Page 38 of Bewitched By the Headless Horseman
Stevie then swung by the comic book shop to bring her brother lunch. “I’m annoyed with you for spreading gossip.” She poked his arm and set the paper sack and his drink on the counter.
“Dude, it’s our parents,” Gideon said, taking a long swig of his soda. “It’s better for Mom to know in her condition over finding out when it’s least expected and making it worse.”
“Mom’s fine, but maybe you’re right. If she found out the truth on a day when her heart was weakening…” she trailed off. “Anyway, you better not have told another living or dead soul what’s going on.”
“I’m a normie, so how could I have told a dead soul?” Gideon smirked, and when she narrowed her eyes, he went on, “IpromiseI haven’t and won’t tell anyone else. On your life.”
Stevie tilted her head and shoved his arm. “Why not on yours?”
“Because I love you the most, baby sister.” He handed her some of his fries, his way of making a peace offering.
“I need to swing by the council, but I’m going to say hi to your resident ghost before I leave,” she said as she popped a fry into her mouth.
“Tell Erik to put the comic books back where they belong next time.”
Stevie rolled her eyes because most of the time it was Gideon who put them out of place and his workers had to sort them.
Erik glanced up from his comic as she approached him. “No fox today?” He smiled, warm and welcoming.
“No, she’s at home with a … friend.” She knelt beside him and peered at the front of the comic. “You must’ve liked Sabrina if you’re reading more of her comics.”
“They’re decent.”
“Oh, those pumpkins on the cover reminded me of something! Do you ever go to the fall pumpkin sacrifice? It’s coming up soon.” She never once missed it, but with everything going on, she hadn’t really thought about it.
“I will this year. I’m meeting a girl I haven’t seen in a while.”
“Maybe that’ll get you out of this store more.” She elbowed him through his arm.
“That’s my wish.” He closed his comic and leaned forward, waggling his brows. “Did you know that when the town firststarted the sacrifice, the villagers would toss in fingers of the dead too?”
“Lucia told me about that. Not sure what the Headless Horseman would do with all those dead fingers.” She grinned. “Speaking of, you wouldn’t happen to have heard anything about the Horseman’s actual head, would you?”
He furrowed his brow. “A few rumors circulated that if his head was reattached the Hollow would release its demons. Maybe that’s why it’s hidden? But who really knows.”
“Hmm. Something to consider.” Stevie pursed her lips, recalling how the fortune teller had told Kit if he didn’t find his head that the world would darken…
“By the way, I still haven’t seen him come down the street yet.”
She shrugged, knowing Kit was safe and sound at her home up until the next Eye. Needing to discuss the rumor with Lucia, Stevie let Erik return to his comic and headed into the apothecary.
“Hey,” Lucia said as Stevie strode up to the counter. “I’ve got good news, my tracking number for the letter to Adelia tells me that it just got delivered, so we’ll see what she says.”
“Hopefully soon.” Stevie bit her lip. “The resident ghost at Gideon’s told me a rumor he’d heard. Supposedly by reattaching Kit’s head, the Hollow would release its demons. What do you think? The fortune teller told Kit something different.”
“Hmm,” Lucia said. “To me it sounds like someone started it because they believed he’s a demon. Kit isn’t an actual demon who escaped from the Hollow, so it would be like saying, if I removed your seer head and reattached it, then demons would flood out from the Hollow. It doesn’t make sense.”
“I would just become a reanimated corpse is all.” Stevie grinned, relieved.
“We’ll mention it to Adelia when she responds, but I honestly wouldn’t think too much about it. I’ve heard too many ridiculous stories about the Horseman.” Lucia waved her hand in the air.
“Not this one…” Stevie drawled. “How about you come with me by the council, and I’ll tell you about the Horseman’s groupies that used to hang out at the cemetery.”
Stevie and Lucia walked toward the old stone building of the council. A banshee stood outside it, screaming to be listened to as she held up a protest sign in one hand and groomed her hair with a comb in the other. For that sort of ghost, who would unquestionably stalk her for life, Stevie pretended as if she didn’t see the woman.
The red-headed secretary waved them on to the meeting room after Lucia asked to speak to the council. If Lucia hadn’t been with Stevie, it wouldn’t have been so simple.
Two of the three council members sat behind their desks. Both wore dresses with shoulder pads and lacy hats atop their gray curls. Neither Lottie nor Edith hid their wrinkles and sunspots with potions or brews.
