He chuckles, but it’s without humour. “Well, since my father died and I became head of the Van Tassel family. It’s acatch,shall we say, of the original Horseman binding. The witch who enacted the ritual needed to ensure there was always an Order of men in Sleepy Hollow to complete the yearly sacrifice and maintain the hold. Each of the five town leaders’ families were, well,cursedto put it bluntly, so that the head of each family cannot leave the town. We must remain here and carry out our duties.”
The tote bag slips out of my grasp and hits the floor. I’d forgotten that I was holding it.
“I’d give up everything to protect the people in this town, believe me. I already have.” He holds my gaze with misty eyes. “But leaving is the one thing I cannot do.”
I sway on the spot. I’m trying to think of a time I know he’s left the town. A work trip, maybe? A family holiday? He can’t haveneverleft. But I can’t think of anything. All my memories of holidays as a child are just me and Mum.
Oh my god.
Mum.
He couldn’t leave Sleepy Hollow, even if he wanted to. It wasn’t his choice.
She couldn’t have known.
I slowly lower myself into the chair opposite Dad and Meredith. The air seems to have gone from the room.
We all sit in silence, until finally, Meredith coughs delicately and indicates the tote.
“Katrina, what’s in the bag, love?”
The bag. Right. I guess we will be needing it after all.
I glance out of the window at the setting sun. It’s time to lure the Horseman to Van Tassel Manor. And my dad is the bait.
25
We choose to set the trap in the ballroom, a grand space with a white marble floor and wall-length French doors leading to the garden. I haven’t set foot in here over the last week, and I find myself impressed when I do. I can just imagine the original Katrina Van Tassel spinning around in her lacey dress, being dipped and twirled by her soldier under the crystal chandelier.
Although considering what happened to him, maybe that’s a bad omen.
The sun has almost set now, turning the sky a deep, bruised purple. The ballroom is filled with a sweet scent, where Ichabod kneels on the hard floor, carefully pouring a thick line of salt and herbs in a large but precise circle. Meredith busies herself arranging the crystals and candles that I got from Poppy.
My father stands apart from us, his eyes watching but not seeing.
I’m about to cross the room towards him when movement at the door catches my eye. Toby. I’m not sure how much he knows, just that Meredith told him to wait upstairs for us. He hovers in the doorway, but when he notices I’ve spotted him, he moves cautiously inside.
“I think I should stay down here,” he says evenly. “I can help.”
Meredith’s head snaps up. “Absolutely not.”
Toby scowls. “I’m not a kid anymore. Let me help.”
“Listen to your mother, Toby,” my father strides across the dance floor towards his son. “What will happen here tonight is very dangerous. We’re not exactly sure how it’s all going to play out. I need to know that you’ll be safe upstairs, out of harm’s way.”
He lays a hand on Toby’s shoulder and squeezes it.
Toby looks to me, silently asking for support, but I don’t know what to say. I’ve never seen this paternal side of my father. It almost makes me want to look away. Besides, I agreed with Meredith that Toby should be as far away from this as possible.
Toby opens his mouth to argue again, but my father cuts him off. “Upstairs, Toby. And no matter what you hear, don’t come down until sunrise.”
I see Toby deflate. He turns sullenly and heads back towards the ballroom entrance.
“Fine. But if you all die, I get to say I told you so,” I hear him mutter under his breath as he passes me.
Ichabod stands, dusting his knees. “That’s the last of the salt. I think we’re all set. Are you ready?”
Nope. Not even a little bit. But I glance at my father and then nod.
