Page 85 of Hollowed

Thestreets were empty asImade my way to the wrought-iron gates outside theSleepyHollowcemetery.Ifelt oddly at peace asIstepped through the posts that stood guard, moving among the headstones untilIreached the mausoleum in the center whereDeathhad first appeared.

Pullingmy cloak off,Ilaid it across the bench.Bloodstill stained the grass where my parents’ bodies had lain, the color dried and brown, but thankfully, someone had collected their remains.Iwasn’t certain who, andIwasn’t certainIeven cared.

Iblew out a harsh breath, spinning in a slow circle once asIscanned the cemetery.Holdingmy arms out wide,Itipped my head back and yelled into the sky. “Death!Iam here.”

Myvoice echoed across the headstones, clashing with the startled caws from the birds in nearby trees.Thewind picked up, goosebumps skittering across the back of my neck.

“Finallycome to your senses, then?”Death’svoice came from behind me, sharp and clear.

Iwhirled to face her.

Deathstood straight, her shoulders draped in a thick black velvet cloak that cascaded over her wine-red dress.Thehem brushed along the grass and her bare feet.Atopher head, a crown of blackened branches twisted into the sky, and on her shoulder sat a crow that gawked with glassy eyes.Death’slips split into a smile and her eyes slowly tracked down to her side, bidding mine to follow.

Onhis knees beforeDeath, hands bound behind his back and mouth gagged, wasAlexander.Hiseyes widened at me, and he shook his head minutely.Draggingmy eyes from him,Ifocused back onDeath.IfIlooked atAlexanderany longer,Imight change my mind, andIcould not do that.Thetown needed him to protect it, not me.Noone needed me.Deathcould have me if it meant his freedom.

“Youswear you will spare the town ifItrade myself?”Iasked, my shoulders back and chin high, a cold calmness in my voice thatIdidn’t quite like.Itreminded me of my mother, butIsupposed, at least, it would serve me well.

Ihad to ensureDeathwouldn’t harm thoseIleft behind, though.Thatshe would take only me.

Deathpeered at me, pursing her lips. “Whydo you care so much about them, little phoenix?Mypet heard what they said to you after my ultimatum.”

“Whydo you care?Youwanted me here, and hereIam.”Despitemy intentions to not look at him, my eyes trailed down toAlexander, who looked upon me with suspicion and sadness.Asif he’d known exactly what they’d said to me.

“Don’tyou want to punish those who wronged you?”Herhead tilted to the side. “Youcould wipe them off the map with a mere thought.”

Yes,Iwanted to scream.Ofcourse,Iwanted to punish them, but more than that,IwantedAlexanderfreed, andHenryandPriscillasafe.Andthis was howIwould achieve that. “Youwill releaseAlexander, and you will spareSleepyHollow.Thatwas the agreement, yes?”

Shesighed, trailing her hand throughAlexander’shair.Hestiffened, but didn’t pull away. “Youboth are pathetic, truly.Thissilly little infatuation.Thatis what you will choose to die over?”

“SleepyHollowneeds him.”

Alexander’seyes narrowed, andIknew he’d seen through my words and whatItruly meant.Hestruggled against his bindings, thrashing and tugging, but they held fast.Tearspricked my eyes, my lower lip trembling, butIheld my head high.I’dmade my decision.

Deathlooked between us before tipping her head back and laughing. “Oh, this is truly glorious.Dullahan, shelovesyou.”Shestopped laughing and tapped her chin with her long nails, putting her hand onAlexander’sshoulder, her fingers curling and bunching against the fabric of his shirt. “PerhapsIwill kill you both then, so you can be together in theOtherworld.”

Thebottom of my stomach dropped out.No.NO, she was supposed to spare him.Fireswirled in my stomach, fueled by the fear that mirrored inAlexander’seyes. “Yousaid this was to be a trade.”

“Darling, this is whateverIwant it to be,” she cooed, further digging her nails intoAlexander’sshoulder.Hewinced, trying to shift away, but she gripped him tightly. “Surelyhe told you that.”

“Takeyour hands off him.”Myvoice was cold fury, infused with the kind of fire that burned so hot its flames licked blue into the sky.

“Loveis a weakness,” she snarled.Evenfrom a few steps away,Icould see darkness blooming against his shirts beneath the tips of her nails. “Ido not tolerate weakness.”

“Iwill say it once more,”Isaid, not even needing to will my flames to obey as they swarmed to my fingertips, eager to feed on the flesh of the woman in front of us. “Removeyour hand from him.”

Sheeyed my flames, pulling her nails from his flesh.Shebent down and whispered something inAlexander’sear, her eyes fixed on me.Thered of her lips made it easy to see them move, butIstill couldn’t make out the words.Whateverit was,Alexanderfroze at first, looking up at her before thrashing harder than before, trying to get out of his bindings.

Hegot the gag out of his mouth, spitting the fabric out to fall around his neck. “Katrina, don’t do this.Please.”

Deathsmiled widely at me as shadows swirled up from the ground, twining around her arms.Withthe flick of her finger, a tendril of thick black smoke wrapped itself aroundAlexander’smouth, silencing him once more.

“Touchhim again, andIpromise you,Iwill be the one to kill you.Nomatter the consequences,”Ivowed, my flames mirroring her undulating shadows.

Insome part of my mind, perhapsI’dknown that it would not be so easy as simply trading my life for his, but the thought of him in her clutches…SleepyHollowwas a distant memory.AndIwould do whatever it took to ensureAlexandersurvived.

Shepaused, her smile growing even wider. “Iwould be very careful with your words.”

“Ifyou want me, you will let him go free,”Isaid, bordering on begging.AndIwould beg if that was what it took. “Iwon’t fight you.Notonce he’s free and safe.”

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