It was pouring outside when I finally woke up. I'd found a small place to crash, after bargaining the price with the hotel owner for about thirty minutes.
Breakfast was first on my mind when I woke up, so I went out to the market, fully hoping no one would run into me with a plate of anything.
Honestly though, I had to stop thinking about yesterday. It's not like I was ever going to see Camilo Madrigal again so there was no point thinking about him. At all.
"I'm telling you Mirabel," A voice was saying loudly from behind me as I ate a piece of bread. "It's a new prophecy, it's got to be!"
Mirabel, or the girl standing next to the man speaking was looking entirely skeptical. "You said that last week, when the rats got stuck in your cloak and nearly suffocated. You said that you sensed a disaster coming."
"This time it's real, I'm sure of it," The man paused, looking weirdly intense about whatever he was trying to convince this girl of. With his dark green cloak and scraggly hair he struck an oddly impressive figure in the middle of the street. "And it's about Camilo."
My interest peaked.
"Camilo?" Mirabel's eyebrows shot up. Her round glasses were perched on the tip of her nose and she constantly stopped to push them back up. "What's any of this got to do with Camilo?"
"The new prophecy practically revolves around him!"
"Oh sure..."
Their voices got father and father away until I couldn't hear a thing they were saying. I sighed, finishing my bread and placing a tip on the table.
It was then that an elderly woman walked by me, stopping in her tracks. She narrowed her eyes, staring me down. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun and her dress was a vivid shade of pink.
"You'd better come with me," She said, her tone slightly accusing. The woman's eyes were a steely brown.
I stood up, my eyebrows shooting up. "Who are you?"
"I am Alma Madrigal," She said. "And you are of Temprest descent, I can see that as plain as day. What are you doing in our village? Have you no shame?"
I blinked, bewildered. "Look, I'm just here to enjoy the bread and look at some scenery." people around us were starting to stare and I knew I'd be in huge trouble if I caused a scene. "Right, I guess I could go with you."
Alma didn't respond to that, she simply turned and walked away. I assumed she expected me to follow her, so I did.
All the way back to the Madrigal house.
The house was certainly daunting, and the bricks rattled as I walked across them. One of them flew out at me, as if trying to knock me out. I dodged, glaring at the ground.
"Can you tell your bricks to stop attacking me?"
"They sense that you are unwelcome in this house," Alma said coldly, not even bothering to look back at me.
At this point I was getting sick and tired of this whole situation.
Alma sat down at the table, pointing at the chair across from her. "Sit, child." She brought a cup of something from the counter, taking a deep gulp. "So. Your parents sent you?"
"No," I answered, sighing. "I wasn't sent by anyone, I swear. I heard a lot about Encanto and wanted to see it for myself. You're right, I am from Temprest, but I mean no ill will towards Encanto or anyone here."
She considered my words, nodding slowly. "What is your name?"
"Avon," I replied.
"Avon?" A very familiar voice said from behind me.