Vivian remained on the floor, not bothering to contain her amusement as I scrunched my nose in disgust.
“Is nothing sacred? I can’t even enjoy a good old-fashioned near-death experience without mockery?”
“Well, you could have if you’d been near death, which you weren’t. After Derrick brought you here, I performed your spell with the enchanted rosenphyn you had leftover from testing Liam’s shirt. Turns out, Helen dipped the blade in icafrass sap. It’s essentially harmless, meant to disarm rather than kill, which is why it’s quick-acting. It made you dizzy. Probably nauseous too.”
“Don’t remind me. I should have gone easy on your stew before I went hunting for killers. Lesson learned.” I folded my arms over my stomach and frowned. “Are you sure I wasn’t dying a little bit? It was dicey near the end there.”
“No. The poison only induces fainting.”
“I fainted?” I kicked the blanket off my legs and sat on the edge of the bed, head in my hands. “How embarrassing. Does Derrick know?”
“Yeah, sorry. If it makes you feel better, he wouldn’t leave your side. It was very sweet. But it made keeping your diagnosis from him tricky.”
Great.I couldn’t even die properly. I was just a ranting lunatic who’d been dosed with a hallucinogenic. Even my wound wasn’t anything to get excited about.
“Is he still here?”
“Yes, he’s been pacing outside since I kicked him out of your room. He did not appreciate that. But it’s my house, and I thought you might want to get rid of all this…”—she swung her hand in my general direction—“awkwardness before you see him again. Maybe fix your hair.”
“What’s wrong with my hair?”
“Nothing, if you’re going for the ‘I was attacked in an alley and it shows’ kind of look.”
“Gee, thanks, Viv.”
She shrugged and had me turn so she could sit beside me on the bed. The mattress dipped as she reached for a brush on the nightstand, then she pulled the bristles through my tangled waves. We were quiet for a long moment, her fingers soft as she sifted through the strands, arranging them so they’d frame my face.
“There, all better.” Her hands stilled. “I’m glad you’re okay, Tess. I have enough friends who are ghosts.”
I smiled. “I know.”
Her fingers found mine, and she squeezed. “Are you ready to see Derrick, or do you want me to tell him to come back tomorrow?”
Nerves fluttered in my stomach. There was no sense in putting it off any longer even though I was scared to see him. What if he made sure I was okay and then just left? Did I have it in me to change his mind? If being somewhat adjacent to death’s door hadn’t made him realize how much he cared for me, I didn’t have a ton of other cards to play.
“I want to see him.”
Vivian rose and walked to the door, pulling it open a crack to say, “She’s feeling better. You can sit with her if you want.”
The door was pushed wide, and Derrick appeared in the entrance. Air left his lungs in a rush when he saw me sitting up in bed.
Vivian patted his shoulder. “It’s late. I’m turning in. Goodnight, you two.” She nudged him further into the room then closed the door, her footsteps fading down the hall.
Derrick stood unmoving, watching me as if I might vanish into thin air. The strength of his gaze made me restless, and I slid to the edge of the bed, wincing when I put pressure on my injured arm.
He was beside me in an instant. “Go slow. Are you dizzy?”
“No, I’m fine. It’ll take more than a knife wound and poison to get rid of me.” My smile dimmed beneath his fierce expression. Jeez, where was the joy at my speedy recovery? How about,You’re the bravest, most resilient and stunningly beautiful witch the kingdom has ever seen?Something! At this point, I’d take a fist bump to the shoulder and a, “Hey, good to see ya.”
Derrick sank into a chair beside the bed, where he bent over and dropped his head into his hands. His coat was filthy. A long swath of blood had dried on his sleeve, and droplets dotted the side in a scattered pattern. There was no saving it. Apparently, the coat knew how to die properly.
“I think you need to burn your coat.”
He laughed, the sound abrasive, almost brutal. “You’re always worried about my clothes. The devil take my coat! Tessa, I thought I was going to lose you.” He lifted his head, anguished eyes locking with mine.
I went still, my insides rolling from the intensity. His voice was rough with emotion.
“When you blacked out, I lost it. I’ve spent my entire career as a detective hardening myself against the things I witness every day, and in a single second, seeing your eyes close like that, it ruined me.”
