My hand gripping the paintbrush lifted to the canvas, and my eyes snapped open as the familiar tingling sensation built in my fingertips. Damon must have felt the energy shift or noticed when I began to paint because he made his way to my side. Having him watch from over my shoulder didn’t bother me like I thought it might. I was too consumed by the image filling my mind and trying to get it out of me as fast as I could.
“What is that?” Damon asked, his tone sparking with hope and excitement. “Are those flowers? Is that a street? Do you know which one?”
I didn’t answer him. Fear I’d lose the image had me keeping my lips pressed firmly together.
When the painting was complete, I took a step back and stared at my work.
There were plenty of flowers. An entire stand of them. And there was a woman who’d stopped to smell them. She had fiery red hair that fell past her shoulders in silky waves and wore a pale purple top.
She was Damon’s Mystic, and I knew instinctively that she was here—she was in Denton.
Chapter Nine
I didn’t know why I expected Damon to release me the second I did as he asked, but I did. And when he didn’t, I found myself ticked.
“I did what you wanted. When can I go?” I demanded.
“Not until I know what you painted is real,” Damon insisted, unable to take his eyes off the woman in the painting. “For all I know, you could have painted anyone just to be released.”
I kicked myself mentally for not having thought of that sooner. If I’d been the one to think of it first, then maybe I’d be free. Instead, I was still being held hostage. Gran was growing sicker by the second. And I knew Nash and the others were probably flipping out while trying to figure out how the heck to find me.
“We need to find her first, then I’ll let you go,” Damon insisted.
I folded my arms over my chest and glared at him. “The deal was I was supposed to paint an image to help you find her. I did that. Now let me go.”
Damon glared at me. His pupils elongated, flashing with his snake and his irritation. “And now you need to help me find her. You won’t be set free until you do.”
My bear paced. She was sick of his demands and threats. Frankly, so was I.
“How am I supposed to do that?” I asked.
“You tell me. Is there anything more you saw in your vision? Anything that might be able to help us pinpoint my Mystic’s location better?” Damon rubbed his jaw as his gaze drifted back to the painting. “How does this work exactly anyway? Is this happening right now, or is it in the future?”
“Typically, it’s in the future,” I said.
“How far?”
I shrugged.“I don’t know. Sometimes it’s a few minutes. Sometimes it’s an hour. And sometimes it’s an entire day. I don’t get a time frame with these things.” My tone was snippy, but I didn’t care. He should be thanking me for painting an image of his Mystic. Now he knew that she was in the city, she had red hair, and a few of her facial characteristics.
Instead, he only cared that I didn’t screw him over and that I helped him find her.
“The latter doesn’t bode well for you,” Damon said, his tone sharp. Clearly, he was getting sick of my attitude. “You’re not being released until we figure this out.”
My stomach dipped. How the heck was I going to find this woman? Denton was a big city. She could be anywhere. I didn’t know where or how to start looking for her.
My gaze drifted to the painting, checking it for any possible clues I might have missed. There were two things that stood out. One was the flowers she was admiring. The only place I’d ever seen displays like that in the city were in front of florist shops. The second thing was the tall, grayscale building at the end of the street she was on. I recognized it, knowing it was somewhere I’d been before, but I couldn’t place it.
“Give me my phone,” I insisted, holding my hand out.
Damon flashed me a crooked grin. “Miss Mathers, look at you making demands.” He released a chuckle. “However, that’s a demand I won’t be giving in to.”
“You said you wanted to find her. How else am I supposed to search for florist shops in the city? Clearly, that’s where she is. Don’t you think?” I asked, pointing to the picture.
“Good point. One second.” He left the room, making his way to one of the back rooms in the apartment. He was gone from my sight for only a minute before he came back carrying a laptop. “Search away. Time is ticking.”
He meant for us both, I could see it in his eyes.
I took the laptop from him and made my way to the leather couch along the far wall. Damon followed. After I sat, I booted the computer up and began searching Denton for florist shops. Five popped up on the screen. I could tell that the first three were duds because they were in areas of the city that in no way resembled the street behind the woman in the painting.
The fourth one though, that one was our winner.
“It’s this one. May flowers.” I pointed to the screen.
“How can you be sure?” Damon asked.
“I recognized the tall building at the end of the street in the painting. It’s a corporate building. I can’t remember what the name of the company is, but I know there are a few of my paintings hung in the lobby. One of the big executives bought them a few months after I got to the city. I went by once or twice to see them on
