Journey of a Girl

The Purple House: Chapter Seven

They cleared the table in silence, though Credence was desperate to hear Lilith speak.

Tense anticipation radiated off of her, and Lilith could feel it. The witch relished in holding the girl's rapt attention, so she took her time getting to the point, chuckling as she led Credence outside to begin an idle walk in the woods. 

At the boundary of the meadow and trees Credence paused, but Lilith pulled her by the hand and gave a soft push on her back to usher her forward, and in this simple act Credence accepted that the woods would not be avoided. They passed the marred tree and Credence swallowed the urge to question her mentor about it, afraid that any deviance from what started inside would end her chance of ever learning the truth.

"Home," Lilith said with a sigh as she squeezed a dangling leaf between her fingers. "Woods are home to magic. It's where it was born and where it will remain for all of time. Like me. Everything outside of it belongs to humans, but...did Galeia ever tell you about the way she was born?"

"A spell."

"Aye, blood magic. Our mother intended for her to be the most powerful witch in the woods, to spread chaos and fear wherever she went. But even as a babe, Galeia refused."

"Because there is goodness in her. Light."

Lilith threw her head back and cackled.

"Goodness—in Galeia? Hardly. Spiteful and heartless, that was Galeia."

"I won't believe it."

"Temperamental, too. Rebellious as a storm. Any command ever given to Galeia was met with questions, questions, questions. And usually refusal. So, when she took off, our mother saw no reason to chase her. Instead, she created me. Second born and twice as powerful. Mother fixed the mistakes she'd made the first time."

"Ma said humans killed your mother because she did terrible things."

"They did. She did."

A thread of compassion rose in Credence—not for Lilith, but for the child who had lost its parent. Credence knew all too well the deep, lingering sorrow that followed such a tragedy.

"Were you here...when it happened?"

" 'Course I was. I was barely a week old."

"It must have been very frightening. I'm sure Ma felt the loss of her too, even if she ran away. I know Ma would never wish for the death of anyone."

Lilith grinned, but it was not a comforting sight.

"Aye, Galeia ran off to have her fun, but she came back."

"Back?"

"It was too late then. I was born to take her place—hours old and already muttering my first incantation!" Lilith's voice dropped into a low grumble. "But Galeia did not return alone. She'd been spotted in the woods by a hunter and his kin. She told them everything, and then there were men pounding on the door, with fire and a lust for blood."

"She was the reason they found her mother?"

"Who do you think led them here? She knew the fate that would befall us when she engaged those humans—and she purposefully brought them to do it. She may not have dealt the final blow, but she killed her own kind, her blood."

Lilith's mouth twisted into an ugly shape, as if her mouth wanted to smile but hate kept it at bay.

Credence couldn't believe the words tumbling from the witch's mouth.