“Mine! Claimed!”the Lavender Lady almost screeched.
“Evil possesses no power here,”the Woman in Black responded. She released the dog’s collar, and it sprang forward.
Hugo and I both yelled and flinched, covering our faces. It paid us no attention and pounced on the creature, which vanished in a puff of smoke. The ghostly hound howled its displeasure and looked towards the Lavender Lady, who was now doing her best crab impression. She scurried away on all fours and disappeared.
The Woman in Black also faded with the dog.
“Somebody want to explain that?” Hugo demanded.
“The Woman in Black wasn’t interested in us. She’s not with the Lavender Lady. I think she’s a guardian here,” Callum said.
“What’s the betting the Lavender Lady either claimed her life or the life of someone she loved?” I asked.
“She haunts here because of that tragic reason? And protects people against the Lavender lady and creature?” Connor surmised.
“Lavender, let’s drop ‘the lady’. She was trying to seduce us out of the circle. She made her voice alluring, tempting us. I think she’s the result of a human pairing with either an incubus or a succubus. Sex was certainly her strategy,” Callum said.
“Does this bring us any closer to a demon?” I asked.
“Yes, I believe so. The creature is Lavender’s minion, and Lavender utilises him to threaten and terrify people. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s killed. She uses him as a weapon. But she’ll serve a higher demon as a master. As a cambion, Lavender holds little status. She’s working for either her sire or dam—or someone has enslaved her,” Callum continued.
“And the Woman in Black, whom reports were afraid of, she’s a protector?” Phil asked as he kept scanning for any sign of activity.
“Yes. Dogs are sensitive to spirits like cats, and it isn’t a surprise that this ghost is acting as a doggy guardian,” Hug added.
“You’re okay staying here while Michelle stays at the house?” I asked Callum.
“Yes. Michelle understands what’s happening there, and likewise, me here. No point starting over again. But I’d like to revisit the bridge. The apparition of the Headless Horseman is wrong. I think that’s the demon masquerading as him,” Callum said.
“Then we’ll go there now,” I replied.
Callum
Everything screamed demon, and I was trusting my gut. A demon fed off terror and pain, and as the Headless Horseman, he’d certainly cause a lot of fear. I was curious how long he’d been here, amassing power. Quite likely for a while, because Lavender, while not commonly seen, had been observed for over a century. Harry had unearthed a report today that mentioned a sighting of her one hundred and ten years ago. Lavender had been building up her strength, creating her minion while the demon ruled her.
We climbed out of the SUV and stared at the bridge. Would he appear tonight? No doubt he would. He’d want a show of power.
A few moments later, we straightened as we heard hoofbeats. Towards us, like the other night, galloped the black stallion with steam snorting from his nostrils. Red orbs glared into the darkness as it approached the bridge, and reared up, its front hooves pawing the air.
It came down as the Hessian urged it towards the bridge. On the saddle, as expected, was the wrinkled head. It was too small to discern the features, but the eyes glowed. The horse thundered towards us and then vanished.
Silence fell around us.
“Demon,” I said. “Without a doubt.”
Chapter Five.
Callie
Each team had completed three nights of investigation, and it was time to change over. Callum and Hugo would remain at the cemetery, while Michelle would stay at the house. I was struggling to understand how two demons were working in such a close area. Jack and I had done our handovers, and they’d gone to Amityville while Sunny, Chey, Celt, Callum, Hugo, and I were at Sleepy Hollow. Sunny was riding his Hog while the rest of us were in an SUV.
“Seriously, I can’t believe we’ll get to see the Headless Horseman,” Chey almost squealed. She was relieved to be free of the Amityville investigation.
“We’re heading to the Old Dutch Church Burial Grounds tonight. Nobody knows where the body of the Hessian was buried, but it’s thought to be behind the church in an unmarked grave. We’ll do an EVP session and also use the SLS cameras to scan for figures,” I said.
“There’s a difference between the two cemeteries?” Celt asked.
“Yes. The Old Dutch Church Burial Grounds belong to the church, and Sleepy Hollow is a separate cemetery. Jack, Connor,and Phil investigated the Sleepy Hollow graveyard, we’re heading to the original burial place,” I explained.
