Page 65 of Hollowed

“Isuppose their sacrifice will do instead.”Thevoice was familiar, but asIsearched the darkness of the tree line, no one appeared. “Evenif they did not intend it.”

Afigure stepped out from behind a large tree trunk, covered in a blood-red cloak with a deep hood.Thevoice was female, but the hood shadowed her face.Shemoved closer to us, stepping over my parents’ bodies and approaching the dying fire in front of me.

“Itold you to leave,Katrina,” the woman said, reaching up to push her hood back. “Younever listen.”

“Ciara?”Ibreathed.Myknees buckled, and onlyAlexander’sgrip on my waist kept me upright. “Whatare you doing?”

Shesneered down at me, the pure hatred on her face contorting her into someone completely unrecognizable. “Younever could see what was right in front of you,Katrina.”

BeforeIreacted, she pulled a bronze dagger from her cloak and sliced her forearm, letting the blood drop into the fire as she muttered a spell.Lightningcracked across the sky as her blood dripped into the flames.

Theelectricity struck my parents’ corpses, illuminating them before retreating into the sky.Arumble of thunder crashed.Alexandergrabbed my arms, pulling me into his chest to hold me back from surging at her.

“Itis too late,” he murmured.Pullingus another small step back fromCiara, the purple magic around him fell, revealing his face.Hiseyes were trained solely onCiara. “Wehave failed.”

“Youalways were smarter than they said you were,Dullahan,”Ciaracooed, smiling at us. “Butyou are too late.”

“Soyou will summon the sluagh to destroy this town out of revenge?”Iasked, the heat of the now roaring fire washing over my face.Alexandertensed beside me. “Why?Heis not the villain.”

“Thistown took everything from me.Hetook everything from me and left me with a dead brother and a mother so destroyed by guilt she must be constantly supervised to keep from killing herself.”Snarling, she pointed her finger atAlexander.Herface morphed into one of serene calm as she watched the flames surge. “AndIam not summoning the sluagh.”

“Whathave you summoned?”Myvoice shook, afraid of her answer.

Asif the world were waiting for my question, unnatural tendrils of flame shot up out from the center of the firepit and sunk back down into the ground.Itreminded me of veins.

Alongthose veins of flame, the ground split, the earth separating and shaking more.

“Yousummoned her,”Alexanderbreathed.Hegrabbed my hand and pulled me back, away from the flames until we were both pressed against the side of a mausoleum.

Ciaracontinued to stand, watching the fire.Hereyes flicked over to us. “Idid.”

“Thisnever would have brought him back,”Alexandersaid, anger in his voice as he grasped me tightly. “Butnow you have condemned everyone here to death.Youtruly think she will obey you?”

“Thespell will ensure she does,”Ciarasaid, eyes going back to the fractured earth.

Alexanderlaughed, a humorless sound, and tightened his arms around me even more.Histouch was my only anchor, my only solace to keep from swimming in my head.Ifshe had only listened to me earlier, whenI’dtried to tell her, none of this would be happening.

Nauseaswirled in my stomach, climbing up my throat asAlexandercontinued speaking. “Nothingcan control her.Certainlyno spell.Shetricked you, as she does everyone.Youwill die with us, foolish witch.”

Theseams of the ground split wider, thick black smoke escaping out of the crevices and swirling to form a column behindCiara, who closed her eyes but refused to turn to face it.Whatstarted as translucent smoke quickly grew opaque as tendrils of smoke escaped the earth and joined the group.

Alexander’sgrip tightened on me, but it barely registered in my mind.Finally, no more smoke came from the ground and the smoke that was already here collapsed, dispersing into the night.

Inits place was a woman, tall and slender.Herskin gleamed unnaturally white, like freshly crafted porcelain.Thenight breeze picked up the long silky strands of her moonlight-colored hair, pushing it off her bare shoulders.Hereyes… her eyes were pools of inky black—a soulless gaze, staring atCiara.

“Youare the one who summoned me?” she asked, circling around to stand in front ofCiara.Shereached a blood-red nail out, tracing it downCiara’scheek. “Whatdo you ask of me?”

“Yes,”Ciarasaid, holding her head high and looking straight ahead. “Youcan bring my brother back?Theone he took.”

Shetutted, once again behindCiara.Hervoice was a sickly sweet coo as she spoke. “Icannot bring back your brother, little one.”

Ciara’sface contorted, whirling to faceDeath. “Whatdo you mean?Whywon’t you bring him back?”

“IsaidIcannot.NotthatIwould not.”Aslow smile spread across the woman’s face as she nodded to us, whereAlexanderwas still holding me to him. “Becauseyour brother is not dead.”

Ciara’seyes snapped to us. “What?” she asked, her words merely a breath.

“Tellher,Horseman,” the woman said, mockingAlexander’smoniker with a snarl. “Tellher the truth you have hidden from the town.”

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