Page 34 of Bewitched By the Headless Horseman
“Crawley.”
Stevie cupped her hands around her mouth, forming a megaphone and stepping forward. “Does anyone know a Kit Crawley?”
When she thought no one would answer, a gentle voice, meek and small, came behind her. “I know Kit.”
Stevie spun around as Kit cursed under his breath. The woman who stood before them was angelic, beautiful. Her white hair hung in tight curls down to her waist, and a lacy gown hugged her curves, her cleavage on display and perfectly pushed up.
“Clara,” Kit whispered.
“It’s been a long time.” Clara’s face softened as she peered at him, and thankfully, she was lucid now. “You’rethe Headless Horseman. I remember you visiting me once.”
As the silence stretched between them, Stevie needed to get things moving along unless Kit wanted to stand there until the Hollow swallowed him up. “Clara,” Stevie said. “I’m a seer anda friend of Kit’s. Do you have any idea of what Levi did to Kit’s head? Or if you’ve seen Levi’s ghost anywhere? Do you know of any spells that can maybe help?”
Clara shook her head, tears beading her lashes. “No. Levi told the village that Kit attempted to murder him. I always suspected his words to be false, but I had my two children to worry about. He was such a powerful warlock, could do anything. An illness swept through the village a year later, and Levi succumbed to it first and then me shortly after.” Her doe-eyed gaze fastened on Kit. “I didn’t mean for you to think I reciprocated your feelings, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry for not speaking up to the village about what I believed. Telling you that I’m sorry is my unfinished business.” After the last word left her mouth, Clara’s form grew paler, fading in the moonlight.
Kit pressed his hand to Clara’s cheek. “It’s all right. You have nothing to be sorry about. I know you loved him, the way you’ve called out to him for centuries.” With each passing second, she continued to become lighter until she was no longer there.
“That bastard lied toeveryone,” Kit growled, his hand falling limply to his side.
Stevie’s lips parted as she replayed Clara’s words inside her skull like a broken record. “She had children? So since this was centuries ago, I’m assuming she had ahusband?”
Kit’s fingers drummed against the headstone where Clara had been standing. “Yes.”
“And you just casually left that part out?” Stevie lifted her arms in annoyance.
“You could’ve asked me to elaborate more. I didn’t lie about anything.”
“If I could, I would hurl you across the cemetery. What else aren’t you telling me?” Her gaze drifted from Kit’s thrumming fingers to the words written on the headstone. “Clara KatrinaBonham.” Stevie inhaled sharply. “Her middle name wasKatrina?Like in theLegend of Sleepy Hollowstory!”
“Mm-hmm.” Kit’s fingers didn’t stop dancing their repetitive rhythm.
Squinting, Stevie read on to the engraved words below Clara’s name.Beloved wife of Levi Brom Bonham. Stevie’s chest tightened. “She was married to Levi! And not just that, his middle name was Brom! You made it seem like some random maniac killed you out of jealousy!”
He stepped toward her, hovering closely. “No, Pumpkin, youassumedthat.”
“You’re frustrating,” Stevie snapped. “Going forward, you need to bedetailed.”
Kit sighed. “Before you start asking more questions, go look at my headstone and I’m certain you’ll figure it out.”
Stevie huffed. “I’m not a psychic. Where is it?”
He motioned her with a finger which, at the moment, she wanted to break off. She followed him farther toward the back of the cemetery to a faded headstone closer to the woods, the words barely legible from years of wear. As she brought the flashlight nearer, she could still read them crystal clear.Kit Ichabod Crawley.
“Ichabod?Ichabod?Anothercharacter from the story.” She spun to face him, her eyes widening into full werewolf moons. “So Clara was with Levi, and then he murdered you over the letter? You knew she didn’t love you because she was calling his name!”
“That’s nearly accurate.”
Stevie ran her hand down her face in agitation. “First, you shouldn’t have sent a letter to a married woman. Second off, did you know she had children too?”
“Not at first, no,” he whispered, guilt lacing his tone.
“Kit!” she shouted. “Whatever. It’s in the past now. But to the author of the story, he put a spin on it that’s barely accurate. That aside, let’s find out if anyone’s seen Levi’s ghost, andI’llquestion them with you staying farther back.”
Chapter Thirteen
Of the ghosts who returned to the cemetery, only one was around during the same time as Kit. An older woman who’d been in her twenties when Kit was murdered. Like everyone besides Clara, she didn’t know the Headless Horseman’s true name.
“Kit was a wicked man, tried to drive a wedge between Levi and Clara,” the woman huffed. “Clara had been in love with Levi since she could walk, and as soon as Kit came to town, the entire village swooned over him.” And Stevie could tell this woman had been one of those villagers by the way she bit her lip even though she’d just called him wicked.
