On stepping into the confines of the pack house, Marisol swiftly grabs Lily's hand, a surprised squeak leaving the latter's lips as she's promptly dragged into her room, where she is settled on the bed, after which Marisol goes to shut the door, hearing it lock with a click.
"What's going on?" Lily asked, wide-eyed.
Marisol, looking to catch her breath after the display that leaves Lily perplexed, rushes out a question, one from the multitude of the questions she currently has, "Who were they?"
Lily has a wry smile on her lips as she responds. "My closest friends." There's a beat of silence, and on noting that wasn't enough for Marisol, she adds, "We've known each other since we were pups, and I'm sure we all share a mutual trust and understanding."
Marisol's curiosity remains unstated, so she presses on, "Why are they so invested in everything happening within the pack?"
Lily, nonchalant yet earnest, shrugs "We've always been a curious group, and we're all tired of suffering and pretending the pack isn't falling apart," she supplies, visibly relaxing on knowing the reason for Marisol's previous display.
"So, why didn't you tell them about me?" Marisol asked, her eyes probing for an explanation.
Lily averted her gaze momentarily, and when she looked back at Marisol, a newfound seriousness shone in her eyes. "I can't reveal anything to anyone outside the pack house. I took an oath, you know that much."
A subtle smile played on Marisol's lips. She had her right where she wanted her. And so far, her body language was open. She nods in understanding, encouraging Lily to share more.
"I can't prompt or leave hints. It would betray the oath," Lily continued "I can not do anything to affect my integrity."
Marisol's smile widens as she asks this time, "And do they know about the prophecy?"
Lily gasps, her lips pressing together before she nods ever so slowly.
"Then they must know about me," Marisol stated, a smirk taking over her features.
Lily sighed, a trace of exasperation crossing her features as her shoulders slumped. "Yeah. We were pretending. Our act was a mess, wasn't it? Please don't ask how they know. Remember, they know a lot about witches, oddly enough, and the ones that have trespassed into our territory. They have their means."
"Fair enough." Marisol shrugs, "But why don't you use the term, 'we'?"
Lily falls back onto the bed at her words, a tired sigh leaving her lips as she pinches the bridge of her nose. "What do you want to hear, Marisol?"
Sensing her inner turmoil, Marisol's voice takes on a softer tone, moving to collapse next to her on the spacious bed. "Nothing in particular. I just really want to understand the group, your role in it, and what I can freely discuss with them."
Lily finally breaks into a small, genuine smile as she hums, "Yes, we're a team. I am, however, still bound by an oath and wouldn't give them any sensitive information, and they know not to ask, but there are other purposes I serve. We do have a lot of information on technically everything, since, like I said, they always somehow end up finding something out, and we have, for a while now, been trying to decipher the prophecy and have come to a few theories that could be useful. And yes, you can ask them anything."
"Perfect," Marisol sighs, content, as she absorbs all the new information.
"Is the interrogation over?" Lily teases, her eyes gleaming with a playful glint.
Marisol laughs, nodding "Yup. Thank you for being the most interesting and welcoming person I've encountered in Redwood."
Lily huffs out a peal of laughter, "Yeah, no need to get all soft now, see you later, Marisol." she says, making a little wave as she makes for the door.
At the door, she suddenly spins around, gaining Marisol's attention, "Maybe the prophecy is not as complicated as we think because just your presence here has undoubtedly made a huge difference. At first, Cedric's attacks were unregulated and brutal, but from the moment you stepped foot into this pack, the pattern changed completely and last night, there were reports that he didn't attack at all. Maybe the end is closer than we think. Maybe you'll be able to go home soon too."
Marisol thinks about Lily's words until night falls and darkness paints the corners of her room. It looked like keeping an eye on Cedric had worked, but uncertainty lingered. Could it really be that her presence had influenced a change in his actions? If so, why and how did that come to be? Maybe it was for an entirely different reason. He did seem pretty knocked out the night before. What if it had just been his fatigue overcoming his need to cause chaos?
Once again, Marisol finds herself going back to the hidden castles in search of answers, and upon arriving, panic grips her at not finding Cedric in his usual position, striking his signature pose. The throne room was empty, save for her jittery figure. Had she arrived too late? Did the wolf leave earlier in order to avoid getting his plans thwarted by Marisol? Was it already out there wrecking havoc within the pack?
The eerie silence within the castle only works to heighten her apprehension, leaving her with a myriad of questions about Cedric's whereabouts and intentions.
Marisol's plan to keep a vigilant eye on him was seemingly unraveling as she struggled to locate the elusive werewolf. Questions swirl in her mind. Why was Cedric deviating from his usual patterns? What was driving the change in his actions? Was this calm before the storm? Or had something truly shifted within Cedric?