“That is all right,” Reiter reassured me. “And if you never are, that is all right too. I would never force you to do something you did not want to do.”
Unexpected tears heated my eyes at that. How was this man so kind after the many years of loneliness and anger he must have felt? “You are a truly good person.”
Reiter frowned as he saw the tears welling in my eyes. “Ichabod,” he soothed, and my name on his lips sent another unfamiliar shiver down my spine. “May I hold you?” he asked.
I blinked, the tears abating as I stared at him. “Hold me?”
“Yes.” His body stirred a little, and I realized with a start I had forgotten about it, despite it only being a few feet away.
I swallowed hard and nodded. His body got up, and my heartbeat quickened just a bit as his headless form came to sit by me and wrap his arms around me. I cradled his head to my chest, leaning my own head lightly into his embrace. He stroked his hand down my arm but otherwise held still, just letting me relax into his touch. It had been so long since anyone had held me this close, I couldn’t even remember it. And it certainly would not have been in a romantic way. Reiter’s embrace was not flirtatious or demanding though, just holding me to his warmth. I sighed. “I could fall asleep like this.”
“Go ahead,” Reiter offered. I turned to look down at his head in my arms in surprise. He smiled back. “You know you are safe here. If you wish to sleep, sleep.”
I hesitated, then cautiously placed his head next to his body on the ground. “So I don’t drop you if I do.”
He laughed. “Very thoughtful of you.”
I nestled against his chest, resting my head over where his heart lay silent. And eventually, I did sleep.
Chapter Seven
Thenextmorning,Iwashed with the bucket of water Reiter provided for me and ate an easy meal of cheese and fruit, and then I sat in the gallery and played the pipe organ. Reiter sat nearby, listening, his body swaying in time to the music. When I began to sing, his eyes closed, and he looked so at peace that I was determined to go through every song I knew in my repertoire for him, which took nearly the entire day. My voice was almost as hoarse as his when I finally stopped. “Thank you,” he said when I had finished. I gave him a flourishing bow from the bench before I got up and moved to sit by him. I hesitantly lifted his head up to give it a soft, exploratory kiss, which he eagerly returned. My energy was flagging though, and he did not protest when I returned his head to his lap.
I rolled my shoulders and neck, for sitting on a bench all day was never good for one’s posture, and I jumped when his hands landed on my shoulders and began to knead them. His large, strong hands moved over my tight muscles, thumbs digging into the knots and working them carefully. I was not used to this much touching, but his hands on me made my skin tingle in a way that I found surprisingly pleasant.
“Tell me what you know about the curse,” I said suddenly, and his hands stilled for a moment.
“What?”
“What do you know of Katrina’s magic? Her father’s? When you fought her at the bridge, it seemed like you could not land a blow on her.”
His hands began to move on my neck again. “That part is true. After she killed me, she took my head away with her. She does that for all of her victims, but I am the only one she hath resurrected. I think she has my skull, and because of that, I cannot harm her in any way.”
“But she can harm you,” I observed.
“Yes,” he said. “Though we so rarely ever engage. That evening when I came to your aid was the first time we have done more than see each other in probably half a century.”
I pondered that for a moment. “Do you think if your skull were returned to you, you would have the ability to cause her harm?”
“I would believe it so,” the Horseman said thoughtfully. “She does not age or become ill, but neither is she fully immortal. I have seen her injured before, as have I seen the same of Baltus and Brom. I would think her susceptible to catastrophe the same as any mortal.”
“Have you ever looked for your skull?” I asked curiously.
He actually laughed at that. “I have. I have searched the woods and the town, with no luck. The place I have not searched is their house and property.”
I thought it very likely that the Van Tassels would keep something as precious as the Horseman’s skull close to them. He was restricted to searching at night, but I was not. “I will help you find it,” I said firmly. “We will learn what we can about her magic, and then we will find a way to defeat her.”
Reiter stared at me. “Ichabod, you cannot possibly do such a thing.”
“Why not?” I demanded. “I am dead if I do nothing. Why should I not help you?”
“It is a fool’s errand,” Reiter said.
I shrugged. “I need to plan anyway. I promise I will not rush out or do anything without telling you.”
Reiter seemed uncertain at that, but he let the matter drop.
The next morning, we traded a few kisses, and Reiter massaged my shoulders and neck again with his strong, calloused hands. I was starting to very much enjoy touching, though I suspected it was because it was him. Eventually, Reiter stopped, and we spent some time reading silently, which still amused me to no end to see him hold the book on his lap with his head near it, his hands turning the pages.
