Found

Chapter 9

Nothing was going to be okay. After two hours of wandering around Target, she walked out of the store with nothing. Nothing. From TARGET. Maybe she's having a series of mini strokes. She's seeing things, taking a unique version of ground transportation (quite literally), and leaving Target empty handed.

What in the dirty pile of muffin crumbs and shriveled blueberries was wrong with her? And how did she see Mr. Purple Eyes again?

She eyed the grass next to the path warily. Could she take ground transportation anytime she wanted? Or just when she was freaked the fu—fudge ripple out?

She put a toe on the ground, Purple Eyes on her mind, and felt it give. Very much unlike regular grass. Maybe, if she kept going, she would see him again—or maybe she'd end up in a ball pit with a dirty diaper stuck to her face.

She looked up, and gave a hard jerk. Three feet in front of her stood a figure. A figure she could see. It's body was still opaque, but she could see it's face—wide, black eyes too large for its face, fangs dropping down past its chin. Ugly fucker.

It stared at her in silence for a beat, and then reached out a hand. She jumped forward, making eye contact with the beast, and shot through the ground.

***She landed on something hard that let out a grunt, and fell the rest of the way to the ground, letting out one of her own.

Big hands helped her to her feet, and her eyes met lavender ones. "Right. You're gonna to have to let me know how you do that, honey."

Cat ran her fingers through her hair to get the curls out of her face. "If I knew, I'd tell you. No clue at all." She took a breath. "I'm being stalked by something."

Jamison's eyes darkened. "Something, not someone?"

She nodded.

He took her hand, leading her up the stairs to his home. "I need two things first—Coffee and your story. You'll tell me, then we'll puzzle out what's happening. No more disappearing."

Bossy SOB. She glared, felt the ground go soft beneath her, and gasped when she was swung up into strong arms.

"I said no disappearing." Bastard. "I can't help you if you disappear on me."

"Fine." He set her down when he stepped over the threshold.

"I'm assuming you have to be on actual ground in order to disappear."

She nodded. "I think you're right. I'm not 100% sure because yesterday was the first time it happened, but I've only been able to when I've been on grass."

He moved to the kitchen of the large, open space and began to make coffee. "You're terra magic is the strongest I've seen in a long time. Not many have that form of magic. Are you related to a royal family?"

She blinked once. Twice. "Um, what?"

He turned slowly, brows furrowed. "Terra magic. It's rare. Very rare. The closer you are to one of the royal lines, the stronger the magic and its variations. You have to be related to one of the five. Which one?"

She blinked again. "You talk like magic actually exists. You're not freaked out in the slightest." She stood, starting to freak the fuck out. "You should think I'm crazy. You should be calling the police asking for a paddy wagon to the loony bin, not asking me about royals and magic. What the fuc-finkel hogen is going on?"

He raised on brow, turned back to the coffee  maker and asked, "How do you take your coffee?"

She looked at her hands, they were already shaking. What the hell. Why not? "Four cream and five sugars."