I blinked, then immediately rolled my head to find Grammy, who was watching me with a wise look on her face. She had known. Her words from before rang in the back of my head.
It's time you stepped into your powers.
That was what this was all about—why she brought me out here in the first place. It was a ritual. She wanted me to complete a spell with the Quarters in order to gain full use of my gifts.
“You could have told me,” I finally found the words to say.
She shrugged. “You wouldn't have come.”
“I don't know what just happened, but that was freaky as hell,” Enzo's strained voice remarked from above me.
The others voiced their agreements and Storie placed her hand on my shoulder to see if I was alright. I gave her a reassuring look and rolled out of her touch to climb to my feet, still feeling a little overwhelmed.
“You needed us to activate her gifts…” Lux surmised. He didn't seem mad or shocked. I waited for the others to voice their irritations at being so blatantly used, but none of it came.
“The shield is in place. Behave yourselves tonight,” Grammy said as she packed up her things, ignoring Lux's comment altogether. She looked to me to see if I was willing to come with her.
I took in the mood of the room before me. The way Enzo and Rhyse high-fived. How Remy and Storie shared a victorious kiss. Even Lux replaced his usual disinterested expression with a smile.
And I felt completely out of place here. For some reason, all I could think about was getting back home and telling Kyle what had just happened. If the people I could trust most were here—the ones I could relate to the best—why was the sheriff on my mind at all?
I pushed the thought away and told Grammy I’d stay here, so we could all arrive at the festival together. She only smiled in response, as if that was what she was hoping I’d say, and then left us alone to celebrate.