Bewitched (Ichabad Crane x Reader)

Chapter 11- Curse The Day

The group enters Ichabod's and Y/n's bedroom and is surprised to see Katrina sitting at the desk, reading Y/n's notes. "Katrina? Why are you in our room?" Y/n asked.

"Because it is yours." She smiles, but then it falls when she sees the two Consults looking around to see if something is missing. "Was it wicked of me?"

"No. No, not at all." Y/n says slowly.

"I wanted to talk to you. Where did you go?" Katrina asked and Y/n was surprised since Katrina wanted to talk to her alone and not with her and Ichabod.

"To the notary. We had questions to ask Hardenbrook." Y/n says while Ichabod looks at Katrina with suspicion.

"And did you learn anything of interest?" The three exchange glances.

"Perhaps." Ichabod says.

"My father..." Katrina was cut off.

"Your father?" Ichabod says.

"Yes. My father thinks you both should return to New York."

"Really? Why is that?" Y/n asked.

"I don't know. Perhaps he looked in your ledger and did not like what he saw." Y/n looks down to see her ledger open and close it quickly. "What have you there?" Katrina questions seeing her and Ichabod holding papers.

"Evidence. I'm sorry, I must ask you..." Y/n was about to tell Katrina to leave, but Katrina got her message. "Then I'll leave you both to your thoughts." Katrina leaves and when she turns around she sees Y/n and Ichabod placing the papers in the drawer. 

Y/n and Ichabod watch her close the door, when suddenly Ichabod gasps and jumps on the chair. Y/n and Young Masbath look at him in surprise and when he points to the ground, they see a tarantula walking under his bed.

"It's just a spider." Young Masbath says.

"Ichabod is afraid of spiders, even the small ones. I'm usually the one to get rid of them." Y/n informs.

"Kill it! Kill it! No, no, stomp it!" Young Masbath crouches to look under the bed and he frowns. "There's something under here."

"What is it?" Ichabod questions.

Young Masbath gets up, "Help me move the bed." He asked Ichabod since he didn't want Y/n to move something heavy.

"No, no, I mustn't. You do it." Ichabod denies and Y/n goes to help Young Masbath. When they moved the bed a strange pentagram drawn in chalk is revealed. They look at it with shock.

"The evil eye. It is someone casting spells against you." Young Masbath explains to them.

"The evil eye?" Ichabod whispers.

"Let us check under my bed." Y/n and Young Masbath moved her bed and saw the same drawing. "How curious." She says.

Later that night, Young Masbath sleeps on the box he is sitting on with a blanket Y/n draped over him earlier. Ichabod sits on the table thinking while Y/n reads on her bed. They heard a door close downstairs so Ichabod woke Young Masbath and they left the room.

The three come down the stairs and stop when they see a figure with a cloak leaving the house. They followed it and when they went outside they saw the figure walk into the woods. They look at each other and nod in agreement to follow the figure. They walk into the woods keeping a distance to keep hidden and stop on a hillside.

"Wait here." Ichabod whispers to Young Masbath and the two Constables advance up the hill. Ichabod takes out his pistol and takes the lead to keep Y/n safe. They peer over a tree to see a couple having sex.

The semi-naked name takes deep breaths and the semi-naked woman pushes him down to reveal it was Lady Van Tassel. She grabs a dagger that lies next to her and slices deep into her palm. She rubs her cut hand over the man's back, smearing blood all over

Y/n looks away with a deep blush covering her cheeks while Ichabod looks in disbelief. He takes Y/n's hand and walks away, having seen more than enough.

~~~

They return to the room, Ichabod and Y/n wishing they could erase what they saw. Y/n looks at the desk drawer to see it slightly open. She walks over and opens it to see the documents have been taken. Ichabod walks next to her and sees the drawer empty and they look at each other knowing who had taken them.

~~~

Ichabod and Y/n ride their horses to the abandoned cottage to see Katrina kneeling by the fireplace burning the documents. "Katrina, you took the evidence and burned it." Ichabod says when they walk into the cottage.

"So you would not have it to accuse my fathers." Katrina says standing up and looking at the two.

"We accuse no one. But if there is guilt, We cannot alter it, no matter how much it grieves us. And no spells of yours can alter it, either. Your father has the motive. It is he who stands to profit from these murders." Y/n explains, but Katrina looks at them with hatred in her eyes.

"If you knew him, you would not have such harsh thoughts about him. No, nor if you felt anything for me." Y/n was surprised by the last sentence she said.

"We are pinioned by a chain of reasoning. Why else did his four friends conspire to conceal..." Ichabod asked, but Katrina cut him off.

"You are the constables, not I. So find another chain of reasoning and let me be." Katrina says.

"We cannot, not the one or the other. And I am heartsick with it." Y/n confess.

"I think you have no heart. And I had a mind once to give you mine." Katrina confessed.

"Yes, I think you loved me that day when you followed me into the Western Woods to have braved such peril." Y/n states remembering how Katrina looked at her with fondness in her eyes.

"What peril was there for me, if it was my own father who controlled the Headless Horseman?" Katrina walks away from them and gets on her horse. "Goodbye, Y/n L/n and Ichabod Crane. I curse the day you came to Sleepy Hollow." She rode off, not looking back at the two.

~~~

"She will not see you." Lady Van Tassel says mixing around the soup in the pot. She was in the kitchen when Y/n and Ichabod walked in asking about Katrina.

"Did she say anything?" Y/n asked.

"Only that she will not come down." She took a bowl of soup out of the pot and placed it on the table.

"I see. Thank you." They were about to walk out when Lady Van Tassel called for them.

"Constables, you have not asked me how I have hurt my hand since yesterday, which would have been polite. In fact, you have been as careful not to look at it as not to mention it." She unwraps the bandage on her hand to show them the cut, making the two nervous.

"Yes, I'm sorry. How did you..." Ichabod slowly asked.

"I know you saw me." Lady Van Tassel whispers closely.

"What?" Y/n squeaks out.

"I know you followed last night. And you must promise not to tell my husband what you say. Promise me!" They turned around when Baltus entered suddenly.

"The town is in ferment. Horror piled on tragedy. Hardenbrook is dead." Baltus quickly says.

"Oh, no! That harmless old man?" Lady Van Tassel asked.

"Hanged himself in the night."

"Hanged himself?" Ichabod repeats.

"Reverend Steenwyck has called a meeting at the church tonight. Every man, woman, and child is going to speak out against you both. If you are wise, you will leave this place." Lady Van Tassel goes to calm him, but Baltus notices her wound. "What is that?"

"I was careless with the kitchen knife." Lady Van Tassel lies.

"The wound looks angry."

"I'll bind it later with wild arrowroot flowers. I know where some grow."

Ichabod and Y/n silently slip out of the room.

~~~