Page 231 of Sigils & Spells

How had this happened?She’d seen the black feathers herself on her hands as she changed forms. There was no denying it though. Somehow, her feathers had turned pure white by the end of the shift. She was a white crow.

“Poor thing. Did you frighten yourself white?”

Had she? Ravyn had heard of hair turning white when scared enough, but that wasn’t it, was it?

“No matter.” The dean turned to the window and held up her hand. “Fly, dear Ravyn. For you have work to do tonight. Watch over the doomed, warn their loved ones of their plight.”

Her gut clenched at the knowledge that the dean knew what and who she was. That was something to worry about later though. Ravyn launched herself to the window and squeezed out into the cool night air once more. Acclimating to her bird vision happened quickly, yet didn’t feel quite normal. She spread her wings and took to the sky.

Instinct guided her now.

CHAPTER12

She flewfor what felt like hours. Unable to break her concentration or direction, Ravyn let it happen. Feeling disconnected with her new bird body entirely. She didn’t know where she was when she swooped down over a forest.

What was that sound?

She descended for a better view, never wavering from her course.

Clap, clap. Clap, clap. Clap, clap. Clap, clap.

Hooves. A horse or some other hooved creature ran through the woods. She began to raise back higher into the air when she saw it. The animal ran at an impossible speed, flames erupting in its wake. And the rider…No. No way.

The Headless Horseman was a fictional character in a short story.

Two realizations hit her simultaneously: if banshees and bird harbingers existed, why couldn’t the Dullahan? What’s more, did that mean she had flown all the way to Sleepy Hollow, New York? Did her abilities also make her fly faster than a normal bird?

Daniel’s hometown.

Dread gripped her as she flew higher up, wanting to stay clear of the rider’s notice. Where was she headed, and why?

The magnetic pull brought her to a quaint little subdivision, and she found herself circling a two-story house with cream paint, burgundy windows, and a two-car garage.

This is the place, but who lives here?

Ravyn landed on the roof and waited. As a harbinger, she likely wouldn’t see the dark fate that befell whomever her shift had beckoned her to. All she knew for certain was she had flown for a long time, possibly hours. Midnight had passed some time ago and most people were snug in their beds. If she really had come to Sleepy Hollow, she’d crossed multiple state lines in her flight. What happened if she didn’t make it back before turning human again?

I’m going to be arrested for public nudity, that’s what.

In the distance, the clap of hooves echoed over asphalt. Slower this time. Was the Horseman riding this way? Was his victim in this house? Ravyn shuddered, ruffling her feathers. Maybe he wouldn’t notice her, some seemingly mundane bird perched upon a roof.

A gray moth flitted by as the sound of hooves changed to a dull roar of an engine. That was weird. Had someone run the Horseman over, or off the road? Seemed unlikely, considering how supernaturally fast he’d been galloping through the forest. Yet now, all she heard was an engine coming closer, closer…in the dark.

A single headlight shone down the street. A motorcycle. Was he slowing down as he approached?

The moth landed on her face, obscuring her view. Ravyn shook her head and snapped her beak.Stupid, bothersome insect.

The rider had come into the driveway of the house she’d been drawn to. He parked, then raised his hands to his helmet in order to remove it. Annnnd the moth was back.

Ravyn snapped at it again, this time cawing at it in aggravation, immediately regretting the outburst of sound in the otherwise silent night. She froze, cocking her head to regard the man in the driveway, now holding the helmet under his leather-jacket-clad arm.

Daniel?She gasped at air with her beak open, unable to breathe against the unexpected surprise.

No, he only looked like Daniel. Hadn’t he said his brother was a twin? An identical twin, obviously. His hair was longer, but otherwise, she’d be sure it was him. He was looking right at her, frowning. Alarm coursed through her. Why had she come to Daniel’s brother’s house—or their childhood home?

The moth came back yet again, getting on her very last damn nerve. This time, it had brought its friends. A frenzy of moths surrounded her. What was a group of moths called anyway?Frenzyseemed apropos for the moment, all things considering.

Whatever hold had brought her to this house in Sleepy Hollow, released her. She had been seen, assumingly by someone meant to receive the omen she represented. Now, she must leave. If anything, to get away from the damned insects plaguing her everywhere she went.

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