Page 32 of Hollowed

“Whichemotion did you use on the last try?”Hisgaze was heavy on my skin, but not uncomfortable, like my mother’s.Herattention was ice and blades, but theDullahan’swas warm, like a tepid bath, lapping at my skin.

Idid not answer.Didnot want to answer.HowcouldItell himIwas trying to focus on not disappointing him without seeming like a foolish child?Therewas no way to tell him that my intense, abject fear of failure had burned that patch of earth in an instant without sounding pathetic.

Heraised an eyebrow at my silence. “Katrina?”

Shiftingunder his gaze,Icleared my throat.Fromthe little timeIhad been around him, it was clear he would not move on untilIanswered. “Fear.”

Atmy words, both of his eyebrows shot up. “Fear?Surelyfear of your own powers would not cause them to explode in such a manner.”

“No.”Ishook my head, chuckling at myself.Perhapsit was better to just admit it.Toget the obvious out in the open.Iwas a failure, and now,Alexanderwould see it, too. “Fearof failing.”

Hisface softened.Thelook was not quite that of pity, but more of understanding, andIwas uncertain whichIhated more. “Youdid not fail,Katrina.Noteven remotely.”

Iscoffed, my frustration rising.Idid not need coddling, nor didIwant it.I’dsurvived this long in my life without it and would continue to do so.

“Well,Horseman,Icertainly did not succeed.”

Hestudied me, his eyes intensely gazing into mine.Hisfingers twitched and his hand moved forward, but he pulled it back quickly, picking up a book from his stack and sliding it across the table instead. “Here, read through this and see if you can find anything useful that might explain this.”

“Ithought you wanted to ask me about the town,”Isaid asIpulled the book in closer.

Iran my fingers over the embossed leather.AHistoryofElementalMagic, it read.Itwas clearly old, given the age of the leather and the soft crinkling of the spine, asIopened its dusty pages.

“Ido,” he admitted, opening his own book, which looked to be a small journal based on the neat swirls of handwritten lines inside. “Ican ask you questions while we read, if that’s all right.”

Inodded, turning to the first page of the book in front of me.Thiswas good.Readingand answering his questions would be enough to hold my focus and keep my mind from wandering to dangerous avenues. “Yes, ask anything you would like.”

“Isthere anyone you think would try to raise the sluagh?Forany purpose.”Hisquestion was blunt, his eyes focused on the journal in front of him.Iwanted him to look up at me, to feel the weight of his gaze.Buthe kept his eyes down as he turned to the next page.

Iwatched him for a moment, his eyes flicking through the pages in front of him, tracking the letters and words.Mycheeks burned asIrealized just how longI’dbeen staring at him without answering his question.Idropped my head and forced my eyes back to my book. “Isuppose there would be several.Anyof theCiallmharwould have that power.”

“Canyou think of anyone in particular?” he asked.Hepaused and leaned back in his chair, its legs creaking under his shifting weight. “Isthere anyone who is notanElderthat you might suspect?”

Iopened my mouth but closed it whenIrealized the nameIhad been about to say.No, it couldn’t possibly be him.

Heraised an eyebrow. “Youdo.Whois it?”

Thename was heavy on my tongue, and as much asIdidn’t want to believe he was capable of such evil, he’d already proven that he was.

“BromBones,”Ifinally offered, sighing.Athis quizzical look,Ielaborated. “Hisname isAbrahamVanBrunt.Heis a rather… ambitious man.Icould see him trying to raise the sluagh if he thought it would benefit him and cut down the competition.”

“Iknow he has learned to manipulate the lightning around him,”Alexandersaid, leaning forward on his forearms. “Butis he powerful?”

“Notoverly so,”Iexplained, thinking back to all the timesIhad seenBromuse his powers. “I’venever seen him do more than create balls of flickering light, and that’s only when there’s a strong storm overhead, butIsuppose he could be hiding his true abilities.”

“Arehis parents powerful?”

“Hismother can manipulate weather, and his father is a diviner.”Iflushed, remembering that he had told me he knew the names and powers of everyone in theHollow.Icleared my throat and turned to the next page in the book in front of me. “I’vebeen told his father has low-level magic, soIhad always assumed most of his powers came from his mother.”

“Hewas born inSleepyHollow?”

“Asfar asIknow, yes.Ibelieve his parents came from the north several years before he was born.Hehas been trying to marry into more power since we turned of age.”

TheHorseman’sface darkened, reminding me that despite his kindness, he was still a bringer ofDeathand had likely earned that title. “Marryyou,Iassume?”

Iraised an eyebrow at his reaction.WastheDullahanupsetBromwanted to marry me?Surelynot, yet the sharp crease between his brows and the set of his jaw told a different story. “Yes.AndIhave turned him down every time.”

Hehummed, tapping his chin. “Hemight be worth looking into.Ifhe is as self-serving as you say.Whoelse?”

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