she wasn’t the Onuei?

Zey and I shared an uncertain look, then got out of the car. Tentatively, we started walking towards her.

She gave us a mild smile, like it was totally normal that we were meeting in the literal middle of nowhere.

Just as I was about to say something, she spoke.

“Hurry. We don’t have much time.” Her voice was gentle, soft, but it carried to us easily. She turned and walked through the crumbling archway. As she passed under it, it was like a curtain was drawn back, and suddenly a whole other world was visible on the other side.

In complete contrast to the barren desert around us, the other side of the archway held a vibrant, verdant oasis. It was dense with lush plants and trees, water trickling off a small waterfall into a grotto, small birds flitting from branch to moss-covered branch.

For a moment, I thought she’d opened a portal, but there was no sparking magic around the edges, no strong power in the air. Clearly, she was a witch—a powerful one. Was this some kind of illusion?

I stopped at the threshold and grabbed Zey’s wrist. She could trap us in whatever this was; she could be shielding a whole group of people ready to attack us.

“I’m not trying to hurt you, Sky,” the woman said, just on the other side. “You’ve come for the Onuei.” She shifted her gaze to Zey. “I’ll give it to you freely.”

She glanced behind us, the first sign of unease showing on her face. I narrowed my eyes.

Zey extracted his wrist from my grip and took my hand instead.

“We’ve come this far,” he said, and I looked at him. I could see the determination in his eyes. He was right, of course. It was so close I could practically taste it. I wanted to give him what he wanted most—more than I wanted this mess to be over. I could admit that now.

With a sad smile, I nodded, and we stepped into the oasis together.

Chapter19

The archway, along with any sign of the desert, disappeared. The air was mild and humid, and Zey took a deep breath. The moisture in the air must be real if he was feeling it. But how?

My hand hovered near the fighting knife at my thigh, ready to summon other weapons if needed.

“What is this place?” I asked. “Where are we?”

“This is a safe place.” The woman smiled and sat on a low rock next to the grotto, running her fingers through the water.

“How do you know my name? Or what the Onuei even is?” I demanded.

“I admire your strength and confidence.” She looked up at me with warring emotions on her face. It was strange to have someone gazing at you like they wanted your approval and thought you were an ignorant child at the same time. “But none of your questions are important right now. We don’t have much time.”

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