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“You want me to summon his spirit? We’re not exactly close.”

“No, but Cole knows you,” Jodi said.

“And he has, uh, opinions about you,” Emily added delicately.

Adam couldn’t argue with that, which was why he’d taunted Cole the first time he’d visited. Strong feelings made for a connection.

It was another reason Adam needed to deal with his hatred for Wilcox. Passion like that, even if negative, bound you to a person.

“All right,” he conceded.

“What’s this going to take?” Bobby asked. “We can’t have you lighting candles or burning incense.”

“Nothing like that,” Jodi said. “Adam and I will use our Sight to try and find him. Hopefully we’ll get a ping on his soul’s location. Then we’ll try to summon him.”

“We don’t know what’s out there,” Adam said.

“That’s why Emily will act as the ground for the circle. If anything but Cole comes calling she’ll shut it down.”

It made sense. Emily lived with Cole. She knew him best. A weaver, she channeled her craft through her creations. Adam had seen her power firsthand.

Emily drew a thick cord from the pocket of her crocheted coat. She’d woven it with strands of many colors. He could smell it from where he stood. She’d likely dyed each strand in an herbal bath not only to shade the yarn but also imbue it with the plants’ properties.

“Lauren taught you that plant work, didn’t she?”

Emily nodded with a frown.

Lauren had been a member of their coven. A green witch, she’d joined Wilcox’s cult along with some of the others. The last time Adam had seen them had been before the Guardians had taken them into custody.

Emily laid the cord along the floor, forming a ring around them as Adam took her place beside the bed. She stood at the foot, holding the ends of the cord, ready to drop them and break the circle if something malicious answered their call.

“What do you want me to do?” Bobby asked.

“Just make sure no one disturbs us,” Adam said.

With a nod, Bobby drew the curtain around the bed and stepped out into the hall.

Jodi drew her tarot deck from her purse. Adam did the same with his backpack.

He felt the familiar flash of magic as Jodi shuffled. The cards had been a gift from Sue, and they’d been used by generations of Binders. He’d held them for a while before passing them on to Jodi, Sue’s blood heir in the craft, but he had his own deck now. He’d build his own magical legacy.

“What kind of spread do you want to use?” he asked as he called up his Sight and started to shuffle.

“The Wayward Traveler,” Jodi said.

“I don’t know that one.”

“That’s because I just came up with it. Follow my lead. Are you ready, Emily?”

“Yes.”

Adam felt her charge the cord and circle she’d laid around them.

“One for the intent or purpose of the journey,” Jodi said.

Adam cut the deck.

They lay their cards down to either side of Cole. He didn’t react and simply stared at the ceiling.