Page 65 of Expose Me

“Where’s the rest of your coven?” I asked. Why weren’t they all here?

At this, Emmaline looked a bit worried, the uncertainty written plainly all over her face. Funnily enough, it was this that made me believe she was being genuine. The girl clearly couldn’t hide what she was feeling to save herself.

Emmaline squared her shoulders, visibly trying to stand more confidently as she said, “They don’t know ... it’s better if they don’t know you were here or that I ever had the Onuei.”

“Why?” Keeping something like this from the House of Spirit and Sapphire was not advisable. She’d be treated like I was—a traitor, scum, the enemy.

“It’s complicated ...” Emmaline looked over her shoulder, eyes widening. I followed her gaze, but there was nothing but verdant oasis. She was clearly hearing something we weren’t. “You have to go now. If I don’t get back soon ... it won’t be good.”

“For who? Are you OK?” I took a step closer to her. I was quickly moving from suspicious to worried for this ethereal young woman. She was clearly very powerful, but there was something vulnerable about her at the same time.

“I’ll be fine. Please, go now,” she rushed out as she waved both hands in a wide arc and opened a portal.

“Holy shit,” I muttered, shocked and impressed and a little scared all at the same time. She’d opened a portal. Just like that, with nothing more than a casual wave of the hand. She didn’t even chant a spell or require a sacrifice!Holy shitshe was powerful.

Through the swirling magic, I could see a brick wall. I had no idea where she was sending us, but it wasn’t back out into the desert.

I was about to ask where the portal went, demand she tell us if she was in danger, but Zey gripped my hand and pulled it up to rest on his chest.

“No more questions, Sky.” He tied the ribbon around my wrist as he spoke. “Let’s finish what we started.”

I was so floored that he was trusting me to hold one of his precious Onuei that I let him lead me straight through the portal without saying another word.

I turned just in time to see Emmaline with a wide smile, waving at us, as the portal closed.

Raising my wrist, I stared at the delicate ribbon wrapped around it. When I looked up into Zey’s eyes, the question must’ve been evident in my gaze, because he gave me a small, almost sad smile.

“You are worthy,” he said simply, pulling me close, his arms around my waist.

“Of what?” I held on to his shoulders, melting into him.

“Everything,” he breathed with so much conviction that it took my breath away. Our lips met, our bodies, our souls, coming together like it was the most natural thing in all the realms. Zey was not from this world, but I never felt more like myself, never felt more right than when he was near, holding me, kissing me.

I kissed him with more fervor, holding him tighter.

It was going to hurt like a bitch when I had to let go.

A cold shiver made me break the embrace. Wherever Emmaline had portaled us to was much cooler than the Sahara or even the oasis she’d led us into.

I took in our surroundings, but we were in an alley that could’ve been anywhere—brick walls on three sides, several dumpsters lined up, the sounds of traffic beyond.

“Sky, there’s something—” Zey started to say, but I cut him off by stepping away from him and towards the end of the alleyway. The telltale sound of a dinging tram had drawn my attention.

“She sent us right back to Melbourne,” I said, then summoned a warm coat for myself and pulled it on. I smiled, appreciating the powerful witch more and more.

Zey came to stand behind me, his heat radiating into my back, and the smile fell from my lips as I leaned back against him. Having to find our way back to Australia the hard way would’ve been more dangerous, but it would’ve given us more time together.

“Sky.” Zey sounded serious, my name on his lips heavy and full of something I had a feeling I didn’t want to examine too closely. “We should—”

“Figure out where we are and get to the portal.” I nodded, avoiding looking at him. Avoiding pain like I always did.

But this time, Zey turned me to face him and made me look at him.

“We should talk,” he said. I swallowed, wanting to squirm out of his hold and burrow into his chest all at once. I shut all that shit down and held his gaze.

“What’s the point?” I asked, gritting my teeth.

His brow furrowed but it wasn’t the pure ire that had been his default state when he first crashed into my life. There was irritation there, but there was also confusion and maybe a bit of sadness.

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