Page 42 of Calling Quarters

“Five. They're trying to instill fear.”

“Who?” I wondered absently, pouring a spoonful of sugar into my cup. Blaire was terrible at making coffee, but it was still preferable to what was offered in my room.

Tabitha didn't bother looking up from her meal when she answered, “The Movement.”

“Grammy thinks they're trying to frame the Quarters.” Blaire shook her head at the old woman, a smile teasing her lips.

“One day, you're going to learn to listen to me, girl.” Tabitha's tone didn't sound like she was offended or hurt, just annoyed. Always annoyed when it came to Blaire.

“Sorry, Grammy. It just doesn't seem likely. Why would they kidnap local young girls when they're trying to appeal to the townspeople? It seems counterproductive. The Quarters are more believable suspects.”

Tabitha's fist slammed onto the table, spilling coffee over the edges of our cups. Blaire and I jumped, and she mumbled something under her breath, then turned her glowing grenades toward Blaire, finally giving her full attention to the conversation.

“You need to smarten up. That's exactly what they want you to think and you're falling prey like a brainless sheep being led to slaughter.”

“It's just common sense,” Blaire mumbled into her lap. “The Quarters need to find their Counters if they want to keep their gift. Even The Beacon says that all the girls who have gone missing fit the criteria.”

Tabitha stood from her chair and threw the empty oatmeal bowl into the sink, nearly shattering the white ceramic. “We're not discussing this anymore.”

Blaire didn't argue. We both watched her walk out of the kitchen with wide eyes and held our breaths until we heard the wooden door to the hotel office slam shut.

“She's losing it,” Blaire declared once again, repeating the same words I've heard her utter multiple times now.

I didn't think Tabitha was as far out of her mind as Blaire always insisted. But I couldn't defend the Quarters without explaining that I'd been regularly spending most of my time with one of them, and I wasn't ready to admit that to Blaire just yet. Whatever Remy and I shared felt too sacred to gossip about with my friend like a giggling schoolgirl.

Instead, I went another route. “I think the Movement has proven to be pretty desperate in their attempts to get people on their side. Is it really that much of a stretch to think they're just trying to turn more people against the Quarters and their families?”

Blaire scoffed. “Come on. Not you, too.”

“I'm just saying. From the outside looking in, you're all being played from both sides.”

“Can you really say you're on the outside anymore? You've been here for almost two months with no plans to leave.”

Of course, she had me there.

“Are you getting sick of me, Red?” I joked, ignoring the urge to cringe.

My intention was never to stay this long. Even without anticipating the constant secrecy and roadblocks that stood in my way, I should have been out of here a long time ago. Ideally, getting my career started and finding my footing in a new life without Aunt Ash. I'd barely allowed myself time to mourn her loss before taking all my savings and diving deep into the world of Beacon Grove.

Still, something told me it wasn't time for me to leave. I've only scratched the surface when it came to my mother's past, and it felt wrong leaving things with Remy open ended the way that they were. After what Julia and her friends pulled and the intimacy we shared following it, we were spending nearly every free moment we had together. It had only been about a week, but it felt like our souls have known each other for a lifetime.

I supposed I needed to sit down and think about how long I’d realistically be stuck here and make a plan based on that.

“Never. You’re the only person here who doesn’t treat me like the dirt on the bottom of their shoe.”

She busied her hands with cleaning up our spilled coffee cups to hide the emotion in her face. I could sense it, though. Even the way she carried herself across the kitchen was heavy and slow. Depressed.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned about this place, it’s that the people here don’t know how to value a good thing when they see it. You shine too bright for them, Blaire. They don’t know what to do with that.”

Her and Remy were sorely taken advantage of. I’d only known each of them for a handful of weeks and they’d both added more value to my life than anyone else, filling the void that was left by my aunt and father. People like Julia and her odd friends may have seemed like the obvious choice to befriend, but they had no substance. They were empty shells, reaching their peak in a town that most of the rest of the world had no idea even existed.

I remembered something Remy had said to me the last time we were together. We were sitting together on his balcony, and he was explaining how his gifts worked with the underworld to me as if it were simply the next town over.

“So, you can see people who have passed?” I asked in disbelief. I’d give so much to be able to speak to my parents or Aunt Ash, and he was talking about it so casually.

“Kind of. I can visit their souls once they've reached the other side.”

“Then, you can see my parents?”

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