“I know,” I say, squeezing her hands. “None of that matters right now. What matters is you’re here and helping me to set some things right with my dad. So, thank you.”
“Always,” Cat says, bending forward and wrapping her arms around my neck.
I close my eyes, wrapping my arms around her waist and leaning into her embrace. This semester has been so hard, and I didn’t realize just how much I missed her bright, bubbly presence.
“Do you think Abigail is okay? I mean, with the Lemure in charge of things over there, does that mean he’s overrun her?” Wade asks as he paces in front of the porch. “And if she’s okay… Do you think she could help us? Maybe distract him for us?”
My eyebrows rise, and I step away from Cat. “Honestly, I don’t know. She was the one thing holding him back. But I haven’t seen her since last night. It’s safe to assume he’s done something to her.”
“How was she able to contain him before?” Diana asks, leaning against the railing of the porch. “From what I understand, a Lemure’s energy is a lot to bear. Especially once they get going.”
“It is,” I say, thinking back to the recent experiences. “I’m not sure what she did, but I think they’re on a more level playing field.”
“What do you mean?” Wade asks.
“It’s like they’re on the same energetic plane or something. It’s easier to interact with each other than it is with us. Anytime they have to manifest or expend a lot of energy in the physical realm, it tires them out. But whenever I’ve astral-projected into the catacombs, Abigail has always seemed more vibrant, more real to me. I don’t know. Maybe this just sounds stupid.”
“No, I think there’s something here we can use,” Diana says, her blue eyes going distant.
“If you were to astral-project, would you be able to reach out to Abigail? Connect with her somehow to coordinate a plan?” Cat asks, walking over to the steps and taking a seat.
I walk a few feet away, thinking. “I could try. But even on the best of days, she doesn’t always come to me when I summon her. I wish there was just a way I could get through to my dad. Help him realize—” I press my fingertips to my lips as if they just spoke the secret we’ve been searching for.
Turning around, I catch Diana’s eye. Slowly, she smirks at me.
“I could astral-project into the house and summon the Lemure,” I say. “He’s been trying to maintain his hold on reality to protect me. He might be deteriorating now, but his energy is tied to me. When he realizes I’m there, he’ll want to connect. Then we could send Wade and Cat into the catacombs while he’s distracted.”
Speaking the words out loud sounds even crazier than they sounded in my head.
“I don’t know about this, Autumn. How do you know it will work?” Wade asks, clearly not convinced. “I mean, you’ve never astral-projected from this far away—let alone do something like this.”
“What other choice do we have?” I ask. “It may not be the best of plans, but at least it gives us a chance. We can’t just sit around here and wait.”
“From what you’ve said, even for a ghost, Abigail is powerful,” Dominic says, “But if you’re right and the Lemure has overpowered her—what makes you think you stand a chance?”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dom,” I spit back.
“It’s not that. It’s just—” he stands up, scratching at his forehead. “Look, I don’t want you to get hurt. The astral realm isn’t one to take lightly. I’ve tried to master it and it can be…” He glances down at the ground. “It has its own set of challenges.”
Wade takes a step forward, his voice deep with worry. “Like what?”
“Like, she could get trapped,” Dominic says, making a face. “If the Lemure gets ahold of her and doesn’t let her go—” He shudders away the remainder of the thought.
“What happens then?” Wade presses.
“To us, she becomes a vegetable. But to her consciousness—she’s in whatever hell the Lemure can conjure for her,” Dominic says grimly.
“Then I make sure that doesn’t happen,” I say, straightening my shoulders. “My dad needs me. We don’t have any other choice. So here’s how this is going to go down…” I pause, waiting for everyone’s total attention. “The remains will be at the catacombs soon. Colton will let everyone know when they’re in place. Cat and Wade, I need you to get them to the central chamber. You’re the only ones who can do this besides me. I’ll astral-project to draw my dad’s attention until I know the remains are safely inside. From what I understand, having the remains in the catacombs should weaken the Lemure enough for me to join you. Then, you wait for me. Everyone else—I want you to stay here. And stay safe.”
“How will we know if your distraction is successful?” Wade asks, his jaw set. “I won’t leave you to fend for yourself if it’s not even working.”
He’s clearly not happy about my plan.
I lift my gaze, sweeping it from Dominic to Diana. “We have two powerful psychics here. I’m pretty sure they’ll be able to work it out.”
Wade’s mouth snaps shut. He knows I’m right. Diana was even able to get Cat and Colton back here in the nick of time. She knew they’d be needed before I even did.
Turning to Colton, I ask, “How long do we have?”
Colton closes his eyes and drops his head in concentration. “Minutes maybe. He’s almost there.”
I nod, brushing off my jeans. “Good. Then, it’s time.” I step away, looking for a comfortable place to sit. My eyes lock on a set of Adirondack chairs facing the water and take a couple steps toward them.
Wade grabs hold of
