Page 66 of Hollowed

“Yourbrother is alive,”Alexandersaid, his voice flat. “Ido not take sacrifices.Isend them somewhere safe, where they can live happily.”

Thehatred inCiara’sgaze faltered, eyes softening as they shone in the moonlight.Quickly, she recovered and glowered at him, her attention flicking betweenAlexanderand me. “Youlie.Youmurdered him.”

“Idid not.”Alexanderremained remarkably calm. “Torinlives.Hewas sent to a haven inKentucky.Whetherhe is still there or not,Ido not know, but he was given money and supplies and left alive.Theywere always left alive.”

Asob escapedCiara’slips, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as tears shone in her eyes. “No.”

“Andnow you’ve summonedDeathtoSleepyHollow, and she is not beholden to you.Shecan do whatever she wishes.Takewhoever she wishes,”Alexandersnarled.

Thewoman stepped up behindCiara, pressing her front againstCiara’sback and resting her chin on her shoulder.Herteeth gleamed in the moonlight as she smiled, leaning her mouth to brush againstCiara’sear.Theblood-red of her lips made it easy to read the words she spoke. “Heis right.”

Ciara’seyes snapped up, locking with mine just in time for the woman to raise her hands and snapCiara’sneck.

Herbody fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

Thewoman stepped back, wiping her hands on her thighs.Blackshadows spun around her fingertips, merging and writhing to encompass her hands before traveling up her forearms.

Isqueezed my eyes shut and fought back the bile that surged.

Ciarawas dead.Myparents were dead.Adelaidewas dead.

Andwe were next.

“Weneed to go,”Alexanderwhispered, standing slowly, and pulling me with him as we backed away.

“Now, now,” the woman said, stepping overCiara’sbody to move closer to us, the same serene smile still on her face. “Whereare you off to so quickly?”

Alexanderremained quiet, his hand clasping mine as he observed the inhuman woman.Heobviously knew who she was, yet his only reaction was to keep us still.

“Whoare you?”Myvoice shook along with every muscle in my body.IfearedIalready knew the answer, but something in me needed it to be said aloud.

Alexandercursed under his breath.

Thewoman smiled wider. “Well, hello, little phoenix.IamDeath.”

Witha flick of her finger,Alexanderwas wrenched away from me and thrown across the cemetery, crashing into a stone mausoleum with a sickening crack.Hisbody slumped to the ground, unmoving.

Thirty-One

Thestomach-turning sound ofAlexanderhitting the stone echoed in my ears.BeforeIfully realized whatIwas doing, my hands burst into flames, and a fireball formed at my chest.AllIcould see wasAlexander’sbent and broken body, contorted where he’d fallen.

Myheart clenched asIlaunched my ball of flames at the woman who’d called herselfDeath.Alllogic had left my body.Theonly thing remaining was pure rage.Thefire hitDeathsquare in the chest, sending her stumbling back several steps.Despitethe blackened circle on her dress and the tightness of her shoulders, she smiled widely.

“Isthat all you are capable of?”

Herwords needled at me, sounding like my mother.ButIknewIneeded to getAlexanderand myself out of here and somewhere safe.Poolingmy rage and fear together,Ihurled another blast of fire at her, this one larger than the last.

Ithit her in the same spot on the chest, throwing her into a large headstone.Shefell to the ground and her blackened hand went to her middle, holding her ribs.

Notwasting another moment,Iran over toAlexander.Hewas moving some, groaning, but he still hadn’t opened his eyes.

“Alexander, get up,”Ipleaded, pulling on his arm to get him upright. “Weneed to run, now.”

Hegroaned again, his hand reaching up to hold the side of his head. “Katrina?”

“Yes, it’s me,”Isaid, looking back atDeath, who was still leaning against the headstone she’d struck. “Weneed to go before she gets back up.”

Mywords seemed to provide some clarity to him because he nodded, taking in a deep breath asIhelped him up to standing.

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