Hex and Halo, Jayden Blue's cats, have decided that they're no longer interested in simple games of hide and seek with him before school. No, they've cooked up an entirely new game. His best friend and next door neighbor, Raylene Hawkins, helps when she can, and she always waits with him on his porch for the school bus. The passageway to their World So Close has again become something entirely different. And though they've found a way to sort of cheat and talk about their adventures in that world, they still can't look in that direction. No one can. Well, maybe just Hex and Halo . . . Jayden is basking in the admiration and envy of many of his classmates after he handled Tommy's teasing and nearly beat Morton in the race. With so much encouragement, he decides to sign up to audition for a role in an upcoming play. Only after committing to that does he begin to wonder if he could do it. Could he act on stage in front of an audience? He and Raylene can't help but follow after the giant cats in the world they continue to explore. They dare to pass through a dark forest that appears as solid as a wall and on the other side, they're welcomed into The Lair of the Iron Lions. And those lions, though fierce and fearless, are also in need of help from Jayden and Raylene.