When Credence left her room the next morning, she found Sally laying face down in the middle of the tavern.

Horrified, she ran to shake and shout at the woman, who remained still on the floor.

"Sally? Sally?!" Credence cried as she rolled the woman onto her back.

Credence lightly slapped her face, but it wasn't until she thought to pour water on Sally's head that the woman sputtered and twitched into consciousness.

Credence fell back, endlessly relieved, as Sally sat up with a heavy grunt.

"My head," Sally groaned with her eyes still closed.

"I thought you...I thought you were..." Credence couldn't finish the thought, and she threw her arms around Sally's neck. The woman groaned in pain and gently pulled Credence's arms from her body, but when she looked into the tear-filled eyes of the frightened girl she smiled.

"Aye, little tree," Sally cooed, "s'nothing to fret with me. I jus' had a good night is all—too good, in fact!"

When Credence didn't smile back Sally gathered her into her arms and kissed the top of her head.

"There, there," Sally whispered into her hair, "ain't your da or mum ever drink themselves into a stupor?"

Credence shook her head. "Pa said drink was best when less was taken."

"Smart man, but maybe not so much fun."

Sally pulled away and wiped the tears from Credence's cheeks.

"It'll take more'n a night of ale to lift me from this world," she comforted. "Sorry to give you a fright."

"I don't want anything to happen to you. Ever."

Credence meant it. She fell back into Sally's arms.

"So used to the feeling of it," Sally mumbled, "I didn't think what it'd look like to fresh eyes. Tellin' truth, I'd thought you've seen worse, comin' from the woods."

"The things in the woods are different. I just thought—when I saw you—"

"No more talk of things tha' never happened. Body's just fine, and my head'll catch up. Let's see to some breakfast, eh?

They didn't say another word before Sally disappeared into the kitchen to prepare food. Credence looked around the tavern, noting Sally hadn't begun to clean as she normally did.

She hadn't even bothered to lock the tavern's green doors, and there was already a rustling behind them, from a guest arriving for an early drink.

A familiar customer was halfway inside and Credence was forced to shoo him away, mumbling an excuse about the tavern being closed for the morning. The man was not happy at the deviation from his morning routine, but he stumbled away all the same, grunting about finding a new establishment to give his money to.

Wanting to ease Sally's labor, Credence began to remove the mugs and bowls from the tables, and pick up the overturned chairs. She had the room decently cleared by the time Sally reappeared with two steaming bowls.

"Didn't ask you to do that," Sally said with a tinge of embarrassment.

"Didn't need to," Credence answered. "Just wanted to give you a good morning."

"And you did. Now come eat."

They chatted over their meal, though Sally was less giddy than usual. Credence noted that her host had replaced her old secret bottle with a new one, and emptied and refilled it twice during their meal.

"Been thinkin' about the lady that came to see you," Sally said abruptly. "Cinder. Been thinkin' about her a lot."

"What about her?"

"I won't pretend to know what they tell you in that fancy school, but...I know how it ends."

"How does it end?"

"Get sold to that...witch," Sally hit the word 'witch' with such disdain that Credence winced. "And once you belong to her—well, you've never known a more miserable life, I promise you."

"What happens?"

Hope rose inside of Credence, that she might finally learn one of the towns' biggest mysteries. Sally took a long drink, unable to meet Credence's eyes.

"Don't they tell you at the school? What it's all for?"

"They don't tell us anything."

Sally snorted. " 'Course not, I imagine they keep that little secret for as long as they can."

"What secret?"

"You haven't put it together? Why they always want angels to be so young and...beautiful?"

"No," Credence said, then carefully prodded, "will you tell me?"

Sally raised her to look at Credence. Something important, but terrible, was behind her eyes, and it looked like the weight of a mountain bore itself on the woman's shoulders.

"When—what they..."

Sally trembled, visibly fighting with herself. She took another long swig from the bottle.

"I can't," she said at last. "I can't do it. I don't want to—"

She stood from the stool and pointed at Credence.

"Mark these words," she said and her tone was as serious as a knife wound. "I promise you this, here and now: If there is anything I can do to save you when the time comes...if I can get you out of that life, by whatever means, I'll do it. I'll buy you. I'll haggle 'til my throat is raw and I'm spittin' blood. Even if it means being indebted to that keeper, and serving every last one of her foul whims. I'll put myself and even this tavern in danger. I don't care, it's worth it. It's worth my life—"

"No, Sally. Not your life, or your tavern."

"You don't understand—I'll try, damn it. At the very least, I'll try."

Sorrow flashed across Sally's face, and she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. In an instant, all the grimness was gone, and her mouth tightened into its usual pleasant smile.

"Another night out, another day in," Sally mused, "and what do we have to show for it?"

"Found a bit of coin under a table," Credence answered, hoping the news would please her host.

"Really? How much?"

"This much."

Credence handed a leather pouch to Sally, and as the woman counted the coins her excitement grew.

"Someone left it," Sally muttered, her mouth curling with mischief. "Da always said, 'Enough ale makes the pourer rich'. Guess we found some luck!"

Despite the slightly vulgar feeling of taking another person's coins, Credence smiled.

After all, how were they supposed to find the owner of the pouch anyway?

It wasn't their fault someone had been careless with their belongings—and Sally was more deserving than anyone of a bit of good fortune.

"Wouldn't call it a lord's coffer," Sally mused as she plucked a few coins and dropped them one by one back into the pouch, "but it'll suit us just fine. Got an idea on what to buy with it?"

Credence shrugged. "What do we need?"

Sally laughed and slapped the counter.

"This kind of luck isn't for what you need, but for what you want! How's a sticky bun sound? I'll bet you've never had one—or a sweet stick? Or a hot mug of froth and foam?"

"I've never heard of any of those things."

"Sow's piss, you really are from the trees!" Sally took a few coins from the pouch and bounced them in her palm. "You're in for a treat today—we both are! You've seen merchants with their carts, eh?"

"Yes."

"Seen any of them sellin' things that look and smell wonderful?"

"I...suppose I have."

"How about this—" Sally took Credence's hand and dropped the coins into her palm. "You go out and follow your nose to the best smelling cart you can find. When you get there, take your pick of whatever looks best—but get two of everything! One for you and one for me. Come back here and we'll have ourselves a proper good feast."

The suggestion sent a thrill of excitement through Credence—though Sally would never know the real reason why.

She was being sent into the towns!

Credence thought she'd have to convince Sally to let her leave the tavern alone, but now she had been given the chance without saying a word.

The perfect moment to attempt escape had landed neatly in her lap.

Yet.

Sally would be expecting Credence to come back with a treat. If Credence didn't return, Sally might think she had stolen the money.

Sally might think she had never cared about her at all.

It pained Credence to think Sally might remember her as a thief, but this was probably the only attempt she'd get to leave the towns.

"I'll find the best food I can," Credence lied.

"Aye, go on," Sally said with a wink. "I'll finish here while you're at it."

Credence pushed through the green doors and stepped onto a busy street.

It was the first time in several days that she'd been outside, and the exhilaration of being on her own took her swiftly past the sour-faced townspeople and towards the entry gates of the towns.

Her dream of freedom was finally within reach.