Page 25 of Hollowed

Hesighed, reaching up to rub at his temple.Thedarkness surrounding him faded and the hairs on my arms no longer stood on end. “No,Ihave not told them.Ihave not approached theCiallmharin decades.”

“Why?”ThoughI’dtried to keep my voice carefully neutral, the cutting disapproval was far too clear.

“Idon’t answer to them,Katrina.Nomatter what they may think.”Hiseyes narrowed slightly. “Andwhy shouldI?They’vemade it clear they would not listen to my words.Theyonly want me to protect the town, take my sacrifices, and stay in the shadows.”Hisjaw flexed, and he reached up to run a hand through his hair. “Andas for the fog, why wouldItell them whenIbelieve it is one of them summoning these creatures?Therehave been too many to simply just slip through the cracks.Thisis intentional.”

“Whatcreature is causing the fog?”Myvoice was steadier, but the understanding in his eyes told me he knewIwas hanging on by a thread—a sparse, fraying thread that anchored me to reality.Awhisper could have snapped it, butIstill clung to it, desperate to repair it with my curiosity and quest for knowledge.

Silencefilled the room asIwaited for the answer to my question.Icould not bring myself to break it.IwishedIcould sayIdidn’t believe him, butIcouldn’t.I’dseen theCiallmharand how power hungry some of them were.

“Imay beSleepyHollow’sprotector”—Heinterlaced his fingers, leaning onto his forearms as he stared into my eyes, holding my gaze as if he could see into the very recesses of my soul—“but after meeting you and seeing your magic,Ibelieve you are its savior,Katrina.”

“Pardonme?”Ifelt myself sit back in the chair with a thump, as ifIwere outside my own body.Keepingup with his changing topics was making me dizzy, andIcouldn’t gain my balance, not before he’d already moved on to his next earth-shattering revelation designed to upturn my world.

Ileaned back, blinking at him.

TheHorsemancould not have just said whatIthought he said.Overthe past three days,Ihad been toldIwould destroySleepyHollow, and nowIwas being toldIwould save it.Myhead was swimming, waves of confusion crashing down and threatening to drown me whereIsat.

Myvoice was almost a squeak asIshook my head. “Iam no savior.Ibarely have magic.”

“Youhave more magic than you suspect,” he told me, raising his eyebrow back toward the singed spots on his table whereI’dbeen holding onto it. “Ican see the vast well of power you hold.”

“How?Isthat part of your magic?”

Iclung to anything that would keep me from spiraling down into panic.Facts, questions, answers.Iwas collecting as much information asIcould hold, cataloging it for later.

“Mymagic allows me to enter the spirit realm, among other things.”

Iswallowed hard, my next question sticking against the back of my tongue. “YousaidIhave more magic.How?Mymother always told meIhad low levels of magic because my control is unreliable.”

Hetilted his head as he studied me.Somethingakin to pity flashed in his eyes briefly. “Youhave never been properly trained, have you?Wereyou ever taught how to access your magic, to hone it, or has it only ever erupted with your emotions?”

Adelaide’swords came back, and realization washed over me. “Withmy emotions,Isuppose.Iwas not even taught spell words untilIwas thirteen.”

“Useless,” he spat, disdain in his eyes.

Myheart dropped, a hollow ache filling the cavity where it sat.I’dheard the words before, mostly from my mother, but hearing them from theDullahanwas different.Itcracked against my soul like a whip, flaying it raw.

Icouldn’t bring myself to reply.

TheDullahanran a rough hand over his hair. “Thosefools had no idea what they held.Theyjust tossed you aside because you did not conform to their ideas of how magic should manifest.Theyare the ones who failed you,Katrina, not the other way around.”

Iblinked.Hewas calling them useless, not me? “ButI…Ijustmake pottery.”

Hislook could have wilted even the strongest of flowers. “Youare capable of making far more than just pottery,Katrina.”

Sighing,Ishifted in my chair, clasping my fingers together to keep from crossing my arms impetuously.Ineeded to remember that despite how kind he had been so far, despite how willing he was to answer my questions, this was still theDullahan, a self-professed child ofDeath.Andeven if he was telling the truth about my magic, his magic likely far outweighed anythingIcould ever achieve, and to show him disrespect would certainly result in a death sentence.

“Whydo you thinkIhave this power?Whydo you thinkIcan save the town?Isthat not what you are here for?”

“Whatis threatening theHollownow is beyond whatIcan stop on my own.”

Thatwas far from encouraging to hear. “Doyou know what the threat is?Whatthe fog is?”

“IbelieveIdo.”Again, he spoke so casually. “It’sa horde of spirits who feast on the souls of the living.”

“Whyis it following me, then?Howdo you thinkIcan help you stop it?”

Hehesitated, tipping his head to the side as he stroked his chin, studying me.

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