"Do not think of them," Evelina muttered to herself. But she continued tossing and turning on her bed, bothered by the earlier exchange of words. Bothered by how the events turned on her. "Do not!"
She covered her face with a pillow and muffled her scream.
It only made sense that no one would side with her. They wouldn't understand her for they were of different kinds. They all think that they could be superior over her but they were not. She wanted to prove them wrong.
But Evelina would admit that there was more to them than what she first thought. They weren't easily swayed like how common folks were when they encountered vampires. Most would either do their bidding or run as far as they could reach. All it took was one aligned look. Vampire to mortal.
But it was hard to get through them.
One could think that they might be witches but-
No, wait.
What a thought that was.
Nevertheless, it made sense. She never did have an effect on them. At least, nothing positive. But the hatred was all natural. The way she was always about to burst at the times she came across them. How guarded she was even with kindness as their masks.
She never thought anything of their room because all rooms have candles in them. But theirs were in a suspicious shape. A ritualistic arrangement.
It all adds up now.
Evelina sat up in realization. How could she be so blind? There were signs, all through.
So she was not the one who was fooling them, this whole time. They were pretenders and she would expose them out of their skins.
That would serve as her revenge.
Evelina was awake for the whole night but she had no plans of sleeping in the morning. The most possible truth was that the innkeeper and her children were witches, as well. Why else would she have a whole basement for the troupe? The authorities would have to take care of them all. Show them no mercy.
Her thoughts were interrupted with a knock. A knock that she expected from yesterday but did not come.
That child, Sybil.
"What are you doing here?" She felt her temper rising with just seeing her face.
"Miss, I-," Sybil started, avoiding her eyes. "-I never meant to upset you. I did ask you to accompany me but my brother, Royce, volunteered to go with me himself. And...well…" she rubbed her arm comfortingly. "Despite your questions, you did sound a little indifferent."
"Indifferent?" Evelina repeated, her tone at its edge. "I barge into their place and I'm indifferent? Darling, you must feel a little ridiculous yourself. You were there with them. Not sneaking in and looking at things. You know them. Don't act like you're someone who was only curious over her discovery, witch!"
Sybil's eyes widened, her cheeks red. "W-witch?"
Evelina paused at the child's expression and she felt a little sorry about what came out of her mouth. But why would she feel that way? She only told her that she knew about their true self.
"Am I not right? You were a band of snobby little witches. Get over yourself. You're no higher than the rest of us."
She saw Sybil clenching her fist. As if it was the first time she's done it, the child looked at her properly. "We were there because we just became part of their troupe. When you sneaked down, it was when they held auditions for new talents. But I guess you're too high and mighty to understand that. We're not witches. The only person who's acting like one is you."
And Evelina was left alone, standing outside of her door.
She didn't get it. She couldn't deny what the girl said about her, but she couldn't deny her actions either.
At least she told her that she was not one of them. Well, not yet.
Evelina thought of her plan again. If the innkeeper's children aren't witches, yet, then that must mean that the innkeeper isn't, as well.
She stepped back and face herself in the mirror.
Would it be more preferable to say it to her rather than the authorities? After all, Evelina was also guilty of pretending to be someone she's not. It would make much more sense for the innkeeper to throw them in the streets rather than for the authorities to straight up kill them.
Suffering is more enjoyable to watch than a quick death.
After what they've done to her, no peace must be spared.
Assuring herself of her new plan, she went out from her room to report her discoveries to the innkeeper.
"Well, hello." It wasn't the woman but her son who was at the counter. "Royce, was it?"
The lad growled, not looking up his book. "You must be the crazy lady."
Evelina scoffed. "Crazy lady?"
"Then isn't it crazy to enter a room by force and demand whatever it is that you were demanding?"
"What I wanted was none of your business."
"I agree. But it was my damn business when you're over here, talking freely, as if-" he looked up, meeting her gaze. "As if.... my sister…"
The human was entranced. Evelina's eyes were bright and she was wearing a satisfied smile. "Go on. Do your best to continue."
"Sybil…" Royce slurred. "You- you made her cry. My mother is with her right now. Why did you make her... cry?"
"Oh how sweet it is to have a brother protecting his sister." She clapped her hands in mockery. "But you aren't protecting her enough."
Evelina snapped and her eyes went back to normal. Royce blinked one and another before letting out a heavy, confused sigh.
"Listen here, boy. What you have downstairs in this inn of yours is a coven of witches waiting for a chance to prey on you. Now, if you want your sister to be safe and this inn's business going alright as it is then you may rather, I don't know, tell your mother that it isn't right to hide those pesky beings." she smiled sweetly. "Or lose everything. Your choice."
"Excuse me?" It was a new voice, from her right.
Evelina turned to the owner of the voice. It was the girl from last night. The one with the loud voice, who recognized her first. She was with the older man, and they both almost have the same face. A father and a daughter, they must be.
"Well, well...you came out of hiding. How convenient for me."
"You called us witches," the witch replied. "And you were blackmailing that boy on kicking us out."
"You kicked me out."
"We did no such thing! And even if we did, we have the right because you were barging in. How is that so hard to understand?"
The vampire laughed. "Do you now? You think you have the right to that room when your very existence is illegal?"
The girl stood her ground. "We're talking about existence when you have no evidence of what you're assuming of us."
"Was it not all there?"
"What is?"
She was trying to outwit her, Evelina was sure of it.
"The way you speak, how stubborn you are. The way the room you were staying smelled of both fresh and dried leaves. You were a bunch of fools trying to mask yourself with art."
The girl let out an exasperated sigh and was about to retort when her father, at long last, stopped her. "You are very intelligent to say all that. But," he paused before his eyes met hers. For an old man, the glint in his was cunning. As if he caught the vampire red handed. "you must be something else, too."
"I- What?"
"You mentioned our stubbornness when what we see are yours. Tell us, miss, given our stubbornness of something- that what is it that's in you? You're not normal, yourself."
Evelina furrowed her brow before looking at the man, and then avoiding his eyes.
"So tell us, miss. What are you?"