Page 17 of Bewitched By the Headless Horseman (The Bewitching Hour #1)

Kit sauntered away from Stevie toward his horse, and she called out, “I thought we were going to start a campfire and have story time?”

“You’re an impatient little thing, aren’t you?” He chuckled as he mounted his stallion. “I’ll meet you at your home.”

Stevie frowned but started her moped and rode beside Kit to her house. Up above in the sky, the stars appeared dimmer than usual as if their lights could flicker out at any moment. However, the red Eye continued to hold its glow.

Stevie wondered how Kit was murdered—his head had to have been cut off somehow. But why? Or was his murder random? She ran a hand across her throat, hoping to never uncover the secret of what a blade through her neck felt like.

Once she turned into her driveway, Kit was already off Inferno, brushing his hand down the stallion’s back. The horse then took off like lightning, and his hooves pounded down the street.

Kit tugged at the top of his glove. “Inferno has always preferred the woods. But more so now after seeing what the town has become. He finds it too chaotic here.”

It was much quieter back then for sure. No loud car engines, no pollution. “Sometimes the world is pandemonium for me too, and I was born in a chaotic time.” She laughed softly.

As Stevie unlocked the front door, Kit slipped through the wall. Roxy barked a shrill greeting and launched herself toward them, her tail wagging when she peered up at Kit. He didn’t kneel to pet her, only stood with rigid shoulders.

“You know you can pet her,” Stevie drawled, motioning him forward. “That’s what she wants. I mean, it’s not mandatory, but she would like it if you did. She did search for you too, after all.”

“It’s not proper etiquette to pet someone’s familiar unless the owner allows it.

But since you don’t mind.” Kit knelt in a robotic manner as if he hadn’t touched any other undead souls besides Inferno.

Which if she were to wager it, she bet he’d only put his hands on the heads of ghosts he’d taken.

“Hello … Roxy. You’re a … fox.” He stroked her back, his shoulders relaxing as he petted her.

The fox released a satisfied purr and rolled to her back, pawing at the air.

“Roxy appreciates it very much. Now come on, you have a story to tell, seer .” Stevie sank down on the couch and patted the spot beside her. “Make yourself at home and remove your sword if you want. That thing looks uncomfortable.”

“If you insist.” Kit placed his sword on the coffee table, then unfastened his cape and rested the fabric on the couch. He leaned back beside her, his legs spreading apart. Her gaze lingered a little too long on his strong thighs before she tore her gaze away.

“So,” Stevie started, “first things first. Did you lie about not being able to see the living before the Eye opened? Not that it matters, I guess, if you could’ve.” She’d also been a stranger to him—but still, he’d known she was a seer so he could’ve spilled the beans instead of held onto them.

The cushions shifted as he turned toward her. “Yes, Pumpkin, I’m a Seer. Yet after I was murdered, my ability died with me. Once I accepted my first head, I still couldn’t see the living since the eyes didn’t truly belong to me.”

“Inferno comes to you though.” Stevie bit her lip. “I always assumed a seer and their sidekick are linked through their sight, so wouldn’t the link have been broken?” Not that she was an expert on that though since her eyes were still in their sockets.

“No, a fortune-telling witch once told me that even if one’s eyes from the living were removed, the link would remain, regardless if they couldn’t see the dead,” Kit said. “Or in my case, the living.”

“What else happened in your past?” Her voice came out gentle, knowing that talking about his own murder wouldn’t be something to cheer about.

“All right.” Kit heaved a sigh. “The tale began with me venturing to Sleepy Hollow, which as you most likely know wasn’t called that in those days.

Before that, I crossed paths with a witch and discovered what I was.

She told me there was a town that accepted individuals who held special abilities, oddities to outsiders.

Back then, it was easy to get hanged, or much worse, if one was discovered to be ‘abnormal.’”

“Like the Salem Witch Trials.” Stevie nodded.

“Got it.” The council liked to sometimes remind the town of what could happen if they were discovered, and Salem was usually the go-to since the paranormal had flocked away from there years ago to start the new town in New York, a place where their secret would be embraced.

“The first person I met after discussing my situation with the council was a beautiful witch,” Kit continued.

“Her name was Clara, and I easily fell for her. Like you to Lucia, I became her assistant and worked at her apothecary. But mostly I took care of the stables where she kept the animals for her spells. I knew the instant I saw her that I loved her. The way she would look at me with her bright doe eyes, how she would brush her fingers across mine, lingering—I thought she returned the sentiment. So I penned her a letter, confessing my love to her. A jealous warlock named Levi discovered the letter, and that was the nail in the coffin. Or at least the ridding me of my head.”

“So he murdered you over it?” Stevie exclaimed. “I hope he was caught and burned at the stake.”

Kit laughed darkly. “If only. I know, as much as I know the heart I once had, that he hid my head and spelled it so I would never find it. After he had me strung up in the woods with rope, he brought an axe to my throat. But just before that, he told me that once both Eyes were open during a new moon, I would be sent to the flaming pits of the Hollow where I would spend all eternity after the Eyes shut.”

Stevie’s stomach dropped, becoming hollow itself. “So that’s why you said you only had until the next new moon,” she murmured.

“Mm-hmm.” Kit hunched forward, his elbows on his knees.

“I mean, you could’ve said that things were on a vicious countdown and important ,” Stevie said, incredulous.

“I did say time was of the essence, Pumpkin.” She could hear in his voice that he was rolling his eyes.

“There’s a big difference between saying something is of the essence, which could be anything, by the way, and that you’ll go to the Hollow and burn for eternity if we fail!

” she hissed. “And if you go down there, you know you won’t just burn!

The demons there will break you apart over and over.

It’ll be a good ol’ torturous party for them. ”

“Emphasize your view a bit more,” Kit said sarcastically. “I’ve only had centuries now to imagine it.”

Stevie furrowed her brow, thinking about how she could flip this around. “I’m going to talk to Lucia.” She left Kit on the couch and ran out into the cool night air, banging on her sister-in-law’s door.

Lucia drew it open, dressed in pajamas printed with tiny pink cauldrons, a yawn slipping from her mouth. “How was the date? You’re back earlier than I thought.”

“What date?” Kit asked as he stepped behind Lucia, his ethereal glow lighting up the dim hallway.

“I said stop doing that,” Stevie groaned.

“You said to stop coming up behind you. This isn’t behind you,” he pointed out.

“I take it the Headless Horseman is back.” Lucia whirled around and held up a finger, pointing it at his chest. “I feel a presence right here.”

“So your sister-in-law is a special witch,” Kit purred. “She’s good.”

Stevie ignored him and grabbed Lucia by the shoulders to face her. “Remember when I told you Kit said time was of the essence? He wasn’t bluffing.”

“Come tell me everything.” Lucia shut the door behind them.

On the kitchen counter, Maxine perked up inside her pot, the plant’s mouth widening into a smile to show her rows of teeth. As Lucia poured Stevie a glass of milk, she relayed what Kit had told her.

Lucia released a puff of air. “Sounds like a revenge story. Lots of witches and warlocks have done that over the years. Did they have sex?”

Stevie looked toward Kit who sat in the chair opposite her, remaining silent. “Did you? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” She couldn’t lie that she was now itching to know.

“No, we didn’t pleasure one another,” he said, his voice deep. “But she did kiss my cheek on several occasions before leaving the apothecary.”

“Just goodbye kisses on the cheek.” A sense of relief washed over Stevie that was completely unreasonable.

Lucia nodded. “So back then that could be like getting down and dirty in bed.”

She had a point… Stevie bit her lip, contemplating something.

“What is it?” Lucia asked, taking a sip of water.

“If this Levi warlock hated Kit enough to murder him, why wait to send him to burn in the Hollow? Especially if no one knew if or when the Eyes would ever open. Is he a ghost too?” Stevie focused on Kit. “And how did you know you could put on someone’s head to replace your old one?”

“Neither Inferno nor I have seen Levi, so I don’t know,” Kit said.

“As for the other question, I was wandering in the cemetery. I didn’t know where I was, only that I could feel my bones below the ground.

Inferno came to me with the fortune-telling witch.

The one spell that she could provide was with the jack-o’-lantern and placing another’s head on mine that would remain temporary.

She told me the world would darken if I stayed headless, yet if I found my missing head and reattached it, with the blood of a seer, I could live again.

After that she passed on. Her unfinished business, I suppose. ”

“Blood of a seer?” Stevie gasped. “You mean me ?”

“That’s what I’m hoping.”

“What is he saying?” Lucia inched closer to Kit, seeming to think that maybe she could hear his words by doing so.

Stevie repeated what Kit had confessed, and Lucia folded her arms before saying, “This is more than a revenge story. I’m going to contact the Crowned Witch.

Adelia would have to know something, but the only way to reach her is by letter.

Let me think on it more tonight and I’ll come by tomorrow.

I’ll get started on the letter now though. ”

Stevie and Kit left Lucia’s, and she went straight to her room, plopping down on her bed. Kit sat in the desk chair across from her and Roxy hopped into his lap. He easily ran his long fingers through her fur.

“I think you’re forgetting whose sidekick you are,” Stevie teased. Roxy didn’t hesitate to bounce onto the mattress and paw through Stevie.

A second later, Kit sauntered toward Stevie. He stood before her, then bent his knees until they had to be eye to eye.

Stevie took a deep swallow, unable to find any sort of drive to scoot back or push him away, not that she could’ve done the latter anyhow. “Yes, Your Headlessness?”

“Are you going to take my bone out of your pocket?” he asked, his voice gruff.

Stevie’s eyes widened. “Oh! You’ve felt it in here this whole time?”

“Mm-hmm,” Kit purred.

“Even when you were in the woods?”

“Not as strongly, but of course.”

“And you didn’t come sooner?” Stevie fished the bone from her pocket, her fingers curling around it. He shivered and she wrapped it in the hem of her shirt.

“I could have, yes,” he said, his tone serious. “I was ready to give up all hope after another useless search for my head. With what little time I had left, I believed it didn’t matter anymore. And then to put your life in an upheaval for it is selfish on my part.”

Stevie’s heart thumped at how his shoulders hunched forward, at how long he’d been looking for his head and coming up empty. “Ah, Horseman, you now have a teammate, no matter how much we might bug each other. I’m not going to let you suffer.” She moved over, making room for him.

“I’ll swallow my pride and take your help.” He sat on the edge of the bed and she turned on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World to finish. She placed the bone back in the safe but left it out of the box in case she needed to call on Kit again.

Stevie collapsed on the bed and lay on her stomach as a chuckle escaped Kit’s throat, surprising her. “You don’t mind watching this movie?” she asked, blinking.

“It seems entertaining.”

“I highly agree.” She grinned.

A bell rang and Stevie swatted at the air. But when the sound came again, she realized it was the doorbell, then threw back the covers. She found Kit standing near the front door.

“Who is it?” She yawned, rubbing her eye.

“Your suitor,” Kit grumbled.

“What’s he doing here?” she whisper-shouted before opening the door. “Hey, Reese. Sorry about the turn of events last night.”

His hair was disheveled and dark circles rimmed his eyes. “Not an issue at all. But you left your jacket at my house. Figured I’d bring it over to save you a trip.”

“Thank you. This is like my favorite ever.” She took the black leather jacket from his hands that she’d had for years since she could never find a comfier one to replace it.

“I was thinking we could try again tonight. Third official date’s the charm.” He smiled and her heart didn’t flutter. Instead, it clenched—she had more important things to help Kit take care of.

Kit hadn’t made a remark as he usually would’ve, seeming to let her decide what she wanted to do. She’d made a promise to help him, and that was more important than going out on another date that might not be any better than the last two.

“I actually have a lot going on until after the new moon. My life is sort of chaotic.” She bit the inside of her cheek, holding back a wince. “I think the best I can offer at the moment is being a terrible friend. One that is too busy to do anything.”

“The stars just aren’t lining up for us, are they?” Reese’s expression turned worried, his lips pressing into a tight line. “Is it something paranormal you have to take care of? I know the witches have been pretty busy.”

“Yes!” she shouted a bit too loudly. “Lucia has me helping with a few spells to make sure the tourists continue to stay out of Sleepy Hollow. So much to do before the second Eye opens and so little time.”

“It’s right around the corner.” He paused, his fists clenching at his sides. “You know, if you need to talk, you can tell me anything. That’s what friends are for, right?” His gaze flicked past her as if he was hoping she would invite him inside.

Reese seemed to suspect she had secrets, which she did, but he couldn’t help solve them. Besides, she already had the most powerful witch in Sleepy Hollow helping her right next door. “Thank you, but I’m fine. I’ll text you later.”

“Sure.” He shrugged. “See you later.”

Stevie closed the door and turned to Kit, who leaned against the counter, his arms folded.

“What?” She held up her hands. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No. But if I were him, I would’ve fought harder for you is all.”