Water splashed across Credence's face, and she opened her eyes to find Lilith staring down with a look of impatience.
They were at the purple house, in the small yard behind it, though Credence had no recollection of traveling there. For a moment she forgot what caused her fainting, but all too quickly her thoughts came back to her and a nauseous wave rolled through her body before settling uncomfortably in her stomach.
Now she knew the truth; she was promised to a prince.
No, a king.
No. A monster.
A funny thought struck her, that John hadn't been lying after all when he spoke of a prince in the woods. If she'd had the strength, Credence might have choked out a laugh.
"Sit up," Lilith commanded, "and thank the stars you hit soft dirt."
Credence obeyed, though her head was throbbing and her body screamed for a bed. She looked at the hot sun sitting above them, signaling an approach to midday. Lilith handed her a cup of water and Credence drank it greedily, deciding mid-gulp that she did not care if the water was enchanted or poisoned.
"Found your tongue yet?" Lilith asked. "We have much to accomplish before nightfall."
"What happens at nightfall?"
"He comes for you."
The Collector—or was it the King of the Wood? Both. How could Credence be expected to marry that abomination? Why would the Queen of the Wood keep Credence from him? There was something Lilith wasn't telling her, and Credence had an unsettling suspicion the witch would never reveal the full truth.
"I don't think—I'm not ready," Credence muttered.
"He'll wait no longer," Lilith replied matter-of-factly.
"I won't marry him."
"Why not?"
"He's...he's wicked."
"What wickedness has he ever brought upon you?"
"Besides tormenting and haunting me through the woods?"
"Besides searching for you?"
Credence paused. "He scares me."
Lilith offered another cup of water and Credence hastily accepted it.
"Power can be frightening," Lilith said. "But what harm could he truly do to the one he loves?"
"He doesn't love me. He doesn't know me."
"But he wants to. Isn't that a comfort?" Lilith tugged gently on Credence's hair. "You run from him but you do not know why."
"Ma told me to."
"You run because you were lied to."
"I've seen his true form. I've seen the monster."
Lilith shook her head and grabbed Credence's hand. Her voice dropped to a sympathetic pitch, and her entire demeanor shifted into something completely unexpected.
A tender, comforting presence.
"You've seen the consequence of a broken vow," she said. "How it mangled and ruined him, can't you see? Galeia's betrayal did that—but you can break the curse."
That's a new twist, Credence thought. Like a horrid fable, the beast and the maiden.
It had to be a lie—
But what if it was the truth?
Catching a hint of reluctance from the girl, Lilith continued in a soothing tone, "You are the only one that can restore him. Accept your destiny and take his hand—there are worse fates, believe me. You are so dear to him, to the woods, and oh, how lucky you are." Lilith winked, trying to look kind. "What I would give to trade my lot with yours."
Lilith handed her a third cup of water. As Credence sipped her drink, a familiar urge rose from within. That otherworldly pull that lived on the edges of her dreams and desires.
"The voice of your beloved," Lilith whispered, "you hear it now."
"Yes."
"Why not answer it?"
Why not?
Credence fell towards the beckoning without a bead of caution, and her mind united with her heart to call out across the woods.
A cool wind answered her.
Lilith looked to the trees, anticipation glittering in her eyes.
"Let us prepare for his arrival."