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“Lee.”
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, but he didn’t stop.
“Lee, stop.”
His jaw clenched, but he yanked Shelton closer. “Where is she?” He loosened his grip enough so Shelton could speak, and immediately he began coughing.
“Where is she?”
“The Witching Line.” Shelton was still coughing, but he was able to sputter that out. He pointed behind him. “At the far end, by the football field. Her family is coming. They come every year and Sabine goes insane.”
Beatrice hummed, so not sounding worried about her friend. She was almost cheerful. “It’s true. She’s not an evil being or anything.” She faltered as Benji stepped forward. “But she’s not right in the head around this time. Her family wasn’t nice when they were alive. Made her feel insecure. This year she’s been trying to plot a way to make them jealous and ever since Colette—” She suddenly gasped, struggling. Her hands went to her throat too.
Lee clipped out, “Her name is Cole.”
He relaxed his hold. Beatrice shot me a look, massaging her throat. “—ever since Cole came here, Sabine’s been obsessed. Also, was that necessary?”
“I’m sick of people not respecting her wishes for her own fucking name,” Lee snarled at her.
Beatrice looked less snippy, moving back a little.
Shelton spoke up, “We think it’s because she can see us. Course, we didn’t know that at first. Sabine just kept saying there was something different about her.”
A memory came to me. I must’ve made a noise because the ghosts and Lee looked my way.
“Sabine tried to put her hand inside of me last week. It’s how she found out I could see her because I was distracted. I snapped at her but tried to cover it up.”
Beatrice scoffed.
The ends of my mouth curved down. I shrugged. “It’s better if ghosts don’t know I can see them, talk to them.”
“That’s preposterous,” Beatrice accused. “And rude.”
“She tried to enter you?” Lee moved closer to me. “You never said anything about that.”
I shook my head. “I—it’s not really something I lead with, and I didn’t meet you until the next night. It just never came up.”
“What is happening?” Cassian’s head was looking from Lee to wherever Lee was looking at. “You’re talking to Cole. I can tell. You talk softer when you’re speaking to her. Where is she? I hate this.”
Lee sighed, his shoulders falling down. “Let’s fix that.” He asked Shelton, “You said she’s at the end of the football field?”
Shelton nodded, uncertain but resigned at the same time. He was massaging his neck, moving his jaw around at the same time. “She—” He glanced my way, still hesitating until his head lifted. His chin raised. “Her sister-in-law was never kind to Sabine when they were alive. She crossed over and Sabine didn’t, and she’s a spirit now so you know, they don’t have the same problems when they were alive. The soul crossed over, but she’s still got the same personality. She’s still hoity-toity. It’s just a part of her, but Sabine has the same insecurities as when she was alive.”
Lee was translating for Cassian, who held up his hand. “Wait a minute. What’s the difference between a ghost and a spirit?”
“Ghosts are souls that are still on this plane. They just don’t have their bodies. They’re like us; well, not like me, but like you. Spirits are souls that have crossed over into the next plane.”
“And The Witching Line is what again? Besides the weird walking thing our town does for Halloween?”
Lee answered, “Ley lines are real. They’re powerful too, and because of all the energy from the humans walking on the ley line, it’s strong enough to allow ghosts and spirits to also walk it. Those that crossed over can come back and visit with each other, visit with ghosts that are still here. It’s their Homecoming.”
“Whoa.” Cassian blinked, looking stunned. His mouth formed a small o. “And you and Cole can see them?”
Lee swallowed, not replying at first, until he nodded. Reluctantly. “Yeah. We can.”
“What does it look like?”
“Beautiful,” I said.
