Derrick tossed it back. “No, thank you. You know I’m a bear without a good night’s sleep.”
“You’re a bear either way.” I laughed as he reached for me, and I danced around him. He chased me into the corner. I ducked under his arm, but his hand snaked around my waist, capturing me against his side.
“I caught myself a witch.”
Tilting my head up, I blew the hair out of my eyes and tried to wriggle out of his embrace. It didn’t work; he only tightened his grip.
“You should know, a witch never stays caught.”
I focused my magic, intending to give him a little shock, but nothing happened.
I tried it again.
“Having some trouble?” Derrick spun me around until we were facing each other. He leaned forward and rested his arms on my shoulders. “Has the almighty Tessa lost her magic again?”
I furrowed my brow. “I’m just out of juice this morning. I think it’s all the stress. So, technically, it’s your fault.”
He chuckled. “Well, how about a little breakfast, then some ice skating? I did promise to teach you.”
“Sure. Falling on my butt first thing in the morning sounds like the perfect way to relieve some stress.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall. It’ll be fun.” He was halfway to the door when I remembered to ask.
“Hey, I think I misplaced the medallion Vivian gave me. I had it on the nightstand, but now it’s missing. Do you think one of the servants could have picked it up by accident?”
“You lost it already? Not very lucky, was it?” He winked, and his grin widened when I gave him an unamused snarl. Holding up his hands, he laughed. “All right, I’ll ask around and see if anyone saw it. Now, hurry and get dressed. And wear something warm—it will be cold out on the ice.” Checking the hallway to make sure it was empty, Derrick slipped through the door and went back the way he came.
***
Coldout on the ice? The man was daft. It was freezing!
I tugged my knit hat over my ears and rubbed my fuzzy mittens together. The sun glistened against the pristine snow, refusing to do the second half of its job and warm my frozen limbs.
A giant kidney bean-shaped pond rested at the bottom of a small incline. The far edges of the pond brushed up against a line of trees, but there was an open valley to the right with rolling hills, and on the left stood Fairwood Manor. From this distance, the house looked to be a more manageable size, almost like a dollhouse replica, and I imagined cracking the face of it open and learning its secrets.
I turned back to the pond. At breakfast, everyone thought skating sounded like a wonderful idea and had offered to join us. Isabelle was already out on the ice. She spun in a tight circle, scraping the blade of her skate along the ice with razor precision.
“Figures,” I mumbled, shifting my gaze to Edward. He glided by, wheeling his arms wildly as his skates shifted underneath him. Gaining his balance, he waved, then gave me a bow that nearly sent him to the ground.
“Be careful!”
“Don’t worry, my dear. I’m better than I look.”
Derrick came up behind me, his boots crunching through the packed snow. He’d been rummaging around in an old storage shed by the base of the pond. His cheeks were red from the cold, but he grinned and held up a pair of skates as if they were a prized trophy. Another pair was slung by the laces over his shoulder.
“These were Sophie’s. I think they’ll fit,” he said, kneeling in front of me to help put them on.
Using Derrick for balance, I kicked off my boot and tried sliding my foot into the skate. “Are you sure it’s okay? I don’t want to cause any trouble. I’m fine with watching. I can’t crack my skull open by watching, so pluses all around.”
“Yes, it’s fine. Someone should use these—they’re only collecting dust. Sophie would be horrified.”
I smiled wistfully and twirled my finger around the laces, pulling them tight. “Was your sister a good skater?”
“She was better than Edward.” Derrick guided my other foot into the skate.
“That’s not saying much.”
“No, it’s not.” He laughed, keeping his hands at my waist, while I got used to the thin blade of the skates.
