Page 59 of Hollowed

Myfeet thudded on the stairs asIdescended them, leaving the inn with a trail of black smoke following me.

Iwould stop my parents, with or without his help.AndIwould prove everyone who ever doubted me wrong.Hewanted me to saveSleepyHollow, and that was exactly whatIintended to do.

Twenty-Seven

WithouttheHorseman’smagical disguise,Iwas all too recognizable.Despitemy anger,Iwas at least thinking logically enough to realize that.Pausingin the hallway,Iweighed my options.Surelythere was some way for me to get out of this inn without anyone seeing me.

Iturned away from the main stairwell and moved down the back hall to the servant’s staircase.Pushingthe door open,Idescended to the back door of the inn.Agrin broke out on my face when my luck had turned, revealing a thick hooded cloak hanging on a hook beside the door.Thehood would certainly be deep enough to hide my face ifIkept to back alleys and avoided crowds.

Pullingit on,Ipushed open the door, tensing against the cool night air.AsIstepped out of the inn,IfeltAlexander’sglamor on me fall away, my skin tingling asIwas once again myself.Itucked my curls back into the deep hood, pulling it up to rest over my forehead before buttoning it at my throat.

Myheart was in my stomach asIwalked, my palms sweating despite the crispness of the autumn air.WhileIhad initially planned to go toHenryfor advice on howIshould accomplish this,Icould not risk him.AndsincePriscillawas likely still with him, given my request, she was no longer an option either.Turningmy feet down the path that would take me to the apothecary shop,Icould only hopeCiarawas still there.Icould only hope she would listen to me and would help me work through a plan to stop my parents on my own.

Abreath of relief passed through my lips, causing a puff of cold air to form in front of my face.Thecandles inCiara’sshop windows were still lit.Lookingboth ways to ensure no one was looking,Istepped out of the alley and hurried across to her shop, pushing open the door quickly and stepping inside.

“Iam closing for the evening,”Ciarasaid politely, her back turned to the door as she cleaned the tables.

Itook a deep breath to steady my nerves. “Evenfor me?”

Theteacups she had in her hand clattered to the floor, shattering on impact.Sheturned around slowly, as if she were afraid of what awaited her.Hereyes were wide as they landed on me, but immediately narrowed with suspicion. “Ithought you had gone,Katrina.”

“Canyou talk for a moment?”Iasked, turning to lock the door behind me. “Ineed your advice.”

Afrown graced her face as she stooped to pick up the shards of porcelain from the wooden floor. “Whyare you back?”

“Brombetrayed me.”Ipaused to take a breath, debating how much to tell her.WhileIwanted to spill all my secrets and tell her everythingIhad discovered,Ialso knew she could not leave and needed to be protected from the wrath of my mother.Andonly ignorance could do that.

“Iam shocked, truly.”Hervoice revealed that she was anything but shocked.

“Heattempted to sacrifice me to theHorseman.”

“Thenwhy are you alive?”Hervoice was hard and accusatory, as ifIhad done something wrong.

Ireeled back from the vitriol in her voice.Ofall the peopleIthought would be angry about my survival,Ciarahad not been one of them.Despiteher harsh words beforeI’dtried to leaveSleepyHollow,Istill considered her a friend.Oneof my only friends. “Areyou not happy to seeIam alive?”

“Iam simply surprised,” she said, her voice cool as she straightened from the floor, discarding the broken cups into the bin with a soft tinkling noise. “Noone has ever survived theDullahanbefore.”

“Heis not who we thought.Whichis the main reasonIam here.Ineed your help,”Isaid, broaching the subject carefully.WhileIknewAlexander—even despite his outburst just now—was a good person,Ciaradid not.Andafter believing for most of her life that he had killed her brother,Idoubted she would be open to listening to me. “Mymother is summoning beings from theOtherworldto steal the magic of those inSleepyHollow.”

“Andwhat do you want me to do about that?”Shewiped the table down aggressively, focusing on the rag in her hands instead of looking at me. “Weboth know your mother is a dreadful person.”

Inodded, my mind rushing between all the thingsIneeded to tell her, trying to decide what to say first. “Ineed your help to stop her.Imust confront her.”

Pausingfrom wiping down the table, she stood and ran her hands over her apron. “Katrina, we have been.Andthose who do are sent to theDullahanand never seen or heard from again.Iwill not risk leaving my mother alone just because you have finally seen what was right in front of you.”

“Thatis not fair,”Isaid, my voice wavering as the hurt washed through me.Thiswas not theCiaraIknew, not the womanIhad grown up with who had nurtured me and given me solace.Thiswas not the friendIhad held while she cried, and who had done the same for me after whatever venom my mother had spewed had sent me running for comfort.Ihad given everythingIcould to comfortCiaraafterTorin’sapparent death, had stopped asking for my own comfort in exchange for helping her.Ihad done it gladly to ease her sadness, but nowIcould see the sentiment would not be reciprocated. “Whyare you saying these things,Ciara?”

“Howdid you escape theDullahan,Katrina?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.Theflare of irritation in her eyes spoke the answers to my questions far more than her words ever could have.

Myheart broke in my chest, the shards sharper than the porcelain she’d just cleaned.Itstabbed into my lungs and took my breath.ButIcould not cry in front of her, not now.Bitingdown hard on the inside of my cheek, my mouth flooded with copper.Thetaste was bitter, but the sting of the pain brought my emotions back under control.

“Hesaved me.Andhe asked for my help in savingSleepyHollow.Heis not the destroyer, not the murderer we all think him to be.Heis a good person.”

“Heis not apersonat all,Katrina.”

Shefell silent and still, an eerie calm settling over the shop.Chillswent down my spine.Openingmy mouth,Iwent to continue, but she raised her hand to stop me, closing her eyes tightly.

“Anyonewho is friends of theDullahanis no friend of mine.”Hervoice was ice as she pointed at the door, her hand trembling in anger. “Getout,Katrina.Now.”

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