CATRIONA

Jayden’s breath caught.

He didn’t speak. Just stared at me, like the words hadn’t fully registered.

“I don’t mean permanently,” I rushed to say. “I mean—temporarily. I need to cross the boundary between this world and theirs. I have to force my spirit to where they are. The realm where they hide. That’s the only way they’ll talk to me. It’s how they always reached me before—in my dreams, when I was between life and death.”

He looked at me for a long moment without blinking.

“Catriona…” He finally said, his voice was hoarse. “No.”

I leaned in. “Jayden, they won’t come to me otherwise. They’re avoiding me. But...