Page 49 of Calling Quarters

Chapter 27

Storie

The Quarters had been villainized by the coven. Each day, more people were joining Rayner and the Movement out of sheer terror over what the future held for them if they continued putting their trust into the four men they felt had failed them the most. Remy never shared much with me about the others, but he had insinuated multiple times that our connection was the only thing keeping him going while the others were fading away.

Rayner was now revered by the townspeople. They greeted him with excitement and respect, hopeful that he would be their guiding light out of some of their darkest times. Even if I hadn’t been so close with Remy, I knew better than to believe any of the lies he spewed. I’d seen what he was capable of and the fear he instilled in Aunt Ash from one simple visit filled with deadly threats I still wasn’t aware of.

Each time we passed on the streets or found ourselves in the same diner or store, I purposely avoided him. He always made a point to pin me down with his pointed stare and creepy smile, but never once bothered speaking to me.

Not yet.

I felt it coming, though. He had plans for me, I knew that much from the sliver of time he’d spent with Aunt Ash. But he wasn’t going to reveal them until the time was right.

“Our home is being taken over by dark magic and the people we’ve relied upon to repel it away have remained silent. They owe us an explanation for allowing this evil to get this far. I beg you, my powerful brothers and sister, to cast your own protection spells and protect your families,” he preached from the white gazebo.

A crowd had gathered around to hear, nodding their heads and clutching their hands to their chests as his words sparked more fear. A police officer stood sleepily nearby to ensure peace was maintained while Rayner and his followers rallied. After a few instances where Quarter supporters attacked Movement members during their meetings, the mayor decided to station an officer at every political convention, big or small.

“Those boys were given a gift and they are squandering it. They’re no longer deserving of the admiration they’ve received and taken advantage of from this town. Their fathers promised they can right the wrongs of their sons, yet the darkness continues to linger.”

“I can’t believe people are falling for this,” Blaire mumbled from beside me on the bench we stopped at to enjoy our coffee and listen to Rayner’s ridiculous claims. “Fear makes people do stupid things.”

“Still, at least half of the town has joined him. I’ve even seen posters in support of the Movement taped to the walls in The Grind.”

It shouldn’t bother me that these people were being brainwashed by a man whose ego was larger than the span of the town itself, but I’ve grown fond of some of them in my time here. To see them being taken advantage of was simply heartbreaking.

Maybe that was a sign it was time for me to leave. Or maybe it was time for me to step in and claim Beacon Grove as my home.

Blaire tapped her foot impatiently against the grass as Rayner continued his speech. “If he’s so worthy of the position of High Priest and taking over for the Quarters, why doesn’t he remove the black magic spell himself?”

Her mood never lifted to its usual peppiness after the town meeting. She’d adopted a new attitude toward her hometown and the people in it, specifically the Quarters. Instead of speaking against them as she always did, she began sounding like Tabitha, sympathizing with the four men who were being used as scapegoats to complete a larger agenda. She was no longer the naive, doe-eyed girl I met in the beginning of my trip, innocently taking whatever they threw at her and making the best of it. Now, she demanded respect. Her eyes had been opened to the corruption happening around her and she was angry about it.

“Because he can’t.”

I watched the man in question closely, taking note of his hand gestures and the way his eyes twitched when he was saying something especially ridiculous. It was like he knew the words he was spewing were nothing but hot air, but he enjoyed the way the crowd was so captured by him too much to stop.

“Exactly.”

We only lasted on that bench a few more minutes before Blaire stood up in a huff and began walking off. She took the back alley again and I followed. I’d given up trying to figure out the route after trying it a few times on my own and never ending up in the same place twice. Some things in Beacon Grove just weren’t worth getting hung up on and the seemingly shifting streets were one of them.

We passed the office and walked straight to my room, where we’ve been hanging out for the past few days. I managed to avoid Tabitha since the night she told me everything about the Quarters and I ran straight to Remy with my newfound information. Even though there was no way for her to be certain, I could swear she knew what I’d done and wasn’t pleased with me.

I didn’t care, though. She’d been wrong about him, and when he was ready to tell the others about what we knew, I was sure she’d be wrong about them, too.

Blaire fell onto my bed and laid back, releasing an exasperated sigh into the air above her. I wanted to ask what had gotten into her lately. It seemed like I wasn’t the only one avoiding the old woman sitting a few doors down. But I figured if she wanted me to know, she would have told me by now. That was just who Blaire was.

“Where do you plan on going when you leave here?” she asked when I laid down beside her.

We each stared up at the tiled ceiling, me considering my answer while she waited patiently.

“I’m not sure,” I admitted.

“I’ve never left Beacon Grove. Grammy wouldn’t ever allow it, and Mom was always too busy to plan a vacation.”

“We should plan something. Just you and me,” I suggested, turning my neck toward her.

She did the same and her eyes glowed bright even in the dull light the lamp was emitting from beside the bed. They reminded me of the unique shades the Quarters had, almost making her look inhuman.

“That would be great. I want to see the city. I don’t care which one.”

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