Page 47 of Expose Me

“It used to be stored in this some three or four hundred years ago,” Abraxos explained. “Do you have enough to seek?”

I didn’t even want to know how he had come to have that in his possession.

“Let’s find out.” I sighed and stepped forward. With one more glance at the image on my phone, I reached out and placed my hand in the box. Closing my eyes, I focused on the energy of the item I was seeking. The Orb of Sinne must’ve been kept in the box for a very long time before they were separated. Its energetic signature was so strong, it almost felt like it was vibrating over my skin.

The ribbons responded immediately, snapping out in the direction of the Orb of Sinne almost violently. I gasped with the intensity of it and gripped the edge of the table with my free hand.

“Sky!” Zey’s voice sounded distant, like I was underwater, and I was vaguely aware of tense voices and the flap of wings behind me. But I kept my focus on the ribbons and where they were taking me.

When the Orb of Sinne came into focus, it was so clear I almost felt like I could summon it. I wasn’t even remotely interested in trying that though. Beside the fact that I didn’t want to make it any easier for Abraxos to get his hands on this thing, I had a feeling straining so much would make me pass out—maybe even kill me. If I could do it at all.

Still ... my power had grown in ways I couldn’t have predicted since Zey and I had started searching for the Onuei. Maybe I really could summon something without having touched it. Now was as good a time to try as any. My connection to this particular item was so strong. It was practicallybeggingme to summon it into my hands. I could almost feel the weight of it ...

With a sharp inhale, I wrenched my hand off the box and forced my eyes open. Sweat was dampening my brow, and my breathing was labored.

I met Zey’s worried gaze first, his familiar black eyes grounding me. Then I turned to Abraxos.

“Well?” He stepped forward, looking like he was fighting the urge to bounce on his toes in anticipation.

“I think it nearly killed me.” I swallowed and cleared my dry throat. “But I found it.”

Chapter15

Whatever I was lying on was so soft that I wouldn’t have been surprised if I found myself cuddled up on a cloud. I squinted one eye open to make sure I was, in fact, on a bed in Abraxos’s mansion, then snuggled into the luxurious bedding a little more.

I hadn’t slept this well in weeks, probably years. I guessed being manipulated by a magical object to try to push my power past its breaking point really took it out of a girl. And after our discussion last night, I knew there was no rush to get up. No one was chasing us; we weren’t in a rush to get somewhere or run away from someone for the first time since Zey dragged me into his drama. So I indulged and let myself keep snoozing.

After I tracked down the Orb of Sinne, Abraxos tried to sneakily get more information out of me than what we agreed to. But even with a building headache and weak as I was, I didn’t give it all away. Instead, I gave him a detail about how the Orb was protected, and he grudgingly agreed that it was confirmation I wasn’t lying.

Then Zey insisted I sit down—probably because I was beginning to sway on my feet—and Abraxos had dinner brought into his study. I was absolutely starving, and I stuffed my face while we talked. Zey kept an arm around me the entire time. I didn’t have the energy to tell him to back off and give me space ... but also, it was kind of nice to be comforted when I felt so weak and vulnerable. Despite myself, I trusted the bastard.

The thought of food made me acutely aware of my stomach, which was empty and demanding to be filled, and my bladder, which was full and demanding to be emptied. Rolling onto my back, I stretched and opened my eyes. Judging by the amount of light spilling into the room, I’d slept for a long time—well into the day.

When we were shown to our room the night before, I’d beelined for the bed and was asleep before my body even completed the flop onto the pillow. So I took a moment to check out our accommodations for the next few days.

The room was lavish, like the rest of the manor. It was spacious, ostentatious, and airy. There was marble everywhere, artwork on the walls, gold detailing on the furniture, and luxurious bedding and cushions made from the finest fabrics.

Some of that ridiculously soft fabric slid down my body as I sat up, and I realized I wasn’t fully clothed like I had been when I passed out. Someone had removed my shoes and clothes and left me in my underwear and tank top.

No prizes for guessing who that someone might be. It was thoughtful of him.

I frowned and scanned the room again. Abraxos had tried to put us in separate rooms, but Zey had insisted we remain together. But there was no sign of him anywhere.

“Zey?” I called, then cleared my throat. My voice was rough and croaky.

Just as I thought I’d have to delay breakfast to look for him—to make sure Abraxos hadn’t murdered him for shits and giggles—he came rushing into the room. One entire wall was open, light, sheer curtains fluttering in the wind and revealing a terrace beyond. Zey smacked the delicate fabric out of the way and crossed the room in record time.

I leaned back so I wouldn’t headbutt his midsection.

“Sky. You’re awake. Good.” He smiled and managed to look worried and relieved at the same time. “You have been asleep for eleven hours, thirty-eight minutes. I was worried something was not right, but you were breathing, and your body didn’t appear to be in distress. Why are you sitting? Do you need help getting up? Can you feel your legs?”

I blinked up at him, then snorted and let out a deep laugh. He chuckled uncertainly while scanning my body for paralysis or something.

“Chill dude.” I threw the covers back and got up. “See, legs work just fine. I just needed to sleep to recover from ...” I waved my hand in the air. “Everything. Now I need to eat.”

“There is a very large amount of food on the table outside.” He took my hand and started to drag me that way, but I gently extracted it.

“Bathroom first.” I patted him on the shoulder and headed in the direction of the only door other than the one to the room. With my hand on the handle, I paused and looked over my shoulder. “Thanks for last night, for making sure I was comfortable and whatever.”

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