No, it definitely wasn’t. The spell I’d cast had faded, leaving me in my gray tunic dress. My emerald silk gown and matching slippers had vanished. A small pang throbbed around my heart, bringing home how temporary magic truly was. It was why seeing the mark on the prince’s arm affected me so much. He had something of my mother’s that wouldn’t fade. It couldn’t be sold off like her books or the magic shop.
“Let’s get you inside before you freeze to death. We’ll go in through a side entrance so no one sees.” He slipped an arm around my shoulder and led me back to the castle.
We’d only made it a short distance when Derrick found us. I watched him pick up the pace, my whole body trembling with cold. Concern pinched his features as his gaze slid over my soaked dress.
“What happened?” he shouted, shrugging out of his jacket. Derrick reached for me, pulling me gently from Prince Marcus’s hold, and slipped the jacket over my shoulders. I felt instantly warmer.
“She fell into the water. It was my fault, I—”
“It was an accident,” I interrupted, as Derrick’s hands roamed my body, searching for an injury.
“Were you hurt?” he asked.
“No, just embarrassed and soaked. I’m fine.” I captured his hands between my own. “I’m fine,” I repeated, my voice barely more than a whisper.
“I’m taking you home.”
“What? No.” Flattening my lips, I made a subtle motion with my eyes toward the prince, signaling we had more to investigate.
Derrick ignored me completely, giving his head a firm shake. “We’re done for tonight. Your Highness, please excuse us.” He didn’t wait for a response, slipping his arm around my waist and urging me toward the waiting carriages.
I ground my heels into the gravel. “Slow down.”
“Not until we’re in the carriage. Pick up your feet, or I’ll carry you.”
“You’re being ridiculous. It was an accident. We should—” I yelped when Derrick bent and swept me off the ground. He kept walking, my dress leaving a trail of droplets in the grass. “Aren’t you curious about what I learned? I mean—”
“Tessa, not now. You’re freezing. You could have been seriously hurt. What if you’d hit your head on the stone? What if…” He tightened his hold around my shivering body. “Ella drowned in that water. You could have died too.”
Shame kept me silent. He was right, a life had been lost. It wasn’t trivial.
Derrick gave a driver directions to the magic shop and ducked into a carriage, where he placed me on a plush seat then rummaged beneath the footrest for a blanket. Draping it across my lap to keep away the chill, he settled in too and pulled me against his side.
“Come here.”
“No.” I wriggled away, taking off his coat. It was horribly damaged. “I’ve already ruined your jacket. I can’t—”
“I don’t give a damn about my clothes, they’re replaceable.” His words made me pause, the significance warring with my emotions. Did that make meirreplaceable?His tone gave me hope, but that was wishful thinking. No. He didn’t mean me specifically. His declaration was a natural response to his oath as a detective. Life was precious, even the life of a laughable witch.
Still, I dropped the coat at my feet and sank into his embrace, pretending he truly meant me.
“Can you do a spell?”
Removing my numb fingers from beneath the blanket, I tried to rub my palms together. Nothing. I was too drained and cold to channel any magic.
“No. I’ll have to get dry the old-fashioned way.”
He smoothed the damp hair away from my face. “Tell me what happened.”
“I went outside for fresh air and found myself retracing Ella’s steps. I ended up at the fountain, and that’s where I saw Prince Marcus. He had his arm in the water, searching for something, which I found out was just his wineglass. I startled him, and he knocked me off my feet. He probably thought I was the killer, back for another round. I was only underwater for a few seconds before he pulled me out. I’m mortified more than anything, especially since I panicked in four feet of water and actually thought he was trying to hold me under.”
“How so?”
“When I tried to get my footing, my gown weighed me down. I thought his hands were on me, pushing. I…I was scared and fought back, but then he dragged me out, and I’m not certain what happened.”
“I should have been there. While you were outside nearly drowning, I was fielding useless questions.” His voice was deep with self-loathing.
“I didn’t almost drown.” I placed a hand against his chest. “Besides, I was able to get Prince Marcus to confirm Liam’s story about switching masks. He was furious with his father for arranging the ball and for forcing him into a marriage he didn’t want.”
