Page 33 of Saved By the Headless Horseman
The Headless Horseman finds Scarlett’s eyes.They are clear as they meet his gaze.She gasps at whatever flickers in his flames.Their future begins tonight.
“Let me go!”Bram demands.“I’ve told you what you wanted to hear.”
Tearing his eyes away from Scarlett is a feat, but he manages.
“No.”
The simple word echoes around the room.Bram opens his mouth, but it is far too late to put up a fight.Hooking his large hands around the earl’s head, the Headless Horseman twists with force.Flesh tears and muscles rip.A chorus of shredding tendons and cracking bones follows.The earl screams until he is silenced forever.
The Headless Horseman tosses the earl’s head to the ground with little care.Crimson spreads out along the floor, but he pays it little mind.Turning towards Scarlett, her gaze is not on the gore but on him.Wide and devastatingly blue.
Does she fear him now?Has she glimpsed his brutality and now wishes to turn away from him?With her truth confirmed, he would deserve her rejection.She doesn’t give it, merely lifts her hand towards him, ignoring her intended rotting at their feet.
“Take me home.”
Of course, she would not fear him.She knows him better than anyone—loves him even as a vile monster that kept her caged.She was always loyal to him, and he will never doubt her devotion again.
The past haunted him.It twisted all of his memories into hateful scenarios.He had spent so long dwelling on what had happened, but that could be put aside for the night.He had a woman to take care of.His Scarlett would never doubt his devotion again.
Taking her in his arms, he whisks her away from the gruesome scene.She cuddles into him without delay.He breathes in her floral scent and lets it wash over him.There is still another that has to pay for his part in all of this, and he will, but there has been enough vengeance for the past tonight.
Now, he wants to focus solely on his future.
17
SCARLETT
The journey back to Nightingale Castle is different.
There had been tension between Krane and me at breakfast, but that is nothing compared to the unspoken words lingering between us now.My back is crushed against his chest as his horse carries us deep into the forest—his heartbeat pounds against my shoulder.One hand grips the reins while the other rests against my stomach, holding me firmly to him.
I relax back against his body as the events of the night play out.
It had been pleasing watching Bram die.After he confirmed my story—that I had no part in Krane’s murder—I was happy to see him meet a painful end.It was what he deserved after all.The same fate would soon await my father.I stop myself from getting lost in another revenge fantasy.There will be time later to make them pay.
For now, I can focus on Krane.We can make up for all the lost time.I saw it in his eyes after Bram’s confession.The icy wall of apprehension that once stood before us had melted away in Bram’s chamber.Our future was certain again.No matter what he looked like, he was my Krane, and we would never be apart again.
There is no place for sadness and betrayal.Not when we both still draw breath.I feel it in his touch as we navigate the uneven terrain.Branches whip overhead as we race through the dark woods.Night air burns my lungs, the faint traces of cinnamon making my heart pound.
Finally, after what feels like hours, the horse trots to a stop outside the crumbling castle.Krane slides from the animal and lowers me to the ground with two hands on my waist.The grand structure is decomposing with time.Legend says it was a wedding gift to a queen.The spirits of the forest had not been pleased with the castle invading their home, so they drove her husband mad.
He killed his whole family before disappearing into the woods, never to be seen again.I shake myself from the gruesome story.The night air causes goosebumps to break out along my exposed flesh.The scent of pine is everywhere.The lace sleeves barely cover my arms, and the heavy satin does nothing to ward off the chill.
Krane leads me inside.The statues along the entryway are cracked and covered in thick cobwebs.Inside, the front room is just as deteriorated as the exterior.My hands trail along the bare walls, disrupting decades' worth of dust.Krane lingers behind me.
Reaching the grand staircase, I look up.Leaves fall in from the crumbling roof as the moon glows above.Climbing the first two steps, I pause and turn towards Krane.Our eyes are level with one another.He breathes deeply, green flames casting his face in jagged shadows.
“Are you hungry?”
My stomach feels empty, but it is not food I desire.I simply shake my head no.
“Tired?”
Again, I shake my head, not trusting my voice.
His large hands find their way to my waist.He skims up and down my sides, causing me to sigh.The green flames dim as his mouth turns down.Squeezing the flesh of my hips, his voice is barely above a whisper.
“Can you ever forgive me, Scarlett?”The devastation in his eyes nearly sends me to my knees.“For locking you up, for doubting you, for letting my need for revenge twist the beautiful life we shared.”
