Page 82 of Hollowed
“It’llbe all right,Katrina.”Shesmiled softly as she slid my teacup closer to me. “Whateverhappened last night, it’s not your fault.”
Bitingthe inside of my cheek,Iswallowed back everythingIwanted to shout at her.Priscillahad done nothing to deserve my anger.NotwhenIwas truly angry with myself.Instead,Ipicked up the teacup and gulped it down, wincing as the scalding hot liquid moved down my throat.Irelished the heat, focusing on the burning in my chest instead of the potentially awful informationHenrywould be bringing us.
Priscillasighed, her eyes sad, but thankfully her attention darted to the door behind me, cutting off anything she’d been about to say.Turningin my chair,Iwatched asHenryentered the bookstore and hung his cloak by the door.
Ashe began toward us, my stomach dropped at his expression.
“Whathappened?”Idemanded, standing, and meeting him halfway.
Hereleased a heavy sigh, his eyes full of despair. “Therewere casualties last night.TheCiallmharcouldn’t stop the creature before it killed five people.”
Theworld fell out from beneath my feet, my knees buckling as my vision swam and ringing filled my ears, drowning out any words thatHenrymight have said as he caught me.Peoplehaddiedlast night.WhileIslept.
Myvision filled withHenry’sface as he cupped my cheeks in his hands.Theringing faded, replaced by his concerned voice. “Areyou with me?”
Unableto speak,Ijust nodded, reaching up to rub at the knot that had formed in my chest.
“Whatwas it,Henry?”Priscillaasked, her voice calm.
“Thethree-headed vulture,” he responded, his hands still holding my face as he looked over my head atPriscilla. “TheEllénTrechend.”
Priscillasucked in a sharp breath. “Thatbeast was destroyed centuries ago.”
“SheisDeath,”Icroaked out, images of the death bird carrying off townspeople flashing behind my eyes whenIblinked. “Shecan raise whatever she wishes.”
Neitherof them said anything.
Ipulled away fromHenry, looking between them. “Whowas it?”
Henryshook his head, standing and moving to sit in the chair across from me. “No,Katrina.I’mnot telling you that.Youwill put their deaths on your shoulders, andIwon’t allow it.Thiswas not your fault.”
Iexploded.Burstingto my feet, my hands lit up with flames, climbing up my wrists and forearms untilIwore gauntlets of fire.Isnapped, “Thenwhose fault is it?”
Theyboth looked at me, though neither wore frightened expressions.Henrysimply tipped his head toward my flames. “Perhapsyou should take notes on how you feel right now.”
Thatwas the lastthingIwanted to do, but as my flames sputtered out, flickering as they died back down to my hands,Iknew he was right.IfIwanted any hope of being able to take onDeathand saveAlexander,Ineeded to figure out my powers.
“Weshould go back outside,”Imurmured, too ashamed to meet their eyes after my outburst. “We’rerunning out of time.”
“Thereis still another day,”Priscillasaid.
Isnapped my head up to look at them. “No.No, we figure this out today, orIturn myself over before sundown.”
“Youwill not.”Henrystood from his chair. “Iwon’t allow you to sacrifice yourself,Katrina.”
“TheCiallmharclearly cannot be trusted to protect the town.”
Thistown needed a protector.Itneeded theDullahan.Alexandercould protectSleepyHollowbetter thanIever could.Ifexchanging myself forAlexandermeant that both he and the town would survive, it was a tradeIwould gladly make. “Sowe had better get started.”
* * *
Itwas midday,the sun high overhead, whenPriscillaappeared at the back door, calling us back inside from our practice in the courtyard and back inside where she’d been researching. “IthinkI’vefound something.Comelook.”
HenryandIshared a glance asIshook my hands, extinguishing the flamesI’dheld for several minutes.Fromhere,Ijust barely heard her words, but the look on her face told me how urgent her findings were.
Aswe approached and followed her inside, she didn’t say anything else, only turned the book sitting on the table around to face us as she took her seat again.Myeyes devoured the words, my heart speeding at the contents, both familiar and yet not.
Aflame growsin the darkness,