Payback's A Nightmare | ✔

CHAPTER THE TWELFTH

No. This couldn't be true.

Those five words rang out over and over again in her mind, forcing herself to repeat it over and over again in an attempt to erase the truth that was standing right before her very eyes. She even tried rubbing her eyes vigorously and opening them again, and pinching herself in the arm hard until she sucked in a pained breath.

But when she mustered the courage to lift her head and stare at Ailill Vacker again, the panicking returned, back in full force.

Her head was spinning, her legs wobbly as she backed away a step from him, refusing to believe it. Ailill wasn't Sophie and Fitz's son. He wasn't. It shouldn't be. It couldn't be like that. Maybe it was just a coincidence that he looked so similar to Sophie and Fitz, and Evelina. Maybe it was just a coincidence that he was a Telepath too, like them. After all, Telepaths were getting less rare by each year. It wasn't much of a surprise for Ailill to be a Telepath. But the problem was, all the clues and hints fitted all too perfectly . . . as if it was urging Evelina to see and accept the fact that he. Was. Sophie. And. Fitz's. Son.

But it didn't make sense! Ailill was younger than Evelina. How could Keefe allow Sophie to have a kid with Fitz after Evelina was born? After their official marriage? And how could they do that, after Sophie and Fitz proclaimed that their love was already over?

Evelina's lower lip trembled dangerously as her blood suddenly ran ice-cold, despite the raging fire that was burning inside her heart. She stared at Ailill again, who had a slightly confused and fearful expression on his face. Ailill clearly didn't know a thing. And based off the conversation she'd heard between Sophie, Keefe, and Dex, his memory must have been wiped, and they were afraid that as he grew older, his memories would come back to him and the truth would be revealed.

She knew it probably wasn't Ailill's fault, and she should not blame him on the matter. Instead, she focused her raging disappointment onto Sophie. Only her, her mother, not even Fitz. Not even Keefe. Either way, the blame led to her in the end. She had broken up with Fitz on her own. She could have accepted Fitz's request to be together again. But she didn't. She stood up for herself, and told herself she didn't want any more nonsense to do with him.

Yet, she had a child with him after she and Keefe had gotten together and raised Evelina.

What was wrong with her? Sophie knew. She knew of the trouble that this could get her into. She knew of the consequences that might happen due to her reckless behavior. She knew that Keefe wouldn't be happy, but she also knew he would let her have her own way because he loved her. She knew that Fitz and Aurelia already had a son on their own, and yet, all this mess about Ailill still happened anyway.

"Eva?" Ailill's small voice broke off her train of thoughts, causing her to snap up her head to look at him. "Are you okay? Uh . . . are you angry with me that I made Brennus hate you?"

". . . Brennus?" said Evelina faintly, then remembered what had happened with him. Ailill had accidentally let out that she only kissed him that time because she had wanted to distract Sophie and Fitz from their dancing. And now, he thought that she had been using him.

Suddenly, something inside of her snapped.

"Never mind about him," she said shortly, brushing past Ailill. "I'll go find my family."

"Hey . . . Eva!" She could hear Ailill's voice call out to her, but she ignored him, as she ran through the crowd of elves, occasionally bumping into someone and muttering a rushed apology, her eyes scanning for Sophie and Keefe.

One time Brennus Vacker, another time Ailill Vacker-my mind's so confused.

I knew I shouldn't have went to that stupid family gathering at Everglen in the first place.