Thane twisted in his seat to look at me more closely. “Cats do that, Lexi. Jack was probably squeezing it too tightly. They don’t put up with bullshit. Have you never owned one?”

I crossed Thane off my list of no-cat-in-the-house allies.

“Any animal that turns on you is not to be trusted,” I muttered, waving Jack away. “It’s fine. The women will take the ground, at the men’s feet. It’s where we belong.”

Daisy huffed, at the opposite end of the semicircle from Jack. “No ground for me, thank you very much. These are new jeans.”

I pursed my lips but didn’t comment on her moneymaking scheme. “Ladies. You don’t qualify.”

“Quit yapping and let’s get going,” Bria said, looking at the sky. I didn’t know why.

Red and Aubri clearly got nights off, since they weren’t on scene. Lucky for them.

I took a deep breath. “Fine. Okay.” I’d just bent at the knees when a blur of white froze my heart. The cat zipped past me, randomly pivoted near one of the candles, batted at Zorn’s legs, dashed between the chairs, and ran back out of sight. I clutched my chest. “What in the holy fu—”

“Don’t worry about that. He’s just playful,” Boman said with a smile that would normally melt anyone’s resolve. I wiped that smile off his face with a heartfelt scowl.

“That thing needs a leash,” I said, trying to calm myself. Trying to re-center. Or even center for the first time.

Donovan chuckled. “You don’t put leashes on…” His words died when he got the next scowl.

“Ready?” Bria asked, her focus intense.

I swallowed and nodded. Showtime.

Kieran’s movement had me glancing over my shoulder. He held out the pocket watch, which he then placed in my waiting palm.

“I’m right here,” he said softly, his sweet breath dusting the side of my face. “You have a lot of power sitting right behind you. Nothing, not even a Demigod’s army, will get through us. Do whatever you need to do. We’ve got your back.”

Jack and Thane both grunted their agreement. I could see the others nodding out of the corner of my eye.

“Okay,” I said, breathing out a little more stress. Reaching for the power of the Line.

Spirit crawled across the ground and filled the circle, not stopped by a few boards and some stinky candles. The Line pulsed, comforting, its nightmarish colors not instilling me with any fear. The watch felt like it was pulsing in my hand. Like the guy on the other end of it was waiting for me to reach out and reel him in. Like he was challenging me. He’d gotten the better of me last time. He expected to do it again.

I gritted my teeth and hardened my resolve, sinking into a trance, the act second nature now. My consciousness followed the signal from the watch.

Time dropped away. My stomach rolled, and I felt like I was rolling with it, the laws of gravity ripped out from under me. This had never happened with any other spirit, and I knew the rogue Spirit Walker was somehow to blame. I was being manhandled.

Boy did I hate handsy fuckers.

I held on to my confidence and rolled with the feeling. Focused on the task at hand with the determination born of keeping two kids alive in the crack of the world. I was a survivor. When the going got tough, I pushed through with a little creative courage.

Free-falling now, I nonetheless sensed I was moving steadily across a flat plane. The logic made no sense, but I forced myself to focus on the end game. Soon enough, I bumped into the same wall, or door, I’d encountered last time. Again, I wondered if it were a cage, if somehow the guy was imprisoned in this realm. That would explain why he hadn’t found his way back last time in order to mess with me. Or maybe just wander the world and cause havoc. A spirit that strong certainly could.

The wall nudged, opening slightly as the presence slammed against the other side. Crashed into it, shaking the very foundation of the spiritual plane. Strange colors, like a blood blister spreading under the skin, pulsed around me. Tendrils of it licked at my limbs and slid down my back.

My resolve shook. Fear worked through me. I stayed the course, but my mind was fixed on the one unshakable link connecting me to the real world.

It leads back to your Demigod. To your soul mate.

The voice seemed to curl around my ears, but the words hadn’t been spoken.

He is a strong root for you. He will stop you from losing your way.

I opened my mouth…until I realized I didn’t have a mouth. Communication was different here. I remembered that from before. There was no air. There were no words. I should know this by now. I’d been in this plane before, many times. Maybe not this deep, but it shouldn’t matter.

Why did I keep forgetting things?

You need guidance. Practice. I will help.

Spirit ripped and tore at me. Rolled my spectral body end over end.

Panic tightened my chest, but I clutched what I knew was the soul link and held on tight, rolling with the feeling. Refusing to be knocked around this plane like a rag doll. This thing was the same power level as me—less, actually, after death. I should be able to withstand him.

I had to learn how to withstand him.

If I met a Demigod in this plane, the effect would be a whole lot worse.

Laughter rang through my ears. Roared all around me.

Still I held on, refusing to be budged.