I inhaled sharply, a bitter denial on my tongue. “You don’t have the authority to make that decision. The prince—”
“The prince is being held at the castle on suspicion of murder. This is my call.” He thrust the satchel into my hands. “Take it. I won’t have you indebted to that criminal.” His tone lowered, becoming rough. “No matter what happens between us, I need to know you’ll be okay.”
I scoffed, wishing I could hide behind my own mask of indifference. “You can’t have it both ways. We’re supposed to be partners! I thought we were more than that. I thought…” Outrage clogged my throat. I was such an idiot. Things weren’t different. He’d turned me upside-down with his acceptance and then decided I wasn’t worth it after all. “Fine, toss me off the case, but you don’t get to throw money at the pitiful witch so you can sleep at night.”
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.” Derrick’s eyes closed as if he were reining in his patience. His jaw tightened. “Tessa, I don’t know how to trust you anymore, but I can’t lose you either. If something happened to you because of him, I would never forgive myself.”
“That’s no longer your concern.”
“The hell it is!”
My fingers clenched around the bag. I wanted to throw it, smash it against the wall, make it disappear in a puff of smoke. It was absurd. I held the answer to my prayers in my hand, and it felt hollow.
Realization came fast and filled me with certainty. I’d rather lose the shop than fail Ella. I tipped the bag so coins fell from the opening, clinking as they hit the floor. They scattered around my feet, and I shook the bag until it was empty, then crumpled it in my fist.
“Until the killer is caught, the reward is up for grabs. When I find him, I’ll be back to collect it. And just so you don’t accuse me of withholding information again, the reason I visited Argus was because Jane Porter worked for him. Jane was investigating Ironhazel, and whatever she found got her killed. One of your men picked up a ledger detailing her involvement. You can check with him to see if I’m telling the truth. In the end, it was my association with Argus that provided the clue. He never would have spoken with the agency.” I stepped over the coins and walked toward the door.
Derrick grabbed my arm. “Don’t do this, Tessa.”
“Am I free to go, or are you finally making good on your promise to arrest me?”
The silence that followed had weight to it. It was a crushing force that made my bones ache. His eyes held mine, and I almost crumbled, begged him to take me back. To trust me again. To love me, faults and all.
His gaze fell. “You’re free.”
Two simple words that pierced my heart. He wasn’t just dropping the charges, he was letting me go completely. I squared my shoulders, determined he wouldn’t see how much he’d wounded me. A witch never let anyone see her cry.
“Good luck, Detective. Maybe I’ll see you at the finish line.” I didn’t wait for a response. I didn’t even look back.
Chapter 25
One week later…
“How about these?” Vivian held up a set of decorative altar statues.
“Leave them. I’m pretty sure they’re cursed.” I added another scented pillar candle to a box and closed the lid.
Vivian scrunched her nose and placed the statues into the “stay” pile. She moved on to a shelf of amethyst crystals.
“I can’t believe you’re packing the shop.”
Neither could I, though in some ways, it felt cathartic. Wasn’t it always supposed to end this way? I’d spent the week wallowing in my rejection from Derrick while doing my best to track down Ironhazel. Neither venture had been very productive. My only connection to Ironhazel had been thwarted when Charlie went missing after he stiffed a mystical weapons vendor. I guess I would have run too if I had a price on my head, but without him, I didn’t have any other leads.
“I don’t have much choice. The month is almost up.”
“What about the Gazette? Any luck with the ad?”
“Derrick wouldn’t tell me if there was. For all I know, he’s already found the source of the roses. I mean, obviously, solving the case is the most important outcome, I just wanted to get there first.”
“For the reward?” Vivian dumped the entire shelf of crystals into a satchel.
“I don’t even know anymore. Sure, I want the money, but it all feels like failure at this point. If I save the shop, then what? I go back to mucking up illusions and selling mediocre potions? I’ll end up in the exact same situation as before.”
“And you miss him.”
Vivian sure knew how to salt a wound. Yeah, I missed Derrick in a way I hadn’t thought possible, and it was only an unhealthy dose of pride that kept me from crawling back to the agency. His silence hurt. I hadn’t expected him to forgive me, but I thought maybe it wouldn’t have been so easy to let me go. Jokes on the witch. He severed ties and didn’t look back. I bet he’d thrown a party, had it catered and everything.
My eyes stung, but I blinked away the tears. I couldn’t let Vivian see them. Every time I got a little weepy, she threatened to send a ghost to the agency. Apparently, she had the perfect one that wailed like a banshee all hours of the day. He’d never get any work done. It wasn’t flattering, but I had considered it.
Derrick had made his choice though, and I’d made mine, and now, we had to live with it. I had a shop to sell and my dreams to crush. There wasn’t time for petty revenge. Said no witch ever, which just went to show how far I’d fallen.
Vivian dusted a shelf of spell books and placed them into a box. “You know, I was thinking, with the money you have leftover from selling the shop and paying back Argus, you could purchase the old Derringer cottage.”
“It’s haunted, Viv.”
“So what? You can get it for a steal. I might have already spoken with the ghost to up his haunting activity and scare away potential buyers. The price will come down even further.”
“I’m not buying a haunted house.” I wiped the candle wax from my hands onto my skirt. “I’m thinking about traveling for a while. Maybe I’ll start fresh somewhere else.”
“Also known as running away.”
“Also known as self-preservation. I can’t run into him. What happens the first time I do, and he’s with someone else? I’ll make a voodoo doll. You know I will.”
Vivian smirked. “The poor thing won’t know what hit her between the hauntings and the phantom pains. If Derrick has any sense, he’ll remain a bachelor.”
I gave her a weak smile, and Vivian clapped her hands together.
“See, there’s a smile. You’re going to be all right. If you insist on traveling, maybe I’ll go with you. The Elemental Islands are beautiful this time of year. It’ll be two adventurous women taking the islands by storm. I’ll find myself a wealthy land baron, and you’ll cast a love spell over a handsome foreigner, and before you know it, Detective No Name will be a thing of the past.”
If only it were that easy.
I pushed aside the box and stood, stretching my aching muscles. The bell above the door jingled, and I looked over my shoulder at the newcomer.
“Sorry, we’re clos—” I paused, recognizing Estelle, the agency’s receptionist. She glanced around the shop, her gaze taking in the stacked boxes and packed merchandise.
“Looks like I arrived just in time.” Estelle shuffled inside, weaving around the disarray. “I can’t stay long, I’m on a lunch break. It will probably be my last one thanks to you. Apparently, lunch is a leisure activity.” Her eyes rolled, and she grumbled under her breath.
“Estelle, what are you doing here?”
She waved a dismissive hand. “Someone had to come and talk some sense into you. I don’t know how much longer I can keep my job. Mind you, I deal with a waiting room full of ruffians every day, and that’s nothing compared to the surly monster Detective Chambers has become. He’s unbearable! Officers hide when they see him, and it’s your fault.”
Vivian cock
ed her head. “I told you he’d be miserable without you, but you didn’t believe me.” She turned to Estelle. “This one’s miserable too. It’s hard to watch.”
“Traitor,” I hissed.
Vivian shrugged and opened a new box.
Estelle planted her fists on her hips and shot me an accusing glare. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but something needs to give. I’ve never seen him like this before. He doesn’t sleep, hardly eats, and he has this devastated look on his face every time I open his office door and he realizes it’s me and not you. Honestly, my feelings are hurt. I’m worried about him.”
The ache in my chest tripled. Had he been having a difficult time? I talked a big game, but I didn’t want to see him in pain. It was the last thing I wanted.
“What do you expect me to do?”
“Go talk to him. He needs you, and the dolt has too much pride to admit it.”
“I can’t do that, Estelle. It’s too hard. You don’t understand.”
Estelle huffed. “I understand perfectly. You’re scared. Both of you are. You think it’s easier to stay apart, but it’s so much worse.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t go back. It’s for the best.” The tears returned, and I swiped at them with my fingers. An ugly cry was in my future as soon as I had a minute alone.
“I was afraid you’d say that.” Estelle crossed her arms and gave me her best look of motherly disapproval. She nailed it. “I can’t make you talk to him, but there is something I can do. I heard you’re investigating the case on your own, and by the looks of things, the rumor about you needing the reward money is true. I can give you a tip, something even Derrick doesn’t know about. All I can hope for is that you solve the case first and stick around. Maybe, given enough time, the two of you can work out your differences.”
I chewed the corner of my lip, my interest piqued. “You have a tip about the case?”
“Yes. Someone came to the agency to speak with Detective Chambers, but he wasn’t in. I collected the statement. I haven’t shown it to him yet, and I’m giving it to you first.”
“If Derrick finds out, he’ll fire you.”
“Then you and I will both be looking for jobs.”
Vivian snapped her fingers. “Tessa and I are going to travel to the Elemental Islands. You could come. There’s room for one more. Think of the damage three adventurous ladies could do.”
She nodded. “Not a bad idea. But first, follow up on the tip, see where it takes you.” She pulled a sheet of paper from her bag and handed it over.
I read the details. “Are you sure about this?”
Estelle pursed her lips and pointed to the door. “If I were you, I’d hurry.”
***
The alley was dark, and it grew darker the further I walked. Sunlight tried its best to reach the dirt-packed ground but left only shadows. Oily puddles and debris lined both sides of the brick walls, but I weaved around them, pressing on until I found the right door.
Estelle’s tip said a shipment of illegal herbs had been delivered to this location. The neighbors had heard strange noises and smells coming from a room on the third floor. It was only occupied during the night, and during the day remained empty. I glanced at what little sun found its way into the alley. There was time to search before the owner returned. Maybe this was where Ironhazel worked? There could be stores of belladonna root inside.
As I climbed the rickety steps to the third floor, the weathered boards creaked under my feet. If the room wasn’t empty, whoever was inside would know I was coming, no way around that.
An earthy, herbal scent grew stronger as I approached the last door on the left of the hall. I paused in front of the portal and put my ear against the wood.
Nothing. It was empty.
I went inside, squinting in the dark. With the shades drawn, there was almost no light. Pushing the door softly until it clicked, I reached into the bag at my hip and closed my fist around two small stones, heating their smooth surface to make a beam of white light appear. Moonstones were a safer, brighter bet than a candle.
When I opened my hand, the glow lit the room. It also lit an advancing figure. Fear constricted my throat a second before they barreled me into the wall, the moonstones landing at my feet. Strong hands clamped my wrists, dragged them over my head, and anchored them to the wall.
“Don’t move,” a voice commanded.
I couldn’t breathe. The force from hitting the wall had knocked all air out of my chest. I wheezed, unable to drag in a breath. While the face in front of me spun, black dots danced in my vision.
“Tessa? Damn it!” The man’s grip loosened, and he caught me as I fell forward, lowering me to the floor as his hands cradled my face. “Breathe, Tessa. Come on, just breathe.”
Air finally filled my lungs, and I choked out his name. “Derrick? How?”
He ignored my question, hands skimming over my body in search of injuries. “Did I hurt you anywhere else? Answer me.”
“I’m trying,” I croaked. “Stop. I’m fine.”
His search ceased, but he kept pressure on my shoulders when I tried to sit up. “No. Stay still until you catch your breath. I need a minute too. I could have killed you.”
“Don’t be dramatic, you knocked the wind out of me.”
“What are you doing here?” Derrick’s voice shook with barely contained anger, though something told me he was angrier at himself. As his fingers ghosted over my jaw, my eyes closed. I missed those hands. He cushioned my head with his thigh.
“I got a tip.”
“So did I.”
A sneaky feeling coiled in my stomach. “Did Estelle give it to you?”
“Yeah, a witness left a statement.”
I groaned. That matchmaking she-devil. She deserved to be fired, and she was definitely no longer invited on our girls’ trip.
“She told me the same thing. Man, she’s devious. She set us up. I’d be shocked if this was even a real tip.”
“It wasn’t—I already searched. That smell is tea leaves. Perfectly legal tea.”
Had anything she said been true? Maybe it was all a lie, and Derrick wasn’t suffering in my absence. I was such a fool. A lovesick, pitiful fool.
Then, I focused on his face.
He was miserable. There was a bleakness in his expression that I’d never seen before. The need for sleep was ingrained around his eyes. He might have even lost a few pounds, and he’d had a workaholic won’t-stop-for-food attitude before we met. Seeing him like this should have made me feel better, but it only hurt worse. A million times worse.
Unable to resist, I pressed my palm against his cheek. Derrick released a slow breath, as if he’d been holding it all this time and could finally let it go.
“You look tired,” I said.
His hand covered mine. “The…case is killing me.”
“I know. Me too.”
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
“It’s supposed to be hard.” A tear slid down my cheek, which he caught with his thumb.
“Not like this. Tessa, some of the things I said to you—”
“I’m going to sell the shop,” I cut in, unable to withstand any mention of our previous fight. Rehashing it wouldn’t do any good.
“What? No.”
I sat up and cleared the emotion from my throat. “Don’t get excited. I’m still trying to beat you, but just in case, I thought you should know.”
“I never wanted that. I only wanted…” He didn’t finish. “What will you do?”
“Travel. I can’t stay here, it’s too difficult.” I held his gaze. “I should go somewhere where they don’t know about my unfortunate spells. Who knows, maybe I’ll get a few of them right this time?”
“Don’t go.”
My lips trembled. “Why?”
“Because people depend on you here.”
I laughed. “No, they don’t.”
“They do. I know they do.”
�
�Name one.”
“What about Finn? The kid worships you. Where will he get the medicine for his mother, if you’re not here? It’s not like you to give up like this.”
“I’m not giving up. I’m being practical, something I should have been from the start.” I stood and picked up the moonstones. They cast light around the sparse room, and sure enough, shelving units filled with tea canisters lined the walls. “Don’t be too hard on Estelle. She was trying to help.”
Derrick rose to his feet and stepped closer. His familiar scent filled my senses. How long would I remember it? Would it become a visceral memory every time I smelled anything similar? How cruel.
“Listen up, Detective. If you want to beat me then get some sleep. Eat something. Give me a real challenge, something to remember you by.”
“And what about you?”
“You don’t have to remember me.”
“What if I want to? You have to give me something.”
“A spell?” I closed the distance between us.
His hands circled my waist. “No.”
“Then how about an illusion?” I wound my fingers around his neck, going up on my toes. My lips found his, and I kissed him slow, thinking maybe it didn’t have to end. But that was the thing about illusions. They didn’t last.
Derrick let me lead, let me take my time. His mouth was warm against mine, lingering. It wasn’t an urgent kiss. Maybe it should have been. It should have been a lot of things, but it was only going to be a memory.
I pulled away and made for the door, taking the light with me.
***
My shop looked the same as it did when I’d left it. A mess. Boxes—some full, some waiting—were stacked against the wall. Vivian had made a dent in the display of creams and powders, getting most of them packed away, but she’d left the cabinet of oils for another day. I couldn’t look at any of it anymore. It stank of giving up. Vivian was right. I was running away.
I kicked one of the boxes and headed for the stairs. Something shattered beneath my feet.
Looking down, I expected to see a broken bottle, but there was nothing there. Which meant…
My gaze flew to the hatch in the floor. Someone was in my basement.
Spellbound After Midnight (Ever Dark, Ever Deadly Book 1) Page 22
