019 Indeed Magical

Kitty was caught off-guard and jumped away from the voice behind her before she turned to look.

Of course it was him.

"How... how did you...?!" Kitty stammered. The group of students were also stunned at her reaction, but then they stepped in front of Kitty against Erebus.

"Who are you?" The guy who escorted Kitty asked Erebus in a not very friendly way.

"I'm her friend, and her boss, if that'd make you feel better. She works for me. And you are?" Erebus replied politely, not seemed to be bothered at all by his attitude.

"Is that true?" The guy asked Kitty, who looked reluctant to agree, but she didn't voice any protest either.

"I've returned all the money, but he is fine. Thank you so much for helping me. You have done more than I can ask for." Kitty nodded and turned to the students. She didn't want to bother them anymore. Besides, she didn't want to make them choose between helping her and send her to an orphanage either.

"We found her being harassed outside of the art museum." A girl explained now that Kitty had confirmed Erebus's identity.

"I'm grateful for your helping her out. I cannot imagine what it would be like if you weren't there. I'm in your debt." Erebus bowed towards them, and that was when Kitty knew she had to go with him.

His "I'm in your debt" was so solemn that Kitty felt like he paid something out for her rescue, and that guilty feeling forbid her from saying no to Erebus.

"Kitty, I'm sorry for everything. I don't know what happened exactly yet, but I know you left for a reason, I want to apologize and I promise that--" Erebus started but Kitty shook her head before he could finish his sentence.

"It's not your fault." Kitty said, but Erebus could tell something was wrong from the cold calm on her face, and it pained him to even think about what that would mean.

"Would you like to go back with me first?" He asked with gingerliness in his voice.

"Sure." Kitty replied with not much hesitation, unlike the students. They looked at each other, not really trusting the man came out of nowhere, but there wasn't much that they could do because Kitty didn't look like she was forced to go either.

"My gratitude again. This is my card. Feel free to contact me if you have any trouble." Erebus handed a card to the guy who escorted Kitty. Erebus was not aware of that, but he could intuit that he was special to her among these people.

Kitty got in the car with Erebus and waved the group goodbye. They stood on the pave way for a bit and watched their car left.

"Are you alright?" Erebus turned to look at Kitty, his voice soft and gentle.

"Of course." Kitty said, her eyes on the outside of the window.

"What was the harassment they were talking about?" Erebus chose a safer topic to start with.

"It was... Busy?" Kitty stopped her sentence because Erebus was typing on his phone.

"No, just letting Metis and them know I've found you. They have been looking for you, too." Erebus hurried with the typing and put his phone done. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine." Kitty's face turned cold when she heard "they have been looking for you". She didn't really want to think about that after the accusation they threw at her.

He held on to the wheel hard because her coldness caused him physically pain. He didn't want to show it, and that was the best way to hide. He didn't know a stray cat can be very sensitive to small motions like that. They have to survive on the street after all.

And Kitty did. She didn't know why, but she knew he was upset, and that was enough for he to feel unwelcomed.

"The harassment? What was that about? Some drunk on the road?" Erebus picked up where he left the conversation.

"It was nothing. Could you drop me on the Maple Avenue?" Kitty just shook her head. She had no idea why Perses would still want her dead, and she knew Erebus wouldn't let her go if he knew some killer was out there waiting for her.

Maybe it was safer for her to stay with Erebus, now that she knew there were people after her, but she didn't like the humbleness she felt staying at the bar.

"Kitty..." Erebus sighed. He knew she agreed to go with him so easily was not because she wanted to go back to the bar. She probably just worries they would hand her over to an orphanage. He knew how she thought he might have done that.

"Please." Kitty cut him off with just one word.

Erebus didn't argue this time: "Okay. What's on Maple Avenue?" Maybe she would feel better and more likely to talk to him on her own turf? But she felt safe there after just one day?

"An old friend." Kitty said. She didn't know what to make of all the shocking and overwhelming mixed truth she had been thrown at today. But if the witch's words weren't enough, the fact that Perses, a living werewolf, was still looking to kill her was a good enough reason for her to consider if there WAS something special about her.

She needed to go see the witch again. And if she still believed that Kitty was the daughter of her witch friend, then maybe Kitty could get some help from her.

The witch was shocked to know that her parents died as if she would have seen it coming. Maybe... Kitty didn't want to admit, but maybe Themis was right and her parents didn't die, until a month ago?

There were still too many questions that needed to answer. Kitty sighed among the mess of all the confusion, tired of thinking about her life. It had always been a mess.

Erebus glanced at her with a worried look. A poignant pain struck him on the chest when he heard Kitty's heavy sigh. He was upset at himself for letting everything went from heaven to hell one day after he found his happiness.

He should have taken Kitty with him and nothing would have happened. He knew it would be hard to gain her trust again now. The hostility was shown. The damage was done...

"This is Maple Avenue." Erebus slowed down the car, "What are you looking for?"

"Go ahead, a bit further, on the left." Kitty fixed her eyes on the road, looking for the little gothic store selling weird stuff.

"Wait, what..." Kitty mumbled because the car came to the other end of the street, and is now stopped on the side.

The shop was gone!

"It was--" Kitty stopped soon after she started her sentence. It wasn't there this morning either! When she walked past and got called off by the old lady, she could have sworn there wasn't a small grotesque store like that!

It was on a not well mowed lawn, the kind that won't attract people whether they prefer a tidy lawn or not. It was beside a cloth shop! Remembered that, Kitty opened the door and jumped out, tracing back to the way they came from.

"Kitty!" Erebus shouted as he jumped out of the car after her. But Kitty didn't go far. She stopped in front of a stone track leading to one of the stores on the left side.

It was a jewelry shop.

Similar shelves, but neatly lined against the window. Several counters inside, all with shiny, fancy gems and stuff, glittering but not as fascinating as the ancient talisman in the witch's store.

"Kitty?" Erebus watched Kitty for a while before he broke the silence.

"I need to go inside." Kitty made up her mind. She had to see. Besides, she did feel safer with Erebus by her side. For no obvious reason considering she JUST ran away from him.

"I'll go with you." He said without hesitation or delay.

Kitty turned to look at his face, and then she looked away. She knew what happened today had nothing to do with him, but he it just wasn't the same being with him again. She was now nervous and cautious.

Maybe it was because she felt that the people close to him, they hate her. She felt that. And she left him without a fight.

She didn't protest, and just headed to the store. But the magical feeling was gone. She knew, there weren't any magic in there anymore.

She was right.

The old lady was gone. And the shelves were gone. Everything, was gone.

"Good evening! What can I do for you tonight?" A young woman was behind the counter, standing with a huge smile on her face.

"Hmmm..." Kitty didn't have any good question in her. How could you be here? When did you set up shop? Has this always been a jewelry store? None of these questions would get the answer she wanted.

"How could you be here?!"