Derrick worried about me too. Usually, people were worried I’d screw up a spell or bring shame to my family name—which, let’s be honest, I often did—but they weren’t truly worried about me, only what I’d do next. Derrick wanted what was best for me, and I wanted the same for him. He’d faced trauma and lived with the effects every day. He needed someone who could lighten his moods and provide him comfort, and if ever there was a witch for the job...
My hand stilled over the vial of rosenphyn, cork stopper suspended in the air.
Did I love him?
No. I loved thingsabouthim. That was different. Derrick and I were polar opposites. When the case was settled, we’d go our separate ways.
I slumped in the chair. Returning to the magic shop to sell hair cream and wrinkle tonics made me want to throw up. It wasn’t enough. Somewhere along the way, I’d begun to hate the witch who ran a failing shop with no prospects and no plan, who went from one disaster to the next just to stay afloat. That was the girl my mother had shaken her head at in disappointment. This case had changed everything and given me a new sense of purpose. Derrick was proud of my contributions. I had a place here. I’d found something and someone who mattered to me, and I didn’t want to let either of them go.
With a groan, I glanced at the bloodstained fabric, hoping it had changed color and could distract me from my revealing thoughts. No such luck, which meant I needed something else to distract me instead. Good thing I was in a room full of evidence.
If Derrick was right, and our investigation had turned toward the prince, we’d need to find a connection between him and all three of the women. Ella’s connection was obvious: they’d attended the same ball. He even had a motive. The night by the fountain, he’d admitted his anger over being forced into marriage and the loss of control over his life. Would he kill to regain control? It was possible.
Sophie also had a connection with the prince. She’d been murdered during one of the king’s feasts. The prince would have been in attendance. It’s possible their paths had crossed. There wasn’t an obvious motive, but it was a start.
Jane was the only one who didn’t fit. Working as a barmaid, it was unlikely she’d visited the castle, and also unlikely that Prince Marcus had ever visited her establishment. Talk about polar opposites. It meant one of two things: either it wasn’t the prince at all, or we hadn’t found the right link.
I scooted the chair closer to Derrick’s worktable and dug out the box of items taken from Jane’s crime scene. There wasn’t much. An embroidered coin purse, two hair ribbons, a simple metal chain, and a worn, well-read book of poetry. The tokens of her life were the only witnesses to her crime, but they remained unforgiving in their silence. I thought about the contents in my own pockets and morbidly wondered what would be in them when I died. What story would they tell?
Starting with the book of poetry, I went through it, page by page. The ink was smudged in various places, but there were no notations or clues written inside. I moved on to the coin purse, smiling when I picked it up because it resembled one Vivian had given to me when we were kids. It was the same shape and had the same embroidered pattern. Vivian had found mine on a market stall and thought of me instantly. I’d been trying to sneak spells out of the house, and my mother had started to search my pockets. The coin purse was perfect because it had a hidden compartment.
I opened the purse to find it empty, but sure enough, there was a near-invisible sleeve in the side. Sliding my finger into the pocket, I located a slip of paper. It contained only a handwritten number and a stamped seal.
A chill settled in my stomach. The seal was familiar. I’d stared at it a hundred times, cursing my luck. How was this possible? I glanced at the fabric from Liam’s shirt and saw the bloodstain had changed color. Green. Liam had ingested belladonna root, same as Ella.
The slip of paper trembled in my hand. Argus was searching for Ironhazel, and now, I had evidence from one of our victims containing his seal.
Jane had owed Argus money.
I needed to know why.
Chapter 23
“Are you insane?” Vivian hissed, trailing me down the steps of her shop. She grabbed the sleeve of my cloak and didn’t let go. “You’re going to visit Argus?”
“I need answers, Viv, and he has them. He knows Jane and happens to be looking for Ironhazel. That’s not a coincidence. What if he’s the key to unlocking this case?”
She twisted to block my path while still holding onto my sleeve. “Then take Derrick with you. You can’t run off to interrogate a criminal by yourself. I forbid it.”
“Derrick has been tied up at the palace all afternoon. This is too important. It can’t wait.”
Vivian scoffed. “You’re such a coward. You haven’t told Derrick the truth about your debt, and you’re afraid of how he’ll react, so, instead, you’re doing what you always do—which is, trying to solve everything by yourself. Do you think Derrick will be impressed if you come back with information? He’ll be furious.”
She had a point. Derrick’s rules were clear, no investigating alone, and I couldn’t deny his protective streak when it came to my safety. He would be furious.
“Look, you’re right. I haven’t told Derrick about Argus, and he deserves to know, but that’s irrelevant to this situation because here’s the truth. There is no way Argus is going to answer questions in front of a royal detective. My only chance is to talk to him one-on-one, and even that is a long shot.”
Vivian blew out a breath and looked up at the overcast sky. “It’s such a bad idea.”
“No, a bad idea would be to let this opportunity slip through my fingers. Derrick will never let me speak with Argus once I tell him about my debt, and Argus will never speak with Derrick. I have one shot. Think about Ella. What wouldn’t you do for one of your ghosts? You’re always charging around, going to abandoned haunted houses. Remember the time you fell through the rotten floor into the basement, and it took us two days to find you?”
She shuddered. “Something was living down there. I landed in its nest, and that’s why I’m coming with you to see Argus.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but she held up a finger.
“Not a peep. I’m coming with you. If he recruits us into his gang and ships us off to a foreign kingdom to become hardened female assassins, then at least you won’t be alone.
I swallowed a laugh. “Honestly, Viv, you have a colorful imagination.”
