Page 64 of Practically Magic

“Kat,” she whispers as the Horseman approaches, his axe glinting in the moonlight. “I want you to know, I love you—”

“Don’t,” I whisper back as the ground underneath us fractures. Green and gray hands shoot up, clawing at the earth. The Horseman’s army is rising. “I love you too, Harry.”

And then I shut my eyes.

Heat flares in my hands, there’s a ghostly whinny, and then a rush of wind.

When I crack my eyes open, the Horseman is gone.

“Did it work?” I ask.

“It’s just the first part of the ritual,” Harry says, squealing a bit as a hand reaches for her ankle. Because now we have zombies. “We need to finish it.”

I paw along the ground, trying to grab the rope and the apples, as an entire woman’s torso rises out of the earth, her eyes milky and unfocused, her hands reaching for me. Harry screams and hauls me back. “Leave it!”

“But we need the objects.”

Harry hauls me away from the cemetery, dodging zombies as we go. They groan at us, and Harry screams right back in their faces, a feral noise. That’s my sister. “We need to send the Horseman back to his final resting place. Just like Beatrice did.”

“We can’t behead him again.”

“I’m sure she used a spell. We just have to find her spell book. Mom mentioned she had more supplies in the office—”

“The green!” I say, pulling at my sister’s arm, tugging her in the other direction. “Eleanor said they buried her spell book in the monument at the center of the green. We get that—we get new supplies for the ritual—and we finish this!”

In the distance, we hear screams and that all-too-familiar call of the Horseman’s steed.

“We banished him into Eastbrook,” Harry whispers.

“Well, by the sounds of it, he’s headed back here. Let’s go!”

And with that, my sister and I take off running together toward the green.

27

Mystic Hollow Community Page

New post from Cliff Parton: I thought the Headless Horseman was supposed to stick to the parade route. Why is he riding past by my house on a skeleton horse holding a sword? New routes should always be cleared with the HOA first!

“Run!” Harry cries, but I stay calm and grab her hand.

I hold tight to my sister’s hand, feeling like I’m five again as we run out onto a deserted street. Carnival lights flicker in the distance, pointing us to the green—and the spell book we need. Trick-or-treaters are in for the night, thankfully, since every supernatural being I can think of is on the loose, but the green will be packed. Far too many people for the Horseman to hurt. And if he kills them, they’ll join his army of undead.

We don’t need any more zombies.

“What’s still open in town?” Harry asks.

“The market is out of apples,” I tell her. “And for rope, we can try the hardware—”

I glance over to see Zach in front of Witches Brew, waving at me.

I race over.

I see Zach eyeing my hat with amusement. “Um, why aren’t you at your party?” He holds the broom under his chin and rests his head on it. I’m just happy to see he still has one. “My brothers are still there, but I left after a bit.” He looks at me pointedly. “You seemed sort of busy. With Colton.”

“Oh.” My stomach drops and I feel a flutter in my belly as Zach stares at me. “We were just talking about his head,” I say, and he looks at me quizzically. “I mean. I . . . we . . . aren’t together. I don’t want to be together,” I clarify. “I’m just hoping his head will be back together with his body soon.”

“O-kay,” Zach says slowly, trying to follow.