On the fourth day, a harsh truth hit Credence.

She was nowhere closer to figuring out the path of her future. The school and the towns felt like a distant dream, for she'd not traveled outside the tavern during any of her work detail. Sally's company was all the world to her, and Credence had been neglecting the urgent matters of her life.

Whether she did so purposefully or from a need to find a second of peace, Credence did not care to decide, but with three days left of work detail, the choice of saving the school or escaping the towns had to be made.

It was on the fourth day of Credence's work detail that Mistress Cinder came to Sally's tavern.

Credence had convinced her host to let her sweep the tavern floor, and she was working on a particularly dusty corner when the green doors opened and Mistresses Cinder, painted and lavishly dressed, waltzed in with a look of disdain on her face.

As it was still morning, no customers were expected, and Sally was in the kitchen washing rags and breakfast dishes, leaving Credence alone to face the beautiful but intimidating woman. Mistress Cinder's eyes found Credence immediately, and a long, careful smirk broke across her face as she glided over to the girl.

"I was informed you received work detail here," Mistress Cinder said, unimpressed. She cast an unkind eye at the room around them. "Bit of a shame, to hide beauty in such a drab place."

"It has its charm," Credence said politely.

"It's disgusting," the woman scoffed. "Not fit for an angel of mine at all. You'll find at my house, everything is polished and bright. Not covered in filth."

"Sally cleans the tavern every day—"

"Don't talk back," Mistress Cinder snapped. "An angel of the house of Mistress Cinder is expected to keep their mouth shut until they're paid to open it!"

Credence winced at the woman's sudden severity and clutched her broom tightly, feeling a faint urge to strike back.

Mistress Cinder noticed.

"I hoped to find you a little less wild. Has the school done nothing to tame you?"

"The school teaches me lots of things," Credence answered dully.

"Not manners, obviously."

"No, not yet." Credence smiled at the woman, a slightly rude punctuation, and added, "Sally likes that I have grit."

Mistress Cinder's eyes narrowed. "Whoever Sally is, she's not paying your way. I am. And I am the one you are promised to. I'll have a talk with the Headmaster and make sure you learn manners upon your return. We'll see how much of the savage remains in you after."

Credence wanted to lunge and tear into the woman's face.

I'll show you savage, she thought.

"Find a grin," Mistress Cinder snarled. "I've been a keeper for over a dozen years, and I've had every kind of angel in my care, even those more primitive than you. I've broken them all, and that's why I'm the best. If the school cannot properly train you, I'll see to it myself."

In a bold move, Mistress Cinder released a leather strap from around her waist, its length studded with rows of sharp, black gems.

"Perhaps you require a lesson now."

Before either of them could make a choice they might regret, Sally's voice interrupted the tension.

"Got the rags up to dry at last, maybe a spot of—"

Sally entered from the kitchen and her eyes fell to the strap dangling from Mistress Cinder's hand.

The two women locked in confrontation turned to the tavern owner.

"Oh," Sally said without a trace of emotion, "didn't know we had a customer. Welcome in, Mistress Cinder."

Sally dropped in a clumsy curtsy.

"Ah, the famous Sally, is it? I'm not a customer," Mistress Cinder bit back. "I wouldn't dream of frequenting such..." She raised an eyebrow in judgment. "Such a hovel."

" 'Tis no hovel, lady," Sally replied with her trademark smile, putting on the same pleasant tone she used with all her guests. "It's my tavern. I'm very proud of it."

"Looks more like a den of ignominy."

"Exactly why my guests enjoy it—and keep returning."

"An abhorrent patronage, I'm sure."

"If you say," Sally said with a nod. "It's not your kind of place." She paused, gathering her courage, and added coyly, "Here we serve guests who have a bit of humor in them. Who like a spot of fun. You know, the kind of people who are pleasant to be around."

Mistress Cinder refused to give in to the offense.

"Drunks, you mean," she said sharply. "I've too much dignity to mingle with the likes of them."

"Unless they pay coin, of course."

Mistress Cinder opened her mouth to reply, but Sally cut her off.

"Beggin' your pardon, Mistress, but what are you doing in a place you despise?"

"I came to see my newest charge and appraise how her education is progressing."

Sally turned to Credence, shock apparent in her expression.

"Credence...is yours?"

"Handed her over to the Headmaster myself. She remains under his care until she completes school."

Sally hummed in thought. "You don't suppose once she's a proper angel...that Credence might come here to sing for the guests? Having an angel might boost the tavern's reputation—and bring new patrons to your house."

Mistress Cinder let out a loud, ugly laugh.

"The kind attracted here have no place in my house."

"They pay honest coin."

"But not the right coin."

Sally shrugged. "And I thought you were a businesswoman above all."

"I'm a keeper above all. I pride myself on serving quality patrons, because my angels are well trained." She glared at Credence. "Though it appears her training is taking longer than expected. I do hope you don't unravel all of the Headmaster's hard work in a single week."

"Oh, aye, but some lot can't be trained, you know. Some ain't meant for your life. Some people—"

"End up tavern wenches."

For the first time, Credence saw anger cross Sally's face.

"Some people run their own business, is what I was going to say. Like you, Mistress. Except people like me don't beat their charges. Don't have many of them run away, either."

"No. Your kind seem happy to languish in poverty. I suppose it suits you. Born as trash, live as trash, and die as trash."

Sally's jaw tightened.

"Listen here," Sally said with a tone full of danger, "I'll not stand quiet while some snooty bitch disrespects my living—"

"What a temper!" Mistress Cinder held her hands up in mock defense. "There's no call for uncivil language, especially in earshot of one so young and innocent."

"She'll hear worse from the company you keep!" Sally took a bold step towards Mistress Cinder, who looked a little less sure of herself at the gesture.

"Oh, aye, I know all about what goes on in your kind of house," Sally hissed. "You stand there and talk about innocence—but you'll see them all lose it quickly!" She pointed a finger at Credence but didn't take her eyes from Mistress Cinder. "All those—those children! You destroy them!"

A moment of silence passed, and nothing but the sound of Sally's angry, overwhelmed breathing was heard.

"Ah, you're one of those," Mistress Cinder said with a sneer. "My house operates within the law of the towns. My angels have the most honored and desirable positions, and live a life so grand you could never even dream of it. It's only a few simple-minded peasants who see anything wrong with it—most likely due to jealousy. Looking at you, I imagine you never had the beauty or grace to become an angel, so you've decided to hate them. To hate us, the elevated few. All because you could never rise from the dirt you were born in. I mean no offense, of course."

Sally snorted and spat a glob on the floor near Mistress Cinder's feet, and the painted woman jumped back in horrified disgust.

"If you please, my lady," Sally said with ice in her tone, "take your fancy ass out of my hovel, which is cleaner than your house will ever be, even if you tore it down and built it anew. And the next time you set foot in here, it'll be that lovely face I aim for."

Mistress Cinder looked like she might lunge at Sally, but she turned and made her way to the green doors.

"I wouldn't dream of staying a moment longer," she announced as she walked. "Goodness knows what I might catch just breathing this air." When her hand touched the door to open it, Mistress Cinder turned to give one final insult.

"You needn't worry about me or my kind being in here again, for I'll make it known that any who enter this place will be forever barred from my house. Let's see how that boosts your tavern's reputation, eh?"

With a dramatic sweep of her skirts, Mistress Cinder was gone. Sally moved to the counter and fell upon one of the stools with a heavy groan.

"Spit and piss, but she is a nasty beast, isn't she?" Sally said and brought her precious bottle of mead from her pocket. She uncorked its top and took a deep drink. "Can hardly believe I talked to her like that! Me! A lowborn spittin' off to a keeper! Look at my hands—they're shaking!"

"I think you were very brave," Credence said as she took a seat next to Sally.

"No, not brave," Sally said with a half-hearted chuckle, "just a damn fool."

"Did you mean it when you said that I could visit the tavern once I'm an angel?"

Sally gave Credence a mournful look.

"I didn't really want you to come sing for guests. All that nonsense about boosting my tavern's reputation? Don't much care about the customers it'd bring. I just thought it might be an easy way to keep you safe, you know? When you're here you're not with her. I don't usually allow angels or keepers in here if I can help it. But I would make an exception for you."

"Why don't you allow them?"

"You ever met a true angel? They're spoiled and selfish, but above all, they're untrustworthy. Little cheats and liars, all of them. I can't blame 'em though, 'cause the keepers make them that way. They have angels competing with each other, and always looking to get someone else in trouble for their benefit." Sally took another gulp before continuing. "The poor sots, they've got the hardest life of all. Never have any true friends, always looking over their shoulder and waiting for someone to bury a knife there. And that's not counting what happens when..." Sally winced. "I can't imagine anything more miserable than a life like that." She stopped herself and turned to Credence. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be talking about angels this way. Not when you're going to be one."

"It's all right. I don't want to be an angel."

Sally grinned at her. "Knew I liked you for a reason."

"And I'm not going to be an angel," Credence admitted, placing a strong trust in the woman beside her.

"If only it were possible, Credence."

"I've escaped worse than Mistress Cinder."

"Didn't know there was anyone worse in the towns," Sally joked and moved behind the counter to refill her bottle.

"I don't mean in the towns. I've met worse in the woods. I've met monsters far more wicked than she could ever be."

Sally paused in her pouring and stared at Credence.

"What do you mean 'in the woods'?" 

"It's where I'm from," Credence said, feeling no need to hide the truth from Sally. "It's where they caught me."

"You...don't tell me you're from—out there?"

"Is that bad?"

"School told me you had a bit of the wild in you when they gave me your name. Didn't tell me they meant it!" She hit the counter and laughed. "I don't believe it!"

Credence nodded. "My family lived in the woods. I'd never been to the towns before now. I was told...I was told they were wicked."

"How much more wicked could they be against the creatures of the trees?"

"It's...a different kind of wicked."

Credence bit the inside of her cheek. She wanted to tell Sally everything.

About the Collector and Ma's promise. About her powers and what she really was.

She even wanted to tell Sally the truth about the school and the Headmaster.

But she kept her silence, feeling with heavy remorse that Sally wouldn't believe her. Credence didn't want to lose the confidence of the only true friend she had in the towns.

"What's it like—out there?" Sally asked.

"Well," Credence began carefully, "there's...more space to move around in."

Sally's brow furrowed in disappointment.

"I know that. What I mean is...you know, are there goblins always running over your toes? Are the trees alive like they say, and can talk?"

"I've never seen a tree that talked. And goblins never bothered us—mostly."

Sally giggled and Credence joined her.

"There's more freedom there," Credence continued. "There's no school or people who tell you what to do. Before I was brought here I could go wherever I wanted."

Sally nodded. "Had that dream many times myself. Oh, what it would be to disappear behind the trees."

A rush of hope took hold of Credence.

"Why don't you?" She waved her hand at the tavern. "There's no one keeping you here. If you want to go, all you need to do is leave."

"Leave..." Sally tested the word on her tongue, then shook her head like a wolf shaking snow from its snout. "No, no. I couldn't leave the tavern. What would I do in the woods anyway?"

"Anything you want."

"You're trying to goad me to it, aren't you?"

"I just don't see the harm in venturing there, if you wish to. Even just once."

"No one leaves the gates without proper cause," Sally said, her voice turning eerily serious. "It's too dangerous. I set one foot in the woods and I'm inviting all kinds of harm to myself."

"That's silly."

"Is it?"

"Well...I lived there, didn't I?"

Credence understood Sally's hesitation. How much horror and misery had she encountered once she left the safety of her home? The woods had begun to test her in no time at all, and she'd lost everything to it. 

"You're right, the woods are dangerous. My home was safe, but...not many other places were. Still, it could be wonderful."

"How?"

"When the sun is bright and the wind is kind...and everything is quiet...whatever I needed was always right there. When I was thirsty, there was a creek or pond. When I was hungry, I could pick mushrooms and roots. The woods could be so uncomplicated."

Memories flooded her mind. Her and Josiah walking together, laughing and making jokes, while beams of sunlight streamed through the trees to kiss her face.

The smells, the sounds, the absolute peace of it all.

"I think that simplicity would be short-lived for me," Sally said.

"How will you know unless you see it for yourself?"

"And if I get lost in the woods, or happen upon something that means harm?"

Credence shrugged. "Ma used to say that the woods had just as many wonders as dangers, and the good and bad were balanced." She looked pointedly at Sally. "Someone else told me that life was for living."

Sally snorted. "Clever little thing, aren't you?"

"Mistress Cinder won't like that."

"If the world went my way I'd never see you under her thumb. Nasty thing, she is."

"Do I really have to be bought by her?"

"Can't be helped if she already purchased you. You're her property, as she and the law sees it. If anyone even whispered of taking you away, she'd make sure they paid for it."

"How?"

"No one ever talks about it, but Cinder's got a secret battalion. Every keeper does. Hired rogues. They'll kill whoever the keeper commands."

"So...that means I couldn't ask you to buy me? Even at the Auction?"

"I only witnessed that dreadful thing once, and never again. Can't stomach what's done there."

Sally gave a pitying smile and drank from her bottle.

"I wish with all my heart I could save you, Credence. I do. Taken a liking to you, and I think you have to me—"

"I have!"

"—but I've nowhere near enough money to go against Mistress Cinder. Most coin I've ever had would still be pitiful to her wealth. And I've not the courage to fight the murderers she'd certainly send after me. They'd burn my tavern to the ground."

"Then we'd have no choice but to live in the woods."

"Aye, smart ass," Sally said with a chuckle, "keep dreamin' if you like, but you'd sooner meet a fairy than make that possibility real."

I've already met a fairy, Credence thought, hope blooming in her heart.

"What did you mean when you said Mistress Cinder destroys children?" she asked.

The Headmaster's face flashed in her mind, and for a second Credence feared her problems were far bigger than the threat at the school.

Sally gave Credence a hard look before shaking her head.

"It's too early to talk about this," she said, "and we've got work to do—if you don't mind helping me a bit?"

It was the first time Sally asked for help.

Credence beamed at the woman.

"It'd be my pleasure."