《Young Master Damien's Pet》 Chapter 1 - Note before you read the book 1. The book is going to have mature content, and it has been warned. 2. The book is part of the series, but you can read it as a standalone. There is nopulsion to read the others. Other books in the series are: Valerian Empire, Heidi and the Lord, Bambi and the Duke. 3.?If you have anything to ask me, feel free to ask in the Discord directly where there are other readers who share the same interest.?To join Discord, the author''s server: discord.gg/K63uVqN 4. The book is usually updated from Sunday to Thursday. If I have time you will have bonus chapters or mass release. 5. Be mindful and polite to other users or the author when you leave thements. If you don''t like the book, you are free to stop reading. 6. You can show your support by voting for the book with your power stones which helps in ranking of the book on the site. There''s also a gift function option where one can gift the author. 7. Do not advice the Author on how to write his/her book. MORE IMPORTANTLY: in the future chapters the spirit stones (SS) are set depending on the length of the chapter, therefore do not ask the author to reduce the price as it''s not in the author''s hand. I hope you enjoy the book~ Chapter 2 - Excerpt "Who touched you?" he asked, his eyes brooding down at her and when she didn''t answer, his voice thundered in the room, "WHO?" The butler who stood near the wall spoke shakily, "Sir it was Mr. Reverale," Damien''s face turned sour, his jaw ticking in anger he turned his face to the side where the butler stood behind. "Bring the man here." "N-now?" stuttered the butler. It was the time of night. Damien who hadn''t broken his eyes contact with the girl in front of him pushed his hand against the wall which previously rested beside his beautiful girl''s head. Turning his body, he first looked at his butler who had his head bowed. With great courage, the butler came to meet his master''s eyes, "Do you have any other better time? Or should it be after I wring your neck?" Damien asked calmly tilting his head. Not a secondter, the butler ran out of the room to return back with Mr. Reverale after twenty minutes. "Damien, are we having ate tea party?" Mr. Reverale came to greet but the master of the house had other ns. Spotting the knife that was stuck to the apple on the table, he reached for it to pull it out. Just as Mr. Reverale went to exchange a handshake with him, Damien took hold of his hand to ce it on the table. In one swift movement as if he were chopping onions, he chopped the four fingers of the man off his hand making him yelp and cry in pain. "No one touches what is mine. I am sure this will remind you the next time you even think about touching her," sighed Damien as if he were tired of telling people to keep their dirty hands off his belongings. Chapter 3 - Under the umbrella Year 1778 Rain fell down from the sky on thend of Bonke. One drop following the other making the view of the vige dark and dull where one couldn''t see what was ahead of them after a certain distance. Water flowed down the little street carrying the muddy dirt where a young girl stood under the umbre with her aunt and uncle. The young girl''s jade green eyes moved left and right in front of her to ask, "Aunt Marion, do you think they wille? The rain is getting heavier." "They wille, Penny," her aunt rubbed and wrung her hands together. The rain really was getting heavy along with the wind, moving the direction of the rain every once in a while. Her aunt gave a look to her husband who stood next to her. Her lips set in a thin line while they waited for the expected man to arrive. They had been standing there with a sack of potatoes and turnips mixed in the sack which had to be sold to a customer today. Her mother who had raised her had passed away seven months ago and since then her maternal rtives were taking care of her who owned a little shop at the corner end of the market of the vige which sold vegetables. The shop didn''t do well. Her Uncle Larry Moore worked hard, waking up early to be the first one to open the shop. But no matter how early he rose the ie was lesser than the expectations. The shop wasn''t located at the best spot making it so that the local folks and the people who belonged to the elites finished buying what they had to buy from the closest shops which was the opposite where their little shop was. One of the customers had apparently requested for the vegetables urgently an hour ago and even after more than an hour had passed there was no one in sight. It made Penny wonder if the man would evene in such rain unless it was a person from the higher society who was holding some kind of party which people like her and her family weren''t fortunate to look at it. "Are you sure he ising today?" Penny heard her Aunt Marion ask her uncle who didn''t respond to her. "Let me go check the market to make sure they aren''t there," said her uncle, readying himself with the umbre to be stopped by his wife. "I wille with you. I don''t want to find youter with you on the ground with your broken back. Penny, dear," Aunt Marion turned to look over her shoulder to meet her niece''s eyes that looked vibrant in the rainy weather, "Your uncle and I shall go see if the man is waiting for us at the entrance. Stay here and don''t go anywhere so that we don''te looking for you next. Okay?" "I can go take a look instead of you. I will be quick," the young girl promised that had her uncle shake his head. "Thest thing we want is you getting lost. Do what you are told," Uncle Larry''s words were sharp. He had always been sharp with her which often made her think if he didn''t like her staying under the same roof as him. "Don''t worry about the vegetables. I will guard them safe," Penny smiled to have her aunt give a small nod to her before walking away with Uncle Larry under the single umbre. The rain continued to pour, a light thunder that kept growling up in the sky. The rain wasmon to the people who lived in Bonke as the days experienced rain than sun here. The bell from the tall tower rang loud enough to be heard over the rain and thunder. The sky turning darker as a carriage passed by her without stopping to ask why she was standing alone in the rain or if she needed to go somewhere as she stood under the little roof that reduced the speed of the rain on her ck umbre. The rain had started to move in the direction where her feet and the bottom of her dress started to get wet. Just as she stood there waiting for her uncle and aunt to return back while also keeping an eye she didn''t miss the customer who had agreed toe take the goods, a particr carriage came to pass by which was dark ck in colour. Penny didn''t know who it belonged to as every carriage came to appear almost the same which belonged to the higher men and women of the society. The most she had done was travel in the local carriage which was always packed and was used to travel from one vige to another. What Penny didn''t know was that the carriage that hade to pass by had turned around to stop not far from where she stood. "Master is everything alright? Did you drop something?" asked the coachman of the carriage who had pulled over. The man inside the carriage didn''t reply to him, ignoring his coachman as he stared at the girl in the umbre. The rain kept pouring down whilst she stood, her hands clutching tightly the umbre. Her eyes scanning around her every once in a while until a loud thunder made way past the cloud. Raising her face to look up at the clouds, he saw her smile which skipped his heart. She was a beautiful young maiden, her blonde hair tied into a single id where the ends came to rest on one of her shoulders. Even with the rain, he could still see her quite clearly. When the wind increased, her slender hand raised to tuck the pieces of the strands of her hair that came to cover her face. Her features were rather delicate and if he could, he would have liked to go over but there other matters to be dealt in hand today. Pressing matters which needed his attention. "Shall we leave, master?" the coachman asked him, waiting for his word which didn''te immediately. "Yes," Damien breathed the word, taking a final look at the girl who had caught his eye. Thankful that he wasn''t going to get further wet in the rain, the coachman pulled the reins of the horses to start the carriage. Penny continued to wait in the rain along with her umbre until she felt it was too long since her uncle and aunt had left her here. It worried her if they were alright, making her wonder if she should go look for them as they weren''t young and one didn''t know what could happen in the rainy weather due to the slippery ground. Thankfully in time, she saw a figure appear through the rain, walking with an umbre. It was a man and by his clothes where he wore a coat over his body, she guessed him to be the customer. He waste! Penny didn''t like that just because they were poor, the elite society could do what they wanted. Their time was as important as theirs. The man came walking towards her and when he was in a close-ranged distance, she said, "Mister, you are more than an hourte from the given time. Don''t you know the vegetables might soak in the water due to your no value for time? You will have to pay extra for making us wait," she raised her brows to make sure he understood what she said. The customer stared at her, his ck eyes scanning her from top to bottom which made her ufortable, "Where are your uncle and aunt?" he had a scar than ran across his mouth making her feel suspicious about him. "They went in search of you as you didn''t arrive on time but they should be back soon. Are you Mr Joseph?" she inquired. "Yes," he said looking around the vicinity to see no one here. Most of the vigers had gone to take shade under their home to prevent themselves from getting wet and catch a fever. "Your good is right here. Pay the money and you can take it," Penny patted the sack of potatoes and turnips that were stuffed inside the sack and tied. The man stared at her, a smileing to form on his lips, "The payment has already been made," it did? Thought Penny to herself. Maybe the man trusted her uncle and shared a decent business with him. Suddenly the man instead of taking the good that was next to her where she had stepped aside went to hold her wrist and pull her. "What are you doing, Mister?!" Penny was startled by his behaviour, "Let go of my hand," she said firmly as she tried to pull it away from him but he was strong. Unable to budge away from him, she picked the carrot she had previously ced on the b as it was a rotten one. Taking hold of it, she jabbed it right into his face which dug into his eyes making him yelp in pain. He let go of her hand and she closed the umbre to beat his head with the edge of the handle before making a run from there. With the rainwater that hade to fill up the ground, every step she took forward ended up sshing the water on the ground. One of her hand holding the front of her dress, she made a dash through the streets but the man was persistent as he followed her. Running behind her and she had to run with all her might, changing alleys and the little streets to go and hide behind arge pir. Penny heaved for air as it had been a while since she hadst run like this. Thest time she had run this fast was when she was being chased by a cow in the field. For an odd reason, the animal just didn''t like her and prefered to chase her like it had nothing else to do in the world. Thankfully it was sold two months ago to her aunt''s dismay. Hearing the sshing sound behind her, she covered her mouth and pulled her wet dress between her legs so that it wouldn''t be seen by the man. She could feel her heart pound against her chest out of fear. Carefully she moved around the pir when the man stopped to see where she had gone. From where she stood, the alley led to three routes and she could have picked any of it but she had hoped he would have picked one of them. As expected the man did take the straight route and she couldn''t tell how thankful she was. Penny walked around the pir and started to run in the direction where she hade hoping her aunt and uncle had returned back. When she did reach, they weren''t there yet and she wondered what to do. Taking into ount that she wouldn''t be able to carry the sack of vegetables easily, she decided to leave here for now and started to walk in the road to her home. On her way in the rain she paused her footsteps to turn and see if she were being followed and when there was no one there, she let out a sigh of relief and turned back to see Mr Joseph standing in front of her. Not a secondter his hand came right at her and she cked out. Thunder growled in the sky, the wind changing and the rain stopping as minutes came to pass by where no one saw a young girl being abducted. Chapter 4 - Given away Penny was woken up by the sudden thunderous sound of the rain, her heavy-lidded eyes trying to focus on the bar like rods that appeared in front of her. She blinked once, twice pushing herself up from the ground where it was wet due to the rain that hade through the window of the stone walls. Confused as to where she was, she lifted herself by cing her hand on the ground. There was no light in the room she was in but ahead of her, she noticed the light spilling down through the walls on the ground where thentern must have been ced. Going to the railings of the rods. She searched for the door, a way out and when she found it she tried opening it but the iron gate to the room was closed. Thest thing she could remember was heading back home to meet Mr Joseph on her way. "Anyone out there? Hello!" Penny shouted for anyone to hear not knowing where she was and why she was locked in a room, "Hello! Anyon-" "Stop screaming," came a voice behind her sounding annoyed with her presence. She hadn''t expected to have apany with her in here. The room was smaller than what she had at her aunt and uncle''s house, "Are you trying to put me in trouble?" her head snapped to look behind at a woman who emerged from the shadows. The woman had fiery red hair which had been tied into a id simr to her. Only that Penny''s hair was well-groomed which included the dress that she worepared to this woman whose blonde hair was a mess with clothes that had turned the color of her clothes into dirty white. Except for her hair, the woman was average looking in appearance. It didn''t seem that there was anyone here at the moment and this woman could give her answers, "Miss, where am I? There must be some sort of misunderstanding," and just as she waspleting her sentence the womanughed, her shoulders shaking. "Miss? Wonder how long it has been someone called me with such...status," the woman gauged the young girl who had been put into the cell. It had been a while since the woman hadpany, thest one had been a boy kept yapping until she had to wait for him to be moved to another level, "What''s your name girl?" "It''s Penelope but many call me Penny," exined Penny to have the woman wave her hand. "I am Caitlin. Penny, this beautiful castle that you see here, you havee to be part of it. This is the ve establishment and you are in one of the cell rooms that is allowed to the ves here." Penny frowned listening to this. It was impossible. How could she be in the ve establishment? Had she been kidnapped? "Miss Caitlin, there has been confusion. You see I am not supposed to be here," by what she knew, ves were usually sold for money as a trade. It was one of the easiest and quick means of money. Though it wouldn''t make one rich, it did have the ve establishment running to receive decent money by the buyers. The woman went to walk back into the darkness and now that Penny''s eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she saw the woman lie down on the ground, "None of us are supposed to be here. At least not most of us but people can be deceiving. Going by your reaction, I can say that you don''t know who sold you." "I do!" How could Penny forget that wretched man''s face and name! She looked furious. The woman who had was lying down, looked at her. For a girl who had been thrown into the ve establishment, she looked in a better spirit than the rest of the ones who were brought into the ce. Either the girl was a sheltered child who knew nothing that went on in here or she was trying to keep her spirits up, "It was this man named Mr. Joseph. He came to fetch the groceries from us because the market was closed due to the heavy rain. He waste and my uncle and aunt who are old went to look for him." "And let me guess. This uncle and aunt of yours didn''te back even after time passed but the man arrived," even in the dark and low light, one could make out the bored look Caitlin gave with a sigh, "Your case is not umon. Congrattions, for being sold by your rtives," her voice sounded unenthusiastic. "They would never do that!" Penny was deeply offended that the woman would use the rtives who had given her roof after her mother had passed away, "It was Mr. Joseph or whoever it was who needs to be hanged for sending me here." How many girls and boys had cried with the same hope of wanting to get out of this ce. It was usually the young ones who cried and wailed. Crying for the same people who had sold them off for the sake of some money. The ce didn''t affect the girl yet but it would soon before breaking the spirit that she had sent here. The woman was not going to waste her time on her in exining what had happened and therefore decided to let the girl on her own until reality woulde to hit her. "Miss Caitlin," the girl came to sit right in front of her, "Is there a way to escape from here?" When Penny had asked the simple question to the woman who shared the same cell room, the woman started to cough beforeughing, one of her hand covering her eyes while the other held her stomach. After a good ten seconds had passed, the woman sat up to clear her throat where Penny waited for her to speak with a serious expression. "Do you think I would have been sitting here enjoying this stinky little shit hole if I knew the way to escape from here?" Penny gave it some thought, her lips setting into a thin line to ask, "Is it there or is it not there?" The woman stared hard at the girl. "Yes, there is one. The one that brings the ves in and out with the guards stationed which is the entrance," which meant there wasn''t an escape route. That night Penelope didn''t sleep. She had stayed awake from the time she had woken up from her conscious to find herself in a three-wall and the fourth one to be made of bars. ve establishment. The very word filled her with dread and to think that she was in that ce, she closed her eyes. She didn''t want to be here and like the woman who now had her back facing her as she slept on the hard cold ground said, no one ever wanted to be here. The ve establishment was far from where she lived with her uncle and aunt. Her rtives didn''t have children of their own and her aunt had taken her in to fill that little hole in their life due to which, Penny refused to believe that they had sold her into this dreaded ce. At least she tried for the first few hours until the woman''s words began to sink into her mind. Penny wasn''t a naive girl. She had the ability to haggle with the street vendors and if needed she also had the ability the steal from them without notice. More importantly, she read people, observing them as they came and went in front of the little house she lived in. She had heard stories of how one''s own family members had sold daughters and young son''s to the ve establishment so that the people could be sold to the members of the higher society for a good amount of silver coins. When did they even n for it?! Penny looked mad at the wall. The house was small which consisted of a kitchen, hall and a storage room to keep the vegetables they harvested. She was always there with one of them to not have heard their conspiracy of selling her off here. Was money of higher importance than her freedom? The anger that had peeked started toe down as sadness started to engulf her. Bringing her knees close to her, she hugged them to look up at the window which wouldn''t allow her to see what was there outside this room except for the glimpse of the sky as it was built up near the roof of the room. She missed her mother dearly since the time of her death. She had cried and wailed seeing her dead mother being descended down the coffin in the vige cemetery. Thinking about it brought tears to the rim of her eyes but not a single drop fell out as she blinked them back away. She never knew who her father was as he had gone out of the house to never return back home when she was still a baby, leaving her and her mother all alone. Lost in her thoughts, Penny hadid her head on her knees while staring into space when she heard someone scream outside. Startled and worried she raised her head, her eyebrows furrowed together. Getting up, she walked towards the iron bars without holding them in her hand. The bars were old and rusted where it had patchy orange and red skin that were being peeled as months and years went by. Stepping a little closer she felt her heart quake when another scream was heard. It was a shrill painful cry which made her feel ufortable from where stood. As if the woman who cried out was being tortured. "It is one of the ves." Turning around she saw the woman who once was sleeping on her sides had gone to sleep on her back with her skinny hand ced below her hand. Penny couldn''t help but ask in a whisper, "What are they doing to her?" She frowned at the response she received before looking back at the empty corridor in front of her and the sides until where her eyes could reach. Clearly, it was the hour of the night as no one hade to walk by which made her think why someone was being tortured at this hour. "Torturing the ones who misbehave. ves here are nothing less to animals who are raised by the farmer who is about to sell them out for good money. The ve establishment isn''t all that people speak there in the outside world," the woman''s voice was quiet as her own as they spoke the words out, "What you hear outside is barely the surface of the ground that you are trying to scr.a.p.e. The things that go in here are hical, horrible as the traders who are responsible for sending us here. What you are hearing right now is a daily routine. There will be at least one who would have tried to defy and," the woman paused to continue, "It is always the new ves that undergo the special treatment. So think twice before you think of escaping." Penny narrowed her eyes this time, not happy what she was hearing from the woman, "What will happen if I do?" she held her breath waiting for the woman to answer. The screams that were heard from outside filled up the silence in the little cell she was in. "You will wish you hadn''t." very in the fournds, especially here where the pureblooded vampires were rich in living wasn''t illegal. The entire trade took ce in the presence of thew which was maintained by the people who were part of the council. The council was built to putws but with everything done they hadn''t gone to remove this one trade. Most of the time, people went missing and the me was often ced on the ck witches who were one of the notorious beings who usually kidnapped men, women or children for their personal use. But some of them failed to notice that it wasn''t the ck witches but it was the others who helped in making young ones disappear by trading their lives to the ve establishment. It was one of the easiest ways to earn money such that thends had nowe to trade people who weren''t careful. And even if her rtives had traded her, Penny hadn''t nned to stay here long. She would escape and she would do it soon. Chapter 5 - Warden When the time of morning arrived where the rain had stopped at the break of dawn, the sky continued to look cloudy and dark. Every lock to the cell of the buildings were unlocked for the ves to step outside and do work which would be assigned by the guardsmen and the warden. A metal rattled over the iron bars waking every one of them in the early hours of the day. Penny rubbed her eyes with the edge of her palm, getting up to see the door of the cell open which made her feel slightly relieved. This meant the ves weren''t bound inside the cell room which was good news to her. At least there was a thread of hope and for a drowning man, a thread of hope was sometimes more than enough but she was yet to explore the world in here which was unknown to the outside world where she hade from. She had only stepped out of the cell when she came to see many ves walking past her. She noticed the way the lights in their eyes had vanished and looked dead without any expression, "Where are we going?" She asked her cellmate who started to walk to join the other ves. Penny hurried to walk beside her with the rest of the ves down the little corridor. "You will see." Penny wished her cellmate could give her more information in her replies but everything she said left a mystery which she wasn''t exactly looking forward to. It was only after she saw the other ve''s faces didn''t she feel better to have someone who at least spoke. "You havee on a fine day, Penny. Meet the warden. Make sure you never cross him. No matter what never fall under his eyes," said the woman. Penny''s eyes searched near the walls to see a man in uniform who looked young to be called as the head in charge of the ve establishment. He had sharp red eyes that scanned the ves that walked past him. Just before their eyes could meet, she turned to look ahead of her. A wise decision would be to listen to the person who had lived here longer than she had. It made her question as to how long it had been since the woman had been living here. By looks, she didn''t appear to be of her age and would have been someone who was at atleast five to six years older to her. The ves abruptly stopped and she wondered what had happened before she heard one of the guardsmen order them not so nicely, "Strip you, ves!" What? Her eyes bulged wide. Her head snapping left and right to see the ves around her starting to shed their clothes. Where they serious?! She was in no way taking off her clothes in front of so many unknown strangers. It wouldn''t have mattered if she even knew them! Stubborn, she stood with no indication of removing the clothes that she wore when the guardsmen who had given the order noticed one of the ves who hadn''t moved an inch. "Didn''t you hear what I said? Remove your clothes," the guardsman who spoke to her was buff in the physique. Pricky beard covering his jaw which was currently clenched at the disobedience caused by one of the ves. Even after hearing the guardsman''s coarse voice which was demanding, she continued to stand still without any movement. This caught many ves attention who had been removing their clothes until they were n.a.k.e.d, letting the material fall on the floor before picking it up with their hands. It wasn''t just the ves but also the other two guards who had been stationed to make sure the ves behaved while enjoying some of the views that was presented every morning in the ve establishment. "Remove your clothes," whispered her cellmate so that the guards wouldn''t hear her speak. Seeing the girl not lift a finger or react she wondered if she had gone insane. She had told her to keep a low profile in front of the warden but instead, she had decided to against the word of the guardsman right now. Up until now, Penny had never stripped herself n.a.k.e.d in front of anyone and she wasn''t going to do it because the man had asked her to. The warden of the ve establishment who had been looking at the scene quietly from the other side of the corridor raised his hand for the guardsman to shut his mouth immediately before he could bark any orders. He used his fingers to speak to the buff guard who nodded his head to the orders that were passed by the mere indication of fingers. "You stay here," the guardsman barked at the girl who was definitely new to the ve establishment, "The rest step into the shower and clean yourself. Make sure to be presentable as tomorrow you will be picked to be taken to the market," he got the others moving while cing his to stop the girl from moving forward to join the rest of the n.a.k.e.d ves. Penny kept a straight face not showing any sort of weakness but she wasn''t sure how long she could maintain it. Internally she was scared. So scared that she wanted to bolt from there which right now was impossible. The guards had gone inside therge room where the ves were sent to take a shower while she stood outside not realizing that the warden was right behind her with his personal guardsman. Watching her under his light-coloured red eyes. One second she heard a snap of fingers and the next moment she was dragged by a guard to be pushed to a room where there was no window. Antern burned brightly but it wasn''t bright enough to light the ck walls that surrounded it. She stumbled forward, falling almost on the table that was in front before she managed her footing to turn around to use her mouth to speak. It was when the Warden arrived she closed her mouth thinking if what she had done was right. This wasn''t her vige who was asking her to do something but the ve establishment. As the realization began to sink in, she took a step back away from the man who entered the room to have the guardsman close the door behind him with a click. The man was tall who towered over her height not that she was short but this man was really tall. A scar ran diagonally over his lips, his eyebrows thick and dark, his eyes holding malice which she hadn''t noticed previously due to the distance she had noted him before. This wasn''t good, thought Penny to herself. Her cellmate had told her to not get noted by this man and she had done just that on her first day here. He stepped closer to her, one step after another as her heartbeat spiked up in fear. She stumbled away from him and near the table, going around as one of her handheld the surface of the wooden furniture. Not able to think straight she picked the quill thatid on the table. When he finally came closer to her, his hand reaching to touch her face. Penny swiped the quill across his palm which tore the skin making him flinch but the man didn''t back away. His hand went straight to her neck, pushing her until her back touched the wall. She felt the air slowly escape from her lungs when the warden squeezed his fingers around her neck. The warden came close to her ear to say, "I have met many ves like you and I have relished in the feeling of breaking them down until they felt helpless." "L-let me go," she scratched and tried to pull his hands away from her throat. The man didn''t budge. Just when she thought she had loosened his grip on her, he pushed her back with much force making her gasp. "Disobedient ves need to be taught their ce. What makes you think that you are superior to the rest here?" the man taunted her. Taking the quill she had used against him, he stared at her before letting her go where she gasped for air, "Strip." She was rubbing her neck when she heard him, "What makes you so special that you think I will strip for you when I refused to strip out there?" And sheter wished she hadn''t spoken back as the man didn''t take her words to be too kind. The warden raised his hand to p her hard across her face that rung her ears. But what the warden didn''t know was that Penny had eyes another object that was lying around when he had let go of her throat. She picked the little statue that was close to her reach and she banged it right across his head to hear the stone make contact with his head. This one had taken him off guard as he hadn''t expected her to strike once more. Heughed. Hisughter ringing loudly in the room of the closed space leaving Penny confused, "You really did it this time. It has been a long time since I have enjoyed a feisty woman in here. The more you try to disobey the more we are going to have fun," she gulped. There was no escape and she knew it. No matter how many times she would hit him, the man would stille to stand unaffected which meant this time she was in big trouble. His hand made way to the back of her head to pull her hair making her yelp in pain, "You are very brave to hit me. Not once but twice. You should be taught not to disobey the rules. And rule number one is, no matter what always obey what I say." Chapter 6 - Confinement room A knock on the door interrupted the Warden before he could threaten her with more words and actions, "What?" he barked at the door when another knock was heard from the other side of the room. As strong as she tried to be, Penny was scared for her dear chastity. She knew the disadvantages she held at the moment. She was a girl now who was part of this illegal-legal trade of the ve establishment. Not to forget a humanpared to this vampire who pulled the back of her hair painfully making her flinch but she didn''t dare to move this time. She had hoped for him to stumble back when she had striked him not once but twice but that put her in further trouble. "Mr. Gibbs has arrived to speak to you," the guardsman ryed the message. Before Penny could start counting and praying her lucky stars for whoever interrupted this warden''s time with her, the warden replied, "Tell him I am busy," the warden must have been part of the lower vampires as she had heard that only the pureblooded vampires also known as the elites of their society possessed dark, red-blooded eyes. "He tells it is urgent. He''se from the council," answered the guard who was adamant to leave the front door of the room they were in. The warden pushed her away from him with a tch sound. Straightening his uniform jacked, she saw him open the door and step outside, "Put her in the confinement room. I will deal with herter." Confinement room? It didn''t take long for her to know what it was as she was led to another floor which hardly had any light in here. The corridor was dark and if it weren''t for thentern the guardsman held in his hand, she was sure she would be lost in here forever. Her hands had been bound as the man dragged her in front of him to lead the way. As Penny walked behind him, she took note of the many empty cells at the beginning before she caught on to see two of them being upied. A man and a woman who were bound and put inside the cell. If she thought the cell room she had previously been in was bad this was worse. There was a strange stench that came from the rusted cell rooms which were small. Once they reached the end of the corridor, the guardsman pulled the ropes hard and pushed her inside the empty cell before locking her up. At this point of time, she had decided it was for the best to not test any of the guardsmen in here or the warden. She could still feel the fearful shivers running down her spin which didn''t sit well with her mind. The cell was locked and the guardsman went away leaving her alone with the other two people who were locked in their own confinement cell. It seemed that the people who ran this establishment wanted her to reflect on what she had done as there was nothing else to do here in the pitch darkness. But she didn''t what was there to reflect? Thankfully, she had taken a glimpse of the small cell before the light had disappeared. She had been luckypared to the rest of the ves who entered this part of the world. ves were treated like dirt. The warden was there to make sure they obeyed so that the ves wouldn''t misbehave with their future owners but then there were some traders who enjoyed ves like those. Some were killed, some vited, some who broke their spirit by the time they were sold and some like her cellmate, who just didn''t care what happened. The first one hour, Penny sat down on the ground, covering her nose as she could barely continue to inhale the repulsive smell. Bored, she slept for the next hour but when she was up she was greeted back by the darkness. She didn''t know how much time had passed in here and the more time she spent the more her mind started to get depressed. She then came to understand it wasn''t just about reflecting upon what she had done. The confinement rooms were a ce where one was not allowed to speak or hear or see anything. They were cut off from the outside world as punishment. Not knowing when she would be let out, she shouted, "Hello! Is anyone there?" and she received nothing but silence, "Hello!" Shouting to speak to the people in there seemed to be useless and she continued to sit idly in the cell room. The privilege to eat or drink was taken away such that she spent two days in the confinement room. As it was her first time, she was let out on the third. Another guardsman pulling her back to the cell she was assigned. The light was harsh on her eyes making the young girl flinch her eyes as she walked through the corridors. As she passed some of the cells she could hear snickersing out from girls at her plight. "That''s what happens when you decide to be a prude," she heard one of the girlment while the other said, "Isn''t she the new one? They never know how to behave. Do you think she would have cried?" "I bet she has, look at those eyes and the way she walks..." the first one tried to whisper but Penny could hear it quite well, "Warden yton must have f.u.c.k.i.e.d her already." The guardsman didn''t react to it as if he were deaf and the young girl had drained too much energy to speak. She didn''t want to go back there when it had been only a few minutes since she had stepped out of the confinement room. Her body felt weak with the pain. The two days she had spent there alone with no one to speak to, it had slowly started to make her mind go numb and tired. Alone. The loneliness wasn''t as worse as she had felt when her mother had passed away but she could feel the emptiness that surrounded her. When they reached her cell, Penny''s eyes fell on the woman named Caitlin who looked at her with a nk expression. The guardsman opened the iron door with a creak and she stepped inside like a docile person. "I told you to keep your head low," said the woman from where she sat, "Are you alright?" she asked when she noticed Penny limp. "I did. You didn''t tell me I was supposed to strip," the young girl frowned, going to the other side, she slid down to sit on the floor. The air that she breathed now felt like blisspared to what she had been inhaling in the darkroom she came from. The woman chuckled, "Did you think you were going to a tea party? It is a ve establishment, Penny. Stripping here is not a big deal. You aren''t part of the outside world which you once had. That is past and you need to realize this is what your fate right now is," the woman could see how the girl was having a hard time in epting the fact. Escaping was good until one would get caught and punished severely, "All you had to do was listen to the guardsman without a thought to save yourself." It took Penny a few seconds to dawn what the woman actually meant. She shook her head, "I have saved myself," she whispered thest two words. Her cellmate raised her brow in curiosity, "What is with the limping then?" The young girl smiled and her expression turned sour. She raised her right leg which was bare for the woman to see blood smeared at the bottom, "I stepped on a nail in there." While Penny had spent her time in the confinement room, she had walked around the little room to waste time before stepping one foot on the sharp nail making her yelp and cry in pain. She had hoped to find something to kill time with but this was not what she had been wishing for. It had taken her hours to pull out the sharp object. She had cried, cried to the point where her eyes had turned small and red as if the bees had stung her eyes. Though Penny knew the truth, the other ves who had seen the girl rebel assumed that she had been punished like the others who didn''t know their ce here. After all, it wasn''t umon for the ves to be treated in such a manner. "You are lucky to have escaped his clutches." "The warden''s?" asked Penny. "Yes." "I have something to ask," said the young girl looking at the woman, "Have you ever been to the confinement room?" "Yes." "Why does it smell so bad?" she continued to question remembering the awful smell she could barely breathe in. It wasn''t the body waste but something else she wasn''t aware of. The woman didn''t answer her right away. A guardsman came to pass by their cell with a ve being pulled behind him. The girl wore fresh clothes, unlike other ves which meant she was new, "How many are brought in here in a day?" "Five to six. Sometimes it goes up to ten," the woman skipped the previous question and answered the second one. "Do they have room for every one of them?" by what she saw, each cell held two ves and she doubted that she saw any cell on her way back here which was vacant. Having being stuck in the confinement room, she hadn''t found the opportunity to look too far on how the establishment looked like. Until now what she had seen was only a glimpse. "ve trades happen every once in a week. And customers are never short when ites to buying them. ves are sold like items in the market. To be more specific the ck market," the woman exined, "Every two ves that get sold one gets reced in here. To your previous question, the stench you smell of are of the dead bodies that are sometimes piled up in there before getting disposed of," Penny looked taken aback by this. The woman didn''t look like she was joking, "D-dead bodies?" "The ve establishment is a shady ce to be in. Did you think they only keep us here without doing anything, to sell us out quickly?" but that was what Penny had thought, "The dead bodies are of the ve and very rarely of the guardsmen. ves sometimes take their lives unable to live with the thought of being branded and sold to another person. And sometimes, they are killed." "Why?" Caitlin shrugged her shoulders, "It can be plenty of reasons but I assume it might be when a ve is particrly vtile in the head or when the men here drink the blood to the veryst drop. I don''t know," Penny didn''t know what to say to this, "That is why I said you turned out to be just lucky. The warden has killed a number of people than you can imagine." "And nobody says anything?" "What will you say? More importantly to whom? This ce is built away and before thew was brought up in the fournds. It is run by the higher society, the elite as they call themselves to be," the woman scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Those night creatures and the humans with money run this shit hole. They need ves to do their bidding be it blood, s.e.x or for abuse. I heard a man raised his voice once, hoping the council to do something which was years ago. The next day he was found dead in his home. Such is the world that we live in. If you go shouting and trying to catch attention, I can guarantee you this that you won''t be here with me but somewhere screaming as one of the guards..." she didn''tplete her sentence, turning her head away, the woman looked up at the sky through the window. After hearing this, the ve establishment appeared much darker than it was before. "Is there no way out of this?" "The next auction of the ves will take ce in the next six days. What you can hope for is itnd yourself a decent master or mistress to look after you. That Penny is the easiest way out unless you are ready to torture yourself down in the dungeons." The blonde girl furrowed her brows, "Could I ask you for a favour?" "Depends." "Will you walk with me outside?" If she was nning to escape, she had to know where and what about the establishment before she would be sold out in the ck market. Six days. Was it enough to be able to n out for an escape? asked Penny to herself, only time could answer her. She would either be free or she would be caught before hell would descend down her life. "I can do that," agreed the woman and she was thankful for it. Both the women left their cell room on the ount that they had work and when they did reach the ground level, Penny came to realize that her n to escape was far away from reality. The ve establishment was built within the tall walls that surrounded it. No one could climb those walls that were high and t. And even if one knew how to climb these tall walls, there was a possibility that halfway through they would be sighted and caught by more than two guards. Each corner and about, a guardsman stood guarding the perimeter. "Don''t look at them," the woman warned and this time she readily listened not wanting to go through another punishment, "Come, I will show you something else," she heard the woman say to turn and walk back. Penny walked with her until she heard a series of screamsing from the right side that looked like a cave, "What is this?" she asked the woman who apanied her. "Let''s keep walking," Penny couldn''t stop looking at it but finally tearing away her gaze from the cave she heard the woman say, "Every ve in this establishment gets branded just like the cows and horses to make sure if they find a stranded ve who has run away, it would be easy to bring them back to where they belong. Take my advice and don''t try to escape." "You are asking me to be part of something I don''t want to be," Penny frowned. "Impulsive girl, nobody wants to be part of it. I say this for your own good," the woman smiled coyly at a guard who stood there with a smirk. "You are friends with the guards?" "Friends is a broad term and I wouldn''t use it. I give them what they need and take the favours I need," she didn''t bother to ask what those favours were as it wasn''t hard to know, "If you get caught, Penny. You will be branded just like any of them right now." Penny stopped the woman, halting both their footsteps to ask, "What says I won''t be if I don''t try escaping?" "ves are usually marked on the first or second day of them entering the ve establishment. To your fortune, they have caught you yet. If you get caught, it won''t be just branding your skin but you will have worse than the confinement room to be in. But, if you get into that list of having to be sold. You can escape once you are outside. There will be no one to catch you," now this perked Penny''s ears. Chapter 7 - Fine, I will help you! She walked down the hallway of the ve building, the corridor narrow and long. Her left side was built with walls, her right side she passed by the cells. Some that were open and some that were closed with the ves sitting inside. It was Penny''s fifth day in the ve establishment. She had spent two days in the confinement room which had avoided her from being branded as the other ves. She had been careful at the word of her cellmate but it was after she hade to see the blood seeping from the dress that the ves wore which worried her. The screams and cries in the night didn''t stop and neither did it stop in the morning or the time of noon. It wasn''t difficult to get into trouble with the guardsmen of the establishment but it wasn''t hard to escape it either until one knew how to handle them with a s.e.x.u.a.l favor. She had been worried about the brand mark as every ve in this establishment carried one on their body. But the marks weren''t necessarily in themonce which made it easier for her to hide when all the ves were sent to take bath. Penny who had opposed the idea of previously removing her clothes with the others had beenpliant to listen to the orders of the guards without a sign or murmur of protest. It wasn''t that she wasfortable stripping herself and the stares by the other ves especially the men made it ufortable. Thest thing she needed was a brand on her skin which would imprison her for the rest of her life here. Taking the woman, Caitlin''s advice she had started to deduce the n to get her name in the list of the ves who would be sold in two days. She stood with hot water dripping down her body which had turned the entire bathing area in steam which she was thankful for. Quickly washing, she picked the garment that wasid to the ves. Wearing them, she headed out of the bath like the rest when another ve walked by her. It was a male ve, his hand pushing her arm as he walked by where he didn''t bother to apologize but after walking a few feet away from her he turned to look at her and gave her a smile which wasn''t polite. Ignoring the man, she decided to walk along with the other ves. Another thing to note here in this establishment was that, apart from the warden and the guardsmen who guarded the ce, there was a hierarchy in the ves itself. Groups of people who often picked on the ves who were new. Penny had been wise enough to observe and remind herself not to step into certain parts of the establishment where the guards didn''t guard. Though Caitlin had given her the idea to run away, she didn''t take part in helping Penny to escape from the world of the ves. Coming to the far end of the corridor, she deviated her footsteps from the rest of them by slowly slipping away from the guardsman''s sight who had been stationed at that corner. Peeking from behind the wall, she stared at the room where a guard stood. It was the room where every single ve''s details had been recorded when a person was admitted to be a ve here. How was she going to get inside with the guardsman standing outside the room? asked Penny to herself. Biting her lips, she stood there staring before catching sight of another guard who was walking towards where she was. Quickly turning around, she ran back to join the other ves who were still walking out of the bath. Going back to the cell that she was assigned to, she sat down, her hands supporting her face as her elbows rested on herp, "There is a guard there," she whispered to her cellmate who was busy biting the split ends of her red hair. Picking one strand after another, "There are guards everywhere," Penny sighed at the woman''sck of interest, "Haven''t you ever tried to escape yourself?" the young girl asked a little curious about her cellmate. Until now, the woman had revealed nothing about herself, "When did youe here?" "A few years ago," the woman answered. By the tone of her voice, she realized the woman wasn''t interested in dwelling into her personal details. The woman then lifted her eyes to look up at Penny who had been staring at her, "The ve establishment runs with an iron fist. Getting people in here is easy but stepping out isn''t. People get scared for life for what they see and experience here. You haven''t seen even an inch of it yet." "You want me to experience it," murmured Penny. "Never told that," the woman went back to biting her hair and removing the ends of her hair with her teeth. "Help me, please. The guard won''t let me inside the room." "Of course, he wouldn''t. Do you think he will bow his head and let you in, a mere ve just like that?" her cellmate rolled her eyes, "I haven''t been bitten by a dog to assist you. If you get caught, it won''t be just you but I will get into severe trouble too," Penny covered her face, "And don''t wail now. I don''t want you crying too. I am going to sleep." Penny started to sob in her hands, her shoulders shaking as stifled sobs surrounded the cell. In the beginning, the woman didn''t pay attention to the young girl. She had seen many vese and go in the long-time she had stayed in the ve establishment. They cried and screamed which had turned her almost deaf. With an unbothered attitude, sheid down on the ground and closed her eyes, beliving the girl would stop crying after a while. Just as the woman started to drift away to fall asleep, she heard, "Ahhh!!!" and her eyes snapped open. It wasn''t that she hadn''t heard people in here cry but the cellmates she had had until now were the quiet ones who would silently cry. Also, the scream and cry took ce away from the cells which didn''t disturb the sleep the way it did now. She cursed the girl under her breath. "Stop crying! Do you think crying is going to do anything here? Fine, I will help you," the woman rubbed her temples. Penny sobbed where she had drawn her knees close to her chest to hide her face, "Really?" came the muffled voice. "Yeah, sure. You have my word," the woman answered half-heartedly. When the young girl raised her head there was not a single drop of tear that hade out of her eyes and her face looking perfectly normal. The woman narrowed her eyes, "You little actress..." Penny grinned, pushing her hand on the ground to stand up and say, "Let''s go now." "You tricked me," the woman gritted as they stepped out of the cell. "I apologize for that. I thought it was fun," Penny hid her smile behind her hand, "I really needed your help because I wouldn''t be able to do it without you. I am desperate." "We all turn desperate. I am impressed. Where did you learn that?" "I was part of the local theatre. The side actress," the woman nodded her head. Penny came from below the average family with her father who had left them. To make the extra amount of coins for her mother and her, she had taken the job in the theatre but were the little roles which she alwaysnded with as the man who ran the theatre was having an affair with the lead actress, "You know a lot of things about the ve establishment, why didn''t you ever try to run away?" whispered Penny as quiet as she could as they walked down the corridor keeping their head down and not looking up. It was one of the rules in the ve establishment where the ve had to keep their head down all the time. "My luck wasn''t as good as yours. Before I knew it I was branded," said Caitlin, suddenly stopping, she pulled Penny to the side where there was a little passage, "Quiet. The warden''s here," if the Warden and the guardsmen next to him weren''t walking as fast as they were now, she was sure that they would catch them stuck in between the two walls. Once the officials of the establishment had passed, the woman peeked carefully before stepping out with the young girl "How often does he make rounds?" asked Penny to see the men were nowhere now. "Two times a day. The warden is a shrewd and a cunning man. Like I said before, stay away from his sights as much as possible. With you already not obeying him, you would be in one of the noted ves. That man enjoys torturing girls and I don''t mean s.e.x.u.a.l torture. There are other ways to torture the ves which are far worse than s.e.x.u.a.l treatment. One which will break you mentally than physically. It breaks your soul in ways you cannot fathom," the woman''s voice was low, "Hurry," she said and they walked quickly, switching the corridors to step into the ce where the guardsman was guarding the room which Penny had previously stepped into, "If we get caught, we are both dead sheep. I will wade the man away and try to give you the time you need to get in there and put your name." "What about your name?" Penny didn''t understand why the woman hadn''t asked for her name to be included. With the way the woman smirked, it made her think that her cellmate didn''t n to leave the ve establishment. "Your name should be enough for now. I am an old woman here whenpared to you. The ve establishment prefers younger ves to be sold for good value," saying this she pulled the sleeve off her shoulder and Caitlin stepped away from the wall, walking sultrily towards the guardsman who was standing outside the room. Penny watched her back to see no one there as this was one of the ces where the ves didn''t walk around or were rather not allowed to step into. The red-headed woman stared at the man, "Aren''t you tired standing?" the young girl could tell that though the woman had call herself to be old, she was rather pretty to look at for her age which the guardsman noted. His eyes every often ncing at her shoulder. "You shouldn''t be walking here. Get back to the ve quarters," the guardsman spoke roughly while holding back the l.u.s.t he felt. From where she stood, she could see her cellmate give a sad smile, "Don''t be so harsh on me," she said walking around to reach the other side of the wall, letting herself lean on the cold wall, "I was feeling lonely and..." she trailed giving the man a look as if he could protect her from the harsh world outside. It appeared that she wasn''t the only one good at acting, thought Penny. With the guardsman who had turned his back to her and the door of the room, busying himself with the ve in front of him Penny wondered if it was her cue to go in there. Just as she was readying herself, breathing in deeply, she heard a pair of footsteps from the other corridor which made her bolt forward. Very carefully she entered the room to see stacks of parchments that were ced all over the room. Her eyes scanned the through as quick as she could, going to the table while cing her feet on the ground quietly. She didn''t have the opportunity for education but had picked and learnt the most basic writing like her name, her mother''s name and some words which weremon. She tried to read and understand what was written in some of the parchments so she could know where to insert her name in. Identifying some of the words in a particr parchment, she took hold of the quill and added her name at the end of it. Once she was done, she decided to leave the room like the way she had entered with cautious footsteps. Penny didn''t wait for Caitlin and instead walked two corridors away from the room before she halted her footsteps and waited for the woman who had engrossed the guardsman in her talk when she had left the ce. Finally, when the woman caught up, both of them headed straight to their cell room as if they hadn''t done anything they were not supposed to do. When the day finally arrived, as expected, one of the guardsmen came to fetch Penny who kept a sullen face who was anxious. Her cellmate didn''t react nor did she speak a word as she left. "Follow me," the man said gruffly, not bothering to hear a yes or no from the young girl. He lead her down the stairs before binding her hands in rope. Reaching the ground level, he took her to a vehicle that lookedrger than the carriage she had seen pass by in the market of her town. It was dark and ck in colour. The base made of wood and the top that looked simr to a tent. Inside, she caught sight of other ves who didn''t look happy and were rather quite scared and some also crying. The ves consisted of mostly young girls, a young boy and a woman whom she guessed to be a person in her prime forties. There was one thing she noticed, up until now during the time she had walked in the establishment, not once had she seen a man over his thirties. It seemed like the establishment found them to be useless which made her wonder what happened to the people who aged to the point they wouldn''t be able to be sold in the market? Penny was roughly pushed forward, "What are you doing standing here! Get inside with the rest of them!" the guardsman pushed her again until she climbed and sat down with the other ves. The carriage though builtrger than the average space, it was still cramped with the number of people in here. The journey was long and when said long, it wasn''t an hour or two but a journey of four hours. The carriage wasn''t stopped anywhere and when it did, it was only when they had reached the part of the town where the ck market was situated. The ck market was a ce where one could find things which were not be sold out in the open. Penny and the other ves couldn''t see anything as when they had left the ve establishment they were blindfolded. The guardsmen weren''t gentle when it came to handling the ves. Everyone were pulled or dragged before being pushed to stand in one corner. She heard a girl cry next to her, her sniffs audible to her ears. SMACK! The other ves who had been crying closed their mouth when the ve next to her was pped across the face. "One more sound and I will make every one of you beg for your life," by the voice, Penny could tell that it was the same man who had pushed her into the carriage before, "Frank!" "Look at these ves. They look better than thest batch. Especially this one," it was another man who hade. Penny who had only been listening to their conversation, felt someone run their hand over face. The touch felt repulsive which made her skin crawl, "This one looks fresh. Makes me want to keep her," the man murmured, his hand continuing to run over her cheeks, chin and then up to her lips when- "ARGH!" Penny had bit the man''s finger. Chapter 8 - Beginning of the auction When the man''s finger got too close to her mouth, Penny had bitten on his finger hard enough for the man to yelp in pain. She hadn''t nned to bite but his touch had been repulsive enough to bring out the reaction from her. The man red at the ve and pped her right across her face. Penny could feel the heat rise on the side of the cheek where she could feel her skin resonate in dull pain. The man whom she bit wanted to p her again but the guardsman held his hand. "One more and you''ll damage the good," said the guardsman staring down at the girl who had the audacity to bite. It seemed like this one hadn''t been disciplined enough but what he didn''t know was that it hadn''t been more than a week since the girl had been added in the ve establishment. New ves were usually not sold right away in the market not unless someone specifically came to buy the ve directly from the establishment itself. "This little bitch-" "Hold your hands. Go check the stage and announce the arrival of new ves. Gather enough of a crowd. We need to get the show running," the guardsman ordered the man who went by the name Frank. From where she stood, Penny could feel the sting of pain on her cheek and the corner of her lips. When her tongue touched the side of her lips, she tasted the metallic taste of blood. Just as she was doing, she felt herself being dragged a few steps away from where she had been standing. She flinched when the side of her head was pushed against the wall, "Do you know how important the man is? He''s the one to word the news to the elites whoe to buy here," the guardsman continued to push her head while she struggled for him to let go, "Don''t forget that you are a ve. Let me show you what happens to the ves who misbehave and don''t listen," saying this he let go of her head. Every ve''s blind was pulled. Though it wasn''t sunny and the weather of Bonke was as usual cloudy, the light falling on her eyes after hours which made her squint her eyes like the rest of them. Penny''s eyes moved to look where she was brought. Since they had arrived, the smell here wasn''t pleasant but rather odd and ufortable. She noticed that they were in a tent but this one was less darkpared to the one they were put in the carriage. When the wind blew to move the curtain to let one peek outside, she saw people walking busily without standing in one ce. "Come now. Line up! Let''s show what happens when you don''t listen," said the guardsman who pulled the girl who was closest to him. Pushing her forward up the tform she could hear the voice of the man who had pped her after she had bitten him. The ves could see the stage that was set up for the ves to be sold while making sure everyone who had money had a good look at who and what they were selling. Curious to what the guardsman meant, she looked at the ve who was made to walk on the stage with her hands bounded at her back. "Good afternoon my fellow men and women. Today we have brought with us better goods than what we soldst week. ves who you will want to have and make use of. I promise you won''t be disappointed. This is a nce to what we have today," spoke the man on the stage loud enough for everyone to hear. There was the sound of bustle which she noticed when the man spoke, "This is our first ve. Her name is Hannah. As you can see, she is a young human with ck hair and pale skin," the man touched the girl''s face but he didn''t stop there, "Her skin is luscious and soft like silk. To let you have a look my fellow people..." Penny heard the sudden tear of the young girl''s clothes who started to cry silently. She could hardly believe what she was seeing right now. They were demoralizing a woman, treating her with no respect where the dress she wore was removed to be pushed down leaving her upper body bare to the onlookers. What just happened was harder than the p she had received earlier. Her eyes widened and she gulped. Hoots and whistles were heard on the other side of where she stood now with the scared group of ves. As brave as Penny had tried to be up to this point since she had been put in the ve establishment. She didn''t have the courage to go through what just happened in front of her sight but it didn''t stop her thought from wanting to bash the man''s head as he continued to speak. "Isn''t she beautiful? Now, let''s see how many of you value her worth. The bidding starts from thirty gold coins!" the man shouted. Thirty gold coins? Penny wasn''t sure if she was baffled with the number of gold coins the man spoke or that he had decided to value the girl''s worth to be thirty. A person couldn''t be valued in terms of gold coins and thirty was nothing. At the same time, thirty gold coins wasn''t a small number. Her own family could barely collect a good three silver coins which made it difficult to collect a gold coin. It made her wonder if her rtives had really sold her, then what price had they handed her to the ve establishment? But what she didn''t know was that it was the minimum limit that woulde to grow to a big amount. The girl was on the stage shivered in the cold which she could see quite clearly from behind. She felt sorry for her and wished she could do something but there was nothing she could do right now. It was her fault that the girl was being shamed publicly. She didn''t want to cause trouble to anyone here on her behalf. Not to forget, if the guardsman sensed that she had been admitted to the establishment for only a week, there were chances of her being taken back again which she didn''t want. And who knew what punishment waited for her. Being the troublemaker here, she was worried about what the man on the stage would do to her. "Fifty gold coins!" "Anyone who is willing to buy her for more?" asked the bidder on the stage to receive a response from the crowd, "Eighty gold coins!" "Ny gold coins!" If Penny wasn''t in her current predicament her brows would have reached her forehead but as the amount raised so did her heartbeat. It hade to be evident that the people who were outside were the people who came from the higher society who were willing to throw money to buy themselves a ve or more. "Anyone interested to buy the girl?" asked the bidder, "Ny gold coins going once, going twice and THRICE! Sold to the gentleman in the grey suit. Please make sure to collect your ve at the backstage." Frank, bought the girl back inside whose clothes hadn''t been fixed. The girl looked traumatized, her expression was vacant as if in shock making her feel guilty. But with the attitude of the crowd and the men here, it felt as if it was a norm to strip a ve in front of the buyers to make sure of what the ve was worth for. When the buyer came through the other end, she caught sight of an old man who was short in stature with a few amounts of hair on his head. He smoked a pipe, his skin shrivelled but his eyes sharp on the ve which he had bought. After the transaction was done, the girl was taken away. Penny had thought of escaping once she would reach the market or after someone would buy her. That didn''t mean she was ready to go through the humiliation of what everyone was going through, suddenly she heard a scream from the stage. The next ve had already been taken without wasting time. Her hair pulled by the bidder so that she would scream more, "Doesn''t she have a lovely voice. It is told that she sings like an angel. Age fifteen. Untouched and pure. Wouldn''t you want to get your hands on her-" The man on the stage hadn''t evenpleted his sentence when someone in the crowd yelled, "Hundred and twenty gold coins." "That''s a lovely number to start with," the man rubbed his hands together before wincing due to the finger that had been damaged, "Anyone who wants to raise the pay and take this girl home?" The bidding went up slowly, the number of golds moving one step after another such that the girl was sold for four hundred gold coins. It made Penny wonder as to how did people earn this amount of money? I would take her ten lives before she would be able to collect that number of gold coins while here the people were giving it away to buy them. Finally, when it was her turn, Penny was dragged and pushed up to walk to the stage where when she stepped, her heart sunk like someone had tied a rock to her and pushed her to the deep sea. The number of people who crowded around the stage was intimidating. There were greedy, lecherous men who stood waiting for the ve toe out. Some were the local men and women who had onlye to see the show and enjoy it. Some were poised but that didn''t hide the look in the eye which one held. Though it wasn''t hot, she could feel the beads of sweat forming on the back of her neck to run down on the back of her skin. It wasn''t the time to think but she wondered that if vegetables were alive, this is how they would be feeling with the customers hovering over them ready to pounce. Chapter 9 - Sold- Part 1 The Isle valley was and where an elite or the high society ss of people walked on the streets to buy expensive clothing, shoes or any other object one would fancy and also one where the middle ss along with the lower ss couldn''t afford. Being part of thend of the East, it was one of the attraction but not for the sole reason that it had a high-end product. A few streets and alley''s away, next to the Isle valley was the ck market. For namesake, it was the ck market where things that were not often sold out in the open was found. From the unholy materials that were sent by the ck witches to the blood of babies or children but until now the governingw of the council had done nothing to eradicate it. One of the reasons being the men and women involved here were schemingly smart. In the past, the council had tried to remove it but the problem was that no matter how many times some of them were sent to catch most of them would flee or trick the other which turned out to be hopeless. Not to forget there were some people who depended on the items from the ck market which wasn''t found elsewhere. Once they had almost closed down and banned the ck market to only be pressurized by the elites on how they wanted it running. After a lot of signs and meetings, the council hade to the conclusion to only keep a close eye. One could sell all to their heart''s content but if they were caught, it would be a direct way to the council prison. A man walked through the throngs of the crowd that had formed in the centre of the ck market. His hair was inky ck in colour, his eyes darker than any red which looked almost ck where a person could be mislead to be a human if it weren''t for the light in the atmosphere. He was tall, his shoulders broad, he eyes gazed around the little perimeter looking down upon the men not because they were short but because they were beneath him. A small stick ying at the edge of his lips which was held in his teeth, he muttered, "Peasants." "Sir Damien," a leaner man with brown hair and eyes came to stand behind him who had been trying hard to keep up with the man in the coat, "Is this where we''ll be buying the tranquilizer? I thought it was the other way." The man name Damien didn''t respond, instead, he let hiszy eyes look at the shop that was set up in the corner, "Our shop is here, Kreme. Go speak to the woman in red," he ordered for the leaner man to widen his eyes. "She''s the one selling?" Damien who had been watching the crowd and the bidder who selling a young girl while having her scream turned to look at the smaller man, "Why don''t you go find out than waste my time here," Kreme nodded his head and hurriedly made his way to the shop. Putting his hands in his trouser pockets, Damien followed the man. Annoying humans didn''t know what and when to speak, to increase his work the council had given a human to work with. It was a wonder how he even passed the examst year to be part of the council. A woman sat on a tform, her green eyes holding mirth when Kreme tried to speak to her, "Miss, do you by chance sell tranquilizers?" asked the human politely but the woman who sat in front of him didn''t answer. Thinking that she might not be familiar with the word he went to exin, "It is a liquid that is blue in colour. Like-" Damien pushed the human to the side, "How many tranquilizer do you have with you?" "One. You arete in buying them," the woman leaned forward responsively at the sight of the pureblooded vampire. The human blinked at the woman who hadn''t responded to him but had readily answered his senior. "Whom did you sell it to?" "I don''t know," she smiled coyly, "I don''t ask for names. I just need the money but I might try to jog my memory for you," Kreme was now sure that the woman was hitting on his senior and was worried where this was going to go. And it wasn''t because he was worried about their work being diverted but because- Damien pulled out the silver pistol from his back, uncorking it and cing it on the woman''s head. As the shop was set in between the walls and hidden such that it wouldn''t be easily spotted, "You were telling?" The woman''s smiled faltered, "You should learn something from the human. Such a handsome face but rude," shemented. "That''s rich seeing you to be the one not to heed to his words but to a rude person," Damien smiled, taking the pistol away from her head like he had been kidding but the woman somewhere knew that it wasn''t an empty threat, "Be a doll now and tell us whom did you sell it too?" "It was a man with a beard, just a little around his jaw. His eyes were of two different colour. Red and ck. Deep voice, hairbed back. ck in colour. That is all I remember," she answered him while Damien tried to rte her description to the man he would know. Strange, he thought. He couldn''t remember anyone with two different colour of eyes as they were rare. "How dark were his eyes?" questioned Damien. "The red was dark," she answered apprehensively, "Don''t you want to buy the tranquilizer?" she asked when the pureblooded vampire turned his back to her. Even Kreme was confused as to why they hadn''t bought it, wasn''t that why they hade to visit the ck market? But the man was least interested to talk to her and he walked away from there to be followed by the leaner man. Chapter 10 - Sold- Part 2 Penny could slowly feel fear begin to sink into her bones out of nervousness as she stood in front of the people as a disy item. Though the weather was cool with the clouds dominating the sky which were dark and yet to start growling, she could feel perspiration begin to settle on her skin with every passing second that came to go by. Her eyes didn''t dare to look up, the nces were never one which were decent and of pity. Instead, most of them grinned looking up at her. With the way she had bit the bidder''s finger as he had touched her, she feared what he was going to do. For the ves who had done nothing, their hairs were pulled, their dress and clothes stripped for the buyer''s eyes so that they could entice them to buy the ves from the ve''s establishment. "This is Penny, young and fresh as you see. She is-" paused the bidder as he read her information which he had been given to him from the guardsman. With every ve''s information recorded, the details were used during the time when the ves could be sold with the right data. The bidder didn''t go to speak aloud and instead murmured as he read the parchment which had been filled by her own rtives who had sold her. The bidder turned to look at the guardsman and then at the ve who stood next to him. The young girl was undoubtedly pretty to look. Her feminine features better than the younger and the older ones which he had been brought here from the ve establishment. But she had been submitted only a week ago, and they never had an early sell-off of the ves, "Excuse me, gentleman, while I go have a word. Please enjoy the sight in the meantime," Frank gave a grin with his dirty teeth and went back to meet the guardsman. While the bidder who was auctioning the ves left, Penny was left standing there with hundreds of eyes on her. It made her feel ufortable. She had tried to be brave all this time but now she was scared and regretted biting the man''s hand. By the look in the man''s eyes before, she knew he would strip her in front of everyone but something worse was also awaiting her. She had known that her time of arrival at the ve establishment was recorded. How would she know? It wasn''t like she was a frequent visitor there. This put her in the position where the guardsman could take her back at the mere word of being a new ve. Behind the stage where two more ves stood, the guardsman and the bidder spoke in a rushed tone, "Are you sure we can sell her? Didn''t they say they wouldn''t sell a new ve until they would be trained? The girl is clearly not tamed," said the bidder. The guardsman who had taken the parchment back from the bidder, looked into it as if he could read when he actually couldn''t. Not everyone were fortunate to learn and write, leaving a lot of them uneducated. It was the elites and some rare men and women, women being scarce when it came to the lower part of the society. Looking at the scribbled words, he said, "Her name was put there. We are only following the rules and orders. The warden himself personalizes and sends the ves to be bid. He wouldn'' have added her name if she wasn''t ready." "You sure?" asked the bidder who didn''t want to get into any unnecessary trouble for someone''s mistake. "Aye. Sell her cheaply. We ain''t need any refund back," suggested the guardsman, giving the parchment back to the bidder. When the bidder went back on the stage, he said, "I see some of you have eyes on this beautiful creature standing her. Wouldn''t you like taking her home with you? Look at her hair," said the man loud enough to gain the attention around. As he touched her hair, Penny didn''t react. This time she was obedient, "So smooth. Imagine having her in the bed with her beautiful legs wrapped around your waist as you push into her," she still didn''t react but internally she cringed. After all the imaginative crude remarks he had dropped for the previous ves who had been brought, she had thought she would turn a deaf ear but she couldn''t. The man had no shame and neither did the people who had surrounded them who had leaned forward to listen to more of what he said. His hand was still touching her hair before he pulled it roughly for her to wince, "She will sound lovely, just like this in your arms. She had been untouched and unbitten,"? and this gained murmurs among the crowd, "You can have the first bite of this v.i.r.g.i.n." Noticing the delightful whispers that came in front of her, Penny, whose face was now facing the dark sky which had turned dark guessed that v.i.r.g.i.ns had higher values just like when it came to the demand of marriage. "Fifty gold coins!" a man shouted in the crowd. "Look at that! We have the first buyer,"mented Frank in glee. "Hundred gold coins!" Another man shouted. The time of the bidding hadn''t been stated yet there were men who were eager to buy her. Frank let her hair go. He took a step forward at the crowd as the numbers started to fly one after another. "Two hundred gold coins!" one man jumped the number. The young girl looked frightened, her heartbeat spiking with every number that moved up and higher. She saw the man who had just bidded for her. It was a man in a grey suit, his eyes red in colour which meant he was a vampire. Another man stood next to him with an umbre over his head even though it wasn''t raining or was sunny. He had a look on his face which made her uneasy. It was as if something lurked around his face which anyone could see but it didn''t speak of what it was. But the number didn''t stop there. The gold value on her went on to move up and in that time she saw the people who wanted to ''buy'' her, it wasn''t just male but there was also a female and by her attire and presence, she was another vampire. She had valued her to eight hundred gold coins, but the man in grey suit pushed his number to a thousand gold coins. Among the crowd who bid on her, there was another man who appeared decentpared to the rest of them. Like many, his eyes were red but his appearance were gentle, tall with brown hair on his head. Compared to all of them, she internally prayed that if someone was buying her, it would be the brown-haired man. At least he appeared decentpared to the rest who had a lecherous look in the eyes like the others. She then heard the bidder say, "Let us see how much more she can entice you." When Penny''s eyes moved to look at him, she gulped nervously. She saw him look at her smugly knowing what his words meant and to tell she was not scared was a lie. She wanted to cry for the shameful disy in the public which she had never imagined. She felt vulnerable and cornered. Penny had never done anything to anyone until now. She had been polite and kind, her words thought out before she spoke to make sure it didn''t offend anyone unless someone meant it to be. Maybe she had stolen fruit from Mr Barne''s tree asionally which was one in number but that didn''t mean she was to be decreed in such manner by God. The bidder walked closer to her, his hand reaching to the dress which was hardly enough to cover her feminine curves on her body, when someone said, "Five thousand gold coins." Everyone had been concentrating their gaze on the bidder, the bidder''s hand and the girl who stood there with bound hands to snap their heads seeing who had a mere ve for five thousand gold coins. It was very rare for a ve to be bid over two thousand gold coins, something that happened once in a year or two but it was rare for one to pay that amount of money. Penny herself was shocked to hear five thousand gold coins. Her eyes were wide, mixed with shock and panic of who had bid on her. Scared that it would be someone odd. The bidder who was standing next to Penny himself hadn''t caught the man who bid the high amount that he found it would be rude to offend the person if he were to ask who had spoken just now. His hand that was hanging in the air above her shoulder moved down to rest to his side. Murmur and whispers took around the crowd before one person after another looked at one man who stood at the back of the crowd with his hands in his trouser pockets. Chapter 11 - Master Damein- Part 1 Penny who had been frightful previously looked in the direction where everyone''s eyes started to move at one man from far behind. At first, the man was only a silhouette but when he started to walk, people moved away from him to make way so that he could walk. She saw him walk where the stage was set up. Every step of his bringing him closer to where she was while his view only got clearer, his eyes were set on hers and hers on his. She had seen plenty of handsome men in her vige and the town around but none couldpare to this man. When he finally came close, she took note of his red eyes that were dark. His cheekbones high, eyebrows dark with a thick ck straight mane that he had left to be dishevelled. As they stared at each other, she saw something dark and dangerous lurk behind his eyes which put her on an alert. There was a piece of stick which yed at the edge of his lips, stopping only when he came to stand in front of the stage. "Master Damien!" the bidder greeted the man with a nervous undertone in his voice, "Are you buying the ve?" The man didn''t break his gaze away from the young girl who was staring just like he did. The bidder seeing this took it in a different way that the master was being offended by the girl maintaining her eye contact. Frank, pushed the girl''s head down quickly and her head bent due to him pushing her down so that she would show some respect to the elite pureblooded vampire. With the man''s gaze broken away, he looked up at Frank, "Hmm, the gold will be delivered to you in an hour," the man named Damien stated not wanting to rebuke any argument. "Of course!" Frank bowed his head with his hand still holding down the girl''s head. The man stepped on the stage with one jump swiftly like a cat before standing up. "Hands off." "Huh?" the man didn''t understand what he meant out of pure happiness that they had sold a girl for five thousand gold coins. That was money one of his kind could only dream to have. "Take your hands off my belonging," the man didn''t need to be told twice. He quickly moved his hand away from the ve whose head he had been pushing. "You can collect her from the backside of the stage," Frank replied back, keeping a step distance from the girl as the man red down at him. Compared to Frank who was of average height for a man, this man who stood in front of them towered in his height. With the grubby man''s hand not on her anymore, Penny wanted to look at the man who had bought her but with his gaze that came back at her, she felt intimidated. With the way the man who had been rude and disgraceful with all the ves, he now seemed like a shaking leaf. Already having enough sight and plight of what the ves had to go through Penny didn''t want to risk looking at him. "You can keep this one as your deposit to collect the gold," she saw the pureblooded vampire pull out a bag that jingled softly. He handed it over to Frank. "Please master Damien. We don''t need the deposit," said Frank with a smallugh to let the man know he trusted that they would be paid. Damien didn''t respond to it. Instead, he gave one look at the young woman who stood in front of him. He bit into the twig that he had been ying within his mouth. Not saying anything he turned around, jumping down from the stage that had been set up to walk around and towards the backstage. A smaller man followed him, hot on his trail who looked a little shocked just like the people who had witnessed what just happened. Frank, clearing his throat went to sell the next ve, "We have another young girl just as beautiful as the previous one. You won''t be disappointed," he shouted. Penny was taken back in from where she hade, going back to the tent which had gotten darker before she had left. With thest but one ve now being sold out in the open, it was only the guardsman, the elder woman and her. "Sir Damien," spoke Kreme who had caught up with the senior councilman. The ck market was no ce to wander and if it weren''t for the man whom he was serving, he would have never stepped into this ce. People here were not who they seem to be and it wasn''t just humans and vampires who walked in and out. There were white witches and the ck witches, thest thing he wanted was to be butchered by a witch to be turned and saved as a potion in the bottle.?At one point Kreme had been looking at the woman who had been calling him through action which he ignored knowing how people here were. One second and he had lost the man form his sight to make an announcement of giving out five thousand gold coins. His eyes had bulged out hearing it. "Get the carriage here, Kreme," ordered Damien dismissing their current work as they had already acquired the information they hade for. "Will you be going home?" "Yes. Now quick," said Damien, spitting the twig out of his mouth before entering the tent to see the girl he had just bought. She was the same girl, thought Damien to himself as he walked towards her. He hadn''t expected to see her here, not in this state but he was here now. At first, when his eyes fell on her with the man bidding her it had caught him by surprise. It was the same girl whom he had seen a week ago in the rain.?Her clothes were dirty, the one which ves usually wore in the ve establishment. Her hair looked like it hadn''t been washed for a while where it stuck above her head. As he drank in her appearance, he found her looking at the ground without meeting his eyes. Penny could feel the man''s gaze burning at her and she wished he wasn''t looking at her in such intensity that made her want to cower behind the wall. She didn''t know what to do and fretted internally as to what was going to happen. When the woman in the cell room had told her the escape n, she had thought it would be easy as there wouldn''t be any guards to catch hold of her once she would be sold off. But now it worried her. The man who had bought her, he didn''t seem like an ordinary man. "Mr. Quinn," the guardsman bowed his head to show respect to the man. The guardsman didn''t bother to make small talk and instead kept his head lowered with thest ve that had to be sold. But the man tantly ignored the guardsman and came to stand right in front of Penny. Penny who had been quiet while avoiding his gaze saw the pair of leather shoes that came into view in front of her eyes. Lifting her head slowly, she found the man looking at her. As if his red eyes were inspecting her closely. Her eyes widened when his hand shot up to hold her chin, "The cut looks fresh. Who gave it to you?" she was too shocked to reply with his sudden forwardness over her to answer. She moved her head away so that he wouldn''t continue to hold her chin, "Speak." "The man out there," she answered. "Hmm," he replied as if in acknowledgement. Penny didn''t know what they were doing standing here as she had heard the rest of the gold coins would be handed at the man''s mansion. With more time passing by, Frank came back with the ve he had just sold. "Master Damien," Frank bowed again seeing the man in front of her, "Are you looking for another ve today?" "Do you have something sharp that you could remove the binds," said Damien ncing at the girl''s bind for Frank to nod his head. "Oh, yes we do. There must be a knife here somewhere," said the human who let go of the ve he had been holding by the arm tightly when he brought her back inside to go fetch the knife. Coming back with the small knife, the man went to the pureblooded vampire who had requested for a knife, "Here it is," he handed it over. "Is it sharp enough?" asked the pureblooded vampire, bringing the knife close to his face to inspect it. "Yes, yes. Very sharp. I got it chiselled and sharpenedst evening," confirmed the man. "Lovely," remarked Damien, turning the knife in his hand. In a blink of an eye, Penny didn''t know what happened but the man''s hand had turned to a vegetable as it had been stabbed by the same knife he had given to the pureblooded vampire on the nearest wall. Thankfully there wasn''t a table where he had stabbed it on to else the knife would have pierced through to let its sharp end to poke from the man''s backhand. The man screamed in pain of having his skin torn, feeling the burn spreading across his entire hand, "Master Damien, please forgive me!" Penny frowned hearing this. Since the time she had the blindfold removed from her eyes, she hadn''t seen him talk to the pureblooded vampire. At least not until she was being sold to the crowd. "You damaged the precious ve I just bought. How do you mean to pay for the damage you caused?"? She then realized why he did it and heart shuddered at the thought of it. "Please forgive me," he cried in the tent. Though his voice could be heard here, one couldn''t hear him from outside due to the amount of crowd that hade to form with the ves being sold. It was one of the days in the week were people hovered in the ck market for more than one reason. The man begged, asking his hand to be released but the pureblooded vampire was having none of it. It was as if he was bored and had picked this man to be his target, "Please allow me to mend it," pleaded the human. "Are you going to time travel?" there was a depth of huskiness as the pureblooded vampire questioned Frank who''s hand had started to bleed,?"Does he, Fuller?" the question was posed to the guardsman from the ve establishment who didn''t dare to defy the pureblooded vampire. Penny saw him twist the knife and she cringed when the man cried out, "Are you sorry?" "Yes, please forgive me,"? the man begged and Damien finally pulled out knife from the man''s hand. "You have the ability to strike a ve but cannot hold the same pain when it is inflicted on you?" the people who had witnessed it along with the one who was in grave pain had the thought cross in their mind that pping and stabbing one with the knife had a lot of difference, "Pathetic. I will be taking the ve. Don''t forget to collect the three thousand gold coins at the mansion." Frank gave the man a ridiculous look, his mouth hanging open. Had the master not spoken about taking the ve for five thousand gold coins? "We are leaving," announced the man named Damien, ready to leave when he saw the man whose hand he had steaked look at him confused. "M-master Damien, you said you would give five thousand gold coins," after being stabbed with the knife he wasn''t sure if his heart and body was ready for another attack by the man. He had heard enough of Damien Quinn. The man came from the highest elite of the society, his family one of the oldest pureblooded vampire who hade into existence first. Though having enough money where his grandchildren wouldn''t need to lift a finger for a meal, he worked for the council. But this was only his work and family background. Coming to his character or behaviour, various people gave different versions about him but one of the mostmon characteristics was that he was one of the evil pureblooded vampires. Not many spoke of it, but there was always a differentiation when it came to the kind of creatures that walked on the fournds of the empire- Valeria, Bonke, Mythweald and Woville. There were types where some didn''t bother with the others and others who didn''t know to mind their business.? But there were some who were insane and didn''t get punished. Damien Quinn was the man who belonged to this category. Call it as luck or the connections he and his family had but the man didn''t miss an opportunity to make a person suffer. His dislike for humans was not a secret but then, the man looked down upon even the vampires and some of the pureblooded vampires. His words were sharp and taunting most of the times like a snake. Damien who had readied himself to leave with the ve who he had bought, gave a look which looked one of annoyance, "What?" "I shall collect the gold coins in the evening," Frank corrected himself. Chapter 12 - Master Damien- Part 2 The carriage at a pace that had Penny ce her bare feet firmly on the surface so that she wouldn''t fall from her seat. After dealing with the man and the guardsman, the man named Damien Quinn had taken her to the carriage and they now headed to his mansion. He didn''t speak to her and she had no voice right now, not after seeing Frank who had been stabbed quite brutally. She had never seen a disy of blood like that and the way this pureblooded vampire had dealt as if poking a lump of meat to check if it were cooked. The only difference was that it wasn''t meat but a man''s hand. Even though her hands were unbound before getting inside the carriage, she still felt as if they were still being bound by the coarse ropes that had left mark on her skin in the presence of this man who sat next to her. Discreetly making sure he wasn''t seeing, she looked from the corner of her eyes to see his leg crossed one leg over the other. His face turned to look at the window, the view outside as they passed through the hills. From where she sat, Penny could see how handsome he was with the silhouette like a shadow. Sharp jaw and cheekbones, brooding eyebrows with some of his inky ck hair that fell on them. Before he could catch her staring at him, she quickly turned her head away but subtly to make sure he didn''t notice her or rather forgot that she existed.?But Penny didn''t know that the man had been more than aware of her presence in the carriage. Though his eyes were looking outside the window, when the girl shifted slightly away from him, his eyes moved from right to left to watch her. While Penny tried to be quiet, her stomach had different ideas. Her stomach growled once, then twice before going on for the man to tap the front window to gain the coachmen''s attention. Unlike some who had only one coachman, this man had two men riding in the front of the carriage. "Stop at Mir''s," the one who wasn''t riding nodded to direct the other coachman on the order received. "When was thest time you had a meal?" asked the pureblooded vampire who hadn''t spoken to her directly after asking who had caused the wound on her mouth. A little taken aback from the sudden question, she turned her face to see him already looking at her, "Last evening," she answered, feeling lightheaded due to theck of sleep as well as food which was never sufficient for the ves. The ves were underfed to keep their body lean but there was also another reason for it which Damien was aware of. By providing an insufficient quantity of food to the ves, it made them weak which made it easier to turn them obedient to listen to the guardsmen. Seeing him not answer but continue to stare at her, Penny looked away from him. The more he stared at her, the more it got ufortable. She wanted to say, ''Stop staring at me!'' but she wasn''t courageous enough to do it. There was just something about this man that made her believe that it wouldn''t be right to speak back at him, thest thing she wanted was to be stabbed by him. Best was ignoring him and she did just that until the carriage came to a halt. When the door opened, he opened the door without waiting for the coachman, the door almost hitting the lower man to step aside bowing his head. She had to be careful as she stepped down from the carriage. Her hands were free but her legs weren''t, they were still shackled with a single chain that connected either side of the leg so that it would prevent her from moving fast. Penny looked at the small building that had a board put upon it ''M''ire''s Inn'', the man had stopped to feed her? It confused her to no end. She had heard some of the stories regarding the ves on how difficult it was for them with their overbearing owners who treated them worse than a dog or any other lower animal. ves were never treated well. They were the filth who weren''t counted in society. With the various decrees of creatures who walked on thesends like humans, vampires, pureblooded vampires, the two different witches, the society was further partitioned into a ss where the pureblooded vampires were of the highest being, considered to be elites while it wasn''t humans who were positioned at the bottom. There were some humans who had managed to be in the good grace of others to have a better life. It was the ves who stood at the bottom where people didn''t take their life into ount. The very purpose of the ves was to serve the people who bought them or the people their master or mistress asked to serve. They were the caged beings who didn''t have a life of their own. Penny who had a sheltered life without having to look into this part of the world didn''t know what to make of this man''s behaviour. The man hadn''t treated her badly but that didn''t mean he would continue to be the way he was. To think that this man had gone far enough to stop the carriage so that she could be fed, she wondered if the man was going to feed the goat before the goat was butchered, thought Penny to herself. But then, thought Penny to herself, she had been saved from her clothes being torn down for the public to see. If it weren''t for him she didn''t know what trauma she would have gone through after that. When they entered the inn, Penny noticed the way some of the passersby gave her looks at the sight of her dress and the clink of the sound that came from her legs due to the metal chains. The inn looked as good as a mansion would and by the look of the people who were in here, the clothes that they wore were enough to know that this was no ordinary inn. It was designed specially for the vampires as every one of them possessed to have red eyes. Some that were light, some that were dark. Amongst them were some women who were humans who were being wooed by men. As she continued to walk, she couldn''t help but start to devise a n so that she could run away from here without being caught. The ck market was far away and now that there were no guards, all she had to do was slip from here without anyone''s notice to have her life of freedom again. Ignoring the looks the people in the inn gave her, she looked for the doors and windows, every possible exit that she could make use of right now. The young woman didn''t fail to notice the whisper that went among the people while they stared at her. She continued to walk, following the man who was being led by the owner of the inn. Coming to an empty room, the pureblooded vampire was asked to sit and the owner left the room closed. Penny hadn''t been asked to sit therefore she continued to stand without a word. The room was small but enough to amodate two people spaciously for a meal. "What''s your name?" the pureblooded vampire named Damien asked, his back leaning against the cushioned chair. "Penny, I mean Penelope," she corrected to give out her full name. "Penny," he tested out her name as the name rolled out of his tongue, "I am Damien Quinn and from today on you shall answer to only me, do you understand," it wasn''t a question but a demand. Receiving no response from her, he stood up from his seat, the chair screeching on the floor. She took a step back when he approached her, her feet not moving too far due to the chain which almost made her stumble back and fall if it weren''t for the wall that was right behind her. When her back did hit the fall, the man came to stand right in front of her. He ced the palm of his hand on the wall right next to her head. His body leaning forward to see the girl''s eyes wide. "I noticed the little pause when you were brought to the stage. What was that about?" he asked her. Not wanting to take a chance, she answered keeping a passive face while internally there was a fire going in there, "I don''t know." "Really?" the closer he got, the more she tried to move until he ced another hand on the other side of her head, "Where do you think you are going little mouse? Answer me before I do something you wouldn''t like," he taunted her, his eyes looking straight into the depth of her soul, "Your heart has been beating loudly since we arrived here," there was a smile on his face but it wasn''t friendly in the slightest. Penny didn''t know what and how to answer it. Since the time she had started to devise a n of escape in her head, Penny hadn''t realized that her heartbeat had been fluctuating up and down for the man who had bought her to notice. "Shall I answer it for you?" she heard him ask, the creepy smile that had made way continuing to exist on his lips. Damien Quinn was a handsome man and Penny had agreed on it the first time he had jumped on the stage to look at her but no matter how handsome he was, there was something very dangerous about him. Maybe it was the madness in his eyes, that he didn''t bother to hide. "It was only one question," she said, her eyes staring into his. "You speak more freely than normal ves do. It seems like they let you go too soon. Shall we go rify it?" the pureblooded vampire''s tone was casual but he picked the smell of worry and fear that spilled out of her eyes which was clear as day, "Am I right?" he smiled, his eyes crinkling with sheer amus.e.m.e.nt. "I was only saying what you asked, master Damien," Penny grit her teeth yet tried to offer him a polite smile, "I apologize for offending you," she bowed her head but the bow couldn''t bepleted as their head bonked together. The pureblooded vampire narrowed his eyes at her and before he could speak further, both her stomach as well as two servants of the inn entered the room with dishes that had been prepared. The servants started to ce one dish after another, which watered her mouth at the sight of it. Not once had she had the privilege to look at so many dished together that was a delight to the eyes. Damien didn''t bother to move and he rather enjoyed her expression of embarrassment in the way they stood in front of the servants who didn''t actually dare to look at the customers but Penny looked fl.u.s.tered.?When Damien went to sit down on the chair, he left her just as it is before point his hand on the ground. "It would be rude to not ask you to sit while I eat. Sit," he said before starting to eat himself while leaving her hungry. Chapter 13 - Escape She couldn''t believe that the vampire who had bought her was eating in front of her while letting her starve without offering a single bite from the table. She swallowed at the sight of food, trying to hold back the hunger that was churning in her stomach. She had thought the man who bought her was a good man, but she should have known better. Penny looked away from the food as well as the man to stare at the wall which had a painting of a deer in it.? It was a simple image yet there was something very disturbing about it, with the way it was painted. Looking away from it too, she stared at the ground for the remainder of the time until the vampire was done eating. And over the course of his meal, not once was had he offered her the food which he ate. It was understandable at some level of the system that they lived in. She was a ve beneath his status, even an elite didn''t have a meal with a regr man or a woman, and here she was someone of no value but the irony was that he had ced a value high enough for no one to buy her. In the end haggling with a word of a lie to give only three thousand gold coins. Instead of concentrating on the food and the scent of it, she tried remembering the doors of the inn which was somewhat simr to a mansion. She had noticed a door at the back, all she needed was to get to it and out of there. Far enough for the man to not catch her in thisnd before going to a human town. That was she would be safe, thought Penny to herself. A humannd because they were much more trustingpared to the vampires in her eyes. With no brand on her skin, he wouldn''t be able to do anything to her. He wouldn''t be able to im her to be the ve he bought. With that thought, she patiently waited in time. He was having thest course of his meal when she decided to put her theatrical skills to use which were minimum. Her legs moved enough beneath her body for Damien to notice her, "What is wrong?" he asked. She let herself frown slightly as if in difort, she said, "I need to use the bathroom." The man stared hard at her, not speaking and letting the seconds increase making her worried. He hadn''t offered her food and she hoped she wouldn''t be denied to go to the bathroom. When a servant arrived at the room they were in, Damien spoke, "Take her to the bathroom and bring her back here," he ordered the woman who bowed her head. The servant who was a human-like herself had shown utmost respect to the vampire but when she turned to look at Penny, she raised her brows as if she was too tired before leading the way outside. Penny who noticed it, her eyes narrowed but the same time Damien noticed her expression. "Little mouse," Damien called Penny who stood up, "We need to fix that attitude of yours. Go now, we need to leave in ten minutes," he took a bite from the fork. Not waiting for another word, she turned around to follow the maid. As they made their way out of the room through the corridor, she didn''t see anyone around and felt some kind of relief. Looking left and right, she asked the servant, "Where is the bathroom?" but the servant woman never answered to her as if she hadn''t even spoken a word. Sighing, she didn''t bother to ask again knowing she wouldn''t be getting an answer. The shackles around her feet made her nothing less than a prisoner and to keep up with the servant was hard with little movements. Finally reaching around a corner, the servant woman didn''t say anything but opened the door leaving it open. "Berium," another servant came to call her, "Mistress is asking for you." "Tell her am upied with Mr Quinn," said the servant name who had led Penny the way. "It is urgent. The spoons are missing from the drawers," the other girl whispered for Berium to huff. The servant woman turned to give Penny a look before saying, "I will be back here. Don''t go anywhere," she instructed. Even though the ce looked like any other regr inn, the ce was filled with pureblooded vampires. Anyone wandering around without a chaperone was sure to get into trouble and that was exactly what happened with Penny. After she had stepped into the bathroom as if she wanted to use it, she peeked out of the room after a few seconds to note that both the servants had disappeared from there. Slowly tip-toeing, while she slid her feet across the floor so that it wouldn''t alert anyone of her presence. The task seemed harder than what she had imagined but Penny was quick. Taking a sharp turn, she went to see the back door which was wide open. The door glowed in her mind, like heaven waiting for her and she could hardly contain the relief that the sight brought to her mind. Turning around to make sure there was no one seeing her, she slipped and walked through the door to finally be able to breathe. Running was impossible in this condition but she didn''t want to hide here where there were people who could easily catch her. Looking forward, the inn was surrounded by trees but it was situated next to the vige which they had passed by before the carriage had stopped in front of this inn. For now, she could go there. Deciding to leave with the shackles still around her both feet, she readied herself to walk but at the same time, something came flying from above to fall a few feet away from her. Penny who was in a hurry to leave stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a dead bodyy t and cold on the ground. For a moment shock took over her body and she didn''t know what to do. Was she supposed to leave the woman who was on the ground and flee or was she supposed to go help her? Her heart started to beat quickly. Closing her eyes she cursed herself before going to the woman. "Miss?" she shook the person but the woman was long dead. Penny looked up from where the person might have fallen. There were a series of windows above and all of them were open. As she tried to wake the woman, she finally checked the breathing where no air came to be breathed on her fingers. The woman was dead and like the woman, Penny''s fingers turned cold. She doubted she would be able to run after seeing the dead woman lying cold on the wet ground behind the inn. By the colour of the eyes, she noticed that it was a human as seconds passed, so did the blood that started to spill and spread around the woman''s head. Staggering back, she went inside the inn, her shackles clinking for Damien to appear before she could turn around. As if noticing something was wrong, Damien walked towards her, smelling something. "What are you doing here??Did you hurt yourself?" "O-outside," she stammered with a shaky voice. It wasn''t the first time for Penny to see a dead body as she had seen her mother''s but she had seen nothing like this before. The pureblooded vampire gave her a look before walking towards the open door which led to the backside of the inn. After several minutes he returned back his expression grave and dark. Without giving her time, he took hold of her arm, dragging her with him. His hand on her wasn''t gentle which made her flinch. "Ow, where are you taking me?" she cried softly for him to loosen his grip on her as if he didn''t know his hold had been tight on her. Taking a key from his pocket, he opened the lock of the door and pushed her inside, "Stay here," he said before locking the door with the key. Penny ced both her hands on her head. Oh God, what just happened to that woman? Why was she dead? By the looks of how she fell it was obvious that it was a murder. What was she doing here?! She had the opportunity to run, she could have but she wanted to see if the woman was alright. Panic striking into her system, she walked back and forth in the room to pause her footsteps after a while before looking at the door that had been locked. When Damien opened the lock of the door, his eyes narrowed to a great extent at the sight of the girl missing in the small room. With the window open, he walked towards it to see the length of the bedsheet hanging outside the window which had been knotted for one to leave the room or in this case escape. Chapter 14 - Run! Penny who had been in one of the rooms of the Inn had sessfully jumped down the from the room through the help of the sheets by which she had descended down from the window.?Her hands had been free which had made it easier to get down while holding the bedsheets tightly with her legs hanging before falling on the ground. It had been a struggle to go down with her feet bound through the shackles but that was nothingpared to her where she tried to walk as quickly as she could with small steps due to the restricting chains which didn''t have enough length to move freely. She didn''t dare to look behind and continue to walk through the forest. Walking by the road where the carriage passed by back and forth wasn''t safe. She didn''t know who the dead woman was but whoever had killed her was still in the mansion. Though not wanting to be thankful for it, due to this mishap it had bought her time to escape. This was the window which she had been waiting for since she had arrived at the ck market. It was obvious that the man would be busy, searching for the murder or involving himself in the mystery for him to lock her in the room. The deserted forest filled itself with the sounds of the crickets, chirping and hiding behind and on the trees and forest ground which was wet and slippery. Since the time she had been kidnapped to be brought to the ve establishment, the privilege to wear shoes had been stolen away from her where now she walked on her bare feet. The rain on the previous night had been heavy enough to leave puddles around thend. Unfamiliar with the ce, she headed straight without deviating from her path. Penny didn''t know how much time she had before the pureblooded vampire would notice her disappearance. She didn''t heed to the possible consequences she would have to face because it never urred to her human mind that the man woulde to search her. Instead of worrying about it, she put her thoughts in escaping from here. The farther she walked, the closer her freedom and independence appeared. She heaved for air as she ran but it looked more as if she were walking. At one point she had also thought to pick up the stone to break the shackle but she had no time for it. The more time she would spend here, there was that much possibility of being caught. If it weren''t for the sounds of the crickets, the forest would have been quiet except for the constant chimes of the metal clinking back and forth with her movement. At one point, Penny''s leg moved forward which the other couldn''t follow and she fell on the ground. She huffed for air now that her body had stopped, the wet mud sticking to her dress which made her body feel cold. She pushed herself up to hear in time?the sound of galloping hooves of the horse that approached through the forest. Not knowing what else to do, she rolled around the ground to fall down the little slope and hide under therge roots of the tree and the mud which had moved up enough to hide her. Penny hadn''t expected the pureblooded vampire to catch her this fast but then she didn''t know how much time had passed since she had escaped from the Inn. This was her only chance and she was well aware of it. Escaping from the ve establishment was difficult due to their tight security. The guards would catch her before she would be able to pass through the gates. Waiting until they reached the pureblooded vampire''s mansion was not feasible too. Penny didn''t know if she would be able to see the light outside without anyone not having a close eye on her. This was her chance and she had to make use of it. Covering her mouth and nose with her hands, she tried not to let her harsh breath be heard by him. Raising her head up, she saw the man on his horse whose back faced her. The hooves of the horse moving back and forth as the man continued to pull the reins of the horse. But then Penny noticed, this wasn''t Damien Quinn who had bought her for three thousand gold coins. This man was different. He had dirty blonde hair which had beenbed back for the hair to smoothen until the nape of his neck. Just as turned, Penny ducked down behind therge roots to hide. Whoever this man was, he didn''t seem like someone who hade to stroll through the woods. Rather it seemed like he was searching for someone with ferocity. At first, it made her wonder if the master had sent one of his servants to fetch her but this man appeared to look off. After some time the man finally took his horse in the direction he hade in. With the man gone, Penny continued to walk to hear the loud growl of the thunder and in less than a minute it started to rain. The water was cold as it fell from the sky on the ground. The droplets falling from the trees turning heavier than the actual drops, she continued to walk where some of the mud that had stuck to her body started to wash away. She prayed to God for her to get to the next vige fast. Finally reaching a vige in the rain, Penny found another Inn and walked towards it while also making sure there was no one to see her shackled legs.? Getting inside, wet from head to toe. Now that the rain had stopped falling on her she shivered before getting to the little desk where an old man hovered over a series of parchment papers which was bonded with threads. Penny''s dress ends dripped with water as they were soaking wet. Her feet had left imprints on the wooden floor which she couldn''t help but turn back and notice. With a brightmp burning at the top of the desk, she brought her wet hand up to hit the bell that stood next to it. "Oh my! You surprised," the old man replied with a startled voice, staggering slightly at the sudden sight of a young woman who seemed to have drenched in the rain. The girl smiled, her smile polite and warm where she tucked a piece of her wet hair behind her ear when it fell on her face, "Excuse me but might you be having room to stay?" she asked the old man. The old man though appeared nice from the front, his first question to her was, "Do you have a silver to spare for one night?" "Yes, give me a moment,"? said Penny pulling out a silver coin and cing it on the desk while also hoping he wouldn''t ask her for more as she didn''t have even a nickel to offer. After Mr. Quinn, the pureblooded vampire had locked her in the room she had decided to run away while also knowing she would need some sort of moneyter on. She had searched through the little room to find a coat hanging on the back door but there was only a silver coin in it.?Beliving something was better than nothing, she had carried it along with her while blessing whoseever that coat belonged to. The old man leaned forward, sliding the coin across the desk to put it in his pocket, "Let me show you the room," he said, picking up thentern which was hanging on the hook of the wall behind him. Penny followed the man where he showed her the room before exiting from there. She closed and locked the room. A silver coin was too much for one night to stay here and though Penny would have liked to argue on it, but right now she was supposed to keep low and not call attention to herself. Feeling cold she pulled the nket that wasid on the small bed. There was nothing that could stop the tremors of shiver that ran up and down her body. Every time she heard someone walk by the door, she looked at the shadow moving left to right or right to left keeping her alert as if the pureblooded vampire hade to fetch her. Unable to keep herself awake, her eyes closed such that the night passed for the arrival of morning. Penny was woken up by a woman''s voice outside the door and she squinted her eyes. "She''s not here," said the woman. Suddenly she stood up and went to the door carefully. cing her ear on the door and pressing it she heard footstepsing from the other side of the room for the woman to say, "Are you sure? That little ginger cat neveres up here," hearing this, Penny let out a sigh of relief. It seemed like any and everything made her feel as if it was about her. When the footsteps and the woman''s voice faded away, Penny turned the lock and peeked outside the room to see no one. The sky had started to turn lighter and she took it as her cue to leave the room. If she stepped out of this inn when the vie folks would be walking by, she didn''t need anyone reporting her. She had to find a cksmith. Once she felt it was safe, she sneaked out of the room and walked out of the inn while gliding her feet to avoid the shackles make noise. Finally out of the inn where the old man was nowhere to be seen, Penny started to walk away from the inn to hear thest voice she wanted to hear, "Did you have a good sleep, little mouse?" Her eyes widened, her head snapping around to look at the pureblooded vampire not standing alone. Next to his feetid the old man who had given her a roof until this morning. Seeing the old man not move, fear and panic struck Penny. She gulped, seeing the two punctured wounds on the old man''s neck. Damien wiped the blood on his lips with the back of his hand, a sweet smile on his lips that scared the living lights out of Penny right now. And she started to run again! Chapter 15 - Little mouse Seeing the dead man lying next to the pureblooded who stood casually before taking a step towards her, it led to Penny to start running. Maybe a rabbit had better luck in hopping and escaping from the scene than her because of the shackles that restricted her from running. Damien stared at the girl with an amused look on his face, his red eyes sparkling with mirth at the sight of her. Before Penny could increase the distance between them, he had started to walk towards her slowly catching up to her but the girl surprised him when she turned around. "Don''te any closer," she warned him. It was true though, thought the pureblooded vampire. A ve was never outspoken and thest time he had seen her was a week ago which meant that she hadn''t got to go through the harsh disciplinary system of the establishment. There was fear in her eyes as she stared at him, her throat moving down and up when she swallowed to calm her nerves which only excited him further. "For a ve, I should apud you for your valour," he pped his hand which didn''t seem least bit genuine but as if he was mocking at her, "You need to be punished for running away from me. For disappearing and making mee after you." "I didn''t ask you toe after me," she said keeping a safe distance between him and her. He tched, a sigh escaping from his lips, "Don''t be like that, little mouse. You were so well behaved until we reached the inn, did the death of the woman damage something up here," he pointed his finger to his head. "I am not a ve-" "I know that." "I was brought wrongly-wait what?" she asked him confused. As if the sun had appeared from behind the dark clouds, Penny smiled out of relief, "You know that I am not a ve?" "Mhmm," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes. Then why was she shackled? "Wondering why you have those still intact?" he asked her to see a nod, "You were the one running since yesterday. Shouldn''t you know it better?" "..." "I know you aren''t a ve by just your behaviour but that doesn''t erase the fact that I bought you from the ve establishment," spoke Damien looking down at the ground before raising his head, his steps circling her like a predator who was going to pounce on its prey while making sure its meal didn''t have the opportunity to escape. "You cannot do that! I don''t have the ve brand like the others!" she blurted out, moving two steps back to stop him from circling. Damien stopped in his tracks, gauging the girl with his eyes. The smile that had fallen down came up again making Penny worried, "You don''t have the branded mark? No worries. Let''s take a small trip to the ve establishment so that we canplete it." "NO!" she eximed quickly in panic. She cursed herself for blurting out thest hope from her mouth to him. Mr Quinn was a daunting man, his unnatural smile staying on his way that wrecked her nervous system before making it go haywire. "Why not?" he tilted his head, "I thought you the little mouse was upset for not having the mark on the skin. The ve establishment has a rule to not send the new ves for auction, no matter what they are disciplined, punished made to heed the very word of the guards so that they can be docile with their masters. Yet, here you are after a week out in the market ready to be sold. How did that happen?" asked Damien keeping his eyes on her keenly, "Were you exceptionally well behaved that the warden rmended your name or did you rmend it yourself," he licked his lips to see her eyes widen and a wide smile came upon his lips. Penny felt her head go dizzy due to the adrenaline rush in her body by his words and question. No matter how much she tried to hide it, the man had caught her n. She didn''t want to go back to the ve establishment. For a ve to meddle with the list of the ves who were to be auctioned, she would be punished in ways she herself couldn''t imagine. Fear and panic were bing one of the known emotions of her for a week. Wait...she thought to herself. How did he know that she was in the ve establishment for a week? At the same time, Penny caught sight of a couple who were walking from the far end of the muddy road which led towards the inn and then to where they stood now. They were the vige man and woman, she could ask them to help or gain their attention. After all, she still didn''t have the mark being ced by the establishment which meant she still had the opportunity to run and to be his ve. As if he had read her mind, she heard Damien warn her, "Don''t even think about it," and her eyes moved to look at him. Taking a much more casual stance, he said, "I will take me less than ten seconds to snap both their heads in front of you if you n to involve them in this little escapee of yours. Think carefully, mouse. Your one wrong move towards me will lead to two deaths. Correction," he raised his hand, "Three. Forgot about that one," he turned to look at the old man over his shoulder. "I will keep you happy if youe with me," he gave his word to her, the smile falling down and his expression turning serious. "You left me hungry," pointed Penny. "I promise to feed you," he replied instantly, "All meals." Penny could hardly breathe, the anxiety of fear of not because he was a vampire but because she saw her freedom slipping through her fingers like sand, "Why did you kill him?" "I had my reasons," there was a glint of anger that passed through his face in a blink of an eye, "Come, little mouse. y nice and I will be the master you will ever need to serve," he said, waiting for her toe. Seeing her not take a step, he exhaled. Walking to her than wait for her, he bent down which startled her. Penny saw him fiddling through the shackle chains on each side of her leg. When the metal gave out a loud click, suddenly her legs were free and the chains were removed. Damien stood up, "Such an expensive and troublesome ve," he looked her in the eye and Penny felt as if it were a ck space that could swallow one if one continued to look into his eyes, "Let''s go back to the mansion now," he ordered her. Penny only followed him, not seeing the thorn that was lying on the ground she ced the same leg where she had previously stepped on a nail in the confinement room of the establishment. And when her feet did take the entire thorn into the arch of her feet, she felt her soul evaporate from her body toe back with the pain she felt. "Mr. Quinn!" someone called the pureblooded vampire, and a woman appeared with neat and polished clothes. "Greta," Damien greeted the woman. She was a human, her features soft a smile up to her lips and cheeks that covered itself in blush at the sight of the man in front of her. But when the woman looked at Penny who stood to stare at her feet, the woman''s face turned sour. Her smile faltered but she quickly fixed it putting her attention back at the pureblooded vampire. "I wasn''t expecting to see you here. Did youe here for work?" she asked sweetly. Penny was in pain to take note of the woman. Taking a deep breath, she finally raised her head to take note of the woman. Brown hair and paleplexion, the dress she wore was undoubtedly made of pure silk. A hat on her head to protect her face from the light which was barely there. "Yes, I had personal work to attend to. Now that it is dealt, I must be leaving," he said directly without bothering to exchange any pleasantries with the woman which dampened her mood but she fixed it right away. "I will see you around," she said. Damien gave her a nod before turning his back and walking from there. Penny spared one more nce, both the woman staring at each other with the briefest contact before Penny followed Damien as she limped. She walked on her heel, keeping the thorn untouched. Removing it would only lead to mud getting inside the wound and who knew what this man would do? Reaching the carriage, Damien first sent her in as if he didn''t trust her after her failed escape. Seeing her stagger, he helped her inside to sit next to her. Once the carriage door was closed, he demanded, "Show me your leg," Penny blinked at him. So he did notice something was wrong with her leg. "It''s alright. I will remove it-" "Continue disobeying me and you will see the consequences," he gave her a cold smile which made her raise her leg, "Such an obedient mouse," he praised her to take a look at her feet. Without a prior warning, he pulled out the thorn and pressed his thumb on the wound for her to flinch. "Thank you," she whispered for him taking it out so soon. When he ced her feet on his thigh, she looked up at him. Was this how ves were treated? Or was this man having some of his bolts lose in the head department? He pulled out the kerchief from his pocket, tying it around her feet. "I might have removed the shackles of your leg but don''t forget that you are my ve, little mouse," he said knotting thest of the kerchief to secure it around her feet, "Betray me, and I will punish you in ways you wished you were back in the ve establishment," he warned her with a small yful smile on his lips. Chapter 16 - New home She gulped hearing those words spoken by Damien. Her body sitting crossed while her leg, which had been injured, still resting on hisp, finally felt it being released by him as she pulled it back so that she could ce it down. A cold sweat broke on her back. His smile filled words didn''t lessen the threat he had casually blurted out to her. His words made her worry. Truthfully she didn''t understand him. She had tried to figure the pureblooded vampire but the more she thought about it, the more intertwined did his character turned out to be. He had imed that he knew she wasn''t a ve or rather didn''t have a mark on her but that didn''t erase the fact that he wanted her by his side. Running away from him seemed to be an impossible task, every word he spoke, Penny had to make sure to listen to it carefully. He had failed to offer her food, but he hade in search of her. All her efforts from jumping out of the window to walking in the rain through the forest appeared to be pointless. She had wasted her time, but she had tried, thought Penny to herself. To not do anything and cry about it was worse than try escaping and getting caught. He treated her like a ve but a few minutes ago, he had picked her dirty feet to remove the thorn that had stuck to the bottom of her feet. She didn''t understand what he was trying to do. But if she was sure about one thing, it was that running away any time soon wasn''t an option. Not to forget the threat. Once the carriage reached the mansion, the coachman pulled the reins of the horses to stop them right in front of the mansion. When Penny stepped out, she was gobsmacked at the sight of howrge the mansion was. It was a tall, proud mansion that was painted dark grey in color which was very simr to the clouds that hovered in the sky, thundering, and growling. There were statues made of marble, situated midst the garden that looked rather strange to her. Most of the statues she hade across until now, they were of beautiful women. Not that she wasining about the addition of men here, but the expressions each one held here was filled with pain and angst. Their expressions, panic-stricken. A man with a ck and white attire arrived at the door, stepping out to take Damien''s coat. While Penny was busy taking in the strange statues and beautiful garden that surrounded them, the butler enquired, "Master Damien, who is that?" Though the servant already knew, he wanted to confirm if what he understood by the young girl''s clothes if it was true. "She is my pet. Falcon, clear the room that is next to mine," the butler slowly turned his gaze from the girl to his master. So his master did buy a ve. "Would you want it to be the left or the right one?" asked Falcon, waiting for his master''s order to hear, "On second thought, it won''t be necessary," grinned Damien, his eyes began to sparkle. "Yes, master," the butler bowed his head, "Where will she be staying then? The servants quarters?" "Foolish Falcon, why would I ever do that?" replied Damien who was looking at Penny. He threw a look at his butler, "She will be staying in my room. Pets are not meant to be left out in the open where others can pet them," he then shifted his gaze to her. The mouse had to know who was her master, and that he would be the only one she would ever need to serve in this lifetime. She had been caught not by the cat but the wolf, and he would enjoy her slowly before devouring her very soul. Penny who had been looking at the mansion, finally realized the two pairs of eyes that were looking at her. The man who had bought her was undoubtedly one of the rich pureblooded vampires. For him, to have spent three thousand gold coins on her, she should have known. She was led inside, the butler in the front and Damien, a step ahead of her. As expected, the mansion was spacious enough for two more houses to be built inside it. She caught sight of maids who not once lifted their heads to look at them. There were more than six to seven of them who were either cleaning the walls and the stairs on either side of therge hall. "You are homete," a woman came into view who looked barely past thirty. Her cheekbones were as high as the pureblooded vampire who had bought her from the market. Eyes that were blood red like her lips were painted with colour. Her brown wavy hair was left open which stopped right above her waist. "Maggie," Damien greeted the woman who came to his side to leave a kiss in the air next to his cheek, "Mother was asking where you werest night?" "How fortunate for her to remember," Damien joked with a hint of sarcasm. "She was missing you. Grace has been out too," the woman named Maggie, her eyes fell on the girl who stood behind Damien. The woman''s eyebrows rose slightly, "You bought a maid. We have plenty of them already," she murmured. The girl appeared to be around the age of seventeen, her blonde hair, dirty and mud sticking on her dress and some on her face. For a maid, she didn''t look shabby but her brother always bought good looking girls to work for the mansion. And though every one of them stepped into the mansion alive, most of them left dead due to theck of blood in their body. "She isn''t a maid," Damien corrected, "She is my pet," he grinned. Penny didn''t like the way the man addressed her but she neither had the energy to fight him or test his patience. She felt like an animal on disy with the three pair of eyes on her which made her ufortable. She had been tired running with the shackles around her feet and by end of the time, it had also rained leading her dress to be drenched wet the previous night. Feeling slightly feverish, she swayed back and forth. Her head began to spin, a light ache at the bottom of her feet. Before the girl could fall down, Damien had swiftly moved to catch hold of her in his arms. Her body turnedx in his arms as he held her with his hand around her waist. He saw her head lulled back and her eyes closed. "Is she alright?" asked Maggie with a tilt of her head. Servants were never of much importance in the world of the high-ss society of the pureblooded vampires. Maids and the other workers were used by the elites as they pleased, like tools ready for disposition. A maid''s health was of no concern. Damien who had been smiling previously looked serious now as he ced the palm of his hand on Penny''s forehead. Her forehead was burning. "Falcon, prepare cold water," without wasting a second he carried her up the stairs and to his room. Maggie was Damien''s elder sister, the sanest of the three children of the Quinn family. Damien being the second and the third daughter, who was the youngest, Grace Quinn. Maggie had followed Damien along with the girl who was being carried and put in the same bed her brother slept in. "What are you doing here, Maggie? Don''t you have tea party to attend to?" asked Damien, his eyes watching his elder sister with hawk-like eyes. "I was leaving. Do you need me to call the local doctor?" asked his sister seeing him tuck the girl who looked like she had rolled in the mud. Her brother had called the girl pet, which made Maggie wonder what her brother was up to. With his mood flipping mind that kept fluctuating every now and then, she didn''t know what he was scheming and somewhere she pitied the girl. "For what? She''s a ve, she doesn''t need one," Damien''s words were curt, "Go now. You will bete," he gave her a smile that looked mischevious. "Don''t do anything to her, Damien," Maggie stated in concern. "Don''t tell me how to treat my things, Maggie. Off you go," he waited for his sister to leave. Once the vampiress left the room, the pureblooded vampire turned to look at the girl whoid asleep out of exhaustion, "My troublesome mouse. If you had stayed put, you wouldn''t have fallen sick," his hand for the very first time, pushed the strands of her hair away from her face, pushing the baby hairs away and looking down at her face. The butler who had arrived with the bowl of water knocked the door first to see the master nod his head. Once the cloth was dipped and ced on her forehead, the butler didn''t mention about how his master looked somewhere smitten by the ve he had bought from the ck market. Chapter 17 - Demon Doctor As consciousness returned to Penny, her eyes opened in a haze filled view where it took her some time to adjust to her current environment. She looked at the top of the bed''s ceiling?made of redwood, ss fixed above it where she could see her reflection. She looked unrecognizable or rather in a state which she hadn''t imagined her to be in. The bedposts that were carved in certain design were covered with silk-like curtains that twirled around on all four. Feeling a breeze that came through the open window, her body shivered in the cold. Getting up with an aching head that felt heavy, she looked around thevish room that looked nothing less than a king''s room. Two chandeliers hung on each side of the room distributedly, tall candles burnt brightly, enough for the room to have light along with the firece that had logs of woods added into it with much of ashes, as if it were cleaned moments ago. Her body was covered in the softest nket she had ever had the pleasure to even touch, the pillows fashionable making one think of nothing less to butter that melts in one''s mouth. The window which was open was at the right, the curtains softly blowing in as the wind moved in the room. Looking at the architecture of the room, she doubted this could be where she was staying. A servant of the house or a ve who was bought from the ve establishment was never allowed to this kind of privilege. Penny wanted to step out of the bed, wanting to go to the bathroom but just as she tried to move her legs so that?she could ce them on the carpeted floor, she felt something around her ankle. Moving the thick quilt away from her body she saw her leg being bound to one of the bedposts. Suddenly the door to the room opened, which had been closed and she saw the Damien step inside the room alone. His eyes catching sight of her awakened self, he said, "Humans are fragile creatures. If you hadn''t escaped from me, you wouldn''t have fallen sick. You should be careful how you treat yourself," he walked to her withnguid movements, his eyes fell on her ankle. Putting his hand into his pocket, he pulled out the key and unlocked the chain from the bedpost but didn''t make an effort to remove the anklet attached to the chain. "If you had let me free-" "Oh, are we still on it?" Damien''s eyes twinkled as they looked at her. The girl''s hair looked like a mess where her hair stuck around, her eyes smaller than usual due to the fever she had caught in the rain, "If you speak about it again, I won''t think twice before taking you to the establishment to make sure you get the mark that you were meant to have before being sold. Penny wasn''t the type of?girl to go back answering everything a person said but she wasn''t the kind to keep quiet when she felt she was wronged. But then, she wasn''t stupid to cross over the lines which had been put around her. Not when the hawk was looking at her without blinking. With her energy drained she stopped and decided not to speak to him. Unexpectedly, the vampire ced his warm hands on her burning forehead. Penny''s eyes, which had been dull, suddenly came to life at her mere touch. She looked into his eyes that stared into hers. "You are burning," he murmured. "I need to go use the bathroom," she said, unable to hold in the urge to pee, "Please," she added looking away from him. "Hmm. Go on," seeing Damien not move from the ce he sat, Penny scrambled on the bed with the chain softly making noise, reminding her of her current situation. The long-chain jingled once she stepped down on the floor and dragged her feet to the bath, which was three steps away from the bed. Damien''s eyes followed the girl, taking in every single movement of hers until the curtain to the bath was pulled to close the view. On-time, his butler knocked on the door and stepped in. The butler saw the bed be empty except for the pureblooded vampire who sat with his both feet on the ground. The butler bowed his head deep before asking, "Master Damien, the food has been heated again as asked. Would you want me to bring it up here?" "She''s awake. I don''t see why not, but are you sure?" "Sure?" the butler prompted the question to receive a look from his master. "Will she be able to consume it, Falcon? It would be a pity if she won''t be able to eat it in her current state. I will make sure you get something very fitting depending on her health if it gets better or worse," Damien smiled, his eyes crinkling that made the butler gulp. Why wouldn''t his master ask for the local doctor if he was?worried about the ve or pet as he had mentioned here to the mansion? But then, thought the butler to himself, the whole of Quinn''s family, whom he had been serving for decades now didn''t believe in humans or rather their value was as good as a shilling, which was actually worthless in their eyes. The family never entertained humans and even if they did, it was for beneficial reasons. With the family filled with pureblooded vampires and servants, who were a mix of half vampires and humans who didn''t need to unnecessary attention, it made the butler wonder why his master had picked this particr?person to be his ''pet''. "The food is a type of?porridge which should be easily consumable. It will also not cause any indigestion," assured Falcon. "As you are so well versed with humans. What do you think must be done? Her body temperature has no reduced since she fell asleep," pondered Damien loudly while looking at his butler who had a good amount of knowledge when it came to humans due to his daily interactions. Damien had never bothered to look into the matters of humans as it never had concerned him except for drinking blood from them. Falcon wasn''t a human but an average vampire. His work often involved humans, to talk to them in the nearby viges depending on the errands he was sent to do. As if remembering something, the butler wondered if he should tell it to his master knowing how impulsive and insensitive he could be. "Spit it out," it was as if Damien had caught the thought passing across his butler''s face. "I-ah-I heard a cloth bath in the cold water should take away the heat from the body," answered the butler, his eyes still on the floor not daring to look at his master. "Get the food here," ordered Damien to catch sight of the butler who was dawdling around as if wanting to say something, "Who knew that the food would appear here by itself," said Damien. "Ah, master, won''t bringing the doctor to be more helpful?" "That won''t be necessary," Damien was quick to dismiss the butler''s suggestion, "The doctors in the viges are illiterate who know nothing. Did you know there was a case that arrived at the council a month ago? A boy who?was of the age seven passed away by the hands of the doctor. The vige thates right next to the Isle town. The doctor instead of helping the boy recover, he dozed him as an experiment for his future medicines. The humans speak as if evil resides only in the creatures of the dark, but they don''t know darkness lies right within and around themselves," smiled Damien, "The doctor will be thest thing I will be looking for to fix my pet." Why did Falcon feel as if his master was referring the ve like a watch that had been broken? But the master whom he served for was a strange man, this whole house was a collection of freaks which he would never tell out loud but there were some rare moments when it was worthwhile to work at Quinn''s estate.?But they weren''t all bad, Master Damien himself was a strange man but who wasn''t? Everyone had a peculiar feature and characteristics. If he was here today working with the Quinn''s, it was because of this man who had helped him in the trial from being executed. The butler was an orphan along with his younger sister who had been taken in by his paternal uncle. He had murdered his uncle after finding his sister dead who had been molested and abused by their own uncle. No matter what the reason was, the folks where they lived had med the children as if it were their fault, turning Falcon into a murderer when he had killed to avenge his sister''s suicide after she had been unable to take the shame that she had written in the letter. Death was a serious matter and no matter who grave one''s reason was, it wasn''t enough to take the matter into one''s own hands. These matters involved the council, the government that looked after the fournds.?No one knew except for Damien that the papers had been shuffled as he was the one who had done it. The proofs with other information that had been recorded were changed to allow Falcon to step out as a free man before being taken in as the butler of Quinn''s family. Penny who had had been listening to the conversation of Damien and another servant, whom she assumed it to be the butler, her eyes were narrowed when she pushed the curtains away drowsily. "How do you feel? I heard a good cloth bath would reduce the heat. Shall we try it, little mouse?" he taunted her in a teasing undertone. "Excellent. I feel better after sleeping," she replied reaching the bed with the chain that she dragged along with her. She somewhere knew that he would not leave a chance to undress her. ves were usually brought for s.e.x.u.a.l pleasures.?She would definitely not let this man have his way! She heard the vampire hum before she heard him speak, "Is that so now? How about you try unbuttoning my shirt. It is time to start with your duties as my pet if you''re already feeling better," he said offering her a cunning smile. Chapter 18 - Be nice Though Penny had told the man that she was feeling better, both of them knew that she was still sick which was obvious with the way her body lightly shivered along with the unsteady movements. Hearing his demands, she couldn''t help but stop to look at him. This man wasn''t a pureblooded vampire but a demon in disguise thought Penny in her mind. "What are you waiting for?" taunted Damien with a serious look, throwing his head back a little and closing his eyes before opening one to look at her, "It''s really hot, a good bath would make me feel better. With your soft hands, I am sure to feel rxed." Penny weighed the consequences of her action and words. As she had told she was doing better, he was already making her do his job.?If she went back to say she wasn''t feeling well, this night creature would undress her and give her a bath. The third possibility was her taking a swing at the man but with theck of energy in her body, there was little chance of anything going in her favour except for letting off some steam. How far would that go? Reluctantly, she turned her body to see him shift on the bed such that he brought one of his legs to fold on the bed while leaving the other as it was so that he could face her. She didn''t dare to look at Damien. She was brave for standing up to the people she hade across since thest week. And maybe it was because she had never seen or known the darker side of the world she had lived in until now for having no fear but what Penny didn''t know was that her life had already started to change since the time she had been taken into the ve establishment where there was no turning back. Her ignorance of the world she had never seen was the absence of fear that existed in her mind. Penny who was past seventeen years of age had never been touched by a man. She had fallen in love with some of the men as she had grown up but had never taken the courage to go speak to any of them. Even if she did, the men had different interests and standards that didn''t match with her, after all, women in her vige weren''t short of beauty. They were well known enough to attract some of the ck merchants who were involved in stealing and throwing the young woman into the ve establishment. Going close to Damien, she brought her hands up near his shirt while still not making eye contact. Her head had started to feel dizzy, unsure if it was because of the fever or it was the nervousness that was causing this reaction. Damien was sharper than most of the pureblooded vampires. Even before she had decided to obey his words, he already knew what the oue was going to be yet he couldn''t help himself from taunting the girl. His lips twisted up when he noticed her hands shaking and heart pounding in her chest. It wasn''t something to be pleased but he was more than pleased with this little response of hers. It showed theck of experience she had with men. She brought her fingers up to the top of his shirt, the first blue button fumbling it in her hands which she unbuttoned after a few seconds. Bringing her hand down to remove the next one, she undid it to see his muscled chest that was hidden beneath his shirt. They looked taunt and hard, one single mark ran across one side of his abs that looked rather serious as its stitch was visible even to her blurry eyes. She gulped and she did one wrong move of letting her gaze move up from his muscles to his cor bones. Her eyes sweeping up to see the neck and then up his face to meet his eye where he was already looking at her. His red eyes stared right into hers as if he were looking into her very soul that made her heart shudder. The mischievous smile on his lips had fallen like the courage that had built into her before he had asked her to undress him. Even though he was the man who had bought her from the ck market where humans were degraded without any regard, he had saved her. Enough to keep her not in a ce like the cells or confinement rooms of the ve establishment. By the looks of it, it was obvious that this wasn''t any room but this demon''s room. It was master Damien Quinn''s room. What did he want from her? First, he let her starve, and then he had let her sleep on his bed. And now he was back to taunting her and treating her like a personal maid. It felt like he was breaking and building her to only break her again. "Master Damien," she addressed him, her head feeling dizzier by the second. Her words were innocent but it stirred something dark within the person who was in front of her. She slowly started to lean forward for her body to only fallx into his arms as she fell unconscious. Damien''s jaw ticked at the teasing girl who had fallen asleep on his chest. This little mouse, his eyes narrowed looking down at her. The audacity of her to fall asleep without speaking what she had on her mind, he carried her toy her head back on the pillow. When Falcon arrived back at the room with the meal, pushing the trolley in, he saw his master sitting on the bed while reading a book next to the girl who was asleep. It seemed that the food would need to be reheated again, to make sure the butler asked, "Master Damien, shall I bring the food back againter when she''s awake?" "You can give it to the dogs, Falcon. Prepare the meal once she''s awake," replied Damien flipping the page of the book he was reading, "Human''s have nothing good to write. What is with this book," he threw the book right at Falcon who caught hold of it in time." The butler wasn''t an illiterate who didn''t know to read or write. Therefore the writings looked gibberish in his eyes. Curious, the butler asked, "What does the book say, master?" "It''s on how to look after pets," Damien''s quick response made Falcon sigh internally. He hoped it wasn''t for the girl on the bed. "I am sure master is intelligent and doesn''t need to rely on what humans have written," the butler said for Damien to hum. "True. I should probably write one and send it to the library for copies so that they know that treating pets with care doesn''t work all the time. It needs to be scolded and disciplined well," the butler had no words for his master. After Damien, as well as the butler, had left Penny to sleep in silence, as the pureblooded vampire had work to attend to, she dreamt of the ve establishment. She didn''t know why but she cried in a room which was dark except for the coals of wood that burnt brightly in front of her, "Please no!" she cried but the man next to her heeded not a single word from her as he was used to these cries every day. Penny''s hand and the head were restricted from any movement as it had been locked with the wooden board. Her back was left bare with the dress that she had been wearing removed to make space where the ve''s mark would forevere to be etched on her skin.?Another man in the room walked past her to go to the coals of wood where he picked up an iron rod with a circr mark at the other end of it. The end burned bright orange and red in colour, the steam and heating off of it as he walked back to where Penny was held. She begged and cried but it was to no avail. The men were doing their job. The man finally ced the hot iron on her skin making her scream further in pain. Her screams echoing on the walls of the room and she woke up from her sleep with a small gasp. "...!" Waking up, she noticed the room to have turned brighter which meant it was the time of the morning. She couldn''t remember when was thest time she had dreamt a dream so vividly. It felt too real and when she tried to touch her back, it was as if she was ced back into the dream before being bought back to reality. Her body trickled down with sweat, her forehead covered in it and she used her already dirty sleeve to wipe it. The sound of the fire in the room had died out, only the wind breezing in which was cool but not cold like the night before. It seemed that she was already feeling better but how couldn''t she? The room she usually slept in was as cold as the night she had passed through, the floor hard with only a measly sheet to cover herself. With the years she had lived, Penny had slept on the cold hard ground to know and feel the soft mattress on her back or body. Her mother and she never had the privilege to buy and use the cotton stuffed mattress. For a girl who hadn''t tasted the luxury of sleep, the bed she was on felt nothing less to heaven what the people often spoke of after death. Was she dead though? asked Penny to herself for her mood to dampen when she realized it wasn''t so. Not that she wanted to but when the memories ofst night flooded she was ovee with embarrassment. Her body fell back and she pulled the cover-up to her face. Not wanting to think about it, she decided to sleep for some more time when she heard someone enter the room. She prayed to God it wasn''t the Damien and as if wanting to clear her doubts, she pulled down the cover to see a maid who had entered the room. While she continued to act as if she were asleep, Penny felt the maid rustle through the trolley that was bought but with no hint of smell, she doubted if it was food that was brought in. When the maid caught sight of Penny''s act where the girl was awake in the bed, the servant girl didn''t bother to greet her and instead turned away her face like she didn''t even exist. The maid folded the clothes she had brought inside but left it right at the table without going to open the closet that led to clothes. "Excuse me," Penny cleared her throat, trying to gain the maid''s attention who for God knows what reason was behaving rudely towards her, "Excuse me, but do you know where master Damien is?" The maid took a few seconds of her own to respond back, turning her face towards her, "No," came out the short reply.?That wasn''t helpful, she thought to herself before asking another question, "Might you know when he might return?" asked Penny. "No." "What time did he leave?" Penny continued to ask for the maid to stop what she was doing and turn her entire body to look at the girl on the bed. "I am not subjected to talk to a lowly ve like you," answered the maid, turning away and continuing her work in the room. Lowly ve? Penny''s eyes narrowed. Deciding to dive into the matter, she asked, "And how better are youpared to me?" the maid wore an apron around her thin waist. Her dress resembling some of the uniforms she hade to see in the local market who served the high mansion families. The maid was pretty with brte hair and red eyes which meant she was a vampire. It was a given fact that vampires were better looking than normal humans. If one considered a human to be pretty, in vampire terms it meant they were average as they had better-looking people.?Sure she looked dirty now, but Penny was prettier than this little maid who looked even younger than her with the way she behaved. "Listen, you ve. I know what you are trying to do," she did? asked Penny to hear the maid speak, "Just because master bought you here and is allowing you to sleep in his room, doesn''t mean you are better. I know the history of where the vese from and what happens to them in the ve establishment." "Is it because you were part of it?" Penny asked with a tilt in her head making the maid narrow her eyes. "You wish, ve," huffed the maid. "By what I see," Penny paused to gain all the attention of the maid, "It is you who is running errands while I just finished my beauty sleep. Go on now, before I tell you were snooping in the master''s room for a longer time than necessary." "Mark my words, you will be kicked out sooner from here than you can imagine and back to where you came from. That''s the ve establishment," the maid didn''t stay longer to talk and left the room with a quiet click. Something told Penny that if the room didn''t belong to Damien Quinn, the maid would have sure pulled the door with a loud thud. She wanted to go to the bathroom. It was one of the reasons why she had asked for Damien but he wasn''t here. When she moved her leg, she heard a lot of jingled noise beneath the cover and she pushed it aside to see the length of the chain to have been increased. Stepping down, she walked towards the bathroom and let out a sigh of relief. At least she could use it when she could. When she stepped out by pushing the curtain away which she had closed, she found the butler standing in front of her. When did he evene in? She hadn''t heard a single step of noise in the room. "I have brought in food for you to eat. Please have a seat at the table," the butler suggested his words and demeanour politer than his master and the fellow servant of this mansion. Penny didn''t have anything against the man, but he did suggest Damien give her a cold cloth bath. Not wanting to make things difficult for him, she did as was asked and saw the butler sigh. "Where is he?" "Master Damien?" the butler inquired, "He is in his study working. Do you wish to see him? We can go after-" "No," Penny was quick to dismiss it, "I don''t wish to see him." She hadn''t stepped her foot outside this room and was still trying to let everything that had happened wrap around her hand. This was a new ce, new people whom she didn''t know. Not to forget it seemed like she was yet to see a human here. Until now all she had done was meet vampires and pureblooded vampires. The vampires fell lower in positionpared to the pureblooded vampires who were the master of all. When the butler ced the food on the table, even the normal porridge that her eyes fell on smell mouth-watering, "What porridge is this?" "This is made from the fruit avocado that hads been dried and roasted before mixing it with honey and other ingredients," what a strange fruit name, thought Penny. It was the first time she had heard about it. Penny who had been hungry for far too long that when the food was ced in front of her, she couldn''t resist it and pounced on the food before taking spoonfuls into her mouth and swallowing it. In less than five minutes, she had finished the entire bowl and wished to eat more. The butler didn''t ask for a second serving, after all, she wasn''t a guest but a ve that was bought home. Until and unless his master wouldn''t order him to give her another serving, he wouldn''t add another, not unless he had a death wish. But looking at the girl who looked sad, he wondered if he should give her another bowl. It wasn''t as if Master Damien would know. At the same time the fear of what if he got caught hanged above his head. His master was a simple man, simple than most that fear lingered amongst the servants when it came to punishments received by him or any other family members. "You can use the bath to clean yourself. The clothes have been ced on the bed which you can change into," asked the butler, he picked the bowl which was empty in front of her to ce it back on the trolley, "The master asked me to inform you to be presentable. Also, he''s asked to not step out of the room." "I don''t think with the length of the chain I can touch the door," Penny assured the butler grimly who nodded his head. "That''s good," the man murmured making her think what was good about her current situation, "Master Damien is a good man, so please obey his words," it felt more like a warning that praising the man. To let her know she would be in trouble if she caused any trouble here. "I will keep that in mind," she thanked him. The butler took the trolley outside the room, exiting while leaving her all alone. Again. Chapter 19 - Am I the food? She had been unsure to use the bath knowing well the bathroom didn''t have a door of its own and if any time, the man of the room decided to enter, her very soul wouldbust out of shame. Penny still remembered the few days she had to spend by stripping away her clothes along with the other ves who were part of the ve establishment. When the water touched her skin, it took a while for the dirt, sweat and mud that had stuck to her after the fall to loosen to be pushed down to mingle with the water she was in. The tub she sat in turned light brown in colour. Unclogging and clogging the water to allow freshwater, she poured the water on her head over and over again until the knots started to smoothen at the ends of her hair. A shiver ran down her spine making her realize she had to step out of the tub before her body would catch a cold again. Taking the towel, she gently wiped it around her body while also making sure she had cleaned herself well as she didn''t want any dirt on the white fluffy towel. Peeking her head out of the curtain, she made sure that there was no one and started to dress in the dress that was previously ced on the bed by the butler, Falcon. Penny wore the dress which was pale floral in colour with flowers that was sshed here and there. The sides near her waist hadce which she was long. Unsure of what to do she wondered if she was supposed to let them be. Unsure, she started to rotate around thece which was thick to finally be able to tie it behind her with a small knot which she hid as if the dress was woven this way. As she had turned and turned thece, it emphasized her small waist which increased in width where her h.i.p.s were located before the dress flowed down. The sleeves weren''t long and were rather short that stopped just before they could start properly. It was a beautiful dress, who knew that ves had such a privilege. Maybe it wasn''t that bad, she thought to herself. Penny had been so into dressing herself that it was while she was tying her hair did she wonder why she was dressing up. She stared her reflection, a frowning to ce on her forehead. It was if she was looking forward to showing the dress she had worn. Just as thought started to invade her mind, the door opened and her head snapped to look the man who had bought her. He looked handsome, some of his hairbed back while he left the other half to hover over his forehead. His fulls lips set straight as he looked at her. "The dress looks lovely," Damienplimented, taking in long strides into the room to see her in the dress, "Don''t you think. I was worried that it might not look so good but I must say I have an excellent choice when ites to most of the things," he smirked. And all the while he was blowing his own horns, Penny didn''t speak a word. And then suddenly he said, "You can now take off the dress." Penny who had previously been frowning frowned further by his words. She took a step back without breaking his gaze. "Little mouse, don''t tell me you liked the dress," Damien tilted his head while gauging her expression which appeared to look at him sceptically, "The dress was bought for one of the high Duke''s daughter. She has been asking me to meet her to shop and I thought what better way is there than gift her a dress. She is of your height," the man raised his hand to a level where Penny was much taller making her seem like a dwarf but in truth, she was short whenpared to him. He was a rather tall man like many pureblooded vampires that she had heard before. She did feel like a mouse in front of him. When he snapped his fingers in front of her, it broke her trance-like state where she was talking to herself to look back at him. An annoyed expression came to form on her face which he smiled. "I should discipline you to turn you to be a good one or would you rather prefer I send you to the ve establishment for some time so that you learn not to make faces to your master," upon hearing his words Penny quickly schooled her features and looked down at the floor. This demon sure knew how to use the current situation to his advantage. She regretted internally for opening her mouth and letting him know about her not being a ve. Even though she didn''t have a mark, that didn''t erase the history of records of her being a ve. It was jeopardy she had put herself in which she couldn''te out. "You didn''t think I would dress up my ve like ady now did you. I bought your clothes right here with me," he said bringing up his hand and dangling the dull faded dress which she had not noticed before. For someone like Penny, the dress she wore right now would have not been affordable and it would take her months or maybe years before she could have the courage to spend on somethingvish as this. Though she wasn''t happy about being a ve, it didn''t mean she was unhappy wearing the dress she wore right now. To think he was kind was a folly, thought Penny when she took hold of the dress he gave her and she took them without a word. The man was vexing and she would repay him in the right way without using many words. That was right, thought Penny to herself. It saddened her. His words hitting deep into her chest which she already knew and was taking time to digest. She was a ve, a person beneath all the status in the world now. She was somebody before being thrown into the establishment but now she was a nobody. In this world where she had been pulled and dragged into, she was nothing more than a ve of no value or say. A servant at least had an opportunity to quit at times or be moved to another household but a ve''s life was bound to the master who bought them. Taking a deep breath, she went inside the bathroom and started to change the dress before pulling the curtain to stop his eyes from seeing her. "How are you doing now?" she heard him ask. Penny was annoyed to talk to him and she didn''t answer him when she heard him say, "If you don''t want me asking you questions right in front of me while you change, I don''t mind that. I am sure it will be more effective." If Penny''s eyes had the power of light, there would have been two holes in the current to pass through and burn the man. "I have a headache," she answered. It was better to not lie with this man than being twisted around his finger the way he wanted. It was obvious that this man was used to having everything being yed ording to his rules, and even if it weren''t in the rules, he appeared to be the kind who would erase and modify it to his liking. Deciding to speak, she said, "You promised to feed me." "That I did and I think you did have a bowl. Don''t tell me you are a glutton," he taunted her, his words making her press her lips together where she pulled out the dress from her body. How dare he, Penny red into the current. She might have been reduced to a ve but that didn''t mean she had lost her pride. No woman would like to ask for another bowl when she was being called a glutton. But was pride important than her stomach right now? Penny ced her hand on her stomach. She closed her eyes, her breathing getting shallower before she admitted, "I need more food." "Don''t worry, little mouse. You will be fed once you have worn your clothes." While making sure he wouldn''t enter the bathroom, Penny wore the dress she was given which was loose and pale white in colour. If it were the color of brown, then one could easily tell that it looked like a sack hat belonged to the vegetables. The texture of it was coarse on her skin making her itch every time she moved her body. Before stepping out with the dress she was asked to remove, she narrowed her eyes before grinning quietly like a child who wasn''t supposed to do what she nned in her mind. Finding one end of the dress she pulled out the thread, one thread after another. Finally stepping out of the bathroom for the second time in less than half an hour, she saw Damien''s eyes brighten up. He took the dress from her and said, "Don''t you look lovely. Come now, let''s go get you fed," without waiting for a reply from her side, he started to head to the door and opened it for her to follow. On their way, she made sure not to lose his sight, keeping up with his footsteps to find several servants who were already on their job of working in the mansion.?He led her down the curved staircase before leading her to a double door room which was already wide open. Damien stepped inside the room and Penny followed him until her quick footsteps slowed down at the sight of four people who were seated at the dining table while Falcon stood next to the older man who sat at the head of the table. She didn''t sweep her eyes for long as every one of them possessed red eyes. They were all pureblooded vampires. Did she mishear when Damien had told her that he would feed her? Or was it that people here were going to feed on her as she was ''the'' meal? Next chapter title: Meet the Quinn''s Chapter 20 - Meet the Quinns Penny who had been happy earlier when she had been told to wear the dress that was set on the bed now looked dull and withered like a trampled flower who wore a thick dress that screamed of her identity. But that wasn''t what bothered her right now. It was that there were five people who were seated looking at her before moving their gaze towards Damien. A girl who looked to be around her same age but in terms of a pureblooded vampire spoke, "I think Damien forgot basic etiquettes of the dining room by bringing the ve in here," her eyes staring at Penny as if she were a rat that hade to spoil her meal. "We don''t allow ves to step in here, Damien," the woman who sat next to the man sitting at the head of the table was the one to speak next who Penny guessed to be their mother. The woman had thin eyebrows that arched up, her lips painted red in color just like the girl who spoke. The vampiress'' name was Grace who was the younger sister to both Damien and Maggie but not by blood. With their mother who had died early, his father had remarried where the girl came to be their step-sister. By appearance, she looked very familiar to her mother. Blonde hair, full lips. Eyebrows that had been done just like this as her mother, making her seem older than her age while in reality, she was young, immature and spoilt. A ribbon was tied around her neck, her brown dress looking somewhere close to the color that Penny wore now. "Don''t worry, she isn''t a ve," Damien had already walked around the table, ready to take a seat when he caught Penny who had stopped walking, "Are you nning to stand there?" the question was directed to Penny and she quickly hustled around toe to where he stood. "Why don''t you say something, daddy," the young pureblooded vampire girlined in distaste. The vampiress stood up, letting the chair screech loud and clear in the quiet dining room. "Grace," the older vampire who sat at the head of the table warned but the vampiress had already gone to walk towards where the human girl stood. Catching hold of Penny''s wrist, Grace started to pull her for Damien to catch hold of her hand in return. "What do you think you are doing there, Grace?" asked Damien, his hand getting tighter by the second on his younger sister''s hand. If the hand belonged to a human, it sure was going to have blood clot with marks but even for a pureblooded vampire, the strength that Damien possessed was too much to handle. If it were one thing the step-siblings had inmon, it was that both of them were stubborn in nature. Damien''s hand held Grace''s hand, Grace holding Penny''s wrist and Penny who stood still like a statue. Frankly, she didn''t want any part of this hostile environment that was surrounding her. All she needed was food but no, that wasn''t happening. "Let go of my hand," said the vampiress, her eyes burning brightly. "Right after you, sister. Remove your hand from her," Damien warned when his eyes flickered from his sister and then on her hand where she held on his belonging, "If you don''t want to y your beloved piano anymore continue holding it and I shall fulfill your wish," he mused for his sister to move her hand away but the young vampiress didn''t move away. Everyone knew how Damien''s threat worked, right after his words came the immediate action and she believed if tested he would for sure break her hand without batting an eye. "We have never had a ve enter the dining room until now. Send her out, right now," Grace gritted her teeth. "Falcon," called Damien. "Yes, master Damien," the butler came to his call, waiting for the order, "I need a ss of blood tea before I finish my meal. Boil it well, I don''t want to find any residue in my cup," he ignored his sister''s words and sat down at the table. "Damien," his step-mother said, "Please tell me you don''t intend for the ve to sit with us. Honey," she looked at her husband who had been least bothered to involve himself into the early morning family charade. He wanted to have a decent meal and was something he had been looking forward too. "Yes, dear," he said raising his face whilst stopping from cutting the meat that was ced on his silver te. The woman gave him a serious look to which the older vampire cleared his throat. Before his father could say anything, Damien rolled his eyes turning to look at Penny and say, "Little mouse, sit down," he nudged his head towards the clean floor. Penny didn''t expect anything less. Even if the Quinn''s family was not going to oppose the idea of her sitting at the table, she knew the demon who had asked her to sit would have something up his sleeve to annoy her further. For a servant or even the butler, it was unheard of anyone sitting and sharing the same table as their masters and mistress. And here she was a ve who was lower in status and position whenpared to the servants. Sitting even near the table would be considered to be fortunate. The floor was cold but the dress that she wore which was what most or some of the ves wore prevented her from feeling too cold. Penny waited that a te would be ced in front of her and she would be given food but the time never came. It felt like something that was repeating for the second time in the presence of Damien. Various delicacies of food were brought inside the dining room, one item after another being ced on the table while being served around for Penny to only smell. "You really did get us there for a moment, Dami," his step-mother said with a smallugh that was empty as how he saw her be. He disliked the shortened name, "Did you get her from the ck market?" "I did. Are you looking for a ve?" asked Damien while taking the loaf of bread and smearing it with meat by using a knife. "Actually I am. It''s been a while since I had one," at her chiming words, Damien said, "Are you already bored with father? It must be the years," his father who had not involved himself in the morning conversation at the dining table looked up at his son who offered him a wink. It was no secret in the household that Damien disliked the woman and didn''t wee her as his mother. She was a woman who couldn''t be reced by histe mother. His elder sister, Maggie who was six years older than him was a kind vampiress but he had never followed her footsteps of being an obedient child. While the elder sister was the most reasonable child out of all three children of the Quinn''s the worse went to the other two children who was Damien and Grace. His father, Gerald Quinn had married his stepmother Fleurance Heathcrow when he was of the age of fifteen. Though he didn''t object to the marriage as it was what his father had decided, it didn''t mean he epted the woman to be part of his family which was known by all. Maggie was sweet enough to not cause trouble but Damien took every opportunity where the words always moved back and forth at the table by his step-mother, his step-sister and him with remarks that never stopped or got old. When his father opened his mouth, his wifeughed again to lighten the mood. His step-mother said, "I am sure your father and I both will benefit from it. But you did well by buying a ve, this way you will know the ways of being a pureblooded vampire," Damien smiled, wanting to tell something when his sister who sat next to him spoke, "Will you be going to the council today?" asked Maggie, being the usual diffuser of conversations that took ce in the family, she tried to reach for the salt which Damien picked it for her. "I have been asked to not go back for a week. There are other things that need to be looked into at the moment," he replied and on time, Falcon arrived with the blood tea in a cup, carrying it to the young master, "Keep it here," he directed the butler who did as told. "How are things at the council?" his father spoke once he was done with his breakfast. He dabbed the napkin on his mouth to ce it on the side of the te, "With the recent massacre there must be a lot going on," the man enquired. Damien nodded his head, cing the meat smeared bread on his te, he picked up another loaf of bread this time smearing it with the butter, "The council is interrogating the Carmichael''s butler over the massacre that took ce in the mansion. They are hoping to find something out of it," once he was done, he passed the bread to Penny who was looking down at the floor. Seeing this, Grace who was going to take a bite from the fork stopped midway... Chapter 21 - Cold sweat She had been staring at the marble floor, the smooth white letting the light that came from the chandelier shine like glittering gold when two slices of bread were brought in front of her face. Just the smell of the butter wafting across her nose had her mouth water at the sight of it. Her stomach grumbled and she licked her lips. Lifting her head up, she saw Damien who was speaking to his father while his hand hung in the air. Taking the opportunity, she took hold of it and quickly started to eat it. In a span of seconds, the two loaves of bread had disappeared into her stomach. As she licked the breadcrumbs off the tips of her fingers, she felt as if someone was watching her. At first, she thought it was Damien but the man was busy eating his own meal and drinking something red which Penny guessed it to be blood. The thought of him consuming blood made her stomach flip and twist. She had never been in thepany of vampires before less pureblooded vampires to see them drink blood. With the continued gaze, Penny finally looked ahead of her to see not one but two pair of eyes staring down at her. One with absolute disgust while the elder woman''s lips were set in a thin line of annoyance. "Ah, it''s making my eyes hurt by merely looking at her. Did you even see how she ate? There are crumbs all over the floor,"ined Grace to her mother without keeping her voice down. As soon as Penny''s eyes had narrowed, in the same haste, it had turned back to normal when she realized the two women noticing her change in expression which came out rude. Rude because none of the ves ever had the nerve to look back at their owners or any higher-ups until now. "What are you looking at?" Grace questioned Penny, one of her thin eyebrows raising up in question while trying to show who was the lowly creature in the room which was Penny. If the people in the room could hear her thoughts, by now Penny would have been hung outside like a dry cloth under the sun to dry until death struck her but fortunately none of them could. "Stop ordering my pet, Grace. If you want to order someone go buy one yourself," Damien had finished the blood tea, leaving it in a ttering sound on the table which broke the women''s gaze from Penny to him. "Why?" questioned Grace, "We are family, shouldn''t we share the things together." "Grace is right," Penny heard the mother agree to what her daughter just said and before the woman could say anything more, Damien let out a tired sigh. His stepmother hadn''t finished speaking yet he had stood up from his seat. Handing another loaf of bread to her, he spoke, "I found her. I paid for her and I was the one who brought her here. Now if you see closely, everything here indicates I, me and myself. Grace, did you forget. Your elder brother doesn''t share buy your own toys to y and stay far from mine," Damien smiled looking at Grace who wasn''t happy with what she heard from him. Now that Penny had been fed, she came to notice the tense atmosphere making her wonder if she was the reason for it. She didn''t know why something felt off. It seemed that Quinn''s had three children but their rtionship didn''t seem like the normal family. Not that she was someone who knew what came under normal the terms of family rtionship but she sure did feel something to be off here. But then, he leaned over to his older sister, dropping in a kiss on her cheek and then instructed Penny,?"Follow me," Penny bent her head before following Damien. Seeing him walk through the hall and towards the entrance of the mansion, she asked him, "Where are we going?" "To hell. Are you going to try running away?" he asked without looking at her. "Do you ever reply to anything straightforwardly?" "Aren''t we with a lot of questions. Got brave suddenly after having the bread?" his lips twisted when she went quiet suddenly, "I should cut down your food," Penny wasn''t sure if he was joking or being serious. Before they could step out of the mansion, a maid who stood at the door hade to help Damien wear his overcoat. Penny had been looking at the door that had been carved intricately taking away her attention where she failed to notice the maid''s shaky hands as she helped the master with his coat. Damien''s sharp eyes only red down at the maid, he stepped out along with Penny who had no shoes to protect her feet. Remembering the way both the nail and the thorn had made it''s way to the bottom of her feet. She hadn''tpletely recovered from her health, the dizziness still lingering in her body yet this heartless vampire was making her go somewhere without telling her where. Penny knew if she were toin, the me would onlye to fall upon her for running away from him. Seeing Damien step out of the mansion, a servant soon got the carriage ready to stand in front of the doors where Damien stood and Penny who stood behind him. Having not told where they were headed, Penny didn''t ask again as for one thing she hade to realize this man had the habit to answer in his own way without giving out the reply that was asked for. The journey was a short one which took less than ten minutes before the carriage was pulled over. Penny followed Damien''s footsteps right behind him as he approached the door. He didn''t have to knock as the door opened right away. It wasn''t any butler or a maid who opened it but a young woman, a vampire who looked happy to have Damien standing in front of her doorstep. "Mr. Quinn!" she sang his name, her eyes merely falling on Penny by a nce to look at Damien but it again darted to Penny. A frown of dislike forming on her forehead where her mood turned sour, "Who is this?" she questioned. "This is my ve, Penny. Penny, greet Urs Young," Damien smiled. Penny only bowed her head but the girl still didn''t look pleased. The vampiress named Urs scanned Penny from head to toe which felt simr to the time when she was in the ve establishment. "When did you buy her?" Urs continued with her questions. "Two days ago," he answered, inviting himself in.?Urs who had her attention on Penny snapped her gaze back to Damien, ignoring the ve for now. "Would you like to have something to eat? Ja prepared wonderful breakfast," Urs pped her hand. Penny noticed the obvious affections of the girl directed towards Damien while he ignored with a bored expression on his face. "Hmm, I ate. Here. This is for you," he fished for something inside his coat to pull out a familiar-looking dress which was none other than the one Penny had been asked to wear before asking it to be removed. Her eyes slightly widened at the sight of it. Damien had told it was for someone but never had she guessed that she would have to witness the ire of the girl for what she had done. She had pulled out the strings from the dress. An invisible cold sweat broke on her forehead and she wondered if it was too soon to be running for her life or if it waste. Her face was expressionless but the same couldn''t be told for her heart. "This is the one that we saw! The beautiful dress!" she eximed taking it from him and letting the dress flow so that she could take a look at it. While the vampiress was admiring the beautiful dress, Penny prayed, hoping she wouldn''t notice the tear in the dress. Damien gave Urs a half lopsided grin which told that he knew she would like it. That didn''t mean he didn''t hear the human''s heartbeat spike up under the excited words of the vampiress. "Let me go try it on to show you how it looks on me. Nn!" she called a man who appeared to be in his middle-age. He was a human, his back hunched and his head constantly down, "Take Mr. Quinn to the drawing-room and get him refreshments," she ordered before hurrying herself away from them to put on the dress. Penny continued to stand next to the wall without leaning her back as Damien sat on the luxurious chairfortably. She didn''t have the mind toin right now as every now and then her eyes darted to the door to see if thedy had arrived. After minutes had passed, the vampiress finally stepped into the room to show the dress to Damien which Penny had worn previously, "Such good designs. I love it, Mr. Quinn. To think that you bought the exact piece which was sold out by the merchant," she praised him while twirling round and round to let the bottom of the dress open like a flowing umbre. "There is absolutely nothing that I cannot get my hands on. It suits you well, Ms. Young," Damienplimented her with a sweet smile which made the vampiress'' heart melt. While the two vampires wereplimenting the dress, Penny looked closely at the dress to see where exactly had she torn. By the looks of it, everything seemed intact. Just as she was about to let out a sigh of relief, she heard a light sound of something tear. It didn''t take her time to know where the sound came from as the dress thedy wore started to tear from the top to the back, exposing her skin from behind. Chapter 22 - Promised punishment Thedy who wore the dress looked utterly embarrassed at the harsh tear of the dress she wore. Her hands quickly touched her shoulder to feel her skin. Penny could feel sweat beginning to form from the worry for what she had done. Her intentions had not been to insult whoever wore the dress but with her body still recovering from the fever where Damien had yed her by making her wear to only remove it, she had not thought it through. To spite him at that time, she had pulled out the strings with her nails, turning a little patch of the dress loose. She realized how childish she had been for doing something that could cost her neck right now. With her heart beginning to beat again, her hands turned mmy. Very discreetly she wiped the palms of her hand on the dress she wore. "I must execute the man for bringing me such low-quality dress," Damien said walking towards Lady Urs, "Sincere apologies for the dress." "Please don''t be," Lady Urs''s cheeks had turned red. Penny wasn''t sure if it was because of embarrassment or anger. Maybe it was both, thought Penny and as the thought crossed Damien threw a nce at her to which she shuddered further. Oh, no. He knew she had something to do with it, didn''t he? "I will close his shop. How dare he provide you with something so low!" "Don''t bother yourself with that. I will be sure to handle the matter personally ," his words pressed on the word personally which further added the fret to Penny''s nerves. "Please excuse me, Mr. Quinn while I go change back my clothes,"? Lady Urs held her hand on her shoulder.?Secretly, Lady Urs had hoped that Damien would offer his coat to hide the little mishap that took ce but he didn''t make a move the coat. Damien didn''t bother to nod and saw thedy leave the room. Penny felt awful for doing something so rude. By the few words she saw Damien and her exchange, Lady Urs was pompous and smitten by Damien Quinn which she didn''t know what was so appealing except for his handsome face. The man had flippant mood which shifted left and right like a tail''s whish. While Penny was looking at the woman leave the room who was closely followed by the maid who had entered the room previously, she failed to notice the man walk towards until he stood in front of her. She took a couple of steps away from him until she was cornered between the two walls, "Nowhere to run anymore," Damien smiled at her making her gulp. The smile on his face fell down like water being thrown at the fire, "Tell me, little mouse, did you have anything to do with the dress?" his red eyes staring at her jade green eyes. When he ced a hand on the wall, she heard the light thud which made her back go straighter than ever while she leaned, "Why would you think that, Master Damien?" Penny asked him, her words turning to be innocent like she was being used of something she knew nothing of. "Don''t try to pull that face on me," she heard Damien warn her. "What face?" "The one that you would for the theater," Penny''s eyes widened at the revtion, "I know you used to work in the theater, Penny. Don''t test my patience and be a good mouse when I ask you questions," out of the whole world Penny would have not guessed for him to know about her little work which even her uncle and aunt didn''t know of. As both she and her mother used to leave in another vige, her rtives had no clue about it which had died down as a secret once she had left the vige and moved to her rtive''s house after her mother''s death. "How do you know about it?" she asked him, the innocence being reced by a wisdom which she hade to acquire with age. A smile formed upon Damien''s lips, "How do you think I know?" he questioned her question in return bringing a small frown on her forehead. Was it the ve establishment? No, they couldn''t know, she said to herself to look back at him. Damien had found out about it before even he had acquired Penny as his ve from the ve market, "Your heart has been very very noisy since I pulled out the dress for Lady Urs. How rude of you to be damaging my goods?when I clearly said it was for someone else. Surely, you didn''t think I was deaf to not hear what you were doing behind the curtains of the bathroom," pureblooded vampires had a better hearing when it came to humans, prevailing even the average vampires but no one could have heard what Penny had done. Damien only made her believe that he had heard what she had done whilst making her admit to the trouble she had caused, "And so the little mouse was trapped under the ws and paws of the wolf.?What should we do with you now?" "Spare me," she whispered when she noticed the evil glint in his eyes that started swirl in those dark red eyes of his. He clicked his tongue, shaking his head in the process, "I can''t do that. My pet clearly has not been disciplined. If I let you this time, who knows what else you will do taking my lenience as an advantage and you know I am not kind," he tilted his head before stepping away from her, "I will make you reflect for it once we get back home. I hope you look forward to the through discipline," his smile was wide, his eyes crinkling at the ends but Penny didn''t get the happy vibe from him. Rather it felt like the devil was going to suck the living soul out of her today. The maid who had apanied Lady Urs returned to see Penny who looked petrified. When she looked at Mr. Quinn the man gave out a very pleasing smile that melted her human heart. Her miss had really scored a man of good fortune. Mr. Quinn was not only a handsome man but he came from authentically old vampires who had tons of money andnds with powers. But what these powers were, the servants or even some of the elites had no clue of. "Mr. Quinn, Lady Urs will be with you soon. Would you like to drink something in the meantime?" asked the maid trying to be as polite as possible. He must have melted her heart but that didn''t mean she didn''t know how to serve him with absolute respect. He was, after all, a? pureblooded vampire. "If I asked you your blood, will you give it to me until thest drop?" Damien''s tone was casual which at first made the maid think that the man was only joking. It was only after a few seconds had passed with him waiting for her reply did she realize that the man was serious. Penny had been beating herself up over the thought of what she had done while also thinking if it was possible to push the man from the carriage on their way back home so that she could make a run from there. Her head snapped from the trance-like talk she was having in her head to hear Damien''s words. "Mr. Quinn, you want to drink my blood?" asked the maid to make sure, her body slowly quivering under his dark hooded eyes. "Yes. I am sure that is what I told unless you are refusing me after asking me for a drink," surely the maid wasn''t talking about him drinking from her! Penny bit her lip worried. One moment he appeared calm and normal, the other moment it was as if he had flipped the coin. She wondered if it was safe to interrupt their conversation but Penny wasn''t an idiot. She was far from it, she nodded her head before whining to herself. If she wasn''t the dress wouldn''t have torn and nor would this maid be subjected to be Damien''s food. Penny had no intention to be reced as the food right now, but Damien had just finished his meal at Quinn''s mansion. Was he going to drink the maid''s blood until thest drop? She doubted his words as well as intention right now. It wasn''t the time for her to be wondering but she wondered it anyways if the man could grow fat if it was possible for pureblooded vampires to grow with excessive blood being drunk. She shook her head at her ridiculous thought to see the maid trembling from where she stood. She wanted to assure the maid in the room that he wouldn''t be drinking her blood, at least not until thest drop but she was a ve who had no right to interfere when her master was talking. The maid tried to shift the conversation of him drinking her blood. Sheughed softly, a pleasantugh that sounded young, "Mr. Quinn surely wouldn''t want to drink from a lowly servant as me." "Don''t worry, girl. I don''t discriminate my food and drink from where ites. A meal is a meal that needs to satisfy my stomach," he patted his stomach. At the same time, Lady Urs came through the doors wearing a new dress instead of the one she had worn before changing herself to the torn dress. Finding her maid standing with her head bowed and Mr. Quinn looking at her, the Lady looked at them confused. The atmosphere seemed stranger than when she had left with embarrassment. "Is everything alright?" she asked to no one in particr but when her eyes shifted to look at Damien, a smile came to form on her lips as if she wasn''t upset for the mishap with the dress. "Your maid refuses to give me the drink I asked for," Damien chuckled, his lips twisting with mirth, tearing his gaze from the maid who was petite in the figure. Lady Urs frowned, furious on her maid for refusing something to the man she had been aiming to be her husband. Without asking what or why she walked to where the maid stood. The maid seeing the dress of herdy appear in her vision as she had bowed her head looked up. In time, the sound of the p echoed through the walls of the room. "How dare you not obey the guest and be?impudent?" asked Lady Urs. The maid held her cheek with her hand in further fear, "Don''t you know who he is or have you forgotten your job here? Who are you to refuse him?" Lady Urs kicked the girl such that the maid fell down on the ground. Penny''s eyebrows furrowed deep at the unpleasant sight. Just when she took a step forward, she heard Damien warn her, "Don''t," and Penny didn''t take another step forward. Her head turned to look at him and saw his eyes taunting her to not dare cross the order he had given out to her now. Chapter 23 - Stirring minds Lady Urs after throwing some more insults finally spoke to Damien, "What would you like help with, Mr. Quinn? Please don''t take the maid''s words into consideration, the servants sometimes don''t know what they are speaking and who they are speaking to. At first, Penny had felt sorry for the unknown embarrassment. As much as she wanted to get back to Damien, she hadn''t realized what the person wearing the dress would feel but now, thought Penny to herself. She didn''t regret it even for a second. Damien might punish her going back but thedy deserved it. But Penny was angry on Damien too for putting the maid under the dire words of her mistress. "I have to say, I agree. People who don''t belong to the same level do not understand the consequences of their actions," Damien nodded his head. "What drink were you expecting, Mr. Quinn? I will get it personally from my kitchen," and as Lady Urs said it to Damien, turning her bodypletely to look at the vampire, Penny held her breath on what Damien''s response was going to be. "I asked for her blood," Damien answered directly without a hup in his voice. It was a simple question that received a simple answer which wasplicated. Lady Urs''s face slightly fell. "Her blood?" "I can see where the maid gets her traits from," Damien didn''t bother to keep his opinion to himself and instead called Lady Urs to be dimwitted as her maid was who she had pped and kicked. "Of course, you can take her blood, please by all means drink as much as you want," Lady Urs stepped aside to have the maid back in view. Damien looked at the maid who was on the ground, her head down looking ashamed. His eyes then went to move back to look at the Lady again, staring at her, "I have lost interest in her blood. I will have to search for the next best option. I am sure you don''t mind doing the honor, do you, mdy?" Lady Urs was rather happy to hear the request. If it were Damien drinking her blood, she had been more than willing to offer him her blood. She had no fear unlike the maid as she hadn''t heard his entire words. Thedy didn''t like that Mr Quinn was going to drink from a peasant when she was here to offer her blood. Many vampires and pureblooded vampires had their own preferences like a human would when it came to the types of food they would like to consume. It turned out that the night creatures who belonged to the high-ss society often visited or invited the other humans who belonged to the elite like them so that they could drink fresh blood which was taken to be purer than the ones they got from the servants. Some of the vampires often turned their blood bank to life partners which made some of the humans hope and wish that they would be asked to get their blood sucked by one of them. Penny watched thedy walk towards Damien proudly before putting her hand on his which he had extended, "Thank you for the meal," he murmured for thedy to let out augh. "You haven''t even bitten into me yet," she fluttered her eyshes at him for him to smile back at her. "I fear we might not have time for it," Lady Urs was blown away by his touch and voice that his words didn''t get into her small brain well. All along, Penny stood watching Damien dip down as his fangs for the very first time came out for him to bite into Lady Urs''s neck. The sight was more than daunting for her as she had never lived out in the vampire world. Thend she lived in was filled with a majority of vampires being popted but she had been living in one of the viges where vampires didn''t attack the humans as it was concentrated widely with humans. All this time, she had only heard about the night creatures drinking blood from the humans but this was the first time for her to see a vampire sucking the blood out. Damien held thedy intimately with one of his hands wrapped around her waist while the other held her neck. As he drank the blood from the woman in his arms, his eyes were closed, the room quiet with not a single sound that came from anyone or the world outside. Damien''s eyes were closed as he sucked Lady Urs''s blood, the appearance making it e.r.o.t.i.c due to the position of the mouth. This must have been the only time where she saw him quiet and tamed. Penny looked away at first but when she looked back again her nerves had started to jitter again. When Damien was finally done drinking the blood the woman in his arms turnedx with no consciousness which made her fret. He had killed another person right in front of her without a second thought. As if tasting the fine blood in his mouth, he made a smacking sound with his lips. Thedy''s blood around his lips which he ran his tongue around to clean every single drop that had touched around his lips. "Take her," he ordered the maid who had stood up from the ground. The maid this time did question and instead went to hold herdy to have thedy''s weight ced on her thin hands, "We are leaving," he informed, walking out of the room without seeing thedy in a better position. Unable to keep her burning question to herself, she asked, "Did you kill her? Is she dead?" her voice was anxious. "What do you think of me? A murderer?" Yes, thought Penny. Damien rolled his eyes to narrow his eyes when she opened her mouth to answer him which she immediately closed, "What?" he barked which made her flinch and she stopped following him. "You killed the man at the Inn. The owner," she pointed. "It wasn''t intentional and the man was asking for it. To add, I did not kill her. I merely took some blood from her which led to her unconscious state. She will be up in a few hours," Damien answered her with a yawn, "So tired and stressful." "Why did you kill him?" asked Penny unable toe up with a good reason for a man to be dead. "It appears that someone forgot that they misbehaved as well as disobeyed their master. Don''t be cheeky. It won''t take me more than two seconds to snap your head like a carrot," his threat was effective enough for her to shut up, "I have a lot of favours to draw out from the loose woman to kill her right now," he said to see the carriage to be brought out in front of the mansion so that they could leave. Damien was the first one to get into the carriage and Penny followed him. It wasn''t that the thought of running away from here after shutting the carriage door didn''t sound entrancing but she could bet on her bad luck that she would be caught in less than a minute. Not to forget he had already spoken about punishing her once today and she had no interest to add more oil to the burning fire. No, it wouldn''t be adding oil, thought Penny as she got in, it would be her going and sitting on the already burning fire. Seeing her quiet, Damien observed the girl who didn''t utter a word, "Why did you go quiet?" he asked her. Penny gave him a disbelieving look. She was now sure that this man needed the local priests to help. Wasn''t he the one who threatened her of snapping her head? "Speak," he ordered as one would at a pet animal that was to obey. "Master Damien, if you don''t mind could I delve you with a question?" asked Penny. Getting no response except for his stare, she was about to look away for him to say, "What?" "Is this your first time buying a ve from the ck market or the ve establishment?" she asked curiously. "You''re the first one," he hummed before turning away his face from her as if he were already bored with her question. He had turned away from her which was a sign that he didn''t want to talk but he had asked her to speak. Taking liberty, she asked, "Why?" Damien turned around, getting cosey on the lush carriage seat which was a hundred times better than the local carriage that was provided for the vige and townsfolks who didn''t own their own carriage to travel across the cities andnds. Damien looked at her intrigued, "You have beautiful eyes, Penny," she looked taken aback from his suddenpliment but also because her name on his lips for some odd reason seemed to call sweetly in her ears. She looked down as if to gather her thoughts and asked, "You bought me for that?" she asked him. "Isn''t that reason a good enough one?" Penny felt him lean a little towards her as he stared into her green eyes. "There are plenty of girls who have green eyes. There was one before me who was sold to the old man," Penny reminded him. "There was one? I must have missed due to myte arrival," as he said this, Damien only leaned further closer to her and something stirred deep down in her chest which she dismissed quickly. Maybe that ve would be easier to tame," Penny couldn''t help but not look at his full lips which were faint pink in color. She had to blink away to keep her eyes on the man who got closer to her, "What do you think?" "W-what do I think, about what?" she scooched closer to the window and away from him. With a smug smile, he pulled himself back. Crossing his arms he looked outside the window as if he hadn''t left her hanging with a question. Chapter 24 - Questioning the question She made sure to keep a good distance between her and Damien as the carriage rode on the muddy road. Penny even though so desperately wanted to get back to the life she once had, she didn''t know if she really had a life there. She couldn''t help but think that of what the woman in the cell had told her. As much as she wanted to believe that her rtives hadn''t passed her to the ve establishment, in time it seemed to be the only logical reason she coulde up with. The day and the time were too coincidental for it to fall in ce before she was taken away. The question was if she was sold by them, where was she supposed to go? She had no friends, she did know some of them where she lived but she doubted if any would give her a roof where she could stay. She had nowhere to go and the more she thought about it, the more depressed she got, sulking quietly by herself in the corner that the vampire sitting with her didn''t notice. Was it to better stay here? No, she said to herself. She didn''t belong in this world and it was as if fate had forcibly twisted around to push her here. To live as a ve wasn''t definitely what she was looking forward to but there was something that bothered her since they had left the mansion. If Damien was going to humor thedy, gift her and drink blood. What was the point of her bringing along with him? Was he going to drag her everywhere like a toy everywhere he went? Thinking about it, she slumped further into the seat to hear Damien say, "What are you doing? Trying to be one with the seat? There are other things you can be one with," he suggested being cheeky himself and she pursed her lips. Deciding to be the bigger and mature person here, Penny didn''t let him delve into his words further as she refused toment on it, "You are no fun if you''re going to sit this quietly. What happened to the feisty little mouse?" Damien then did something very unexpected by bringing up his hand and poking her cheeks with his finger. "What are you doing?" Penny couldn''t help herself from going to swat his hand which in turn caught her wrist like it was waiting for it toe near. A grin up his lips as he looked at her. Damien retrieved his hand to say,?"Tell me something about your family." "I thought you already knew about it?" "What gives way?" he asked her. Penny hade to notice the way he questioned her question with his own one. "The theater," she replied for him to nod this head. Clutching her hand over the seat, she asked him, "Did you see me act in the theater, master Damien?" it was another thing that had been bothering her. For him to know something she hadn''t given out information on was unnerving. It made her think about what else he knew about her. "What would say if I said yes?" "Why do you ask a question after my question?" "Have you forgotten who is the master here, little mouse?" "I didn''t," she said, taking a deep subtle breath and letting out. "Are you infuriated?" she heard Damien ask, turning her face she saw him offer her a smile. It was a smile mixed with amus.e.m.e.nt and delight with a hint of mischief. Were all vampires like this? Having not mingled with the night creatures she didn''t know if the vampires were starkly differentpared to the humans which they were. But then Penny realized something. He hadn''t smiled like this with Lady Urs. He had been polite but there was a sort of hostility which she noticed. She didn''t know him well but that didn''t mean she was blind to not notice hisck of sympathy to the youngdy of the mansion when her dress had torn. Thanks to her, she thought dryly to herself. She pursed her lips, not wanting to keep crossing the boundaries as he was unknown territory to step into. "Don''t sulk, mouse. No, I haven''t seen you act in the theater," he answered her previous question, "I have a ce to go visit." When the carriage did stop, Damien stepped out on the muddy ground which was wet and some patches of water that covered around thend, "Stay here," he gave her a pointed look when he saw her back straighten as if knowing what was going on in that human brain of hers. Penny did what as he said because as she thought, this wasn''t the time to leave. When the time was right, she would then leave where he wouldn''t be able to catch her. Until then she would stick to his side and gain enough trust. When the carriage''s door closed, Penny leaned forward to peep out of the window. She saw Damien''s back as he walked away from where she was. Arge cemetery stood in the front where the carriage had stopped withrge ck gates that looked rusty and old as if it were built centuries ago. The gates continued with walls of medium height, two devils looking like minions that were built at the top. She wondered if he hade to visit his mother. What kind of person was she? Though she had concentrated mostly on her food in the dining room and the coldness below her body from where she had been sitting, she had noticed the awkward atmosphere between the family members. It was evident that the mother and daughter duo were rude but Damien was no less when it came to his snarky replies. His sister and father appeared to be the milder people in the room which included her as she hadn''t spoken a word though she wished she could. But Penny wasn''t so stupid to dig her own grave and sit in it. Damien taunted her for replies and she knew when to stop. Were they even in a master and ve rtionship? After seeing how Lady Urs handled her maid, Penny couldn''t help but feel a little fortunate that she hadn''t been subjected so harshly but her punishment was yet toe. Damien had promised her that she would receive one which she wasn''t looking forward too. She scolded herself mentally for being impulsive with him. She had been a well-behaved child until now, had the establishment affected her or was it that this man was bringing out the worst in her? She couldn''t tell and decided to tighten her lips for now. When she saw Damien return back from the cemetery, the air around him was different. It was quiet as if mncholy weighed on his shoulders. But as soon as his eyes met hers, the glint in his eyes was reced back to one with malice which made her lean back on the seat of the carriage. Going to the far end to sit. That day Damien didn'' take her anywhere else again and had instead left her behind in the mansion while he went out, leaving her alone with his two sisters and his step-mother. But he hadn''t left her out in the open. He had locked her in apletely different room where she wasn''t allowed to go out nor was anyone allowed toe in. The room she was in wasn''t small but it wasn''t as big as Damien''s room. With a bed and a bathroom that was attached to the room, she sat on the bed looking at the wall. The room didn''t have an option of the balcony but it did have a window which she was thankful for. Looking through the window she caught sight of servants gardening the garden with types of equipment in their hand. Since this morning, it hadn''t rained but there was no saying if it or wouldn''t by the looks of the cloud that often covered the sky like a nket. It made the room she was in darker. Nontern was ced in here nor was there a firece that could keep one warm in the cold weather of what Bonke had to offer. Due to the continuous rain that often washed over thends, the people there never got to experience much heat on their skin. Her eyes fell on the statues that decorated the front garden of the mansion. She couldn''t shake off the strange feeling she felt when she looked at them. She had seen some statue figures that were ced in the heart of the city where she lived but this was odd to look at. It was people who looked like they were in pain and angst, the moment caught in the statue which further made her wonder why would one keep something bizarre looking in the mansion. Of course, only vampires had such strange tastes, thought Penny to herself. As more time passed by with the servants who were in the garden had disappeared back into the mansion to continue their work. The Quinn''s mansion was built in istion so that no one got in and out easily.?But that wasn''t all. The mansion wasn''t surrounded at least not before the tall gates which were built before the high bridge that hung up in the air between the mansion and the grassynds whichter came in contact with the forest. She wondered how long it would take for her to leave this ce and people. If she ever continued to stay in this mansion, her fate would a day in and out be of her sitting in this room alone while waiting for time to pass. Thankfully, Damien had upheld his deal and had informed his butler to serve her with more than one bowl as she had a big stomach. When the door next time opened, Penny had guessed it was the butler but to her surprise, it wasn''t the butler but Damien''s elder sister Maggie. What was she doing here? Penny stood up from the bed, her head bowing to disy respect. "Good evening, Lady Maggie," she greeted thedy. Lady Maggie smiled, though the color of her eyes was red there was some sort of softness in them when she smiled. "It is still noon," thedy corrected her. The seconds and minutes had been passing by quite slow and the sky covered in clouds wasn''t much help to determine what time it was for Penny, "I was looking for you. I went to Damien''s room to find out he had locked you here." "Is there something I could assist you with?" asked Penny, her voice polite than the time when she had spoken to Damien. "Would apany be too much to ask?" asked Damien''s elder sister taking Penny aback. That was thest thing she would have guessed for thedy toe seek her for. Didn''tdy Maggie get along with her stepsister too? "Come with me," she turned around with a smile, leaving the door open while not necessarily leaving a choice for Penny to stay in here in the room not that she wanted to. Penny had nothing against this particr vampiress as so far she hadn''t remarked anything rude to anyone in her presence. Hurriedly walking out, she felt the cloth that she wore move back and forth making her want to itch her skin desperately. She didn''t walk right next to her but one step back. Though she was an illiterate human girl, Penny knew or had heard about the elites. Enough to know how to behave in front of them so that her actions didn''t offend any of them. Lady Maggie didn''t bother to ask her toe walk next to her. Thedy continued to walk in silence, making her walk and cross corridors that they climbed up the stairs to go up to the attic where the woman finally stopped. Boxes and trunks were ced up here which seemed to have collected dust as if no one ever came to clean this ce. Next to them were two buckets filled with little water. For a mansion that was spotless and clean, this ce was rather the dustiest. Lady Maggie picked up two cloths, handing one to Penny to say,?"I had a few things that had to be cleaned. Most of them are busy and I didn''t want to improvise. Don''t worry I will help too," assured Lady Maggie. Penny didn''t know why but she felt as if thedy was up to something or maybe it was her overthinking mind that couldn''t trust anyone. Chapter 25 - Elder sister Penny out of politeness and her current situation shook her head, "Please, allow me to do it," she wasn''t a maid but she didn''t mind helping thedy as a token of thanks for getting her out of the room. Before Damien had locked her in the room, he had given her the so-called ''rules'' which she was meant to follow. ''Don''t step out of the room. Don''t eat anything except for what the butler gives you. Don''t talk to anyone. Don''t touch anything. Don''t think about escaping. You are my ve so the only person you have to listen to is me.'' There were so many don''ts which made her wonder what he would do once he would find out that she had broken two of them. But then she could always get away with ''Lady Maggie had asked her which she couldn''t refuse''. One of the many things about him she didn''t understand was that he had threatened her in Lady Urs''s mansion of how he would punish her once they would return back here. But he hadn''t done anything to her except for locking her in istion. If that was his way of punishment then she had nothing to worry about, unless, she thought to herself. Only if she disregarded the fact of him killing the owner of the Inn. Had something happened that she wasn''t aware of while she was fast asleep? Even though she had questioned him about it, he hadn''t answered her. Leaving her hanging as if she didn''t have to know. "When my mother was alive, she used to make us clean the attic very often that it was one of the cleanest rooms in the entire mansion," she heard Lady Maggie speak. By the looks of the attic now, it seemed that it hadn''t been cleaned for years now, "It looks like you have something to say," Penny shook her head, a small smile that came and left immediately on her lips, "It is just that Damien doesn''t allow any of us toe here anymore. To be more specific, he would rather have the attic collect dust as much as it can without anything being moved," said the Lady with a smile before going to one of the trunks that was definitely moved from its ce due to the harsh lines it had created on the wooden floor. Penny who had only immersed?the cloth in the bucket of water looked up from the bucket without looking at thedy. Why did it feel that thedy was going to get her into trouble? Penny wondered if she should start counting her time. Getting out of the room seemed to be alright, but this, when thedy particrly knew that her brother wasn''t okay with anyone touching the objects in here which hadn''t been moved for all these years, what was going to happen to them? What was going to happen to her? She hadn''t seen all his expressions until now except for the entric odd ones where he often smiled, but that didn''t mean somewhere the pureblooded vampires scared the very nerves of her. "What was your name again?" asked Lady Maggie. "Penelope," Penny answered her swiftly without a pause. Thedy bent down in front of therge trunk to blow air which let the dust that had settled at the top to move away to cause a cloud of dust. Not heeding to thedy, her hand hovered over the trunk for a few seconds before she finally wiped the top which turned the dusty top to a brown wooden. It wasn''t a trunk but a box. "My mother was a wonderful woman. She loved collecting these odd objects," said thedy, her eyesing to meet Penny which smiled softly. The stark contrast between the two siblings she had met seemed surreal. Here was Lady Maggie who was of gentle nature, her hands moving around the trunk elegantly. A part of her brown curly hair had been taken from the sides to be pinned at the back of her head, letting the rest of her hair flow down on her back, "Often they were items which the humans used but also she picked things in the forest. Like this one," thedy had pulled out an item out from the trunk that looked like a twisted stick. Unable to keep her curiosity to herself as she looked at the piece of stick, she asked, "What is that?" "Let me show you," said thedy before taking another stick and rubbing them together before a red light like fire came out of it. Having nevere across something like this before, she couldn''t help but continue to stare at it, "This isn''t any wood. When father found out about it, he had asked to throw it away. You want to know why?" Lady Maggie created a sense of intrigue in the atmosphere where she held Penny''s attention, "You won''t find these sticks growing anywhere around here. And no one dares to grow it because the council has banned any and every growth of this tree. This little thing here is what is used by the ck witches to fly," Lady Maggie was kind enough to give it to Penny so that she could take a look at it. "I didn''t know that," admitted Penny before asking, "Have you ever met a ck witch?" she asked thedy who hummed thoughtfully. "I have seen them fly asionally but never have I evere to meet them directly. I hope I do get to meet some of the witches soon so that I can twist their neck and burn their bodies. I have heard it is a wonderful feeling as they scream in pain," Lady Maggie''s smile looked serene as if she were exining how the clouds appeared in the sky. Somewhat right now, Damien and Maggie did resemble each other. Damien had been outright strange but Lady Maggie who had appeared and seemed sane until now, Penny wanted to go back to the room. Her master was right, she should have stayed in the room. "Don''t look scared. I won''t hurt you," the eldest daughter of the Quinn stated, taking the sticks from her hand and dropping it in the box before picking up another item from it. How could one stay calm when they spoke about wringing and enjoying the pain of someone, "The ck witches deserve it." "Pardon me, mdy but aren''t there any exceptions? Not all can be bad. There might be some who-" "You say it because you haven''t met them," there was no menace as thedy spoke her mind out freely. "I havee across the ck witches, mdy." "You have?" Lady Maggie looked at Penny who nodded her head. "I have. And I have also met one who was innocent and wanted to live a life like any of us here," Penny pushed the cloth that had turned brown due to the dust back into the bucket of water. How could she have forgotten about it when the ck witch who had done nothing had only been killed in the middle of the vige where she lived by setting her on fire. It was the time when Penny had only finished selling the wool that she had her mother had cut from their own sheep to give it to the merchant who bought from them. It was part of the money that went into running the house with just her and her mother. Just when she had collected money she had seen the woman who she had befriended for a month. To see the person set on fire just because she was a ck witch, the scene still haunted her in her sleep. "Wanted? Was she killed?" asked Lady Maggie, her gaze fixed on Penny. "She was killed by the guard officials of the vige," that was what was right in the eyes of thew and public men and women. No chance to talk was given to the ck witches and Penny pitied them. It wasn''t that she hadn''t seen the ck witches cause a ruckus but there were some she believed who were stuck to stick to dark because of the way they were born. "I am sorry to hear it," Lady Maggie exchanged her concern, "You don''t have to hide from me anything, Penelope. Feel free to speak," she voiced with a smile leaving Penny skeptical. It wasn''t about her suggestion about wringing the witch''s neck that had caught her attention but the way her eyes observed her. It made her feel ufortable. Penny didn''t want to judge the woman as unlike Damien or like the younger sister who had looked at her in disgust, this Lady had spoken to her politely without trying to offend her by treating her a ve. It was then Lady Maggie surprised her by saying, "I don''t know what my brother was thinking when he bought you from the market. I say it because he absolutely hates ves." Chapter 26 - Woes of vampires Penny looked up confused, her expression clear on her face where the vampiress caught to smile, "I know. I am as confused as you. That was my reaction when he said he bought a maid which was you." The words confused didn''t even make for the current situation. Why would Damien buy her from the market if he disliked ves? "Actually hate won''t even cover it. They basically disgust him," said Maggie, pulling out other little boxes before finally taking a kaleidoscope which was made of colors. She had seen them in the fairs which were set up yearly twice or thrice in the local viges, "Have you both met before?" thedy asked when she ced the little tube on her, turning to light so that she could enjoy the different patterns and colors that burst through the sses. "We haven''t," answered Penny with a shake to her head. If they had she was sure she would have remembered him. With a personality like his, it was hard to forget. "Is that so. Not everyone knows that he hates them, it''s just that I am his elder sister that I know," the vampiress pulled the kaleidoscope away from her eye. She then suddenly shifted the conversation back, "The number of things that are in here, it''s like memories that are saved from the past. nostalgic ones," humming to herself, Penny saw thedy blow air on the object before she started to observe it with a faint smile on her lips. Penny wondered if that was the reason why thedy had asked her to apany her up here in the attic so that she could find the reason for her brother''s sudden change in attitude towards the maids. Remembering that thedy had asked her to speak freely, she took a deep breath to heard the vampiress say, "You don''t have to be scared of me, Penelope. I won''t hurt you, not unless you do something bad to my family," Maggie assured Penny with the gentle smile on her lips. Penny''s mind was nowhere to wanting to hurt thedy''s family. All she wanted was to leave this mansion and go about her life where she could live amongst her own kind, who were the humans. The vampires scared her, and there was no saying when they would use her as a source of amus.e.m.e.nt to torture or kill. Havinge across many tales, she didn''t want to see the ugly side of this world which was waiting right outside her door. Pulling out some courage into her nerves, Penny asked, "Mdy, if you don''t mind me asking, why does Master Damien hate ves?" "Hmm, I think it was because of what happened to one of his dear friends. One of his vampiress friends once used to have a ve. He was a pet boy. Barely fifteen I think," said Maggie, her voice soft on Penny''s ears where they were surrounded by the silence of the attic, "The boy was loved and cared as her own child. I heard he was very loved but when the time came...the boy killed his mistress.?But there are many other cases which led him to believe that ves only try to get close to their master and mistress to free and backstab them." "I thought pureblooded vampires are immortals." Penny''s words brought a delighted smile on Maggie''s face, "Silly girl if it were so we would have nothing to worry of," how odd, thought Penny to herself, for vampires to worry about things and here she had thought their life was perfect. Maybe there were two sides to the story and sometimes a third one too, "We sure have longer years. Some of us crossing decades and more but there are times when a vampire, especially a pureblooded vampire cannot hold on to themselves. Have you heard about heart corruption?" asked thedy. Pennys shook her head again. As she spent time with the Lady, she came to realize her ignorance about the night creatures. Right now it was as if she was being given knowledge about them and she gave her keen ear to hear what Lady Maggie had to say. "A pureblooded vampire cannot be killed easily because you won''t find the details of the pureblooded vampire bodies as you have for the witches and humans. There might be basic information but nothing more than that. Our pureblooded vampires, the ancestors I mean they never wanted to give out the information about us feeling that it would only lead to our kinds downfall." "Isn''t that unfair?" asked Penny, "To know about others but not share the same about them?" "It is indeed but who wouldn''t want to protect themselves. No offense but humans have been willful and stupid to not know when and what not to do. Every kind of ours has good and bad people but what I mean to say is the number of people who would want to sell their own kind is more when ites to my kind. Do you disagree?" Penny didn''t say anything about it. The truth was already out there and she had seen it. As much as she didn''t like what Lady Maggie had to say about the humans, she wasn''t lying about it. After stepping inside the ve''s establishment and stepping out for the short duration of a week, she had observed that there were more humans than vampires or half vampires in there to be sold. Even if a vampire abducted the humans, how many cases had the situation where one''s own rtive had sold them away for a bag of coins? Lady Maggie looked at Penny, her eyes slightly softening wondering if what she spoke had struck something in the girl, "We were speaking about the vampire''s immortality and corruption.?The corruption of the heart is one of the ways which can lead to a vampire''s death. The process starts slow and is like a disease that cannot be fixed. It not only evades the person''s body but also minds, which in turn infects others who get bit by the corrupted vampires." "It must be very difficult,"?Penny had never heard anything like this. It seemed that humans were really ignorant who didn''t know about vampires and their sufferings. "Indeed it is. That''s why we make sure to not trust people we don''t know about." "Was the boy caught?" asked Penny, feeling sorry for the woman who had died due to her affection to the human ve. "No," Maggie closed the box. Did that mean he was out there freely walking on thends? "The boy ran away after causing corruption. There are many ways a heart can be corrupted. Some are caused due to loss of spouse or family members, some due to the emotions that lead to depression." Penny didn''t know for how long they were in the attic with the clouds hovering in the sky, it was hard to tell the time with no clock on the wall. But time felt to move quickly without a pause. "Here let me take that," said Lady Maggie when Penny had finished cleaning the box, "Thank you for your help, Penelope. It was wonderful talking to you," thedy thanked her. Penny bowed her head, "It was nice helping you. Please let me know if you ever need my help again," said Penny, her eyes drifting to look at the entrance of the attic hoping Damien wouldn''te bursting through the doors. Lady Maggie gave her a nod, walking out of the attic before the butler Falcon came at them with a frantic look on his face. When he saw Penny with Lady Maggie, he let out a breath of relief. The butler who had gone back to the room where Master Damien''s ve was to get her some water had suddenly disappeared leaving the man to sweat profusely at the thought that he hadn''t locked the room well thest time he had visited. The devil would have striked him into a boiling pot of oil if the girl had tried to run away. Along with the girl, he would have been subjected to punishment and torture. To see the girl here, he couldn''t tell how relieved he was right now. "What''s the matter, Falcon?" asked Lady Maggie on sighting the butler of the house who looked slightly out of breath. "Lady Maggie," the butler bowed his head in respect, "The girl was missing from her room," the vampiress gave him a knowing nod, a smile upon her lips she was gentle as her appearance. "Don''t worry. She was going to her room.?Penelope knows not to disobey her master''s words. She''s a smart one who wouldn''t run away," Penny didn''t react to it and kept the beating of her heart as calm as she could. If there was one thing she had learned from her master, it was that the pureblooded vampires were nosey when it came to listening to people''s heartbeat. Going back to her where the door was locked again, Penny went toy back on her bed. Her eyes closed before it opened to look up at the empty ceiling. She didn''t know when she started to drift to sleep but when she finally did, she was woken up with the sound of water droplets hitting the walls which she could hearing through the window. The rain was too much that it numbed any other sound. For now, it felt peaceful. Alone in the room, with nothing to do and no one bothering her, this might have been theziest hour of her life, thought Penny to herself. She wondered where God had ced her right now. In a house full of off vampires, some appeared nice, others appeared odd but in the end, it seemed like they were all insane. Was there anyone sane in here? She wondered if she would turn insane in time just like them. It felt as if her world had turned upside down. A few things that the vampiress spoke of lingered in her mind. The thought of betrayal from her own rtives. She wanted to know why they had done what they did to her. Was she not their blood rtive? Getting up from the bed, she ced her hand on the window, feeling the vibrations when suddenly a sh of lightning struck close to thends of the mansion.?Her eyes closed to hear the sound of rain and thunder which got louder and louder, shaking thends and the sses of the mansion. Chapter 27 - Note to the reader Please try to read the books in order, somewhere along the lines the stories start to coincide in this series as they belong to the same world: * Valerian Empire + Death of the Ghost (Lord Alexander and Katherine) * Heidi and the Lord (Lord Nichs and Heidi) *?Bambi and the Duke (Leonard and Vivan) * Young master Damien''s pet (Damien and Penelope) My other books are Girl in the casket, The Demon''s soul, The graveyard shift, Eternity in the darkness. . For the demanding readers. I don''t know, some of the readers just think that snapping your fingers the chapter is going toe up. If you do please do let me know about it. I have already said it multiple times, writing is my hobby. I have an ACTUAL full-time job which needs my presence of 8-5. Let me give you my routine (though you are not interested but let me enlighten you on it ^.^): I wake up at 6-7 get ready, 7-8 travel, 8 start work, around 7-nish get back home. Hit the gym, because I love to eat and I will turn to bear if I don''t. Already in the process of being a panda due to dark circles. Get back home by 8:30, have shower, dinner and then prepare my mind and get into the mood to write after a tiring day. Sometimes we have other things to do, I end up falling asleep at 12 or 1 and the routine follows back as a cycle. Now if you''re going to ask for more updates, please tell me where shall I fix my schedule to write? For real though. Unless you want me to miss my sleep and write and then get back to work? Authors suffer from burn out when it gets too much. In the end, you will only miss chapters for weeks or months instead of a day or two. It is one of the reason why I don''t update on Friday and Saturday. It takes less than 5 mins toplete reading a chapter but not every reader understands how much effort or time it consumes when ites to 1 chapter being written. I will write books as long as time will let me do, so you can keep expecting books and chaptersing out until I grow old. Unless it''s constructive criticism, rude readers will be swiftly ignored. I would pick a reader who is polite any day and not readers who think authors here are people who are ''entitled'' to give you quick updates. Chapter 28 - Servants at Quinns Damien who had finished meeting with the magistrate of the two towns away from them traveled back through his own carriage which was pulled by the four ck horses attached to the front of the carriage he was in. The rain poured down from the heavens which seemed less likely from the heavens but from hell with the force it fell down on the ground and the roof of the carriage. The coachman wore the raincoat to cover and protect himself from the oing rain, his face wearing something simr to the ss which avoided the rain from getting into his eyes and hindering his sight. Damien looked outside the little window of his carriage. His dark red eyes gazed out but he wasn''t looking at anything in particr. The rain seemed to have reminded him something, one side of his lips pulling up from the corner of his lips at the thought. Though he had spent many good years of his in Bonke the rain was something he had never gotten used to. Maybe it was due to the fact that his family before relocating to Bonke used to live in Wovile. A ce where there was good amount of sun. Buttely, the wind had started to blow in a different direction which had swayed his cold heart to the slightest movement. Idle in the rain reminded him of a certain girl with jade green eyes who stood with an umbre in her hand. A smile on her delicate lips which was the only time he had seen her smile. Once the carriage passed through the dense green forest, the vehicle was pulled across the bridge making the carriage slightly shake as the bridge was made of stones where some of them must havee of due to the continuous rain. He made a mental note to fix it by speaking to his butler so that the bridge wouldn''t copse one day. Sure nothing would happen to him but to lose the servants would ]truly be a loss. The coachman pulled the reins of the horses when they reached the entrance of the mansion. Stepping down to pull out his sses, the servant opened the carriage door so that his master could step out of it. "What do you think about the weather, Rowen?" Damien asked the servant who had his head bowed along with his back. Hearing his master speak, the servant stood up with his hands folded in the front, "It is cold, master Damien," he spoke warily. "Right it is cold," he nodded wondering if he should torture the man a little for not taking care of his dear horses. Instead of going inside, Damien Quinn walked to his horses, inspecting them one by one before he rubbed one of the horses head, "What a lovely boy you are," the servant had gone back to bowing his head to mean no disrespect to his master whom he had been working for. When his master finally left the side of the carriage, walking inside the mansion to be greeted by the butler, the coachman let out a sigh of relief. If there was one thing he knew about his master, the man didn''t like anyone talking back at him but it was something to do with every pureblooded vampire. The horses here were one of his favorites and thest time the man had found a little scratch on them, he had put him in the locker cell where servants were taken to reflect. It wasn''t far from being called as a prison as it was a cell built in the open forest. One would have to spend their days out there in the middle of the forest with no roof to protect them from the harsh rain of Bonke. Falcon was quick to take Damien''s coat at the entrance where he was greeted by his younger step-sister Grace. The girl who was at the age of seventeen wore a pink dress, her hair which was partitioned two make two high pigtails on either side of her head. Grace asked sweetly, "Did you finish your work, big brother?" Though Damien didn''t react right away, the butler internally had raised his eyebrow at the youngdy''s tone. Lady Grace being nice and polite didn''t exist. The young vampiress was spoilt in nature, being the youngest and the only child of thedy, she was pampered and loved in a way which thedy had misused it. If it were to be told, out if the three children both Master Damien and Lady Grace were terrible to people. And maybe if Lady Grace at least took into consideration when there were pureblooded vampires, being partial to them while right down insulting anyone else who was lower than them. But when it came to Master Damien, Falcon didn''t know how to put it right. Though he didn''t differentiate the kinds he was the way he was like this with everyone. "You look like an idiot with that hair. Why not just cut it off and save my eyes from looking at something as ugly as that." A minute of silence came to prevail in the atmosphere, maids who were walking by didn''t stop or even turn to look at the vampire siblings in the hall. The servants of Quinn''s household were pretty much rocks and stones who didn''t react to anything knowing well a reaction could cost them their life. Not that it hadn''t happened before. Once in a while there would be a servant who would have misstepped on the line but once crossed it was done and there was no going back. Grace''s eyes widened but with her mother not around to support her, thedy had to hold her own ground and she red at her older step-brother, "I was being nice to you, do you have to be rude?" she asked him, her eyes narrowed while still being nice to him. "Falcon, when was thest time Grace was nice?" Damien threw his butler right below the running carriage. The poor butler didn''t know what to reply and he opened and closed his mouth like a fish unsure of what to do. His master truly was heartless when it came to using people as sacrificial animals. If there was more light thrown one could see the light perspiration of sweat that began to .u.mte on the servant''s forehead, "Poor Falcon, even doesn''t know." Grace''s eyes snapped to look at the butler of the house, a re that was quickly dodged thankfully as he had bowed his head to avoid the possible eye contact. Being a mere servant of the house, he couldn''t agree or disagree but in truth, the young vampiress had never been nice. "What was it now then? All you had to do was respond to how your day was, it isn''t that hard but instead, youment on my appearance. Wait until I tell father and mother about it," she threatened Damien to make him chuckle. Tilting his head to a side, he asked, "Do you think I care?" he looked at Grace with an amused smile, enjoying her getting fl.u.s.tered and angry over his remarks. Good, he thought, if she didn''t he would have died utterly bored with no amus.e.m.e.nt being provided to him. The only time she was nice was when she needed something from him and something told him that it had something to do with his pet. "You will care enough one day that you''ll beg me for your forgiveness for treating me like this!" she said angrily, her sweet appearance slowly slipping by which he was waiting for. "I look forward to that day, Grace but I should say, your petty behaviour isughable. Such a child throwing tantrum," he started to walk away leaving her behind. The butler did the best thing he knew and followed his master but that didn''t stop thedy from talking or tailing behind them. "Is that so?" there was some sort of smugness in the way Grace asked him, she then said, "Would you tell the same if I said that Sister Maggie took the ve girl up to the attic?" the little color which the butler had saved himself in now drained down his facepletely turning his face pale and he couldn''t stop but internally curse at thedy for being petty. Falcon stopped right away with Damien who turned to pause his footsteps and turn to look at Grace over his shoulder. "Maggie wouldn''t do it." "Why don''t you ask sister Maggie yourself? I am sure she would love to fill you up on it. What shame that you wouldn''t let me, your own sister in there but to take a ve of slower status. Tch.?I will see you at dinner if you still have an appetite," Grace smiled, showing her pearly white teeth. The vampiress turned swiftly on her heels and walked away from them. Now Falcon wished he had been in the kitchen. "Falcon," the servant heard his master call making him fill with dread. Very slowly he turned to look at his Master who had a grave expression on his face. "What was Grace talking about?" Chapter 29 - Merciless master Falcon gulped, his Adam''s apple bobbing up and down in his throat at his master''s question at him. What was he going to reply? "Answer quickly, Falcon. Don''t keep me waiting here," Damien spoke to him intimidatingly. His voice still in an even tone which had never gone high until now. The few years he came to work for this man in this very mansion as the butler, Falcon had not once heard this man raise his voice. But maybe if he raised his voice it would be less dangerous than his smiling his way which made chills run through the bones of her person. Falcon bowed his deeply hoping his master wouldn''t cut his neck off his body for the simple mistake, "Master Damien, Lady Maggie had the girl out of the room when I was asked to supervise the kitchen," as simple as the matter was, a lot of pureblooded vampires didn''t allow room for mistakes. He held his breath to hear the young master of the mansion say, "What?"?It wasn''t that Damien hadn''t heard it. He had heard the butler speak quite clearly. The poor butler if possible took further air into his lungs before letting it go, "How difficult is it for you to carry one single task that I give? Let me go see the girl," the butler couldn''t tell how relieved he was when Damien walked up therge stairs, his long legs covering the area quickly before he came to stand in front of the door. All he did was y with the doorknob before opening it. He hadn''t ced a lock purposely wanting to see if his mouse would try to run away, though she didn''t run away he didn''t miss the point that she had disobeyed his words so tantly. The girl sure had a nerve testing his patience over and over again. He had left the door unlocked in a way to test her while also to see if he could add to her existing punishment which hadn''t been handed down yet. Opening the door, he stepped inside to find the girl who was staring and looking at something outside the window in the ridiculous dress he had made her wear into. It was good that she looked terrible right now. The worse, the better it was always. She was yet to notice him in the room. Walking to stand right behind her, he saw the reflection of her face which was reflected through the window where the atmosphere outside along with the sky had turned dark. Penny had been thinking about what Maggie said about the corruption of hearts when her eyes finally fell on the man and she gasped loudly out of surprise. Spinning on her heel, she faced him. Staring right into Damien Quinn''s red eyes which stood out the most in his face. His eyes had the fleck of curiosity as if he were trying to find something. "How was your day, Penelope?" she saw the way his lips moved to speak to her. Her eyes switching to go back and forth from his eyes and lips before settlingpletely on his eyes as she caught sight of him catching her own sight. "It was okay," she whispered below his overbearing presence as he didn''t give her much space. He hummed in response, "Look at this," he said lifting his hand up to touch her hair which made her momentarily flinch, "Don''t be scared, little mouse. I won''t eat you. Not right now at least," he said dusting off the little web which had got stuck on her hair, "Do you remember the instructions I gave you before I left?" Penny had hoped he wouldn''t have found out but it seemed like someone did inform him about her stepping out of the room. She wondered if it was the butler who had informed his master as he was the only one who had caught her and Lady Maggie walking out before she had headed back to the room she was in one now. "I didn''t go willingly with my own mind. I couldn''t refuse Lady Maggie when she asked me to help her," Penny gave him the details before he could drag out the story of what happened torturously slow to his amus.e.m.e.nt. "What did I ask you and what are you speaking of?" Damien sang before patting the side of her head as one would with their pet dog or cat, "But now that you have spoken about it I will let you off on this one." Internally she frowned where she continued to stare at him. She did nothing wrong and it was true that she found it rather not pleasant to refuse his sister''s offer who had wanted to take her out of here for some time which she was thankful for. Wait, she thought to herself. Did he just say ''this one''? As his words sank in, she saw that smile of his which tugged on side of his lips as the devil had possessed. "I cannot look away from what you did to the dress," she heard him say, "I have a very good memory which is a blessing and a cursing at the same time. Come, little mouse. It is time to punish you. Follow me," he turned himself ready to walk before he looked at her over his shoulder, "Come. The faster it is the better. Penny didn''t want to follow him but what choice did she have here? The words ''You reap what you sow'' came to hit her hard and she told herself to behave and not act out impulsively. But at the same time, it was hard not to retaliate in response to his actions. Without a word of defiance, she followed the pureblooded vampire. Walking through the corridors where themps were lit in the time of evening burning bright enough to make the ce visible for anyone. She could see the fire burn and its luminescence spreading warmly on the walls, some which flickered in the air as if it were sizzling. "...right?" What? her eyes snapped at Damien who was walking in front of her and had asked her a question which she hadn''t heard. "What is with the peasants not answering quickly. Has your brain frozen like the winter?" Penny didn''t know if she should tell him that she hadn''t heard him speak or the question he had asked her. A little worried that the punishment would grow, she nodded at him and said, "Yes, master Damien." "What a wonderful spirit you have," stated Damien, ncing at her and then humming something under his tone. Passing through the rooms and getting down the stairs which had a red carpetid out on it, Penny followed Damien with her bare feet. Catching sight of some of the maids who passed her a look pity before going on their way as if she were a sheep that was going to be beheaded soon. And the more she thought about their expression, the more worried and anxious did she turn as it seemed like whatever this punishment was, it wasn''t going to take ce inside the mansion but outside as they headed towards the double door of the entrance. When the carpet stopped, her feet touched the cold marble floor which felt utterly cold beneath her feet to spread the coldness throughout her body making her shiver. Was he going to make her clean the doors? She definitely didn''t mind that, thought Penny to herself. She was more than d to do it, but when they crossed over the main threshold to walk she was greeted to the chill air which even the jute-like dress that she wore didn''t prevent it from the weather. "Now go pluck the weeds out that have grown around the bushes and nts. I need them all pulled out and cleaned," she heard Damien instruct her, "You have all night to do it but if I catch you cking. I will make sure to worsen the punishment. The more rules you break the more will the level of punishment increase so make sure to think twice before you do something I extremely dislike. Disobedience will not be tolerated." It made her feel that this man was punishing her for also stepping out of the room. Though he had said he wasn'' going to, it didn''t mean he wouldn''t add into her current tab of errors. Was this what she had agreed to? It was raining and not to forget dark. How was she supposed to pull out weeds when she couldn''t see the ground that well. "With your excellent eyesight, it shouldn''t be a problem at all. Go on now," Damien ced his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to step down the stairs. "It''s raining," she pointed out for him to slightly tilt his head to the side. "I am not blind, Penny. I can see it. Don''t worry, the rain will stop in an hour," he responded back nonchntly. The fever had only left her body and he was nning to have her drenched in the rain again until she would pass out? This man was cruel and heartless! Gritting her teeth, she stepped down one stair and then another before she finally touched the concreate ground which wasn''t smooth. Making her way away from the main entrance and towards the garden where the rain finally started to fall on her. It wasn''t a drop or two but a good amount of water droplets that felt like someone was throwing on her. While Penny made her way, the butler Falcon had seen the door to be open. Wondering which idiot of the servant had opened the doors, he walked towards it to find his master standing there looking at something in the garden. Curious, he treaded his footsteps carefully. ncing at the garden his eyes widened to find his master''s ve out there. What was she doing in this rain? Not having the audacity to question or ask his master, he decided to step back but Damien had already sensed his presence. "Where are you going, Falcon?" his master questioned making him stop in his tracks. It made him wonder if there was anyone at all who had sneaked up on him without his notice until now. "I was passing by, Master Damien. Apologies for that," the butler bowed his head. "Go have Lady Maggiee here. Tell her sweet brother summons her right now," the butler bowed again, obliging his master''s words and almost scurrying away from there so that he could get Lady Maggie to save him. If there was anyone who could speak sense to his master, it was the elder sister but sometimes that failed epically. Most of the maids and other house servants went to the eldest daughter of Quinn to save their necks just because she appeared faintly sensiblepared to the other members of the family. Working here was nothing less to walking on an eggs shell where one often worried about doing something and having their throat slit. Chapter 30 - Pulling weeds Penny stood in the rain, her eyshes dripping with the water that slid from her wet hair to her forehead and then down to her eyes. If she wasn''t sure before, she was now that the man who had bought her from the ck market was a demon in disguise. A man who was cold and evil with no heart in his chest. It wasn''t just that it was dark but the rain in the air around her made it impossible to spot weeds that when Penny had bent down, crouching down on the grass to pull weeds by mistake she had pulled out the good nts which Damien had already nned to further increase her punishment. But as Damien had said, the rain did stop making the cold wind blow on her making her shiver in the dress which was not only drenched wet but also heavy to move in as it retained a lot of water. Now able to see thend much more clearly she looked down at what she had plucked out a grimaced internally. Kill me, thought Penny to herself. Hiding the good ones, she moved to another patch. If anyone would ask her she would me it on the rain. There was nothing to worry, she consoled herself. The garden was well-groomed so there weren''t many weeds or the unnecessary nts that had grown in here. Penny didn''t dare to look around to see if Damien was still standing there, who knew if the devil was having his own fun at the expense of her demise. Thanks to the rain the soil had considerably loosened which made it easier to pull the weeds out while she was being careful on the actual nts. Thest thing she wanted was Damien picking more faults in what she was doing. While Penny was working on the task which Damien had given her, Lady Maggie had arrived at the word of the butler who hade to deliver the news that her brother was asking for her presence at the door of the mansion. Lady Maggie hadn''t noticed the human who was in the garden and she turned to speak to her brother once she stepped out of the mansion, "You called for me, Damien?" "I did," Damien turned to his right to meet his elder sister''s eyes, a smile on his lips which looked tranquil. Maggie''s brows furrowed and she wondered what had got her brother in such a good mood. Seeing something move in the corner of her eyes, her eyes shifted to look at the garden to find the girl there, "What are you making her do thiste in the night?" "What do you think, sister?" Damien let his sister guess to see the frown on her face deepen. "She''s wet with water. She''ll catch a cold," the vampiress took two steps forward when she heard her brother speak behind her. "Bring her back and she will face the same consequences your dear Sven did." Maggie''s feet froze in mid-air and she ced it on the ground, "You wouldn''t," she turned, facing her brother as they stared at each other. Thinking about what happened to the servant named Sven, she clutched her hand tightly into fists. "Try me. There''s nothing in testing, maybe you wouldn''t be within your boundaries of what to do and not. Go on," he taunted his elder sister, his eyes sparkling and his lips holding a smile which was filled with its own smugness. "Show some consideration to the lives, Damien. They are people with feelings." "Don''t patronize me, dear sister. Especially you should be thest one to tell it to me," Damien continued to smile seeing his sister starting to reflect what she said while also remembering their past together. "It was an unintentional episode that took ce before. You know it well, why won''t you let it go?" "Why not? Just because you are my sister you want me to let go of the fact that you killed a maid here for your own anger? Why because the man you loved, his interest was stolen by a servant. How did it feel? To have the blood on your hands and have the man you love look at you with so much hate that will make you want to kill yourself," he continued to taunt her a look of pain crossing over her features before she hid it behind her face. "Taunt as much as you want brother but you are no less to me," Lady Maggie''s voice was rigid as she spoke. "Never imed to be otherwise," Damien smiled, his eyes shifting back to look at his pet who shivered there outside in the garden, "This is just a reminder." "You found out about me taking her to the attic. Why are you punishing her on my behalf?" Lady Maggie asked her brother who was enjoying the look in front of him. "Obviously I cannot punish you, you are my beloved blood sister. And you might not even react, where is the joy in that?" It was the truth. Even if Damien inflicted any pain right now, the pain and annoyance caused wouldn''t be enjoyable where there was a chance of her going to do the same mistake of not listening to him. "She''s going to fall sick." "I will nurse her back to health but don''t forget it is because of you that she suffers right now," his head slightly fell back when the cold breeze moved towards them, with his eyes closed he felt the air to open his eyes and look at his sister. "It is your fault, Maggie. The girl doesn''t know but you know well how much I hate intruders up in the attic which includes you." "She wasn''t only your mother but mine," defended Maggie to hear Damien give out a dryugh before he stopped to look at her seriously. "I haven''t forgotten that. But where were you when father was about to throw everything that belonged to her? Standing there waiting to see it burnt? You were her daughter and you are my sister but there are a few things we need to draw the line, Sister Maggie. I love you but not enough to share what you couldn''t protect," said Damien which Maggie nodded her head. "Drawing lines and having your own rules are fine but they aren''t for everyone not for your loved ones at least, Damien. Sometimes we don''t have enough understanding at the point of time. You were more practical than I ever have been, not giving yourself the emotions one needs," Lady Maggie gave a nce towards the girl who was in the garden. As if they never had the serious conversation going on, Damien said, "Is she nting trees or pulling out weeds that are taking so much time," hemented twisting his lips unhappily. The weeds had been a week ago which meant not many had grown since then. Was his pet testing his patience again? "It is dark what do you expect?" Lady Maggie stated the obvious for him to roll his eyes. Damien didn''t bother to continue the conversation with his sister and walked straight to where Penny had crouched in front of a bush. The sky was heavy with clouds to illuminate any light on thends of Bonke but the little light that came from thenterns that were hung all around the mansion gave the little light she needed to see what was near her. Catching sight of the long shadow of the man in front of her, her head snapped to look at Damien who stood behind her. Not able to keep her thought to herself with her head feeling slightly heavy due to the wet clothes and hair, she blurted out, "You''re going to pull the weed with me?" "Sure," the man came to sit next to her which surprised Penny to no end. Her mouth slightly parted when he came and sat next to her, looking at the nts in front of them. This man was one of a kind, she thought to herself when he looked at the nts to say, "Do you want to get killed? What''s with pulling good nts," he looked to his left with his hands that rested between his legs. And though he had scolded her, the threat didn''t feel a bit like a threat where she was supposed to be scared. This man, who was a pureblooded vampire was sitting in her level, talking to her while looking at the same nts as her. Damien as if noticing that his pet wasn''t listening to him snapped his fingers right in front of her which brought her back to reality. Penny who was drenched in the rain felt a shiver run down her spine when she found him staring into her eyes which had turned dark due to the scarce light. Damien, on the other hand, saw her cheeks that had flushed pink in color. Her breathing was deep as she inhaled and exhaled. Hair that waspletely wet that stuck to her scalp and some that were errant as they began to dry, looking untamed. They sat so close that Damien didn''t have to put too much effort in listening to her heartbeat which had was beating in a quiet rhythm which was heard clearly in the quiet night they were surrounded by crickets. Penny was already looking towards him and with him who was next to her, she felt as if he started to lean forward, his face moving bit by bit closer to her and her eyes widened at the close proximity they shared. Damien caught sight of her lips where her lips pressed against each other before letting them go unconsciously. Looking like the scared mouse she was, he got even closer, angling his face close to her when she spoke out of pure nervousness, "Master Damien." "Hmm?" Damien was still looking at her to hear Penny utter the words, "You are stamping the nt beneath your feet. That''s not the weed," she gulped as her heart began to pick its pulse, leaving her head dizzy where she had to blink several times to get back her consciousness right. "Says the one who has been pulling out all my good nts. Are you stupid or a in idiot?" he asked her pulling himself back, "Utterly useless. Look at these," he pointed at a nt as if he hadn''t leaned close to her. He pointed at the little nt which was yellow in color, "This isn''t a decoration nt but something that is going to screw the other nts that are around it. Lady Maggie who was standing far away from them couldn''t see anything as to what they were doing except that they were sitting where she herself was perplexed with her brother. But her brother never left a chance to confuse a person. Her heart felt heavy to what Damien had to say about the past, leaving her utterly speechless. She was regretful for what happened and maybe no matter how much she wanted to change there could be nothing done to rectify it but that didn''t mean the future wasn''t there to avoid something that had urred in the past. She knew her brother, after all, she had been around him since he was born, she was his elder sister. The attic was a special ce where her mother''s belongings and their childhood was stored before the previousdy of the Quinn had passed away. Maggie had been an emotional woman in the past but she had changed her ways but the same couldn''t say about Damien. She hoped the girl who was sitting next to him would survive his actions. Chapter 31 - Narcissist Penny was looking at Damien, his serious words on the nts that were in front of them where the topic shifted from the weeds to the nts that she had pulled out. There was a certain earnest in his voice when he spoke about them as if he had nted them himself. Narcissist This was her punishment but he was sitting next to her though in better condition than her, as her dressed not only weighed but also made her feel as if she were being frozen in the time of winter. She looked at his muddy hands which were nting the nt, "Did you get it?" she felt him flick his hand across her forehead, specks of mud falling on her nose, "Stop daydreaming and staring at me. I know I am handsome." Narcissist man, thought Penny to see him narrow his eyes as if he had heard her speak. Could he read her mind, she gulped when his eyes didn''t leave her face. "I apologize for the rudeness," she ducked her head while wanting his hand away from her. It was better to have him away from her while keeping a good distance which would avoid any further punishments. "Why does it feel like your apology is not sincere," he tipped his head. Getting up from his crouched position, he stood straight before looking down at her, "Don''t try to y me, little mouse. I can sense when someone lies to me on my face." "I wouldn''t do that," answered Penny keeping her voice to be docile. "Look at that hand of yours clutching beside you," he said pointing her hand which was exactly the way it was as he defined it to be, "Passive-aggressive girl. Did you know almost seventy-four percent of the poption who are passive-aggressive have the ability to kill people than the ones who are outright aggressive and expressive? Those are the people you should be careful of. It is told that they kill their masters or mistress out of the anger that is stubbed in," he tapped on the side of his temple. Was he telling that she would kill him one day? Maybe she would, thought Penny to herself. For a man who was making her drenched in the rain when she had been sick two days ago, he was expecting the right things. Damien let out a wide grin which made the girl''s heart skip a beat which was out of romantic intentions, "Thinking that I deserve what is going toe in the future?" her eyes widened when he said that, "I should probably kill you here. You will be the right dposition for the nts, especially the ones you so gruesomely pulled out from the soil," he suggested making her gulp. She staggered slightly from where she was sitting. Was he serious? she saw him step closer. She fell back, her bottom t on the ground along with her hands that were on either side back in the muddy ground. "I did not mean to offend you, Master Damien," she said hurriedly when he sat back himself on the ground but this time facing her. His eyes lit up light Christmas seeing the fear in her eyes which finally started to surface along with uncertainty. "Everyone says that, isn''t it. Don''t worry, little mouse. I will make it very quick," and when his hand came to reach for her, Penny automatically closed her eyes unable to think anymore while preparing herself to the death sentence which Damien was going to put her through, "Not only did you tear the dress but also got me to pull out the weeds with you. Peasant making the master do her work." "You were educating me, master," her eyes were still closed as she blurted it out, "I will do anything, please." "The word anything is very vague," she heard him say, "Are you willing to dedicate your life for this master in front of you?" "Yes!" Penny answered him like an arrow that was drawn on a bow that swished through to cut the wind. "You will never disobey me? I need full sentences here, dear. My patience isn''t that long," he tutted to frighten her further. Penny didn''t want to test him as she knew when to stop and draw the line. The glint in his eyes previously was quite evident that he would be more than happy to get rid of her from this world. Penny didn''t hear him respond or ask her any question, the silence deafening her and the surrounding around her. When she felt the heat from his hand radiate on her cheek, she gulped. It was often told that though a vampire had cold blood running in their veins it wasn''t the same when it came to pureblooded vampires as their temperature was warm and the opposite to the characteristics of the average low vampires. She then felt him ce his hand on her cheek making her eyes snap open to look straight into his. Penny didn''t know what he was doing. This man was confusing her to no end and the remaining energy she had had was spent out on fright where she could hardly fathom on what he wanted from her. But it didn''t take her long toe to the end of the line where she knew he was only using her for his own amus.e.m.e.nt and to kill time from his immortal. The back of his fingers grazed on her cheek, turning them more muddy. The smile on his lips had toned down considerably and so did the light in his eyes which looked calmer than the times she hade across. There was a certain warmth where she heard him ask, "Aren''t you feeling cold?" "What?" she hadn''t got it in the first second. Of course, she was feeling cold. She was freezing in this weather! But her thought went back to the way he was looking at her when he asked her the question. With his hand still on her cheeks, Penny found it hard to open her mouth to speak. Like a butterfly that was going to fly away at the slightest movement. When he did move his hand away, his persona looking different than before, she replied to his question, "Cold," and he nodded his head. "Did you learn your punishment or shall I leave you to pull more of the weeds?" he asked her, his face changing back to the expression which looked mischevious. Gone was that calmer look which was reced by his usual expression, "Word, little mouse. Master is being nice, you should learn how to respect," Penny blinked back. "I have learned from my errors, Master Damien. Please forgive me. I won''t repeat again," she bowed her head to hear him hum. She was not only wet but also hungry. All she wanted right now was to eat something warm which she doubted she would get as she had been given food that had cooled down but what was she expecting? She was not even a maid but reduced to a liberal woman walking in the alley to a ve or a pet which was no less to an animal. But weren''t pets loved by their masters? Penny looked up at him, her eyes meeting his that looked pitch ck as his back faced the side of light. That wasn''t what she was meaning to think, thought Penny when she imagined herself to be petted by this night creature. Shaking her head as if to rid the thoughts she finally stood up. "Let''s get back inside. Go from behind through the kitchen. We wouldn''t want you dirting the halls of the mansion now, would we?" he asked her before he started to walk away from her and then to stop. Turning to look at her over his shoulder he said, "Penelope." Penny who had started to walk paused her footsteps suddenly at the mention of her full name by Damien, "Don''t follow people in this mansion with an empty head. You will be dead meat to the wolves we have before you even know it," he smiled at her and she swallowed finally seeing him get inside the mansion through the entrance of the double doors, she walked around the mansion to finally reach the other side where the servants walked inside. Most of the servants and house workers were not allowed to step inside or out except for the butler of the mansion. It was a basic etiquette one had to learn while working for any of the elite human or pureblooded vampire''s house. The servants quarter of the Quinn was ced in a separate underground dungeon-like ce to let them know that they were beneath the master and mistress'' of the house. But what Penny didn''t understand was why Damien had decided to keep her in his own room? The day she had been sick, the man wasn''t around the room or mansion due to which they didn''t exactly share a room but what about today? If she were of the lowest of the low being that came in the whole of hierarchy, wasn''t she supposed to be living in the servants quarters? Was this how ves were treated? unsure of it, she stepped inside the mansion through the kitchen where she caught sight of maids who were either cooking, cleaning, or chopping vegetables in the side. Falcon was nowhere to been seen but there were four maids who were all young girls. "Look at that, it is the master''s pet animal," she heard one of the maids point out at her. Penny not being subtle with her own actions turned to the maid to see who had spoken about her.?It was a brown hair girl of average weight and size, her hair braided around to move past like a headband on her head, "I heard he spent a thousand gold coins on her. Can you believe it?" Penny didn''t know if the maid was blind that she couldn''t see that she could hear her quite well. "She looks nothing special. Look at her clothes," the girl next to her sighed, giving Penny an overall look where she was drenched and covered in mud. She looked nothing less to a cat that was thrown into the water, "Why didn''t he add her as one of the maids here, we would have less work too," she smirked, "She looks overpriced." The first one who had spoken nodded her head, "Right. We were brought for three hundred gold coins but this one is really odd. Oh did she just re?" the maid snickered, "Maybe master Damien is yet to try her out. He hasn''t asked any of us for blood for two days. Once she''s drained, the value wille down before she''s put up here with us." "You got it wrong," Penny stopped her footsteps, turning to look at the maid who was yapping to her heart''s content. "What?" "The pet even speaks," another maidmented. "I said, you got it wrong. You deaf girl," Penny replied back turning the kitchen suddenly hostile, "I was bought for five thousand gold coins," she raised her hand, spreading out her fingers to emphasize her point. The maids in the kitchen looked shocked. "You''re lying. No ve has been bought for a value that high," the maid narrowed her eyes. "I must have been special. After all. Even if I was bought for a thousand it only shows how cheap you were," smiled Penny to see the maid look mad. Chapter 32 - Servants quarters The butler was walking around the mansionpleting his errands while trying to avoid the possible wrath of his master, Damien Quinn as he had failed to follow the orders. When he reached the kitchen he heard the maids were speaking quite loudly which they never did as they were always tuned to hushed whispers. The butler couldn''t help himself from his eyes widening at the word of five thousand gold coins. He had heard that this girl was bought for a thousand by the maids themselves who had, in turn, heard it from the coachman who had been there in the market to pick master Damien. But five thousand? Was this girl worth so much? Was she made of gold herself?! asked Falcon to himself before taking a look at the girl who was the dirtiest among everyone in the room. The shock on the servant''s faces reflected on his own before heposed and stepped inside the kitchen resuming the role of his being the butler of the mansion. "Dirting the floor where the food is prepared," he said gaining the girl''s attention. Penny bowed her head, ready to leave the kitchen so that she could make her way back to the room when the butler stopped her, "Where do you think you are going like that?" Penny raised her hand to indicate where she was going to see a frown on his face, "Do you want your neck ripped apart? Go to the servant''s quarters and take a bath there. Now." But didn''t Damien tell her toe from behind? "But he said-" "You don''t have the permission to step inside the kitchen either looking this unsightly. Until you don''t wash don''t step back inside," the butler was strict with the duties not being partial to anyone and only following his duties. "Master Damien asked me to-" "Do you want me to report you for disobedience in this household?" Falcon asked, his bright eyes trained on hers. "Howe she isn''t getting punished. Don''t tell me she gets special treatment," Penny could hear the maid behind her whisper to the one next to her and she finally gave up seeing the butler not budge. Going back outside the mansion from where she got in, she walked towards the servant''s quarters which was rather dark and quiet as most of the servants were in the mansion right now. The walls were made of grey stones with scarce light making her watch her footsteps. Penny shivered in cold. The dungeons were apparently much colder than outside where even her rubbing her hands against her arms didn''t help. When the light ended, she wasn''t sure if this was the servant''s quarters. Did she get it right or had she entered a ce where she wasn''t supposed to be? But then knowing there was no other ce where she had caught sight of she walked in the dark until she bumped into someone, a gasp escaping from her lips. "Who is there?" asked Penny startled to hear a chuckle from someone which was manly. "I should ask you that," came the voice of the man, "Don''t you know, the Quinn''s don''t take intruders. Run while you still have time before someone notices you lurking here." "I am not an intruder. Why is there no light?" she asked as she felt blind not knowing the path from here, feeling the walls. "There was one here but the oil must have extinguished by itself. Where are you?" she heard him ask before his hand touched her. "What are you doing, mister?!" she asked moving away. "Mister? Lady, I am taking you out of here and what do you mean you aren''t an intruder? Clearly, you aren''t a guest or you wouldn''t have walked in here nor are you a servant else I would have recognized you," he said. "I am a new servant," she introduced herself quickly. Not wanting to reveal that she was a ve which she felt ashamed of she decided to stick with being a servant for now. "The butler didn''t mention anything about it." "Because I am new. Could you lead me to the baths?" "Sure, give me your hand," he said but Penny was insistent on not giving it to him. "No. You can keep speaking so that I follow your voice or you bring antern in here," Penny had been schemed enough for this month and didn''t want to keep the tab building where she was being manipted by strangers or her rtives. "For a servant, you sure have high standards," the man stated, nheless he said, "Stay where you are while I go bring thentern. Thest thing I need is an injured woman in here." For a few seconds, Penny was back to be surrounded by silence and she waited until she saw a light approaching her. A man who came walking towards her. He wore simr clothes to what the other servants wore which pale brown in color. Hair that looked brown in color along with matching eyes. As his eyes fell on her, she heard him ask, "What happened to you?" Instead, she asked, "Can you take me to the bath?" It wasn''t that Penny was eager and looking forward to seeing Damien but with his order ofing around the mansion, she wasn''t sure if he was going to wait for her but then why would he wait for her? Asked Penny to herself beforeing upon the answer. To torture her. Yes, that would be the only reason. Her body trembled as a shiver of cold ran through her entire body. "Did you fall down in the mud?" the man asked, his eyes that were slightly nt ncing at her with a humorous smile as if he were enjoying her situation. Penny didn''t answer and instead decided to stay quiet and after feeling awkward herself, she answered him, "I did fall down." "The mud here is much slippery due to the contained water that takes time to go. Be careful with your footsteps," he advised before stopping, "Here it is." Penny came to stand in front of another little passage that had a sheet of cloth-covered which looked to be like a curtain. Seeing the man wait for her to go on, she took a deep breath before going in there to see a small pond which was connected right behind to the mansion yard for the servants. Hoping no one woulde in at this hour of time, she wondered what to wear if she wears to change. Was she going toe out with the same potato sack of her dress that was square in shape? She wondered if she should go back but whom would she ask clothes for? After a lot of fo debate, a woman came from the same passage to hand her the gunny clothes, "The butler asked me to give you this." "Thank you," she bowed her head very thankful. Penny realized she was one of the women who was previously in the kitchen with the other three maids who hadn''t spoken a word before nor did she now, not more than what she was asked to. Seeing the maid leave, she covered the curtain properly that was thin while still internally praying there would be no on to barge in as it seemed like an open bath for the servants which made her wonder if it was also used by not only women but also men. With it being the time of night, Penny consoled herself with the thought that no one would here right now and removed her dress before getting in the ice-cold water. Her body only shivered further when she immersed her n.a.k.e.d self in it, washing as fast as she could,? she wore the dried dress which was handed out by the other maid to change into it. There was nothing she could dry her wet hair and came out of the servant''s quarters, her hair dripping wet at the ends. She caught sight of two guards who were stationed where they weren''t here when she was getting in as if they were present here for her sake. Was Damien keeping an eye to make sure that she didn''t give a slip from here? Penny couldn''t help but wonder to herself. Truth was that she hadn''t even thought about it with the maid and her banter.?Getting back inside the mansion this time in a clean state, Penny saw the butler give her a look before she went up to Damien''s room. Her already cool feet touched the cold marble one step after another and thankfully she didn''t have to meet any other family members on her way. Going to his door, she raised her hand ready to knock on it but instead of knocking her hand stayed mid-air wondering what to do with her having to spend the night with him from now. Two minutes passed before the door opened with Damien looking at her, "Are you nning to sleep on the floor? You are most wee to sleep out here, that''s how most of the pets are treated," she heard him say. Not giving her an opportunity, he said, "Get in," he waited for her to step inside and when she did the door was closed. The lock on the door leaving the sound of a click which made her heart jump. "What took you so much time? It should hardly take five minutes to clean yourself," Damien started to walk around his room while Penny stood at the corner looking at him.?He had changed his own clothes and his inky ck hair looked stuck to each other as he had taken a head bath himself. He took a towel, going to the bed and sitting down. Penny didn''t know what he was doing until he looked at her, "Sit here, little mouse. We need to dry your hair or you might catch a cold." Chapter 33 - Drying wet hair Penny didn''t object but neither did she make a move for a good ten seconds. Seeing him with his legs parted as he sat at the edge of the bed she wondered what to do. "I can do it myself, master Damien. You don''t have to do it for me," she made sure to keep her words as polite as she could. One thing she learned during her punishment was that the rain didn''t matter when you were in it but it was after the rain was over and the wind blew did the actual punishment star where her clothes were utterly drenched and the air blowing on the wet clothes made it that much colder and making her shiver. The dark clouds still hovered in the clouds. If she were to not listen to him, she didn''t know if she could take another round of getting drenched in the rain. And what was the guarantee that this man would put her through something worse than the punishment she had gone through? She was walking on eggshells around him and she had to be careful. "Rubbish. I wouldn''t want you catching a cold. Sit,"? he ordered her while waiting for her with a towel in his hand. And whose fault was it? This man had made her sit in the rain and now was offering to dry hair which she couldn''t help but be suspicious about it. "I can make you sit if it needs to be done," Penny who had been looking at the space in between his legs down on the rug which wasid on the ground snapped her eyes to his face where she saw the nd expression on his face. It looked like he was waiting for her to break another one of his rules so that he could subject her to another punishment. Thest time someone had rubbed her wet hair, it was her mother when she a young girl but with their lives that had turned busy, she had learned to do it without her mother''s help turning to be an independent woman. Reluctantly, Penny walked towards him and sat down. Turning her back to him where she looked at the firece that was giving enough heat to this room. After the cold rain and cold bath where she hade walking with her body half wet and her hair wet, she was happy to feel the warmth this provided her. It made her want to get to bed and sleep. And it didn''t matter if the bed wasn''t soft enough. Penny was used to sleeping on mats, therefore, it didn''t matter to her. "How surprising," she heard him mutter under his breath which was meant for her to hear, "Here, I thought you would object. Such a sweet girl," he praised above her head. She then felt him ce the towel he had been holding on either side of her head. Penny had frankly expected him to be hard on her scalp with his hands which had instantly made her close her eyes. Waiting for him to handle her roughly but it was a surprise when he wiped it gently. The touch was confusing to her. How could a man as crazy as him to have gentle movements? It made her want to close her eyes but this time not due to pain but to the sleepiness that was catching up to her. Her stomach softly grumbled but it didn''t matter. All she wanted was to have a good night''s sleep. The more he wiped with care the more confused it made her. She then felt him move her hair away from one side to ce itpletely on her left shoulder. "Why didn''t you ask for a towel? Don''t you know you will catch a cold again," he ced the towel to start the movement from below to the top. Some hair of her came forward. Penny tried to ignore the sweet feeling of sleepinessing to invade her mind and she looked at the fire that crackled brightly with the woods burning in the firece. "Why are you quiet? Scared that I might snap your slender neck?" asked Damien with a grin on his lips. He saw the slender nape of her neckpletely exposed to his eyes and if needed he could feast on her. The blood underneath her was warm and was quietly understandable with the heat that was passing with the help of the firece, "How are you finding this? Speak, little mouse." Penny opened her mouth, framing her sentence to say, "It feels good, master Damien," the best was to be in good terms with him, she thought to herself. This vampire''s mood swings were hard to predict and she knew if she tried to understand him, she would lose her sanity in the process. She wondered if Damien actually meant for her to take bath in the servant''s quarters. Of course, she had bathed here once but she wasn''t a guest but the ve he had bought. Why would any master let their ve take a bath in their own bathroom? "Good. From nowe to me every time you take a head bath. I will be sure to wipe it for you," when she didn''t reply, she felt him pull her hair lightly to gain her attention. "Yes," she answered him. "Yes, what?" he asked her testingly. "Yes, master Damien. I wille to you from now," she replied. Her current situation felt nothing less to a person holding a knife on her neck only difference was that here it wasn''t a knife but a pair of fangs. Hearing him hum, she let out a sigh to hear him say, "Don''t sigh. Yourck of behavior makes me think that I should take you back to the ve establishment for some good obedience. Tell me, little mouse, how did you get out so soon? Did I ask you this before? Well, still enlighten me again and don''t bother to lie to him. If I find one lie I will make sure you wished you didn''t. Just the truth." Penny wondered if this was one of his games he was ying with her. Apart from her and her cellmate, or ex-cell mate of hers, no one knew what they had done. "I can go enquire the same with the warden," hearing the warden''s name Penny suddenly felt worried. "Will you send me back there?" she asked him with a quiet voice. Penny was a brave girl but she was scared for what Damien was capable of and what he might do. Until now all she had seen a man dead at his feet where he had sucked the blood out, he had chopped the auctioneer''s fingers. Damien had also drunk blood from a woman but this might have been something he or the other pureblooded vampires did. Penny didn''t want toe in any of those options of what he had done. She had been cheeky with him but she didn''t want to test it. "Do you want me to send you there?" when she heard him ask, Penny turned her head carefully without much movement as his hands were still on her head with the towel. "Please don''t send me there," she pleaded with him. Damien titled his head. "How do I know you won''t run away from me, little mouse?" Damien let the towel slip away from his hand, cing one of his hand on her head where he touched the wet strands of her hair which was drying up thanks to him and the fire in front of them, "I have been very lenient with you. Do you agree?" Was this a trick question? asked Penny to herself. If she said yes, what if he punished her more severely the next time? What if she said no and he showed her anyways how sever his punishments went. "I don''t like you being quite. Speak your mind, unlike those other peasants?" his eyes shifted from her head to meet her eyes. "I don''t know," she responded back. "I can hear the pulse here," he ced his finger on her neck, "The vein that connects to the other ones where we bite in for a good drink. Has anyone ever tasted you?" "No, master Damien," she answered him when she realized what he meant. Having been part of a town that had almost no vampires living with them, she didn''t have much exposure to the night creatures. The man was stranger than yesterday or day before yesterday, thought Penny to herself, "So tell me. What did you do toe out without a mark?" Damien stood up from the bed, going to ce the towel in the bathroom and he came out giving her time to speak. "I added my name in the list," Penny decided to keep the other woman''s name out of it. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to give her credit but more than the credit she didn''t want to highlight the woman but tying her to the crime that was done in the establishment. Somewhere Penny believed that Damien would take it to y it against her to harm another person who was remotely rted to anything. "You know to write?" asked Damien, a little more than surprised as it wasn''t often he met a woman who knew how to read or write. And it was even rarer for humans to be well versed in the art of literature itself. "I learned to read and a little my name," she saw him walk around the room. His bare feet padding on the ground withnguid footsteps. "What about the mark? For one I know, ves are often branded on the first day or is it the second the branding of ves takes ce after the entry in the establishment? Even the most fortunate ones cannot evade the branding. I doubt anyone has ever escaped it. But my little mouse appears to be smart," Damien who was rummaging through his cupboard for something turned over his shoulder to look at her, his extremely intelligent, crazy eyes looking at her. "I was sent to the confinement cell on the very first day there-" "My, what a troublesome ve," interrupted Damien with a chuckle on his lips, "What did you do to catch the punishment on first day?" "ves there are supposed to strip their clothes and then go to bathe. I refused and ended up in the confinement cell," Penny caught a pleased expression on his face as if he was happy and delighted to hear with that." "But you had to cave inter," Penny nodded her head to his words. "Seems like this is a loophole in the ve establishment. I will be sure to let the guards to know about it so that they can have a better check in the future," he grinned. Penny frowned slightly, "What''s the matter? Don''t want me to?" he asked her. Penny didn''t know why but she felt it was better the guards didn''t know about it, "What if I end up there again?" it was a fear that hade to reside in her mind since she had left the ve establishment? "If you stay here with me, you shouldn''t worry about it. Unless you n to run away now," he gave her a pointed look. Chapter 34 - Bedroom Uploading 3 chapters, until chapter 36. It seemed like an open warning to her that that was what was going to happen if she were ever to run away. She didn''t understand if it was a vampire thing but why did he want to keep her here? Was she nothing but part of his amus.e.m.e.nt where he would enjoy threatening and scaring her. He could have gone for any other ve but to her misfortune or fortune, this man had bought her not for hundreds but thousands of gold coins. When the door to the room was knocked upon, Damien didn''t even bother to look and he said, "Come inside, Falcon," it appeared that he knew just by the sound of the knock or time of who had arrived at his door. In came the butler with a trolley that had food, "Leave it here. Dismissed," Damien''s words were very short and the butler didn''t go stand for another extra second. He stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. Penny eyed the food which had delicious-looking food on it. The smell was magnificent which made her mouth water at the smell of it. Damien had his eyes on Penny, the sight of her drooling over the food that had arrived. "Eat what you want," he said.?Penny who had been staring at the food, her head snapped to look at him. He was being serious??"Did you think that is what I would say?" "..." this man was wearing her out and soon her soul would be departing away from her body. Penny nodded to herself internally that that was what was going to happen to her if she stayed here for a couple more weeks. "I haven''t had my food this morning or noon. The master gets fed first and thenes the pet into the equation. Go sit on the bed," he ordered her. He dipped his finger in one of the dishes when his eyes didn''t break away from her where he put the finger into his mouth to give a hum of approval, "So tasty," he murmured after he pulled out his finger from his mouth. He put the food he wanted to eat on his te one after another where Penny had to tear away her gaze from him as well as the sight of the te that he had held in his hand, "Do you know how to cook?" "Yes." "What do you know to cook?" he asked her as he walked around toe and sit right next to where she was. Penny didn''t know what was this art of torture but whatever it was, it was very effective. She had thought he was being gentle with her when he was toweling her wet hair but his switch in mood and personalities where like hot and cold whish which she wasn''t able to grasp. "The basic cooking one needs to live their life by. I don''t think I can cook something like this though," she answered him without looking at him but straight at the wall which was below the firece. "Right. I don''t think the family of the peasants have ess to the spices that are imported and sold at high prices at the ck market," his words were casual. It wasn''t meant to make her feel lower as that was how Damien spoke without holding back his words but that didn''t mean it didn''t make Penny feel small. She had never been or had never found the opportunity to converse and mingle with the elites, making her world limited to only people of her own status. "What are you sulking sitting there for?" "Nothing," she didn''t want to talk to him right now. Damien''s eyes slightly narrowed at her snipped answer which he disliked, "Nothing? What did I say about making you do things and you obeying me?" Penny gritted her teeth, her jaw clenched out of the hunger,?"You promised to feed me without depriving me of food." "Who said I was depriving you of food?"?Hearing this, she turned to look at him where she caught him staring at her intently, "Open your mouth, little mouse," Penny''s face suddenly caught fire and she looked away. "I can eat it myself." "The words were very clear and you said it. I will ''feed'' you, now don''t be stubborn or you won''t have this or anything else," Damien''s eyes were lit up in amus.e.m.e.nt. Enjoying the girl''s reaction where she looked utterly fl.u.s.tered by his words, "Say, ahhh," he sang and Penny''s cheeks turned redder by the seconds that passed. "Why are you doing this to me?" "Doing what?" "This," she said before adding, "Master Damien," so that she wouldn''t offend him by even mistake. Damien c.o.c.ked his head to the side, his face changing one to the expression of wonderment, "But you said you wanted to eat, didn''t you?" "Yes, but-" she herself stopped not knowing what to do with this night creature who was hell-bent in torturing her. When she saw a grin start to appear on his face, she was speechless, "Why are you doing this to me?" her words and voice turned softer than usual as if she were tired. "Because I like tormenting you. I have never felt this sense of pleasure with anyone else, do you know why that is so?" he asked her as if intrigued by his own words. Those red eyes of his looked at her unwaveringly which made her feel more exposed to his antics. Why was he saying it as if it were a good thing? Being tormented wasn''t a good feeling, it was a terrible feeling. "Because I am your ve?" she asked him, gulping down when the grin turned to a smile. Leaning closer to her, he whispered as if it were a secret which no one was supposed to hear, "You are special, little mouse," Penny blinked back at him. Tormenting and troubling a person meant the person was special? This man sure needed his words to be checked before he said those. "You don''t believe me," his expression suddenly flipped to one of being sad. As if suddenly hurt by the thought of her not believing, "Last chance, open your mouth or stay hungry until next night," with her stomach grumbling, she was left with no choice but to part her mouth open, "Good girl," he praised her before feeding the food with the fork and asionally switching it to spoon. In that time of him feeding her, Damien didn''t take one bite from the food which she noticed to look down at the te. "Aren''t you going to eat?" She did remember him mentioning how he hadn''t eaten his meal since morning and he had been starving. "What a good pet I have who is worried about her master," saying this he put one more spoon into her mouth and the next one went to his mouth, "Soon we will have a harmonious rtionship between us. Who knew that one punishment in the rain would work wonders," he chuckled, "Seems like you have a lot of things to say though right now. Open your mouth," he said again to put the spoonful of food back into her mouth. Penny shook her head and he responded back with, "Your face tells otherwise. Just to make sure, I will take you somewhere soon when I am free. We need to make sure you know you are in good hands," she didn''t understand what that meant and only continued to chew her food, "An example is I have never fed anyone until now. Except for the wolf-like dog that is chained behind at the shelter, you are the only human. You should feel privileged that this master of yours is taking time to feed you. I also call you little mouse." "I can-" "I know you have hands, Penny. I am not blind unless you think otherwise now," his voice was curt as if wanting to keep her where she belonged and not have here up in status just because he called her yfully to be special, "It''s a sweet name. Little mouse, you will know in time," Penny wondered if she would stay or survive until that time which Damien spoke of, "Want more?" "I am full," she answered him. Damien didn''t inquire further. One because he was too great to ask his ve the same question twice. Two because he wanted her to learn that if she needed something, she would have to voluntarily ask him without him asking her. When it came to the time to sleep, Penny instead of sitting on the bed had stood up when the butler arrived to take the food back which was emptied along with the trolley. Damien who had worn the soft quilt like slippers beneath his feet removed it to get inside the bed. As he sorted the nket on him, he found Penny standing at the foot of the bed like a statue, "Do you need a special invitation to get in?" "I will be sleeping here? I don''t mind taking the floor, Master Damien. A ve shouldn''t-" just as she started to reason out so that she wouldn''t have to share the bed with him, she stopped speaking again with the way he looked at her right now. "Don''t test my patience, Penny. I am tired so close your mouth and get into the bed. Now." Penny didn''t like this special treatment. She didn''t mind being a maid and working here but this here wasn''t something eptable yet the way he looked at her where there was no smile on his face. Damien looked nothing less to a ferocious wolf that was waiting for its prey to make a mistake so that it could pounce on the poor prey. "Blow out the candle lights on the stand and at the top up there. You will find the pipe at the side. Get inside the bed after that," he ordered before turning his back on her for a little while so that he could pick up the book thatid in one of his drawers. Penny searched for the pipe Damien mentioned and started to blow out the candles that were up in the chandeliers. Once she had done her work of blowing the candles while keeping only the ones near him lit as he was reading the book. She dragged her feet close to the bed... Chapter 35 - No where to run It appeared that they were not only sharing the same bed but also the same nket.?Penny gingerly lifted the covers and got inside the bed while making sure she stayed as far as she could from him. If she were to move further to her left, she would only fall t on the carpeted marble floor where there was no carpet. She had slept on this bed before therefore she had a good memory of how soft the bed was or is but to have the vampire next to her, she doubted she would be able to sleep soundly. Taking a peek at him, she noticed a ss that sat on top of his nose which she hadn''t seen before. Did pureblooded vampires have sses? How strange, thought Penny to herself.?Seeing that he wasn''t talking to her anymore and was busy reading his book, the man somewhere looked much more reasonable along with his aura which looked calmer right now as he was concentrating on now bothering anyone. The candlelight that fell on his face from themp that was stationed on his side of the desk gave out a shade full appearance from where she saw. A silhouette where she took in the note that if the man wasn''t odd and rude, he could be taken to be one of the decent and handsome man of the night creaturemunity but it wasn''t so. He looked sensible right now. Without wanting to disturb him, her head sank further into her pillow, pulling the nket close to her nose where only her eyes were visible. With her drenched in the rain and a good meal in her stomach, she slowly started to doze off until her eyespletely shut itself to take her to the dreands. Damien who had been reading his book finally closed it, cing it on the table where his transparent ssed were pulled away from his face to ce it atop of the book. His eyes nced towards the girl whose face was turned to look at his side of the bed. The girl slept peacefully, though the initial jitters that were running through her mind and nerves which were clear as the day itself she was in deep sleep now. Absolutely having no self-awareness of where she was with her guard down. Hershes were long which dusted on the upper part of her cheek. Her lips slightly parted as she breathed in and out. Her jade green eyes were closed which he knew always liked or tried to understand what he was trying to do which only made it that much interesting. The nket sharing and if he were to reach further and move underneath it he was sure he would be able to reach her. The bed heating up not only because of the firece but also the person who slept on the bed right now. One of her hands was loosely clutched together to a fist. She looked defenseless, just like the girl whom he had seen the first time. Going back to look at themp next to him. He blew the candle to dim the room and the night passed. Penny who was in her own dreand dreamed about her mother who was preparing something in the small kitchen of their house as Penny herself sat on top of one of the b to look at her mother cook as she had no one else to talk to except for her own mother. The vigers weren''t weing with a few things which had turned them hostile against the mother and the daughter, leaving them on their own. At a certain point, the dream hazed out, waking her up because of a bird that had chirped next to the window toter fly away. As her eyes slowly started to focus back in the room. Penny felt a certain heaviness slightly above her waist which made it difficult for her to breath. Wondering what was stopping from breathing the morning air, she looked at the top ceiling of the bed to finally shift her eyes at the arm that was wound around her waist. Penny''s eyes widened to the point that she felt it was going to pop out of her eye socket. Her eyes quickly moved to the man whom the arm belonged to, his head considerably close to her where one side of the face was resting on the pillow while the other exposed. Oh, dear lord! Penny screamed in her mind. Scared and worried, she took his arm as carefully as she could without waking Damien up who was sound asleep. She prayed to God desperately he wouldn''t wake up to look at them in thispromising situation. Her chastity would be questioned by her future husband, and the more she thought about it the more she started to panic. Freaking out internally she raised his arm, inch by inch until it was hanging in the air and she felt his arm about to go back to hold her waist, she rolled right around to fall on the ground with a light thud. Before he could wake up with the sound and the movements she ran to bathroom and behind the curtains to have her heart patted as she patted it above her chest due to the thudding sound it made. That pervert master! She should have known this would happen but she had hoped for him to behave with her decently. Until now all he had done to her was torture but never doing anything close to s.e.x.u.a.l. Next time she was going to sleep she wasying pillows once he was asleep to make sure he wouldn''t cross the boundaries between them. Looking at her reflection in therge mirror that was on the wall she caught sight of her where her cheeks were burning hot out of sheer embarrassment. Taking a deep breath, she peered through the curtain to see Damien who had pulled the pillow she had her head on to hold it in his arms to sleep. No matter if it were a habit or not this vampire was not only crazy, odd, narcissist, bipr but also a pervert now, she silently red at him before stepping out of the bath. Stepping outside the room didn''t seem like an option at the moment as she didn''t know who she was going to meet. No matter what he had made her do and had told her, there was something that had ringed in her mind. Last night when they were done pulling the weeds with his little education, he had told her not to go following people blindly here it being his own house. With that little warning of his, she decided to listen to him. Even if he hadn''t given her to eat food by herself. He had fed her like a child making her do one embarrassing thing after another. Going to stand next to the window, she gazed out at the estate of the Quinn which had nothing much in here. Penny wondered how she would escape from here with Quinn''s residence that was built at the top of the hill with a few trees around which was led through the bridge to go out from here to go anywhere. It was the bridge which was the most difficult of all was passing through there without the guards not noticing was an impossible task. Jumping from one of the rooms wasn''t an option as it was surrounded by water, the shore often getting high at night where the water hitting the hill and the building could be heard. She was no swimmer to swim, all she could do was handle herself for two minutes before someone either came to pull her out or her body sunk into the water body. Would she be able to getaway? If yes, then when was it going to happen? she asked herself these questions. And as Penny was busy talking to herself within her mind looking out at the forest and the garden right below them where they were sitting together yesterday, she failed to notice that the man on the bed was watching every movement of hers like a hawk. Damien had woken up when Penny had touched her soft hands on his, trying to move. Instead of taking away and beingzy, he had decided to let it be while seeing what the girl was going to do. It was amusing to see the girl trying to escape him but he didn''t forget the way her slender waist felt in his arms. He himself hadn''t realized holding her in his sleep, he now stared at her where she, in turn, was looking outside the window. By the line of her sight, it was evident that she wasn''t looking at the garden anymore but the forest, the world beyond this mansion which he wasn''t willing to send her to. She was bound to him now. Though he hadn''t ced a master-ve bond he wouldn''t let her go anywhere out of his sight, not anytime soon and the truth was never. Damien didn''t have the habit of letting anything go. Once his eyes were set that was it. He wasn''t the kind to make impulsive decisions, never had he done and he had prided himself on it. Since the time he had set his eyes on this human, she had already turned to his before he even bought her from the ck market. The little mouse was struggling, hoping to free itself from the paws but what it didn''t know was that it was never going to happen. Freedom wasn''t an option it was one of the reasons he had got her to give an oath that she would abide by him through her own words. Penny who had been staring outside finally felt the stare on her to which she turned her face to look at Damien who was up and staring at her, "How was your sleep?" he asked her. "It was okay." "Just okay?" he raised his eyebrows as if disappointed... Chapter 36 - How to make a tie Was he perhaps awake before she had dashed to the bathroom? "I give you afortable bed which has been specially designed to my liking which you will find nowhere in thesends and you say it was okay?" Penny thanked her stars that he wasn''t talking about what she had thought and maybe he really was sleeping at that time. "Afortable bed doesn''t assure a person a good sleep. Sometimes a hard floor with freedom gives the satisfaction of sleep which cannot be found in the restriction of a room no matter how expensive and good the bed the person sleeps," Penny wasn'' meaning to offend but he had told herst night to speak to him. Taking a little liberty out of it, she spoke feeling a bit brave this morning. Damien noticed that she was still a feisty little mouse trying to run and he didn''t mind in letting her lead on that there was still hope until she woulde to realize there was none of what she thought to be left. In turn, she would learn it wasn''t the cat who had caught the mouse but wolf which would tear her apart if she were to lie and leave. "You never know what insect or animal wille crawling through the floor to bite and infect you with. There are reasons sometimes why a person is shifted from one lifestyle to another," he gave her the response in the same vigor without taking her words offensively. This girl had a mouth of her own and of course, she would, thought Damien to himself which only made her that much more intriguing. Penny didn''t have aeback to his insect retort, how was she supposed to go about it? Use a broomstick to kill the insect or her shoe? But then it didn''t seem like he was actually talking about actual insects and animals. Though partly she agreed and could rte after some time that the insects could be considered in her case her uncle and aunt as well as the ve establishment people who had smuggled and kidnapped her to sell her off. As if reading her expression, Damien said without a miss of heartbeat, "You are safe here. We''ll be going out today." "Out?" "Yes, do you have a problem with that?" upon Damien''s question, Penny asked herself, who was she to ask him that question when the great master Damien had already decided what she was going to do today. "I would love to apany you outside, master Damien," she bowed her head. Aplete degree of change in her attitude from what she was feeling inside. "Penny...what if I said I knew what went in that mind of yours?" "What?" the color in her face started to drain at the thought of what if? Oh, God, she was going to die today, wasn''t she? Dread was all that filled her when he chuckled. "So easy to fool. Go get yourself cleaned. We''ll be going right after breakfast," he ordered, pushing the covers off his body where the top buttons of his shirt were open making her look at the well defined manly chest of his which was taut to look at. She quickly looked away before he wouldment anything more than what he had done. Thankfully he didn''t and he went to the bathing room. Penny guessed that she was supposed to go to the servant''s quarters to wash. Ready to leave the room she headed to the door when she heard Damien''s voice, "Where do you think you''re going?" he had pushed away from the curtain for her to see his bare torso as he had removed his shirt wearing only his loose pants that hung on his hip bones. With a little amount of difficulty, she tore away her eyes from his body that looked nothing less to a statue she hade across in the town and viges she had the opportunity to walk into. "I-I," she stuttered, clearing her throat she said, "You said to clean..." "What did you roll in the mud after your bath yesterday to be dirty? You don''t need to take another bath. Washing your face here should be enough." Penny sighed, to hear him ask, "What?" "Nothing, master," speaking a word more was always harmful than speaking less seeing his eyes narrow she bowed her head. She had forgotten he was still here. This man was one day going to kill her, she just knew it, said Penny agreeing to her thoughts. She stood with her back against the wall until he himself had taken his time to bath and getting ready where she looked away when he entered the room again. Taking the opportunity she had got to the bathing room to ssh some water and wipe her face with the already used towel. When she out, she saw him standing in front of the mirror, hearing him ask her, "Do you know to tie a tie?" he looked at her through the mirror where she came to shake her head. Penny hadn''t ever got to learn how to tie one. Coming from a poorer background, men didn''t have use for such essorized clothing when they could put the same money in something more useful, "Come, stand here. Let me teach you." Penny walked towards him, feeling quite dirtypared to him as she hadn''t got to shower but then if she considered it, she was much cleaner than the time she had arrived here at the mansion. Going to him, she stood in front where he turned to face her. Due to their close proximity again she realized how tall he was when she looked smaller in sizepared to him. Damien who was wearing a grey shirt had the tie ced around his neck which was yet to be made. "Step closer unless you have long hands that are going to stretch by themselves," he said seeing the amount of distance she had ced between them. Penny awkwardly took a step forward where he raised the two ends of the tie to show her how things went in and out and around until it was finally pushed up to settle between his neck, "Do you think you can do it?" he asked her. Penny had tried memorizing as much as she could in the first go, nodding her head she saw Damien loosen the tie an unwind it before letting them fall down on either side of his neck, "Go ahead." On his word, Penny raised both her hand, a little hesitant at first as she tried to remember what he had shown her, "Put it around," he instructed her when something went wrong. "Yes, master Damien," she answered him, following his instructions closely while running her hand on the smooth velvety tie until she finally got it right. She stepped away from him, feeling a little pleased for having aplished a simple task of learning how to make a tie. "Such a simple girl," hemented, his words yful as he turned back to look at the mirror and himself. Penny wondered why he called her simple girl when she had only listened to his instructions on what to do. Not questioning him as he seemed to appear in a good mood, she followed him out of the room to go to the dining room. Penny didn''t have to be told twice, sitting a few steps away from Damien on the cold ground to see the other family members of the house who had already taken their respective at the table. She was given a bowl of food where she quietly ate without much noise like she didn''t exist but no matter how much she tried to camouge herself in the background, the people of the house here had a keen eye. She had received a smile from Lady Maggie but somewhere as the vampiress turned her head away to look in the front, she looked apologetic which made her confused as to what had got thedy to have such expression on her face. And on the other side, there was the youngest sibling, Lady Grace who was surely a year or two younger to Penny herself who was looking at her with narrowed eyes. Not knowing what the little vampiress was angry about, she tried to ignore but it was hard to concentrate on her food. She did look like a spoilt brat who liked getting her way and the friction between the siblings was something that was starkly visible. Lady Maggie was the first one to break the silence in the room where she spoke, "Father, I would be distributing the cards tomorrow. I have got them written down and will go by the shop to make sure everything is ording to how it was intended to be." "I would like to tag along with you, Sister Maggie," Grace chimed in wanting to be part of whatever Lady Maggie was speaking of, "It is alright, right?" "Why not," their father spoke, "You both can go pick up the cards. I have asked for more servants to help in so that Falcon will be less burdened." "More servants?" asked Damien''s step-mother, "The butler is versed with handling the servants and getting the job done. Thest thing we need is servants whom we don''t know if they are capable enough to handle the job without making a clumsy fool of themselves and the guests. It is, after all, an important day, dear." The man gave her an assuring smile which looked peaceful, "They are the trusted servants of the Ericson''s. The more hands to help that much better it would be for us to have the party that has is being arranged, Fleur," said Damien''s father. Penny noticed that there was an asioning up in the mansion here which the family was preparing for. Not knowing what it was for, she concentrated on the food she had been given but with her ears listening to Quinn''s conversation. "It is thedy''s birthday," this perked her ears and Penny couldn''t help but raise her head subtly wondering why thedy was referring to herself as a third person. At first, she thought it was Mr. Quinn''s birthday but it wasn''t so. "Yes, like every year, she will be remembered for the lovely person she was," it dawned on Penny that they weren''t speaking about this woman but Mr. Quinn''s first wife, Master Damien and Lady Maggie''s biological mother. Turning her gaze to look at her master, she saw him hardly bothering to involve himself in the conversation where he was picking the food with his fork and eating it like the talk wasn''t taking ce. Chapter 37 - Tell me more- Part 1 A note: ''Bambi and the Duke'' is nowpleted with 275 chapters. Don''t miss the future and interviews in the book. If you have missed the note, this is the 4th book in the series: Book 1: Valerian Empire Book 2: Heidi and the Lord Book 3: Bambi and the Duke Book 4: Young master Damien''s pet ~ Penelope didn''t understand his expression, subtly she went back to eating her food while asionally looking at Damien who hadn''t spoken anything about it. She didn''t understand the pureblooded vampires here. She had heard about celebrating birthdays but celebrating the ones who had already passed away and wasn''t going be there, she didn''t know why they were counting the years. Every once in a while, Penny nced at the man and at one fine moment, Damien''s eyes snapped at her as if annoyed with her constant gaze on him. Penny whose eyes met, she quickly looked away from his eyes. Who knew that the man had an invisible eye all around his head. "Damien, are you not going to take part in it?" asked the step-mother, her voice sweet as sugar which made Penny twitch slightly. She could see why Damien didn''t get along with the step-mother and the step-sister. They were overly sweet which made her own skin crawl, not to forget their attitude but then she had also heard on how every vampire behaved like this. High and mighty, pompously which shouldn''te as a surprise to any other creatures. "I will bring her grave some flowers," he answered calmly, dabbing his mouth elegantly on his mouth before dropping down the napkin and standing up from his seat. "What about here? The decoration? We need to decorate the mansion and make it look magnificent," stated Grace excited for the oing party. Damien leaned over the table, picking up a few gr.a.p.es from the table to pop some in his mouth, "I will pass," he answered nonchntly. Penny very discreetly looked around at the other family members. Maggie didn''t go to say anything and instead continued to eat, the mother-daughter duo stared at Damien unhappy about theck f contribution. Fleurance began, "She wouldn''t be happy-" "She was my mother. Not yours," Damien interrupted her before she could go any further with the discussion. The already quiet atmosphere in the dining room went dead silent. Penny herself felt extremely awkward that she felt she was intruding on something she was not supposed to see or hear. She wondered if it was alright to excuse herself to the bathroom so that she could breathe muchfortably. She didn''t know what was up with this family but it felt that there was something unspoken between the Quinn''s, "Now if you''ll excuse me. I have somewhere to go. Have a lovely day,dies and gentlemen," he looked at Penny as if indicating to get up and follow him. She was yet toplete thest two spoons in her bowl, she stared down at the bowl and then up at him before dropping it on the ground. Though the man had only spoken out words, she could feel the coldness in his tone in which he had spoken on the subject. Following him hot on his tail, Penny walked with her bare feet to feel the cold marble floor beneath her feet. Due to the cold weather of Bonke which was brought by the rain, the temperature here was always chill, freezing the floor and other objects. Not knowing where they were going, she followed him anyways as he had silently asked her to. A maid who was at the door hurriedly went to the coat stand to pick up his coat. But before the human maid could help him wear, Damien raised his hand for her to stop. "Give it to her," he ordered the maid. The maid not having to hear it twice literally pushed it in Penny''s hands. Waving his hand for her to leave, he waited for Penny to do the job. Seeing the mood he was in, Penny didn''t make use of her smart mouth and stepped forward before opening the jacked, helping him wear it. Damien then walked past the entrance of the door, waiting for the carriage to be brought in the front. Standing a little away from him where Damien noticed the distance, his eyes moved to the corner, watching her who then spoke, "What is with the distance?" Penny was sure now that his mood was awful. Was it the preparation for his deceased mother''s birthday that had got him in such a foul mood? He had appeared to be alright in the morning but since they had stepped into the dining room, his mood had turned like this instead of torturing and annoying her. Penny took a step closer to which could barely be considered to be a step. The distance was stillrge with at least a good four steps between them. When she looked up at him, she noticed his narrowed red eyes staring at her. Gulping softly, she took another step. Why was he getting annoyed with her? She hadn''t even spoken a word. Not to forget she had helped him get into the jacket. "Don''t test me, Penny. Stand here," his eyes looked at the ground next to him. A heart quivered but she didn''t express it on her face. Taking two more steps she stood for the carriage that was parked behind toe around and stand in front of them. The coachman first bowed before opening the carriage door for Master Damien. As Penny was a mere ve, the coachman made no effort to help her step in, and it wasn''t that she waiting for the coachman to give her hand. Getting inside she sat on the opposite seat to face Damien whose eyes had decided to stick on her. As if he wasn''t looking at her, Penny''s eyes moved around the inside of the carriage to feel the vehicle to start moving. The first one minute she tried her best to not look at him but the man was stubborn who refused to look anywhere else. Finally giving up, she looked into his eyes. She wondered if he had something to tell her but how could she when he was the way he was right now. "You have beautiful green eyes. How did you acquire those?" he asked her. Was that why he was staring at her? "Mother told me I acquired it from father," she answered him for his to tip his head. "Told? Did he die?" Master Damien really needed to learn how to speak in a more gentler way and not as if he were stabbing people with his words, thought Penny. But it didn''t bother her that much, as the sensitive topic it was Penny had never seen or been able to spend time with him as she was too young when he left home who never returned back. "No, he didn''t pass away." "What happened?" asked Damien, his eyes slightly narrowing to look at her in the interest in her story, "Did he run away?" Penny knew that Damien wouldn''t let go of the matter and would only dig further if she showed the unwillingness of sharing a personal family issue of hers. "I don''t know...He was out at work in the morning but he never returned back after that day," this was what her mother had told. Chapter 38 - Tell me more- Part 2 She hoped that her father was still alive and safe. A number of possibilities could be pulled up on what might have happened that the man had to leave his wife and daughter alone. One of them, her mother had to hear the most which was worse that her father had run away from home with another woman. Penny didn''t believe it though. Not at least with the stories she had heard from her mother about how they had spent their few years together. Another possibility that hade up was that he was taken away by the ck witches. Though not many ck witches entered their vige, it didn''t stop the witches residing in the heart of the forest to only take and kill people for their own personal use. "You are still waiting for his return," he stated. Penny didn''t answer him and instead stayed quiet. She didn''t know if she was waiting for her father but she had never dered him dead. With so many possibilities she had kept her options open. "What happened to your mother? I read that you lived with your uncle and aunt. What happened?" he asked her further questions. "She passed away a few months. As I have no other family, my aunt decided to take me in." "Doesn''t seem like it turned out great," Damien leaned his back against the seat as if observing her very keenly. "You say it because I ended up in the ve establishment?" "Hmm," he hummed in agreement, "Which rtives sell their niece for some measly money. Utterly disgusting creatures," Penny''s eyebrows frowned and she looked at him in curiosity now. "Did you go check with them?" she leaned forward waiting for him to reply. It was something that had been lingering in her mind since she was put in the ve establishment and had been wanting to know if it was them who had put her in this current situation. "What will you do knowing the answer, Penny? Haven''t you heard ignorance is bliss? That is why most of the humans are idiots yet happy," by Damien''s words it was hard to know if he was insulting them or was somewhere jealous of their lives but Damien was never jealous of such pointless matters. The man considered himself to be a supreme person who was of high importance which he was. "Were they the ones who put me the ve establishment?" Seconds seemed to pass by as Damien took his very own sweet time to answer her, "What do you think?" he asked her instead of giving her the answer she was waiting for. "They did..." "They did," he confirmed her, watching her expression where the girl''s eyebrows furrowed even further, "I should say though, they sold you very cheap or were swindled by the broker who took you to the establishment. I mean what is seventy silver coins. And here I paid for five thousand." "Three thousand, master Damien," Penny corrected him to see the smile back upon his lips. Who knew that this man could bargain the gold coins and it wasn''t ten or twelve coins but a good two thousand gold coins which he didn''t pay as told during the ongoing auction. For someone who had a lot of money, this one knew to save it well, thought Penny in her mind while having an eye contest with the vampire. Breaking away the eye contact she turned to look outside the window, the trees passing one after another in a series of lines which were green in color. After what Damien said, Penny felt her heart sink in her chest. To think that her rtives had actually sold her for the silver coins. For Master Damien, the silver coins were like penny''s in her own hand but only a family and a person who belonged to the lower society knew how hard it was to earn a good silver coin when there was no way to save the money due to the daily expenditure. But how could they do it? The people whom she was supposed to rely on were no reliable who was she supposed to trust? When own blood rtives didn''t protect one another how could one believe a stranger then??Was her worth only so much? she asked herself, her eyes moistening where she had to blink several times for it to dry up so that she wouldn''t let Damien see her cry. At the same time, she felt Damien raise his hand towards her. Turning to look, she saw a kerchief that he was holding out for her, "You can cry and wail if you want, I wouldn''t mind it," he said making her frown. This cruel man was having fun over her misfortune. When a smirk came up, her lips set itself in a thin line. Yes, she nodded to herself. He was enjoying her current situation. "I am fine, Master Damien." "If you say so. We need to find you a pair of shoes," he said ncing at her feet where she quickly hid it away from his sight, "We don''t want you stepping on something where I will have to take you to the doctor." Thinking about this, she felt like the need to pick her feet up to have a look at the number of times she had stepped on to something. "Give your leg." "Huh?" "Deaf pet raise your leg. I want to take a look," he replied annoyed. Damien wasn''t used to be questioned and it was he who usually asked the questions. Not only that but his pet was making him repeat himself. When he went to reach for it, Penny moved her leg to ce it on his left on the seat awkwardly. Rolling his eyes, he took it in his hand to take a look by lifting it. On the other hand, Penny was utterly embarrassed as she had to cover her dress properly to avoid her legs to be seen. She flinched, pulling her feet back when he ran his thumb on the back of her feet. Catching hold of her ankle so that she wouldn''t move, he pressed his finger on the wound which looked like it had dried up now. Penny''s face was lit up warmly where she looked away from him. Trying to concentrate on the passing trees so she wouldn''t feel the tickle on her bare feet. "Did you step on something else, little mouse?" he asked her, observing her feet, "It doesn''t look like it has been the first time you stepped in two weeks of time," he looked up at her for an answer where she gaped at him. Penny looked at him impressed that he found out about it. He was way too observant with his surroundings and his words brash which he never held back. She was stuck with an outrageous vampire. Chapter 39 - Cold pureblooded vampire- Part 1 "When I was in the confinement cell, there was a nail lying on the ground which I didn''t know of," no one could know with the full darkness one was surrounded and left to spend time in, "I stepped on the nail." "Must have hurt really bad," his words suddenly turned gentle but Penny wasn''t sure if she heard it right," he ran his thumb much more gently, from one side to another which made her heart leap and her body to jerk but his grip continued to be firm around her ankle. Penny could feel his hand touching her skin, which felt warm on her making her fret. "Master Damien,"? she spoke for him to respond with a hum. "What is it?" what? What was what? He was holding her ankle without letting it go. "Could you please let go of my leg," she kept her speech to be docile, a certain passive aggressiveness in it where she wanted him to drop her leg but instead of hearing to her request, Damien only ran his finger over her feet. "Why? Little mouse, let me demonstrate something for you so that you can keep it in your mind. Alright?" At first, she didn''t understand what this demonstration was about until he ran his fingernail sharply against the back of her feet making her cry in pain due to it piercing over her skin. "Please, master Damien," she could feel the burn on her feet which started to hurt. Damien''s eyes fell on the girl in front of him, her face contoured in pain as he had scr.a.p.ed her skin for a small streak of blood to appear in the same ce where she had previously been hurt without letting it heal properly. Instead of letting it go, he then took the same kerchief he had offered her before to tie it back around her feet. Penny didn''t understand why he had hurt her just now. This man''s head was messed up for hurting her for no reason until she heard him speak, "Keep this in mind before you do anything where we are going. One toe out of line and the punishment will be far worse than what you have experienced right now. "I didn''t do anything," she said, taking her feet away to drop it down when his grip loosened. "But you will. Having studied you, there is a possibility that you might do something I might not be happy about. She didn''t understand what he meant by it. She had been careful with her words too after getting drenched in the rain like a wet dog yet she had been punished. Penny was sure that Master Damien needed his head checked. When the carriage was pulled over, Penny first stepped out of the carriage, her footsteps uneven due to the kerchief that was wrapped around her left foot. A huge mansion stood mighty in front of them, but ck walls making it feel eerie which made her suddenly feel cautious. The dark grey clouds hovered all around in the sky, growling threateningly. She wanted to ask him where they were but Damien didn''t wait for her and instead started to walk towards the entrance of the double doors which was left open with two guards on either side of the door. Following his footsteps. Penny stepped inside for his coat which was ready to be taken and he raised his hand. For a moment, Penny was sure that he was going to make her remove his coat here like he had made her help him wear it. But he didn''t. He continued to walk to finally meet a crowd of three people where one was a man and the other two were women. One of the women sat on the plush couch with the man a seat away from her where a boy sat at her feet, massaging her legs as the boy sat on the floor. The boy looked to be around sixteen with freckles on his face. Another woman was standing holding a whip in her hand while staring down at the girl who had kneeled down on the ground. "Damien, how good to see you. We thought you wouldn''te," the man who was undoubtedly another vampire greeted Damien. "I wouldn''t miss such asions. You did say it was two thousand gold coins that would be met. How could I miss it," Damien answered, the lopsided smile on his lips? "Whom have you bought?" the woman who was sitting on the couch questioned when her eyes fell on the girl who stood behind Damien Quinn. "So the rumor is true, Sentencia," the man said looking at Penny who had her head up looking at the people. "What rumor?" asked the woman named Senteicia who was sitting on the couch. "The rumors about Damien who bought a ve for himself," the man gauged Penny up and down, a smirk up his lips where his eyes held the ill intention. It made her ufortable but the way the women in the room gawked at her, it only made her want to go back to the room where Damien had locked her before. The manughed, "I was curious as to what made you spent five thousand gold coins on a lone ve,"?Penny whocked the experience of being a ve abashedly stared back at the man before averting her eyes who was gawking her up and down. He had brown hairs which were neatlybed to the side, the top of buttons of his shirt open making him look not part of a good group but with the way she saw nothing seemed to be good here. "Eyes of my pet Reverale anddies," Damien warned the man with a smile that was etched on his lips brightly. The man raised his hand up to reply, "I wasn''t doing anything." "Of course, you weren''t. You wouldn''t have your eyes or else," Damienughed, in the end, leaving the room quiet. Chapter 40 - Cold pureblooded vampire- Part 2 Penny was taken by the mild threat and she wondered for a minute if Damien was joking about gauging the eyes out. When she turned to look at the man, the vampire seemed to have stopped staring at her and had instead gone to go fetch himself a drink. Damien walked to one of the empty couch where no one sat, leaning his backpletely where he crossed his legs looking at the woman who was standing in the room with the young girl sitting down on her knees. "I see you that your pet has been taking good care of yourself," he chimed in looking at the boy was hadn''t raised his eyes up to look anyone but his mistress'' legs where he massaged her ankles now. "Marcus is a lovely boy, isn''t he?" the woman named Sentencia smiled looking down at her ve which she had personally brought from the ve establishment, unlike Damien who had bought Penelope from the ck market, "Your pet hasn''t learned the code of conduct for the ves," the vampiress said it because of the way Penny was looking at everyone without a hint of obedience in there where the ve hadn''t dropped her gaze. But after seeing hearing this, Penny was smart enough to lower her eyes to the ground where she stood next to Damien. "If you ever need help you can always send her to me," the way the vampiress said it seemed like there was something in that underlying tone of hers. Her red eyes moving from Penny to her own ve who sat at her foot serving her. She raised her bare feet, the tips of her toeing into picture which ran on the boy''s chest up to his neck and then to hold his neck in ce. "As much as Sentencia is good at it, I would personally not mind helping you, Damien," the woman who was standing in front of the girl smirked, "Give me a week and I shall fix her up." "She will learn soon. She''s a new chick in this ce and what is the point of having utter obedience where I cannot punish to my heart''s content," Damien grinned, his lips quirking upon his lips to have Sentencia smile as she tipped her chin knowingly, "What''s gotten her in trouble?" asked Damien curious-looking down at the young girl on the ground. Surely, there was misbehavior which had led to where the girl sat now. "She forgot who is the mistress and who is the ve," chuckled the other vampiress, she ran one of her hand across the rough whip which was in her hand. Her face smiling but the intention in her eyes unkind. "I don''t even know how you thought you could think that it was alright to serve me a green tea when I clearly said I needed it to be ck. Did you turn deaf?" the woman asked. The young girl on the ground looked terribly scared where anyone could see that she was shaking in fear. Her body had crouched on the ground to the point where her forehead now almost touched the cold marble floor.?When she raised her hand with the whip before Penny could fathom what was going to happen, the whip made a shush sound that cut through the air to hit the girl''s side of the body. Penelope''s eyes widened so wide at the sight and sound where she could feel the pain of the leather''s touch on the skin. The ve on the ground didn''t make a sound and rather swallowed the pain in with the sound of cry knowing well that making more sounds would only result in worse punishment. Penelope, on the other hand, couldn''t stop not staring with her mouth agape. She looked toward Damien who only had a passive expression staring at what happened as if it didn''t happen or rather didn''t concern him because the girl was his salve. She raised her body to the slightest which was when Damien turned his eyes to look at her which were vacant yet had a warning in them. She remembered what happened in the carriage. ''This is a warning for you to not to do anything when we go there''. She still remembered the way his sharp nail had cut through her wound to remind her of the times she had stepped on the nail. Her feet trembled slightly at the thought of it. "Go, get a ss of water from the kitchen for me," he ordered her as if having her witness the ve being punished once was enough, "Now," the shock of the whip was enough to bring her to reality where she bowed her head and turned before walking out of the room. She couldn''t believe it. For a simple mistake of tea, thedy was whipping a ve. How could she do that? To turn a blind eye to what was happening right in front of her didn''t feel right. Was this also what Damien meant? He had told her that he was being lenient and wanted to show how lenient he waspared to the other vampire owners who hurt the ves abusively. In the room where Damien sat, he saw Penny step out of the room before his eyes fell back to the ve who got whipped three more times where he finally noticed the small cry which was stifled in her closed mouth. "That should be enough, Yuvaine," said Damien. And though the vampiress wanted to vent out her pleasure on this stupid ve of hers she stopped midway when she raised her hand ready to hit another time. If it was someone else, she would have argued but this was Damien Quinn. "But Damien I haven''t-" "Did you know that green tea is much better than ck tea? The poor thing must have enough to keep her busy with your errands," he said cooly gauging at the girl on the floor and then up at the vampiress who finally turned to look at him with a frown. Chapter 41 - Society of the dark- Part 1 "Are you saying it is my fault?" Yuvaine asked him. "What do you think? What''s the ve''s name again? Raise your head," said Damien to have the ve girl raise her head which was contoured in pain, "Haven''t you been told on what to do and not? How hard is it to remember a tea which your mistress wants?" he questioned. When the ve didn''t speak right away, Damien exhaled, "Speak, don''t fear to answer," he said when the ve went to meet her mistress''s eyes who red down at her. He saw the ve girl gulp where she finally parted her lips, "Madame Yuvaine asked for green tea not ck tea." The vampiress snapped her head to look down at her ve with anger, "The lie is going to cost you your life!" "Hold on, Yuvaine," Damien raised his hand, "Are you sure about it? Like your mistress said, lying and changing facts of the past isn''t a pleasant nature for a ve. Because you will only end up in the ground with mud over your body if you know what I am saying," the young girl pressed her head back on the ground. "I d-do not lie, Master Damien! I only did what the m-mistress a-asked me to. I would never lie," the ve though wanted to speak loudly to clear the misunderstanding, she couldn''t, knowing it would result in another punishment. "The ve isn''t lying, Yuvaine," all the vampire''s gazes fell ondy Yuvaine who furrowed her brows deeper like she didn''t believe it. "I am definitely sure I asked you to bring ck tea. You not only dare to defy me but also lie do you know the consequences to it? Don''t forget your life is mine and I was the one who bought you from the market-" "Lady Yuvaine," Sentencia interrupted Yuvaine, "Maybe you did misspell the word which resulted in your ve bringing something which was told to her. We all know Damien has the ability to detect and smell when there''s a lie. He is an expert in it." "How shameful for you to hitting the ve for your own fault, Lady Yuvaine," Damien tched, clicking his tongue. The way he looked at thedy made her feel as if she was being shamed. "That is not true." "Then what is it?" Damien chuckled, his red eyes stared into hers where his eyes were much darker than her own. He noticed the confusion and the ego which was being shaken now, "I can see the uncertainty in your eyes in there. You are right, she is the ve you bought from the market. Giving her a better roof and decent food where the dogs would eat but don''t you think it quite unkind to stoop low?" The man who had previously been staring at Penny before being warnedughed at this as well. He had taken up a drink from the counter bar. Leaning against the counter, both his hands resting back on top on either side of the counter edge. "Don''t worry, Yuvaine. We all like to spend our frustration on the ves. Isn''t that why we bring ves in here so that we can have them do things on our whim. Else what good are they?" asked the man. Sentencia only smiled without another word being added to the conversation. This mansion belongs to Lady Yuvaine but to have her inviting them to witness these things were a little more than fun. The vampiress was surely one of the dumb vampiresses who liked to show off what they had to while wanting attention on them. "Tell us Damien, for someone who never took an interest in the ves went to buy one himself. Not to forget the outrageous money you spent to just buy her," the man asked him which got the others curious. A lot of them were aware of the dislike Damien had against the ves where he preferred not to have one all these years but having someone for five thousand gold coins, wasn''t it too much thought the ones in the room. Damien turned his head sideways in azy way to see the man at the bar counter sipping his alcohol, "Hmm? Is there a rule applied to me that I cannot have one, Rowan?" The man named Rowan Reveraleughed, "I never said you can''t-" "Then what is it? The story is very short. I went to the market, saw the first ve being auctioned and brought her. Coming to the money," Damien drawled his voice torturously slow, "I rather not havepetition when I have entered something. Raising the coins that high makes sure that I am the only one who has the ability in there to buy a particr ve." "Of course, that sounds very much like you. Who can stop Master Damien from buying what he wants," Rowan raised his ss before taking a sip from it. Penelope who had gone in search of the kitchen met a maid to ask her to get a ss of water. After getting the ss of water in her hand, she went back the way she hade still unable to let go of what she just saw. Her hands tightened around the ss. How could the vampires treat the humans this lowly? Was this how life worked in this side of life? When Penny arrived back in the room, the girl who previously had been subjected to the whip was nowhere in sight but thedy was still in here with the rest of them. Her feet moved quickly towards Damien and she offered the water for him to drink, bending down for him to have an easier reach where she finally stood up when he ced the half-empty ss on the armrest not worried if it was going to fall down and break into pieces. "Sit down, Penny," he said to her and she did as he asked a little worried over the fact that these vampires in here had no heart and would do nothing to stop themselves from deriving pleasure from the pain who were lower to them. Penelope was the young girl who had never seen any harsh punishment sentenced to someone for a trivial matter. Sure she had heard the cry and the screams in the ve establishment but had never witnessed it in first or second hand. Visuals were too much to take than the voice. Having been reduced to a mere ve which was the lowest of the low form where it would take more than an eternity to climb back to a normal life, she could see how people were broken, their soul bent and twisted to the point where they could do nothing but rely on their master and mistresses. She could only imagine the fate she had escaped so closely by having her name ced in the list so that she could quickly be auctioned. God only knew if she could survive if she was in there. She came to realize that as much as a bright the pureblooded vampire''s life appeared to be, the humans who weren''t directly involved with them never got to see their dark side of life where without it they envied the lives they lived. Chapter 42 - Society of the dark- Part 2 While Penny was having her own thoughts, people in the room couldn''t turn away their ear to what he just said. With the ves who were reduced to nothing but dust beneath the pureblooded vampires and the elite human''s feet, it was an obvious treatment that the ve got with derogatory remarks who were degraded by their owners after all their lives belonged to the ones who had bought them. But very few called the ves by their actual names which once in a while raised eyebrows of many of them. Damien though noticing the gaze didn''t bother with such silly things when he had other things to think of. While Penny spent her time behaving like a good ve with her eyes and head down, she could stop feeling the gaze of two people in the room which were both vampire but not one belonged to her master. One was the male and the other one was the vampiress who had previously whipped the human ve. Their stares made her feel extremely cautious and aware of her surroundings were at one point she also wondered if she was not allowed to breath. Having taken a seat on the ground next to Damien, she stayed quiet while the vampires in the room were having their own conversations. When the time to leave came, Penny was thankful for the way time had passed so slow. Hot on Damien''s tail while keeping two steps distance now instead of six steps away from him at the worry of what might happen as right now, the only person she could rely on was her own master. She had always known for women to be more rude and brutal inparison to men when it came to showing off their power and status to others. But this vampiress, she aced all the other females she had met. Unable to gauge the nature of the vampires especially Damien, Penny came to the conclusion that they were all heartless but at the same time, she hoped her master wouldn''t leave her anywhere like this so that she would be subjected to such harsh treatment. For one he had given his word that she would be safe if she stayed next to him and she depended on that one for now. While Damien was bidding his bye to the woman, Lady Yuvain where the man Rowan stood next to her, Penny saw Lady Sentencia walking towards her. The woman was taller than her, maybe as tall as Damien himself or maybe an inch shorter which Penny wasn''t sure but her lean figure which had been hidden with the fur she had been sitting in the couch now had moved away to showcase the dress she wore hugging every inch of her body. Though not well versed with the vampires, the one thing the humans were well well taught was to keep themselves away from a dark redded eye vampire as they were all pureblooded vampires. Her long straight brown hair went below her waist which was left open, the fringes on her forehead stopped just above her eyes which would not hinder her view. Her lips painted in a bright red color that stood out on her paleplexion face. "What''s your name, ve?" asked Lady Sentencia, her voice calmer than the other woman which appeared to be smooth and even as she asked the question. Thedy was a friend of Damien, and maybe one of the only female friend who had never bothered to court the man as she was also a distant rtive of his. Lady Sentencia was as observant as her distant cousin where she didn''t fail to notice the way the girl''s pulse skipped when she used the word ''ve'' to refer to her. "Penelope," Penny had no interest to greet and return pleasantries. Wasn''t she also in there watching the girl get whipped without a word? Right now she only answered because it felt like a knife was ced above her head which she didn''t know when it would fall down. "Don''t be hostile. It is not good for you," said Lady Sentencia as if imparting some advice which would help her get through. The vampiress didn''t ask or say anything further and instead, she turned away from her to join the party who were talking to each other along with Damien where here ve boy followed right behind her. Getting back in the carriage, Damien looked at the girl who appeared to look dull. Penny who was quiet heard Damien say, "Was it too much of shock?" he asked, his lips slightly twisted up. The man had told her to speak freely, therefore she decided to voice her opinion while also keeping boundaries as she said, "I was born in an environment where men and women or children are not treated in a derogatory manner. People have independence and the will of their own. They would never treat anyone for a simple reason of not getting the tea right." "Isn''t that obvious? The people you lived in couldn''t afford to have a decent life if one were to stop working for more than a week, having a ve a treating someone like this is a far fetched thought, Penelope." "Do you agree with what was done in there to be right then?" asked Penny, her voice quieter than before due to the inevitable that she knew was going toe to her as an answer. "It is in the eye of the beholder and the thought the person has up in the mind," Damien raised his hand to ce his finger on the temple, "Which states or allows you to perceive if it is right or wrong. It is wrong in some matter and right at the same time. Do you follow what I mean?" he asked her. Penny frankly didn''t understand and didn''t go to nod. Seeing her nk expression, Damien continued to say, "It is wrong in the matter than Yuvaine whipped her ve for something the maid was not responsible for." "She wasn''t at fault?" Penny confirmed to hear a hum that only boiled the blood in her veins. "Careful mouse. Hold the reins on your emotions, this world isn''t yours but ours. Not even vampires but us the pureblooded vampires who run this world which you only believe to be yours," Penny felt as if she was in a nightmare now which was going to keep recurring until God knows when where she was stuck to this vampire with no escape, "A lot of the humans who are elites believe to be up in the same path and height as ours but in reality it is nowhere close to the truth. Because the only truth is that it is the vampires like us who hold the power and resources on how we want things to be run. A lot of them might not speak up, some will tell you they will help and maybe they will," he paused for a second before continuing to say, "But the help is nothing more than a bite to the meal which they hold." Author''s note: Don''t forget to vote for the book with your power stones. Chapter 43 - Enticing offer- Part 1 Penny could somewhere rte to this as she had gone through or seen things like this ur. The vige she used to live in before and after her mother passed away, it wasn''t a posh one which not even came to be called decent. As Damien had pointed it out, if a person fell short to work and earn in the family, the next one would have to earn to let the family living. Her vige was in a dire situation where the crops were often washed away from the loose soil due to the heavy rain of Bonke. Theirnds were one of the most unfortunate ones which had the worst soil conditions which made it difficult for crop cultivation. This, in turn, made it difficult for the farmers and other people to earn a few shillings that somewhere indirectly affected the others as the crops had to be bought for a higher rate than the usual price. Most of the vigers knew the dealings between the magistrate and the higher up officials where mone was sanctioned for the betterment of the towns or viges which were more than never released to them. Even if more money was released to not burden them with taxation, the man never let them off the hook. "You think it is right?" she asked him. "Which one?" "Hitting the girl who was at fault. No matter the person is a ve or not, they are people with feelings." Penny didn''t know what was funny but Damien started tough, a burst ofughter which didn''t sound condescending but she had not cracked a joke right now. It made her wonder if she said something she wasn''t supposed to. "I should probably make you the representative of the ve association. What do you think, little mouse? I am sure you will be very loved while also be on the receiving end of the punishments," he asked her. She bit her tongue to speak any further than what she just said. Was there a point in her speaking when he was only going to mock at her, "Don''t look at me like that," his words turned sharp which made her turn her gaze away from him. "I didn''t look at you in any way," she responded back. "Really now? What is with the look that says ''This man has lost his mind''?" he raised his eyebrow. For some reason even though he asked her that question, Penny didn''t feel that he was angry at her. Instead, he rather looked to be in a very good mood as if spending time there in the Lady''s mansion had done him good. Penny wanted to smile right now after hearing what he had to say. It was true that she had looked at him as if he had lost it. Not that he hadn''t before this but at the same time she held back her smile without bringing it out. Smiling with him would mean that she was alright with this. "Coming back to what I was saying, it was bad that Lady Yuvaine took that route to punish the ve when the maid was not to be held responsible but who are you or I to ask it?" he questioned her as the smile died down on his lips. Penny who had been gazing at the empty space next to him slowly moved her gaze back at him, "The ve girl was someone who Lady Yuvaine bought and brought her home for her own amus.e.m.e.nt. She is the one who holds the papers and the ownership to the girl. In this world of pureblooded vampires maybe also some of the humans who belong to the elite have the full ability to do anything with their ves. What you saw today was a mild disy of ownership and discipline. I am sure as the days pass by you will see many more things which might make you question where you are. Or have you already begun to question?" he waited for her to reply back. "Is there no way out of it? To not be a ve anymore," she asked him straightforwardly, surprising him as well as herself. Last night as she had slept, she had contemted what to do next. Every hour of her mind, the thought of her escaping from this part of the world often crossed but there was nothing she could about it right now. Something told her that if she were to attempt it right and be caught, the consequences would be severe. Especially after what she saw in Lady Yuvain''s house. Damien leaned his back against the seatfortably. Staring at her for a long time while making her wonder if he was going to answer her right now, "Thinking to leave my side?" his voice was calm like the sea in the night. Was she supposed to answer it? "You must be delusional to think that you can escape once you have a master or a mistress. Even without the ve establishment, I have a picture of yours that has been drawn out," Penny gaped at him with what she heard. What was he doing with her picture and when did he even have her drawn, as it wasn''t even a week since she hade to stay in Quinn''s mansion, "So don''t think just because you have escaped the clutches of the ve establishment you can do the same with me," one side of his lips twisted itself in mirth. "I didn''t speak about escaping," she stated. "Did I fail to mention it to you that I am very good at catching hold of lies?" he asked her, "Before careful with what you answer. Speak." When her heart skipped a beat, the smile on Damien widened where he said, "Don''t be scared, Penelope. This wolf won''t tear you up limb by limb and eat," he made her feel queasy. "I was only curious. What if the ve dies?" she questioned. "If she dies she dies, what''s new it? Don''t your pets like cat and dog die during certain circ.u.mstances?" he asked her. "They are pet animals." "If you haven''t received the memo yet, ves are just as good as the pets. There is no difference in what you buy. That is why do not consider to run. If you do, I will make sure to make several copies of the drawing of yours such that no matter where you are, I shall be sure to hunt and find you. But let me say this, dear," he looked her in her jade green eyes,? "People aren''t nice out there once you have a value on your head. Don''t think I wouldn''t because I will." At this point, Penny wondered if there was any hope at all? Was she stuck with this crazy vampire for life? Was this it? This was how she was going to die? "Don''t look so disappointed. LIf you look closely, life is very beautiful on this side ofnd." "I think it is only your side that looks green, Master Damien. Where I stand there is nothing but darkness. I might only suffocate," she frowned. "You have nothing to worry about it. I will be sure to give you the light once in a while. That should be enough for a lifetime," Penny slowly let her gaze fall down and she watched the window of the carriage to see the sunset. Chapter 44 - Enticing offer- Part 2 Strangely the weather today seemed much better where she saw the sunset starting to set where the rays of it illuminated through the lines of horizon. It must have been because it had rainedst night. More than enough to give a break tonds of Bonke. Even though the sun rays didn''te to pass through the window and weren''t warm enough, she could somewhere feel the heat just by the light touching her skin. It had been so long since she saw the light, an unconscious smile made up to her smile where she had turned her face towards the window while having her eyes closed. Damien saw the smile upon her lips. Such a simpleton girl, thought Damien to himself. He could see the way she took in the simplest of the things around her while getting lost as to where she was. ''Dami do you know what''s beautiful about this flower here?'' he could hear the voice at the back of his head without even having to close his eyes, ''It is the simplicity here. The flower doesn''t stand out like the rest of it,'' young Damien stared at the flower in the woman''s hand, ''If you ced a rose next to it, one might pick the rose but look closer,'' and he did, seeing the small lined patterns that ran from the bottom of the petals upwards symmetrically, "Bring a lot of them together and you will find it to be the most beautiful one out of the lot which will continue to live even after a week.'' He looked at the girl in front of him when she opened her eyes, the evening light came to fall on her face and eyes which brought a certain hue of orange and green in her jade-green eyes. Penny heard Damien ask her, "Your rtives never sought out a suitor for you?" she shook her head. "How about yourself, master Damien?" she asked him. "Women are quite annoying Penny. They not only whine andin but also harbor a ton of jealousy which a person can get rid of by either breaking off things and if that doesn''t work then killing the women." Hearing this, she gulped. "What happened? I cannot even ask you not to look at me as if I have killed someone," this time when he grinned, she could see one side of his fang expose in her view, suddenly reminding her that this wasn''t a human she was talking to but a pureblooded vampire who could kill her any time. The sun had started to dip further down where the horizon started to look whitish-blue, making the top look darker. "Why did you kill the man in the Inn?" she asked him the question for which she had previously not got the answer. "Tell me, Penny. Why do you keep getting back to the same question we have gone through?" "Because you never answered them, master. Thest time I asked you, you stalled it," Damien nodded at her words. "You are right. I did skip past it which would mean you wouldn''t get the answer for it if you asked me again," he tilted his head, the smile falling down slightly at her repeated question, "Ask something else." "Please let me walk away from this ce," she pleaded. Damien threw his head back, a sigh escaping from his lips which sounded tired. A good two minutes passed which made Penny doubt if the vampire had fallen asleep but he pulled his head back to look at her. "Alright. I will let you go." The first time she heard it, Penny wondered if she had heard him wrong. Letting it sink, she stared at him where he stared back at her. "Really?" she asked cautiously. "Yes, you can go live your life. Go have a good vacation for an hour and then get back home." "..." Was he ying with her?! Penny clutched her hands in a tight fist where one was ced at the edge of the seat and the other was ced on herp. "You aren''t happy with it?" she heard him ask, "One hour is a lot of freedom. And forget about a ve, even a servant doesn''t it get that easily. Not at least in Quinn''s mansion. I am being gracious enough to give you an hour from what I have bought." That was right. She had paid her life to be a five thousand, no three thousand gold coins while her own blood rtives had sold her for fifty or seventy silver coins. Since she had turned to a ve, her life was no longer her own. But then maybe this was the opportunity God was giving her to run and escape. An hour was enough if she nned everything right where she wouldn''t have to meet him or any of them she had met here again. It was all about opportunity and chances. Taking what she could get right now, she said, "I can take it anytime?" she saw him rub his jaw to hum with an answer. "Yes, an hour for yourself. Anytime," he gave his word, "But in return..." he drawled. Penny should have known there was a deal with it as even an hour wasn''t a simple thing here, "You will have to take what I have to offer you." Penny furrowed her brows wondering what he was talking about. Surely there wasn''t anything in here right now with him to give. What did he want to give her? "What is it?" she asked him where he shook his head. "You need to agree to it. Let''s make the deal much more enticing. I will give you two hours of your life instead of one," though two hours made her want to agree, she looked at him suspiciously. The more the deal looked enticing one only had to doubt why and what awaited after it. "I refuse," Penny said firmly. A smile cracked on Damien''s lips, "I don''t know if I should feel hurt or not that my pet doesn''t trust me enough," he nowhere looked hurt right now, "What can I say some deals don''te by all the time." Chapter 45 - Twist of the arm- Part 1 Reaching back the mansion, Penny got down to follow right behind Damien. Before bing a ve, her hands and time were usually full. Having to do work and bring her share of money while also saving it so that she could use it-Her money! She realized the money she had been saving and storing for so long must still be there unless someone found it! More than anything right now, Penelope couldn''t stop thinking about what happened to her money that she had saved all these months. They weren''t gold but it was a good worth of seventeen silver coins which was the most she had saved until now. Thinking about how her aunt and uncle had given her away for the silver coins. She wondered if she should have shared it with the old couple which might have avoided her being put into the path of being a ve. But at the same time, Penny shook her head internally. Her rtives didn''t deserve even one singly shilling from her pocket for doing something so unimaginable. Who knew there were people who had fallen down to the point that they would seel their own rtive for the sake of money. But it had happened and no matter how man times she argued and went through it in her mind, everything came to the point where she was no one right now. Damien walked ahead of her, his long stride full steps moving across the white floor. Two hours thought Penny to herself. What could be done in the two hours and what did he want to deal with? "Brother Damien, you are back," sang Grace in a joyous tone which would have brightened up the already brightly lit room but the face of the young vampiress looked scornful. Her lips twisted and one of her eyebrows that was lifted up on her face. "I am, sister Grace," Damien greeted her back with ack of enthusiasm as if his mood had changed by listening to her voice, "Did you get the cards with Maggie?" "I did. Do you want to see?" "I will pass," he answered heading towards the stairs. Grace gave a look at the ve who was stuck like glue to her brother following him since the time he had bought her, "Wash yourself and get back to the room," her brother said to his ve where he started to ascend up the stairs. The ve girl met her eyes but didn''t appear to stop or wait for her to leave. The sight of the ve in front of her who was walking towards her as she had to pass by her to reach the back of the kitchen made her lips twist in distaste. For a ve, this one had a nerve to not even bow at her presence. "What''s your name?" Grace demanded to know the girl''s name, "You!" her voice increased a level higher to finally receive the ve''s attention who stopped walking. As if appearing to be meek. Penny turned around with an innocent expression on her face, her head even lower than before so that she would get away from this vampiress. Penelope knew something like this was going to happen. Why did she feel it that way? Because this house was filled with people who were insane or at least appeared to be like that. The little vampiress gaze had been glued to her since Damien had disappeared up the stairs leaving her here to deal with his younger sister. She was sure that even though she was a vampiress, this person was not fully grown but a child with tantrum issues thought Penny to herself. Clearly, they were of the same age, yet this girl had the nerve to behave impudently. "Do you want me to pour hot oil in your ear to make sure you can still hear me?" asked Grace, crossing her arms across her chest and staring down at Penny even though they were of the same height. Penny shook her head, her head still bowed where she looked at the expensive pair of shoe which thedy wore. It made her wonder how much they cost? Probably as much as her freedom from here, she thought wryly beforeing back to the present. "I asked what''s your name, you dog," Penny wished she wasn''t a ve right now. If she wasn''t, regardless of her being a human or not, she would have probably gone cavewoman on her but she wasn''t in the position to do it. Even though there was some sort of open was between the two siblings, the vampires would support each other while having her turned to a human chew toy. Who knew, after all, thought Penny to herself. "It''s Penny, mdy," with her head still put down, she wondered what expression the vampiress was making. "Penny what?" Penny''s parted lips were going to reply back to her but Grace said, "Nevermind. A ve shouldn''t even remember the name, with weeks and months, you will forget your name. Go get me blood tea," she ordered her. "Blood what?" Penny asked back without thinking twice as the name sounded strange and it had made her doubt if she had heard it right. "What!" Grace snapped back her for the rude behavior she had shown against her. Her voice hardened as she stepped closer to ask, "You need to be disciplined for not only being stupid but also having ack of tact on how to behave with your mistress." Was she her mistress? thought Penny to realize this wasn''t the time to have conversations in her head. "You aren''t my mistress," she said unable to hold her tongue back from saying what was on her mind. "You little bitch. You have the nerve to be looking up and answering now but also refusing me!" Grace gritted her teeth. "Forgive me but master Damien told me to obey only his orders solely and no one else''s. I am to answer only to him." Chapter 46 - Twist of the arm- Part 2 Falcon the butler who was walking by from the dining room to the kitchen making his way caught sight of Lady Grace who as usual was scolding and belittling the maids and other servants of Quinn''s household. On a double-take, he realized that it wasn''t a maid but the ve of Master Damien. His footsteps halted and he wondered what to do now. Lady Grace didn''t spare any of the workers or even others who didn''t belong to the mansion. The vampiress didn''t spare him either even though he was a butler but she enjoyed putting down the servants for her own amus.e.m.e.nt to make sure they knew who was the mistress of the mansion. After hearing what the ve had to say, Falcon pressed his lips knowing the walls of the mansion were going to fall down soon. "He is my brother so indirectly you are liable to serve me the way you serve him," Lady Grace pushed the girl''s head as if to taunt her how stupid she was, "Didn''t you understand? Come to my room," she threatened right away but the ve didn''t move an inch, "Are you deaf?" Penny, on the other hand, wondered if she was deaf with what she said. She was already having enough trouble with Damien, she didn''t want to add another vampire on her te but it seemed like this pest was forcibly trying to get on her te and make her be Penny''s next problem. Her eyes caught sight of someone who was standing at the corner of her eye and she caught the butler who had been quietly watching them. Seeing him almost ready to scurry away from sight without being caught, Penny spoke, "Pardon me, mistress Grace but I have been told not to answer anyone but Master Damien. The butler is here. Let me ask him to prepare the tea so that you can rx in your room while drinking it," said Penny which in the least possible scenario didn''t sit well with the vampiress. Grace looked terribly furious for the unwanted courage this lowly human was showing towards her. The vampiress raised her hand where Penny saw iting. In that split second, she weighed on if she was to take the blow or stop it. For that second, Penny forgot her position in the mansion she stood in and raised her own hand to catch of the vampiress hand which was enough to slow down froming right at her face. The ve''s boldness made Grace furious. Her eyes were wide yet dark in ill anger ring at the ve. Unfortunately, for Penny, she had not only forgotten about her being a ve at that time but she had also forgotten that the girl standing in front of her though looked her age or a year or two older to her wasn''t of her own kind. Grace used her vampire strength to get back to holding Penny''s hand as she twisted it around. The girl''s strength felt to be inhuman after all she was a vampire where she went on to twist Penny''s arm behind her back making her wince in pain but not once did she scream or cry out of pain. Even the butler who had previously nned to escape from the hall now had his heart thumping in his chest. With what he had learned here in Quinn''s mansion, not a single servant had dared to stand against Lady Grace until now. But in truth, no servants working in any household of the vampire ever dared to do things their master''s ad mistress or owners were displeased of. And there was a good reason for it. Falcon saw master Damien''s ve being punished by thedy of the house. The vampiress had pped and kicked the servants as she saw it fit to be.?Not in his wild dreams would he have expected someone to stop Lady Grace from leaving a p on a person and this might be the first person. A human who was nothing but a ve.?The anger bounced from the vampiress''s face as she twisted the ve''s arm further where he saw the face contour and twist one to be of pain. The butler was sure that this human was going to break her arm today where she would be left with only her left hand. Not able to help himself, he walked towards thedy and the ve. Trying to think quickly, he said, "Lady Grace, the blood tea-" "Did I ask you, you good for nothing butler?" thedy red at him not happy that he was trying to interfere with what she was going to do with this ve. Penny was sure her arm was going toe off her shoulder today. The vampiress not once had reduced the pain but was only twisting it further and about as if want to torture her slowly before ripping off her arm. Her breathing had started to fall short as her mind started to concentrate on the paining from her shoulder which was connected to the arm. "What are you doing, Grace?" It was Damien who descended down from the top of the stairs, his clothes still unchanged but the top two buttons of his shirt unbuttoned. He had a folded paper in his hand as he walked down, his eyes taking in the scene where his pet was being held by his step-sister. "Did you discipline your ve here? It appears to me that she still thinks she is free to do what she wants. Don''t tell me she treats you the same behind that closed doors of your room," Grace twisted Penny''s arm further, finally pleased to hear a small sounding from the ve''s mouth. "How curious to know what I do in my bedroom. Who knew you would turn out to be like that, Grace. We might be step-siblings but really," Damien gave out a shocked expression that irritated the young vampiress who gritted her teeth. Chapter 47 - Not getting punished?- Part 1 Grace out of anger only turned Penny''s arm to another side where the furrow between the ve''s forehead increased. Damien noticing this looked at his butler who was quietly standing, raising the paper which was rolled he handed it to him, "Take this to Lord Nichs'' mansion," the butler bowed his head, not spending another a minute as an order had been given to him, he walked towards the main doors and away from them, "Let go of her sister." Grace tilted her head in curiosity, "Why? She doesn''t even know who the mistress is. She even shows the courage to deflect me." "Then she''s done well," spoke Damien, "Now let her go or things will only turn messy if that is what you want." "What are you going to do? Rip out my doll''s heads and burn them in front of me? I am not a little girl anymore," asked Grace who had not let go of Penny''s arm while she stood behind the ve. Damien smiled, and evil smile which made Penny herself ufortable, "That didn''t stop you from mentioning it. Does it still hurt? To have your beloved things being ruined in front of you." "Then maybe I should do the same." "Try and you will see the consequences," Damien''s eyes settled on his sister instead of Penny, keeping her in the ce where she didn''t move an inch from where she stood, "Don''t tell me I didn''t warn you. Poor pet Panda of yours, I wonder how she would taste." Grace knew her stepbrother wasn''t bluffing to the slightest. She knew he would do it. Harming her pet. Penny finally felt her head being let go and it felt as if her soul had returned back to her body after the painful twist of her arm. She stood in between the two vampires who stared at each other. One with hate and another with amus.e.m.e.nt. "This one is mine, so I would expect her to follow my orders and not anyone else''. Do you understand that? Now if you have something to do, get someone else to do your job." Even though Grace who looked angry wanted to stay here and fight. She didn''t believe that the fight was worth her losing her pet bird. With anger, she strode off from the hall to go to her own room. Damien looked at his step sibling storm. Sparing a single look at the ve, he started to walk back towards the stairs saying, "Hurry now before you go looking for another trouble." Penny wanted to speak back to him but having dealt with one pureblooded vampire was enough for the night and she didn''t want to go through another simr episode. She turned around and started to walk towards the kitchen as that was where the exit was that led to the servants quarters. Not looking left or right with the maids she had alreadye across, she exited the mansion to finally step out to be surrounded by darkness. The night was as dark as the other nights, but there was no sight of thunder or lightning which meant it wouldn''t rain today. She caught sight of the man she had met in the servant''s quarters. The man who had led her to the bath. "You appear and disappear like a phantom," the manmented seeing her walking up towards the entrance of the quarters, "I am Rupert," he introduced himself. Had they not introduced themselvesst time? Penny couldn''t remember with the amount of rain she had soaked herself in. "Penelope," she said keeping it short to pass by him and get through the cave-like walls where this time thentern burnt itself not brightly but in a small me. Apparently a room was assigned down here with the ve clothes she would need. She rubbed the top of her arm where she could feel her muscle pain with the amount of turn the vampiress had done on her arm.?After she was done washing she stepped out of the quarters to see the man who was still there standing outside. Thankfully the man didn''t stop her by to speak to her and she hurried herself to the pureblooded vampire''s room who was waiting for her. Knocking on the door, she noticed the door to be open. "Get inside," she heard Damien''s voice. Pushing her hand gingerly, she stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her which made a soft click. Damienid on the bed, his back resting against the head of the bed and his legs outstretched, his ankles crossed against one over the other. He wore the framed ss which rested on the bridge of his nose as he read a book in his hand. Penny felt like she had suddenly turned to a duck with her feet which moved very slow as she ced it on the ground. She went to stand next to the other side of the bed. Unsure of what to do now, she wondered if it was alright to get inside the bed and sleep as soon as she could. Or at least lie and act that she had fallen asleep. As she contemted what to do, Damien to look and speak to her, "Are you nning to sleep while standing today? Get in the bed," he raised his eyebrow. Nodding her head, she crawled in and ced her back t on the bed at first. After a minute passed, she wondered to herself if it was alright to turn to sleep on her side so that she could have her back against him such that she wouldn''t have to face him. Truthfully she was expecting him to scold her or say anything about the scene hat urred in the hall a while ago. The more she waited with her eyes open ready to hear him speak and give her punishment, her master didn''t utter a word and instead carried on to read the book in his hands. Chapter 48 - Not getting punished?- Part 2 Penny''s eyes moved to the corner, very cautiously watching him read with the utmost seriousness which she was used to seeing. Maybe this was the only time he was serious without his lopsided grin that normally stayed up in his lips as if he had nned a delicate yet sessful n of someone. Moving her gaze away from him, she pulled the nket up to her nose, staring at the ceiling of the bed which was made of mirror. She came to realize she was an idiot for craning her neck to look at Damien when she could see him up in the mirror. The mirror made Penny ask herself as to how much of a narcissist this man was to have a mirror fixed up in the ceiling of the bed. His midnight-ck hair look ruffled as if he had run his hand over it many times, not bothered with the messy and disheveled appearance. She waited for him to tell her anything. "Stop staring and get to sleep." Penny quickly closed her eyes as if to prove him wrong that she wasn''t staring at him. Did he have an extra pair of eyes upon his head too? This demon creature, she thought to herself before she very discreetly in her opinion got inside the nket. But at the same time, she realized he hadn''t ced a pillow between them. Was it toote to do it? Doing it right in front of him, God only knew what words woulde out from him. She hoped that Damien would not mistake her to be one of his pillows in the middle of the night. Sheter realized that she hadn''t thanked him. If he hadn''t appeared, there was a possibility that her arm would still not be intact to her body. She should have been careful but her catching hold of Lady Grace''s hand had been more of a reflex while she was still thinking what to do. It was the first time she hade across such a strong girl and for a minute before Damien had appeared she was sure that the vampiress would break it like a piece of carrot. She would next time be sure but had she done the right thing? No, said Penny to herself. By not listening to Lady Grace and catching her hand in the air, she had directly or indirectly waged a war. And now Penny was sure that she was going to be one of the most hated to be killed list of Lady Grace with the look she had thrown at both Damien and her before storming away from the hall. Maybe it would be a good idea to take the two hours which Damien had proposed earlier this evening in the carriage. It didn''t need much time and all she had to do was devise a n of escape. Once she was far and away from thend of Bonke, he wouldn''t be able to do a thing. But what about the picture? She wondered if he had lied to her. After all, they had spent less than a week together and him iming that he had a picture of her drawn didn''t add things right in her mind. Even if she took that he had a picture, it would be of no use once she would leave thend of Bonke and go to anothernd. She could pick any of it and he would never know. There was Valeria, Woville, and Mythweald. That was right, thought Penny to herself. Before her arm would be torn away from her body, she had to somehow get it done. Turning carefully to her side, she ced her cheek on the soft pillow. The irony, she thought to herself. She had been turned to a ve yet she was made to sleep on the bed with Master Damien. Wasn''t that odd? She asked herself. The more she tried to learn about him, the less sense it made to know and understand him. Right now she was pretending to sleep and getting up ask him about it would only make things suspicious. She would ask him tomorrow. Internally nodding to herself, she stared at the objects that were in front of her before she decided to close her eyes this time to actually sleep while hoping he wouldn''te to her side of the bed. She started to head towards the edge of the bed when he realized she had left a good amount of space next to her. Damien who was reading the book in his hand noticed the subtle movements in the bed where his pet tried to move away farther away from him. His eyes narrowed, and he caught hold of the nket pulling it away from her in the same subtly she moved away from him which resulted in her not having a nket that covered her anymore. Due to the cold weather, even the firece which was burning in the room wasn''t sufficient enough to give the heat Penny wanted. When she tried to move over to the edge of the bed, the nket from her body slipped away. Going to pick the nket discreetly, she tried pulling it closer to her but strangely the nket didn''te to her. Instead, it seemed like suddenly it had turned short. She wondered why though. The next time she pulled with a little more force it didn''t move which made her feel suspicious. ''Ah...'' thought Penny. She closed her eyes not knowing what to do. "Looks like you don''t need the nket. Seeing how you have moved away from it, I am sure you will fine." He found out, thought Penny to herself and then turned around the bed where her eyes first met the mirror to see him looking at her. When she turned aroundpletely, she met his eyes directly where he peered down at her through his sses with a nk expression as if she were the book. Chapter 49 - Smokey night- Part 1 In one swift movement, Damien pulled the nketpletely off her leaving her with nothing to cover but the dress that she wore and the air around her. Hsi expression then suddenly changed to a sweet one, he smiled looking at her as if he meant her no harm to say, "Is this what you wanted? Have a goodnight''s sleep," he pulled out his sses to ce it on the stand. cing his book next to it and blowing the candle next to him. Penny being stubborn, didn''t ask for the nket. After all who needed a nket right? An hour passed when Penny shivered in the cold weather on the bed. She needed something to cover herself or she knew she would freeze herself to death tonight. Penny had hoped that somewhere he would give it back out of pity at least but now she doubted if he even knew the word. The room was dark but not dark enough that one would stumble around and fall. The light which came from the window seemed like the moon had made its presence finally after many days. Turning to the other side, she saw Damien who had his eyes closed with the nket wrapped around his body. There was a good piece of nket that was unused. She was tempted to take it from him. The little piece of nket which would cover at least something. She spent another hour, hoping she would fall asleep but the cold didn''t let her sleep that she turned her body around. Running her hands over her arms, she could feel the goosebumps that had formed on her skin. Her hands were cold and so was her feet. Even her nose had turned wet and cold! Shivering in the middle of the night, she slowly inched closer to Damien but still with a distance where she slowly pushed her feet to get under the nket which was left out. She sighed softly. At least there was something that felt warm and not cold. But a body and mind were always greedy. Now that her feet had got the warmth it needed, her arms and other surfaces of the body wanted the nket too. Knowing she couldn''t do it, she pulled away her feet too and let the cold bite her skin. epting it without furtherints. Damien who was sleeping next to Penny where the girl had finally fallen asleep opened his eyes after feeling no other movementsing from the other side of the bed. How stubborn, he thought to himself. The human had to sleep quietly yet she had tried to move further and farther away. This seemed to be an apt punishment. He saw her body curl itself due to the cold. Getting up from the bed, and walking around the room, he closed the window first. Picking up something from the table he stepped into his room''s patio. Walking to look at the sea which covered the entire scene. It was a beautiful calm view. Even more beautiful to kill someone, where getting the body was impossible after it was thrown down. Taking the cigar which he had picked up, he lit it for the ends of it to turn red in color.?Letting it burn before he ced it in his mouth, biting the other end with his teeth. Taking a deep swig from it, she blew the smoke out of his mouth before taking another one. The smoke dispersed itself in seconds as if was never even there to begin with. Once the cigarette burned out until the end, he threw it down where the little stick fell from Damien''s patio. Flying in the air with a burning light started to reduce to only be extinguished when the red tip touched the surface of the water before going to float in the waves of the water. He looked at the horizon which touched the water and the dark sky where clouds moved in time as the wind blew. Going back inside the room, he caught sight of the girl who had curled herself in her sleep due to the cold weather. The fire in the firece had slowed down, the logs of woods which had been previously burning bright turned to ashes. Walking towards the firece, he crouched down to add logs of woods. Waiting for the smaller and leaner wood to catch fire, he finally stood up. Going back to the doors of the patio, he pulled it close, locking the doors before getting towards the bed where his eyes fell on the girl who was fast asleep. Penelope''s hair was spread out on the pillow where her head rested gently, one side of her cheek hidden while the other exposed for view. Her hand was brought close to her chest which was held in a loose fist. The girl was utterly beautiful in Damien''s eyes. She had been since he had first caught her in the rain as she carried the umbre over her head. Standing alone in the rain while the rest of the vige had gone to take shelter in their houses. He wondered if that was when she had been kidnapped. No one wonder she was taken to the ve establishment. Sold to it. No person would stand in an isted area like that which was nothing less to an open invitation to be taken away. As she had now fallen fast asleep, her subconscious didn''t know about the space she had left next to her. Her body away from the edge of the bed where there was space now. He looked at her features, the blonde strands of her hair to the sharp nose that was subtly pointed in a little upward in direction. Her full lips were pink in color. They appeared to be in much better condition than when he bought her from the ck market. Damien picked a piece of her long blonde hair, running his finger over the texture and feel of it. Chapter 50 - Smokey night- Part 2 The girl should have been happy to have a bed to sleep on. A roof on her head to protect herself unlike where she was ced in the filthy ve establishment instead she was being cheeky, thought Damien to himself. He had taken her today to show what life offered to the ves in this and the othernds. ves were nothing but ced for the higher society''s amus.e.m.e.nt. As they were brought from the owner''s money, the owner had the ability to do anything to the ves for their pleasure or enjoyment. What she saw today was only the peek to what was part of the dark world she hade to be part of. He hadn''t brought her by whim but because he wanted to have her and let no one else have the privilege of what he had now. The girl was rather privileged whenpared to the other ves and undoubtedly she woulde to appreciate for his way of kindness, he said to himself as he dropped the piece of hair back down near where it had been resting. Getting back on the bed, heid back down with his back against the bed, staring at the mirror the hung up above him to see the girl. After a while, Damien closed his eyes with one hand of his that was ced under his head with the pillow below beneath it. By the time of morning arrived, Penny didn''t feel much cold which she wondered if it was because daylight had started to hit thends. Unaware of the fact that the doors and the windows were closed along with the firece started again to keep the room warm. She heard the rustling of clothes where her eyes groggily opened to find Damien with his pants on but the red shirt that he wore was unbuttoned from the bottom to the top. The muscles were taut, looking smooth and unblemished with a hint of tan on them. Penny remembered the time when she had gone to visit the fair in the vige one time. Was itst year or the year before that? She couldn''t remember it that well but she had lingered in the fair longer than she had nned to. Stumbling across various things one didn''t offer at the time of day which only made her curious. Penny had made her way through the thick crowd, passing by various bottles that were told to have abilities to make a person do things to the stones which were beautiful in color. The shop keeper had called it to be charm stones which made her wonder which viger had that kind of money where one could buy the charm stones in terms of gold coins. She had wandered off further until at the far end where the stalls where put up near the edge of the forest where young men and women wore little clothes or revealing clothes which would look appealing to a lot of them while sending some of the most chaste minds running in the direction as if this were an entire forbiddennd. Not in her wildest dream had she thought she would see something close to what she saw there but what she wasn''t aware was that there were many people who sold themselves openly to earn the money to their higher owners. She remembered a man who surpassed all the males in her vige. His chest had been bare except for something tied around his neck like a cor with a pant.?He was dazzling, standingzily with an arrogant look on his face where he was hovered by two women who definitely didn''t look like they belonged to her vige. By their clothes, it was obvious that they belonged to a well off family and if she didn''t know better she would have left it as someone who belonged to the high family but they were vampires. Not pureblooded vampires but average vampires. Penelope''s eyes had moved across taking in the scene when the man''s eyes met hers as if in curiosity. Standing with a good amount of distance she had seen the male who finally gave her a smile as if inviting her toe to talk and have a look at what they had to offer. "What are you doing standing that far,dy. Come take a look," one of the females spoke to her, making her break her gaze from the man to look at a brte woman who looked at her. The woman was equally gorgeous which made Penny feel rather quite unattractive right now. She hadn''t expected someone to talk to her and had only meant to look. Having being put under the spotlight, she shook her head as if meaning to tell that she wasn''t nning to spend a night with anyone here. "We have a lot of customers who can vouch on how good the people in here are," said the woman, looking back at the tents that were set up behind them. Penny didn''t have to guess too far on what was going on in there, "All you have to do is tell me your preferences, I will make sure you have the right one to full fill your desire. Even I can do," she licked her lips while taking two steps forward which had made her gulp before she turned around and walked to the front of the fair. Penny didn''t know why but there was something off about them. They weren''t ves because ves were much more docile with what she had witnessed yesterday and also in the ve establishment. They appeared to be more free-willed, their words and actions differentpared to the rest of them. Coming back to the present where sheid on the bed. Seeing Damien?like this, she quickly closed her eyes as if behaving she was asleep and hadn''t seen his n.a.k.e.d torso exposed to her full view. But it was already toote. "You are awake." Chapter 51 - Meddling hair- Part 1 Penny opened her jade green eyes which looked white and neat as if she had slept well. "Did you know, little mouse, there is this house. Mandel''s. They once hung the servant for not being able to follow the basic decorum of what a worker was supposed to do. All because he failed to wake up in the morning. I must say servants are really carefree to think they can sleep even after their master wakes up." Damien''s words were light as he applied something from the bottle on his face, letting a scent disperse in the wind that often surrounded him in the air. Penelope was quick to jump out of bed. "What happened?" he asked tilting his head in question as if confused with her sudden behavior. This man really was something, she thought to herself, "Don''t worry I won''t hang you out in the tree. What would the point if I do that, right? Where is the lesson learned?" Penny while still facing him pulled the nket which had somehow reached her. Had she pulled the nket in her sleep? Beginning to fold it, she heard him say, "I instead like giving a good lesson to everyone. Taking away a person''s life is equal to finishing your favorite dessert in a minute and having nothing there. One should learn how to savor, to prolong its existence until the veryst bite." cing the nket at the foot of the bed. She turned around to climb on the bed to fluff the pillow and pull the cover of the bed as she ttened it with both her hands. "Don''t you agree, little mouse?" Just as when Penny turned to face him, Damien was already there standing an inch away from her face, "I like the fact that you are quick to know what to do when I say a word. The f.u.c.k.i.n.g peasants are always so slow, they get on my nerves and I cannot help but want to..." he ced his hand on her shoulder that automatically had her shoulder straighten as if a thunderstruck her, "Break it into pieces." The grip on her shoulder was firm and hard. Though it wasn''t painful, it was a grip where she couldn''t escape. She also didn''t know if it was because of the mental block of what happened yesterday before she had gone to take a bath. After what his sister did by twisting her arm, she was scared to move. Thest thing she wanted was to break her shoulder or any body part. "Please don''t break it. I will be sure to follow the rules," Penny spoke out hurriedly as if worried that if she disregarded or provoked him it would take him less than two seconds to break the bones in her body. If his sister itself was that strong she couldn''t dare to think how strong the vampire who stood in front of her could be. "I wasn''t nning to. What gave away?" he asked her, his red eyes staring down at her. Her legs were still on the bed, standing on her knees which didn''t match their height and she had to crane her head up, "Do you know how many people I have killed?" Penny gulped softly. Why was he asking her that? "I don''t know, master Damien." He nodded his head, "More than the number of chickens that a butcher takes out from the far corner of the street," the reference he gave her bounced right behind her head which didn''t give her the figure, "I have killed many until now. Blood is what is soaked in my hands," he said while not taking his eyes away from her, "Any the number of servants and ves are the most I have killed. Not because I find enjoyment in killing them, as I said, what is the point of ending life but some really know how to annoy you by just breathing. Have you met anyone like that, little mouse?" Penny''s mouth had gone dry at the thought of what was going to happen to her. She realized that he hadn''t buttoned his shirt yet. Moving her lips she said, "There were some like that." Penny hade across many elderly women who often spouted things that were untrue. In the end, it had resulted in Penny and her mother turning hostile to the people of their vigers. Damien raised his brow before smiling wickedly, "Of course, it shouldn''te as surprise. The lower ssed people have a lot of time to gossip, isn''t that right? Not that it doesn''t happen in the higher ss," the smile on his lips continued before the girl could voice her own opinion. "There isn''t much difference between the lower and the high ss," Penny said with a straight face while feeling his finger on her shoulder which hadn''t moved. It felt as if a poisonous spider had fallen to settle on her shoulder which she was worried would bite her any second if she did something she wasn''t supposed to do. "There isn''t," he agreed to her, "Why do you look shocked? There are some things we both can agree upon," he grinned and for the third time, she caught the sight of the fangs. Was he nning to drink from her? Thinking about this, her heart started to thud in her chest. Damien leaned forward, his lips falling next to her ears where he whispered, "Sshh, not yet, my dear. I will keep you around me for long. You''re stuck with me," he promised where Penny felt her freedom slipping further away from her fingers. "W-why have you ced your hand on my shoulder?" she stated her fear of his close proximity. "I was worried about my dear pet,"? he was worried? thought Penny to herself. She was worried and internally there were the church bells going off like an oing danger, "How''s your shoulder doing now?" he asked pressing it. For now, it seemed alright but if he continued with extra pressure she wouldn''t have a shoulder where he could ask for its state. Chapter 52 - Meddling hair- Part 2 His hand slid over her but his touch was gentle than what she expected which had her eyes glued to him, "It seems alright," and suddenly he patted on her shoulder making her stagger from where she stood on the bed, "Now if you need the rules to be followed. I will leave a bunch of them with Falcon. You better make sure you follow every single on of them. Failure to do so...you know. My good pet," he patted her head as one would with their dog, "Help me with buttoning now." Damien stood still looking, waiting for her hands to start moving. "Master Damien," Penny started this time her eyes not meeting his eyes. "Hm?" "I-uh, I don''t have experience in dressing anyone. Not a male at least." "That''s good. It would be troublesome if you did. You will learn slowly. Raise your hands," he instructed her, "Now keep them steady. There''s no need to fear. I am not going to eat your hand." Penny couldn''t keep her hands still but nevertheless, she thought it was better to get things done quickly than prolong it. Taking both sides of the shirt, she brought it close enough to start buttoning his shirt while also making sure her fingers didn''t touch his bare skin. And even though she didn''t touch it, she couldn''t move her gaze away which asionally drifted to look at the expanse of his chest. When she was done, her eyes very slowly moved up and it met his red eyes, "All done." "Are you nning to choke me? Take off the first two buttons at the top," she noticed that in deep concentration she had buttoned his shirt until thest one of his cor where he looked much decent than what he portrayed of himself, "You don''t have to take a bath today. Follow me," he said making his way towards the door and walking out of it. Penelope followed Damien while touching the errant hair of her head. She had taken a peek of her reflection up in the mirror of the bed which made her look nothing short to how a bird''s nest looked like. Not finding the time to fix her hair, she tried to smoothen it up from the side and up by tucking the hair behind her ear over and over again. "Stop meddling with your hair," she heard Damien say to her where she immediately put down her hand. She didn''t know how he found out about it as he was walking in the front, she was sure that he had an extra eye which always kept a watch around his surroundings which wasn''t visible to anyone. The coarse material that she wore, kept moving up and down her skin almost making her want to itch some parts of her body but she couldn''t. As she walked she tried to take longer steps which looked quite abnormal as the skin near her thigh itched. Damien turned to look at her making her walk the way she normally did. She looked down at the ground, following his this time quietly without any antics. As they descended down the stairs, she caught sight of the maids and other servants who had increased in count as they cleaned the mansion''s hall. With the way it looked, it seemed like the celebration of Damien''s mother was going to be grand. Penny had never had the opportunity to witness anything remotely close to the approaching celebration that was going to take ce in Quinn''s mansion. It was something that piqued her interest. She was interested to see how the vampires or rather how the rich celebrated unlike the poor people like herself who only wished each other before going back to their routine life. Coming from the poor vige and poorer family, there was nothing that she could rte to here which felt as if she stepped in apletely different world. Following Damien''s footsteps, she entered the dining room like any other time and sat on the ground only after Damien waved his hand for her to sit. At that time when Penny had entered the dining room, she could feel the eyes that red right at her. It was Lady Grace, who was not only unhappy but furious to what had taken cest night. Penny didn''t have to look at her but she couldn''t help but take a peek at the young vampiress who looked as if Damien had already torn whatever pet of hers he was speaking of yesterday. The girl''s nostrils had red in anger. Given that she hadn''t obeyed Lady Grace''s words, but she had obeyed Master Damien''s to which he had notined and seemed rather pleased that she had listened to him. Even if Damien did tell her to listen, there were chances that Penny was not going to listen to him. It was because the vampiress was not only rude but she reminded her of the woman she had met yesterday who had whipped the ve with the leather whip. Though she didn''t get to witness the scene entirely as Damien had sent her to fetch him a ss of water, she didn''t miss the spot of blood that hade to stain on the ve''s body. Especially the back. Yesterday was a lot more than she could have handled and if it weren''t for Damien, she might not have had an arm right now and would have bled to death. "What was the ruckus about yesterday, Damien and Grace?" Mr. Quinn, their father asked them as he ate his breakfast. He looked at his children to gain the attention of only Grace. Damien had chosen to continue eating his meal without wanting to be disturbed, "Damien," his father stared at him. "Damien needs to be punished for not only disregarding his sister''s wishes but also not having the ability to respect the elders in this house," it was Lady Fluerance who said, passing a mere nce to her step-son. Dabbing her lips before raising the fork and putting the meat in her mouth. "I am listening. I am not deaf," he lifted his head with a smile on his lips, taking a bite from his own fork and chewing the food. Chapter 53 - Meddling hair- Part 3 Though we couldn''t hit the #3 mark in rank, posting another chapter for the efforts of votes~ "You really don''t have manners when ites to dealing with your elders," his stepmother used him not happy with the way he had responded to her. "Respect is something you gain, isn''t it? What is the point of respecting someone when you don''t actually respect them?" asked Damien who almost froze the dining room with his words. Even Penny who had been eating the food provided to her stopped to not make a noise from her mouth. She felt like an intruder right now where a family feud was taking ce and she had no right to be here to watch it. If only she could disappear, thought to herself. It felt as if this was a daily routine for the people at the table to fight. "I didn''t say anything wrong. No need to get so tensed," Damien chuckled to himself as if he found amus.e.m.e.nt in the current scene that was presented to him, "At least it was something I learned from my mother''s teachings. You earn what you pay. Don''t you think so too, Maggie?" His elder sister who had decided not to take part in the daily activity at the table with her family smiled at the remembrance of herte mother, "Yes, that is what mother used to say. But I think it fell more in line for you than me," it was a memory to both Maggie and Damien but the currentdy of the house didn''t take it well. "This is what I meantst night. Both of them don''t even care if I am present in the room!" Fleurance whispered to her husband. And even if it was a whisper, the people in the dining room could hear it crystal clear, "They tantly ignore me." Maggie who was at the table frowned, "I am sorry, mother, but I don''t remember ever disrespecting you." "What about now then?" the older vampiress raised her eyebrow in question, "You agree that I don''t deserve the respect I demand-" "Respect isn''t demanded, mdy, it is something you gain but don''t worry. I am sure in a few more centuries if you live that long, you will earn a little bit of it."?Penny''s own eyes widened at Damien''s unfiltered words. It was as if he didn''t take care of what people thought of him and did what pleased him. "Damien, that''s too far," his father warned. "My bad. I was only teasing mother," he said picking up the bowl in front of him and scooping a spoon from it. Penny could tell from where she sat that her master had left everyone speechless in the room but they didn''t look shocked as it seemed to be something that often happened. Not wanting to be part of it, she looked down at her food and carefully put one spoon after another as if she heard and seen nothing. Lady Fleurance seemed like she wanted to say something but she closed her mouth, pressing her lips tightly. "What were you speaking of, father?" asked Damien like he had caused the air of heaviness in the room. "Grace came to me yesterday. She said that your ve you bought in here needs to be thrown back to the ve establishment as she doesn''t know how to follow mere rules of the mansion and the owner," Damien''s father said with his deep voice, "And I have to say I agree with her. But at the same time, I proposed her to punish the girl here right in front of us so that she would know her ce than rebel towards her owner or the owner''s family." Penny who had been minding herself suddenly felt her hand freeze along with her heart after hearing what Mr. Quinn had to say. The vampiress had really gone to her father to tattle-tale on what had urred. And Penny had thought she was joking only as a light threat. It was as if many church bells started to ring at the back of her mind at the thought of her being sent to the ve establishment. But at the same time, fear started to upy through her mind as to what would happen with the punishment he was speaking of in front of everyone. Seeing Damien not speak a word, Grace looked happy, some kind of glow that came to settled on her face as if she achieved what she had nned for. Damien hadn''t spoken a word yet which only made Penny worry that much more. Finally, he then asked, "What exactly did little Graciee to you with, father?" "She said the ve refused to oblige with the orders and demands that was asked with. Not only that but also had the audacity to speak back when questioned. I should say, I can''t help but notice that the ve you have bought doesn''t even know that when a person of higher status is talking about the ve that one should stand up and present themselves." Penny didn''t have to be told twice and she quickly stood up from the marble floor to face Mr. Quinn as well as seeing Damien who was staring at his younger sister. She didn''t meet senior Mr. Quinn''s eyes as she didn''t know what he had on his mind. Penny had taken the liberty to test the waters with Damien but that didn''t mean she would do the same with his father. Though by the appearance he appeared to be a quiet person, she doubted he was of gentle nature. If there was something Penny had learned in her life, it was the quietest people one was to be wary of as you never knew what weapons they held behind that calm curtain. "Is there something I missed?" asked Mr. Quinn. "A lot," Damien stated, dropping his fork at the side of the te and turning himself in his seat to face his father in full view, "For one that I very clearly said to little Gracie that this ve was exclusively mine. If you need a ve for yourself, go buy one in the ck market. There are plenty of them and keep your eyes off from mine. Grace was well aware of it, yet she tries to poke her not so long nose in my business." "A simple task of preparing blood tea shouldn''t have been much of work," his father said and Damien nodded his head. "Maybe, it is a simple task that requires technique. But I don''t want sister dearest to get used to it. There are several maids here to fulfill and grant your demands for what you want. If she gets used to thinking, she will only ask for more with every week and what if she decides that the ve is hers and not mine?" Damien tilted his head, waiting for a response and when he found none, he continued, "You do know father how valuable all my belongings are, as they are very expensive but this girl was about to break it. Shouldn''t we teach little Gracie some manners on what is allowed and not allowed to be touched?" Chapter 54 - Father and son- Part 1 Damien''s eyes fell on his younger sister whose head snapped to turn to him. Grace rolled her eyes to say, "I am not a ve to be punished. I am a member of this family, you cannot punish me." "Why not? Family or not we are all taught on what and how to follow. Clearly here you haven''t understood to step on the boundaries we have," Damien said coolly and looked at his father again, "Don''t you remember that one time father where you punished Maggie for not listening to what was told?" Maggie who had been quiet after her step-mothers wrong usation of her not treating the woman right looked up at from the table, staring at the wall remembering what Damien was speaking of. The memory was as fresh and colorful like it had urred a few hours ago. Both Maggie and Damien were young children. She had a small wolf with her, a wolf she was not to get from the forest but she got it home anyways. The wold she had picked was a wild one but that hadn''t been the problem. It was the wolves mother that hade hunting near the bridge killing three of their servants. The mother wolf had been killed and to teach maggie the lesson to not bring animals home, the wolf was thrown in the firece of this very dining room where the firece was locked and closed where she could still hear the little wolf pup crying as it was killed in the fire in front of her very own eyes. Her one single mistake of bringing the pup home had caused five death and she was solely responsible for it. Maggie had cried that night, her mother patting her to sleep as it was the goriest thing she hade to see at that age. After that, she had been extremely careful. Unlike Damien, Maggie had the traits which she shared like the other humans making her seem less of a night creature whenpared to the other two siblings of hers. Damien nced at his elder sister Maggie who stared at the wall for a brief moment before going back to continue eating. A smile upon her lips which showed nothing of the past that had Grace say, "Since when did passing orders result in punishment to the owners?" "Who is whose owner, Gracie?" Damien clicked his tongue in his mouth. His eyes going to meet his fatherter, "Don''t tell me you approve of it father. The girl is solely my ve and no one else''s. I am sure I have made it clear every single time. Do you want me to put it through your head, sister, so that you wouldn''t confuse yourself with it again?" "Grace, don''t touch your brother''s belongings," their father said which had Damien smiling triumphantly as if knowing how it was going to end while the young vampiress head snapped to look at her father. "But father..." Grace trailed, her eyebrows furrowing before she quietly continued her meal. Penny, on the other hand, had her body freeze with the previous exchange of words in the room. She couldn''t help but look at Lady Maggie who had not taken part in their not so civil conversation. It seemed that like many other houses, this one had memories buried under the false facet and words that covered itself in appearance. Lady Fleurance didn''t look pleased with her husband. Saying nothing, she walked out of the dining room with her precious daughter Grace. Lady Maggie was the next person who murmured her thanks to the butler who helped in pulling the chair back timely so that she could stand up. Like her stepfamily, she didn''t speak to her father but only gave him a bow as if she was taking her leave from the dining room. This left only Damien, his father, Penny and a few servants who were taking away the food and used tes from the room back to the kitchen. The butler walked around the room, guiding the maids what to take and not to from the table. If Penny could, she wished to walk out of the room and step outside the house for some air. But she couldn''t. She was a ve after all. Unless her master said or allowed she was supposed to stay next to him. With her breakfastpleted until thest grain in the bowl, her eyes drifted across the room, as much as her height would allow right now. Just as her eyes were scanning the people and the things around her from where she sat on the floor. She saw the two maids whom she had met in the kitchen. The girls who had bad-mouthed her. And even though they were in the same room, the maids or even for that matter any servants eyes never roamed too far from where they stood. They were trained in a manner as to obey and follow the rules of the household. It wasn''t bizarre for Penelope as she herself had once got the opportunity to serve a wealthy family where everyone had to follow the decorum of the house. But she had served the house for less than two weeks before taking her leave. It was a house of humans but nheless, the strictness and guidelines weren''t too far from what the vampire''s household. And like every other ce, the maids and servants were as nosey as any other ce as if it were apetition to gossip. Penny called them the gossipmongers. The people who had nothing else to do in their lives but nitpick andugh at things that didn''t concern them without doing anything right. And no matter how much a maid gossiped, the servant could never speak with the same fervor in front of his or her owner. Penny who was in her own world staring at people finally felt Mr. Quinn staring at her which even her master caught. "Falcon," said Damien, "Take her back to my room." Chapter 55 - Father and son- Part 2 She stood up with her bowl, where the utensil was passed to the maid before she was led back to Damien''s room. When the long length of the dining table was cleared by the maids, all of them left before thest one closed the doors behind her before leaving the father and son in there by themselves. "That was quite rude of what you said to Fleurance, Damien," Damien''s father spoke, his red eyes looking at his son whose eyes finally decided to move to look back. "That is equal to saying you don''t respect what your deceased wife said. Don''t tell me, you don''t value her words anymore but of the living," tuted Damien shaking his head yfully. "That is a low blow and not very nice of you to say that." "I didn''t say anything wrong but was only stating facts." "Your facts are very bitter, worse than a grain of salt on the wound." "What can I say, truth is bitter," Damien chuckled. Damien''s father, Gerald''s eyes twitched. His mouth twisting in distaste. "You know she isn''t that bad..." "That''s like saying you know she''s bad but not too bad. Considerably bad?" Damien raised his hands when his father looked at him with a frown, "What is with the serious mood," sighing, his words turned serious, "She might be a good mother to little sister and a wonderful wife to you but she will never take mother''s ce." "You need to give her a chance, to acknowledge her presence. She is a person." "I did. I acknowledge her to be your wife, father but that is the only acknowledgment he will receive," Gerald didn''t know what to say. Though his elder daughter Maggie was more epting of the situation where he had remarried. Damien had been worse than hostile but he couldn''t argue more as his current wife didn''t spare her words to his son, "It''s going to be your mother''s birth anniversary in three days. Are you nning to skip it this year too? Your mother would have loved for you to be part of it." The glint in Damien''s eyes reduced where he gave his father a lop-sided smile, "The thought of celebrating birthdays is endearing when the person is alive," this was the time in the year Damien didn''t like. Changing the subject back, he lifted his chin, "Don''t you think your youngest daughter is being spoiled unnecessarily?" "She must have taken it from you," his father''s lips twisted slightly. Picking the ss of blood that was ced for him to drink, he took a sip from it. "Touche. At least I don''t go threatening to break arms for silly reasons. You need to keep an eye on that one. Never know what she will do..." His father nodded his head as if agreeing but not voicing it in words at first, "I am aware that she tends to be like that," Gerald ced his hand under his chin, "Sometimes I wonder if it is because she feels left out by being the youngest one. It does worry me," the old man sighed. "I will happily take up the task of beating the brattiness out of her," the evil glint in Damien''s eyes was up. "Children are supposed to get along once they grow up. You both are being difficult," the man rubbed his forehead. Seeing Damien stand up and starting to walk, he asked his son, "The Lord of Bonke is pleased with your work." "That is good news." "Yes, he is a humble and kind man for a vampire lord yet he graciously looks after thend," Damien smiled as he approached the door. Humble? Kind? His father was blind as the rest of them to think like that. He doubted that Lord Nichs'' dictionary held all those words. As much as he appeared kind outwardly, it took Damien less than a ten seconds to crack open the facade the man carried behind his smooth chiseled mask. One of Damien''s many qualities was not only keen observation but his ability to look through a person''s face was something that made his job easier. If Damien wasn''t wrong, there was something that always lingered around the Lord of Bonke, something very malicious which he tried to figure out. "If not him you should look up to your cousin Alexander," upon hearing his cousin''s name, Damien nodded his head, "It has been a while since he''se to visit us now. Has he been doing well?" "I met himst week in the council room. He''s been doing well," he answered his father''s question before taking his leave from the dining room. Penny was sitting on the bed when she heard the knob of the door being tuned before it was opened for Damien to step inside the room as he left it open. "We are going out," he said walking towards the closet of his room, sliding the door to pick one of his coats which was dark brown in color. Wearing it, he turned to look at her, "Let me take you out for fresh air," Penny gingerly stood up as she wasn''t sure if his meaning for fresh air was fresh air itself or if it meant something else. Following him, both Damien and Penelope walked through the halls of the mansion where they came across Damien''s elder sister Lady Maggie who was talking to a maid about her room that needed to be fixed. On seeing Lady Maggie, Penny bowed her head where the bow was returned with a small smile as thedy turned her gaze to her brother. Maggie didn''t question where he was going with his ve and returned her gaze back to the maid she had been speaking to. Damien continued to walk out where Penny followed him. She saw him not wait for the carriage, where he only walked away from the entrance. Curious she asked him, "Are we going to the woods, master Damien?" "Yes, my smart mouse. Fresh air equals stroll in the woods where there are no idiotic, stupid beings to get on my nerves and spout irrelevant nonsense." Chapter 56 - The woods- Part 1 As the mansion was built on the hill like a ce where Penny had not once left the mansion on foot. The wide bridge was made of hard rocks that had sustained the harsh weather of wind and rain of Bonke. On either side of the bridge sat a vessel like a stone that was empty which was built at equal intervals of space.?It was an opportunity to walk on the wide bridge that was up in the air as the passage from the mansion which led to the forest and connecting to the othernds which weren''t isted. But at the same time, the height of the bridge was daunting which could scare a person who had the fear of heights. Penny found herself to be greeted by the wind due to the height she walked in on the bridge right now. She could see the sea on both her left and right while in the front walked Damien, every step of his confident and stride full as he ced his foot on the stony ground. As it was morning, with the weather not harsh as clouds hovered above them, the forest looked warm in color, giving the background to her master who walked ahead of her. The wind ruffled her already errant hair where she had to use her hand to stop it from falling all over her face. The walk on the bridge was quiet. Once they had sessfully crossed the bridge, they entered the forest likend and instead of walking on the road, she found Damien taking another route. It made Penny wonder where they were going. Or where he was taking her. Thinking back at what happened in the dining room, she couldn''t stop pondering over the family''s words. There always seemed to be friction going between Damien and his sister Grace where the younger vampiress was always bent on poking her nose where it wasn''t needed like making her do her job. Remembering her arm being twisted she shook her head. Suddenly hearing a couple of birds chirp as they flew in the sky above them, it distracted Penny from her thoughts to raise her head and search where the birds were but the trees were tall and branched enough with the leaves to not allow one to view the sky but only in patches. The trees reminded her of the time when she had tried to run away from him. Her face turned wry when she thought about it. She had escaped from him, ran in the rain continuously using the stolen money to stay in the inn but what had happened in the end? She had been caught. Somewhere she felt that he had let her escape for his own amus.e.m.e.nt to see how far she would go. Making her run to only take away the freedom she had been so closed to. She heard Damien speak, "I like to take walks in here. They are much quieter than back in there," he meant the mansion. It made her wonder if something was bothering him, the talk in the dining room with his father maybe? But then, every sentence that had been passed to him had been retorted back with ease, "How about you? Do you like taking walks?" he asked her. "I think so," she answered not sure if she actually did as before even turning to a ve she often had to go back and forth through the forest of her vige to help her uncle. It was something any human did but maybe it was different for a vampire, especially one who was privileged who could use the carriage and the horses on their beck and call. "Think so," he murmured her answer. Penny didn''t know what was going on in this vampire''s head as she had stopped trying to understand and decipher most of the things he did as nothing ever made sense, "My sister and I often came here with our mother when she was still alive. Taking walks in the evening and hunting animals," Penny hadn''t expected him to speak about his mother but as he said it, his voice didn''t seem to contain the usual tone he held while he mocked and insulted people. His words appeared to sound distant as he spoke of his memory to her. "She must have been a lovely woman," Penny responded back. For someone like Damien to think about his mother made her wonder what kind of woman thetedy was. If she considered both Damien and Lady Maggie, both their characteristics and nature were in stark contrast to one another. Lady Maggie must have taken to be like her mother, thought Penny to herself. Damien turned around to meet her gaze, "She was more than lovely. You should have seen her tear the caught rabbit into two halves," seeing the small surprised expression pass across her feature, he asked her, "Did you think she was kind?" his head slightly moved back, augh escaping his lips. She wasn''t? "Oh, pet of mine," One corner of Damien''s lips lifted up, parting his lips where he twisted his mouth as he continued to smile with his eyes shining out of mirth, "I have taken after like my mother. She was a beautiful woman, kind maybe to her children but you know how I am. My sister Maggie has taken over to be like father but we both share the traits of our mother while sweet Grace took after her mother." Penny had no words to say. Rabbits were meat which was cooked but at the same time tearing an alive rabbit apart was a little more than gruesome in Penny''s eyes. Damien then started to walk and she slowly followed him. "Don''t judge on appearances and words. Learn to see through the facade of what is in front of you than judge with the first nce. Unfortunately, not everyone is as gifted as me but I am sure you can use your brain," Penny didn''t know what and why the man was lecturing her on this subject, "You might be my pet, but I would expect some difference from the other ves and my own ve." Penny''s eyes narrowed, zeroing it at Damien''s head as he said those words. Before she could think any further, his footsteps halted again as he stared at a tree to say, "Now quick, climb up the tree and bring me the fruit." Chapter 57 - The woods- Part 2 Penny gave him a bewildered look as if the man had grown another head, "What?" Damien was looking up at the tree with his eyes set on the scrumptious looking red fruits that hung on the branches of the tree. "That one right there," he pointed out his hand at one of the fruit which had grown at the top and the far end of the branch. "We do not have adder, master Damien," Penny tried to reason with him which the man didn''t seem to hear though there was nothing else stopping him from listening to what she just said. "I can see that. That is why I said go ahead and start climbing the tree. That one," he said looking at the fruit while not moving an inch from where he stood. His stance was stubborn. Did he think she was some kind of monkey? "I do not have the skill for it," she frowned, giving the tree a look to see there was no way she could climb this one. Penny had no experience when it came to climbing trees. Damien nodded his head before his eyes fell on her, "You will develop. One needs to learn how to climb trees," why would anyone have to learn it unless it was the woodcutter who needed to cut and sell woods, "You might never know why you will need it. Now hurry. I have been craving to have this one whilst waiting for it to ripen." Penny stared at him and he stared back at her with a lighter intensity. Penny gritted her teeth, turning away from him, she walked to the tree. Checking the tree so that she could know where to ce her foot to start climbing. Her bare feet which had not been covered since the time she had been taken to the ve establishment, felt the stones and the little twigs under feet. Still hesitant about it, she turned around to look at Damien who gave her an encouraging smile. Turning herself again back to look at the tree, she finally held the trunk of the tree with both her hands, cing one foot while swaying her body up and down as if anxiously waiting for some invisible push to push her on the tree but nothing ever came. After a minute, Penny ced her head on the tree. "Did you fall asleep without even making an effort to climb? Howzy," she heard Damien ask her. If it was possible right now, Penny would have loved to pull the tree from its roots to bash it right against this pureblooded vampire''s head to see if it could fix the loosehead of his. "I have never climbed the tree, Master Damien. You cannot expect me to climb up like some squirrel and bring you down the fruit." "Hmm? Are you being disrespectful towards me?" he asked from behind. "I didn''t mean to offend you, master," Penny closed her eyes, her teeth gritting. "Of course, you didn''t. But then if you are, would you like a swim in the sea here? Though I cannot assure you if it will be a good swim as no one ever came back to tell me how it was, you can always look forward to it," was he threatening her? Thinking about being thrown from up above into the waster made her feel dizzy. Penny pivoted her body through her heel, giving the man a queasy smile as she said, "I will try to climb." "That''s what I thought. I knew you were looking for just that kind of motivation," pping his hand as if he were looking forward to her climbing the tree, he said, "Take a deep breath and push yourself up...You can do it," he waited for her to get to work which she finally did. Penny felt as if she were being tortured and punished for her past life sins to have been turned to this man''s personal ve where there was no escape. Before she made up her mind to climb a thought crossed her mind. What if she pushed him in the sea? Would he survive? Maybe he would but it would definitely take him some time before getting up here. After all, the path appeared to be a long one. But then, thought Penny. This was a demon who had tagged along with her, chances were that before she could even push him he would push her. Another reason was that there were higher chances of her not being able to push him because Penny wasn''t a spiteful person. Sure the man was as odd as one could find but he hadn''t treated her shameful or abusively where she was counting her stars of until when she would be spared. After happening to see how the ve had been treated and after giving it much thought she realized that her master was lenientpared to the people she hade across. He made her do odd things, one of it being making her climb a tree. His wishes and words were odd. One moment she had thought that they hade to some sort of ground before he shared about his mother but then like a coin tossed in the air, his persona had changed back to the devil he was. Penny wasn''t mean for no reason and what if he died in the process due to the fall? Thest thing Penny was to live with herself over a person''s death. "Penelope dear, nning for the weather to change so that the fruit falls into your hand?" she heard the heavily filled sarcastic words of Damien Quinn. Maybe pushing him off the cliff wasn''t such a bad idea after all. Looking at the old tree where the outer cover of the woods had dried up she looked up and down before taking a deep breath. It took her a couple of tries where her hands had begun to have dents on them while the bottom of her feet felt incredibly sore. Finally, after some time Penny managed herself to climb the tree to her utter happiness. Moving up, as he stuck to the tree like a moth on the wall, inch by inch she moved up to finally catch hold of the nearest branch... Chapter 58 - The woods- Part 3 Once she was up, she started to bnce herself on the branch which felt weak and shaky. After a good amount of springing on the branch, stretching and reaching out to the fruit Damien had previously pointed. Just as she bnced herself, the branch above her where she had been holding broke toe in her hand. For a mere second, she was scared and let out a sigh of relief that everything was alright until she heard another crack sound before she felt her heart slip as the branch she had been standing on break. But Penny didn''t fall on the ground, instead, Damien had caught hold of her in time just as she fell from the tree. Penny had squeezed her eyes shut ready for her body to hit the ground. When it didn''t happen, she finally opened her eyes to see Damien staring at her. "Thank you," she thanked looking at him. "You got my fruit?" he asked her. Penny looked at her hand which held the fruit that wasn''t in a good shape before she had picked it but nheless the fruit didn''t lose its appeal, making one desire to eat it, "Good," gentler than she had expected, he dropped her on the ground where she felt her feet meet the surface of thend with her heart thudding loudly in her chest, "Did that give you a scare?" he asked her. "I don''t think I have ever fallen from such height," she answered him, one of her hand ced on her chest as she tried to get it back to its usual rhythm. Handing him the fruit with her other hand, she saw him take it and take a bite from it right away. The sound of the fruit being crushed between his teeth before he swallowed it. "Your heart is too loud, mouse. Learn to handle it, things like these shouldn''t scare you. You are a scared mouse," he stated and took another bite, staring at the fruit in his hand which he had taken bites from and looking up at her, "Do you know what this fruit is called?" she shook her head. She had nevere across to see such a strange-looking fruit. By appearance, the fruit was white in color which had ck pigmentation but as Damien ate the fruit, she could see the red fruit inside it. "This is called firefly of the night," he said beginning to educate her, "The fruit is delicious only at the time of the morning. If one consumes it during the time of night, especially humans, the person can die in less than ten minutes. It is called that because the fruit looks even more appealing when night falls upon it. Humans usually don''t cultivate them in the fear of someone taking a bite into it at the time of night." Penny nodded her head, staring at the tree and the fruit that hung on the branches, "Is this why you said to be careful with the appearance?" she asked him to see him finished the fruit in his hand and licking thest juice that had seeped down while he was taking the bites from it. "What a smart mouse I have. You need to be rewarded," he said walking towards her but then at the tree before he used his hand to hit the trunk of the tree with enough force of few fruits that were loosely hanging in the tree to fall down. With his quickness, he caught one of them in less than a second. Penny blinked at him. Did he just...? All he had to do was hit the bark on the tree and instead of doing it, he had made her climb up the tree, "Don''t look at me like that," he said handing over the fruit to her, "Today you have learned a new skill. That is how to climb a tree. Very soon you will master it as you will climb up and down with ease." "I don''t think it will be of any use..." she drawled. Hearing him chuckle as he pulled out his kerchief to wipe his hands, putting it back in the pocket he said, "I am sure it will be more than helpful, Penelope. Especially with that little brain of yours trying to device a n of escape since you arrived here," he gave her full smile which a naive person could mistake it to be kind but the smile was far from it. Damien walked past her leaving her speechless. She had nothing to say as a retort. She had thought of him to be a crazy vampire who did things randomly but it seemed like there was more than what met the n.a.k.e.d eye. He had told her to look through a person''s facade and it seemed like this man himself hid a lot of things which she couldn''t reach right now. Bringing the scrumptious looking fruit close to her lips, she opened her mouth to take a bite into it. For the first second her face contoured at the sourness before it turned sweet as she swallowed it. The fruit had a strange texturepared to what it looked like. Finding Damien looking at her feet, hemented, "We need to get you some shoes before you go stamping on another nail or thorn," saying this, Damien started to walk back from where they hade. Back to the bridge that connected to the mansion. Once Penny was done eating, she wiped her hands on the sides of her dress that she wore. Reaching the bridge, Penny found some sort of relief when her feet touched the t surface than the small stones and twigs in the forest. Suddenly she found Damien stopping in his tracks and she who had been following him quietly back paused her own footsteps. Seeing him where he had his hands in his trouser pockets. His head leaning back as if he were looking up at the vast sky. He then looked over his shoulder and for that moment Penny felt as if she saw his eyes appear to be darker or were it ck in color itself? Chapter 59 - Life of a slave- Part 1 Penelope blinked her eyes again at the thought that she was imagining things or something hade to hover in front of her eyes but that wasn''t the case at all. "What is the matter?" Damien asked Penny who looked taken aback with his eyes color. For the first few seconds, she stared at his ck orbs of eyes which looked as dark as the color of his hair which was pitch ck in color, "Y-your eyes, master Damien," she continued to stare at him where Damien turned around to walk back to where she stood on the bridge. The wind blew, the intensity of it in her ears humming up and down as it moved around them. The loose ends of her hair were swept to the left side of her face and shoulder. Some of the baby hair hindering her eyes which she didn''t dare to remove it as her eyes focussed on Damien, her eyes zeroing on his eyes which were an obvious color of darkness. "What happened to my eyes?" she heard him ask her. Penelope was sure that his eyes were the color of red all this time that it confused her if she had been imagining him to have red eyes but that couldn''t be. They were ck in color. A smile crept upon his lips, "Can you guess why they turned ck?" She wasn''t hallucinating after all. How could she know something she wasn''t aware of. "A vampire''s eyes are supposed to be red in color. Can they change colors?" she asked him. "They are not supposed to," then why did his eyes change color? Was he not worried that something was wrong and off about it? It appeared that something was really wrong with him and he needed medical attention to it, "You need to see a doctor, Master Damien," at her concerned voice, Damien''s lips twisted. He asked her, "Worried about me, darling?" the term of endearment was something she wasn''t expecting that caught her off guard, "Keep this to yourself now. Not many know about this," he lifted his finger to ce it on his lips before turning on his heel and starting to head straight in the direction of the mansion. Penny who stood bbergasted had to run a little to catch up with the vampire, walking almost next to him with absolute curiosity, she watched him walk unable to move her gaze away from him. She wondered if something happened for his eyes to change color...and just as she thought about it, she realized that his eyes had been fine until now. At least until they reached the forest. And what did he mean to keep it to herself? Didn''t the others know about it? Unable to hold back her curiosity, she asked him, "Master Damien..." "Hmm?" he looked at her where she walked next to him on the concrete rocks of the bridge that was smoothened every three months due to the rain of the Bonke that often chipped the firstyer of its surface. "Are you alright?" she blurted to his utter surprise before an evil smirk made its way on his face. "You must be a masochist to ask your master who makes you do all kinds of ufortable things yet you ask him about his well being," his eyes sparkled as if he was sure he had found his treasure. Penny frowned her brows, turning away her face as if it was a wrong move to ask him anything. Master Damien had the habit of spinning his words round and round until it came to where he could use it to retrieve what he wanted. Penny believed that in Damien''s eyes, she was his personal pet, a ve that he had bought but in her own mind. She was her own person. A person who would one day escape from where and that day wasn''t too far. "Don''t pout mouse, women look terribly ugly when they pout. It only shows how immature they are. By the way, do you need shoes?" he asked her. Penny wondered how many times the subject of her having shoes and the need to buy it hade up until now. And no matter how many times it dide up, not once had the vampire taken her to buy her a pair of shoes. But at the same time, Penny had nodded to herself internally. The vampire she had received as a master was a sadist being. He enjoyed poking fun at her. Her hands and legs hurt with the amount of pressure she had put on the tree while trying to climb. Franky, she had no confidence in herself when she had gone to the tree but she had done it. Did he know she would be able to do it or had he done it out of pure amus.e.m.e.nt? The first felt unreal and thetter seeming to be a possibility she shook her head earning a look from him. Yet after everything, the curiosity in her mind continued to linger on the color of his eyes. The sky that had been clearer started to .u.mte itself with the clouds since the time they had left the mansion, walking on the bridge and to the forest. Reaching the mansion, she found Damien who had stopped outside without going in. Signaling his coachman who was already standing in an alert position since he had witnessed the master''s arrival back home, Damien turned his eyes to look at his butler who came from inside the mansion like an invisible bell had been rung. With the master-ve bond that was ced on Falcon, he was more attuned to the person he served. Noticing the coachman who started the carriage from the shed where it was parked to pull it up in front of him and master Damien, the butler asked, "Master Damien, are you going out?" the butler looked at the ve who stood next to his master. "We''ll be visiting the Isle Valley. I should be back in three hours. In the meantime, Kreme mighte to deliver a few items. Make sure you bring everything up to my room and do not drop it. They are delicate items. Handle it yourself," the pureblooded vampire informed his butler who nodded his head. The butler bowed his head to say, "I will make sure to get them up to your room safe, master Damien." "Good. We''ll be leaving," said Damien, not waiting for a response he took two steps towards the carriage before the carriage door was opened for him. Falcon, stared at his master and then his ve who followed his suit without a question. He wondered where they were going. The Isle Valley was a town that sold high-end goods to the people who belonged to the higher society. Not that all the shops didn''t market it to the lower ss of people but because the items sold in there were something that the poor could not afford. The town was built for the pureblooded vampires which waster allowed for the humans who were rich. At the same time, the Isle Valley was a town that was attached or stood right adjacent to the ck market. It wasn''t obvious but everyone knew the location of it. And as illegal as the ce was where things that were sold there were to never be owned, the items were sold to people anyways as it was the ck market where goods could be hidden and be given only after the payment was done. The butler couldn''t help but think that maybe his master was going for a refund for something he had bought for a ridiculous price. With what he had seen yesterday, the ve his master bought was someone who was untamed. Somewhere he felt it was better to bring another ve. Not because he had anything against the girl but behaving like that would only cost the ve''s life. With the time he had served people in this house and also heard and seen things, the girl would die soon if she didn''t know how difficult it was to live a ve''s life. At least by dropping her back, the girl would still continue to live than be dead and thrown somewhere in a ditch before it would be filled with water and forgotten in time. Chapter 60 - Life of a slave- Part 2 Penny who was unfamiliar with the ces of the name didn''t know she was going back to the ce where Damien had bought her. After the journey in the carriage, the coachman pulled the reins of the four horses which was at the entrance of the Isle Valley. Penny getting down first, looked up at the signboard that hung at the front with the name of the town. It was a posh town where women and men, even children were dressed to the point that it looked as if they had arrived here for a certain event. But there was no event which even Penny was aware of. It didn''t take her long as Damien led her in to know that this ce was a town built for rich people and not for people like her. The road and its path were much cleaner with no muddy patches and instead, it had a cemented ground which was very simr to the rocks used for the bridge of Quinn''s mansion. As they walked in, Penny keeping up with Damien''s long and proud strides on the ground, she looked left and right at the stores which had various items when it came from clothes to jewelry to food to shoes and any other things one would need to buy and spend luxuriously. Some parts of the town looked familiar but Penny couldn''t put her hand as to why she felt it be so as she was sure she had never stepped into this ce. And though she was yet to realize it, the reason was that at that time, Penny had concentrated on the person who had bought her. "Ah! M-mistress, p-please!" Hearing someone cry from the other side of the street they were walking on, Penny''s face snapped to see where the sound hade from before spotting a person who was on the ground and on his knees. In front of the young man stood a woman, her body covered in a silk-like dress which hugged her body rather snuggly. The woman had a whip but it wasn''t a rope but a very thin-looking metal that the woman used on the young man erupting screams from him. "Did you think I wouldn''t notice?" sheshed the whip on him making him fall down on the ground. It waster that Penny realized that there was another pair that stood barely a few distances away from them. It was another woman but with a girl. The woman held the girl by a chain which was attached to the neck of the girl. ves. They were ves, thought Penny to herself. The stark contrast of the clothes was enough to differentiate the people who walked in here. While the elite wore clothes that were made of expensive materials, the poor wore almost nothing inparison to them, with the skimpy looking clothes that weren''t enough to hide the chastity of the girl who was cored. The young man groaned in pain as the metal bit into his body. Penny had stopped following Damien, her footsteps halting at the sight of what was taking ce here. Almost everyone who walked by didn''t care or bother themselves with helping the ves. Most who came across only smirked, looking down at the ves for being impudent while the others just walked by like they saw nothing out of the norm taking ce. Damien noticing the shadow that wasn''t close anymore, turned around to find Penny standing and watching something. Tilting his head, his gaze followed hers to find the vampiress beating her ve. cing his hands in the trouser of his pockets, he walked towards her. "She''s going to kill him," whispered Penny as she saw the woman continue her assault on the man. "Would it matter?" this caught Penny''s attention and she turned to him to ask, "Does a ve''s life matter that less?" a frown lingered on her forehead, her voice sad for what she witnessed. Damien stared at her, parting his lips to speak and said, "Depends." "What do you mean?" "Look at them closely," he tipped his chip towards them and Penny looked back at the scene, "Why do you think the vampiress is angry?" his words were quiet enough only for her to listen to. "Her anger doesn''t justify her actions." "Look closer. Don''t look just at them but at the people around them. What do you see?" she heard Damien ask her, his body closer to her with his words feeling as if they were spoken right next to her ear. Not knowing exactly what closer meant, Penny looked at those two before her eyes fell on the other two people whom she had noticed previously. The cored ve girl had tears in her eyes, fear evident in them. She heard Damien say, "I will tell you what happened here. The ve boy there has harbored feelings for the ve girl you see standing there which his mistress only found out about.?Vampires are very territorial, very simr to wolves. My guess is the vampiress likes the boy too much and is furious. Come, standing here is not going to help," Damien ced his hand on her small back, guiding her where she had stood unmovingly. "When someone is bought from the ve establishment, the owner expects absolute loyalty. In terms of actions or feelings." Penny had to tear away from her gaze from the people on the street, turning her eyes on the front of the street as Damien''s hand that was on her back slipped away to go back to his side, "You cannot control who you grow fond of or the feelings." "Sure but that doesn''t make it anything less to disloyalty. The vampiress there is in love with the ve," and as Damien whispered this to her, her head turned to look into his red eyes that had turned back before they had reached the mansion, "It is a pity for some of the night creatures where their pride and status are put ahead than the other emotions. They are unable to embrace their feelings nor discard it which leaves them in frustration like the one we just saw." Chapter 61 - Not everything is sweet- Part 1 Posting 5 parts as a mini mass release. Thank you for pushing the book to top 5~ Penelope was sure this time that the vampire world was not only heartless but also had stupid ideas of how to live. Keeping their ego''s and pride while hurting not only the ves of theirs but also themselves due to the unrequited love they held in one''s heart, she didn''t understand why one would do it. Life of a human was a short one and though the vampires lived longed almost immortal inparison to the humans whose life was numbered, a vampire should know when to uphold their pride and when to push away. At first, Penny had been furious at the sight she caught sight at the other side of the street to see the vampiress hitting the ve in front of everyone where no one stopped the woman fromshing out on her ve, she took it that it was amon urrence here. But after Damien said what the matter was, though she didn''t know how he knew so much by just a nce at them, she felt nothing but pity. The pity wasn''t just for the ve who was subjected to the humiliation but also the vampiress who was stupid. Her eyebrows still furrowed, she wondered why the vampires were like this. They were proud creatures but also stupid in her eyes now. Someone who didn''t reason right and clung on to their pride and their status in society. Was this how every vampiress and vampire treated the ves? Like they were objects and nothing more than that? It shouldn''t havee as a surprise to her but Penny had somewhat hoped there was a little difference in the way the ves were treated. But she should have known better. Once a value was ced on the head of the ve, there was no returning back and their entire life which they had led up until then turns to nothing but nkness like it never existed. Her eyes slowly drifted from the front view which she hadn''t been looking at clearly to look at the man who had bought her. Young master Damien Quinn as the household called him, the man wasn''t anywhere near young. If he were a human, Penny would have vouched for his age to be around twenty-seven. Almost a decade older than her but he was a vampire and not a human. And with the little knowledge she had, vampires'' age varied in a great difference when it came to humans. Damien as if he only caught her gaze turned to her, giving her a look which was calm and quiet, "Don''t think too much about it, you will hurt your head and lose your sanity," was this his way of telling that there was nothing they could do about it? As crazy as this man was with pulling the nket away from her body and making her climb the tree where she almost hurt herself if he hadn''t caught her in time, Master Damien hadn''t subjected her to such ill and harsh treatment towards her. Was this normal? Questioned Penelope to herself as she continued to look at him before looking away after she realized she had stared at him for more time than necessary. She tried to understand him this time, trying to pick up his previous behavior with her own knowing how she had behaved with him. From where she stood she was right but was it the same when it came to the world she was put in? What if a few days ago Damien wasn''t walking in the market? Penny asked herself the question. What if she was picked by another vampire or vampiress? Would life still be the same? Not able to stop asking the questions to herself she wondered how life would be with another owner? Penny was desperate to escape from where her rtives had dropped and pushed her in. She wanted the freedom of what she was than bend and bow her head to people who in her opinion didn''t deserve it. Walking further with Damien, she noticed a store she had seen before. She finally understood why the ce felt familiar though she didn''t remember why in the beginning. It was because she had seen the same store that was painted dark enough to catch her attention when Damien and she had first met. This ce they hade to right after the market she had been sold yet which meant the nk market was somewhere here. Her eyes moved left and right very carefully while her head was bent down slightly to not show disrespect to the other vampires. She wondered how many other poor souls were being sold in the ck market right now. On the other side of the Isle Valley was a route that was darker and narrower that looked nothing less to a big cave of walls where the light was shed from the sky that was scarce. The path led to the ce which many often went to but didn''t speak out openly about. It was the ck market, the same market where Penny had been subjected in front of everyone like a showpiece. And just like Penelope, many other men and girls were brought in today to be sold so that the ve establishment could thrive on while also bringing a huge ie to the people who ran it. The auctioneer who stood on the high tform where he held a girl who looked absolutely petrified and terrified, continued to cry with silent tears that streamed down her face. The auctioneer after what happenedst week had a bandage tied around his hand due to the deep wound that had been caused by one of the high-ss pureblooded vampires whom he couldn''t defy. With his good hand, the man named Frank spoke to the crowd, "A v.i.r.g.i.n like many we have, she has been untouched. Smooth skin which is unblemished with her gold like hair," he lifted her golden hair up before letting it go, "One of our most beautiful girls in the establishment worth every coin you pay," the auctioneer smiled looking at the crowd. "Three hundred gold coins!" One of the men in the crowd shouted looking at the girl hungrily. "Three twenty gold coins!" another said. The auctioneer who had his business-like smile on his face, gave a look of disapproval, "I am sure she will be worth your time. I assure you, she has been tested and her cries will send you straight to ecstasy!" he provoked the l.u.s.tful men in the crowd. To make sure of it, the auctioneer, pulled her clothes down where the girl only cried harder, "P-please, no!" she screamed which didn''t sit well with the auctioneer. He pushed her forward as the ve girl who was about to be sold held on to the skimpy looking thin material of her dress which was already showcasing enough of her body. "Five hundred gold coins!" one man shouted which got everyone murmuring as they wondered if it was going to be a repeat of what took ce the previous time in the ck market where the highest bidder ve was sold. "Five hundred and ten!" "Five seventy!!" "Six twenty-eight gold coins!" Chapter 62 - Not everything is sweet- Part 2 The count of gold went on when finally a man with blonde hair with gentle appearance was thest one to let the number fall at eight hundred and ny-nine gold coins where no other person dared to increase the gold coins on the ve that was being sold on the stage. As free as the money came to the high society it wasn''t the same when it came to the middle and lower ss folks. They had to think more than twice and thrice before deciding if the ve was worth it. Of course, there were some idiots who didn''t think much about their livelihood but it was only people who belonged to the higher society who could afford to throw away the gold coins without blinking their eyes. The man who bought the ve walked towards the stage and around it so that he could collect his item and hand over the gold coins toplete the transaction. His eyes were bright red in color like many other vampires here were only a few of them had a dark iris of deep red. Walking towards the little tent, he was greeted by the guard before stepping inside to look at the ve he just bought. "Master Robarte. I knew you would like her,"? the auctioneer spoke to the man who was looking at his ve as if pleased with his selection. "Yes, she''s lovely." The ve girl who had been sniffing softly after the number of tears that had spilled from her eyes was surprised with the pleasant voice that came out from the man. As if wanting to take a look at the man who had bought her, she looked up at him doubtfully to catch sight of a handsome face with sharp features that had a gentle smile that was on his face. When her eyes met his bright red eyes, he offered her a smile which made her look down immediately. After the torture that took ce in the ve establishment and her back that hurt terribly due to the mark which was branded on her, she didn''t know what kindness meant right now. "I brought the girl you described just like you wanted. I hope you will be pleased with her. Unfortunately, thest one you were looking forward to was sold to another person. Uhh, the money," started the man before a bag of gold was pulled up by Robarte''s servant. "Thank you for your service," the man said, stepping closer to the girl, he raised the girls'' head only to ask, "What''s your name, girl?" his voice was sweet like the berries she often ate, his eyes looking down at her gently. "A-Anne." "What a beautiful name you have," said the vampire making her heart flutter at the patience and the sudden kindness that started to invade her, which she had been deprived for weeks now. Though she had been branded before, one of the guardsmen had branded on her back again out of punishment, the thought of it made her cry again in fear. The ve girl named Anne, had a beautiful life before she had been kidnapped and forcibly made to live and know the etiquettes for a ve where her once upon strong will had been twisted and bent to be broken over and over again. "Don''t cry," he wiped her tears, "Let''s go home now," he smiled before turning around and walking out of the tent. The ve girl followed the man and she was taken to his big mansion which was a beautiful ce with a garden that surrounded it with different colors of flowers. "Master Robarte," the housekeeper of the house bowed his head. Not looking at the ve who the master had bought home, his head was bowed before he took his master''s coat. "Good afternoon, Myles. I will be resting up in my room today," informed Robarte, his wind chime-like voice sweet and delicate. Anne who hadn''t raised her head only heard and concentrated on the man''s sweet voice that sounded like honey to her own ears. The man was not only polite but also someone who had greeted his servant back. It made her wonder if she had been blessed with the right owner. Maybe if she would ask to be set free in the future he would, thought Anne to herself. "Follow me, Anne," said the vampire who started to walk somewhere. Anne followed him until they came upon a closed door. Seeing Robarte ce his right hand in his pocket as he fished for something in his key, she saw something glitter as he pulled out the key to unlock the door. The girl stood outside the room when the vampire unlocked the room and stepped inside. As if noticing theck of her presence inside the blonde man turned to look at her where she stood at the door, "What are you doing there? Come inside unless you''re nning to stand there forever," he smiled before turning around and walking towards his patio as he closed the door. The ve stepped inside to hear the man say, "Close the door behind you," this made the girl''s heart race. Why was he asking her to close the door? Gingerly she turned her body, shutting the door closed which made the sound of click in the quiet room. As the man walked around the room, the ve girl took note of the man who had bought her. Previously she hadn''t found the opportunity but right now she could see how handsome the man truly was who had bought her. High cheekbones, strong narrowed jaw with eyes that were leaner but wide enough that were prominent on his face. "Sit down," she heard him order her looking at the bed and she did as she was told. Happy that her master was kind to her, she obeyed while watching him close the windows of the room one by one which somewhat scratched the back of her mind but she brushed it away. After some time the man came to sit next to her, facing her as he ced one leg on the ground and the other on the bed. He raised his hand to see her flinch, "Don''t be scared," he whispered, even though there was no one to hear them in this closed room. Anne as if believing him though scared tried to stop herself from shivering when his hand went to pat her head very gently, "That''s right. Calm down," he smiled at her, "There''s nothing to worry about. I will take good care of you," he said as his hand smoothed the errant strands of her head as if he were petting a dog. And just as he patted, the girl started to finally calm down, her heart settling in her chest when suddenly she felt her hair being pulled back painful making her wince in pain, "M-master it hurts!" she cried when the man pulled her hair with a tight grip and her head fell back. "Hurts? What are you talking about?" asked the man in confusion, not knowing what the ve was talking about, "I am loving you here, so sweetly. Stop crying," he said to her where tears had started to form in her eyes. A single tear escaping from her eyes which turned the man''s expression dark. Chapter 63 - Not everything is sweet- Part 3 "I am being nice, what are you crying for?" asked the vampires, his eyes turning to the brightest red out of the sheer excitement. The fear turned the man on more than s.e.x did, the light in his eyes lit as he watched her squirm and cry, trying to get away from him like an insect trapped in a ss as he watched knowing there was no escape in this cobweb world, "Shh, don''t cry," he tired to pacifier when his hand hadn''t let go of her tangled hair which pulled her scalp painfully, "Okay," he whispered before letting go of her hair to see the girl move away from him, keeping a distance as her wide brown eyes looked at him. The ve girl didn''t know what to make of as her owner apologized, "Forgive me," said the man as his hand reached towards her but her scalp still hurting, she didn''t heed to him and instead leaned back to have the man''s eyes narrow at her out of unpleasantness. Suddenly the vampire came at her, his hand wrapping around the girl''s neck as he dragged her up to the center of the bed, "I told you there''s nothing to fear yet you are being difficult with me. The other ves were so much better who listened, why are you being difficult, Anne? Don''t you want to be loved?" he asked her with the same sweetness in his voice which now scared the girl on the bed. "M-master, please sp-spare me. P-p-please," pleaded the human girl but her pleas fell on deaf ears as the man was not listening to her. None of her words came to fall on his ear, his eyes looking at her fearful expression. His hand was still wrapped around her neck, pushing her to the bed so that she couldn''t move her body. As her body started to thrash, his hand tightened around her neck to see the air blocking out of her body slowly. Leaning closer to her face and positioning his lips next to her ears, he whispered, "What are you scared of?" The ve whined painfully as one of his legs was ced on her arm. More tears slipped past her eyes which only made the man look at her confused as to why she was crying even more, "Shh," he patted her head so that she could stop crying after moving his hand away from her neck which stopped him from choking her further, "Good girl, now don''t cry any further. You are to not cry," he repeated his words and the ve beneath him gasped for air, her chest heaving as he yed with her hair. The human was more than scared now, did she do something that he didn''t like? But she had been quiet and mindful. Not having spoken a word unless asked to. As his hands brushed through her hair, his eyes looking at her with that serene smile, fear came to instill in her eyes. "It''s time to see if you are as pure as he spoke,"? said the man before starting to tear her clothes as she struggled to hide, trying to prevent him from taking the clothes off her body but when she did it only excited the man further. "Master no!"? the girl screamed when she finally did manage to crawl away from the bed, falling down and running towards the bed, she tried to open it but the door never opened as it was locked. The room filled itself with the twisting and turning of the knob, the ve trying to open the door as the vampire came to stand behind her. "Where do you think you are going?" At the question, the girl''s face snapped to look behind at the man fearful who wasn''t smiling anymore. Turning back at the door she started to bang it with both her hands. "HELP! PLEASE, ANYONE!" she hit the wooden door as hard as she could. "So noisy," the man sighed. He rubbed his forehead. The girl continued to bang her hand until her own headbanged right at the wall next to her. Leaving a trail of blood trickling down the wall. The man looked at the girl who nowid on the floor unmoving. By the heart rate one could say that the girl was still alive. Walking towards the wall, he slipped his finger over the fall and put the bloody tip of his finger into his mouth. Closing his eyes, he relished the taste of it. The girl had survived much to his surprise. Going to the other side of his room and into the bathroom, he pushed the closet which had a lock for it to slide through to allow a passage to be seen. Robarte went back to the girl, dragging her by one foot with little to no effort to take her into the secretive passage which not even his servants were aware of. Once he had tied her legs with the chains, a room which had no window and only the light that was thentern that was lit asionally, he looked down at the girl. ves. They were such beautifulplex creatures, thought the man to himself. All they had to do was ept the fact of their living and the ves he often picked were the ones that wereplex in nature, rebellious so that he could enjoy them slowly, torturing them where he could hear them scream over and over again, the echoes ringing through the walls where it was only him, who could hear them and no one else. Before the bid had taken ce today, the auctioneer had told him how he had missed another ve who would have been perfect for him. Upon inquiry, he found out that the ve was sold. Not just sold but from what he heard in the crowd who were murmuring in front of him, the ve was sold for a high amount of five thousand gold coins. It only piqued and irritated him that much more. For a ve to be sold for such value, she must have been worth it. But what Robarte didn''t know was if it weren''t for Damien Quinn, the girl might have been sold for less than a thousand gold coins. Closing the sliding door of the bathroom. The vampire came to his room to look at the blood that had been smudged on his walls. The scent of it making his head dizzy as he closed and enjoyed the wafting iron-like smell in his room. Chapter 64 - Master dont be stingey- Part 1 Note:?Listen to this as you read this and the next chapter ''Fun Fun Fun dayo, Lucky Star'' Damien who had spoken about buying her shoes had instead made her carry the one bag of clothes he had bought for himself. If there was one more thing she noticed when it came to the man who had bought her so happy, he not only bargained on the items he bought but also was extremely picky. Of course, Penny could herself call to be picky if she had the option of money but this man here was far worse than a woman who shopped. They had been to more than seven shops and he had made the salesmen and women bring him clothes one after another, spending time looking with an absolute bored look on his face until he found a shirt which he was remotely interested to only drop it. One of the stores had somehow managed to impress him where he finally bought them but not to the value they had put up for. "Make it t two gold coins," said Damien who continued to look at the fabric of the shirt he held in his hand as if he would find a hidden torn hole in the garment if he looked through over and over again. Penny hid her face now because she was the ve who was apanying her master but because she was embarrassed with the dealing her master did, "Master Quinn. This is handmade by and brought from the othernd, look at the fabric, we cannot drop the price when thebel is of twenty-nine gold coins." "Don''t be a stingy shopkeeper..." Damien''s eyes narrowed to look at the tag that was on the man''s chest, "Courtis." Penny''s eyes widened at the term used by Damien and if it was allowed the staff in the room would have returned the same expression as hers but they were taught to be polite to their customers and Damien Quimm was the customer none would like to lose. "Sir, the fabric is created once in every twelve months of the year," the manager of the shop spoke politely. "Then you must have kept stock at that time. Drop the price. Alright to make it fair, let''s bring it up to five gold coins," if Penny didn''t know the ridiculous amount of coins he had used to just buy her which he had bargained there too, she would have taken him to a measly vampire. Thinking about the way Master Damien led his life, Penny pondered on how much this man was worth for. With the family mansion that looked nothing less to a king''s pce and the architecture around, she could hardly fathom it. And with the amount of money and gold he possessed, she wondered if the man was stingy just for the fun of it. "Master Quinn..." the store manager gave an awkward smile who was a lower vampirepared to the man who was trying to buy the clothes for lesser than half the price. "How cheap are you. Your shop must be making a more than expected revenue herepared to the other shops that are lined here in the same street yet you cannot drop the price for a regr customer,"? Damien drawled his voice filled with one of disappointment, looking up from the fabric that he threw on the table. Cheap? Thought the store manager, looking at Damien Quinn with a bewildered look on his face now. "Did I say something wrong?" Damien asked innocently not knowing what wrong he said when he knew quite well what had caused the expression on the man''s face. Penny only turned her head down more not wanting to see the witness the embarrassment and awkwardness in the room. "Sir, the money goes to the owner and then to fabric maker with which we get little amount from it. A great man like you shouldn''t be worried about money," Damien nodded his head. "You are right. How about all of youe to work in my mansion from tomorrow. There is paintwork and some mowing to be done in the garden. One of the people in my mansion pulled out my good nts," hearing this Penny closed her eyes. Please, God, don''t bring me in the conversation, prayed Penny to herself. The storeman somehow managed to smile and then said, "How about twenty gold coins, Sir?" he saw the pureblooded vampire twist his lips thoughtfully who finally nodded to their relief. "Alright. Twenty doesn''t sound that bad. Pack it,"? said Damien, pulling out the gold coins as he counted them before pushing it on the table towards the man. "Please pack this," the storeman said to one of his helpers who got to work of folding the shirt and ce it in a bag. Penny who was still looking at the table where Damien continued to pull out the coins to ce it on the table wondered what he was up to until she heard him say, "This is your tip," Damien pulled out one little penny which only meager vige men would have. To think that Damien carried it around him, Penny was gobsmacked and her eyebrows had gone up to her hairline until she began to count the coins on the table. One, two, three...eight and nine...and a brown colored penny. Damien said, "I am being generous and giving you arge tip. Make sure you use it wisely." The storeman had a simr expression as hers.?She blinked twice before looking up at Damien. She didn''t know if she was tough or not for the store''s plight. "We are very happy for your generosity." "Take this mouse,"? and Penny moved forward to take hold of the next bag she was carried. After all Master Damien didn''t like heavy things on his hand while he was walking. Bowing her head to the people in the store who had put up with her master while it somewhere made her smile, she followed Damien out of the store who had a serious expression until a chuckle escaped from his lips. Chapter 65 - Master dont be stingey- Part 2 "It has been a while since Ist haggled around," he said in mirth before saying, "Let''s go to the next store," it felt like he was in the mood to bully every store person today, "You haven''t spoken much," he noted without sparing her a look as he gave a nod to a man who must have been an acquaintance of his, "Still thinking about what happened? I thought it would have disappeared from your mind." Now that Penny thought about it, she did forget about it and the matter though was a grave one, with Damien''s back and forth dropping the price of the items in the store, it had truly taken her mind off. "I didn''t know if I can or cannot speak," said Penny, carrying the two bags in her hand, following behind him to hear a surprised voice from him, "Why would you say that? How can you take deprive the fun of the mouse talking, what would I do?" asked the man dramatically, "Don''t worry about what happened earlier back there. I would rather have you talk than have a person who nods for everything I say. The mouse would be lost," when he saw her over his shoulder he said, "If I wanted someone like that I would have picked one of my maids but I should say they are utterly boring." "They are very lively," muttered Penny remembering the time she had a little exchange of words between the maids in the kitchen. "What is this hot brewing tea that I smell. I take you spoke to the maids in the mansion. Unfortunately, I never had the pleasure to talk to any of them," which was the truth. Damien preferred his maids to concentrate on their work and if he found them out of line the best was to teach them what they were supposed to do that idle around due to which every maid or servant for the matter did their work to the point, "How did you find them? Made friends already?" "I think I am fine with not knowing them," she answered frankly to see him nod. "True. They are thoughtless idiots with empty brains that like to fill their minds with dirt and garbage. It would be better you don''t go making friends there," at Damien''s words Penny sighed softly. She never nned to. She was a ve or a guest in the mansion for a few days, all she had to do was bear for a few more days or weeks, "I often hear how servants quarrel among themselves for the master or mistress''s attention. Rest be assured little mouse. This master shall not be moved that easily. You have all my attention." Penny looked sad at that thought. That was something she didn''t want from him. "Don''t look like a wilted flower. Bonke has more than needed water to bring the flower back to life." "Too much of water is harmful to a nt, Master Damien," Penny and Damien both knew that they weren''t speaking about nts or water here but with underlying meanings behind their words. "Fret not. I shall be the ground who will drink up all the water," Damien''s quick response left Penny speechless as she didn''t know how to answer it, "Let''s get this flower some shade, shall we?" he said before stopping at a shoe store. Damien walked inside the store while Penny was skeptical if they were going to really buy her shoes? All this time today they had done nothing but look for things for her master which was why she was doubtful as she took steps inside the green painted store. "Good afternoon, Mr. Quinn. We are so happy to have you here,"? a woman greeted the pureblooded vampire who was checking out shoes that were made for men. The woman was as tall as Damien himself, her figure lean and her brown hair tied behind her back with a loose knot, "What kind are you looking for today?" Today? Did this man oftene to buy shoes? asked Penny herself. Looking around the store she noticed it was only Damien and her who were present here right now as the only customers that was if Penny could be counted as a customer. Apart from them, it was only thedy and her helper girl who was young who wore a pair of sses that rested on her face. "Good afternoon, Gwenyth," Damien greeted the woman. He tore away his gaze from the showcased shoes that were put up in every single block like in a library, "It is not for me but for her. Can you check her size please," the word pleaseing from his mouth felt more than foreign. Master Damien was polite? The woman named Gwenyth eyes fell on the human girl, her light-colored red eyes taking in the human who stood wearing the ve uniform. For Gwenyth, Damien''s behavior didn''te out to be a surprise as the pureblooded man had always been stranger than the rest but nheless he was someone she knew for some time now. "What kind are you looking for her?" "The best you have." "Please take a seat," Gwenyth spoke to Penny who had been standing quiet and awkwardly. Penny had hoped for a pair of decent shoes that she could walk in. If clothes cost in gold coins, she could hardly imagine how much the shoes would be priced here, "Please," guided the woman with her polite manners and words that she had to follow before taking a seat on a plush chair. Penny''s feet that dangled with her heels and the back of her feet covered in dirt as she had been walking all over the ce bare feet, Gewnyth who noticed it called her assistant, "Maria. Take her to the wash." The assistant nodded her head, and Penny got down to follow the girl to another room leaving Damien and the woman to be alone in the room, "You will soon be seen on the newsletter of the town with gossips," hearing this Damien gave her a crooked smile. "I don''t mind the spotlight." Chapter 66 - Pair of shoes- Part 1 The assistant took Penny to another room where there was a tub filled with water. It was a room designed very simr to the bathroom except that it wasn''t one. The flooring was made of ck tiles which were clear enough for one to see their reflection. With a small chair that sat near the tub, the assistant showed her the way before making her sit on the chair. With the ve''s uniform that she wore which stopped at the length of her knee right now, she sat awkwardly, making sure her legs were not seen nor the skin above it as the girl sat down, lifting her leg and cing it in the bucket of water. Truth to be told, Penny had prepared herself to see the look of disgust on the store woman or at least the assistant who poured water in the tub where her feet were ced. But the girl''s face was nk as a statue as she started to wash her feet. It was obvious that no one would let her step into the pair of new shoes when her feet was dirty. After walking barefoot in the forest where the soil had been wet and slippery, the base of her leg picking up mud and dirt which had also begun to crack slightly, Penny was utterly embarrassed and went to say, "I will clean it." "Please miss, sit still," the girl took a stone and started to rub it against her heel with the dried skin peeling before she put it back in the tub, "You have been hurt," said the assistant after noticing the wound which was in the process of healing. The girl knew there was something strange. For someone who worked with all shapes of feet, she had noticed the little swell around this ve girls'' feet. It seemed like the swelling was not inting but was reducing right now.?After she was done with both the legs, the girl washed her feet again as the water turned dirtier and Penny was finally made to step out of it. After pouring cold water on her feet which waster moisturized with some creamy like a white lotion. Feeling her feet to be clean, Penny followed back the assistant to see Damien who was being spoken to by the woman named Gwenyth. The woman took a quick looked before giving a look of approval. "What kind are you looking for..." Gwenyth trailed, waiting for the human ve which Damien had bought to the store. "Penelope," answered Penny, her feet wing the floor after washing her feet. "We have various looking shoes, Penelope. Do you have anything on your mind that you are looking for?" asked Gwenyth to the human-like she would ask for any of her customers. Her words were polite and refined as she waited for Penny to answer her. "I-uh.." Penny only wanted a decent looking pair of shoes that would protect her from the wet ground of Bonke. She had nevere in the intention of looking for a ''variety'', "Which one is the most durable one?" she asked making the woman staring at her in wonderment before she let a smile escape from her lips. "I assure you every one of them here is durable. If something does break in a month or two''s time I will make sure to rece it for you without any extra cost," said the woman. But that wasn''t the issue thought Penny to herself. If she would pick to wear a shoe from here, she doubted she would be wearing them at all. For a person who?belonged to the lowest of the low ss in society. Penny until now, all she had done was pick boot which was durable and was of low cost. Thisdy appeared to be nicer than the others she hade across. Thest thing she wanted to encounter right now was Damien having another round of bargain to lower the price of the shoes she would be given from here. "There are some showpieces put up there. You might get a fair idea of what you might be looking for. Go on," urged the woman, folding her hands as she looked at the human girl named Penelope turn to look at Mr. Quinn who gave her a nod. "No harm in looking," he responded to her, "Why don''t you get them here. Let me pick one of it." "Take a seat, Penelope," the woman urged her, walking forward and picking up her hand to lead her to an empty seat. The woman, Gwenyth knew how daunting a ce like this or any other store in the Isle valley could be for a person who didn''t belong to this ce. The items sold in the Isle Valley were goods of high ends that couldn''t be found elsewhere. It was a one-piece where making another piece again took weeks for it. When another customer came in, pushing the door, Gwenyth excused herself to go to the door. Murmuring something to the mother and daughter duo who had been meaning toe and shop here today. After a few more words, the pair left the store and Gwenyth turned the sign on the door from open to close. Penny was speechless with the way thedy had asked the customers toeter while changing the sign on the door so that no one woulde in. Was she not worried about the loss that was going to take ce because of Damien''s shopping when the man was going to give her less than half the price for the shoe? Or maybe this was one of the ces which Damien paid fully and shopped often, thought Penny to herself. The woman gave her a warm smile which appeared to be unharmful but that didn''t stop the small frown forming on her forehead. Damien, on the other hand, looked like he hardly cared about it. He was checking out the shoes for men which were made of animal leathered skin, his eyes falling on the maroon looking shoe withce that had a criss-cross pattern on it. While the assistant had gone to fetch the shoes for Penny from the storage room, Damien asked, "When did thosee in? It wasn''t there a week ago," he inquired. Walking up to the rack to have a closer look at the shoe. "They arrived only yesterday, Mr. Quinn. Would you like to try it?" asked Gwenyth. "Maybeter," he replied back, turning his body to look at the assistant who handled at least eight boxes in her hand right now. Going to stand right behind Penny, he looked at the boxes that the assistant started to open one after another while looking at the ve girl. Each and every show that was pulled out of the box was beautiful enough to have her gazing down at them in adoration before she mentally shook her head. They were expensive and who knew what Damien would be wanting after he would buy her for it. She couldn''t help but think to herself that this was a ploy or he was only going to dangle the shoes in front of her to take it away. Damien turned to look at the vampiress and asked, "Is that all that you have?" "There must be a few pieces that haven''t been opened yet and is in my office. Give me a minute please," the woman excused herself with a polite bow and left the room. "Nothing caught your eyes?" the question was directed to Penny. "Master Damien," Penny turned around to meet Damien''s eyes who was standing behind her making her neck ache. He walked around, seeing the shoes that were ced, "Master Damien," repeated Penny, "I know a shop where I used to live." "Mhmm." "There are shoes that are much suitable for me than the ones that are in here," his gaze finally shifted to look at her, her concerned jade-like eyes. He tilted his head, "The shoes in here aren''t of your taste?" Penny not holding back whispered, "I cannot afford it." "Who is asking you to pay? My, you were paying? If you told me this earlier there was no reason for me to haggle," Damien''s lips twisted before saying, "By what you want to wear. Damien''s pet will have excellent shoes. Period. If you aren''t going to choose one here..." he looked down at her feet, "You will only end up stepping on sharp objects and continue to hurt yourself..." Chapter 67 - Pair of shoes- Part 2 The woman was quick as she came out with two boxes in her hand, "These came together with the marooned shoes you were looking at, Mr. Quinn," she said, opening the box without waiting for her assistant and getting down in front of Penny which Penny herself found to be odd. Two weeks and people and treated her like a ve without giving her an ounce of respect as an individual person whose freedom didn''t exist. In such time, thisdy who was looking after the store sat down in front of her without any consideration of her status right now which touched Penny''s heart. It was often told that when a person was in the worst state, a helping hand was like a light at the end of the tunnel which not only showed hope but also that there was still a little humanity left even if the creatures were not human. "These are crafted by one of the niche cobblers who works in Wovile. He is told to have the hands of God when ites to making shoes," said Gwenyth before picking a pair of inky blue shoes that were simr to the night sky of midnight. From far one could take it''s color to be nk but it was just that it was deep blue in color. Taking Penelope''s feet, she let her feet slide into the shoe which seemed delicate with the straps that wrapped at the top of her feet. In Penny''s eyes, they were beautiful but at the same time, something bothered her. It was the heel of the shoe that was pointy and thin. Gwenyth slipped the other her leg into the shoe, saying, "They are called sandals, Penelope. I think they look wonderful on you. What do you think, Mr. Quinn?" "Can you walk?" the question was directed to Penny. Penny had the exact same question. Could she walk in these? All this time she had worn t boots that had no straps or heels on them. While she was looking at her feet on how the shoes looked on her feet she felt something move in the side of her vision. Catching sight of a hand that was waiting for her to catch. "Time to walk in it," said Damien making Penny give him a queasy smile which fell immediately as it was put up to only disy politeness in front of the people in the store. cing her hand gingerly in his, she got up from her seat, wobbling slightly before her stance turned sturdy. Okay, thought Penny to herself. This wasn''t as difficult as she thought it was to be. Taking a deep breath she took one step forward to smile. See easy, she said it to herself. Taking another step forward she heard the words of encouragemente from thedy in the room, "For someone who isn''t used to walking in these shoes, you are doing excellent," Penny chest puffed in pride for herself. Who knew she could manage it in her first try without breaking the edges or falling down. And to prick the prideful balloon, Damienmented from behind, "What are you a duck to walk so slow? You can walk this slow once you hit ny. Right now you''re a young woman." Gwenyth only smiled looking at the look of embarrassment that covered on the girl''s cheek. Damien stared at her back and the posture, her stance slightly crooked which made her look worse than an actual duck. "You can pack them along with the maroon shoes there," ordered Damien before stating, "These will look lovely on Lady Sentencia. Pack the lowest pair of shoes so that Penny can use them. Heels please," though Gwenyth gave a look of surprise which was covered in the next second, Penny didn''t look least surprised. She knew this bullying master of hers would not hold back and wouldn''t lose an opportunity to make her feel bad but she didn''t feel bad. She was already getting used to him and was trying to ignore a lot of things when it came to him. Once they had packed the shoes, Penny had bowed her head in greetings of thanks. Though she didn''t get the shoes she was expecting which were t ones which would not only help her walk but also run when the time came, Penny was grateful for the service thedy provided her with her assistance even though she was nothing but a measly ve. While Penny was sent outside to wait for Damien as he had to speak to Gwenyth, the vampiress said, "The store has been doing well, Mr. Quinn. We had the shoes sent back which were inspected by youst week." "That''s good to know. I heard there''s a cobbler in Valeria. He is as good as the one who had crafted the shoe which you have packed for me today." "I will have someone contact the man." Damien shook his head, "That won''t be necessary. I have asked my cousin to send him over. Having the goods move back and forth is quite a hassle. I would rather like him to work here with the needed specifications of the customers." "Is there anything that I need to look at?" inquired Gwenyth. "No, that will be all. You have been looking after the shop well," the man gave the praise which he didn''t give very often. His words stingy just like the money he bargained. "Thank you for giving me the responsibility of looking after the store. I will make sure your store turns out to be the best in the Isle Valley," the woman bowed her head and so did the assistant behind her. "I expect nothing less. I shall take my leave," he stated ready to leave when he saw the assistant''s expression like she had something to say, "What is it?" The assistant bowed her head as she said,? "Umm, while I washing her feet I found a wound." "Don''t concern yourself with that," his words were sharp on her ears. It wasn''t because he was angry or trying to be rude but because he didn''t like when others tried took interest in what was his. It didn''t matter which gender it was. Gwenyth turning around waved her hand so the assistant to step out of the room and give them the space they needed, "Is she alright?" "Hm," Damien answered her with a crisp voice, "Her feet had an infection." "Infection?" asked thedy. She had heard of how easy it was for the humans to catch illness who fell sick quickly before passing away. Such was the fragility of humans. Noticing that Mr. Quinn had brought a girl apart from his elder sister to shop here, she wondered if the ve girl was someone special as she had never seen the man with any other ve before. "She''s fine now. If you''re so worried about her, bring her flowers just in case something does happen," Gwenyth returned a stiffened smile at Mr. Quinn''s dark humor. "Would you want me to send you a pair of t boots?" "Yes, please," what Damien didn''t know was that Penny was sketching her way out for the future by having t shoes so that she could run quicker than fall t within ten steps outside the mansion. With the store being his own which he had founded out of his money, it was a secret which not many were aware of. When both Penny and Damien reached the mansion, in the room, the man had finished cing the boxes. Turning to find Penny who sat on the edge of the bed with her shoulders slumped down. "Take these," Penny who was sitting idle heard Damien''s voice looking up where he stretched his hand towards her with two boxes. Without any questions, she took it from his hand. Opening to see one of them to have a heel while the other one was a pair of t boots. Was this why he had stayed back? "Don''t wear them until I tell you to," on his words, she looked up at him wondering why she was not allowed to wear them right away. He let out a yawn, walking around the bed and flopping right on the bed without bothering to remove his shoes. He dered, "I am going to take a nap." What was she going to do in the meantime? Chapter 68 - Trouble- Part 1 She saw him close his eyes, one hand of his ced above his eyes so that the little amount of light that was present in the room would stop falling on his eyes. Penny didn''t know what to do now that Damien had gone to take a nap. As she was still standing there with the boxes of shoes which Damien had got for her, she sat down on the ground. Taking one of the boxes and opening it to see the heel like a shoe which was very simr to what thedy had made her wear in the beginning. Though Damien had asked the store woman for a cheap shoe, Penny could tell that this was nowhere to cheap by the looks of it. The shoes looked as good as the other one. Maybe the stores in Isle valley didn''t have any low goods which were affordable for people like her or the lower or the middle-ss people. The question was where and how she was going to make use of it? For a person who had never worn anything like this, she was slightly worried that it would break. Keeping it aside, she opened another box that he had given her. Opening it, she was surprised to see a pair of t boots that hadces at the center part of each shoe. When she had asked him, he had denied it but in the end...Damien had bought it for her without discussing it with her while she had been waiting outside looking at the people passing by whilst the people gave her looks with their eyes narrowed that looked down at her. Taking her feet that she had hurt which in turn Damien had pierced his nail into where the wound had closed, she looked at it wondering if the wound was still there. With a little circus, she pulled her foot to have a look at the sole of it. Yes, the wound was still there but it appeared to be healing now. Closing the box as she knew she wouldn''t be able to wear them not unless her foot healedpletely, she pushed the boxes to ce them close to the wall. Standing up quietly, she caught sight of the vampire sleeping soundly. Damien''s eyes were closed, his pitch-ck hair covering his forehead with his chest moving softly up and down as he breathed. Who knew that the immortal creatures could breathe and had a temperature of their own. All this while when she was still living with her rtives, she had falsely gained knowledge that the vampires, as well as the pureblooded vampires, were cold-blooded creatures in the literal sense. She should have noticed it that day when he had her in his arms sleeping in the early hours of the day. Penny shook her head immediately. Why was she remembering that day? How embarrassing, she said in her mind while wondering what her future husband would say if he found out about it. It was today when he had given her his hand to stand up that she had noticed his warm hand. She looked outside therge window. The sky that had turned dark as the night.?With all the climbing and stepping out after a long time, Penny''s body felt tired and exhausted. She wondered if it would be alright to take some rest on the bed. With Damien who was sleeping on the other side of the bed, she first stared at the empty space near her but instead of sleeping on the bed. She sat back down on the ground which was carpeted. Leaning her back on the bed, she closed her eyes in the peace and quiet of the room. Damien opened one of his eyes, looking at the reflection in the mirror as the person in the room had stopped moving. Her heartbeat turning steady in a rhythm. Opening both his eyes, he turned his head to find the girl''s head resting on the bed as she snoozed in her sleep. Her breathing softly filling the room. The musicing to form that mingled with her and the sound of the breeze and the sea that hit the mansion time after time. He took a closer look at her face whichid half on the bed and a half almost about to slip down but it never did. Seemed like subconsciously she was still awake. Looking up at the mirror he found it easier to look at her and his eyes zeroed on her face which was rxed. It seemed like everything had turned out well in the end, thought Damien to himself before his eyes shifted to look at the box that she had moved to the wall.?His dear mouse. She came out to be strong but he could tell that with all the walls she had built not letting him crack it open, she had a terribly soft heart which she was sacred. Rolling out of the bed, he took hold of the jacket and stepped out of the room without waking the girl in his room. Damien stepped down the stairs, each and every step of his mimicking like one of the majestic cats in the forest. Licking his lips, he made his way down to find his step-mother and father talking to each other along with his elder sister Maggie. "Oh, good you are here, Damien!" eximed Maggie, "We need your help. They actually." "How can I be of help?" asked Damien. Damien''s step-mother was the one who spoke, "I believe you know Lady Urs and also that she has a brother." "Yes, Johnny Young," said Damien tilting his head, "What did he do?" "The problem is that he hasn''t done anything," said Fleurance, "We have nned to build a family alliance with them. Grace has been trying to influence the man-" "She has? What happened to the other man she was trying so hard with? The blonde-haired man. What was his name again? The councilman hmm," Damien acted as if he was trying hard to remember the name when he was already aware of what the man''s name was... Chapter 69 - Trouble- Part 2 His sister and father seemed to have no clue as they tried to remember who it was while his step-mother looked away with a sigh of frustration. She answered slowly, "Leonard Carmichael." "Oh, yes, him!" Damien had met and spoken to the man personally during various asions of their work. He was one of the straightforward men in the council and also a good man who often was found in thepany of the current Lord of Bonke, "What happened to that?" Damien poked his nose. Duke Leonard would never fall for his sweet sister Grace. Grace, Maggie and him shared the same father but it was only Maggie and him who shared the same mother. He didn''t have to know what happened but if hot tea was spilling so readily who was he to stop it. Instead, he enjoyed his step-mother''s unhappy expression. "Unfortunately, he didn''t seem man enough to woe Grace. She has gone to visit him before the tragic death of his parents. The housekeeper at that time was polite but now they have a new one who doesn''t allow guests in. You cannot expect her to wait for him," stated Fleurance, her white powdered face holding a look of disappointment, "It is only right that your father and I find the right suitor. Maggie doesn''t want to marry and Grace cannot keep waiting for her older sister to marry." "Help your mother and Grace, Damien," his father patted his back. "What can I do?" Damien tilted his head in slight confusion. "Your father sent a letter of proposal." "And?" he inquired. His father was the one to respond, "They said that they are willing to ept the marriage but on the condition that you will marry their daughter." Damien chuckled bringing his hand up to cover theugh. Clearing his throat, his expression turned serious to give his answer, "No." Maggie already knew this was going to happen and her expression remained unchanged but the same couldn''t be told about her step-mother who looked as if the word of hope had been pulled from beneath her feet. "What do you mean no?" asked Fleurance with her perfectly furrowed eyebrows. "No is a response which equals to be negative that a person is not going to go through it," answered Damien as if the woman had no clue what the word meant. "Didn''t you gift her a dress? You even go and spend time with her at her mansion. It doesn''t matter if they are humans, we are a progressive pureblooded family." Damien coughed hearing this, "You are progressive only because of the amount of property that is there in their names. If you are looking for a human, I have an excellent candidate and trust me you will love him," his fathering knowing him well sighed. "You should ask Grace to work hard to earn the man''s heart." For this the vampiress answered back with, "She has been working on it." "For what? Two weeks? That''s not even enough time to know a person either," Damien rolled his eyes, "Ask her to work harder unless she''s incapable." "You will have to take a wife in the future. Urs is a good girl." "My wife is something that is concerned with the future. We are now in the present, mother Fleurance," he used his over sickly tone to emphasize thest two words. "Are you saying you won''t help your blood sister?" "Half-blood," corrected Damien, "She was the one who brought it up," he raised his hand looking at the disapproving look his father gave him. "She is still your sister-" "Fluerance, why don''t we wait for Grace to return back," the older man ced his hand on his wife''s back, maneuvering her so that there won''t be a war in the family. Since the time he had remarried, Damien was the one who took the marriage to be something that was not supposed to happen. He was against it and even though years had passed now, his anger had turned to sarcasm which his current wife was quick to re up. The man knew that his son would never forgive him. In Damien''s eyes, it had been a sign of betrayal to his deceased mother. A sign that he never loved his mother enough and that it had been easy to rece her which was untrue. Damien smiled at his father and the woman as they walked away from them. His sister standing in front of him, "How was shopping?" "Pleasant," came out the crisp answer from his mouth. Looking around the hall which had been decorated he asked, "Has the preparation been done for next week?" "Yes," answered Maggie. Herself turning around to look at the decorations, "The cards have been sent to the fournds. Rtives and some officials." "Hmm," he hummed hearing it. "How is Penelope doing?" on his sister''s inquiry, Damien''s eyes shifted from looking at the room back to her with a quirked up smile. "She''s sleeping. She''s hurt her foot." "Don''t be mean to her, Dami," said his sister who saw her brother smile further. She didn''t want to tell it knowing he would only make things worse but she couldn''t help herself but worry about the girl. After what happened to the servant whom she had cared for in the past and what she had done, she didn''t want Damien feeling the same guilt out of any carelessness. But then her brother was different, way too different for anyone to figure out.?He didn''t spare even her when it came to being cruel with his words?but she knew somewhere he had a warm heart that he didn''t often show to people. It took more than an eye to see a person''s depth of character and unfortunately, he seemed to be the only one good at it. "I wasn''t. I have been rather nice to her. What made you think so?" he gave her an innocent expression that didn''t look innocent but mischievous.?Maggie wanted to say more but talking right now would lead to a path in which Damien would only get annoyed for bringing something up from the past. "I was only guessing." "Anyways, did you see Falcon?" he asked her. Damien hade down looking for the butler. "He should be outside fixing the lights." "Thanks," and Damien walked outside the mansion to see Falcon who was standing on thedder with a big brush in his hand. Swishing his hand back and forth as he hummed something under his breath. In the room, Penny who had a small nap opened her eyes, rubbing her eyes groggily as she lifted her head up to see Damien missing in the room. Looking back at the shoes, like a child, Penny reached out to it and opened the box to have a look at the shoe that was in it. Having never worn something like this before, she hoped to be able to walk in these in the future just like how women had been walking on the streets this noon. But would she be able to take them with her during her escape? asked Penny to herself. Her eyes moved around before it found a box on the table. With a little more than unnecessary curiosity, Penny stood up. Walking to the table where the boxid closed. It wasn''t a cardboard box but an actual metal like box that appeared to have atch on it. Wondering what it was, she turned to look at the door which was closed. With her heart beginning to thud in her chest, she raised her hand, hovering it above thetch before pushing thetch open. She looked surprised to look at the little bottles which had water-like liquid inside them that were ced snuggly in a cushion-like arrangement. What were these? asked Penny before picking up one of the bottles in her hand. Bringing it close she looked at the crystal tube and shook it in her hand. Suddenly the liquid like water out of nowhere changed to a color of green. "What...just happened?" she couldn''t think more as the ss tube turned hot immediately and broke with a crack, shattering itself leaving Penny wide-eyed in trouble. The knob of the room door turned and her head snapped to look at the door where Damien only had half of his foot inside the room before his eyes narrowed down at her and then the open box. Chapter 70 - Black witches- Part 1 She looked more than petrified with the way the ss shattered in her hands, its pieces that fell on the floor along with the liquid that had turned from the color of being transparent to a forest-like deep green after the rain. But that wasn''t what got her heart drumming loudly in her chest which she could hear it in both her ears right now. It was one of the many stories she had heard from the vige that she came, the drums being hit when a person was going to be sacrificed to the mountain God. Only that right now here she was sure that she was going to be thrown as a sacrifice into the sea by Damien for breaking something she didn''t mean to. And though she didn''t mean to break anything as it broke shattered by itself, it didn''t lessen the fact that she had gone snooping around the room to open a box that was locked securely. Damien who stood at the door didn''t look angry but there no hint of his sarcastic smile. Rather he looked very very annoyed, thought Penny in her mind while mentally preparing herself for the worst. The pureblooded vampire stomped forward and before he could do or tell anything, Penny bowed her head as deep as she could to say quickly, "I apologize for the ss. I didn''t mean to break it, Master Damien," her voice cracked at the end with worry. His eyes moved from the open box to the floor which had a green liquid spilled around her and the previously clean floor. His eyes narrowed further at the color that was present. Penny hearing nothing from him slowly stood up to see him bend down and sit on his heels as he stared at the green liquid. Damien was sure the liquid wasn''t green but had been transparent with the description and the other tubes thatid safely in the box right now. On closer observation, he found something to be odd. Using his hand, he swiped his finger across the green liquid where there were some of the ss pieces resided on the floor. Hot, thought Damien in her mind. Penny saw Damien stand up again, not looking at her but going to the box and lifting one of the colorless tubes that were in there, "Care to exin what happened here, Penny. Or are you nning to be part of the many statues that have been ced in the garden out here?" she heard him, seeing him turn to look at her, "Do you what these are?" Penny shook her head. "So you wanted to see what they were. What a curious girl. Haven''t you learned that touching another person''s belongings without permission is wrong?" "I apologize, master Damien. I didn''t mean to break it. I was looking at it when it suddenly turned hot and green in color," she exined not meeting his eyes. Damien tilted his head, her words raising his own curiosity and doubts. Penelope didn''t seem to be the kind of girl to break things for no reason, at least not in Damien''s eyes. If it were Grace or any other vampiress, it would have been easy to take in with the person''s action being sufficient. Had his initial suspicion been right? asked Damien to himself. The box contained newly acquired potions that were stolen from the ck witches so that it would be tested and seen what it was. Thetest news that was making rounds but in a confidential status was that a group of witches was being led by a former witch who hadn''t escaped previously. Rioting against the humans as well as targeting on erasing the existence of pureblooded vampire. But that was all to the new of the witches. Damien was the man from the council who was in charge of finding things from the ck market. He was the one who was aware of everything going around in the background of the scenes which was usually hidden by the council in the eye of the public and also sometimes in the eye of the fellow council themselves unless they belonged to the higher level. There was a group of witches who were creating an army of witches simr to what had happened when a vampire had started to recruit many humans who were subjected to transform into half vampires which hadn''t gone well. The ignorant vampire did not realize the consequences when he had gone to transform the humans in the entire vige, one after another to be killed by one of his very newly created deranged vampires. Humans had the ability to convert themselves to vampires but if the soul and the body couldn''t handle the transformation well, the person was equal to be considered as waste on thesends as they posed threat after losing the ability of rationality. Simr to how humans were converted to half vampires, he had heard of how witches were trying to convert humans to aplete witch so that they could be used to fought and create a riot against the exile that was ced on their sisters and brothers. Due their evil and unfriendly mind, the ck witches unlike the white witches who were allowed to be around the people but while also having the councils eyes on their actions, the ck witches were driven too far out of the viges and towns that only made the notorious creatures that much eager to attack the people for their own means. Penny who was waiting for Damien to speak saw him raise his hand which had the little ss tube in his hand. She didn''t know what he was looking for. Did he think she had dropped it for no reason? Penny would have thought several times before going breaking things unless her life wasn''t important to her which was for her. Penny''s eyes met his dark red brooding eyes, "Take it," he said with his hand still hanging in mid-air. Chapter 71 - Black witches- Part 2 Raising her hand gingerly, she took hold of the ss tube. Not applying much pressure on it as she was scared that it would end up breaking simr to how thest one had shattered in her hands. She was sure she had done nothing and it had broken by itself but how could a ss break by itself? Her hand was gentle around the ss tube. Damien''s eyes shifted from her hand to the potion inside. Zeroing on the liquid, "How does it feel holding the ss? And changes?" he asked her seriously. Penny who had been used to Damien''s eyes and every single facial expression being covered in mischief and sarcasm at times,? seeing him like this felt somewhat daunting. His whole persona had changed to a serious one. Gulping softly, Penny answered, "It feels cold. Cold like the snow," and it was true but then the temperature started to shift like cold water that was being ced under the fire, "It''s changing," the liquid that was transparent started to turn its color like an invisible bubble that had suddenly burst to let itself mingle and turn the tubepletely green in color. Seeing Penny''s eyebrows furrow with the amount of heat that had begun to gather inside it, he grabbed the tube from her hand, feeling the hot liquid. On a closer look, he saw the ss was going to break but it didn''t. "These are potions are very special, Penny. Don''t go touching things that you have no business in," his words were curt and Penny nodded her head in understanding, "This one here is a potion that has been brewed by one of our very special people," his voice shifted to the kind she was used to, the atmosphere feeling lighter which didn''t feel like she was suffocating with his overbearing presence. She wondered what that was about. "From the councilmen?" asked Penny unsurely. Wasn''t it the witches who were associated with the making of potions? Damien turned to ce the green tube that didn''t break which he ced in the cushioned. "Unfortunately we don''t have any witches who work for us directly. When the council was formed, the first of first councilman Caghan Vahuan who founded the council had drawn the line where witches were never supposed to step in and around the perimeters. You do know we have two kinds of witches right?" Damien had locked the box, taking it to one of his closets and cing it inside it. "The white and the ck witches." "Good girl," he praised her airly, walking around the room as he said, "As much as some wanted to let in the white witches to work with the councilmen due to their potential skills and some holding the ability of divination. A lot opposed the idea due to the very ability they possess. Anyways, getting back to the topic, these are creations of the ck witches. At least that is what many of use think unless," paused Damien with his words and his actions, turning to look at her to say, "It is done by a ck sheep." "You think it is a white witch," whispered Penny for him to give her a broad smile. "What a smart mouse you are. I will be sure to give you a piece of cheese. A lot of us often believe what we see without seeing what is there deep down in a person. Don''t you think so?" Penny tried to keep up with his words wondering if she was following right or if she was exhausted with the worry of him throwing her into the sea as her punishment, "I heard a whisper long ago. Words that spoke about a white witch who was corrupted like the vampires which is how she came to be a ck witch but then there is a lot of folklore when ites to the existence of the ck witches." Penny not understanding it asked, "Corrupted?" "Mhmm," he responded back to her, "Pureblooded vampires and vampires can''t be killed as easy as the humans. So most of them use vampires to turn against each other. Lessbor and a lot of productivity that way," said Damien as if he were the one recruiting the people while trying to stringent with his money, "Corruption in vampires is like a disease that can spread by one person being infected. These potions have still not being tested and need to be sent to theboratory of the council tomorrow. Now that the box is safe," he saiding to stand a few steps away from where she stood, "How shall I punish you for doing something you were not supposed to do?" he asked her, giving a nce towards the floor where even Penny looked down. Penny knew this wasing. If he left this opportunity of not punishing her, this wouldn''t be Damien Quinn at all, "I will remove the ss pieces that are on the floor and clean the room spotless," offered Penny, hoping he would agree to it. Damien waved his hand with a bored look, "I can ask Falcon to get a maid to clean it. For someone who tried to damage something that belongs to the council, offering to clean the room?," he rolled his eyes, "What else?" "Please don''t throw me out," said Penny hoping he wouldn''te to it. Damien stared at her for a few seconds before bursting intoughter. "Don''t worry about it, little mouse. I have something much better than you swimming in the cold sea like a dead fish," saying this, Damien walked to the bedside. Bending down to pull out the drawers before he picked a little book which must have contained not more than twenty pages in there. Penny wondered what it was. Coming to walk around where she was, he said, "This is your punishment." Penny wasn''t good with words, or at least not well versed except for a few things but looking at the design and the way the title read, her eyes widened. No, she whispered in her mind. It was a ybook that was often given to the audience or the viewers who came to the theater. "You are going to enact the side female character for me,"?Damien''s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. Chapter 72 - Not in the script- Part 1 "What happened? Don''t tell me that you can''t act a simple y like this," said Damien, going to his bed and taking a seat at the center as if he were readying himself, taking afortable position and picking a pillow from the side that he ced on hisp. "Don''t tell me the famous Penelope of the theatre ''Arison-Ava'' doesn''t know how to act,"? this man had really made a good background check about her, thought Penny to herself. The question was when did he even have the time to do it?! All this while he was always around in the mansion or in the room unless he was sneaking out like a cat in the middle of the night after she was asleep. She doubted that was the case. "Master Damien, have we met before?" she asked him apprehensively already knowing what the answer was going to be. "Does it matter? Now quick," he rubbed his hands together, "Pick Annabeth''s line from page five as there''s nothing in the first few pages," more than guiding he ordered her, waiting for her to start. Penny who had been working in the theatre before moving in with her rtive''s family was someone who had often looked up to be the female lead which she never got to take part in. Instead, it was always the smaller roles. She did get a few side roles which were of importance. Already having heard and read about the y as she was part of the theater, Penny didn''t know why her master was interested in her ying the side character who wasn''t the female lead of the y. Like many stories, Annabeth was a human but her character was a little different than the sweet and attractive heroine of the story. She was one of the characters Penny had never taken up and wasn''t that eager to y due to which Penny had never taken up the role even when it was offered. She shifted around, with her fingers pushing the pages until she came to the fifth page which was the entrance of her character. "Do you want me to take a nap before you start so that you can learn the lines?" he asked her, putting a slightly sad face which was a false pretense! Penny wasn''t going to fall for it but with the word punishment hanging like an ax on her neck, this wasn''t that bad, she said to herself. At least she wasn''t going to be standing in the rain with her getting drenched. Penny didn''t have to go through the lines as she already knew most of it. And did it matter if he liked it or not? It wasn''t as if he was her customer or part of the audience. When she started to clear her throat, she heard him say, "Go there. You can start from there," he directed her. Turning around Penny walked to the far corner of the room. Clearing her throat again she started to walk in, her head held up high, with the book rolled in her hand as if it were a weapon, "Where is Mr. Scrutioner?" she spoke loudly, her head moving left and right. She tried bringing some tears in her eyes. Bringing out tears wasn''t that hard for her but with Damien Quinn sitting there looking at her like a child-like expression which she hadn''t seen before caught her off guard that she lost the ability to tear up at the scene. The scene was where the hero of the story had jilted his fiance which Penny was right now ying. Taking the bedpost to be the person, she looked up at it, "Please don''t leave me Mr.?Scrutioner. You promised me when you bought me the flowers that you would stay by my side." "Where did I say that?" said Damien suddenly jumping into the scene which Penny had not expected. "B-but," stammered Penny who had with great difficulty tried to remember the lines which now felt lost. "But what? Where did the flowers say I promised a wedding?" Asked Damien filling up the hero''s role while still sitting on the bed. He waved his hand for her to continue. "Does it mean the flowers meant nothing to you? Us meeting under the peach tree only for you to blow away my words like the wind. Why would you do that Mr.?Scrutioner? Did my feelings mean nothing to you?" asked Penny feeling a little strange that she had now shifted her gaze from the bedpost to look at Damien. She waited for two seconds wondering if he would chip in his words here but seeing that he wasn''t she continued to say, "I have given my love to you since I have seen you. Though we didn''t like each other in the beginning, I havee to like you with your sweet gestures. I thought-" "What did you think?" came the curt voice of Damien who changed his voice slightly, pushing the pillow away from him and stepping down from the bed, "Tell me." "Mr.?Scrutioner," Penny took a step back. Forgetting the lines, she flipped the pages quickly to read what was next. Falling down on the floor dramatically, she hid her face to say, "Do you even need to ask?" she asked even more dramatically which made Damien chuckle, a genuine one that came out by looking at her. Penny made strange noises as if she were crying loudly, sniffing and shaking her head. "Oh oh, I am so lost in this world now. The person I believed to be the one for me is now getting married to another woman. Was I not good enough?" bringing tears in her eyes felt less difficult as she didn''t face Damien right now. For some odd reason bringing the false tears was hard in front of him and it made her feel that she was lying which she evidently was as it was all an act. Chapter 73 - Not in the script- Part 2 Damien walked to where she was,? "I apologize if something I have told has misled you but we only met under the peach tree once which was to give you a letter that was to be passed to your brother," and as he was reciting his lines, Penny who was on the floor read what was there in the ybook making sure she was getting the lines right. The next line in the script of ybook read ''Annabeth snaps her head, looking at Mr.?Scrutioner with tear-filled eyes''. The ys were always dramatic, thought Penny to herself. She snapped her head, her eyes meeting Damien''s, "It does not justify the flowers and the touch on my hand. Forget it." Damien was impressed that Penny had the ability to bring tears in her eyes but the moment it met his eyes, the tears started to evaporate, letting only her jade green eyes sparkle under the light of the room. Bending down, he then said, "Forget what?" Penny looked up at him at the change of his voice. Looking at the ybook to see that wasn''t the next line. The next line was supposed to be ''Mr.?Scrutioner decides to leave miss Annabeth on stage so that he can go meet his fiance''. "Umm, that-" Penny wanted to tell him that he was saying it all wrong and also wondered if he skipped to the next parts not that she could remember any of it. Damien sat down on his heels, looking at her, "Don''t say forget it when you have only now confessed your feelings for me." "Master Damien, that''s not in the y," he must have confused it with another y, thought Penny to herself for him to sigh, "Do you know how long I have waited for you to tell me these words,"? his voice dropped to a whisper. He ced his hand on her face and Penny turned to a block of ice, her eyes not moving away from his eyes even for a second. Seeing that he was making up his own lines without admitting that the great Master Damien had forgotten the lines, she decided to y along, "What do you mean?" she asked to y safe. "What do you think it has been you, foolish girl,"?in another instance, Penny would have narrowed her eyes for calling her that but in their current scene, it seemed to have filled somewhere with unexpressed love which Penny had believed to be nonexistent and an incapable feeling this man could conjure, "You took my attention since the first time I saw you. Your beautiful smile and your eyes, the words you have spoken. I remember everyone one of them. Like a personal diary that I have been saving in my mind." Though Damien had been mean to her most of the time, his words struck into her which was often possible while ying the characters and immersing in their stories on stage. He was a good actor! thought Penny to herself at the same time his features and expressions that were breaking free from his usual demeanor made her chest feel queasy. His red eyes looked at herzily, his pale lips uttering the made-up lines one after another. His ck hair was disheveled, some of theming to fall on his forehead. Testing the waters while interested what this part of the story had, she asked, "What do you remember? How can I believe a man who said a few minutes ago of not iming to have made the unspoken promise?" she asked him, gulping in the end when his hand picked the piece of hair to feel it from the top till the end before letting it go. "Think what you may but that doesn''t change the fact that you have taken my interest," the answer felt more like how Damien himself would answer by evading and choosing to ignore the questions asked. "Tell me!" said Penny still ying Annabeth, sitting up more properly so that she wouldn''t get a possible backache with the odd position she had been sitting in right now. "Why do you need to know? For someone who doesn''t believe in the person, they have feelings for," he harrumphed, turning to look away from her as if in disappointment. She didn''t know how to go around it anymore as they were way past away from the track of the actual y. She stared at him as if they had paused or the characters were taking time to hear him look back at her but this time there was something in his eyes. Something unspeakable which made her shiver by the look of it which was more than daunting to Penny. Damien leaned forward, "Look at my actions more closely. I have always chosen you over others," he leaned further close to her.?Penny felt her eyes widen at the close proximity they shared with each other. His honey-coated words making her sway, "Have I ever hurt you?" he asked her, his faceing closer than ever which made her heart thunder. "Master Damien!" Penny spoke hurriedly. "What is it?" asked Damien, his breath falling on hers. His eyes had lowered down, his head still leaning. Not knowing what to say, Penny''s voice came out awkwardly, "W-we are not following the ybook." "That story is quite lousy, little mouse.? A man with no backbone to refuse nor ept," Penny was feeling slightly dizzy. Thankfully Damien did pull away from her where she could again breathe as she had stopped breathing, "I have to say you are a decent actress." "You aren''t bad yourself, Master Damien" sheplimented him back, standing up after he stood up, making her dress proper. "What do you mean bad enough? I am excellent. No doubt there," he took thepliment generously. Damien went to sit on the edge of the bed as he ced both his hands behind him, leaning back to stare at her. Penny stared back at him before moving her eyes not so subtly to look at the firece which had burned ashes in them. Chapter 74 - - Part 1 Silence filled the room where Penny avoided Damien and instead upied herself looking at the firece before cing her eyes on the ybook in her hand. At least there was something to drive away from the awkward silence which had been created after Damien and Penny yed something that was not part of the actual y. He wasn''t wrong though. The man Mr. Scrutioner was a spinless man in the y who was indecisive. At first, he wooed Annabeth and then he fell for another woman. The man promised both the woman wherein the end he decided to go with his new love interest. Men like them were really spineless who had no backbone. Who knew that Damien had the ability to act so well. Remembering the closeness of his face that was a few inches away from hers, his breath falling on hers which had her heart thumping loud enough where she was sure he had heard it in the silent room which was why she was hiding her gaze from him. The cruel master had shown one side of his emotion which had only been part of the y but she couldn''t refuse to not acknowledge that he had done a good job which had caught her attention. Though Penny would have appreciated if he had let her know about them not following the ybook entirely so that she wouldn''t have yed the character so dramatically. "Since when did you start ying in the theatre?" she heard Damien''s voice float to her ears and she turned to look at him. She saw him looking at her, his eyes much rxed as if the entire view in front of him was sinking and consuming in his eyes, "It was two years ago. I was a worker in there who had to y a log of a tree." "Why a tree?" he c.o.c.ked his head to the side. "I had only been part of the props where I was delivery items when I was asked to be part of someone''s recement." Damien appeared to be curious about her progress in the theatrical world, "How did you get into ying from a log of wood to side characters then?" Penny smiled, "One of them fell sick and the schedule was tight. I had been there the entire month enough to learn the little lines which weren''t a lot. Just three minutes." "Three minutes is a lot," hemented for her to smile. It was true. To be an actor or actress, even a minute on the stage was enough to change the entire course of life. Just that Penny''s course of life didn''t go the way she wanted it to be. She could have been given the main roles, to be a well-known actress but before that time coulde with a good pay her mother had fallen sick due to which she had to stop going or rather was asked to stoping due to her irregr time where she had to spend time looking after her sick mother. "What were your dreams before your mother passed away? Were you hoping to take the lead? Be famous?" asked Damien, his eyes gauging every movement of hers. "Just have a roof over mine and my mother''s head. Enough food for us to pass the days without having to worry we might not have enough. Respect," she whispered.?Did it matter if she spoke about it now though? Few dreams were meant to be dreams, thought Penny to herself. What Penny didn''t realize that Damien was an extremely clever pureblooded vampire. To him, the girl was an open book where he didn''t even have to change the page as the page turned itself without knowledge. He could see and imagine how her dreams might have slipped through her fingers. Respect, thought Damien to himself. Penelope wasn''t a perfect artist but given the time maybe she could have had the potential to turn to a star by her hard work where many men and women of different kinds would have willed themselves toe to see her. And though it wasn''tte right now, Damien had no intention to have her walk in the same path. It wasn''t that he had anything against a person being an actress or an actor but he didn''t like the idea of a stranger or anyone that matter to have their eyes on this girl. If there was one thing one had to know about Damien Quinn. He didn''t share anything with anyone. And this girl here was off the list for anyone that matters. To test her, he asked casually, "Do you want to be part of the theater again?" his eyes carefully looked at her lost expression as if she was thinking about something. Penny wondered if she wanted to be part of it again, "I don''t know." "That''s not an answer. It is either a yes or a no, Penny," Damien didn''t bother to hint that he was looking for a specific answer. "No," she replied back to him for him to nod. Not knowing what was going on in that mind of his, she asked him, "Have you been interested in taking part in the ys?" and the more she thought the more questions arose in her mind, "Do you go to see the ys in the theatre?" her question made him ponder, a mischievous smile falling on his face. "That depends on my mood. Would you like to be a spectator of the theatre?" he asked to receive a surprised look from her. He added, "Not the ones you used to y in. People like us don''t go to the theatres like those but we have other ones." Of course, thought Penny to herself. The pureblooded vampires and the other high society people had their own world of theatre where people like her couldn''t even imagine to take part or even take a peek in there. "Is there a deal in here?" she asked skeptically as there was always one and Damien doing it things for free was something hard to imagine. Chapter 75 - - Part 2 "Nothing at all. You doubt me a lot," he chuckled, "You should put some faith in me," he said his eyes shining bright with mirth. How could she when he was looking at her as if he had nned to murder and dump her on their way to the theatre. Penny took the time again to apologize. She bowed her head this time earning a curious expression from Damien, "I am sorry for the ss tube. I will be mindful next time and not touch anything here." "I am d to hear it. If you ended up breaking things especially that belongs to the council. You and I both will be questioned on it before the council decides to punish you in a way you don''t want to imagine," he responded back to her calmly. Penny had only heard about the council being thew that had enforced on the public but had never got to hear things in depth which made her curious. Unable to hold in her curiosity that bubbled in her mind, she asked, "What are the punishments passed on to one? Are the councilmen punished too?" "They vary from one mistake to another. Some can be minimal where a person is starved before being let out. The medium punishments fall from being beaten to starvation while the worst can either be dead or it can turn to torture where one will be left screaming to the point where the person will have no energy to let out the screams he or she feels." "Worse than the ve establishment?" asked Penny. "Worse than that. But maybe a little less if I think about it," said Damien to her, "You were covered in bruises on your head when the day I bought you. Did something else happen in the ve establishment when you were in there?" he inquired her. Penny shook her head. "How did youe to have a bruise right up here," Damien raised his hand to point it to his forehead. Penny''s mouth opened as if in realization. "It was the warden." "Seems like you made quite an impression on him," he murmured as if in thought and then continued to speak, "Frankly, the council and the ve establishment isn''t that too different whenpared to each other. A lot of uwful things happen in there but no one speaks about it. Or it is left ignorant to the others in general. A person can be tortured in the council but in the same way, people in the ve establishment are beaten, starved, marked with the hot iron rod while also many who go through to be defiled," Penny already knew that part, "I am still impressed that you weren''t checked for the ve mark. Be careful not to roam too far away from this ce, Penny." Penny didn''t know if it were a warninging from him or to be careful from being caught by the others. "I am not going to run away," said Penny, at least not right now. "I know. You wouldn''t go that far if you tried though I would love to see you try," Damien smiled at her as if seeing right through her. "In two days we have my mother''s birthday celebration where a lot of people will being in. Vampires and humans, some whom you have made an impression with so stick close to me," the tone in his voice suddenly turned serious as if he was warning her something bad would happen if she strayed too far away. "Yes, Master Damien," Penny was not going to go look for trouble. It was thest thing she wanted to do by putting the focus of the cold-blooded creatures on her. "Good. Anyways, how long has it been since youst went to visit your mother?" "Almost a month." "Hmm. I will be going to visit my mother. Do you want to go visit your mother''s grave?" Penny eagerly nodded her head. Standing up, Damien started to walk towards the door before he said grab the coat. Penny did as she was told and went to grab the coat before following him outside the room. Once Damien had paid his respects to his deceased mother, he took her to the old vige which was once a home or at least a home until her mother passed away which then turned to hell in a few hours. Stopping the carriage, Penny stepped down. "Go on," said Damien, stepping down from the carriage but not nning to walk along with her in there. Compared to the graveyard where Damien''s mother was ced, this ce was the opposite where the graves were ced in a cramped position. Trying to ce as many bodies as possible in there. There was dirt filled up on the sides where Damien pondered over theck of cleanliness one had in here which was the magistrate''s job to do. Damien saw Penny walk through the many other tombstones before she came to stand in front of one of them which he took note of. It had been long since Penny hadst visited her mother. She hadn''t meant to dy her visit from her mother but things had been busy. Every time she came to see her mother whoid under this headstone, she was overwhelmed with pain. She had spent a good time with her mother. She was her only family who was there with her as they only had each other. After spending some more time, where Damien stood outside waiting for her toe back. She bid her mother bye hoping to visit her soon. She wished she could have bought flowers for her but she wasn''t in the position to buy one right now. She was not only penniless but also a ve. It also made her wonder if her mother could see her, would she be proud of still having her head held high? Or would she be ashamed that her daughter had turned to a ve to one of the pureblooded vampires? Penny didn''t know and with that thought, she went back to where Damien stood. "Done?" he asked her to which she nodded her head. Her eyes were slightly wet due to the tears which had threatened toe out of her eyes. "Let''s take a walk in here. The weather is all nice and cold today." Penny didn''t know what Damien had in his mind right now. As they continued to walk, stepping in to the vige she once used to live in, she could see the vigers watching them like a hawk, "People here are very weing," said Damien sarcastically as he looked at the people directly in their eyes. The people automatically had to lower their eyes. Not because he was a high social standing man but his mere clothes and eyes were enough to tell that this man was not someone to be looked down or passments at. Damien had a presence that demanded people bow down at him. His eyes instead looked down at the humans where some held the expression of hate which was not let out verbally. "Which was your house?" asked Damien ignoring the people around until he caught one of the women looking at Penny and twisting her face away in annoyance. "It is on the other side of this street." "Take me there," he ordered. Penny didn''tment and lead the way to her house. Now that she was finally here, it made her wonder how she had lived amongst these people for all these years. Their eyes had always been unfriendly but it was only now did she realize after months that how vile they were. She didn''t have to know that the vigers not only didn''t like Damien''s presence in here but also hers. With the rumors of her father that had floated for years, her mother and she were the ones to take the bacsh of that one act of her father''s disappearance. Coming to stand in front of the house which she once used to live she said looking at it, "This is the one." Now that she was finally here, it made her wonder how she had lived amongst these people for all these years. Their eyes had always been unfriendly but it was only now did she realize after months that how vile they were. She didn''t have to know that the vigers not only didn''t like Damien''s presence in here but also hers. With the rumors of her father that had floated for years, her mother and she were the ones to take the bacsh of that one act of her father''s disappearance. Coming to stand in front of the house which she once used to live she said looking at it, "This is the one." Chapter 76 - Round ball of waste- Part 1 It had been too long since shest was here. After her mother''s death, Penny had not returned. With her mother gone, there was nothing to return too. With the little essential items that were in the house was sold in the market to the man who sold the items further to others. It was the very money which she had hidden until now safely at least that''s what she thought it to be in the vige where her uncle and aunt resided, which wasn''t this one. It felt nostalgic to Penny that she had returned here after months that had passed by. The door was locked which was obvious as after Penelope had left the vige, the magistrate had taken the house under his department which was yet to be demolished until something had to be built. But a human vige like this, there was no scope for improvement. At least that''s what the magistrate and the men one level above the magistrate thought who didn''t lend any money but only took hold of the tax of the people by cheating them and keeping them as poor as possible so that they could fill up their own pockets. Penny didn''t know why Damien wanted toe to have a look at where she used to once live. Turning, she looked at Damien whose eyes were glued on the condition of the house where the house would break by itself with a few more rains being hit on the roof. Especially rains that belonged to thend of Bonke wasn''t gentle to houses that weren''t built strongly to only let it fall apart in time. Damien who had his eyes on the house saw how tattered the house was. His blood-red eyes not only looking at the house but also taking a look around where he could see from the corner of his eyes at the neighboring houses where some of the families came to take a peek at them. He was well aware of the intrusion that had raised the cautiousness in this vige because of his presence. But what he hadn''t expected was the eyes that Penny received from her fellow vigers. There were contempt and hate directed towards which made him wonder why it was so. With what he had heard about her family, her father had run away from his wife and child with no word. Or had disappeared as Penny had said. But wasn''t it a little too much for the vigers to behave this hostile towards Penny? "Look she''s back," both Damien and Penny could the not so quiet whispers that went near them. There were three women who stood with the baskets that were hitched on the sides of their waist. "I thought she wouldn''t be back with her mother gone," said another woman, "Look at the strange clothes." "Those are the ve clothes, aren''t they?" murmurs went by as if many could hear the words of the woman that had picked its own wind, "Why do you think she''se here? A girl who has nothing to do with this vige, her family not being part of it," Penny didn''t mind the words but she hid her face from master Damien whose eyes were on the house but his ears tuned to what the women gossiped about. Damien''s eyes moved like a phantom, from one side of the wall to another with a joker like a face as if he wanted to hear more on the gossip of what the women at the other side of the house had to speak. When his eyes shifted from the far end of the house to the group of humans who stood there looking at them tantly until his eyes met his for them to gossip much quieter not knowing he could have understood them with his mere observation by reading their movements of the lips. Stupid humans without a pinch of sense in their mind. The woman who stood on the right poked the one next to her as if indicating to move and hurry along after noticing the mad man of a vampire smiling at them. Penny noticed this too and didn''t know if it was alright to feel good that the women here were scared of something right now who spoke mindlessly without any certain base. "Do you know where the magistrate''s office is?" asked Damien to her, his eyes falling on hers but Penny was still looking at the women scurrying away. Tearing her eyes away from them, she looked up at him to see a questionable look on his face, "Did their words bother you?" he asked her. Once upon a time, it did. More than what she felt now as if she wanted to move away from here with her mother but they had nowhere else to go. People in her though who were humans and not vampires didn''t stop in hurting people they could pick on to have their daily sip of gossip and jab for their day to pass by. A smile formed on her lips, "It doesn''t anymore," Damien didn''t bother to nod or inquire more about it. Penny went to answer his first question, "His office and house is the one which is painted blue in color. The one that we passed by after the shop that was closed." "The grey shop with a canal of water running behind?" Damien had not just followed straight to look at her house but his eyes had taken in every possible single detail that was in the houses he hade across which also included the people who Penny and he passed by as they walked. "That''s the one," Penny wondered how he was able to catch a look of the canal of water which was hidden by the shop along with the other houses. Though Damien had started to walk up the stairs which led to the entrance of the office after reaching the magistrate''s office, Penny stood at the ground. Her footsteps had halted before the start of the step. Chapter 77 - Round ball of waste- Part 2 Note: Top 3 in ranking will have one extra bonus part apart from the regr update by reset time. As the evening was passing by for the night to take over with some of thenterns which were already burning outside and inside the houses. Antern was put simrly outside the magistrate''s office.?Damien noticing theck of the presence behind him turned his face to find Penny who stood without following him c.o.c.ked his head. "I want you to collect the keys to your house." Keys? What was he going to do with it? thought Penny to herself, "Follow me," he said before turning his head and reaching the door. The magistrate of the vige was a man who had made money by being a fraud and cheating the other vigers who were poorer and could barely reach the taxation that was put up at the centre of the vige which was collected once in every month. The man sat on a chair which was made of thick leather which helped in cushioning his healthy self which was more than necessary. A thin moustache that was on his upper lips which looked nothing less to two sticks that were ced on either side as it was straight in nature. Wearing the fur-like coat which he had only bought from the ck market at an affordable price, he sat in the cold weather of the Bonke while warming his bottom behind his desk. Counting the spreadsheet of money which he had drawn upon to see how to swindle more money for himself so that he could fulfil his wife''s wishes of buying more jewellery and clothes as she demanded from him. As he calcted the money with a quill in his hand, the front door of his office suddenly burst for a silhouette to stand at the door in the dark as the face wasn''t visible with only half the light of thentern falling on the person. The magistrate wasn''t happy with the sudden outburst of the door where the imbecile fool of the viger had the audacity to step inside his office without even knocking on the door. It was only a month ago did he punish the man who had even tried to enter the office to negotiate about the taxation and also the repair that was needed for his house. It seemed like threatening the man hadn''t been enough, "You must have not understood when I said you won''t get the funding for the rat-like house of yours," said the magistrate, his eyes still squinting to see the man standing there until the person stepped inside the room. The tall stature of the man baffled the magistrate who inparison looked like a heap of a ball. The man wore expensive clothes but that didn''t deter the magistrate of the vige. He himself was a? rich man even though his means were crooked. Not letting the man daunt him who had another person standing right behind him, he asked, "What do you want now?" there was a certain air of arrogance with the question he asked the person who stood in front of him. Penny who stood behind Damien in the shadow stayed quiet without a wording out of her mouth. Having stayed here for many years, she knew the kind of man the magistrate was. It wasn''t just her but a lot of them didn''t like the man but in truth, a lot of people didn''t like each other in this vige and there were hardly a few whom she could count in one hand. It seemed like the magistrate had no clue about who Damien was as he still continued to ask, "Are you going to speak, you ignorant human." Human? Penny wondered if the man had hit his head across a wall or if someone had hit him on his head for him to be incapable to see that the man in front of him was not a human but a pureblooded vampire. She then realized why there the man had mistaken Damien to be a human. It was the setting down of evening where thentern that was ced on the table didn''t reach far enough where Damien stood at the moment. Penny''s mouth slightly parted when she heard a gentleman''s like voicee out of Damien''s body, "Forgive me for intruding on your time but one of the vige men came to speak to me on how you have been unfair when it came to spending the money for repairing his house," she couldn''t believe the way he had decided to y along with one second of time by taking in a few words of what the man had just said. She noticed that the magistrate hadn''t changed much since she had seen him. On closer observation, she realized she was wrong. He had added a few more kilos to his body turning himself fatter. The magistrate scoffed, rolling his eyes as the light from thentern on his table reflected on his chubby face, "The vigers forget that I am the one to sanction the money as well as the approval that has to go through me. Bringing a third person who isn''t part of it is unnecessary. You can see yourself way out of the room now so that I can get back to my work," said the man but Damien did not move from there. "Isn''t it your job to help the vigers? You are their only source of hope," continued Damien with his gentle demeanour, making Penny realize that he was indeed a good actor and wasn''t being his narcist self when he had praised himself. "The vigers are born in that life. It is their fate that they live through like this without our help. You go helping every one of them there won''t be any money left to be sent to the council." "You refuse to help them?" asked Damien making the man roll his eyes again before dropping the quill that was in his hand on the desk. "What did I say about minding your business?" "You don''t have to be rude, Mr Magistrate. I heard the council provides sufficient money to each of the magistrates for the good fare of the towns and viges they are assigned to. It is the duty of the magistrate to look after and n for the betterment of what he has been given responsibility with." The magistrate pushed the chair from the desk, letting it creek nosily before he stood up which pushed the desk forward due to his belly, "Do you want me to call the vige guards to help you show yourself out? Or will you do it yourself?" the magistrate threatened Damien. Penny who stood behind her master knew that this was not going to end well. Her master was only ying the man for his own kind of entertainment and amus.e.m.e.nt until he would be bored and toss the magistrate out of the street. On second thought, Penny liked the idea of it. For some who had treated her mother and her lowly, torturing them and taking the money and not let them live in peace this might be an atonement. Chapter 78 - Snap of a twig- Part 1 The light that emitted from thentern was blocked from spreading further in the room, not because of the magistrate but because the oiled cotton stick had started to reduce.?Damien looked at the man who had a round belly with the belt that was worn tightly fitting around his trousers. A furry coat that he wore to cover himself against the cold. ncing at the firece from the corner of his eyes, he caught thest of the woods that were burning bright red and orange in color. It wasn''t his first where Damien caught an official making his own money while letting the poor suffer under his guidance. This was the case with a lot of vigespared to the towns which wereparatively more developed viges. Keeping the sweet demeanor which he had picked up from one of the officials in the council, he continued to speak seeing the distaste that formed on the magistrate''s face, "Mr. Linguin," Damien read the name tag that was ced on the desk, "If it is money I will be sure to fund it," this got the magistrate to furrow his brows in question as to why a man who had nothing to do with this vige was willing to pay money for someone who was not rted to the poor paupers of this vige, "My father is Mr. Zuknoulen. I am sure you have heard of him." The magistrate gave it a thought. Trying to find the name in his brain wondering who it might be. By the looks of the clothes that the man in front of him wore, it appeared to be expensive. His cunning eyes looking down at Damien''s expensive leather shoes which looked as if they were only brought yesterday from the store. "My father was one of the few men who had helped in the initiative of bringing up the vige to some shape. I would be very disheartening if his soul found out in which condition the vige was left in. Maybe we both could put the needed money," this was enough for the magistrate to narrow his eyes back at the human in front of him. "Nice try," said the maning around the table, his fingers holding gold rings which had stones fitted into it, "If you think I will believe in whatever scam you are trying by pulling out the money, that is not happening. If you have a lot of money, give it to me. I will be sure to put it for good use than spend it on the rats who don''t deserve it." Damien took a step forward closer to the man where the magistrate stopped his footstep from moving closer the uninvited guest, "Get out of my office now," he raised his hand pointing towards the door, "This vige doesn''t need your charity so leave right now before I call the guards and put you in the cells which I am sure you won''t like." "Don''t point your finger tantly," said Damien to which the plump man blinked his eyes once and the next second the magistrate screamed in pain, his voice echoing through the cabin of the room while also spilling out the voice outside which had got some of the nearby viger''s attention. "Ahh, Ahhh!!" the man continued to scream. Penny squinted her eyes at the screams that erupted from the magistrate''s mouth, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" "Twisting your finger? I guess it wasn''t enough of a realization," Damien pondered thoughtfully before twisting the finger further where the magistrate who had already turned around in pain to feel his finger being more twisted. "STOP IT! Alright, we can split the money. You can put half of it and I can put half of it. We can make the vige just like how your father would have wished for it to flourish," said Mr. Linguin, the magistrate who heaved for breath. What Penny didn''t understand was that how a simple twist to the finger could cause so much pain that had got the vige bully screaming his voice out. She stared at Damien who looked to be in ease. As if he were waiting for the water to finish boiling which was ced on top of the fire. "The offer has expired. Now I would like you to pay the whole money without you swindling a single penny from the families who live here," at Damien''s words the magistrate looked unhappy and shook his face immediately. "You think I am stupid?" asked the magistrate trying to show some defiance in front of Damien with his head that faced in the sm direction as Damien''s, "How the hell are you this strong?" asked the man confused. Humans were not even half this strong which was why the magistrate who was a half-vampire was trying to wrap his head around how this fool could have this much power over him when it should have been the other way round. He had been turned by one of the vampires, turning himself from human to a half-vampire who came at the lower level of a vampire and pureblooded vampire. "Why don''t you think a little harder," at the word harder, Damien squeezed the man''s index finger between his own two fingers with ease due to which a loud unmanly scream erupted through his thick neck, "I have to say," Penny noticed the way Damien''s demeanor changed with one feature to another until he was finished with his sentence, "For a magistrate you aren''t bright, are you? Who appointed you here?" Damien tilted his head to his side, looking at the man''s face before he dragged him near thentern and turning Mr. Linguin around so that he could look at his face much more clearly. With the light now that was close to Damien''s face, the light reflected back from his face. Mr. Linguin was only trying to catch some air with the man in the front who had not let go of the grip on his finger he looked up to see his face now that it was close for his small eyes to go wide at the color of his iris. It wasn''t ck and brown in color but dark red eyes that stared into his. This person wasn''t a human but a vampire. Chapter 79 - Snap of a twig- Part 2 "Please forgive me for not noticing earlier!" the magistrate apologized in haste but Damien was in no mood to take the apology. "Forgive?" asked the pureblooded vampire innocently. As Damien was part closest to the old lineage of the pureblooded vampires, it was given that his eyes were a few shades darker than the rest of the vampires, "For what?" "I didn''t know you were a-" "A pureblooded vampire? Or the fact that you told me to get out, hmm?" Damien let out his signature smile, the one like as if he was the most notorious vampire in thisnd that he walked on, "Bad children should be punished, don''t you think? What do you think, Penny?" Damien asked Penny who had only been watching until now without speaking a word. Penelope had only nned to watch the show but had no ns to take part in it until Damien had decided to pull her from the shadows. She stepped forward, just one step that let the light touch her body. When the magistrate''s eyes fell on Penny, he looked surprised by her presence as if he hadn''t expected her to be here. "Penelope," said the magistrate, her name rolling on his tongue made her feel disgusted. She tried not to stand in his full view and instead stood behind him. "You know her?" asked Damien, intrigue in his eyes as he found the man looking at Penny with fascination, "It looks like you are well acquainted with my ve," the word ''my'' was spoken with a little more pressure which made the magistrate snap his eyes back at the pureblooded vampire. "ve?" asked Mr. Linguin shocked at the revtion. Penny had dreaded when Damien had first asked her about the magistrate and his office. Since the time she could remember, this man had done nothing but leeched on to her and her mother when it came to leaving shameful remarks. Not to forget that particr day where he had done no justice at all. She still remembered that day as if the memory was brightly burned into her mind. It was noon that was cloudy with the ground wet with slippery mud. Penny was on her way back home when she was caught amidst two drunk men who had tried to misbehave with her. While she had only tried to leave the ce as quick as possible, a woman who was passing by only used of wrongdoings, turning all the fault to her. "Burn her! Kill her!" "Trying to lure men in broad light, shame on the girl for dragging our viges name down!" "She''s a witch and so is her mother! Look at the way they look!" "Stake them!" a man screamed in the crowd. "Put her and her mother away!"?The voices still resonated in her ears like it was still going on as they were now in the very same vige. The magistrate back then and even now hadn''t changed much. He had offered to ''council'' her as it wouldn''t be right to throw two females out of the vige, he had called her to this very cabin. She could still feel his disgusting hands that had touched her thigh to move up. Penny had been too shocked before she realized and pushed him away. His hands trying to touch her where she had screamed to only be pped before being sent out. Things had turned even far worse afterst year with what had taken ce. The only thankful thing was that she worked in the theatre which was part of the next two towns away, where the vigers here didn''t go. While Penny was drowned with the memories she had tried to forget, the magistrate was in his own thoughts as he looked at the pale looking girl. Her beautiful green eyes that looked like liquid ss shining across from where she stood. Many men and women imed that the daughter and the mother were witches with their unusual jade-like green eyes that stood out whenpared to the rest of the people who lived in the vige with brown and ck eyes, with only a few different colors. But that wasn''t what stood out the most, it was their feature and daunting features which even made the magistrate doubt but the man knew better than the illiterate peasants who knew nothing about the world outside than their own vige. The magistrate could have been considered to her father''s age but he didn''t find it wrong to make his moves on the poor girl when she used to live here. Wanting to take advantage of her and her body. It was unfortunate that after her mother''s death he had already started to devise a n on what he wanted and how he would approach the girl again. He had readied himself to get Penelope''s mother''s body to be burnt in front of everyone in the vige which would weaken her soul and would need aforting touch that he himself could provide. But what the magistrate didn''t know was that the girl had another family who would take her from here. To make sure she would have a reason to return back, he had got her mother buried in here with the rest of them even though many of the vigers didn''t like the idea of it. And she finally dide near the vige but she had turned to a ve? If he knew it he would have brought her from the very himself! The magistrate couldn''t believe his bad luck. With the two people, the magistrate, and Penny who were thinking about each other, Damien heard and noticed every movement as well as the beat of the hearts that passed like a ticking watch. He didn''t need Penny to tell him that something was wrong. He had guessed it right away when she had stopped from stepping on the stairs of the magistrate''s office.?Damien caught sight of every single emotion that came to pass like weather that was changing every few seconds- shock, disappointment, l.u.s.t. L.u.s.t, Damien thought to himself before his fingers squished the other man''s index finger before a pop was heard which was due to the top bone of the finger which had turned to a powder. "Ah!" the man screamed in the anguish of pain. Chapter 80 - Snap of a twig- Part 3 Hearing the crack and pop sound made Penny''s eyes snap from looking at the man''s finger which he now embraced as he fell on the floor with his back against the table. Whining and his face in pain. Penny''s eyes moved from the magistrate to Damien who had a calm and collected expression as if he hadn''t even touched the person and had caused an immense as well as excruciating pain. It seemed that Damien''s favorite torturable part in a body were the fingers. The sound in the room where the sky had turned dark and cold, she could feel her heart racing but it wasn''t out of fear but the shock. With the way Grace had turned and twisted her arm, she knew to some extent that the pureblooded vampires were strong but to pop a human''s bone with just two fingers. That would have been unbelievable before but now that she had witnessed it, her body slightly trembled at the thought of if she would still be having an arm if Grace had put some more pressure and if Damien hadn''te down in time. Damien looked around the room, his eyes roaming before it settled on the magistrate, "Where are the keys to the houses?" seeing the magistrate still in pain where he failed to answer, he turned over his shoulder to look at Penny who looked petrified. Looking back in the front, he walked around the table, opening the drawers one after another as he rummaged through them until he finally opened thest drawer where the keys were ced on the hooks. "What''s the lock on the house?" Penny first thought that Damien was asking her the question but he wasn''t asking her but Mr. Linguin who was still on the floor. Sighing, Damien rubbed the bridge of his nose before kicking the table which got the magistrate in an alert position, "What''s her house lock number? You must have changed it right?" it was amon work in every town and vige when the house was acquisitioned back in the magistrate''s hand. It was a routine to change the locks so that the house would not be used by others by breaking into the house with the older lock and keys. "I-It is twenty-three," huffed the man for air, getting up from the wooden floor with great difficulty. As Damien hummed softly, picking out the key he closed the drawer with a small bang. "Thanks." "W-what about the d-deal?" asked the magistrate when Damien started to leave. Damien''s hand tinkled softly with the two keys that he held in his hand, "What about it?" The magistrate looked at him with a bewildered expression, "The half-" he started to only be cut off by the pureblooded vampire as he waved his hand. "The case has been dismissed. Now if you want the rest of your fingers to have bones in there, make sure to fix that attitude of yours. Yes? I knew you would listen, there is no violence needed at all," said Damien, he walked to the door, opening the knob and stepping out who was followed shortly by Penny as she didn''t want to stay in here a second longer alone with the magistrate. When they stepped out, Penny could see the number of people who hade to surround near the office of the magistrate while also keeping a safe distance from the unknown vampire and the girl who was shunned. All Damien had to do was look at the people around to send them stumbling and scurrying back to their houses, shutting and closing the windows and doors. Pathetic humans who derived pleasure from others misfortune, thought Damien as he made his way back to the house with Penny who was a step away from him. He handed her the key, asking her to open it, which she did. Picking up thentern which hung outside, Damien shook it to feel the weight of the oil which must have still been there after all this time. While Penny stepped inside the dark house which was quite small, he plucked the dried up cotton, dipping it in the oil before pulling out a match stick which he had stolen from the magistrate''s office. Lighting thentern up, he handed it to Penny for her to carry. cing his hands in the trouser of his pocket, he looked at the house which could hardly be called a house as it wasn''t even half of the size of his room. It was empty. Damien asked her, "What happened to all the things in here?" "I sold them before going to stay with my aunt and uncle," she saw him nod as he looked at the walls and the ceiling. She stared at Damien enough for him to notice without looking at her to ask, "You keep looking at me like that and I am going to get another meaning from it." Penny quickly turned her head to look away from him to see the empty space. With her mother gone and also the scarce furniture that was there, there was nothing much remaining in her except for the hollow and empty space which filled up her heart with. "Do you regret moving out of here?" he asked her curious, his eyes falling upon her to see her looking at nothing in particr as they were surrounded by the walls. "No," she responded back with a whisper in her voice. This was hellpared to the life she had now. Trying to shift the topic she asked him, "Aren''t you worried that he''s going toin against what you just did to his direct superior?" "Hmm, what is that?" he asked in a murmur before saying, "Are you worried for your master, little mouse," he teased her. "I was only wondering," she pressed her lips. It seemed like Damien didn''t worry about it as he hardly had cared about the man''s finger which he had turned to dust. Chapter 81 - In the house- Part 1 Damien gave out a mischevious smile, the light from thentern casting a shadow which made him look nothing less to the devil the church often spoke to stay away from. Penelope gave him a look before going to one side of the wall where there was a small window fixed. Looking around, she picked a piece of cloth to clean the dust-covered windowpane which let a little amount of light to reflect out from the house to make a person know that there was someone in the house right now. She looked outside the cleaned spot to find some of them still curious looking at the house they were in. It had been months since thest time she had visited where people would have been happy to have her out of the vige after her mother''s death but her appearance had bought a certain distaste in their mouth wanting to spit out the bitterness of her presence. Penny had done nothing to them but the vigers hate had stemmed from far for more years when she was a little girl when her father had disappeared leaving her mother and her on their own. She often had wondered why it was so. A little girl who had never hurt anyone by words or by action yet she was being hated like an unweed insect. When she was young, all Penny wanted to do was to y with the other children. To have friends of her own but in time the regr pelting of stones as well as the abusive words that were passed at her which a girl of her age was not supposed to hear. In the end, she had been an outcast along with her mother where they were not needed. Her head turned, finding Damien who stood at the door looking somewhere up in the sky. "The sky here is much clearerpared to near the mansion. Must be because of the sea," she heard him speak, his voice drifting in the air to reach her ears. Penelope didn''t know why he had crushed the magistrate''s finger. He could have revealed his identity which would have not only saved all the hassle but also their time where they could head back from where they came. But Master Damien wasn''t satisfied with being straight. He enjoyed teasing a person to the point where he could make the person in front of his cry. Those were tears caused by physical pain. Penny knew it was wrong to depend on Damien to take out the ire off her chest but hearing the sound of bone pop had been more than satisfying. In her eyes, the magistrate was a man who had conned not only the poor people of her vige which had included her family but also the higher-ups whom he reported to. Damien could feel the eyes of the girl staring at him. It appeared that something did happen as she didn''t look one bit worried when he had popped the bone to powder. "What happened between you two. What did Linguin do to you that you refused to step on the stairs back there?" He turned his body so that he could face her, taking a step back he leaned his back over the open door. His eyes meeting hers in curiosity. And then the question came to form in her head. Had he done it for her? Torturing the man for her sake. That couldn''t be true, thought Penny to herself. Damien enjoyed torturing people in general regardless of how others felt about it. Be it letting others see blood using out of the fingers or letting a person or more hear the painful screams that erupted through his preys mouth while he stood there with a certain calm expression as if he was basking in the glory of the pain they felt. "Why do you think something happened?" she countered back. "Because it seemed pretty obvious to me that there was something that haunted you. Preventing your mind from letting your legs move any further. It is one of the mostmon responses we see in the court council and in the cells with the prisoners in there who oftene by, visiting like a favorite guest," said Damien, waiting for her to start speaking, "Am I wrong?" Penny broke her gaze away from his which moved to look down on the floor before it turned away to the other side of the wall as she breathed the response, "No," this vampire was much smarter than what she had calcted him to be. His intuitive, observative skills were on point which made her wonder what else did he find out about her or anything else around right now. "What happened?" Damien pressed an answer from her. Taking a look at one of thenterns from the next house that dimmed out as if the folks in there were going to sleep. "It is an old story which we have buried and forgotten," she said, trying to step away from the nosey question he asked for him to only pull her back in, "It doesn''t look like it has been buried well and forgotten," upon Damien''s words, Penny gaze went to meet his where he stared right back at her. "Is it necessary-" "What concerns my pet, concerns me as well. It is my duty to make sure you are taken care of. Tell me while I am still being patient," he said making her frown. Seemed that Damien had the ability to make one like him a little to the amount of a small grain of salt before making them annoyed for his overbearing nature. But she wasn''t that bothered about it right now as she was in a ce where she didn''t want to be in. Penelope knew well that if she were to hint or express her ufortableness of staying in here, the vampire in front of her wouldn''t think twice before camping here for the rest of the week. Chapter 82 - In the house- Part 2 "It was a year ago when I was getting back after I was done with my work in the theater. On my way back home I was grabbed by two men who were drunk and had no conscious," as Penny ryed the story to Damien, the pureblooded vampire pulled out a cigar from his coat. Biting the end of it and using the same matchbox to light the cigar that was ced between his teeth, "Though I came back home safely, after an hour vigers came at the door, banging it and shouting. iming that I had tried to lure men. One of the women who was walking by felt it to be the case. Calling out names as usual," she smiled sarcastically, exhaling from her mouth, "They pulled me and started to...throw things at me. My mother couldn''t do much about it as her sickness had only invaded her body making her sicker with every passing day. After some time the magistrate intervened, telling he would talk and settle the matter when in truth all he wanted was to run his hand on my skin," her voice appeared distant. Damien took a deep swig from the cigar, his mouth blowing out the smoke which he had inhaled after some time. Inplete seriousness, he asked her, "What did he do to you?" "Touched me." "Where?" It appeared that Damien wanted the specific details and just knowing the man had touched her wasn''t enough for him, "It was my legs." "Which part?" Damien could see the ufortableness that formed in Penny''s eyes but right now she was his pet and boundaries between them were something that he did not appreciate. "From my knees to the top of my thigh. Closer to the middle," Penny stopped at that, pressing her lips. "Most of the people in the higher position will take opportunity and pleasure with what they can make use of. There are only a few who don''t and mind their work. You don''t have to worry about him anymore. I will make sure he knows to follow up with this vige''s work diligently," taking another puff from the cigar, he let the smoke mingle in his chest to release it in the wind. The faint smell reached Penny''s nose making her draw her eyebrows together at the smell of it. "I know that," it was an obvious fact after all. People with power always trampled on others for their own use and purpose. "For a local man or woman,? people above them are always daunting and difficult to approach. But then it is not about approachability we are speaking of here," Damien had pulled out the cigar from his lips so that he could talk much clearly, his fingers holding the cigar in between each other, "If for you he is someone you are scared of, there is someone above him who he is scared of which in turn makes everything into a simr pattern of food chain. He just knows I am someone you should not mess with and he knows to not goin unless he wants to perish from thesends." Seeing him take another puff, Penny asked the question she had been meaning to ask, "Master Damien?" which gained the attention from him were his eyes and eyebrows lifted to look back at her, "Can I ask you something?" "You already did. Ask," he signaled her to go on. "Why did you decide to buy me?" After what Penny heard from Lady Maggie about Damien hating ves because of what happened to one of his acquainted friend she wondered why did he spend the hefty amount on her. In the few days that she had known him, she had tried to figure him out. For a few seconds, Damien didn''t answer her making her wonder if her words had reached him or he had decided to choose to ignore her, "Because it is you," came out the simple few words which didn''t feel simple at all. What did that mean? asked Penny to herself. He then asked her, "Does this house hold any sort of importance to you?" throwing the cigar on the ground, he stepped on it with his expensive boots. She shook her head. "Hmm," he responded back. Pushing himself forward to stand straight, "Lock the door. I will meet you outside near to where the carriage is parked," with that he left her before walking away from the house, his footsteps falling one after another on the wet ground. Penny looked around the house, remembering some of the moments she had spent with her mother. With the way the mother and daughter had lived with each other all alone, there weren''t many happy times to remember but only a few countable ones. And even though they were only a few, those precious to her. Times like when she had plucked nts that could be eaten from the forest with her mother. Her young times were the most beautiful yet sad at the same time. She touched the walls wondering if the wall could speak if it would reiterate the memories she had lived in the past so that she could miss her mother a little less. Her eyes prickled, her face feeling warm as her chest started to feel heavy. She stepped out of the house, pulling the door closed and locking it. As she worked on locking the door, cing thentern down and turning the key, a shadow lurked from behind a house, its height small and a hood that was covered as the person continued to look at the girl who was locking the unused house. The person didn''t take a step forward or to the side, with one of their hand that was ced on the wall of the house, the person continued to stare at her. Once she was done with the lock, Penny picked up thentern and ced it on the hook outside the house. Diming the light until the fire exhausted itself. Chapter 83 - In the house- Part 3 With the screams that had taken ce in the magistrate''s office and a vampire strolling openly, the humans had gone inside the house to lock their windows and doors tightly. The vige held no fond memories and as she walked she could feel the res which she tried to ignore. Walking to where Damien stood who had been looking at her from afar distance. "All done?" "What about the key?" asked Penny for him to say. "I am sure the magistrate wouldn''t mind me borrowing it for a bit," smiling he turned and stepped inside the carriage and Penny followed him. When the carriage started to be pulled by the four horses in the front of the vehicle, the vige went away and far until it disappeared behind the forest trees. The night sky which had been cleared started have clouds forming in the sky and soon in the middle of the night, it would start pouring the expected rain on to the ground. Days passed by until the day finally came where Quinn''s mansion was decorated in style for the celebration for the deceased mother of Damien and Maggie. It was the time of noon where Penny could see from the room how the servants were running around while trying to not make it obvious which was obvious to get thest preparation done in the mansion. As the curtain of the night pulled over with the clouds threatening with the growls of thunder and lightning that tried to break free from the sky so that it could descend down on the ground, guests slowly started to arrive from the forest through the bridge. Penny who stood looking at the people from the window of the room noticed the men and women who wore grand clothes from their head to toe. Some wearing essories such that it covered half of their faces. Walking in with the air of the vampire and vampiress, she saw them exit inside the mansion where her eyes couldn''t reach after that. "Penny," called Damien who stepped out of the bath with a towel that was wrapped around his waist. When she turned around, she felt her heart trying to stutter while keeping her mind straight. This pureblooded vampire had no ounce of shame in his body. She was sure that if she were to ask him about it, he would reply back to ask her with what shame was? The ck towel that was tied around his waist hung low above the two bones where she felt like she had to ssh some water to get her mind straight. As he had only got out of the bath, there were drops of waters that slid down his hard chest. From his shoulders that trailed down to seep into the towel that tied around. It hadn''t been the first time since she had seen him like this. It was like her master wanted to tease her relentlessly. "Pick out the red shirt from the cupboard. Something that would match the trousers here," said Damien mindlessly as he went on to rub his wet hair that was sticking on his forehead. She did as she was told, pulling out the darkest red which was ced at the far end. Taking it, she closed the closet door to bring it to him, "Is this the one, master Damien?" asked Penny for him to hum in approval. After the incident that took ce in the vige, Penny was somewhere grateful for him taking the revenge which she would have never been able to do. Maybe if she was a vampire that would have been an easy task and a different case. She hadn''t asked him and he hadn''t told her why exactly he had broken the man''s finger but somewhere it made Penny wonder if it was for her sake. At the same time, she wondered if it wasn''t. After all, why would Damien do anything for her? When Damien''s hand reached the top edge of his towel, Penny''s eyes quickly snapped to look away which Damien found to be rather cute on his ve. His lips twisted and he decided to y, "Mm!" he eximed, cing his hand on his eye which caught Penny''s attention. She wondered what happened suddenly to ask slightly worried, "Are you alright, Master Damien?" "I think something went in my eye," he said rubbing his eye. "Let me take a look," forgetting about his current state of attire he was in, Penny stepped forward and ced her hand near to his eyes to look into it, searching for something that not there. After ten seconds did she realize her closeness with Damien. Stepping back she said, "It must have gone away," she took another two steps back from him. Penny turned away, her faces suddenly heating up as she closed her eyes. Ah, stupid Penny! She closed her eyes to scold herself. Without thinking she had gone and ced her hand on his face to check. Not knowing what he might have thought, she didn''t dare to turn back, hoping he would start dressing. Hearing the shuffling of clothes she let out a sigh of relief when after some time she heard his voiceing from right behind her that almost startled her, "Little mouse..." Little! "Okay, big mouse," Penny''s eyes widened and her head snapped around to look at him wide-eyed, "Don''t look so shocked. If you don''t want me hearing what you say, don''t say it out loud. Stupid mouse." Was he going to keep adding every other adjective behind the word mouse, not that she was okay with him calling her as a mouse. Seeing that he had worn his shirt and the trouser where he was yet to tuck in, she wondered what he wanted from her, until he said, "My sleeves," he lifted his hands up so that she would button the cuffs of his sleeves. Once she was done with it, she heard him say, "What''s got you so red?" Chapter 84 - Guests at the Quinns- Part 1 "I don''t know what you are speaking of, Master Damien," Penny kept her ground, willing her heart before it even started to thump in front of his curious eyes and ears that were attuned to her right now. The smile that was on Damien''s lips didn''t change, staying right there on his face which made her wonder what he was up to now. The man took a step forward, almost close to her to say, "Shall we rewind back the time and see what happened to get your cheeks red? What a dainty little mouse you are. Oh, pardon me," he said as if in an apologetic tone, "Big mouse. I am a good master which you need to appreciate or which owner would go changing the names just for the sake of his or her ve. Right?" "Please don''t call me big," it not only sounded odd but came out really oddly through his mouth as if he was trying to annoy and get on her nerves further. "But didn''t you object of me calling you a little mouse?" his head c.o.c.ked. Now that he stood near her for longer than the time she had stood previously, she could smell the soapy smell that came emitted from him. The fresh and clean smell which would have made any women drawn in closer to him but Penny was no ordinary girl. "Apologies for the earlier remark. Master picks the best names," Penny praised him, lowering her head to hear him chuckle where she lifted her head. "I know," leaning closer to her only made Penny to move back where her back leaned for him to say, "Lean any more than that and you will fall back right on your bottom. Penelope," her name rolled on his tongue, his eyes watching her. "Yes, Master Damien?" "Do you remember what I told you a few days ago?" he didn''t answer her, waiting for her to remember while making sure she was good at listening and following his instructions. "To not wander too far and stick by close," her answer was satisfying to his ears. "Good." As the sky continued to grumble, she could feel the clouds that friction against each other drawing closer thends nearby where one could see it much clearly. It was as if the clouds were trying to draw in closer yet they didn''te near and stopped where ever they were. Her hands pressing on the edge of the window from which she saw, she heard Damien say, "The celebration will start soon," and at the same time, she heard a bell ring loudly, the sound of it resonating across the entire mansion like a beacon to everyone who was far away and to let the ones who were entering to know. Straightening his back, he turned around leaving her standing there while getting ready for the party that his family had arranged. Penny wondered why Damien had been stressing about it. It was the second time for him to remind her to stay close to him. What was he worried about? asked Penny to herself. Damien was an odd man whose mood didn''t fluctuate, rather it stayed on the crazy side of the scale which was most of the time constant. She wondered which other vampires were going to step in here today. But the vampires and vampiress which Penny was supposed to keep a watch for had already entered the mansion. It was only time when they woulde to meet each other. By the time Penny stepped out of the room with Damien in front of her he was dressed in a suit with his red shirt that was tucked in. A ck coat that hugged his shoulder and top of his body which was left unbuttoned without care. The newly bought leather shoes slipped on to his feet which only looked chic with the attire he wore. His usual hair which often dropped on his forehead was nowbed back. As they stepped down, Penny caught sight of the many guests who hade to attend the birthday of thetedy. Unlike many others who were dressed to the notch, Penny wore her regr ve clothes which were the oddest among the rest of the people who hade to Quinn''s mansion. While a lot wore expensive clothing, the dress that she was looked nothing less to a vegetable sack. If she didn''t know better with Damien who had bought her two pairs of shoes which she was yet to wear, she would have guessed that in the name to save money he had pulled out the sack and made clothes out of it. Though the guests greeted Damien, bowing their head no matter how old or young they appeared to be, it seemed like the man was well known who demanded authority in his presence. After all, this was his house and party though he hadn''t helped in getting any of it ready. "Master Damien, happy birthday to your mother," two women who had been standing talking to each other turned to wish him. Their eyes were red but not red enough to hold the same status as him. But their clothes were made of fine material which could be considered to have been purchased from Isle Valley town. Penny had expected him to give his thanks by taking the wish but instead, he walked right past them as if they had not been there at all. She?wasn''t one of the two women who had wished him but that didn''t mean she didn''t feel the awkward atmosphere that had been created with his aloof or prideful behaviour where he didn''t consider to give a look at them.?Walking behind him with her head bent down, she decided to quickly follow him than let the awkwardness hit her too. Walking past the women whose face had fallen, she saw the proud back of Damien, his shoulders wide which was covered in the coat that he wore. She was only following when she caught many eyes that fell on not only her master but also on her, their eyes lingering longer than necessary which made her feel extremely ufortable. Chapter 85 - Guests at the Quinns- Part 2 Penny stood right behind Damien, her head looking down often without meeting any guest''s eyes while Damien spoke to a few of the guests. Talking and using his words sarcastically where Penny was sure that the guests smiled because they had no othere back to give. "Mr. Quinn, you shoulde to visit our farmhouse. Father only got it renovated two weeks ago. Should I n for it?" asked one of the women who had flocked around them or to be specific around him. "Why not. We can have the next tea party there," humored Damien, "What do you think?" he asked looking around to hear a murmur of approval. A man who stood next to the woman who had spoken about her farmhouse asked Damien, "Mr. Quinn, I heard yourst expedition was a sess. How did it go?" "It must have gone well, of course," spoke another woman with full of praise for the young master Quinn. Damien''s eyes sparkled with some unknown mischief which Penny didn''t seem to observe as her eyes had begun to roam across the room due to boredom. With having no one to speak to and only following Damien around, she didn''t understand why he had brought her outside when she had nothing to do. She could have stayed up in the room but then she wondered...if she had stayed up in the room she could have made a run. It wasn''t that easy but the opportunity of the day seemed to be the most feasible one. Penny tried toe up with a n in her head as she wondered how to slip through from here so that she could disguise herself to be one of the guests. "Yes, it went well," as much as Damien enjoyed pulling out facts from others, he didn''t like giving information of his own. Not so subtly he shifted the topic as if someone cut the thread of the current conversation with a scissor, "How has your suitorship going, Lady Yuvaine?" On hearing the familiar name, Penny''s eyes very carefully shifted from the ground to look at thedy whom she had previously met at her mansion. She was the same woman who had worn the dress which Penny had skillfully torn. Thinking about it made her sulk as she remembered that day. Lady Yuvain gave out the sweetest smile which Penny could tell was nowhere close to what she actually was. It was clear that most of the youngdy who had gathered around them were only here to gain his approval and attention as the pureblooded vampire was not only a bachelor but also the direct heir to Quinn''s estate. Not to forget the charming quality he held which often won over people even though his words were as hot as iron that could cut and embarrass anyone. The youngdy, looked down at the ground as if she were blushing before raising her eyes to say, "Didn''t my father speak to your father?" she asked him. Damien gave her a clueless look like he didn''t know what she was speaking of, "Hmm? About what?" Everyone''s eyes came to settle on the young woman in the curiosity about what she was talking about. Lady Yuvaine blushed further to say, "About our marriage?" everyone''s eyes widened which included Penny who looked at Lady Yuvaine and then Master Damien. They were going to marry each other? "Our?" came out Damien''s dead voice which was enough to freeze thends around the mansion. Lady Yuvaine looked surprised at unfriendly tone Damien had used with her, "I haven''t agreed to marry anyone," his lips then twisted up, his eyes cold. "Have I expressed my undying love to you, Lady Yuvaine?" asked Damien for her to slowly shake her head. Lady Yuvaine who was used to Damien''s charming nature for the first time was experiencing his cold behavior. "No, but I thought..." "Just because Grace wants to marry your brother, using her to get to me," he paused before saying, "I find women like that to be disgusting. Not that my sister Grace is any better," everyone held their breath as he said it, a smile breaking on his lips, "Excuse me,dies and gentlemen," he said leaving the group and walking up to Penny saw Damien walk towards a man who was dark-haired vampire, his blood-red eyes staring right through simr to Damien but a little more intimidating. "I didn''t know you were going toe," Damien exchanged a hug with the man as if they were long lost friends. For a moment it made her curious to think that Damien had friends not that he couldn''t but his character was quirky enough to send one running to the hills before they were tortured. "I wasn''t," the man answered the cross that he wore taking Penny''s attention. The red stone in the cross appeared to be something more than a normal stone was. She didn''t know why but she was sure it wasn''t an ordinary stone. something swirled inside it which made her snap her eyes up at the man, his eyes as red as Damien himself, "Rueben called me, asking me to be present in the court proceedings and meetings due to the recent increase in the deranged vampires. Vampires and humans," it seemed that he spoke only half the sentence but Damien had no difficulty when it came to filling the rest of the words as he gave a nod to the man. Seeing Penny standing behind Damien, with her odd attire which stood out, the man raised his eyebrows, "You bought yourself a ve," the man''s words weighed as if trying to understand what just happened where as Damien let out a wide mischievous smile on his lips, "Meet Penelope," Damien introduced her to the man, Penny''s eyebrows along with the other man as it was the first time Damien had introduced her without calling her pet or ve, "Penny, meet my cousin, Alexander Delcrov. The Lord of Valeria." Chapter 86 - Cousins- Part 1 Penny looked at the man who looked intimidating. His presence somewhere that made her feel daunted, his red eyes staring right into her but she didn''t back away. It wasn''t because Penny was trying to stand her ground by revolting on the status of her clothes right now. It was because there was something about him which made her feel wary. "Little mouse," Damien broke her gaze with his name for her as he spoke to her, "Alexander''s father and my father are cousins which make us second cousins," Penny could see the same amount of depth in Lord Alexander''s eyes, the color very much familiar to Damien. The man named Alexander broke his gaze away from Penny to ask Damien, "You bought a ve." "Is it so surprising?" Damien''s head c.o.c.ked to the side. "After what happened to Meredith," the woman''s name on Alexander''s lips made Damien smile further but his eyes getting distant and hollow, "Direct me to the drink," with that, the Lord of Valeria took Damien along with him while purposely leaving Penny behind in the midst of the crowd. "What''s the matter?" asked Damien when they went to stand near the walls where not many were around. "Who is she?" Alexander stared at his cousin, their eyes meeting each other at the same wavelength as they were of the same height, "There''s something off about her," said the Lord without beating the bush. Damien stayed quiet, looking away from his cousin to look at Penny who looked lost and alone in the hall, his mouth twisted. One side of his lips pulling up to a smile but his cousin looked barely amused, Lord Alexander''s expression didn''t change, "You already know," the man confronted, his thick eyebrows slightly furrowing. Damien gave his cousin a smile. The servant who was walking by with the tray above his shoulders with drinks on it Damien stopped him, picking up two sses and giving one to Alexander. "She doesn''t appear to be human," spoke Alexander, his head turning to look at Penny who now had walked to the other side of the hall so that she wasn''t getting the attention which she wasn''t looking for, "You should know better than to bring a ve into the mansion. Especially after what happened to Meredith. Not that I believe that you will receive the same fate but wasn''t it understood what humans are capable of?" Alexander asked Damien who had been swirling the drink in his hand. "I am well aware of the intentions but you forget who I am, Alex," the smile on his lips turned to one which was cunning, "It was unfortunate for our dear friend to lose her life in the hands of her ve whom she had been feeding and giving roof. I don''t believe ves. Never have," he took a sip from his ss, the wine bursting on his taste buds before he swallowed it down. "What makes you think this one is different?" "What do you think?" Damien asked the question back for Alexander to look at his cousin skeptically, his eyes staring for some time before saying, "Your mind works oddly, Damien. It is hard to even imagine what reasons you got her," the Lord chuckled, ncing at the girl again he then asked, "You called her by her name," Alexander looked back at the girl who stood quietly, her eyes trying to consume and take in what was in front of her, the crowd which bustled richly like bees without giving her a look. Even if one did, it was one of disgust to look down at her. "My rtionship with the ves has never gone well but when has it ever gone well with anyone? ves have always been weaklings that couldn''t get back to where they were, falling deeper and darker into the pit where there is nothing to do but follow orders. That is how they have lived. Latching on to their owners like a parasite but this one isn''t," Damien took another sip. His eyeszily looking at the guests who were in the hall. "You want her totch on to you? Meredith died because she believed the boy was innocent, kind and everything nice. It is one of the reasons why vampires especially pureblooded vampires don''t allow the people who are lower than them to get close. It is a person''s folly to let their guard down to only be killed. You and I both know that ves have resented their masters and mistress. With the lone fact that they were sent to the ve establishment because one day they would be sold to someone like us. The hate stems from that point and not after meeting their owners," Alexander knew the woman named Meredith who was an acquaintance and a friend of Damien since they were young. By age, Alexander was only two years older to Damien but his cousin was much mature in his own quirky way that strangers found it hard to understand. For someone who didn''t care about it anyone, Alexander found it rather odd that his cousin had picked up a ve from the establishment or from the market when he wasn''t fond of them. A ve''s nature could be categorized in two forms. One who was docile and followed what their owners had to say while the second one who didn''t follow through often ended up dead. The sad part of the high society was that the people who belonged to that status could do anything they wished with the ves which also involved death as they found it fit to be. A lot of issues and discussions hade up over the years in the council of men. Some who didn''t think it was necessary while some who wanted to protect the lives as there were a lot of cruel people who cared less about the ves by having their neck snapped or killing them brutally which they didn''t deserve to go through. Chapter 87 - Cousins- Part 2 As Damienpleted his drink, Alexander said, "Changing a ve''s nature with what they go through is difficult," he said it because he knew the ways of the ve establishment. Though the establishment was not located near Valeria but near Woville and Bonke, Alexander being one of the four lords kept his eyes and ears on everything that moved and breathed. Damien nodded his head, knowing what Alexander was speaking about. The pain and torture one went through in that ce broke one''s very soul and resolve. It was one of the main reasons many ves were turned to obedient, willing beings who depended on their owners for shelter and care. While also fearing the torture which mighte to one if they did something disagreeable in their eyes of the master and mistresses. A person who entered that ce never came out to be the same. People who were strong and unwilling to change often ended up being trouble there before they were either broken down to the point they turned their entire personality or worse killed. "Who told she was a ve?" came out Damien''s words making Alexander raise his brows. "She''s not a ve?" "Just for the sake of the name. She''s a very free woman," chuckled Damien. His eyes crinkling with amus.e.m.e.nt. "That''s interesting. Why hasn''t she run away then? Ah, you have the papers," realized Alexander, a small smile forming on his lips. It appeared that Damien was having his own amus.e.m.e.nt. There was a possibility that the girl had been mixed with the ves in confusion. Once a person had the contract that stated that the ve had been bought with the ve''s description which basically showed the ownership over the person, there was nothing another person could do. "She did." "But you caught her," seeing the girl was here with them in the hall, "Did she tell you what she is? Assuming she isn''t a human." "I doubt she knows," Damien replied cing his empty ss on the tray when the servant walked past them. Walking away from the hall with Alexander next to him, he said, "Her mother died a few months ago and her father went missing." Alexander''s eyes narrowed listening to this. "It is the father whom you need to watch out for." "I sent Kreme to get information on the vige. Talking about the vige, I have someone very interesting for you to meet there," as Damien said this Alexander knew it wasn''t out of fondness his cousin was making him meet whoever he wanted him to meet. "Why do I feel like I have to be wary about this man and your rtionship. Don''t go killing people. Apologies, torturing I mean," Alexander corrected himself. Damien grinned at his cousin''s words, mischief in his eyes as they spoke about the council. Back in the hall, Penny wasn''t sure what to do as she stood idle. At least previously she was following Damien around like a little pet cat but with him not in the room she looked at the guests. Men and women who wore rich clothes and jewelry covered either their necks, ears or hands and fingers. Life was so unfair, thought Penny to herself. Thinking about how many of them often starved in the viges. People worked day and night to make ends meet, the lower ss who were the ones who suffered making them bitter by the mere sight like this or the Isle Valley which Damien had taken her too. "What do you think you were doing?!" came out the voice of a vampire, his hand hitting a girl''s back who was dressed in fine clothes as the others. Penny wondered what just happened, "Didn''t thedy ask you to fetch her a napkin along with the ss?" he smacked the girl''s head which ruined her hair with strands and pieces of her hair that came out every time he pushed his hand against her head. The girl looked quite pale, her hands shaking and her face turned to one like a ghost as she bowed her head, "Forgive me master, I shall get the napkin quickly," came out the small voice. "Forget it. Who knows where you are going to go seducing men you s.l.u.t. Stand here," said the vampire. It had turned to a small show as some people''s attention fell on the girl and the vampire before going along with their previous conversation like it didn''t matter. Penny''s frowned, looking at the girl. She had thought she was the only ve that Damien wanted to show off in front of his guests who wore the gunny bag like a dress but she would have never guessed that there was another ve apart from her in this room right now. Her eyes moved from one person to another, watching carefully while trying to find the other ves. As she observed the behavior, finding the ves one after another, she felt someonee to stand next to her. Turning her head she caught sight of a man with blonde hair who had a pair of sses resting on the top of his nose. "A ve shouldn''t look at the guests in the mansion so ruefully. It is not only unpleasant but also quite disrespectful," his voice was calm and collected. His eyes looking at her before Penny shifted her gaze to look at the ground. "Whose ve are you? Must be a new one to have not given you clothes," said the man standing next to her. "Master Damien Quinn," answered Penny, keeping her voice low and not the same as when she spoke to Damien. She could feel his eyes on her which made her feel ufortable. Feeling the movement of his eyes that looked from the top to bottom, "So you are Damien Quinn''s ve," he hummed, "What''s your name?" "I don''t think that''s necessary." It was Damien. Penny hearing his voice snapped her head up, feeling relieved on seeing the face she had got used to over the past one week. Chapter 88 - Collar or mark? Part 1 Penelope was d to have Damien intervene in the conversation that had only begun with the man who she had never spoken or seen until now. It wasn''t that Damien was a good vampire in her eyes. Until now all the vampires had their own side where a lot could be considered to beplex or nothing less than pompous. Damien had made her climb the tree to get the fruit he wanted to eat while he could have reached for it by his mere strength. The pureblooded vampire was crazy to make her climb the tree. And even with his shenanigans, Damien appeared to be less overbearing than the man who stood next to her. "Good evening, Young master Damien," the man bowed his head. His blonde hair that had been resting on his forehead moved away from his forehead as he bent his head to stick back when he raised his head to meet Damien''s eyes. "Evening, Robarte," Damien greeted back. Penny who had been close to the stranger named Robarte moved closer to Damien instead. "Is this your rumored ve?" asked the man, "You shouldn''t let the ve out in the open, especially with no cor around the neck. It will make one think she''s freely avable for people," Penny tried toprehend what the man said, and as she did, she felt it be disgusting. Though she tried to keep her thoughtful expressions to herself, the sourness on the meaning of his words was enough for the man to catch. "I would have but there is no need for her to have a cor in my own home. People should know it better than go taking an interest in things that don''t belong to them. Only a shameless man or a woman could do that," Damien gave out a charming smile to the man who smiled back with a calm one. Damien knew Robarte. He had met and spoken to the man during several other past asions, knowing the man to be someone who was gentle and polite. His words holding nothing less to the weight of the feather but that was all for the public to see. How many people had hee across until now who was something in the front where they wore the mask to deceive people? Plenty, enough that he could write the names in a single parchment. His words weren''t just for Robarte but also to the others who were eavesdropping on their conversation. "I am sure you have heard how much I spent on this one," Penny wondered why Damien was boasting the number of gold coins he actually didn''t spend. "You buy an expensive item but don''t decorate it?" Robarte tilted his head, his eyes taking a look at Penny who stood almost behind Damien after inching closer to him with every two seconds. "Why do you concern yourself with something that is not yours to worry and keep?" asked Damien without holding back his words. Penny didn''t know why but she didn''t like this man who was with them right now. And it made her happy that Damien was wading the man off. By talking about people being shameless he had indirectly called the man here to be low enough to look at her when she was of no concern to him. Robarte brought his hand up which had the ss of wine it. Bringing the front of his wrist close to his wrist where he said, "I apologize but don''t take me wrong. I was only wondering why you bought something expensive but didn''t bother to present it well. What is the point of buying something if you can''t present it? Don''t you think what I say is right?" asked the blonde man, his red eyes staring at Damien who looked back at him with the same intensity. "Things that are brought for higher value don''t need to be decorated. This girl is beautiful enough where she doesn''t need expensive clothes to be bought and worn, adorning her as dumb doll-like others have," answered Damien cooly, the smile still on his lips, a grin raising up higher on his face, "I like my investment to be once than waste my money over and over again. Don''t you agree?" he asked him back. Hearing the wordsing out from Damien''s lips, Penny could feel the heat of embarrassment that crept up from her neck to her cheeks. What was this stupid master of hers doing stating how she looked andparing her with the other ves. He and she both knew that technically she wasn''t a ve right now as like the others she didn''t bear the mark of the establishment on her skin. If it weren''t for the handover papers he had from the ve establishment which he had received after buying her. The parchment paper stated his ownership over her and if it weren''t for that she would have been free to walk away. Or run away in her case but she didn''t know where the paper was. When he had left her alone in the room, Penny had searched his room going through the things to find out where she could find it so that she could throw it in the firece of the room. But it wasn''t Penny who had caught on to Damien''s words about her as she stood behind him but also the other guests who were listening to him speaking to Robarte. The society they lived in was such were rumors and words spread out like wildfire in the forest. Most of them already knew about Damien not taking a liking to the ves. Another thing was that a lot of vampires and humans knew the way Damien dealt when it came to the matter of money. For a pureblooded vampire who was thrifty, to spend money on a ve for five thousand gold coins was quite baffling to them. But it wasn''t just that, but he had called his ve to be beautiful while putting the other ve owners down telling how they were trying to beautify their ves as they weren''t pretty enough. Chapter 89 - Collar or mark? Part 2 Some of them nced at the girl who stood behind the Quinn. Truthfully she looked rather pale and the ve''s others had was prettier which made them doubt on his views on what was beautiful. It was agreeable though. Not many could manage themselves and look beautiful in a potato looking sack. And though she had been allowed to take a bath, her hair was unkempt as it had been days since shest got tob it. "I think I understand where you areing from. I bought a ve myself, she''s beautiful,"? agreed Robarte, his eyes ncing towards Penny where their eyes met. Her green eyes sparkled from the rest of her face. "That''s good to hear. Now if you''ll excuse us," said Damien, grabbing Penny by her arm and taking her outside the hall. Penny not knowing what was up didn''t go to question him but finally, when they dide to stand somewhere more secluded than the rest of the floor, he said, "We need to do something about people knowing that you belong to me. Don''t look at me like that," said Damien with his eyes narrowed with an unhappy expression. Looking at the people who were walking by, he raised two fingers of his so that she would pick one. "What is this?" she asked, looking at his elegant fingers that were much better looking than her own. Master Damien sure did take care of himself well. "You either get a cor or a mark," Damien''s deadpanned voice came out, a little impatient. Penny on the other side suddenly felt her stomach dropping where the little color that had appeared on her face left her face hearing him give her the options. A cor was usually tied for animals, for pets which made her feel extremely ufortable. She was in no sense an animal that was supposed to be tied, "I am not an animal, Master Damien," her heart sunk at the state she was in. "Alright then. You will be marked," he dered raising bells in her mind. "What? No!" she stepped away from him. Taking another step away as if it made much difference, she received a dead look from him. "You are here where I am therefore making it lucky. If we were in another person''s house today, you would have been bitten and left dry after thest drop of your blood was taken out of your body. Not all vampires are as nice as me who bothers to give you options-" "Let me free then." Though they weren''t outside in the garden or on the bridge, Penny could feel the chillness started to creep around them with the mere look Damien gave her. His eyes turned cold and vacant which made her heart shudder. "Don''t test me, Penelope. I am usually in the worst mood during this time of the year. I am not a patient man, I have the worst patience unless you haven''t noticed it," spoke Damien, his eyes that looked empty. Penny didn''t know what she said was wrong and though she wanted to voice her opinion, she was scared. Nheless, with a huge effort, she tried to speak as he had told herst week that he didn''t mind her speaking her mind out with him, "Master Damien, if you don''t want any harm to befall on me you can choose to not take me to the ces that are unsafe." "Would you like to rot in my room? But even the rooms aren''t safe. You see, I don''t trust people that easily. I have trust issues especially when ites to ves but I am willing to put my trust in your but not in your safety. Do you follow what I am saying?" he asked staring right at her, "Don''t worry. I am not going to mark you with burning hot iron like the establishment. You either choose to pick a cor that you will wear around your neck or you be marked. What do you pick?" It seemed like Damien was giving her no choice at all. In the spare seconds of time that passed by, Penny couldn''t help wondering if her possible escape from the mansion this night would work the way she thought it would. She didn''t know what mark Damien was speaking of. If it weren''t for the hot iron how else would he mark her to make it known that she was his ve? Somewhere she had thought in the room that he felt somewhere human but right now it felt as if they had gone back to square one. Seeing Penny who was thinking hard on what he said, Damien could see the internal turmoil in her eyes, "What are you afraid of? Do you not trust me?" his eyes turned to observe her further, her face his eyes the way it dted, her little heart that was beating in her chest. "I..." Penny trailed not knowing what to do. Damien was expecting an answer from her right now without any dy. Thinking back on what happened earlier in the hall, Penny realized the way Damien treated her while how the other ve masters and mistresses treated their ves. He was somewhere right. Even though Penny didn''t deserve this life, none of the ves did. No one deserved any kind of bad lives but life pushed them into it which none of them could help but they had to live with it. Hoping for the ray of light to shine which would lead them to the path of the betterment of life. No ves deserved to be treated the way they were but that was how a ve''s life was. To be beaten, to lick their master''s boots, to please them and take the insults that were passed down to them. That was a ve''s life was which none could escape. And then when she looked at Damien, she realized he was much better whenpared to the others. Penny lowered her eyes, deciding what to pick before she came to say, "I...." Chapter 90 - Present- Part 1 Well done everyone, we made it to top 3 of thest week. Thank you~ . Damien waited for Penelope to reply back to the two options he had given her, waiting for her to hear her say, "I...I don''t know," came out her whispered voice. How would she know what was the right one to pick? Closing her eyes, inhaling softly, she breathed out to say, "You can choose which you feel to be right." After she said that, Penny who had not been looking at him previously looked up to see him continue to stare at her. There was something in his expression which she tried to understand, like a little shock at her words which was a mere flicker that came like a blink of an eye to disappear in the very haste. "Why are you looking at me like that?" questioned Penny wanting to know what words of her caused the current expression on his face. "Do you know what you just did?" he asked her. She didn''t, "You suddenly turned obedient and are giving the very freedom you have asked for him a few seconds ago to give it back in my hand when I so benevolently gave you the options," but did her master give her the option to opt-out of what he had presented to her? "Master Damien, I don''t know what the marks represent. The only mark I have heard is of the ve branding which makes me unsure as to what this mark is that you speak of," Penny spoke to him truthfully. Coming from a ce where there weren''t many vampires or pureblooded vampires but only humans, she didn''t have any idea about the mark which Damien had said which was understandable in Damien''s eyes, "It might not matter much to the owners but making a person wear a cor is only you reducing the remaining value of the person to nothingness. It is not only lowering the value but also further degrading the person''s state. I don''t know which one to pick out of these two..." "That''s quite understandable," Damien nodded his head, "Follow me, I have decided what to present you on this beautiful day of my mother''s birthday. Come," he said when he started walking to see her still standing there in a still state. Penelope started to follow him, her footsteps quiet and cold on the marble. When they took another path in the mansion, she realized that Damien wasn''t taking her to his room but somewhere else. Present is what he said, thought Penny to herself. But was this present the kind of present a normal person could expect or was it something that only Damien Quinn saw to be present. She had often heard of how people belonging to the rich often gave out presents to the poor. Though these presents were poor which were used they were given down to the servants which made the poor happy as they could have never be able to afford such things. Penny could only hope for Damien to present her some clothes maybe? Was it her wishful thinking? Yes, it was, she thought to herself with her shoulders slumping down. The further she walked with him the farther away they got from the guests who arrived at the mansion. As they walked did she notice that Damien was taking her up to the ce which she had heard from Lady Maggie that Damien disliked anyoneing up here. Touching things that were in here was not something he liked which made her wonder if Lady Maggie had been spared from his anger. But had she ever seen Damien angry? She hoped she didn''t have to see. A man like Damien reacted differently than what a normal person would react to. Opening the door to the attic, she stepped inside for him to say, "Close the door," his voice was quietest right now. There was no music, no words of whispers which belonged to jealousy or cunningness of people who now were at the mansion. They were far away from it. Silence enveloping both of them, the peaceful atmosphere somewhat making Penelope''s heart quiet now just like the surroundings to harmonize with it. Damien walked around the room. Walking somewhere far and deep where items were ced in there leaving Penny standing until he returned back with his hands in his pocket. "Let me enlighten you on the marks that a vampire or a pureblooded vampire can leave on people," said Damien walking towards her to only deviate and open the trunk which had been unopened thest time when she had apanied Lady Maggie. Her eyes looked at Damien where a shadow cast itself with the minimal light that came through the windows. "The most basic marks are the temporary bond which can be erased easily. It is a protection bond which is ced to let others know that the person who has been bitten is now under the protection of the person who has bitten him. Next, the master-ve bond. As the name so implicitly states, this bond is given by the master to his ve. The purpose of this bond is that a master can know and find,?feel the intentions of his ve if ever someone has thoughts that contain malice. It is much easier to get rid of people that way. You must have not heard but there was this one family who didn''t leave the master-ve bond. Most of the time, especially in the case of purebloods, they don''t take the chance. The family had been liberal which led to deaths because of their housekeeper who had poisoned them." Penny understood where he wasing from with the examples he gave her right now. She wondered about the poor family who had gone through the loss of the family members. It was understandable where Penny knew that every side had good and bad. There were servants and ves who wanted to get rid of their masters while on the same lines there were other masters or mistresses who didn''t mind getting rid of a meager servant especially if it were a human. "There''s the soul bond. It is a special bond in which only people who are in love can ce the marks and the feelings need to be mutual. You cannot mark someone to call them your soul mate because it would never work. The soulbond is such that if one of the people dies, the other soon follows. Though I doubt it happens every time. There have been rare cases where the other person has lived but it is a belief that both of them are meant to be together in life or death, following each other for eternity..." Damien paused for a few seconds, seeing if Penny was following what he said. Her curious eyes continued to follow his actions as he rummaged through the things inside the trunk. Penny, on the other hand, could feel her palms sweat which she subtly tried to rub against the dress that she wore. Digesting the new-found knowledge, she came to believe that Damien was going to leave a master-ve bond on her. She then heard Damien chuckle to say, "Did you think that was all?" there was more? "There''s one bond which many people aren''t aware of. Some of the most ancient pureblooded vampires of existence. The first race that ascended down to thesends, they had another bond which has never been passed down and has been left as a secret." "What is it?" asked Penny out of curiosity. Was it something dangerous? Chapter 91 - Present - Part 2 Damien instead of answering her, raised his hand, cing his finger on his lips to say, "It''s secret that''s not to be spoken of," he gave her a smile before continuing to say, "Tell me, mouse. What do you think you will receive today?" Penny wished there was an option to say nothing but knowing Damien that option didn''t exist on anything. "How would I know, Master Damien." "Close your eyes then," his voice demanded her to do what he wanted. Turning around and closing the trunk, "Sit here. It will be muchfortable," he said looking at the top of the trunk. Penelope was skeptical, more than necessary. It had been not more than twelve days since he bought her from the ck market and twelve days weren''t enough to getfortable with a person. But did she have a choice? asked Penny to herself. As she walked towards the trunk, turning around to sit on the trunk which let her feet hanging in the air, she closed her eyes. What was Damien nning? Was he going to snap her head? Or was he going to give her the supposed present he spoke of which could either be the mark or the cor? With her sight that had turned dark, Penny heard the sound of the rustle which was apanied by the little metal sound which made her heart sink. It was a cor. She then felt his hand touch her hair, his fingers gently brushing her hair which at first made her stiffen. Feeling him gather all the hair, she heard him say, "Can you hold this up for me, Penelope," it wasn''t a question but a sweet demand as his voice caressed her without even touching her, his voice holding a sweet melody like he was coaxing a child, "Don''t open your eyes," raising her hand, she took hold of her hair which he had bunched together for her to hold. A few pieces of strands came to fall out from her grip. She felt his hand go around this time again but this time it wasn''t to pull back her but to put the cor around her neck. Penny could already feel the heaviness that was forming in her chest and the invisible weight of the cor which she would have to carry around her for the rest of the time she would be here to continue to be a ve. She felt something fall on her chest, where Damien said, "You can open your eyes now." Penny didn''t have to be told twice as her eyes snapped open with her hand which was holding her hair dropping down so that she could feel the leather-like, thick cor around her neck. But instead of a thick cor, she felt a thin chain where she finally looked down with her hand still continuing to touch the chain to see round locket along with it. "The markings there is something which defines the Quinn family. A lot of pureblooded families have rings, nes, pendants, and seals to identify the family theye from.?The pendant is a little odd but it stands out like a sign for anyone who would want to try ying with you. It once belonged to my mother and now it is around your neck," said Damien to walk around to face her. Penny was confused. It was definitely a family heirloom and if it was, especially something that belonged to his mother...why was he making her wear it? She looked up at Damien who now stood in front of her, his dark red eyes looking at the chain around her neck and then up at her, to meet her eyes. "Not happy with your present?" he tilted his head in question. Damien had really given a present to her. Was he only ying with her, trying to scare her and raise her anxiety when he had given the options of the cor and mark? "This is your mother''s...aren''t you supposed to treasure it..." for someone special, Pennypleted the rest of the line in her head. What was the meaning of this? Unable to resist of not asking the question, she breathed the question, "Why?" "Why do you think?" he questioned her question. It was one of his many habits where Damien often questioned others than answer their questions that were directed to him, "I am sure you will find out the answer if you think hard, mouse. Unless it is going to hurt your head." What did that mean now? "We won''t go down from here until you don''t answer for your own question," Damien was back with his mischievous smile, his eyes sparkling as he waited for her to speak. One minute passed and then the second minute passed before he asked her, "Did you fall asleep again, mouse?" she could hear the impatience in his voice. What was he getting so excited about? Before either of them could speak anything, a loud growl of thunder could be heard, resonating through the ss and the walls as if it was trying to shake the very mansion that stood on the stony hill. Soon the rain started to pour down furiously, cleaning the mansion all over again while the raindrops hit the window panes of the attic. Penny who had been distracted by the rain suddenly felt Damien walk towards her in just two steps. Leaning forward as he ced a hand of his to her side. She held her breath as he stared into her eyes. With him so close to her face, she could see the swirl of red in his eyes which were prominent. At the same time the darkness it held in a few specks, she saw herself being reflected through his eyes. The smile on his face had vanished, his eyes staring and catching every movement of hers which she was aware of making her queasy but not ufortably. "You dumb mouse. How hard is it for you to figure out?" Chapter 92 - Present- Part 3 Music rmendation for this chapter to listen:?Amour ex machina and?Rain Sound and Thunder - 2 Hours Sleep Meditation Sound. I have the habit of mixing up sounds to be able to imagine the scene. I hope you enjoy it together, maybe onptop. . Penelope stilled her heart. Keeping it down not wanting him to know where this conversation was going. The first few seconds of the minute that passed by she didn''t understand what he was trying to achieve by giving her something that was a precious family heirloom which belonged to his mother. She would have given it some thoughts but with the way he stood right in front of her face, staring into her eyes, Penny was finding it hard to think. It wasn''t that she was scared, maybe initially she was scared of this pureblooded vampire who had stabbed the person who was auctioning the ves who were brought from the ve establishment. If there was something she hadpared in tonight''s celebration, it was the difference in which Damien treated her. He made her climb a tree, pluck weeds that were growing in the garden of the mansion when it was pouring with rain just like it was now. Was he maybe...perhaps he like...? No that couldn''t be true, she shook her head mentally. Penny tried to deduce his words with the deafening silence that held certain tranquility as the clouds continued to growl. And though it deafened everything around them, she had still managed to hear him call her as a ''dumb mouse''. But the more time passed with him waiting as he stared at her, her heart started to beat, increasing its pace and she hoped he wasn''t able to hear it. But Damien Quinn didn''t need to rely on her heartbeat. Her face was enough for him to read the emotions that were going through one by one. First came the confusion, which followed to a deep concentration as if she were in a thought which finally came to the realization which she tried to hide but not enough from his eyes which made him grin. Though they were inside the mansion, in the attic with the roof to protect them, Penny could feel the cold air raising goosebumps all over her skin. Her chest resonating along with the thunderous clouds. Penny felt slightly breathless, his face inching closer to only move away and she lowered her eyes, looking away from him. Forgotten that Damien had asked her a question. He was joking with her right? The more she thought about it the more her head hurt. It couldn''t be true. Her eyes lifted up looking up at him, "It seems you found your answer to the question. Care to share it?" he asked her above the sound of the rain. She parted her lips to speak but no voice came out from her mouth. Her eyes had turned wide, looking at Damien who stood waiting for her, "You must have your reasons," she said trying to tiptoe from the answer he was asking. That was if what she thought was the right answer she had stumbled upon. "You can get down from the trunk unless you n to sit there the entire night," Penny scrambled down, cing her feet back on the wooden floorboards which felt much better than the other side of the mansion which was made of marble. If her feet healed faster, she would have been able to wear the shoes which he had bought for-something clicked in her mind. She looked at him with a suspicious look. "What is with that suspicious look on your face, Penelope," stated Damien and she quickly looked away to only have her eyes back at Damien who took a step forward towards her. Penny looked at the man who stood in front of her. His handsome features only emphasized itself in the dark atmosphere of the attic. The sharp jaw and nose, his defined cheekbones that looked smooth Leaning his head back, he raised his hand to ruffle over his hair which wasbed neatly in a backward direction which now fell on his forehead recklessly. "Happy with the present?" she heard him ask her. Penny had to slightly crane her neck to look at him. Pressing her lips against each other, she spoke in a whisper, "Thank you for the chain." "You''re wee," he then yawned, bringing up his hand to his mouth before returning it back to his side. He then said, "Come we have somewhere to go," hearing this Penny wondered where he was nning to go. The adventures of Damien Quinn never ended, at least that is what she thought to herself. "What about the guests?" she questioned, following him out of the attic, Damien closed the door and started to walk down the stairs. "My family is there to entertain them. I am not needed here and have better work than this. Oh yes, I do have to meet Alexander before we leave," she followed Damien down the stairs, walking through the corridors now to hear the sound of the crowd who had gathered in and around the mansion. Offering them smiles which he didn''t mean and that dropped when he walked past them. Penny guessed that the Lord of Valeria whom Damien had introduced him to be his cousin, she guessed that their rtionship was close as in these past few days, she had not seen him close to anyone. The maximum went up to his sister but that was a greet, kissing airly next to the cheek. A lot of people interacted with Damien and outwardly he appeared to be someone who was always at the center of attention. Seeing Lord Alexander standing speaking to a woman, his eyes snapped to meet Damien''s eyes. Penny stood a few distances apart, giving them the space they needed to talk as the Lord of Valeria appeared to be someone who didn''t like his conversations to be heard at least that is what happened. She wondered what went in the pureblooded vampire''s head. Someone who looked as if he was always scheming and was up to no good. "No, he didn''t say anything in regards to it," she overheard Alexander speak to Damien, "You might need to send the samples by tomorrow morning at least. They need to test and make sure if that is what they think it is," Damien didn''t react for two seconds until he said, "I will get them delivered by the time of night. How long are you here?" "In Bonke? Maybe two days," Damien shook his head. "In this beautiful mansion," he grinned for Lord Alexander to give a very faint smile which could hardly be distinguished to be called a smile. "I will pass. I cannot afford sister Grace knocking on my room for no reason which might make me want to throw her to the sea." "You can always throw her in there. A good dip in the sea might clean that brain if hers." "Fleurence was asking me to talk to you something. Though we never got to speak what it was about," said Alexander to ask his cousin, "Any clue on what it is?" Chapter 93 - Awareness -Part 1 Lord Alexander nced at Penny and then at the new chain that she wore around her neck. He said something softly which made it difficult for her to hear anything. It wasn''t that she wanted to hear what they were speaking but with the Lord who looked at her to only down his volume, she couldn''t help but want to feed her curiosity knowing what they were speaking about her. "You gave her the family heirloom. Already making your moves?"?Damien smiled at Alexander''s words. "I have for a very long time," answered Damien, a crooked smile forming on his lips when Alexander raised his eyebrows. "I thought for sure you would be coring her. Especially with the way you dragged her out of the room." "You noticed?" Damien tilted his head. "I am sure a whole lot of people noticed it. Along with you calling her beautiful and the other ves to be ugly," said Alexander sipping the wine from his wine which led to the smile on Damien''s lips to only widen, "I have a cottage rented not too far from the next town. Have an errand to run too. Will you be getting her tested there?" Damien thought about it. "No." Alexander looked down at his ss, the liquid which was a color fo rich red, "Why not? What will you do if she turns out to someone or something that doesn''t follow the normal standards of society?" "When was thest time any of us tried to follow the rules and moral codes that have been set up to be followed? We all bend and break them." Once they were done talking, Damien got the carriage ready by Falcon while getting the bottles of the potions that he had ced in his room. The same box from which Penny had taken out the tube for it to only break and fall on the ground. Penny stood outside the carriage, where Falcon helped in cing the box in. With the rain still pouring down and if it weren''t for the outstretched roof from the mansion, they would have got drenched too who had no protection from the rain. The coachman held the door for his master but when it came to Penny, the man had let go of the door leaving it to Penny on how she got inside the carriage. She was, after all, a ve, a human who was lower than the coachman himself, there was no need for her to be given any special treatment. When Penny went to push the door, her hand didn''t reach it as Damien ced his hand on the door, preventing it from closing itself. Getting inside, she sat in the carriage. Feeling the awkwardness starting to lurk and creep in the space they sat in. For her master to hold the door for her, she wondered if the clouds were going to rain frogs. But the words in her mind was only trying to suffice the thought that had surfaced in her mind. She was curious about a lot of things, one of the things on what Lord Alexander had spoken while looking at her. But instead of asking that, she asked him, "Are we going to the council?"?Last time when he found her with the bottle broken, he had told her about this box being a possession of the council which was going to be sent to theboratory to test which was located in the council. "Good to see that you listen to my words carefully unlike some really dumb creatures of yours and my own who conveniently ignore the important details. Though it doesn''t happen often, I do not appreciate it when a person is not listening with full attention. Apart from your freedom what else do you want?" asked Damien, somewhere Penny questioned if he was purposefully switching the topic from one to another. But now that he had asked her so openly, Penny wondered what to ask. After a good amount of thinking, she asked, "Can I have my own room? I wouldn''t mind one in the servants quarters." "Okay maybe I will gift you something myself," he smiled, ignoring her request right on her face which had her eyes narrowing down at him. Damien had his hand ced at the edge which had a tform built next to the window. His chin resting on the edge of his palm, "Why do you want to change rooms?" his eyes observed the way her eyes darted at the empty seat next to him. It was possible that as he guessed she had a faint idea on the question that she had asked in the attic. She was feeling aware of his presence which only made him look that scarier as he smiled further. Penny had no issues until now of sharing the room with him. Even if she did she hadn''t voiced out her opinions on it but with the current change in their dynamics, she found it rather odd to share a room with Damien. All this time they had shared the status of master and a ve who was bought from the ck market. A person who was opposite to the status of a pureblooded vampire-like Damien Quinn. For someone like him to give an heirloom especially not any heirloom but something that belonged to his deceased mother. Penny wasn''t slow by nature and if she was right now, it was because of the person sitting in front of her who was behaving oddly with her. He was an odd one, to begin with, but right now their whole situation seemed different from what it was. Why did she want to get another room? What reason was she going toe up with? asked Penny to herself. With the smile that hade down, Damien asked, "Is the bed ufortable?" "It isfortable." "Is it the room that it is too cold?" "It is warm enough," Penny gulped at his questions. How was she supposed to say it was him, he had only once held her in his sleep early that morning after which she had been alert and carefully. "Then what is the problem, little mouse? Too spacious for a little mouse like yourself? Chapter 94 - Awareness- Part 2 "Aren''t all servants and maids assigned to a room in the servants quarters? Won''t it befitting that I have a room there? It won''t be right for your image if-" "Ho ho," Damien sarcasticallyughed, "What image do you think I have in the society?" Penny wasn''t sure if she were to view and let him know through her eyes or the others whom she had seen back in the mansion, "Must be good..." she trailed with an awkward tone where her voice fizzled out in the end before her sentence could even start. Damien''s smile disappeared slowly like a wax melting, his eyes looking at her with a scrutinizing gaze, "What do you mean must? I have an outstanding reputation with the people of the vige, towns and the people in the high society. Of course, it''s apletely different story when ites to disgusting peasants who are brainless even when they belong to the literal ss especially," with the way his sentence was going Penny was going to frown at his words until she heard thest half of what he had to say, "Do you doubt it?" he asked and Penny could feel her back turning hot. "Yes, you must be a marvelous man," Penny agreed by making use of another word to see him not so happy. Did she say something wrong? "Marvelous? Who told I was marvelous? I have an outstanding reputation when ites to breaking people''s limbs and snapping their heads. Torturing them for information until I am satisfied that that is all they have to offer." Penny had no words but to stare at him. One would have thought that when a person was praised they would let it go but this man here was owning up to his actions was also happy that he did it whilst enjoying it. Was she supposed to smile and nod her head to agree it was as fun as her master was saying when it came to breaking the hands and legs of a person? Or was she supposed to continue to sit quietly the way she was as if she was pretty much part of the carriage like the seat or the window whose opinion didn''t matter? "Women who havee across me and have tasted these lips don''t let go that easily. They crave it enough that even if I insult them theye back. Must be a group of masochists, don''t you think so?" How would she know his rendezvous with other women? She could see why the females of both humans and vampires were attracted to him. It wasn''t just his looks, but the arrogance that he wore shamelessly with his unfiltered words had a charm of its own. "Tell me, Penny. What do you think people think about me? Tell me through your eyes," Damien looked at her intrigued. Leaning his back against the seat where he crossed his legs. "I don''t think it matters what I see what others see," Penny replied back as if wanting to swim far away from this question which had the possibility to be tricky. "Trust me it does,"? pressed Damien for an answer, "It is important to hear from you," his words carried itself in the wind which Penny took in as the air to breath. Damien could see that it was hard for her to start, having trouble with what to say. He wanted to see how smart this mouse was. Where they were going, he didn''t need to run the tests to know who she was. Damien had met people of every kind. Having close contact with every creature anyone woulde across, he didn''t need tests and could identify the familiar creatures. What Penny was had been identified by only him and his cousin Alexander who shared the same keen eye doubted the kind she belonged to but was yet to realize. Penny didn''t know what it was about today but it appeared like Master Quinn was opening up with all sorts of questions and his statements catching her off guard one after another. His words were sarcastically tearful towards her but there was something she couldn''t deduce from his tone. His eyes staring at her intently while she hoped she was one of the parts of the carriage so that she could turn non-existent. Clearing her throat, she said, "Today in the mansion when the party was going on, there were women who wanted your attention but you brushed them away. Some of them were shocked, a few disappointed but it didn''t seem like it was anything new as they recovered quickly. Or they were only putting up a face. The men, they fear you. More than men." "Why do you think they fear me?" asked Damien as if he wasn''t expecting to hear it or as if he had no clue about it. "They are scared?" Penny wasn''t sure about these questions. Was he trying to educate her? "You have instilled some sort of fear in them, enough to have them look and approach you warily." She saw Damien nod his head before saying, "Getting back to the bedroom, are you aware of how many ves are kept in the house?" "Badly," Penny whispered remembering theshes the ves had received along with the humiliation in the public, "I heard about cages, the whip, and torture," she stated softly from what she had heard by the woman named Caitlin who had been her cellmate for the short period of time in the ve establishment. "What you hear is different from what actually goes on mostly behind the closed doors and a few out in public where your very soul gets tarnished. It might be one of the reasons which cause the very hate that stems out to bloom with poison until the master or mistress is left dead," said Damien looking outside the window where the rain had finally decided to slow down. "Do you support the system of the ve establishment?" Penny asked him, holding her breath as she waited for his answer. "I don''t. I actually have no interest in it whatsoever," deadpanned Damien like he hardly cared about it. "Why did you buy me then? You can..." let me go, thought Penny to herself which she didn''tplete. "I answered this. It is because it is was you that I bought you from the market. If it was anyone else, I wouldn''t have cared. To top it who would pay five thousand-" "Three thousand,"? corrected Penny to see him smile. "Yes, three thousand gold coins for a mere ve is rather ridiculous, don''t you think so? Why would I spend it for anyone," but he had for her, thought Penny to herself, "I have enough maids and servants in the mansion.?Hmm, for some reason I feel we have gone through this question. Aren''t you bored asking the same thing? Though I should appreciate your different approach. Good mouse," he praised her as if she really was a small animal with white ears and whiskers on her face! Chapter 95 - Ride in the carriage- Part 1 Music rmendation:?Lucy Rose- Shiver (Mushi-Shi OP) The journey was long which Penny had forgotten to ask on how far away the council was. With no watch in her hand or pocket, she couldn''t gauge the time. It wasn''t that the time was passing slowly, with Damien as her fellowpanion in the carriage the time was never boring. "Are the outsiders allowed to visit, Master Damien?" she asked him which also made her ask him, "What do you work as in the council?" "Me? I am an investigator, who pulls out information from various resources which is usually not seen or heard by the others. An intelligent team that is led by me and a boy named Kreme, who is still learning. So it is just me and him. The council allows some guests inside the perimeter of the council. Theboratory isn''t directly in the council building but has its own separate ce which should not be a problem. You are my pet girl, so it would mean you are my responsibility here." Seeing her nod, Damien looked out of the window his eyes not looking for anything in particr as he wondered if she would actually be able to step on the grounds of the council. It would be something to look forward to, thought Damien to himself. "Tell me something about your mother, Penny," he urged her, wanting to know about her from her very own lips than the little amount of information he had found before. Penny recollected the memory of her mother, her chest feeling warm even in this cold weather of the rain, "She uh-she was a kind woman. Even with the vigers who often taunted her she never retaliated back at them. Not a single word. When I was a child I wished she had answered them back, hoping they would stop but as I grew up I realized maybe ignoring it was for the best." "Why would you say that?" he questioned her. "Sometimes it''s better to fade away than be prominent in the vige to only hear things you don''t want to. People can be very vile, Master Damien," came out her whispered words. Penny adjusted her dress while sitting back against the seat as she hade a little forward due to a bump on their path which one of the carriage''s wheel hit. She realized how opposite she was inparison to Damien. At the same time, he spoke, "People will speak no matter. Even you do disappear to nothingness people will continue to make rumored stories about you. That is how life is. Those are one of the disgusting creatures who have nothing else to do but make and throw garbage." As easy it was to be told, it was hard, thought Penny to herself. With her father gone, leaving only her mother and her, people never were kind. They had turned out to be the pair where the vigers liked gossiping about. Many times the market often refused to give them the minimal provision that was needed for their house to be run. Like food to eat and oil to burn through thenterns to avoid bringing further darkness in their lives. "Have you ever had to experience something like that?" asked Penny to Damien who hummed in response before saying. "Everyone goes through something simr. You look at me in surprise," chuckled Damien, "No matter how much money one has, people, will always have something to talk about. Be it the poor or rich. It doesn''t matter to a lot in the crowd. Therefore I make sure they hear things first from my mouth such that it has turned in a way where I don''t get good feedback over somethings which is unfortunate on rare asions but who needs the silly donkey''s opinion." "A person who is rich has courage," Penny said which was a well-known fact. When it came to the poor and rich, a rich man had the courage to speak, unlike the poor who had no resources. "I would agree with that. Money is one form of power that can be swung around but that doesn''t change the fact that you try to fade away in the background. Many times in life, you will find a lot of people who hate and despise you. For example this, little mouse. The reason might be as simple as this where they heard something that was passed on to them. The people don''t know you, have never conversed with you but will still hate you because of the source. They fail to take the opportunity of knowing the person and fall t in the line of brainless and morons whom you shouldn''t concern yourself with. But if their words bother you, don''t hold back in replying back on what you have to say." "I didn''t say it bothered me..." Penny replied to him defensively for him to give her a nod as if he believed. "Sure. I was only imparting some life thoughts. People who don''t know you don''t count to what you are. It is the people who know you by close distance. Measure from what they see you as because strangers should be the least of your concern," Damien didn''t know the details but it wasn''t hard for him to wonder about what the girl must have gone through, "There are other things which are of grave importance in life." Vigers were often idiots making up things on a whim. They were the kind who jumped when someone pointed at a ce, not even realizing there was no water in there. "Thank you," he heard her say looking at him, a small smile which she had managed for him to smile quirkly. "So was your mother beautiful too?" asked Damien turning the conversation back from where it started. Penny felt her cheeks suddenly turn warm. Too? She had ignored at the mansion but this was the second him calling her beautiful or was she reading too much into his words? Chapter 96 - The council- Part 1 When they finally reached the council, Penny caught sight of the tall and wide building which looked white enough even in the dark. There was something about this ce that made it appear daunting in her eyes. Once the carriage did stop, the coachman stepped down, opening the door of the carriage where Damien was the first one to step out. Not believing the coachman to handle the box, he pulled the box which slid on the flooring of the carriage before he picked it up in his arms. When Penny ced her feet on the ground, she felt a force as if it was trying to repulse her very leg when she stepped on the ground. At first nce, the council grounds looked serene and quiet. She could see some of the men walking by, in and out as if they had no time to rest with the work they were given. Walking behind Damien who took to his right where another building stood which wasn''t as magnificent as the one in the left which appeared to be busy. Stepping inside the building, she was weed with a pungent smell of iron. Lanterns were ced hanging on the walls to light up the ce but it wasn''t enough to brighten. Enough to walk without stumbling through the passage. The smell that wafted across her nose had first made her think that it was the rods of iron bars that looked evidently rusted. That wasn''t what the iron-like smell came from but the bodies that hid in the dark which were beaten up to unconsciousness. The people who broke rules and thew which was set by the council. People who didn''t adhere to what was to be followed to the moralws. Unaware of the crimes as well as the people who were held in the cell, she continued to walk right behind Damien. Reaching the door, he knocked on it before stepping inside where a lean man stood in front of something. Due to the overwhelming smell of the iron bars which were terribly rusted, one couldn''t have realized the smell that came from the other side of the room until they had stepped inside. Penny caught sight of the person whoid on the table but it wasn''t any living person whoid there sleeping but a dead body that was charred. The smell that came from the dposing body was hard to ignore and she had to raise her hand to cover her nose with it from inhaling it too much. With the closes not being worn, she noticed it was a man who had been charred. "Councilman Damien," the man in the white coat greeted Damien, his eyes merely taking the sight of the girl before his bright red eyes went back to Damien. "Good evening, Murkh. Who is this?" Damien tipped his head towards the dead body. Going to one side of the walls were the equipment and instruments were ced, he picked up the white gloves, "Looks like a vampire," he wore the gloves one by one. "He indeed is a vampire, his fangs were pulled out of his mouth," answered the scrawny looking man. "Penny meet Murkh. He is the man who looks after the bodies thate down here which needs further examination," said Damien turning to look at Penny over his shoulder. "I heard you bought a new ve. Is she the one?" asked Murkh with ack of curiosity as he seemed more interested in the body of the dead than the living. "Looks like the news spreads faster here in the council than outside. Where did you hear it from?" asked Damien, bending down he took hold of the body on the table. Opening the mouth and looking at the dead person''s cavity. "It was councilman Lancelot and councilman Creed," answered Murkh before walking forward to see what Damien was doing with the body. Usually, Murkh didn''t allow anyone to touch the bodies which were given to him as it was his responsibility. Thest thing he would want is for someone to contaminate the body and tarnish the evidence. He let a few of them inside while most of them stayed out unless it was a pressing matter that needed assistance with. But with Damien Quinn, it was a different case. In the past, there had bee times where the pureblooded vampire had helped him solve the mysteries of the body faster than him which saved a good amount of time. Also, another reason being Damien barged right into the room, looking through the things as if he were inspecting it before leaving the building. "It appears that Councilman Creed has been quite free with his hands and mind. Maybe it is time to put in a word with the head council about it than go gossiping like women. No offense, Penny," he said looking to his side but not meeting Penny''s eyes. "What does the case state? What is the offense? Did you check with the fluid test. Run me a background," Penny heard Damien say to the doctor who nodded his head. Rubbing his hands together the vampire doctor named Murkh went to tell, "The case is being handled by Rigoen. The council had one trial until now-" "Fresh case," chipped Damien. "Very new. The body came in here yesterday," Damien took another step forward, bending more before he took one of the small quill sized instruments to probe into the dead man''s mouth, "It seems they found the body which was buried behind a wall that had been ced in the house. Behind a wall? Whomitted the crime?" "It is a family of vampires. Currently, they are still trying to find out as I heard that the murder looked nothing less to a cold one. But spections from the court tells that it was his brother who killed and ced him like this. Logan Wills is the brother''s name." "And this is Lucas Wills. Is he the younger brother?" Chapter 97 - The council- Part 2 "No, he''s the older one," answered Murkh, his eyes taking in what Damien was doing. "A family of vampires you say," hummed Damien before standing up straight, "You have the filed report which was submitted to the council room?" "It should be somewhere here. Ah, here it is," the lean doctor walked to the desk his frame making Penny remind her of the time when she used to let a cloth dry as the wind blew at it. Handing over the parchment which was bound with a p around it, Damien twisted it out to open the parchment and read what was written in it. Penny in the meantime looked around the room which wasn''t too big but enough to have to more bodies in here. It made her wonder what happened to other bodies if the count increased in a day. Surely, there was a ce to amodate other bodies here or somewhere that wasn''t too far from the council building. Little bottles were ced on the shelf, something that simr to the ones that they had brought in here right now but these were of different colors that held nobel on it. Taking a step closer to Damien, she looked down at the body this time much more clearly. The sight was ghastly which looked nothing less to a horror she would have imagined how a ghost would look like. The person had eyes that were ck in color. No hair on the body, the body as if had been burnt only halfway through while leaving the person to suffer. It was a disturbing view which Penny couldn''t stop herself from frowning. The hands were left crooked, the skin that had half-melted making it look odd. "The report here says that he''s a vampire but I doubt he is," said Damien to receive a frown from the doctor. "But he had fangs," said the doctor for Damien to start pulling the gloves that he wore, throwing it into the sink. Murkh bent down, taking another look at the dead man''s cavity. "He positively has fangs." "Where is it written that a person needs to have fangs to be identified as a vampire from the very birth?" Damien asked as he picked up a bottle and squeezed the gel-like liquid on his hand. As he rubbed both his hands, he said, "The report says he was from a family of low vampires but it doesn''t appear that he is a vampire. Maybe a turned one, not a recent one though as it''s been dated since child which might be a wrong entry," Penny who stood not too far from the body looked at the dead person''s face, "The spots at the ends of his eyes is one of the very evidence whiches under the transformation of a human turning to a vampire." "He is not a vampire," murmured the vampire doctor. Penny looked at the body and then at Damien who was eyeing the bottles that were set on the table, "They fell out of his mouth. The council in the court wrote down that it was pulled out forcibly for the shame that was caused," said Murkh standing away from the body. "Rubbish. The council doesn''t check enough. There are only some who do a decent job while the rest only ck. It makes me wonder how they even passed the council exam int he first ce. This man, he must have been a human, a man who was either adopted or the entire family who were turned one after another. It can be either of them. Sometimes fangs fall off right after the transformation which is one of the many symptoms that the transition didn''t go well." "Thank you, councilman Damien. I will be sure to let the case handlers know what it is so that they can look into the case further. Why don''t you join the council of groups? With your intellect you would be able to find and solve the unsolved cases quickly," Damien didn''t bother to respond and instead opened the box which he had bought from his mansion that had to be delivered. "It needs a lot of work. I prefer to have my hands empty than keep them full buttely, they have turned full thanks to the ck witches who never rest." The vampire doctor came around to notice a slot empty while the others had little tubes in them, "Did ite like this?" "It did?" asked Damien for Murkh to look at him confused. "One of the tubes is missing," Murkh continued to look at the box to hear a hum from the councilman. "So I see. This is the box for the potions that have been created by ck witches. They need to be tested to check on what they are made of." "Is this what I think it is?.... Corruption...?" Penny heard the vampire''s words trail in question. It looked like most of the questions that were asked to Damien, the pureblooded vampire conveniently ignored the questions as if it were asked to him. "Get it tested quickly by tomorrow morning. I will be back here-" "Wait, the tube here is green. Is it another potion which is special?" there was excitement in Murkh''s voice as he said it, "Ah no," the light in the vampire''s eyes dimmed down. It is green for another reason." "What reason is it?" asked Damien interested in knowing what just happened. "Give me a moment," said the scrawny doctor to take the tube to ce it on an instrument and look at the tube through a hole that Penny didn''t know what it was, "Hmm. It''s not what I thought but they appear to have different properties, something simr and distinctive to water." "The water holds no impurities," stated Damien where his eyes trailed from the doctor to Penny. The doctor to nod his head after he pulled away from his instrument to only get back to continue to observe it. "Councilman Damien, is this tube being mixed up with the rest?" came Murkh''s voice, his hand turning a knob on the instrument as he continued to stare in it, "There are elements of the witchery which a white witch uses." Penny had been standing quietly when she felt Damien''s gaze on her to say, "White witch you say?" why was he staring at her as if to imply she was a witch? Chapter 98 - Dead men- Part 1 Penelope stared back at Damien who was looking at her casually but his casual gaze wasn''t exactly casual, "What else do you see in the potion in there?" asked Damien, slowly shifting his gaze back on the doctor, picking up another solution from the box which was transparent in color. "The others hold the property of spit grass. It is the very element that is responsible for the trigger that takes ce in all the vampires. Affecting mostly the pureblooded vampires due to the core that sits at the core of the heart," said Murkh who moved back from the instrument where he had been observing the liquid that he had poured to look under the magnifying ss, "But this here is nothing less to a white witch''s blood. I am curious how this bottle came to your hand," Damien didn''t respond to it. His eyes intently looking at the dead body thatid on the table motionless. The vampire doctor continued to say, "The council found an interesting piece just this evening. Would you like to take a look?" asked the vampire who held eagerness in his eyes. Damien raised his hand indicating the vampire to lead him but Murkh didn''t start to walk. Seeing the girl who was in the room here with them, the man found her to be nothing less than an intrusive creature which he wasn''t happy about. Seeing Murkh''s gaze, Damien said, "She''s with me." The doctor-vampire led them out of the room. Locking the room first as he carried antern in his hand, he started to lead the way where Damien followed behind Murkh and Penny followed Damien. When the light started to enter the cell rooms which had previously been dark, Penny finally saw the people who were in there, her eyes unable to move from them. Each cell had one person, the atmosphere feeling nothing less to the ve establishment but the condition they were in. Penny continued to follow to see people in there who were shackled and bound in chains but that wasn''t the highlight. It was the bruises and the dried blood which had been overpowering before and now. Not the rusted iron bars but it had been the smell of the blood. Murkh took them to the underground which was another passage, reaching to greet a brown door made of metal, the vampire doctor fished his hand in his coat. Pulling out a bunch of keys, he fumbled around before opening the lock of the door. The building here was much quieter with no visitors as it was the time of night now. The people in the cell were too tired to speak and cause a riot with the number of beatings they had taken along with the torture the councilmen presented thewbreakers. The most one could hear was the murmur and groan which reached Penny''s ears but for some odd reason, it was still quiet. When Penny began to wonder as to what the room held for a door like this had to be built, the answers to her questions were answered after entering the room. She had to hold back her breath, looking at therge cylindrical sses that were filled with sses but each transparent ss-like cylinder held bodies that floated in the water. Except for two cylinders, the rest of them were upied. It was obvious that the people inside there were all dead. Every one of them. Damien strolled through the cylinders, walking past them unaffected as he had been down here several times. Penny, on the other hand, walking to only stop and look up at the man who was inside one of the many cylinders. The eyes of the man were not closed but were instead open as if he was experiencing some kind of shock even after death. He was lean in nature, his body almost reduced to bones where his skin stuck to the only possible solid thing in his body. Penny wasn''t sure why but there was something about this man that lured her to him. Was it his haunting eyes that was wide? Or was it the body that looked crumpled? She couldn''t decide which one was it but there was definitely something about this man. Murkh and Damien went to look at something the vampire doctor wanted to show while Penny stayed behind. Continuing to look at the man who looked like he was looking at something ahead of him. She turned to see what it was out of curiosity but there was nothing but a wall in there. Why were the bodies ced in here like this? thought Penny to herself. This ce was nothing less to a graveyard. The only difference being, a graveyard was a ce where people the dead were buried underground and here it was that the bodies floated in the water. She doubted it was water as Penny had the basic understanding that water could not preserve dead bodies without decaying. If one had to, they would use salt but salt would only shrivel the skin and right now the skin didn''t seem to look damaged. Taking a step closer, she ced her hand on the cylindrical ss, observing the person when she suddenly felt the man''s eyes who had been looking forward to looking at her. Penny staggered back, withdrawing her hand quickly and away from the ss. Her breath hitching out of shock for Damien to notice who had tuned his ears around his surroundings. Penny looked again at the man but it seemed like he hadn''t moved his eyes to look at her at all. Worried, she wondered if she had imagined it but she felt it had happened which made her only that much wary of her surroundings right now. Her eyes taking note of all the bodies that were here, floating in the liquid inside the cylinder. When Damien came walking to where she stood, with the vampire doctor tailing behind closely, she asked, "Who is he?" Chapter 99 - Dead men- Part 2 "He''s a deranged vampire," Murkh was the one to answer who stood behind Damien, Damien''s height overpowering the little vampire''s stature. Deranged vampire? "It''s a human or a vampire who has his body corrupted," Damien stared at the man in the cylinder with a bored expression as he had been seeing for many years now to not be bothered about his appearance. Unlike the pureblooded vampire who is affected by the corruption of the heart where the core lies. If a human''s transition from the current state who is undergoing to turn to a vampire doesn''t do well, chances are they get corrupted simr to the pureblooded vampires," he turned away to look at her, his eyes subtly checking her eyes if they were dted. His eyes roamed around, taking in the vast room which held several bodies in an enclosed ss. "I thought it affected only the vampires." "It does," confirmed Damien to say, "The problem arises only if a human decides or is forced to transform into the low level bred vampire. A vampire''s bite can be helpful or repulsive where the body starts to make or break." To add to this, Damien said, "This man was one of the few test subjects found in thend of Bonke. His features are unique enough that Murkh decided to add him up to his collection." Murkhughed nervously, "Councilman Damien, this isn''t a collection but subjects that have unique conditions. They are some of the value you could say," said the doctor wringing his hands together. The councilboratory was built and assigned in a way where Murkh was the one who had been handling the work for years. Enough that three head council''s had been reced since his assignment to the job. The interest he held in his word and the secrecy that was to be maintained here in istion had turned the vampire less normalpared to the others. Every person in the cylinder in here was a type of species who was rare but that wasn''t all to it. They were the cases that were bizarre and couldn''t be solved by the councilmen. Most of the cases were always solved which didn''t need to vacancy down in this room but once in every one or two years, cases reached the council that couldn''t be exined. Bodies like those were ced in here, having a special spot where the soul didn''t rest. Noticing Penny''s eager looking eyes that were seeking answers, the doctor puffed his chest letting his tongue loose to something he was not supposed to go saying out and loud. "The case was closed by one of the elder head council a few years ago. Year 1854," Murkh nced at the number te that was stered down on the metal before the ss encasing began, "He was an early corrupted human who was acquired buried deep down in the water with a stone that was tied around his leg," a mark that once had been red around the man''s ankle now had turned dark and brown in time, "You see some things can be exined while some cannot be." Did that mean this one wasn''t solved? Not questioning anything. As if shifting topic the vampire doctor said, "What do you think of the witch? She''s half-witch and half-human." "Burn her," was Damien''s response to it. Damien walked towards a body that Murkh had only ced on the table who was deciding if he had to add the woman to his room collection or throw her away. Leaving the dead man in the ss, Penny walked behind Damien where she caught sight of another being. The face that had turned dark where the skin had turned to look scaly. A ck witch, Penny registered it in her mind. "I found this one near theke of bones. She was climbing the tree and the blood was oozing out from her fingers. I thought they were only rumours until I saw this," said Murkh tipping his head towards the witch whoid t on her back. "Rumors are stemmed through something. Haven''t you heard there''s no smoke without a fire? I guess this is one work that I would love to look into," Damien smiled, tilting his head to look at the witches face, "Some of the witches have been trying to bring the humans to their side. Turning the humans to one of them seems to be one of the moves but like everything else, a human body cannot bare things. It is made of limitations. Write down the report on it. I will take it in the morning," said Damien before getting taking his leave from the room where Penny followed him back. When they reached back the carriage, Damien said to the coachman, "Fetch water for the horses. We will be leaving after that," the coachman bowed his head, turning his back to walk towards the shed which was made to ce some of the horses which the councilmen used. Once he was away, Damien said to her, "Get inside the carriage. Go on," he said, the look on his face which was serious, no mischief in his eyes which turned her worried. Had she done something she was not supposed to do? "I am not a white witch," blurted Penny in her haste as she inched closer to the carriage door. "Are you a hundred percent sure?" At his question, she gulped. She knew how much witches were hated everywhere. It didn''t matter if the person was a white witch or a ck witch. The bottom of the surface was that witches were all bad and were meant to die. "Get inside. We don''t have much time," pursing her lips, she got inside the carriage and soon Damien followed her. When she stook a seat, he pulled the door of the carriage close while also pulling out the little curtains of the window to a close. Penny wondered what was going on in his mind, "M-master Damien?" Without another word, Damien took hold of her hand which was on herp and bit into her hand! Chapter 100 - What you want- Part 1 Penelope flinched at the sudden pain of the fangs piercing through her skin where a mouthtched on as if a piece of bread had been hanging in the air. The bite wasn''t a long one but a short quick one where Damien let go of her hand after she had ovee the initial shock. She took her hand, holding it close to her chest but taking a look at the same time to see the two holes which Damien had made. "Why did you do that?" she asked him wide-eyed, her face holding the expression of shock. Was he so hungry that he had decided to have her as the spare blood body, or should she say emergency food? "Your blood tastes sweet. Give it back, let me have another bite," said Damien raising his hand towards her but Penny scooted away to go the other corner of the carriage. Not that it would make much difference as it was a small space where she had no ce to run except for the window which couldn''t fit her. Having never been bitten before in her life except, she looked at him with a skeptical look. Staring at each other. Damien''s pink tongue peeked out of his lips, wiping the blood off his lips to catch his Adam''s apple bob up and down. After a few seconds, Penny asked, "You aren'' hungry...are you?" "What makes you think I am not?" when Penny didn''t answer and only continued to stare at him, "How rude of you to refuse your master a meal when he is hungry. Should I perhaps punish you here?" She saw him shift from his seat closer to her and this time she gulped softly. Was he really going to drink her blood? She remembered the time when he had taken blood from Lady Yuvaine''s neck until thedy had passed out. Seeing the fear start to swirl in her green eyes, a smile cracked on Damien''s lips as he spoke, "Give me your hand. Be a good mouse, sweetheart," hearing the sweet words from him only made her that much wary about him, "I won''t bite this time," the smile simmered down making her wonder why he was asking for her hand if it weren''t for him biting her. He hummed as if he were waiting and reluctantly, Penny gave her hand to him. cing it on his while he grasped it firmly to bring it back close to his face which rmed, her heart beating loudly as she readied herself for the pain. This master of hers had only given his word of not biting her and it was not even a minute that he was ready to open as she saw him part his lips,?"You told you wouldn''t bite," came out the whispered rushed words from her mouth. Her eyes looked at him, moving softly as it jumped to look from one eye of his to another. Her own lips parted as she tried to breathe in. Damien who had leaned forward towards her hand pulled his head back, "Penelope, you have only seen the worse things of the ve establishment. Of ves going through torture, pain, death, some losing their mind before they are handed to their master and mistresses. Most of them take the buy ves for their own amus.e.m.e.nt. Do you know why I bought you? You always ask me why I bought you, let''s see if you can answer it today," he said making her frown. How would she know why he had bought her? When her heart hitched at him leaning back to her hand which he still held in his, he said,?"I said I wouldn''t bite you," and with that, Damien licked the wound he had caused without single remorse of him touching a person lower than him right now intimately. Penny had stopped breathing. Her eyes wider than before, goosebumps starting to form all over her skin. Damien gave a few more licks, closing the wound every time his coarse tongue came in contact with her hand. The entire scene in front of her was e.r.o.t.i.c. With his hair that he had previously ruffled, it came to brush her hand like a feather. Damien looked nothing less to a cat, a ck one maybe because of his pitch-ck hair with his eyes closed until they opened to look right at her. When he finally raised his head back, the grip on her hand loosening for her to slip out but for him to catch hold of her index finger, "Always in such hurry to run away." "I did not run away," came out Penny''s response, her heart thundering in her heart and she was hardly bothered with it as her Master Damien had licked her hand. Which man did that?! she fretted internally. Damien leaned back, his eyes on her which were filled with amus.e.m.e.nt, "Are you saying the thought of you trying to run away tonight never crossed your mind?" Unfortunately for Penny though even though she tried not to bring any emotions out, her heart betrayed her, "To run when there is a room full of vampires who might want to hunt you, you should know better, Penny," that did cross her mind. She was aware that running at this time of the night though looked feasible at the same time she would invite the same amount of risk, "Though a lot of abuse ves, some of them want to build a good rtionship of the master and ve. It is a matter of the ve putting their whole life to dedicate their life while the master will provide the roof that the ve craves. But it is more than that. It is a matter of trust which not many can build and maintain." "It doesn''t change the dynamics that much, Master Damien. A ve will still be treated beneath everyone else and you never know when their life will be taken." "That is where you are wrong. Penelope, my cousin and I often y chess as a leisure game. If there was one thing I have learned in there-the mere soldier who is brave enough to sacrifice can y until the end to be whatever he wants in the end." Chapter 101 - What you want- Part 2 The words he spoke resonated deeply in her mind and heart. Her eyes not looking away from him even for a second. This was the second time Damien had spoken something that she looked up to as if there was a light at the end of the tunneled bridge she was in at the moment. A lof times Damien was always someone who enjoyed seeing people get annoyed and fl.u.s.tered, his words hitting right through one''s heart which was mostly sarcastic or threatening ones. But right now she didn''t know why she couldn''t move her eyes away. "Have I charmed you with my words?" he broke the spell and her eyes lowered down, hearing the coachman who asked Damien, "Master, the horses have been given water. Will we be leaving for Quinn''s mansion?" "Yes, let''s leave," ordered Damien. The carriage slightly shook as the coachman had jumped on to his seat. Penny had never yed the game of chess though she had heard plenty about the game. People like her who belonged to the ss f peasants who were trying to survive through the days and week had no time to spend on things like it. It was the rich men and women, the families who belonged to the higher societies who had time to spare on games, the theatrical y and the tea parties which a poor woman or a man could not dream of. With the awkwardness which had only started to disappear, Damien had only made it even more obvious bymenting on how his words had affected her. "Do you know to y chess?" he asked her to which she shook her head, "Have you heard of it?" and this time Penny nodded her head to a yes, "Words, dear mouse. You have a beautiful voice, don''t hide it with the mum actions," his words were too straight forward and it felt like since two days his words had been attacking her, not that it hadn''t before but this was a little too forward which she was unprepared for. "Yes, Master Damien." If Penny belonged to a higher ss, maybe she would have considered that Damien Quinn was trying to court her, but Penny was a ve. But this was Damien who was a strange pureblooded vampire who did things which one didn''t expect. The more thought she gave to it, the more stressful she felt thinking if he was courting her for his own amus.e.m.e.nt. "The game isn''t too hard. Once we go home I will teach you. By tomorrow morning you will ace the game," promised Damien. Reaching back at the mansion, most of the carriages that had arrived at Quinn''s mansion had left. It had been more than three to four hours with Damien and Penny who had been away from the mansion. Damien being true to his word had made Penny sit in front of a ck and white board with various shaped pawns that were ced on the board. He had taught her from the beginning, starting with the basics of what was the role of each pawn. To Penny''s surprise, Damien took his time to teach her without rushing it and making her understand one by one. If one were to look at Damien and speak about patience they would say he had none but that would be wrong to assume, thought Penny to herself as she looked at the board where she had been given the ck pawns to y against the white. He had only stepped out of the room for ten minutes and by the time he had returned back, Penny''s head rested on the bed with one of her arms stretched out. She softly breathed in an out, but her body was still stiff as if she would wake up with one sound in the room. Closing the door, Damien walked forward, pulling the chessboard and putting the pieces back in its ce. Coming back, he sat on the bed next to her to see her sleeping face. His hand reached her face, wanting to push away the strands of her hair that hovered over her face but it stopped mid-way. Retracing back his fingers he shook her shoulder, "Sleep on the bed, mouse," she would catch a cold, thought Damien who heard her hum but still sleeping, "Get on the bed or I will pick you up myself," he murmured thest line. Getting no response from her, he sighed. What a troublesome little thing he had in his room.?Going to the firece, he pulled out the drawer that had the spare wood, putting them in the already burning fire, Damien stood up to go back to Penny. Picking her up, he ced her on the bed to see her curl once he had put the nket on her. Damien stared at her. Since the time he had bought her, he had a hunch that Penny wasn''t a mere human but a witch. The question was what kind of witch she was but seeing the traits of her, putting to her simple test he had gathered that she couldn''t be a ck witch. It was the wound at the bottom of her feet that had raised his doubts on her being a witch. The stupid mouse had no clue what happened when one stepped on a rusted iron and she had stepped far too deep. His words had been threatening at that time but he had no other choice but to use his nail to pierce through the skin to pull out the blood and puss from her feet. Taking her to the doctor anywhere would only raise suspicion. Humans were fragile creatures who were easy to break. Unlike vampires who were affected by only a few things, the life of a human was as good as a lone thread that could be cut by pulling the two ends apart. Damien knew it better as he had seen the cases that came to Murkh for examination. Infection was the mostmon thing and Penny would have been affected by the infection spreading through her muscles and joints where one would have to cut the limb to stop the infection. Strangely even though the infection was there it had been trying to not spread which was were Damien had picked about her kind. To test it further, he had made her climb the tree. A white witch often used the grounds but with the ck witches, they usually relied on different transport as well as climbing the tree which looked simr to a lizard trying to climb on the wall. The arms and legs often crossed as they climbed but it happened with this one. Turning around to the bathroom with his gaze breaking away from her.?It would be a lie if he said he didn''t enjoy the scene with her staring at the tree. Damien had never been one to judge, as crude and mean he came to the public, there was a reason why the council had appointed him to take care of the ck market and the things that went behind the scenes of the high society. He washed his face with the cold water. Sshing it on his face to pull back as he wiped it with the ck towel, letting his hands fall on the edge of the sink where he looked at his eyes. One eyes of his was dark red and the other fluctuating between ck and red like a candle of light ced near an open window. Chapter 102 - White witch- Part 1 Damien stared at therge mirror that was fixed on the wall at the sink. His hands holding the edge of the sink with a firm grip where if he used his full strength there was a possibility of the sink breaking and waking up the girl who slept soundly on his bed right now. The dark red eye which had stayed to not turn ck finally changed where both his eyes turned ck. He looked at them sharply, the corner of his eyes bringing out fine lines like the roots of a tree in the soil that stretched from the edge of his eyes to spread out to his temples. The fangs that were usually tamed for a pureblooded vampire after growth had nowe out. The fangsrger which protruded out from his mouth making him look nothing less to a feral animal. Hearing something rustle outside, his face turned to look to the side, hearing the sound of the air that touched the window and then moved away as if zing on it. The rain that had begun pouring had stopped leaving only the cold wind behind. Turning his head back, to look at the mirror, his eyes met his own as they transported back in time. The memories in his mind etched where he could feel it was as if yesterday that it had taken ce. It was a few years ago when both Damien and Maggie were young children. Damien who stood at the bedside held his mother''s hand, "You''ll get better," said the boy. His eyes vacant unlike now which was always covered with mischief. His mother had been ill. It was a rare disease that hit a pureblooded vampire. The disease urring one in every five thousand vampires. Her eyes had started to hold dark circles simr to the way humans looked when they were ill. Her body couldn''t consume the blood anymore, as it stopped digesting it in her body. With theck of blood which was the most essential part of a vampire''s meal, thedy was losing her body strength which could barely hold the sight as it had started to dim which she didn''t say but Damien had been an observative child. "Of course, I will. I still need to make both of you swim in the river," said the woman, her pale skin at the point of the palest color where one could easily say that she hardly had a few more days until herst breath, "Did you kill the maid?" asked his mother, her eyes though not able to see him clearly but looking at the outline of her son. "Yes," answered Damien diligently. The maid had tried to steal his mother''s jewelry while she was sick in the bed. But it wasn''t just that. The maid had not only tried to steal but had also tried to poison his mother''s already weak health. Damien looked emotionless, his eyes looking hollow to which his mother smiled, "Come here my boy," she raised her thin hand to him so that she could ce her hand on her cheek, "You did well, Dami. I wish I was there to see the first kill. The first kill is always special for us purebloods because there''s always a reason for it." The woman on the bed could feel the hauntings of her son which he was still trying to process with the death he carried out. It wasn''t umon for some of the pureblooded families who taught how to kill people at a young age. "Come here, Maggie, my sweet daughter," she raised her other hands where her daughter held her mother''s hand. Her eyes holding back the tears, "Don''t miss me when I am gone," the vampiress smiled. Though some of them believed that thedy of Quinn''s family would die soon, the disease didn''t allow her to have a peaceful death. It ate her life from her very soul, piece by piece taking its own time. Death of loved ones who were close was quite understandable to have the pain of hurt and loss but young Damien, to see his mother suffer like that with her spouting blood from her mouth instead of taking it in to keep herself healthy...it had upset him greatly. Enough to the point where his heart had started to corrupt without anyone''s notice. A corrupted heart was as good as to a person who was dying as one would lose rationality in one''s thinking while giving up their lives to the darkness. Maybe that was one of the reasons the young boy resonated with his dying mother. Without anyone''s knowledge, the boy had corrupted his heart.?He didn''t know why he wasn''t fully corrupted. There were traces of it that came in and out. But Damien was smart at the young age of eight. After all, he was a pureblooded vampire, the boy knew what his ck eyes meant and slowly tried to learn to handle it. It was how he got into the ck market. Strolling and finding out how to keep the corruption a secret for no one to know. Unfortunately, not everything could be kept under a secret where his sister and his cousin who the Lord of Valeria found out about it. Damien looked at his reflection, where the roots like nerves that had popped up came to simmer down. On Alexander''s inspection on his eyes and the blood that ran in his veins, it was deduced that his corruption had taken ce but it hadn''t moved from the first stage which meant it wouldn''t move further. At least for some time now. The rest of them had no clue as he had learned to control the corruption instincts where he at times felt the need to tear a person''s head apart until he saw the blood spurting out. It made him wonder if it was part of his nature or part of who he had be because of the little corruption. Some of the higher up''s had to be informed which had led Damien to be one his very favorite creature as the corruption never went to theplete stage. A heart''s corruption in the pureblooded world was never a good sign which made him question why he was spared, unlike the rest who went on a killing spree once the corruption started. What was keeping him alive? Once he blinked his eyes, both of them turned back to red in color, a crooked smile gracing his lips. Coming out of the bathroom, Damien reached his hand to his back and pulled out the shirt he wore. Getting on the bed he looked at Penny who had decided to move closer to his side of the bed. He didn''t lie when he had said that her blood had tasted sweet. Was it because she was a witch? Now that he knew she was a witch, he wondered about her parents. It was possible that her father who had run away was the white witch while leaving his human wife and daughter behind.?For the second time in the hour, his hand reached back to touch her again. His hand stopped but this time, it moved forward to push away her the hair. Chapter 103 - White witch- Part 2 In the time of morning when Penny had woken up from her deep sleep, she felt something wet on her feet. The wetness came again which reminded her of something until the cool breeze hit her bare feet making her shiver. She wondered if it was Damien who was up to no good again, her eyes groggily opened to see Damien next to her with his eyes closed. With a slight frown on her forehead, she felt another lick on her feet which made her jerk her leg and bring closer to her upper body. Stretching her neck to see what it was when she did see it while scooting away in haste she not only fell down on the floor but also ended up pulling the nket along with her which was covering Damien. The impact with the way Penny fell on the ground woke Damien to see her looking at something with fear in her eyes. Confused, he turned his gaze in the direction of her eyes for a smile to break on his lips. Penny stared the dog-like wolf that let out a bark making her heart leap as it walked forward, it''s tail slightly swishing as it stared at her, "Is he yours?" she asked sensing Damien awake on the bed. By the time Penny had turned to look at Damien on the bed, to look back at the four-legged animal, it had advanced further to stand right next to her now. "Meet Baxter," Damien introduced his pet, "He''s a wolf breed, someone I picked in the forest," when the animal barked again, Penny could the sleep that was in her body dissolve. "I didn''t know you had a pet," she could feel the animal staring at her, it''s intelligent eyes nothing short to its owner. Wait, why were its eyes red in color? Was this a vampire too?! "Is he a vampire?" "He is?" Damien gave out a shocked gasp before smiling back again, "He''s a wolf. Don''t worry Penny darling. You are still my number one pet...girl," he finished his sentence. "I am not jealous," Penny narrowed her eyes at him while still being wary of Baxter who came closer to her to sniff her shoulder. She realized the man had taken off his shirt while he must have got into bedst night. Getting down the bed, he walked around to where she was, "People always tend to tell things which they don''t mean to, you don''t have to worry. I am very good at understanding and reading your words," he assured her. Before she could retort anything the wolf gave her cheek a big lick, "Aw, he likes you. I am sure you will get along fine with him. Baxter, up boy," and right at hismand, the wolf turned its face and followed to where Damien was, swishing its tail. Getting down, Damien for the very first time showed the side of him which felt normal to Penny. His hands ruffling the wolf''s neck as it closed its eyes with ears that looked like it was pulled back to tten itself. A four-legged animal, his pet was able to draw such emotion out of him that Damien''s eyes looked warmer now. Having never seen an expression like this before on his face, Penny stared at him. So was this how her master looked if he were normal? she quickly pushed her thoughts at the worry of what if he could read her mind? There had been instances where Penny had doubted his pureblooded abilities. What if a pureblooded vampire could read any person''s mind? With the amount of time Damien had been right at the point at catching her thoughts, it made her wonder if he had such ability or if his observative skills were very sharp. "He''s a fantastic boy, you will see when you take him for the morning walks," said Damien as if he wanted both Penny and his pet, Baxter to get along and be friends as quickly as possible, "But before that, how was your sleep?" he asked him mindlessly without looking up at her as he was still ying with his pet. Damien patted the wolf''s head before sending it off and outside the room where the door had been opened. It had been more than a week since she hade here was the wolf always here? Oh dead, and did she not realize it? No, that couldn''t be true, she thought to herself. She would have to be blind to miss such a big wolf. Walking towards the door and closing it, Damien went to pick a candle that was on the table. Removing from the rest of its other fellow candles, he came to crouch in front of Penny, handing the candle for her to take. Unsure, Penny took it, "What is this for?" "With what Murkh saidst night, you are a witch. And with the knowledge I have, you cannot be a ck witch else you would have shown your colors by now-" "I am not a witch," Penny spoke defensively not liking the fact that he was trying to club her into something she wasn''t and didn''t like. "That is what you know not knowing what you are." "My parents have been human which makes me a human as well." "Hmm," hummed Damien, twisting his lips before stating, "Your mother was a human who died out of disease and so did mine. My condolences to it. But what about your father? What have you heard about him? For a person you have not met, how would you know who has run away but nevere back,"? sensing that?Penny was having a hard time to digest the truth which she wasn''t ready to ept. He said, "A liquid that has been made by the ck witches cannot be nullified and have the properties of a white witch when you haven''t even touched the liquid inside it directly." Penny had no answer to it. All she knew was that all this time she was a human and not any kind of witch. She didn''t know about white witches but with the generalized species, she didn''t like her being part of it. Damien took a seat in front of her, cing himself down on the floor with the conflicting emotions, "What do you think about the witches?" "That they are vile and cruel." He could tell that from where Penny came from, there didn''t live a white witch and if they did, they were all in hiding. None of the viges were open to knowing that the white witches and the ck witches were two separate beings with different characteristics. People registered bad things better by highlighting which only diminished the chance for the good witches, "The ones who you are referring to are the ck witches." "I know..." replied Penny. She wasn''t illiterate to not know who was who in the world that she lived in. "Then you should know that the white witches are the good ones. People who help for the greater cause. What''s bothering you?" It took a while for Penny to gather her words in silence before she said, "I am not looking forward to being burnt in the middle of the vige or town," her greens eyes looked back at the red ones in worry. Chapter 104 - White witch- Part 3 Something seemed to have started to hover over Penelope''s eyes like she was remembering something she had seen. A memory that hade to resurface. It was two Eleth ago. Eleth which was also the time in Bonke where rain didn''t take ce for a continuous two weeks. Due to the no rain phase which took ce once every year, she had travelled to the two viges in search of work as it was time to start supporting her mother properly. With theck of respect or presence her own vige member showed her and her mother, bringing money back home had been harder to her family than the rest. After travelling to the expected vige with the nickles she had saved for the carriage ride where the theatre was situated in, after walking around and trying to find information on the same. Penny had taken a break for the need of food. Strolling into the market, all she had wanted was a loaf of bread to suffice her hunger. Instead of the bread though she had stumbled upon a woman and a man who were tied in ropes to a pole. ording to one of the vige men who was holding the wooden fire in his hand had told the crowd that they were siblings who were witches. Penny had been confused but the more she heard the more she came to realize the amount of hate the people held against the witches. The woman who had been tied had cried with a mere line of ''I am a white witch'' but that had not been enough of an excuse for their bounds to be removed and to let them free. It didn''t matter if the person was a ck witch or a white witch, the conclusion by the public was to burn them. Penny wasn''t an expert in knowing who was who but at that time, the vigers looked nothing short to evil with their deeds. To burn someone without a solid cause but to have them burnt for the sole reason of who they were...it showed how narrow mind and illiterate people were. She had seen kerosene being poured on them, the same liquid that was used to burn oil during the dark time of the night to lead the way. While the woman cried with tears, her brother hadn''t spoken a word to the public but one word from him and his sister had stopped crying. To see people treating innocents like this had broken her heart. A little bit more of humanity that was lost in the process after her own vige. "I saw a sister and brother being burnt. In front of my eyes, but I couldn''t see it until the end. It was too much for me, Master Damien. I guess it was okay for others who were around me because it was amon thing there. It was then I realized then that the term of witch wasn''t used just for females." "Does it haunt you?" asked Damien for her to shake her head. "No," she said looking at the white moulded candle that was in her hand, "But it doesn''t make one want to have the same fate." "Who is asking you to walk on the same fate?" asked Damien making her lift up her eyes, looking at the deep red eyes that were intently looking at her. "Are you saying that despite white witches who are not bad are shown mercy on thesends of ours or the others? How many have been spared by the people?" asked Penny making Damien smile, he nodded his head. His mouse wasing up with wanting to know facts. "Not many. Few actually,"? he answered her frankly which only made her frown. Few must be an overestimation as witches were never spared, "I agree what you said but you don''t have to walk the path of the witches who were burnt. Thanks to their alternate sisters who often cause troubles, the white witches are always kept under a keen eye hoping they don''t bring misfortune or fall under the false guidance. The witches who aren''t under the protection of the council usually fall under the target by the vigers who take the matter in their own hands." Penny didn''t respond anything to this for a good one minute. Damien then continued, "A lot of white witches are ced in church work where they help the council members when help is needed." "Why did you give me a candle?" she asked looking at it questionably. "There are some offsprings of the witches who are dormant where theyck skill. But I don''t think it is the same case when ites to you. If your father was a white witch, the gene must have passed on to you. Candles are best friends of witches. You swish your hands and then you have a lit candle ready." "Really?" "Guible mouse. No," he deadpanned, "I don''t know how to do it, we could go to the church for help but it would mean you being on the list of the most prized possession for work. Are you willing to do it? Or would you like to go to the not orthodox way?" "What is that?" asked Penny. "I have some witches who don''t work for the council. The white witches, as well as ck witches," hearing this Penny''s eyes turned wide, "Don''t look surprised. You should know me better that I wouldn''t mind associating myself with different kinds. If I didn''t, maybe you would have to fear me for sending you straight to a death sentence," that was true, thought Penny to herself, "And on a contrary belief, not everyone is bad. There are some rare creatures who want to break free from the existing belief on what people have. Why don''t you give it a try," said Damien, jerking his head towards the candle. Penny looked at the candle in her hand, staring at it where nothing happened. She still doubted of her being a white witch and she heard Damien say to her, "To believe is what you be, own it, Penelope." Chapter 105 - Ability- Part 1 Both Penny and Damien sat on the ground, one who was holding the candle while the other looked at the candle holder. Damien was positive that Penelope wasn''t a dormant witch, if she were she wouldn''t have had the ability to change a ck witch''s potion to something clean as if the potion had never been harmless, to begin with. This only made him ponder more on her lineage. Even for his aunt, Lord Alexander''s mother had no power like this. Many considered her to be a great witch of her time a few years ago due to the potential she held like none another white witch. Her death had been tragic and painful while most of them who were close had been pained with the news, there were some who rejoiced at another downfall of a white witch. "It feels warm," said Penny feeling the candle turn from cold to warm. "Didn''t the ss feel warm too before the color changed?" enquired Damien for her to nod, "How do you feel right now? Tell me." "I don''t think there''s any change. It was cold and now it''s turning...it''s turning hotter with every second," she informed him. "Let it go," ordered Damien for Penny to let go of the candle. Doing what he said, Penny dropped the candle like a hot potato. His hand that went to reach the candle first reached her hand, taking it in his grasp where he ran his thumb over her open palm, "Your hand feels warm," he murmured. It had also turned red, "If it isn''t bearable you can always stop it." "What?" asked Penny who had lost herself in her own thought. "You know what you can handle and what you can''t," he frowned as he continued to run his thumb. Penny had hoped he would let it go but instead, he continued to hold to it. Strangely, his hands were warm too. Weren''t vampires supposed to be cold-blooded creatures? He picked the candle with his other hand, squishing it in his hand were the candle disfigured. It seemed like she would need someone to guide her and he wasn''t that person. Penny had no clue about her lineage and had been going through her life without realizing it. He wondered how lucky she was to not be caught by the suspicious vige she lived in. "Master Damien?" he heard her call his name. Her voice was airy and free, like a bird that flew in the rare summer sky of Bonke. "Hmm?" he raised his eyebrow. "Why are you warm?" "I am a very warm person?"?Penny wanted to smile at his narcist self. She was getting used to it, having not seen or met anyone like him she tried to hold back the smile which Damien noticed either way. "Your hands I mean. I thought vampires are cold-blooded," it was at least what she had heard from the people around her and the knowledge she had grown up with. "Your questions sometimes make me want to tutor you on the creatures that live amongst us," he smiled, his eyes twinkling as if he were plotting something in his mind, "Vampires and halflings of vampires which are humans turned vampire are the ones who are cold in nature. Theyck a heart that beats." Did that mean the pureblooded vampires had a heart that was different and simr to humans? wondered Penny to herself. "Pureblooded vampires aren''t sitting in the top of the food chain for no reason. We are the oldest vampires, the first generation that gave to the next and hence offsprings.? Can you guess which one I am?" he asked her. "Fifth-generation?" asked Penny for him to shake his head. "I''m the second generation. My father being the first. The pureblooded vampires have a beating heart," he pulled her head and ced it on his chest where the heartid. It''s beat simr to any other human, "The older the lineage to the direct descendants, that much is our ability to hold to our roots and what we are. I believe as years pass by with centuries, even pureblooded vampires will finally turn cold by falling into the same line as any other average vampire." "What is the difference between a normal vampire and the pureblooded vampire? Apart from the body temperature and beating heart," she asked him still curious. "You want to know?" she nodded her head. Leaning in closer to hear him say, "What will I get if I speak of such ssified information which not many should or aware of?" Penny was curious about the ability he spoke to which she leaned on the detail of wanting to know, "I will not run?" Damien stared at her, tipping his chin to ask her, "Where were you nning to run, little mouse? Truth for the information. I want you to be open book," he leaned his body towards the bed. Stretching out his legs this time. When he was asking about running was it about her escaping? "Woville." "Who is there at Woville?" Damien didn''t sound angry and instead, he appeared rxed at the thought of her running as if that was not going to happen. Though partly he would be right about it now. After knowing the possibility or the after the confirmation of her being a witch, Penny came to the conclusion that if she did hold some sort of voodoo magic, the probability of her life turning to hell was much more if she left his side. If Damien had to hurt and torture her, he would have done it by now. "There''s no one there." "So you''re telling me that you nned to escape to a ce where you had no one but to go on a whim. Are you aware of how dangerous the world out there is? Stupid mouse," he narrowed his eyes, "You would only end up in the ve establishment all over again. Like it or nor but young girls as yourselves aren''t safe. People will always want to sell you back to the ve establishment. It must have crossed your mind." It wasn''t that Penny had not thought about it. Damien did have a point and the thought of being sold again was something that weighed on her mind but thest time she had been sold, it was because of her rtives who had trapped her. Thinking about that, she wondered how they were doing after making use of the silver coins that was gained by selling her. And though Penny had told him the truth, that wasn''t the entire truth. She skipped mentioning the part where she had saved her money which should have been enough to travel to Wovile to start a new life. But Damien was sharper than the rest, "What else? That can''t be all. I wouldn''t underestimate the mouse I bought for thousands of gold coins." With a small exhale, Penny told him, "I saved some coins in the nearby forest when I started to live with my aunt and uncle." "Why would you do that?" he asked her curious, "Didn''t trust them?" Penny smiled, a smile that Damien hadn''t seen a smile as if she were letting her guard down. ~To all READERS. Read the below author''s note CAREFULLY before scrolling to the next chapter~ Chapter 106 - Ability- Part 2 The memories made her realize that it was the little details that she should have noticed earlier. But she had ignored it as it was her own blood rtives, "There were times when my nickles and penny went missing which were in my clothes." "Thieves," Damien''s eyes narrowed, "Would you like to make a visit?" "To meet them?" she shook her head. She wasn''t sure if she was ready for it but Damien had other ns. "It will be fun, you will absolutely love it," he said to which she doubted. It might be fun for him to see her rtives find her at their doorstep, "You don''t have to be upset about it, little mouse. Somethings turn bad while some turn for good. You and I both know well that what you have today is much feasible than what you had three weeks ago." Penny questioned if it was really true, "Will you answer some of my questions?" "We traded for only information, not for questions, darling. Maybeter when we are going to see your sweet and loving uncle and aunt. Fair?" he asked her. She was okay with that, she gave a nod, "Nowing to the vampires and pureblooded vampires. I am sure we have already gone through the core for a pureblooded vampire which is whatcks in an average vampire. Some rare pureblooded vampires, some in strength, some with respect to the lineage they were born in hold special abilities. Now what you need to remember is all special abilitiese from only pureblooded vampires but not all pureblooded are gifted. It is a very rare gift. Some boast about it and some keep it a secret." "What are these abilities?" asked Penny feeling more intrigued with every passing second as Damien spoke. Damien hummed, his head falling slightly back, "Well, some can detect lies," he started with, "Some have the ability to see in darkness. To produce fire, ice by their whim, to kill people without touching. Yeah, that kind," he replied, "Some are truly odd and useless. Things that are of no help but I have to say some are very very interesting. What do you think about growing nts and trees?" for a pureblooded vampire to grow trees sounded odd, thought Penny and as she looked at Damien, he asked, "Wondering what gift I have? You surely don''t think that the great Damien Quinn was not given something." Of course, she didn''t. For master Damien to be so happily speaking about it, she wondered which one of those he mentioned was part of his pureblooded vampire ability. "Interested in knowing it? Stay here," he said, getting up to stand, he walked out of the door leaving Penny in the room. Penny stood up, wondering where Damien went. After a few minutes passed, he returned back with a dress which had a hanger in it. The dress was soft at the same time crisp. It''s print made of little floral flower that was beige in colour. It was the kind of? dress a woman would wear for tea party, "Get yourself dressed and use this bath." Hmm? Damien Quinn was letting her use his bath? Often he would send her to the servants quarters but then he had never given her dress to wear. Thest time she wore one, he had taken it back to give it to Lady Yuvaine. When she thought about it, it made her feel embarrassed. Once Penny had dressed after the bath she had, she finally came out with her hair which was tied up. Damien had been going through something in his cupboard. Hearing her step back into the room, he turned his gaze to look at her. His eyes holding still at the sight of her. Penny''s eyes stood stark to the dress as if she didn''t need the unnecessary jewellery while her eyes itself was one. The longshes blinked at him. His bare feet padded across the floor of the room to go stand where Penny stood wearing the dress he had given her, "Turn around, you have tied it wrong around your waist," he instructed making her look down at her waist. Wasn''t this how it was tied? "Hands away from the body," Penny turned around and raised both her arms to hold it close to her chest. Once he was done untying and tying the chiffon-like thick ribbon around her waist, he tied it to the side. "Much better. You don''t have to look embarrassed," he said noticing her cheeks. Penny came from a poor background and not knowing about it was understandable, "Your hair needs to be fixed. Sit in front of the dressing table." Penny didn''t know what Damien was up to but she followed his word, walking with a new dress on her body which felt as light as a feather. After wearing the potato sack for two weeks, the dress felt nice. She took a seat on the chair looking at herself in the mirror. Without a word, he lifted his hand which reached her hair and he pulled the little stick which she had used to let her hair free. Damien''s fingers weaved through her long tresses. His fingers lightly scraping her scalp, gentle enough to make one sleep and Penny felt the same. Nheless, she kept her eyes open looking at Damien''s reflection through the mirror to see what he was up to. Taking the brush that was on the dressing table, he brushed her hair, sectioning it and brushing until he was done with all of her hair. At one point his fingers touched the nape of her neck, the movement starting from the nape up to her head making her giddy with sleep. Was he trying to put her to sleep? Because she will! "Umm, master Damien?" hearing him only made her eyes heavy, "Uh, I think I might fall asleep." "I am almost done," he said dismissing her words. He twisted her hair, ted it at the back, moving it around where she finally felt no hair that rested on her back or on her shoulders. When his hands moved away she couldn''t lie that she missed it. Her mother was the only one who did it when she was a little girl that felt years ago. Looking at herself in the mirror, she noticed the way Damien had tied half of her hair, twisting at both the sides to tie one after another. Surely, he would have used the pins which made her think if he had brought along the pins when he stepped back into the room with the dress that she wore now, "Just a bit," he pulled her hair from the sides so that it could rest on the sides of her hair. Leaving her there to admire his handiwork, Damien picked the coat that was on the stand, "You can wear those t shoes." Once she was done, he?offered his hand for Penny to take. "Where are we going, Master Damien?" she questioned. He had not only made her wear a good dress but also had himself made her hair while telling her to wear the boots they bought. Was she dreaming? Perhaps she was, thought Penny to herself. How could Damien be so nice? "You will see in a minute," he gave her that crooked smile which made her feel queasy about. Penny ced her hand on his, waiting for him to say or walk so that they could step out of the room. Did he want to say something? "Hold my hand tight."?Huh? The next second Penny didn''t know what happened, but she felt the rushing sound of air in her ears to realize they weren''t in the room anymore but in the vige, she used to live three weeks ago. What just happened?! Chapter 107 - The lie told- Part 1 ~We are holding the #2 position well~ Penny was in shock. Trying to process what just happened after noticing that they weren''t in the room anymore of Quinn''s mansion but in the vige, she used to live with her rtives. How...What just happened? Unable to process ande up with the right exnation she looked at Damien, her green eyes brighter than any time before. "How did wee here?" she asked even though the back of her mind had started to piece things together which made no sense to her. "Teleporting is one of my abilities. To move through space without any interface, I can go ande anywhere I want at any time," Damien answered her question. When she took one step forward, she felt her head go dizzy, "Careful," he held her arm so that she wouldn''t fall by the swaying of her body, "When you are closest to the initial generation of the pureblooded vampires, the rare gift some of us receive is much stronger and different to things one would consider to be unique. The farther the generation falls, the ability only drifts to form a different kind with every new generation. Si?" Penelope didn''t know what to make of it. IT was as if she was being gifted with one information after another for a few days which her mind was finding it hard to catch up with. Was that how he had caught up with her the first time she had tried to run away from him? Oh dear, God. This meant that even if she wanted to run away there would have been no chance for her. It wasn''t that Penny was looking for an escape route anymore. At least not since she found out about her being a white witch whose neck hung below the ax which could be let loose anytime if a whisper about her was heard by the vigers or townsmen. She wasn''t a fool to go running into a den of cavemen who would not think once before throwing kerosene and burning her alive to set another example. Turning to meet his eyes, she asked, "W-why do you make use of carriages then?" why would one spend their time over traveling in a carriage of closed room when they could apparate and disapparate from one ce to another with the whim of their mind. "Good question, mouse. Life would be nothing but mundane if I did that every time. There are times you need to walk the path which is walked by the rest, else you will turn to a foreign object who will fail to see and live, to enjoy what others do. And I love the carriage rides, it gives me time to ponder over things," he said, his shining with mirth but he wasn''t finished. He continued, "With the abilityes limitations." "Limitations?" Damien nodded his head, "The blood that we consume is never enough after making use of the ability. It is an energy source which we need to keep feeding and I cannot always find blood that I want. So what do you think about my ability?" he asked her where Penny parted her lips, breathing the words, "It''s brilliant," she agreed. To go wherever one wanted to go, she would have loved to have a gift like that for herself, "Is it a secret?" she asked him. Damien stared down at her for several seconds, "What if I said it is. Would you be able to keep that a secret?" he asked her, his eyes and voice testing her. "I haven''t told anything to anyone so far," he gave a nod to her answer. It was because there was no one to tell the secret she knew. "Remember, Penny. Secrets are everything here. You let it slip out and you will find yourself in a disadvantaged situation with the other person," Penny was aware of it, "Where is that pouch of coins you told you hid. It would be unfortunate to leave it hidden here when it can be put to good use. But then I think about it, you don''t need money. At least when I am here to provide you," Penny gave him a look, "You don''t agree? What do you need the money for?" he asked her. "I think the money is safe the ce where it is now," it was one of Penny''s saving and thest thing she wanted was to let it slip through her fingers. It might have not been much in Damien''s eyes but in her eyes or livelihood at least it was a lot. "Suit yourself," said Damien before switching their conversation to what they hade here for, "Which is the house here that your uncle and aunt live in?" he asked, his eyes scanning the houses while they stood at the edge outside the vige where they were yet to step inside. It would be a lie if she said that she wasn''t curious about what her rtives were up to after selling her to the merchant who had, in turn, sold her to the ve establishment. She didn''t answer to Damien but instead decided to take him there, "The condition here seems much better than the one you used to live. Was there any trouble here?" Damien if the previous vigers had an inkling of who Penny was or who her father was due to which she had live with ire of hate. But at the same time, he doubted that they would have had any proof against them. With Penny and her mother not knowing who she was unless her mother did know but failed to mention it to her daughter, there was no way the vigers would have been able to know anything. But then there was no smoke without a fire. In this case, the smoke being her father. "Nothing. It was quite peaceful," answered Penny, looking at most of the vigers who had woken up early to start their work so that they could start earning for the day... Chapter 108 - The lie told- Part 2 "Why didn''t you continue your work in the theater? Not everyone has a talent. It is true that you aren''t a good actor like me but you were decent. Why leave something you liked?" he inquired, heading inside the streets where they received looks by her fellow vigers. A lot of them appeared to look shocked. Though one could debate it was because of Damien as he brought out that reacting from people. Especially from humans. "People here aren''t used to vampires entering. They don''t take it too kindly," Penny gave him a heads-up. "I don''t take kindly of them not taking kindly of me when I haven''t done anything...yet. But it is never toote for it. Though I doubt right now that they are looking at me. Look closer," upon his word, she did just that to notice it wasn''t him but her, "How much do you bet that your rtives turned you to something dead or turned to which is why you are receiving such warm looks. No offense Penny and when I say this I don''t mean to include you but humans are very narrowminded. Jumping quickly into conclusions without any base." "Not everyone is like that," Penny defended her former being. "Of course, there are a few sane ones but they get overpowered by the fools. You don''t believe me? I will shout here calling you a witch and people wille and burn you. Poof," he told it in a calm tone which made her give him a stink eye, "I am just joking. But you know as well as I that how people in general are. I think it would be absolutely wonderful to go to meet your rtives. I can hardly wait to know what lies they fed about your disappearance," he pped his hand while looking at the vige people who had paused with whatever they were doing. Some whispered to each other, looking at both of them until Damien. One smile was enough to send them scattering away after he showed his fangs. Noticing them moving away and some going inside their house, Penny asked in doubt, "Master Damien, did you do something?" "I was only exchanging greetings but the peasants here sure are disrespectful. Maybe once we are done visiting your uncle and aunt I can exercise some things here," a constant smile stayed on his face, "Is that your aunt?" he asked tipping his chin in a certain direction. Penny who had been having her eyes on the vigers had failed to notice that her aunt stood with a basket on her hip. The woman appeared to be in shock. It had been days since she saw her aunt, the same aunt who had brought her home after her death. Many questions came to bubble in her mind but none came to pass through her lips. When she finally stood in front of her aunt, she saw the expression of shock at first which was covered suddenly by worry. "Aunt Delh," Penny spoke first. She didn''t know if she was hurt or angry. For her own blood rtive to do something unfathomable like throwing her to a ce which was filled with darkness, had they not thought about it? Had it not crossed their mind even once? "Oh my God..." was the first response that came out of her mouth. Recovering from the surprise visit Penny had given at their door, "Oh Penny, where were you all these days?" asked the woman. Damien hearing this didn''t bother to hide at the stupidity of the woman. He rolled his eyes, bringing up his hand to look at his nails wondering if today was the day to make put his sharpened nails to use. At first, Damien felt Penny falling into a pit of emotions as her heart skipped a beat but Penny was much forward and in the hold of her emotions when she said, "Where is uncle?" "He went out to sell the goods in the market, he should be on his way-" "Goods? Or is it another girl like me?" asked Penny. Penny couldn''t hold back her emotions. She was angry for what they had done. Selling her like an object and not considering her emotions and feelings. "W-what?" stuttered her aunt, "What are you saying?" Penny looked down at the ground, "I hope you don''t mind me stepping inside," not waiting for permission she walked into the house. Looking at the objects which had been reced to something better as if the house had been renovated, "Seems like uncle and you hit a jackpot. Was it silver coins?" "I don''t know what you''re saying, Penny. Why don''t you sit down? We searched for you but never knew where you went." "Did you really search for me?" asked Penny mindlessly as she stared at the new objects which weren''t here thest time she lived in this house. "O-of course we did. You are my niece. It would be so wrong not to-" "Another lie from that mouth of yours and I will have it torn out of your mouth," Damien sighed taking away his attention from his hand to look down at the woman who was short in stature. His words sharp enough to stop talking while also holding her breath as if a single movement from her would set off the vampire. As if on time her husband came back with a side bag while holding it protectively. The man had found it to be odd that some of the vigers were looking at him but he was too happy to have made revenue from the vegetables he sold to realize what was up. Not that he would have known. When he noticed Penny in the room, his eyes went wide in shock. The elderly couple couldn''t believe that she had returned. It was clearly mentioned that they wouldn''t be seeing her again but that wasn''t the problem. They couldn''t believe that she was actually doing much better than they thought. Fancy clothes, her hair done, with shoes on her feet that appeared to be made from expensive leather. Taking a look at the man, Damien said, "Well, it''s good you are here. Penelope and I were only passing by and wanted to say hi to you," smiled the pureblooded vampire as if he meant no harm to anyone, "Won''t you greet your niece whom you sold to the ve establishment, Mr. Linton?" asked Damien not bein subtle at all about it. Chapter 109 - Quality of a vegetable- Part 1 Her uncle who had only stepped inside failed to utter any words. His expression holding simr to the one her aunt had shown when she had seen Penny arrive at the door as if they were not expecting her. It was obvious that they had sold her. Penny didn''t know why she had agreed toe here even though she had a slight knowledge of what had urred that day before she was taken to the ve establishment. "I don''t know what you are speaking of, mister," her uncle spoke to Damien and upon Damien''s twist of neck to look towards the elder man, the man gulped softly, "Where have you been all this time? When we came back you weren''t there...we thought you left," her uncle continued with the charade. The man has missed the threat Damien had given to his wife due to which he continued to run his mouth. Both the husband and wife couldn''t believe their eyes, finding their niece here who appeared to be having a better life right now, "Did you run away with this man? How shameful!" eximed her uncle where his wife closed her eyes in embarrassment. The woman didn''t know how to convey to her husband that Penelope had found out about the truth. Penny continued to stare at him with a bleak expression on her face. Now she realized why she hade along with Damien. She was angry at them. Angry for promising things that they could not keep up. "Why did you bring me here?" the three people in the room heard Penny ask, "I would have continued to live my life alone after my mother''s death. You wouldn''t have to look after me," her voice came out quiet which didn''t appear angry, "I would have looked after myself. At least I grew capable of it. Why did you take me from there, bringing me here if you couldn''t keep up your word of having to look after me?" Penny''s words turned sharp at the end as she looked at her rtives, her eyes narrowing down at the deed they hadmitted without understanding the consequences of what she would have had to go through if her luck had turned worse. "We didn''t do anything you im that we did. Running away with a stranger anding back, the audacity of yours-" her uncle went on but before he could say anything more, his wife raised her hand for him to stop. "What do you mean why?" asked the woman, "Instead of being grateful you are throwing tantrums like a child. You should thank us for bringing you home here. Providing a roof over your head-" "I never asked you for it!" Penny responded back with her eyebrows furrowing, "Nobody even asked you to bring me here. We had other rtives who never came forward. You could have done the same which wasn''t hard." Her auntughed, like a soft chuckle as if Penny was being delusional, "Did you hear yourself clearly? Are you saying you didn''t wish to get out of that vige where people despised both you and my sister there? Ask yourself that if you weren''t happy when your uncle and I offered for you to stay with us." "I was happy because I thought I had a family if not my mother...but who would have thought that you brought me here only with the intention to sell me to gain money," Penny shook her head in disappointment. Her uncle who had been keeping up the farce since he arrived home dropped the facade while ignoring the man and speaking to the girl, "Don''t look at us for what we have done, Penelope. If you look carefully right now your life is much better than what you had before. Good clothes, and shoes. No scratch on you while we are the ones who are still unfortunate. With all, we have done and given you, the shame you put on us. How ill-mannered," tched the man. Not knowing who the person was who hade home with Penelope, he went on to say, "In spite being who you are now," he said without using the word ''ve'', "You are living a better life. Keep up ying doll and maybe this man will take you like a side wife. At least you won''t have anything to-Argh!" The man yelped when Damien twisted his fingers in the opposite direction which wasn''t the way the fingers folded themselves. He pulled them far enough such that his voice echoed back by the small house while spilling out of the open door and windows. "Scream more loudly and I will make sure your wife will have your precious four fingers in her hand that won''t be attached to your body any longer." Penny felt her heart skip at the sudden screaming due to being startled. Though her uncle was in pain and her aunt distressed as she tried to plead with the vampire, Penny felt nothing for them after listening to what they had to say. It seemed that since the very beginning she was only a scapegoat they were raising to sell her out so that they could make a living out of her. It might have been true that Penny was currently wearing good clothes and shoes, her current living condition was somewhere where she didn''t have to work but that didn''t mean she had the freedom to do what she would want to do. Her status from being a human had fallen down to a ve in the society where people would not respect her which was what pained her. All this time, Penny and her mother had gone through a lot of trouble. She had no life from a young age where people only kept her away in distance, to have no one speak to outside where people shunned her family. It had been a painful phase of her time but she had learned in time to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to what people had to say. After all, people always spoke. "Could you please iterate what you were saying again, human?" asked Damien without lowering his strength on the man''s hand and continuing to have the same grip, "Most of you humans sure are disgusting little beings. Is that how you speak to your niece? Let''s take this outside, shall we?" he gave out a charming smile before he pulled her uncle out of the house with her aunt first following them in fret andter Penny. Most of the vigers hade to the house with pitchforks or other tools in their hands to chase the vampire who had stepped in here, "How unweing." Some even held fire lit by the woods as if that was going to scare him. It only showed Damien how illiterate the vige men were with respect to a lot of things. "Leave him right there, vampire! Unless you want to die!" spoke one of the vige men who held a shovel in his hand. "Courage is a very important and admirable quality until you don''t realize what is there in front of you that turns to foolishness," Damien responded back to the man. Chapter 110 - Quality of a vegetable- Part 2 "Every vampire says that before we chase everyone who enters this vige of ours," said another man, waving his pitchfork. Damien''s eyes looked at him sharply, his eyes following the crowd that had gathered. Searching for a person, in particr, he finally caught a man who stood not too far at the end of his right-hand side. The man cowering and hiding behind another vige man. It was easy to spot as the magistrates wereparatively well offpared to the other people in the vige. Be it with respect to clothes, house, or the way they lived. Though he wondered why the man was hiding. "Mr. Magistrate, why are you hiding behind. Pleasee forward," Damien greeted the man looked older than Damien in appearance but in truth, Damien was decades older to him which even the magistrate knew. But that wasn''t all that the magistrate knew of. When he heard aint filed at his office on a vampire breaking through into the vige showing off his fangs which were nothing less to an indication that he was seeking to kill one or more people here, the magistrate had approved of the vige men going to chase or kill the vampire. To his bad luck though, he didn''t know this was the vampire who had intruded or stepped into the vige. A lot of vigers and townsmen never knew the officials who worked in the council. The maximum they were acquainted with were the lords of the fournds, the Dukes and the magistrate officer who was assigned to that particr vige. While some weren''t aware of who he was, a lot of them knew about Damien Quinn because of his quirky character of work. But that wasn''t all. The magistrate had the opportunity to visit the Winter''s ball once where he saw this man who wasn''t just a councilman but also a higher pureblooded vampire of the second generation. There were a lot of things which were not known by there lower ss people but the pureblooded vampires had generations where the first and second generation were the oldest and closest to being in the purest form of vampires. Now that the vampire had caught him, he gingerly stepped out of the crowd, his head bowing down at the man which confused a lot of vigers on what was going on, "Councilman Damien Quinn," he greeted the man. "You''re the magistrate of the vige. What are you doing standing behind there while you are supposed to front here," asked Damien in a casual tone as if he were neither being disrespected by the vigers nor was he on the verge of breaking Penny''s uncle''s fingers. "Pardon me, Councilman Damien. I only arrived here at the scene after hearing the scream," the magistrate was a blonde-haired man who was short in stature with his hair spiked out in all different directions. He realized that a lot of magistrates were short he had met until now. The human stood nervously, his hands folded in front of him to hear the councilman say, "Am I imagining or did the people here decide that it was alright to stake and hunt a vampire. That vampire being me of course." Penny who stood behind and away from them near the door of the house saw the way the magistrate wrung his hands together in urgency and nervousness, "They must have been very worried about him. He did scream to alert the vigers," said the magistrate, slight about the amount of perspiration forming on his forehead even though it was cold, "They are a protective group of folks," Damien nodded his head as if understanding who instead then said, "They must be very fast toe running in less than a minute on hearing this irresponsible man scream," Damien shook the man''s hand through his fingers which made the man groan in pain. Wanting to scream but being forbidden to do so, Penny''s uncle tried to hold back his screams that itched through his throat, "We should probably turn them to guards. I doubt even the current stationed guards here are that quick. What do you say?" Damien was being sarcastic knowing well what had transpired. Thend of Bonke majorly consisted of vampires than humans. Leaving very few viges to have only humans reside in them. The council and most of the councilmen were working on maintaining the peace between humans and vampires. Though witches weren''t in the equation at the moment, the future held promise that the councilmen along with the public would work on making thends much more harmonious. But then came people like these who didn''t follow the orders which were given directly by the higher up''s of the council. Seeing the man in pain, the magistrate took the brave step to question Damien, "Councilman Damien, if I may ask, what has the man done that you are punishing him for?" Damien tilted his head in confusion, "Punishing him? I am only ying with him. Punishment is yet to be handed down by you and not me. After all, you are the man in charge of this vige. Right?" "Yes, councilman," bowed the magistrate making him look even shorter as he did it. "How many of you have daughters here?" asked Damien to the crowd that had formed in front of them. Upon hearing that this vampire was a councilman, a lot of them had lowered their fight stance making them look humble. Many new how powerful a councilman''s words could be if one passed at them. But at the same time, it was a vampire and they were all agitated by the fact that this vampire hade to cause havoc where they lived. Some of them murmured for an answer to say ''Yes, we do'' ''I have one'' and the questions of why arose. "What would you do..." Damien paused for a second, "If I said that I found our that this man right here along with this woman you see, has decided to sell all your daughters. One by one. To the ve establishment?" confused murmurs arose in the crowd which was reced with anger. "That can''t happen. They have been living here with us for years." "You are telling it to me us against each other!" "That''s right! People of this vige would nevermit such a crime." "So much trust. I don''t think even a woman has that trust when she buys the vegetable in the shop without checking its quality." "You are only trying to get us to stand against one each other," said another vige men, his hand still holding the fire that was burning brightly. "I have other important things to deal with than y puppet here. Why don''t you ask him yourself?" Damien offered the people who looked at Penny''s uncle. Skeptical on what the vampire was speaking about. Though there were a lot of things the vigers were ignorant about, one of the things they weren''t ignorant about was the existence of the ve establishment. Even during the carnival that took ce in the nearby viges or near the forest, they often made sure not to stroll to the end as that was where people were bribed or kidnapped for young girls and boys. Chapter 111 - Quality of a vegetable- Part 3 ~Posting an extra chapter from the promised 8 mass release~ To get the man speaking, Damien twisted his fingers further to hear a snap which only he heard and the man who the bone belonged to realized with the pain. "Ahh, it hurts!" cried Penny''s uncle. "Are you going to willingly tell them if you were involved in selling your niece to the ve establishment or do you need the motivation for it?" Damien asked him. Previously the people who had been looking at Damien and her uncle as the attraction shifted their eyes to look at Penelope who was standing near the door. With the girl who was absent for many days, not a calction was required but the question was how far it was true. Seeing the man not speak as he was in a high amount of pain with one of his fingers broken, he turned to look at the woman who looked back at him in fear. The woman looked in fear of what was going to happen. They had never thought that they would be exposed, at least not like this. When her husband and she had spoken to the man who was going to take Penny with him, they were told that there was no reason for them to worry and they would only have to take the money after the girl was taken into their hold. The shame of being caught and exposed in front of so many people, people whom she knew made her worry in fear. Patting her husband''s back as he groaned in pain, she looked up at the pureblooded vampire in hate. The magistrate not wanting to infuriate the vampire decided to take his side by asking the woman, "Speak, unless you want to face the worse consequence," he ordered for the couple to start speaking. Selling people to the ve establishment wasn''t considered a crime in the higher-ups, if it was then how would one get a ve? Unless they involved people who were close to them, the higher council didn''t look after this part of the issue. The lower society took matters like these in their own hands instead. Fighting to justice like the way they burnt the white and ck witches when their hands found the other creatures. "Yes, we..." the woman''s voice trailed down where the crowd who had gathered tired listening to what the woman said. "What?" questioned the magistrate. The woman closed her eyes, her head bowing in shame to respond back with, "Yes, we sold out niece...Penelope to the ve establishment," shocked gasps erupted through everyone''s lips. Unable to believe that fellow men of the vige could do that to their own kin. Damien hearing this broke the remaining four fingers before letting go of the man''s hand who wailed in pain, "AHH! My fingers!!" he cried. The vampire pulled out the handkerchief from his pocket, wiping both his hands before dropping the cloth straight down on the dirty ground which was muddy in nature. "I hope it sets a decent example to not only not repeat things that have happened also but to have the vigers show some respect," or in this case, fear, thought Damien to himself. It didn''t matter which one because any would do. Fear sometimes was necessary. A child without fear could grow up thinking the world was his, disregarding people and their feelings. Rectifying things were necessary in Damien''s eyes, "My work is here is done. Penelope," called Damien where she was in shock. Penny looked at her uncle who cried in pain. His fingers were positively broken which she wasn''t sure if it would remain that way or if it was possible to fix it. With the way it looked broken backward, she doubted if anything could be done. She wondered if her rtives understood the depth of what they did. Of how miserable her life could turn out to be if Damien wasn''t the one to buy her. If it was one of the other vampires or humans whom she had seen being mistreated. Even after so much happened the look of disgust and hate her aunt threw at her broke her heart a bit. She felt her eyes prickle and she blinked back quickly. Taking in a deep breath to go stand next to Damien. Damien asked her, "Do you have anything to say?" she shook her head. "Nothing. Can we leave?" she asked in return for him to give her a small nod. "Magistrate, it has been a lovely day. I hope you do the right thing. I am sure the other families would not want you to let them off so easily,"? Damien patted the magistrates back making the man stagger from his stance. As they started to walk, Damien paused his footsteps to say to the magistrate, "Fix your behavior before I personallye and fix you," he smiled at the man before walking from there with Penny following him. Once they were far away from the eyes of the vigers, Damien slipped his hand in Penny''s hand. Holding tight enough that in a blink of an eye before Penny could realize they were back in Quinn''s mansion, in Damien''s bedroom. "Are you alright?" he asked her to say, "Spilling tears for people who don''t deserve it, I would call you stupid." "They were my family." Still were if she counted it. "Who are family and who is not, it cannot be decided by blood. That would be naive to consider that they wouldn''t betray you. I have a lot of instances to speak, amon on would be the corpse we met in the councilboratory. Brother will kill another brother. A man will betray his wife in the name of a rendezvous affair." "Do you mean to say I should trust none?" "When did I say that? Not all people whom you think you know are the ones you can rely on. Do you want some space?" asked Damien. "What for?" Damien grinned, "Just in case you decided you wanted to cry for those pathetic humans." Chapter 112 - Cindrella slave- Part 1 [Note: Was not doing well in health for thest two days. Friday and Saturday are off days for an update but as I missed Wednesday and Thursday, will be uploading chapters ^.^ Will post another part in theing hours] Penny walked to the bed, turning herself to sit on the edge of the bed whilst recollected what her uncle and aunt had said to her. To think that she had no rtives on whom she could put her trust, only made her life much lonely and sad. With her father who had disappeared and her mother who had died, there was no one in her life anymore. Damien, who had been looking at Penny since they arrived, found her looking dazed in front of him. Her eyes not looking at anything in particr but as if she was lost. Her nose had turned red which made him ask, "Are you alright?" Damien knew that apart from the rtives she had just met, there was no one else that Penny could call as rtives. She was alone which made Damien wonder if he should feel sorry or happy about it. "I will be okay," said Penny. Taking in a deep breath before releasing it. "People like them are not worth keeping next to you. A lot of people make the mistake of forgiving, but one should keep in mind; why the mistake wasmitted. Was it not thought out beforemitting something they were not supposed to do? Which is why we are here now," he took his coat off, hanging it on the stand. "It is easier said than done." "True," he nodded his head, "It is that the important things are the most difficult to make decisions on. You draw the line when it is needed, else they will only misuse you. Though I must say, I didn''t miss that satisfactory look on your eyes after you saw your uncle''s hand. Did you want me to do something more?" he asked her to which she shook her head. "I am angry with what they have done." ''And I am happy for what they have done'', thought Damien to himself, his eyes observing her every movement, starting from her mouth that parted and closed, her eyes shifting from the front to her right where he stood, eyesshes flickering and the gentle breath she took in to only release it back. "It might take a little more time to sink in before I go beat them with a used pan," after Penny uttered those words, it made Damien chuckle, bringing up his hand as he continued tough. "Oh, well, little mouse. And as delectable you are with a real treat, unfortunately, I cannot have you yet," Penny''s cheeks turned red due to this. "W-what...?" "You didn''t think that I would buy a ve and not have more than a sip from her now, did you?" Damien tipped his chin, his dark red eyes curiously looking at the way she failed to gather a quick response to his sudden attack. Before she could say anything he said, "Go, ask Falcon to get me a cup of blood tea. Actually, make it two." Penny remembered what Damien had said earlier about how himself, on how using his ability needed him to replenish back the blood to his body. "Go on, quick. This master of yours will be sitting right here, waiting for you," Damien went to sit next to her and she stood up. He waved his hand for her to start moving with his eyes closed as if he were tired of the quick journey they had. Hearing the footsteps fade away from the room to go outside, he finally opened his eyes with an expression of seriousness in it. As much as Damien Quinn was considered to be an entric man who did things on his own terms in the public''s eyes, he was a man who knew the depth of the emotions when it came to humans, as well as vampires. People in the council usually strayed clear of the man due to his shrewd eyes, blunt words that he didn''t hold back and also for his lineage. There were a few humans who were ignorant when it came to knowing about the difference between the vampires and the pureblooded vampires. And very few knew about the existence of the generation but they were usually the higher ss humans in the society who often came across the pureblooded vampires. There were a few things Damien could tolerate, things that didn''t matter to him directly, but when someone made a point to hurt, damage and soil things or people whom he cared for, he would take his own time to destroy them. He had seen Penny long ago when he had apanied one of the elite women of the society to the theater when his eyes had fallen on the green-eyed girl. There was nothing green about her in the y though. Her part had been not much but it was enough to have him mesmerized. Her movements were elegant, her speech clear and her voice that seemed to have been calling him in his unconscious state. The next week he hade to look at her did he notice that she wasn''t there on the stage. Upon inquiry, he found out that she had stoppeding without a single word to the theater people. No one knew where she came from as the address she had told she came from was wrong. She had lied about it which made him wonder what mystery the girl with the cloak had, as she had hidden details regarding her. If it weren''t for the people in the theater who had worked with her, Damien was sure he would have believed the girl was a phantom from his figment dreams. But Damien didn''t believe in the concept of love at first sight. It was something the humans used and they were quite ridiculous in his eyes. At least most of them were. Humans spent their time chasing the other to only disappoint or be disappointed with the meager concept. But, there was always a but, one could have exceptions when it came to opinions, thought Damien to himself. That exception came when he found Penelope with her hands bound in the ck market. Chapter 113 - Cindrella slave- Part 2 Penny walked down the stairs, receiving tant stares from every passing maid and servant as she made her way in search of Falcon, the butler. Damien''s orders had been very specific, asking for whatever, this blood tea, is to be made by the butler. It was the first time she was hearing about something like this. Blood tea. ''How strange'' thought Penny to herself. As she searched for the butler, the maids only continued to stare at her as if it was the first time they were seeing her here. It took Penny some time to realize why she was receiving the odd looks from people as she passed in the mansion. She wasn''t wearing the usual potato sacked dress but a dress that was usually worn by thedies of this mansion or women who were free and weren''t servants or maids. With her hair done prettily, Penny undoubtedly looked as if she were part of another family. That she was never a girl of the low society. The maids who had been standing there watching her walk past them as they had paused their work to ogle at her, one of the maids said, "Wasn''t she..." "ve of Master Damien," the maid next to herpleted the sentence. There was envy in both their eyes as they stared at her and the way she was dressed which appeared to sweep across the floor, "Even maids don''t get such privilege to wear clothes like that." The first maid nodded her head, "Why do you think the master has dolled her up like this? Is he probably making her go see another man?" "Why would you say that?" whispered the second maid in curiosity. With Penny who had disappeared the wall, the young girl turned to face the other maid. The first maid looked left and right, making sure no one "Haven''t you heard about it? It isn''t umon for masters to trade their ves. It happens in all the high families though it is never spoken out in the open. She might be one of them," said the girl chuckling, her eyesughing as the envy in her eyes dissipated at the thought of what was going to happen to the ve girl. "She had the nerve to speak that day in the kitchen to us. She still doesn''t know what she''s up to," said the other maid before they continued with their work. What the maids didn''t know was right behind the wall someone stood sipping their tea in the hand. Falcon was in the kitchen getting the food prepared for the day when he saw thedy appear through the doorless room of the kitchen. The mere sight of the colorful dress, the butler''s first thought was that it was Lady Grace who hade with anotherpliant as Lady Maggie was much taller. But when his eyes fell on the person''s face, his eyes slightly widened at the appearance of his master''s ve girl beforeposing back his face. The girl had her blonde hair tied up elegantly, her dress to the point where she looked nothing short to ady. No wonder his master spent five thousand gold coins just to buy her. From a ve girl, his master had turned the girl into a beautiful girl where one had to stop what they were doing. Though he did wonder how Master Damien knew where the diamond was, maybe the man did have a keen eye, like many other things. "Master Damien asked for blood tea," said the girl. Penny had never felt this out of space as much as she did right now. As much as wearing the sacked potato dress had made her feel transparent where no one spared a nce at her. Right now she was making every single head turn in the kitchen. Had they never seen a female wear a dress? Or was it too shocking for them to digest that a person below them was wearing better attire than they did? Not knowing which one it was, Penny stood not too far from Falcon, seeing him pour milk while also pouring blood which had only been heated to thin the liquid. Mixing it together one after another alternatively, the contents were poured into a fresh teacup before it was handed to Penny. As Penny started to walk back from the kitchen, her feet touched the marble floor as she had removed the boots she had previously worn. As took another corridor she ended up meeting Grace and her mother Fleurance who had only got ready to go out somewhere. Penny hoped they didn''t notice her as they stood away on the other side of the stairs, the stairs that led to Damien''s room. The mother-daughter duo were engrossed in their own conversation but that didn''t mean they were blind. Grace''s mother was the first one to catch sight of Penny dolled up. The woman said, "What days havee that I have to see this. To have a ve dress up like one of us. At this rate, I feel your brother Damien is going to put our family name to shame," though the words were told to Grace, the older vampiress'' eyes looked down at Penny. "He must have lost his mind," Grace responded back, "Hideous creature. I feel like my eyes will bleed if I keep looking at her," the younger vampire made the nerve in Penny''s forehead pop. ''Maybe it should bleed and then it can be added in this blood tea,'' thought Penny to herself. But on second thought, master Damien would not drink it but throw it away if he knew it was Grace''s blood. Penny didn''t know what was the issue with Damien giving her clothes to wear and found the women here to be overdramatic. Maybe if she did go visit the theater and they were short of people, she could rmend these two. Especially Grace. Penny did the best she could by bowing her head at the twodies than start an unnecessary fire as God only knew how she was going to live here. Previously her n had been to run away from here, therefore, it didn''t matter before but with her being a witch, being next to Damien''s was the safest. Grace stopped her to ask, "What do you have in there?" the vampiress didn''t bother to look at the cup but stared at Penny. Penny wasn''t stupid to not know that the vampiress could smell what was in her hand across the room. Even she could smell the strange smell of blood that wafted at her nose. "It is blood tea." "Must be for Damien," Grace gave Penny a smile which she made her feel wary about this little sister who appeared no less to a madwoman who had lost her mind. Grace then said, "Drink it." What? thought Penny in her mind, "But this is- blood," Penny had to remind the vampiress who only continued to smile. "I know you. Haven''t you heard about the recent cases that took ce with the ves and servants poisoning the food of their master and mistress? Who knows if you are trying to kill Damien, after all with the way he behaves." This little spoilt head pot, cursed Penny in her mind. This had nothing to do with Damien. All Grace wanted was to make a human drink blood tea and Penny was in no way going to drink it. Chapter 114 - Cindrella slave- Part 3 Penny stared down at her hand where she held the white porcin teacup, the red liquid looking somewhere pink after it was mixed with milk with repeated stirring of the spoon.? She was sure she wasn''t going to drink it but so was Grace who stood to wait for Penny to drink it. "We don''t have all day. Drink it quick girl. It isn''t something you haven''t seen," said the older vampire. If Penny was allowed to re she would have done it already and if given more privilege she would have made the vampiress drink the blood. Then she remembered the time when Grace had twisted her arm painfully. Thinking about it, she wondered how she was going to get through this. She doubted any human ever willingly tried drinking blood unless their mouth bled. Less having blood mixed with milk made her stomach twist. As much as she didn''t mind that vampires drank blood to survive, Penny wasn''t into drinking any blood. If Grace thought she would drink it, then she was so wrong. "Master Damien said to bring the blood tea to him right after preparation. My apologies but I need to take it to him right away," said Penny cing her feet the other way to only have Grace step forward. "Where do you think you are going Cindere? Or more precisely the cindere who is still a ve." To hell, do you want to join? Penny bit back the words that tried to slip out of her mouth. She had to keep her mouth sealed just to make sure she didn''t blurt out anything that would put her in jeopardy, "I said take a sip from it. Thest thing I want is a traitor who has tried invading into my home." Was there a way to say no? Was it alright to yell for Damien''s help? Clearly if one were to see from the point of view of an outsider, the vampiress had a point in looking after her brother, where she didn''t want any ill harm to be caused. After all, Penny was a ve who could take revenge on Damien for he was a vampire while her life was trapped with no pinch of freedom. "What are you hesitating for?" asked the older vampiress, Grace''s mother who gave Penny a suspicious look now. Penny stood under the two sharp gaze of the vampiress. "It seems that you haven''t understood what pain feels like thest time I twisted your arm. Let me pull it off your shoulder so that you get some rity on how to obey the mistress of this house without question," Grace took a step forward, her hand ready to grab Penny when Maggie who had been passing by spoke in surprise, "What is with all the hustle?" Penny looked at Maggie with hope where the eldest Quinn child smiled at Penny before her eyes fell on her younger sister, "This ve girl poisoned the drink," dered Grace, her eyes looking at her usingly and she had to shake her head. Penny bowed her head and said, "I haven''t meddled with the blood tea that is for master Damien. I would never do such a thing." "Why won''t you take a sip to prove it wrong? Your hesitation is proof enough that you have done something during the preparation." "It wasn''t me but the butler who prepared it," Penny tried to put some facts in front of this spoilt vampiress but the girl was hell-bent on making her drink. "So what if the butler prepared it. You were the one who brought it, who knows what you did in that gap." Maggie interrupted their talk, stepping closer to them where she herself held a teacup, her lips red as if she were enjoying her own cup of blood tea which had been prepared a while ago, "Why do you suspect the ve, sister?" "Why shouldn''t we?" Grace responded back with the same vigor. Crossing her arms across her chest she stared at Penny with scrutinizing gaze, "Did you look at her," the young vampiress stared at the dress Penny wore right now. "You look much better than Grace, Penny,"plimented Maggie which was enough for Grace''s face to fall. Her mother frowned hearing this, looking at Maggie with a distaste, "It is one of my older dresses that I used to wear a few years ago." Fleurance sent out re to her stepdaughter, "What do you mean by better than Grace, Maggie? Are you trying to say that this lowly ve is above your own sister? I don''t know what your mother taught but you need to know the ves are always beneath us." Maggie smiled, a sweet smile that looked harmless, "Of course, I know that. My mother taught us well about the ves, servants and the higher-ups. But can you deny that the ve right here looks prettier than my sweet sister?" "A ve is a ve. No matter how you see it. And if you aren''t interested in your brother''s best interest I request you to step out of my way while I continue to be the dutiful sister," said Grace before going back to the topic, "Drink or I can make you drink myself." Penny stepped up to speak for herself, stating the fact, "Humans don''t consume blood, Lady Grace." "Says you and there is a first time for everything. So take a sip now. You are not only wasting mine but everyone else''s." "Little mouse," came Damien to stand at the start of the stairs above them. Penny whose shoulders had been stiff earlier rxed slightly. Walking down like a king who owned the mansion and the rest being meager servants which included his family, he said, "I sit there waiting in the room for my blood tea to find you here chatting leisurely with the women of this house." "Lady Grace wanted me to drink the blood tea which was made for you," Penny spoke with her eyes looking below Damien''s neck where he had unbuttoned his shirt while avoiding to look straight in his eyes while also stalling the other gazes in the room which was right next to her. Damien who stared at Penny for good seconds shifted his eyes to look at Grace who stood behind Penny. He tilted his head to ask her with a simple question of, "Why?" Grace knew she had limited time before Damien came searching for his little ve. He often kept a close eye on his belongings which only made the younger vampiress itch to break and tear them apart. Though until now she hadn''t found the opportunity she had hoped to break the girl the way she wanted. The girl was an eyesore, especially the way she looked right now with her older sister Maggie''s clothes and her hair made. There was a certain way that the ve looked at her which made her want to tear her limbs one after another. It was as if Damien had dolled this girl just to mock her and the women in this house. To make it worse even Maggie believed that this girl was much better looking than her! Chapter 115 - Cinderella slave- Part 4 "I believe she has poisoned it. The girl you bought as a ve wants to kill you," answered Grace with a serious face while looking Damien straight in the eye. For some time no one spoke anything and they were surrounded by silence until Damien started chuckling as if enjoying a private joke. The maids who were even thinking of passing across the hallways had decided to not intrude and step into the awkward atmosphere which was created in there. Maggie didn''t look surprised and instead looked at her brother and her sister, her eyes darting to hear her brother say, "Were you the one who asked her to poison me?" "What? Why would I even do that?" asked Grace, "You are my brother." "Grace is right, Damien," Grace''s mother supported her daughter, "Grace would never do something so low. Both Maggie and you should know it by now that how much she adores you both. Yet you look down at her with every passing wakeful time of yours." "Apologies, mother. I was only joking. I see that you are going somewhere?" he asked the older woman. Fleurance''s narrowed eyes didn''t reduce but nheless she answered, "I have been called the vampiress'' meet. We will be holding the Winter''s ball in Wovile this time so we need to prepare the guest lists with the invitation." "How lovely. Is Grace going along?" asked Damien. Before Fleaurance could reply to it, Grace interrupted, "I am not. I have my hair to do. Who is the maid who got this ve''s hair done? Send her to my room, I will be sure to get a better one before someone mocks us to say that the ves and servants are dressed better than the rest," Grace let out hmph sound at the end. Her mother gave a look as previously Grace had decided toe along with her but now had suddenly changed her mind. "It wasn''t a maid, I got a person to do it. A little girl like yourself couldn''t afford it," one corner of his lips pulled up. "Ha!" scoffed Grace with an unbelievable look on her face, "I have enough money to buy the person." "I would like to see that." Ignoring it, the woman said, "I will be leaving," she was already runningte earlier and she didn''t want to be morete than she was right now. Giving all of them a look, she took her to leave by turning around and heading out of the house where the carriage had been waiting there for half an hour. With thedy gone, Maggie said, "Well, I have been drinking this tea for far too long. I should take it back to the kitchen," she smiled before taking her own leave from the ce as she wasn''t involved in the conversation. Damien asked his younger sister, "What was this poisoning you were speaking off?" "You think she hasn''t? She refuses to drink what is there in the cup when I suspected," answered Grace. "I am sure if she wanted to poison me she would have several other asions for it. Little mouse, who made the blood tea?" Damien looked at Penny for an answer. "The butler." Damien hummed in response, his lips twisting and his eyes taking a nce at the teacup that looked beautiful in color. It was the same color as what he had been drinking since he had hired Falcon to be the mansion''s butler. "I did my job of warning you. The rest lies in your hand." "Such a dotting sister I have been blessed with who cherishes and worries about me. I am sure I must be the envy of many sisters and brothers," Damien''s eyes twinkled with his sarcastic remarks which Grace caught on immediately. "Are you being sarcastic, brother Damien?" Grace sent a quiet re that went unaffected on Damien. "I am?" asked Damien with a shocked expression that switched to a dull one, "Stop bothering this one and find another hobby, Grace. If you are so bored clean the mansion for a change. It might help you relieve your boredom," suggested Damien, to take the teacup from Penny''s hand and take a sniff at it. "I am not a servant here," Grave gritted her teeth to what Damien just suggested. "That what you say but who knows, you secretly envy a girl as you say is lower than you. What days havee," he whistled to annoy his younger sister further, "Unlike you, I have other things to do than nitpick on people for needless things. The next thing I know you will say the wall is plotting to throw a lizard in your food. Shoo." This set Grace off and her eyes red in anger. Her hands clenched together, forming into fists. Penny didn''t know what happened but in there mere seconds that shed through her eyes, Grace''s hand had gone to reach Damien''s hand taking the cup. By the looks of it, it seemed that the young spoiltdy had wanted to do something with the contents of the cup but her fingers slipped for everything to fall right on her dress.?Oh dear, thought Penny to herself. The vampiress front was covered in pink color which wafted of the blood. "My, all you had to ask and I would have helped you," finding the butler who was passing by quickly, Damien stopped him, "Falcon." The butler stopped with a slight grimace wondering if his master was going to throw him under the carriage like many other times, "Yes, master Damien?" "Do we have more blood tea in the kitchen?" "Not at the moment, but I can get it ready in ten minutes," upon the butler''s answer where he found Lady Grace with a teacup in her hand and the blood liquid on her dress, Damien said, "Please make some more cups while sending one to my room. The rest you can give it to Lady Grace who has decided to bathe herself in it." Chapter 116 - Marking- Part 1 Author: Giving an early MASS RELEASE of 5 chapters, the remaining chapters will be posted on Christmas. Good job guys, we ended in #2 positionst week. . Back in the room, Damien sipped the blood tea which Falcon had got to the room. Down with one cup, he drank another cup while Penny looked at him in silence. Damien hadn''t let go of the cup. It was like a moth who stuck on to the wall without letting it go as he continued to drink taking his own time but not quickly as he did with the first cup. "Did Grace and you have a spatst week that she keeps picking on you?" he asked licking the remnants of the blood on his lips with his tongue. "I haven''t done anything to offend her, master Damien," Penny answered wondering if it was for the sole reason of her being Damien''s ve that Grace had decided to target her every time she was found alone. "It must be because of me then," he smiled which wasn''t assuring for Penny at all, "She loves the family too much to let her nosey self keep out of others business. What would you have done if I didn''t arrive down today? Ready to gulp some good old thick blood of a dead person?" Damien yed with the edge of the empty teacup which was next to him. Running his finger round and round in a slow-motion, delicately. "I hoped you did," actually Penny had prayed hoping for him to be there to remove her from the sticky spot. "Hope is good to hold on to, but the question was what you would have done if I didn''te. Obviously you haven''t forgotten the twist on your arm that took ce a few days ago," Penny didn''t need reminding on that one. Though the memory of the sharp pain that had taken ce that night which was now fading, she knew how much her arm had stretched thanks to Grace, "Were you nning to drink it?" "That would be the worst-case scenario." "What was thest second worst-case scenario?" The secondst? There was only one there and as much as she thought that maybe she could get through it, she wondered now if she really could, "Tell me," she heard him coax her as if already aware of the stupid ideas that her mind came up with. "Would letting it spill ''by mistake'' be too much?" Penny asked him, waiting for him to reply back to her secondst option of not having to drink the blood tea. "Well with the way Grace handled the teacup I am sure anyone can spill the tea but I should say all of this could have been avoided with one single solution." There was a solution to all these? "What solution?" asked Penny. "The mark which I can leave on you which will keep me aware of what is going on at any point in time. I can sense your emotions much more freely. Fear, panic, hate and many other emotions can be picked from afar. What do you say? Ah ah," he raised his hand before she could refuse, "Don''t jump so quickly to conclusions. Think about it carefully. The next time there''s someone bothering you, all I need to do is tap on your current emotions." "Is that equal to breaching the mind?" Master Damien already had a hold of her life when it came to freedom. Though when she thought deeper about it, there were only advantages of being next to him than surviving by herself. "Everything has it''s pro''s and con''s, Penelope. You cannot expect everything to be pure. Even water catches dust particles on its surface over time," Damien stood up from his chair, uncuffing his cufflinks and folding the sleeves up to his elbows, "It is going to be good for you than for me. I gain nothing from it," he smiled, his eyes twinkling looking at her. But Penny knew somewhere that was not all to it. This mark, a vampire could put any mark as they wished. "Allow me to help you, Penelope. If you only doubt you are only causing yourself more harm," seeing the reluctance evident in Penny''s eyes as she tried toe up with the right conclusion Damien then said, "Don''t cry that I didn''t advise and warn you," he turned, heading towards the closet when she said, "Wait," A smile came to form on Damien''s lips which Penny couldn''t see as his back faced her right now. It was a scheming smile which only his shadows had seen at rare times. Schooling his features, he turned to face her. "Did you decide?" "This mark, what other things does it do? Can you exin it to me?" She asked him to make sure to know what she was getting herself into. "Hmm. Apart from your emotions and your presence on where you are which I have no need for as I will still be able to find you. That is all it is when ites to the mark I will ce on you. The bond between you and me." The way Damien smiled at her right now, a secretive smile that didn''t exactly breakthrough his lips but there was certain secrecy as he looked at her which made her wonder how much she could trust this man. Trust was broken in ways that she questioned if it was possible to trust a person again but at the same time, the alter self couldn''t stop to ask if the man had broken his word until now. "It will bind you to me," he said, his eyes turning gradually cold and serious. "Bind me as in your ve forever?" she asked him. Penelope knew with her being under Damien''s shelter now, there wasn''t going to much difference where she would have to continue serving him. At the same thought, she asked him with doubt, "Master Damien, will I not be allowed to have a family of my own?" Damien let out a heartyugh, "Of course, you can. It would be rude of me to deny you a family. With your rtives who turned to be filthy creatures, I am sure you don''t mean them," receiving no response from her and taking it as a yes, he said, "You can take me as your family. I am your master and you are my pet. It is the best family one can expect to have." "...." Chapter 117 - Marking- Part 2 Was Master Damien being serious? Did this mean she would never have her won family and she would grow old as ady and she would still be serving this pureblooded vampire while he will still be looking at a young handsome man?! "No," she frowned for him to give her a questionable look. "Don''t worry, if you feel it''s a small family. We can add Baxtor too. There, better?" of course it wasn''t! Adding his pet wolf to it didn''t make it feel better. "Master Damien, are you being serious?" she tried to make sure that this wasn''t another time of him teasing and pulling her leg for his own amus.e.m.e.nt. Damien walked towards her, raising his hand for her to close her eyes immediately, "I am not going to hurt you, not the way you think I will," he spoke to her softly, taking a step closer where Penny instead of having her eyes closed opened her eyes to see her own reflection in his eyes, "I was only going to do this," he pulled the pin which had been sticking out. "Master Damien, I will grow old," Penny said when Damien started to y around with the pin and her hair, "I will grow old and will wither away." "Don''t worry. I will make sure that you willst longer than you think. I won''t let you die in the meager years of the humans. You aren''t a human anymore but a white witch and do you know and understand the powers of what a white witch can do?" Penny didn''t know but she could hardly try to imagine what that could be with Damien standing close to her again. Sharing the same breathing space which made Penny''s heart hitch up and down. Damien was well versed in the art of muddling with a person''s thoughts just by his talent in speech. She could guess that many women had fallen for his charms where he used it to his own advantage. Gulping softly, she asked him, "They live as long as the vampires?" "Sometimes longer," how was that possible? Weren''t the vampires who held the gift of immortality while the others died and passed away from this world? "Don''t look so shocked. Do the pins hurt? I can remove it if you want," Damien had leaned forward to her right, his lips falling next to her ear as he continued to fix the pins which had loosened themselves. "It is fine. I will take it out myself," she said taking on sep back but with Damien''s both hands around her head, there was no escaping his hands or the man himself who had trapped her. "Don''t be shy, little mouse," saying this, he started to unpin her hair which he had done it himself. White witches are powerful creatures with the amount of knowledge they collect in their lifetime. Every white witch starts their lives in the same way, and there''s no much difference to their kinds when ites to being powerful because all of it boils down to the point of what they have learned over the years and what they have which the others don''t. Do you follow?" he paused to see her bright red face making him grin suddenly, "Why do you look red? Caught a fever?" he asked, bringing his hand back around, he ced it t on her forehead. "I am fine, Master Damien. I-I will take out the rest of the pins," she said with her hair half tied up while the other half let down. "Rubbish. Let me remove the rest of it. We need to mark you too. Sit on the bed." "What?" Penny asked wide-eyed with his sudden order. Damien sighed, "I am not going to hurt you, Penelope. But if you keep doubting me, I will make your doubtse true." Don''t look at me as if I am not being nice," his eyes stared down at her. After Damien had pulled all the pins while letting her hair down freely, she felt the little pinch of pain that had formed due to the way the hairs had been facing and had been tied. Damien weaved through her hair without permission, running his fingers across them over and over again until it looked tamed. "I know a ck witch who is good at potions and is quite knowledgable when ites to the white witches." "Are you allowed to befriend a ck witch? What if she betrays you?" she questioned him. All this while she had nothing good about the ck witches and to hear Damien say it wouldn''t be a white witch but a ck witch who were notorious in nature, she wondered what she would be learning. Throwing frogs in the cauldron? Hair of a human? "You need to remember, not everyone is what people say and appear to be. Flocking every one together will turn you narrow-minded and will make you miss a lot of things when ites to learning. Every creature is not bad, there are some rare exceptions. A ck witch can be good and a white witch can turn bad. It is sometimes the circ.u.mstances and the level of survival instincts while the rest fall into things we aren''t aware of. A lion doesn''t hunt a deer for joy but for its meal. A deer doesn''t pull ou the grass from the ground to pass its time." "Why do so many of them hate the ck witches then? Why ban them all and drive them away from that they are not allowed to co-exist like the others?" "Just because I told there''s exception doesn''t mean I support them, silly. I keep people who I think are of great value, resources are to be used and not to be wasted. There aren''t many good things and people in this world but if you find some then keep it. There is hope for the change," he said before pushing the hair that was resting on her shoulders and near her neck, "Lie down your back on the bed," his hand pushed her shoulder and Pennyid down... Chapter 118 - Marking- Part 3 Her heart thundering in her chest as if she was his meal and she wasn''t going to live through the pain.?He asked her, "What''s got you so scared?" "It''s going to hurt," thinking about the time of his fangs cutting through her skin only spiked her fear. "Do you know, Penny. Even pain can turn to pleasure," he said as he leaned close to her, cing one hand of his next to her head. "The person must be a true masochist to think pain is a pleasure," voiced Penny her opinion out of nervousness. Damien hummed, looking at how nervous her pulse grew under him with her eyes that started to dte, "If you haven''t experienced it, you haven''t experienced anything at all," in her case she hadn''t experienced anything at all. Theck ofmunication when it came to the opposite s.e.x in terms of rtionship and intimacy was nill, "Don''t be so tense. I have bit you once. Another time shouldn''t be much difficult. You will get used to it and it would be a lie if I said I haven''t been hoping to take another taste of you," his whisper was enough to stiffen her. She was the opposite of being rxed now. He ran his finger across her pale looking neck, every touching raising the goosebumps on her skin which only thrilled the vampire, "How would you like me to bite you, little mouse?"?Penny blushed furiously at the question he posed in front of her. What sort of question was that?! This pureblooded vampire was shameless but did he think she was shameless as well? "Your resistance will only excite me further to bite into you." "Master Damien, you are being strange," sheined. Maybe getting the bond wasn''t a good idea. "I thought I was always strange." He was being stranger than the normal times. He looked into her jade green eyes, that looked at him. Her cheeks had turned red and he didn''t have to know that his words affected her. It only made his mind w to do more things that would embarrass her, "You have such a dirty mind. I wanted to know how you wanted me to bite you and here you are thinking naughty. Who knew the little mouse had a fantasy," Damien hummed making it worse for the girl whoid beneath him. Unable to keep her gaze on him, she turned her head to look away. Penny knew that speaking back to him was what he loved as it gave him the opportunity to dig and make this more embarrassing for her. "I thought there is only one way to bite," she said not meeting his eyes. "Sure... what I meant was if you wanted me to be gentle?" thest word fell as a whisper. She could feel readying himself as one of his hands went down her neck, raising it so that he could bite into it without any hindrance, "Painful with the pleasure or gentle?" he asked her. It felt nothing less to a trick question. What if the door which was supposed to be gentle was not actually going to be gentle? thought Penny to herself. With a person like Damien Quinn, there was no telling what was waiting on the other side of his mind. "Anything you feel might be less painful," answered Penny. She closed her eyes feeling his breath on her warm skin. "You know," Damien spoke right above her skin making her shiver, "Have you noticed that this is the second time you are giving me the option to choose when I ask you to choose something." Penelope anticipated the bite which didn''te right away. She wondered why Damien was elongating the torture of the pain as she wanted to get over with it quickly. His breath made her shiver, his lips blew air on her skin as if only wanting to tease her. When he ced his mouth on her neck, Penny closed her eyes automatically. His lips were soft on her neck. For several seconds he didn''t move until his fangs finally sunk into her neck making her flinch and tighten her hands into a ball of fists. The deeper he sank his teeth the more she tried not to think about it but it was hard not to with the pain that was excruciating and bursting from her neck. Licking the blood that had oozed out, Damien pulled back to look at Penny who had shut her eyes close tightly. "Is it over?" "Yes," he pulled back to sit straight, giving her a hand and helping her to sit upon the bed, "How do you feel?" "Normal?" she asked not sure if that was how she was supposed to feel. Damien ced his hand on top of her head, "Normal is good," and he stood up, walking to his closet and picking out clothes that didn''t look like house clothes but as if he were going somewhere. That was it? Thought Penny to herself. With all the hype talk Penny was anticipating something more which made her think what was she hoping? With her own self-realization, she shook her head internally. "Are you going out somewhere?" she asked him curiously. "Yes. I have been invited somewhere by the," he dropped his voice to say, "By the secret society," he joked before a smile cracked on his face, "Your presence won''t be required there, therefore, I shall leave you in the capable hands of my elder sister, Maggie. I spoke to her about some things two days ago." "What is it about?" "A little more education for you. She was dying to school someone and be a governess but our family standards don''t allow the women of this house to teach someone who is lower than them. But don''t worry, Maggie will be an excellent teacher. All you need is the basics. Once you have picked up a decent knowledge, I will take you to Bathsheba." "Is she the ck witch?" Damien nodded his head. "She is." Chapter 119 - Deserved heirloom- Part 1 Weeks passed by in the foursnds, which included the Boke as it barely changed its weather conditions. With the winter approaching, the atmosphere had turned colder than the previous days, leaving a lot of them to collect as many woods as they could so that it could be burnt in the houses during the time of night. Like many times that hade to pass, Penelope sat at the desk. With two candles that were ced at the edge of the desk while the other candles tried to light the candle in the room, she sat in right now. It waste at night. The clock of the hands moving closer to eleven. She could hear every tick of the second that filled up the room. "Did you finish it, Penny?" asked Maggie who had been standing out in the balcony of her room since the time of the assignment was handed down to Penny. "Yes, Lady Maggie," Penny responded back looking down at the parchment sheet she had finished answering. The woman appeared inside with her dress that was made of chiffon flew in the wind facing towards the room. Lady Maggie had been helping Penny with basguage use of Bonke and Woville as they consisted of simr heritages. Damien had not given any solid information on why he was making Penny take sses, which his sister Maggie wasn''t aware of. It was a simple reason if one knew that Penelope was a white witch. Though not many knew but both ck and white witches had descended down to thends from the north where Woville was situated. They had a different dialect in writing when it came to writing it and not everyone was fluent with it. Maggie being the oldest child had the opportunity to learn something which even Grace hadn''t found as the governor was killed upon learning that she was a white witch by her own biological mother. Penny was able to read the theatrical script easily as she had gone through it several times whilst asking her fellow actors on what each word meant. But it were only some of those which was exposed to during her time in the theater. Lady Maggie who was going through the parchment which Penny had written her answers on hummed, not showing any disapproval nor an approval on if she had gotten the answers right, "There are some errors but we''ll work on it tomorrow," said the vampiress dropping the paperback on the desk while moving away so that Penny could stand up. "Thank you for today''s ss, Lady Maggie," Penny bowed her head to show her appreciation. "You are wee. I have never tutored anyone that makes it that much interesting to have myself teach you what I have learned. At least there''s another way to kill time now," thedy added in the end, "You know a little thing already which made it easier. It is ratherte. You should be heading back before Damienes to knock on the door." Penny doubted that Damien was back home. For an odd reason since the time he had marked her with the bond which she still had no clue of if it was the master-ve bond, she could feel him in the house sometimes after he returned back. It made her question what kind of mark this was. Did the bond work both ways? Maybe once he returned back she should try testing it out. "Thank you for taking the time to teach me," Penny thanked her again where thedy only smiled in return. As she headed towards the door, she heard Lady Maggie ask suddenly out of the blue, "How have things between my brother and you going?" It was a question she hadn''t expected. Lady Maggie usually didn''t poke at anyone''s business but with the person whom she was concerned was her brother here. Not to forget the locket that this ve girl wore which was the very family heirloom that her once deceased mother wore while she was still alive, she couldn''t help but be curious about it. "It is okay," Penny caught thedy looking at the pendant that now rested on her chest. "I see. We will go through today''s paper tomorrow in the afternoon." The answer was a curt one which suddenly turned the already dark room a little more gloomy and awkward. And she then sensed him. Damien had reached the mansion. Taking her leave from the room after wishing thedy a night, she walked towards Damien''s room. She knocked at the door and opened to find him not in his room. "How was your study with Maggie?" she heard the voice right behind her making her snap her body to see Damien standing there with his hair that looked ruffled due to the wind. Stepping inside the room, Penny closed the door on his action before he went andid straight on the bed. Lately, he had been leaving the mansion early in the morning to return backte in the night. It seemed like the council and thends had been busy. "Wee back to the mansion, Master Damien," Penny looked at him to see him with his eyes closed as if he were tired. She was about to ask him why he was travelling in the carriage when he could have only apparate until she remembered the amount of blood he needed. Last time after his two sses, the man had gone to order four more sses of blood tea that was before going to the party he was invited to, "Who was work?" "Annoying," he answered before opening his eyes to look up at his own reflection, "There have been more deaths in one of the vige." "How many?" "The whole of it," the whole of it? "There are a group of witches who have been targeting entire viges. Using them as energy source to do something the council is yet to figure out on. They killed every single one person in there. It is called a massacre." Chapter 120 - Deserved heirloom- Part 2 Penny''s hand had gone cold hearing that an entire vige was wiped out by the ck witches. Where they that powerful? "What do the witches gain out of death? Resources can be consumed and extracted in other forms." "True, but there''s nothing that can rece life force especially when it is arge one which is purer in forms." "Pardon me, master Damien, but is it only the humans?" "Unfortunately, yes. Humans are easy to fool. Do you remember the body you saw down in the council?" he asked her to see her nod, "A few years ago some of the witches were caught so that they could be brought to the council where the council would hold it''s court of meeting ordingly on what would be done to those witches. Sadly, they escaped." "Are they the ones causing the trouble?" asked Penny. "Just one of them. The other ck witches were killed but one escaped and now she is bent on creating ruckus all across the fournds- Valeria, Bonke, Mytheweald and Woville. There are some symbols that were marked around thend." "A witch''s markings?" "Yes. A ck or a white witch is no God or Goddess. No one has ever reached that point and if there was anyone it was Lord Alexander''s mother, Isabelle Genevieve," Penny looked slightly taken aback with this news. Lord Alexander''s mother was a witch? "She was a kind woman who was killed by the hate and wrath of humans. If she were still alive, getting you answers and help would be easy with respect to who your father was but with her gone, your best bet is Bathasheeba." As the night passed with Damien who hadn''t moved from his previous position as he continued to lie down on the bed without bothering to remove his shoes that dangled in the air a few distances away from the bed, Penny walked around to remove the shoes that he wore. Removing one after another, she removed the socks that he wore. Once she was done with that, she stood up to see him looking up at the mirror. She wondered what he was thinking about. It was very rare to catch him looking so in thought with his normal behavior. With Penny only heard about what was happening in the outside world, she could do nothing but imagine it. "Master Damien?" "Hmm?" his eyes shifted to move from the mirror to look at Penny. "Did you have your dinner?" She asked him to see him smile. "I grabbed dinner on my way. It was a warm and juicy dinner. Did you eat?" "I did." "I see. How are your sses going on with Maggie?" the thought about her sister went back to the questions the vampiress had asked her before she left the room. Damien who was a shrewd man sensed and asked Penny, "What happened? Did she do something?" "Ah no," Penny spoke hurriedly to make it even more suspicious, "Could I ask you something, Master Damien? The pendant that I am wearing... why didn''t you give it to Lady Maggie?" Because in truth, the pendant and the chain belonged to Maggie as she was thetedy''s daughter while Penny was only a ve. Damien who had stayed on the bed pushed himself up. He looked at the firece that was crackling with the woods and fire dancing around it, "In our pureblooded world, partners cannot live without each other. And when one dies, no matter if there was a bond or not, it affects the other. When my mother passed away, my father decided to throw away every single of thest object in this house that reminded him of his deceased beloved wife. My sister didn''t bother to fight for it but I did and got it up in the attic. If you can''t fight for something, then you don''t deserve to be around to touch, see or even remember it. Maggie knows it well that she will only find the words of mockery if she is to wear the family heirloom which belonged to mother and knowing her she wouldn''t be able to wear handle it. It appears that you have something to say," his red eyes looked dark yet gold due to the fire burning in the front. Penny was aware that Damien wouldn'' like what she would say as it wasn''t her ce but he had given her the freedom to speak if not for her life to leave, "You are very harsh on her. She was young. Children take time to get attached while some find it easy to detach to cope with the pain." "Maybe," he folded his legs in such a way so that he could ce his hands on his knees while leaning his body forward, "Would you throw something that was precious to your mother?" Penny understood where he came from and also his feelings. Given the opportunity, she would have saved every single little item that belonged to her mother but the circ.u.mstances had been hard on her where she didn''t have that privilege. Sadly, in her case, she had to give away and sell them all. "Maggie is smart to not ask about why you are wearing. The maximum one can do is stare at it but not touch it," Damien smirked looking at Penny, "By the way..." he said gaining her whole attention, "I sent out a letter to Alexander a week ago to see if he finds anything about your father. He''s good at finding things, I tried looking into it in the ck market but there was nothing I could find and my time is limited due to the council work I am assigned on." Penny nodded her head, her chest feeling a little rxed, "Thank you for it," Damien didn''t have to do it but she was somewhere happy that he had put in a word to the Lord of Valeria to search her father who had disappeared a few years ago. Chapter 121 - Fall- Part 1 In the early hours of the noon where the clouds hovered up in the sky without letting an inch of the sun rays to pass through and touch thends of the Bonke, crows settled in the nearest trees of the forest. Cawing to each other but the birds around the forest had reduced for some reasonpared to the previous year. One would tell that the reason was because of the Winter which was approaching quickly which made many birds migrate from onend to another. But the question was if that was really the reason or if there was something else that was yet to be discovered. With Lady Maggie who had to go out today as she had been invited to a tea party, Penny sat in Damien''s room working on the sheets which she was assigned to. Though right now instead of working on the book which was given to her, Penny practiced her handwriting to make it appear less shabby and more on the elegant side of the scale. Dipping the quill in the ink, she pulled it up to let the tip of the quill glide across the sheet of the clean parchment. The second time she did, arge drop of ink fell on the parchment to create blue round water like a drop that had sshed. cing the quill down, she took the parchment of paper, tilting it so that the ink could fall back into the bottle but by the time it could leave the parchment has absorbed the liquid into it. Penny folded the paper ready to keep it aside as she was trying to write a letter to her deceased mother so that she could ce it in her cemetery. After finishing the letter to her mother she looked at the sky which was less dark than the previous day but nothing better. With the days passing by so quickly now where her mind was being upied with the studies where Lady Maggie was guiding her, she hadn''t taken time to stop and think about what to do. ''Stay in the room. Falcon wille to give you food and water. If there''s something ask him.'' Those had been the words of Master Damien before he left the room to head to work. For a few days now, Penny and Damien''s dynamics had improved. Knowing her current predicament where she was a white witch she had decided to stay here in Quinn''s mansion. She didn''t know if it was also because Damien had stopped making her do strange things or if the strange things and quirky attitude of Damien had grown on her. Picking up the ink bottle in her hand, she stared at the transparent ss making the blue ink inside it look dark. Remembering the time when the ck witch''s potion had turned from one color to another, she wondered if it was possible to do it to this ink bottle. Bringing to bottle closer to her she stared at it. Seconds passing by one after another to form a minute and more until she finally ced down the bottle. She wondered how that had happened. There was the ss that separated her hand from the liquid yet the ss had formed as a direct medium to convert the liquid from something harmful to a harmless liquid. Raising her hand up to look at it, she stared at her open arms as to what she needed to do the same changes. Getting up from her seat, she raised her hand, stretching it before walking towards the open balcony where the curtains flew due to the breeze of the sea. Stepping out she was greeted by the air, her hair flying furiously thanks to the wind. Tucking some pieces of her hair behind her ear, she looked ahead of her at the vast water body that stretches endlessly right now. It made her ponder what was there on the other side of this water. Did life exist or did it continue with just the water? As if for a few minutes, the clouds moved that were in front of the sun, letting the sun rays shimmer on the water before it disappeared back again.?Penny then looked down, her hands holding the edge of the railings. The water constantly touched the walls at the bottom of the mansion. She leaned a little more forward to look down when she caught sight of the two windows which came one after another. Up until now, she hadn''t noticed it but she had always thought there was only the ground floor and then the floor where Damien''s room where the roof came after that. Penny had been able to escape the fate of the ve establishment. She had escaped the clutches of being spotted by the one man who had been looking for her but sometimes luck wasn''t always in favor. While she was leaning forward looking at the mansion and the water, she had failed to hear the sound of someone calling her or talking to her. With her hand which had loosened on the railings and her feet that had raised itself to have a better look, someone from behind had pushed her. Penny in panic didn''t realize what happened but she did realize that she had slipped and missed her footing. Enough for her to feel the rushing wind as she fell down right into the cold water with a loud ssh sound. Due to the force, she fell into the water, her body submerged into it bubbles forming around her body leaving a trail of whiteness in there before she was lifted back up in the air while mostly in the water. Her hands iled as she tried to keep herself above the water. Penny took arge amount of air into her mouth but with the air came the water entering her mouth and making her cough as she tried to keep herself afloat in the water she was surrounded in. Chapter 122 - Fall- Part 2 Damien was away from his home where he had been called for an early inspection of the burnt bodies which had taken cest night. With his assistant Kreme who was inquiring about the humans who were involved in the event, he looked down at the burnt body of a woman. The woman''s hand had twisted around along with her wrist and fingers. Her entire body had turned ck while leaving the scarce clothing that couldn''t be burnt by the humans. Burning witches after being caught, the humans had the habit of tying the witches up and burning them in the middle of the vige. It was amon practice that had been taking ce for many years now. The issue was that with the Edict of Witches, the section for the white witches was that the witches were not to be killed by the humans. If a human found a white witch or a ck witch they were supposed to inform the officials like the guards of the vige or towns who would then pass it to the magistrate before it reached the councilmen. The reason was to avoid any unwanted mishap taking ce. Historically picking up the facts, people often mistook the others to be witches, in the name of witches many women had been sacrificed but the edict had been passed keeping the white witches in mind. Though the rule had been implemented years ago, it was strengthened only after his aunt had passed. But humans were impulsive creatures. They took the matter into their own hands while passively going against the council. Passive little creatures thought Damien to himself. If the bodies burnt were of ck witches, it didn''t cause many problems but it was when the humans and white witches were involved in such state. After all, ck witches weren''t much of concern to anyone around. "What do you think about her, Mr. Quinn?" asked the woman in a ck low pony who was the magistrate for this vige. Women weren''t often given the opportunity but opportunities were dug and found by some of the humans, especially when they turned to a half-vampires, their ambitions rocketing further than the rest of the crowd. "She looks all nice and toasty. Where were you again when this took ce?" he questioned thedy. Standing up, he dusted his legs. His eyes catching hold of the humans who stood not far away in shackles around their hands and legs to prevent them from running or escaping as they were the convicted humans. "I was supposed to go to the next vige to speak about the men who oftene near theke to harass the women when they go to wash clothes or bath. The magistrate will give you the information." "That won''t be necessary," he replied back, "This one is not a white witch as others imed," on his conclusive answer the woman looked as if relieved by the information, "But she wasn''t a ck witch either. The men of this vige set an innocent girl on fire. We will need to set up a trial of why if they cannot give an apt answer here." The woman frowned, her eyebrows drawing close. She looked at the burnt body, her eyes not moving away for a long time before she asked, "How can you tell she isn''t a witch?" "Every creature has its own characteristics which make them what they are, Ms. Ringwell. It is the details we look into. The popr question that arises is what caused the spark in the men and women of the vige to go and pick on the girl." Kreme who was done talking to some of the people of the vige, he walked towards Damien to interrupt, "Master Damien." "Excuse us," said Damien to go to the side and hear what his associate had found out, "What did you find about the girl?" "One of the women said here that she came a few years ago and she has been living among them without any family. She didn''t speak much except for a few who went out of their way to talk to her," on Kreme''s information, Damien looked back at the burnt girl, "They said they found her picking nts near the hills. Also that they saw her walking out towards the river in the middle of the night." "How much middle in the night are we speaking here?" "Later than the bell of the church. It must be after midnight. They said thest time she went in the night was two days ago. Another woman said she found the girl brewing something in her pot," Kreme filled Damien in. "Where did the girl live?" "There, in that corner of the alley," both Damien and Kreme went to the house, visiting it to see what the girl was brewing. Damien leaned his body forward, taking in the smell which felt grassy and rotten now as it appeared it had been days since she hadst used it, "This is no potion of the witch. Clearly the girl was a human who shows no symptoms of the white or ck witch. At the same time, it doesn''t look like she was trying to work any voodoo magic. Bring me the magistrate of the next vige." "Why, master Damien?" "I find thedy''s words to holdck of truth. Something seems off about it and not only-" at the same time, Damien felt fear creep in, emotions trying to get through him from the other person he had bonded with. It was Penny, "Kreme I have another ce to go to. Question the magistrate and take the ones in question to the council." "Right now?" asked Kreme confused as to why Damien was rushing suddenly out of the house. But Damien didn''t stop and instead, he walked out of the room quickly. By the time Kreme could understand what had happened and tried to follow Damien, the pureblooded vampire was nowhere in sight. Chapter 123 - Fall- Part 3 Below Quinn''s mansion, the water was too cold which made it difficult for Penny to move her body as the more she tried to stay up and above the water level, it was only that much tiring. For someone like her who didn''t know to swim in this depth of water, she continued to il her arms that sshed her hands up and down. Tired her body started to give up where no one caught sight of her, after all, why would anyone bother to look outside when all the maids and the servants of the mansion were busy cleaning and doing their assigned tasks. Penny didn''t know if it were her imagination but had someone pushed her? She surely hadn''t leaned forward to the point that she wouldn''t have known that she was about to fall. Her head leaned back as she looked up at the high mansion that stretched tall and far from where she was. Penny didn''t want to die here, not like this at least. The ce she had fallen wasn''t too far from thend. Like any other creature who had to live and try, she started to p her and legs. Her hands trying to push through the water while she continued to drink the water, some going through her mouth and some going to her nose. But her body started to give away. Her eyes started to feel heavy and her throat hurtful with the way she kept spouting the water out but to have a fresh one back in. With her mind feeling dizzy and numb with her consciousness leaving her mind, her body started to fall ck against the water. And with her not struggling, her body started to drift down, her blonde hair spread out in the water with her legs and hands raised up with her back pulling her towards the ground. With the seconds being precious now below the water level, Penny sank to the ground where she wasn''t surrounded by just the weeds and other underwater nts. Though at the top of the surface one would call the water body to be blue in color, like the ocean that swept near the sands but beneath the color of green dominated the water bed. On the floor of the water sat many bodies that were scattered in time. Bodies that were thrown in the years of time by owners of the mansion for doing something the owner didn''t like or agree on. On the edge of the water, someone dived into it, swimming to where Penelope had fallen down a second ago. Finding her down, Damien reached himself to her, pulling her by her arms and bringing her out of the water and on to thend. Water dripped down Damien''s body with his hair wet and sticking on to his forehead but his eyes were focussed on the girl. cing his hand over her neck to check her pulse, he noticed it to be weak. Damien had left the vige right away when he felt the slight panic that had started to creep into him. For him, the emotion was almost foreign and it had taken time for him to understand and know that the emotions wereing from Penny. He had left as quick as he could sense the state of her mind but the girl had lost her conscious right before he even appeared her by making use of his ability to apparate from one ce to another. Seeing her not wake up, he started to pump her chest by cing both his hands and pushing it with every second. It took a few seconds before Penny started to cough the water she had drank unwillingly. This mouse was far more troublesome than his pet wolf Baxtor and he was far worse than angry. With a sigh, he sat down on the stone. Running his hand through his hair. What was she thinking to fall into the water in the middle of the day especially when he wasn''t around? When she continued to cough, Damien patted her back. Penelope after catching a breath of clean air that didn''t involve the water looked up Damien who was drenched with water from head to his toe. "When did you arrive?" she asked him, her breath falling short as she was still trying toe out from the thought of being drowned in the water. "Right after you fell into the water. What are you doing jumping into the water, is the bath not working?" "I don''t know," Penny frowned trying to recollect what just happened. One minute she had been there trying to look at the lower building of the mansion and her eyes went to look at the lower half and the next second she had slipped, her footing missed as she felt right from Damien''s room and into the water. From where she sat not she could see the side of the mansion which was built on the hill. The sky up the bridge hung which felt far from where they were. Penny wasn''t sure but she had an inkling as if someone had pushed her but the push hadn''t been hard else her mind would have registered but nheless it felt like a push as she was sure she had been holding on to the rails or was she not? With the panic in the water that had taken over her body, Penny found it hard to think, "I don''t know." To Damien, there was never a ''don''t know''. He asked her, "What was thest thing you remember before taking a dive?" Penny''s eyes met his, his red eyes had fluctuated from being red to ck, "I...I was looking at the mansion." "From the room?" he went to confirm. "Yes. At the lower half because I never saw that side of the mansion but when I was looking...I felt, I am not sure though- it must be my imagination," she said waving it off but Damien was not ready to let go. "What did you feel, Penelope?" "That someone pushed me-" "Let'' get back into the mansion," Damien''s voice had suddenly turned cold and void of anything except for anger that made Penny worry. Chapter 124 - Silence- Part 1 After both Penny and Damien climbed up the hill with Damien helping Penny, they made their way through the stony bridge of the mansion when the butler who had been cleaning the windows himself noticed his master and the ve girl walking towards the mansion. Falcon noticed something odd until he realized that his master appeared to be in a terribly bad mood. One could easily spot it from a far distance with every stance and footstep that approached the mansion. And why did they both look wet as if they had gone to take a dip in the water? Turning around quickly he caught sight of the maid who was passing by to say, "Go get the towels that have been stacked in the guest room! Quick to the entrance now!" the maid looked confused on why the house butler was asking for towels right now but without a question, she headed to the guestrooms. Falcon who had followed the maid halfway through went to open the doors of the mansion. The other maids who were working on the lower floor saw the butler rush to the entrance making their heads turn as to what happened that was pressing to the butler at the moment. When Damien and Penelope were few steps away from the entrance, the butler stepped out with the towel in his hands which were brought by the maid. The butler helped his master while letting the ve pick up and put the towel around her. But to the butler''s surprise who had most of the times demanded the servant''s attention when it came to wiping his wet head or washing him or helping him wear his coat did something no one would have imagined. Since the time Penny had fallen and been pulled out of the water, the wind even though of low velocity and movement, the air hit her wet dress and body making her feel cold that she now shivered. Damien who was wet himself with a towel around his neck pulled the towel from Penny''s hand and started to wipe the possible water drops which had tried to sustain the wind and atmosphere. Penny forgot about the panic fall when her master started to wipe and rub her head as if she were a child. It wasn''t that it was the first or second time happening but not once had he done anything like this in front of others. Which was the reason why embarrassment started to take over her mind. Frankly, she would have voiced her opinion of her being perfectly capable of doing it but the man looked intimidating right now. She was used to the Damien Quinn who often went around with a smirk on his face who tried to get on every person''s nerve. Not being used to this demeanor it slightly made her feel wary about his presence.?It was as if seeing a whole new person. Were his features always this sharp and defined? thought Penny to herself. The butler was in shock, unable to cover his surprise while the maid who had followed the butler out of mere curiosity found her eyes wide. Thankfully the eyes were connected to the face else both the maid and the butler would have had their eyes rolled down on the floor by now. "Falcon," came the sharp voice from Damien which made all three people''s heart jump which included Penny''s. Noticing the skip of the beat in Penny''s heart, Damien continued to rub Penny''s hair, "Get all the servants assembled out here. Now. Even the house members." The butler didn''t know what had happened but he went to fetch every singlest standing servant of Quinn''s mansion. When he had got all of them gathered, Damien''s family came out walking one by one wondering what happened. Fleurance was the first one to talk where she asked Damien, "What is the matter, Damien? Asking us toe out like this so suddenly." Damien looked at the maids and then his stepmother along with his two sisters. His father was out to hunt with the Lord of Bonke. "Are we hunting something?" asked Grace but her question went unanswered. Penny who now stood behind Damien looked at the servants, some whose face she had be familiar. Her eyes drifted across to look at Quinn''s family who looked confused on why they were called. "We have very few servants. This should be easy." "What is going on, Dami?" his sister Maggie asked who had a frown on her face as she noticed both Damien and Penny''s clothes to be wet. "Someone should exin that to me," Damien wasn''t in the mood to y around right now. Pushing Penny into the water which was deep where the girl had no clue on how to swim, he wasn''t happy with how far they had taken their interest with his pet, "Who stepped into my room?" he asked his eyes searching through the people who stood there. There was a spike in the heartbeat right before he even asked the question which made it easy to spot the person on who had done it. For Damien, it would take less than a minute to find out who had done what but the reason he had everyone gathered outside was to set an example. An example such that no one would ever dare to do something like this again. His eyes first moved to his family looking at Maggie to his step-mother, which then fell on Grace as she stared back at him. It then went to look at the maids when he finally stepped forward to pull one of them but Damien never asked the maid a question nor waited. Pulling the scared maid, Damien didn''t wait to question or hear from her instead he tore out her head from her body until it was separated to the point that blood started to ooze out. Red spurts of blood sttered itself on the ground with the dead maid lying next to Damien. "Falcon," Damien called the butler who looked more than stunned with a chill silence surrounding them, "Get this cleaned." Chapter 125 - Silence- Part 2 With the maid''s body which nowid on the ground, lifeless and empty with her head torn halfway through wear it delicately stuck to her body everyone one of them who were around looked stunned and speechless. Death was something that took ce behind the closed doors and most of the houses liked to keep it that way but Damien had no interest in keeping things subtle. A point had to be done and he was sure it was enough to keep everyone in check before there was another attempt. "Damien, why did you kill the maid?" Maggie was the first to ask as she was the only one courageous enough to question her younger brother and it might have been because Damien was a few years younger to her. "Didn''t you hear me ask?" came out Damien''s chilled voice which was as empty as the girl who was dead at his feet. "I did. Servants can get back to their work," Maggie spoke to the servants who recollected their mind of what they just saw while hurriedly going inside the mansion from the backside. Once all the servants had dispersed away with Falcon who had gone to urge the servants in, Maggie looked at Penny who looked shocked. Anyone would be. The way Damien had killed wasn''t a decent and quick death to execute a person. Instead, it was nothing short to be considered as cold-blooded murder. Fleurance gained back herposure and being the eldest vampire here, she asked, "What is the meaning of this, Damien?" "I would like to ask the same. The maid tried to push Penelope into the water and not everyone is brave enough to enter my room and do some harm to something that belongs to me," answered Damien, he took the kerchief from his pocket and cleaning the little drops of blood that hade to fall on his skin." "It doesn''t mean you go killing them right in front of the others. Do you know what is going to happen?" asked his step-mother who looked at him with a frown. "That is called a warning. You don''t have to patronize me," he rolled his eyes, "Nothing none of you haven''t done before. I am sure we have killed a fair share of people here unless you would want me to shake that rusted memory of yours," he said looking down at the dead maid. "And the reason being your ve? Don''t you think it''s going too far unless you are trying to get too attached to a girl who is lower than a maid, she''s a ve, Damien. Don''t forget that," Grace voiced out her opinion looking at Penny who had the towel wrapped around her shoulders now, "If I didn''t know better I would say you are getting attached to her." A normal vampire, especially from a high standing family would refuse right away about the possible attachment towards a person who was in the lowest state of their food chain. They would outright deny it without a second thought as reputation meant everything in the higher society. But Damien never followed the normal standards of a pureblooded vampire. "What if I said I did, sister? Do you have a problem with that?" Grace stared at Damien who was expecting him to deny it but with him agreeing to what she just said, she went to say, "Are you sure you should be epting it? To think you''re considering a filthy ve who is being branded?" "Damien, think before what you speak. Your actions will not only affect you but will also affect us directly or indirectly. Don''t go spouting things you don''t want by throwing mud on Quinn''s name," Fleurance said while having her gaze strict on Damien. Maggie on the other hand who was listening to them sighed softly. Looking at Penny, she went to where Penny was and said, "Let me take her in. She''s shivering in cold," Damien didn''t turn his face but his eyes moved sharply to look at his elder sister who offered to help. "That''s alright. I will take her in. I have nothing more to say but one single thing before I go up to my room," said Damien looking at the three of them. His sister seemed to not take any offense as she was used to his blunt words and behavior, "The maids are quite tamed here to pull a stunt like that. No one has ever been brave enough to do that which only makes me wonder..." he drawled his voice purposefully if any of you tried to instigate her, "The maids won''t do it and if not for the push by someone. Which brings us to on me wanting to know which one of you asked the maid to push her from the patio of the room," Damien gave a look to every single one of his family member. Penny who had been too shocked with everything going around where she was shivering in cold due to her wet clothes, looked at Damien after hearing his usations. She wasn''t sure if someone had really pushed her but it seemed like it did as Damien had caught the maid but was killing her the right thing to do? A life for another life without any remorse was hard for her to wrap her head around. Could what Damien be telling true? That the maid was being instigated by one of the family members? Penny had done nothing to anyone here. She looked at Grace who stood quietly. Her red eyes staring at Damien who was looking back at her. Was it Grace? Asked Penny to herself. Grace and she had got on the wrong foot with each other. Even if Penny was careful she would still have been in the same situation but wasn''t pushing her off the room taking it too far? thought Penny to herself. "Isn''t that going too far?" asked Fleurance who looked at her step-son with annoyance, "It is one thing to say someone pushed and now that you have killed the maid you suspect the maid''s intention on us. Have you no shame?" "I don''t," Damien chuckled finally, looking down at the body of the maid and then up to the older vampiress, "Why do you ask questions for the answers you already know? How silly." Lady Maggie wasn''t pleased hearing this either, she went to say, "Mother Fleurance isn''t wrong, Damien. Suspecting like this isn''t right. If you wanted to find the person on your suspicion you could have asked the girl before ripping her head apart." "My..." Damien''s lips pulled up, his lips twisting, "Wasn''t mother just speaking about family and its status? I was merely upholding it while keeping the family in my best interest. How shameful would it be to drag the person right in front of the servants? If you haven''t got the memo yet, I hope you do now. Even something happens to this girl, I will be sure to make it even with the person. Don''t beg me that I didn''t warn you," he gave the three vampiresses a look before pushing Penny''s back so that she would start walking. Chapter 126 - Silence- Part 3 Thedies didn''t stay long but stepped back inside the mansion leaving the butler and the dead maid who was yet to be moved. Falcon crunched his eyebrows together at a doubt that rose in his mind. Didn''t master Damien go out to the council early in the morning in the carriage? How did he arrive without it? Had his master taken a long walk? The maid who had been killed had her body sprawled on the ground. Lifeless with blood that hade to settle around her face, drenching the side of her face which touched the ground. Back inside in the mansion, in the quiet room which belonged to Damien, Penny stood with her hands that wrapped around her body. She looked at him as he walked to the bathroom. Pulling up the plug of cold water before plugging it back where he turned the faucet of the tap to allow the hot water to start filling up the bathtub. Feeling Penny''s gaze on him, Damien ced his hand on the edge of the tub before whipping his head to look at her. She looked shocked and pale. The color of her cheeks lost with the water she fell into and the cold that had enveloped her before they reached the mansion. Pushing himself up, he faced her properly, "Are you scared?" he asked her. Penny was not sure of what fear he was asking for. Was it because her life was put into danger where someone wanted to kill her off by calling it an ident? Or was it that he had killed a maid in the blink of an eye? "I was serious when I said it. You are mine right now and my responsibility. If there is something I don''t like is when someone tries to damage something which is mine. Don''t be afraid of me," Penny felt her heart sink and this time it wasn''t the bad kind of heart sinking. It was as if thest few words he had uttered had tugged her heart. The way he told, brought down shivers down her spine. Was she afraid of him though? Penny wasn''t sure about it. He had killed the girl for her sake... "I survived," said Penny at the thought of the dead person at the front of the mansion. "You could have died if I didn''te on time," he contradicted. "People can be reprimanded and changed." "If you can do a mistake once, there''s a possibility that you will do it again. A mistake should be rectified right away else it turns to a malicious act. Better to prevent than wait. Did you want to let her live?" he asked her, his eyes turning narrow at her. The water continued to flow before Damien leaned back to turn off the faucet which led to the room to go back to being silent again. "Killing her like that-" Damien interrupted her, "You didn''t answer my question. Did you want the person to live after she tried to kill? Do you want me to remind you of how it feels to drown down there? No air to breathe as you struggle to p your hands. The panic of no one to help as you try to hold on to your life to only have it slip through right in front of your consciousness..." She didn''t forget that feeling. Looking at the water itself brought back the fresh memory of what took less than forty minutes ago. He walked to where she was, his footsteps padding across the floor with his muddy shoes as he had stepped into the water to get back out where the mud had been slippery. Penny looked at him walking towards her and she held her breath, "Penelope, you need to understand that vampires feel emotions double or triple than what humans feel. As cold as wee off to be, where things matter, we lose our mind and patience. The bond I have ced on you allows me to feel what you feel. Every passing emotion." Penny didn''t go to argue with him. In his ce he was right and in her ce, she wasn''t sure what was right. Men or women were often sentenced to trails but it seemed that in the vampire world there was direct judgment. "I haven''t seen anyone being killed like that..." she spoke the truth to him. It wasn''t an instant death but one out of torture which wasn''t restricted only to the person who was going through but also to people who were witnessing it. Penny was aware that if it weren''t for Damien she would have been stuck to the bottom of the sea and she was grateful to him. Right now no matter what the situation, she owed her life to him. "You will get used to it like many others." "I do not belong in this world, Master Damien. I am someone who is not supposed to be here." "Where else do you want to be if not here?" "..." Damien didn''t bat away his eyes from her. "You might not agree right now but you know it well that this is the only ce one day you will feel like you belong," he pulled the towel which was wrapped around her shoulders, "Take off your clothes and get into the tub," his words didn''t leave a room for argument. While Damien gave her the bathroom by moving away from it,?Penny who was wrapped in her own thoughts didn''t realize what was waiting ahead of her. Taking off her wet clothes before pulling the white curtain of the bathroom which had no door, she stepped into the warm water that soothed and her cold skin. Though she had taken a seat in the bathtub, she hadn''t moved an inch as she stared at the water she was surrounded in. Damien then stepped into the bathroom where he had pulled away from the wet shirt he had been wearing. Chapter 127 - He has lost his mind- Part 1 Damien had pulled out his shoes which were muddy, keeping them aside in the room to pad back in the bath where Penny was in the tub now, without any single piece of cloth on her. After all, she had stepped into it with the intention to take bath and to calm her shivering body which felt absolutely wonderful. But who knew that Master Damien was going to step inside back into the bath after she had stripped herself downpletely n.a.k.e.d and in the tub. "Don''t be embarrassed. It''s nothing new I have not seen," he said calmly without stopping near her and walking towards one of the many cupboards that were built on the other side of the wall. With his back facing Penny he rummaged through the things in there leaving Penny red in color. Should she step out of the bath? she asked herself in panic. This had never happened before therefore Penny had not considered him stepping in her while she was still n.a.k.e.d. With her body previously which had exposed the upper side of her body where the water level reached to the upper bosom, she sunk into the water further as if wanting to hide. But what could clear water hide where the candles were lit. Forgetting for a few seconds that Damien was in the room, she heard him say, "I have seen plenty of a number of n.a.k.e.d bodies. More than what an average human can see unless he belongs to the higher society. You shouldn''t be ashamed of your body," and when he turned his face, Penny panicked! "Master Damien, please!" Maybe he was used to seeing n.a.k.e.d men and women but Penny was not used to showing her n.a.k.e.d self to anyone, "You should know that human females like to keep themselves...hidden," she said carefully picking the choice of her words. She heard him hum in response, "How interesting. Thest few times I met the humans of your own s.e.x they were readily throwing themselves at me." "Some can be like that but a lot don''t like it," she kept her eyes on him where Damien had finally found a box from the cupboard and he closed it. "You should know that at the end of everything, the body is only made of flesh and bones and the skin covering it. If you take bodies to be like that and see it in that light, you won''t feel no embarrassment the way your cheeks have turned red right now by my presence in this room," he turned around making her heart skip a couple of beats and she saw his eyes to be closed, "What a wonderful sound that is," Penny knew he was talking about her heart. Gulping softly, she covered her front with both her hands, "Is that how you see everyone, Master Damien?" she took a quick peek at herself by looking down at her chest where her hands covered her b.r.e.a.s.ts but it wasn''t enough to cover the swell at the top and the sides which her small hands couldn''t contain. Her legs had pulled up to cover her bottom in the water, leaving her knees up in the water. Not having moved from his current position, Damien asked her with his eyes still closed, "Look how?" he questioned her. "Flesh and bones," she answered him. While Damien had his eyes closed, Penny didn''t look away from his upper half of the body. His taut muscles were defined and firm where the back muscles had flexed while he had bee searching for the box. His pant hung loosely on his "Isn''t that what makes it easier to kill. Imagine this, little mouse, you have a pretty hen that you look at every day. You feed it but when you are about to cook a chicken and eat. Do you think of it as the same hen you fed? We all look at it as meat and food," was master Damienparing people to food? It shouldn''t have been much of a surprise as he was a pureblooded vampire who needed blood to survive, "People are nothing but bones. After all, that is all that remains in the end. But then..." There was a but? thought Penny in her mind. He started to take steps away from where he was standing to the exit but Penny was in the way. "Some of us don''t look at it that way. At least not everyone. People whom you care and want to protect, want to take care of, those people cannot be reduced to bones," he answered her. Bending down he finally opened his eyes. The dark red eyes that swirled richly to emphasize his lineage he came from. Penny didn''t know why but what he said made her feel aware of his presence which was right in front of her. Though he hadn''t looked at her body and had kept his eyes on hers, she could feel the heat rising up over her face which was going to steam out if he continued to stay here any longer. It wasn''t his eyes and his presence that distracted Penny at the moment but the words that rang something distant at the back of her head, "I feel you''re one of those people who need things to be told without beating the bush but don''t worry, little mouse. I have no intention of beating around the bush." The distant bell in her head got slightly louder while making her feel dizzy as she tried to grasp what he was speaking of. After getting drenched in the river and now finally sitting in the tub of water, which was water again, she felt hazy her mind too rxed. "Master Damien, can you please step out of the bath. Until I am done at least," she requested him politely, her green eyes staring back at his mischevious one which looked amused. "What if I said no?" he asked her making her frown... Chapter 128 - He has lost his mind- Part 2 Penny went to speak but Damien beat her to it not allowing her to speak, "Oh, little mouse. Do you know that I had to rush from my work for you? I haven''t had blood since morning and had to use all my energy toe here.??And this is the thank you I receive from you. How heartless has the world turned to be," he said with a fake sadness while trying to make Penny feel guilty about his little sacrifice. "You should know better than put your health and life before me, master Damien," she retorted back with a frown at the thought of what could happen if something had happened to him because of her. She didn''t understand the severity of how things went after theck of blood in a vampire but Penny would have never wished for it. "I will do what I please," Penny who was about to turn her face away from him felt the bottom of her face being pulled by Damien who ced his cold lips on her warm ones. For the first few seconds, Penny was stunned and shocked at his action. Damien had shocked her time after time but this might have been the most shocking state she was in. Not able to push away as she was covering the front and not able to stand up as she was utterly n.a.k.e.d in the bath, Penny tried to move away from him. But like a moth that was attracted to the me, Damien followed her lead while his hand continued to hold her jaw in a firm grip. The kiss wasn''t forceful but a gentle one which had surprised her even more. When he pulled away, she came to confront the smoldering eyes of Damien Quinn who stared at her. He then licked his lips like he had tasted his favorite dessert which not only looked but also tasted delicious. Penny''s cheek turned red looking at Damien, "For someone who was ogling me when I had closed my eyes, you shouldn''t appear that shocked. Look at this shoulder. Where did you hit it?" he asked, his eyes shifting from her eyes to her bare lean shoulder, "Did you hit somewhere in the water?" he asked her. Her mind was too upied with her first kiss being taken away by this scheming vampire that she didn''t realize that her right shoulder was red and slightly bruised, "Let me finish with this one and I will leave." "I can do that!" she said bashfully raising her hand which only got swatted away by him. "Rubbish," he said, "The kiss might have not been intimate but it should do for now. If we kiss further I worry you might pass out," he said opening the box he had picked up from the cupboard earlier, "Now this might sting a bit," and before he even finished his sentence, he had dabbed something on her shoulder making her flinch.?Penny didn''t remember hitting any stone underwater. Internally she wished she could get underwater again to hide her embarrassment. Was he not done ying around with her? "Master Damien," she tried to gain his attention with all the courage she had. "Hmm?" "W-why did you kiss me? You have decided that I will die as a spinster," she said looking worried at him. Damien tilted his head, a few seconds passed and he then asked, "Why will you turn a spinster? Don''t you want to marry?" this made her narrow her eyes at him. "You kissing me, how is anyone going to take me as their wife and-" Penny stopped speaking when Damien came close to her again. This time it was him who had narrowed his eyes at her, "This blockhead mouse," he muttered under his breath, "You don''t need anyone but me." "But, I cannot serve-" he ced his lips to shush her. "Hush, my squeaky mouse," Damien had got her quietened right away, "Do you think my intentions have been only one of a master? If yes, then think again. You have all the time to catch up to where I am," his finger brushed over her lips as he said, "Finish your bath quick, darling. We don''t want you catching a fever. I will be out," he grinned to finally stand up and walk out of the bathroom leaving the girl wide-eyed. When Penny was done taking bath, she didn''t step back into the room for several minutes. Not knowing what to do she stood there staring at the walls. ''Do you think my intentions have been only one of a master?'' his voice spoke at the back of her head. She ced her head on the nearest wall to hear him say, "The door was locked, which would only mean that one of the family members gave out the key to the maid. Unless told otherwise, Falcon is the only one who goes in and out of this room," Penny finally stepped out of the bath to see Damien who had a bathrobe tied around his body now, "Are you d that the bond was ced on you? Else we would have a floating Penny out in the sea," it appeared that Damien had finally cooled down from his anger. It was true she was happy with him cing a bond but she was not happy with him kissing her! "Don''t look upset. You will make me fall for you more." Huh? Did water go inside her ear that she had heard it wrong? She stared at him and he stared back with the same vigor. "What?" she whispered her question with her heartbeat drumming in her ears. "I said- You will make me fall for you more. How hard is it to understand simple words?" he tutted her casually and he walked by her. Fall for her? He was joking with her right? No, it didn''t seem like it, thought Penny to herself. And what if he wasn''t joking? She turned to look back at the bath where she couldn''t see him right now. Did he mean...Penny''s face turned red for another time at noon while she tried to deny it. Chapter 129 - Ill fate The mansion stood quiet and still. The hollowness and the emptiness of the corridors where maids didn''t dare to walk and instead hurried away before their master arrived. In a lone room which was never entered by anyone but the owner of the mansion himself, a secretive room was attached to it which none knew of. A girl with tattered clothes sat on the cold ground where many other girls like herself had fallen to their bad fates. ves were often bought for the owner''s own pleasure. A lot of them were bought for s.e.x.u.a.l pleasure, which was one of the main reasons ves served their purpose as and it was no secret. Some were gifted to another as a present while very few used the ves as servants. The girl had dried streaks of tears on her face. Her legs which she could barely move, she let it rest without moving an inch from there. On hearing the locks on the other side of the room creak and turn, fear started to creep into her mind where she had nowhere else to go but stay here with one of her hand and one of her leg bound to the wall which was connected through the iron chains that looked as if it had started to decay. In the scare light which was burning in the far corner of the room, the door opened and in came the blonde man who wore a pair of sses that rested on his face. "P-please, no no-n. M-master please-please," she started to quiver in fear while trying to move away from where she sat but there was nothing but the wall that hindered her from going anymore behind. She could still feel the pain in between her legs, the front and back of her dress covered in her own blood as the man had entered in and out of her relentlessly without considering her feelings. Robarte smiled at his new ve who looked absolutely endearing as she shook in terror. They all looked lovely like this. His blonde hair had beenbed back as if he had gone out and had only returned back to the mansion a few minutes ago. Walking to where the ve trembled in the corner, he crouched down. Raising his hand, he touched her head while she continued to cower, "What is the matter? Did you forget to greet your master?" he asked patting her head gently but the girl feared as to when the very same hand would hit her. When Robarte had bought Anne to the mansion, she had been happy or at least had let out a relieved sigh thinking she was safe. That there would be nothing to worry about after the torturous time she had spent in the ve establishment. It had taken her three months and twelve days before she was bought to the ck market to be sold. Each and every day had been painful where she had cried over and over again. Seeing the gentleman who had bought her she had hoped for a better life but it from bad it had turn worse such that she wished she could go back to the ve establishment. The man in front of her appeared to be kind and a good man which was only a farce. In less than one week of Anne brought to this mansion, the actions taken on her had traumatized the young girl. Bruises covered her hands, legs, face, neck, and shoulders. "It looks like you have lost the ability of basic manners and it is time to teach you again," stated Robarte, putting his hand in his pocket, he pulled out the key and started to unlock her hand and leg. "No- no, master! Wee back home! Wee b-back home!" she cried but Robarte wasn''t happy about it. With a small frown, he looked down at her, cing his hand back to pat on her head and she flinched immediately. The action didn''t go well with Robarte and he pulled the girl''s hair making her cry in pain, "AHH!" she cried as the man pulled her hair forcefully, "M-master please let me go. I shall behave," she cried but the pureblooded vampire was in no mood to listen to her. "What are you scared of, Anne? I gave you food, a roof as a shelter where no one can hurt you but yet you are disobeying me. Behaving as if I am a monster. Am I a monster?" he asked to have her shake her head immediately. "No, master is n-not," she cried, fresh tears falling on her cheeks which slid down in the darkness of the room with the only source of light being the dimmingntern which was dying and the door that he hade through from, "P-please forgive me." "Forgive you?" he asked as if confused, "Wha are you asking forgiveness for?" he asked her. When he let go of her hair, the girl tried to hold in her sob, "WHAT ARE YOU CRYING FOR?" roared the man as if he had changed into apletely different person. Getting up he started to kick her, one kick after another making the girl yelp in pain and she tried to go to the corner to save herself. But no corner could save her from this hideous monster. The walls of the room which was made of stone and hollow with no object to upy expect for thentern in the corner, the shackles that were used to tie the ve and the mat which she sat on resonated back her cries. "Stop crying, you s.l.u.t!" he kicked her further, "Okay, you want to cry. Okay. Okay," he said, his voice fell down. Like it was trying to calm down, he ran his hand through his blonde hair as a single piece of his hair hade to settle on his forehead. He sat down again in front of her, crouching forward while touching her face which went to touch her slender neck that already had bruises of the finger marks, "Do you want to cry more? Cry now," he said squeezing her neck. The ve moved her hands and legs, trying to push the person away and his hands but it was of no avail. The pureblooded vampire was twenty times stronger than her. Robarte stared into the girl''s eyes that had widened considerably as she iled her hands. In seconds, the girl''s body finally fell ck to fall on him. He held the girl in his arms, running his hand over the back of her head as if the girl was still alive and had only fallen unconscious to sleep, "So quiet and nice," he whispered to himself with a smile on his face that looked peaceful. Stepping out of his room, he met his house servant who came to meet him, "There''s the body of the girl in my room." "What would you like to do with her, Sir?" asked the servant who had his head bowed deep. "Take her out at the time of midnight and throw her in theke of bones. Make sure no one sees you." "Yes, Sir Robarte." Chapter 130 - Meeting the black witch- Part 1 Penny stood behind Damien who stood to talk to the butler, Falcon. Giving out orders on what had to be done in the room as it had not been cleaned or entered for two days now. She had dressed in one of the dresses which Damien had given her to wear which either belonged to his elder sister or his deceased mother. With the many days that had passed by where she had finally learned a few things from Lady Maggie who was spending her time teaching her which waster verified by Damien, the man had finally decided that it was time for Penelope to meet the ck witch who went by the name Bathsheba. She wasn''t told prior that they would be meeting thedy today and the ns had turned suddenly after one of Damien''s associates named Kreme came to hand over the parchments which had to be reviewed along with news which was told informed to the pureblooded vampire. Both Damien and Penny traveled to the Isle Valley. Penny''s first initial thought was that they were going to head to the ck market but the carriage didn''t stop there until it was pulled a few distances away from the town. "You can take the carriage back to the mansion. We''ll be using another means of transport back home," Damien informed the coachman who bowed his head deeply. Starting the carriage the man left them to stand. "You don''t mind walking do you?" he asked her, his eyes sweeping across the grounds that had fewer buildings and more trees. The more a person moved away from the Isle Valley, the lesser the poption was found turning the ce more secluded and away from the high society who often visited the town to purchase things for either themselves or for another person. When they stepped in where there were little houses, Penny whispered to ask him, "I thought no ck witches live amongst the humans." "You would be surprised to find how many of them actually reside. Most are bad that kill and kidnap as they don''t stay too long in the popted ces where humans and vampires reside," answered Damien, his footsteps firm on the muddy ground, "Not many like to stay with the humans. After all, humans are as troublesome as the ck witches. The only ones who stay are the white witches who often get caught and killed." "The council don''t question them?" "There is no harm if no one knows about it. A secret is a secret unless you go saying it to others which reaches the ears of the murders who believe they are the justice," Penny had seen the witch in the council but to go meet and speak to a ck witch, she wondered how the woman would be. They continued to walk with some people who passed by as they continued to walk until the edge and corner where the forest started, "There are some rare cases where some of the witches want to live like any other person. A life some crave by the pure envy of what they can''t do. But then it doesn''t mean we stop being wary of them. Their initial natures never die which is why people like me keep eyes and ears on them. Being the mediators while wading the higher-ups who are nosey whilst keeping the outcast people safe in here." Penny nodded her head somewhat understanding what he meant. "Bathsheba is like many other ck witches. Out of mind and state where you might find her strange. Don''t be shocked when you see her. She doesn''t like it and will know." "What do you mean?" she asked him not understanding what he said. Weren''t all ck witches strange to see? With what she had seen ck witches''plexion was ridiculously dark and it wasn''t their skin tone but the very appearance that looked like the skin of a reptile which was scaly in nature and coarse. "You will see when you meet her. Do you see a difference in here, Penny?" he changed the subject, his head nudging towards the people. "They are less hostile." "I find you absolutely appealing when you catch on to things without me having to exin to you," Penny didn''t bring out the reaction upon her face knowing how much Damien enjoyed poking fun at her. Though internally the heat and blood had started to flow, creeping up to her neck she resisted the urge of him throwing her off again with his sudden confessions. Since the day she had fallen deep into the sea from his room, Damien had shown no mercy when it came to showering her or rather attacking her with one line after another as if it were nothing. But she knew the weight his words carried. "I don''tpliment everyone, you should take it with pride," he continued to say before going back to the topic he was speaking about, "The council has been trying to work for years on bringing the humans and vampires under one roof. And this is one of the very few sessfully towns which has both vampires and humans living together without much conflict." "Must be an achievement." "Indeed but only one who lives knows what goes behind the walls and perimeter of this ce. One should know to look beyond what is seen through the n.a.k.e.d eye. Haven''t you heard the saying- Not everything that glitters is gold. "Which means it isn''t harmonious as it looks?" "Why don''t you find out yourself. You will be visiting this ce many times from now, Bathsheba being the only point of contact witch unless she gets staked and roasted in the fire." When a man passed them as he pulled the sheep that wasn''t willing toe along with him, she asked, "Why are we going to the white witches?" "Because they are ced under the surveince of the magistrates and the guards who roam around are under the control of the council who aren''t exactly weing with the word of witch being mentioned." Chapter 131 - Meeting the black witch- Part 2 The house that the ck witch lived appeared to look like any other house in the area. The walls of it painted white which had faded to form cream in color due to the continuous rain and the atmosphere change. If looked closer one could tell that it was one of the most decent looking houses here. With no people seen on this side, Damien and Penny came to stand at the front of the door. Raising his hand, he knocked on the door once before dropping his hand down to his side. The door didn''t open which gave Penny the time to look at the small potted nts that looked as if it had been dug only in the morning to loosen the soil in it. Looking at the window, Penny noticed the curtains that covered the inside of the house. When the door finally opened, it didn''t openpletely until the person in the dark caught sight of Damien out the doorstep of the house. The door opened without the personing out in the light. Damien didn''t utter a word but stepped inside the house. Penny stared at the darkness inside before following Damien''s footsteps to hear whoever the person had let them in speak, "This one trusts you blindly." "You think?" asked Damien mindlessly. "Do you not trust Damien, witcher?" asked the female voice in the darkness of the room which was invited further when the door was closed shut as if leaving the outside world. With a lot of light that was outside and with the cut of light, Penny took some time to adjust her eyes to the darkness to notice the room was not actually dark but had antern burning at the edge of the table whilst the curtains continued to be closed. Penny could see the outline of the person who picked up thentern to turn around to bring it face to face in front of her and Penny. Penny now understood what Damien meant earlier on not to stare at the Bathsheba. Half of her face was disfigured while the other half appeared to look beautiful. It was as if the face had melted out under the constant fire which was left beyond repair. She quickly lowered her eyes to not cause any offense to the ck witch. If it weren''t for the other half face no one would ever doubt her to be a ck witch. Feeling Bathsheba''s eyes which were pale grey in color, Penny raised her eyes to look back at the ck witch as if she were waiting for her to speak, "He''s not done anything to harm me." "Of course," when the woman smiled Penny couldn''t stop herself from being mesmerized by the person. Even with a disfigured face the woman still managed to look charming with a small smile which she offered. This must be a ck witch''s ability to please people, "Come sit in here." The house as much as it looked clean and neat outside, it was the opposite inside. It was an utter mess that made Penny itch to clean the room that she was in, "Still brewing your pot I see," Damien murmured who didn''t hold back to look at things the ck witch was up to. "That is the most I can do for myself. It is hard to step outside with worthless men trying to woe me for marriage and women being jealous of what I am. It makes me wonder how much of their responses would still be the same if I wear to let them see the other half of my face," the ck witch, her response causing a chuckle from Damien who responded with, "I won''te to your funeral if that were to happen." "How mncholic. Vampires nevere to a witch''s funeral not even if they are in love. It is a true fac," thest line spoken to Penny. "You don''t have to worry about that. Penelope won''t die. At least not under my supervision," Damien chipped in before plopping himself by removing the clothes that were on the chair, "Did you get whatever you needed for your ritual?" he asked the ck witch. "Luckily I got everything setst night. Things you sent through your man was quite useful," answered the ck witch before going to say, "Though I have to say that he makes me want to boil the pot for him," Penny who was trying to follow what ck witch meant heard Damien respond with, "Spare him. If it is people that you crave I have some very enticing looking men and women I am sure you would like to cook for your meal," hearing this Penny couldn''t her eyes from going wide. She had heard about ck witches eating people but she had taken it to be like any other exaggerated rumor of the vige she grew up in. To think that this person ate people she couldn''t help but be wary and Damien had brought here. But then what other choices did they have? With the current circ.u.mstances of the white witches that were looked upon, she would only be another scapegoat of the council where it would be impossible to move. To be under the eye of the government was something she wasn''t looking forward to. After the little education she had received while also reading the books and trying to understand them which were stacked in Damien''s room, she could tell that she didn''t want to be part of it. There were some details that Penny had found it to be shady. "Penelope. Sit down here," said Bathsheba pulling out the chair for Penny to sit. Clutching her hands together, Penny walked forward and took a seat at the table. Once she had seated herself, she nced towards Damien who was looking at Bathsheba with his eyes not blinking away even for a moment. As if feeling her eyes, his gaze snapped to look at her where he gave her a smile. "Bathsheba won''ty a finger on you," he said sensing her stressed nerves. Penny wished there were times when Damien wasn''t this straightforward and would learn to keep a few things to himself without exposing her to the other person. Chapter 132 - Meeting the black witch- Part 3 Bathsheba looked at Penny who didn''t rake offense with what Damien just said. The woman pushed the clothes away from the other side of the chair. Both of them sharing a small table as they faced each other, "I won''t eat you, witcher. Tell me why have youe here." Penny parted her lips as she caught the woman pulling out the cloth where a crystal ballid beneath it. The ball was made of ss which looked grey and dull in appearance, "I was told you are the person who could help me understand what I am and what to do with it." Bathsheba hummed in response, sinking in the words of Penny as she tried to weigh it in her mind, "I am only a ck witch and my help can go only a certain direction before it stops because the ways of a white witch and ck witch are two different paths. Do you understand that girl?" asked the person. "I will take the help and assistance you can provide me," answered Penny truthfully. For someone who didn''t know where and what to look for, Penny was trying to hold on to something that would lead her to her lineage, "What is the crystal for?" she asked curiously looking at the crystal ball which Bathsheba held in her hands. "This is a crystal of answers. It is made of things that one cannot receive morally. Some deaths are required to obtain. Substances an average man would never look for, with the brewing smoke that lifts itself up in theke of bones, it has those properties inside it. Do you know what theke of bones consists of?" "Penelope isn''t aware of theke," interrupted Damien for the ck witch to not respond back but to say, "ce your hands on the crystal. Both of them," Bathsheba picked up an unlit candle thatid on the table. Holding it one of her hand she searched for the box of match sticks before lightning it and letting it stand. The woman started to murmur things under her breath which sounded incoherent in Penny''s ears even though she sat right in front of her whilst sharing the same table. Soon the crystal started to glow as if it had started toe to life with the smoke inside it swirling slowly. The change inside the crystal reminded her of the time where she had held one of the tubes which Damien had received and had to be sent to the council for testing. "Ask me questions and I will try answering them," spoke the ck witch. When Penny raised her eyes up from the ball to the white witch she found herself looking at the void ckness in the ck witch''s eyes. The wind around them which was not there started to move where Penny could feel the breeze passing around them. "Am I a white witch?" asked Penny wanting to confirm the information which was told by Damien. "Undoubtedly," came the answer from Bathsheba, "Penelope, you should be careful with where you go and what you speak. To avoid bringing attention to yourself. You might be doing it already where you are under Damien''s protection but there is something not many are aware of." Penny''s eyebrows furrowed together wondering what it was. Her hands were still positioned on the crystal ball that went to turn the smoke from gray to bluish-gray. "It was one thing when you were ignorant about you being a white witch but now things have changed. A cat will think if it closes its eyes it will be safe but no one is a cat here," Penny didn''t understand what the ck witch was trying to say to her, "You were safe until you thought that you were a normal person. Someone who belonged to the lower society but with knowledgees the revtion which gradually starts showing in the appearance. One of thecking characteristics when ites to the white and ck witches are that the ck witches can identify both their sisters." "Sisters?" "Yes, the ck and the white witches are sisters somewhere up the line though now they don''t get along. Unlike the ck witches, white witches can''t identify by the looks of who is their fellow sisters which is where they fall under a major disadvantage." Damien piped in to say, "A lot of white witches are killed not because theyck in keeping themselves safe but it is because when suspicion falls under a certain ck witch living in the same vige, they often set the white witches up who take the fall before the ck witches escape from there." So that was what happened. Penny looked at Bathsheba who stared at the crystal, "What is the next thing you would like to know? Is it your father?" the woman asked surprising her on how she had guessed it, "Sometimes life is all about being intuitive around and you people who walk by you. Haven''t you noticed what your master has been doing? He has mastered the art of intuition to the point that people worry to be seen by him at the fear that he might read every little detail of the person which includes their history." Penny''s eyes met Damien''s who looked back at her. There had been many times in the past that made her doubt the ability he had spoken of before. Apart from transporting from one ce to another, the man had himself said he had abilities and not ability which had made her often wonder if he could read her mind. Looked like that was not what it was but his pure intuition and observing skills he had been putting underuse. "Not many allow themselves to make use of their bodies because a lot are unaware of it. It is very few people in the poption who can do it," said Bathsheba before continuing to ask Penny, "Would you like to know about your father''s whereabouts...?" Chapter 133 - Meeting the black witch- Part 4 MASS RELEASE on 31st Dec? Read the author''s note. . She would finally get to know about her father? All these years, her mother and her had no clue about where he was and now that the opportunity of knowing where he was, knocked on her door. Penny didn''t wait to seize it. "Yes, please. If it is possible," she added, tightening her grip on the crystal ball, making sure not squeezing it too hard, just in case she ends up breaking. The previous time she had held the tube, the tube had shattered by itself. Seconds started to pass by with the candle flickering every now and then with the ck witch''s words that went on under her breath, Penny sat with her heart beginning to beat nervously. After some time, the woman pulled her hand away from where she had been holding the crystal with her open palm, "I am not able to find him. I will need something which is of his," on hearing this Penny shook her head in disappointment. "I don''t think there''s anything I have with me that belongs to him." "You do," the ck witch smiled, the only good eye on her face crinkled, "The blood that runs in your veins is your father''s. He is definitely a white witch." Penny was surprised that Bathsheba thought that her father was a white witch, "How can you assume that?" "That is how the offsprings of the white and ck works. It is usually the white that prevails while leaving the inheritance of the ck witch behind. I will need your hand. I don''t think you would mind, do you?" Penny who was about to respond, saw the woman turn to look at Damien who was sitting crossed leg staring at them. Was the ck witch asking him because she was his ve? "It is her wish," with a simple reply Bathsheba raised her hand as if already knowing that Penny would give her hand willingly. Penny ced her hand on the ck witch''s hand who didn''t wait but ran one of her sharp nails on her palm making Penny wince with the tear of her skin. Blood started to ooze out of her hand. The woman turned around her hand to let the blood fall on her own before she took the drops towards the candle and let the blood drop fall right at the me which touched the me to only disappear in thin air without wetting the tip of the candle. More muttering took ce until the crystal ball started to turn dark with the sizzle of the candle before the candle stilled itself. "He is dead," Bathsheba didn''t sugarcoat the words and delivered the news as it was. Penny felt her heart sink. She knew it. Somewhere deep down in her heart, Penny knew that her father had died a long time ago. Else why would a man leave his wife and daughter stranded to be all alone in this world, which was nothing but cruel to them? Tears formed in her eyes, the darkness and the lighting from the candle and thentern making her eyes sparkle like gemstones but she didn''t allow herself to cry. Blinking back the tears so that it would dry by themselves she took a subtle deep breath. "Is there a way to know as to how he died? What caused his death?" her voice shook as she asked this. Damien who was sitting through the entire session looked at Penny, listening to her heart shudder at the thought of what might have happened to her father. She didn''t even get to spend time with the man yet he could feel her despair. "Yes, but I don''t have all the items that are used to create the ritual. It would take more than blood from you which-" Damien interrupted Bathsheba from continuing any further by saying, "That won''t be necessary. The ck market is having a parade next week. We aren''t in a hurry where you will have to use a substitute. I am sure Penny can wait until then," he said looking at Penny. Penny looked at him with her furrowed brows. Truthfully she wanted to know about her father right now. When Penny had been small as she grew up, she never got to know what it felt like to have a father to protect his family and love his child. While others looked up at their fathers, she had none but her mother who was trying to keep her safe but life had never been easy. Being bullied by the children and having her things stolen was one of the mostmon things when she was a young girl. She wanted to know what happened to him. Was he killed by a vampire? Or was it the witches? Damien looked at the ck witch sharply. ck witches often didn''t get everything to perform the ritual which was when they picked the shortcut by using sacrifices that went from animal sacrifices to humans. As Penny tried to console herself, she felt a hand on her shoulder which was none other than Damien''s when Bathsheba said, "Would you like to know about your mother?" Her mother had died out of illness. Penny didn''t see the point of hearing something she had witnessed and gone through next to her mother''s death bed, "Her mother passed away a few months ago," Damien filled the ck witch who tilted her head with a frown. "Died?" the ck witch asked, her voiceing out to be one of disbelief, "What do you mean?" she asked not able to grasp what was told. Penny took a few seconds to gather her thoughts over her parents before letting the ck witch know, "My mother fell ill seven to eight months ago. She caught an illness," and even though there was a doctor in the very vige, the man had refused toe to see her mother which had broken her heart making her feel helpless. By the time she had managed to catch hold of another doctor from the neighboring vige, it had been toote and her mother had died after a week of the doctor''s visit. Chapter 134 - Agreement - Part 1 Bathsheba stared at the white witch who told the way her mother had died. The ck witch had been living in the vicinity for twelve years now, keeping herself low while also mingling with people for small talks without spending much time outside. Due to her disfigured face, the woman usually kept one side of her face hidden which had melted twelve years ago, caused by one of her fellow sisters. The ck witch had turned out to be the odd duck out of the whole lot where she didn''t want to take part in the grand n of taking over thends and the races of this world. After the refusal, one of her sisters had thrown the potion which was being made that had left half of her face melted which was why she stepped out of her house only after covering her face. There were times where she had to use the spells to leave a few of them who had seen her perfectly normal face, which in reality was only a mirage of a truthful lie. None of the viges took an outsider, as the outsiders were often the ones to bring ill will, who came in the disguise of being humans when they were actually witches. Keeping low in the vige wasn''t helpful as those were the people who were often targeted by the vige or town folk. If one had to live with humans, they had to learn the ways of the human to avoid any suspicion. After she had left her sisters behind which hadn''t gone well, she had started to live here but men were often attracted to her camouged body and the way she appeared which people found to be enticing. She hade across many white witches and if needed she could set them up but the ck witch often set only her other closer sisters who were the ck witches. She looked at Penny who iterated about her dead mother which was very confusing, "Are you talking about the other mother of yours?" "What?" Penny frowned at what Bathsheba had to say. Another mother? She had only one mother unless the woman whom she had known all these years was not her mother but someone else, "I don''t understand. Could you please exin?" "You said your mother passed away due to illness. Did you see her die?" asked the ck witch that turned Penny''s heart to be unsettled now. "I have known only one mother for a very long time. She''s the one who brought me up since I was a little girl. She died right in front of my eyes because of the illness and I saw her die," answered Penelope, giving the needed insight to clear the doubt this ck witch had at the moment. Damien who was listening to them spoke to Bathsheba, "What makes you think Penelope has had two mothers?" he questioned, his own curiosity piquing up. Bathsheba let go of Penny''s hand which she had picked and left to only pick it up again to make sure her readings were right, "The blood that I drew from her was to locate her family. It is one of the easiest methods as they are rted by blood. Then with her, having spent years, there should be a rtionship that has not taken ce. Sometimes attachment is enough which serves the purpose of the indirect rtionship that is formed. The problem here is that I do not find another rtion apart from this onedy who must be here mother that is if the woman who Penny imed to have fallen ill was the very same person." "And you''re saying she''s alive?" asked Damien while Penny was still trying to reel in what the ck witch just said to her. "That can''t be possible," Penny said staring at the crystal ball which was swirling back and forth with the smokey grey and blue inside it. Damien took hold of her hand which had been pierced to ce his handkerchief on it, letting her fingers curl around the little cloth, "Thank you," she murmured at Damien''s gesture to say, "You just said that my father who never returned back to us was dead but the mother I know who knew him has passed away. I saw her buried and if I were an adopted child I would have known." "Then it is possible that your mother that you so speak fondly of is still alive." The ck witch looked confident with what she to ry to Penelope. "That is not possible." "Why don''t you go check?" Bathsheba smiled as if the little confusion fed her as entertainment right now. ''Check?'' Thought Penny to herself. There was only one way to know if what this witch was saying was true or she was only swindling lies for her amus.e.m.e.nt, which right now she doubted was the reason. She had seen her mother suffer with every day that had passed by in the number of painful hours and theck of help that people refused to give them. She had seen the pain, her mother''s cough keeping her up as she spouted to blood through her mouth. In the end, she had seen her beloved mother be descended down the ground that had been buried for her before the headstone was ced. With Penny''s mood that had soured while also having hope which was confusing to think that her mother was alive, she couldn''t stop thinking of wondering to herself what was going on. Damien looked at Penny and then said, "Now that you both have met each other. Do you think you can help her, Bathsheba?" "Help lies where help is needed. If the girl is willing to trust in my ability I am in for it. What do you think, white witch?" asked the woman. Even though this ck witch might have not set up the white witches to their deaths, Penny could somewhere feel the resistance that came from the woman at what she was... Chapter 135 - Agreement - Part 2 Giving 13 chapters Mass Release, don''t forget to leavements on the chapters and also use your power stones to vote~ . . "I don''t mind," answered Penelope for Damien to p his hands together. "That is lovely. Penny wille here from tomorrow and if needed I can set up a ce for both of you to meet so that her presence doesn''t draw any attention. Have you sensed any ck witch other than yourself pass by here?" Bathsheba looked at her door, "There are many who pass by with the ck market next to this vige but no one dares to stay. And on another note, councilman Damien. You should know that there have been deaths. The recent one being taken ce five days ago," the ck witch smiled, and the human tongue which she had posed until now turned to a hiss as the snake-like tongue came out of her mouth before sliding back in. Stepping out of the house from the back door, Damien took Penny inside the forest where Penny''s feet walked quite fast than his own. She appeared to be in deep thought who hadn''t spoken a word after leaving the house of the ck witch which had been close to twenty minutes ago. Damien didn''t mind walking but Penny was walking aimlessly whilst not knowing the direction of where to walk. Damien himself was surprised to hear that Penelope''s mother was still alive unless the woman who had been buried was never her mother and there was some fault in Bathsheba''s reading. How strange, thought Damien to himself. The girl was warped with mysteries which she herself wasn''t aware of. "You are walking in the wrong direction, mouse. Go farther away and you will step into the wilder part of the forest," Penny upon hearing this stopped immediately, her trans like self broken at Damien''s voice. "I am sorry," she apologized for not realizing it until he pointed it out to her. "I didn''t notice it." "You didn''t," agreed Damien before his eyes swept from looking at her to the forest they had stepped in farther than away, "Do you want to go see your mother?" he asked knowing if he confirmed it herself she would feel much more at ease than feel agitated as she felt right now. "Do you think it is possible that my mother whom I thought to be my own was never my actual mother who gave birth to me? And that the woman who gave birth to me is still alive?" asked Penny with a worrisome face. "Various theories can be pulled from it, Penelope. But until and unless you don''t see it yourself, you might not be able to find the truth on what you want to hear that is if you are ready." Some of the crows that had perched up in the tall lush trees cawed together which sounded distant from where they stood. With the clouds that had gone to cover the sky again and the leaves that were spread out wide turned the forest dark and cozy, "The vigers won''t speak about it or might not even know. So far as I remember and you should know it too that my mother and I were unweed after my father left us," she looked down at her hand where she had been clutching on to Damien''s kerchief that had blood inked in it. "And your answer was that it was because the vigers shunned your family at the possible thought that your father had run away with another woman. But now that we know that it isn''t true and that he has passed away, there should be something else we can find. What about the magistrate?" Penny shook her head, "He is a newly appointed magistrate. The previous magistrate was found hanging on the tree with a noose around his neck." "The vige you grew up in sounds very much interesting with every passing time of when it is brought up for discussion. I have a proposal if you don''t mind," seeing Penny continue to hear in silence, the Damien continued, "Let''s get a bone from your deceased mother." "How would that help?" she asked. "Bathsheba is more than a capable ck witch. And the only handy one where you can find your answers," that was true thought Penny in her mind. It wasn''t that she minded the idea but it seemed odd and who dug graves all over again unless it was moved to another cemetery which was a very rare urrence as the vigers often preferred to keep everything in one ce, "If we get a bone, we can prove to see if the woman was your actual mother as she has posed all these years or if there is something more to the story which we aren''t aware of." "Okay," she agreed willing to try it, "When do we do it?" the vigers wouldn''t be happy if they found someone digging the already dead people from the ground. It would only cause another rift that could end up under the light of the magistrate or other higher-ups which they didn''t want right now. "If I am not wrong, the vige is having a festivity of carnival that has been up for two days now. We can go there at the time of night when it is over and everyone is asleep." The carnival in the vige extended for two more days before the things that had been put up were being pulled down so that the people could move to the next vige to attract people to earn money and continue their livelihood. It was the time of night where Penny sat in the room waiting for Damien who had gone down to be with his family as his father had requested for his presence with the rest of the family members. When he finally returned back, Penny looked up at Damien like an actual pet who had been waiting for its master''s arrival. Curious Penny asked, "Everything went well?" "Yes. He said walking to the bathroom toe out of there after a few seconds, "Why do you ask? It is something my father does every month. To have a family meeting to make sure we all are getting along well with each other and to know if there''s anything that the family needs to know. Nothing too big. Are you ready?" he asked to find Penny quickly jump from the bed and stand in front of him. Damien who wore his coat pulled another one to hand it over to her, "Wear this one," he said while going to his door to lock it with the bolts which were built on the wall and the doors. Once it was secure, he came back to her where she wore the coat he had given her. The clock on the wall of the room hooted with the owl that came out with every move of the pendulum, "Grab my hand," and she ced her hand. In a second, the cold wind rushed through her while she felt like ice due to the time they had stepped out to finally be back near her vige standing behind a couple of trees. Crickets chirped behind the bushes and in the grasses that surrounded them. As expected, there was no one sight as everyone had gone to sleep with the time that had moved to the next day. Chapter 136 - The body- Part 1 Penny and Damien walked under the starless sky where the clouds grumbled and lightning sparks tried to escape every time the clouds shed against each other. There was a possibility of heavy rain with the way it looked right now but the two people walked towards the cemetery which was surrounded by low barbed wire which was curled around the wooden post to hold them still. Stepping inside the cemetery, Penny followed Damien while looking left and right to make sure no one saw them. It was highly unlikely that anyone would find them as it was quitete in the night right now with the tower bell which had rung an hour ago when the clock struck twelve at night. "Is this the one?" asked Damien who previously not stepped inside and had stayed out thest Penny hade to visit her mother. "Yes," Penny breathed out the answer looking at the headstone and the name that was etched on the stone shabbily. With no one who was going to help them, Penny and Damien would have to do the digging to avoid bringing a third person to pull out suspicion. The time right was such that suspicion ran high amongst the people who were quick to jump to conclusions and cause a riot. Walking to the hut which was built on the far corner, Damien brought out two shovels with him. Handing one to her and keeping one for himself both of them started to dig the grave. Digging the mud out and the grave was not easy in Penny''s opinion. It took more than an hour where they had to remove the mud one after another before little droplets of water started to hit the top of their heads which fell from the sky. The drizzle started to slow by the time they had almost removed most of the mud but the weather had its own ns. Not waiting for the two people in the cemetery, the rain started to fall as thunder growled shaking the week windows of the houses that resided in the vige. Reaching the hollow box that stopped from going any further both Penny and Damien looked at each other. "Let''s move you up," Damien suggested over the rain. Pushing Penny up to stand on the higher ground as the rain continued wetting the ground further along with the mud they had just dugout. Penny who stood up and above looked down at Damien who pulled out the top of the coffin. Once the lid was opened and pushed away from the bottom part of the wooden coffin, Penny stared at the coffin with her eyes taking in what was in there. Searching for the person who wasn''t there as the coffin was bare and empty. The raindrops had wet her hair, letting the hair stick to her face and her neck. Water droplets moved from the top of her head to trail down one after another before it left her face to fall on the ground. Finding the empty coffin, Damien looked up at Penny to see the confusion and shock on her face. Had she perhaps got the wrong coffin? "She''s not here," whispered Penny over the sound of the rain and thunder which tried to drown her voice. She went to the headstone which had been moved, reading through her mother''s name ''Shi Ivory''. This was definitely her mother''s headstone and it was supposed to be her mother''s coffin but where was her mother? Feeling Penny''s panic, Damien sat down to touch the bottom of the coffin box which had looked clean until the rain came along to pull the mud, invading the coffin box. When Damien had opened the coffin box, he had noticed how clean it looked. Like a fresh coffin box. The normal wood which was used by the lower ss of humans wasn''t made of good quality which often dulled, leaving a mark of the body that would have started to decay within it. How many months had Penny told since her mother had passed away? Six to seven months? But that would have been before she was brought to her rtive''s house. That should have been more than enough time for the body to start corroding to leave a mark along with the decayed smell of the body. But right now, there was neither the scent of decay nor was there a mark on the coffin. There was no question of moving, thought Damien looking back at Penny who had her back against him as she must have gone to look at the name of the headstone. How strange though. To have a grave being used without a body in here. The first suspicion would go to the people who belonged to the vigers who were hostile to her and her mother. It could have been possible that the people would have tried to remove the person as they would have felt that people who they didn''t agree with had no ce in and around the vige but if it really were true...they would have never kept the headstone either. Which was why it didn''t make sense of what must have happened. Why would one keep an unused space of grave for any reason which in turn went to point what Bathsheba said. His eyes narrowed at the conclusions his mind drew out. With one punch towards the coffin, he pulled the broken piece in his hand. He believed there was something that could be used from here, the coffin. Having inspected the coffin which was now getting filled up with rainwater as the force it came down in was getting more, he stood up and jumped out of the grave. "She was supposed to be there..." came Penny''s voice, her eyes filling up with water that went unnoticed due to the rain that had wet her face, "I saw her being buried. What happened?" asked Penny. How long had the grave been empty that she had been visiting her mother''s grave now to only find out that her mother''s body was not here anymore? Chapter 137 - The body- Part 2 More rain continued to fall on thends of the Bonke. Washing the silt and dirt that hade up to be pushed to the lower surface. After they were done pushing the mud back in ce while keeping the grave back in its position, Damien held her hand to go back to the mansion in a blink of an eye. Penny stared nkly at the wall, "Master Damien," she finally looked up to meet his eyes. It seemed that he knew something that she wasn''t aware of. Damien let out a loud sigh. The sighing out to be a bit frustrated. He ran his hand over his hair which had fallen t on his forehead to only push it back, "Bathsheba was right," he replied to her questioning eyes that had turned greener than the rest of the time over her pale skin. Water droplets still covered her face that stood still, "I don''t think you have two mothers. The mother who you have known all these years, whom you saw being buried is not dead." Penny smiled at him. Her smile wavering in doubt, "How can a person be alive after being dead. The human lives don''t work that day," she stated. What he was saying didn''t make sense but with the proof of an empty coffin, there was the truth that she saw that she was trying hard to ept. "I would have told it was the vigers but no one ever leaves an empty coffin. It is in thew of space that has been ced by the council to utilize and not make a mockery of the dead. If one were to even move the person from one coffin to another, you cannot leave an empty one there. It is the magistrate''s responsibility to remove it and I doubt that the current magistrate who was looking forward to s.e.x.u.a.l favors from you would have touched the body at all. The person would instead continue to keep the body so that he has a way to get back in contact with you. To be able to see you again and bring back the same intentions which he has harbored by the thought of you." Penny shook her head. She saw her mother suffer. If she wasn''t by her side looking after her mother, maybe... maybe she would have considered it but this felt unreal. She had touched her mother''s body which had left its soul. With no movement where sheid in the coffin. Damien then continued to say, "A humans mindset is such that if they hate something, they will make sure to eradicate it but with thew hanging in ce, no one would take the trouble to dig up the grave and remove the body," he walked towards the firece, pushing the logs to start the fire, "The coffin which was there, it has been unused. The body starts decaying soon once it is dead. Bringing not only a foul smell but also leaving its moss thates from the body on the surface of the coffin. There are two conclusions that can be drawn here. One, that someone stole the body the same day the body was dug up and put in the grave. Two, the person who was supposed to be in the coffin is not dead but alive which was what Bathsheba said." Damien was right with the second option being the more usible one. How else would Bathsheba tell that her mother was alive? Why and how came the questions in Penny''s mind. Penny was in loss of words. How did her mothere back to life? She looked at the firece which crackled with fire, sparks of the woods flying softly in its own cage, "It was good," it always had been. After all, there was no one else Penny had been close to. When others around her had shunned her, refused to talk or look at her, her mother had given her all the time she could even during the heavy working days. "It was a peaceful atmosphere when she was around. She was my friend, father and everything a person a little girl would want from her mother." "Exin a little more on this illness that she caught. What were the symptoms that you noticed in her?" Damien didn''t often go looking up for the symptoms when someone told them they were sick but with the body missing and her mother who could be out and alive, there was no telling what was going on here. Recollecting it, Penny said, "There was discoloration on her skin. As in my mother had a very paleplexion but her lips turned dry and dark, dark circles around her eyes which showed she was exhausted. She fell sick as if she had caught a cold. Though it wasn''t the time of Winter, her body couldn''t hold on to the weather and as the end of the days approached she coughed blood." "Hmm," Damien hummed taking in what she said, "How did you make the doctor agree toe to visit your mother?" "He was an acquaintance of my mother. I did go to find him earlier before he arrived but he wasn''t there. He was out on errands every time I went to go see him. At least that is what the sign on his board said," she replied back with a frown. "Do you think he still lives there?" "Why would you ask that?" "Because it is highly likely that if your mother has disappeared from the coffin, the man should not be there too. For your mother to rmend and for the man to arrive only at her ending time, don''t you think something is off there? You wouldn''t have suspected it before but with what has urred we can find out by going there the first thing in the morning tomorrow." Penny didn''t understand why her mother had not reached out to her if she was alive. Wasn''t it the first thing one did if they were toe alive? To meet their loved ones but right now her mother had not let her know. She had stayed with her uncle and aunt for months yet she had not let a single doubt of her existence reach her. The question was why? Chapter 138 - Behind the scenes- Part 1 The rain continued to pour down dulling every other sound the atmosphere had to offer. The silence didn''t soothe her mind and instead, it only gave out the room for her thoughts that bombarded with questions that had no answers. Her mother was alive but not once had shee in contact with her. Was there a reason and exnation of what happened or how it happened? All this while she had visited her mother with sadness in her heart but with every minute that passed by, Penny found it hard to fathom down the fact that the person wasn''t dead but alive. She turned around from facing her back to Damien to look at the mirror where Damien had been looking right at her. "Unable to sleep?" he asked her before turning his body to the side to look at her directly instead of using the mirror on the ceiling of the bed. Both of them had drenched in the rain to change their clothes to a fresher dry one with their hair in the process of drying. "Is it possible to return from the dead?" it was something that was biting the back of her mind. Damien didn''t answer right away. After a thunder growled in the sky, he said, "There have been readings, inscriptions on how people can be brought back from the dead but they alle from the unorthodox ways of the ck and white witches. One might think that the white witch doesn''t hold such power but they actually do only that they are aware that it isn''t healthy to make use of it. Every action which goes against the universal naturees back twice with the reaction one can far be able to resist." "But my mother was a human," she frowned. Was there someone who had brought her back to life after her death? "Did she have the same green eyes as you?" he asked her to see her shake her head. "They were brown in color. Human-like." "When did you visit her grave after her death or being buried?" questioned Damien, "You moved the very day with your rtives," Penny nodded to the question he asked. Now that she thought about it, it was strange that her rtives who never came to see what condition her mother and her were in hade on hearing the death of her mother. Rtives hadter started toe like a proof of witness. "It was five dayster I went to see her again. The pain was too much to let go of her who had been with me all these years," she said, thinking about the time of how much she had cried sitting at the grave but it had been a very short visit. A visit that didn''t go for more than two minutes which was why no one knew that she hade there. She hade quickly to only disappear. Had her mother awoken from her death in those five days? She didn''t know what to think of it as nothing made sense at the moment. "I am sorry to hear what happened to your father and also about your mother," Damien offered his piece of words. Penny gave him a small smile that lifted up her lips to only fall back. She was sad and confused. "She must have her own reasons for noting to meet me," murmured Penny as if trying to console her but something told her that it was a lie and Damien''s expression told her the same which he didn''t utter out but only stared at her. "Get some sleep. You will need it for tomorrow," he said waiting for her to close her eyes. Penny nodded her head. It took a while before Damien heard her steady breathing to indicate that she had finally fallen asleep after spending more than an hour in the bed without actually falling asleep. He, who had been on the bed turned to his other side to push himself up from the bed before cing his feet on the ground and standing up. Damien had been waiting for Penny to fall asleep and now that she had fallen deep in sleep thanks to the weather and her getting drenched in the rain, he walked towards the firece. Bending down he added a few more logs to keep the room temperature warm enough so that it wouldn''t be affected by the rain that continued outside. Walking towards the stand to pick up the animal faux made coat and the very next second he had disappeared from the room in a blink of an eye. Damien was back in the house he had visited before. It was the ck witch, Bathsheba''s house. Bathsheba had her back against him. She was clinking sses, picking up the little bottle to remove the cork of it and pour the contents inside the boiling pot which made bubbling sound in front of her. "I was waiting when you would give me a visit," said Bathsheba, as if expecting his arrival thedy turned to look at the pureblooded vampire who hadn''t bothered to knock on the door where the rain would have made him wet again. "What are you boiling?" he nced towards the pot and then the ingredients that were ced on either side of it. Some which were still full and some of the things that were emptied by putting in the pot. Bathsheba turned back at the top, moving the coal like fire away from the pot to stop whatever she was preparing, "Just some potion for my daily use. If you are here at this house of the time, I assume it is for the girl that you havee." "Her mother''s body is missing from the coffin," Damien raised his brow in question, "She saw her mother buried." "A lot of people are buried, councilman but not every single one of them stay there. Some bodies get stolen and somee back alive." Damien chuckled, "I wonder why I didn''t think about it," he rolled his eyes to say, "What do you think happened?" "I think you already know the answer to it. You are here only to confirm if what you deduced is the right one or not," Bathsheba offered him a ss of blood which she had ced in the side. Chapter 139 - Behind the scenes- Part 2 "Her mother isn''t a human as well, is she?" asked Damien without beating around the bush. "No, she isn''t. You are very fast in drawing conclusions, especially the right ones. It makes me wonder why you haven''t reached the higher position in the council or haven''t applied to the Duke or the Lord," she smiled staring at him. The first time Bathsheba had been caught by Damien with his keen eyes where the rest had only passed by her and even if they did see her, no one had ever doubted on her being a witch. After all, she was ady with a beautiful face who was shy to look and talk to others. At least that is what she made others believe and think. A little more potion like effect on others and that was all she needed to live here that was until she came across this man. Bathsheba was unsure if it was good luck or bad luck that she had been caught that day by him. It might have been good luck as this pureblooded vampire who worked for the council had let her go without ripping her head off or burning her to death. He was handsome who Bathsheba had for one of the hundredth time had shown interest in the kind she was not supposed to have. Damien had all the qualities one would need to step into the next line of the council and though he had plenty of hidden abilities, lineage and the kind of money his family had also with his keen eye it wouldn''t have been a problem. Which only made one wonder why he didn''t bother to step into the higher role. He didn''t answer her question and then said, "Correct me if I am wrong but what we have is a dead white witch who is her father. Then we have Penny who just found out that she is a white witch whilestly the mother who is not a human. If she is back, does it mean she is a ck witch?" silence followed his words and Bathsheba smiled at the quick answer he had found in such a short time. The man was truly capable which only made her admire him but it seemed that he had his eyes and soul on someone else. "I wouldn''t draw my conclusion that close that only a ck witch cane but to fake the death there are chances that the girl''s mother was a ck witch. There have been times when couples never knew who they were so having an offspring were like many other times white blood flows and emphasizes more than the ck witch''s blood," the ck witch put the lid over the coal and walked past him, picking up the crystal ball from the table to show it to Damien, "Do you know why we make use of the dead? It is because it gives a higher form of power. Sacrifice is not something everyone is willing to perform but when it is self-sacrifice, it forms a greater source of power and energy that you cannot achieve by anything else." "Why would a ck witch perform self-sacrifice? Have you heard any reports from the other sisters of yours?" Bathsheba scoffed, cing the crystal back from where she had picked, "Councilman Damien-it is not easy for people like me to walk around especially with what my sisters did to me. A lot of them avoid me like gue for what I have done and not done. Once you take a stand, it is difficult to refute and go back to make things better. The ck witches are less forgiving than humans or vampires. But yes, there has been a move on the elder sister. The one who your councilmen failed to catch or rather the people who betrayed you." "The witch who is creating chaos by setting up the mass human sacrifice?" "That''s the one. She won''t stop until she achieves it. But she isn''t looking just for things," smiled the witch. "What is she looking for? Thanks to her the council has been extra busy and we have another bunch of ck witches who are trying to convert the humans to half witches." "How interesting. Do not worry about it. It will be another failure. It is not the first time they have done it but if they do seed I would pity the humans and the council for the work you will have to do," Bathsheba chuckled, taking a seat on the empty chair before asking Damien to take a seat too with her hand being raised. Damien didn''t sit down but went to the pot that had been previously bubbling up. Staring at the ckish-brown colored liquid he said, "If the count of witches goes up it would be difficult to hide the good ones. There are many councilmen who don''t agree with our idea. They will burn everyst standing ck witch," he picked up the little bottle which contained blood. "I am aware of it," Bathsheba replied back to him. It wasn''t that she didn''t know, but thends would be in far worse trouble with the number of deaths. The fournds that were connected to each other would be in a far worse state of chaos that even she didn''t know what would happen and who would prevail in victory. Damien fished something in his coat before he produced a wooden stick like which looked as if it had been broken forcibly. He handed it to the ck witch who stared down at it before asking him, "What is this?" "It is the coffin the woman was buried in. Can you find out something from it?" he asked her. Damien had drawn the conclusion the moment he had opened the coffin box with the signs of her being a ck witch that was sttered all over. Yet he had not told what he found to Penny. It was a delicate matter where he needed to see what was going on or before he confirmed it himself. Chapter 140 - Past deeds- Part 1 Bathsheba continued to look at it before her eyes shifted to meet Damien''s eyes, "I cannot help you in this matter. A bone would have sufficed but with her not being dead and her father whom we don''t know where he is buried now, there is no telling where she is." Seeing the displeased look that formed on Damien''s face, the ck witch continued to say, "There is someone who can help you but I don''t know where you can find the person." "Who is it?" asked Damien curious. "I don''t know where the person is and who it is but the stars this time have aligned to form a broken stick that points to the star that shines brightly. It is not often that we find it but it has been told to be wary of the person as a person has been born with the gift that is greater than any that walk on thesends. But it isn''t just that person," Bathsheba paused her words, hearing the loud thunder that continued to growl and the rain stop drastically, "The girl you brought here, Penelope did she ever experience something out of the blue before? Have you heard of dormant witches?" Damien nodded his head, "They are the offspring of ck witches mostly who turn out to be human-like with no power. Are you saying that Penny was a dormant witch until now?" "Don''t you think it is possible? The stars have aligned together have bought it or evoked the existing abilities of these people which was hidden before. It is a theory but a believable one. It happens once in every few centuries where the alignment has been lost with people not knowing about it." "What about the person you mentioned? How can she help?" Bathsheba nodded her head, "It is said that there are at least four to five of them who have gained the gifts to make use of them. This person has the ability of touch, who can sense and see things. It is an interesting gift." "If Penny was is a white witch and if what you said is true. That would mean that she has abilities," Damien let out a chuckle, "How interesting. I will bring her here soon. There are a few concerning matters that need to be fixed." "I would be happy to help you," bowed the ck witch by the time she lifted her head and eyes the man had left the room without a word. How like him, thought the ck witch before going back to brewing the pot she had been working on. Damien returned back to the mansion, his feet padding down the stairs. Going straight to the kitchen where the lights burned dimly in the corner, he went straight to the vessel that was surrounded by water to keep it cool. Pushing over the lid, he picked up a ss. Dipping it into the vessel to drink the blood that was stored for the family. Taking two more sses and drinking it, he finally ced the empty ss down. He licked his lips, "What are you doing staying upte?"? he asked to find Maggie standing at the door. Maggie stood with her nightdress which looked paler than the dresses that she often more, "The night is too noisy," she replied back, walking up to where he was, she picked a new ss to dip her hand into the vessel that contained blood and drank from it. "You should get yourself a man, Maggie. It might be easier on you that way," he said wiping the remnants of the blood on his lips with the back of his hand. Damien leaned his back on the edge of the kitchen b to see his sister smile at him, "You should learn a thing or two from your younger sister who keeps aiming for men every once in a month." "I think she''s doing well for both of us included," Maggie raised her brow before it fell back in ce, "I have no intention to marry," and though she smiled, one of the kindest smiles, the smile looked tight on her face as if it were forced. "Not able to let go of the past yet? It has been years now. People make mistakes and you were young," on Damien''s words Maggie ced the ss back on the b. "That isn''t what you said a few weeks ago." Damien chuckled, "Of course. I was just being nice. It was stupid of you to kill a maid just because the man you were about to marry took interest in her," a sh of sadness and regret passed through Maggie''s eyes. She knew Damien often liked to rub the wound because he enjoyed it. Her brother was the definition of a proper sadistic pureblooded vampire who didn''t miss the chance to hurt someone verbally. It was as if he made sure to keep a diary of everyone''s fault ready at the tip of his tongue and fingertips. It was something that had happened long ago. She knew exactly why Damien liked doing it. It was also because he had warned her before she had killed the maid. Vampires were possessive creatures who were cold in nature. And she was no average vampire but someone who came from the pureblooded family. After finding that her fiance had brewed feelings for one of their maids, she had killed the girl in pure rage and jealousy. There was a moment of satisfaction after the kill but when the realization came to hit, it hit her hard. Love was not something that happened without notice and it couldn''t be forced. It was something that she had to learn the hard way. In the end, Maggie was left feeling guilty for what she had done with her heartbroken to take the ire and hate of the person she loved. "I know. Maybe that is why I am not looking for a person right now..." murmured Maggie. Chapter 141 - Past deeds- Part 2 Damien gave his sister a smile, "Why don''t you go talk to him?" he asked her to receive a look of surprise form on her face. Maggie shook her head. It was long overdue, "He doesn''t want to talk to me." "It''s been many years since that happened. Thest you spoke was when you told him what you did and before he took the maid with him," said Damien, looking at the slight flicker that took ce from thentern that was hung in the corner of the kitchen, "He must have forgotten it by now. At least you can hope for it." The vampiress still remembered the day as if it was just a day since it had taken ce. Her hand dipped in blood with the maid on the ground where she had ripped the girl''s head apart. The satisfaction had been great and sweet but once it had passed away wheremon sense returned back, there was nothing but the guilt she could immerse herself in. Remembering the days of the past Maggie felt herself loose to herself... Maggie had been seeing Mr. Cranne for two months and both the families had been looking forward to seeing them tie the knots. With Maggie being the eldest child of Quinn, it was taken that there would be celebratory events that would take ce but no one expected for things to change drastically. They had a new maid added into the servant''s list who was from the nortnd, Woville. She was a human like the rest of the servants who were working in Quinn''s mansion but one who was on the scale who looked more than average. Beautiful brown hair and eyes, a slender body which was easiest to break and it was, thought Maggie to herself. At first, Maggie hadn''t noticed it nor had she realized. She did notice Mr. Cranne talking to the girl but she was too in love with the man to notice his wavering feelings. What appeared to be a simple interaction had bloomed with every visit until one day she found the girl in the market where she covered herself under a hood. The maid girl had taken a leave telling her family was sick which was why Maggie had followed her, hoping she could help the girl who was too young to shoulder the responsibility. But what she came to find was not the family but her fiance she had given her heart too. Seeing the girl in the arms of the man she was in love with. Mr. Cranne. He looked happy having her in his arms and if one were to look at them, they would be called a beautiful couple but Maggie had turned green. Finding it hard to grasp what she saw, in pure shock she had gone back home. The disappointment and anger had filled to the brim with her emotions swirling inside waiting for an outlet. Damien had caught her to ask her what had happened. It took him a few minutes to have her speaking and he had suggested to go confront Mr. Cranne. Damien hadn''t stayed long and had left the mansion for work but who knew that rage would take over her at the mere sight of the maid. Instead of listening to what the maid had to say who had cried out of pain. Maggie had pulled her out of the mansion and behind which was between the mansion and the servants quarters. The maid had cried as if knowing the mistake of what had been caught. The lowly human had tried to speak and apologize but Maggie had lost it. To let someone steal the man whom she loved and believed was in love as he had showered affections over her, she had torn the girl to have blood on the ground and on her with a dead body. "Some things are difficult to fix, Dami. Especially when you take away someone''s life. You might have not understood it before but you will now." "What makes you say that?" asked Damien with evident curiosity in his eyes. Maggie smiled, "I can sense you have bonded with Penelope. No one bonds unless they want to protect something and to reduce the worry they have over the person. Am I wrong, brother?" she asked him. "Sometimes I forget you are my sister," Damien didn''t bother to deny what he had done and it was up to the other person on what they thought about his actions not that he would give away on why he did it, "Are you fishing for something?" he grinned. "Nothing at all. I doubt there is anything to fish with the way you behave with the ve you so call in front of us. You need to be careful, Dami. You made too many, with every emotiones a burden you should be ready to face. Your emotions are already too entric to handle," she was speaking about the corruption in his heart that she was aware of for some time now. "If it was going to seize my heart it would have for a long time now. Don''t worry about myself or my pet." "Tell me, Damien. What will you do if someone were to steal the person whom you share affections with? Emotions like those will be quick to prate your mind to lose your rationality," Maggie stared at her brother''s eyes to see the constant red color not swirl to ck like before in the past. Damien smiled at her question, "Death is too easy to give. Don''t you think so, sister? Get yourself some sleep. I will go get mine," saying that he left Maggie standing there looking at him step out of the kitchen. In thete hours of the day when the sun was hidden behind the numerous cloud hade to position up in the sky, Penny tried to concentrate on the parchment that was in front of her. When the tip of her quill which had been dipped into the ink pressed harder on the surface of the parchment, she heard Lady Maggie say, "It appears that your concentration is elsewhere and not here today, Penelope. There is no point if you are only going to waste your time and mine along," Lady Maggie sighed, her voiceing out light which wasn''t angry but Penny quickly bowed her head. Chapter 142 - Turn to a toad- Part 1 "Apologies, mdy," Penny had tried to concentrate on what thedy was teaching her knowing well that not every master or mistress of the high standing family took time to teach their servants and ves on the value of education. Maggie looked at the parchment before shifting her gaze to the human ve who belonged to Damien, "Let''s close it for today. We have already spent an hour and I need to go take my mother and sister out to the Isle valley. Would you like toe?" the vampiress added thest part wondering if she would like to join them, "Have you been to the Isle Valley?" Penny nodded her head, "Master Damien said he had to take me somewhere today," which was the truth but it was also a way to escape the awkward as well as killer atmosphere she would have to share with Lady Grace and Lady Fleurance. Maggie didn''t ask her any further questions but let her leave the room. Penny let out an inaudible sigh of relief. After the day she had fallen into the sea with Damien who had used of every single person in the mansion except for his father who wasn''t in the mansion at that house and maybe somewhere also the butler for the trust he had ced, a lot of them stayed away from Penny. Especially when it came to the servants who worked in the mansion. The ones who once upon a time used to gossip or look at her some with disgust and some in envy looked away from her. Ignoring her presence as if she didn''t exist whilst they continued to do their job in the mansion. Penny didn''t mind it one bit though. Instead of feeling bad for how things turned out after Damien had ripped the maid''s head from her body, she didn''t mind the quietness that had returned back to her life. It was visible that the servants feared Damien. As much as he exuded a bright and happy appearance there was this untouchable part where one didn''t dare to cross lines with him. Which included his own family and she could see it in Grace''s eyes. Walking up to Damien''s room, she noticed the butler who stood halfway in and half out of the door listening to something Damien. "Clean the lower grounds as they haven''t been used but don''t touch what is in the upper level. We wouldn''t want unneeded disturbances there. There was no oil added in there," as Penny came closer to the room, she caught sight of Damien who stood in front of the mirror as he tied the necktie around his neck. Fiddling it with his hands before the knot was formed. And as if sensing Penny''s presence without having to turn his head, he further ordered the butler, "Clean up the things that are in the attic. Push it in the corner and lock it down." "Yes, Master Damien. Anything else?" asked the butler to look to his side where Penny had arrived. "That would be all," said Damien, dismissing his butler and then to speak to Penny, "How was your time with Maggie? You are early," he said, ncing at the clock on the wall which moved its pendulum back and forth in a steady rhythm. "We finished the ss early," Penny responded back before stepping inside the roompletely. "So I have noticed. Something I should know?" he asked her to check if something had transpired between her and his sister. Penny shook her head. "Nothing," Damien gave her a small curt node to say, "Are you ready?" he asked her. "Yes," after knowing that her mother was alive who had failed to contact her back, Penny had wanted to go back to Bathsheba''s house to gain more answers to her questioning mind. The questions kept bubbling up one after another, leading her mind to no peace. She was quieter than many other times which Damien noticed knowing exactly why she was in this state. Damien and Penny traveled using their family carriage. Taking a separate one than the one which was being used by the threedies of the mansion. Reaching the house where Bathsheba lived, they saw her talking to one of the women of the vige who was conversing with her chirpily about something she had cooked for her rtives who only leftst night. By the time they reached, the woman left to give Damien and Penny a bow by looking at the fancy clothes the couple wore. Of course, it would be another greeting for Penny if the person knew that she was nothing but a ve of the man who hade along. After all, ves were beneath the average humans. "You have admirers," noted Damien, taking a look back at the elderly woman who walked away from Bathsheba''s house. "Nevercked them," came back the retort to answer Damien''s statement, "Pleasee in," she opened the door for them to step inside. Penny who was curious, asked the ck witch, "How has no found out about who you are?" she had been curious since the very first time she had met thedy. No matter how nice, or helpful a person was, she found it hard to believe that no one ever raised a suspicious eye at her. Sure, she might have a perfect and outstanding rapport with the people around, maybe people were even mesmerized with half of her face but hadn''t a single person doubted her? The curtains of the house were shut always with no single light or letting anyone peek in. Just as Penny turned around to meet the ck witch''s eye, Bathsheba produced something in her hand. Letting her fingers free from what she was holding which was connected somewhere to her neck as if it were a ck threaded chain hanging around her neck. A blood-red stone came which looked quite close to a pureblooded vampire''s eyes. It''s dark red color shining because of the fire that burned inside the house. "This is charm stone, Penelope. It is something very rare, almost simr to how humans look for diamonds, the witches and the other creatures who are aware of it search for charm stones. The only difference being that the charm stones are not brought by nature but the witches themselves," answered Bathsheba, "Sit down. Will you be joining us in the session, councilman Damien?" she asked looking at Damien who stood in the small living room of the ck witch''s house. "Just for a while. I need to check what happened in the scene out there in the other vige," he then showed his hand ahead as if to continue with what she was saying. Damien was already aware of charm stones because his cousin Alexander Delcrov who was the Lord of Valeria had received it from his deceased mother. "The charm stones are created by witches?" Penny tried to confirm. "Yes. Many of the humans who have had money have tried to create it, some even create fake ones to sell them but they can''t be created. The stones are not easy to be made and every single stone of different colors has their own property. Some also change with the shades they have. Like this one here will wade off the eyes from what my true appearance is." Chapter 143 - Turn to a toad- Part 2 "Then there should be no need to cover your face either," at Penny''s question Bathsheba smiled. "It is good to be safe than let something slip through. You never know when something stops working. Yes?" she said taking a seat herself and asking Penny, "Not many create charm stones now because the creation needs cooperation which is lost now. The white and the ck witches don''t get along as you know. So what shall we try today? Would you like to turn people into toads?" Penny looked slightly intrigued as she asked, "It is possible?" "Anything is possible. Who would you like to turn the toad? All you need is-" Bathsheba went on before being cut off by Damien. "I am sure that you already know that is not why we havee here," his sharp eyes looked at Bathsheba who only smiled at him. Bathsheba nodded, "Of course," she could see Penelope''s shoulder slump slightly in disappointment. making her curious as to who the white witch wanted to turn into a toad. The only people the girl was around was in Quinn''s mansion, so it must be someone from there which made her smile further, "Though we are from the same stem, the ck witches and the white witches, we have different characteristics but when ites down to the abilities, it isn''t too different. But every witch has his or her own power-" "His?" asked Penny in doubt making the ck witch pause her words momentarily. "You do know there are men of our kind. The term witch is used for both genders," Bathsheba cleared her doubts to continue with her words of knowledge, "What we need to do is check the source of what you fall into before narrowing down the ability you might have." "How are we going to do that?" Penny could see that the crystal ball which was previously used had its cover back on. It appeared that they wouldn''t be using it. "I hope you have enough blood if your master isn''t using you as his blood bag," Bathsheba pushed the things that were on the table. Clearing every single thing from there while lifting and cing the crystal ball down delicately. She picked up something, to ce arge parchment that was folded and rolled. Unrolling it with both her hands, she ced two stones on either side of therge parchment which was made of concentric designs and intricate mapping on it. There were some strange writings which Penny had never seen before, "This is thenguage of the dead." "The dead?" "You cannotmunicate with people who have died with this. It is dead because it is. The newborn witches who came after the great grand witch have no inkling about it. Simr to the humans and the vampires marking years, we have a few markings of our own that are used to distinguish the time and period," Bathsheba and asked for Penny''s hand before cing an empty ss which looked like a battered silver utensil. Damien then said to Penny, "There have been very few witches who made a mark of difference in the history of the fournds. One of the people in the marking is Lord Delcrov''s mother," Damien''s cousin? The person she had met during the celebration in Quinn''s mansion? "Interestingly, even though the ck and the whites don''t get along, they use each other like references." Once Penny had ced her hand in Bathsheba''s colder hand, she readied herself for the cut on her skin. Thest time, the ck witch had made use of her nail but seeing the knife, she gulped, "How much blood is needed for this ritual?" "A quarter less than the ss turning to be full. I hope you don''t mind," said the ck witch smiling at her as if she was going to enjoy cutting her hand to draw enough blood. Penny could feel her heart started to elerate at the look of the ss on how much was more than half full, "Rx. If you tighten your hand it will only make it difficult," and before shepleted the sentence, Bathsheba dived the knife to cut her palm. Penny winced with the painful burn that was caused by the knife. She had to close her eyes before seeing the blood drops fall right into the ss. With more drops that dripped down her finger into the ss, she could feel her hand weaken. "This should be sufficient," upon Bathsheba''s word, Damien took hold of Penny''s hand. But unlikest time where he had given her kerchief to hold on to, Damien picked up her hand to his mouth to lick the blood off her skin... Penny''s eyes widened enough where if it was possible it would have fallen out of her face. This shameless vampire! "What are you doing?!" she whispered to see him look at her as he licked her hand with his coarse tongue. "It would be a shame to waste such qualitative blood," the ck witch looked as if she hadn''t noticed it or rather didn''t bother herself with it while she stared at the map, picking up the blood in the ss. Penny on the other hand just wanted to die, "You are a perverted vampire!" "Thank you," he said letting go of her hand. That wasn''t apliment! Since the day he had confessed about him liking her, Damien did the strangest and oddest thing possible. He would step into the bathroom which made her push her bathing time when he was around. Sometimes she would find him close to her on the bed where the pillows disappeared. As subtle as she tried to be with him, his advances on her were in no means to be subtle at all. Once he was done licking his lips, his eyes met hers again and he sent a yful wink. Maybe she should ask Bathsheba on how to turn a person to a toad, thought Penny looking at Damien''s smirk that was directed towards her. This shameless, perverted vampire missed no opportunity in embarrassing her. Her heart felt slightly rattled at the moment due to his actions. Was it normal for a vampire to go licking a wound that had formed? But was Damien normal? No, thought Penny to herself. He had confessed and it only made her that much aware of him. Penny had previously not taken heed to his actions. At least not in the romantic sense but since the time he had disclosed and acknowledged it in front of her, she had started to take notice of him. Everything from his word to his very gaze was directed towards her, and due to this Penelope who had been always been careful had started to be clumsy under his eyes. Hearing a crackle and the ck witch speak something incoherent as she started her spells, she turned around to see what Bathsheba was up to. The ck witch held the cup in her hand, her eyes closed as she continued to mutter in the so-callednguage of the dead. When Bathsheba opened her eyes, her eyes were pitch ck. When she tilted the ss that contained her blood, she was sure it was going to fall on the parchment to stter all over it but she was surprised... Chapter 144 - Turn to a toad- Part 3 Penny was surprised because when Bathsheba did tilt the entire ss, the liquid fell right at the center of the circle of the parchment. If Penny didn''t believe in magic, she sure did now when the blood that fell down started to move on the very lines that were drawn on the parchment before the ritual had started. It was as if the blood had suddenly taken life which started to move gradually from the center to all the endpoints, curving to meet each other until the entire parchment looked to be designed in just ink. She looked at the bloody inked parchment and then up at Bathsheba whose eyes were still ck. She thought that was all until she saw the blood raise itself as if moving against gravity to form thin strands. Bathsheba stared at the blood strands, one of her hands held up in the air. It was intricate to look at before they finally fell to stter on the parchment as if meaning to damage the very parchment they had been making use of when her hand fell down to her side. The only movements of Damien were his eyes that had been picking on every little thing around in the room. He had work in the council but leaving Penny on her own was something he didn''t trust the ck witch with. He had known Bathsheba for a few years now and even though he gave away her ingredients while receiving the information he needed at times, he still hadn''t learned to trust the ck witchpletely. In his personal opinion, it was better to be careful than regret over something which had not been taken good measures with. ck witch''s nature was so that the very stem they grew in was made of pure evil where they broke the trust as easy as a feeble stick. Betrayal ran in their veins and it didn''t matter if it was their very own sisters. To achieve something they felt was right, any path would do. Right now what Bathsheba shared was a give and take rtionship where she owed her life to him. A favor being returned for letting her stay. While charm stones worked great on humans and other vampires, there were some exceptions. Dark creatures found it easier to find people simr to them. Though the ck witch had been careful, she had been caught by Damien''s eyes which she had failed to understand and find an answer for. The charm should have worked on him too, to keep her presence unknown. A few decades ago, there was a time when people killed each other to get their hands on these charm stones which were now lost as a myth like many other things, for example, the moon signs. But in time everything washed away leaving people to wonder about what was the truth and what was the false information which was created to mislead the humans and other creatures like her own. Looking at the sttered blood which belonged to Penny, Damien asked Bathsheba, "What is her source?" A few of the witches were gifted, simr to the pureblooded vampires which automatically went to waste even if they did have as they never lived too long to learn and make use of it. While some who discovered by pure ident and worst luck of the other creatures they used it for destruction. Penny turned to look at Damien, who then said, "The abilities isn''t like ours but the witches have natural abilities. There are four elements of nature-water, fire, wind, andnd," did that mean she pulled her ability from one of those four elements? For more answers, she looked towards the ck witch whose eyes had returned back to normal. "Most of the witches don''t know about it. When a small war broke down between the white and the ck witches, the parchments of designs, every single spec of knowledge was burnt until thest reside," said Bathsheba taking the parchment in her hands from the table which had blood painted on itself. Not letting it dry, she folded the paper, rolling it until the end before picking up the burning candle which had been ced at the start of the ritual to let it vanish in front of her eyes in thin air, "Though both of them had the chances to possess the elements of nature, it was the white witches who learned about it first. During the war everything was told to remove, at least that is what was told that after so many years people aren''t aware of it anymore. We don''t keep used things," the ck witch smiled, eyes crinkling before she took the candle and blew it out. "How did youe in possession of this?" Penny asked. "Some of us have our ways. Some gossips and some secrets spill out and don''t often stay in us. When one catches the wind and after searching it, people like your master get a hand on it," Bathsheba looked at Damien who stood behind Penny. Damien had found something which was told to be burnt? Penny turned around to see Damien, his response came out to be, "I have my ways. I am not a researcher of the council for no reason," one corner of his lips pulled up. When Bathsheba started to speak again, Penny turned back to what she had to say about this ability, "It is only the ritual that takes time along with the ingredients we witch use for the ritual. The rest of it is, "Each and every ability is something which you can control and mold it ording to your wish but it isn''t easy. It takes years of experience. While some can manipte it at their will others though having the ability can''t do much but live the same life as the others. It is equal to giving you food that you can enjoy but with no mouth. Do you understand?" asked the ck witch chuckling. Damien himself curious about Penny''s ability to be chosen by the alignment of stars, he wondered if it was fate that brought Penny to him or was it her finding him? On either side of the way destiny had worked, he wondered what Penny could be capable of. Would she surpass his aunt or like Bathsheba said, would it go to waste. Only time could answer the questions. The ck witch then went to exin, "It was definitely not the earth element because if it were we would not have the blood moving so elegantly. With the lift of the liquid to form strands, an old witcher would have called it to be wind but if you watched closely, you would have seen it stter even worse than what it did in the end. A fire element is easy to pick because of the way they have a hold on the fire itself and it would have charred itself once it was up in the air that leaves us with thest ability," while still looking at Penny, Bathsheba said to Damien, "Your beloved pet is a water element." Penny frowned taking the news in, "That can''t be true." Chapter 145 - Witch hunter- Part 1 Bathsheba tilted her head in wonderment, "What makes you say that?" "I fell in the water and almost drowned myself," actually the word wasn''t almost. If it weren''t for Damien she would have been lying in the bed of the sea forever where no one would not know that she was down there. The thought horrified her. "Hmm," she hummed. Damien asked the ck witch, "Penny doesn''t possess the ability yet?" "That would be truly hard to tell. There should have been some sign when you must have started to drown. It is often the hardest time we find our abilities. Especially in the darkest ones. You should probably put her back in the water and see what happens," suggested the ck witch. "That is ridiculous," thank you, master Damien! Penny thanked him. She saw the ck witch chuckle. "I was only giving away quick and reliable ideas. But then it is not that it is necessary for you to work on something which you might not be gifted. I am definitely not wrong but something appears to be off," Bathsheba heard someone knock on the door which alerted all the three of them. Their heads turned to look at the door where another knocking was heard outside. By the intensity that the hand behind the door knocked with, one could tell that it wasn''t a female but a male. "Airen? Airen?" came the man''s voice. Airen? thought Penelope to herself was he asking for the ck witch? "Another admirer?" asked Damien for Bathsheba to look at the door with a frown. Bathsheba hurriedly pushed away objects that were on the table. Clearing any other things that could bring up suspicion, "I do not remember talking to someone with that voice," she said after hiding whatever a human would find suspicious. When she was about to answer the door, Damien stopped her by cing his hand on the door so that she wouldn''t open it. Seeing Bathsheba raise her eyebrow at him Penny wondered what was going on. Before Penny and Damien had arrived at the door of Bathsheba, one of the humans who was passing by had found something strange about the woman who lived at the edge of the house. The human went by the name Eugine. With his short brown hair and rough scruff around his jaw and cheeks, he had found a beautiful maiden to be walking from the river back to her house. The man intrigued by the woman had followed her back home. He hadn''t noticed it before but with him where he only caught sight of the side face of the woman hadn''t noticed her hiding the other side of her. She spoke to everyone she met and she might have been the perfect girl but there was just something he couldn''t point his finger on which made him doubtful of the woman. Maybe he was doubtful because he was a witch hunter, a man who took the bounty of witches so that he could hunt them down one by one to kill them off. Bathsheba had worn the stone to protect herself but the stone she had was made by a mere ck witch from whom she had stolen from. Unfortunately, the stone being one of a low quality whichcked the ingredients to sustain its power, she didn''t realize that the effect of it was fading away. Everyone often thought they were safe but there was always a loophole no matter how safe a person tried to walk on the delicate thread of false pretense. Eugine had been following Bathsheba for two weeks before inquiring about her with a fellow passerby to find out her name discreetly without being too obvious. Airen. What a sweet name one would say but it was always the one that didn''t stand out to be troublesome. With the recent wind of witches being spread out in the fournds who hade from the north, there was no telling who was who and when a human would go missing under the witch''s cloak. Deciding to go and check, he first looked around the house which looked clean. Simr to any other house that belonged to this vige, but when his eyes caught the windows, he noticed how it was shut close. Dust sitting in the corners to indicate that the windows had not been opened for more than a few weeks. Stepping close to the front door, he stepped in front of the door to knock on it. Keeping his ears clear to listen to any suspicion movement, he leaned back and to the side to make sure no one had used the back door. When the door finally opened, a female opened the door but it wasn''t the same woman he had been following. His eyebrows scrunched together looking at the female who had blonde hair and green eyes. "May I help you?" she asked, where she had a questionable look on her face. Eugine looked confused. Had he got the right house? He sure had but who was this woman and where was the other woman he had been following for thest two weeks? "Airen?" "Sorry, who?" For a moment, he stopped to look left and right before asking, "I am looking for Airen," he said with a straight face, "He was sure he had not seen this person before. Was it Airen''s sister? But then there didn''t seem to be any obvious resemnce that he could spot right now. "I am sorry but she isn''t here today. She''s gone out. Was there something you needed?" the girl asked with a smile on her face which seemed harmless. On a closer look of her face- her eyes, lips, tongue seemed to appear normal. There wasn''t any sign of her being a witch. Hmm, he thought to himself. "I am one of her acquaintances. She left this," Eugine pulled out a handkerchief which had been dipped in holy water before running through several prayers. The cloth was an rm indicator if there was a witch around as the witches both white and ck were affected by it. The girl seemed to stare at the cloth he handed her, her eyes looking at it and then shifting to look at him. If the girl was involved in something of witchery, there would be no doubt that she would sneeze first and then start to convulse. It was one of the easiest ways to draw the witches out without causing any riots around the vige. If the girl named Airen was a human whom he had suspected wrongly then it would be fine too. No harm would be caused by if there was a witch living here, he would have to pull out his sharp arrows that were made of silver and the wooden grasses which were found in the mountain of Eve which affected the witches greatly. Before the door had been opened Damien had stopped Bathsheba from opening. As if already distrusting the person who had arrived at the door. Instead of letting the ck witch open the door, he had asked Penny to open it while telling her to make a story that wasn''t at home right now. Chapter 146 - Witch hunter- part 2 Both Bathsheba and Damien stood behind the wall which connected the door. Listening to what the man and Penny were speaking about. Gingerly, her hands went to hold the cloth which looked like a kerchief that would have belonged to a woman. Penny wasn''t judging but did ck witches us kerchiefs? It rather not only sounded strange in her mind but it also seemed to be an odd thing for a ck witch to do. Bathsheba had told that she didn''t recognize the man but the man insisted that they had met and this was hers. As her hand clenched on the cloth, she noticed the way the man stared at her. A smile upon his face as she stared back at him in a look of innocence. For Penny acting out the scene was something, she could have done in her dreams too. Her talent was not a waste. With Penny who had known herself to be part of the humans all this time, she had never known the kind of life a witch would which made it that much more easy to act out so that it would throw off this man. She could see there was a slight disappointment in his eyes when the seconds grew longer making her give out a questioning look, "Is there anything else you would like me to assist you with?" she asked appearing to be polite to him. The man smiled, letting the disappointment from his eyes vanish which Penny had already caught on to, "May I ask the fairdy for a ss of water?" asked the man. She could tell that this was a persuasive man who was trying to find and make sure about something. That something being the ck witch who lived here. By asking water the man would have a way to take a look at the house by merely peeking in. And if he did peek in, he woulde to see Damien and Bathsheba in the house. She didn''t know what to do. If she refused, wouldn''t that look suspicious? After all which person ever refused a person a ss of water when he had onlye to return something which belonged to the owner of the house. Penny smiled, trying to keep her shoulders and face rxed, "Of course," she said. When Penny and Damien had arrived, Bathsheba had given her a ss of water that had been left untouched on the table. She tried recollecting where she was suited previously. If she was quick enough, she would be able to reach for it and hand it over to him before he had the chance to step inside. At the same time, the thought of why Damien had hidden too was something she didn''t understand. Was it because it would look strange as a couple here while all this time there was only a woman living here? If he was here, the man would have been scared away than having to deal with him. His intrusive eyes and nature didn''t go amiss. "Let me get it for you," Penny''s eyes were as mesmerizing as the ck witch''s face which she used as a decoy to hide her true self. Without breaking eye contact, she spoke to the man making the man lose himself in them for a mere second until she turned to get the water. Having been entranced with her eyes for a second, Eugine had forgotten about his purpose and had stared into her. Snapping away from it he saw her back face him. Her blonde hair covering the upper half of her body. He took three steps forward, one step inside the house but before his eyes could pick things up Penny had already turned to talk to him, her eyes back on him. Thankfully there was a cupboard to cover the other people in the house. "I have never seen you here before. Are you a traveler?" she asked to throw him off. Before Eugine could take the ss from her, Penny had taken two steps forward which made the man take two steps back pushing out of the house. The man noticed her behavior as if displeased with his action of stepping inside her house. "Yes, I am a traveler. Unfortunately, I couldn''t meet your sister to return it back? I was also hoping to see her-" "Mister, are you trying to sway my sister''s emotions for you?" asked Penny with a cool voice, crossing her arms across her chest she stared at the man to give him a look, "I must say it is quite a poor excuse that youe up with," the man chuckled, opening his mouth to say she had misunderstood but Penny continued without giving him the opportunity to speak, "There have been plenty of men who have knocked on the door. Trying to woo my sister but my sister has no intention to marry anyone but the man she has chosen for herself." Eugine was confused for a few seconds, wondering how the conversation had turned one where he was trying to woo the girl he had suspected to be a witch. To Eugine, it didn''t matter if it was a ck witch or a white witch. He killed them all. The world needed bnce and it would happen only once all the creatures apart from humans would be killed. Wanting to y along, the witch hunter said,? "Haha, you got me," he scratched his neck, "She''s an absolute beauty." Penny narrowed her eyes further, "That she is," he harrumphed, "But I must say like many I have already told, she is going to marry the man she''s in love with who loves her back. If you have been following her you should already know who the man is. He even visited a few days ago." "Oh," the man replied, chuckling with a slight embarrassment and Penny could tell what a terrible actor he was. If he were to work in the theater, she would have made sure that he got to y the bark of wood thatid dead on the ground, "I must have missed it. May I know who he is?" asked the witch hunter much more in intrigue but holding a slight disappointment in his eyes. "He is one of the pureblooded vampires. You must have heard about Damien Quinn," Penny boasted as if Bathsheba was her very own sister and she was proudly stating who her brother-inw was. Bathsheba who was listening to Penny along with Damien nced at Damien who stood still listening to his pet ve girl. His eyes turned narrowed at Penny''s words. The woman''s lips twisted in amus.e.m.e.nt. It was very rare to find Damien in an annoyed state and to think it was a white witch he had picked to stay beside him who had only used him in the pretense, she found it to beughable. But Damien didn''t share the same feelings as the ck witch. He had asked Penny to deviate the man''s attention as something about the scent behind the door appeared to be heavily surrounded by holy water. The humans never carried one unless there was an alert in the viges and in the towns which were always in small quantity. "Both of them are going to get married soon," he heard Penny continue with her tale. It appeared that his mouse had forgotten what punishment meant. Chapter 147 - Witch hunter- Part 3 Eugine looked at the girl, his eyes gauging on the current scene carefully. It seemed like his suspicion was wrong about the girl. If there was a witch, the cloth should have not only affected her but should have also changed its color a little without much notice where only a witch hunter would know. The name sounded somewhere familiar though with him who didn''t belong to this part of thend and someone who came from the West, he c.o.c.ked his head in wonderment. "I am sure he is a great man if your sister and yourself have approved about him," he gave nothing but praises while Penny stood the stand she had to. She took the ss back when he handed it back to her. Not moving from where she was, she wondered what else he was going to ask her until he finally saw him loosen his shoulders to ask her, "Your sister was someone I couldn''t woo, unfortunately, but you are nothing short of a beautifuldy," saying this he looked at the dress that she was which actually now that he thought didn''t suit the house she stood in front of. It wasn''t a grand dress but it was decent enough to be called as above average. His doubt on the girl now raised as he smiled, "Don''t tell me that you are taken as well. It would be quite sad for me. Is it the lord himself?" the man joked. Penny with a straight face asked, "How did you know?" to make the man cough before she smiled, "I am not looking for one right now. And even if I were I wouldn''t go for a man who switches his feelings so easily. It only shows the instability in your character which is why I would refuse." The man stared at her, his smile falling on his face and he then chuckled, "You appear to be a spitfire, Ms..." he went fishing for her name but Penny didn''t give him. "It is miss," as much as the man was picking and confirming his suspicion, the suspicion had raised on Penny''s side too. With hisck of acting skills, she could tell that this man was not someone he posed to be which was why she had to be careful with her words. She kept them as minimum as she could, "Is there anything else you need, Sir?" Her mother often said it was better to keep the words minimum to raise one''s suspicion and fall right into the trap. Though she didn''t know why she had told it to her before, she now wondered if there was a deeper meaning to it. Eugine smiled. His eyes looking at the girl who stood in front of him. What a shame, he thought to himself. If it were a man, with a spirit like that it could be put to use by making the person hunt the damn witches. Womencked the skill, which was why it was unfortunate. His hate for witches had stemmed from three generations. His grandfather being one of the first witch hunters who had been killed by a ck witch where his father soon fell in line with the trap of the witches to be killed by them. Eugine being the next in line had taken up the task enthusiastically. He enjoyed killing them. Every single one of them he hade across he had made sure to rip them apart and set them on fire. Though one might ask why the white witches were included as they weren''t up to anything but one could never count on what could happen. Even an angel had fallen to the ill deeds of life and these people were the ones who belonged on thends. There was no saying when the light in their soul would vanish to be consumed by the darkness and revenge for the ones they had lost. "No, I think I am good. Thank you for the water. Apologies for having consumed your day," he bowed his head to make his point, and though his he bowed his head, his eyes were on her the end lining on her dress which reached the floor, "I hope you have a good day." Penny only nodded at him and then went to close the door when the man ced his hand to stop her from closing it. He smiled at her, her heart softly skipping a beat if he was going to break into the house. She gave him time to speak to hear from him, "I forgot to tell topliment your lovely sister. Sad that I missed her," he finally let go of his hand on the door, taking a step back and turning away from the house. Penny didn''t wait but closed the door shut. For two minutes everyone stayed quiet without speaking a word with each other. Bathsheba stepped out and away from therge old cupboard to say, "You did an excellent job out there. You must be part of the theater. Would be easy to earn money-" "I was in the theater before-" "Don''t put ideas in her head," came out the sharp interruption from Damien who had stepped out himself and he didn''t look one bit happy, "And you," he red at Penny, "Who is marrying whom?" it was very rare to see Damien like this. Was he that upset that she had used him in the story? Penny didn''t know if she had tough or be scared with the way he was looking at her as his annoyance turned to one of the evil smiles of his. He then asked, "How many visitors like these do you have?" "Hardly any. It was the first time," Bathsheba went to the door, cing her hand on the wood before letting out a sigh, "He finally left," she said. "Just for now," said Damien looking at the windows which were shut close, "People like him don''t leave that easily." Chapter 148 - Alignment of stars- Part 1 "A witch hunter often knocks on the door more than twice. Trust me you will have him here in less than forty-eight hours. This is precisely why you will have to make a move and so will Penny," Damien said walking towards Penny with an intended re sent to her, "When I asked you to deviate the man I was talking about making a full-fledged story." "But isn''t that good?" Bathsheba asked Damien, "To have a full-fledged story without any possible loopholes. She did a very good job." "And how are you going to prove your engagement when I am not interested to y along?" Damien didn''t show bother to cover up hisck of interest in ying pretense. Rather he found it quite troublesome, "Or..." he drawled thoughtfully before another smirk came upon his face, "You can let them know that I broke the engagement off and went for your other sister," he looked at Penny, his eyes sharp. "I will handle it councilman Damien," said the ck witch. I will let you know in the next ce I reside. As you said, the man might appear again. It is better for me to make a move," as she said this Bathsheba''s eyes fell on the cloth which Penny had been holding, "That one definitely doesn''t belong to me." "It belongs to the underground church. The ones that are meddled and handled by the huntsmen." "So that was a witch hunter," it dawned on the ck witch finally. Sheughed in humor, one of her eyebrows raised. No wonder the man was persistent, though what she didn''t understand was how the charm stone had not worked efficiently. Because with the power it held, the ck witch was sure it would protect her from any suspicious eyes. "Witch hunter?" came Penny''s question. "They kill both white and ck witches. Though they behave to be in alliance with the council''sw they do things without our knowledge. The cloth he gave you was not any ordinary kerchief you would pick from the market or from Isle Valley. The very cloth is dipped and made with things that they witches are allergic to which makes it easier for the hunter to catch and kill." Bathsheba''s eyes narrowed at the cloth and she snatched it from Penny who was holding it loosely in her hand, "This doesn''t look like one," shemented continuing to turn around the cloth and look at it, "The cloth looks to be an ordinary one. It is as if it has been purified." "Little mouse, you will be very helpful to Murkh. Let''s make sure he isn''t around you if he finds that you can purify objects," noticing Penny who didn''t understand what was going on, he exined, "It looks like you have the ability to change a contaminated object or liquid to something purer. The liquid that day didn''t change by itself but it did because of you. The little bottles were the potions that we have been collecting for a few months now. It is used to corrupt the vampire and pureblooded vampires." Hearing this Bathsheba''s face turned to look at Penny in pure surprise. Were there white witches who could do it? She had never heard about it, "Don''t mind but keep a good distance from my vessels," Damien continued to enlighten Penny more on it, "Bathsheba said there has been an alignment of stars which took ce a few weeks ago. Things that go unnoticed by the humans and vampires get caught by the witches reading as they have nothing better to but to gaze up at the sky," Penny wondered if it was necessary to put his point across like that, "These star crossed alignments have bought the readings of some of the people to be gifted with abilities which are rare." It looked like Bathsheba was used to the way Damien spoke and ignored his previous words, "Theets don''t sweep across the stars, at least not that brightly. Though we cannot tell who were gifted or rather how do I put it...You can call it to be awakening. Something that you already had but never came to notice it before but now. Have you ever changed the color of liquid from one to another?" Penny shook her head. Not that she could remember. In question Penny quickly asked, "Do you think I can change anything?" there was eagerness in her voice which caught both Damien and Bathsheba''s eyes. "We can try looking into it. Do we have time?" the ck witch turned to Damien for him to give a curt nod. "Sure." "What do you want to change? It must be only the purities we are sure of. From something bad to something harmless. We will have to see. Do you have anything in your mind?" Bathsheba saw Penny look around, her eyes narrowing when she went towards the potions and other vessels that were left forter use. Penny came back with the cup which previously had her blood in it. Adding a little water to it, she came back. For many seconds Penny didn''t speak but stared at the cup making the other two wonder what Penny was trying. After all, the blood there was a clean on without any impurities. Unless one considered the water to be an impurity right now. She wasn''t sure if it was going to work. Having never tried it before she wondered if it was possible now. To change the bloodpletely to water. She got the thought of remembering the time when Grace had almost made her drink the blood which was meant for Damien. She was more than curious. After what Damien filled her in with the crossing stars, she felt some sense of hope. Not knowing how it worked, she tried to concentrate, one minute passing to another minute where nothing changed, leaving the blood mixed with water in her hand as it was. Penny''s shoulder slumped like a child, thinking, there went her hope. Chapter 149 - Alignment of stars- Part 2 Penny stared at the ss where three minutes had passed that nothing happened. She heard Bathsheba speak in front of her as she took a peek at the ss. It isn''t necessary that everything takes ce perfectly in the first go. You need to practice," she took the cup from her hand which Damien, in turn, took in his own hand to drink the entire contents inside it, "Sometimes we get our abilities automatically without the need to call out the hidden powers when there is a need for it. You will need to practice. Maybe if you were born as ck witch things would have been easy for you," the woman smiled looking at Penny. When Penny and Damien started to walk back to the mansion which was parked near the Isle Valley, Penny asked Damien with a sense of curiosity as if it had been bothering her, "What did Bathsheba mean when she said-" "That you would be better off to be a ck witch and not a white witch as you are now?" Damienpleted her sentence. Penny nodded her head, hoping she would find out what he meant by it, "White witches don''t have the powers you have. It usually doesn''t happen and when it does fall with the ability it is the ck witches who acquire it. Also, the fact that a ck witch is much more powerful when ites to a white witch because they have spells, unlike the witches who don''t make use of it." "The white witchesck the skill?" they were walking in the forest instead of taking in the road. The coat that Damien wore flew backward due to the wind that greeted them in the forest.?His ck hair ruffled the already disheveled hair. His sharp features looking more prominent from the side as he walked next to Penny while Penny kept up with his steady, long feet. He did look handsome like this when he was serious, "It isn''t that theyck but they don''t make use of it." "Why not?" she frowned. Which person didn''t make use of something they were born with? Damien opened his mouth to yawn, his hand raised to his mouth before falling back down to his side, "I don''t have all the details but it is forbidden for the white witches to make use of spells. To set them apart from the ck witches, like idiots the first generation witches decided to put a spell that none of the white witches could make use of the hocus pocus spells. It is quite stupid but what can I say, people were stupid back then. Are you alright?" he asked. "I am okay," he replied back. Master Damien was asking about her well being??Penny wondered why he was being nice when she passed him a questionable look, Damien didn''t say anything. When they were far in the forest, he finally pulled her behind a tree and ced his hand above her head as her back touched the tree''s bark. Penny looked up Damien who appeared to hover above and in front of her. "Is something the matter, Master Damien?" she asked, as she tried to push her back further away from him. "You must tell me that, sweetheart. What did happen back in there?" he inquired with a pleasant smile on his lips. "Where?" asked Penny that had Damien''s eyes narrow down at her, "Oh, there," she smiled, "You told me to deviate the man." "And so you bait your own master?" he raised his brow in question, "What happened to that saying that goes around you humans. Don''t bite the hand that feeds you. I should probably bite you instead." "Eh? No!" her refusal came out too quickly through her lips which only made it that much enticing in Damien''s eyes. He ced the other hand on her side so that she wouldn''t run. Who knows when this little mouse would give him the slip though it would be a hard thing for her to do. "Now now. Don''t be stingy. Your master brings you all the way here to help and this is how you repay him? Should we go to the next level of punishment?" "But master the hunter bought it for now. Shouldn''t you be happy about it that your," Penny cringed wondering what to pick? It had been weeks yet she wasn''t used to the terms like pet and ve to be used by herself on her. As if reading her mind, the smile on his lips broadened wide to form a grin, "My what?"?It appeared that Penny was bad when it came to choosing words when she should be careful about it, especially when it was Damien whom she was talking to.?There were so man words he often used but Penny wasn''t exactly fond of anything in particr. Pet, ve, little mouse, the endearment word ''darling'' which he would use to throw her off guard. "I am waiting," he said looking down at her. "Penny," she said making him c.o.c.k his head.?Seeing him not say anything she wondered what his reaction was as she avoided any eye contact with him. Receiving no word of response, Penny who had her face turned slightly away from him turned to face him when at the right opportune moment, he nted his lips right on hers. Just as she raised her hand about to ce it on his chest so that she could push him away, Damien caught both her wrists in his hands before holding her small hands in hisrge one, single-handedly. Damien moved his lips on Penny''s and just as he gasped, his tongue sn.a.k.e.d into her warm mouth. He could taste her sweetness on his tongue with every movement of his tongue. Penny should have expected it but she hadn''t really been prepared for Damien to kiss her in an open space like the forest. Her already elerated heart moved faster in her chest when his free hand curled around her waist to only bring her closer to him... Chapter 150 - Past hauntings- Part 1 The wind picked the dried ones that had fallen from the top of the trees to run and move, hitting and jumping in the air not too far.?Penny hadn''t expected Damien to kiss her, at least not like this as the leaves drifted on the ground. She felt him pull closer to him, his hand that had been resting to his side had curled around her waist, bringing as close as he could as he kissed her. She wanted to push him away but with every move of his lips on hers, she could feel goosebumps form all over her skin. Penny tried to take a step back but there was nowhere to go. Even the little space which was there, Damien followed right along with her. His tongue rubbed on her own, moving back and forth and kneading it like a dough. He had somehow managed to lift her head up, tilting her face so that he could kiss her much better. But it didn''t stop there. When Damien pulled away with a breathless Penny under him who was in his arms, he dived back in this time to nip on her lower lip making her yelp softly. "Damien-" came her voice to only be silenced with his lips which he ced back on but that didn''t stay too long there. His lips sucked on hers by the time where Penny''s resistance had turned weak. She didn''t know why she couldn''t fight him right now, almost as if in a trance state. Damien''s lips sucked on her lips which he had only wounded at the tip of his teeth to sooth it back but not ever gently. Just as his movements turned gentle, Penny''s hand tried to push him away again. Her cheeks had turned red and hot realizing what they were doing. Or rather what he was doing to her. As if reading her mind with the expression that passed by her face, he pushed her securely on the tree, such that her back now was pressed against the bark. Damien let her lips go but the hand that was on the waist went to catch one of her hand before both the hands were ced on the uneven bark next to her head. Penny breathed in and out, her cheeks red and flushed which made Damien want to bite her. She looked breathtakingly delectable. Her eyes looked wild but he held a higher intensity than hers. "Master Damien," she whispered his name, and he could tell that the kiss had affected her. Evidently the girl was trying to hold it in but she couldn''t. "What is it my adorable mouse?" Penny''s already flushed face looked even more embarrassed. Her already reeling head reeled out more at his words and actions. When Damien bought his face close to her she could feel her heart start to beat faster, "Are you going to call me a pervert again? Or is it shameless? But what can I do, when the girl I have affections for looks so pretty like an apple ready to be eaten," he whispered the words right next to her ear. Penny flinched when his teeth nipped her ear, "Shall I bite this?" Penny could feel more goosebumps form over her arms and neck. Raising the little hair at the nape of her neck for attention just by his words. He already bit it, what was he asking a question for? Had he nned to chomp her ear off her body?! "I won''t bait you again," Penny apologized for bringing up his name back in the ck witch''s house. "Oh, no," came out his dramatic voice and she gulped, "If you don''t do it, I cannot impose you with things like these in the name of punishments," was he bullying her? Penny wasn''t sure if it was but she wanted to go back to the room and maybe lock herself before hiding herself in the nket. Could she disappear right now? "Ow!" she yelped again when he bit the top of her ear lobe. She heard Damien sigh softly, "What do you keep thinking in the tiny head of yours. I wished I can find it out one day," Oh, God no! thought Penny to herself, "It feels like you are having an inner monologue all the time when I am talking to you. Head in the clouds," he murmured. "I apologized, master. Shouldn''t you let me go..." but Penny''s words fell on deaf ears. She felt him ce his chin on her shoulder for which he had to crouch his back before turning his head that faced her neck, his breath hitting on her warm neck, "Unfortunately, I am shameless. It is who I am and I am not ashamed of it. I cannot help myself anymore," Penny wondered if Bathsheba had given him something to drink back at the house. But Damien had not taken a drop except for the water that she had used with her...blood. Was it her blood? Or was it the water? Or maybe it was just him. The next second Penny didn''t know what happened. When she went to blink, her eyes closed and opened to find herself back in Damien''s room, on the bed with Damien on top of her. Penny''s heart started to race, her heart beating loudly and her breathing turning shallower which lowered the small smile that had formed on Damien''s lips. Letting go of her hands immediately, he touched her face, "Are you alright?" he asked where she failed to answer. Worried, Damien moved away from Penny and helped her sit up while she looked dazed. When Penny finally looked at him, she looked away to suddenly have herself being pulled in Damien''s arms, "I wouldn''t do something you don''t like, Penelope," he held her close with both his arms around her. This only made Penny somewhere guilty as she felt her lips slightly tremble which she bit to stop it, "Did something happen?" Chapter 151 - Past hauntings- Part 2 Damien held her closer if possible, unlike previously his hands were much gentler on her which weren''t holding her wrists but her entire self. It wasn''t just his actions but also his voice which was surprisingly calm and quiet as he asked her. Penny shook her head quickly, wanting to free herself to be pulled back, "Tell me, Penelope. Do you find it daunting to let yourself or your feelings be entrusted to someone else?" he asked her, "You do know I won''t let you go until you tell what is going on?" He was sure something had happened, she had been fine until a while ago. Her eyes dted and her breathing slightly erratic previously had stopped suddenly where he was able to hear her heart thud and her eyes turn almost hollow as if she were experiencing something. There was only one thing he could conclude at the moment, for her to change her reaction suddenly with the change of ce and the way it had been, Damien wondered if someone had molested her. "It is nothing serious," came her voice. He slowly let her go from his arms but made sure to keep her where she sat on the bed right now. "Didn''t seem like nothing," came Damien''s voice, both their eyes meeting each other, where Penny was the first one who broke the gaze. Instead of getting angry on her, or pestering her, Damien sat looking at her as he leaned himself back and cing one hand of his behind him. "It is just some nightmares that surfaced up..." "What kind of nightmares?" questioned Damien in a heartbeat. His passive-aggressiveness trying to w and get the information out. Penny could feel Damien''s burning eyes on her, waiting for her to speak. Truthfully, it wasn''t anything big but something that had happened before her mother had passed away during the time she had gone in search of the doctor. It was just bad timing and her dream had exaggerated things that she had woken up with sweat on her body. She didn''t even know why the memory surfaced. "Months ago when my mother fell ill due to the sickness...I had left the vige to walk on foot. The carriages there had been stopped due to the riots that had existed with the humans trying to burn the newly turned vampires," said Penny, her voice two level above the sea''s waves that made noise outside the room. It was a difficult week to a lot of them as the routes were closed and the trades had been closed by the guards which had lowered the profit of the sellers, "By the time I reached the town where the doctor resided it was the time of noon," Damien intently heard the story she said, "Before I could reach the doctor''s house, I met some people who were drunk." "Did they do something?" asked Damien. Penny didn''t know how to phrase it, and taking in her silence Damien''s eyes narrowed, "They only tried to corner you." "And?" And, thought Penny... "It''s not what you think. I should have-" "I am listening," Damien insisted to hear what was going on in Penny''s head. He was curious to know what it was that got her so scared and worried. It was a dark cloudy day, one of the mostmon weather of thend of Bonke. With her mother sick, she had gone on foot to meet the doctor her mother had rmended. Hoping he woulde to see her and wouldn''t refuse to see her sick mother. The town itself was shady to look at. It wasn''t like other towns she had seen before. The path was covered with patchy mud slumps as if it hadn''t been fixed for a very long time. The clothes that once used to be clean and hanging out now look tattered. The walls appeared to be stuck with the mud, not one house clean which made her wonder about the magistrate who was in charge of this ce. She was only trying to find the house when she came across an alley street that had a group of four men who were drunk. They had seen hering and had stopped her from going forward. "Look who is here," said one of the men. "It''s been so long since we have seen one with such good clothes. Wonder how she slipped in,"mented the other for the first one to reply. "Who cares about that. Let''s have her." The other two men hadn''t bothered to get up from where they sat with a bottle in their hand which looked like they were drinking something from it.?ces like those weren''t meant to be ignored and left alone. If it weren''t for her mother she wouldn''t have gone and now it made her wonder. Her mother wasn''t in the grave and she was alive...somewhere she knew she was. Though Damien hadn''t told it to her in words, she knew it. She wasn''t naive about how this world worked. They had cornered her, the smell of their breath which smelt nothing less to a dead man''s body. The very ce looked shady which was why Penny had avoided getting in the spotlight or under the light of anyone. Though she had managed to move away from them before she could get too far, she had heard screams in the back alley. She should have gone on her way than go back to see what had happened. And her first instinct was to go search the doctor but on second thought she had gone back and now she wished she hadn''t. "Truthfully it is not even rted," Penny said exhaling out looking at Damien looking at her, "I went back after meeting them to see two men who were with them. One of the drunk men''s head was being ripped out. The head dangling in the other man''s hand and it was the expression and the whole atmosphere which reeked of death and something very evil." Damien ran his hand through his hair listening to this. Was she traumatized with it? But then she should have felt it the day when he had killed the maid. Why did she remember it today and especially now? "Wait when did you meet the doctor? I thought you brought the doctor to see your mother right away," he frowned remembering what she saidst time to him. "I did?" asked Penny. "At least with what I remember. The way you told it," he said before trying to understand the current situation, "Why did you not tell me this before?" something just didn''t add up in Damien''s mind. Something seemed to be off. Penny then frowned, "I just didn''t-" she stopped abruptly with her eyebrow furrowing deeper than any time before, "I didn''t remember it until now," it wasn''t because of trauma, no that couldn''t be, thought Penny to herself. She had seen Damien with dead people at his feet and also seen him tear the maid''s head until it feebly attached itself to the rest of the body. And she hadn''t forgotten it then why this? It was as if it had not been part of her memory at all. Had her memory been erased...? Chapter 152 - Spaces Penny was confused, her mind trying to reel in with what she understood and she was still trying to process around her. She wondered if it was possible. When her eyes met Damien''s questioning ones, she asked him, "Could you tell me what I told you? About going to the doctor''s house..." Damien''s eyes tried to gauge what was going on but nheless he went to iterate what he had heard from her, "You said you had been to the doctor''s house on foot as there was a riot taking ce on the main road. Taking a deviation before meeting him. After some time you did mention that you bought the man to the house but it had been toote. Your mother''s health was quickly deteriorating. What happened, Penelope? Speak," he demanded looking at her. There was a heap of confusion that filled up her eyes. "If my mother is alive. Is she a witch like me?" asked Penny without answering what Damien was asking. Damien''s mouth twisted, taking in a deep breath he released to say, "Yes," Penny nodded her head. Not because she understood what was being told but she was still working on understanding why her mother would die toe back again. If she were a witch along with her father, why had she failed to mention it to her? Was it not important to know who she was or what she was to be precise. It felt as if she had been living a life of lie where she had no clue, "But she isn''t the same as you," her eyes looked up at him with a frown. "What do you mean?" her heart started to thud back. "I don''t know how far it is true but there''s rumored lore which hasn''t been proven until now. When a white witch dies to reincarnate herself, her body dposes like any other body that has to decay to turn one with thend she had stepped on to. But this doesn''t hold the same for the ck witch. When the ck witch dies, her body starts to decay and if it is the reincarnation the body doesn''t decay one bit because they make use of the same body." "...she''s a ck witch," Penny finally came down to the conclusion. Her body suddenly turning cold as if someone had thrown a bucket of water on her. Damien hadn''t nned to tell her this early. After all, she was still learning things around her but keeping it as a secret wasn''t going to benefit anyone. Not to him, not to her. The sooner the information to be out in the air the better it was. With Penny''s mother who was a ck witch and her father who was a white witch, things had truly taken to another turn but there was something more to the story right now. Penny, on the other hand, wondered what to do. She had the least expectation of her parents being part of the creatures who people despised on a daily basis. She herself had turned out to be a white witch which she thought was the most she could be shocked but with her mother being a ck witch, she didn''t know what to conclude the life she had lived so far. "What if the lore is false and untrue. Somethings are only made up to change the course of her person''s mind." "You don''t mean to say the white witches are on the wrong. That would be a plot twist in the history of the witches," hemented to see her shake her head. "No, that is not what I mean..." the person she had loved and whom she had been loved back, her mother who had passed away, how could she be a ck witch? ck witches were not known to be good. Throughout the years, it was mentioned over and over again in the history of books on how vile the ck witches were. Hunting, killing, cutting people for their own use of the potions and theck of understanding on how to co-exist with the others. Penny then realized there was Bathsheba who was helping her or helping only because of Damien, "My mother was a good woman." Damien didn''t know if the girl was trying to assure him or assure herself after finding out about her mother. Not being subtle in the slightest, he said, "ck witches are not to be trusted. You might be a good actress with chiseling the skill over the months but they, the ck witches are born to be sweet talkers to get what they want," he saw Penny get upset over his words. She went to defend, "You do not know my mother, Master Damien. If you haven''t met her you shouldn''t be so quick to judge." "You will be surprised to know the amount of time I have been right. Truth is bitter and it hurts but it is what it is. You cannot change it." "Maybe but to be too quick to judge it isn''t fair. Bathsheba might be a witch but you take her help because you have ced the unknowing trust in her. If you didn''t you wouldn''t have taken her there." Damienughed at what she said, "Is that what it seems like? Oh, little mouse. Her neck loosely hangs in my hands where I can rip it off at any time. The woman knows to keep favor which I have granted so generously," he stood up from the bed where Penny had to raise her head up to look at Damien as she sat on the bed, "There are a fewws in nature like the sun rises from the east. The birds fly during the time of cold. Things that have been going on for years which you cannot change. Unless you turn out to be a powerful witch where you can change the veryw which has beenid down for all of us. The vampires live on blood no matter how many other delicacies of food they eat. Humans'' downfall is the very spark of greed that lights up in their hearts and the witches who are never to be trusted, especially the ck witch." "You don''t trust me either," Penny confronted him. "White witches maybe but the ck witches no. And when ites to you, you are the only exception I take and no one else gets that exception," he replied with the same vigor as her. How was she supposed to reply to that? Every time he spoke anything about her, he left words where he appreciated her, making her feel special over and over again. This pureblooded vampire imed to have fallen for her, how much was it true? "Don''t judge me, Penelope," Damien was very good at reading facial expressions that passed by. Be it humans, vampires or the witches, he had the skill to read and decipher what was going on on their mind, "Would you like me to show you how to dedicated I can be?" he ced his knee and one hand on the bed to have his face in front of hers. Going back to the subject which had been raised since they arrived back, he pulled back slightly to ask her, "Why did you want me to repeat things you told me yourself?" he asked her. Penny gulped softly, trying to wet her lips which had dried, "Do witches have the power to erase memory?" Damien''s brows furrowed hearing this. "What was the memory that was missing?" he asked her. She recollected back what she had gone through in her mind, "I didn''t realize it before but some of my memories are missing. They aren''t blurry because of the time that has passed but because they had been removed." "Missing memories? Never heard of it before. Going to Bathsheba right now is not feasible and we will have to hold our trip there for some time until the witch hunter decides to leave. Though there is one person who might help us. The problem is that she never takes visitors," he said thinking about the witch who the council kept an eye on while also taking her help, "What were the missing fragments?" "I didn''t notice it before but there are nk spaces now as I try to remember them. A lot of nk spaces." "Since when?" "Before my mother passed away," Penny refused to believe that her mother had anything to do with it after all she was the only person she was in contact with. Or had she done it for her own good? This only made her question more and she heard Damien ask, "You might not like to hear it but it appears that your mother tampered your memories without fixing it and letting it be. My guess is that after your ability got triggered, there must have been some changes that took ce in your body that opened the locked memory which you had forgotten and had no ess to." Penny tried to remember the time before and after meeting the doctor. She remembered going to the doctor''s house. Knocking on the door as she tapped the metal that was nailed on the main door of the house. But the more she tried to remember the farther the memories turned out to be. She couldn''t remember what happened after knocking the door which daunted her more than anything. Why wasn''t she able to remember anything?! Suddenly she felt Damien''s hand on her own hand, "Calm down," and upon his one word, her heart started to go back to its normal state, "Don''t panic. You are here safe and whatever that was removed from your memory will return but in time. Okay?" Penny nodded her head, "Master Damien?" "Hmm?" "Do you think I will be able to see her again? My mother." "Yeah, I guess." Chapter 153 - Black witchs day- Part 1 Wearing the hooded cloak which people often wore along with the scarf that covered her face, Bathsheba stepped out of her house. Locking the house, she started to walk away and towards the heart of the town which wasn''t far from her house was situated. But that was not where the ck witch was heading to. She continued to walk, passing the bustling crowd that had formed at the early hours of the day as they hustled to work and continue with their day usual. Humans, thought the ck witch as her good eyes scanned them without letting them know that she was looking at them. In one''s eyes, it would have looked as if thedy was looking down and walking but even with her eyes shut half closed she could see them clearer than they could see her. Human lives were limited, like a little box that was contained to live and survive without knowing what was there beyond the box. Some stupid while some highly intelligent. They came in all vors, which was why they were highly amusing but at the same, they were what got the nature of thesends bnced. If it weren''t for the existence of the vampires, the pureblooded vampires would have killed the rest of the species to survive. After all, they were the only ones who could drink each other''s blood while still continue to survive. Humans were stupid because of the percentage in which where they could be swayed easily. They were immensely fickle-minded than the ck witches which made it that much easier to sell each other out for their own benefit. "Good afternoon, Arien," a woman was walking by stopped her and she smiled back, an easy-going smile which was as harmless as a feather. "Good afternoon, Mariah. I see you are done with your groceries today. Did you get it from the vendor who lives on the other side of the town?" asked Bathsheba politely. The woman looked down at her hands where she was carrying the vegetables, nodding her head she said, "I sure did. It should be enough for the week. Are you going there too?" "Yes. They have cheaper vegetables being sold which I can afford," if there was one thing the ck witch had learned, it was to blend in with the other humans. To have meager conversations of the things they were used to and bored to do, yet they would speak about it numerous times. "Have the prices lowered further?" she asked to receive a look of a frown from the human female. "Why would the prices lower?" she asked curiously, "Not a penny less but it is good to know that this store has more to offer than take. But who knows when he will raise his prices over the vegetables and other daily goods like the one in our vige. Bathsheba nodded her head, exchanging a small between each other, she started to walk towards the ce where the other man sold his groceries. Truthfully it didn''t matter to Bathsheba where she bought her groceries. The main reason she sought out to this person wasn''t just to hide from the prying eyes of the vigers who were often curious but also because there was a secret which only she was aware of. Walking up to the store she saw a young girl collecting the change she had given money to the man, carrying it she crossed Bathsheba with a smile. Young age, thought Bathsheba to herself. Girls of that age often fell in love quickly with the humans or be it with the witcher man who was selling the groceries in front of her. His were silver bleach in color, his nose pointed and his eyebrows raised. "Do you n to marry her?" asked the ck witch to the man who saw the young human walking on her way back home. "Why do you ask?" the man who was also a ck witch after shifting his gaze from the young maiden to this rotten ck witch. "If you don''t n to marry her don''t string her along. Haven''t you heard the curse of human love?" it was an old saying which often went by or came up when a witch meddled in the human''s life. Most of the witches were superstitious. A saying that went by that the humans were the ultimate doom who would cause the downfall and death of the witches. The doom was already written by default but with the humans in the equation, it only made it far worse as if inviting trouble. "It is an old saying, Bathsheba. And who has told not I n to leave her..." Bathsheba turned her eyebrows up. Was he in love with the girl? Howughable, thought the ck witch to herself, "A ck witch never falls in love. What happened to that? You will only use her before throwing her as if she were nothing." "Not every story has to turn out the same," answered back the man. "It doesn''t," Bathsheba said, picking up the leafy vegetables that were ced for disy. She inspected the vegetable closely before it changed its color from green to dark brown, making it look like it had been decaying for four to five days now, "Everythinges to an end, Gillum. A lot of things have fixed things that follow suit. Stop luring her in here before you put her in your own jeopardy. It will not only save her but also yourself." "Have you never had feelings for the other creatures? Ours are very vile to like," and she couldn''t agree any less to it. Even their own kind wouldn''t like someone of their kind and would rather look at the other creatures if one sought the affection of like or love. "There is plenty to like but I had rather want to put my energy in saving my neck than saving the other ones," hearing this the man shook his head in disappointment like she was missing on something important in life but the ck witch was much smarter who had saved herself during countless asions where the others would have failed to only be burnt in the middle of the town. Chapter 154 - Black witchs day- Part 2 Taking the vegetables she hade for while also picking up other things which were for her own use and not for the humans, she started to walk back home again whilst her eyes scanned in and around to see if the witch hunter had been tailing her like before. One wrong move in front of the people and ti would result in nothing but her death. When four days passed by and Bathsheba went to look for the male witch again to receive some of the supplies than going to the ck market and drawing herself attention, she stopped in the middle. Her footsteps pausing where she saw both the human girl as well as the ck witch, Gillum were caught by the guards of the vige. "Tell us who else do you have here along with you?" asked one of the vige men who had tied the witch up and also the girl as she shook her head trying to deliver something from her mouth which barely passed through her lips. When the witcher''s eyes met Bathsheba''s, she didn''t blink away but continued to stare at him to hear him say, "It''s just me," ck witches were often known to sell their own kind which was why it was easy to spot and find the others who loved in the same vicinity. "Burn this person! Burn the girl along!" said the other man and the girl looked in horror. "Papa, please!" she pleaded crying out to the older man but the man refused to even acknowledge her presence. Bathsheba tched under her breath, how shameful for the man to know that his very daughter was involved with the witch, "I didn''t know!" of course. How would the girl know, she thought to herself. Humans dived and dipped in the matter of love so deep that they refused to understand the logic of how things ran. It was to the point where they turned blind but everyone turned bind at one certain point in their lives. "I did not know. I didn''t know anything about him!" the girl continued to plead her father who continued to ignore her. Bathsheba caught the look of hurt that crossed over the ck witch, Gillum for what his love interest had to say. The girl who adored him four days ago now refused to ept that she shared the same feelings as him. At this point even if the witcher wanted to save her using all his might, his very belief in the word of love evaporated. Maybe if the girl had shown a little more courage things could have turned. Not positively sure but in a sense of maybe but who had so much of time. Both the witcher and the human girl were burnt with the witness of the vigers and some of the passerby''s. This, in turn, brought light to the matter which was brought in a few days ago by councilman Damien and the girl who he had bought along with him. White witch. The chances of longevity in white witches were more than with ck witches when it came to being in a rtionship. But then did it matter? Sooner orter, everything led to the path of death. The most famous example was the death of Damien''s aunt. The great white witch who was considered to surpass the previousurels of the other white witch but death struck her with no mercy. It was always good to be hidden and to live a path of solitude. At least that guaranteed some kind of increase in the years the witches lived. Bathsheba didn''t find joy like the humans to see the girl and Gillum die in front of her eyes. As much as she was a ck witch, there was a part of her that waspassionate which was what set her apart from the rest of her kind. Going back to her home, she caught the movement from the corner of her eyes. Catching to see the man who had started to fall her again. Damien was right. People like him always returned back with much more preparation as their doubt never faded away. Witch hunters were really troublesome. Walking with the same space as she did as if she were not affected. she had other things to do than pay heed to him. With the wonderful acting of Penelope, she doubted she would have to worry about him but this one was a pest. Opening the lock of the door, she stepped inside and locked it. Keeping her ear close to the door to hear if someone was walking by the door or had stepped forward. Hearing nothing out there, she went to ce the things she had bought from the local market. Thinking back on what just happened, her mind almost unaffected by it, her thoughts shifted to the ck witch and the white witch couple. Penelope''s parents. With the air clear on who her parents were, the next question that arose was why and what happened to her father. White witches weren''t suicidal- if they died there was a reason behind it. Because there was always a reason. And why did the ck witch resurrect herself if it was possible unless she wasn''t dead to begin with. It appeared like a wonderful mystery on what might have happened but at the same time, she wondered...wondering what was their story. If they had fallen in love or had someone betrayed another. With the number of possibilities, Bathsheba''s mouth watered at the thought of it. At the same time, Bathsheba heard a knock on the main door stilling her thoughts. Was it the witch hunter? the ck witch couldn''t say but if it was, it seemed like he was trying to press his nose where it didn''t belong. It wasn''t the first time a witch hunter had tried to tail her. She wondered if she should cut that nose of his, maybe then it would stop bothering her. Chapter 155 - Hunter X Witch - Part 1 Hello readers (don''t worry about the SS of this chapter, I added this section after publishing the chapter so that it doesn''t affect the SS and will remain the same for the chapter content only) Apologies for not giving an early heads-up about the vacation, I did let people know on the Discord server. I had first been busy with wanting to give a mass release for the new year and thencked time. usually hosts award for the top author (I didn''t get one and was only called to be present there) to Shanghai. I think the award is usually given to the author who reaches the #1 position as well as who earns well for thepany through the book. The schedule was full there and I didn''t have the energy to write once I got back to the room. I will post some pictures on the Discord server and also on my Instagram profile, with the other authors and the food. I hope you enjoy the 12 chapters mass release. . * * . Eugene had been convinced in the beginning since the time he had met the other woman in the vige which resided next to the Isle valley. He had taken for the word that the beautiful woman he hade across was a human who was getting married to a pureblooded vampire. After all, it wasn''t umon for vampires to take humans as their partners but the only sad part being the humans didn''t live too long. Not because of the mortality but because of the humans often well ill and died at an early age or time right after the wedding. The witch hunter would have agreed to every word but after he left the vige in search of the next witch there was something that had been hovering over his mind. It was the darn windows he couldn''t get his mind off which had been closed shut and hadn''t been cleaned. The next time he had returned when the woman had left he had hovered over the house again. Looking around and walking through to find burnt ash that had trailed towards the forest. It was very little but something that had caught his eye. He who was skilled and had a piece of good knowledge about the witches, it didn''t take him too long to know that this woman was not any ordinary witch. He could be wrong that someone had set her up which many witches did to throw the hunters off but if she really was a ck witch, then that would mean there was more than one witch in here. The woman who had spoken to him, the one with green eyes who was as beautiful as this one. Wanting to talk to the person again, he decided to follow her. His footsteps were discreet but not enough as it had caught the attention of Bathsheba before she went to her house and locked the door. Eugenie himself knew that the woman had been alerted which only made him that much more suspicious about her. With the humans who were not on this part of the vige as most of them were at the heart of the vige witnessing the death of the human girl and the ck witch who had been caught. Going to stand at the front of the house, he readying the ax he carried behind his back which was covered and hidden. Raising his hand he knocked on the door, where the woman who went by the name Airen opened the door to him. Bathsheba, on the other hand, knew the man woulde to stand at the front of her door. Opening the door, she gave him a look as if she weren''t expecting him. "Airen?" asked the man as if to confirm it was her. He appeared to be in his early thirties, his brown hair standing straight on his head. "Yes? How many I help you?" asked Bathsheba as she took in the witch hunters'' appearance. "I had something to ask you, your sister. Does she live here?" "She only recently moved from here." "Ah, I see," the man nodded his head as if trying to grasp while looking slightly disappointed that he couldn''t see the girl, he then smiled to ask, "Do you mind if I step inside for a ss of water?" Bathsheba knew that all the man was looking for was confirmation about her existence being a witch. It was a double-edged sword where bringing refusing would mean raising his very suspicion while inviting him in would let the man see what was there in the house. But the ck witch was brave and cunning. Just because she wasn''t able to fool the councilman whom she owed her life as he had spared hers while taking and giving equal information and things which worked both ways, it didn''t necessarily mean she was a good person, "Pleasee in," she smiled at him, pushing the door further open so that he would step inside the house. It was a routine for her to clean everything before she left the house which was why right now the living room and kitchen looked as good as a human household would. The potions and other vessels with ingredients hidden from sight. "Thank you, my name is Eugene," he introduced himself, "I was hoping to meet her as I met herst time but it seems like I missed the opportunity. How are your wedding nsing along? I heard you are getting married. You must be brave," there was a hidden meaning in there which was intended for the ck witch. The witches, hunters, and vampires had always been on a run of cat and mouse chase for a very long time. Though many knew that hunters sought and killed the witches, there were some hunters who often killed the lone vampires. After all, in the end everyone wanted their own race to prevail while the others bow down at them. "Brave?" asked Bathsheba wanting to know what he meant by it. Both the ck witch and the hunter knew what the other was while also having an inkling that the other might already know who they were, testing the very same for confirmation. "Yes, it is not many go to get married to a vampire. Especially knowing the vampire nature and their very dynamics when ites to the humans being their food source...that is why you are brave," said Eugene. The witch hunter walked in, looking at the living room which looked clean. Maybe extra clean which made him wonder if it had only been cleaned before she had left home. His eyes taking in the objects that were in there while he took a seat on the wooden chair. "He is a handsome man, I couldn''t refuse his proposal," Bathsheba smiled. Her face still covered with an opaque veil as she went to fetch water for him. "Of course. Good looking man," replied Eugene with his eyebrows that were raised as they scanned the room before shifting it on the woman. Her movements were delicate as she walked around, fetching a ss and filling it with water, "Good men are hard to find." Chapter 156 - Hunter X Witch - Part 2 "That is why one needs to marry when they find a good one," Bathsheba responded back. "By the words, I would say you are in love." "It might be so," the woman turned to him, a small blush on her visible cheek and her eyes cast down before they looked up at him. With her agreeing to almost everything he said while trying to stay neutral, it was another thing which he caught on. His eyes slightly narrowed at her, a woman who was ying safe. Eugene was ready to catch hold of the ss of water which Bathsheba shared but the ss never reached his fingers. Before he could even touch it, the ss was dropped from the witch''s hand which fell in slow motion. And even though the ss fell down before cracking into many pieces as it touched the ground, both the witch and the hunter had their eyes on each other. It was usible to think whether the man would drink the water if the ss reached him. With his suspicion, the easiest kill was to serve the person something in their drink or food. Suddenly a nk of sound could be heard in the house and if someone was outside the door they could have heard it too. The witch hunter had his gun against the witch''s knife, "Aren''t you a little too hasty? Pulling out the gun so quickly," Bathsheba smiled as they pushed each other with their weapons in hand, not giving each other an opportunity to move and give an open kill. With the sudden movements, Bathsheba''s cover had been blown out with her veiling off her face to show her true nature. "Says the one who pulled the knife. You little bitch, I knew something was off about you and this ce," said Eugene looking at the scarred face of her. But it wasn''t just scared. Her face showed the scaly features which were dark in color that resembled a reptile. "Aren''t you a little slow for a hunter?" the ck witch smiled, the craziness showing up in her eyes. Like a bloodthirsty animal that was going to enjoy ripping this man out. She pushed the man with enough force while using her leg to kick him right across his chest which made his back hit the wall and fall down on the ground before he stood up. Aiming his gun he took a shot at her where the witch dodged before opening the door from behind which has been concealed from outside. Slipping away and escaping him. Eugene was hot on her tail, running to follow her. The man didn''t care if the others were alerted after all a human was never shunned. Especially a hunter who was hunting the very same creatures who the humans were afraid and disliked the most. If people found out it would only lead as a trap to the ck witch which would be that much easier to catch and kill her in a group. A witch never stood a chance after her identity was exposed to many people who would hunt her. Be it a white witch or a ck witch. But this ck witch had some brains to take the fight somewhere else while she tried to escape. Who knew that there was another escape route in the house apart from the main door! Bathsheba was at a disadvantage as she had nothing but a knife on her with a potion of bottle she often carried with herself. For someone like her who was trying to blend in with the humans and to fade away without anyone''s notice, she had a lot of human things adorning her house than the items a ck witch would possess. With the limited things, she made use of whatever she got but her feet weren''t too helpful. She had no broomstick to fly and escape and the only thing she could do is to-a gunshot came right towards her which she had to dodge. With the agitation of fight or flight in her body, Bathsheba''s entire body had turned to one to be aplete ck witch which no more adorned the beautiful face she had a few moments ago. Her entire body had changed to look cracked yet scaly, her eyes which were of human color had turned to one of green that was pale in color. The forest had a lot of trees but with the winter heading close and the change in climate from the rain, the leaves that belonged to the trees in the forest had withered away. Leafless looking trees that were bald and bare looking. The man continued to shoot her where the ck witch dodged over and over again until it finally stopped. Hearing no footsteps following her with her hand clutched tightly at the front of her dress, she turned around to see him not there. Had she lost him? That couldn''t be true though, she had heard and met many witch hunters before and if there was one thing true about the witch hunters, it was that they never gave up. Suddenly the sound of arrow swishing and cutting through the air from above-made way towards her at full speed. Before it could hit her chest, Bathsheba held it in her hand, a smile appearing on her lips. The smile didn''t stay long as a bullet quickly made it''s way from the other side like a whisper in the air and hit her in her chest making her stumble. Her feet going unsteady with the sudden impact, she staggered. "You witches are so easy to catch. Is stupidity something that flows in your blood?" came the voice of the hunter from where the bullet was fired from the gun, "Did you think I wouldn''t have thought about you escaping anding here?" scoffed the hunter, walking towards her from a good distance while Bathsheba tried to touch her hand to her chest. The ck blood started to pour gently out of her chest. Warmblood started to stick to her hand. Chapter 157 - Trapped- Part 1 Eugene yed with his gun, twirling it around in his finger before catching hold of it steadily. He could see the blood that was oozing out of her body and he had hit her right in the right side of her chest which was where the witch''s heartid, unlike the normal humans whose heart resided on the left side of their chest. The ck witch fell down on the wet ground which was smudged with the loose soil after the previous day''s rain in the forest. Eugene could tell that the witch was going to die but to be on the safer side as he was taught by his people, it was better to cut the head off the body. Reaching where she was, he caught hold of her by pulling the back of her head making her groan. She looked helpless, "I must say you both did throw me off for a few days but you cannot escape a hunter''s nose." "Is it because you are a dog?" asked the ck witch, her eyes squinted closed because of the pain. Eugene stared at the witch wondering how long she had before she died. Though he had aimed at her heart, he was sure he had grazed only half of it. He liked the half-dead fish and half-alive. He picked up his gun, cing it in her mouth to say, "I should blow your f.u.c.k.i.n.g brains out. What do you think about it?" heughed when he saw the terror in her eyes, "That''s right. Did your little pea-sized brain finally catch it?" hearing her mumble something he pulled out the gun from her mouth. When the witch spoke this time, there was a slur in her speech as her once human tongue had changed to a tongue which belonged to a snake that slithered in and out of her mouth, "I haven''t done anything to you. Let me go free and we''ll forget anyone had anything to do with each other." "The dreams one has," the hunter looked away from her as if he was looking at something else in the woods and not her, "I am a hunter, not a preacher to let you go for the sin you havemitted." "I have done nothing like that. I have continued to live without causing any trouble-" "That is what you say but can you tell that you forgot to turn your friend in when he started to bribe the human!" the man pulled the back of her hair further making her grimace, "You stood there watching quietly doing nothing. Witches and humans don''t get along, you know why? Because witches make use of humans." "Not everyone is like that. People are different," the ck witch gritted her teeth in pain which brought joy to the hunter''s eyes. "So you say but you cannot let go of that filthy nature of yours." The ck witch opened her eyes at his words, looking up at him which made him look annoyed at her, "What are you looking at?" Bathsheba smiled, her smile growing before it turned one to a chuckle, "Were you betrayed by my kind that turned you this bitter?" seeing his anger swirl she smiled, "You should know every creature has two different kinds that-" "Shut up before I blow you up," he ced his gun right on her forehead, "Every kind has a simr trait. Greed runs thick in the humans, the thirst for power that is high in the pureblooded vampires, and the witches who are selfish in nature," Eugene didn''t follow with the ck and white code in life. There was no good or bad but that everything was categorized as one being and in this case witches were all bad. They were creatures who brought ill omens to the others around them. Killing and guing the people with nothing but death. It was one or two cases. Every person he hade across had met their death thanks to the witches. And it didn''t matter if it was a ck witch or a white witch. Four years ago, his best friend had fallen for a woman. A woman who spoke very less and didn''t mingle with people around and that was something that had caught his friend''s eyes. They fell in love, married and the next day he had found his friend''s body sprawled on the ground. Dead in the house with the bride who had gone missing, it didn''t take people much time to figure out what had happened. Especially with the boiling pot and potions that decorated the dead man''s house. He wished he had seen iting but with love in the air, many had shrugged it off or had failed to look into it deeper. Eugene had lost his friend, a person who was dear to him. He had made a folly but it wouldn''t happen again. "Before I kill you, tell me where can I find this sister of yours..." Eugene knew that if the girl had helped this ck witch, there was a high chance that she was a witch too. Green eyes, "Tell me where she is and I will see if I can lessen your pain." Bathsheba stared at the man, her eyes unwavering which were of slits. Unblinking she said, "Are you going to hunt her down after me? She''s a human let her go," said the witch. Eugene shook his head, "A witch is a witch, no matter how much she or you hide your true nature. It will be exposed one day," the ck witch''s eyes started to flutter closed and open as if her body was slowly giving up with the loss of blood, "Tell me quick. I have other things to do than spend useless time with a person like yourself," he smiled down at her. Eugene didn''t feel the slightest remorse and he wouldn''t feel it even after he would be done with her. Witches were meant to die, to not exist as it was something that didn''t bnce with the humans. They were like unnecessary weeds that had grown and needed to be pulled out. Chapter 158 - Trapped- Part 2 "I know she is a witch. A smart one I should say, were you there that day? You should have been there when I came in search of you. How funny and here I thought you weren''t there and almost bought the story that was told. A good bunch of actors trying to stray me off my path," Eugene chuckled, "Hurry up now, you little witch. Where can I find this sister of yours? I will be sure to hunt her once I am done with you." "In heaven," answered Bathsheba making the man give her a confused look and she then continued, "Not the ce you will be going," and with that, Bathsheba hit his face from the bottom and took a step back to kick him on the side of his face. The hunter hit his body on the tree and fell down on the ground. He looked up at her even more confused, his eyes darting towards her face and then her chest where the blood continued to flow down her chest, dirtying the front of her dress. "Don''t look so surprised," Bathsheba gave him a sweet smile which didn''t look sweet at all with her current ck witch features, "Calling one an idiot without gathering enough facts. How pitiful," she tched, "Did you think I would die that easily? I made some preparations beforehand. Though it is quite sad that you did not take the drink I offered you. All you had to do was drink the offered water and leave but nosy hunters never listen do they. Wondering why I am not dead yet?" The huntsmen picked up his gun, clutching on it and pulling the trigger for it to only make snapping sounds with no bullets. He had used every bullet inside and had to reload it before using it on her. Without waiting for time, he pulled out his bow and arrow that was hanging behind his back. Aiming the arrow right at her. "You know what is the main error that the humans cause on himself? Believing that he knows everything and he is in a superior position than the rest in the world. Do you know what your foolishness was? To think I was a naive ck witch with no knowledge about your kind of people. I am much older than you thi-" the man released an arrow at her and she stepped away from it, letting the arrow pierce through the air and hit itself to the trunk of the tree behind. "I aimed your heart and you lost blood," murmured the man confused at the sight of how she looked agile right now. Just a few minutes ago she had been struggling and was in pain, how was she standing up unaffected now? Bathsheba didn''t bother to exin to him before he could draw out another arrow, she ran right towards him with her knife in her hand. The man stopped her, blocking her from attacking him with his bow and twisting it when she tried to get through him. Eugene used her twisted hand in the bow to ram her against the tree over and over again before he could jab her with the arrow he had pulled out from behind the ck witch took her knife stealthily and pushed it to his chest. Twisting it as she saw him struggle to push her hand away. "Don''t think you will be let off e-easily for this," said the hunter as he continued to struggle, "The higher-ups will know what you have done and wille for you. The person in charge of the witches. They wille after both of you," he threatened her. Bathsheba had no words to spare for him apart from smiling, "Then I better kill you sooner," she pulled the knife out before slitting his throat, blood spurted out from his neck on her. Once his body stopped moving she dropped him on the ground. The ck witch had been meticulous and if there was a reason why she was still alive, unlike her other sisters who fell for the trap, she had been extremely careful all this while. Mingling and blending with humans like them. But she knew about the witch hunters which was why a few weeks ago, she had pushed her heart to the other side where the human''s heart resided instead of keeping it in the right. She used her feet to check his signs, seeing him not move from where she stood, she looked around the forest while keeping her ears open for any signs that they were being watched or followed. It was truly sad about how the man had died. She wasn''t exactly fond of killing people but she had to survive. Once she had fixed his body where no one would ever find while it would take its time to dpose, she walked away from the vige. It wasn''t safe anymore to go back and it was better to move to another ce than be caught and killed. Unfortunately, while Bathsheba thought herself to be smart. There was another witch watching them who had perched themselves on a tree, looking discreetly as the talk and fight took ce. When Bathsheba took the body, dragging the dead man to hide him elsewhere, the person who was on the tree jumped down. Straightening their body as a sinister smile came to form on the lips of painted red lips. The woman had brown eyes and ck hair, her body petite figure and her dressing that appeared to be one of amoner. "Well, what did we have here. Witch huntersing here?" spoke the woman, her voice that appeared to be young, "I should probably step to anothernd beforeing back. But of course, not before setting this one up," smiled the woman, her eyes shining as her tongue slithered in and out of her mouth. With that constant smile, she walked away from the scene of a murder that had taken ce a few moments ago. Chapter 159 - Bunny apple- Part 1 In the mansion of Quinn. The clouds continued to hover thickly in the sky as the cold wind blew in the evening where there was still light. With the arrival of Winter which was right around the corner, the temperature had dipped far lower where if it weren''t for the heating from the walls and the fireces, the humans would have frozen and died due to cold. It was one of the advantages for the lowly servants who worked in the mansions which belonged to the higher society of people as it gave them the necessary shelter which their own homecked to give them. When the time of dinner arrived, Quinn''s and Penny entered the dining room to settle themselves. Then the food arrived in the room like any other time but Penny couldn''t stop but stare at it. The food tter she was served by the maid wasn''t the food she was used to eating. She had never tried something like this which made her wonder if it was some kind of delicacy. It was raw meat, not medium-cooked or rare but actual raw meat which looked as if the meat had been just cut and put on the te. The blood on it looked fresh. Penny felt nauseous and didn''t know what to do with the te but to keep it back on the ground without touching it. "The rate has only increased, I don''t know what the others are doing when there have been deaths one after another. We are in an era of death,"mented Damien''s father. "Sometimes it makes me wonder if the council works at all. Seeing Damien hanging here in the mansion in his room, he must have a lot of time to y house," his step-mother taunted at him which he took no offense but smiled. "Don''t be jealous, mother. I am sure father spoils you enough in the bedroom than what I do to my pet." Maggie bit on her food very slowly hearing this, her eyes lifting up to look at the reaction of others. Her father appeared to have a nk expression which could be considered to be neutral. Her younger half-blooded sister who was as good as a step-sister looked in shock and so did her step-mother who had a mix of shock and embarrassment. "You need to fix that crudenguage of yours, Damien," Fleaurance said to him, her voice sharp as if reprimanding him. Damien who had been cutting the apple on his te paused to c.o.c.k his head. "Crude? It would be crude if I said you and father have plenty of time f.u.c.k.i.n.g each other behind the doors of the bedroom. But I said nothing like that, instead, it was put very subtly," even Penny could feel the second-hand embarrassment from where she sat. "Damien!" his mother yelled at him, "Don''t you have table manners? Why are you not saying anything?" she said looking at her husband for some help. "Damien, behave," said the man before saying in a low voice which wasn''t low enough as everyone heard it, "Talking further will only spur him more." "That doesn''t mean he speaks like that about us!" the elder vampiress wasn''t happy. With what Penny knew Damien''s father was one of the most rxed men which were understandable as one needed the patience to handle such deranged family. It made Penny wonder if he really was this patient or if it was just a farce. Most of the people, in general, were good at controlling their emotions, "Start filtering what you say, Damien. You will be the shame of Quinn." "Don''t have to worry about that," Damien was quick to respond to her words. Penny who was drinking a ss of water to fill her stomach, she saw a te being passed to her by Damien. There were apples that were cut in cute bunny-shaped. He didn''t look at her but continued to converse with his step-mother. Penny wasn''t sure if people in the room noticed the apples when he passed them to her. "So how is s.e.x life? Still, the same before you had Grace or has it be worse?" Damien continued, "I have a book that has different positions. Apparently, it was created by the witches which will be useful for virile-" a loud screech came from the chair the woman was sitting and she left the room without another word. Master Damien sure aced in the art of embarrassing people around him thought Penny to herself. Before his father could say something, Damien said, "She will be alright. But I was serious if you need the book..." he said for his father to sigh. "Pass it on to meter," both his daughters snapped their head to look at their father. Penny could tell that the man was subtle but it wasn''t hard to know where Damien''s shamelessness stemmed from. Not touching the te of meat that dripped with blood, she ate the bunny apples which Damien had cut out for her. The rest of his family though had been distracted with Damien''s suggestion on using the book, they caught sight of the te which Damien passed to the girl.?It was definitely not normal for a master to cut apples for his ve, at least that is what Grace knew of and it was the other way around, where the ve was the one who cut fruits to feed his or her owner. With narrowed eyes, she looked at Penny. Her mouth twisting before she went back to eating her food. Maggie, on the other hand, looked carefully at her brother who was eating his food. "Something on my face?" he asked her to which she shook her head. "I didn''t know you were crafty with the fruits. Where did you learn it?" his older sister asked him as cut into the meat. "Just one of my many talents," he smirked without actually answering her directly. He picked up another apple, starting to cut it under his family''s gaze where he sat there unbothered. Chapter 160 - Bunny apple- Part 2 Penny bit into the apple as it was the only edible food she could have while she tried to not look at the other te that was in front of her. "It appears to look as if you are her ve more than she being yours. Has she wrapped you around your finger?" Grace asked Damien without looking up at him, smiling to herself, "Father you should be careful with brother Dami. You never know what he might do if he falls in love with her."?It wasn''t foreign for an owner to take care of their pets but it wasn''t exactly appreciated in the society. Penny wasn''t a ve who bared no mark of the ve establishment but it was something people didn''t know of. Right now, she was a girl who was being cared for by Damien though not directly. "Always so interested in what I do. I wonder if you have something to do apart from picking on your siblings. Oh, wait I forgot you didn''t have a life of your own," Damien retorted back cooly. "What can I say, you''re my family. I have to watch out for you as Sister Maggie doesn''t dare to cross lines with you," Grace raised her head to smile at him and her older sister, "No offense sister, but you never speak anything to him." "That might be because I have no issue with what he does unlike you who has a problem with what he does. Excuse me," Lady Maggie stood up from her seat after she was done dabbing her lips. Walking around the table she went to her father, to kiss his cheek and say, "I will be going to meet Mrs. Ryker. She has trouble with her daughter''s governess." "To teach?" her father''s voice turned curt. "No, just to supervise. Don''t worry father I won''t be the governess," and even as she assured it to her father by standing to his side, Penny could tell that the vampiress was holding in something she wanted to say. It was as if Lady Maggie wanted to take part in the job of being governess and Penny personally thought she should as she had been teaching her well. It seemed like Quinn''s family didn''t like the girls of their family to work outside for anyone. It was frowned and looked down. "Hmm," her father hummed and she walked out of the room. Penny who was sitting with the apples decided to eat as quickly as she could hoping she could step out of this room too. It was as if every meal in this room had friction between the siblingsing up and out. With that thought, as discreetly as possible she ate the fruit one after another. His father then said, "You should stop pampering the ve, Damien. Your sister is right. We don''t want you being yed and twisted," the man looked at Penny, his eyes starting to judge and at the same time she felt the piece of the apple she had bit in to get stuck in her throat before she swallowed, "There have been many cases of ves turning their owners to puppets to the point where the owners have killed entire family just by the word of the ve. You already have experienced what a ve is capable of with your dear friend." "Don''t worry father. I love my family to not kill them at least not you and Maggie. The rest I cannot assure though with or without the ve in the picture," he looked at Grace who was easy to rile up. Grace turned to her father with worried eyes, "He threatens right in front of you, father. I sometimes worry where he will kill me and call it to be an ident." "You know father you should put the girl in the theater. She would turn out to be the finest actress but then shecks enough talent to be one," Damien took another jab. "I was hoping to have a peaceful breakfast. Is it hard for both of you to get along? And Grace, don''t be rude to your siblings. We all know Damien only says it but it doesn''t mean he will hurt his family intentionally unless you do something to him." Graceughed, one of mock and she threw her napkin on the table, "You are siding with him. Always taking his side. Let me show you," getting up from her table, she walked towards Penny who was sitting on the floor. Before she could reach the ve, a knife flew across her which touched the end of the other wall that had her stop suddenly from walking forward. "Do something to her and I will assure you, you will not see the day. Don''t touch things that belong only to me," Damien''s words allowed no further argument but Grace was yet to get what he meant. The young vampiress turned around to speak to her father, "See? This is what I meant. Why is he so close with his ve?" "If you want to be my ve, I have a spare spot for you," his voice chimed which irritated his half-blood sister. "I had rather die." "I had be happy if you did. You should just do it than be a pain to all of us," he responded back. By the time they were bickering, Damien''s father used the napkin on the table and left the room without another word. After all, it was another sibling fight which he let the children resolve things among themselves. Right now he had an upset wife in the room who he had to speak to. "One day I will have her alone and see what I do to her," Grace gritted her teeth, "You cannot keep protecting that toy of yours." "I hope that day neveres for your own benefit," Damien replied to see his sister walk away from the dining room leaving him and Penny seated with the butler standing with the bowl in his hand which had been asked to mix further with the meat sauce by the young vampiress during the meal. Chapter 161 - Possessive master- Part 1 Later that day in Damien''s room, Penelope sat staring at him from the corner of her eyes while he continued to read a book in his hand. With her having nothing to do, Penny sat quietly in the room but she was bored. She didn''t know how long she could stay like this doing nothing. "I love the adoration you have towards me. I don''t think any women have ever seen me with so much love as you do," Damienmented lifting his eyes up from the book he was reading to feel the continuous gazeing from the girl he had marked. Penny was getting used to his words which only provoked him further to speak, "Are you looking forward to something?" "W-what do you mean?" she asked with a slight stutter. Such a smart girl, thought Damien to himself which was why he enjoyed herpany for so long now. She knew exactly what he meant at the first go which showed she was finally catching up to him. Damien closed the book, the sses on his face continuing to rest as he said, "We didn''t get to go further with what we wanted to-" "You," Penny quickly corrected him. "Me?" "It is you who wanted to do things. Please don''t assume things," she blinked looking at him. When he raised his hand towards her she wondered what he was up to. Her memories of reality and dreams were messing up her head. Making her confused as she tried to catch up with it but there was also Damien to worry about. His words didn''t appear to be restricted to the bedroom. "Hold my hand, Penny. I won''t let it go," one side of his lips had quirked up making her heart skip which she wasn''t sure because he looked utterly charming or because he was scaring her with every word he spoke to her. Gingerly, she moved closer to him where she sat and just when she went to ce her hand on his, Damien caught hold of her wrist and pulled her to him, "Master Damien!" she eximed startled, stumbling near where he sat. When she tried to sit away he pulled her again this time where she fell on hisp. Her breathing hitched when she came face to face, Damien''s eyes freezing her movements. "What happened to you calling me Damien? I keep wondering how you will sound in bed with me." Penny''s eyes widened and she tried to change the conversation subtly, "Both of us are in bed right now, and you are Master Damien Quinn," Damien rolled his eyes. "No need to add so many things. Come on say ''Damien''," he urged her. It was as if the girl refused to utter his name which only made him bully her that much more. "Master Damien, please," she requested with cheeks that were tainted red. She looked away from his burning gaze as she couldn''t continue to hold her own. A few weeks ago it had been easy. He had the most insane way to showcase his feelings. Who in their right mind would ask a woman to climb a tree when they could get it in one shot? To fight him off and look him right in the eye while nning in her imaginary world on pushing him in the sea but she couldn''t anymore. He had saved her life, and it wasn''t just once but many times. The first time being when he had raised the bar high enough when she was in the auction getting sold. He had raised the money to a ridiculously high amount where the rest would not dare to go to buy the same person he had his eye on. Who would pay five thousand gold coins? Only Damien Quinn did though he had bought her in a discount he had given her a roof. Food to eat and the help she needed while she had been lost after discovering herself to be a white witch. "Don''t act coy, do you want me to take you right now?" "I didn''t mean to!" she said quickly. Maybe she could still plot his death without it being too bad, thought Penny to herself. In a blink of an eye, Penny was pushed with her back on the bed and Damien hovering above her, "Your words and the pulse running in your body doesn''t seem to agree together," he ran his cold hand across her throat, hitching her breath where she struggled to breathe now. "Are you nning to kill me?" she asked with her eyes closed when she felt his fingers around her neck. He was going to kill her because soon she would forget to breathe. "I have much better ns than that. Something both you and I will enjoy," his hands moved from holding her neck to being ced on the skin as he yed circling his finger lightly on it. "Rx, Penny," said Damien, feeling her soft skin as he put a little more pressure on her skin. Thest time he had nned to go further than the kiss. Maybe kiss her more until he had tasted enough of her lips but with her body that had stiffened as if she was scared and worried, he had stopped right away to only know that she was having a memory episode which they were still supposed to work on. "I think I need to find work," she said as she felt him apply more pressure on her skin, his fingers moving from her neck to her shoulder which was clothed, "I cannot sit here idle." "What do you have on your mind? There are some new weeds that havee up in the garden. You should try pulling them out if you''re that bored. Also, this room needs some cleaning," he said with a smirk which ended with him chuckling, "Don''t look at me like that. It is a very reasonable service." "By work, I meant in the thea-" "Don''t even go there," he cut her sharply before she could continue the sentence, "What do you n to do going to the theatre? Allure people with your voice and looks?" he asked her. Chapter 162 - Possessive master- Part 2 Penny stared at him. Was she imagining or was Damien being jealous? The thought itself made her stomach stir fuzzily which she didn''t understand. "I am a possessive man, Penny. Did you think I would be okay with you on the stage where there will be millions more attracted to you?" he cleared the air and question that rose in her mind. Damien bent down, his forehead almost touching hers, "Do you want to know how and when I fell for you? It''s about time I confessed to you properly," he whispered looking into her jade green eyes. "I think it''s okay if you don''t," Penny blurted out. This master of hers was going to embarrass her to the point where she would die out of sheer embarrassment. He clicked his tongue. As she raised her hands up, he caught them with a charming smile to pin them on the bed. Bending down further, he bit into her skin on her neck making her cry. Licking the spot, he soothed it. His coarse tongue taking its sweet time on her skin, "What a rude pet I have. Should I show who is the master here? Hmm?" he murmured as his breath blew on her wet skin making her shudder. "Penelope, you are mine and as much as I love to show off, there are certain things I don''t like to do. At least not to disy you on the theater with other men flocking. Of course, if it was possible we could do it together. I could be your forever Romero with a happy ending and you be my Julieta. But theater is fun to watch but to take part in it to entertain others is not my forte. I rather have it the other way round. Do you understand?" he lifted his head, his sses still continuing to be there on his face which had slightly slid down on his nose. He stared into her eyes as if he were looking into her very soul. The dark red unblinking eyes continued to stare at her with the time that stood still, his face inched closer to her. "I cannot bear the thought of you being ogled by others when you aren''t next to me," he whispered the words to her. Penny found it daunting that the man who had appeared to be frivolous in his actions. Taunting and teasing people for his own entertainment was now being possessive as well as jealous about a simple matter of her working in the theater, "Don''t you think you''re going too far ahead with your feelings, master Damien?" "Am I?" he questioned her back. His usual way of dealing things on asking a question on another question, "It''s logical if you think about it. You are my woman," he attacked her with his words. He leaned closer to her lips and Penny could feel the heat from his lips passing on to hers. Her lips parting to take in arge amount of air. Oh, master Damien, show some mercy! And he did by saying, "It is much more sweeter than what you think it is to be. Don''t refuse," he ced his lips on hers. He licked her lips yfully to hear her breath hitch and he sucked on it. With Penny''s hands pinned on the surface of the soft bed, and heart thundering in her chest she was at the mercy of the man who had caught her hand, kissing her sensually with his eyes opened which was what had turned it that much more intimidating. She knew her struggle was futile, he was a pureblooded vampire who would only y with her until she was tired of moving her arms while trying to slip away from him. She felt him suck on her upper lip, one count going to the next until she had stopped counting or had lost the count. Her lips felt numb as he continued to suck on them, her toes tingling and she gulped when he pulled back to see her. With her mind fuzzy and out of focus, she felt her body starting to melt under him. Penny could hardly think anything, every single thought started to fade and slip away from her mind in the art of his seduction. His eyes didn''t leave her like his hands that were on her wrists. "I might torture you, bully you but is only one of my way to shower you with my affection," he said pecking on her lips. Looking into her eyes, he noticed how dark and heavy they looked which meant his preservation was working well. Penny was a strong-headed female, someone who tried to control her emotions. He could see the feelings starting to brew in those green eyes of hers but she was holding back as if scared of what might happen if she let it down. He kissed her cheek, a light kiss where his lips didn''t linger for far too long. There was a mixture of emotions in her eyes right now. Before he could go down further to kiss her, there was a knock on the door. Penny''s thoughts were broken with what was happening and she this time tried to move but Damien had no interest in the person who stood outside the door. All he cared right now was the girl whoid beneath him, her body warming up along with his. "There''s someone at the door, Mas-mmm," her lips were shut closed with his own as he kissed her lips again. His lips turned out to be much more aggressive this time. Kissing and probing her lips open before his tongue slipped into her warm mouth. Instead of letting her go and answering the person who was at the door, Damien continued to kiss her. Letting go of one of her hands, he went to curl it around her waist. Pulling her up along with him such that they sat on the bed now. One of his hands still holding her hand while the other continued to hold her waist. Chapter 163 - Work calls- Part 1 When an unintended sigh escaped her lips, it only added fuel to the existing, uncontroble feelings that were bursting through his fingers and lips. Damien''s heart was beating steady, his eyes looked alive. Unable to hold his thirst, his fangs grew and he said, "I am taking a sip," with no other notice, Damien sank his fangs into her neck. Her blood was sweeter than what ha tasted which made him wonder if it was because she was a white witch. It was like drinking from a unicorn that was told to have a heavenly taste. Damien didn''t keep many rtionsh.i.p.s when it came to women. His intentions were clear as day which held no strings until a while ago. When he had found the girl on the stage, his interest in the others had dropped like hot potato. The others had turned worthless were only one person happened to hold his interest. It made him wonder if that was why he enjoyed herpany and the blood that ran in her veins. Of course, the same blood tasted differently to each person as the amount of iron richness and the thick or thin of it was different. To Damien, the man would trade nothing when it came to Penny. Not even the tips of her hair or nail. Licking her neck, he pulled his face away from her neck to look at her. Penny had her eyes shut closed. She heard Damien say, "Did it hurt a lot?" she opened her eyes. There was no smile on his lips, a peaceful expression of content that was on his face as he stared for an answer from her. It felt like a little pinch on her skin but it didn''t hurt once the fangs had settled in her neck. She remembered that Damien had ess to her emotions. Not to her mind which he would love to but he could sense her pain, her sadness, worry or even pleasure... "I am okay," she whispered, heat creeping back in her stomach at the thought of what he thought about her emotions when he was kissing her. Damien leaned closer to give a quick peck on Penny''s lips. Before he coulde any closer, this time Penny ced her hands to cover his lips, "I need to use the bathroom," she slipped away like sand and hurried herself to the bathroom. This man was going to kill her at this rate. Looking at her reflection in the mirror she saw her cheeks that had turned red like the time she had once been out in the snow without her thin coat. "Don''t feel embarrassed, Penny," she heard Damien speak from the other side as if he was already gauging her emotions from where he sat even with the curtain that separated them right now. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm her raging nerves that were caused by Damien. Another knock was heard at the door when Damien finally spoke, "Come in." Penny who was in the bathroom didn''t dare to step out to show her red face to whoever it was, "Master Damien," it was Falcon, "The councilman is here to see you," she heard the butler say. "Hmm, have him seated in the drawing-room. I will be down there in a minute," said Damien. The butler didn''t dare to look sideways and instead kept his eyes at his master and then to look at the ground as he bowed his head. Leaving the room as he closed it behind him, he went down the stairs to greet the councilman who often apanied Master Damien along with him. Kreme who had been standing at the front of the door saw the butler approach and turned to face the butlerpletely. "Master will be arriving soon. Please take a seat in the drawing-room," the butler suggested. Kreme looked slightly tensed, he wished to wait here for the councilman nheless he followed the house butler, "Would you like to drink something, tea or water?" "No, I am fine," Kreme replied back to see the butler bowed and leave him alone in the wide room. When Damien finally arrived, Kreme stood up out of habit and Damien waved for him to sit down. "What is it, Kreme? You visitedst evening. If you visit these many times I will mistake that you are in love and can''t get enough of me," the associate councilman felt sweat break, smiling nervously as he didn''t know how to respond councilman Quinn''s words. This narcissist vampire whom he worked was he trying to imply that he swung to the other side of the s.e.x? "What did youe here for?" the man raised one brow of his in question. Kreme looked at the door and then at Damien, "Speak freely," he heard Damien say and he nodded his head. "It is the witch...she isn''t there anymore." Damien narrowed his eyes, "borate further." "The ck witch who we stationed in the vige is not there, she must have escaped and there has been quite somemotion for a few hours and I couldn''t go to take a look at the house," Kreme filled him with the report, "I looked for her but she wasn''t to be found anywhere. The forest has no trails." Damien didn''t speak another word and turned around to open the door, "Let''s go there and see what is up then. Get the carriage ready," he said stepping out of the room and the younger man quickly nodded following him and taking a left to head towards the hallways. Going up the stairs and to his room, he pulled open the door to catch sight of Penny who was standing in front of the window. Since the time she had fallen off the balcony of the room, he locked the door in his absence. Not that she went there but it was better to keep her safe than have the incident be repeated again. Chapter 164 - Work calls- Part 2 After Damien had left the room, Penny finally stepped out of the bathroom. Looking around her eyes fell on the firece where she added the log of wood in the firece and went to stand at the window which faced the other side of the forest. Looking at the forest which stretched to the othernds. The lush greenery which was rxing to one''s eyes. With Maggie who had taught her the basic education where she had been busytely Penny had been stuck to stay in the room with nowhere else to go when Damien was not there. She didn''t get to step out of the mansion or anywhere away from it and if she did it was only in Damien''s presence. Since the time the maid was killed the maids steered clear of her. Their speech was short and maybe the butler was the only one whom she could speak to. The incident only made her wonder as to what she had to do to bare something so harsh as death. It was still a mystery as to which family member had ordered the maid to push her. Penny had felt the hand on her shoulder and there was also a mark. But she found it strange that as she fell, she didn''t see the person who had pushed her. She should have been able to see the person right? She found it rather difficult to wrap her mind with everything that was going on. It was as ifing to Quinn''s mansion and meeting Damien was opening the locks that were ced on her life. Things she wasn''t aware of wereing to light one after another and she was still trying to deal with it. Thinking back to what had been running on her mind, her thoughts went back to what she was and what was around her. A white witch with certain memories erased which was returning back but to be blurred. Hearing the doorknob open, she turned to find Damien entering the room. "I will be heading out for a bit," he informed, picking up the coat that was on the stand. Damien could have asked the butler to go fetch the coat but he wanted to see Penny before he went on his way to work. "Pressing matter at work?" she asked to see him give a nod. "Slightly rted to it. Bathsheba has gone missing from her house," he filled her in. Penny turned aroundpletely and asked in worry, "What happened?" "Kreme said there has been amotion for a few hours now. I need to go see what''s up. Stay in here," he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners of his eyes. It wasn''t a request but an order which was toned down for her to listen to. Damien was well aware of how Penny''s mind worked. The girl had a hard time following things and if he said to go left she would go right. His stupid cute mouse. "Can Ie?" she surprised him, he shook his head to it. "No. Bathsheba is a ck witch. And if she''s gone missing something must have happened. Either she was killed or she fled. We don''t know which one is true which in either case might raise red gs to the hunters." "Why hunters? Is it the one who arrived at her doorstep?" Penny tried to rify. "Maybe, maybe not. Everything hangs in maybe. I will be back in some hours," he said, pulling the door behind him which clicked closed. Penny wondered what might have happened to the ck witch. Of course, there was a high possibility that she was picked on by the hunter but she thought she had done a decent job of straying him away from there. It had been a few days since that day. He appeared to be like any other person in the vige except for his eyes kept darting every now and then around her when she wasn''t looking at him. The man had even flirted with her, trying to win her favor which she had refused on the face. People trying to sway her was something she had never beenfortable with before she had started to work in the theatre. The advances were always sleazy which she had to outright refuse except for the times when higher society members who graced the theatre, she had put up a smile on the face before subtly escaping their l.u.s.tful eyes. But master Damien...Damien was apletely different case. The man himself was hard to handle and he somehow crawled under a person''s skin. Either calling them disgusting peasants, embarrassing them or torturing them to the point one would cry. It was only two ago when Damien had almost made a maid cry after throwing the insults one after another on her ipetency of working in the mansion. Frankly, she wouldn''t side with either of them. The maid had not done her job and maybe it was because his very presence was very intimidating and evil. Anyone would have a slip of hand with the tea they had to pour. Damien''s advances towards her didn''t feel calcted. They were random and unexpected which often caught her off guard. After spending some more time near the window with her thoughts floating in her head, Penny went to sit on the bed. Her body bouncing because of the soft mattress. She wondered how long her life was going to continue like this. Damien imed he liked her but which man kept the girl he liked as a ve? Was it some twisted fantasy of his where he would never free her from that title? Or was he ying around but then again thinking back on the kisses that took ce a while ago, Penny felt her cheeks turn warm. They didn''t feel like he was ying with her. It had days, weeks, or was it months? She didn''t know but she still couldn''t figure him out. Chapter 165 - Another dead body- Part 1 Feeling the soft mattress under the palm of her hands, she sighed. No ve would have the luxury she was having right now. She wasn''t an idiot to not understand. While many ves she hade across were mistreated, her life was way better. It only made her question if she was a ve. Then again, Damien had threatened her long ago that he would hunt and find her if she were to ever run away from him but was that really necessary? She was an average human where he was a pureblooded vampire. Some of the humans would consider themselves to be lucky. To have been caught by the eye of the vampire who belonged to the higher society as they would have the fortune of living like a queen. Then there was another kind of humans who considered to be bad luck, they were the humans who hated and despised the existence of the vampires. Penny didn''t belong in any of them. Her initial n of running away had been washed away with her being a white witch. If it weren''t for Damien she would have probably been lost before being killed. Would she still be alive? Knowing the hate of the humans the people who hated her existence made her question now as to if the people of her previous vige had an inclination of her mother and her being witches. But if it were so they would have burned them in the middle of the vige before rejoicing their death. In the mansion of Quinn, the butler followed the young master of the house even after the main door of therge mansion. Kreme who was walking forward asked, "Will we be going to meet the magistrate or directly to the vige?" he tried to keep up with Damien''s quick feet. "There''s no need to go meet the magistrate. Bringing the magistrate in the picture will only make him involve the council that much sooner. We need to buy some time. But yes," said Damien, stopping himself near the open door of the carriage, "Go check on him and see what he is up to," the younger man nodded his head, "Falcon." "Yes, master Damien," the butler was quick to be at his service, his head bowing as he waited already having a fair idea of what or who the order was going to involve with. "Have a look at her door and get her something to eat. She didn''t eat her dinner well. Why was the dinner filled with raw meat?" his calctive eyes stared at his butler for an answer. "It was requested by Lady Grace, master. She said to remove the greens for breakfast and to keep raw meat." "Did she now," Damien murmured before saying, "You can increase the meat but make sure to have something edible for the girl. you wouldn''t want me holding you responsible if she loses weight and perishes now, would you?" he smiled. The butler''s shoulders stiffened hearing this. Somewhere Falcon knew that this was what it was going toe where he was being squished between the siblings. He wondered if he could quit the job but he owed Damien his life sentence which was skipped because of the councilman. Seeing both the councilmen leave in the carriage, he turned around to see Lady Fleurance standing not too far away from the other side of the hallway. Bowing his head, he walked past her to head to the kitchen. Once he entered the kitchen, he himself took upon the task of cooking the vegetables for the girl who was in master Damien''s room. Reaching the Isle Valley, Damien had the carriage stopped far behind the vige so that it didn''t attract too much attention, "Go check with the magistrate and, meet me at the witch''s house." "Yes, Sir!" Kreme left while Damien headed towards the house, by the time he reached the ce he caught sight of the little crowd who flocked around the house. There were murmurs going on loudly with the look of disbelief on their faces. Before he arrived where the crowd was, he turned the color of his eyes from red to the color of ck to make him look more human. "I thought she was kidnapped by the witch but to think a ck witch lived amongst us. How horrifying!" a manmented who stood in front of the house. Another one then said, "It seems like we cannot believe anyone at all. I knew she was a suspicion one!" "I know right? Why would one live without family and especially she had this scarf around her face. She might have been the one to set up the neighborhood girl next to my house. Oh, poor, girl," the woman shook her head in disappointment, "Her father must be heartbroken." Damien tried o deduce everyone''s words on what might have happened. Bathsheba had exposed herself to being a witch which meant she couldn''t return back. As if curious and unknown of what happened, he asked, "Excuse, mdy. I couldn''t help but notice themotion while I was passing by. What happened here?" he asked thedy who looked irritated that someone had interrupted their gossip but when she turned around to look at who it was, her expressions turned pleasant suddenly. The man wore rich clothes, his shoes shined and the watch on his wrist looked branded which meant he came from a high family.?Eagerly the woman went to give him the information he was looking for, "Today morning we found out that a witch was trying to sway a girl who was already involved with the ck witch. Can you believe it?" asked the woman in a dramatic tone. "Did you burn the witch?" "Sure we did! We also burnt the girl along with him. Who told her to fall in love with a ck witch. It is an example for the youngsters to know what is wrong and right." Foolish humans thought Damien in his mind. Chapter 166 - Another dead body- Part 2 Taking extreme steps like these, the humans were trying to worsen the situation of making an evident boundary between their and other kinds. While the council was trying to fix things between all of them while working on the harmony of vampires and humans, there were some of them who were trying to work on the witches and humans too. Right now everything was out of order and only heavens knew when things would settle down in the future which would take years. It was funny how humans and witches caused trouble, and it was mostly vampires trying to clean the mess. Now he had to check if the witch was white or ck. It was funny how Bathsheba failed to mention there was another witch residing in here which he wasn''t aware of. As much as he was looking forward to the harmonious environment between all the creatures it didn''t mean he trusted any of them. He didn''t believe his own kind therefore trusting the other creatures was out of the question. "What about this house?" he nudged his head towards the ck witch''s house who was now missing. "There used to be this woman named Airen who lived here. We heard a gunshot in the vige and rushed to see if anyone was hurt. While checking the houses it seemed like her house was the only locked one. The gunshot was really really loud. We had to break the door," that exined the broken door thought Damien as the woman continued to ramble, "We were worried for Airen but to only find out potions and vessels. Hairs and other bizarre things." One more woman who stood next to the rambling one opened her mouth, "It is hard to believe who is a witch and who isn''t. The councilmen and the magistrate are not doing a decent job. I mean how will we know who goes missing next?" "You are right," agreed the woman. With the crowd that was hovering around the house while also keeping a safe distance between them and the house which belonged to the ck witch, he could tell that the ck witch had fled for her life. Which meant that the witch hunter had returned back to hunt her down. The question now was that if Bathsheba was still alive or had been killed by the witch hunter. His eyes roamed, looking at the crowd when he caught sight of a man in a hat who looked peculiarpared to the rest of them. Another witch hunter. Damien''s eyes didn''t linger too long at the man and instead, he decided to look at the house by walking around it to see if Kreme had missed something. If his suspicion was right, the previous one who had arrived at the house when Penny and he had visited was dead. Witch hunters often worked in turns. If one failed another reced them or hunted the one before them, following the bread crumbs which was left by the other or the witches themselves. There weren''t many witch hunters but the few who worked were too dedicated which made him sigh. Where were these people when there were the riot and massacre going on? He didn''t know if it was selfish of him to think like this but he was somewhat d about the massacre taking ce. Especially when Penny and he had only discovered a few weeks ago about her being a white witch. Damien didn''t wait but when he walked right behind the house where no one had their eyes on, he vanished in thin air to step at the heart of the forest. Walking around to find anything in there. He continued to walk, his footsteps taking far enough where he caught the sight of grasses that looked dried up and moved away. Next to it was the red blood that had dried. How strange, thought Damien as he bent down. Pulling up the grasses which had blood he brought it close to his nose to notice it be blood. It was human blood which meant someone had bled enough to die. Now it would be quite a coincidence for someone else to die the very day the ck witch had fled from her house. Her house looked like a mess, with the furniture which looked slightly out of ce. There was definitely intrusion but there was the possibility of humans stepping in and trying to make another mess. Or else how could they have picked on the potions and vessels which were not left in blindsight. Damien then asked himself how often people ran through other people''s things especially when they went missing. Wasn''t it more than out of ce for humans to go through other things when a person had gone missing? The first thing when someone went missing, people went in search to make sure the person was still alive but this ce appeared to be an odd one. Unless someone had hinted on to go through the house and her belongings. But why? As much as he would love to run through with his usual questions each and every perimeter in thends of the four empires was split intonds and portions which was further given down under councilman''s care to look after unless again the council itself wanted to shuffle things around and let others handle at the lower ground. Kreme came running to him, huffing and puffing as he had to catch hold of Damien. "Already out of breath? You are going to fail terribly when you''re going to be in bed with your lover. Remind to make you run more," Damien joked with his associate councilman. "Councilman there has been a problem," informed Kreme. "Big or small?" "The magistrate was found with his throat slit." Damien stared at him before answering, "He''s dead. Let''s have a look at him," Returning back to the vige by foot they reached the magistrate''s office, "Did you notify the guards?" "I wasn''t sure if I should..." Kreme wrung his hands together as he was still learning from Damien who was frankly the worse example as a mentor as the man did follow work ethics. "You can go inform them. Else thatdy will," he jerked his head towards a woman who was walking past the office with a suspicious look. Kreme nodded, hurrying himself to the guard who wasn''t stationed too far. Stepping inside the office he caught the magistrate who sat in the plush chair who wore above-average clothes. His head was pulled back or rather had been pushed to show the deep wound on his throat. Blood that had leaked down his throat and clothes had turned dry and dark. The color was the same as the one he had seen in the forest but the blood didn''t belong to this person. Bathsheba might be part of the ck witchmunity but she wasn''t stupid enough to kill someone important to bring attention to herself which only raised his suspicion further that someone set her up. In a twisted scenario of the humans, this would be seen where the magistrate was killed by the ck witch to avenge the death of her fellow brother. After all, revenge was what got humans running and that is what they would believe the moto to be, where the witch finally ran away. But Damien''s mind was quick to piece on what might have happened. Bathsheba was attacked, there was a fight that was pulled to the forest. Blood meant she had killed the man else the next hunter wouldn''t arrive unless the witch was considered to be powerful. When the witch hunter had arrived before he appeared to be passing by but he had been following her for some time. After Bathsheba tried to conceal the evidence of what she had done there are two ways to go about after it. One. She had done a bad job of hiding it. Two, she hid it well. But someone saw her killing the man, enough to expose the evidence while also having the house being searched. But the question back to on who might have seen her do the deed and to set up a trap enough for her to run and never return. Couldn''t be the witch hunter as their blood boiled higher than the rest of them. He would be quick to kill and hang her body as a showpiece. Chapter 167 - Ground work- Part 1 The clouds that had been hovering started to drizzle down the water which reduced the crowd who had been hovering around the ck witch''s house without going near the ce. The humans believed that when a ck witch lived in certain ces, she or he left ill omen behind that could bring bad luck to the people if they went to close. As the crow reduced and dispersed with thete arrival of the other councilmen who hade to inspect, they spoke to Kreme and Damien trying to get the information from what he saw and took. Councilman Mathias was one of Alexander''s friends in the council. Though the word friend was stretched, he was a man who provided the necessary information to Damien''s cousin. Because of the drizzle and rain which had arrived on thend of the Bonke, most of the evidence was hard to decipher and understand, "Did anyone see the magistrate before he was killed?" asked councilman Mathias to Kreme as he was the person who discovered the dead body. "I don''t know, Sir. I didn''t go to inquire further on the man and alerted the guardsmen right away after finding his body...like this," the councilman nodded before talking to his partner. Kreme''s lips pursed and he turned to Damien who was still looking at the magistrate''s slit throat and the posture he sat in the chair right now, "Thank you for your help, councilman Damien and Kreme. We will have the incident filed in the court council so that further search can be done." "Of course," Damien gave them a charming bussiness-man smile, turning around to walk out of the office, they stepped back on the wet ground with Kreme who opened the umbre to hold for the pureblooded vampire. The smile that had been there when he was inside had fallen down from his lips, his eyes continuing to scan from right to left without moving his neck. Picking the humans where some were wondering what was going on. It was only time that soon the humans would discover that the witch had killed the magistrate. He searched for the witch hunter knowing well that the man would linger around if he didn''t find his fellow hunter. Kreme looked back and forth, making sure no one was around to eavesdrop to whisper to Damien in question, "Did the ck witch kill the magistrate?" "What do you think?" Damien inturn asked the question to him. cing his hands in trouser pockets, he looked over his shoulder at the door he had walked through to face back, "It is tricky, We don''t know if it was the hunter or another witch who killed the magistrate." "A-another witch?" Kreme stumbled through his words. How many more witches were there in here? Just before returning back he had heard from one of the guardsmen on how another witch was burned this very morning. Had this ce turned to a witch hub? "Many people pass by this vige. The vige isn''t special but it is where it resides because of the ck market. Thanks to the ck market people drop in and out where different creatures are either invited ore in search of something they want. I doubt any woulde to reside in here because not many dare with the councilmen who often visit this ce or at least use this vige as pitstop. It was because of the probability of having no witches in here I had Bathsheba stationed but that blew up," from his pocket, he pulled out a box and flicked it open. Two cigarsid in the box. Pulling out one, he shoved it in front of Kreme who didn''t dare to take one out of it. Pureblooded vampires had the strangest things when it came to cigars and alcohol. There was no telling if he would be in his conscious state after the first drag from it. Seeing him not take the cigar, Damien pped the box close and pulled the matchbox to light it up. Take a good drag, he turned to his side to blow the smoke out through his lips. "Witches have been pouring into the fournds and we aren''t sure which one they are turning their home yet. I heard that the report was sent to the councilman and Lionel is reviewing it to see if he needs to assign it to his own team," Damien raised his hand and took another puff from the cigar. "Lionel''s team? Thest I heard the Duke was already working on something," Kreme couldn''t help but raise the concern. He hadn''t heard a team carry to tasks at a time. Especially not in their level or at least Damien''s level. Usually, the council distributed work to the teams on the capability and the difficulty they could handle. Each team of the council was promoted with levels depending on which the cases were assigned. "Hmm, that they are but the Duke is smart enough to handle. They have a new member added in there." Kreme nodded his head, "It is a woman. There were rumours of her being a maid. It is hard to believe that a maid could crack the exam." "Women are powerful creatures, Kreme. It is the lowest of the low people who work hard enough toe to the top. Because privileged men and women take things for granted and turnzy which gives way to the hard-working one. Though I would say luck favors a lot," he tapped the cigar, the ends of it dropping the key ash down on the grown which disappeared due to the darkness that pulled over the sky and also because of the wet ground which pulled in the ash to be one with the ground. "You are doing well though. Even the Duke and the others," the younger man added when Damien turned to look at him. "Don''t patronize me. What else did you hear from the vigers?" Kreme replied back to his senior, "They were badmouthing Bathsheba and the man who died today. Did you know that there was another witch here." Chapter 168 - Ground work- Part 2 "Bathsheba will be sure to reply on why she failed to mention it," Damien finished his cigar and dropped it down. Stamping on it with his shoe, "Try to get all the details possible about this other ck witch." "What about Bathsheba?" "She didn''t kill the magistrate and it was someone else. Have a word with the council that you heard there was another witch running around. They will have a clear filtration on the people here." "What if they find the person? Won''t it be difficult for us to interrogate?" "Don''t worry about that Kreme. If they have a whiff that the person is still here waiting for something which I doubt will happen, I will have the person before handing the witch to the council. Go on. I will have a small stroll in the vige," leaving Kreme behind, Damien walked through the alleys which were quite. One would think it was because of the incidents that took ce today. Two deaths, a ck witch exposed and now the magistrate who was dead but the alleys of this vige had always been quiet where people stepped inside the houses quickly without lingering out for far too long. As he walked, his ears picked on the movements that came from behind him. The steps sounded light like a feather and with the rain that was pouring it would have been difficult to pick on it but Damien was no ordinary vampire. He was a pureblooded vampire who enjoyed ying chase. He walked as if he didn''t hear anything. His own footsteps firm on the ground which very quietly made noise, one step after another where the other person who was following him used a much lesser intensity. Crossing the narrow alley, he heard a cat meow from the corner. It jumped from one bin to another which was the back alley of several houses. Walking on the opposite side of the forest, Damien continued to walk until he took a turn behind arge series of trees. The person who was following him seemed to walk quicker and just when the person was about to take a turn, the footsteps stopped noticing the man had disappeared. Just before the person turned, a rusty bronze-colored gun was ced right at their forehead. "Aren''t you a brave thing," state Damien with a smile on his face. The person''s skin which looked clean and in switched suddenly to a scaly being to be part of the ck witch. It was verymon for the ck witches to turn to their true form when they were under pressure of flight or fight mode. It was a reaction that was observed by many and had been confirmed by the council doctor Murkh. As the thunderstruck down from the sky, it didn''t Damien far too long to pull the trigger where the bullet pierced to start from the front of the witch''s head and get out from the back. The ck witch fell on the ground. Just as he turned another ck witch came right at him and he used his gun again.?It seemed like there were more witches than he thought to be in this vige. The rain had started to pour down where the humans would pick the gunshot to be a sound that belonged to the clouds. Finding the shadows that started to move from the corner of his eyes, he followed them quickly as the two shadows headed towards the forest. Following them, he caught up with one of the ck witches. With the gun that was loaded with silver bullets, he took a stance before pulling the trigger again for the witch to fall t on the ground. When a twig broke behind him, he was about to turn when a knife came to settle on his neck. "Well, who might you be, fairdy?" asked Damien with the knife against his neck, "Unless you aren''t actually fair but have a slithering tongue in your mouth." "A fair maiden who needs a little help. I need to have you killed and it would be a pleasure to have you dead. Damien Quinn," came out the coarse voice of the ck witch who held the knife to his neck. "You have heard of me," Damien replied back calmly, his gun being flipped and taken by the ck witch. The ck witch hummed, "What can I say, you are a very popr man. It is hard to not notice you," the voice turned out to be sweeter as she changed to the human appearance. A beautiful girl with brte hair stood behind him, her hazel eyes shining at the fact that she had caught the vampire. "I am d to hear that your mind resonates with mine. It is very hard for someone to not notice me," he smirked,?"I would have flirted back with you but with time being a constraint, tell me what you lovelydies have been doing here in the vige. A bite from the human''s body, maybe reuse the hairs or is it something much more interesting." "How about I eat you first. Vampires are much more useful than theme humans," she leaned forward to whisper next to his ears. "Good luck with that," before she could slit his throat Damien disappeared from her hold to stand behind her making her stumble back as she almost cut her own throat with the knife she held. "W-what just happened?!" the ck witch turned around to face Damien, "You aren''t a normal vampire," she looked at him in horror as his eyes turned from red to pitch ck. "I am a little bit corrupted," he smiled before using her very own knife to jab it into her heart before killing her off,?"What a waste of energy and bullet," he murmured looking down at the witch. It was a pity how beautiful the ck witches could turn to have a facade while in reality, it was the opposite. Chapter 169 - Dream- Part 1 A young girl who was about the age of seven, yed with the wooden doll which was broken at the edges. It was the time of noon where the house was quiet, water flowing quietly where the house was situated. Hearing the door open, the green-eyed girl stood up to see her mother step in. "Mama, wee back," she greeted her mother who responded back with a sweet smile. The woman was of average height. Her hair and eyes brown in color with a petite figure. "I am back home. What were you doing?" asked the woman, her brown eyes ncing at the doll thatid in her daughter''s hand, "We should buy you another one. Maybe once your father returns," the woman ran her hand on the girl''s head gently. The young girl nodded her head, her shoulder falling down, "Can''t we go back to the vige, mother?" she asked with hopeful eyes. Her mother sighed, her hand dropped down to fall next to her side, "We cannot dear. The ce there is not safe for your father." "But why?" questioned the girl. The woman''s smile tightened. As the girl waited for her mother to respond, they heard a sound that came from outside, "Papa is here!" the girl eximed, bouncing on her feet to step outside the house where she saw her father arrive back with the horse they had. "Papa!" the young girlunched herself on her father for the man to pick her up in time. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. His appearance gentle and calm, catching his daughter in his arms. "How have you been doing?" he asked her and when his wife stepped out, he slowly dropped the girl without letting of her hand but hugging his wife with his other arm. Sharing a kiss, he asked, "Everything alright? Did anyonee by?" The woman shook her head, "No one. It has just been Penelope and me. Was your trip sessful?" Seeing her husband''s sullen expression she said, "It is alright. We can find someone else for help." "Yes," stepping inside the house, the man looked around the living room. A house that once belonged to his family which was used as a hideout during difficult times. The house was made of stones near the forest and riverbank which looked like a little cave which in actuality was a secret hideout.?It was a ce far away from civilization that allowed to safe keep his family. The man saw his daughter who was hovering around him as he had been gone for more than ten days in search of a fellow white witch. Times were difficult right now as the witches were being burnt and spotting any of them was hard. Humans and the vampires were raging against the witches and didn''t matter if the witches were good or bad. All they wanted was death, which was why the white witch man had moved his family after one of the humans had picked on what he was. Feeling sorry for his child, he yed with her and the toy which he had picked up from the street. When night fell, the man asked his wife, "I think you should take Penny and go with you. You cannot be safe with me around you," his wife who had been lying on his hand raised herself with one hand to look at him with a frown. "We have lived together for so long, it shouldn''t be a problem to continue our lives like this. All we need to do is cross over the vige and move to anothernd," his wife promised with a soft whisper so that their daughter wouldn''t wake up. In a hurry to flee, the family had fled in the opposite direction which was secluded but they couldn''t continue their lives here like this which both of them knew, "It is just a matter of time. We are in no hurry." Her husband ced his hand on her cheek, his expressing pensive, "I am d you that you have epted me despite what society has to say, but you are a human and our daughter is one too. You can have the future you want. With me around you will only be hunted and killed together." "If that day everes we will take it upon us dly. We vowed to be together, Edgar. I love you," she leaned forward to kiss him on his lips and he kissed her back, "You don''t have to worry about the future when you have us. Your daughter and I." "I am fortunate to have you both," Edgar smiled looking at his wife. After some time, his wife asked him curiously, "How are you sure that Penny isn''t a witch like you?" her fingers ying on his bare chest while lying back again on his arm. "Don''t worry about that. I made sure to check for signs but she seems to possess none. She''s a human just like you. She will be safe if you both can flee together," he tried to persuade his wife again, who looked up at him with an unhappy face. "Let''s worry about it tomorrow. Tonight is ours to safe keep." "I say this because there''s no future here while we stay here. Think about Penny. She will grow up in istion." "She has us, Edgar," the woman sat up knowing her husband wasn''t going to let this rest, "Don''t think too much about it, love. It is much better than the people who don''t know what is right or wrong. She is safe here and when the timees we will move to the other side where people would have forgotten." "You do know it takes years even for a single incident topletely erase? Especially when the rumor spreads to one person after another," Edgar sat up himself, going to hold his wife''s hands in his as he rubbed the back of her hand soothingly with her thumbs, "Don''t be upset. I speak like this because I care and I worry about both of your well beings." Chapter 170 - Dream- Part 2 The woman looked down at his hands, her eyes staring as she replied back with, "I know. I know," she whispered, "I cannot imagine my life without you two. You are important to me, Edgar. Even when my own family refused to keep me." Edgar pulled his wife to an embrace, "I know dear," he rubbed her back gently, "How about this. You both go first and I will follow you after a few hours. No one will ever doubt on two humans, especially when it is a mother and a daughter." "And what if you get caught?" "I won''t," he promised. I haven''t been caught before and I won''t now. Pulling back the woman stared at her husband, a little lost in her own thoughts. Looking at her dazed expression, he asked, "Okay?" "Okay..." she managed to give him a smile, "You spoke about the white witch who is dead. How did you get your hands on thepletion of the potion then?" "Some things had been handed down to us. Passed on. It makes me wonder if the white witch knew that she was going to die. Everything has beenid out intricately." "All the materials were given out to the others?" the woman was asking about the scrolls and writings which witches often kept with them. Those were the scrolls that contained spells and other whatnot things which the mere white or ck witches couldn''t conjure in their lifetime. Edgar furrowed his brows thoughtfully. I don''t think so. Some of them have missing inscriptions. Like it was done so that we could solve it." At the rise of the sun which was rare in thend of Bonke, the family started to pack things that would be necessary and needed for their journey before they couldpletely cross the borders. "Stay safe!" the woman cried out, holding her daughter''s hand and walking away from there... The click on the door broke Penny''s sleep. Her eyes feeling heavy due to the sleep she had just had with the dream she had seen vivid. She saw that it was the butler who had arrived at the door, "Master Damien asked me to get you something to eat," said Falcon before pushing the food cart inside the room. Penny sat up on the bed. Making her dress properly. Her eyes looked dazed, not taking note of the food but on what she had dreamt, could it be what happened in the past? asked Penny to herself. But the facts were all messed up which looked untrue. Penny had never met her father before. She had never seen him since she was too young. Far too young to remember his name but in the dream, she appeared to be old enough to speak and greet her parents. Her mother appeared as loving as she was in herst final days which made her question on if what they had learned was the truth or if there was something more to it. Also her, father...she ced her hand on her face, not wanting to let go of his memory of how he looked. Her dear father who was no more. Falcon who was done setting the food on the table for his Master''s pet asked her, "Are you alright?" she looked tense. "Ah, yes. Thank you for bringing the food," Penny hadn''t realized she had been starving until the food reached her lips. She couldn''t stop appreciating the food as she took one bite after another. Falcon didn''t go to make any small talks with her. The man never made small talks with anyone in the mansion but did give an earful if servants didn''t do their job right. He observed the five thousand gold coins worth a girl. He wondered what his master saw in this girl. There were plenty of women who made time for his master Damien so that they could spend time together yet pureblooded vampire had chosen her. Penny feeling the gaze of the butler, took another bite before her mouth slowed down the chewing of the food. "Did you finish your dinner...?" on her inquiry the butler''s train of thoughts broke, and he replied, "The butlers and the servants are not allowed to have dinner before the others in the mansion. Especially the owners and the family members. I will be having it shortly once I have taken this down," Penny quickly hurried to eat and he said, "You can take your time to eat..." Both Penny and Falcon had no idea on how to address each other. Penny who had never spoken to the butler before directly wasn''t sure with the terms to be used while on the other side the butler didn''t know how to call her as calling ve would be rude. Not because he hadn''t used the term before but because she was master Damien''s pet. A special ve who slept and ate together which was what had made him curious. "Do you know when Master Damien will be returning back?" she asked him. "He should be back by midnight. Mr. Kreme arrivedte with another work, so it should be done quickly," the butler filled in. Penny nodded her head before getting back to the food she was eating. Falcon waited for the girl toplete while keeping his distance so that she wouldn''t feel burdened while in truth Penny already was aware of his eyes on her. The dream that she had dreamt had started to drift away with the scenes she had seen but the gist of it had registered in her mind, "Thank you," she said when she was done eating every single one of it. As the butler started to clear the table, he asked, "If something is weighing on your mind don''t hesitate to let the master know," it wasn''t abnormal for a master to dot on their ves, pets as they called them but it would be different when it came to his master. Falcon continued to clean, picking up the te which was thest thing lying on the table before bowing and straightening himself up, taking the empty cart out of the room.?His master despised ves after his friend died. If he was keeping the girl close, he either was still testing her or had fallen for the girl. Chapter 171 - Dream- Part 3 With the butler who had left the room, Penny sank back to sit on the bed. Her stomach felt full, waiting for Damien she took a look at the clock on the wall that continued to tick its hand forward. Letting her lie down with her back hitting the surface of the bed she looked at her reflection above at the ceiling of the bed. The mirror reflecting her worried self as her mind drifted back towards her dream. Penny didn''t know what to make of it. With the memories of the image turning blur, she felt her head starting to ache like a splitting ache which would break her head in two halves. Pushing them away, she closed her while holding her forehead with her hand with closed eyes. Waiting for Damien, her eyes drifted back close even though it had been barely more than half an hour since she woke up. By the Damien returned back home, he stepped into the room to find Penny whoid on the bed with her eyes closed and her breathing steady. Sitting on one of the plush chair''s armrest he pulled out thece of his shoes. One after another before removing them off his feet. Going to her side of the bed, he lifted her head carefully before pulling the pillow below her head so that she could sleep much morefortably. His feet padded around the room on the carpeted floor, taking off his clothes he stepped into the bath. Penny who had her eyes closed opened her eyes gently with a hint of blush on her cheek. Was this man really Damien? Pulling up a pillow for her while she was fast asleep. It was hard to tell. There were different sides to Damien and it reminded her of an onion. The onion hadyers one after another with a different shade and she wondered if he was like that too. The Damien who injured people easily, the Damien who was sarcastic and teaseful. The Damien who was kind which was very rare to see like his current action. Where was the kindness when he had made her walk on the tree? asked Penny to herself. Had there been a reason behind it? She was so lost in thoughts that she forgot to close her eyes when Damien stepped back into the room with the towel wrapped around his waist that hanged loosely as if it would drop any second if he were to move more. When their eyes met, Penny quickly closed her eyes as if wanting to pretend that she was sleeping. "I now doubt your acting skills, mouse," she heard him say, hearing his footsteps which were very light and distant. Pursing her lips, she opened her eyes as she turned herself to look back at the mirror without daring to look at the almost n.a.k.e.d master of hers, "I will be the first one to throw a rotten tomato at you if you were to act like this in the theater though you don''t have to worry about it as you won''t be stepping on the stage to act. "I was going back to sleep," she murmured, cing both her hands below her bosom she closed her eyes. "Wouldn''t you want to know what happened to the ck witch?" hearing this Penny quickly sat up, looking at him. The man had finally worn a night trouser which did a better job than the towel that was previously wrapped around his waist. The upper half of the body was bare, his ck hair wet and dark under the candle and firece light, "Bathsheba is safe." Thank God, thought Penny to herself, "Did you find her?" asked Penny for him to shake his head. "No." No? How could he confirm she was alive then? As if reading her mind, he answered, "There was human blood, not a ck witch''s blood." "The hunter caught up to her," Penny murmured in thought. That would mean she wasn''t safe but if there was the blood of the human... "She killed him and ran which is good but at the same time, witches have started to pour in or it might be a coincidence but there''s nothing called a coincidence. That can exin why there are witch huntersing in. That only tells that something is brewing in the back which the council hasn''t caught up to yet." "Will she be alright?" asked Penny to see Damien shrug. "Let''s hope she does," he answered, picking a shirt he wore it before heading towards the bed. Seeing Penny thinking he then continued, "Bathsheba is a smart ck witch. She has lessons and knowledge to impart to you. We can''t have her dead so soon," he pulled the nket to cover his legs, "Why do you look lost?" Damien realized it wasn''t because of Bathseba but there was something going on in her mind. "Um, that day Bathsheba said that it was only ck witches who could identify the other witches while the white witches didn''t have the ability," she started as her eyes darted left and right, "I had a dream." "Did you dream about your parents?" her eyes snapped up to look at him. This man was always one step ahead with the answers. Penny wet her lips when she felt them go dry before speaking, "I think I had a memory recollection. When I was young and with the lies that were fed to be until a few months. Another lie my mother said was that my father died when I was a baby." "You saw him," he murmured. Penny nodded her head, taking in a deep breath. Releasing the breath, she responded back, "I did. The sad part is though I was young enough to remember, I have no recollection of how he looked until a few hours ago. I don''t even remember any of it. I also saw her. My mother knew what my father was but...I don''t think my father knew that my mother was a ck witch." Chapter 172 - I see you- Part 1 Damien wondered if the memories that were tampered were returning back to Penelope now. It was possible that the trigger had taken ce due to the alignment of the stars which Bathsheba had mentioned to him, "What did you see in your dream?" he asked to know more about what she had seen and might have happened unless it was just a fragmented dream her consciousness had conjured up to her. "I might have been this small," Penny raised her hand away from the bed and towards the empty space to show her height. "Seven or eight," Damien said for her to nod. "Maybe. We were away from the vige, somewhere near water. How many rivers do we have here in the Bonke?" she inquired with him. How strange that she had never seen it before or had never visited the ce. "There are many rivers that connect to the heart of the Bonke and the one here that we have which is surrounded by the sea though. The vige that you resided in with your mother, there are two of them, one that flows through the forest which separates the other vige the is adjacent to it and the one near the ends of the forest." It must be near the forest though it was hard to tell. Wasn''t it odd that she didn''t remember going that way with so many years she had lived in the vige, "I don''t remember every detail but I think someone from the vige caught on that my father was a white witch which was why they moved away to a ce near the forest. My father...he wanted my mother and me to go back and away to another vige." "He wanted you both safe," responded Damien, "Did you leave?" "We did I think but I don''t know what happened after that," at least until the butler arrived at the door with the food. "Are you doing okay?" he asked her, Penny shook her head to a no. "Why do you think my lost memories are returning back? All this time, my life and the memories I have lived werepact but now...Now it feels like there are spaces between what I have known which I have no answer to." "Bathsheba said it had something to do with ourary stars," when Penny gave out a confused look Damien went to borate, "The witches believe in the changes that take ce in nature. Like the change in direction of the wind or the stars that cross over. Each of them has their own theories and understanding. This year the stars have changed their positions and the ck witch believes that some of them have been triggered to make use of the gift they have bestowed by birth. You were supposed to be a white witch since birth but it seems that you were dormant until a while ago. Your memories must just be an aftereffect of what had taken ce." "Are the others, witches, too?" She meant the people who had been gifted. "I doubt they are all witches but I do have a doubt on someone very particr," Damien said thoughtfully. A person with clear and observing eyes would be able to detect the changes but not everyone was as gifted as Damien. He had seen the blonde girl walking next to the Duke, her hands with gloves which she rarely took off. True that a lot of them wore gloves, especially the pureblooded vampires but he had seen her once before which was made him doubtful as she seemed different. There was something about her that made him doubtful. Especially with the exam, she had passed. Being one of the two survivors while the rest which included vampires had died. Damien didn''t believe in coincidence. Luck, maybe. He had met her once when she was lost in the building while trying to find her way to where ever she was going which was onlyst week. Another thing which he had heard from Kreme was that Leonard had taken her to thend of the dead where people had died in the massacre. Leonard was a smart man who often had the Lord of Bonke tagging along which was why it raised his suspicion. Who brought their lover to a dead site to look at? Unless the girl was of some use. "Did you eat?" he questioned her, "The butler arrived with food a while ago," replying to him, her eyes darted towards the wall where the clock continued to tick its hand. It was one in the morning, "Thank you for the food," she knew that the butler wouldn''t have brought the food by himself. Damien had asked him to bring her food to eat. Damien stared at her, a small smile settled on his lips, "Anytime." Now that she had told him what had been bothering her since she woke up, Penny noticed the scent of the bottle which he must have used while taking a bath. The masculine smell wafted across her nose and for some strange reason she wanted to smell it more. She leaned forward, keeping her movements subtle. As she started to drift in the haze of night, she heard Damien say, "There were also a few more deaths," her eyes met his. He turned to fetch the pillow. Fluffing it in his hands, cing it towards the headrest and going to lean against it, "There are a few more witches and there might be more which I will have to find out on why they areing in or what they were doing. Especially one seemed very interested in me." "Interested in you?" Penny asked him. "Yes. In fact, if I am not wrong, she was definitely flirting with me," Damien answered her nonchntly. "..." How was she supposed to react to that? Best was to stay quiet and behave like she didn''t hear it but with him staring at her it was hard to do, "She must have been lonely." "Hmm? Are you saying I am not attractive enough?" "When did I say that, Master Damien?" "Then tell me now. How do you find me?" Damien cornered her for an answer, "Do you find me attractive?" Chapter 173 - I see you- Part 2 "I think a woman will find you attractive..." she tried with a diplomatic approach. "You''re a woman, does that direct to the answer that you find me good looking? Do you, mouse?" the ever-persistent master Damien, thought Penny to herself, "Mouse..." he drawled making her wonder what he was going to say, "Never mind," saying that he slid down and pulled the covers over him. Huh? What did he want to say? Curious about it, she asked, "What were you going to say?" with him facing at her as heid on the side of his body, Penny herself got into the covers to face him. Their eyes meeting each other while she waited for him to continue with what he was saying previously. "I will be taking you out tomorrow," he said shifting the conversation, "Falcon will have your dress ready. You can wear that. Don''t do anything to your hair," he said as if intending to tie her hair himself. Penny continued to stare, her silent protest on still wanting to know what he wanted to say, "Passive-aggressive behavior doesn''t suit you." Breaking her eye contact, her eyes shifted to look at his neck and then to muscles that peaked out of his shirt where he had left it unbuttoned, "You know, I have you looking at me, your eyes wandering more than what one can view," hearing this suddenly her eyes snapped up to look back into his dark red eyes. Her cheeks turned warm for being caught as her eyes had wandered without realization, "You don''t have to feel shy in admitting that you like me," her jade green eyes widened. "I did not say anything like that! Master Damien you should stop getting to conclusions which are not true," she whispered even though they were alone and in the bed next to each other. "Mhmm. Keep telling that to yourself but you forget that I have very good ears. Who is your heart beating for? I don''t have to strain my ears yet I can feel it loud and clear," Penny couldn''t argue with that but with his usual attacking lines, it was hard to keep up with his pace of talk, "You have beautiful eyes," heplimented her suddenly. "Thank you," she murmured back, closing them as if she were going to catch some shut eyes. "How rude, especially after I justplimented your eyes," she heard his voice much closer and the next time she opened her eyes, her heart skipped out of shock to see him lying right next to her. How did, when? She realized it was his ability, "There are brown flecks in them," she heard him say distantly even though he was right in front of her. "You''re too close," she whispered. "I wanted to," Penny had held her breath and when he ced his hand on her cheek, he said, "Breath. I don''t want you dead. It would be a pity if you did." "I don''t think you know what personal space means, do you, Master Damien?" she asked him, his hands were cold due to the cold shower he had had. "What is that?" came out the quizzical question, a grin breaking on his face. She felt him set her hairs, pushing the little pieces of blonde hair behind her ear. "You''re being strange." "How so?" he questioned her, his fingers took the length of her hair, bringing it close to him before it slipped out of his hand. Damien had always been odd but with him behaving sweet towards her, she was trying to be more wary of his presence. She shook her head and he smiled, "Confused mouse. Get to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day," with his continuing to stare at her, Penny closed her eyes hoping Damien would get to sleep too. That night she didn''t experience any dream and slept through the quiet night to wake up the next day to find herself in the arms of the pureblooded vampire. Damien had his arm wrapped around her with her head that had taken nest near his chest. When she pushed him, she heard him say, "Stay a while longer like this, mouse. Sleep is not always privileged," she didn''t care about that! In an attempt to push him away, she fell out of the bed and on the ground with a thud. "Are you alright?" he asked her from the bed, lifting himself up with one of his hands where she narrowed her eyes at him. With the door knocking, Penny stood up and went to get it. It was the butler who had a dress with him, "Get me the pins that are in the drawers. The blue one will go well," he ordered the butler. "Yes, master Damien," Falcon bowed his head to leave the doorstep once he had given the dress to Penny. "Where are we going?" she asked, turning to look at Damien who had fallen back on the bed with his eyes closed. "Sentencia has a vampire blood-tea party in her mansion. I have been skipping the other tea socialization but I cannot skip this one," he said with a sigh before sitting up on the bed and looking at the dress she had in her hand. Penny remembered the woman, it was the same day she had seen a ve being abused. The vampiress who had better manners than the one who had whipped her ve, "She''s a dear friend of mine so don''t worry if your imaginative mind goes to think that there''s something going on between us." "I didn''t," Penny pressed her lips, seeing Damien swirl to ce his feet on the ground and to walk to where she was. He put his hands in his pant pockets. "I know but it is always to clear things than have a heap of misunderstandings. Don''t you agree?" and with that, he leaned forward to peck her lips, "Get ready now," he sauntered towards the door, turning the knob and stepping out of the room. Chapter 174 - Blood tea party- Part 1 Penny sat in front of the dressing table, looking at the mirror where Damien stood behind her with his hands in her hair as he weaved them first with his hands and then to brush them. While Penny was drying her hair, Damien had got himself dressed. The dress she wore was light peach in color with short p sleeves, showing off her arms. Thest time he had got the dress from Lady Maggie which made her wonder if this was hers too but she had never seen her wear it before. Maybe people who were rich had a lot of clothes, enough to survive for the whole two months without having to repeat what they wore. Like Damien himself who had one side of the wall made of the closet for his clothes. The man lived like a king without following anyone''s word but his own. This made her wonder if the man feared anything at all. It was as if he were fearless. "What is running in that little mind of yours?" he asked as he continued to brush her hair. "Just looking,"?she whispered looking back at him through the mirror. "Then look properly. Meet my eyes, Penelope," he challenged her and this time she couldn''t move her gaze away from him. It was as if he had locked her down with just his eyes. Penny didn''t know what was going on but she was sure the wind had changed in the atmosphere. After handling Damien who liked handing down punishment, this sweet side where he continued to speak directly aiming at her, she could hardly hold on to her dear life. Penny instead of looking at his hands and her hair stared into his eyes as their gaze never broke from each other. But she could feel every scr.a.p.e of his nail that ran gently on her scalp and the pull of her hair as he braided at the side of her hair, "Where did you learn to braid a girl''s hair?" she asked him. "Maggie liked to be pampered by my mother. My mother often did her hair, never repeating anything more than once in a week," she could hear the fondness that his voice carried when it came to speaking about his mother, "I just happened to pick and learn without having to practice it," did that mean she was the first one to ever have his hands style her hair? He continued to braid her hair at the said, stopping to see how it looked he pinned it up. He did the same on the other side of her head before pulling it up and turning it to a messy bun. "You can make a living out of it," sheplimented to receive a chuckle from him. "Thank you for thepliment. I still wonder why you haven''t been hit before. Didn''t you have customers who came looking for you after the theater?" he questioned without a hint of curiosity while in truth he was curious. Penny looked at him with a slightly stunned expression, smiling at him as if she were up to no good, "There were some," of course, there were some, thought Damien in his mind. "And?" his voice continued to be nonchnt as he spoke, "Don''t end the story when it hasn''t even begun. It is hard to think that you don''t have a man in your life." "I am an average looker, master Damien. Didn''t you see other actresses'' on stage?" she raised her brows in question. Walking around her to pick up the hairpin which he had asked the butler to bring from another room he went back to gently push them into her hair. As he adjusted it to make sure it was still visible, he replied, "It is because I have seen them I ask you the question. Beauty isn''t something thates with the mere attention to what people get on stage. The actress might receive a lot of apuds but she was once a side actress too unless she is the owner''s daughter. You are more than beautiful. Do you think my standards are so low that my heart would pick any walking passing person in front of me?" What did he just say? Penny was shocked, this man was confessing his heart and she looked at him. Following his actions as he picked something else on his dressing table to stand in front of her now. "Part your lips, sweet," Penny gulped, listening to his words as she continued to stare at him. This time Damien was busy looking at something in his hand and then at her lips. Rubbing his finger in the little box he brought his hand on her lips, gently swiping the gel on to her lips, "Don''t you look beautiful," he murmured looking into her eyes, one corner of his lips were pulled up to smile. When Penny''s eyes darted to the mirror, she saw that Damien had applied something red in color on her lips making her face brighter than before. She did look pretty which made her feel even more pretty. Before stepping into the carriage to go to Lady Sentencia''s mansion, Grace and others who had been at the beginning of the hallway couldn''t stop staring at Penny. The ve girl from wearing a vegetable sack who was the lowest of the low being in their mansion had turned to look like a finedy. Grace''s lips twisted in irritation but who could me the young vampiress as Penelope looked prettier than she did right now. Maggie, on the other hand, had her eyes strained on the dress that Penny wore. She hadn''t seen it before. It neither belonged to her or any other vampiress in the mansion which made her ponder on if her brother had bought the dress exclusively for the girl so that she could wear it. Passing the wandering eyes, Damien ced his hand on Penny''s back as her steps had slowed down. Getting out and inside the carriage, they rode to Damien''s friend''s house which wasn''t too far from where Quinn''s mansion was located. Chapter 175 - Blood tea party- Part 2 Reaching the mansion, the coachman pulled the door of the carriage open, his head bowed as Damien stepped out of the carriage first and Penny followed his steps. The mansion was white in color. Possibly clean making her wonder how the walls could be clean with all the rain that kept pouring day after day which had the ability to wash away the polish of the walls. It wasn''t as big as Damien''s own house but it was big enough than to be called average size. "You don''t have to answer people in there if you''re ufortable, Penny," Damien gave her a heads-up before they could step inside. Penny looked his way, her face turning one of worry, "Okay," she replied to see him smile. "I am there with you so you don''t have to worry about anything. Just enjoy your time," he said before urging her back forward so that they could get inside. Enjoy the time he said, she nodded her head mentally but when they got inside and she saw who was there, Penny wasn''t sure how things would turn out to be. Especially with people staring at her. "Good afternoon, Damien. I thought you would skip my birthday," the woman with brown hair and fringes that rested on her forehead appeared in front of them to hug Damien. Her lips were as red as thest time she had met. It was Lady Sentencia. Her smile wasn''t exaggerated but rather quiteposed. She was a looker which made Penny wonder how Damien had not fallen for this vampiress. It would be hard to believe that he didn''t even have an affair. "Apologies for my absence, dear. I have been busy with work that I didn''t have time to y with my own pet," as they pulled back, a smile rested on Damien''s own lips, "Happy birthday to you." Birthday? Damien had told her it was a tea party. With the Lady''s eyes that fell on Penny, Penny bowed her head with her hands that held each other in front of her, "Many wishes to you, Lady," in some society Penny was aware that using a person''s name was considered to be rude. With her being a ve, she tried not to be friendly. As expected thedy didn''t respond to her wish with words but only hummed before looking back at Damien, "Please make yourselffortable," thedy went to greet them. Penny didn''t mean her eyes to wander off to look at people but unable to keep her eyes on the floor she started to look around standing next to Damien. Unlike other ves who trained over and over again withshes until obedience to the higher hierarchy was etched and inked into their bones, Penny was a free-spirited soul. Someone who hadn''t tasted the burn of the whish or the hot burning iron on her skin. Damien might have not have believed in luck but if one knew about Penny they would easily tell how luck had prevailed until now when it came to her. To not only escape punishment from the warden of the ve establishment who had assaulted the ves physically and mentally while driving them to the point of death. People who stepped inside the establishment never stepped out to be the same. Almost eighty percent of them had a soul that was damaged due to what they went through in there. The next percent were the odd people who enjoyed or wanted to be there, including people who had nowhere else to go while also wanting to support their family who in turn converted to another broken soul. "Sir Damien, it is so nice to have you here," came a voice from behind. Penny forgot the name of the person but she remembered the woman very clearly. All thanks to her tearing the dress which she had thought was intended for her. Now that Penny thought back about the incident, she realized how childish her reaction had been. She was lucky that Damien had only made her pull out weeds, though, in the end, it was funny how the punisher was showing her how to pull out the unwanted nts as she had pulled out the good ones out of thend. "You have been missing on a lot of gathering. But I am d you are here," the woman beamed like the sun. When her eyes fell on Penny, her expression turned sour as if someone had poured a ss of lemon into her mouth that the white witch noticed. "The council has been upying my time. Have you been doing well, Lady Urs?" and though Damien asked her the question, his eyes didn''t bother to stay at her and instead looked at the man who approached where they stood at the moment. The young girl didn''t notice it and in excitement replied, "It was a little sad but now I am doing well. Father bought a wolf but it didn''t appear to be healthy so they had to kill it," she said with a little to no attachment to what happened to the animal, "Now that you are here, everything is so much better," the girl then paused, acting a little coy, she said to Damien, "I missed you, Sir Damien," which pulled Damien''s attention back to her. Penny felt awkward standing there midst listening to their conversation, especially the girl''s words. Discreetly looking at Damien, she saw him smile, "I miss myself too," Eh? What kind of strange response was that, thought Penny to herself. "Damien!" another man appeared, shaking his hand with the pureblooded vampire, "Good to see you here. Is this the very ve you brought yourself along with you?" "Why do you ask, Reverale?" Damien picked up a drink as well as a ss of fruit juice from the servant who was walking by. Lady Urs thought that the drink was for her and she raised her hand ready to take but instead, Damien passed the ss of juice to Penny and took a sip of the alcohol. Without bothering to look at the girl whose face fell in embarrassment. Chapter 176 - Fishy work- Part 1 Lady Urs was the youngest child in her family, with her brother being older to her she was the pampered child of their household. Pampered enough where she been given her own house to live in. Life was such that the privileged enjoyed the luxury while the poor continued to suffer in their trouble filled pained life. The human girl had been pinning and chasing her dreams, and while dreams were good, the young miss had pinned her hopes on a man who was hard to please. Damien visited her not out of politeness. The girl was smart to know that it was because of her father''s business who was lending a hand in Quinn''s business but she didn''t know that one snap of Damien''s fingers was enough to put the entire family in trouble. It was her second time attending a tea party at a vampire''s house when she had met the man who was there only to pick up his sister. Since that time till now, she had been chasing him but not ardently. Trying to act coy and cute to win him over. After all, that was how men liked women. It wasn''t a hard thing to deduce in what men wanted in general. Pretty dolls, sitting next to them as trophies to show-off which Lady Urs frankly didn''t mind one bit. For someone who didn''t want to work or pick an item from one ce to another, it was the perfect role where she could y dress and look pretty. Like many other women and young girls who sought out for men to settle down with, thedy had her eyes on some of them but in the list, Damien surpassed with the most qualities. He wasn''t a perfect man but there was just something about him that made every female turn to look at him, to be intrigued by his unfiltered words. Which was the reason the youngdy couldn''t believe that there was a newpetition now? A ve who was in the lowest hierarchy with no decent background now stood next to Damien holding the ss which the councilman had handed it down to her by himself. And what was with her wearing clothes like them. She couldn''t believe that this ve was taking up Damien''s attention. The man had never lifted a finger or handed a drink to another person as she had noticed. When he had picked up the ss, her hopes had soared at the thought of Damien giving her a drink but her mood turned considerably sour. Her jaw tightening while she subtly red at the girl who took hold of the fruit juice. Penny who had received the ss of crushed juice stared at it wondering which fruit it belonged to as itcked any smell. Curious on the taste, she brought her lips to take a sip but before the juice could settle in and go down her throat she felt the hard gaze of thedy who stood next to Damien. Gulping down, she looked up carefully to find the woman staring at her expressionless but she could identify by the tightened muscles of her face and the color that had drained out than before that that thedy was sulking. No maybe not sulking but ring. Did she do something disrespectful that she didn''t realize? But she had not spoken to her or looked her way until the ring daggers came to her attention. What if...What if thedy had caught the wind that she had torn her dress? Did Damien tell her? Penny couldn''t even look at Damien to confirm but she doubted that the man could be a tattletale. Petty maybe but he couldn''t be a tattletale. "I heard you were going to travel to Mythweald," said the man Damien referred to as Reverale. "The job was fixed within the magistrates. Vampires have been causing quite some nuisance leaving bodies behind without any moral regard," Damien took a sip from his drink, his lips picking up the red liquid of wine which he used his tongue to clean, "Has the demolishingpany been going well?" Penny could tell hearing Damien that the man was making small talks which he was barely interested in. Even the other vampire could tell that but brushing away theck of interest that came from Damien, he replied, "It has been going well. We finally were able to get the beggars out of the way as they refused to move out. Can you believe it?" Lady Urs chipped in on the very same to say, "People of poverty find it hard when we try to make their lives better. I mean here you are demolishing the old houses which can break and fall any time. They should feel privileged." Penny''s lips parted, ready to speak when she realized her words were meant to be kept within herself. Damien who stood next to her saw the little action where the corner of his lips pulled up. His mouse has been liberal in speech even when it came to him that he could see that she was finding it hard to keep her thoughts to herself. "That is what the magistrate and I keep talking. Though I need to apud this new architect who swayed the vigers to move to the next vige. He goes by the name of Jerome Wells," said Reverale to have the Lady nodding her head. "The curly-haired man," Lady Ursughed, "Daddy, hired him to fix the kitchen. The cabs were loose." Damien wondered why the entire vige was being renovated. Something felt odd about it where he couldn''t put his finger on yet. The order wasn''t directly passed by the council else he would have caught wind about it. Like many other councilmen who kept their eyes and ears open to pick up the slightest things that went on in the council to know the situation in the fournds of the empire, Damien did the same. People usually did it for two main reasons- one because they wanted to safe keep thends and its people. The second reason was for their own good. Men and women used the intel to hide things that were not be known in public. Chapter 177 - Fishy work- Part 2 "Did the magistrate or the guards say something? On why only that town is being renovated? I am surprised others haven''t raised theirints yet on why their towns are not getting filled in," stating this, Damien looked around to see at the guests who had arrived at his friend''s house. As they all belonged to the vampire as well as higher society, they had a simr crowd of people where most of them were acquainted with each other. "They must be happy that they don''t have to deal with humans. Trust me, they are a pain when ites to getting them to listen to something. No matter you being a higher up they close the damn door on the face which makes me want to snap that little neck before peeling it off the body," the calm voice with which Mr. Reverale spoke made Penny frown. The man spoke without a single regard to the lives of the human which was what worried her. Even Damien himself had killed the maid in front of her but it was with the thought of her drowning and dying in the water. A silver of shiver ran down her body as she remembered the dip in the cold water, "Unfortunately, we cannot else I would have." "What a shame," Damien responded to watch Sentencia''s ve boy walk past them with his head hung down without meeting anyone''s eyes. "You dolled your ve like a prettydy. Showing off, Damien?" "Are you jealous?" asked Damien with a serious expression making the other manugh. "There''s no reason for me to be jealous," answered Mr. Reverale looking at Penny. His eyes looking at her from top to bottom before shifting his eyes back to Damien, "Masters and mistresses often doll their ve like..." the man waved his hand towards Penny, "When they are too into their ves. Many people have often found themselves to be a victim of attraction before ruining their reputation." "Always so nosey. Funny how people take an interest in other people''s lives. Don''t you agree, Lady Urs?" Damien''s habit of pulling people into an awkward conversation was famous that many people were wary about which included Lady Urs herself right now. The young woman wanted to disagree as it was about his ve who he was giving more attention to but at the same time, she couldn''t help herself but agree to what Damien said just to please him. Lady Urs turned to look at the man and say, "That''s right. Mr. Reverale are you saying Mr. Quinn''s reputation has been soiled?" "Lady Urs is the Damien cheerer but then Damien. What happened to that other woman who was killed by her very own ve.?Don''t tell me you like the girl," with Mr. Reverale''s voice which rose high enough to bring attention from the other people around them, he looked at Damien with challenging eyes. Even though they shared the same circle of friends, the two men never considered each other to be friends. Damien considered Sentencia to be the only friend while the others were pointless chatter. On the other hand, Mr. Reverale despised Master Quinn for what and who he was. A pureblooded vampire getting close with the ve was usually frowned upon and wasn''t encouraged. Sure, people fell in love but it was always kept a secret as no one liked anyone pointing about them associating themselves with the lowest of the low degree of the society. Penny was unsure of what Damien would do or she had guessed that he would deny ore with another sarcastic remark but that never came. Instead, Damien pulled Penny by her waist towards him bringing a small flip in her heart where he said, "What if I did? Is there a problem?" There was a stun of silence in the room. People who were away from them and hadn''t heard what happened and instead looked towards them to see what had gotten the room quiet so suddenly. Mr. Reverale who had been smiling all this while, poking fun and trying to bring Damien down, his face fell suddenly hearing what Damien just said. Lady Urs was trying to fathom what the pureblooded vampire just said, "Master Damien, did you mean to say you like the ve as your pet-" Damien cut in to rify the doubts the men and women now carried on their faces, "This girl in my arm is whom I like. Does anyone here have a problem with that?" he asked after the deration with a smile upon his face. Penny suddenly felt as if she had turned the center of attention even though she had done nothing. She had even stopped breathing after hearing the words Damien said to the man, his eyes confident and his arm firmly around her waist where she stood awkwardly. She didn''t know how to react with so many people looking at her right now, her head feeling dizzy. "I am sure people here aren''t petty to tell that me liking a ve intends and means that my reputation is getting soiled now," he raised his brow to receive no answer or question. A lot of them were ready to start the gossip with what they heard but no one dared to question or go against what he said. It was the money and the kind of lineage that he possessed which was enough to keep their lips sealed. Sentencia who had only entered back into the room smiled, her lips twisting before she said, "That is wonderful, Damien," and with one encouragement in the room, the other fickle minds nodded as if agreeing to her words, "Everyone please move to the dining room," thedy smiled with a pleasant smile. The owner of the house smiled, letting people go ahead before she caught up with Damien, "That is one way to dere to the people. You know people are going to talk and blow this out of proportion," she whispered to him with a smile. Her brown fringed hair covering her eyebrows as she looked ahead. "And when has that mattered?" hearing Damien''s words she chuckled. "True." Chapter 178 - Dark heart- Part 1 The celebration of the Lady Sentencia went on where the guests continued to celebrate and wish her, her long gown sweeping the floor behind her as she spoke to the guests who had arrived for her birthday celebration. In appearance and in the eye of a human, the brtedy appeared to be in her twenties. Her paleplexion and red eyes were something that attracted many which made Penny who now stood with another ss of juice in her hand to wonder if something had transpired between Master Damien and Lady Sentencia. No doubt they would have been a beautiful couple but with Damien who had shamelessly dered about his feelings towards her, she doubted there could be something between them. But why should she care, thought Penny to herself. Penny didn''t know what or how to react apart from having her eyes on the floor so that she didn''t have to meet anyone''s curious eyes. Though Damien had the ability to ignore the people around them, she could sense their gaze on what was going on. If she was no wrong it would be the first thing to be read in tomorrow''s gossip column of the newsletter. Idle men and women thrived on gossips. And with her being a ve and he being a pureblooded vampire, this might be one of the news which would keep people entertained. There was no way out of it. The possible suitors she had once hoped to settle down and gone out of the window. Forget the window it had sunk into the bottom of the sea and would nevere up again. But there was also a part of her who was in awe with Damien Quinn. How could one be utterly fearless of one''s damage to the reputation? Men worked hard to raise their reputation while trying to maintain it while women chased the very concept so that they could be respected. The thought of Damien not caring about it made Penny turn to look at him. Not directly but subtly while making sure her actions weren''t too obvious but with the crowd of vampires she was in some of them noticed with Damien being the first one to pick on her actions even though he was listening to someone talk about the cabs and the windows which were built. She took a sip from the ss of juice that Damien had handed her by himself right before the current ss of hers had even finished. Lady Urs looked bitter and ready to kill her if it weren''t for Damien standing next to her. It felt as if she wanted to tear her head off which was why she had wished Damien would have been subtle about his feelings for her. This man had not only put himself in the spotlight but had put her under a burning fire of the women''s gazes in the room. It appeared that Damien had many admirers despite his odd behavior. As much as she hadints again, she couldn''t help notice him even more. His facial expression stayed the same which was a bored one. When his eyes strayed away from the crowd surrounding him to look at her, it felt as if the time had frozen. Their eyes meeting each other where Penny didn''t break her gaze away. A smile came to form on Damien''s lips which confused her on what he was smiling for. On the other side, Mr. Reverale walked towards Lady Urs who stood with her hands clutching the ss in her hands. Staring at Damien and the ve girl from afar. "How unexpected to see Damien like a girl, isn''t it?" Lady Urs''s eyes turned to look at the man who hade to stand beside her before her eyes went back to throw daggers at the girl, "Why do you look bitter, Lady Urs? Care to share your thoughts?" he spoke sweetly to the young woman. "It is nothing," she answered him stubbornly. "Hmm, I must be imagining it then," he smiled at her. They Damien say something to the ve girl who looked slightly shocked making them wonder what he said, "I thought Damien would kill every ve man and woman possible after what happened to one of his dear friends." Lady Urs turned to question Mr. Reverale, "What happened?" "You haven''t heard about it? The woman raised a ve boy for months. Word was that she treated him like one of them but what did the ve boy do? He killed her. It is why Damien despised every ve he came across. The kindness is never taken well and instead is misused. Biting the hand that feeds you, what a shame it is indeed." How strange that she didn''t know about it, thought Urs. But ves were never to be trusted, they would try to buy their freedom by hook or crook, "We should do something about it then," she decided to have him raise his brow. "What do you suggest, mdy?" this was what he was waiting for. Since the time his eyes had fallen on Damien''s ve, he had wanted a taste of her. To take a bite to see how she tasted and she intrigued him even more as she was Damien''s. She had been capable enough to have him like her which was what made it interesting. Reverale was aware of thedy''s interest in his so-called friend Damien. The young human had been trying to impress the pureblooded vampire and maybe she was almost sessful to only have someone else swoop and take away his interest. But who could me when the girl looked that beautiful. "I need to have the girl taken off from the board," said Lady Urs. "That would be quite extreme, dear," the man chuckled. Humans no matter how much higher they got in society would always remain stupid, "There are other ways that having people killed. You can keep Damien while I try to get the girl away from his grasp." Chapter 179 - Dark heart- Part 2 On their way back the mansion of Quinn, Penny sat quietly without a word where Damien spoke, "You look beautiful, Penelope," her eyes that were looking out of the window to look at the deserted vige which looked dark and gloomy, she turned to meet his eyes, "Did you have fun?" "Are you not worried, Master Damien?" asked Penny for him to tilt his head with a questionable look. "Why would I be worried if you have fun in my friend''s celebration," he asked her to see her lips purse together. Of course, he knew what she was speaking about but he enjoyed having her speak more than what she intended. The hair which Damien had tied previously had now stared to loosen due to the open window where the air came to ruffle her hair every time there was an increase in the breeze. Raising her hand to hold the baby hairs near her temple still, she changed her words, "How old are you?" "Why do you ask?" he asked as if intrigued with her interest in him. "I was curious." "In human eyes, I might be around twenty-four..." Humans years that is, "What about actual years?" she asked him. "Double the numbers. Somewhere there," which made her ponder on how the entire vampire generation grew and lived. Their bodies being different from the humans, their mortality and immortality differed from one another. "You are old," she stated making him smile. "Is that so? Compared to humans, one would agree but vampires'' growth differs. Sometimes differing from their own kind that one cannot gauge a vampire''s age unless they know the person closely. There was this one man in the pureblooded vampires who never grew up after he had turned three. Years passed. More than five decades until he started to grow." "He must have turned knowledgable by the time he grew up to an a.d.u.l.t," Pennymented to find Damien wondering about it. "Actually he died due to heart corruption. Nothing affects the pureblooded vampires too hard but the only disease one can have is the corruption itself." Penny had heard about it a few times from Damien''s own lips but she never knew in depth of what it was all about. Curious she asked to know more about it, "Can anyone get it?" because before stepping into Quinn''s mansion, she had known that the pureblooded vampires were indestructible creatures. Nothing could kill them and when she found out about it, it hade as a surprise. "Every creature that walks on thesends has benefits and drawbacks. Nature has made it so that there is at least one loophole in every creature. If you find it there''s nothing Godly or high about them. The vampires possess something called a core which can be considered the temple of the body like your mind. Witches have been using a potion to corrupt the families, and the corruption is infectious. One bite and it will spread enough to cause chaos on thends. Enough to wipe out anything and everything until nothing will be left. Do you know, mouse if you work on that skill of yours you can be the antitode for the poison the ck witches are creating?" "I will work on it," she responded back. "Of course," he replied. "How does one know that the vampires are corrupted?" hearing this question, Damien smiled. "The corrupted vampires have pitch-ck eyes. What starts as dtion goes to spread within the body. Theck of reasoning and insanity which is quite easy to detect because they go nuts. Corrupted vampires don''t know the difference between right or wrong. Theirck of ability to identify their loved ones." A doubt came to appear on Penny''s face and she looked at Damien as if searching for an answer. "It appears that you have something to say." Penny had seen his eyes turn ck once when they were walking back to the mansion on the bridge. It had scared and startled her, "W-were you ever bit by a corrupted vampire?" she asked him as he had told about the corruption being infectious by a bite. "No." She continued to stare at him, his lips pulling up as seconds passed by. "You aren''t a corrupted vampire," she said as if trying to confirm but received no answer from him. His head fell back, eyes closing with a sigh before bringing his head back to open his eyes to reflect her in his ck eyes. "Corruption need not be by a fatal bite. It starts from within in here," he pointed his chest, "And then spreads to the host before moving to the next person," Penny tried to wrap her mind this time with what Damien said. ording to what he just said, corrupted vampires lose sanity was that why he was the way he was? But yet, he looked normal so what happened? She wondered. He leaning back on the seat to look at the vige that they were passing by. His eyes narrowed as if catching something there. He knocked on the window to speak to the coachman, "Stop the carriage here," his eyes had flicked back to red. "What happened?" asked Penny. The coachman looked confused but did as ordered by his master. "Something looks off about this ce. Shadier than what it looks, the crow''s caw and the ground that appears slippery. The day of dusk that appeared quick to not bring the dawn after it," it was as if he was reciting some lines from a book. Damien stepped out of the carriage, his eyes skimming through the dark streets and the houses before his eyes fell on the alleys which were as deserted as the rest of it. He had passed through this vige several times in the past and often the ce was quiet but there was something in the air which he had caught on to. Penny had followed him down when suddenly a whistling sound appeared in the air. Before she could turn to see where it wasing from Damien had pulled her to his other side. An arrow passed her to get stuck in the carriage firmly. Chapter 180 - Idle place- Part 1 After getting down from the carriage, Penny looked at the houses of the vige with Damien who had taken two steps forward to look ahead of him. She didn''t know why he had the coachman pull over the carriage. The houses and the tall building which looked less like a vige and more like a town, she noticed how quiet the ce way. It was eerily quiet which could make one suspicious. As she was looking around she heard a whistling sound that came from afar and suddenly Damien pulled her to his other side, "What ha-" the arrow cut the air as it came in force to hit the carriage. Her eyes widened at the sight of the arrow and she turned around to catch sight of a shadow that slipped into the darkness of the buildings. At the same time from another side, an arrow wasunched for it to hit the coachman''s chest who staggered before falling down dead on the ground. Another one wasunched which and before it could hit Damien he caught hold of it a few centimeters away from his face, "So slow," he said, catching hold of Penny''s hand he pulled her into the vige. "Where are we going? The coachman-" "The coachman is dead," he pulled something from his back, a shiny metaling in view. It was a bronze gold pistol that was a size longer than his own palm. "Why aren''t we going back to the mansion?" she asked him confused. Where they were headed was where their attackers were. "Because there''s something fishy about this ce. Leaving as it is is not my idea of being a councilman. Whoever it was, cost me my coachman and has tried to attack you. You don''t think I will let it go by walking out of this ce," he said pulling the top part of the gun, he walked forward as he checked if someone was there. Penny didn''t know why but with the way Damien had put it, it showed how serious he took his work. Who knew that the master who appeared to be frivolous had a deep sense of his duty. The alley was silent except for their footsteps on the wet ground. It appeared that it had rained a few hours ago as the soil beneath their feet was loose and slippery. With the tall walls which stretched up and high, she looked up at the gloomy clouds that hovered up above them which made the current environment dark with no hint of light. "Also," she heard Damien say, "If we continued our journey, it would only turn to something else. The arrow which was thrown had something simr to spit grass. A nt that is used to trigger corruption." "ck witches?" whispered Penny for Damien to nod his head. "ck witches are often notorious on setting up traps for humans and vampires. Waiting for the others to walk into their trap." "How can you tell this one is not one?" "No one attacks and expects one to stay in the same ce," his eyes scanned to look at the doors which were closed while one appeared to be closed but there was thin darkness at the side of it. It wasn''t apletely closed door, "Stick close, mouse. We don''t want you getting caught and having me baited," he went to stand in front of the red-painted door which looked dull and worn out. Hearing this Penny frowned, "I can handle myself fine," and at that moment the window broke for a hand to stretch out and pull her hand as if wanting to suck her to the other side of the wall. Damien raised his hand and shot right on the forearm of the dark armed person which broke the arm into two halves. Penny stepped away from the window and closer to Damien to hear the pureblooded vampire say, "That''s what she said. Remind me to teach you on some skill set once we get back to the mansion," this perked her ears but at the same time, her eyes went to look down where half of the forearm to the fingertips started to disintegrated into dust. Damien kicked the door open before having another shot on someone where Penny who had started to follow him closely saw a ck witch in her true form who screamed loudly as if she were in pain. The ck witch''s body fell backwards with a dull thud before it disintegrated. Simr to how a dried leaf turned to dust after being lit in a fire, leaving a mark on the ground. "Can you sense anything?" he asked her.?Penny wasn''t sure what she was supposed to do to ''sense'' the witch''s presence. Was that even possible? "I don''t think so." "Hmm," he said stepping out and starting to walk as if there were more ck witches who were in hiding. "Aren''t viges and town exorcised to make sure the ck witches aren''t present?" asked Penny as they took another alley. A faded cloth that was tattered flew back and forth on the rope where the rope ran from one of the buildings to the next one. "Indeed but there are times when men and women are not loyal. Treachery runs in everybody''s blood, it is only time that states if the person walks in that path for his or her own benefit,"?he said walking as he turned around with his hands close to his chest as he held the gun, "It is the white witches who do the exorcism by the permission of the magistrate but you cannot expect for the towns and viges to be exorcised every single week. It is a loophole but something the council has implemented. Sometimes the white witchespromise the safety of the others for their own benefit." "Helping ck witches?" she asked for him to hum. "Yes. Just like how I was helping Bathsheba. We all look for our own benefits but what happens is...." he trailed, his footsteps pausing to hear something move behind them until a rat appeared out of it to only go back in, "When you try to make an exception, it gives opportunities to the other ck witches which in turn is anotherpromise." Chapter 181 - Idle place- Part 2 "This ce looks to be haunted with no one around,"mented Penny with theck of a person apart from them here. How could a ce be deserted with no people? "It was fine thest time I passed this ce. Thest time being more than a month ago," his red eyes searched through and finally settled on her,? "You alright?" he asked to have her nodding in response. Damien''s voice was clear and she was sure even if he whispered right now she would be able to hear it, it was that quiet which made the ce eerie, "What do you think happened to everyone here?" "Have you heard about the massacre that''s been going on the fournds? Bonke and Mytheweald to have the highest death rate due to the mass murders that the ck witches are using to achieve something. Some of the council members are working on finding out what the ck witches are up to. Unfortunately, even Bathsheba had no intel about it. Let''s go that way," saying this he started to walk again with Penny following him. Suddenly a series of arrow started to fly down but that was not all. Something was thrown down on the ground to release smoke around them. The smoke was dark grey in color like the clouds themselves. Because of the shower of the arrows both Damien and Penny had moved apart, Penny moved her hands back and forth to push the smoke away from her but there was nothing she could do but have the dark gas engulf her. Damien on the other, though he couldn''t make use of his vision well his ears worked perfectly fine by which he caught the arrows and moved away from them. Catching hold of Penny''s hand he pulled her along with him away from the smoke and to another street before entering a house where the door was open. Penny coughed, her face contoured due to the smell of the smoke. "There''s definitely more than one," Damien looked at Penny to make sure she was alright where she continued to cough. The smoke didn''t appear to be hazardous but the prickly irritation that was caused due to it which made one''s eyes tear up, "Here take this," he said offering her his handkerchief. She looked up, her eyes gazing into his as she took hold of it. Seeing her stop coughing, he looked at the house they had broken into. There was no sight of any vigers. How strange that no one had noticed anything unless people who stepped in here were killed and added to the pile of the body for the ck witch''s own use. After all, even the dead were useful. "What was that?" he heard her ask him. "I don''t know," it wasn''t often he had got to spend a lot of time with the bad witches who were trying to kill him. Leaving Penny here was not safe as he didn''t know how many other ck witches resided in here as their own home. Taking her along with him meant he had to not only look for his own back but also hers which was additional work. Weighing the consequences, he decided to take her with him. At least that way he wouldn''t have to worry if something happened to her. "Shouldn''t we go back?" there was worry in her eyes. Damien stared into her own eyes, walking forward he leaned forward towards her to say, "I have your back, Penny," he said before straightening his back and opening the door of the house after they spent three more minutes while waiting for the smoke to disperse in the air. They continued to walk, checking the houses where every single door was open with not a single one which was locked as they stepped closer to the heart of this ce which appeared to look lesser than a vige and more like a town. With the houses that were empty and deserted, it looked obvious that the ce had been vacant for more than one week now. Not a single soul in sight except for them. As their feet carried them through the narrow and empty alleys, he heard Penny''s footsteps pause and he turned around, "What''s the matter?" he asked her to find her looking at another alley that connected this, her eyes looking unblinkingly. He walked back to where she was, turning his head to look at the direction she was looking at. "I think I saw someone," she whispered. "Finally we havepany than y hide and seek here," the dry wind which breezed through held a stench with it. A stench of the dead that had Damien alerted, the grip on his gun tightening as they headed in that direction, "Don''t fall back and stay near," he warned her again this time. When they came upon a building, one could see the fire burning inside through the hazy window. Stepping inside the room, Damien and Penny were greeted with two witches who were heating up themselves with therge empty dustbin where they had ced burning fire. "Wee wee. We didn''t know we were going to have a guest at this hour. Especially a pureblooded vampire," said one of the witch. They had taken the forms of humans, the woman who spoke to him her hair red in color and her eyes which were green. As green as Penny''s eyes where he doubted if she was Penny''s mother. After all the color though wasmon, the specks in them were what set them apart from the rest of the green eyes. "Apologies for not having informed earlier. If I knew about you and the rest living here I would have made better preparations. A bottle of wine and roses for the lovelydies," he smiled, his eyes falling on what was behind them. There were bodies. Bodies of humans thatid on the ground, piling one after another, also including the lower vampires. Chapter 182 - The last laugh- Part 1 He couldn''t spot any new kill until he looked to his side where three bodiesid. Two days old? Damien figured it out by merely looking at it. Some that looked older than three weeks of dposing bodies. Which meant the vige had been attacked long before he had even passed through this ce. How did no one have a suspicion? A magistrate would often have to report and attend the council meetings so that the council could ensure that everything was going well. Yet, no one had doubted. The bodies didn''t give out a bad stench earlier but with him stepping inside the room he could feel the pungent smelling strong. Penny who stood behind him had her hands covered on her mouth and face. "How kind of you. As you are so sweet to us, we will be sure to make your death quick without much torture," said the first witch who had spoken to him. "That''s very thoughtful of you. Though I cannot keep my word on how would do the same with you both," he saw the ck witch smile. "Don''t look so c.o.c.ky, Mr...." the ck witch drawled. Pulling out a sharp knife that looked like a sickle, she ced it above the fire so that it could catch some heat to it, "We have a pureblooded vampire here with us. Dead of course," she said which made him narrow his eyes, wondering who that could be. The other witch who had been quiet until now spoke up, "They are all arrogant which makes it that much easy to target and kill. Let him be, sister," said the brte ck witch who appeared sweet and kind by appearance. This was why appearance was deceiving and couldn''t be trusted. The person who looked like amb was the one who was wolf but he couldn''t tell anything about himself. "Arrogant?" asked Damien, "You must have not met me. I am Damien Quinn," the red-haired woman''s smile fell down slightly. Catching on to her expression, he said, "It seems that I am very very popr with your sisters. I feel very privileged," he bowed his head. "You are the man who had Bathsheba working errands for you," the red-haired witch said which had the other witch''s eyes re down at him. "I guess we won''t be nice either," said the brte. "No, Gretchen. He killed our sisters. It is only right we offer the same service to him and his girl," her words hadn''t evenpleted when sharp objects were thrown at him. Dragging Penny behind him, he the side of his gun to deflect the ones that were too close, "The damn pureblooded vampires. How unfair that you get to use powers that we seek." "I can offer to bite you but I don''t think you would be willing to pick up the truce. Also, I don''t touch low lives like yourself," he said triggering the witch named Gretchen who started to attack him where Penny cowered over before being pulled by the other witch. Penny had taken cover with the chair that was lying behind to push the witch away from her while Damien was busy getting the witch off him. With one swift motion, he took hold of the witch by her neck first. mming her against the wall before cing both his hands over her upper and lower mouth, pulling it apart, he tore the witch''s mouth leaving her disfigured and dead. Seeing this the red-haired witch stopped ying along with Penny and went at Damien. Her knives on both hands trying to cut him where she didn''t stop even for a single second as Damien continued to dodge her attacks. He moved back, his footsteps quick until he suddenly vanished in thin air to appear behind her. Taking her with one hand, he threw her right across the wall with force for the witch to fall down but get up while wincing in pain. "You are strong," shemented. Damien nodded his head, "I know." "Narist vampire," she said for one side of his lips to pull up. "I know that too," he said and in a blink of an eye, he was in front of her with the gun pointing at her forehead, "What are you witches doing camping up here with the pile of dead bodies? ying Halloween?" he asked her, pulling the knob at the top of the gun. The ck witch looked fearless as if not caring that he had ced the gun on her forehead, "Why do you want to know? You will be dead before you even leave this ce." "Isn''t someone confident?" he asked to have her smiling. "I could ask you the same. I truly pity you," she tched as if sad but not really when he felt a sudden jab from behind him. A needle that came out of his back. The witch pushed his hand away to quickly jump out and maintain the distance. Penny had a long tube in her hand which at the end had a needle. She looked at Damien as he turned around to look at her as she stood still. "How sad. To be killed by the one you think was yourpanion. Or was she your lover?"? asked the ck witchughing at the end of her sentence, "Thest pureblooded vampire didn''t behave well, therefore, we had to discard him but I am sure you will do the deed we have all been wanting to witness." "You''re trying to corrupt my heart," he said making the witch smile. Penny came to stand next to the witch, a small smileing upon her face.?Looking at Damien''s shocked expression both the ck witch as well as Penny couldn''t help butugh. "Pureblooded vampires are truly easy to trick," said Penny, looking down at the tub she had used to inject the potion into him. The potion was made of spitgrass which helped in triggering a corruption within a vampire. Chapter 183 - The last laugh- part 2 Damien stared at Penny, his eyebrows slightly furrowed as if trying to catch what was going on. Penny stared back at him, her green eyes looking at him unblinkingly for what she did to him. She offered him a smile. "Mr. Quinn. I don''t think any of us knew you would be so easy. To not take notice of what was going on. Is it because of my lovely face?" asked Penny, "Are you wondering what happened? Where you went wrong?" she asked, both her hands going back to hold behind her back. The ck witch let out a heartilyugh, one that was womanly which didn''t sync with who she really was. Her red hair which was frizzled and open, she pushed Damien''s shoulder with her hand making him stagger. Seeing his face contoured in pain, she smiled. "Penny," he uttered her names but Penny didn''t take a step forward towards him. She stood still holding the tube with the needle that she had used on him. "Really, Bellium. I am going to keep this one with him. Beautiful isn''t it. I hope you die quickly," said Penny and he continued to look shocked as if not expecting that the girl would speak to him like this, "It is truly a pity for you to think I was on your side," she said before walking away and towards the table where thentern burned brightly to fill up the light in the entire room. "Why?" he asked her, searching for an answer. Penny turned around, her expression from being sweet had turned one to be of hate. "Why don''t you try to find out the answer to it yourself," one of her eyebrow raised and fell before she went back to working on something like Damien didn''t matter anymore, "I lured you so that we could make use of you. What an opportune day it is today." "And I couldn''t agree more," the red hair ck witch responded. Damien''s knees suddenly gave out as if suddenly they had lost energy. His knees and hands on the dusty ground which hadn''t been in a long while, "Damien Quinn, I must say you are blind in love and look what it has done to you now. To trust someone blindly," she clicked her teeth, her snake-like tongue slithered out as she spoke, "You will soon turn to darkness with nowhere else to go." Damien looked at Penny who didn''t bother to look at him. His eyes continuing to look at her before he started to cough. "What are you trying to do here?" asked Damien, coughing, his red eyes had started to fluctuate between ck and red color. The witch and Penny looked pleased with his current condition. "Curious even when near to death?" asked the ck witch. Walking around the room, she pulled the broomstick that was ced in the corner of the room, "What are you going to do learning about it? You are as good as dead. The corruption of your heart started to begin and it won''t stop until it has engulfed youpletely in it." Damien who was in all his fours on the ground, coughing up until he spat the blood out on the floor looked up to look at the witch, "Take it to be thest wish of a dying man then," he said with bloody lips. He could feel his chest starting to contract as if it were trying to squeeze the heart and core inside it. The witch came around to squat in front of him, "Councilmen and the others are foolish if they think that we will be setting up our marks only in certain ces-" "Bellium," warned Penny as if to not give any more details to Damien. "Don''t worry. Letting a dead man know a secret won''t do any harm to any of us. It is thew of nature that once dead the secret dies within themselves with not a whisper heard by the living," the red witch then continued to say, "We need to pull out the source of energy to resurrect the power which was previously sealed by the white witches. It was the power for the ck witches that we have to walk crippled in thesends with no help being provided to us. For years we have stayed hidden but no more. We shall take what is ours," Damien listened to what she had to say. "By the mass murders?" The ck witch nodded her head, "That''s right. We have tried with ughtering people. Vampires, humans but nothing hase close to what we have been trying to achieve. So I decided to take a lead and see if we can gather the power by making use of the dead people instead of the living." "Any luck there?" asked Damien, coughing more blood on the ground. "We are working on it. With you here now, we will have more dead people before we start the ritual," Damien could tell by the tone of the woman''s voice that she wasn''t sure about the ritual''s sess, "Unfortunately, we have some things missing for the ritual which we have been trying to find." "I could help you out with it if you spare my life," Damien offered for the ck witch to look at him as if she was considering it, "I am very good in bringing in supplies." "He is very good at manipting. Do not heed to his words," Penny said from the back, warning the ck witch. But the red hair ck witch didn''t listen to Penny who stood behind. She looked at Damien intrigued, his handsome face was etched in pain but his red eyes that continued to fluctuate between red and ck made her curious. She had heard about him, rumors that often spread between her sisters and the travelers who spoke about him. She then said, "The things we need aren''t something you can offer to supply easily. It isn''t an item sold freely in the market. There are scrolls that have been lost for decades or even centuries. Scroll that once belonged to the white witch who sealed the powers of the ck witches. Also, we are looking for a cousin on ours." "Cousin?" asked Damien curiously. Chapter 184 - The last laugh- Part 3 The white witches and the ck witches were considered to be the sisters on the other side of the door as they had a stark difference between each other. It made Damien wonder who was this cousin the ck witch was speaking of. "We heard from an older sister of ours that the lost inscriptions mentioned about the creature that was the highest form of a witch," the red-haired witch brought her hand close to his face to touch him. Moved by his appearance which was sharp and smooth that had a hint of aggressiveness which was being pulled out due to the corrupting heart. This time Penny went to speak, "It is the child of the witches. A lot of time it can be their offspring or someone that belongs to a hybrid of parents with one of them being a witch," this caught Damien''s attention right away. One of the parents being a witch. It wasn''tmon for witches to marry humans or vampires but most of them kept it under utter secrecy for safe measures. The possibility of ck witches marrying was likely low but the same didn''t hold for the white witches. "How do you find it out?" he heaved for air this time. Every breath of his moving in and out with great difficulty. "We have our own means," Damien could tell that whatever this means was, it wasn''t working well or it was just that they had no eyes to spot the possible person. Though he wasn''t sure, there was a possibility that his own cousin was a dark witch. The current Lord of Valeria, Alexander Delcorv was the son of a pureblooded vampire and a white witch. It was doubt where there was a high chance of him being the dark witch though he hadn''t shown any witch traits. Dark witch...it was the first time he had heard the term which hadn''t surfaced among the humans nor the council members. Strong blood always caused a different or unique reaction, and Alexander''s mother was a renowned white witch who fell in the hatred hands of the humans out of bad luck. He felt the ck witch continue touching his face like a lover before he caught her hand in his firm, "How fiesty, even before you lose your sanity. I will be sure to enjoy yourpany as you fall to doom and pain." When she went to pull away from her hand, the grip on her wrist was too strong which she didn''t expect as the pureblooded vampire was going through core corruption, "Foolish witches," hemented, getting up he threw the witch far away from him on the ground. He spat the blood out that came to settle in his mouth. Bringing his hand up, he wiped his lips, "Did you really think that little thing could affect me?" This time it was the ck witch and Penny who looked in fear at Damien. The looked at him with disbelieving eyes, "Is the potion not working?" asked the red-haired woman. "It can''t be. I injected the right one," answered Penny, "Maybe it takes time!" there was panic in her voice which made Damien chuckle. The ck witch stood up from the ground, pulling out a tube and uncorking it. Ready to throw the liquid in it she raised her hand at him. "Fear is beautiful. Especially when you can taste it in the air. It makes my blood race in excitement," Damien looked up them with his eyes that had turned pitch ck. His tongue ran through the corner of his lips to taste the metallic taste of blood on it. The ck witch had her eyes wide, her scaly appearance surfacing on herself due to the flight and fight mode that they had been put into now out of unexpectedness. She was sure that she had made use of the very same potion which was used to inject into the vampires so that they could start the destruction. It was something she had acquired from a fellow ck witch for a high price. Picking the raw spit grass, she sprinkled it on Damien before he could advance on her. The liquid fell on Damien''s skin, "Another potion of the witches," he said unaffected even though his face looked burnt. One could see the surface of the skin that was dissolved to showcase the red and pink muscles beneath it, causing ridges and hooves. What appeared to be damaged started to heal itself until his skin looked brand new again making the witches look more shocked than before. Bellium had created this potion herself which was used to disfigure the vampires which included the pureblooded vampires, "You are a corrupted vampire, it shouldn''t be long before you fall victim to it." "Do you really believe that?" he c.o.c.ked his head to the side. "You were coughing blood! And your eyes have turned ck. It is proof," said the ck witch, turning around and picking another bottle. Damien ran his fingers through his hair. What could he say, his acting was top notch. Coughing blood on his hand as his eyes returned back to the red color, he asked, "Is this what you mean?" there was a smile pulled upon his lips. The ck witch gulped.?As he walked towards her, a dart flew to stick to the side of his neck, the liquid inside it seeping into his skin. He pulled the dart from his neck and shot the ck witch with his gun right on her forehead. Her skin starting to defragment and disintegrate before turning to a pile of dust on the ground. Turning to Penny, he pulled the cork which made a creaking sound, "D-don''t kill me," said Penny, fear in her eyes. Her jade green eyes with specks were wide and shocked, "Please." "Did you really think I wouldn''t have noticed that you were not the real one?" there was slight perspiration that had formed over the girl''s forehead. Chapter 185 - Pile of them- Part 1 The girl who looked like Penny looked back at Damien with eyes wide before the expression started to change one of mockery but it was a short-lived expression where Damien pulled the cork further back, "I know your kind. Switcher," he announced for the girl''s smile to slip out of her face, "Your kind has been causing nothing less to the trouble of what the ck witches are up to but who knew that both of you would be working together." "You cannot kill me, Damien," the girl who posed to be Penny touched the gun, ready to push it away but Damien was in no mood to y cat and mouse when his actual mouse somewhere here. "What happened to calling me Mr. Quinn? I don''t take disrespect well." "I don''t think you need one now that we know I am not your lovely girl," said the switcher girl who had impersonated Penny. "The witches are trying to use humans to gain their powers back. What is it in for you?" asked Damien without missing a heartbeat. Switchers were another type of creature where one of the council team had discovered recently. They were the kind who took on the appearance of the others, living others'' lives whilst killing the person to avoid being caught. Lately, there had been many murders in Bonke and Valeria. Melted bodies found in the forest and behind the houses like a reptile who sheds their skin seasonally. There had been suspicion raised the very first time since he had bought Penny from the ck market. The death of the woman that was discovered by Penny. Thinking back on the day of what happened he remembered having Penny go use the bathroom while he waited for her with the meal. Call it the sixth sense but something felt odd in the air, like the wind that carried itself had something different which had him walking out of the private room he was seated in. Stepping out he looked around the different passage and the stairways that led up and down thevish building. A woman appeared from the other woman, she was a human and by her clothes, the person wasn''t of too high status. And though there was nothing that caught his eyes, there was still something in the air which he couldn''t point. Walking further, he had found Penelope who had discovered a dead body at back of therge house. The woman was none other than the person who had walked by him in front of the room he was assigned to. Having the exact two faces, clothes, and appearance was uncanny which was when he found out that there was a creature who possessed the ability to shapeshift. The matter was conveyed to the Lord of Bonke, Nichs Rune as he was the person looking after the Eastnd. "Wouldn''t you want to know everything," chuckled the girl, "I have heard quite a few things about everyone and it is surprising I have met you here." "Are you going to speak or should I blow your brains out?" The switcher twisted her lips, the green eyes looking at him, "Let me go and I shall offer you with information which will blow your mind instead." "I am all ears," he said waiting for the switcher to start speaking. "What are you doing here? Taking the girl''s appearance and baiting me in here just to convert the humans and the rest of the species to a deadnd." "I wasn''t told anything clearly about the n." "How odd. You didn''t care or you were only tagging along?" he questioned the switcher as she continued to answer him. "The ck witches were hiding in here and I decided to tag along due to the recent death that happened in the othernd." "Whom did you kill?" "A Duke''s daughter," Damien shook his head, "So what is this information which you n to let me in on for your life," the imposter Penny stared into Damien''s eyes, wanting to make sure the man would let her go instead of killing her right here and now. "How do I know you will let me walk free from here?" "No ever spoke of letting you walk free. It will purely depend on if the information which you are going to share is worth sparing your life or not," said Damien, taking one step closer to the girl, "Start speaking. Don''t think I am ying around here. The bullets in here will work on you or any other creature." "I overheard from that witch," the girl nudged her head towards the first witch who Damien had torn the face into two halves horizontally, "That there''s a witch. Blue eyes but I haven''t seen her." "How do you know she has blue eyes?" Damien questioned him. "Women are not quiet and like to speak a lot. It was something I picked on. You were only going to be a puppet in the show. But the main ck witch is nning something big," said the girl. "You are not a female." "No," the person replied back, "She has already sent one of us to the council." Hearing this Damien frowned. It wasn''t possible that the ''us'' meant a ck witch. Witches couldn''t step in or around the council but Penny being a white witch was able to step on the ground without any problem. If he were to know before that Penny was a witch, he would have kept her in the mansion without bringing her anywhere close to the council. The ring of stardust was added in and around the council so that the witches would never be able to step inside to harm or manipte anyone with their ck magic or white magic. It was something that was created by his very aunt and mother of Lord Alexander, his cousin. She was considered to be one of the highest white witches who must have appeared to be a threat to many people who had ill ns in their minds for their own benefit. Chapter 186 - Pile of them- Part 2 Whatever the ring of dust was made of was magic that took decades to improvise and create the final product before being used. Unfortunately, with her passing away no one else could use the stardust on any other ce to safe proof it from letting the witches entering it. Getting back to the switcher in front of him he looked at the minute details of how perfectly the impersonation was done of Penny. But the switcher wasn''t a good actor and Damien knew Penny well enough to identify her actions. Whoever the witch was, she had sent a switcher into the building of councils which meant now there was an imposter in there. "Who is it?" "I don''t know," to his quick answer, Damien stared at the man with an utterly bored look, "I don''t know who he has switched into." "Guess you are only this much useful. Not a good enough information," Damien pointed the gun at her. "You cannot kill me. Clearly you like this girl, the body of impersonation I have done," the girl said,?looking at him the way Penny looked at him and using the very same voice she had, "Don''t you want to keep me safe," she said changing her demeanor to one of being docile, "I will make sure-" a quick bullet was shot right into her left eye where the blood started to bleed profusely and then the right eye before shooting one more on her forehead making the switcher fall back and down on the dusty ground. "Disgusting," he muttered under his breath. To even dare to pick Penelope''s persona, he didn''t like it. Things and people who belonged to him were not to be touched and yed around with. Looking at the bodies thatid on the ground, piles of them with some where the flesh could be seen and houseflies that kept hovering around them and some bones as they were old, he walked out of the building. Once he would leave from here and put Penny back home, he would have to let the lord know about this little party. With a switcher in the council which the council would hear, there was no telling who it could be. It wasn''t as if he had ced a bond on every and any person to know who was who. But first thing first he had to find Penny. Walking in the way they hade previously, he stopped to see where the smoke had taken ce while also wondering if there was any more witches in the vicinity. At the moment, he could feel nothing but tranquility from Penny. Finally reaching the ce where the smoke was thrown, he noticed a dull blue painted door that looked broken and half-open. He jaw slightly tightened at the thought of how he had missed it in the beginning. In the need to keep her safe, he hadn''t realized that he had caught hold of a switcher''s hand. Pushing the door open he found Penny whoid unconscious on the floor. Damien exhaled, his shoulders rxing further at the sight of her lying asleep as he could hear her breathing. There was a cut on her forehead like she had been beaten right across her head with something hard. Enough to have her fall unconscious for the moment. There was discoloration on her forehead at the same area and in hours it would only increase before starting to fade away along with the little cut. He shook her shoulder but seeing her not wake up, he picked her up. Putting her over her shoulder before heading towards the carriage that was left at the outside corners of the vige. One hand held her securely while the other held the gun. His eyes and ears picking on the slightest sounds. Pulling the door open, heid her inside before locking it up. Walking around he saw his coachman whose bodyid sprawled on the muddy ground. Leaving him here would only add him to be part of the vige. Touching his neck to check his pulse, he could feel the weakened heart rate. Lucky bugger, thought Damien to himself. Picking the coachman he put him in the luggage section. Before his subconscious could poke him he rolled his eyes to himself. The coachman would feel privileged to have himself rode behind the carriage than leave him lying here before another witch woulde to pick the alive humans for their sacrifices. Reaching the mansion which took a while to reach, he stopped it in the shed where the butler came to greet him with hurried footsteps. Falcon looked at Damien with a troubled expression as his eyes fell on the ve girl. "Have the doctore to fix the man behind the carriage," he said walking around the mansion. Falcon walked behind the carriage to find the coachman with an arrow on his shoulder. His first thought was that the man was dead but his master had told him to get a doctor which meant he was alive. And whoever died with an arrow to the shoulder. Maybe the pain and shock had made the coachman faint. By the time he could ask his master if he needed any help, the pureblooded vampire had disappeared inside the mansion. Damien didn''t wait to use the stairs and had vanished right after he was away from Falcon''s sight. Carrying Penny to the bed, heid her down. Walking to the foot of the bed, he unbuckled the shoe after another before cing them below the bed neatly. Walking to the bathroom, he took the smaller towel. Wetting it in the water before getting back to Penny who continued toy unconscious. Her head had been hit hard enough for her to knock out. Sitting on the empty space of the bed next to her, he brought the wet cloth to her head before dabbing it gently to remove the dried bloodstains. He was d that she was alright. Chapter 187 - Lord of Bonelake- Part 1 After removing Penny''s shoes and cleaning her forehead from the wound, Damien pulled up the nket over her. Tucking her in carefully, he walked out to the patio to look at the raging sea of the night. By the time they had left the deserted vige-like town, it was rather dark as the night had pulled over quickly. Taking out the cigar, he lit it in the cold wind, throwing the match stick out and down, its end exhausting before reaching halfway to the surface of the water. There was so much going right now. First, it was the ck witches and now the switchers and then the alignment of stars. He wondered what else was in the store that he was yet to see. His cousin Alexander, it was something he would have to find out. There was something that had been gnawing in his mind on the same matter. It was the witch who was assigned to one of the churches who rarely appeared out and if she did, something in his mind scratched where he couldn''t point out clearly. Damien didn''t know why but every time he saw her, the woman reminded him of his aunt yet they didn''t look simr in appearance. It wasn''t often that he found people that reminded him of others but this one was strong. Lady Isabelle Genevieve was the mother of Lord Alexander who had died under the attack of the humans. No one knew what had got the humans triggered out of the blue but they had burned and killed her which was an incident that had taken ce years ago. It couldn''t be possible that they were the same person because he believed that after death there was nothing but to go back to the ground.?Completing the smoke in his hand, he threw the remaining ends of the cigar down for it follow the match stick which he had throw earlier. Looking back over his shoulder, he noticed that Penny was fast asleep. It would take a while for her to wake up. The door that was locked in which he had reced himself without anyone''s knowledge after Penny who had been pushed from here. Damien believed in being careful than sorry. With a whisk of the wind which drew near the room, Damien Quinn had disappeared to head towards the Rune''s mansion. Lord Nichs Rune was the deceased third Lord of Bonke, Wilhelhum Rune. There were a lot of rumors when it came to the Lord. The most popr being how the man had killed his own father before ascending the lordship of thend of Bonke. It wouldn''t have to be a surprise as there were many who were after it. With lordship came the power, money, and status which was what many of the aspiring men and women were after. In this world, there was no right or wrong. Like his mother had said, no man is bad. If you stand in his shoes and see in his sight, you will find him to be right.?Once you identify why someone did what they did, they wouldn''t seem so bad which would make one wonder then if there is anything bad in this world at all. And no matter how many conspiracy theories were made against Lord Nichs, no one could prove it was him which nullified the entire case, making it invalid. Walking inside the mansion with his pocket in his hands, Damien went to the door which was opened as if expecting his arrival from afar. The butler stood there at his wait, bowing his head, "Good evening, Mr. Quinn," it wasn''t his first time being here. Due to the council work like today, he had visited the mansion while also attending some of the tea parties which were held by his aunt Via Lawson, "Lord Nichs will be with you shortly. Let me seat you in the study room." Damien nodded, stepping inside the mansion which was big as his own mansion except that his family mansion lookedvishpared to the rest of them. Once he was seated in the room, the Lord was there in less than two minutes. Nichs was a tall man, his rueful looking brown hairs looking messy as if a pair of hands had been running through it. The family he belonged to was one of the oldest pureblooded families, being born in third-generation just like his cousin but both of them being older to him in a matter of a few years. "Apologies for interrupting your time, Lord Nichs," Damien bowed his head slightly, shaking his hand with the Lord before seating back in front of the table. "I wasn''t expecting you to visit me. How can I help you councilman Damien?" asked Lord Nichs, his kind looking eyes looking at him curiously. "I have brought some news with me. The creatures who are able to morph to others, it seems like one of them has entered the council," the Lord''s eyes narrowed, "One of the viges near the east side near theke of bones has been attacked by witches. They have left dead bodies there which would need a lot of men for the burial process." Lord Nichs pondered over the matter and then gave him a nod, "I will have some of them recruited to go have a look at the ce. How odd that no one came to report it until now," the man murmured under his breath. "People who stumbled upon the ce where killed and dragged into the hear of the vige. There was a pureblooded vampire who was killed." "How shameful. Did they mention how?" "They have the potion which is used to corrupt the heart. But that might have been the only one as I didn''t find another one," Damien fille him in with what had happened. He could see the gears in Nichs'' mind move to wonder if Damien was stronger than the man to not be injected but Damien didn''t bother to fill in with every single information. Chapter 188 - Lord of Bonelake- Part 2 "Didn''t the witches try the potion on you?" the Lord inquired calmly, "It must have not affected you if you are still here sitting in front of me," he smiled. He knew about his corruption. The man knew a lot of things which made one question about how he knew so many things. Surely, the man was not idle enough to know what everyone was doing as he spent his time mostly in his mansion or going to tea parties. There weren''t many who was aware of his corrupted heart. "Strangely, it didn''t. I guess the corruption doesn''t work on me," Damien smiled back at him for the man to nod. "That is good. With the ck witches carrying potion and targeting the pureblooded families the security around the borders of eachnd has been tightened. But with what you have said, it is going to be difficult to find who is the switcher. If it is someone who belongs to the higher level post, it will only make it that much difficult but alerting everyone will lead to a mishap and a mess," said Nichs leaning back against his chair, "Looks like the witches have been working on another massacre," and his eyebrows furrowed in question before the man could ask him what was there on his mind, Damien spoke, "The ck witch said that they are trying to approach different methods to bring back the powers that have been sealed. They have tried with the human sacrifice and have tried with the dead now." Nichs sighed hearing this. "They are like the irreparable creatures who cannot be fixed.?No matter how many you take down they keeping up one after another like unnecessary weeds. You need to be careful yourself, Damien," warned Lord Nichs, his eyes looking at him intently. Damien didn''t have to rack his brain on what the lord was speaking of but as if to be clear, the pureblooded vampire said, "Involving yourself with witches will have a heap more behind you along with the witch hunters as a bonus. Though some are hired by the council, the very same people will tattle on you before getting you into trouble." "Of course, milord," Damien agreed, "Bathsheba had hidden from the public and wouldn''t being out for a while now which would make it difficult to get the insiders information of the possible sisters who pass by." Lord Nichs smiled, "That''s good. Thest thing I need is a fellow man''s head where some of the councilmen will start to frame you. We live in a world of crabs, who will try to pull you down and go up but I believe you already know about it," after speaking about other matters regarding the council work, he asked, "Is there anything else you need?" "That would be all," Damien stood up, shaking their hands again to hear Lord Nichs say, "Thank you for rying the message so quickly." With a nod, he started to head to the door when he heard Nichs say, "The girl who you are infatuated with, make sure to keep a close eye if you want her to be safe," there was a kind smile on his lips which looked slightly daunting even with kindness. Damien''s lips quirked up. "I will make sure she is safe," the Lord nodded his head, without exchanging another word he started to head out of the mansion. Back in Quinn''s mansion when Damien had left Penny after a few minutes the girl woke up with her eyes fluttering open. Eyes adjusting to the light that came from the firece and some of the candles which were still burning before exhausting and fizzling out in the wind. Sitting up on the bed, she touched her head as it throbbed in pain. Walking to the mirror which was at the side, she stared at her face. Her green eyes looking alive with the shimmer of light that came from the firece. The side of her forehead had a ck and blue mark, with a thin red line drawn. She continued to look at her face, her hand on her forehead, slipping down to her cheek and then to her side. She looked around the room, her sight taking in to see no one in the room. Walking out of the patio, she looked at the sea and then walked back inside the room to head to the door which was locked from inside. Her hand reached for the doorknob, turning it around to open the door and step outside where the light was abundant in the corridor even though it was the time of night. With her bare feet, she stepped down the stairs where the mansion right now appeared to be deserted. She continued to walk down before reaching the ground floor. Few of the maids didn''t bother to look or stop where she was going because no one dared to get involved with her. Thest thing anyone was looking forward to was to have Master Damien tear their heads of their bodies. Penelope walked to the kitchen, seeing no one there, her tense shoulders rxed. Looking around she searched for food. Going through the utensils one after another.?Stopping at a utensil with arge bowl of meat that was half-filled with broth.?She leaned forward, taking in the smell which made her mouth water with its mere smell.?One would think that she was hungry, after all, she hadn''t eaten enough in Lady Sentencia''s house. But she wasn''t looking for food to it. Turning around once more to look if someone was there, her hands reached to her mouth. Touching the back of her tooth before wincing in pain when she pulled out something from her mouth. It was a little sachet looking cover that had dark green liquid inside it. Ingredients of one of the witches that mainlyposed of the spit grass. Tearing out the upper half of it, she poured the contents into the broth. Mixing it well to distribute it, she smiled looking down at it. Chapter 189 - Knock of death- Part 1 The person turned thedle around with her hand, making sure the potion was equally distributed until the green liquid mixed itselfpletely in the broth as if nothing had been added. Going back to the room she locked the room before getting back on the bed. Lying on down as if nothing happened the person smiled looking up in the ss. Soon everything would change here, who knew the task would be easy. The switcher who imposed as Penny had a doubt on the n that was weived by the witches and the other switcher. As a precaution, the person had turned to Penny while dragging the actual girl somewhere in the corner of the room with a table that deflected a person''s view if one were to enter the room. To make sure, the real Penelope''s hands and legs were tied after turning her unconscious. What had been a precaution had turned out to be an opportune moment to start the corruption. The smile was etched on her lips. To think that the pureblooded vampire would be stupid enough to not realize who he was bringing back home. That it wasn''t the girl he knew but a switcher instead. Soon this ce would smell of blood and there would be new bodies to make use of but more importantly, the main witch who was leading the other witches would apud for the work done by the switcher. With that thought, the switcher continued to look at the mirror and the things around. Such waste to have magnificent room and mansion that looked nothing less to a king''s domain which would soon be filled with dead bodies. Corruption was like an infectious gue. A gue that wasn''t limited only to the vampires or pureblooded vampires but also the humans provided the bite came from vampires which were enough to turn them insane. The person had been so caught up looking at the mirror and the other furniture, enjoying the luxury withouting to notice that the person who owned this very mansion had arrived back in without the need toe through the door. But how would the switcher know about the ability of Damien? After speaking to Lord Rune, Damien had been apprehensive to apparate right away. There was more than what met the eye when it came to Nichs which was the reason he decided to take the carriage which was offered before stopping in the middle and vanishing from there. Stepping back into the patio from where he had disappeared earlier, he stepped inside the room to notice something wrong with Penny for the second time in the day.?The bonds were usually ced to know and have a transparent interface when it came to understanding the emotions on whom it was ced. For a master-ve bond, it was helpful to keep an eye on the servants while making sure no one carried ill intention. While when it came to the bonds between lovers which was the soul bond, it was used to have a mutual understanding of what the other felt. It helped greatly in improving the rtionship. Damien had ced a bond which not many was aware of. It was a bond a pureblooded vampire used on the person who he or she felt was the one that required no mutual feelings. Penny might have not noticed but she was already falling for him. The issue was not that though right now as he stood quietly without moving from his ce. He stared at the Penny to know she wasn''t Penny at all. Without a blink,?Damien pulled the girl from the bed to bring her down on her ground with his hand around the neck. The switcher looked at him wide-eyed as if not expecting Damien''s sudden return. He hadn''te through the door then how did he enter the room? Damien didn''t give more time as he had none to offer at the moment. He hadn''t realized because the person had fallen fast asleep which made it hard to gauge the person''s emotions. It would have been an entirely different matter if the person was awake but the error was that the person he thought was Penny had fallen asleep which in turn made it difficult to read any emotions. "Who knew there was more than one of you,"mented Damien squeezing the person''s neck. The switcher moved the hands, his features starting to change in size and shape, until it was a man in the woman''s clothing, "Where is the girl?" he demanded furiously. The switcher was half worried while half-smiling, "Don''t be so furious. It isn''t my fault that you brought the wrong girl home unknowingly. You know it is funny tha-ugh," the man struggled to speak as Damien squeezed his fingers further. "If you haven''t noticed I am not in the mood to hear what you find to be funny," Damien''s eyes zed while turning dark in question. It had been close to two hours now since he had left the vige with a pile of bodies. He didn''t know where Penny was or in what she was in, "Answer me quick," he said while continuing to squeeze his hands around the man''s lean neck. The switcher iled his hands in the air, struggling to deliver a word as Damien hadn''t loosened his hold on his neck. After a few seconds when he did, the switcher coughed, "She''s...there in the vige. Vige... In the same room...you picked me up," but the man started tough hysterically when a scream was heard from below in the mansion which caught Damien''s attention. Damien''s eyes narrowed down at the man to hear him say, "Are you going to go find the girl? Or are you going to save your own home?" asked the switcher continuing tough which didn''t go long. With another scream that erupted from the other side of the room which was of a girl, Damien held the man''s facepletely and crushed it right into the floor to disfigure it beyond any identification. Chapter 190 - Knock of death- Part 2 Blood dripped from Damien''s hand, sliding down to fall on the ground once he stood up. Looking down at the man whose very face had been broken including the skull with blood sttered all over the carpeted floor, he turned and headed towards the door. Walking down, he caught sight of a body thatid at the foot of the stairs. His sisters, mother, and father arrived out of their rooms after hearing the screams. Everyone looked confused as to what happened until they caught sight of a fellow maid lying dead with her hands and legs sprawled. A part of her neck was bitten off which was evidently a vampire''s doing. "Is it an intruder?" asked Grace worried at her mother. "We need to see what happened, where are the-" Fleurance started to be hushed by Damien. Maggie, on the other hand, caught sight of Damien''s blood hand, frowning to ask, "What happened to your hand?" "Damage control," he answered turning everyone confused, "Stay here. Let me check," he ordered before going towards the kitchen knowing already what had taken ce. There weren''t many vampires or half vampires who worked in Quinn''s mansion which narrowed down the possibility over what had taken ce this evening. Taking the next corridor, he found blood on the walls. Like the paint which was sttered but here it was blood. The smell of death mixed in the cold air wafted in the atmosphere. Walking towards the kitchen he caught sight of one more servant lying near the wall with open eyes in shock and contoured pain. Then his eyes fell on the person who sucked out blood from another servant. Another servant cowered in fear looking at the man who had suddenly gone on a killing spree. When the maid''s eyes met Damien''s, he jerked his head for her toe over and step out of the kitchen. The maid held fear in her eyes but taking in the master''s action, she tried to quietly move away from the vampire who was still drinking blood. Just as she ran past and made her way towards Damien, the man turned around with ck and hollow eyes. Falcon. The man bared his fangs at Damien, throwing the maid on the floor without any regard. Damien''s eyes scanned the kitchen, looking at the vessels that were ced near the heating area. One of them must have been used with the liquid to corrupt the vampires of this house. He had picked and left the switcher in the room not too long. And if he wasn''t wrong, the person had been fast asleep. When did the switcher gain so much time to step down and have no one see what he did? By the butler''s eyes, it was given that he had beenpletely corrupted. The potion which he consumed from the food had engulfed his heart but Damien wanted to give the man some more time. A false hope, hoping the butler woulde around. After all, with sheer luck, he hade around when he was a child. Stopping corruption when it just started. "Falcon," Damien said his name to gain his attention but the butler looked away, looking around him as if he were searching something. He picked up the maid he had dropped. To suck on her blood again, "Put the girl down," he said after a while for the butler to look up at him. Pulling away from the maid''s neck, he stared right into Damien''s eyes before a sinister smile appeared on his lips. He pulled away from the maid, cing her in a distance before tearing her limb off her body that had blood sttering all over where he stood. In the next second, the butler threw the body and headed against Damien but he suddenly stopped before he could get any more close. Damien himself had closed the gap by stepping forward, his hand that reached through Falcon''s heart that made a hole right in his chest. Damien''s expression was as vacant as the vampire''s heart he held right now. He had saved Falcon from getting executed for what he had protected, to help and have the man die in one''s own hand was an irony of life. In thest few moments, Falcon''s eyes met Damien''s. Holding still and blinking once as if behind those hollow filled eyes, the actual Falcon was in pain. The light in his eyes started to diminish before vanishingpletely while leaving the body ck where Damien had his arm around the butler. "Rest in peace, Falcon," murmured Damien. People died every day, from one corner to the other in the fournds of the empire but it was only ones that mattered did one feel sorrow. And to carry the grief of death was a burden itself. After exchanging quick words with his family while asking none to eat what was prepared and not to touch it, Damien headed towards the main door. Just as he stepped out where no one could see, his body disappeared to appear in the vige. Reaching the vige, he caught sight of some of the men who must have arrived at the word of Lord Nichs. Two of them were the councilmen he knew and the rest who were workers who hade to scout and look at what had happened so that they could give the detailed report. Not wanting to waste his time, Damien searched for the house where he had picked up the switcher. Finally finding it, he stepped inside the house to find Penelope who was awake and trying to get rid of the bounds around her hands and legs. When she saw him, she stopped which was when he noticed the taste of salt in the air. Without another word, he untied her hands and legs. Penelope was quiet which made him worry. This time he was sure it was his mouse. He raised his hand to ce it on her cheek, running his thumb over her wet cheek. The house was dark and quiet which must have scared her. Pulling her in his arms, he said,?"I am sorry for not finding you sooner." Chapter 191 - Gentle hands- part 1 When Penny had woken up, she had been surrounded in utter darkness, where even with her eyes opened, she could see nothing. With the vige-like town that had turned to a no man''snd, there was no one to live and no one to put up lights in and around where she was. The entire ce was builtpactly as if there had been scarcity when it came to space. With only a few meters away from one another, the buildings were tall to let any possible form of light to touch the ground or any other lower part of it. She had been scared. Even when she had been ced in the cell room for her brash behavior in the ve establishment, Penny hadn''t been worried. Maybe it was because of herck of knowledge of how this side of the world worked. A human lived a life of bliss. Not knowing the dark deeds that took ce behind the curtains and when a person stepped on this side of the world, there was no returning back to a normal life. She had seen death more than twice now which reminded her what world she was part of. Gone were the days where she only wanted to go to the theater to turn to one of the renowned actresses so that she could earn enough money and make her life better. But she was no more the human Penny to have simple dreams. She now was a white witch who couldn''t divulge herself in such whim wishes and had to look for her survival.?The stench of blood that was previously not there in the air was now potent making her nauseous. She knew something bad must have taken ce. Thest she remembered was the smoke before something touched her head which now hurt like hell. She cringed in pain, trying to move her head carefully while trying to see if there was a way to call for help or to escape as her hands and feet were tightly bound. Whoever had done it, had made sure she didn''t escape. And if the prisoner was still around while she was trying to crawl her way out, Penny had no clue what was toe. Where was Master Damien? It was unlike him to leave her unless something had happened to him. Sadly when Damien had picked the switcher without realization and left the vige, Penny had woken twenty minutes after that with no one around her. She tried to remove the bounds of rope that had been tied but it was useless to do anything. Hoping to work on her legs, she tried it for minutes. The struggle making her tired before she came to realize she would have to crawl. What Penny had not realized or seen was that this was a pitchfork room. The room was used as a shed by one of the families where the main door was now broken. Neither the switcher nor she knew of it as the room held of no importance which looked empty with little spread of hay around the floor that made the ground dry instead of the wet mud. She had waited for Damien toe. Hoping he woulde and take her back to the mansion as this ce was creeping her with the utter darkness. Wanting to move out of the room so that she could get out of there and ask for possible help, she started to move her body but there was a wooden looking board that stopped her from moving forward. Wanting to push it away, she leaned back suddenly to cry out in pain due to the metal that pierced through the upperyer of her skin. With the pitchfork that stuck to her back snuggly, she stayed still. Tears falling down from her face one after another with the sudden intrusion. She took a deep breath, not knowing what it was. Her being the only one in the room it was obvious that it was an object. She couldn''t turn back. Even the slightest movement right now as he sat to breathe in and out turned to be difficult as with every inhale she could feel whatever had pierced her back stuck closer to her body bringing ever more pain. The painful cry broke through her lips, whining as she moved forward to feel the sharpness of the pitchfork toe along with her before it fell to the side. Tears poured down her cheeks. The sting and burn on her back with the sharp metal that made way into her skin now hurt. Unable to handle the pain which she had never gone through before she tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths to soothe her erratic nerves that were consumed with pain. She could feel her back throb. Not moving anymore she sat quietly until she heard a pair of footsteps that she heard walking. Not knowing if it was someone who had tied her here like this and left her on her own, she didn''t call for help. Waiting to see someone enter the room wh was none other Damien himself. Having hime here finally, she didn''t know why but she felt her eyes tear up again but the tears never fell. She knew it was him because of the silhouette. Seeing him walk towards her and untie her while she sat silently, she couldn''t stop the tears when he ced his hand on her cheek. The touch was tender which only made her that much emotional.?She didn''t know where he was before and what had kept him from fetching her from here but now that he was here, she felt her chest fill up at the sight and actions of his. Why was he being so nice, thought Penny as tears fell down? When did this mean master of hers turn gentle? He wound his hands around her gently which made her eyes burn further. Chapter 192 - Gentle hands- Part 2 "I am sorry for not finding you sooner," he apologized. Keeping her in his arms as if not assuring her but himself that had her momentarily forget about the wound on her back. When his hands tightened around her, she flinched which caught his attention, "Are you hurt?" he asked her, his hold loosening and just as he unwound his hands, his left hand touched her wet back which felt sticky that had him frowning. "Something-on my back..." Penny began but shecked the energy to make a cohesive sentence as she spoke to him. With the tears and the pain on her back which took all the possible life sources from her, she felt her eyes turning heavy. Damien leaned over from where he sat to smell fresh blooding from behind, "You hurt your back," he saw her body failing to sit still and he held her shoulders, "I am going to help you stand up. Okay?" he asked her to receive a small nod from her. Penny felt Damien''s hand slide around her waist as he helped her stand up, almost lifting her up where she didn''t have to use her energy. Even in pain, she couldn''t take her eyes off his face. She wondered if she was seeing the same man right now. The man who ha tortured her wh now helped her like a delicate flower that would wither away with one blow of the wind. She flinched in pain, her hands tightening on his arm which she had used as support. Fingers digging into his own skin which he didn''t mind. Instead of bringing her close to him, he stepped forward to close the gap between them such that she had to crane her head up to look at him. In a snap, they had moved away from the vige to another ce which was one of the rooms in the mansion.?With his room which was unusable at the moment with a dead man lying on the floor with his face smashed, he brought her to the guest room. Penny''s eyes looked around to notice that this was a new room where she hadn''t stepped into before. Being the pet of master Damien, Penny was limited to walk around the mansion where she had spent most of her time in Damien''s room or at Lady Maggie''s when the vampiress was free to teach her. While she was still looking around, she heard Damien say, "I will need you to take your dress off," her eyes met his, the pain of her back floating in her eyes where after fie seconds she shook her head. "I will be fine," she said looking at Damien in the eye. "Your back is still bleeding, Penelope. It is not the time to y chaste," he said for her to continue to shake her head. Her cheek filling up with color. "Can I have a doctore to see me?" This had him narrow his eyes at her, his words patient as he said, "And how different is it from me looking at the wound? You forget that we have male doctors here in Bonke." That was true, thought Penny to herself but this was Damien and that would be a stranger. There were more than leaps of difference between them which was why she was willing to have a doctor look at her. "I-" "You must have lost your mind if you think that I would let a stranger be it a woman or man touch you," he said with a calm voice, "And it is only a matter of time before I see you." "What?" she gulped as her eyes widened in utter embarrassment when he hadn''t seen her n.a.k.e.d yet. "Oh, sweet mouse. I would love to describe what I want to do to you but right now we have other priorities. Turn around and let me help you," he said to find her standing rigid. Damien let out a frustrated sigh when she didn''t listen to him, "I have had a rough day, Penelope. Picking two people who looked like you followed with death in this house and you going missing. My patience is running thin. You either can turn your back and let me help you willingly or I can force to make you take off your dress," his dark eyes glowered at her. Death in the mansion? Had something happened during her absence in here? "You wouldn''t," she whispered which had one side of his lips quirking up. "Try me," he challenged. They stared at each other, Penny trying to haggle with another option, "A maid-" but Damien walked forward towards her to suddenly make her say, "Okay," she turned around, gulping down the look he had shown her. She wasn''t deliberately trying to test his patience but she was a woman who had been holding on to her virtues. Her eyes closed instinctively when his hands touched her shoulder, cing it there for only a second before it reached the zipper to pull it down from behind. The harsh sound of the zipper filled the room but it was the time when Damien tried to push the back of her dress down and away did her face contour in pain as the material of the dress had stuck itself to the wound which was drying up. "This will hurt but bear with it," he said, continuing to speak, "To think that you wanted to wait for the doctor toe and see you. By then the wound would have dried and it-" he pulled dress away quickly from the wound which brought tears back in her eyes due to the pain, her eyebrows furrowed, "-would have been that much difficult and painful," he said before walking away from her. She could feel the cold temperature on her bareback. The wound feeling less painful unless she moved too much. Holding the front of her dress carefully she saw him return back with a box in his hand, "Lay down on the bed. Let me treat it..." Chapter 193 - Gentle hands- Part 3 Pennyid on the bed facing her back towards the ceiling of the bed with a pillow that rested below her stomach and head. With her face that was ced such that she looked at the desk as her cheek rested on the pillow, she stared at nothingness whilst waiting for Damien as he was doing something with the box he had carried out from the bathroom. Undoubtedly it was a first aid box and she could clearly hear the ruffle and movement on the bed but she couldn''t see what he was doing as she had turned her face away from him. It was already embarrassing enough for her to have her back exposed. Not that he hadn''t been around her when she was n.a.k.e.d as Master Damien had entered the bathroom when she was stark n.a.k.e.d taking bath in the tub. But this time it was different because of the dynamics that hade to change between her and him. Or it was just her who had started to notice for who Damien was. Depending on him unknowingly in the days that came by now that there was some sort of attachment that didn''te because of the mark on her neck which was given by him. The bed sprang back from the dip where Damien had seated himself next to her. Putting up the logs of fire to warm the room as he noticed the goosebumps that formed on Penelope''s skin. Wanting to keep her warm without her falling sick which would be troublesome, she went back to pick up the holder with the cotton ball. His hands lowered, one ced next to her unbroken skin so that she wouldn''t move once he would start working on the wound while the other held the cotton ball at the end. The blood had dried and the bleeding from her wound had stopped. It wasn''t too deep but it wasn''t a low-level cut that he could ignore. After Damien had got her to stand in the room of the vige he had found her in, he had noticed the pitchfork which was behind her lying awkwardly as if someone had moved it from its initial position. The three marks on her back were enough confirmation and God only knew how dirty the pitchfork was. Dabbing the cotton with an antiseptic lotion which he had borrowed from Murkh, the cotton ball touched Penny''s back for her to hiss in pain. "Just a few more minutes. We wouldn''t want any infection taking ce such that we show you to the doctor. If you didn''t know, bringing the doctor and having you checked will only raise the suspicion of you being a white witch." "Yes," the girl responded meekly. She was in too much pain to fight back his words. He was surprised by the quickness of the switcher and the witches who had managed to fool and separate him from Penny. Damien had been wrapped in her safety that he had failed to see through the second impersonator which was hard with the switcher falling asleep and cost him the lives of his servants. Damien had also been worried the time he had returned back to the vige, worried that there were more witches who were going to use and hurt her that he hadn''t realized the wound that had been caused on her back. With the dead bodies stench in the air which wasn''t far from where Penny was tied and the people he had killed which floated in the wind, he had assumed the blood to be part of it until she had flinched with pain and he had felt the wetness on his fingers. It wasn''t warmblood but the blood had almost stopped flowing out. The back of her dress had stained red which he didn''t mind. Being the one who had got the dress for her, he had bought it such that it could be easily discarded when the time came. Who knew that he would have to undress her upper half because she would be hurt and injured. It appeared that she attracted metals with sharpness, hurting herself unknowingly. Thest two times he had heard, she had stepped right on the nails. He continued to clean the wound on her back. Moving his hand carefully without applying to much pressure while also making sure the strands of the cotton didn''t stick to her wound. It would be painful to take it out if the cotton got stuck there. Leaning slightly behind he caught sight of her where she had shut her eyes tightly. Her hands clutched the sheet beneath her tightly, her breathing shallow. "Does it hurt?" he asked her where she finally opened her eyes hearing him speak. "Not as much as before," she replied to him. He moved his hand which he had ced on the unwounded surface to ce it on the other side to hear the hitch in her throat. "Thinking something naughty?" he asked for her to quickly reply, "I am not!" Penny blushed further. She did not move her head even though she would like to ce her face t on the pillow so that she could hide right now. "Liar," Damien''s voice chimed yfully making it even worse. As if that weren''t enough, he asked, "What are you imagining about, mouse? I wouldn''t think badly of you if you share it with me. Instead, I would fulfill every single fantasy that is running in your mind right now," by now he had cleaned the wound and picked up a tube. Pressing it, the gel came to sit on top of his finger. Bringing it to her wound, he applied it on her skin for her to jerk slightly forward. "It should take a week before it healspletely. It would be better not to wear anything in the meantime," he said making her turn her head to look at him and Master Damien smiled beamingly like he had said nothing wrong. Chapter 194 - Gentle hands- Part 4 Dabbing the gel on her back to avoid any infection on it, Damien put the cap back on the tube as he rotated it with his lean fingers. cing it inside the box along with the cotton which hadn''t been used, he picked the stained pieces of cotton to ce it away.?With her back bare that was in full view for him to see, Damien took his time to admire the expanse of her smooth back which made his fingers itch to touch and tease her.?Her shoulder wasn''t as tense as before which was good, thought Damien to himself. Penny whoid on the bed wondered if that was all, asking him, "Is it done?" "All done," he said to see her try to get up but every time she tried the wound tried to squeeze itself to bring back the burning pain on her skin. Damien pushed the box below the bed. Climbing on the bed and next to her, he said, "Let me help," without waiting for her to protest which she didn''t, he ced both his hands beneath her body to raise and help her sit from the side before she could sitpletely upright. Penny had her hands holding the front of her dress so that it wouldn''t fall off her body. Her eyes didn''t meet his as her neck had turned neck. Her eyes were slightly puffy due to the crying and her lips, her soft lips that he wanted to know more were pink in color.?She looked delectable right now and he wanted to do nothing but devour her to the very ends of her soul. Unable to resist the temptation that was in front of him, Damien held her hand just when she was about to get down from the bed so that she wouldn''t slip away. Not that there was any ce he couldn''t find her if she were ever to run. There was a mixture of question and anxiousness in those green eyes of hers.?Her heart started to beat with every second that passed between them that he didn''t have to strain his ears. Penny had always been an open book to Damien but the man had a keen gaze. "Master Damien?" she asked to gain his attention as he appeared to be in a dazed state. The more he continued to stare down at her, the more anxiousness built itself in her nerves that were going to bring a nervous breakdown. Her heart skipped a beat when the hand that he was holding on to was brought up. Bringing it up close to his lips to kiss her knuckles. His eyes were closed which made the gesture look that much sincere. "Fall in love with me quickly, mouse," she felt her heart slip in her ribcage as he said it, pulling his lips away from her hand to look up at him, "I won''t promise to wait but I will try, so fall quickly. And I will be here, waiting to catch you," his voice came out huskier as he said this, bringing both of them closer. Damien had been worried not once but twice today. After realizing that the person in his bedroom wasn''t Penny it had made him worried and Damien was never worried about anything. To make things worse the girl had injured herself in the room. The troublesome mouse of his. Penny didn''t know how to respond. Usually retorting back with the bicker sufficed the atmosphere but words failed her with what he had to say or what he did. Instead the barriers she had built around her heart were falling one down after another where his words had started to sway and affect her. "I am affecting you. Just like now," this man didn''t hold back anything. His words were daunting which made her heart shudder, "Aren''t I?" it wasn''t a question that had to be answered when both of them knew what the truth was. Penny had been quiet, for someone who had a lot to speak right now she was speechless. Damien looked back at her to see her bow her head as much as she could to say, "Thank you for today," she was truly happy that he hade for her. Even her rtives who had sold her had shown little to no remorse when she had appeared on their doorstep. "I would do it again for you without thought but let us hope it doesn''t happen," Her heart shuddered. His hand ran through the back of her head. Touching and testing it to see her flinch again. There seemed to be a bump on the side of her head which should get better by tomorrow, thought Damien, his eyes shifting to smoothen her hair. When his eyes met hers, he saw the confused expression and smiled, "Did you think I will only torture and tease you?" he hit the nail. These were the times Penny doubted that he could read her mind. He didn''t leave room for any thoughts as he pulled her closer to him. Kissing her on her lips testingly at first to receive no resistance which made him smile into the kiss. Out of joy, he kissed her cheek before biting on it yfully making her yelp softly. "Why are you biting my cheek?" "I felt like it. Such a cute mouse, one can''t help but gobble up at sight," his words turned her cheeks pink. He then asked, "So will you?" as she She looked at him quizzically. Did he ask her a question? "When are you falling in love?" he asked making her want to drown herself in the bathtub right now. "I-I don''t know. What kind of question is that!"? she asked embarrassed by the answer she came up with making him chuckle. His chuckle came out to be free-spirited that caught her attention where she couldn''t look away from him. Damien grinned, "Did you fall?" he asked, that had her eyes looking away. "No." "You don''t have to admit it. Damien understands what his mouse feels," he said making her cheeks burn bright red. Chapter 195 - Pulp- Part 1 Penny sat in front of the dressing table with her hands still holding the front of her dress as Damien had asked her to take a seat while he went to get something else. Coming back, he said, "We will need you to take off the first half of the dress," his words were serious this time. "Master Damien I should be able to do the rest of it," Penny who had her face turned over shoulder tried to look at him as he carried a white roll in his hands. "Says the one who can barely raise and move the hands," she huffed. As if to prove him wrong, she let go of one of her hands to move it around which had the skin around the wound stretch and pull making her wince, "That''s what I thought." Penny stared at him when he came near, staring hard at him through the mirror. Surely, he wasn''t thinking about see her upper n.a.k.e.d half now, was he? In the end, Damien had her remove the upper half of her dress to bunch around her waist. Damien had given her shirt to cover her bosom. With the wound that didn''t fall directly opposite in line to her b.r.e.a.s.ts but below. It made it easier for him to roll and wrap her wound to avoid it staining her clothes are to feel the scratch of the fabric on it. Penny was sat straight, her face as red as a tomato, her skin cold and her eyes on Damien where not once did it move away from her back and his hands as he wound the think cloth round and round to tie it at the side. This was one of those rare moments that made her wonder who Damien Quinn really was. The first time one would say how notorious the man was but here he was with his eyes that continued to stick to what he was doing. With new clothes that were brought by a maid who looked dull and out of ce with her expression, Penny remembered what Damien said about death in the mansion. After she had dressed in clean clothes, Penny readied herself to leave the room when Damien stopped her from saying, "You can sleep in here tonight," he informed, picking up the first aid box which he went to the bathroom to keep from where he had taken. Coming out of the bathroom, Penny asked him, "Why not your room?" she asked him slightly curious. Did something happen in there or was it that he was finally giving her some space after dering his love indirectly to her. Or was it something she had done? With Pennys swaying emotions that were drifting towards Damien, she wondered if he found her less appealing now that they had kissed far too many times. Her eyes lowered, her brows furrowing when she heard him say, "There''s a body lying dead in the room. I need to clean and have it taken out." "Body?" she asked. Was it one of the maids? With Penny whose head had been hit, her hands and legs tied while she was left in an abandoned vige where there was no single walking soul until men had arrived after Nichs'' words to inspect and make a report before the bodies would be cleared to be put in theke of bones. Penny had been out of loop of what had transpired during the time she had been separated from Damien and after meeting him. Damien had no interest in protecting Penny from the knowledge of what was going on. Knowing she would one day be part of the household and her being involved in the current matters as the switcher had taken her form, it was better to have her know what was going. "Is your back going to be okay?" he asked for her to nod, "Follow me," he said walking towards the doors of the room and stepping outside, holding the door whilst she stepped out of it. Penny followed him, staying close to him even though there were not out in the vige now. After the first separation with how things had turned out where she could feel every movement of her back with the back of her dress which kept touching, her mind found it hard to stay away from the shelter that could be provided. The mansion was quieter than the rest of the days she had been in. And just when her eyes reached the end of the stairs, a small gasp escaped her lips. Four bodiesid on the ground and one of them was the butler, Falcon. She couldn''t believe her eyes over what might have happened. Too shocked to utter she just looked at them. There were two girls, the butler who she felt sorry for more than the rest and then the fourth person who was unrecognizable. The face waspletely crushed. Like a fruit''s inside that had been scooped out.?It didn''t look like the person was someone from the mansion but she noticed something very very odd. The person wore the dress she had been wearing in the morning. Damien''s family stood there watching the maids who had died being ced in the hallways one after another. Maggie who caught Pennying down behind Damien let out an inaudible sigh of relief. With the body found in Damien''s room with the ve''s clothes which Damien had given, she had been worried that her brother killed the ve. "Four deaths?" asked Damien to his father who nodded. "Did you speak to the lord about this?" asked his father for him to nod even though it was a lie. Right now no one knew about Penny who had had been missing for two hours from the mansion.?Even though it was his family, there were some things he believed to not share and keep it to himself. Especially with the bbermouth of his younger sister who didn''t know when and what to speak. Chapter 196 - Doubt- Part 2 With thedies who had seen Penny wearing the dress which Damien had bought for her the couldn''t stop but be doubtful of what was going on in here. Penny wore a different dress and she had gone out in it. Why was another person wearing the dress? Grace''s eyes narrowed down to look at the ve and then the person who wore her clothes. "Who is this fourth person?" their father asked the burning question. Damien after asking to bring and sort down the bodies had given no information but that he would be going to the Lord to let him know on it. It wasn''t umon for people to die. At least not in the pureblooded vampire''s house as dead knocked more than often where people didn''t know how to control their thirst for blood. "An intruder. The person tried to corrupt the family," while his father looked down at the person with a grave expression thedies worried. They had heard about it from thest family who had fallen victim to it. The Carmichael''s. The news of corruption wasn''t widespread but people who belonged to the higher society while the family members working in the council, word of news was quick to find them, unlike the lower society who were left out of the whole information. "You shouldn''t have killed him. Death is very easy to be given, Damien," said his father as if he wished to torture the man more, "People like that deserve to taste what pain means." Damien didn''t have so much time or rather, he had been consumed and blinded by rage after he had already got the inkling that the switcher was trying to kill his entire family while there was Penny back in the vige. He didn''t go to exin how the man came to wear the dress. Answering it would be difficult right now. The case of the switchers was highly confidential which had been under the wraps where only a few councilmen were aware of it which was countable in two hands. "Do we have to wait for the council to take a report?" asked his father. "That won''t be necessary. I will have the bodies taken to the Lake of bones. There are already officials at the shore," which made his father frown. The man nodded his head. "Has the food been thrown?" asked his step-mother, Lady Fleurance to hear one of the maids mumble no, "Why hasn''t it been thrown yet? Do you want to poison us all?" the vampiress took a step forward and Maggie was the one to cut in to speak, "The food will need to be tested by the council. We cannot have people thinking that we are killing and throwing people''s bodies in theke," her voice was quiet, looking at her brother she asked him, "Are you going to put Falcon in there too?" to receive a nod. Call it to be worried, Damien had taken Penny along with him. Putting the bodies behind in the carriage with the help of the other workers which included the man with a disfigured face. Right now no one knew about what had taken ce in Quinn''s mansion. It would take a while for the other men to bring the dead from the vige as it wasn''t a count of five or six but somewhere in the count of more than sixty to seventy if he wasn''t wrong. With a quick letter, he sent it to be reached to the magistrate while another letter was sent out to?his cousin, Alexander Delcrov who he heard from Nichs was on his way to Bonke. Luck was something very difficult to obtain and what happened today was bad as well as good luck as his family was safe but the safety had costed people who worked in the mansion. It wasn''t often that a vampire''s family was attacked and if it did, it was decades ago when there were disputes between the witches and vampires going on before the witches were driven away. and out of thends such that now they hid and tried to avenge for the outcasts they were. "Who was the person in there?" asked Penny as they took another carriage in the front, another that carried the bodies following behind them. "A switcher," answered Damien, his voiceing off to be distant when he turned to look outside the window where the trees in the darkness passed one after another without waiting to be seen clearly. The clouds, on the other hand, didn''t leave sight as they rode the carriage, heading towards theke of Bones, "There is another species. Not human, not vampire or witches. I don''t think anyone of us even knows that they exist.? It is only today did I found out. A creature that can morph to any person in shape, size, voice and the smallest details." "There were two today. One who was killed in the vige and one more that''s behind," he meant the carriage that was following them. Penny took in his words, her hands holding the edge of the seat. "He turned to me," she murmured in realization. That exined the dress the man wore. She didn''t know how to feel about it. For someone else to take her identity while she had been in the room full of dusty hay struggling to get out of the binds she was tied in. "Funnily, it wasn''t once but twice," Damien ran his hand through his midnight ck hair. There was slight frustration and annoyance as he said this, "The first time we got separated with the smoke, and then this. I didn''t mean to lose you," he sighed. It was strange when Penny felt his emotions. The little mix of emotions like irritation, annoyance and a little anger. All this while he was able to feel her emotions, was it working the other way round now because of the mark he had ced on her? She wasn''t sure if it was her intuition or if she could really feel it. Chapter 197 - Bones- Part 1 Reaching the ce, Damien didn''t bother to wait for the coachman and opened the door. Penny carefully got down with his help as he gave her his hand. Where was this ce? asked Penny to herself to see thend to have many rocky stones beneath their feet and some which wererge enough to cover what was there on the other side. From the sound of it, she could tell it was a waterbody where Damien had called it ke of bones''. Behind them, the other carriage stopped where she saw they were surrounded by nothing but trees. The maids were the first ones to be taken out of the carriage, where the butler''s dead body followed. She still couldn''t believe that the man had died in a way where he couldn''t have a grave of his own. Masters and mistresses never give a proper burial to their servants. All their bodies were put in theke of bones which was were people who had no family went by. The council believed it allowed to have more space on thends than have a graveyard unless the person had his ownnd and a family member to perform the burial. While the maid''s necks flesh was torn out, the butler held a hollow hole in his chest. His expression looked extremely vacant in shock that Penny turned her head away. Life was so fragile where a person could die in an instant. The Quinn''s had many coachmen and the two of them who were pulling out the bodies looked at their master when it came to the fourth person whoid motionless inside the carriage. A sack was pulled over the man''s head to avoid blood or any other body parts to spill in the carriage. "Keep him there. I need to deliver him somewhere. Take these three up there," he said turning around to look up at the cliff that stood tall.?In time, a different carriage appeared where a tall man stepped out, with stark blue eyes that looked like precious gems. Penny''s first guess was that he was from a rich family, a human. But when he appeared closer, opening his mouth to speak, she noticed the fangs which the vampire didn''t bother to hide. "Damien," the man approached walking towards them while looking at the bodies that were on the ground. The air around him was differentpared to the other vampires. If possible she would say it was something very simr to what Damien usually carried. Shaking their hands, "Maximillian," Damien greeted the man back. "The magistrate asked me to go to theke of bones. What happened here?" asked the man named Maximilian looking down at the bodies that rested on the ground. Damien took the councilman aside to talk alone. The man gave a look at Penny, his eyes curious before going back to listen to what Damien had to say. She stood there idle, wondering why Damien had taken her along with him as they left the mansion. It felt as if she were a toy who was being carried all around by the pureblooded vampire. But somewhere she knew that he wanted to keep her close where his eyes could reach. It wasn''t as if she wanted to stay away from him. Penny knew she was the safest when it was around him. It made her wonder how much of a scare he must had felt today after getting her wrong twice. The councilman named Maximillian who had arrived walked towards the bodies, bending down and looking at the victims before standing up. "I will let Duke Leonard know about what happened so that the matter can be kept hush. As Lord Nichs said, it would be better to keep it under covers than have the matter let out like a wildfire," said the councilman. Damien nodded his head, "I heard that Alexander and Elliot already gave the information about the fleshy masses that have been falling on the forest area. It must be one of them. Take this man to Murkh," Maximilian looked around wondering if he was pointing out the coachmen as they were the only alive people here with the dead who were going to be thrown into theke, "The switcher''s body is inside," as if realization dawning on the councilman he said yes. "I will have it delivered to Murkh. He would be more than happy to receive this one as an early Christmas present," just as the man was about to go near the carriage, he dropped his kerchief which fell from the pocket without knowledge. With him being busy picking up the dead man out and handing it over to his coachman, "Careful with the body," Penny who stood close by, took a few steps forward to pick up the kerchief forgetting that she had just wounded her back to flinch and take a sharp breath. The councilman turned around to hold her arm, "Are you alright?" he asked. "Stupid girl. Who told you to bend when you are hurt," Damien came to her side to see Penny looking wide-eyed. Instinctively she moved closer to Damien where the man wound his hand around her. "You dropped your kerchief," she said for the man to give her a fanged smile. "Don''t trouble yourself with that. I have a whole lost of them back home," he said and turned to meet Damien''s eyes. A smile on his lips at the sight of Damien holding the human girl, "I will drop by the council to check on this one," said Damien to the councilman take the body into his own carriage and heading on his way. This way there would be no need to go through the court council. It was something he didn''t like to go through. Things were not to be run like this under the veil where no one could see but this was how the world ran where even the Lord of Bonke was involved. Chapter 198 - Bones- Part 2 When councilman Maximilian left in his own carriage, Damien turned to look at Penelope who looked petrified as time started to pass by, "Breath," one word and Penny exhaled the air she had been holding in, "Is it your back?" he asked her. Which person in sane mind would go to try bending when it hadn''t been three hours since she had hurt herself. Penny shook her head, her eyes as if trying to trail the carriage that had disappeared amidst the forest.?Seeing their own coachman picking up the dead bodies one by one, Damien decided to ask herter as she was still trying to digest something that was cooking up in her mind. "Can you walk?" It was better to make her sit in the carriage. "I want toe too," she said. Damien raised his hand for her to take and she took it without a word of protest, "What is this ce?" apart from the rocky stones on the surface of thend and the loose silt beneath it, there was no greeny grass or nts on this side of the area where the shore of the water body was close. Walking away from the forest, they moved to walk on the other side of the rock which she couldn''t see previously. The seashore or the sea itself was something she had nevere across before. It looked mystical as they walked closer but not too near to it.?More than water in there, it looked like a smokey fog which was white at the top and inky hue at the bottom which moved like a lightning on the surface of the sea bed. "This is theke of bones. The name of the Eastnd from where it is derived," answered Damien, clutching her hand in a firm grip, taking her in path which had even rocks than the uneven one so that she wouldn''t have much difficulty in walking, "Theke is made of bones because this is the local graveyard for people who have no family ornd to be buried in. The kinds who the society doesn''t ept to be part of them. Especially when the person has murdered others. The rich have their own cemetery but the poor don''t get a grave of their own. The bodies," he realized she hadn''t seen them, "There are far too many dead men and women, children, and animals who have been killed in the vige we entered. Times like these where they are put up for the sacrificial purpose, the people don''t give them a grave. More than that, I would say it is a belief." "Belief?" Penny repeated the word. Damien said, "It has been said that the souls that reside here waiting to catch a living person. To drag and feed in the world they have be part of. Don''t go to close to the shore. " "Have people disappeared from here?" asked Penny for confirmation if it was only rumors or if there was something more to it. "Humans and vampires who don''t listen have lost their lives. Sadly we cannot retrieve the bones as this ce has essentially turned to one of the popr cemeteries that hold thousands of bones under the surface of what you see," Damien took a look at Penny who had her mouth open, her eyes looking at theke of bones as they continued to walk alongside to it. "Has it been like this since before? I mean-" "Yes," answered Damien, "As long as the first generation of the vampires," with the coachman who was taking the bodies up to the cliff. Both Damien and Penny reached up there where it was windy and cold. Penny had to use her hands for the wind that pushed her hair at the front of her face. Holding it back, she took a step forward towards the cliff as Damien let her hand go. She looked at what nature had to present, theke of bones that expanded vastly to spread and reach the ends of the horizon. It was a sea that consisted of bones as Damien said yet it was called ake. She wondered if it was ake before increasing itself in size. There was also another question that arose where she wondered if this very ce connected to the sea where Quinn''s mansion was built. With the first body that the butler who was brought up to the cliff, the coachmen went down to get the next body upon their master''s order. Looking down at Falcon, some sort of sadness crept into her heart. The butler was a decent man. A man of fewer words where he did his job and left but he had been considerate to ask and speak to her when they were alone. It was only two to three lines of exchange but he made her feel normal unlike the rest of them who treated her beneath them. It had been quite evident on what her value had turned to since she had been turned into a mere ve. If she were still a free-living person, she would have been on a higher status than the maids as she wasn''t, she had noticed the eyes that looked down at her like she was nothing but dirt. Penny was used to it but the sudden fall in the lowest food chain. It reminded her of a game that some of the women who were part of the middle society yed called thedder. "I didn''t expect him to die so soon," she looked up on hearing Damien speak. His eyes were on Falcon, the hole he had created himself to stop the agony that must have taken ce during and after his heart was corrupted. Living for some countable months now, Penny had learned that there were some Damien spoke civilly while others who got a taste of his sharp tongue. Even though Master Damien often had the habit to throw someone under the carriage of the wheel without notice, there were some he cared for her. Like a pet that was saved to only be killed. "I am sorry..." said Penny to have Damien smiling. "What are you apologizing for?" he asked her. She didn''t know how to offer himforting words, unsure if he neededforting words. Chapter 199 - Bones- part 3 The hole in the chest was wide and bloody making one having to hold the breath with the overpowering smell of the blood where the body had started its process to dpose. Looking away from the body, Damien turned to face the sea, "Falcon was one of the decent butlers who could actually listen to the orders given unlike the other butlers who didn''tst for more than three weeks," he hummed, the wind moving his inky ck hair back. "Three weeks?" "I killed them after their ipetency to work right. There''s no use of people whoe to work with the thought that they can freeload while doing nothing. Falcon was brought the mansion after he missed his execution in the court of the council. He was charged for murder before that," Penny frowned hearing it, "He killed his uncle in order to protect his sister," hearing this, Penny then asked, "Won''t you let his sister have him buried quietly? She deserves to see her brother before you..." she trailed looking at him. Damien didn''t answer quickly, with the wind whistling and the waves whispering at the shores, he finally spoke, "There are times when you cannot follow everything you are supposed to do which is good," she gave him a questionable look, "As much as family tiese in the picture it might look unfair, but I cannot let her see the body. There are two things that could happen-one, that someone might catch wind and one of the people in the mansion will be framed. To clear it the truth will have to be told which is something that cannot be let out in the open. The second being, people have different notions of us. Even if it is half-blooded vampires or the regr ones, no one will entirely believe what happened." "I am sure she can keep quiet on it. If I had someone I cared for, a sibling or a family member...I would like to know, Master Damien that be kept in the dark to find out with another twisted information," Penny understood what Damien was trying to tell her. There was a possibility that Falcon''s sister would think that Damien had killed him without reason as not everyone took the death of a dear one well, "You saved her brother from dying. Why would you kill him now?" "Who knows? I might have done it for pure amus.e.m.e.nt," Damien exhaled the air out that let a foggy air through his lips. Penny frowned, her eyebrows drawn together after listening to what he had to say.?It made her question if there was something weighing on his mind. "Master Damien, are you so heartless that you would rob a sister from seeing her brother''s face onest time just because you think she will use you of k-" "I killed him with my own hands," Damien interrupted her, his voice colder than the night that they were in. She knew that already, "Some deaths are easy to see and take. As easy as snapping a twig where you just do it but then there are some that will make you pause," Penny could tell that Damien hadn''t been looking forward to killing Falcon even though he told he killed the previous butlers, "When you kill a corrupted vampire, there are some cases where the person before deathes back to his senses. To his original form. To normal state to realize his fleeting moments before passing away. Falcon had that," hearing this Penny''s heart broke. Damien continued to speak, "It doesn''t often happen and even if it does, it doesn''t matter to us councilmen.?After all, the corrupted hearts are people you don''t know. It is a job to us, to terminate the corruption from spreading to put it to an end. The look in his eyes, the disbelief of knowing he was dying. The question in his eyes as he didn''t know what was going on. As much as I enjoy the blood on my hands, killing and tearing people...this wasn''t fun to watch," Penny continued to look at him before shifting her eyes back to the butler who was on the cold hard ground. She wondered if Falcon''s expression would haunt him in the years and time that was toe. To carry it, it would be a burden. Despite the pain that she felt on her back, Penny bent down. Her jaws tightening to hold in the pain that burst through from her back. Lifting her hand, she ran it over Falcon''s eyes which were open to close them forever with his body that had turned cold, "I am sure if he had some more time, he would thank you for letting him live longer than what was meant to be," her words were soft on his and her own ears, "There are some who are grateful to what you have done." With her body that had crouched, she bit back the pain before standing up straight, "You''re going to hurt yourself more doing that. I can already smell the blood," Damien looked at her with a displeased look. When the coachmen came back again, bringing the other two bodies of the maids. Damien ordered his men, "Throw the girls in there," he said looking at them.?Penny saw the coachmen''s holding the girl''s legs and hands, swaying them back and forth before letting go of the person and following the same with the next. As the body flew down, the speed moving fast there was a slight ssh like sound to confirm it wasn''t just fog but that there was water in theke of bones. The coachmen ready to throw the butler went to stand next to thest dead body and leaned forward to bring to the edge of the cliff when Damien said, "You can leave him on the ground," both the coachmen''s looked at their master before nodding their head, "I need some time with my dead butler," they got back to position to only disperse from there when Damien waved his hand. A small smile came to form on Penny''s lips, hearing Damien say, "Let''s give him a grave. I feel I might be haunted if I threw him in the lot here." "What about the officials?" she asked slightly worried. "Screw them." Chapter 200 - No one here- Part 1 Let''s aim for #1 in the power ranking. Four chapters have been updated... The coachmen walked down from the edge of the cliff where their master, the ve girl and thete butler who was now deadid on the ground. Their master didn''t often bother with the servants, killed by others or himself it never mattered to him after all he was a pureblooded vampire. A kind that shared no empathy or sympathy. The dead were often brought here to be thrown into theke of bones which not only formed a cemetery but also a way to avoid any me being put. If anyone killed someone, it was easy to put them here to hush the matter. Unlike the humans who were scared to be caught and punished over a murder while also having their own assumption of theke of bones, they were more well behaved inparison to the higher people who knew how to escape. It was only problematic when the person who was killed belong to the higher society. The lives of the lower society who were poor and had no status never mattered much. Thinking that Master Damien would himself throw the butler after having a word or two with the dead in silence, the servants left them hill like edge to get down and go back to the carriage to wait for the man to return. The night wind had turned stronger and colder, biting into Penny''s skin where the quarter of her hands were not covered. With the Winter which was almost here, the cold had increased that turned her hands and fingers numb but she paid less attention to it. She looked at Damien who had ordered his men to leave to look back at the sea, the wind blowing his ck mane as seconds turned to minutes where he finally turned to look at Penny, "His sister lives in thend of the north." "Woville?" questioned Penny to see him nod. "Yes. I will have the coachmen to take you back home." Penny frowned slightly. Not knowing that the butler''s sister lived in anothernd and assuming she lived in Bonke, she had decided to follow Damien, "Will you be going alone?" she asked him. Damien hummed, "Let me see you down and have you on your way to the mansion," seeing her give him a look, he said, "I don''t have the time to take him in the carriage to Woville. It will take two days to reach there by which time the body would have turned bad. No one will be able to stand around it. Using my ability it will consume more energy and blood. Taking you and him together even more because of the number of people and the distance that needs to be covered." Her eyes titered to look away from him, and she nodded her head as if understanding what he meant. "Okay," she answered him. Penny wasn''t as close as Damien to Falcon. The only difference whilepared to the rest of the people who lived and resided in the mansion, the butler was someone who had been kinder though quiet with her which was why she sympathized with him. Walking towards her, he took her back to the carriage where the coachmen were waiting for them, "Take her back to the mansion. I will be returning backter. I have elsewhere to go," he ordered them. Before Penny stepped inside the carriage where the coachman stood with the open door, she paused. Turning to look at Damien. She wanted to say something but the words never came as her lips never parted to speak. With her eyes looking into his which looked dark in color and his expression slightly on the voider side, she finally stepped into the carriage. Damien looked at the carriages leave, both of them disappear in the forest path and he looked up at the cliff he hade down from with Penny. In a blink of the whisper of the wind, he was back at the top of the cliff like a hill. Looking down at his dead butler whose eyes were now closed and looked less saddening to witness. For a pureblooded vampire like him who had everything from the power to money to status with immortality, the lives of others didn''t truly matter. People died with every passing day, either by violence or by natural death which made on used to it. The butler wasn''t meant to die but he died anyway. His life sacrificed to save his own family. Picking up the dead man from the ground. he ced him on his shoulder before vanishing from the spot to leave the cliff empty with no person to look down at theke of bones which had the foggy smoke moving, the whispers of the people who were thrown and dead to leave behind their bones and memories that were almost washed away. When Damien reached thend of Woville, the temperature here was much warmer than Bonke. It was the time of midnight. He walked in the alleyways of the vige which looked much more in a slump than thest time he had seen. Some of the houses had thenterns outside burning while others had it turned off to save the oil for the next day. With Falcon on his shoulder, he walked inside the vige, his eyes picking on sight and hearing to see no one around and to only have silence as apany. cing the dead man in the cemetery while noticing the WatchGuard have who had fallen asleep deep on his chair which was situated in the corner, right outside the cemetery he went to the house which he had visited only once when Falcon hadst visited which was years ago. The butler and his sister were half-blooded vampires with no parents. The only rtive they had, had tried to r.a.p.e his sister who turned dead. Walking towards the house which he knew belonged or where the other half-vampire lived, he knocked on the door. Chapter 201 - No one here- Part 2 Thentern that was ced outside the house lit very low as if it would exhaust itself at any moment right now. The flicker of light falling softly on Damien''s body from the side. He knocked on the door again to wake the person who was on the other side of the door. Hearing the shuffle of footstepsing from the other side, the door finally opened for a man who had scruff around his jaws staring at Damien with a quizzical expression. "It is past midnight, what do you want at this ungodly hour?"? asked the man not taking note of the red eyes that belonged to the man who stood in front of him. The man looked irritated for being woken up at this hour of sleep of his. "Is Barbara in there? I would like to speak to her," Damien said looking at the man, wondering if this was her child or her husband as he was a human. The man, in turn, listening to this, gave a quizzical expression to Damien, "Barbara?" as if not knowing who was that person. While the man was looking at Damien with curious eyes on who he was as he didn''t appear to be from here, at least not this vige which meant he was a traveller who got the wrong house and was disturbing his sleep now. Damien''s eyes shifted to look at the door, searching through the wood to see a leaf-like pattern which he had seen previously. He was sure this was the house, "Barbara Wood. She used to live here. Brown-red hair who was of this height," he used his hand to emphasize the height of thedy, "She was a half-vampire who used to live with her brother I believe," said Damien with a charming smile where the man looked with an impressed expression. The man gave some thought trying to remember before his eyebrows shot up, "Ah, the half-vampiredy. She used to be the owner of this ce." "Where is she now?" inquired Damien. It was hard to assume that the woman had moved out of her house to live in another ce. It wasn''t as if Falcon earned well by serving the Quinn''s. None of the servants was paid too much but enough to have them going. It was one of the rules of the high society which was one way to keep their servants always bounded to them. The wage was always low as most of the servants lived in the mansion''s servants quarters where shelter and food were provided. Even if Falcon managed to save and send the money to his blood sister it was hard to believe that the person would have another house by giving this to someone else. "She died of course," answered the man like it was a known thing. "How?" "She was attacked by some of the humans here because of a feud that broke down between the humans and vampires.?Well, it has been quite some years now.?It''s been almost four years I believe,"?answered the man nonchntly, "Feuds are verymon here and one or the other dies when it takes ce-" Damien interrupted the man from speaking further, "Do you know where she has been buried?" The man shrugged his shoulder, "No idea. It was my father and some other men who buried her bu my father passed awayst year so I have no clue," Damien didn''t wait and started to walk back to the cemetery slightly taken back by the information. How strange, he thought to himself. Did Falcon know about it? There were times when servants often told lies of going somewhere but went somewhere else without their masters or mistresses'' knowledge. Four years weren''t long but he couldn''t remember if Falcon had traveled to meet his sister. He had once gone to meet her initially after which Damien himself had not taken an interest in it. If Falcon had not gone to meet his sister while serving Quinn''s family since he was brought to the mansion, there was no way he would have known for the gore of what might have happened to his sister who he had tried to protect. Heading towards the cemetery, he went back to where he had ced the body in between the many graves. He had bought the man here so that Falcon''s sister could take a look at her brother before he would be buried but now that she wasn''t there the whole trip appeared to be pointless at the same time it was unfortunate for how things turned out to be. Not only that but he was extremely hungry and thirsty. Having a grave prepared, he put the body in it before cing a stone which was small and not fancy enough to look like a gravestone as the body was ced in the forest. Damien craved for blood as his hunger started to increase with the use of energy. He started to walk through the forest when his eyes started to fluctuate between red and ck. His corrupted heart was beginning to act and his conscience turned hazy and back to look to see where he was walking. The usual vampires had it less bad when it came to being hungry to blood. They killed humans to get blood which Damien did too but with his corrupted heart, there was a possibility that the infection could be spread to the next person if he bit them during his corruption face. Continuing to walk in the forest, he stepped into a new vige which looked as dull as the previous one he had visited. With no light apart from the moon, his eyes scanned looking for a meal he could bite into. A dog that was tied behind a house started to bark, one bark going to the next who woke the person who the dog belonged to. A woman came out with sleep-filled eyes?that had dark circles and who appeared to be in her forties. Chapter 202 - Thirst- Part 1 Sleep hadete and she had wanted to rest when her daughter-inw came out pushing her back, "What are you doing here? Trying to escape?" there was a snark in the young woman''s voice as she asked the older woman. The moonlight was enough to showcase the older woman''s face and hands that were covered in the bruise. "I heard some noise," came out the feeble voice of the old woman, always like a scared voice. "You old hag, you will hear more noise if you try to disturb my sleep. Get in!" the daughter-inw gritted her teeth. Once the older woman was in, the youngdy of the house with extremely thin brows looked around?trying to gauge why her dumb dog was barking until she caught sight of a person standing in the shadow. Before she could question, suddenly a man attacked her to ce his hand on her mouth to stop her from screaming and into her neck until the woman''s hands fell ck and motionless to her side of the body. Damien looked at the woman whoid on the ground near his feet who didn''t move. With his increase in thirst and hunger for blood like he had never felt before, he wondered if it was merely because of his apparition. He had traveled far in quick time in the past but this was the first time he had felt this thirsty as if no matter how much amount of blood he drank right now, it couldn''t quench his thirst. Trying to figure out what was wrong, he pulled the woman towards the house, cing her sitting upright with her back against the wall he looked around. Tongue licking his lips with the taste of the blood which was potent and running wildly in his veins. His eyes had turned utterly dark as if closely turning him to apletely corrupted vampire which even had the dog that had been barking before to whine and sit quietly with one single look. "Good boy," came Damien''s husky, deep voice as he spoke to the long. The body of the woman didn''t matter to him. It was a foul nature that most of the vampires possessed. To kill and quench their thirst without feeling remorseful when it came to the food after all the others were lower and beneath them. Humans whose life would diminish in years and would pass away. Once he would go back to Bonke no one here would suspect of him to have killed this woman. The crime would fall under a rogue vampire who didn''t follow thew which wasughable as there was everything to be rogue when it came to vampires. Especially the highest social standing vampires were the ones to abuse the power and hide what they did which people were always ignorant about. With the blood, he just drank which was more than enough for now and Falcon who was buried in his home town. Not exactly in the home town he had grown but the forest which ran adjacent along with it, he decided to travel back to Bonke. But it didn''t work. It was as if he didn''t hold the ability anymore and he sighed in frustration wondering what was wrong as when he tried again, he was still standing in the very same ce and to have not moved a step forward. He ran his hand through his hair, weaving them while looking around. It was impossible that he would have stepped on to thends where the witches had split magic to avoid some of the creatures from stepping and even if stepped in one couldn''t return back and would be stuck there forever. Damien was already aware of the few points in the fournds where there was split magic due to which he knew this was a safe ce. Yet he couldn''t use his ability which made it frustrating. Racking his brain with his furrowed brows, he started to walk away from the vige on what just happened.?Just as he was left the vicinity of the vige, walking down the dusty, dry road of Woville, the northnd he finally realized what was the problem. His eyes narrowed suddenly to form into thin slits. Those damned ck witches. It was the potion that they had used on him in the hope to corrupt and cause chaos through him. Fortunately, the potion didn''t work on him but at the same time, it did by turning him more angrier, hungrier and bloodthirsty. He could make use of the carriage and go back home but sitting for two to three days was something he wasn''t looking forward to as he started to walk again. Pennyid on the bed with her eyes that were wide-open as she couldn''t fall asleep. Staring into nothingness, she waited for time to pass wondering when Damien would be back. But that wasn''t what was keeping her awake, it was the dead bodies she had seen earlier that had kept her awake. The mere sight of the people who had been killed brutally kept shing in front of her eyes every time she tried closing them. Hours ago when everyone in the mansion had woken up, no one would have thought that the day would have turned like this where the air of death still lingered in the air of the mansion. When she had returned back, the hall and other ces in the kitchen were still being cleaned due to the blood that had been dragged and dropped by the bodies while shifting them from one ce to another. By the words of senior Mr. Quinn, the councilmen had arrived at the mansion to take it the vessel which was poisoned so that they could test on what was added into it. As she had walked up the stairs she had overheard on how there was another attempted massacre through corruption that had been sessful as the people in there had died while leaving some of the servants, the butler, and the house owner''s daughter alive... Chapter 203 - Thirst- Part 2 The ck witches were going too far by trying to kill people who belonged to the higher outstanding of society. People who mainly belonged to the vampire and pureblooded vampire families. It was one of the easiest ways to infiltrate and cause the infection such that it would form a gue and wipe out the entire world except for thest standing people who would be the ck witches. Her father was a white witch but her mother...Bathsheba had hinted on how she was a ck witch. It was the only application with the empty casket that was left underneath the ground which had been buried for a few months now. But how far was it true? What was to be believed and what was to be considered false assumption was hard to say. She had been dreaming about her childhood, strangely the ones which she didn''t remember. She wondered if it was because she was far too young to remember. Just when she was about to turn to ce her back against the bed, she hissed in pain.?Her back hurt which made it difficult for her to move around and her bending down previously had not been a good idea. Penny was sure the wound which Damien had previously wrapped and tended to had not opened up wider again as it burned beneath the dress that she wore. She waited for Damien that night but he waste. Late enough where Pe nny finally fell asleep with her side on the bed. When morning arrived, the first thing she did was to look for Damien''s presence in the room but he was not there. Did hee and go? No, it didn''t seem like it, thought Penny to herself. If he would have arrived she would have woken up at the slightest noise. She waited for him from the morning that had arrived which moved from an hour to another that it was noon and before she knew it, the day had approached night. During the absence of Damien, it was Falcon who brought her food to the room without her having to go down and ask. But now that the butler was dead and with the other deaths that had taken ce, the house had been extremely busy while being quiet. As time passed, her stomach started to make sound and Penny started to grow hungry. She had hoped for Damien to return but now that he hadn''t with a day which was almost gone, she wondered if she should go down to the kitchen to feed herself. With a soft sigh escaping from her lips, her thoughts went back to what happened yesterday. It wasn''t just the dead bodies but there was something else that weighed on Penny''s mind which she hadn''t spoken about to Damien. It was the other vampire who had appeared at theke of bones. Maximillian. Seeing the handkerchief fall on the ground, she had only meant to be polite and give it to him as he hadn''t noticed it but it was when their hands met did she see something very dark that hovered behind him. It wasn''t a shadow but smoke that exuded darkness which made her feel ufortable. It wasn''t the first time that she had experienced it but the second time. The first time was when she was in theboratory of the vampire doctor near the council building. She didn''t know what it was, she had been too surprised and overwhelmed to talk about it. If Damien was back she would have asked him. Where was master Damien? She had thought that he would return in a few hours but those hours appeared to have elongated. It made her wonder about what was taking so long. Did he meet Falcon''s sister and had decided to bury the butler at the time of noon? After all, the girl might have been fast asleep, thought Penny to herself. It was possible but with her master''s ability, he should have returned back unless he had other urgent matters to attend to. When the time passed by, Penny stood up from the bed and decided that it was time to go get her some food. Every servant was provided with food so she should be able to ask for food by one of the servants right? Looking towards the wall where the clock sat on, she realized it waste. Late enough that the family members of the Quinn might have finished having their dinner by now and so would the servants which was even better, she said to herself. Padding her bare feet across the room, she opened the door and stepped outside the room to see the lights that were dimly lit. The candle lights flickered as she moved past them, causing a small breeze when she walked by them. Her steps were careful even though there was no one in sight. Remembering the dead maid lying near the foot of the stairs, she suddenly paused to blink her eyes to see there was nothing there. Walking further down to reach the end of it, she made her way towards the kitchen and on her way she found none. As if everyone had gone to bed early and the maids and the other servants had disappeared to their quarters quickly to avoid the ill fate that had fallenst night. Reaching the kitchen, Penny went to look at what was avable so that she could take some bites before heading back to the room. Thentern that was ced in the kitchen was running low with less light.?As she rummaged through the vessels, opening them one after another, she finally found the pot that had meat in it. The smell alone had her mouth-watering. Picking up a small bowl in one hand and the other holding thedle, she was ready to add the food when she heard Grace''s voice, "Look at the thief we have here. Stealing food in the middle of the night when the rest goes to sleep," there was an evil smirk on her face as she stood there with her hands crossed against her chest like she had hit good luck finally. Chapter 204 - Spilt food- Part 1 Penny had been too eager to notice the young vampiress who had seen her walk into the kitchen to follow her and see her picking up the food and ready to eat. Her eyes looked back at Grace where the young woman stood with her hands crossed against her chest, her body slightly leaning back with a smug look on her face. The young vampiress let go of her hands and started to walk towards where Penny stood, "Don''t you know the mansion''s decorum on what the servants have to follow. Especially the ves who are to not touch the food which is made for the family members?" it wasn''t a question as Grace spoke to Penny. Penny being quite frank replied, "I didn''t eat anything sincest noon," it was only after she had smelled the food did she remember how hungry she was. It wasn''t that she hadn''t ever skipped a few meals before. She had done it out of savings, out ofck of time but since she had arrived at Quinn''s mansion?she had been given meals on time. Initially, though Damien had tortured her by not giving her food and eating right in front of her, the man hadter made sure to have the butler visit the room with a sufficient amount of food such that her appetite had grown for good food in quantity. "Of course, you were. You could have done it when everyone was present. I am sure we wouldn''t refuse giving food to you. Instead, you pick the time when everyone has retired to their rooms and gone to the beds," Grace point the obvious w with which she was going to make use of against this ve who had been protected under her step-brother Damien. She had been waiting for this opportunity since she had arrived back home without Damien with her. Her brother must have been caught up with the council work as the death wasn''t a simple feud but a plot against causing murder in Quinn''s mansion. "I just felt hungry now," Penny said seeing through right away what Grace was trying to do. "Such an impudent ve girl who looks at people above her in the eye," Grace with one flick of her hand sshed the bowl on the floor that Penny had been holding to eat. "What did you do?" asked Penny in disbelief. She had wasted a whole bowl of her food. The young vampiress didn''t like the tone in which Penny had spoken to her right now. This pesky little ve didn''t have manners on how to talk to people who were above her. She was the master''s sister and to be using such tone with her was unforgivable in Grace''s eyes! No one had ever questioned her or her actions yet this ve who was beneath her feet had the audacity to question her. "What is going on here at this hour of the night?" asked a woman near the entrance of the kitchen. Grace raised her hand when Fleurance who was walking by heard the wordsing from the kitchen. To see what was going on where her daughter and ve stood talking. Fleurance wasn''t fond of the ve herself and didn''t understand why her step-son dragged this ve all around like a pet dog where she wasn''t supposed to be brought. Just today at noon one of the women in her circles came to have tea in the mansion when she heard from her on how there were rumors running in the society now about Damien''s bad reputation. ''I overheard Lady Via speak on how she overheard another friend of her say that Damien had dered his feelings over this girl who was supposed to be his ve. Is it true? It hardly makes any sense,'' thedy had gone on to speak where Lady Fleaurance had cut it short with, ''Rumors are often spread when the person is popr and from a family of ours, it shouldn''te as a surprise. It is a piece of false news.'' Since the time Fleurance had got married to the Quinn family, she had made sure to get all the reports from the maids and other servants who worked in this mansion to make sure it was running just as she wanted. Having a ve wasn''t bad. It had never been bad as only the rich men and women could afford ves from the ck market or from the ve establishment. It showed the high status of how they had the ability to have a ve and do what they wanted with it. From the time Damien had bought the girl home, instead of having her put in the bas.e.m.e.nt cage, he had directly made her sleep in his room while making her eat what they ate which the woman considered to be an insult on her face. Her husband didn''t mind it but she did. To Flerauance to have married into the rich and prestigious family, she wasn''t going to let a mere ve tarnish her step-son''s name. "Mother!" her daughter Grace walked to her mother, facing her to say, "I found this ve girl snooping around with thedle in her hand," she ced a hand on her daughter''s shoulder and then took a step forward such that the little light from thentern fell on the Lady''s face. "Haven''t you eaten enough for the day? You are already turning plump in size, thest thing we need is you looking down at us thinking we are equals. Imagine the day where you sit with us at the table," Penny blinked back at the vampiress which the woman took offense, "It is as I thought. Damien has taught you no manners at all on how to behave with us," said Fleurance, her eyes catching note of the bowl and the food which was sttered across the kitchen floor. Penny''s teeth ground against each other in annoyance where she could not retaliate or express.?What a stroke of bad luck to be caught by these two vampiresses at this hour of the night today. Chapter 205 - Spilt food- Part 2 Had they been waiting for her like bats in the trees mansion ready to catch her alone where she wasn''t anywhere near Damien''s room? She was a poor hungry girl who needed food, which was why she didn''t understand what the fuss was all about. What Penny didn''t know was that the mother-daughter duo had been observing Damien''s behavior with her for long now which was why they felt the need to discard this ve right now.?To have a walking breathing ve who was turning important to the boy, it was time to throw her away when he wasn''t around then have their names sunk in shame thanks to her. Penny was sure she hadn''t put on weight and they were only making a bunch of lies wanting to throw and start a fight of argument for no reason. "You are standing here idle instead of cleaning the mess you created in the kitchen," Fleuranc tched. "I will get to cleaning it," answered Penny, going to fetch a cloth, she bent down and started to clean the floor which caused by Grace. If it was possible with the way Penny was now ring at the ground as she cleaned it, Grace would have been dug a few feet under the ground. She cleaned the floor, making sure to not have any meat residue which was wasted for nothing. This was the problem with rich children, thought Penny to herself as she cleaned and wiped the floor. Going to the ck sink, she took the tumbler to fill it up with water and wash the cloth before going back to the floor. The rich didn''t know what poverty meant. With the food being provided to them endlessly at any point in time with the variety theycked to appreciate the gift of food. After she was done, she noticed the older vampiress and her daughter staring down at her, "Now where were we," Fleurance tilted her head in question. "Mother, if I may?" asked Grace, taking the permission to speak as if she were a good child. Penny wanted to roll her eyes at the farce of it but she was in no position to do it. With Damien who wasn''t back home yet, it was better to y in their own terms than inviting more unneeded problems. "She could have eaten with the servants but she dares to touch the food which was made for us. The food the family members of this house eats. What a joke," Grace''s eyes lit up like fire, staring at Penny she continued to say, "She dares eat what was prepared for us. Do you think you are one of us?" she demanded an answer with her brows raised in question. Penny whocked the etiquette to be a ve wondered if she were supposed to nod or speak not knowing if it would be considered rude. "No, mdy," a weak voice came out of Penny''s voice. Her shoulders drooped down and her head as she stood in front of them. Both the mother and the daughter were the kind whom she doubted would listen. Especially with her being a ve, it seemed to be luck which wasn''t even thin but non-existent. It was a luck of air, thought Penny. "Look at her speak," Lady Fleurance looked down at her. Maybe speech was not required. Penny stood still as the woman red at her, "You do have a point with her having to sneak around in the kitchen like a dirty little rat which is where our food is prepared. She ought to be punished," said the older vampiress. As if three wasn''t a party, Lady Maggie arrived where Penny felt some sort fo sce in her chest right now, "Oh, good! Sister Maggie is here," eximed Grace looking at the otherdy of the Quinn who approached them wondering what was going on. With the way Penny stood and the other two family members of hers, Lady Maggie wondered if something had happened. To give a brief on it, Grace exined, "This girl sneaked into the kitchen, lifting up foods which were prepared for us and the ones which have been precooked for tomorrow''s breakfast." Oh no, Penny. What did you do...asked Lady Maggie in the back of her head. Servants were not allowed to meddle with their owner''s food. Even though she wouldn''t have known about how things ran in the pureblooded vampires or the higher society''s household, she should have asked one of the servants instead ofing straight for the food. Lady Maggie said, "I didn''t see her for any of the meals. She must have been hungry," she and Penny both knew that Grace had been waiting like a snake to catch hold of her for some time now. Now that Damien was absent in the mansion for a longer duration where his arrival seemed uncertain, her step-sister had decided to make use of the opportunity. To smoothen things down, Penny herself bent her body forward with her head but she couldn''t bend too much due to the wound which was turning to dried scabs yet some side of it still soft and painful, "I apologize for my actions. I didn''t mean to cause any disrespect or to change my status. I am a measly ve girl who was only hungry and looking for food. Please forgive me," Lady Maggie nodded her head for Penny''s timed apology. If it were someone else, they would have nodded along to and let the matter slide with a warning but this was a pureblooded family. With a person who wanted to y with Penny hurtfully as she belonged to Damien. "That doesn''t mean she breaks the house rules," Grace chipped back in. Walking towards the vessel, Penny stepped away to give way to Grace who took a look at the food, "She might say she wants to eat but what if all she wanted was to poison us. Don''t you think it is strange that Damien who has never brought ady to the mansion has bought a ve who keeps her in his room." Chapter 206 - Blood- Part 1 "What are you trying to imply, Grace?" asked Lady Maggie with furrowed brows. Grace smiled, "Come on, I am sure no one is blind here like a wall. Brother dear is so attached to the girl and who pays five thousand f.u.c.k.i.n.g gold coins to buy a meager ve. I wouldn''t even buy a pair of shoes for that amount," that was because even you know you don''t deserve it, said Penny in her mind. "Language, Grace," her mother warned. "Sorry, mother. If you think about it carefully she can be a witch who is trying to poison us," Grace continued with her speech which turned Penny''s hands cold suddenly. Like a hammer hit perfectly on a nail where Grace''s words were half true and the other being absurd, Penny tried to calm her nerves and she put her acting skills back in track again which had slipped down her face after Lady Maggie''s arrival in the kitchen room. Lady Maggie, as well as her own mother who looked at Penny, gave an unamused expression, "Don''t you think you''re taking it a little too far, Gracie," Lady Maggie responded back to her sister who chuckled. Walking back to her mother''s side, Grace stated, "It might sound ridiculous but it is true and I know that. Why do you think that man whoever brother Damien killed had the exact simr dress what she wore yesterday? Don''t you think it is odd?" this was something none had an answer for, "How can you tell that this ve standing here hasn''t done something to him? We were even attacked, about to be killed. Doesn''t it worry you? That this girl hase with the same intention to kill us all." Lady Fleurence sighed with her daughter''s over thought process which looked silly to her, "Let us not deter from what had happened. Grace, she is not a witch-" "But mother-" Grace started to only have her mother re down at her which had her lips closed. "If she was Damien would have known about it and he knows better to not raise a witch in the house with the line of work he does," said the older vampiress. Her eyes searching for something in the kitchen and she said, "She hasmitted a mistake of touching the food which is for the family. You are lucky," said the woman to Penny making her raise her head up to look at her, "If you weren''t the ve of Damien and one of ours, you would be hanging now at one of the trees outside while setting up yourself as an example to the others to know what to do and be careful. Letting you off won''t teach you anything for the future," hearing this both Lady Maggie and Penny appeared to look worried. Penny didn''t know what kind of lesson Lady Fleurance was nning to give her. The Quinn''s had the strangest punishments. "Weren''t you telling that you were hungry. We will make sure you have enough food that will fill up your stomach right up. You won''t even think about food for days after that," Lady Fleurance smiled as excitement began to bounce on Grace''s face. She walked to one of the brown pots where water surrounded at the bottom of it. Picking up an empty ss, she started to pour something into it. It was dark thick blood that was being poured in the ss which made Penny feel nauseous. "She''s human. She won''t be able to digest it," Lady Maggie came to the rescue again. The older vampiress turned to look at her step-daughter over her shoulder, "You know, Maggie. You should live up to your mother''s dreams and expectations. She would be very very disappointed to know that she had a weak daughter who didn''t know how to punish a ve who was out of line," the woman gave her a warm smile which felt nothing like it. Penny who was standing idle in one ce turned her eyes to see the look of Lady Maggie who appeared to be caught off guard by the mention of her mother. She had heard a few things from Damien and by the standpoint view of a human, Penny didn''t count thetedy to be an ideal mother because of the encouraging words she gave when it came to killing people with theck of remorse. At the same thought, a dull smile came to form on her lips which was hidden by the shadow of the room.?Her mother wasn''t an ideal mother either, to fake her death and to never contact her back without a sign. Fleurance walked towards the wooden table, cing the ss on it instead of giving it by hand to the human girl who was going to be punished. "Drink this," she ordered while taking a step away from the table as if standing too close near the servant would be too low for her. Penny felt like it was Deja Vu. This had happened before too but it had been on a lighter context where she had thought she could escape from it. In the end, it was Damien who came to rescue her from his crazy family. But Damien wasn''t here today. She felt as if internally in her mind she was crying like a river while outwardly she stood staring at the ss that was ced on the table. "Don''t make us wait. Hurry up and drink," Grace''s voice was eager as she spoke. Knowing there was no wait out of this, her hand went to reach the ss and she picked it up. It wasn''t that she hadn''t tasted blood before but it was by biting her cheek or tongue. Never inrge quantities like this. She could feel three pairs of eyes looking at her which made it difficult to move. "If you cannot drink we can make you drink," Grace chimed, happy to take that route if needed. With a deep breath, Penny raised the ss to her lips which she tried to prolong while looking at the liquid in it and finally cing the edge of the ss on her mouth... Chapter 207 - Blood- Part 2 Lady Maggie stood like a stone out of the words which were spoken by her step-mother. She hadn''t expected her to remind about her mother. And she stood like time had halted at that time. Realizing it was the truth which Fleurance had uttered just now. If her mother was alive, she would look at Maggie with disappointment in her eyes which had crossed a few times before her mother had passed away in her bed. The truth was that if their mother was alive, Penny wouldn''t have been let off this easily. She would have faced far worse by her mother. Fleurance was not even half of what her mother was as a pureblooded vampire. One of the well-known things, when it came to the pureblooded vampires, was the tight integrity of the family. The rules and thews of their own which were to be followed. To respect elders no matter what without questioning the a.d.u.l.t''s decision. Such was the environment when it came to the pureblooded families. Especially the ones which fell into the farthest and oldest lineage like the Quinn''s. Her mother was a beautiful woman with wavy brown wavy hair that was often tied lowly into a pony-tail. Sharp eyes and nose, her beauty that apparently which got passed on to both her children but more on to her younger brother which she didn''t mind. She remembered the old times when her mother was still alive and she and Damien were young children who barely reached the age of ten. ''It was the time of Winter just like this. Much harsher though. Her mother had caught a man walking in the children''s room, snooping and looking at the objects there. He was a peasant who had only joined the mansion to work and had meant to leave early after stealing some basics things without much value. The story was that his daughter was ill and needed food and medicines which he didn''t have time. He had spoken to the house butler but the man had refused, saying the wages would be given only after the month''s work but that man had no time. As back at his home, his daughter was not getting any better. "How dare you try to steal in the Quinn''s home. What a nerve you have," her mother questioned the man while the poor man had his forehead touching the ground. The man quivered in fear. Her brother Damien and she were young at that time. Standing behind therge pirs to see what was going on when they heard themotion. Her father had gone out for council work that day due to which thedy of the house had taken control of the situation. "Mdy, I didn''t mean to! Please forgive me!" pleaded the poor man, "My daughter is very sick. She needs medicine." "You could have asked and help would have been offered. But picking up my children''s belongings and trying to sneak away with it," her mother stated to have the man raise his head to defend himself. "I-I spoke to the butler, t-the but-butler said they don''t give the money on the second day," there were evident tears in his eyes which had made little Maggie sad after hearing to the story he was saying, "It is all for my child. She will die if I-I don''t get her the medicines told. Please forgive me, mdy," the man continued to beg. Her mother stared at him. As if noticing her children''s presence, she looked to her side to find her two children standing behind the pir. A smile broke on her lips looking at her children. She raised her hand in their direction, "What are you doing there? Come here both of you, this is your own house. There is no need to be shy." Damien and Maggie came to walk away from the pir and towards their mother. Their small steps reaching to stand on their mother''s side while looking at the man quietly. "Mdy...my daughter is as old as yours. Please spare my life and hers," the man continued to beg, tears falling down from his eyes which broke Maggie''s heart. Out of the two children, Damien was hard-headed while Maggie was the one to have received the emotions ofpassion which was not something that she had received from her mother. She looked at her mother, and when her mother''s eyes met hers there was a certain unpleasant look that she received as if she weren''t happy with her daughter''s reaction. "Dear Maggie," she called her, "You should remember that people who don''t follow rules of this house ought to be taught a lesson such that they don''t repeat it and neither will the others," the other servants who stood far away from the scene could hear thedy of the house say it with a smile on her face, "Thieves need to be punished for stealing something that belongs to us or you. Of course, this holds for you too Damien," the young boy nodded in reply. Walking towards the man, she ced her one hand on his shoulder as if wanting him to stand up. Startled, the man stood up. "Watch and learn children," their mother said before ripping the man''s head apart from his body. The scene was vivid in Maggie''s mind and eyes. Damien had picked on his mother''s traits while she hadn''t. Even during their first kill, Maggie hadn''te out triumphantly as Damien which had lessened the affection towards her. It wasn''t that Maggie hadn''t tried to make her mother happy but little things weren''t sufficient. What their mother wanted was blood on the hands which often made her question if her mother would be happy for what she had done to the maid by killing her. After all, she had tried to fight for something that belonged to her. Until her mother''sst breath she had done nothing but tried to impress and make her mother proud but it always felt like she was failing which step-mother must have learned from her father. Chapter 208 - Blood- Part 3 It must have been one of the reasons why Maggie had not attempted to keep any of her mother''s belongings which were saved by Damien who refused to let even her in initially in the attic. She didn''t attempt to exin to her younger brother but there had been a gap been caused which was hard to fill up right now.?Maybe if her mother was still alive she would have been either proud of what she had done or she would still be trying to make her happy. Maggie knew it was wrong but somewhere she was d that her mother had passed away. She was undoubtedly a loving mother, and Maggie loved her mother dearly though she didn''t receive the same affection and admiration at Damien. But she was d for how things had turned out. Else her mother would never approve of this growing rtionship between her brother and this ve girl. It made her question if Damien would still like this girl as one word from their mother would have been enough for him to turn away or finish her off. She looked at the girl now. The very same reason when her step-mother spoke about disappointing her mother, she couldn''t move herself to protect the girl who was holding the ss of blood. Unfortunately, the bond with the family ran so deep that it was hard to break away from it. Some did while some were tied to it as a responsibility to follow. Penny, on the other hand, felt her heart skip a beat as she raised the tumbler of ss near her mouth. Her hands had turned utterly cold, raising goosebumps on her skin where her hands were covered. The heart skipped a beat because of the way the color in the blood started to change. The red thick liquid which had been poured by Lady Fleurance had started to swirl softly before the liquid turned itself to crystal colored water. Not pausing her hand, she shakily brought the ss to her lips and sipped it. "....." she continued to drink until it waspletely empty. Water. That is what she had drank... What in heavens name just happened?! Penny could hardly understand as her pulse started to beat loudly. The vampires in turn who looked at her mistook the beating pulse of hers as if she was going to vomit on the kitchen floor at any moment. To make it believable Penny acted as if she was about to throw up at any moment now. "Don''t even think about it," warned Lady Fleurance. Thest thing they needed was the smell of the ve girl''s vomit in their food. Grace, on the other hand, was enjoying the scene immensely at Penny''s plight, "Have you filled your stomach enough? Or would you like to have another go at your food?" hinted the young vampiress for Penny to shake her head dumbfounded with what just took ce. Grace and her mother were the first ones to leave the kitchen. Maggie stared at Penny for a while who looked utterly dazed before leaving the kitchen herself and going to her room. She stood there for a few more minutes before her heart went back to its usual beat. Looking back at the ss closely, she brought it to her nose to smell it. It was scentless. Okay...said Penny to herself. It was time to calmly take a step back and think about what just happened. Lady Fleurance used her of food. Okay, maybe not that far but a little forward. The older vampiress took the ss, added the blood and handed it to her. There was definitely blood in there unless the Quinn''s were ying a joke on her which was highly impossible in the current scenario. And when she raised it, the blood turned to water. Just like that. ... She couldn''t figure it out! She knew she had turned the poison which was meant for the vampires to have turned to water but who knew she could turn blood into the water too. And it happened without her trying anything. A wide smile came to form on her lips. Well, what do you say about the luck I have, asked Penny to herself. Looking back at the food, she frowned. It looked like touching another bowl of food was not a good idea and she should wait until Damien arrived back or until the morning where the servants would be served. Walking back to her room with a less empty stomach because of the water, she stepped inside and sat on the bed. Waiting while looking at the door looking hopeful on when Damien would arrive. With a sigh, and forgetting about her back she bent down to hiss in pain before standing straight up. After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door where she went to get it. Opening the door, she saw there was no one there. Leaning forward, she looked to her left and right to see no one there. Just to make sure, she looked up at the empty ceiling. About to close the door, she noticed a te of food that was right outside on the ground. Biting her lip, she again looked left and right, picking it up, she took the food inside and closed the door happy and blessing the person who had brought the food at the front of the door. Though she did wonder about who it could be that had left the food for her thoughtfully. Maggie who stood at the stairs saw the girl pick up the food and get back inside Damien''s room. There wasn''t much she could do to stop and hinder in the ways her family ran but with Damien who had broken tons of rules in this house after their father married Fleurance, her doings were much simpler. And she knew Damien would want this one well-fed. Until he would return she would have to keep an eye as the good sister she was. Chapter 209 - Children of the past- Part 1 Author-note: How many have you read the previous books of the same universe of ''Lord''s, Duke and the Ghost''? If you have read the previous books you should know about Maximilian''s story,?If you haven''t read, I would urge to read:Valerian Empire, Heidi and the Lord, Bambi and the Duke. As easy it is to read this book as standalone, you will enjoy the book the fullest if you know the background story of the other characters while there are minute and subtle details I make use of from the other books. . The morning wasn''t bright but it was brighter than most of the days in thend of Bonke. The sun trying to y peek every once in a while behind the passing clouds that moved from one side to another like someone who was waving it away in a certain direction sometimes. The little boy and the little girl sat at the table of their mother''s room. Writing something in their book while having another book ced on top of the table. When the little boy ced his inked quill down on the table, his mother asked, "Are you done writing, Dami?" she was sitting on the other side of the room, on the edge of the bed as she sewed the clothes for her children. The needle going in and out as she concentrated her eyes on it while her consciousness that was directed towards her children who were studying together. "I am done, Mama," the boy answered, stepping down from the chair while taking the notes he just made. The children were young to look at but with the difference in the aging when it came to the humans and vampires, the vampires and pureblooded vampires taught their children early as their brains were much developed than the lower creatures who were the humans. "Let me see what you have here," his mother ced the needle and the piece of cloth she had only started working to take a look at her son''s homework. Not believing in the work of a guardian or bringing a teacher into the mansion, thedy had taken it upon herself to teach her children how she wanted them to grow up. And in her opinion, she was doing the best job. Who else better to teach her children but herself. Her daughter followed her son shortly, carrying her book with her while waiting for her turn to have her mother look at it. "You have got one of these wrong, darling. Surely you can get it fixed before I am done with the next piece," said the woman, her smile evergreen on her lips which didn''t fall but always remained on her lips. It wasn''t a pleasant smile but a smile that wrecked the servant''s nerve when her gaze fell on them. "Yes, mother," Damien answered obediently before going back to finish and get it done right away within the time Maggie''s work was inspected. "Hmm, it appears you got most of them right, Maggie. Don''t look so happy," the velvety voice of thedy reached the little girl''s ears, "You are a few years older to Damien which puts you in advantage while you have to be faster than him. Do notin that it is because you are a girl. It would be the most pathetic reason," the vampiress handed back the book to her daughter. She told it with respect to the way once her little Maggie had tried to pull the gender card. Thest thing she wanted was her children using excuses. The little girl''s shoulder slumped knowing exactly what her mother was speaking about, "I am sorry, mama." "That is alright. Come here, dear," her mother raised her hand, not stretching it too much but enough for the young girl to ce her little hand in her mother''s hand, "I know you won''t speak about something like that again. My daughter knows not to disappoint me. Right?" asked thedy to which the girl nodded her head profusely, "Off you go now. Both of you," said the woman to have the children step out of her and her husband''s room. The little boy went wandering around the mansion. Looking at the nts that had grown right outside their mansion which was turning greener and lush in appearance. With his books that were ced back in his room, Damien pushed the window to see on his left and right if someone was there before cing his foot on the window sill and to climb up the roof of the mansion. This was his favorite ce in the mansion. The quiet atmosphere and the wind which blew in a greater velocity around him he continued to walk up and further until he reached the tip of the tower bell which was never used. The boy didn''t know if they even used it. It stood quiet and firmly. Taking a seat on the dark brown roof, he looked at the sea and the sky which touched each other to form a horizon. The clouds had finally started to move as time passed but it was toote to get warm sunlight as the sun had started to move to dip down the sea now. The sky turning orange and red in color that reflected back the light on thendscape around him. "What are you doing up here sitting alone?" he heard his mother''s voice and his head snapped to turn and look at his mother, "You look surprised," said thedy, her footsteps firm on the roof as she got closer to him. "I, how did youe up here?" little Damien asked, his brows slightly furrowed as he looked at her. "You can climb and I cannot?" he raised her brow at him, "I was looking for Maggie and you, to find out that my little boy was nowhere inside the mansion. So I came to look for you here. Do you like this ce?" she asked him. Taking a seat next to him, she pulled her legs forward to ce her hands on her knees. "I love it here," he answered, his mother stared at the sea that reflected the bright colors, "It has beautiful colors," he said looking at the sky and his mother nodded in agreement. "That it does," thedy started to hum something very softly that sounded nothing less to a bird or maybe better than the bird''s voice as she continued to hum the song. Curious the boy asked, "What are you singing, mama?" which had his mother smiling. Chapter 210 - Children of the past- Part 2 "It is called the song of death," she answered to have her son give her a puzzled look, "It is a beautiful song." "Death is not beautiful," said little Damien. "Why do you say so? Death is only the beginning of a lot of things, it is never the end. When you grow up you will know and understand that there is sce in pain. It is much warmer than the sun," she raised her hand as if the rays of the setting sun could heat her cold skin, "Do you think it is odd, dear boy? That I speak of it so fondly," her voice was soft and had always been. Damien shook his head, "Nothing could ever be odd when ites to you, mother," this earned a chuckle from his mother. "You''re an endearing boy," she wrapped her arm around his shoulder to bring him close to her, "Will you promise me something?" she asked from him to have the boy nodding his head right away even though she was yet to speak on what the promise was about, "Promise to keep in your heart forever? The boy I have grown you up to be so far and want you to be." "Yes, mother," answered the boy diligently to have her smiling. Brushing his hair away from his forehead with her hand, she ced a tender kiss on his forehead. The boy appeared to be strong while her daughter appeared to be weak when in truth there was a difference in the facts of what people saw or what she saw. She didn''t know why but for a few weeks she had started to hallucinate about things that didn''t happen. Things she believed were happening when in truth it wasn''t. And during such time, she had noticed there was something about her son, his eyes that she noticed to have fluctuated once from red to ck and then to red again. It had worried her to the point where she had got the vampire doctor from the council to get her son tested but with the test that hade out clean, she had been relieved and at the same time, she knew something was wrong with her. It was not only that but she had seen her daughter kill someone. Blood on her hands. Within two weeks of time,dy Quinn had fallen ill and was asked to rest in bed. It broke the children''s heart that their mother had turned ill and at the same time, the servants felt like they could breathe after thedy had finally passed away. Usually, it was the male vampire who often went killing people but in this mansion, it was thedy when it came to being responsible over the many deaths that were taken in her hands, earning the name of being cruel and merciless. During the time of burial, the family stood around at the family cemetery where are all of their rtives were buried. With their family being old and rich, there was no need to have the person buried elsewhere, where strangers came and went. Though little Maggie had bee seeking her mother''s constant approval that didn''t mean she didn''t love her mother. In both the children''s eyes, their mother was the best. The woman knew how to handle her children, she was a loving mother, wife, and friend to them who protected them from the outsiders. Both the children saw their mother''s body being which was in the casket. The wood was made of?Bocote, it''s a reddish-brown color having its texture and color which made their mother who now lept in it look that much serene and beautiful. Damien felt his eyes open under the sunlight which peered through the multiple leaves that were above him. What a strange thing to dream about, thought Damien to himself as he stretched his body with his back that was against the trunk of the tree. Last night he had been utterly tired, his vision turning dark every once in a while making his head hurt. Deciding to take a small stop, he had taken a seat under one of the trees in the forest to only fall asleep and wake up now. Standing up, he pulled out his pocket watch from his trousers to look at the time. It was heading close to noon. He couldn''t believe that he had not only overslept but also had lost many hours when he was supposed to be headed back home. Finding the closest river in the forest, he came upon a water stream. Drinking water from it, he looked at his reflection to see ck eyes staring back at him. It seemed that the amount of poison that was pushed into his body had still not got out of his system. The dosage was of a high quantity which would only take its sweet time from disappearing from his body. Whatever it was, the poison had affected his ability due to which he still couldn''t travel back in space. "Dumb ck witches," he uttered the words in anger. His anger raising which was simted by the corruption of heart, his emotions spiraling and letting loose when he realized something about this spitgrass and the potion which the ck witches had devised against the race of vampires. He rubbed his forehead with his hand, trying to contain his anger before his hand smashed to one of the trees that had the dried leaves falling down on the dry ground. The corruption potion wasn''t a normal poison that could be pushed out of the body easily. If it were, it would have been easy to convert the corrupted ones back to their normal form. The potion was devised so that it would stay in the body forever until the soul and body werepletely damaged. Though nothing had happened initially, the potion was slowly affecting him. Suddenly his fangs grew out of his mouth. His eyes turning darker by the passing minute where he had the urge to drink blood again. The bloodthirsty vampire in him starting act as it looked for anything and everything possible. Chapter 211 - Encounter- Part 1 In an hour''s time, Damien had killed more than six animals and wasn''t yet satisfied. Suddenly he heard a rustle from above and he took the gun that he carried with him. Pulling it from his back to shoot right above him for a person to fall down on the ground. The person had dark scale-like features. Eyes that resembled a snake and tongue that slithered in and out of her mouth. "What do we have here? A corrupted vampire?" asked the ck witch with a grin on her face which made her look ugly in his eyes. "And an ugly ck witch. By any chance, you have the antitode which will cure my current condition," he asked without dropping down his gun down to his side. "Should have asked before calling me ugly," said the ck witch, to throw a sharp metal towards him. All he had to do was take one step to the left to let the metal pass by his face. Damien smiled, looking at her, "I was only stating the truth. You are quite an ugly witch I havee across so far," this earned him a few more metals that came flying in speed right at him which he dodged one after another. "I would have given it to you. The medicine for the cure you''re looking for," the witch shook her head with a smile that made her look like a dead corpse. One of the weak points, when it came to the ck witches, was that they were weak topliments to how they looked. Unlike the vampires or the human or the white witches, the ck witchescked in the department of looks. Their true nature of appearance was hideous in nature which was why they used a decoy of human disguise to make themselves look pretty enough that had men as well as women drooling over them. "Don''t feel so bad. Most of you are ugly," continued to Damien with an unwashable grin on his face. The ck witch started to attack him relentlessly and in less than one minute, Damien had the witch against the tree with his hand around her neck, "Tell me now, where is this potion of spit grass being grown. If you tell me the truth, I might call you beautiful and maybe go out on dinner on the hill nearby." She scoffed looking at him. Struggling to get out of the hold to realize the man was much stronger than the other men and women she had killed and used. "Let me go, and I might tell," she offered to have Damien shaking his head in disapproval. "That can''t be done," he tched. "Why don''t you try kissing me? I might tell it to you," said the witch, her form turning one to her human form where she looked beautiful. The witch undoubtedly knew her trade on how to save her neck. Damien smiled, giving one of his most charming smiles as he looked at her with his hold on her neck loosening. "That might not be a bad idea," he whispered to her, angling his face as he got closer to her lips. The witch eagerly opened her lips and before their lips could touch each other, the vampire head banged the woman and threw her on the floor of the forest. "Why the f.u.c.k would you do that?" asked the witch, to have Damien smiling. "My taste hasn''t fallen down to the level that I have to sully my lips by kissing you," stating this, he shot the ck witch right on the mark at the center of her forehead. The bullet pierced through the front of her head creating a hole to see her skin starting to crumble into ck dust. Before he knew it, he heard the whistling of the wind which was headed in his way. More witches. Not knowing how many wereing, he decided to take cover near a tree. With his bullets that he was yet to refill and his corruption lingering in his body, it was better to take shelter than fight. The whistling sounds diminished as if it took a different direction and he stepped away right in time toe in front of a ck witch who was dragging a woman by her hair. Pulling out the gun''s locks, he checked to see that there was a single bullet in there. Of course, he could refill them but silver bullets weren''t easy to make. The number of days it took to prepare them was time-consuming, and these bullets were created by his own hands. With a sigh on his lips, he aimed right at the ck witch for the gunshot to resonate and echo through the forest for the second time. The ck witch fell cold on the ground, the body dissipating in the air with just a mist of ck dust. His feet took him to where the womanid on the ground, cowering and trying to keep a distance from him. She looked at him for several seconds, as if expecting him to ask if she was alright but instead, he said, "Get out of here unless you want to fall prey again," he didn''t wait to give her a hand to stand up. Turning around he walked away from there leaving the woman sitting there. The woman instead of listening to what Damien said, continued to sit there looking at the man''s back before he disappeared behind the trees of the forest. Her once fearful and tear-filled eyes had turned dry as she stood up. Dusting her hands. Her brown eyes and hair looked in the direction he had disappeared in. Looking at the ck witch''s ashes of dust that was sprinkled over the ground she turned her eyes away from it hardly bothered with the death of the witch. Her eyes narrowed. Wasn''t this the same man whom she had seen around her dear daughter Penelope when she had visited the vige? The snake-like tongue slithered out of her mouth to go back in again. Chapter 212 - Encounter- Part 2 While Damien who was still trying to travel back to Bonke through his ability which wasn''t working yet with his already corrupted heart having more corruption, thend of Bonke itself was in a grim situation for Penny as she stood at the door with her hand ced on the knob. Waiting to open it while taking in the possible consequences of what might happen today. If she would miss the breakfast now, the next meal would be served at noon and if she skipped that she would have to wait until the time of night. Damien wasn''t back and something felt wrong right now. An unsettling feeling her chest which she didn''t know what it was about. Was it because he wasn''t there here? She was used to his presence where he tried to annoy her back and forth before and she admitted she missed it right now. With his absence in the mansion, this ce didn''t feel the same. It felt empty and hollow. Like she was in a foreign ce like never before. It didn''t help that the mother and daughter vampires were trying to punish her at the tip of their toes. She had woken up early in the morning before there was even a speck of light because of her back where she had tried toy on in her sleep which had her eyes snapping open in sudden pain. The rest of the hours she paced back and forth in the room wondering what to do. If the opportunity had presented before in the past, Penny would have first jumped out of joy. In puer happiness to have Damien not to monitor her where she could have tried escaping. But things had changed. Her thoughts had turned upside down that she preferred to stay in here than go out and have herself killed and burnt by the humans. Humans, thought Penny to herself. Once upon a time, she was part of them. She believed they were the ones who were in the right. Maybe not all but some of them were nice. Their ideas about life and the creatures who walked on thesends. Creatures like the witches, vampires or any other kind didn''t belong here. Humans secretly whispered amongst themselves on how cruel the world had turned to because of the other creatures who stubbed them.?And now that she stood on the other side of the fenced grass, she understood it was not all true. Finally deciding to go down to get herself something to eat, she turned the knob and left the room. Penny hadn''t gone too far when Lady Fleurance invited her to join them in the dining room. "Sit with us in the dining room," the Lady said without giving her an opportunity to speak. Gingerly, Penny made her way into the dining room to see everyone seated at the table. Damien''s father looked at the door to see only the ve, "Damien isn''t back yet?" the question was directed to his eldest daughter Maggie who shook her head in response. The pureblooded vampire then turned to look at Penny, asking her, "Where did he say he was going?" the voice was less gentle than what was used with his daughter. This reminded Penny about her status of being a ve who was lesser than a servant girl. Already in the limelight, she first bowed her head and then answered the man, "Master Damien said he would be going to Woville," hearing no response, he raised her head to see the man had turned his head away from him to start eating his food. Grace on the other hand who had been waiting like a scheming vulture for an opportunity for all this while couldn''t stop the grin that formed on her lips. She couldn''t contain the joy that she felt after listening to the information that her brother Damien had gone to Wovile. It would take two days just to travel one way which meant her brother wouldn''t be back anytime soon. "Sit here," Grace waved her hand before pointing next to her. The ve girl knew well to not refuse. She hadmitted a mistakest night for which she had been punished for. The girl was obedient enough to walk around the table and sit on the ground where Grace had pointed. Satisfied with the reaction, Grace turned back and started to pick the food she wanted to eat. Taking another te she ced some fruits and bread to pass it down to the lower human. Penny who was sitting on the hard cold floor found herself with a te being held in front of her. Grace being nice? questioned Penny. She couldn''t help but be suspicious about it. Even Maggie looked at her younger sister suspiciously before shifting her eyes on her father to ask, "Father, we will need to hire a new butler here. Did you speak to the officials if they could hire one?" "Not yet. They are still going through the reports and the statements that were taken from here. It seems the vessel did indeed contain the poison to corrupt our hearts," it raised the heads who were having the meal to look at it him. "Is someone trying to target us?" asked Lady Fleurance worried, "We should have more guards appointed if that is so. How did the person even enter?" she looked at her husband worried. Penny who had stopped eating herself had to crane her neck without being too obvious to see Damien''s father look at the table with a serious expression and his brows furrowed. "It is very critical information at the moment which has been asked to not discuss with the family members too. I heard the men in the council are trying to figure out because there have been many mishaps over a few months now where pureblooded families are being targeted." "I hope everything goes back to normal than be in a state of a constant worry. People can be so idle that they want to hurt others," if it was possible, Penny''s eyebrows would have touched the ceiling of the room. Thedy had made her drink blood where she knew she would not be able to digest yet it had been passed down as a punishment... Chapter 213 - Encounter- Part 3 Senior Mr. Quinn said, "The councilmen are doing everything they can right now to bring everything in order. Until then, the food will first be tested by one of the servants to assure the safety of consumption. With the recent deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Adams, we will have to go visit the memorial that has been postponed this weekend." "How odd," murmured Lady Fleurance, sipping her tea little by little she ced the cup back with the saucer on the table. "If I am not wrong, she''s the only child in her family, right? How sad and lonely it must be." "Indeed. To lose one is difficult and to lose everything even more painful," responded back the pureblooded vampire as if subtly his thoughts had gone to move to his first wife. Lady Maggie had finished her meal soon, wishing everyone the day so that she could get back to her room. In Penny''s eyes, Lady Maggie appeared to be a polished vampiress. Her speechless and her demeanour pleasant which turned odd rarely like the other family members which Penny could tolerate. She didn''t know why but something told her that it was she who had brought her dinner in front of the room for her. She wanted to thank her but it seemed like she would have to go find herter after she was done eating. The meal continued with idle chatter of what thedies had heard from other women while asking and sharing other details before Grace came to ask her father, "Father, may I ask for something?" her voice was the most polished Penny had ever heard until now. Her father hummed in response, nodding his head so that she continued with what she wanted to say, "I was wondering," said Grace, her finger rolling at the edge of the teacup in front of her that went in circles, "Would it be alright if I took the ve out along with me?" Penny''s hand froze instantly. Swallowing the food carefully as her attention went back to the people at the table. "She doesn''t belong to you, Grace," replied Mr. Quinn for the young vampiress to pout. "Brother Damien isn''t here, so it shouldn''t be much of a problem if I just take a round with her in the city ande back again. With her of course," Grace tried to persuade her father, her body leaning forward and her expression hopeful. "Your brother doesn''t like his things being touched. You should ask him if you want to take her out and bond with her," Mr. Quinn suggested to his daughter. Standing up from the head of the chair, he took the napkin thatid on the table to wipe the corner of his lips. "Please father. It would be just for a few hours." "Ask Damien, Gracie," her father replied, "Fleurance I will be heading to meet the Lord of Bonke. I should be back by noon," he leaned towards his wife and ced a kiss on her cheek. Penny wondered about thete wife of Senior Mr. Quinn. Was she better in person than this woman? With how she saw, Damien was quite fond of his mother. He held her dear to his heart which made her ponder on what kind of woman the previousdy was. With a husband life senior Mr. Quinn who was calm and collected, she wondered if she was a sweetdy. With Mr. Quinn and Lady Maggie who had left the dining room, Penny quickly swallowed the food that was on her te, ready to leave. Standing up she started to walk when she heard Lady Fleurance speak, "Don''t you know that leaving the room when there are other members of the family still eating is considered to be rude and offensive unless your master or mistress says so?" Penny halted her footsteps right away. Turning around to quickly bow with an apology, "Please forgive me, mdy. I did not know." "Has Damien taught you anything at all," thedy harumphed while taking a bite from the fork she held in her hand that had been hanging in front of her. Thedies took their own sweet time, the mother-daughter who continued to chat with each other endlessly making Penny wonder if they were going to continue their lunch here too. Senior Mr. Quinn had left the mansion a few minutes ago when the Lady started to dab her mouth gently, "What a lovely meal it was." "Mother, shall I take the ve girl out for some time?" Grace asked her mother this time. This was an opportune moment and opportunities like these never arrived more than once. Though she had been punishedst night, Grace wanted to punish the girl more. Trying to find reasons so that she could hurt the girl. "Sure," at her mother''s permission Grace looked eager again, "But make sure you bring her back before your father arrives," her mother tipped her making the young vampiress nod happily before looking at Penny who had a sullen look on her face. "I will be sure to bring her back with me on time," Grace answered and started to walk to where Penny stood near the wall, "Follow me," she said but Penny didn''t move an inch from her ce. Noticing the girl not move, Grace turned back to where she was, "Are you deaf? I said follow me," Grace made sure to speak the words out clearly but the human ve never moved. "Mr. Quinn said you need to have Master Damien''s permission," Penny finally spoke up, her hands turning colder with what was about toe. Lady Fleurance walked towards the door but instead of leaving the dining room, she closed the doors of it. Grace smiled at the ve, did she have low memory on what happened thest time she had spoken these words? In a quick flip of motion, Grace who was much stronger than Penny had pushed her back against the wall. The force on her back was enough to raise a muffled cry through Penny''s mouth as Grace had her mouth covered with one hand while the other had twisted her arm. Chapter 214 - Things that dont belong to you- Part 1 Penny felt her back burn as if the scabs of the wound came off by Grace pushing her against the wall which was made of carved wood that was uneven and at somece that protruded out. It was no less to picking out the dried wound as all this time she had not let it heal properly. Always bending down doing something or the other, the wound was taking its time to heal. Not to forget the sharp edge which was poking right on the wound which brought tears in her eyes. To make it even worse, Grace had twisted her right arm in the opposite direction which had her feet wanting to stand at the tip of her toes, her body bent to keep up with Grace turning her arm as she stared at Penny. Muffled cries could be heard behind Grace''s hand as she enjoyed Penny''s reaction. The young vampiress said, "If you had followed my order it wouldn''t have to this from the beginning. You are only a ve. A human below my feet," saying this she only turned her arm to have tears falling down from Penny''s eyes, "Do not scream. My brother is not here so it shouldn''t be hard to tell it was an ident if something were to happen to you right now," Grace smiled looking at her. "P-please," Penny pleaded for the vampiress to let her go. The pain was bursting throughout her arm and she didn''t know if she would have an arm if the vampiress twisted a little more than what she was doing. "What are you asking please for?" the vampiress asked. "It seems it is true that Damien taught this girl nothing. She is going to only bring us shame," Lady Fleurance looked at the ve with a look of detest in her eyes, "Only if we could have her given to someone else instead of having here but the boy is too bent on keeping her near to him. I cannot tell you how much it worries me, Grace." "I understand, mother. You don''t have to feel burdened because of this girl." Grace who had been holding Penny''s arm to let it go, looking at her mother to speak to her, "You have nothing to fear about the reputational damage she is going to do. I am going to take her out and show the ce she belonged to," Grace''s fangs came out, turning back to look at Penny she stepped forward she caught Penny''s hair this time. With their height, almost the same, Grace pulled her hair hard enough to bite into her shoulder to drink blood but Penny being repulsed pushed the vampiress with as much force as she could. Penny saw Grace stagger behind, her steps going back to being steady when she raised her hand and pped her right across her face. She could feel her cheek turn warm and numb, her ears ringing. The force had been so hard that Penny could taste blood in her mouth. But Grace wasn''t satisfied with it. She pped two more times in the same direction just out of joy that she could finallyy her hand on this precious ve her brother had been trying to hide from her and the others. By then Penny had fallen on the ground due to the continuous force on her face that she could hardly feel anything especially on her left side of her face where there was a cut. Feeling Grace and Lady Fleurance''s eyes on her, she bit the inside of her cheek on what to do. She didn''t want to go with Grace as her ve. Not even during this worst time she wanted to be anywhere around here but who knew that even inside the mansion during the broad daylight she was unsafe. She felt her face hurt, wanting to re at this little brat of a vampiress who had to be taught some lesson. Right now she had to be careful but she was worried. Already the girl had used her of being a witch who was trying to use a spell to make Damien listen to her. If she were to find out that she wasn''t a ve yet, would it be easier to escape? And maybe returnter? Thought Penny to herself. But the question was...what if she tried to sell her to someone else? Right now it was as if, if she breathed she would be punished and if she didn''t she would still be punished. What was one supposed to do in situations like these? There was no information on when Damien would be back and where he was right now. Fleurance and Grace were talking about something which Penny could barely hear with her ear still ringing for a while until it finally came down to listen to what Lady Fleurance said, "...find it in the closet which is in the corner guest room. I bought it when I still had a ve but the man didn''t live too long. It was a short time. Let me go get it," she said, giving a look at Penny who was on the ground. The woman returned back a few minutester. Holding leather-like straps in her hands where she threw on the floor in front of her.?At first, Penny didn''t know what it was until she saw the locks around it and the leather which was thin with holes at the end like in a belt. It was a cor. "Where this ve," Grace kicked the cor towards her with her feet, "Make it quick," she said but Penny was too numb with the pain and the sight of a cor which Grace was expecting her to wear like she was some kind of an animal. "Creiten, get inside here will you," Lady Fleurance called a maid who was walking past the dining room where the woman had left the door open this time. When the maid came, her head bowed, the older vampiress said, "Put this around her neck. The ve seems incapable to do it." Though Penny didn''t want to be cored which was not only unpleasant but derogatory, she stillplied not wanting to cause more ruckus and damage to her body. Unlike, Grace and the Lady, Penny was not a vampire who held inhuman strength where one snap of their finger her body could break easily. If she had the power, Penny would have pushed them from the cliff of theke of bones. No that was too less, thought Penny to herself. She would have treated these people in the same way as they had done to her. She felt her neck being tugged by Grace who looked at it with a look of pure joy, "Don''t you look lovely down there," she chuckled looking at her mother and the maid who was shooed away as she was not needed anymore, "Now. I am sure you know not to disobey me. We''ll be going to Isle Valley and you will use your hands and knees to walk. Hmm," the young vampiress smelled blood which wasn''ting from the ve''s face. Walking around, she noticed the bloodstains on Penny''s back. Without less to no effort, she raised her feet and kicked the ve''s back with the tip of her shoe making Penny cry out in pain. She had to hold her breath as pain took over her body. The pitchfork had gone deeper into her back than she had thought, "Don''t even think about screaming and yelling for help because you know what I can do to you." If it was possible, Penny wanted to stab Grace with a blunt knife for the pain she was causing her. She was no saint to forgive actions like these. It was as if the vampiress had turned her into her pleasurable y item for the day. Lady Fleurance said nothing but continued to watch them unaffected. For pureblooded vampires and the other people who belonged to the highest ss of society, behaving like this with their said ve was verymon. Penny had witnessed it in the other houses as well as the town where Grace was nning to take her. She tried to fight the pain off, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths, her hands shaking which was out of anger but there was nothing she could do but wait. Chapter 215 - Things that dont belong to you- Part 2 When they reached the Isle Valley, the town that the rich people used, the coachman opened the door for thedy of the house to step outside. The ve girl followed her, not standing but to walk down as she used her hand to crawl. "Wait right here. I will be back in two hours," ordered Grace without looking at the coachman or waiting for his response, she started to walk. Pulling the leash that was attached to the human''s neck, she pulled it as one would with a dog. Dragging her without a stop where Penny had to keep up with the vampiress steps wither her knees and palms of her hand. Penny found it quite hard to keep up with a proud Grace walking ahead of her. It was only when they reached the main town where there was a crowd did Grace slow down her steps. She walked in pride, the ve next to her adding to her existing status that made her feel like a queen in this town. "I don''t understand what Damien sees in you. Do you look at the other ves here? They are more appealing than you are," said the vampiress, looking down at Penny with a smirk on her face. In her entire life, Penny had not felt this helpless and degraded. It felt as if her very essence was fading with Grace making her walk like a dog. Just like the ones she had pitied thest time she hade with Damien, "Don''t worry though. I have been meaning to have learned everything a ve needs to know. At least that is what I thought but we will first hand you to someone who has been asking for you. Who knew you would be in demand, it only makes it that much enjoyable. I am sure Damien wouldn''t mind letting you borrow. I have to say, I still feel something is wrong with you even though others say otherwise." Right now Penny paid less attention to what Grace was saying and instead looked at the people who walked by them. There were some ves like her who were tied. They looked tired and out of life, not having a mind of their own as they followed their master mistresses. She had been thankful all this while for Damien to have not treated her like this. Not once had he touched her inappropriately or hurt her physically or mentally. He had imed he liked her, telling her had fallen her a long time ago and was waiting for her. Not knowing why her eyes filled with tears to the brim. He had been careful with her, unlike the others. Or his sister who was now dragging her making her neck hurt along with her face and back which had started to bleed. She could only hope for Damien toe back quickly where ever he was. With her mother who had nevere to find her, she felt betrayed. Her uncle and aunt her sold-out pushing her into a corner where she believed no one could be trusted. But even in such dire circ.u.mstances, she hoped for Damien to show up. "He said he was going to be here. Come on," Grace said pulling the leash and continuing to walk, her shoes clicking on the ground with firm footsteps. Grace continued to drag her until a certain point where she finally met up with a blond-haired man who Penny had already met before during Damien''s mother''s birthday which was held in the mansion. Penny felt ufortable at the mere sight of him. The man exuded cunningness behind that kind face which made her feel wary about him. Unlike her or Damien, this man wasn''t so good at hiding his emotions which linger right in the corner of his masked face. "You bought a gift," he said looking down at her. Penny quickly shifted her gaze as her heart began to thunder, "And that too an early present." Grace beamed in happiness, "I did tell I would make sure to have some time with her. All one needs to do is ask," answered the girl smugly to receive a smile from her. "You are a doll, Lady Grace,"plimented the man. "Thank you, Sir Robartae." "Though I am curious to know how you got her so freely. Your brother seemed to hover a little more than necessary knowing someone would take her away," this man wanted to spend time with her? thought Penny to herself before shaking her head mentally. This was not going ording to anything she thought. At this rate where Damien was nowhere around, she would be forced to go along with what Grace was proposing. She had seen how ves were beaten on the streets for not responding or obeying. "Just a little persuasion and luck," answered Grace. After courting other men whom she had met, Grace wanted to be in the good grace of Robarte as he was one of the high standing men in the society. He wasn''t as rich like her own family but he would do too. Another man arrived, whispering something in Robartae''s ears for him to nod, "Would you wait here, Lady Grace. I have some errands to run through which needs my urgent presence," he smiled at the young vampiress who first looked at him in a confused expression before nodding her head. "No problem. I will be here while you finish your work," she nodded to him as he left with the other man. In the meantime, Penny racked her brain. She had to run away! Thest thing she needed was someone taking her away and the man Robartae was bad news. She was surprised that Grace had made ns to meet him here and to her worse luck it was when Damien wasn''t present. Feeling the vampiress pull her again, she wondered where they were going when Grace herself said, "Let''s take a look at the ck market. I am sure you remember it," stated Grace haughtily. As Grace continued to walk, dread began to fill in Penny''s body. Grace was a loose woman, and there was no saying if she would decide to sell her off. Chapter 216 - Things that dont belong to you- Part 3 Penny''s arms hurt right now with the amount of exercise Grace was giving her by making her walk. Her body was hurting all over and giving up on her. Her face was throbbing in pain but most of the pain came from her back. The vampiress had kicked right at the wound making it even worse than before. She could feel the pain course through her body. As they headed towards the dark alley which had less light and looked cozier than the other parts of the Isle Valley they had stepped into someone called, "Mdy!" the voice sounded sweet and it was ady with blonde hair and her eyes ck in color who looked lovely in the clothes that she wore. She looked like a prettydy, her eyes kind and her words polite even when she called. Grace turned around to look at the young woman, "What?" thedy appeared to be a human who offered her a smile, "It is a very beautiful dress that you are wearing, mdy," Grace''s eyes narrowed looking at the human who wasn''t a pureblooded vampire. If she was a woman of high standing society she would have met the girl, but what Grace didn''t know was that this girl had been preparing for her exams to enter the work of the council. She was none other than Vivian. Penny looked up at the young woman, her eyes holding an emotion of pity and unhappiness at the sight of where and how she was right now. Grace who was sizing the woman up and down with her eyes, looked at her as if she were no less than Penny,?"It isn''t something a person like you could afford." "Of course, mdy but might you point me in the direction where I can go look at it? Maybe once I have enough money I shall go and buy one day," Grace huffed. Somewhere Penny understood that thedy who had arrived wanted to help her and was not alright with what she saw. Thankfully, Grace''s hand that was holding her leash loosened which was being pulled where Penny had to crane her neck. "Keep wishing and collecting money but you still wouldn''t be able to get one. You are insisting so let me tell you. You will find it in ''Ventroquilor''. Have you heard of it?" asked Grace twisting her lips already knowing the person didn''t know about it. A regr visitor of Isle Valley which was made for people like her knew the in and out of it. This human clearly had no idea about this ce. "I am sorry. I haven''t visited all the shops here," thedy''s speech continued to be polite and even as if she were not looked down upon. Penny couldn''t tell how grateful she was and if she could she would have offered her a smile, but right now her entire face hurt to move too much. "Truly you haven''t. You wouldn''t have," Grace spoke in a matter-of-fact, "A woman of your status wouldn''t be able to go that far into the valley. You know what let me take you there," thedy looked delighted. "You will? Thank you, mdy," thedy bowed her head and as she lifted her head, her eyes met Penny''s. She gave her a reassuring smile. Grace started to walk, "Follow me." "My name is Vivian," she introduced herself. "Grace Quinn," responded back with not much enthusiasm. They walked back and away from the ck market which settled down Penny''s heart that had started to thud anxiously. To live a life which was better than many could imagine and to put back in where there was no life, she could hardly grasp the situation. If even she ran away, Grace would catch up and there was no telling what would happen. Either she would be exposed as the witch to burnt to death or be thrown in the next den. When they reached a store that was tall and wide made of sses around it, Grace said, "Here, it is," thedy named Vivian smiled. Her eyes had shifted to look at the sore before her.?Her eyes crinkling in some sort of satisfaction that Penny could read through her face. It was as if thedy had something up her sleeve as she smiled. A few seconds passed by when she finally heard a voice she was waiting for, "Grace!" came Damien''s voice which was filled with rage. In that spare moment, she felt a sigh of relief escape through her lips. A burden that she had been carrying was finally let down that only made her feel emotional right now. He was here...Penny gulped down the bubbling emotions of her. SLAP! The sound of his hand touching Grace''s cheek was heard clearly that had some of the strangers turning to look at what happened. "Damien!" Grace held her cheek in her hand, ring equally at her brother. The force had been hard to have her staggering back. The young vampiress couldn''t believe Damien would p her in front of so many people. "F.u.c.k off, Grace," Damien was beyond pissed. Helping Penny stand up that took time as her back had been in a bent position for some time. Removing the cor around her neck, his eyes scanned the number of bruises that now covered Penny''s face. He could also smell the scent of the blood that wafted from Penny''s back. He could see how d Penny was at the sight of him. His eyes shifted to look at Vivian. Thedy quickly spoke, "I was looking for direction," and then turned to look at the shop. Grace gritted her teeth, "You cannot p me in public! I am your sister." "Pull shit like this again and I will do more than a p. Keep your hands off her. She is my pet and not yours," Damien red down at her. Penny could tell that he wanted to do more than a p. "She is a bi-" Another p was heard making her flinch. This p being harder than the previous one which had her lips split enough to have her bleeding. Chapter 217 - Things that dont belong to you- Part 4 Two men exited from the store,?one who had brown hair and smiled looking at them while the other who was blond had an aloof aura around him. "What a lovely day to be out in the sun!" the two men came to stand on either side of the woman. By their eyes, both of them were pureblooded vampires. The aloof vampire looked at thedy named Vivian who smiled back at him as if assuring him she was alright when he gave her a questioning look. "Good morning, Lord Nichs. Duke Leonard," Damien exchanged a small bow which went for courtsey''s sake. Grace who was still recovering from the shame being pped and unable to conjure the right words bowed her head. "Good morning, Damien," the blond-haired man, Leonard greeted him. The man then turned to the girl to ask her in a gentle voice, "Was it difficult to get here?" "No, Lady Grace showed me the way. She was kind enough toe along with me," answered Vivian.?Penny didn''t know why but somewhere deep down in her mind, she could feel a connection to this girl. Like they were simr yet different. How strange, she thought to herself making her wonder why it was. "How lovely, Lady Grace, thank you for gracing your presence to our lovely Vivian to show her where we were," Penny wished she couldugh at the priceless expression now that Damien was next to her but her face felt as if it were swollen. She felt Damien''s hand curl around her waist to bring her close to him. Grace who had been looking down at thisdy had her eyebrows furrowed in confusion now. Lord Nichs was one of the highest standing men of their society. He was speaking highly of a human which he had never heard before. The girl had asked for the address but who knew that she was acquainted with the Lord. And did he address her as ''lovely''? The vampiress could only re internally at Vivian, "Ah, and who is this amongst us? It''s too early for you to be walking on the streets, isn''t it?" Nichs smiled in question. "My brain-damaged sister took this one away when I wasn''t home. Had to take her back," Grace red at her brother where he continued to say, "Do you have any suggestion on how to fix her so that she knows how to not touch one''s possession?" Grace wanted to speak something but Leonard beat her to it with an uninterested voice, he suggested, "You can send her to Lord Nichs'' mansion, he has plenty of ways to straighten up a child." Grace huffed, "There is nothing wrong in ying with her a little." "Tch, you should listen to your brother, little girl," the lord smiled, his eyes looking at her calctingly, "Get your own toys than y with other toys. Now then, let''s carry on with our lovely day, shall we? Damien, I have something to ask you, maybe we can setup up sometime in the evening." Thedy named Vivian took a step forward towards her when?Damien came to stand between them like a wall. His eyes intensely looking at her as if to ask what business she had with his mouse, "She needs water," spoke Vivian withplete straightforwardness. "I will give it to her," he tipped his head slightly, a subtle gesture of thank you before saying, "I will meet you in the evening or tomorrow," said Damien, not spending more time there, he helped Penny walk ignoring the stares that they were receiving. Grace had walked away and disappeared to leave both Damien and Penny alone to walk. The young vampiress walked towards the carriage while Damien took Penny to one of the alleys which were not used by people. Seeing no one there, in an instant they were back in the mansion and in his room. Fetching the jug filled with water he poured it into a ss to give it to her, "Drink," he said bringing it up to her lips. She brought her hands to hold it, her eyes staring at him as he walked into the bathroom and stepped out. Bringing the cloth to wipe her face once she was done drinking water. "Do you want more?" he asked for her to shake her head. Penny had tried to be strong during the time Grace had kicked and pped her, degraded her to nothingness where she pulled her with a leash while making her crawl on the ground but with him here right now, her walls fell down. Her eyes watered, the water in them hindering her sight which made it difficult for her to see him. She felt him touch her face and she inhaled the air around her, closing her eyes for the tears to fall down. Damien pulled her suddenly in her arms, holding her tightly while being mindful of her back. "Tell me you are alright," he said with one hand that cradled her head, hearing his voice etched in worry caught her attention.?It wasn''t like something bad had happened to her, she had been lucky enough to have her stars shine at the right time to stay away from the ck market. Having Damien next to her made all the difference, the worry that had been weighing on her was now gone. "I am okay," she whispered, nodding her head in his chest. For the very first time, Penny caught on to Damien, taking his support as more tears spilled from her eyes. "Why are you crying then?" he asked her not wanting to let go of her, hugging her close to him. "I am happy to see you," she replied back, pulling away to look at him with tears smeared around her cheeks. Returning back with his ability finally that worked, Damien had heard from his sister Maggie that Penny wasn''t in her room. On further inquiry, they found out from the servant girl that Lady Grace had taken her out to the Isle Valley. Grace had crossed the lines he had warned her not to. He would deal with her appropriately, but right now he had priorities. Unwavering eyes took in the fresh bruises that were inflicted on her, "It won''t ever happen again. I promise," the red eyes that flickered between red and ck swore to keep her safe. Chapter 218 - What is strength?- Part 1 Damien helped Penny with her wounds. Dabbing the cotton while making her sit on a chair with his back against the desk of his room. Applying ointment on her face. Every touch on her face had her wincing which made his blood boil in anger. "Just a little more," he said, pressing the cotton on her skin which had swollen. It would take two days for the swelling toe down, the wound which was discolored would take more time before it would fade away.? He was done cleaning her back, and this time there was not a single word of protest that came through her lips. She sat there docile without many words as if in a state of daze. Penny had been lost in her thoughts at what happened, running the time that took ce a few hours ago over and over again as the pain continued to ink her mind that came with every touch of Damien on her skin. She could feel his hands that were gently moving back and forth, his eyes staring at the parts of her face. She asked him, "Where did you go?" it was something she was curious to know since his two days of absence. And though her words were supposed to be simple, the intended message came out as if she wanted to know why he left her alone in this mansion. "To Woville. My stay was meant to be short but it turned out to be longer which I had not expected. I didn''t mean to leave you here alone," answered Damien, his hands and gesturesing to be patient. For the very first time, both Damien and Penelope were speaking to each other like a.d.u.l.ts who didn''t tease and have sarcastic retorts for each other. Now even the first time Penny had hurt her back had Damien behaved with her like this. Penelope who had already been alone these days, holding herself against the antics of Grace and Lady Fleurance, Damien looked nothing less to an angel who had rescued her. Maybe calling him an angel was a far fetched term thought Penny to herself. He was her own personal devil who made others life a living hell while having his own ways of handling her. The more she thought about what happened the more her eyes filled up with tears but she tried to not shed them. Damien who was dabbing the side of her temple, to say, "It is okay to cry. You don''t have to hold back when I am around. Haven''t we established the fact that you are mine?" her tear-filled eyes blinked to look up and into his eyes, staring into his dark red vivid eyes. One drop of her tear trailing down her cheek while the other got stuck in her lowersh making it look darker in view. She didn''t say anything. She was quiet and obedient that got him slightly worried. Before he could inquire and get the information from her own mouth, he heard Penny ask, "What kept you in Woville?" she looked nothing less to endearing even with her nose that had turned red along with her cheeks due to her crying previously and now which she tried to hold back. "If I could I would take you in my arms right now, Penelope. To hug you tightly, to assure the you who looked so worried and tense," hearing this she quickly turned her eyes away from him, "You keep getting hurt and I keep tending you. I don''t mind ying doctor but this is not something I wish to see you...bruised and hurt," his words trailed. "You didn''t answer my question," stated Penny for him to chuckle. "When you fell unconscious in the vige town, the witches injected the poison they have so cleverly designed for us vampires and pureblooded vampires," Penny suddenly frowned, worry forming on her face to hear him say, "I am fine now. Unfortunately, I wasn''t a few hours ago and yesterday. I think the corruption potion didn''t work well in my body. Though I am alright now, it affected my ability to travel back due to which I waste...Late to get back to you. What did Grace do?" Penny didn''t know if she wasfortable talking about how she was cored and dragged from the dining table to the carriage and then to the Isle Valley. Feeling her insecurity and the ufortableness, Damien patted her hair, "Don''t hide anything from me, Penelope. I won''t judge you for anything that has happened in the past or now. No one will ever think of what Grace did once I am done dealing with her." As much as the happiness it brought Penny, she was worried about what he would do with the young vampiress. Though not directly blood-rted, she was his step-sister. "Tell me, sweet mouse," he urged her for her to finally spill out what happened, her voiceing out much quieter and tired. Once Damien was done taking in a detailed report of what happened during his absence, he patted her head again. Running his hand from the crown of her head to the back, "You did well. Much better than I expected. You are a strong girl," he praised her as if she needed to hear it to calm her anxious heart. "I don''t know about that," she replied back. When she turned to stand up, he helped her, his hands supporting her. With a slight tilt, he asked, "Why do you say that? For one fact I know, you wouldn''t have given the satisfaction that Grace could bask in. The woman I fell in love with is strong and fierce in character even though she doesn''t show it. It is why she tried to push you further wanting to seek that satisfaction which you didn''t give in. Don''t you think she is pitiful?" And though Damien asked her the question, her thoughts were still catching up with what the word of love. He had meant it before but this was the first time he had spoken even more clearly. Unlike other men who behaved hard to please which in truth Damien was hard to please, the man unashamedly spoke about his feelings for her like it was the most natural thing to do. And somewhere down in her heart, she didn''t mind it. It might be one of Damien''s charming quality, thought Penny to herself. Chapter 219 - What is strength?- Part 2 Feeling her insecurity and the ufortableness, Damien patted her hair, "Don''t hide anything from me, Penelope. I won''t judge you for anything that has happened in the past or now. No one will ever think of what Grace did once I am done dealing with her." As much as the happiness it brought Penny, she was worried about what he would do with the young vampiress. Though not directly blood-rted, she was his step-sister. "Tell me, sweet mouse," he urged her for her to finally spill out what happened, her voiceing out much quieter and tired. Once Damien was done taking in a detailed report of what happened during his absence, he patted her head again. Running his hand from the crown of her head to the back, "You did well. Much better than I expected. You are a strong girl," he praised her as if she needed to hear it to calm her anxious heart. "I don''t know about that," she replied back. When she turned to stand up, he helped her, his hands supporting her. With a slight tilt, he asked, "Why do you say that? For one fact I know, you wouldn''t have given the satisfaction that Grace could bask. The woman I fell in love with is strong and fierce in character even though she doesn''t show it out. Not to mention, you have quite a character. If you didn''t, no matter how interesting you were, you would have joined the party in theke of bones. So tell me. Why do you feel you aren''t a strong girl? Is it the tear," he said, bringing up his hand to catch one of the tears that had caught in her lowersh. "Tears don''t show you are weak. Tears can''t amount if the person is strong or weak. That is utterly ridiculous.?Let me tell you something," he said, leaning forward, he blew air on her forehead that her closing her eyes with the way he tried to soothe her. The liquid that he had applied a few moments ago was still in the process of drying, with the breath of his her skin felt cold, "When I was a little boy, I cried a lot." Penny''s eyes that were closed snapped open hearing this, looking right into his eyes to see he wasn''t making it up, "Why?" she questioned, a small frowning to fall on her forehead. It was hard for her to believe that for a person like Damien, there was something that could make him cry. As her eyes searched for an answer looking at his own eyes waiting for him to speak, he smiled looking at her. A small smile that came and went, "My beautiful mother was not like any other vampiress," he started gaining her attention, "She lived by her own rules, some which she bent if the need came. Here, in the mansion and outside the people who have met her and known her, were the only ones who truly knew her. She had the habit of killing people without a blink of mercy. Most of the things were in terms of ck and white. Usually, mothers shield their children from the gore but my mother invited and encouraged us to look at it." "I am sorry to hear that," Penny didn''t know that this was how his mother was. All this while with the way Damien cherished thete Lady Quinn, she had thought that his mother was much better than the currentdy. But who knew that she was far worse than what Lady Fleurance was, "Didn''t your father say anything about it?" he nodded his head. "Pureblooded vampires take pride in their kills. It is one of the things that is used to show off the control that they hold in thends. Father didn''t mind it until he caught mother showing us the way she killed a man," answered Damien. A sigh escaped his lips, "Maggie and I had burdens on our shoulder. To be the obeyed and dutiful children who listened to every word our mother had to say. While I was following it and learned the ways from my own kin, Maggie had a hard time following it. I dealt with learning but the deaths were never easy to see. The screams ringing in your ears, the blood sttering all around you and the ground to make it a death ground. It wasn''t anything pleasant for us. It doesn''t mean I hate my mother," he smiled, one of his eyebrows raised as he said this, "I still love and respect her the same." It then dawned on Penny, something about him as she stared into his eyes with the hue of ck inking his red eyes, "When did you notice your heart was corrupted?" she inquired. "It was after my mother''s death my eyes turnedpletely ck but," he paused, "I remembered mother taking me to Murkh which is why he wants to dissect my body to learn more about my gene and the cause of the mutation when there was no potion injected nor a bite to infect me. If my mother got me checked, it meant she noticed the corruption taking ce which in turn meant my heart was already corrupted before her death." For the very first time, Penny felt sorry for Damien. Her childhood had been lonely, most of which had started to turn white and nk which she hadn''t noticed earlier. She wondered how it felt to see bodies being ripped apart one after another at a young age. "My worried mother didn''t realize that she was the reason that my heart had started to corrupt," a dry chuckle escaped through his lips, "Each and every person in the pureblooded vampires vary when ites to handling emotions of pain, learning to cope. Funnily, the corruption that came out full-fledged didn''t peak itself after that.?Some can''t handle and turn to utter darkness." Damien who belonged to the second generation of pureblooded vampires, his body had been strong enough to repulse the corruption. Some of them were easily affected which led to death. While there were some who grew out of the indescribable pain of corruption before the core of their heart was seized with darkness. Growing and creating things that were unheard of. Chapter 220 - Bottled person- Part 1 Penelope didn''t know what she was doing but since the time he had spoken about his childhood where his heart had been corrupted, his mother being the cause who hadn''t realized it, she wanted to help him. For someone like her, who had only heard about corruption by words and the only person she met being him, she wanted to be of some use. One would question her intentions which were hard to exin right now. It was a sudden change of heart. In the beginning, Penny despised this man for making her starve and making her sit on the floor while the rest sat at the table. Threatening her that if she were ever to escape he would make sure to hunt her down. Putting her posters all around thends until she was brought back to him. Now that she thought about it, there was no way he could do it. Those were empty threats as he had to get herself drawn and an artist could do only match up to an extent. It would be a different matter if Master Damien knew how to draw and paint. Things had changed though and she was d he was the man to save her from the ck market. She was grateful and would never be able to repay his kindness. The man was brash as he spoke but he spoke most of what was on his mind without holding back how he felt. "I don''t think it is going to work, Penny," she heard Damien speak. With her hands that were ced on his chest, she looked up to meet his eyes. Their body close in proximity, "Your eagerness brings me joy but I know the limitation of when a person has the ability and also when the person has the core of the heart corrupted." "There''s nothing wrong in trying," she said, giving him a questionable look. "True but with the trial of trieses hope which isn''t good to carry. Humanity is a lost cause because of this very hope," he said, his voice turning somewhere cold. "But it is hope, that makes one live happily without carrying the burden on the shoulders," Penny wondered if his words were truly right that he couldn''t help him, "The ck witch, Bathsheba said I was a water-elemental white witch. If I can change the poison to water and blood to water. I should be able to remove the harmful particles that now run in your blood." "Do you hear your words, mouse. Everything you have turned until now it was only to change back to the water. Have you tried to change it back to blood?" he questioned her, his body falling backx as he leaned further to the edge of the desk his back rested on, "Do you n to kill me by turning my remaining good blood to water? No matter it be a human or a vampire, blood is what keeps us running and functioning." Damien had a point there. Would her trying to help him only make it worse for him? "I don''t stop you from trying though if you think it is going to work," he said but Penny''s confidence was shaken. What if she did something she didn''t mean to? She didn''t want to do something she would regret and with that thought, she retraced her hands back to her side which had been ced on Damien''s chest. "Are you scared?" he questioned her when she moved her hand away. Penny whispered, "Yes. I should first look and see if I can turn the blood impurities to clearer blood." "By then I would be dead," he deadpanned making her snap her head at him. "What?" His voice was serious as he said, "You didn''t think I have a long life to live now, did you? With my already corrupted heart and the ck witches who tried to inject me with spitgrass to turn me into apletely converted corrupted vampire, I haven''t been myself. It was why I was unable toe here on time." "But you are here," was there something wrong with him now. "I might be here but I know how you see my eyes. Noticing those ck flecks that are in there, knowing the corruption is taking ce. I might go berserk at any time," he shrugged his shoulders like his life meant nothing. "W-what do you mean by that? We should take you to the council doctor. Or a white witch," he could sense the worry in her tone of voice. The fret so evident that he basked in it. How long had he been for Penny to have finally opened her heart and mind to him which she finally did without realizing it. Of course, he was perfectly alright but a man could only gain sympathy and worry from his woman''s eyes that he so much craved. "I don''t think any other white witch could help me right now. If the word were to get out about my corruption, I would be rechecked and executed on the council grounds. And if it is Murkh you are going talking about. That man will happily hand me over the council to get me back so that he can cut out my chest to see what is wrong. We wouldn''t want that...would you?" he questioned her. Damien Quinn was a known sadist. It was one of the main qualities of his that got highlighted around people who knew him. He enjoyed embarrassing people and hurting them. The emotional pain that he fed on but this one was different. The more he tried to explore Penny the more he found himself to be ecstatic. Her face was marred with worry. "What are we going to do then?" she asked him. "Well, I can send you over to someone else''s home who can take care of you better. Only that you will have to hide your identity," he noticed a certain sadness that came over her. Compared to Penny, Damien had more ess to her emotions, that he was able to read it more openly than if her, As she would have to concentrate harder, "You look sad," he stated. "You are going to die. You want me to be happy about it?" she questioned wondering why Damien was not worried about his own life. Was this how every pureblooded vampires lived? Not caring about when they died because they were satisfied over the years they lived on. Chapter 221 - Bottled person- Part 2 "You are going to die. You want me to be happy about it?" she questioned wondering why Damien was not worried about his own life. Was this how every pureblooded vampires lived? Not caring about when they died because they were satisfied over the years they lived on. "What does it matter to you?" Penny heard Damien say. His head had tilted while looking at her keenly. What did he mean by matter to her? Somewhere with the choice of his words, she felt a prick in her heart. The feeling turning heavy and her breath switching to a shallower one. "You will be gone." "Yes." Penny didn''t know how to react to it. Damien would not be there? After a few seconds passed she heard Damien who started to chuckle as if unable to hold it in his head fell back tough loudly, "Oh dear mouse of mine. Aren''t you just adorable? Tell me you are going to miss me and who knows. By the love you hold for me in your heart, God might take some pity and grant me more time," she stared hard at him. Her eyes narrowing at him before she picked up the nearest object which was at the table and to her grasp which was a book he had started to read recently. Taking it in her hand, she used it to hit him angrily but Damien used his hand to shield her soft hits that hardly affected him. Penny went on to hit him with it before realizing it was doing nothing to him. For a pureblooded vampire like him, her hits hardly affected him. "Taking out bottled anger is a healthy way of living," cing the book back on the table, she turned away from him to talk towards the bed. He had been teasing her. She heard him say, "People who don''t often put out their anger then and there, there are tendencies where they keep it in. Collecting and cing it in their hearts thinking that''s the right thing to do but it is the same people who after a certain point turn violent. I know you are angry," he poked her. "I am not going to kill you, master Damien," Penny stated, taking a seat on the cushioned and soft bed that dipped down along with her. A grin came to form on his lips, "How oddly specific. Who knew that, that you were plotting my death," she rolled her eyes with her head that faced looking at the ground. She was angry but she wondered if there was any point of being angry right now? "Is there any other witch whom I can take guidance from if not Bathsheba?" asked Penny. She didn''t know why but somewhere she felt that Damien hadn''t actually been joking. There was a possibility of him having his heart corrupted. He had told her it didn''t affect him as expected but what if there was something worse than what was to be expected? There were so many questions yet hardly few that could be answered. "Right now no. She was the only ck witch. Though, there is one white witch who the councilmen like Lord Nichs and the Duke visit. She is considered to be good at her work," he replied Penny. Taking the materials he had made use of, he closed the box and ced it back in the bathroom. "But she''s not safe?" asked Penny seeing him uninterested to take her. She could hear him speak from the bathroom, "It is not about her being safe. I haven''t got to speak to her directly as most of the time I visit the church she is on errands and it is the next priest who we speak to. For the record, I am not fond of the church in general," he saiding out and stepping back in the space as her, "The problem is that if I take you there, we don''t know if we will encounter a witch hunter who often keeps an eye on the church." "Do they have nothing better to do?" asked Penny for him to grin. "I guess they don''t. The witch hunters like to hunt every possible witch down." Penny asked, "Is there no way then?" she asked him. "We can have an appointment fixed for you. Maybe you can get some insight into your ability," said Damien to receive a nod from Penny. There was something more that he wanted to ask but right now it could wait. Penelope needed the rest, her mental health being one of the concerns, "I will get you the medicinester. You need to rest right now," he suggested. "Will you be going somewhere?" she asked him. He could detect the jittery nerves of hers. Damien didn''t have to imagine too far on how nervous his absence made Penny feel. A good rest would help the recent event fade away slightly which would do her good. "Do you want me to apany you in bed?" he asked her tastefully but what Penny took him byplete surprise. "If you don''t mind," she looked at him. Damien didn''t answer her but removing his shoes off his feet. He first pulled the nket to cover her whilst helping her sleep on the bed on her side so that she could let her back heal. Walking around the two-bed posts, Damien ced his one knee on the bed and the other followed, getting inside the sheets, he said, Laying his body on his side, he looked at her where she was yet to close her eyes, "It is only a matter of time." "For what?" she asked him. "For this phase to pass," he said looking into her jade green eyes. Penny didn''t respond to it and instead stayed quiet. Looking at him, wondering how much the gore might have hurt him when he was a child for his body to turn to corruption. "Are you a bottled person, Master Damien?" her words pulled one side of his lips. "I used to be. Not anymore.?Sleep now." Chapter 222 - Retribution- Part 1 Please read the previous end of the chapter if you didn''t read the updated version of it as I rewrote the end of it.?Enjoy the next four chapters. . It took Penelope less than five minutes before she started to doze away to a dreamless sleep. Her eyes that had turned heavy was now tightly shut close. With her head that rested on the soft pillow, a soft snore escaped through her lips. Damien continued to look at her sleeping face. She looked utterly tired when he had met her at the Isle Valley. Her face marking fresh bruise, each one redder and darker with her lip that was cut. To make things worse his step-sister had made her crawl on the dirt-filled wet ground. The rim of her eyes red and it was very rare that Penny ever shed tears. Maybe today was the day where she had beenfortable enough to let the drops of tears fall in front of him. She looked vulnerable. Her body as if weak and broken which was understandable. By the way she had answered his questions, Damien could tell that there were certain parts where she wasn''tfortable enough to talk about it. He didn''t mind that because soon he would be getting the report from the very same person who had tried to damage what personally belonged to him. Leaning forward, he moved a piece of her hair which fell on her nose, pushing it away and putting it behind her, he heard her heartbeat quiet and steadily. After a while he smiled, she was finally opening up her thoughts for him to see. If she had the energy to hit him with the book over his small joke he didn''t have to worry about her much. She was too exhausted and he couldn''t but feel guilty enough to not take her with him. But at the same time, he was d he didn''t take her along with him to Woville where he had lost control. Meeting up the witch who was dragging a woman, he had traveled by foot instead of the carriage. On the way, his corruption had started to act, making him turn in a way where he lost the count of space. It felt hazy and dark but somewhere he remembered drinking the blood of the vampires. It was one of the advantages of being a pureblooded vampire where one could feed on their own kind without worrying about theck of humans around them. While his state continued to fluctuate and with the amount of blood he had consumed on his way, he was finally able to travel as if the poison that had entered his core of heart was disappearing away. Arriving back at the mansion, he had apparated to his room expecting to meet Penelope but she wasn''t there. Walking around in the room, he had wondered if she down in the mansion or with his sister Maggie which had made him take shower before changing his clothes. Stepping out of his room, he had met Maggie, "You''re finally back home," his sister Maggie had responded at his presence, "You didn''t let anyone of us know that you would be gone long." "It was a pressing matter. I didn''t expect it to hold me back this long. Have you seen Penelope?" he asked looking at the below floor where some of the servants walked to work on their jobs in the mansion. "Isn''t she in the room?" Maggie questioned, her head falling to the side, "She didn''te out your room while you were gone. Maybe she is in the kitchen?" proposed his sister for him to give her a small nod. Looking down at the watch which was fixated in the hall as he stepped down the stairs, he saw it was early mid-morning. Did she not have her breakfast? he wondered. Making his way towards the kitchen, he gave a nce trying to find her but she wasn''t there either. The maids who were there bowed their head deep, not raising their heads until he had stepped out from the kitchen. It was strange how both Damien and Penny had missed each other with less than an hour''s time. If one were to arrive early and another to leavete, the whole misfortune could have been avoided but some things were meant to be. With furrowed brows, he had looked for her, trying to find her with the bond he had ced to realize she wasn''t here. There had been strict orders that Penelope was never to leave the mansion without his very permission. It was a rule he had given out when he had only bought the girl. With her not in the mansion, there was certain angst that brewed in his chest. Penny knew not to run away and escape from the life he had handed down to her. She could be rash but she wasn''t stupid when she knew how important it was for her to be safe. The question was where she was and who had taken her. With his anger bubbling up like a heat which had only started before the hot liquid would spill out, he caught hold of the maid who was walking past him with shaky legs. He raised his hand to stop her from walking away, "Stop," the maid looked scared and worried. Her eyes looking at him as if she already knew the dread that was approaching, "Where is my pet?" he asked her. "M-master D-Damien, Lady Grace took her," the maid stuttered unable to keep her conversation and ready to cry with the way Damien looked down at her right now. "Where?" his jaw ticked, his red eyes narrowed to form slits. With her throat dry, the maid gulped, "I am not sure-" "WHERE?" his voice resonated loud enough for the ss and the other items to shake. The girl flinched in fear. Though she had done nothing, her legs started to shake, "I-Isle Valley-ey." Hearing this he didn''t wait for a second longer. His up to no good sister had really crossed the line and it was only time she would receive what she deserved. Chapter 223 - Retribution- Part 2 Damien moved out of the bed, making sure Penny was fast asleep. He doubted she would wake up and therefore after an hour passed by, he stepped down on the carpeted floor. Taking the pillow which he had been using, he walked around to ce it behind her. She hadn''t changed her position as if consciously knowing her turning on her back would bring pain to herself. The wound which was supposed to have started to heal after two days had opened up. Bruises on her back where he didn''t need Penny to be specific on where Grace had kicked her. His hand clutching tightly as it formed into fists he let them loose. Bending down he kissed her very gently, his lips leaving a feather-like whispered kiss which barely touched her before standing straight again. He picked a couple of woods to add them into the firece to keep the room warm so that the girl on the bed could sleepfortably. It was something he had been doing since he had bought her to the mansion. Humans often caught cold which led to serious matters before they would pass away like the fragile being they were. Ready to leave, h walked towards the door when he heard, "Damien." A smile came to form on his lips, "I thought you were asleep," he turned over his shoulder to see that her eyes were closed. She was dreaming. How sweet was his mouse to think about him even in her dreams while he had asked for her to sleep. Going for the knob of the door, he turned it around and stepped outside the room. His footsteps were soft along with his movement before he shut the door close. The expression on his face that had been smiling fell like a wave that rose and fell. As he made his way to Grace''s room, his footsteps were firm and his shoulders straight as he walked all the, not bothering to knock on the door but kick right at it which opened with a loud bang. Stepping inside his eyes looked around to see his sister was not home yet. "Of course. How could I underestimate you," muttered Damien under his breath. With his father gone out for work, the girl wouldn''t return until then knowing his father would stop him if he would n to do something to his third child. But Damien was as stubborn and cruel as what she had done. Today his father''s presence would not save her. He walked back into the hall to see his stepmother, Fleurance walking back to her room from the dining room when he greeted her, "Good afternoon, mother dear," a look of surprise passed across her face. "I heard you went to visit Woville. You arrived pretty quickly. Did you use magic?" asked the vampiress with one of her brows raised. Damien smiled, the fake smile which many were aware it to be fake and still he used it on purpose. "I did. It is one of my many special abilities," he answered for her to press her lips by seeing him smile vacantly. Even if he told a person openly, no one would believe to think that a person had the power to travel through space in less time than what people were used which were the carriages. "Is there any time you can speak without being sarcastic?" asked the woman, looking at him as if she were unhappy that he didn''t ept her as his mother after all these years. The bitter truth was that it was neither Lady Fleurance''s or Damien''s fault as time passed by things had only turned dire with the gap which now could never be filled. Lady Fleurance after getting married to his father had looked forward to a happier family, children that would listen to her. But with the loss of their mother both the children never came to ept her part of their family. The distance only grew, misunderstandinging forth where now everyone walked on thin ice when they weren''t speaking to each other. If not arguing which often took ce in the dining room. "Is there any time you can put some sense in your daughter''s head? Maybe if you did you wouldn''t be seeing the hour which is approaching quickly," hearing this the vampiress''s eyes narrowed to look at him. "She has been perfectly grown, in the right way a pureblooded vampire should behave unlike you and your sister who don''t know how to handle simple matters like that of your ve," going by his step-mother''s words he noted that she knew what went by today. His older sister, Maggie was unaware and if she knew he would have known quicker. Finding the right chance, his step-mother continued to speak, "Unlike what your mother has taught you and Maggie, I have taught my daughter better on how to own her lineage." Damien couldn''t help but have his lips quirked up, his eyes shining bright and red where the ck specks that had been around his eyes had now disappeared, staring at her. Fleurance knew very little about his mother''s upbringing with them. She took in Maggie''s behaviour as a reference while considering his living to be rebellious. Old people, thought Damien to himself, "I never got to put my mother''s teaching to good use. I am sure we can demonstrate some and maybe you will reconsider," the second wife was bound to be jealous over histe mother who had upied his father''s heart even after death. As bad as his mother appeared in the public when punishments had to be handed down, she cared and loved the family she had been given which might have been the reason why the three of them were still bound to her even after years that had passed by. "Don''t do something you will regret, Damien. Don''t forget. Familyes first and then an outsider. Those are the rules that we abide." "You are right, dear mother. How can I say no to it," he smiled, starting to walk away and he then paused his footsteps, "Don''t forget to let me know when my dearest sisteres back home." "Why?" asked Fleurance, her look turning one to be suspicion. Chapter 224 - Irreversible- Part 1 Damien shrugged his shoulder. WIthout imparting any words to reply or exchange, he started to walk out of the mansion. His footsteps taking him on the lonely bridge that stood in the air. When Grace returned, she walked inside as if she had done nothing wrong today. Like her day had been of bliss if it weren''t for her brother who returned back to only p her amidst the crowd. She gritted her teeth. She had been shamed in front of people, in front of the higher-ups like the Lord and the Duke, the very same man whom a few months ago she had been chasing. And all because of that mere ve who was nothing but worthless. How could he p her for a mere ve of no value? Someone as negligible as that girl who was a girl who came recently while she was his sister. Blood-rted! She couldn''t wait to tell it out to her father. Knowing well how her father didn''t take well of physical abuse on her. Once a maid who had been cleaning while she was in the kitchen had split a boiling pot of her from her hand which had fallen on her. That day her father and mother had the maid''s back whipped to teach her not to drop anything in the house, especially hurting their child. These maids were nothing but born out of the filth. They didn''t deserve the kindness the higher up showed them. With that thought in her mind, she headed inside. Walking through the wide hallways, she just entered further when she felt herself suddenly have her back against the wall with a loud thud. "What are you doing, Damien?! Let me go!" Grace shouted as she struggled to get him off of her. By age and strength, Damien was much stronger. Enough to overpower the young vampiress. "Hmm? Why should I?" he askedpletely oblivious. "Because I said so! Let me go! Mother! Father!" she yelled where her parents came out of their room and so did Maggie. His young step-sister was causing a ruckus but he didn''t mind it one bit. Rather he smiled and continued to enjoy seeing her struggle while trying to push him away. The family came to where they were, the ruckus inviting some of the servants who lurked to only be red back by Senior Mr Quinn to not interfere with their family matters. Family matters were meant to have only family members while not to have any outsiders involved where they could see, hear or speak about it. "What are you doing, Damien? Let your sister go," Senior Mr Quinn spoke to Damien in a grave voice. "That cannot be done this time father. Grace deserves this one," Damien responded back without turning to look and speak to his father right now. How could he miss the opportunity to torment his most favorite sister? Times like these never came often and if they did, neither Grace or Damien missed the opportunity on it. "I don''t do things without a reason." Their father looked at his children and his wife, a grim expression on her where she gritted her teeth, "Take your hands off Grace. She hasn''t done anything she was not supposed to do," said Fleurance for Damien to finally turn around. "Are you sure about it?" he squeezed his hand around her neck which had Grace now thrashing against him. "Let''s speak it out calmly, Damien. Put Grace down and we will discuss what the matter is-" his father started for him to sigh. "Trust me this one doesn''t need a table discussion. Why don''t you ask your beloved wife or daughter on what happened?" "Grace can speak if you remove your hand around her!" Fleurance took a step forward to hear Damien say. "Don''t," one word of his was enough to have her stop right away. When their father turned to Maggie as she was the most reasonably considered to the rest of the three in the hall right now, she shook her head meaning to say it wasn''t Damien''s fault. Curious the man asked, He turned to his wife, facing her to demand answers, "What did Grace do, Fleur?" The older vampiress pressed her lips as if wondering how to put it in the right way where her child would not be subjected to any punishment or threats, "She took his ve out today." "Is that all, it is?" asked Damien, his voice turning cold. "Yes, that was all. She''s too young and needs to know how to handle ves-" the woman went on to defend but Damien was in no mood to listen to her. Picking Grace by her neck where the girl had to walk on her toes to keep herself bnced and not hanging in the air. "How funny that is. After several numbers of times, I have warned not to touch things that people belong to me, how hard is it for your brain to understand that part. Or you," he looked at his step-mother. "Careful with how you speak to me, Damien," Fleurance gritted her teeth, anger spiking up with her own pride being taunted at. "Why? If you were my mother, you would have known that Maggie hates oysters in her food which you favorably bring it on our table. If you were my mother, you would have taught some sense to have Grace learn some decent manners which I see she has none. Which in turnes to the point to show you know nothing about us. Do you?" he taunted her. "Come to the point, Damien. What did Grace do?" asked his father not wanting things that weren''t directly connecting it toe out like a thread being pulled from a cloth which would lead to endless argument. "She did everything she must not do. Didn''t you, sister?" Damien patted her hair while still keeping her at an arm''s length. Finally, she had stopped thrashing around and stood still. Grace stared back at Damien and before he could start spouting his own nonsense, she decided to voice out, "I barely took her for a walk in the Isle Valley. I am sure she was sick and tired being cooped up in that room of yours." "Oh?" Damien offered her surprised expression, "What has the daye to that you think about someone other than yourself? But what came to you not touching her? Let me tell you, father, on what she and your sweet wife who is standing next to you did. I don''t know which one did what but one of these two pped the girl who I now have in my room. They kicked the girl, hit her, put a cor around her neck when I being her master didn''t resort to such things. But that wasn''t all, Grace took a bite from my ve. If there is one rule to follow it is to keep up the words and not cross your lines in the world of the pureblooded vampires. And even if you do, one should know to not leave tracks but I don''t me Grace for it. For someone who thought I would return after two days she believed the wounds she gave to the girl would reduce and turn as if she had done nothing and had never taken a bite from her." Looking at the gulp which Grace took, Damien smiled. His eyes crinkling with amus.e.m.e.nt that didn''t reach his eyes. Chapter 225 - Irreversible- Part 2 "Did I get anything wrong so far, mother ?" his eyes shifted to Fleurance and then back at Grace, "To make things worse you made her crawl on the streets of the Isle Valley with the wound you inflicted on her," Damien took the leverage of Penelope''s already existing wound to me it entirely on Grace. "She is only a ve. You dare stand to treat your sister harshly for an outsider who has no value," Lady Fleurance spoke up not liking the way Damien was steering the conversation. "She might be an outsider to you but not to me," Damien dered for a shocked gasp toe from the older vampiress in the room. "I told you! He is going to bring shame to Quinn''s name. That girl is going to be the fall of us all," came out the dramatic tone of Lady Fleurance while speaking about it to her husband who had a frown on his face. Coming from the highly renowned lineage of pureblooded vampires. Even his own father wasn''t happy to hear that his son was speaking fondly of a ve who didn''t suit their family. At the same time knowing what and how Damien was, there was little to no chance to have his mind changed as he seemed fixated on the girl. "Is it true, Damien?" his father confronted him, "She is a ve." "She isn''t," Damien deadpanned, receiving confused expression from everyone including Grace. "What do you mean, she isn''t? Do you think you can switch a ve to ady by your mere words? A ve is lower than us in status. Not just us in every name and form in the society that we live in!" Lady Fleurance demanded what was going in his head. "It is sad how people don''t listen to what is being said in this mansion. Like I said she is not a ve, she has no branding on her back," he smiled in glee to have everyone stunned and speechless, "She has never been branded except for me." Thedy''s mouth hung open, "What do you mean...?" "I ced an irreversible bond on her," apart from his older sister Maggie who appeared to be less shocked and just merely taken aback the rest appeared to be still processing it. The irreversible bond was one that wasn''t used now. It was almost a forgotten bond that had died down in years, the knowledge on how to put it where only some carried and knew it. Unlike the soul bond that was used to interlink the souls until death did them apart, the irreversible soul allowed to reach out to one another''s thoughts. In an ancient myth, it was told that there were some souls that could reincarnate and if they did, they would abide to have the very same person. If people knew about it, they would make use of it but the bond had turned worse than a whisper which no one knew of. At the same time, it wasn''t spoken because unlike the soulbond where mutual feelings were necessary to form one, this didn''t need the approval of feelings. Which in turn had a side effect. If the person couldn''t take in the bond, it would not only kill the taker but also the giver without a question. "You didn''t..." Grace whispered unbelievably. "Father," Damien spoke, his eyes meeting his father''s which looked serious, "Penelope is not a ve and she hasn''t once been branded which makes a free soul. A soul that has been untouched where your son has decided to take her as his wife. Do you have a problem with it?" he tilted his head in question. "No." Maggie looked at her father who rather gave out a quick question. Even though he was a quiet man, he knew his children and the way things worked. There was no way now anyone could reject the girl and call her to be a ve. At the same time, she couldn''t stop wondering how sadistic in nature her brother was and it was only going to turn worse with the time that was ticking on the wall clock. Looking at the next person who was her step-mother, she could see the shocked expression where she failed to speak right now. Damien had been dropping one note after another where people were taking time to recover. "Mother often said to protect things and people who belong to you. She protected us well and she was a remarkable woman. Mother Fleurance was saying how I should respect and ce family first. Now that Penelope turns out to be my family, I wonder whom should I listen to," he asked thinking in wonderment, "Grace...I have warned you enough. Once? Twice? It was more than twenty times but chances can only be given so far before you break thest line. I am sure at least two of them will agree here." "If she really wasn''t a ve you should have said it so in the beginning. It would have avoided the confusion," his little sister spoke through her teeth. "You still don''t get it, do you? The words were to follow and not to break. You broke the family code which you couldn''t follow. You are a disgrace and I believe you should have the same treatment with what you have done to her," Grace''s eyes turned wide before she gave him a smile. "You can''t do that. I am one of Quinn''s and you have a family to honor which includes me." "You have disgraced the family enough to speak about honor right now," Damien''s eyes zed with fire. The anticipation making him lick his lips. "This stupid and-" Lady Fleurance went to step forward again but this time it wasn''t Damien''s action which stopped her. It was her husband who ced a hand in front of her. "Damien is right, Fleur. This family is built on values andws. It is not the first time for Grace to break it and she has broken it far too many times that we can consider to overlook the matter," the man was older than the rest but not blind to what was right and wrong, "I am disappointed that you did not heed to my words, Fleur." Lady Fleurance''s lips parted, "What?" There was a deep frown on their father''s face as he spoke, "When Grace asked me about the girl, I told her to take Damien''s permission. Not to do anything without his word. You should have made her understand instead of being lenient about the matter. You reap what you sow. It is not Damien who will handle what he needs to do with her," he said sighing in the end. "But she is our daughter," the woman looked at him disbelievingly. The man said nothing but continued to look forward with a calm expression on his face. Grace who had been confident all this while that nothing would happen to her not looked scared at Damien who looked at her with mirth in his eyes. She looked at her mother who looked helpless and her father who didn''t look at her right now, leaving her in the hands of Damien. Chapter 226 - House rules- Part 1 Don''t forget to vote for the book with your red power stones. 5 chapters ready to read! . Grace couldn''t believe that her father approved and was taking Damien''s side right now. For someone who came yesterday, they were choosing that ve girl over her. Their daughter and sister. She hade to believe that her parents would support her. Even though her father had not given her permission it wasn''t because he felt it was wrong of her to take the ve girl out but just because it was Damien''s ve. "Is this because I am not your firstborn or second born child?" she looked at her father with a mixture of pain and anger in her eyes. Her father who had refused to look at her at this moment after hearing what had transpired in and outside the mansion in his absence, now returned his gaze back to look at his youngest daughter to hear her speak, "Damien and Maggie have always been your favorite. Whatever they do is always right and what I do is wrong and childish!" "That is because what you did was childish," her father responded back to her and the young vampiress shook her head as if refusing that she was in wrong. She pushed Damien''s hand away from her but her brother didn''t let go of her neck. His hold instead only turned violent making her cough to make her understand that rebelling wasn''t going to favour her right now. "I always have to fight for affections in this home. Do you know that neither of your children ever speaks to me politely?! They are always among themselves making sure to let me know that I am the outsider," Grace heaved out arge breath, anger bubbling in her eyes. A certain sadness that lingered behind her eyes which started to crumble down and flow down out of her eyes, "Not once have they weed me!" "That''s not true-" started Maggie but Damien beat his older sister. "That''s right. It is because you don''t deserve the affections," at that time one could tell how much the younger vampiress was hurt yet at the same time her anger continued to brew in her, "There is nothing wrong if I try to get some attention to myself by my own means. How can you punish me over a fact where none of us was informed of her not being a ve!" Lady Fleurance agreed to what her daughter said, "Grace is right. ves have been switched and swapped. And just because she took her out for a day as her-" "Her WHAT?" Damien looked at his step-mother, "Penelope was my ve. She is mine to take care and do what I seem fit.?Just because we shared the same blood by our father that doesn''t mean what is mine is hers. Didn''t I say not to touch what belongs to me and me alone? Did you want attention? I will give you the attention you have sought." "Don''t change the subject," Grace raised her voice. Damien smiled looking at her, "I did not. If you had taken her out and not damaged her the ways I found her in Isle Valley, I would have considered your words of plea. You not only disobeyed me but did things you were not supposed to do." Gritting her teeth, Grace herself stepped forward to look at her brother in his eyes. An unmistaken annoyance and hate in them. She said, "She deserved it. You say she is not a ve but how do we know for sure that it is true? You must be telling it for the sake of it. Just to bring me down and show that I am wrong like you do always. Prove up that isn''t a ve." At those words which were spoken, the other three family members fell into deep thought. What Grace spoke had logic while at the same time it could be true or untrue. "Do you have proof that the girl you have in your room right now is not a ve, Damien?" his father''s stern voice echoed the walls of the hall they now stood in. It was only the family members who were present with the servants and the other maids who had scattered back to their servant quarters who couldn''t keep quiet but whisper over what might be happening in the mansion right now. "Proof? What are you asking proof for when I told that she isn''t a ve," came out the dull voice from Damien who seemed hardly bothered with Grace who was trying to buy her way out of her punishment. "You cannot harm Grace without proving your facts of the girl not being a ve," said Lady Fleurance, walking towards them she went to take Grace but Damien moved his hand away from her reach to have Grace walking back. "Not so soon, mother dear. We aren''t done talking so you cannot decide on believing that she is innocent," Damien''s eyes zed in his own anger, a certain amount of madness in there which was spiraling out through his voice and the way he was looking at the older woman who had to stop her hand and retracting it back. Continuing to defend her daughter, Lady Fleurance turned to look at her husband for support and said, "Everyone heard him buy the girl in the ck market. Don''t tell me she just decided to be part of it to fool him in buying her for five thousand gold coins. I don''t see a logic there that he can even prove that she isn''t a ve," turning to face at Damien, she continued, "Show us theck of ve marking. You know what I will go check it for myself and see the lies you have been spewing. Who knows if you even gave her the irreversible bond?" Lady Fleurance turned her heel, starting to walk and cing her on feet on the staircase and one hand that was on the railing of the stairs when Damien''s loud voice echoed through the hall, to say, "Take one more step towards where she is and you will have no daughter of your own." Chapter 227 - House rules- Part 2 The threat was cold and evident. A purposeful one which had the vampiress stop from moving forward. Sheughed. Laughing some more, she gave her step-son a dirty look, Spatting out the words, "All you have is a threat. Your words are filled with lies and all you were waiting for was to hurt her." "You should be the one speaking, mdy," Damien retorted back.?Lady Fleurance turned her head slightly, raising her chin like she had done nothing wrong like her daughter. She turned her heel to step down from the stair which she had stepped down, her eyes narrowed at her step-son for the false usations, "When father said to wait for me, weren''t you the one who gave Grace the permission to degrade the girl but that wasn''t all that you did now, was it? You brought the cor which you saved in your closet room. But there is more to it, you even went so far as to punish her by making her drink human blood." Lady Fleurance''s jaw ticked. Her mouth twisting in distaste. The girl deserved far worse treatment than what was handed down. For her to open her mouth and tattle tale about them, the ve hadn''t learned a word from what they spoke. "As I said, prove it to us that she is not a ve. It is quite hard to ept that after all these days you are telling us that she isn''t one. Were you trying to fool us?" "Does it matter?" Damien raised an eyebrow in question, challenging her as he knew she could go on and on and so could he right now by keeping this up until the next morning, "What makes you think that I would let you touch or see her. What belongs to me, belongs to me alone and none at all for others. Which strikes the question of you wanting proof. The bottom line right now is that Grace broke the rules and there is no way going back to what she has done or if she can fix it. Unless..." Everyone waited for Damien to continue while he left them of hanging and waiting for him to continue to speak. He turned his gaze back at Grace, "Unless she goes through what Penelope went through. And by that, I mean every single thing she did since this morning. pping, kicking, hurting her while putting her to shame by making her crawl in the Isle Valley." "She deserved that and I didn''t know it," Grace spoke through her gritted teeth. Damien moved his hand back and forth yfully, "Oh, Gracie. You should count thest remaining lucky stars of yours that I haven''t killed you yet for what you have done. For shaming someone who is dear to me, what do you think would be the right thing to do?" he asked her. "You must be joking. To put me in the same level as her. If that is so killing me is a better option. If that is what you want," the girl turned her head away dramatically, waiting to gain sympathy which only came from her mother. Their father stood there, brows slightly furrowed. Punishments in the pureblooded family, when given out, were always severe to the things they did. It was about following rules and if one failed to follow the house rules then they had to be ready to face the consequences. "Death is too easy to be called as punishment, Gracie. Haven''t you heard the saying that goes by the humans? An eye for an eye, a limb for a limb," he whispered. A loud thunder struck down near the forest that was situated not too far from the mansion. "Damien," his father spoke after a long time, "I reject the idea of her crawling on the ground. As much as it is for the sake of her punishment where she learns and fixes the errors, it is also something that would affect the entire Quinn''s reputation. It might not matter to you but it does to the rest of us. The decision lies in your hands." By now, Grace hade to realize there was no way to get out of this. No matter what she said it was like none were ready to listen. With the dear trying to bubble up from her throat, she swallowed it down. Going to thest resort, she said, "I am your sister. Someone who came first and she cameter. You cannot do this to me," by this time, her voice wavered for the oing wave which was going to hit her through the punishment. In Damien''s eyes, it didn''t matter. Nothing mattered right now, especially after seeing what she had done to Penny. The girl needed a reality check and he would do that. "Father says I can''t make you crawl the way you made Penelope crawl all over the ce of the Isle Valley as if she were a dog. Mistreating the person but don''t worry. I have a well-deserved gift for you which will be a reminder of what you did and what you shouldn''t in the future," there was a shine in his eyes which started to scare Grace. "You will regret this," said Grace, an underlying threat that Damien didn''t mind one bit. He only continued to smile, "Maggie," he called his sister who walked forward. "Yes," Lady Maggie answered. Frankly, the eldest child of the Quinn didn''t want to be part of it. Grace might have thought otherwise about her but she had always considered her as her sister. Be it only that she was a stepsister by word or half-blooded sibling where they shared the same father, she had always been polite and nice to her. Or maybe not crossing her path to avoid confrontations which were not necessary as the girl was spoilt since childhood. Standing in the sideline she had been quietly watching and listening to the conversation. Being the oldest sibling, she had overlooked things, unlike Damien who enjoyed the confrontations. The jab of words going back and forth. Chapter 228 - Anguish- Part 1 Grace had been warned and it wasn''t the first time the warning was handed down to her. Time after time she had only taunted and the only person she could me was no one but herself. "Would you be kind enough to get the ropes that are in the attic room." Maggie wasn''t sure if she should get it or wait for someone to say something, seeing no one say any a word of protest she answered with another yes. Grace looked at her with widened eyes, her eyes snapping to look at Damien to ask, "What do you n to do?" asked Grace. As Maggie started to walk towards the attic room which wasn''t too far, she couldn''t help but feel sorry for the girl. Grace should have known what would be the oue when it came to Damien but at the same time, no one had seen that things could go this far. Breaking words and rules under Quinn''s roof. Stepping inside the attic, she picked up thentern to search for the ropes. Finally finding them, she picked it and brought it along with her. The signs were all over and if one noticed carefully, it wasn''t hard to know and follow on how her brother was fond of the girl. She had realized it the day he had peeled her an apple. Not a normal peeling but a bunny apple which he had never done it for years. Thest time he did it, it was for theirte mother during her time in the bed which was a practice session. Reaching the halls, she found Damien making Grace sit on the chair. Handing him the ropes she stepped away to see him tying Grace''s hands. "Why are you tying her?" asked Lady Fleurance, her lips, and throat dry from sheer worry. Not receiving a reply, Damien continued to tie the rope whilst her father looked away already knowing what his son had on his mind. Finally, when it was done, Damien spoke to Grace with a hushed tone, "The more you fight for it the more painful it would be. Stay still and we can make your punishment quick," the others felt a quiver of shiver run down at the knowledge of what was going to happen. "No..." whispered Grace. Her eyes turning hollow in dear right now. She started to thrash in her chair for what was going toe. With her unable to move or run, she turned her face away while continuing to whisper, "No, no, no. I will be good from now. I will listen to you," she said looking back at Damien whose eyes looked hollower than hers. "Should have thought about it before you broke the words I spoke," he tched with ack of sympathy for her. It was no secret around that Damien enjoyed the fear and the panic his sister felt right now. Walking closer to her, he ced his hands on the armrest of the chair. "Please, don''t do this," a drop of tear fell down from her eyes when he used his hand to catch hold of her jaw. "Shame for shame, dignity for dignity and pain for pain. Don''t you agree to it, Gracie?" with that he raised his other whilst holding her face, "Smile now," Grace struggled for a few minutes and Damien let her. Behind them, Lady Fleurance ced her hand on her husband''s arm to bring his attention to him, "Don''t you love Grace? You are only proving her point by not saving her. Damien cannot do this! She is a young girl, please help her!" she spoke in panic. Senior Mr. Quinn hadn''t been looking at Damien and turned his back ready to leave, "It is not about proving, Fleur and you know that too. She should have known and this is all I can do." "You did nothing! He is going to rip her grace and pride of being a pureblooded vampire and you are standing here doing nothing! Help her, please. You cannot stand here and watch," she pleaded to him. Grace is my daughter and I love my children equally but you know what she did was wrong. And with the girl who now bears the irreversible bond..." his words trailed into darkness. Eyes that were closed with his wrinkles around his eyes and his hair that had turned gray, he finally opened them in sadness. The man wasn''t choosing his favorites but was merely giving out justice to what had urred. With three children, he loved them equally. The man was known for his quiet nature that was acquired by his eldest daughter. Damien had acquired his mother''s characteristics which was why he exactly knew how his son was while also knowing the mistakes that weremitted by his youngest daughter. He didn''t like it but what to be done was going to happen and there was no looking back. The irreversible bond, his son had said. He didn''t even know his son could get the marking. With the bond that had died and kept secret within the first generation of vampires, there were hardly any who knew about it. Thinking about it, he walked away from the scene as he wouldn''t be able to see what was going to happen. Lady Fleurance and Maggie continued to stay there, standing still like a statue with their own heart pumping. "Please," Grace continued to plead, another drop of a tear falling on her cheek that rolled down, "I will change," Damien brought his hand close to her mouth. "I hope you will after this," he said, his face turning serious. cing his thumb over her fangs he forced it front before pulling her fangs out one after another as the young girl cried quietly with the shame that started to sink into her bones before he even put pressure on her fang. Her mouth bled and he stepped away from her and dropping the fangs on the floor that belonged to her. Chapter 229 - Anguish- Part 2 With Damien who left the hall to go back to his room, Lady Fleurance ran to her daughter''s side. Maggie followed her step-mother''s steps, going to stand next to the chair as her younger sister stared at the empty space ahead of her. She sat there with a nk expression, her upper jaw bleeding with trickles of blood that fell down from her lips to trail down to her neck and her clothes. Lady Fleurance picked the fangs that were covered in blood, speaking to her daughter, "Gracie?" her voice was soft and gentle. Taking the ropes that were tied around her hands to the armrest. When Maggie tried to help, stepping close with her hands raised, "Stop!" came the sharp voice of her step-mother, "Don''t even think of touching her. Your brother and you framed this, didn''t you? Always treating us like outsiders. Stay away from her." "Mother-" "STOP! Grace doesn''t need your help. Leave us," Lady Fleurance looked away from Maggie not wanting to her face or anyone''s right now. Her daughter looked wrecked and broken as if she would never be herself from now. "I apologize for what has happened," Maggie bowed her head for a second and then walking back to her room. Lady Fleurance picked up her daughter from the chair, taking her by her arm, she helped her back to her room, "You don''t have to worry about what happened. There''s the council doctor who has experience in these things and he will fix back a new pair in no time," but Grace didn''t react or say a word. With them who lived in the high society of the pureblooded vampires, fangs were the most important weapon that defined them as who they were. It was a matter of pride to have them and without it they were nothing. "Here drink this," said thedy bringing a ss of water to her daughter who took it without anyint. That night a lot of them didn''t fall asleep. Penny dreamed over what happened. The ps and the kick on her back. The way the vampiress had pulled her, dragging her like she were a low dog towards the ck market. But that didn''t stop there, the girl had continued to take her to a ce until she was back on the tform of where the bidding took ce. Her breathing turned quick in her sleep that had Damien''s eyes snapping open to see the change in the intake of her breath. Bad dreams, thought Damien to himself. Moving closer to her, he leaned forward to have his lips ced near her ears, "You are safe," he whispered the words in her ears, "Don''t fear anything. You have nothing to lose and if something happens, I will be there. You are safe right now, Penny. Safe," he said to her softly without waking her up. And in less than a minute, the raging heart of hers had fallen back quiet to its normal rhythm. He looked down at her sleeping face. It was only a matter of time before he would have revealed who she was but not what she was. That was something that would never be revealed. He could go set a meeting with the priest of the church but he didn''t want to leave the mansion right now. Especially with emotions that were all over the ce and it wasn''t just him. Vengeance was always sweet and with what Grace had done he could have pushed the chair into the sea they are surrounded with. Sleeping next to Penny while listening to her hear breathing. He ced a hand below his head, crossing his legs as heid on the bed. There was not an ounce of regret but satisfaction for what he had done. The punishment had been severe than death. When morning arrived, Penny woke up with her eyes that struggled to open up. Her body hurt as she had slept the entire night in one position. "Good morning, mouse. Slept well?" came Damien''s voice behind her as he stepped out of this bath. The fresh fragrance of soap filling up the morning air in the room. Penny gave him a nod, "You?" she asked. "Wonderful sleep as always," his feet padded around the room and he walked to pull out the drawer from the dressing table, "Will you be able to walk down to the dining room?" he nced at her and then back to look at his reflection in the mirror in front of him. Her thoughts quickly went to meeting the other members of Quinn and the shame that took ce yesterday, "Can I stay in here?" she asked looking at him in the eye. "You can but my question was if you could walk down," he didn''t leave his gaze. "I can," and before she had finished pronouncing thest word, he pped his hands to say, "Good. Breakfast is going to be there for thirty minutes. It should be sufficient time to wash your face and fix your face if you need to," Penny red at him quietly. "ring is not going to do anything right now. Get yourself moving. If you haven''t fixed yourself, I won''t mind taking you down there the way you are now," saying this he padded to the other side of the room to fetch his trouser and shirt. Andst night she thought, he was being nice. Did the coin flip where he was back to torment her? But the more she concentrated on him, it appeared that his emotions were calm and happy. Was this also how a killer felt before killing his victim? asked Penny herself. cing her feet down, she made her way to the bathroom while keeping her back tight. Skipping the bath right now, she washed her face and brushed her hair before going to stand in front of Damien who was tying thece of his shoe, sitting on the bed. Once he was done with it, he looked up at her. "Ready?" "Ready." Chapter 230 - Butler wants to quit- Part 1 When they stepped inside the dining room, Penny could sense the heavy atmosphere that hung in here right now. The maids moved quieter than usual without making much noise or rather as if they were ghosts and didn''t want to be seen. Senior Mr. Quinn, as usual, read the newsletter which was brought home. Sipping from his teacup whilst his eyes were kept busy. Lady Fleurance continued to butter her toast. Not looking up at Penny. Lady Maggie and Lady Grace were in the same position. And even though their eyes were positioned doing something or the other, she could tell that the weight of her feet on the ground was being heard by them. With Damien who for once walked behind her, she continued to walk where he often sat. Ready to take a seat on the ground when he caught her arm to stop her from sitting down on the hard cold marble floor. "Sit next to me," he said, pulling the chair for her. Penny didn''t know how to react as suddenly she felt all the four pairs of eyes that had been busy now looking at her. Being unaware of what had transpiredst night while she was fast asleep in Damien''s room, she wondered if he was letting her sit right at the table because she had hurt her back. With her heart that was beating slowly, she walked around the chair where Damien had pulled out for her. Damien soon sat next to her, "What would you like to eat?" at this question, Lady Fleurance stood up from her seat with a re that was sent to Penny. "Grace and I shall not sit at the table from now," she looked at the new butler who was newly assigned only this morning who looked startled. He was a half-vampire who was sent by the magistrate for temporary purpose until they would find a permanent one for their mansion, "We won''t eat at the same table as that girl. You can bring our food to Grace''s room. We will have our meals there," she ordered the butler who immediately bowed. "What a shame," murmured Damien under his breath which was nowhere meant to be subtle. Suddenly a te fell on the ground, breaking it to many little pieces. The butler looked with his widened eyes at the ground. The white broken pieces that were scattered into bits and pieces. He was half-vampire who had been converted from a human to a vampire two months ago. Still adjusting with the new life which was given by a man who was in a higher status than him, he had registered himself to work and earn money for himself after hearing about the big money that was handed down by the elite families of the society. With a seventy percent efficiency in his work and a hundred percentck of how the higher pureblooded family were, he stood still like one of the statutes that were kept outside in the garden for decoration purposes. Like Penny who knew nothing about what had happened the previous night, he saw thedy pick up ate and throw it right at the man who sat the table. The man caught it with ease without having to look as he ate his food with another. Twisting the fork, he put the vegetable into his mouth. But thedy was not done and she smashed another te out of anger which had the servants standing still.?He had been hoping to have a pleasant day but with the tes being smashed, he wasn''t sure how pleasant it was going to be. And why wasn''t the person sitting at the head of the table reacting to anything? Was this how they greeted each other and was this the normal daily routine? asked the butler to himself. "You!" Lady Fleurance said looking at the butler, "Get the food to Ms. Grace''s room immediately," he nodded his head obediently before he heard the man who had caught the te say to him. "Do you know to cook or is it just the management you are proficient with?" Damien took another bite looking at the butler before cing down his fork on the table. "I know to cook, Sir," the butler bowed his head. "Very well. I would like somemb broth with the minced vegetable that is fresh. And by fresh I meanmb fresh. Get it ready before in the next thirty minutes," said Damien folding his hand across his chest and staring at the butler who looked torn and confused, "And it is master Damien." Grace had been very quiet the entire time, and when her mother had stood up, she had stood up along with her to go out of the dining room without a word that Penny found to be very strange. The butler blinked his eyes. Once. Twice. Finally speaking up, "Master Damien, it takes more than forty-five minutes to get the rich broth out of themb." "What are you doing standing here and yapping instead of getting it done then?" The butler looked at Lady Fleurance who red down at him as if he were ant who was going to be squished under her feet if he didn''t get her food, "Now," said thedy, turning around she walked out of the room. Though the room was cold, the butler started to feel hot, "Master Damien could wait for a little time longer while I go serve the breakfast at the room?" "No," came the nd answer, "They don''t appear to be too hungry as they left the table. I am sure they can wait. Don''t you think so?" Damien gave him a smile that freaked the butler to his very bone. Penny could see the distress that was being caused for the butler who looked as if he was about to cry and she could feel nothing but pity. Wee to Quinn''s mansion, said Penny in her mind. Chapter 231 - Butler wants to quit- part 2 "Why are you torturing the new butler, Damien?" asked his father who had his eyes on the newsletter which was in his hand. Raising his head to look up from the paper, he saw the butler who looked as if he were going to pass out with the early demands being thrown at him, "Go take the meal to Grace''s room. You can make the broth soup once you have served them and get some for all of us. Go," Mr. Senior Quinn looked at the butler who immediately nodded. Bolting from the dining room to get the food delivered to the young vampiresses'' room. Damien didn''t say anything but chuckle. "He is only new here, don''t chase him away from here already. We need someone to handle the mansion before it further falls apart," Penny who looked at the butler''s back disappear behind the walls shifted her gaze to look at the older man who sat at the head of the table. The atmosphere today was stranger and odder than the rest of the days which was what made her feel slightly anxious as she looked back at her te. Her gaze then moved to look at Lady Maggie who sat in front of her and Damien. Lady Maggie conjured a smile when she noticed Penny looking at her, "I heard from Damien you hurt your back. Does it hurt?" she asked. "It''s getting better, Lady Maggie," Penny bowed her head to hear the oldest daughter of the Quinn reply with, "That is good to hear. Make sure to take care of yourself. We wouldn''t want Damien breaking and killing others on your ord," if Penny wasn''t mistaken, there was a taunt behind her words which Penny had no idea about. Lady Maggie''s words left many clueless as she had never been present for what had transpiredst night, "Excuse me," she said, cing her napkin on the table and getting up from her seat with a small smile on her face. Kissing her father''s cheek, she again excused herself and left the room. There was a marred worry that was on her forehead, looking at thedy. Looking back at the te, it appeared that she had started and finished only half of her meal while wasting the rest of it which was left untouched. "Would you like some toast?" Damien''s voice interrupted her thoughts and her eyes fell on him where he sat next to her holding the bread in his hand, "Butter?" he asked her. It was the first time for Penny to sit at the long table. It was the first for her to sit at any table. Her mother and she didn''t own a table. At her rtive''s home, it was her uncle who sat at the table while the remaining two of them sat down on the ground. This might have been one of the reasons why she didn''t feel that affected when she was asked to sit on the marble floor here. "I can do that," she said, taking the bread from his hand and starting to butter it. When the bread was buttered well enough, she went to ce it on Damien''s te but he caught hold of her wrist and took a bite from it, "I don''t eat butter," he murmured as if meaning to say for her to eat the rest of it. Notining right now, she took a bite from the same loaf of bread. As she continued to eat her bread, she saw Senior Mr. Quinn leave the room but with no words to impart to leave the couple alone with a maid who was getting the fruits which were peeled five minutes ago. "Did something happen?" Penny asked Damien who was eating his breakfast. "Like what?" he questioned her back. "I don''t know...It feels like something is wrong. Lady Maggie''s words," Penny trailed. Seeing theck of enthusiasm he showed, she asked him again, "What did you do?" "Pulling out decayed tooths. More butter?" he picked up the butter in his hand for her to shake her head. Something did happen. "What do you mean by that?" she continued to ask without getting an answer. "We had some family words and some punishment for what happened yesterday," said Damien, ignoring the fruits that were peeled out, he picked a fresh unpeeled apple to start cutting it out with the knife, "Did you think I would sit back and watch you getting insulted not only publicly but also physically abused?" No, she didn''t think so. Penny had at least established so much in understanding this man that he was not the kind of person to sit still. If he did that would not be Damien Quinn. "What were the words?" asked Penny continuing to look at him and not the bunny apples which were being cut by him. With her currently involved in the matter, she believed that she deserved to know as everything had happened because of her. Damien hummed, his postureid back and she didn''t have to know that he had crossed his legs under the table. His hands rested on the edge of the table as he continued with his handiwork. What happened that the women of the Quinn had stood up in the intention to not have their meal any longer in this dining room? "When the first generation of pureblooded vampires came into the picture, those people set up something called family rules," there was a light scraping sound that could be hearding from the knife and the apple, "The rules were ced because there were some of them who could not keep in their thirst in control and when humans were bought they were killed by not the buyer but also the others which was when the rules were implemented. Not every house follows, it is just some of them now. The old generation of vampires who still exist. Now many families have different kind which varies from one another. Do you follow me so far?" He then said, "Grace broke the rule and she had to bear the consequences for it." Chapter 232 - Butler wants to quit- Part 3 With the way, Lady Maggie had spoken to her before leaving the table it didn''t feel pleasant but rather like a hidden taunt. Which was why Penny didn''t understand what she must have done to have her react towards her like this when all these days she had been polite. "Don''t mind Maggie," hitting at the nail which made her look at him doubtfully, "She is slightly upset that I wasn''t scaring Grace but really did what I had to do to set the girl. I pulled her fangs out of her mouth," his voice was calm as he said it, "Don''t show or feel pity for someone who none of it for you. People like that are foolish." With the atmosphere that had been heavy, it appeared that the matter of him plucking out her fangs was of grave importance. Taking in a deep breath, she let it out softly through her lips and said, "I am not happy about what happened and I definitely don''t want to go through it. What happened yesterday..." she didn''t know how to continue it, "It happened and I would hate her for what she did but the matter could have been resolved by talking," with the way Grace looked bleak and expressionless, staring into space, there was a stark difference from how she behaved usually. Full of pride, arrogance, her eyes taunting everyone to show that they were beneath her. But today the vampiress looked lost. Damien''s expression flipped like the light that wasing from the candle had been blown out suddenly. His eyes narrowed to slits, the color of his iris bright where she came to see the freckles of ck in them. The infected heart was showing up in his eyes, "See from eyes and you will see how your wounds look. Do you understand that you have been hurt first by a rusted pitchfork to only have the wound open again? Wounds take time to heal but if you keep ying with it over and over again, and if she had kicked and done something more. A pinch of bad luck would be enough to have you dead and throw somewhere where you would never be found. My younger sister has done it before," this caught her attention, "Grace has killed two servants before out of sheer arrogance for the bodies to be thrown into the sea or in theke of bones. To say she wouldn''t do it again out of pure spite, it is hard for me to believe." "It is not that I didn''t speak to her but the girl had no ounce of regret. People can call me cruel and names as they did with my mother. I care less about what people have to say. I did what I had to do and I somewhere understand why mother did what she did." How was she supposed to react? What was she supposed to say to it? Penny didn''t know and therefore she said, "Do you want the bread?" she asked him this time, shifting the conversation to a lighter topic. But instead of replying to her question, Damien asked, "Do you need to take a bath?" "I will take one at noon," she took the apple that he had cut and handed it over to her. "These are special apples. Make sure you relish the taste with every bite," after the breakfast, she stood up along with him. Standing and waiting for him, when she heard him say, "You are free from the ve life. You are a free soul but," he said when a delighted expression appeared on her face, "You will continue to sleep and share my bed. I need to go meet the Lord on what happened to Falcon and the switchers. Will you be alright?" he asked her. Would she be alright? With Grace who had been defanged and the others who didn''t want to talk to her, she should be fine right? asked Penny to herself, "I should be okay. I will stay in the room." "Better," he pulled his pocket watch from his coat. Flipping and reading the time, "Let me see you back to the room. I will have the new butler to get your food to the room. You should be fine," saying that Damien saw her to his room as spoken before having a small talk with the butler and leaving the mansion to see Lord Rune. During the time of noon, the butler was done providing the meals to all the family members in the mansion where everyone wanted to have their lunch at the room. How strange, thought the butler who went by the name Durik. It had been Durik''s dream to work in such arge mansion that felt like the ceilings reached the sky. The windows felt like doors as they wererge and the decorative items were oh so-maybe beautiful was not the word but what was wrong this morning? Was this how the greetings went by? He couldn''t imagine how many tes were destroyed if that were so. Wanting to familiarize himself with the mansion, he walked around the halls and the corridors where the endless carpet wasid down. Taking his time right now as he had assigned the work to the servants. The clouds were dark here, for someone who came from Wovile in the hope of making more money, he was not used to the dull atmosphere thend of Bonke provided them. There was barely any light but gloominess in the air which made one tired andzy. But it was not the time to bezy! said Durek to himself. With that thought, he just stared outside the window when he heard footsteps approaching from the other corner of the corridor. He wondered if it was Lady Fleurance until the sound of the footsteps disappeared. Small drops of water pitter-pattering on the window panes of the mansion softly. Remembering he had to check on the next meal which would be in four to five hours, he turned around. He was about to walk when he heard the footsteps again but this time they were so much clearer. So clear that... Durik''s eyes widened like never before while looking down where the carpet stopped to allow the marble to be bare. He could see glistening footsteps on the floor that continued in the lonely corridor making his heart slip. His head snapped back and forth. He was the only one who had been standing there for more than ten minutes now. Was the mansion perhaps haunted? Chapter 233 - Butler wants to quit- Part 4 Durik couldn''t believe what he just saw. He blinked his eyes a couple of times, rubbing one of his eyes with the heel of his hand to make sure he wasn''t hallucinating. His eyes moved left and right, looking at the empty corridor where there was no one around. With the rain that continued to fall down on the grounds as well as the mansion, pittering on therge windows a loud growl of thunder shook the windows as well as the half-vampire butler. He was definitely sure that no one had passed by. At least his newly acquired vampire ears would have picked on something but then it did pick on the sounds of the footsteps that walked on the floor. What had been soft turned heavy as the intensity of the footsteps had reduced to walk to the other side of the corridor. His heart started to thud at the thought that there was a ghost living in this mansion. How else could he exin the watery footprints on the marble floor? Gulping down the fear, he started to follow the footsteps that trailed in front of him. It was the time of noon yet the sky had certain darkness in it that diminished the light from the sky and turning the atmosphere dark and cold. Picking up one of thenterns which were burning warmly on the wall, the butler unhooked to take it in his hand. Carrying it with his hand, he raised it up and ced it down constantly to see if he could catch the person who had intruded the mansion. If there was a thief, the butler couldn''t wait to catch the person. He would be rewarded for keeping the mansion safe but then this was not the case. His hand shivered along with thentern, letting the metals of the handle that was attached to the bottom of thentern to make a sound. The clouds in the sky continued to sh against each other and growl with the sight of no one in front of him. Trying to brave, the butler continued to walk when he felt something in the wind. His footsteps that were following the trail slowed down in thought while trying to figure out what was poking from his subconscious. His hand raised, bringing thentern forward while waving ahead of him. Unfortunately, hecked the ability to fall unconscious so that he could let whatever that was happening right now pass. He stopped walking when the sounds of the thunder lowered down and again heard the footsteps. It didn''t appear to be diminishing. Rather it was increasing with every second that the butler''s head felt fuzzy out of fear. The sound of the footsteps turned louder and heavier, approaching him and then it stopped leaving him to the mercy of the rain that was pouring outside. To Durik it felt as if the invisible walk had been approaching him but like thest time, there was no one would be seen. Turning his upper half of the body along with thentern he saw no one sight when he heard a breath of air near him. Gulping down again, he turned back his body to the initial form, lowering thentern to see footprints in front of him. Not that there wasn''t a pair of footprints earlier when he was still following it. It was just that the footprint was not in the walking away direction but rather was facing him with no other watermark on the floor. Snapping his eyes close, he opened his mouth to say, "Oh God, that we pray and know of. The God of Wovi-" he suddenly stopped realizing this wasn''t Wovile but Bonke. Thend of East, "Bonke!" he corrected continuing to recite the words, "Please, drive away from the spirits that haunt us and show us some mercy. Protect your children from the evilness that is trying to sway us into darkness. I abide by your words and rules and to never stray away from the path. Please, please, please," he prayed, hearing his heartbeat ringing in his ears. He repeated a few more lines before standing still and not opening his eyes immediately. Letting a few seconds pass, he hoped, praying that whatever this spirit or ghost was would be gone.?Finally, Durik did open his eyes, a sigh escaped through his lips when he noticed that the water footprints around him had disappeared. When the next sound of the thunder shook thends, the butler bolted from there. Running from the top floor as he had never run before with his feet carrying him away from there, he reached therge stairs to run down. What had been lurking in Quinn''s mansion, had not left by the meager prayer which as offered in the air. Whoever it was, the person followed to walk with one step after another until it reached Damien''s room. The footmarks went inside the room without the need to open the door. It walked, getting closer to the person who was on the bed. Penny was on the bed with her back resting against the headboard with a stack of pillows as she yed with theb she had picked from the dressing table. Running her fingers on the tips of it while she daydreamed about what Damien had told her this morning. When the bed next to her dipped down, she suddenly sat up and forward. Her heart skipping with the sudden movement which didn''te from her. The white sheet that covered the bed looked slightly wet and the bed sprang back making Penny open her mouth at what she saw that was in front of her or who. Ady stood in front of her as if made of pure and clean ss. It wasn''t ss but water. Her body like water and her hair flowing down but with not a single drop of water that fell down on the ground. Who was she or what was she?! Chapter 234 - Elemental bearer- Part 1 With the person who was made of water, it was quite hard to see the woman as her eyes and nose were meshed into to form crystal colored liquid who stood in front of her who finally turned her body to face Penelope. "Who are you?" she asked the maiden. The crystal-like woman answered, "I am the water bearer," What? thought Penny to herself, "I came in response to the awakening," it took her some time to realize what the person was speaking about. "You are the element," she whispered. She shifted on the bed to have both her legs now hanging from the bed. When both Damien and Penny had visited Bathsheba,?the woman had run a ritual to see what element she belonged to as she was a white witch. With many who were left unaware of it, the white witches never knew what element they belonged to. Water. Water was her element but who knew that a woman iming herself to be a water bearer would appear in front of her. She had believed it was an ability that she possessed within herself. "I am not," the woman spoke which left Penny confused, "I thought you belonged to the water element but now that I have met you, you don''t have it in you," thedy spoke like a gentle breeze in the wind. "I don''t have it in me?" "Yes, you don''t," saying this, thedy started to walk towards the open patio of the room. She looked nothing less to an imaginary haunted phantom. Her footsteps leaving a trail behind her when Penny suddenly stopped her from stepping out. "Please, wait!" She had questions to ask this person and with the ck witch who wasn''t in reach anymore, this person could help her, "Please,dy." Thedy stopped her steps and turned to look at her, statue-like while waiting for Penny to speak, "You said you I am not a water element. Why did youe here then?" she asked with her eyebrows furrowed deep in question. Thedy stayed quiet for a few seconds like she was thinking and said, "I thought you were one. It is our bearers who have toe and provide the help that is necessary for the person who so seeks it. As you only acknowledged your ability, I thought you were one." Yes, so she heard from thisdy, thought Penny to herself, "One of the ck witches told me that I was a water element." "She read it wrong," answered the water bearer. When she moved, the clothes that were made of water like the rest of herself glittered due to the water droplets that hung on her, "It is usually the ck witches who know what element a ck witch is. They have all the materials that are required to run the acknowledgment," did that mean a white witch alone could not do it by herself? Pushing the thought away from her mind, Penny asked, "Might you know what element I might belong to?" there was curiosity and eagerness in her eyes, waiting for thedy to answer who again stayed quiet. This time for a longer time than before. "You might be the element ofnd," Penny wondered what an element ofnd could do but thedy was only guessing and not being definite, "You can be the element of wind or the element of fire," Penny''s shoulders slumped down. It looked like thedy didn''t know any better than her and was only giving her the options where the element of water didn''t fall in it." Once Damien would be back, she would have to ask him on this. The water bearer looked at the girl, her eyes crystal-like, she said, "I wouldn''t have been brought to you if you weren''t an elemental belonging to me. It is strange. Strange that it hasn''t happened before. Try to have another acknowledgment. If you really belong to water than I shall return for you again," her voice barely audible and rather feeble. Leaving no further more words to impart, the water bearer walked towards the patio. Penny couldn''t help herself but follow the woman not knowing how she even came to get inside the room. She saw thedy step outside and when the raindrops hit her, thedy disappeared as if bing one with the rain. The rain continued to fall down, removing the fact that ady had appeared in front of her iming to be a water bearer. Did Bathsheba get the reading wrong? It was a possibility. After all, didn''t she just drown in the sea right here outside? So odd to think that there were things or entities that existed on thesends. If the elemental beares existed, that would mean only the white witches were aware of it and not all of them just some who went through the ritual to find out which triggered the bearer toe seeking them. There was more to being a white witch than being burnt in the middle of the viges and towns, to be used more than a sacrifice by the humans in the name of protecting themselves. She wanted to learn more about what it meant to be a white witch and Damien had something about fixing up a meeting with the church priest in secret so that she could ask what she wanted to learn and what she could from here. To tell she wasn''t excited would be an understatement but everything came with a price. As unique as the white witches were, their life often hung by a delicate thread that could be cut at any point. Walking to the dressing room, she looked at herself where the bruises had onlye to be more evident since yesterday. ck and blue markings on the left side of her skin. Curious about her back, Penny undressed. Removing the cloth that Damien had wrapped around her body which took time before she caught the red spots that became only more evident as she removed itpletely. Turning her back and pushing her hair over her shoulder she looked at herself in the mirror, her back that had simr skin discoloration along with the wound which had only begun to heal. Chapter 235 - Elemental bearer- Part 2 How was one supposed to know what element they belonged to? It wasn''t like she had a nearby neighbor who could help her in helping her out. ck witches were never helpful, at least with what she heard and read in the books that were lying in Quinn''s mansion. It was something she had got her hands on in Lady Maggie''s room. When Damien finally returned at the hour of the evening which was before the time of dinner. He stepped inside the mansion to have the butler who appeared stranger and sillier than how he looked in the morning today. For someone new, Damien had to say he was doing well which meant the butler would stick around longer than the rest but as long as Falcon? That he wasn''t sure. Durik helped the young master out of his coat, the coat holding little drops of water which had sprinkled with the help of the wind that came to settle on the material. Worried about what happened earlier, Durik interrupted his master, "M-master Damien?" "Don''t stutter. It doesn''t look good for a butler to stutter. What is it?" asked Damien, folding the sleeves of his shirt up until his elbow, one hand after another. The butler cleared his throat, "Master Damien, forgive me," the man bowed his head deep, "Is the mansion haunted?" Damien who was looking at the other servants who were working heard the man speak to look back at him. Staring at him for a few seconds which had the butler wondering if he had been loud enough for the master to hear. In doubt, he raised his head to timely find the man let augh with his head thrown back. "Where did you catch on to that? That is news to me," admitted Damien, his red pureblooded eyes looking at the specimen who stood in front of him. Humans were truly a kind who went as far as o amuse him without any intention. It was only the first day and the man was finding ghosts. Had the poor soul been traumatized? The butler looked petrified when Damien ced a hand on his arm. Usually, pureblooded vampires never touched people who were lower than them and if they did, it meant something bad wasing, "What did you see in here?" "Master, there were these steps and water and then it walked by but returned back," the butler tried to exin while Damien stared at him. "Did you see anyone walking by?" asked Damien for the butler to shake his head, "Where were you when that happened? Take me there," he ordered the butler. Living in this mansion with his eyes open with the rest of the other family members, it was odd that none of them or the servants hadined about the mansion being haunted until now. If the ghosts did exist, he was sure it wouldn''t be one or two of them but a ton of them where most of the skeletons nowid on the water bed that was around the mansion. Durik took the man up where he had spotted the footsteps, holding thentern in his hand. He walked in front of Damien. His eyes vividly looking around him to pick up something like before. Reaching the ce, the butler stopped and said, "This is where I noticed it, Master Damien." "What did you see?" inquired Damien looking at the butler and then the surroundings that appeared to look normal. "Umm, it was the sound of footsteps. Walking. Then there were these water footprints on the floor," responded back the butler, realizing himself how stupid it felt to exin this right now. Ghosts were rumored myth and they didn''t exist but at the same time, the fear of them lingered in the back of the human minds. But the master didn''t look at him as if he had lost his sanity. Instead, the man took a small walk through the corridor as if he were admiring the walls and the floor. It wasn''t that Damien believed or didn''t believe in ghosts. Living in a world where anything was possible there was always room for more strange things to appear and disappear. His butler looked nervously around, waiting for something to pop out of the wall or ground. He wasn''t lying which only meant that something had entered the mansion. Question was, what had entered. His eyes looked at the window, looking through it to see the rain that continued to spill down from the clouds without a stop. Turning to face the butler, he said, "The mansion is too big and can sometimes get lonely where one starts to worry about the silence that lingers in the empty corridors. This mansion has stood by for decades and no one has ever reported having seen anything like spirits or ghosts. I can assure you that the mansion is not haunted unless," he drawled to have the butler''s face turn to extreme worry who awaited for Master Damien toplete his sentence, "Unless there was a ghost that decided to stick by you and hase here," the man smiled looking down at him leaving the butler in a worrywart state. So it was possible that it was a ghost that he had seen?! asked the butler to himself in a sense of panic. Maybe, he should look to work someone else and not here? It hadn''t been more than twenty-four hours since he had started working. "M-master Damien," spoke the butler, his head again bowing to offer and ept his plea, "I am not sure but I d-don''t feel well working here. Could we ask the magistrate to reappoint another butler to serve the mansion?" "Sure," answered Master Damien to the butler''s glee who straightened his back and ready to thank him for understanding until he heard him say, "If you don''t want to turn to a ghost yourself and have your body floating in the sea, it shouldn''t be much of a problem." Chapter 236 - Church- Part 1 "You can carry on with your work," said Damien to the butler, dismissing him from there whilst he stood looking at the butler leave the corridor before his eyes fell on the window pane. If one were to just walk by, no one would notice the handprint which was on the window. It was a faint mark which could be mistaken to be part of the rainy fog and raindrops but it wasn''t. "Sprits," murmured Damien under his breath and walked back to his room. When the door to the room opened, Penny caught Damien searching something in the room, "Did you have a visitor?" he asked to her surprise. "How do you know?" she asked baffled. "Who was it?" "It was an elemental water bearer. She said she came to help me due to my acknowledgment but it turned out to be false. She said I am not a water element," Penny replied back. "Are you sure she was who she imed to be?" it was the first time Damien was hearing about it. Elemental bearer? Apart from the witches not many were aware of the concept of elements and to hear there was something stranger, he asked, "What else did she say?" "She said it was because I acknowledged having elements, that is why she came seeking me but I am not a water element." "That can''t be true," Damien''s eyes narrowed, Bathsheba was a decent ck witch who knew what she was doing, "If you aren''t a water element the bearer as she calls herself, she wouldn''te looking for you. There must be something wrong. How did she look like?" he asked curiously that had her thinking about thedy. "Like water," Damien gave her a nod. "I have scheduled a meeting for the day after tomorrow with the church priest so that you and I both can discuss and you can have some guidance." Seeing that Damien wasn''t aware of the entity, Penny asked, "How did you know that someone visited me here?" Hearing this, one side of his lips quirked up, "Someone reported to have seen a ghost." When the day arrived to finally meet the local priest in one of the churches of the Bonke, Penny who had only stepped down from the carriage raised her hand to look at the tall church that stood at the center of the town. Looking at the gray walls one could notice that no effort was made to paint the church. The cross was ced at the tip and front of the Church building. The bells of the church ringing at the back that was enough for a person who was kilometers away could still hear it. The bell rang once, twice and many more times until it finally quietened down. The walls of the church outside looked darker because of the rain that had fallen down on it. She followed Damien inside the church to find it darker in here. It was spacious with the benches that were ced on either side of them as they continued to walk down. The wood of the benches appeared to be in white and red, the walls having little fired torches that were lit around but not enough to drive away from the darkness that was in there. And though the bottom part of the church was dark, the upper half of the wall was painted with a yellow and green hue that came through the lean windows that were built in parallel next to each other. There wasn''t sunlight but the little amount of brightness that was present came to pass through these windows, allowing certain parts of the church with light. Walking down further, she caught sight of a man who stood in front of the statue. With his back facing them as he offered offerings and prayers to the fellow diety in front of him, Penny wondered if this person was a white witch. His ash-colored hairplimented the clean white clothes that he wore. The cassock appeared to have another coat which fell until the length of his feet. Hearing their footsteps, the priest turned around to face them, his light blue eyes peering through his sses. The man wasn''t tall but he wasn''t short either. He fell two or three inches shorter than Damien. The ends of his sleeves looked as if they were made of metallic gold cloth that covered his forearms. The white cassock lined with the same golden material that went up and around his cor. "Mr. Quinn," the priest greeted Damien, his words quiet and gentle like most of the priests who took home in the church. "Father Antonio," Damien greeted the man and introduced him to Penny, "This is Penelope," father Antonio appeared to look at Penny keenly, his eyes on her which was set carefully without looking anywhere else but just her eyes. He held a book in his hand, one of his hand which was wrapped around the beaded chain which held the cross in it. "Nost name?" asked the priest for Penny to shake her head, "You''re the daughter of the abandoned. That''s alright. Most of us here are the children of abandoned which is why it makes life that much interesting. Would you take something to drink?" he asked them. "We''re fine," answered Damien for the man to nod his head. By first nce, it was hard to gauge the age of father Antonio but on a closer look, one could tell that he was older than the first guess. There were fine lines that marked the corner of his eyes. The color of his eyes blue which wasn''t bright but dull. A girl wearing a blue cassock with short brown hair walked in from the side door, seeking the priest like there was something pressing that needed to be informed to him without a second of dy. As if knowing who Damien was, she bowed her head to offer him some respect. "Father Antonio," the girl came to his side, stepping closer and whispering something in his ear... Chapter 237 - Church- Part 2 After listening to her short words, the smile on the priest''s face fell down, "Add in the mercenary powder which was bought a week ago. It shouldplement it fine. Also, Jera," said Father Antonio to have the girl stop her footsteps when she had started to walk, "Don''t forget to use the coal that has been kept under the cupboard. It should be on thest shelf from the right," the girl nodded before her footsteps turned quick and she disappeared behind the door. Seeing the intrigued look on the girl whom Mr. Quinn had brought here in the church, he cleared her curiosity to say, "Most of the church offer services to the public. Offering them guidance, knowledge on what path to walk on and how to receive forgiveness for the mistakes that has beenmitted by a person who feels guilty. Some of the churches though have different things to offer most of them having amon goal that is to keep everyone safe and sound while providing them protection." Penny still appeared curious and Damien stepped in to clear her mind, "Some of the churches on thends here specialize in making weapons that can be used against the creatures- humans, vampires, witches," her eyes slightly widened on this information, her eyes picking up on the walls that looked lonely and isted. It was odd how there weren''t many visitors to the church. Father Antonio then said, "I don''t think there is anything to hide where you might already know that I am a white witch. We make use of what we have, the ability so that we can be of service to the council and its members," he smiled before raising his hand, "This way. Please follow me," with that he started to walk towards the other door of the church which was located in the opposite direction to where the girl had disappeared. "Did you like the bullets which west presented to you? I hope they came in handy," said Father Antonio, leading them through the dark path of the corridor. "I very much enjoyed them. I was nning to buy six more boxes. Do you still have them or did they get over?" asked Damien while they continued to walk down with the stone walls that surrounded them which held the torch-like fire burning brightly to let one see the uneven stairs clearly. "We have two more boxes right now. Thest pieces were taken by the Lord himself after they found out about the skin changing creatures. Did you hear about them?" asked the white witch, ncing Damien over his shoulder. "I encountered them before hearing what they were," came the dry answer through Damien''s lips. Father Antonio gave out a surprised look, "Which means you were the first one to identify who the switchers." He still couldn''t believe that he had not been fooled but not once but twice in less than a day. The thought about it still got him annoyed that he didn''t realize it wasn''t Penny whom he had bought home. There were some parts of the day when he remembered that Falcon had died because he had brought the wrong girl home. If he had been sharp and calctive enough, this would have never happened but then who knew that there was another who existed amongst themselves. Talking and breathing like the people who existed and some who died. Some of the higher council members were trying to figure out the infiltration that had taken ce from what he had heard from the switcher he had killed. With theck of knowledge, one had when it came to this new creature, it was hard to pick apart on who was real and who was not. While a lot was not aware of what was going on in the council, some of them were working on getting it fixed but who were they supposed to trust and whom to not? This time had turned dire, leaving many with questions that had no answers. "Unfortunately, yes. Once the wind of it is caught there would be many would be buying the silver ash bullets. It works well with the witches as well as the switchers. Right at the center of the head," said Damien as they ascended down the stairs. When Penny finally made it to thest stair, she couldn''t believe that the church which was at the top could hold something so magnificent to what she saw in front of her right now. The atmosphere and the space they were in were darker than what they had left behind them before the stairs but there was light. Candles that were lit after every tall pir which stood on the left as they continued to walk. The ceiling of this ce was dark and ck which made it look like an endless pit of ckness. "That they would. Everyone wants to stay safe and make sure that they don''t get caught in the loop. I don''t think you will have any definite answers on how to identify them until that doctor of yours dissects them out," said Father Antonio, taking a turn that led to a narrower hallway this time, "Miss Penelope. I heard from Damien that you tried to find your element and it was water." "It isn''t," Penelope answered to receive a questionable look from the priest. "Did you find what it was?" she shook her head. "You should try catching hold of the next ck witch to get the answers if that is what you seek. Unfortunately, I cannot help you in that matter if that is what you came here for, miss Penelope," Father Antonio came to stand in front of a door, opening the lock to push it open, "Please step inside," once they did, the darkroom which suddenly lit up with a snap of someone''s fingers. Penny''s eyes snapped to look at the white wich who had ash hair, looking at her to say, "I am an elemental fire." Chapter 238 - Church- Part 3 Using his already raised hand, he snapped his fingers for another wall to fill up with fire which was previously not there in the torches, "Handy, isn''t it?" asked Father Antonio, making his way to the center of the table with candles that were ced at the center of it. Some that were burning while some that were not lit. As if wanting to give both the witches the space they needed, Damien didn''t bother to take a seat at the table. Instead, he walked towards the other side of the wall which was filled with books. They were old books which must have been a mini library down here as the witches weren''t known to travel out of the witches not only because of the eye that was kept on them by the council but also because some of them feared to what mighte upon them with their identity exposed to the outside world. Penny taking the lead to asked questions asked him, "How long did it take for you to control the fire element?" he waved his hand for her to take one of the seats at the round table. Father Antonio took a seat in front of her. cing both his elbows on the surface of the table and giving a thoughtful look before he replied, "Must have been two years. Close to two years. Some of the white witches learn to control it sooner while some take longer than two years. It all boils down to if you can really handle the ability that you have. Just because you know that is your ability and the element bearer has gifted you to seal the deal, that doesn''t assure that the white witch can be sessful at it. The elements aren''t something you y with, they are part of nature and one needs to keep in mind that using it affects the very power that you use." "How does one learn to handle it? How do you make use of it?" asked Penny to see the man reach the candle. For a moment it looked as if he had scooped the fire from the burning candle like one would with from arge container of water in their palm of their hands. "You focus. The start is always the hardest. You might think you are on the right path but to realize you were doing it all wrong. It takes self-realization to fix the ability until you have yourself honed the skill and are able to handle it with the tip of your finger," he brought the fire close to her, closing his palm and opening it to see no fire there, "Mr. Quinn didn''t give me enough details about you. For you to be a white witch, you must have had both or at least one parent to be a white witch. Correct?" "My father was a white witch," answered Penny for the priest to nod his head. "And what about your mother?" Her mother, thought Penny to herself, "She is a ck witch." "I see." Though the man had shown no reaction to her words, she noticed the slight movement of his eyes after hearing her reply. It had been many weeks since they had known about her mother''s body that wasn''t in the coffin. An empty coffin which she had visited to made her feel sick. The only question that often came to at the end was that why would her mother do something like this to her. Though she was a ck witch, they had spent beautiful moments with each other as a whole family even though her father wasn''t there to shield them from the vile words of the vigers. People spoke a lot about the ck witches but if her mother truly was the vindictive type of witch, then she would have burned the entire vige with the vigers in it. Yet, her mother had continued to hear ill words from the vigers they lived in. She wondered how many other couples were present who were involved inpletely two different sides of the very same coin. With ck witches who were not to be trusted, the chances of them having a family was hard unless...unless they tricked the white witch in believing that they were humans with no association to another creature. Could that be what happened? Sudden shes came to form in front of her eyes with her body and time standing still. Like a memory, she had already dreamt of returning back again. She saw her father sending her mother and her away from the house they had been residing in. "Where are we going, mama?" she had asked to receive the response back from her mother, "Back to the vige." Returning back to reality her eyes met the white witcher''s eyes, the light blue having a tinge of orange in it because of the light emitted from the candles in front of them. Noticing the little change in her moment and expression, the white witch asked, "Are you alright, miss?" Damien who had been going through a book, walked to the table to take a seat next to Penny. The pureblooded vampire then said, "Penelope''s father was killed a few years ago and we don''t know who killed him." "Pardon me I might be wrong," Father Antonio looked at Penny before he spoke, "Was it her mother? If she disappeared by the girl''s side it is only possible-" "She didn''t disappear, the ck witch stayed next to her side. Faking her death just a few months ago," Damien shed some light over the matter leaving the priest confused, his eyebrows drew together. "Then that would mean she didn''t kill miss Penelope''s father," concluded Father Antonio, "ck witches oftenmit a crime and then leave the spot but it appears that that is not the case here." Penny who had been quiet then said, "Life that once appeared to be smooth with memories. I now find some of them empty.?I think my memory has been tampered," her eyes moving up to look at the man. Chapter 239 - Church- Part 4 Father Antonio was a man who had lived for thirty-five years, and in those years, he had tried to acquire as much information he could when it came to his own kind, "You do understand that by saying your memory was wiped notpletely but by bits and pieces that there are chances that it might be your mother''s doing." Penny nodded her head. It wasn''t that it had nevere across her mind. The thought kept revolving until she would try bringing up one reason after another of why her memory was wiped or when it could have been wiped. "Could you tell me when you found out about this. The missing pieces of memory I mean," asked Father Antonio, his eyes set on the girl who had both her hands resting on the table, holding them together. "It was after we found out that I wasn''t a human but a white witch," Penny wanted to speak more but she restricted herself from speaking further. The white witches were good people who didn''t mean harm which was why when Damien ced his hand on her thigh under the table, she concluded her words without going further to speak on it. She wondered if it was because Damien didn''t trust the man enough to spill out everything they had known. But then, thought Penny to herself, how would the white witch help her? "Hmm," Father Antonio hummed. "Give me your hand," he asked her and reluctantly, Penny gave him her hands. cing them in his where he grasped. The man didn''t bother to close his eyes but his eyes balls didn''t move. Concentrating on what he was supposed to do while she looked at Damien who looked at the man unblinkingly. After a few seconds, he let her hands go so that she could retract it back to her side, "I don''t have the answers, Miss Penelope. But there are two people who can help you," Penny looked hopeful until the priest spoke up, "One being you by discovering the truth yourself in time and the second person who is your mother who might be the person responsible for tampering your memories." Yes, that was what Penny feared. That her mother had something to do with her memories which were missing in her right now. The question then turned to why''s? Why would there be a need to erase or make her forget things which were part of her? Did something bad happen? Did her mother mean to protect her and had made her forget so that she would be safe? Father Antonio looked at the white witch who sat with them. It was often the genes of the white witches that overwhelmed the ck witches genes turning the offspring to a white witch but a rtionship between the stark two opposite of the same creatures was not usual. The man found nothing unusual about her. She was a normal white witch who hade seeking answers. He heard the girl ask, "Can white witches tamper memories?" "Tampering doesn''t hold to just the ck witches. You will be baffled to know that there are some white witches out here who have the ability to not just tamper but erase the memories you have builtpletely. It is how the white witches have been trying to live with the families they have found. But hardly a few make use of it," he raised his hand for the fire toe up in the candles which were not burning previously, "To y with others emotions is not something with white witches take part in unlike the ck witches who meddle around. If your mother is alive, I am sure she must havee to see you. No mother would be able to resist the bond between her and her child." Penny wished she could agree to it. Hoping that she hade to see and the woman hade to see her without her knowledge when she had gone to visit her uncle and aunt''s house with Damien. But the reason wasn''t the kind Penny thought it would be if she ever came to see her. "Can you help me fix some of the memories?" she asked him unabashedly. The curiosity of why and what happened was eating her up where she was looking for answers. "It would be hard," father Antonio tried to be as frank as he could with her. Damien who was already aware of this matter spoke on behalf of the priest who pressed his lips together while also confirming with the white witcher, "You aren''t proficient in it." Father Antonio smiled, nodding his head in agreement with what Damien just said, "That is right. The mind is a very delicate subject. If something goes wrong, you will not only lose the tampered ones but also existing ones. It is one of the reasons why the white witches don''t part take in such activities. But I can help you with other things like guiding that mighte in handy." "I am sure you know that that is not what we came for, Antonio," Damien leaned back in the chair he sat. His sharp eyes looking at the blue-eyed man. "Of course," there was a small sheen of sweat that formed on the priest''s forehead on the words of Damien, "I can help her in a few spells but they won''t be as effective as what the ck witches make use of. You do need to understand that what we and they deal with are twopletely different things. What we use is white matter, things that belong to the light and usually, the light has a lesser effect on what we make use of. While the ck witches, make use of the darkness. Like death which is easily avable, the energy thates from the pain, blood, and things that we consider to be inhumane. But I will help you with what I can. Mr. Quinn, would you mind if I kept her here for a few days?" "Yes, I would," Damien deadpanned Chapter 240 - Bullets- Part 1 IMPORTANT NOTE: Privilege chapters have been added here for readers who want to stay ahead in the story. Readers who don''t want to opt for it, please be patient and wait for the normal updates to be posted. To have an ess to the chapters, an initial 5 coins are required to read them. . "Why do you need her here?" asked Damien looking at the priest. "It would be easier for her to learn from me that waste time back and forth-" "We have lots of time. Do you have time, Father Antonio?" asked Damien, his head tilting to the side when he posed the question to the priest. "Okay, then. She cane here from tomorrow-" "Make it next week," Damien cut in without an argument, "She is still in the process of healing." Father Antonio had been curious about how she had received the bruises and if it were this man''s doing as pureblooded vampires were harsh when it came to treating humans or the white witches. "I have some ointments that might help with the pain on your back," on the priest''s words, Penny looked taken aback to think that he knew about her wounded back. The man appeared to be quiet but she could tell that he was a knowledgeable one. The way his eyes looked at her through his round sses which were clean, "Guidance will be handed down to you but it is you who should thrive and work to achieve what you came looking for here," he said looking at her, "Give me a moment," he said getting up and stepping out of the room to leave them alone in the candle litted room. "Do you think it will help me?" asked Penny, her voice doubtful. "May or may not be," answered Damien, "I am no white witch but if there''s someone we can trust a little in the circle of the witches, he might be the best shot. And you need someone to tell how things work. Who knows, it might eventually help you to open up the parts of your mind which have been locked for some years now." "Why did you pause me?" "I did?" he c.o.c.ked his head in question. "When I was speaking to him, you ced your hand on my thigh," she said to receive a grin mischievously. "I couldn''t resist not putting my hands on you, especially with this dim light and warm atmosphere, it turns one''s mood unable to stay away from their loved ones," Penny''s cheeks instantly turned red over his words, "I have to say, as much as you look lean you have some really good meat on your body. Even thest time I hugged you, I could feel the softness-" "This is a church, Master Damien," Penny reminded the pureblooded vampire who leaned close to her. He leaned forward for her to see the reflection of the fire in his eyes. "Are you saying that you would be okay if this weren''t a church. If I ran my hands over your soft skin, gliding them softly or roughly to hear you gasp and m.o.a.n under me?" his voice turned husky at the end making her shiver and her head dizzy. Completely embarrassed by his words, she asked, "Have you no shame-" "I thought we already established on this that I don''t," his red eyes looking at her challengingly. You considering it to be a holy ce makes it only so much more exciting for me to want to have you," before he could speak further, father Antonio returned back to the room to where ever he had been. Carrying a little box in his hand, he handed it to her for her to take. "This is made of herbs which are specifically made for witches. I hope it can help," said the priest, his eyes darting to the man and thedy who was seated at the table. Seeing the way they were seated since the time he had left the room to return back to find them sitting close, he could see the romantic notion in there. Not to forget the way Damien Quinn looked at her and him. Father Antonio didn''t have to guess the kind of rtion the girl and the pureblooded vampire were in. Damien Quinn was one of the peculiar characters in thend of Bonke or maybe the rest of the other threends too. Cousin of Lord Alexander Dlecrov, Damien was nothing like his cousin. While Alexander was the quieter and brooding type, Damien liked to live his life by throwing arrows of sarcasm at people while turning them embarrassed. Poor soul, thought father Antonio. He did find it strange though. Not the rtionship that was brewing between them as there were some cases where the vampires were involved with the witches. Be it white witch or the ck witches they fell in love with theck of knowledge of who they were. It was what she said about her elemental ability earlier. Like many information which was lost in time, forgotten or made to be forgotten in a way so that it would nevere to be used on anyone, a lot of white witches weren''t aware of their elemental. The concept didn''t exist to them which left a majority of them ignorant to it. An acknowledgment of the elements was when the witch wanted to know what ability they belonged to. Each white witch belonged to one element and after the ritual which was often performed by the ck witches, it was to be taken granted that the bearer would arrive. The elemental bearer carried the gift which was to be bestowed on the individual. It was strange that the water bearer hade for her to only tell she wasn''t one. Did something happen that had the ability to change? Walking back to the chapel from where they hade, Penelope saw the girl who had previouslye to speak to the witcher. Her hair brown in color which was the length of her shoulders. She stood with a medium-sized box in her hands which was a red box that looked heavy with the way she held it in her hands. "Oh, that''s good! You did find it," eximed father Antonio at the sight of the box. Turning to look at Damien, he said, "There was an extra case of bullets which Jera made by substituting some of theponents andpounds to have a better output than what the silver bullets do. Open the box," and the girl opened the box on the priest''s word. Chapter 241 - Bullets- Part 2 cing the box on the first bench, she unlocked the little lock and opened to showcase a series of golden bullets that looked extremely shiny. The cements in the box reminding Penny of eggs that were sorted for sale. The girl named Jera, opened her mouth to exin, "The bullets aren''t different to what we have in the silver bullets," picking one of them she raised her hand so that it could be seen by everyone, "The tip of it is much sharper, that will pierce the body without damaging the tips, "Apart from it having theposition of lead and steel, we have used the ashes from theke. The bones are known to have their own acidic properties which will help in dissolving bodies to be specific the witches." Sister Jera continued to exin, "Some of the other special elements that we have made use are the ones which are in the test phase on the living. We have only tried with woods so far," Penny who heard about this couldn''t help but be intrigued about it. This felt like a forbidden church that only yed to be of prayer while in truth it was harvesting weapons to kill creatures who failed to abide by the rules of the council and thew which was ced. With the same thought, she couldn''t help but wonder about how this could raise hell if every single person started to use the weapons against each other. Though it was spoken in respect to the ck witches, Penny was sure that the bullets were also made for other creatures which didn''t have to be mentioned. "Would you like to try it out, Mr. Quinn?" asked Father Antonio to see Damien pick a bullet himself. Running his finger over the almost sharp tip of the bullet to have his skin turn tender with the way he ran his thumb over it. "I will take it. Have it ced in the back of the carriage." Father Antonio and the girl both appeared to beam hearing this, "Do let us know how you found it after the first use on your victim," Father Antonio smiled kindly. "You will be the first to receive the news of it. I hope this one works well and isn''t something like what you gave me once during the prototype," there was an underlying threat making the priestugh nervously. Damien looked at the witcher with narrowed eyes. With Damien''s interest in the bullets and other machines that were used for creatures who didn''t go by thew, he usually liked to see how well things worked. The first time a prototype was created, it had gone great. It was the second time where there was a mishap. Father Antonio was the first one to remember the day with dread... It was another set of prototypes that were freshly made and Damien had turned out to drop by the church that day. With the amount of increase in the number of ck witches, he had borrowed the bullets. Damien with the rest of the councilmen headed towards the forest where someone reported that the ck witches had made some of the spots as their safe haven. First, there was spilled magic around the forest grounds. The kind of magic that nullified the abilities the creatures possessed. Not that he would apparate in front of the others but when one of the ck witches attacked him, the bullets never went far as it got stuck in the gun. It wasn''t the shape or size but the material with which it was made. In the end, he had to rely on his physical strength both in the forest to kill the ck witches while also having Father Antonio''s neck in his hand. The priest ran his hand around his neck, remembering the day, "We took extra precaution so that it doesn''t fail," said the white witcher to have Damien ce back the bullet from where he had taken. "That''s reassuring. I forgot to ask you, Father Antonio," said Damien receiving the attention who was around him. One of the local women had entered the church to offer her prayers while also wanting to talk to the priest hoping to get some premonition about the future, "Did you have a visitor recently?" "I didn''t. Did you meet my visitor?" for the very first time, father Antonio''s face turned serious, dropping the smile that was on his face. Penny caught sight of the two men looking at the woman who walked by them, walking towards the front of the chapel while they stood to the side. The sister priest had closed the box and taken it out to leave them standing there. She heard Damien respond with, "I did but I couldn''t be hospitable. The moon offered him tea and cookies. Not too far from the Isle Valley." "Let me ask my people to be prepared so that they can show the same courtesy you have shown," Father Antonio bowed his head. The man then turned to face Penny who was standing there listening to them, "I look forward to working with you, Miss Penelope. Bless you," he gave a nod before going to the woman who had to wait in the confession box. When they were out, Penny asked Damien, "What do cookies and tea mean?" It made Damien smile that she was picking on things so quickly without being an airhead like some people who failed to listen carefully. "Tea is part of the meeting where one gets to talk while cookies mean death. The visitor was the uninvited guest, witch hunter," how odd, thought Penny as Damien exined. "What about the moon?" They had stepped out of the church to finally have full light because of what the clouded sky had to offer. "It is a symbolic representation of ck witches. The sun denotes the white witches. Do you know what it means, mouse?" "What?" Penny asked with furrowed brows, waiting for him to say. "It means you are my sun. The light in my life." "..." Penny stood at the carriage baffled by his cheesy lines, "How do you want me to react to it, Master Damien?" With a thoughtful expression, he said, "How about a kiss on the cheek?" Chapter 242 - Concerned- Part 1 On their way back to the mansion, Penny asked, "Do you think the higher-ups are aware of the alignment of the stars? I mean the council," she saw Damien looking at the box as if someone had gifted him an early Christmas present. "They don''t. If they did I would have heard it but not everyone is jobless to do nothing but sit and gaze at the stars like a fool until they find out they are the ones who are a fool," pushing the box below his feet where there was some space for one to stretch their feet behind, he looked at Penny, "The dog who howled looking at the moon wasn''t an idiot. It howled because it saw the oing danger which was approaching up in the sky," witches, thought Penny to herself. She wondered if that was why Damien had ced his hand on her. Though his words had got her nerves frisky. There was no politeness in the way he spoke. The way he walked, talking and looked at people and things it was as if he owned the entire world to himself. Making her think how far it was true or false. He said, "In this world, a lot of things are not shared and are left midway without any answers or exnations. Because ignorance is bliss," he picked the hand that was resting on herp, "I will be dropping by next week once you start getting the necessary information from father Antonio. And once your back is alright, you will receive the necessary skills from me. I cannot always be around you as work will call me more often than what it does now." Penny nodded her head in agreement. After listening to sister Jera who has the knowledge of weapons, the bullets that were being made, it had got her intrigued. When she was young and before she even came to this side of the world, her only goal was to make through the days, weeks and months without her mother. To live and thrive to have a roof of her own and a family she could have who would be loved and to be loved in return. It wasn''t that she couldn''t have it. She could still have it and something told her that she already had it. Maybe it was more extravagant than what she had imagined it to be. She looked at Damien who was ying with her fingers whilst looking at her. "Let''s go out Penny. You and me, somewhere nice," it wasn''t a suggestion but an idea which Damien was letting her know with what he was going to do. "Do I have a choice?" she asked to see him grin. The grin was wide enough to have one have a peek of his sharp fang, "Are you looking for one?" the way he asked her, there was no arrogance in there but something very boyish which Penny couldn''t refuse. With time that was passing between them, Penny could feel her mind and her heart-changing. The more she thought about it, the more she felt her heart race against her chest. "Let me give you the choices," said Damien, surprising her that he had turned around her own question to his own advantage. When she had asked for a choice, it was to opt out of what he said. It was something that came automatically due to the resistance she often carried around her but Damien being the pureblooded vampire he was, he had turned it in a way as if he was giving her the options to choose, "A pic like the humans where we can have lunch together, ride a horse together or watch a theatrical y which has been put up in the theater which is located somewhere near the border vige of Bonke and Valeria." "Isn''t it far?" questioned Penny before closing her mouth. She shook her head as if meaning to tell him to ignore it. Time was nothing when it came to Damien. With his ability, they would reach there in a blink of an eye unless they met with the ck witches who would try to inject him with the poison. "We can visit a ce of your choice," he offered but Penny couldn''t pick one, "Or how about we go to that theater you once used to work in? A visit to a ce you once worked in." Damien could see the little spark of excitement that ignited in those jade green eyes of Penelope. She was still opening up to him slowly which was why he found it necessary to take her out so that they could spend time together without any third person to disturb them. He knew what excited her, the way her eyes sparkled when she replied, "Can we go to the old theater I worked in?" "Sure," he agreed, "But as a viewer and not as an artist," Penny was quick to agree to it, "Simpleton mouse. As a minute passed, a grin appeared on Penny''s lips, like a minion who was up to no good. Damien didn''t mind that and instead let her be. Turning his face to look at the little houses of the vige they passed by before the forest appeared with trees passing by in a green rush, he wondered where Bathsheba was right now. If there was any ck witch he had a little trust in, it was the one who went missing. Finding ck witches wasn''t difficult but with the hunters on their trail, it would be troublesome. If water was not Penelope''s element then they would need to redo the ritual to confirm to know what was her element. With the white witches who were of no use when it came to finding the elements, one could only rely on the ck witches who were not trustworthy. With her hand still in his, he ran a finger over the top of her hand to hear the skip of beat making him smile as he continued to look outside the window. Chapter 243 - Concerned- Part 2 By the time Damien and Penny reached the mansion, it had started to rain again. The sound of the rain numbing every other sound in the surroundings.?The rain hitting the roof of the carriage continuously. Stepping down, they walked inside the mansion. Both of them making their way through the halls when Penny found Lady Maggie and Lady Fleurance who stood there as if they had only returned home a few moments ago. Lady Fleurance and Lady Grace didn''t sit at the table since Damien had defanged Grace. And though Lady Maggie sat at the table she was more than quiet. Keeping her thoughts and words to herself, finishing her meal and then leaving the dining room. Right now she offered a smile to both of them. "I will be here with Grace. You can take your father and the rest there," said Lady Fleurance, sending a re to Penny more than Damien as she was the reason her daughter had lost her fangs. The vampiress didn''t stay there long and left the hall. "To Adam''s?" Damien inquired. Maggie nodded her head, "She doesn''t want to leave Grace alone here while we go to visit them. She hasn''t been doing well and has locked herself in the room, refusing to see anyone. Will you talk to her?" asked Maggie, her voice hopeful. "She will be alright. What is the given time for tomorrow?" Damien switched back to the subject.? Penny caught on how Maggie''s shoulder slumped which was very subtle but was notable at the same time. "Past noon." Damien ced his hand on Penny''s small back, guiding her to start walking which she did. In Damien''s room after an hour passed, Penny looked at him from the corner of her eyes to see him sleeping with his eyes closed. Stepping down on the bed and cing her feet on the carpeted floor, she tip-toed and got past the room door. Clutching the knob of the door tightly while releasing it slowly so that it wouldn''t make a noise. When the door closed, she turned around to have her heart jump out from her chest and she covered her face using her hand seeing Damien stand right in front of her. "You didn''t sleep," she exhaled the air with her heart beating in her chest. "Were you hoping I was asleep? Where were you going? Not to forget the mouse-like movements," Damien raised his brow in question. Penny offered him a smile of being caught while trying to hide it. "Where do you think I was going?" Penny asked in return, taking his approach in handling the conversation which had him smiling that couldn''t be called a smile. "You don''t have to go seeking people in here. If you aren''t going to rest I have a better job for you," his threat being sessful, Penny hopped back into the room to hear the door click close. She had been sure to be careful while stepping out but then what was she thinking? Instead of fooling him, she was the one who was fooled right now. He already knew what was going on in her mind. She should have known better. "You should know better to not try to sneak under my nose. You should know better than that," that''s what she said too, thought Penny to herself. Her feet took her around the bed and climb on it to settle herself in. She felt like a child that was being reprimanded when she had actually done nothing. "It is not my ce and it is something I shouldn''t interfere-" "Don''t then-" "Why won''t you listen to what I am saying?" she asked him frowning to have him exhale. "Speak." Now that he did give her the room to speak, Penny gathered the scattered thoughts quickly, "I know we spoke about it not less than a week ago but you need to know that there are times people change. I haven''t forgiven her and...neither should you," because he wanted to protect her. That was right, thought Penny with her thoughts sinking into her bones. Damien was protecting her and the number of times she repeated it, the deeper it felt that she stared right into his eyes now, "What she did was wrong but she has been punished. I don''t know how far the matter goes but seeing the dire environment in the mansion, you should go talk to Grace," she said to see him staring at her. "And do what?" "Master Damien, you might not share the same mother but you do share the same father. She is your sister. The young one and if Lady Maggie has been worried, there must be something which you could diffuse and bring ease to her mind." Damien rolled his eyes, "Maggie gets worried about a lot of things. To my misfortune, the girl fell on the humane sidepared to the three of us," he fluffed the pillow behind before letting his back settle on itfortably, "She took after our father while I took after my mother. Punishments aren''t umon, Penelope. It is just that you have never been in the pureblooded mansion before." As much as she hated Grace for what she had done, there was a pinch of pity every time she saw Grace. Her appearance was pitiful. She didn''t raise her head to look at people and looked nothing less to a phantom. Gone was the girl who was rude and cruel, throwing words arrogance. Having no family or siblings, she often craved for one. To have someone to talk to which had been lost now. Grace hadmitted the mistake and she had been punished. "Don''t people deserve atonement?" "In some cases, you cannot think to give an atonement because people don''t deserve it. Would you forgive me if I killed an animal right in front of you? An animal that you have loved dearly?" Penny stayed quiet knowing Damien wasn''t going to budge. Lady Maggie had appeared worried at that time which was why she wanted him to have one talk. Just one word, "You want me to go and talk?" asked Damien to have her nod her head immediately, "What do I get in return?" he asked. Did everything have to be in give and take for him? "Do what I ask and I will go talk to her right away," he said turning her suspicious yet being curious. Blinking her eyes twice, she asked, "What do you want?" "Initiate a kiss." Chapter 244 - Eat you- Part 1 Don''t forget to vote for the book with the red stones that can all be used on a single chapter, the power stones. . "Alright," came Penny''s answer which Damien couldn''t help but raise his brow. Had the matter been so worrisome that she wanted him to go talk to the sister of his who had kicked and shamed her in public. Just remembering it he could feel his blood begin to boil. She scrambled on the bed, pushing the pillow which was in the way to hear and see Damien raise his hand, "Wait," he said, scooting closer to the center of the bed, he fluffed some more pillows around him. Once he was seatedfortably, his legs stretched long on the bed without crossing them, he saw her move closer to him. One second at a time. Penny had agreed to his deal without going through in her head what it actually was. But after processing his simple words she took in a deep breath and moved towards him. The bed was soft enough to have her knees deep into it which almost made her stumble to have Damien catch her hand. "I must say, I haven''t seen this worst way of seducing anyone until now in my lifetime," hemented to have her throw a small re to him, "What an angry mouse we have. Will you eat or be eaten?" he added, a blushing to form on her cheeks. "Pardon me for theck of skill, Master Damien," Damien couldn''t help but chuckle. He had released her from being a ve yet she was so used to calling him ''Master Damien'' which he very much enjoyed and therefore didn''t bother to correct her. Wondering if she did something to amuse him, she stopped when both her knees stood on either side of his legs. "Don''t worry. This master of yours is very skilled in the art of seduction. I will teach you until it has sunk deep into your bones," still holding her hand, he didn''t pull her for a kiss but let her take her time. Like a fretting mouse, she looked at him, "Your quick enthusiasm makes me think that you have been wanting to kiss me. All you had to do is ask, darling. My lips are all yours." Penny wished Damien would stop talking and let her do what she was supposed to do. His words were throwing her off the bnce turning her mind dizzy. Damien moved forward from his leaning position, making it easier for her where she didn''t have to lean forward and strain her back. She could tell that he knew exactly how his words and actions affected her. When he did stop talking, she could feel goosebumps forming on her skin. Silence filled up, his eyes staring up at her while she hovered in front of him. His own words invited doubt in her mind. Had she been subconsciously willing to kiss him? His sharp jaws were set firmly, his lips that were pink and sealed right now. ck disheveled hair, where one side of it fell on his forehead. Damien let her hand go, not knowing what to do with it, she ced it on his shoulder. Taking support she leaned forward to see his eyes lower at her lips. Unsure why it had suddenly turned hot, she gulped and breathed not wanting to faint right now. Damien would have a ball over it if she fainted right now. He had told her to initiate a kiss and she would do it. A kiss on the cheek! That was what Penelope was aiming for. Marking her target, all she had to do was swoop in, leave a kiss and pull back. With that thought, Penny quickly leaned forward and pressed her lips on Damien''s cheek. But Damien wasn''t having any of her trickery. He pulled her by her hand and pressing her back towards him, he caught her lips with his in time. This time leaning forward, he had her back fall right on the bed while he was on top of her. She felt herself gasp with the sudden push on her back. Thankfully her back had started to heal as it had finally gotten the break it needed from the kick and push she had received. But that didn''t stop the surprise and shock of Damien''s unexpected movements. Before Damien even closed the gap between their lips, she saw the glint in his eyes which made her shudder. The amount of s.e.x.u.a.l allure this man had could put the men to shame, he carried it with confidence knowing it already which only turned him that much charming. With her hands on either side of her as if in a raised position, he leaned forward not giving a moment of a gap for her to catch her breath. His lips moved against hers, the movements were nowhere gentle but rough and needy. One of his hands wrapped around her waist, having her back arched towards him. The other hand went to y with her reaching to her slender neck which had been bare and inviting in his eyes. She felt him suck and bite, each bite making her cry which followed with a sigh when he sucked and licked it. She could feel something building up, her body turning her hot with every rough movement. He continued to kiss her, the hand on her neck trailing down to feel her cor bone which went further to touch the side of her b.r.e.a.s.ts which made her eyes go wide. About to ce her hand on his shoulder, she heard him say, "Don''t," he whispered the words to her, like a witch who had put a spell on her, Penny found it hard to move. Like she had been caught under the gaze of a predator, "Let me eat you a little today," he said making her heart slip down her chest, "Or is it that you deny acknowledging your growing attraction and feelings for me?" He looked at her waiting for her to speak. Penny couldn''t lie that he wasn''t wrong. Even if she lied, he would know because of the bond they shared between them... Chapter 245 - Eat you- Part 2 "I can hear your heartbeat," Damien ran his finger back up to her neck to have her breath hitch in reaction. Leaning back close to her ear, "My sweet girl, I can feel your emotions. Tell me the truth and I will grant the wish that your skin so seeks right now." Penny closed her eyes, wincing when Damien bit on the upper lobe of her ear. With the pain came pleasure when she felt his warm mouth which sucked on it. A sigh escaped her mouth. "Do you like me?" he asked her "I don''t know," Penny looked away to hide the blush that was creeping in. "Is that another form of yes?" he asked, biting her ear harder this time which made her whimper. When an inaudible whisper of yes came, a smile formed on Damien''s lips. His lips pulling on either side, "That''s what I thought," he said, his lips suddenly turning gentle where he kissed her ear. Trailing back his lips to her own soft ones, he kissed them to pry them open. Penny could feel her body and her mind turning light. Her thoughts turning fuzzy with his hands and lips ministrations. The fire that had been lit, Damien was only zing it more where she could hardly think right now. His tongue slipped into her mouth, rubbing his tongue against hers which probed and sucked hard. Tasting her one lick after another and not getting enough of the girl who nowid beneath him on his bed. His hands had a mind of their own, one hand of his trailed down again this time instead of cing it on her waist, he ced it on the side of her bosom which made her gasp when he used his hand, gauging the size of it with his hand which felt full and soft. This only gave him more ess to her beautiful mouth that often had a mind of its own. Though he enjoyed her remarks and her little expressions as if she were talking to herself in her mind, he couldn''t deny that this was one of the things he enjoyed. Kissing her like there was no tomorrow. Just as he squeezed her b.r.e.a.s.ts, he pulled away from her lips to hear a whimper escape her sweet little mouth that was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. He could feel himself turning hard. Her eyes looking dazed and her lips parted as she tried to breathe in and out with her cheeks that had turned pinker than ever. Penny felt utterly embarrassed right now with Damien''s hand that was holding her b.r.e.a.s.t. Unable to look at him, she looked at the top of the bed to notice the way he held her right now which only turned her already warm body even warmer if it was possible. Damien, on the other hand, couldn''t get enough of what was there in front of him. His eyes burned with need. He wanted to consume her to the very bone until there would be nothing to keep him apart from her. Leaning back down, he kissed the corner of her lips, his lips sweet on her skin as if it were whispering the words which hadn''t been mentioned yet but what it was looking forward to doing with her. His lips traveled down to her neck, giving out little bites that felt like a cat that was gnawing on the skin that had Penny''s body turning putty under Damien''s lips. Just as his lips were being gentle on her skin, Damien bit right into her neck which had her clutching his shoulder tightly. She could feel him suck on her skin to draw the blood into his mouth. The movement of his lips tried to the sooth the quick prick of her skin by his fangs. He didn''t drink too much, retracing his fangs back, he licked her skin. His coarse tonguepping on the remnants of the blood which was there on her neck. Running it in the direction from down to up where he took arge bite on her skin yfully before letting his teeth graze on her skin. When he palmed her b.r.e.a.s.t in his hand, feeling the softness of it every time his hand contracted and released. A hitch erupted from her throat and she gulped it down. Leaning forward, Damien captured her lips again. To taste and tug on them, pulling her bottom lip with his teeth while biting it before letting it go. He continued doing it to finally let go, leaving her lips sore and tender where she could still feel his lips on her even after he had withdrawn his head away from her. He let his hand slide down to fall on her waist, pulling her towards him. Her jade green eyes looking bright and alive with her lips parted as she looked at him. "Was that a good start to learn how to kiss and seduce?" he asked her.?It was more than that, thought Penny to herself. She nodded her head, averting her eyes from him. The kiss was really something. Her lips felt numb right now. To change the topic, she asked, "Will you go talk to her now?" "How unromantic," hemented, not exactly chirpy with his sister brought between them, "I will go," he agreed which brought a smile on her face. She saw him pull away from her and helping her sit up. Before he would leave the room, he took the coat that was hanging on the stand, wearing it he found Penny sitting on the bed the way he had left her who had a dazed look since he had kissed her. Her pale skin had caught some color of red. Her hands holding each other on herp as if she were shy. His mouse. Before leaving the room, he said, "This was just the start of it, mouse. I will soon have you in every possible way," he walked out of the room, leaving Penny with her mouth open. Chapter 246 - Voodoo- Part 1 Penny was left behind the room and once the door shut close, she couldn''t help but touch her lips which felt numb even after a few minutes. Remembering his hands on the upper part of her body which had stayed above her waist, she let her body fall down on the bed while covering her face in the pillow. So embarrassing, said Penny in her mind. Yet, there was something that had kindled in her mind and body. Igniting thoughts in her mind that blew up wider the more she thought about it. Damien didn''t let go of an opportunity. It made her wonder if he was going to talk to Graceter on only that he had waged a deal with her to get what he wanted. Unable to find a good reason to deny that the kiss was more than toe-curling, she turned carefully to let the light fall on her face as she had stuffed in the pillow. Though she was d that he did go to talk to Grace now. Rtionsh.i.p.s were easy to break but difficult to mend. With their already messy rtion, Penny didn''t want to deal with a bad oue where Lady Fleurance would one day refute in the name of her daughter. Rolling in the bed to one side, she got up from the bed to step out of the room and into the patio. Walking towards the rail where the wind blew over her face. Holding the rails tightly while keeping her feet firmly on the ground she looked at the vast sea that they were surrounded with. Thest time she had taken her time to admire what nature had to present them, one of the maids had pushed her from here which had her almost dead. It was still ironic on how Bathsheba had told that she was a water element while the water she had fallen into had almost drowned. Now that she knew the existence of the elements, she would have assumed that one had to wait for the water bearer toe and hand over the ability to make use of it. But with the water bearer denying that she was a water element, Penny didn''t know what to make of it. Remembering the ritual which was performed days ago, Penny came to realize that she couldn''t be the element ofnd. It was too opposite to the answer that was drawn it. Was it fire or wind then? she asked herself. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the chirping of the birds that flew from the corner to the other corner of thend. The sound of the waves that hit the walls of the mansion was soothing which was something she had gotten used to over the days she had spent here. While she waited in there for Damien to return, someone came up from behind to push her with force where Penny''s eyes snapped open to feel herself sway forward. Damien who had gone to see his older sister and not his younger sister was only returning back to the room when he opened the door to see Penny who began to fall forward. Her feet had lost bnce and she started to sway to the front, her body topping out of the rail as the rail wasn''t built too high. Penny, on the other hand, couldn''t believe this was happening again. With her body oo the rail, she almost started to fall down with gravity pulling her down when Damien quickly appeared to catch hold of her wrist. Her heart was beating loudly with the sudden panic than coursed through her veins of what just happened. Dangling out of the patio with the only thing that kept her from falling back into the sea below her. He pulled her up with his strength, grasping her by her waist and then taking her back inside the patio to take her quickly in his arms, "Are you trying to kill yourself?" she heard him ask. There was silver of anger in his calm voice which could have alerted her if it weren''t for her heart which she could hear beating in her ears right now. "I wouldn''t do that to myself," she spoke hurriedly. "Were you practicing how to swim?" Damien had seen her almost drown and diest time. For her to test it out, he could barely contain his anger right now. Pulling back she shook her head, her face worried, she said, "I felt like someone pushed me," hearing this Damien frowned. "There is no one in the room, Penny. There was no one when I opened the door," he said to have her shake her head in denial. "I really did feel someone push me," she looked up at him, wanting him to believe while it was also true that there was no one in the room as her eyes tried searching for the person who had pushed her. Had the kiss made her dizzy that her body had started to sway and fall out of the rails? No that couldn''t be it. It was true that there was no one in the room, at the same time Penny was sure that she had felt the push. Damien''s lips were set in a thin line, staring at Penny for a few seconds before his eyes narrowed sharply, "Stand where you were standing before," he then asked her, "Where did you feel the push? Which side?" "On my right," she touched her shoulder to emphasize it and Damien started to unbutton the back of her dress halfway before pushing the dress that was on her shoulder away to see the skin red there. Not knowing what Damien was doing, she asked, "What happened?" "You were pushed by someone," his words appeared grim, helping her back by buttoning up the dress from behind. He said, "It is voodoo magic. Someone wants to kill you and we need to find who it is now. Wear your coat, we''ll be going out." Chapter 247 - Voodoo- Part 2 Readers: By using your power stone (ps), you will help the book to rank higher in the site so that it can be reachable to other readers. It also gives you free pass to read a chapter. Bymenting and voting, you will move up in the level and receive up to 3 ps. You can use your power stones at the end of the chapter by clicking on the fire symbol which will have red stone on it until all energy stones get exhausted. The PS gets generated every day which can be used to vote. . . Penny took hold of her coat, her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to grasp the situation. What was voodoo? She was unfamiliar with the term as she had lived in a closed society that didn''t know the in and out of what the other side of the world had to offer and damage at the same time. "What is voodoo?" she asked curiously. Was there something on her back that had caught his attention? "It is part of the ck witch spell that makes use of just normal ingredients when ites casting ck magic," Damien answered her, turning the knob and stepping out of the room and getting down the stairs as she trailed behind him. Seeing the new butler who was carrying an empty tray as if he had serviced one or more of the family members a few moments ago, he raised his hand for the butler to stop moving, "We''ll be going out for an hour," he said to have the butler nodding his head. That wasn''t all that Damien had to say though, he continued with an order, "The forest thates after the bridge, I need you to find a nt that has blood-red flowers that look like a little buttoned flower. At the end of the petals, you will find white linings, try to avoid bringing those ones but get the ones that don''t have the linings. It needs to be in. And when you cut the flower, make sure you pull out the whole nt until its root. Not just flowers. We''ll be back soon," the butler nodded his head diligently. Taking hold of the carriage which was parked in the shed, Penny was the first to step inside. Damien ced his feet on the stand of the carriage when he turned around to inform the butler who was dawdling and standing, waiting for them to go, "It is going to be dark in some time. Go fetch it," and he stepped inside the carriage. They could have made use of Damien''s ability to teleport to the ce they intended to go, but there were some eyes that had followed them home after their visit to the church in the morning. Not everyone visited the church for hours. Unless they had murdered someone and was trying to get rid of the burden and the guilt by speaking to the father of the church for hours. Though he could pull them out of the shadow he didn''t actually bother with their presence but with what just happened, it was something that had to be checked on immediately before the event got repeated for a possible third time. "Tell me more about this voodoo magic," Penny looked at Damien. "Voodoo magic is one of the secret weapons of a ck witch. Any of them can perform it for their own advantage. The white witches do not perform the voodoo because it is an abomination, something they don''t believe." "Is it something they have preached or is it really meant?"? asked Penny making Damien chuckle. "Who knows. You are one right now, you can always test to see what it does. Voodoo magic is something that a ck witch can make any creature do whatever they want. The only disadvantage being that the pureblooded vampires are not affected by it. Have you ever seen dolls that were made of dried twigs and sticks?" Penny slowly nodded her head. Her toys were made of sticks and twigs which were little ones that were tied at the ends and center to make it look more put together. Damien''s face turned to a frown, "Your mother made them?" and Penny nodded to his question. "I thought it was made because we couldn''t afford to buy one in the market or my mother was trying to save money," she couldn''t believe that her young life had gone by by ying with the voodoo dolls. She closed her eyes remembering her mother making one doll after another. In her memory, it was that her mother sold it in the market as the voodoo dolls never returned back home, "How does it work though?" This made Damien look at her in a grave expression, the frown still hanging on his face, "The voodoo doll though is made of mere sticks and twigs while having the spell run through, the ck witch needs something that belongs to a person. Something that has been by for a long time that you can call as the attached belonging. It can be articles of clothing or items that a person has used as his own. The best and the most effective being the human body." "You mean hair?" Penny breathed out the words for confirmation to have him lean forward. "Hair, nails, teeth. Anything that has been attached to the body," he answered, "The question is which person got hold of you to go to a ck witch and make a voodoo doll in your name," Penny couldn''t ce a finger on anyone. The only person she had crossed was his younger sister, Grace Quinn and she doubted Grace would do it. Was it some maid? her thought went back to the time when she had first fallen into the water. "Thest time I fell," she said looking at him, "There was a mark on my shoulder at that time. Redness. But you suspected the maid did it," Damien exhaled the air out through his lips. His gaze looking not happy and unimpressed with how the day had turned. Had he got the wrong person? asked Penny to herself. "She was involved in it," he stated, his jaw ticking in annoyance as time progressed, "It is possible that she wasn''t the one who pushed you from the patio but it is possible that she gave an item what belonged to you to a ck witch," the ves were monitored closely yet this had happened even under the close surveince they had on each and every worked which made him question where did the maid get the time to do so and with whom. Chapter 248 - Voodoo- Part 3 "We need to find out who set you up to the voodoo magic. The maid was only helping but it is the ck witch who is trying to harm you which means..." he turned his facepletely towards Penny to ask her, "Did you piss off someone in the past?" "I am not that kind of person," she smiled nervously to receive a narrower look from him. Sighing herself, she said, "I met so many people when I was in the vige and traveled back and forth from the theatre. How would I remember?" she answered frankly. Knowing his mouse, she would have used her pretty mouth to talk back and it was a very possible thing that it would have happened. "Anyone from the theatre?" she shook her head. "I was a junior performer who didn''t get enough stage there. I even did my job and leave without standing there to chat unlike others," she huffed, her cheeks puffing before they were released. Damien bit the side of his thumbnail. Looked like his mouse was as popr as him. Not enough but somewhere there. There were plenty of men and women who wanted him dead and he enjoyed the reputation. A small smirking to form when he looked away and towards the side of his window. It was getting darker. Penny noticed that they were back at the church they had visited earlier this morning. The grey walls looked darker now with theck of light in here. Hearing some of the crow''s caw in the nearby trees as the sky turned darker with every five minutes that went by. The vigers and the other scarce visitors who used to visit the church had gone back home with the time and the color of the sky that was offered to them, leaving the church quiet and deserted. A question rose in Penny''s mind once they started to walk inside, the doors of the church which was wide open for the people who needed a haven but it also made the smart ones wonder if it was only to showcase the openness when in truth there was much more to the church. The building was built a few decades after the first generation of pureblooded vampires hade to form. "Doesn''t the church affect you?" she asked him. Looking at the dark walls as they made past through the double doors. Their footsteps entering inside the church. She looked at Damien who did appear to be fine. The churches that were built in her hometown and the viges, they were made so so that no vampires would ever step foot inside it. If one ever went berserk, the churches would provide the necessary protection which was required to keep the humans safe. "It does but it is bearable," she looked at him closer where Damien appeared to look calm andposed. Every stride of his being the same as when he walked in his mansion or outside, "All the churches have crosses that is used to dispel the vampires from there. When the first pureblooded vampires and vampires came into the picture, the humans built the churches not knowing that they were actually being deceived." Penny asked in wonderment, "How is that?" "It is only in their thought to think that anything they believe to be holy will kill us. Harm yes, but killing pureblooded vampires with mere holy objects isn''t enough. You need to mix it up with other ingredients. Like the ones where this church produces. Vampires have it tough as they are the ones who are affected. Entering the church and staying in here continuously as a captive for more than a week can kill them without needing to touch the person." Penny could tell by his words that there were pureblooded vampires who needed to be kept in check too and it wasn''t just the humans or the witches. Walking towards the chapel, they found an apprentice who was in the process of bing a part of the church service. He was reading a book in his hand, his back leaned forward and his hand in the front when Damien asked, "Is Father Antonio in?" hearing the sudden voice, where the boy had immersed himself into the book, he almost stumbled out of his seat to stand up immediately to look at who had arrived at this hour of the night. The church didn''t have many visitors here and if they did it was only the ones who came looking for either work or to cause trouble. The boy looked up at Damien, his short height making him crane his neck to realize it was the councilman. "He is in the bottom chamber. Would you like me to fetch him for you?" asked the boy in a polite tone. "I will find him," Damien started to head to the door which they had used. Penny bowed her head. The man was going to be a priest of the sacred ce and she was supposed to respect it. The boy bowed back and she quickly followed Damien. It was ironic how her mother had taught her the ways of a human''s life while she was a ck witch. Did coexistence exist? They went down the narrow passage of stairs,nterns burning bright enough for them to step down and walk past therge pirs that looked like giants were the fire in the bowl burned. Crossing one door after another, she could hear the loud clink and nk of the metals. Whispered voices increasing as they stepped closer to find themselves in front of at least fifty to sixty people. Some who were standing in front of the ss tubes which had different liquids in it, some working on the swords in front of the burning coals and many other tasks which raised Penny''s brows. "You are here, early," they heard Father Antonio speak as he walked towards them. Damien didn''t bother to give in the details and went straight to the topic, "I need you to remove an implemented voodoo," hearing this, Father Antonio''s eyes fell on Penny. Chapter 249 - Voodoo- Part 4 "Hector," the priest called for a man loudly from the crowd to have a hefty guy who came to him, "Take the lead for the supervision. I will be in my office," said Father Antonio. Taking them to an empty room which was different from the one they had visited before, this one appeared to be emptier except for the ss tubes that adorned one side of the wall. Two torches of fire burnt brightly on either side of the shelf. At the center stood a round table with four chairs. "Miss Penelope appears to be popr," Father Antoniomented with a small smile. Penny returned the smile not knowing if this could be categorized to be called as popr when a person was intent on killing her. The white witcher walked to one corner of the room to another, carrying things in his hand as he piled them one over another, "What happened?" he asked, giving a look at Penny as if wanting her to iterate the event as she was the one being targeted. "I was standing in the patio looking at the sea when I felt someone push me," before he could cross-question her, she said, "There''s a mark on my shoulder," he nodded his head. "Is it only there?" asked father Antonio. "Yes, this is the second time. Thest time Damien wasn''t around to see it," she answered his question. "Voodoo magic can be very tricky at times. It is good that it is nowhere else where the mishaps take ce. The ck witches who perform the spell can be very cunning and brutal. Death can ur anywhere and at any time. Every object that you pass by might turn to an invitation to death. Which is why most of them make sure to warn their children from cutting hair in the open or the nails that are clipped to throw it in the right ce. Some ck witches enjoy the hunt and pain, the agony of the others and therefore turn them into their own puppets," exined the white witch, walked towards the table, he ced some items on the table while keeping the rest on the empty chair, "Voodoo magic is hard to get rid of but it is doable. Nothing that can''t be fixed." "Then she must be a little less lucky," stated Damien to have Penny give him a look. Is that how a person spoke about who they liked? This man wouldn''t spare her either. "That can be agreed. Whoever it is, the person wants to drown you. The cause wanting to be you sinking. Might you have an idea of anyone who doesn''t like you? Even if the ritual is being done by the ck witch there is a possibility that there''s someone behind it." Damien interjected the man, "She doesn''t know who it might be. How long will it take for the voodoo link to disconnect?" "Should be less than ten minutes," the priest replied, spreading a chart across the table. That was fast, thought Penny to herself. She heard Father Antonio continue to speak, "A lot of them are not aware of things that happen around them. Not everyone is familiar with the voodoo. The elders forbid it from speaking so that the younger ones do not misuse what is learned. Which is why some just take it as misfortune and bad luck when in truth your life is a puppet being manipted." "Is there no way to get rid of it? To make sure the ck witches don''t make use of it," asked Penny to see him shake his head. "Right now none of the white witches have found a way to defy the voodoo, the most we can do is break the link. Keep in mind that once I break the link between you and the doll, the person will get to know." Penny nodded her head in understanding, "But they can''t put back the link. Right?" "Yes, you are right. Used dolls are of no use. They will need to remake which will take time again," Father Antonio''s eyes fell on Damien, "That should give you enough time to figure out who is trying to kill you." The words didn''t sit well with her but that was the truth. She didn''t know what she did for this person who wanted to kill her. There were inscriptions on the parchment of cloth, reminding her of the marking which the ck witch had used. "ce your hand on the table," the man suggested and she did as requested. He ced a candle at the center of the table. Whispering something under his breath and in less than five minutes, the candle snapped and extinguished itself, "It has been done." Damien came to stand to her side, asking her, "How do you feel?" "Strangely a little light," she replied not knowing if it was because she had been worried. At the same thought, Penny wondered on what the priest said to her before. Death by drowning. The link was broken and for now, Penny was safe but that didn''t mean whoever it was wouldn''t harm her again. When Damien''s eyes met the man''s eyes, he said, "Can you tap into the ck magic?" this had Penny''s ears perking up in confusion. White witch making use of ck magic? "Won''t that be against thew?" asked Father Antonio, his hands stopping on the table as he had begun to sort out things to put them back in their own ce. This had Damien rolling his eyes, "You should be one of thest people who should be iming on following thew. Especially when it was only three days ago since you killed a human in the church," on this sudden revtion she heard from Damien, Penny''s eyes slowly fell on the priest. His white clothes looking clean yet the smile that he offered her didn''t look so pure anymore. Penny could tell that the church was no more a holy ce but a shady ce that would need more than a sprinkle of holy water. Chapter 250 - Forbidden magic- Part 1 By the words that were exchanged now, Penny gathered that the white witches couldn''t use powers like that of the ck witches. To rify she asked, "I thought the white witches couldn''t make use of it," Father Antonio smiled. "It isn''t that we can''t. Being born the same as twins. One with good and the other with bad qualities, both have been gifted. It is just that white witches believe in not tapping into the ck magic," he exined to have more curious on her toes. "Why not?" If it was going to benefit and repel the ck witches, wasn''t it good? She looked at Damien who looked as if he already knew the answer to it. Though he knew quite a few things about the witches, he wanted her to learn things directly from a witch and not himself. Father Antonio walked towards a in wall, pulling a folded chart that was at the top with the ring to hook it below. Picking up the lump of coal which was lying around, he drew two stick figures, "This is the white witch and this is the ck witch," he drew a moon and a sun to emphasize it more, "We have codes here when we speak so that we don''t have any witch to pick on what we speak." Penny knew that, "The moon is the ck witch," she said. "Correct. The moon represents the ck witches and the sun represents the white witch. Here is the ck magic which is made of pure darkness," he made a scribbled circle on the ne, going to draw as he spoke, "The white witches know about it. At least a lot of them who have lived in the same coven unless they are orphaned or haven''t been told their origin on what they are or where theye from, where the information is lost. Leaving thempletely clueless and live the life of a human. Some find out about who they are and are burnt alive because of the very trust they keep with the humans they have grown with." Seeing father Antonio look towards Damien, Penny instinctively looked at him where he had been listening to the priest speak with an uninterested face as if he already knew about it. Looking back at the man who had looked at the pureblooded vampire, he said, "Mr. Quinn has more knowledge about it than I do. He has been walking on thesends for a long time before I even came to existence," that was taken for granted thought Penny to herself but now that she thought about it, did the witches live as long as the humans or more than that? Damien spoke from his seat, "The witches came to the existence the same time the pureblooded came to be known by the humans. The witches were all white in the beginning. Though there are some stories or rumors of the existence of ck witching forth to be different, each and every version you hear will be different. The question is which one do you believe?" Penny waited for him to continue, her attention which was held by both the men who were speaking about the very first existence of the white witches and ck witches which she was sure no one would know for sure as what the truth was. Leaning back in his chair in a way where the front two legs of the chair were left hanging in the air with the back legs of it supporting, "Humans, witches, vampires, each have their own version but even witches have their version mixed which you will find faults in. Like Father Antonio said, both the kinds are gifted equally because they are part of the same coin," as Penny heard Damien speak, she saw the priest drawing something more in terms of lines between the two stick figures, "The ck witches when they first arrived, the truth was already known but the white witches had hid it from most of us. The truth is the ck witches were once white witches." A deep furrow formed between her brows, taking in what Damien just said on the ck witches. The ck witches were once white witches? "How can that be possible?" she asked not able to grasp it. Everyone knew how different the witches were, and though they were different, the witches were burnt after finding them from hiding. Father Antonio stepped back in the conversation to say, "It is the ck magic," she saw the arrow being pointed towards the white witch and then the ck witch, "The white magic and ck magic are things which are not to be tapped." "Not even white magic?" she raised her eyebrows to see the man nod. "The magic is essible to us but that doesn''t mean you can take and make use of it. Using white magic in minute quantities will not harm one. We make use of it here to build the necessarily needed weapons. One of the white magic is the holy water which the humans very much seek to protect themselves. Just because the wateres from the church doesn''t make it holy. The prayer that is used is nothing but a spell used by the white witches," Father Antonio ced two sses of water for them to drink on the table, "When a white witch starts to stray from the expected path, tapping into the forbidden magic which is the ck magic, their bodyposition starts to change before they turn to a ck witch. Mr. Quinn is right though. There are many lores that surround the ck witches. Some who call them the Satan''s children while some say they are born that way and maybe they are." This meant there was more than one way the ck witches came to existence, thought Penny to herself. Still thinking how unexpected it was to have the white witches turning to ck witches. "Let me show you," said the priest, untying the robe that he wore and then the button which had the cross mark on his neck. He pulled one side of the dress that he wore to reveal the severe pigmentation that now covered on his skin which looked simr to the ck witches'' true form. Chapter 251 - Forbidden magic- Part 2 A small gasp escaped through her lips, looking at his skin which has turned to dark pigmentation over his fair and pale skin. That wasn''t all though. There was the formation of the scales which weren''t too thick but enough to notice that it was an early transformation, "You''re under transformation?" she asked him. With the theory that was imparted to her and now that she saw his skin, she looked into the man''s blue eyes where he smiled. "Every time a person dips their hand to make use of the ck magic which had been forbidden, every part of their body starts to transform. One at a time with every use. Firstes their body and thenes the mental state. It is nothing less to the corruption the vampires go through." "Then you shouldn''t tap into it," said Penny not wanting to have a thought that she was responsible for turning one of the priests of the church to a ck witch. Father Antonio smiled, with one flick of his finger the wide parchment which was used to exin caught itself in mes. Burning to the very ends leaving kes of ash on the ground, "It is alright to use things in moderation up until you make sure that you do not cross the line where there is no returning back." She then heard Damien speak who sitting next to her, "ck magic is nothing less whenpared to a drug which can entice a white witch. There are certain rules that need to be followed, rules that are followed by the white witches else they will have consequences." "What kind of rules?" Penny asked hesitantly. For someone like her who had tried to live her life how she wanted until she was thrown into the ve establishment, she was unsure and worried about it. "No killing, no tapping into the forbidden magic, no killing even if your life is in threat," Damien replied in a matter-of-fact tone. Though Penny had no ns to kill anyone, to not do any harm to protect oneself was a stupid rule. Was this why the white witches were docile and let the other people burn them without putting up a fight? If they did, they would turn to a ck witch. "How many times can a person tap into the ck magic or break the rules before crossing over?" she asked Father Antonio who now came back to sit with them. Taking the opposite seat to where she sat. "Fourteen to fifteen times I think?" upon Father Antonio''s reply, it made Penny wonder how many times he had broken the rules. Considering that it would be rude to ask him, she kept the question to herself. Seeing the look of worry she had on her face, the man said, "I still have a lot of tries so it should be okay to use. I am curious myself to see which person will be facing you and Mr. Quinn," he gave out an eager smile like he would enjoy the thought of a ck witch or the person behind the ck witch being killed. The man pulled out an empty teacup, cing it on the table and then pulling out a knife. Eyeing the knife which was sharp, its edge that shined under the candlelight, Penny wondered if this was the kind of ritual that Bathsheba had performed. Thinking on the same matter, she wondered if this person could actually test on her elements but he had refused it. Saying he didn''t know how to do it andcked the ingredients which would be needed toplete the whole ritual sessfully. Penny raised her hand just when Father Antonio turned to her about to speak but closed it instinctively looking at her raised hand, "Most of the ck magic requires blood to get it functioning. Body fluid or parts that could be used. Sometimes using a sacrificial animal or the person itself," bringing the knife forward he ran it across her palm, to cut the skin and ce the cup down so that the blood would be collected in it. As the ritual began, the candlelight in the room started to dim, flickering every now and then as the man went on to murmur something under his breath. The teacup suddenly caught fire, pungent smell filling up the room where Penny had to raise her good hand to cover her nose. She looked at Father Antonio, his expression changing as time went by. With the fire that extinguished itself which was in the teacup. "Who is it?" asked Damien wanting to know who was targeting Penny and wanted her dead. Father Antonio, picked the cross which he had ced down before started the ritual. Tying the chain around his wrist, "You won''t like it," Penny could already feel the dread that was filling up in her mind. There was an unsettling feeling which she wished would go away but with the words hanging in the air, she didn''t was worried. The priest turned to look at her, to say, "It is your mother." Hearing this, Penny could feel her stomach drop down on the floor. Damien''s eyes immediately moved to look at Penelope who looked shocked and dumbstruck. "Are you sure about it?" asked Damien not wanting it to be another misinformation like what Bathsheba had provided for the elemental property. "I am sure. It was faster to connect because they share the same blood," Penny had turned deaf, not listening what they were speaking while she still felt it must be wrong. How could it be true? Her mother had protected her when the people in the vige had tried to pick on her, had given her the love and care. It just couldn''t be right. How could the person who gave birth to her want to kill her? Penny''s eyes moved very slowly to look at father Antonio, "She had all the time if she wanted to kill me before she...before she died," she saw his lips that were pressed, releasing to only sigh, "You will have to ask her that." Chapter 252 - Walk in the night- Part 1 Don''t forget to vote for the book with the red stones that can all be used on a single chapter, the power stones. . Penny didn''t hear the rest of what the two men spoke, losing herself back in her thoughtful questions which didn''t make sense. But more than sense it didn''t feel right to hear what they just discovered. She was quiet, letting Damien take her back outside to the chapel as she mindlessly walked out of shock. Father Antonio threw a worried look at the white witch who was still young who now sat on the bench quietly. "Will she be alright?" he asked Damien who stood with him. "She will be," she should be, thought Damien to himself. It was unfortunate that they found out that it was her mother who so desperately wanted her dead. A woman had no limitation when it came to ruining a person''s life, not even stopping when it was her own daughter. "What are you going to do from here?" asked Father Antonio, to track a ck witch who was supposed to be dead. It was a hard task. "Hunt and kill the woman before she brings any more harm than what she''s done. If she''s tried to hurt her for the second time, it means she knows where Penelope lives and won''t stop," he turned to his side to see her looking at the walls. Feeling his gaze on her, she looked at him to give him a small smile that didn''t reach up to her eyes. She was sad. The girl could hardly catch a break. With one thinging after another, her demeanour had shaken and turned one to sadness. "Going by her reaction, I would tell she didn''t expect the answer," Father Antonio didn''t mind tapping into ck magic. Having already broken some of the rules of being a white witch, he hoped he could help but this was the most he could do right now. Everyone needed to know their limits. If they didn''t there was no telling when darkness woulde and envelop them where there was no light after that, "What is the story, Mr. Quinn?" The priest felt somewhere that Damien knew more than what he led people to believe. "The story?" asked Damien mindlessly, "We will have to find it out through Penelope or once I get my hands on her mother. Tell me something." "Hmm?" "Does a person get to know if the voodoo magic was not sessful?" "I am not sure about that. Never tried the magic." Damien nodded his head over Father Antonio''s response to his question. "Thank you for your help," walking towards Penelope who was seated and waiting for him while she caught up on her feelings when a woman entered the church who wore a white cassock which was paler in color inparison to what the priest of this church wore. Damien looked at the double doors that let the women step inside the church. His eyes slightly narrowing at the sight. Not because of suspicion that the person was a bad entity in here but because the woman resembled someone whom he once knew but at the same time he knew it was untrue that they could be the same person. She reminded him of his aunt, mother of Alexander who was thedy of Valeria once. And though there were some simrities at the same time they weren''t the same person. It had been years since he had seen this sister working in the church. His interactions with her had been less as what he worked on didn''t concern in his work field. He had spent time trying to find out about her but the woman kept to herself and had lived for years in the church she was assigned to. That was before even his aunt had died tragically. There was an inkling after what he found out about Penny''s mother. The woman had faked her death right in front of her daughter''s eyes. Burying herself in the cemetery to only disappear. But Lady Genevieve had been burnt to thest of ash. Seeing each other they bowed their heads slightly in form of greeting. Hearing the footsteps of a person that came from behind, Penny tore away her thoughts to turn and look back who it was. It was a tall woman with clothes simr to what the priest wore here. She was a priestess of another church. She had her ck hair let down which was covered in a coif. As thedy walked in, her eyes fell on the people who were in here. The little crowd which was unusual as the humans never came to the church after the time of evening passed which made it easier for the ones who wanted to work behind the veil which the humans weren''t aware of. Penny''s eyes met the woman''s to find her passing a kind smile which she returned back politely. "Good evening, sister. How can I help you?" asked Father Antonio. Ignoring them, Damien turned to look at Penny to ask her, "Shall we leave?" she gave him a nod. Getting up and walking out of the church where the sky had turned dark. They walked towards the carriage, Penny falling one step behind Damien as her mind still felt muddled. She found it hard to digest that her mother could bring harm to her. Kill her. Reaching the carriage, the coachman had already opened the door for them to step inside. Damien didn''t step inside. Instead, he turned to face Penny and said, "Let''s take a walk here. Some night wind away from the sea," saying this, he raised his hand. Out of consciousness, Penny looked at the coachman who was looking at Damien''s hand. When Damien''s eyes fell on the coachman, the lower being quickly cast his eyes down and bowed further as if he couldn''t see anything anymore. "Shall we?" asked Damien. cing her hand in his which had turned cold, he wrapped his fingers over hers and they started to walk away from the carriage and into the town which was built near the church. Chapter 253 - Walk in the night- Part 2 After going back to the carriage and starting to walk away from it so that they could stroll down the streets of the town wherenterns now lit brightly outside the houses. It was one of the towns which Penny had not found the opportunity to explore. Not that she had the freedom to walk around but even before when she was a free girl, she had never traveled too far. Work had kept her busy. Having the need to earn money so that their house could run as her father had disappeared and her mother couldn''t work as the Vigers never offered or allowed her to work. Due to this, she had to travel far from the vige to another town to earn meager money. She clutched her hand tightly with her emotions that had started to spiral in her mind. With her father who was never in the frame of her life, the only person she had been attached to for years and years that went by was her mother. The only person she believed she would ever need. "Do you want some water?" she heard Damien ask out of the blue while walking down the wet muddy road. His hand still holding hers. "I am fine, thank you," she responded back, "Do you think the mother you believed and trusted, who loved and took care of you would go so far as to kill her own child?" she asked without looking at him but ahead of them. The chittering of the crickets could be heard along with the frogs that were hidden in the grassy patches around them. Damien knew what she wanted to hear to soothe her troubled mind but no matter how bizarre it appeared right now, the truth was that her mother was trying to kill her. The answer to why could be answered only by that woman. "What Father Antonio said was true. Some of the witches are turned from white to ck while some are born that way. ck witches fall slightly towards the category where corrupted vampires fall. I know you want it to be true and maybe what the witch told us might be another wrong information but can you deny the signs that you have seen when she was still alive?" he asked looking at her from the side. That was the problem, wasn''t it, asked Penny to herself. Now that she tried to understand and put some of the avable pieces in the ce she could see the time of how things were yet some corner of her heart denied this knowledge that she hade to perceive. "Why didn''t she kill me before then? I was right there with her. All possible hours and she decides that now is my time to die?" she asked, her words were quiet. Some of the townsfolk people were yet to settle back in their home as they walked on the road now, "I don''t even know why she would do it." Not once had they ever fought. Not once had she ever gone against her mother''s words and not once had she failed in anything her mother wanted. Then why? "It is understandable that you loved your mother dearly. We all love our mother and we forgive them no matter what they do. Sometimes turning a blind eye to what they have done and epting it to be right," she turned to see Damien whose face had turned serious where he was looking at the tall tower bell that could be seen behind all the houses that were built in the town, "Your mother first imed herself to be sick. So sick that she sent you to find the doctor but she died anyway. In the eyes of the vigers as well as in her daughter''s eyes. Even if there was a reason which she couldn''t exin, she would have contacted you by now but she''s done nothing sort of that. Reality is not harsh. It is cruel. Antonio''s ritual was something that required tapping the ck magic, and if a white witch is making use of it. There is a lesser probability of it turning out to be wrong," Penny''s footsteps slowed down until it haltedpletely. Noticing this, Damien stopped. Her eyes were cast down, her lips parted but with no words that came to pass through them. He took two steps forward and hugged her. Holding her in his arms to hear a small sniff. She was holding back the tears from falling down but the nose had not been spared from not letting one know that she was upset. She sniffed again without dropping a single tear from her eyes. "I don''t know what to think anymore," she whispered to him. Her voice shaking as she blurted out the words, "I don''t know whom to trust. People who were supposed to be my ally, people who were supposed to care and love me, they turned their back on me..." Damien rubbed her back without touching the wound which had been inflicted. Giving her words that were not going to hold to be true was not something he would do. Bringing her closer to him, he said, "Maybe they never were facing you," hearing this Penny who had closed her eyes opened it, "Maybe they always had their back facing you but never let you know and never had the intention. Your rtives took you home for their own personal reasons and not because they wanted to look after you with their good heart. Your mother must have had some reason." She shook her head, not able to think of one good reason why her mother wanted to kill her. He continued to run his hand over her back and then up to her hair before cing it on the back of her head, "Trust is hard to be earned but if there''s no one here that you can rely on where people of your own have broken your trust then I give you myself to trust wholeheartedly." Penny pulled away from his embrace, looking up at him with tears that shone in her eyes... Chapter 254 - Walk in the night- Part 3 In this lonely world where she had no family to depend on this stranger was offering to be the support that she didn''t have. "I won''t break it even if you wanted me to. Can you put your faith in me, Penelope?" she didn''t know what to say to it as her eyes stared back at him, "I know it is difficult and even if you don''t trust me now, you will eventually learn to trust me. Allow me to be that rock that will keep the parchment from flying away in your life," it was the very first time that Damien was taking her permission. The first time where he wasn''t overbearing but asking her. Her eyes filling up more with tears, one single tear slid down quickly down her cheek. Grazing halfway on her cheek to fall down on the already wet ground. Damien wiped it from her cheek, "Don''t cry. It makes you look ugly," a sudden smile came upon Penny''s lips. "I don''t think anyone looks pretty when they are crying, Master Damien," she said, she inhaled the cold air before exhaling it out. "Ugly mouse," hemented. The tears dried out of her eyes and she nodded her head. "Trusting my own blood which was supposed to be thick, has now turned stale. I don''t think I have anything to lose by trusting you," she looked straight in his eyes, "I will trust you." One side of his lips raised, "I am d to have you ce your trust on me," he picked her hand which was resting on her side. Bending down his head he kissed the back of her hand and stood back straight. Taking the same hand he pulled her to continue the walk they had started, "Time will eventuallye to heal, fading what you know now by recing what is going toe." With her mind, that felt much calmer than a few moments ago, she told herself to take one step at a time. Right now with all this information, her mind could barely keep up with it. As they continued to walk, Penny asked him with a curious tone, "Does it haunt you? The things of the past...which caused the corruption," she saw Damien not change his expression. The night was quiet letting both of them rx in each other''spany. "It used to when I was young. Maybe that is why it affected my heart but it hardly matters now. I have killed people more than my mother has, breaking hers or any other family members of mine. It now remains as one of the memories," he answered, bringing her hand closer to him, "We think at one point that it is important but in time as we move forward you look back and see how pointless the things you worried about were." It was true, thought Penny to herself. When her mother and she lived in the vige, what the vigers said had mattered. Their rude words were directed to them which were unweing and hurtful. Now when she looked back at it, there were other more important things than the words which were spoken at them. She had to find her mother to know what was going and why she had suddenly changed, wanting to kill her. Her mother was a witch and maybe somewhere the people had a doubt which was why they had turned them as an outcast. She wanted to know what happened that she had to hide, making a false death which never took ce. Something must have happened and her mother must have been helpless but her mind could hardly conjure on any right reason as everything pointed to be in a negative direction. She then heard him say, "We both have a unique set of mothers. Do you think they would get along?" she doubted any of them would with what she heard after finding out about them. Shifting the conversation, Penny asked, "Did you find anything about Bathsheba?" "Nothing so far. She must have left Bonke. I usually am able to track the ck witches but she has gone out of thends. I have Kreme to see if he can get any information about her whereabouts," he answered back. "Was she a white witch?" "No. Not to what I remember or know at least. She''s a born ck witch. Maybe that is why she is a little sanerpared to the turned ones. Did I tell you that they are turning the humans into half witches?" "The council hasn''t stopped them?" Penny couldn''t imagine how it would turn out if there was more influx of ck witches on thesends. The more ck witches, the more difficult it would be to keep thew and order where it would only lead to chaos. "They have. There are many subdivisions of the team that have been working on bringing everything under control but the witches aren''t easy to manage. The transformation is something that I came to hear from Bathsheba as she got the word from another dimwitted ck witch." "I see. Is this the same reason why the white witches are kept under observation and surveince of the others?" "Yes." Penny could hardly imagine how one could live a life like that. To be under everyone''s eyes, every movement of theirs which would be observed. Damien then said, "White witches are good souls," he looked at her and then to look forward again as his eyes scanned around the houses where people couldn''t be seen standing outside, "A white witch always starts with a helping hand but the same hand turns to be greedy. Tapping into the forbidden magic enough times to finally hand themselves to the other side." "Will then Father Antonio be alright? Is he turning into a ck witch?" she would definitely not want that for him or any other white witch. The forbidden magic was nothing more than a curse that couldn''t be reversed. "He''s fine for now. Even though the patches have started to form on his skin, he can still continue to live unless his heart starts to crave for more, then there is no turning back for him." Chapter 255 - Ms. Adams- Part 1 Readers: By using your power stone (ps), you will help the book to rank higher in the site so that it can be reachable to other readers. Bymenting and voting, you will move up in the level and receive up to 3 ps. You can use your power stones at the end of the chapter by clicking on the fire symbol which will have red stone on it until all energy stones get exhausted. The PS gets generated every day which can be used to vote. . . With something that came up at Adam''s family as the only heir Lady Belle Adam''s was unavable as she had to go to Mythweald to visit her aunt, the date had been pushed forward where they finally traveled to the high standings family in the society where some of the family members had been killed after the incident of the corruption. They were one of the unfortunate families where the ck witches had targeted to instill fear and alertness which would affect the people around as well as reach the council. In the carriage, Damien traveled with Penelope and his elder sister Maggie while his father, step-mother Fleurance and Grace took another carriage. "How is your back doing now, Penelope?" asked Maggie from where she sat next to Damien while Penny sat alone in the opposite seat. Her movements were slightly awkward as she was unsure of how to react with the previous statement she had thrown at the dining room. "It is doing much better now," she replied back. Lady Maggie gave her a nod, "That is good to hear. There is a doctor who usually visits the mansion when we have a guest over who is sick if you-" Damien cut in without giving Lady Maggie a chance toplete her words, "That won''t be needed. We went to meet one of the priests yesterday and he gave us something that can be used to recover from the pain that has been caused," his words were curt. "You''re not a doctor, Damien. She will need a check if she''s been hurt more than twice if you want to avoid any infection," Lady Maggie pressed her lips. Damien instead of answering her, turned to look at Penny, asking her, "Are you in pain now? Do you need a doctor?" Penny could feel Lady Maggie''s eyes on her. She shook her head and then said to Lady Maggie, "I appreciate your concern and help, Lady Maggie," she bowed her head and then looked back up to say, "But I am fine. Master Damien took care of it," and a frown came to form on the vampiress''s face. "Why do you continue to call him Master Damien when you aren''t a ve anymore?" for some reason it felt like Lady Maggie was observing her more than what she did before she was dered to not be a ve. The question caught her off-guard. It had turned out to be a habit with the way she addressed him. "It''s her wish what she decides to call me Maggie. What are you, her mother?" he rolled his eyes. "Just because you like the sound of it?" "Yes?" he raised his brow at her and this time it was Maggie who rolled her eyes. Penny saw the vampiress turn towards her to say, "You can call him Mr. Quinn or Sir Damien. There is no need for you to call him ''Master Damien''." "Stop poking your nose where it doesn''t belong, Maggie. It isn''t like there aren''t others who address me in such a fashion," which was true. Some of the beings who felt they needed to show him utmost respect at certain times referred him with ''Master Damien''. Penny was used to calling him master Damien and at times having the slip of tongue in her mind by just calling him with his name. "Mr. Quinn," Penny agreed upon to have Damien narrow his eyes down at the girl who sat in front of him. Though Damien had the signed doc.u.ments which stated that she a ve who belonged to him until he decided otherwise by handing her to another master or a mistress, Penny had understood so much that he would never do that. The man could hardly have a doctor look at her wounds. Lady Maggie then said, "I heard that the bodies were tested back in the council. Is that so?" "The council is making sure it isn''t anything but the same potions which have been gathered by the ck witches. Murkh had to run some tests on the body before letting the family cremate the body," Damien answered without moving his eyes from Penelope who had been staring at him. Breaking his gaze away from her, he looked at his sister, "The ck witches have been doing more than create havoc recently. The council is only taking preventive measures before something else takes ce with the next targetted family." "How unlucky to be targetted one after another. She is all alone now without her parents and you know how the rtives can be. When I attended the cremation, there were tons of people and people who wanted to stay were shooed away by the butler." "At least there''s someone sensible in there to look after the girl," Damienmented, "The ck witches have been heartless in terms of seeing who they kill. They have been fairly random without a pattern which is what puts all of the pureblooded vampires in danger of being corrupted," Lady Maggie nodded her head. "We were lucky. Falcon took the fall," murmured Lady Maggie under her breath. "That he did," Penny looked at Damien, his voice calm which didn''t waver when he spoke about the dead butler. It made her think if Damien had somehow learned to block the pain when he was young to not be able to feel much remorse or pain to carry on his shoulders. The corruption had affected him where it appeared as if nothing could deter him. It wasn''t that she found it to be a bad characteristic in him. But it was something to think about, was corruption somewhere a gift? Everything had a good and bad side. At the same thought of corruption, Penny hoped she could do something with the ability to purify the poison to an unharmful solution. Maybe once she would start receiving the needed guidance from the church, she would be able to create something that would help and avoid the witches from trying to corrupt the rest of the vampire race. "We are here," she heard Lady Maggie say. Craning her neck to the side, Penny saw a mansioning into view which stood tall and isted from the rest of the world. Chapter 256 - Ms. Adams- Part 2 It was the tips of the mansion that she first saw as the trees which were part of the forest-covered it in every direction. The trees that held green leaves as they were traveling towards it had started to change to orange, red, and brown. The closer they got therger the ce appeared to be making her wonder what kind of family lived in here. Both this and Quinn''s mansion could be called to be as castle instead of mansion due to their size and the way they were built far away from the crowd whom they didn''t want to do anything with. Considering most of them were lower than them. She heard Damien say, "This is the other side of theke of bones," the carriage continued to travel in the path of the snowy road where the snow had fallen down here. It was the time of Winter and some parts of the Bonke had started to freeze, turning the ce?as white as heaven or as gloomy, as one could not see anything but snow-coverednd. The castle stood tall with the ends of the building standing high and mighty. The carriage stopped, the hooves of the horsesing to a halt when the coachman pulled the reins of the horses. Penny was the second person to get down after Lady Maggie, her head titled backward to look at the white and cream building which appeared to look old. Lady Fleurance and the others stepped inside the castle-like building where Damien and Penny were thest ones to enter. Like them, there were some other guests who hade to visit the remaining people who were left unharmed while paying respect to the dead. Walking inside, two maids helped the guests in removing their coats, taking one by one in time while having their head bowed every time they waited at the front of the hallways. The ce was carved beautifully, every single little detail which looked as if the architect had taken his own time to lovingly carve it. "The closest solution that we have right now is taking your help, Penelope," she heard Damien say while he smiled at one of the guests who greeted him from afar, "Father Antonio doesn''t know about your ability. It is up to you if you want to let him know what you can do or keep it to yourself and work on it alone or." Was he giving her the option of if she wanted to tell the priest she could purify the solutions she touched? "I don''t think I will," she answered. Right now she didn''t trust anyone. Even if the man was a white witch who had helped her in finding?some answers she hade looking for, she didn''t want to take a chance. The existence of Bathsheba told that not every ck witch was bad while not every white witch could hold back the cravings they saw in the power which came from tapping into the ck magic. "It is your choice. If the stars have aligned at a crucial time like this where you will be able to put it to good use, then you are the chosen one to fix what the ck witches are trying to disrupt," he spoke in a low voice so that only she could hear. "Will I be able to do it?" there was doubt in her voice. Not once had she been able to turn the liquids when she wanted. It happened without her control and she didn''t know how it happened. Damien stopped himself from walking further, "Nothing is impossible if you try hard enough. Look at us right now. If I didn''t work hard we wouldn''t be holding hands," Penny blinked at him, her eyes falling on their hands linked together and she quickly pulled her hand away. He chuckled, "Don''t be so cold, Penny. Come here and let me hold you." Damien raised his hand where his step-mother who was not too far behind them turned around to give them a dirty look. Penny wanted to hide and die somewhere in the corner. They hade to visit people who were mourning over the loss and this man was in his own bubble. Maybe having a corrupted heart and stubbing the emotions wasn''t so good after all as there was ack of sympathy or empathy to be shared by the person. An old couple who hade here to pay their respect looked at Penny with their jaw that was set firmly as they looked at her. Raising his hand up to his lips, he chuckled, "You''re so easy to be fl.u.s.tered. Hold my hand before you get lost," Penny sighed not wanting to receive more attention that was being given to Damien and her. "This is a big ce with only a few servants working in here," she murmured looking at the two servants who they had walked by one who served them drinks. "There were many before but they were all killed. At least more than twenty to twenty-five of them," Penny couldn''t help but raise her brows in shock. More than twenty? That was a lot of death, "Ms. Adam''s is the only survivor in the family where her mother and father have both passed away. The reason being corruption. Both Mr. and Mrs. Adam''s happened to kill their servants after getting corrupted. The girl just turned out to be fortunate to not be killed by her own parents." The maid who was serving regr tea along with the blood tea asked the guests to take a seat so they didn''t have to stand waiting which was considered to be an inhospitable action. Penny excused herself, wanting to use the powder room where the maid guided her. Standing in front of the mirror, her eyes fell on the bruises which were yet to disappear. No wonder the couple was looking at her oddly, thought Penny to herself. Trying to cover the bruise on her forehead by pulling the sides of her hair forward, she finally stepped out to hear whisperings that came from the corridor she had walked by toe to the powder room. Chapter 257 - Ms. Adams- Part 3 Hearing the whispered voices at first Penny thought it was the sound of the wind which wasing through the windows until she noticed the windows were closed and it was from the corridor. Walking out of the powder room, she came to the end of the corridor to see a man who had his hand on the wall with a girl who stood with her back against it. Like many other mansions, this ce was not lit with candles as it was only the time of noon. But the weather outside was cloudy and with the snow, the environment turned dark and dull. She saw the male who looked as if he were angry while the girl stared at him. Penny could tell the way the man stood he had meant to corner the girl. Feeling more than out of ce and having to walk through the same corridor where the couple stood now, she cleared her throat. Hearing her, the man was the first one to move away from the girl, a look of disappointment falling on the girl''s face. Penelope bowed her head as if wanting to excuse herself and left the ce to get back to the room where Damien was. Returning back, she caught him talking to a maid. His stance intimidating the young girl. He waved her off to see Penny approaching him, "Did you make her cry?" she asked him suspiciously while looking at the maid who scurried out of the room. "Girls are often sensitive. One word and they have tears," he said looking at the room. "Not everyone is like that." "True, you are not like that," he said nonchntly, his eyes then looked at someoneing behind and she instinctively turned around to see it was none other than the man and the girl she hade across moments ago. Damien walked towards the girl, "Ms. Adam''s, our condolences for what happened to your parents and people here. It was hard for us to believe that something so drastic took ce here." "No one could have imagined it to happen," the girl replied back with a small smile. Her reddish-brown hair was half tied from up and left open below which was wavy in nature. She looked young, her unblemished skin making her look nothing less to a porcin doll. With Damien who stood closest to the entrance of the room, the others gave them time to speak while Senior Mr. Quinn walked towards them to offer his words of sentiments. In the meantime, Penny could feel the gaze of the man who was with the girl. Her eyes met his eyes where he offered her a subtle bow. By his clothes, one could tell that he was the butler of the mansion. He appeared to look calm andposed. Put together just like when she had cleared her throat. Penny bowed her head subtly before shifting her gaze back to the girl. As more time passed she could still feel the continuous gaze which made it evident as if she saw something she wasn''t supposed to. "Would you like us to recruit some new servants to help here, Belle?" asked Damien''s father like he knew her parents well. Instead of the girl answering, it was the butler who came to answer, "We''re fine, Mr. Quinn thank you for your generous offer," the butler bowed his head, his voiceing out crisp and clear while his expression remained nk. The girl''s eyes darted back and forth between Senior Quinn and her butler, she said, "He is right. Right now we''re still sorting things around. I will let you know if I need one,"?she said with an assuring smile. "Of course, when you have a butler like Lucas, his is worth at least ten other servants," said the man, "Don''t hesitate to ask if you need anything." The girl named Belle smiled, her smile though tried to reach her eyes there was something forced, "That is very kind of you," the butler then interrupted to say, "Would you like to move to the drawing-room, Sir?" "Sure." The Quinn''s stay for dinner and left Adam''s mansion to head back to their own mansion. On their way back, Damien stopped the carriage, getting down before they reached mansion to get Penny down and send Maggie back home which was a few minutes of the ride, not that his sister minded it. Penelope followed Damien who walked one step ahead of her. It was as if something was weighing in his head since they had reached Adam''s family. "Everything alright?" asked Penny after some time of the silence that passed by. She didn''t know if he got down for some fresh air instead of traveling back to the mansion. The sky started to snow down slowly. Soft, cold snowkes falling one down after another with the temperature that dropped down. "There is a pattern," he murmured, "My mother had a gift like me but different which was iplete. The gift of premonition. Though it was more of an inkling you could say which passed on to me." "Most of the mass murders the ck witches caused were in the vige and town to source powers. ck witches share the skill of foretelling things by making use of potions and sacrifices. Though they killed people for setting up something more, some of the houses that have been attacked which makes one wonder why? Why specifically us?" Penny continued to hear him in silence. "It wasn''t just Bathsheba who noticed the alignment of stars. The houses that were attacked had a person each that had an alignment of stars." "How do you know that?" Penny asked slightly confused not able to follow his guesswork. Damien smiled, "Because nothing happens out of coincidence. Before you arrived here from the ve establishment. There was a family who got corrupted. If you see Adam''s, there was corruption too. My guess is that is wasn''t just to cause havoc in the family and the people who lived around but that their intention was more than that." It might have been some kind of coincidence that the switcher who hade home knew that Damien would kill the people he had encountered toy back as a fake Penelope back in the abandoned city. A coincidence that he had carried the potion of corruption with him. At the same time, the two houses he was aware of something was off about it... Chapter 258 - Deaths in exam- Part 1 Damien''s suspicion had raised before stepping into Adams family castel. His thoughts went back to a ce he had visited two days ago. "Councilman Damien," one of the fellow councilman came to stand next to him as he looked at the wall which was marked with blood right outside the empty mansion which had been unupied for some years now that once upon a time used to belong to the second lord of the Bonke. The current Lord of Bonke who was Nichs Rune was the fourth Lord while his father the third lord. They stood at the snow mansion where the white snow covered the ground. Given that it was the time of Winter in the fournds now, this was one of the only ces which snowed throughout the year. "He doesn''t look so good," Damienmented looking down at the man''s body whoid on the snow ground, "Was this all the body?" "Yes, Sir!" answered the junior councilman who had tagged along with Damien, "Councilman Creed said to get it cleaned and have it checked before we close the case." "Of course. Maybe if they had other ways of setting up the examination this wouldn''t have happened," he said looking at the blood which had been soaked by the snow below. The second examination had been closed a few hours ago where they finally called him to have a look to make sure nothing more than the exam took ce. Though it was hard to understand with the number of deaths that had taken ce what the higher up''s were expecting, "Not manye alive or intact when they take part in the second final exams." "Mine was a simple interview, Sir," answered the young man who was a human turned vampire, a half-vampire. "Aren''t you a lucky chap. Not every exam is the same. The exams are held with respect to the mood of the higher council members," Damien bent down to look at the man who was a councilman. Oliver was it? He asked himself looking at the face, "Sometimes they are easy as taking a walk in the meadow but sometimes the same meadow is filled with empty pits and things you wouldn''t expect." The councilman who was younger to him stared at the body and then his senior who was inspecting the body while sitting on his heels, "I must be lucky then, Sir," he responded back. "What was the report all about? What did you find?" asked Damien wanting to know what the man had gathered apart from what he himself found out. "The second examination was held three days ago and today was the release. Out of all the candidates, only two of them survived while the others were killed or their bodies have disappeared," answered the councilman. "Why did our councilman die? Did he decide to take part in it?" "Um, no Sir. The n was to station two councilmen. Each person a day." "What about the third day? Was it nned to leave the examinees alone?" "Yes, Sir. The first councilman stationed was one who belongs to Duke Carmichael''s team," hmm, thought Damien to himself. He stepped back inside the mansion which was old and dusty. His red eyes looking through for traces of blood which could be noted on the floor and sprinkles on the dark wall. "I take that the female examinee passed the exam?" he confirmed already knowing the answer for the man to say yes. "It was Lady Vivian and another man who hails from Woville. Though his words have been very strange or rather lunatic," the councilman frowned while he followed Damien up the stairs and other parts of the mansion. "Why do you say so?" his words came off to be mindless. "He was speaking about a ghost who haunts this house." "How interesting," Damien entered the room where another bodyid on the ground. The wounds on the body were differentpared to the dead councilman who was stuck on to the wall like a painting before he was taken down to be ced on the snow ground. The other councilman continued to speak giving out the details on what he saw and heard but Damien paid no attention to it. These markings, he looked at the chest of the man. His eyes wide that held shock and terror like he had seen a ghost. No not a ghost. Something far worse that ghost. Having done much clean up of the death sights around Bonke especially when it was regarding a high profile ce, it wasn''t the first for Damien toe across a wound like this. He had seen these markings at least more than ten times and every time he picked on the trail it somehow pointed out to one person. The current Lord of Bonke. His mind started to add the possible things, walking around the mansion before going back to the council to submit the detailed report. It was possible that Lord Nichs had helped the girl to whatever that had happened here during the three days of the examination. The councilors didn''t expect anyone to die, at least not directly but people often died at the need and greed of wanting to be part of the council with the benefits it provided. Councilman Creed appeared when was going to submit the files, his eyepatch in ce and a smile on his lips. "How did the scouting go?" asked the older pureblooded vampire. "It went as usual. Are you on your break, councilman Creed?" Damien asked, his tone light and harmless. "Yes, I thought I would have some fresh air before getting back to work," how ironic, thought Damien to himself. Open-air was outside the building and not further inside where he now stood. He caught the man eye the papers in his hand, "Every year we lose some people who n to enter the council. This time was no different." Damien nodded his head, "Indeed there were too many deaths," he agreed, his eyes flickering with interest. Chapter 259 - Deaths in exam- Part 2 So long as Damien knew about councilman Creed, the man had business with the higher members of the council but it wasn''t everyone, just a few chosen ones which some of the considered it to be a privilege. People whom he could make use of. Damien had been invited to join the meetings which were held but he hardly had time for other people. He had other important things to do than y fetch like a loyal dog with an older vampire who was of the third generation. Wanting to hear more about the incident that took ce from his own mouth, Damien asked, "I am sorry for your loss. Might you know what happened in there because councilmen usually don''t interfere with the examination that goes on? To have the man dead was quite some shock for myself." "Yes, Oliver was one of the hard-working men in the department. It is a great loss. At least we know two of the candidates survived," answered the man to have Damien nodding in response, "But did you notice something?" Damien gave out a quizzical look as if not knowing what the councilman was trying to say with the way he looked at him. It appeared that it wasn''t just him who had caught on to the different kind of deaths that was handed down to the people who had visited the snow mansion. There were three types of death that took ce which wasn''t caused by one or two-person but by more than three people. Lord Nichs had already mentioned and given out the order on how he would personally speak to Lady Vivian on what happened and to give her time as she might have been still in trauma over what happened. The number of possibilities on what might have happened intrigued him to have his brain working on thinking what might have happened. "The dead men you mean?" asked Damien, his head tilting in question. Councilman Creed looked around, making sure no one was around them and far away. Dropping his voice several octaves down, he said, "Don''t you think it is funny how a mere human, who is a woman happened toe out alive while the people who were vampires and pureblooded vampires had died a horrible death. The girl is suspicious and shees from the side of one of the councilman," "She must be well trained then. After all, Duke Leonard has always been a smart man in the exams or on the field. I doubt he would offer the council anyone who would not be helpful here. He must have known she would survive. Or it was pure luck. There was another man too. The one who speaks of ghosts." The manughed, a loud manlyugh before clearing his throat, "I don''t know what Rueben was thinking by having him assigned to the council. By his own words, he admitted that he was hiding in the cupboard for more than a whole day," he shook his head and sighed in disappointment. "The Lady who passed appears to be talented. To kill someone takes a lot of courage," Damien said, noticing the flicker in the man''s eyes. "It makes me doubtful that a dainty woman could do it. Are you sure you didn''t find anything unusual? I am sure we can run a thorough search on her," offered councilman Creed. Of course. To think the man would have not heard the whisper about the alignment of stars would be naive to think. He was on to what was going on. "That won''t be necessary," at the same time the head council appeared through the doors, heading to where they were to ask, "You men seem to be busy here hustling," said Reuben whose office right at the corner of the ballot boxes that were ced to have them reviewed by the higher council. Both Damien and Creed bowed their head to show respect to the higher councilman. Damien smiled looking up at Rueben, "We were speaking about the examination and how nice it is to have a woman work in the council. After all, it would let one have more than one perspective," Rueben nodded his head. "Lady Vivian showed courage in the examination. We will have to see how she works under Lionel and Leonard''s team. Councilman Creed, I had something to discuss with you on the same matter. Barron spoke about you falling short of a man," the head councilman took Creed from there, walking into his office while leaving Damien standing there with the files which he finally pushed into the metal boxes. Thinking back about the two days, Damien knew something was going on and it was more than what he and had found out until. It was like a series of secrets that were hidden to link to one main thing. Surely, with the way people had died and three different kinds of deaths out of which two had been not normal. He got them wrong. There was the fourth type of murder. The possibilities with the bite marks, one was the pureblooded vampire, then the human who had killed other men. If the ghost really existed like a phantom which would turn to third type and the fourth which led to thedy. He wrote down in the report that it was self-defense where she had killed him by her own hands but Damien had never seen a person die in such fashion. He knew there was something more to the story. It was possible that Lady Vivian who was being protected by Duke Leonard and having Lord Nichs'' help was one of the stars crossed being like Penelope who had some sort of ability. It was because the families they lived with had been subjected to corruption. Did the ck witches have a premonition but had attacked not knowing who had received the ability? The matter linked to the Adam''s house making him wonder if Belle Adams was the same as the other two girls or if the corruption was purely coincidental. Chapter 260 - Butterflies- Part 1 Song rmendation: ''Take me apart'' by SYML . Penny looked at Damien who had paused himself from talking, "Did Bathsheba mention how many people had been affected by the change in the stars?" "She didn''t but my guess is that it takes ce in an odd number. There are three of you so far, at least that is what I would like to believe," Damien turned around to look at her, "Penny, you need to make sure to never get exposed. To keep your ability to yourself until we know it is safe. Some of them must have been tipped with the alignment of stars and the unique abilities you people have been gifted." "Is it because we pose a threat to society?" she knew that with every gift came a drawback but until now she had found none. If it truly was so, it meant she couldn''t tell it to Father Antonio and learn more about what and how she could utilize it. Right now she was on her own. It was funny how they had trusted a ck witch yet here she was being careful when it came to the white witch. But then she didn''t know that betrayal and trust when broken could hurt this bad. Damien shook his head. Walking back to her, he ran his hand over her hair, smoothening the strands and letting his hand fall back to his side, "It is because you pose a threat to them. The ones who are trying to create chaos. We don''t know what''s going on and if my theory is really right it is a possible one." Penny didn''t know how to react to it. There were people who were scared that she and the others could or would stop them? "Each of you might have an ability which differs from the other which forms to something that they are worried that it might stop the n they have. Every little dust particle has its own story which can change the very life of people. Given that your own ability helps in purifying the solution which is used to corrupt and create havoc by using the vampires, that alone is enough to stop the ck witches." It was an interesting theory, thought Penny to herself. For Damien to draw out something so quick she wondered what that brain was made of. "The council usually likes to dissect people. Inside out to know the new creatures and they won''t stop hunting you down before it leads to death. Not because they would inflict execution but because there are people whom I doubt now are partaking along with the ck witches," somewhere as he said that, Penny caught a small frown on his forehead. He was worried, "The Duke is looking after the girl as he is evidently involved and in love with her. Whatever her ability is would never be received because it is better to not trust blindly and you never know where the word might spread. Don''t you agree?" Penny let out a sigh of breath from her lips. "I won''t let anything happen to you. The witches have only tried to attack us which turned out unsessful," he assured her. "Do you think it is possible that the witches got the wrong people thinking they were the ones with abilities?" she asked. If the witches weren''t nning for another attack it was possible unless they thought they had killed the one with abilities. "Might be," he muttered under his breath. There was nothing to worry in Damien''s eyes as he would be there with Penny most of the times but one never knew how the circ.u.mstances changed. It must have been hard to lose family members overnight, thought Penny to herself. "Anyways, I didn''t bring you here to talk about it. Quick, give me your hand," he said raising his hand for her to take. His quick change in mood and the raise in enthusiasm were something, "It is beautiful weather," he clutched her hand when she ced her hand on top of his palm. They started to walk deeper into the forest. There was patchy work of the snow on the forest ground. Damien directed her on where to ce her feet as she walked. Thest time they were here this same man had made her climb a tree and right now he was holding her hand to make sure she didn''t stumble on the forest ground. The clouds that had been hovering in the sky thickly in the morning and at noon now started to move. Trying to clear itself for a few moments before the night could rece it. With the clouds that moved away came thest rays of the sun for the day, reflecting on the forest which turned the surrounding green and orange. "Where are we going?" she asked him curiously. "You will see," came his answer, continuing to lead the way until they finally came to an open space where there was grass in midst of the forest but that wasn''t all, "Go on," he said letting go of her hand. She stared at him wondering what he was up to. Damien was an odd man which was why she wasn''t sure if it was a good idea to follow his word, "Is this another test?'' she asked him. "You said you would trust me, mouse," he reminded her making her smile. Opputunitist master. She did say that to him. Taking one step after another towards the grass, she saw something rise, butterflies with different colors that started to fly in the air. It had been a while since she had seen so many butterflies. Some pped their wings to fly while the others went back to settle down. With the sunlight that fell right here at this ce, it turned grassy area to a magical one. Penny couldn''t help but smile. But the butterflies weren''t the only reason why she had a smile on her face right now. Chapter 261 - Butterflies- Part 2 She turned to look at Damien who stood there looking at her. Her smile continued, receiving one from him. Asplicated as he appeared in front of strangers, he was actually simple. Bringing her here to show the butterflies under the light. This time it wasn''t the butterflies she was looking at but Damien. The sunlight falling on one side of his face and the other side carrying the shadow. She didn''t know what took over but the emotions that had only begun to brewpelled her to look at him. His eyes looking at her intently while she stared back at him. The wind that blew through the forest, breezing past them, she walked towards him with their eyes not breaking away for a moment. Going to stand in front of him where the smile slowly started to lower down with her heart beating louder than before. It was as if Damien already knew what was on her mind, being in sync with her emotions. When Penny raised her face, standing on her tiptoes he leaned forward to meet her for the kiss she had intended. Not overthinking, she went with the flow, letting her heart loose and kissed him on his lips with her eyes closed. It wasn''t a deep kiss like the ones Damien had given her but a simple one where she pressed her lips on his. And she pulled back while lowering herself back on the ground. Letting her eyes slowly flutter open she saw Damien looking at her. Though he knew it, he was slightly taken aback not expecting her to kiss him. Her eyes looked bright and alive, the jade green eyes trying to mesh with the forest as if she were part of it. "That was too fast," he said making her internally smile. This time when Penny took a step, Damien''s hand curled around her waist to bring her close. With her toes standing back on her tips, she could see Damien waiting for her to take the initiation. She gulped, the spell of courage breaking. Going close to his face, she felt the heat of his lips but was it her own heat that could feel right now? Her head felt heavy but she leaned forward anyways, this time pressing her lips on his which felt soft and supple. Feeling his arms holding her in his warm embrace she kissed him before feeling him kiss her back, taking his own time to savor her lips. Penny felt her heart lighten, the feeling of her floating with the wind breezing around them as the sun began to dip down. Pulling back, Penny felt as if the sky had darkened suddenly. How long did they kiss? It was only a few moments ago that the sky was still bright in color before she had closed her eyes. "Who knew butterflies could do the trick. If I knew this I would have brought you here the very first day," Damienmented with one side of his lips pulling back, his eyes shining with mirth and joy. Penny, on the other hand, rolled her eyes. It would be better not to tell him that it wasn''t the butterflies that were responsible for the kiss. He would only puff his chest if she were to tell it to him. "Did you finally fall for me?" he asked to see her eyes widen immediately. "I did not," she was quick to deny his question. "My," he sang, "Who knew that miss Penelope went kissing men as a thank you," he teased her, her cheeks turning red, "Do you want to go back home? We can stay if you want." "We can stay here for a little longer," she said. He let her go from his embrace but took her hand in his. Linking it with his mindlessly. "Let''s go on the other side. This is going to turn darker in a few minutes," said Damien taking her along with him through the forest. The week had been gone by too many things happening andst week Damien had been busy with council work while he had sent Penny to the church where she was only beginning to learn the number of potions that were present in there and how to make one without tapping into dark magic as some of them had the differentponents which could switch to white and ck if one wasn''t careful with it. It had been only two days. "Do youe here often?" asked Penny when they came to the edge of a cliff where beneath it was a? nket of trees. "Sometimes," he answered. Seeing a rock there, Penny went to stand and lean her back so that she didn''t have to keep standing, "It isn''t too different from the mansion." Now that Penny had kissed him, she didn''t know what to speak with her heart that she was still trying to hold down from fluttering like a butterfly. It felt like a rush of adrenaline high that was trying toe down. Silence surrounded them but it wasn''t an ufortable one. It was pleasant. Something that was quiet and calm that put the mind to ease. Damien had taken a seat on the rock next to her. After some more time passed, Penny asked, "Damien?" Damien who was looking at the sky turned his eyes towards Penny, "Hmm?" "Do you think my mother is still here? In Bonke or in this town?" it somewhere tugged her heart with the possibility of seeing her mother so that she could ask why she did what she did. At the same time, something popped in her mind making her frown. "My aunt," she whispered which Damien caught on it. Her aunt! All this while she thought her aunt and her mother were sisters but it seemed like it wasn''t the case. Her mother was a ck witch but her aunt was a human. Catching Penny''s trail of thoughts, he stated, "Looks like we''ll be paying a visit to your rtives house." Chapter 262 - Church chamber- Part 1 In one of the churches, in thend of Bonke, Penny read the book which Father Antonio had given to her to read. Though this was a ce which was verified by the council, the public wasn''t aware of this ce creating bullets and other weapons that were used to kill witches and other kinds of creatures to maintain thew and order. It turned more secretive that only some knew that this church held potions and other items that were not ced in the disy that could lead to suspicious activity in the eyes of the others which was true. There were some unofficial white witches like Penny who were not informed about the council. A lot of them enjoyed their liberty to walk freely but once caught under the watchful eye of the council, life was never the same. There was always someone watching them, be it the council members or the hunters who were waiting for the white witches to make a mistake so that they could add the death count of the witches in their list. After all, white witches were not too far from the corrupted vampires. Maybe far worse due to their deceiving nature after being turned into a ck witch. All one had to do was have a taste of the ck magic. The power that came from tapping the ck magic was hard for one to resist. Penny looked down at the parchment of sheets which was regarding the use of white magic. Penny''s reading and writing skills had improved, along with marking where she used the quill that was in front of her. Beforeing to the ve establishment, Penny had learned only a few things without being proficient and not able to consider herself to be part of the literate group. The script that was often handed in the theater was the hardest when she had joined as she didn''t know how to read it entirely. But she was smart. Smarter than the rest and someone who enjoyed the theater passionately. She heard the lines, murmuring them under her breath when there was a rehearsal. Asking the next man what was written down on the script while picking on some familiar words such that she relied solely on the ability of what she heard. She was thankful that Damien had sent her to Lady Maggie, his older sister who was well educated. She had taught her the basics which now turned out to be helpful. "Did you finish this?" came sister Jera to her, looking at the marking she had done on the parchment. "Ah, yes. Don''t the council ever barge in here?" Penny turned her head to look at the molten liquid which would be turned to bullets after cooling and cing them in their little containers for storage. Sister Jera smiled, "They have done it plenty in the past," hearing this Penny''s brows rose up, "No one trusts the witches but we don''t trust the vampires and the others. This ce is counterfeit." "Counterfeit?" she asked not understanding what that meant. "Let me take that," said the young witch, picking up the sk that was ced next to Penny. It was a ck solution which was mixed with ck witches'' blood. The content was being cultured so that they could use it to turn the ck witches'' own blood against them. A lot of work which was done by the white witches that was run on the orders of the council but there was more to the work which went down in this church. The bullets weren''t made just for the witches. They were also being made for the vampires and other hybrids, only that some of the council members were aware of it. Sister Jera herself looked around before saying, "Come with me," Penny followed the young girl on her word. Moving past the white witches who were working with smoke that erupted now and then in some corner of the wide room. "You must already be aware of what we do here after a week of being here. This church once wasn''t a church but a ce that was built on the grounds where people had died. The mass murder of massacre." "What happened?" she asked the girl. Sister Jera picked up antern, handing it over to Penny and picked one up for herself before they started to walk out of the room. There was only a one-way path that led back up to the long and tall hallway with bowls of fire before the staircase connected back up to the front of the church. "When the ck witches were first taken to be a threat, years ago which goes back to the first generation of the pureblooded vampires, it was decided that the ck witches would bring ill omens and they did just that. Killing people recklessly while trying to im the property but if you look at it, can you me them?" the voice of Sister Jera came as a small echo as they continued to walk to the hallways, passing the tall pirs one after another, "It is sad that they had been driven away to not be allowed to live. The decision was taken firmly when one of the ck witches killed a human. Using the body parts to their own use which had humans worrying about their lives while the matter didn''t sit well with vampires, they burnt as many ck witches in this very ce." Penny wondered about this. The ck witches had always been isted but their actions had fueled the fear in humans. "Why build the church here if there was the death of the ck witches?" with what she had heard and learned so far, every death contained a source of negative energy. "I know what you are thinking, Lady Penelope and you are right," Jera answered the questions that were on her mind, "Not many are aware but when it happened, the pureblooded vampires wanted to tap the so-called ck magic which was used by the ck witches. There were some greedy vampires." Penny could already guess what must have happened, "They made white witches make use of it..." Chapter 264 - Selfish you, which I dont mind- Part 1 Penny closed the pocket watch shut. Putting it back in the pocket of her dress which was thetedy''s, his mother''s dress. Most of the dresses were long as his mother was taller than Penny but it was manageable. Dresses didn''t oftene with pockets but these were customized for her own use. There were often times she wondered about thedy, wondering what kind of woman she actually was. If she was the same person who people perceived through their eyes or if there was something more to the surface of what people assumed to be. "I should get going," said Penny, taking ast look around the room which was supposed to be a hidden, hideout ce for all witchcrafts that had been stored for years now, "Do you think I could take this with me?" asked Penny for the young girl to smile. "Unfortunately, no. It is a ssified doc.u.ment," the girl looked at Penny with an awkward expression as if it was hard to refuse her. "That''s alright. I understand," Penny gave an assuring smile to Sister Jera.?She wasn''t in a hurry to learn all of it in a day. Knowing it would take time for her to learn what this room contained, she asked, "Where do you stay, Sister Jera?" "I live here, Miss Penelope. It is much easier to live here and dedicate yourself to the work that we are passionate about that spend time outside. There is also the worry where we might be attacked by the hunters," she nodded hearing this. The underground of the church wasrge enough to hold an entire town which only made Penny realize that the underground stretched up wide and far. It must have even reached the houses from beneath thend without the vigers knowing about it, "How about yourself?" Penny kept a stoic face as she walked out of the secret hideout to answer the girl''s question with, "I live in Quinn''s mansion," she didn''t need to look at Sister Jera''s expression that turned one out of shock to sneakily look at Penelope who looked calm. "With Mr. Quinn? Damien Quinn?" the young white witch cleared her throat at the end of her question. Penny gave her a nod, "Yes, Damien Quinn," the girl didn''t ask her further on it where Penny in return continued to keep up the conversation with her. She wondered what would happen if people knew about her sharing the same room as Damien. Scandalous, Penny noted to herself, "What about your parents? Don''t you miss them if you stay here for long days and weeks?" "They live in Valeria." "I see." "Travelling back and forth along with safety taken into consideration...but I do visit them once in every four months," came out the chirpy voice from Sister Jera. "I am d to hear that. It must be really nice to meet them after such a long duration of time," Penny''s reply came out to be like a longing one. "That is true," answered Sister Jera as they made their way up the stairs. To have somece to go to where home was had been erased from Penny''s life. There was no home. Not by word or by literal meaning. The house that they stayed in had gone under the magistrate after she had vacated from there to go live with her rtives. To go to her rtives, they were the ones who had sold her to the ve establishment for money. Her mother who she found to be alive wanted her dead that had her heart sinking in her chest. There was no home. ces she once she thought she belonged had been abandoned where people continued to move on with their lives and she stood there. Still, wondering how her people could do it. Had she been so trivial in their lives where she didn''t matter? Coming to the door, Penny stepped out to see Damien who was talking Father Antonio at the moment. As if sensing her presence, Damien turned around to meet her eyes. He continued to stare at her, "Sure, I will have it ordered here by next week," he answered to something Father Antonio had asked. "I appreciate that, Mr. Quinn," the witches responded back. Damien turned his body to face Penny asking her, "Everything well?" Penny by now had learned to keep up with Damien knowing how much he enjoyed knowing how she felt at a particr point of time when needed. "Yes," she answered him, a small smile forming on her lips when she looked around the chapel. Another realization hit her when Damien who was looking at her, his eyes looking at her quizzically which made her smile, "I am done for the day." "Sweet. Time to go back home then," he turned to look at Sister Jera who stood straighter than before when his suspicious eyes fell on her. Turning back to Father Antonio both the men exchanged a nod with Penelope who bowed her head. "We''ll see you tomorrow, Miss Penelope," said Father Antonio. As they walked through the aisle, Penny could feel Damien staring at her, "What got your mood down?" "Just something about the past." "What about it?" he pried. Damien had no concept of space. The pureblooded vampire wanted to know every and anything around him, keeping himself known with what was going while knowing how to get the information out. "About my family." For a few moments, Damien didn''t respond. Helping her get inside the carriage which he had picked on as a habit after she had hurt her back, forgetting that her back didn''t hurt anymore. Once they were in, Damien said, "You should be happy the way things turned out to be. To live alongside people who don''t love you, respect you. It gives no meaning. People like those are no family. Family is supposed to take care of you. Protect you which none of them did. It might be cruel, selfish of me to think this way but don''t me me because I don''t mind how things turned out to be." Chapter 265 - Selfish you, which I dont mind- Part 2 "It is selfish," agreed Penny, "I sometimes ponder how life would be if I had a normal family." "You wouldn''t be here then," responded Damien back, "We all wish for normal families. To have the perfect ones where life can go smoothly but you cannot choose who is to be your family. That doesn''t mean you can''t make a stranger your family. It is your choice on what you want at the end of the day, Penny." "I know," she looked outside the window. The trees that were covered in snow and thend too which made the ride slow, "Wishes are too far to imagine it could turn to reality. I don''t think my mother will be trying to attack me for some time. If she found out that I know about the voodoo," and she continued, "I doubt she would know that I know it is her." "It is a possibility. We''ll go visit your rtives tomorrow," Penny gave him a nod. She didn''t know why she didn''t remember or try to link her aunt and mother until now. Life had turned out to be busy with her mind upying that she didn''t know how she missed it. "And about the family," started Damien for her to look back at him, hearing him say, "I will have your back always as I promised. You can count on me," he assured her. Since the day she had kissed Damien voluntarily, he had been more open in his thoughts but at the same time, she felt that she was seeing him on a more sober side, "And if I am not enough," he drawled making her unconsciously lean towards him, waiting to hear him say, "We can build our own family together. What do you say?" came the straightforward question of Damien that had her looking away quickly, "Don''t be so shy mouse. Look here," he said. Slowly she turned to look to have him steal a quick kiss from her. "Has anyone told you how cheesy of a person you are?" she asked him, holding the smile back which threatened on her lips. "Not until today. Just for you. Don''t tell me you don''t like it," he stated looking at her shake her head. "I don''t," she replied back, folding her arms against her chest to see him frown. He narrowed his eyes, staring at her before saying, "Liar," a smile cracked upon his lips. A mischevious one getting ced on his lips. Putting his hand around her, he brought her close, "Are you enjoying your time in the church?" he asked. Penny let him bring her close to him, not minding it except for the little warmth that came to settle on her cheeks as she was still getting used to it. She wouldn''t say she enjoyed it but it was better than doing nothing and knowing nothing about the life of witches down there in the church, "It has been interesting. I learned five flowers that are poisonous to the vampire that can cause paralysis for a few minutes." "That is interesting. Who knew that the witches were working on giving us a dose of paralysis. What else did you learn?"? he asked cing his attentionpletely on her. "There''s a food that is not supposed to be consumed by humans which causes simr paralysis but I wonder what will happen if the twopounds were mixed together," Penny answered with a full smile. "The church sure knows how to make one interested in there," muttered Damien under his breath. "By the way, Sister Jera took me to the secret chamber today. She told me how you found it by her mistake," Damien chuckled hearing this, "It was aical day. She didn''t expect me to be there." "She said that the room had a lot of things which they weren''t aware of. The information which was hidden or never written down. Your cousin, the Lord of Valeria. Is it possible that he is a white witch?" she asked him curiously. With his mother who was a white witch, it was possible to have an offspring who was either a white witch or a vampire right? "Alexander?" asked Damien, "He isn''t a white witch like his mother. He had told that he was tested and checked to see if he had her abilities but it was pureblooded vampire blood running in his body when Murkh ran tests on him. Why do you ask?" "I thought maybe he could help in the lost information. Something that his mother left behind." "Hmm. With what I am aware of there isn''t any doc.u.ment that she left behind. It''s clean as she didn''t practice magic after she married," Penny found it odd that there was nothing that thetedy would have kept before she was attacked in the town. For a high standing person like the lord''s mother to be killed, Penny didn''t know why she felt something was off about it. As if sensing her emotions. Damien spoke, "As you already know, white witches are often ced under the council and other people like the hunter''s eyes to make sure they don''t misuse their position. The council isn''t all aboutw. It is about internal politics where people are vultures waiting to gain something while hunting down the others." "You think she was murdered by the council?" Penny''s eyebrows scrunched together. "People were made to believe to think that she was killed by the frustrated humans but if you believe everything that is told to be true without a question you will never know if there is something beyond the curtain. It is a possible theory but one which couldn''t be proven. The case was opened to look at what might have happened but they couldn''t find anything even after four months," exined Damien, "By then even uncle Zachary had passed away due to the soul bond he shared with his wife. You are meant to do extraordinary things," he said that her eyes lighting up as if she were special. "Really?" she asked yet in a doubtful voice. "You are my woman. I expect nothing less," he said proudly patting her back not so gently that had her upper body move forward from where she sat. Chapter 266 - What happened - Part 1 Enjoy the 6 chapters'' mass release.?Let''s aim for the #1 rank, don''t forget to vote with your power stones. To stop the ad pop, go to your profile-->Setting->Disable farming . . . The cool wind blew across the snowynd. The full moon shining bright up in the sky as the clouds had stopped hovering around it, letting the moonlight fall down on thend of Bonke. The night was quiet, the vigers who slept quietly around the town who didn''t know what was about toe as shadows moved passed the curtained windows one after another in the time. One of the hooded figures walked across the houses. Holding a pot that had smoke fuming out of it where burning coals were ced. Walking around the houses, the person turned to look at another hooded figure in the front who signed with the hand to show what to do next. Three more hooded people emerged from the shadows. Each carrying a long thick log in their hands as they walked under the moonlight. The person who was holding the pot in the hand turned to look left and right. Front and turning back to see there was no one in sight but just them. cing the pot on the snowy ground, the person pushed the hood back to reveal a scaly appearance of the face which was ck and broken in texture. Her eyes blue in color as she looked at the other ck witches who were getting their work done as spoken about. It wasn''t the first time they had invaded a human vige but this was different from what they usually did. The other ck witches started to mark around the vige with their transformation circle and lines that were needed for the ritual to start. Once everything was done, the ck witches took their position. While another witch with brown hair and brown eyes went up to the blue-eyed witch, "Shall we bring the sacrificial human?" she asked. The young ck witch who didn''t look too old, smiled, her tongue slithering out of her mouth to say, "Yes, please. Make sure it is a young one." "A child?" asked the ck witch. "Anything below my own appearance," answered the blue-eyed witch. The other witch nodded her head, walking to the nearest isted houses from the rest of the other houses. Knocking on the door, and waiting for someone to open it. In the meantime, the blue-eyed witch who was none other than Ester who had escaped from the council time after time, raising an army of witches to bring down the vampires dipped her hand into the hot burning red coal to pull out a ss from it. A test tube that had a red liquid inside it. The massacre was taking too long, the ritual she had expected to work was not working with the number of trial and errors they had gone through. It didn''t matter how many bodies were left behind in the need to acquire the ritual until the ck witches woulde to triumph over the other creatures who walked on thesends. They were under her deposition where she could discard them without a thought. Humans and all the other creatures were pathetic. Sometimes her own kind who carried stupidity with them but it was alright. With her who was leading the group of ck witches, there was nothing to worry about. Especially when she was the most experienced. People often mistook her age to her ability but she knew how to put the ones who couldn''t listen to a quick death. Her appearance fluctuated to one of the humans, her skin turning smooth and her the slithering tongue that turned to one that belonged to a human. Looking at the young man open the door, the ck witch ran her knife over his throat while holding back his scream that was about to erupt out. Blood spurted on the ck witch''s face and on the white ground. As the man was dragged towards her, she saw how he struggled in hisst moments like a fish that was taken out of the water. She felt not an ounce of pity. Her expression was nk as she looked at him continue to struggle for some more time before looking up at the ck witch, "Put him down here," her soft voice came out which was sweeter than the rough voice in her true form. The ck witch looked at the man with hollow eyes and no remorse. "Would you want me to pull his heart?" asked the other ck witch to have Ester wave her hand off to have the person walk away and stand on the other side of the markings which was made right now. Murmuring the curses that were necessary to start the ritual she walked towards the dead man. She took the knife of her own, running it against her palm and dropping her blood on to the man''s lips. Letting it seep in. Taking the same hand, she dipped her fingers into his chest like the man was a soft dough, she went further until she reached his heart. Pulling it, wanting to disce it but not taking it out of his chest, she murmured more words to have his eyes snap open that were hollow and dull in nature to have her smiling. The other witches who stood in the sidelines, watching her and the dead man snap his eyes open they looked in awe. The man who had died had been revived but it wasn''t merely bringing him back. He was fed with the ck witch''s blood and with the incantation which Ester whispered in the wind, he was a half-witch. But something went amiss when the man suddenly looked livid, and his face turned one to be angry. Taking the tube which she had previously pulled out from the burning coals, she quickly pushed the metal tip into the man''s neck to push the knob behind it. Her expression stayed calm to see him stop moving. When another witch quickly came to her side, asking, "Are you alright?" she gave a small nod, "The ritual has been done. Put him under observation for a week. If everything goes well, the whole ground is yours to y. Have this injected into every single living soul here," soon they would be able to have an army of half-bred ck witches. Chapter 267 - What happened- Part 2 "Will you be going?" asked the other ck witch seeing Ester start to pick up the things she would need before cing them in a bag. The young ck witch looked at the person who appeared to be older than her in appearance. Her expression was calm and sober. Her eyes looking at the ck witch to say, "Is there anything else you need?" though it was a simple question there was something very eerie about the way she asked, resembling nothing less to a dead corpse who was being made to talk. "No, we should be fine. Have a good journey," the ck witch tipped her head seeing Ester starting to walk away from there, "Where do you think she is going?" asked the female to the male ck witch who stood next to her. "Who knows. She never tells us and we never ask. Come on, we have work to do," said the ck witch male, their appearances turning back to one to adorn the human form. It was much easier to blend in and have the humans not know who they were so that they could slowly start to turn every human into a half-ck witch before infecting the other towns. Taking the man to the other side of the forest along with them while two of the ck witches stayed back, the young girl with blue eyes walked on the other side. Her shadow-like body drifting in the forest ground. She continued to walk in the deserted forest, trees being the onlypanion that she had learned from a very young age. Years passed by, but the bitterness that had brewed in her mind only increased with every other day for what happened years ago. ''Her family consisted of her parents and her older brother. They lived happily like any other family in Woville but at the same time, there were some things they couldn''t enjoy like the other families. Coming from a family of white witches who weren''t of high value but rather poor people, her parents worked hard enough to feed them and keep their family intact. One day something happened. It was when she was at the age of seven, when her father and her older brother invited a man to their house. He was a councilman who hade to offer protection. In return, he would offer them safety and protection. The man belonged to thend of Mythweald. A human. Many of the white witches were sought out in need of making use of their magic for the other party''s purpose while offering protection from being harmed and killed. And this was decades ago. Ester was much older than she appeared to be without many people''s knowledge. It was the appearance of deception. "Where do we go after that?" asked her father in question when the councilman gave the task which was assigned down by the council. "You will find a man who goes by the name Hectorman. Give him the package as I won''t be avable and will be traveling to Bonke. We have some new edicts that need to be ced to make sure the vampires there don''t kill more people." "But what about the witch hunters? We heard there are far too many right now who guard the borders," asked her mother, her blue eyes looking worried at her husband. The witch hunters had only arisen, getting alliance from the council which was what was told to people around the witches were aware of how things worked. No matter if it falls underw or not, the witch hunters were created in the intention to kill every witch possible unless given a direct order. Which was why there was ack of trust. "You don''t have to worry about it. We have made sure to tell the council, rying the message on your husband who will be giving it to the lord of Valeria, Zachary Delcrov. I am sure it shouldn''t be of any difficulty once you state your name and purpose," assured the councilman with a stoic expression. "That''s good to know," answered her father. Ester stood next to her mother, clutching on to her mother''s leg as she was young, her blue eyes which were acquired from her mother staring at the man who hade to their house. It wasn''t often that they had visitors to their humble home. "I take it that you are willing to ept the work?" the councilman confirmed to see the man give him a nod, "This is the initial payment. The rest of it will be given when youplete the work." "What about moving my family to thend of Mythweald?" it wasn''t just gold coins that were being given to them. The councilman had also given the opportunity for them to move down to the soutnd, a ce where there was less suspicion of being witches than here in Woville. "We''ll do it once you''vepleted the work. The potion is a disinfectant from the ck witches'' bite. So make sure you get it right and have enough of it as you carry. I will see you once I am back here," saying this, the councilman left their house. "Do you think it is safe?" asked the wife worriedly. "The borders are not safe," she said. "You heard the councilman. The orders have been given down by the main council." "Yes, the council who is full of pureblooded vampires, People who one ought to not trust. They are only waiting for an opportune time to kill all of us," she walked to the door, shutting it close and turning to her husband, her blonde hair which stood errantly though it was tied into a bun, "So many have gone toplete tasks and jobs which have been offered to them but none returned. Don''t you think it is suspicious." There had been cases before, some of the white witches who had gone missing after involving themselves in jobs. Chapter 268 - What happened- Part 3 "That was from unknown people which the other white witches took help from. This is from the direct council. There''s also a seal," the man smiled, walking to where his worried wife stood. Kissing her forehead, "There''s an opportunity where we can live like humans. Live free of thoughts where no one will evere to harm us or our children. We should take it when the chance has been given to us. What is it that worries you?" "I worry about losing you. I cannot think about what will happen if I were to lose you or our children," she said, her voice wavering at the end. She sighed, "Shall Ie along with you?" "Ester will be left alone with Kiren. It would be better to have you here looking after and we already decided that you would be here while I take Kiren with me. He needs to meet and learn how things work in the witch''s life now that he has turned thirteen. It is time for him to leave the nest." His wife unwillingly nodded her head. "Okay. It is a two-day journey. I will wait for four days beforeing to travel to you," she said as her heart couldn''t agree to every word her husband said. No matter how many times she was reassured, she couldn''t help but worry. When the day arrived where her son and her husband left home to travel to Valeria after creating the potion which would be utilized by the Lord of Valeria as said by the councilman, they left on foot to have Ester and her mother looking at their diminishing body as they walked further and further away from the house. Ester asked her mother, "Mama," she turned to look at her mother who picked up a flower that had been at the front of the house. "What is it, dear?" "Will we not live here anymore?" there was a small concern that hung on the little girl''s face. Her mother turned, seeing her daughter who looked bothered with it, she bent and sat down on her heel, "That''s what we nned. Are you not happy with it?" "Why?" the young girl questioned. Her mother ced both her hands on either side of her shoulders, "It is so so that we can go to the market without fear.?I won''t have to worry that if you step out of the house where someone will take you away from it. Your brother can get better work along with your father. You can make friends," her mother encouraged with a small smile. Since her children were born, both she and her husband had restricted their interactions with the outside world. "I can?" there was a budding enthusiasm in the girl''s voice. "Of course. You can make friends, bring them home, y house," her mother, running her hand on her daughter''s head. She leaned forward to kiss the girl''s forehead, "Wouldn''t you want that?" The little girl nodded her head eagerly. Patting the girl''s head, the mother stood up, "Let''s get back inside," she said nudging her daughter gently before her eyes took in her surroundings. There was no one around, with the vige houses that were scattered around the forest ground, the houses were distributed against each other with a good distance. At the time of night, Ester slept on the same bed as her mother, her hands clutching on to her mother''s dress with her eyes closed as she was fast asleep. The woman in the meantime read the parchment which was handed down to them by one of the fellow white witchers. Reading under thentern''s light, she finally ced it away. Stopping to pat her daughter''s back and pulling back her hand so that the little girl could sleepfortably. She let her daughter sleep while she wondered where her husband and son were. If they were alright. Tempted by worry over the time that had passed where one day had passed she couldn''t help but ponder about their well being. She pulled the little vessel from the bottom of the cupboard. cing the candle in the front and bringing the knife close to her wrist before swiping on it to draw blood. Red blood drops fell into the vessel. One drop falling after another until the bottom was covered in her blood. Letting go of the knife by cing it down without making much noise, she moved her hand in the air slowly until a fog-like smoke appeared which was ck in color. Tapping into something which was forbidden, just for the sake so that she could know her family''s well being, she received the answer of their well being. But everything had a price to be paid. Her back started to itch before a scaly dark formation started to develop on her smooth skin beneath her clothes. "Mama?" Hearing her little daughter, Ester''s voice behind her, she quickly pushed the vessel away and behind her so that her daughter would not see it. But the girl had seen it all, hearing every muttering words which she had found the opportunity without her parent''s knowledge. "What happened? Bad dream?" the mother asked, going to sit next to her daughter whilst hiding what had happened a few moments ago. "What were you doing?" asked the little girl. "Making sure your brother and father are alright," she didn''t want to lie about what she did but at the same time, she didn''t speak more on it. Forbidden magic was something no one was supposed to use. The more one used, the more they turned to the darker side with no control over it, "Go back to sleep, dear. They are fine and safe just as we are," the woman smiled down, going back to pat her gently. Far away from where they lived, the father and son continued to walk in the lonely and deserted forest. Their feets scrunching on the dried twigs and leaves which were on the ground. Suddenly, the white witcher stopped his son by raising his hand. Halting his footsteps to look around the area they were in. His eyes moving in the dark... Chapter 269 - Sorrowfull sparrow- Part 1 The white witch made sure to keep his son behind him as he turned around to look at the trees which appeared to be suspicious. Something wasn''t right and he knew it by the movement of the wind which whisked past the ground in front of him to pick something very ominous with it. Suddenly a knife flew right past his face grazing over his cheek which left a cut, drawing blood to let drops trickle down his face. "Father!" his son, eximed looking at the blood but before they could react to it, a few more knives flew in a different direction and he pulled his son. "Run!" he shouted, having his son follow him quickly behind him. Undoubtedly, with the smell of the metal objects that were flying at them, he could tell that those belonged to the ck witches who were targeting them. He knew that there would be ck witches in here as the border was where people crossed thends which were easy to pick up victims. But he didn''t know he would be facing more than one or two witches. There were six of them and he was outnumbered. He couldn''t go too far as the ce was blocked with two more witches. "Don''t you think you can run," said a female, rotating a knife with a hole around her finger. Her eyes set on him with a smile on her face. Her broken skin and scaly appearance were carried by the rest of them. "We don''t mean any harm," the white witch man spoke with sensible words, "We are only crossing by. Let us through without any harm," he suggested. The ck witch stopped rotating her fingers around the knives in her hands, "Then you shouldn''t havee here at all." Crickets chirped behind the bushes. The breeze of wind picking the leaves that had fallen down in the evening on the ground, picking and putting it down as they were whisked away in the thick forest. "We didn''t know the ck witches reside here. We will walk by like we never met. I have a job that needs to be fulfilled," said the white witch, his eyes darting around the witches who had surrounded him and his son. The ck witch put her knives down, jerking her head and saying, "Alright. Walk by quickly." He looked at them, making sure they weren''t going to do anything. Walking by quickly, he ced a hand on his son''s shoulder. The eyes of the ck witches following every movement of theirs and just when they passed thest one, the man raised his own knife to sh it against the witch who had attacked him. The knives nked in the empty forest, one spark flying after another. On the other side, the young boy could barely keep up with the sudden outpour of the ck witches where three of them attacked him. The boy unable to keep up got a cut on his arm that had him wincing in pain, another knife came sharply before the second witch who was in front of him drove the knife right through his chest and into his heart. "No!" screamed the man seeing his son fall down on the ground. The hand clutching his chest, his body fell back on the ground. He fought the witches, one after another, injuring them but he was no God to be able to deflect every single ck witch who was attacking him. His emotions were out of ce after seeing his son lying motionless on the ground. Kicking the witch who was close to him, he bit into his thumb, drawing blood to have the witch who had spoken to him raise her eyebrow at him. The man was making use of a ck witch''s magic. A white witch making use of ck witch so easily meant he had tapped in the forbidden magic of the white witches. "What is the point if you turn to a ck witch?" she asked him, her snake-like tongueing out of her mouth as she spoke, "Don''t you understand? You are outnumbered and you cannot win even with the ck magic." "I would have avenged for my son''s death," hate-filled the man''s eyes, "We didn''t mean to attack you. I gave my word." "Words don''t matter to us, witcher. You shouldn''t tap into that magic if you want to die as an honorable white witch. But then witches never have an honorable death," said the ck witch, "Don''t you know, that you weren''t sent here so we could trap you." "What?" the man frowned. Another ck witch walked around him, keeping a good distance away from him but not too far to say, "The councilman sent you here so we could take those bottles that you have with you. Did you think the Lord had the time to ask a witcher who lives in Woville for help, when help could be taken by the witches who reside in thend of West?" His wife had been right... "The man you thought to be helping you was helping himself for his own reasons and someone in the higher-ups," said the ck witch, "All we wanted was the bottle that you made, knowing only you can make it, we wouldn''t want others to have it," the ck witch smacked the man from behind. Beating him until his life passed out, "Light them up. We don''t want any residue here." Back in Woville, the next day, the woman sat on the chair. Seeing her daughter y she looked towards the window. Hoping that her family would be safe. It was only a matter of time where she would be able to move away from this vige where people looked at them with unweing eyes. Hearing a knock on the door, she asked, "Who is it?" but there was no reply to her question. Opening the door carefully to peek out, the door was suddenly pushed open for the man who had been invited toe back here. She could sense his intentions. . Scroll to read chapter 270.?Sorrowfull sparrow- Part 2 Chapter 270 - Sorrowfull sparrow- Part 2 "I should have known," she said ring at him. Her hands searched through at the bottom of the drawer to pull out a sharp knife. Getting up, she saw her daughter who looked at the scene in fear. "You witches are gullible which is what makes the hunt so easy," the councilman stepped inside the house. The white witch pushed herself up to stand, holding the knife tightly in her hand. "It is not about being gullible, Sir. People don''t deserve the respect and trust that we ce which is what makes you a sc.u.m worse than the ck witches," this irritated the man and he suddenly went up to her, holding down her hand which had the knife. Twisting it to the point where she had to let go of it due to the immense pain that shot through her arm. The little girl looked at her mother and the man wrestling against each other. There was pain on her mother''s face and she went to the man, pulling him with her weak hands. One kick on the little girl was enough for her to fall down roughly on the ground. Ester, the little girl saw the man twist her mother''s hand while sheid on the ground. Wincing like a little puppy who was kicked down. The councilman started to tear her mother''s clothes, forcing himself upon her as she struggled. In that little time where her mother pushed the man away, wing her fingers over the man''s face, she said to her daughter, "Ester, take the parchment from the cupboard and go to the bridge. Now!" she cried desperately. The little girl was too shocked, feeling numb where her body refused to move from where she was. She didn''t know what was happening. "Sabbi!" her mother called to attention to jerk her head back to see her mother. It was the nickname with what her mother called. Quickly scrambling towards the cupboard, she went to pull the drawer but it was locked. The previous night the woman had locked it after her daughter had caught her whispering and mumbling the book which contained the forbidden magic. But that wasn''t all. There was also the white book which woulde to be helpful to her in the future. The woman seeing that the drawer was closed felt her heart skip a bit, "Run, run! Go to the bridge and never return!" she screamed at her daughter. "Mama," cried the young girl, the man had started to vite the woman, stubbing her mouth with his hand where tears fell down from her eyes. The girl finally ran from the house leaving the councilman and her mother behind. Her little feet carrying her away as she ran towards the bridge which was far from where her house was. Though the woman was a white witch, her powers were limited with her hands that were held down. After some time passed, the man stood up with the woman whoid on the ground and her eyes wide but her heart still beating. The councilman then said, "The Lord had nothing to do with it. Do you think the Lord has time for low lives like yourself, witcher?" he spat on the ground, "Someone from the council wanted the potion to be made and knowing you were the only people who made it, I came here. Who knew I could trick you so easily," heughed in the end, "With your help, we will be sure to wipe the witches out of thesends," buckling his pants, he went to the drawer. Shaking it profusely before picking up the wooden box and throwing it against the wall to have it broken into pieces. Picking up the parchments in there he snarled, "Look at this? You deserved what you got. Practicing forbidden magic." "My husband wille for you," she breathed in a whisper. He turned, looking over his shoulder to say, "If I am not wrong, he is already dead," the woman looked at him in shock, her once dull eyes changing to anger. She moved her hands on the ground, making circles and whispering to receive the attention of the councilman. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously. Suddenly the door shut close and the ce lit up in mes, "Let me out! What are you doing!?" The man spoke in panic, his life being precious to him, he tried opening the door and kicking it. The windows were shut close. Even though they appeared to look weak, right now it was as if it were made out of stones. "Have you heard about the white witch''s vengeance?" the woman asked, slowly picking herself up and sitting against the wall as the man panicked, "Don''t cross the lines which have been ced. We are good-hearted people. You hurt me, I shall digest it. You hurt my family," she looked up at him, his eyes looking back at her, "I shall burn you even at the cost of my own life," saying that, the house lit up in the fire. The little girl in the meantime ran, her breathing out to be uneven as she followed her mother''s word. Worried she went back again to the house to only see fire there with horror in her eyes. She stood there for some time, hoping her mother would appear but she didn''t. Instead the other vigers had been alerted toe and stand near the burning house. Every piece of object catching fire along with the two people in there until the entire ce was burnt to ash. Not knowing where else to go, she went back to the bridge. Just when she was a few distances away from the bridge, a thin man came from behind. Hoping to sell the girl to the ve establishment for some silver coins so that he could buy some bread for himself. Hearing the snap of a twig behind her, she quickly turned picked up the stone that was in front of her. Before the man had an opportunity to put the sack on her she used the stone to hit his head. The man fell down but Ester didn''t run. Remembering what the man had done to her mother, and seeing how her mother had tried to defend herself, she raised the stone and smashed it right across the man''s head who had fallen dizzy with the first impact of the stone. Though small, she continued to hit him repeatedly until the man stopped moving. The base of the stone was covered in blood. Spots of blood fell on her face as she looked down at the man. Her face had already started to discolor and change from the smooth skin to the scaly skin. Getting up and away from the man, her hand loosened on the bloody stone for it to fall down on the ground. The color on her skin turned distinct and different for what she had done. Some curses didn''t strike right away, where death could be forgiven whenmitted by a white witch but sometimes, the time itself was merciless. A small smile made up her lips, her eyes looking bewildered and she left the scene. . Scroll to read chapter 271.?Hopefull- Part 1 Chapter 271 - Hopeful- Part 1 Other books in the ''Lord''s Duke and the Ghost'': # Valerian Empire # Heidi and the Lord # Bambi and the Duke # Young master Damien''s pet # (Yet to be released book) . Penelope had woken up earlier than her usual time in the morning today. Her body was still lying down on the bed where she looked at the mirror that was attached at the top of the bed''s ceiling. Looking at Damien who had his eyes closed and though it was so, she doubted that he was sleeping right now. Every time she had tried to sneak out, the pureblooded vampire had appeared right in front of her catching her off guard more than one time. If it was before, she would have walked to the patio, to see the clouds to sprinkle the snowkes from the sky. Winter was here yet the weather didn''t feel much different than the temperature which had dropped out. Unlike the othernds where people were fortunate to have some sunlight, thend of Bonke was always cloudy and dark, making the atmosphere look as if it was the time of the evening where the sun was about to set. After having herself fall into the sea once and another time almost falling into it again if it weren''t for Damien, she would have gone to look at the scenery but she didn''t. She didn''t know if her mother would have made another voodoo doll so that she could harm her again. No matter how many times she thought about it, it was hard to wrap her mind with the thoughts that her mother wanted to kill her. Why would a mother kill her own daughter? She had so many opportunities to do that in the past yet her mother had looked after her with care. Thinking back about her time when she was once sick, her mind drifted to the memory of it. ''Penelope had caught a cold, her eyes watery and her nose itchy as she got back home after the day in the theater. Heading back to the home, she saw fellow vigers who lived around her house scoot away from her. Giving her space while some whispered to another looking at her with disgust. Walking to the house, she knocked to have her mother open the door for her who wore an apron. The smell of food was rich that came from the house that had her mouth water. Her mother smiled at her, "Wee back home, Penny." "I am bac-" saying this she sneezed at the end. Scrunching her nose to feel the irritation only increase. "Oh my," her mother eximed softly, stepping closer to her, she ced her hand on her forehead, "You have a fever." "Hmm, I think so too," Penny let the bag drop down from her shoulder which she had been carrying. "Sit down," and she took a seat on the bed. Letting herselfy down on the hard mattress, "Let me get you something to eat quickly." Once the meal had been prepared, Penny had the food and felt her eyes turn heavy not knowing when she had fallen asleep to only wake up in the middle of the night to feel a wet patch of cloth being ced on her forehead. "Go back to sleep. Your fever has increased. You need rest," said her mother who pressed her hand on the cloth which she had ced on her head in an effort to pull out the heat from her head now.'' With all those years she spent there, she couldn''t remember a thing of what must have happened to have the vigers to hate her and her mother. At first, she had thought it was her father but now that she knew, it was them. Her mother and she were witches. Though the vigers couldn''t prove it, they knew something was odd about them. Like they didn''t belong there with them. They were outcasts. Her mother had stayed awake the whole night just because she had caught a fever. cing the wet cloth on her head throughout the night. Thinking back about the past she sighed. "You''re up early," she heard Damien speak from his side of the bed. She saw his eyes snap open to look at her, "Unable to sleep?" he asked, his red eyes that looked smaller due to the little sleep he must have had. "Yes," she answered to have him turn to his side and face her. "What''s the matter?" he asked her. His eyes searched in her eyes for answers before he said, "Is it your mother?" They were going to meet her rtives today and she was anxious about it. With the way, they hadst spoken to each other, leaving everything on bad terms which had already turned bad when they had sold her to the ve establishment, she didn''t know how she would be facing them today. She wanted to find the answers but at the same time, she didn''t want to meet them. Or see them. Seeing her not respond to this, Damien scooted closer to her. cing his hand on the side of her cheek he said, "Don''t worry about what is going to happen today. I will be there with you," he said to have her nod her head. That was right, Damien would sprinkle enough salt and have them cooked by his mere words. "Did you know there is a way to contact a person," she said looking at him, "It utilizes your ownself, blood and soul toe in contact." A small frown made its way on Damien''s forehead before it disappeared, "You don''t have to hurry. Take your time. If your mother hasn''te to directly contact you, then it only means she is not ready to meet you yet. When the time is right, you will meet her. Every white witch steps into the field thinking they can handle and control the l.u.s.t for the ck and forbidden magic but it has been very rare that anyone has ever lived without being killed. There are other ways to find out without you putting yourself in danger. Right now even if you want to meet your mother, there is a probability of her not wanting to find you. Don''t worry, we''ll find her before she finds you this time," he ran his thumb on her cheek. . Scroll to read chapter 272.?Hopefull- Part 2 Chapter 272 Hopefull- Part 2 Penelope felt a wash of relief wave over her mind by hearing Damien''s words. She wondered if it was because she trusted and believed in him right now that helped her ease the anxious nerves in her body. "Thank you," she murmured, her voiceing out to be feeble and quiet which Damien heard it anyways. "Any time," he responded back, his eyes looking at herzily. Her eyes lowered, looking down at his neck which was long and smooth that connected to his shoulders. Looking back up into his eyes, she saw the red eyes that stared back at her unblinkingly. "I will remove the corruption from your heart," she said to have him nod. "I know you will," she heard him reply back, one corner of his lips raising him, "Father Antonio doesn''t have spells regarding the turning toads?" Penny thought about it before shaking her head, "I don''t think so they have it in there. He said that the ck or forbidden magic is what turns a white witch to a possible ck witch, both the witches have their own capability and lines that are drawn which one cannot extend to reach out to every possible magic that is in the world." "That''s sad. We could have your aunt and uncle turn to one for a few hours, maybe a few others too," he spoke nonchntly, "You are the daughter of a white witch and a ck witch, did you find out if there is something more that you can do than the white witches?" he asked, his eyes curious, "It is often said that the genes that belong to the white witches dominate the ck witches leading to an offspring who is white witch." "I heard that from Father Antonio the first day I started in the church. He said even though there might be a faint possibility, the witch turns to be dormant. With no dominant gene of the white or ck witch in her which makes them appear like humans," Penny stated what she knew. She wondered if it was because most of the ck witches were turned ones. This made her wonder how her parents hade to meet each other. Was it a forbidden rtions.h.i.+p that they had to hide from the society which was why they had moved away from the vige? She remembered the dream she had a couple of weeks ago. About her and her parents in it. It was possible that it was a fragment of her memory. It was also possible that it was part of her dream, a made-up imagination after the need andck of family around her. Something that her mind now craved, to be bringing up some made-up figment in her mind but no matter how she looked at it, there was a possibility that i t wasn''t a dream. It could be a reality in which she had forgotten. Lately, everything had fallen to the list of questions, one piling up after another which she had no answer to. "I want to go somewhere before we go to meet my aunt and uncle," said Penny, receiving a questioning look from Damien making him wonder where she wanted to go. The first question that came out from his lips wasn''t about where, but instead, "What time do you want to go?" "Can we go after breakfast?" "Sure," he answered. And as Damien gave her his word, he took her to the vige back where she and her mother lived. But the carriage was pulled further away from the vige where the forest started. She walked on the forest ground, her shoes imprinting on the snowy ground which was fresh. "There''s a riverbank after the forest before the trees continue on the other side," Penny stated as she walked through the woods with Damien as he followed behind her. They had pulled the carriage at the beginning of the forest to be able to walk on their own rather than drag the vehicle around as Penny wasn''t exactly sure. "There is a river," Damien confirmed as he walked closely behind her. His eyes scanning the trees for any possible creature they weren''t expecting. With thew of the council that was ced all around the fournds, creatures they weren''t aware of and didn''t have truce were often driven into the forest to make a home. The civilizednds were safe but at the same time, the forest had turned to be dangerous and unsafe, "It is one of the rivers that again connects to theke of bones." "Isn''t it unsafe?" she questioned her brows furrowing in concern. With the number of bodies that were thrown one after another, Damien had told her that it was advised to not go near to the sh.o.r.es as it was considered that the spirits continued to live. One would never know if their body would be pulled in there to never return back again or to touch thend of the living. "Hmm, I would say theke of bones don''t stretch too far even though they are connected to each and every river or sea. They are more stagnant, though it is still advised to not step into the shallower part of any river orkes in the forest," Damien''s ear picked something behind them as they walked. His eyes moved to both sides of the corners, his ears perking and picking on the person who was behind them. With the moment the person wasing, he could tell that it wasn''t a person who wanted to invite them for tea or cookies. "Do you know, Penny," Damien started, his voice turning an octave louder as he said, "The bullets that I bought recently, I never got to test them out," he pulled out the gun, pulling the hammer that made a creaking noise. "We didn''t meet any witches in here or deranged vampires, Master Damien, for you to make use of it," Penny replied back mindlessly as she was more focused on finding the rock-like house which was in her dream to notice that they were being followed. . Scroll to read chapter 273.?Family that didn''t exist- Part 1 Chapter 273 Family That Didnt Exist- Part 1 Other books in the ''Lord''s Duke and the Ghost'': # Valerian Empire # Heidi and the Lord # Bambi and the Duke # Young master Damien''s pet # (Yet to be released book) . Penelope had woken up earlier than her usual time in the morning today. Her body was still lying down on the bed where she looked at the mirror that was attached at the top of the bed''s ceiling. Looking at Damien who had his eyes closed and though it was so, she doubted that he was sleeping right now. Every time she had tried to sneak out, the pureblooded vampire had appeared right in front of her catching her off guard more than one time. If it was before, she would have walked to the patio, to see the clouds to sprinkle the snowkes from the sky. Winter was here yet the weather didn''t feel much different than the temperature which had dropped out. Unlike the othernds where people were fortunate to have some sunlight, thend of Bonke was always cloudy and dark, making the atmosphere look as if it was the time of the evening where the sun was about to set. After having herself fall into the sea once and another time almost falling into it again if it weren''t for Damien, she would have gone to look at the scenery but she didn''t. She didn''t know if her mother would have made another voodoo doll so that she could harm her again. No matter how many times she thought about it, it was hard to wrap her mind with the thoughts that her mother wanted to kill her. Why would a mother kill her own daughter? She had so many opportunities to do that in the past yet her mother had looked after her with care. Thinking back about her time when she was once sick, her mind drifted to the memory of it. ''Penelope had caught a cold, her eyes watery and her nose itchy as she got back home after the day in the theater. Heading back to the home, she saw fellow vigers who lived around her house scoot away from her. Giving her s.p.a.ce while some whispered to another looking at her with disgust. Walking to the house, she knocked to have her mother open the door for her who wore an ap.r.o.n. The smell of food was rich that came from the house that had her mouth water. Her mother smiled at her, "Wee back home, Penny." "I am bac-" saying this she sneezed at the end. Scrunching her nose to feel the irritation only increase. "Oh my," her mother eximed softly, stepping closer to her, she ced her hand on her forehead, "You have a fever." "Hmm, I think so too," Penny let the bag drop down from her shoulder which she had been carrying. "Sit down," and she took a seat on the bed. Letting herselfy down on the hard mattress, "Let me get you something to eat quickly." Once the meal had been prepared, Penny had the food and felt her eyes turn heavy not knowing when she had fallen asleep to only wake up in the middle of the night to feel a wet patch of cloth being ced on her forehead. "Go back to sleep. Your fever has increased. You need rest," said her mother who pressed her hand on the cloth which she had ced on her head in an effort to pull out the heat from her head now.'' With all those years she spent there, she couldn''t remember a thing of what must have happened to have the vigers to hate her and her mother. At first, she had thought it was her father but now that she knew, it was them. Her mother and she were witches. Though the vigers couldn''t prove it, they knew something was odd about them. Like they didn''t belong there with them. They were outcasts. Her mother had stayed awake the whole night just because she had caught a fever. cing the wet cloth on her head throughout the night. Thinking back about the past she sighed. "You''re up early," she heard Damien speak from his side of the bed. She saw his eyes snap open to look at her, "Unable to sleep?" he asked, his red eyes that looked smaller due to the little sleep he must have had. "Yes," she answered to have him turn to his side and face her. "What''s the matter?" he asked her. His eyes searched in her eyes for answers before he said, "Is it your mother?" They were going to meet her rtives today and she was anxious about it. With the way, they hadst spoken to each other, leaving everything on bad terms which had already turned bad when they had sold her to the ve establishment, she didn''t know how she would be facing them today. She wanted to find the answers but at the same time, she didn''t want to meet them. Or see them. Seeing her not respond to this, Damien scooted closer to her. cing his hand on the side of her cheek he said, "Don''t worry about what is going to happen today. I will be there with you," he said to have her nod her head. That was right, Damien would sprinkle enough salt and have them cooked by his mere words. "Did you know there is a way to contact a person," she said looking at him, "It utilizes your ownself, blood and soul toe in contact." A small frown made its way on Damien''s forehead before it disappeared, "You don''t have to hurry. Take your time. If your mother hasn''te to directly contact you, then it only means she is not ready to meet you yet. When the time is right, you will meet her. Every white witch steps into the field thinking they can handle and control the l.u.s.t for the ck and forbidden magic but it has been very rare that anyone has ever lived without being killed. There are other ways to find out without you putting yourself in danger. Right now even if you want to meet your mother, there is a probability of her not wanting to find you. Don''t worry, we''ll find her before she finds you this time," he ran his thumb on her cheek. . Scroll to read chapter 272.?Hopefull- Part 2 Chapter 274 Family That Didnt Exist- Part 2 To stop the ad pop, go to your profile-->Setting->Disable farming . The vige was the same as they had seenst time. People there were always nosey but it was like that everywhere. The vige folks and town folks were always more interested in others'' lives than fixing their own. The ones who fixed never stayed behind here and instead moved to another town to have a better life. That was how it was. Since thest episode that took ce here, when they entered the vige, people looked at Damien more than her. The man loved the attention which he received from the people around him, the stares hardly fazed him as they walked towards her uncle and aunt''s house. Penelope felt her nerves be jittery. She knew that her rtives would not take her presence well. If she were toe here alone, they would never open the door or have the door closed on her face. She also knew it wouldn''t be the same when Damien was standing next to her. She caught sight of her aunt who was feeding the cow that was tied to a pole next to their house. Upon seeing Penny and the pureblooded vampire approaching the house, an expression of anger crossed the elderly woman''s face. She walked towards the door and stood still. Ignoring Damien''s presence, her aunt turned to speak to Penelope, "You have some nerve to show your face up here after what you put your uncle and I through," her nose red as she spoke those words. "Haven''t you shamed us enough?" asked the elder woman looking at Penny who was two-inch taller than her. The words were harsh for Penny to digest. To think of people whom she considered family all this while had only used her. Keeping her like a goat to butcher it when the time came for their own use. Trying to not take it to her heart, Penny said, "Ie here to ask you some questions. It is about my mother." "Neither do you or your mother have any ce in here anymore! Leave before I use any more words that defines what you are-" "It is not you who should be ashamed but me for what you did," Penny snapped back, her jade green eyes ring up with a tinge of anger, "I speak to you with the respect that you are elder to me. That you are my aunt and my mother''s sister." "She was never my sister. Don''t try to a.s.sociate us," was this the truth? asked Penny to herself. She could clearly remember the day when her mother had been buried in the cemetery while Penny had been devastated with her mother''s death. With no people around who hade to pay their respects as both her mother and she were treated as outcasts, the only people who showed up were her uncle and aunt. ''You don''t have to live here by yourself. Come live with us.'' That was what her aunt had told her. ''This is what your mother would want too. She would be at peace knowing you are with me, with her elder sister to look after her daughter.'' "You are nothing but a bag full of lies. I wouldn''t mind if he broke some fingers of yours too," Penny huffed angrily to have the woman look at her with wide eyes. "That''s right. You are nothing but like your mother. Threatening me, my husband. We would think you would be grateful. If it weren''t for us you wouldn''t be even looking the way you are right now," her aunt spat back. Penny frowned, "You sold me to a f.u.c.king ve establishment! What part should I be grateful for? If it weren''t for me I would still be stuck there or would have been killed. Do you even know what goes on in there?!" she couldn''t believe how her aunt had turned out to be. Or how she had failed to see the real person behind those smiles she had received a few months ago, "You have no right to ask for me to be grateful to you." Her aunt raised her finger up as if to shush her to avoid her from speaking another word but Damien couldn''t help raise his brow over how Penny was holding herself up. He was aware that she was internally hurting yet she was fighting with her aunt. Penny''s aunt spoke, "If it weren''t for us you would have rotten yourself in that vige. Don''t think we don''t know what happened. It was us who came to your aid when you were alone and needed emotional support." "Words that were nothing but empty," Penny retorted back, "I should have known. For someone who never came to see how we were doing all those years, you suddenly arrived when my mother pa.s.sed away. Why did you evene if you had no intention of actually helping?" Penny was disappointed with the way her family rtions.h.i.+ps were, "You could have walked away," she whispered, a small p.r.i.c.k in her chest as she uttered those words. Her aunt rolled her eyes, "I kept my distance and if it weren''t for your mother asking toe to take you as she was ill, I would have nevere for you." "She asked you?" Penny had never heard about this before. "Yes, she sent me a letter. I still have it in here," the woman stepped inside the house and Penny and Damien followed the woman inside the house. She pulled one item after another, pus.h.i.+ng them away to pull out the small hidden drawer case which held the thin letter in it. Turning around, she handed it to Penelope, "Take it," came the impolite tone. Penelope stared at the letter before taking it in her hand. Unfolding the letter, she opened it to read, ''Dear ra, I know it has been long since west spoke and you don''t want to talk to me but I am sick. So sick that I don''t think I will be able to ovee it. I have a request. Please don''t refuse it. My daughter Penelope, please take care of her. Your only sister.'' The writing was short. Penny reread it again to find something in there but there was nothing she could further decipher. Right now the letter showed as if her mother was concerned about her well-being. What was she supposed to conclude with this? Chapter 274 Family That Didnt Exist- Part 3 Penelope continued to walk, her eyes looking ahead of the trees as the density started to decrease. Finally, when she started to hear something in front of her, she felt her heart stutter at the sound of the flowing river. Happy to have finally found about it, she caught sight of a rocky cave-like house which brightened her mood. She dide here and this was the missing part of her memory. Turning around she went to speak to Damien to notice three peopleing from behind. Damien noticing her widened eyes turned around. Raising his hand to shoot the person one after another right at the center of the head to have them fall down in less than fifteen seconds. The sound of the gunshots echoed through the quiet forest. "Corrupted vampires," he said for her to nod numbly. "Where did theye from?" she asked, looking behind him to make sure there was no one. "From the vige, by walk, I believe," when Damien said this, Penny who was still looking over his shoulder s.h.i.+fted her gaze to him to give him a dull smile. "I thought they came flying," she rolled her eyes before going to check back at the forest they hade from. "Only witches fly with their broomstick. Vampires use thend," he informed her as if she wasn''t aware of it, "This side of the forest must be isted which is why they were here. Many creatures take home deep in the forest. Do you know what that means?" Damien himself turned to look behind him before crossing the edge of the forest, "You could have been in grave danger the first day you tried escaping." Now that she thought back at it, Damien was right. At the same time, she remembered something, "You didn''t tell me why you killed the inn man. The night I stayed away before you caught me," she asked, her eyes this time looking all around rather than focusing it on just the rocky cave. "The man had ns to sell you off to the ve establishment. I wonder how you would have felt to go back to the ce where you tried to escape from," he couldn''t help himself from smiling. Penny smiled, "n.o.body likes to go back there, Master Damien," Pennymented as they made their way down the little slope that led to the rocky house. "Wait, there was one person who didn''t mind staying there. She was my cellmate," Penny said remembering the woman who had helped her get out of the ve establishment. Once they came near the house, Penny searched for the door to see there was no door. It was possible that wood was used here to cover the ce but that must have been years. She was a young girl. "No one has lived here in awhile," Damien stated looking at the inside of the house which had collected dust and cobwebs around, "It is possible that your family was the only one who lived here and no one else came here. Most of the vigers don''t step this deep in the forest with the fear of being attacked by witches or vampires." "What about the other creatures?" Damien picked up a small thin stick which was lying on the ground, using it he moved the cobwebs that had formed inside the house,? "They might have thought it was a trap. Every creature will think twice at the fear of the ce being a trap. But then if youe from behind, this looks like a normal rocky slope unless one goes around and finds the open door." He saw Penny staring at the walls, turning her head to look at the empty ce except for more cobwebs that greeted them. She then stepped out of the house. She heard the soft sound of the water that flowed down from right to left and the birds that chirped in the trees. "Something bad must have happened here," Penny said trying to recollect the dream she had dreamt. Inhaling and exhaling out the air through her lips, "My father asked my mother leave this ce with me, that he would be here before joining us," she shook her head, "I don''t know what happened after that." "Did you remember anything recently?" he asked to have her shake her head again, "Were you hoping to remember?" "It didn''t work though," Penny''s reply came out to be in a disappointed tone. She had hoped that it would jog her forgotten memory. No not forgotten but tampered. It was frustrating to think that her own mother would do it. No one was supposed to meddle with one''s thoughts and memories. All these years she had thought she had never met her father, who had never spent more than two weeks of time with him. Now that she knew the truth, she had spent years with him and her mother had taken that away from her. She clutched her hand tightly while staring down at the river. Anger bubbling up over it. "We should head to my aunt and uncle''s house," she proposed. "I can hardly wait to meet them again," Damien''s eyes brightened up with pure evilness. She turned to see the look on his face to say, "Don''t break anything," thest time they visited, Damien had broken her uncle''s fingers. The cracking of the bones giving her a slight s.h.i.+ver, "Do you have a fetish with the fingers?" "I do. How did you know?" he smiled, then started to climb back up the slope to reach the edge of the forest. She shrugged her shoulders, "Guessed it," he chuckled, knowing well how she knew about it. As they stepped back into the forest greeting back the three dead bodies thatid on the snow ground, "What about these people?" She wondered how many years Damien had practiced having an aim like this where he had got the vampires in three bullets. "They will form a goodpost to the nts once the ice melts down. Let them enjoy the snow until then," he said, continuing to walk past the corrupted vampire''s dead bodies. Chapter 275 Sisters- Part 1 Penelope read through the letter again but the content continued to be the same way. She started to fold it when Damien took it from her hand, "When did you receive this?" she asked the elderly woman who was her aunt. "Two days before we came to see you at your vige. There was another before that, a second letter but my husband tore and threw it in the fire. We didn''t know she was dying. I wanted to see her die," came the inhumane words from her aunt''s mouth which Penny would have never imagined before. There was some sort of bitterness in the words she spoke to her. A hidden secret of hate. "Why would you say that about your sister? I thought you were on good terms. You always made me believe that you were on good terms," at least that is what it was. Her mother had spoken about her sister fondly and her aunt had been nothing less when it came to showering good praises. Damien who had finished reading the short letter folded and ced it in his pocket, filling up the silence to ask Penelope''s aunt, "She wasn''t your sister, was she?" Penny''s head snapped to Damien before looking back at her aunt. "She wasn''t?" Penny repeated the question, a look of disbelief pa.s.sing across her features. That would only mean her aunt was no ck or white witch at all. She was a human and so was her husband. At the same time, her uncle who had been at the back of the house entered in to find thest two people they would ever think about inviting to their house, "What are they doing here? Didn''t we already establish that she was not allowed back in here even in the future?" he asked his wife. It somewhat pained Penny to hear the words?that were directed to her but at the same time, there was anger that surpa.s.sed the pain and blinded it. "I am telling her how wonderful her mother was," her aunt responded back. Her uncle''s face scrunched in disgust, "Don''t talk about that disgusting woman. And throw that disgusting daughter out so that she is out of my sight!" Damien tched to have the elderly couple''s focus on him, "Mister. I believe breaking your fingersst time was insufficient as you have the nerve to speak rudely right now. Would you like me to refresh your rotten memory?" he asked, his eyes staring down at the man across the room. The old man gritted his teeth. How could he forget how this intruder had damaged his fingers weeks ago. Remembering the pain, he couldn''t help but bring his hand close to his chest. The elderly woman red at the threat that was imposed. She turned to look at Penny to say, "You dare toe inside our house and threaten us as you please." Penny''s jaw ticked, "I wouldn''t have threatened if you would have been frank with me since the very beginning. You only hid things from me and the rtions.h.i.+p of how you felt with my mother. Is she not your sister?" Her aunt''s eyebrows raised, a sarcastic smile appearing on her aged and fine-lined face, "What did your mother say about us? That we only lived apart and couldn''t make time for each other? That we didn''t have money or was it something else? She was insane. Crazy in her head," she raised her hand to her head, pointing it out. Penny didn''tment anything and continued to hear what the woman had to say, "I was ten when my parents found your mother. She was found in the forest, lost, homeless with no family. My parents took pity on her. Considering she was only a year or two apart from me, they didn''t feel it right to leave her there when they met her and brought her home. For two years, everything was going well. We had the fourth person in the family and my parents were happy as she was sweet but that was all a disguise." "What do you mean?" Penny asked. Her aunt huffed loudly, taking a seat on the chair as if standing for too long and having this conversation was bringing back the past she had blocked. "At the beginning, I didn''t pay attention but she was always strange. No matter how pretty and sweet she was by her appearance and talk, there was something very eerie about her. It was onlyter that I found how she liked to be isted to not have people around and when I?say that, it wasn''t restricted to her. When I was fourteen, a boy was found dead in the woods along with my sister with blood in her hands. The same boy for, who was just three years older than me. On checking it was told that the boy had forced upon, Laure and she had done it only to defend him. It was hard for everyone to believe it because both of them were good children. The boy would have turned out to be an excellent man if it weren''t for your mother and I know that. He had never onceid his eyes on her because he liked me. She killed him." Was her mother jealous? "Even though she was my sister who I cared for back then, I had my doubts that something was not right. I spoke to the magistrate without my parent''s knowledge but there was nothing they could do as the case was closed." "Why not have the case reopened?" Penny asked to get a response from Damien who was standing next to her, who said, "When a case is closed it doesn''t reopen unless there''s something found with proof. It needs to be submitted in the magistrate''s office and then be sent to the council for approval which takes several more days," he exined on how the council worked, "For the vigers, it takes time to bring back the case alive while the higher society has the ability to either stub the case or have it going until theye to an oue..." Chapter 276 Sisters- Part 2 "That''s right," her aunt responded back, thentern which was sitting next to her on the table, the me moved gently for the shadow to tether on the wall along with the wind as the door was open, "The magistrate back then could only think about having his hands off the case so that he could have no work to do. If I had to find the truth on what happened and what I believed in then I had to show up proof. I tried speaking to Laure but she would fall into a fit of tears. My parents didn''t like me bringing up the event as they were already shameful for what had happened. In months, I let it go because my opinion changed that I must have thought about the boy wrongly and he wasn''t the person whom he showed around but the truth was far from it." In the meantime, Penny continued to listen to the woman''s story where her aunt''s eyes looked distant as she recalled what had happened, "Our family was happy but we more istedpared to the rest of the other vigers. Children of my age refused to y with me and I had only her. While my parent''s work had turned dire where they were having trouble bringing enough money back home. As time grew, the people who once were close to us, people who spoke to us or offered to stop by to talk started to avoid our very presence. Finally, after a few more years, I got married but Laure didn''t like it...Before that she tried to have us separated, trying to seduce my very own fiance but she failed as I had caught her. We had a fight and I forgave her. Thinking she was only feeling insecure which she was, but I didn''t know how vile she could be. When I was told that I was pregnant with a child, guess what she did?" Her aunt''s eyes held contempt, her voice filled with pain, "She tried to kill it," the whispered words felt quieter than the room itself. Her aunt raised both her hands, "I lost my child before I could even see or hold it. Do you know the pain of losing a child?" Penny didn''t know how to feel about this. The mother that she knew and had grown up around was never like this, which was what made it hard to think that she could do something like this. The person she had grown up with, who had brought her had loved and taken care of her. "I am not making this up," her aunt added, her eyes ring down at Penelope, "She tried to push me from the church stairs. No not tried, she was sessful in it. If there is a reason why I can''t bear a child anymore, the reason is her." Damien asked, "Is that why you tried selling Penelope to the ve establishment? To find peace from avenging the death of your unborn baby?" the woman didn''t respond but only stared. So it was true, thought Penny to herself. "My mother must have done it to you, but I did nothing but respect you, Aunt Lyse-" "Don''t!" the aunt warned, "Your mother was different from the very beginning and you are not far from it. Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you aren''t normal. You aren''t one of us," she gritted her teeth that suddenly had Penny worried. "You know..." she whispered. From the other side of the room, her uncle said, "I told you she was one of them and that only with time would her true colors show." "Step out of the house," her aunt turned further hostile, "We didn''t speak in fear for what could happen. As you know, people don''t take a person''s a.s.sociation well when ites to other creatures. I at least thought you might be like us but you cannot be. You are her child after all. If this is all you came here for, leave before I report-" she stopped speaking when Damien took two slow steps towards her. "For someone to be called as her uncle and aunt, you aren''t polite or grateful," he said in a bored tone with his eyes moving around the house and going to settle on the elderly woman, "What I did during myst visit was very basic." "What are you going to do? Kill us? We aren''t scared," the woman had stood up from her seat. Damien towered over her small self, unable to keep down the grin that crawled upon his face. He could feel her pulse race and also her husband''s who looked at his wife with pure worry and panic. His words came out to be soft and quiet that needed people to listen to it keenly, "Death is too easy. I broke your husband''s fingersst time. Would you enjoy a broken leg or have him lying on the bed forever in such a way that he would never be able to walk again?" the smile continued to stay on his lips, "You try speaking a word about Penelope, even so much as to breathe her name to others, I will make sure to turn your life to a living h.e.l.l. Do you understand that, peasant?" The woman could do nothing but re at the pureblooded vampire. He as well as she knew that there was nothing she could do but swallow her insults down. "I have something to ask before we leave," spoke Penny to her aunt, her lips closing and parting again to speak, "Do you know anything about my father?" Her aunt gritted her teeth, exhaling the air out to say as she tried to calm her mouth from running off and having her and her husband under the pureblooded vampire''s threat, "She met him in another city. I had no interest in asking about her, therefore I never cared for whom she married. Our parents were blind and they got her married after me. After my parents died, which was the only reason I kept up my facade of tolerating her, I moved away from her and refused to meet her." "Did shee to see you?" asked Penny. "Yes, sometimes. I sent her away not wanting her to hover around me or my husband." Chapter 277 Sisters- Part 3 Penny gave it some thought, taking in what her aunt had to say. If one looked on her side of the fence, they would agree but her actions were not justified for what she had put her through. If things had gone wrong when she was still in the ve establishment where she wouldn''t be able to escape, Penny could hardly imagine how her life would have turned out. Spending a few hours with Grace, being disgraced to the fall lower than an animal where she was kicked and pped, she didn''t know what could have happened. Her stars were lucky that she had been saved over and over again. Be it her, Damien or strangers like thedy who had stopped Grace from taking her into the ck market. What her aunt and uncle put her through, she would nevere to forgive their actions. Her aunt had issues with her mother, avenging her lost baby on Penny was wrong. "When was thest time my mother visited you?" she continued to ask the questions as they arose in her mind. Her aunt gave a deep thought over her question, trying to recollect which meant it wasn''t anywhere around the year that had pa.s.sed by, "Must have been three years ago." "What did shee for?" Penny could only conclude that her mother was overprotective over the family she had been given but the word didn''t quite fit well in here. Her mother wanted to monopolize them, manipting the people around her. The more she found out about her mother, the more horrible she felt. Was this the same person who had raised her? The person whom she had known and called mother, they felt like two different people. One whom she knew and the other what she heard from her aunt just now. "I don''t know. I didn''t bother to ask her and didn''t want to know about it. I didn''t want to do anything with her. She had created enough of a mess in my life and my family," her aunt''s tone came out to be bitter. "If you hated her so much, and hated the fact that I was her daughter, why did you agree to bring me in here?" Penny could still not understand the logic and connection of what her aunt said and did. If a person didn''t like someone and disliked them to the point of hate, wasn''t it the easiest to just avoid than bring painful memories? Silence filled the room with no one speaking. Penny continued to stare at her aunt and uncle, waiting for one of them to speak. Her aunt finally spoke, "When she said in the letter that she was dying do you know I felt? It was a relief from reading that from her. I took you in so that I could let her soul know how it feels when you put your child through death. The grief and depth of how they feel with the child, only a mother can know and understand." "And you thought her dead self would know it?" Penny didn''t know if she was supposed to continue feeling sad anymore for thedy. No one caught the amused smile that came upon Damien''s lips after listening to the way Penny had phrased her words for her mother. He knew that there was more to the surface of how Penny appeared. As she had been moved from one ce to another, from the ve establishment to Quinn''s mansion with the tag of a ve, she had been quiet but the girl was a spitfire. Her aunt failed to perceive Penny''s words as she took the gist and felt offended, "I didn''t care and I don''t even now. I am happy to have sold you and if the time came by again, I would do it again," said her aunt, her eyes fuming in anger. Penny wondered if there was any point talking to her right now. The woman would avenge for her loss over and over again where she would never be satisfied no matter how many times she would repeat it. Yet, still wanting to give a piece of her mind, she said, "I am sorry for what happened to your child. For what she did, but I would never say it was okay what you did to me. You don''t know what happens in the ve establishment," this had the woman rolling her eyes and her uncle joined in tough at her words. Her uncle who had been quiet all this time said, "Penny. There''s a mirror there on the wall. Why don''t you have a look at yourself and repeat it again." "Look at you," her aunt said, sizing her up and down with the way she was dressed, "ve life did you good. For what your dead mother put me through consider it to be repayment. Like I said that day, you are living a life ady. Look at you all dressed while we are still here." "I wonder why that is so," chimed Damien from the side, "Maybe people with ugly hearts tend to live a life of rats." "Vampire-" her uncle began to warn Damien. Damien tched again, correcting the man, "Don''t put me in the lower .s.s. I am a pureblooded vampire. My name is Damien Quinn, and if you haven''t heard about me, then let me tell you that I don''t mind going against thew to satisfy my bloodthirsty instincts where I not only snap your fingers but every single bone in that old body while leaving the other to watch it." If it was possible her uncle could be seen fuming like the bull in anger but he could do nothing. Everyone knew what or who the pureblooded vampires were. The number of pureblooded vampires was lesspared to the normal vampires as they multiplied along with the half-vampires. Being not only part of the highest food chain, but the people there also had the authority of control and maniption. "All you pure-blooded vampires think you are higher than us. A day wille where we willugh at you," said her uncle, that hardly fazed Damien. Damien took a step forward dauntingly... Chapter 278 Date In Year 1700S - Part 1 "Alright. You canugh now," Damien pulled out his pocket watch as if he had limited time to spare here right now. Seeing the confused expression from the elder couple, he said, "What? By the time that happens, you won''t be alive and will be buried somewhere in the cemetery. Oh wait," he paused to receive another re, "That is if you get a cemetery. With being a childless couple, your only bet is to have Penny have you decked in all nice in the cemetery or have yourself eaten and dposed in the forest as flies fly around you." The elderly couple looked at Damien in shock at first. Their words falling short even though their mouth opened to speak. It was true though, what he said. Once they would pa.s.s away, there would be no one to a.s.sure that the would-be given a grave, unless they make ns beforehand. But there was also a possibility that the empty graves could be bought, bought by Damien himself so that their soul could rest in peace. "If there are any questions we''lle back again," it was Penny who spoke to break the silence in the room, her aunt looking at her with hateful eyes. "I hope not," said the woman. The pain that once used to hover around her mind and heart had started to reduce in time. The attachment that she once shared, damaged over what they did and how they handled withck or any remorse. Penny said, "As much as you don''t like me in here, I am not fond ofing and seeing the rtives whom I thought to be the people who cared for me to show theckl.u.s.ter character of yours which is worse than any other criminal who broke thew of the council and government. You might justify it to be a t.i.t for tat but it is far from it. You lost a child, a person who was yet to be born and I would have lost my soul, a living breathing person," taking in a deep breath she said, "The woman you thought was dead, is alive. Have a good day," satisfied with the horror on her aunt and uncle''s face as realization hit them, she turned around with a smile lifting up on her face and stepped out of the home. On their way back, both Penny and Damien were quiet. Penny looked ahead of her while Damien who unabashedly stared at her as he walked beside her. "Do you know what you did in there?" asked Damien, seeing Penny turn to him with her expression that had turned slightly nk since they had left the house of her rtives. "That I spoke back to my aunt there?" Penny could see the happiness that was bursting out of Damien. "You did more than that. Might I say, it was a pure utter delight to see you go off like that, s.e.xy mouse," he praised, bringing a smile on her lips. Her eyes fell on the snowy ground to look back up and at him, "I don''t think anyone will ever find a mouse s.e.xy, Master Damien," the grin on his lips widened over her words. Damien had noticed how she often switched back and forth in calling him master Damien and only Damien when they spoke. She didn''t call him master Damien because she was referring to him as the master but it was usually under the subtle teaseful tone. "Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to catch a s.e.xy mouse," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. Seeing her face sober up and sigh, he asked, "Are you going to be fine?" She smiled, nodding her head, "I think so. At least we know there was another side to the story that I knew and grew up with." "What did your mother say about your aunt? Did she ever mention her family and rtives?" he asked her. "She did speak about them but her version was one that of a perfect family. Of how everyone got along fine. I guess she didn''t get along with anyone. I still don''t understand why she would ask my aunt to look after me. Do you have any thoughts about it?" she asked him unsure of what her mother''s true intentions were. "Frankly, it isn''t that hard to tell. She might have sent you to your aunt but there must be something, a reason for what she did when it came to sending a letter to your aunt. We can only draw theories right now. It is either you get back your lost memories or you ask your dear mother who has been intent on killing you. We both happened to have odd mothers, no offense but yours is crazier than mine," he said and Penny couldn''t agree any less because it was true. G.o.d had really handpicked and given them on who their mothers were supposed to be. At least Damien''s mother killed others and not her children. Raising her hands up, she tucked her hair behind her ears on both sides, "I wish I could find out more about my father," at least there would be one parent of hers who would have been sane, right? "I am sure you will find out about him in time. Baby steps, you don''t need to rush anything. I am here to buy you time," he a.s.sured her and she couldn''t be less grateful for his words. Halting her footsteps she thanked him, "Thank you, like really," she looked into his eyes that stared back at her. "I do not take words, I need some affection," he said, closing his eyes and waiting for her before opening one of his eyes to see if she had moved from her position. Seeing Penny step closer, he closed his eyes again. Waiting for her to kiss him. He enjoyed her lips on his which was soft and supple. With two seconds that had pa.s.sed, he opened his eyes to find her not standing in front of him but walking towards the carriage. "Where are you going?" he asked her loud enough for her and the rest of the people around them who were pa.s.sing by to head him, "What happened to my kisses?" he asked that had her turning and looking at him wide-eyed. "Sshh," she shushed him. "Aren''t you greedy to ask me for a kiss when it was only some time ago that I gave you one?" she asked, waiting for him to catch up where she didn''t have to wait too long. "I thought I was being fairly reasonable. I must say you are quite a trickster making this poor man think he would receive the kiss to only deny it. I mean Ie here all the way saving you from the wretched wolves," he said just as Penny ced her foot on the support of the carriage to step inside. Instead of getting inside, she turned around and gave a quick peck on his lips, "Better?" she asked to see him smile. "Much better," he murmured the words, "I don''t think I would ever get bored of you giving me kisses. I love your surprise kisses," before he could catch her blush, she turned and got inside the carriage. Chapter 279 Date In Year 1700S - Part 2 Damien couldn''t help himself from not looking at Penny who was trying to tone down the blush on her cheeks which had crept up on her cheeks and she looked absolutely lovely in his eyes. Though there were things that were weighing in her mind she appeared to be in a much better mood. Her mother was somewhere here but for someone who could feign her own death, it meant the ck witch was too experienced and had only hidden it in front of her husband and her daughter. With the little ratio of white witches turning to a ck witch after they had tapped into the forbidden magic, it was possible that her mother had gone to the dark side after her husband''s death. For someone who didn''t agree with her family and her sister to have a family of her own, he could only conclude that was the issue. "Let''s go out somewhere this week." Penny who had been concentrating on the trees, leaned back to turn and see Damien, "Where?" she asked. "To that favorite theater of yours where you once used to work. We can have some fresh air away from the mansion and the church," he proposed the idea back. "Are you taking me out?" her jade green eyes searched in his red ones. "I very much am. I have some ces to take you, a day out with just us." "I would like that," she responded back. "Sweet." One would have thought that the pureblooded vampires only went to the higher status of theaters and not some cheaper attic ones where the s.p.a.ces were crumpled. Damien truly was one of a kind, thought Penny to herself. The only good thing that hade out of all this mess and pain and betrayal was him. Damien Quinn. It wasn''t that he didn''t stop annoying her. The man still infuriated her to no end, driving every living soul mad but there was a certain ring to it. She wondered when her feelings had started to sway, the breeze that once was moving in the opposite direction now was moving along with her. "Thinking about me?" she heard Damien ask her. "I have other things to do than think about you all the time," there was a smile in her voice which was caught by him. "Mhmm, the lies you say are so sweet which tells how embarra.s.sed you are," with one hand that supported the side of his head where he rested the edge of his elbow on the open window, his face turned to look at her. "If you know already why do you ask," she muttered under her breath. "Because it is enthralling to hear it from your delicate lips," he flirtatious gesture had taken her mind off. Penny''s lips twisted, stopping the smile that was trying to break from her lips, "Have you heard that phrase that goes on to say to never say something too much," but instead of she iming her victory with words Damien asked, "Oh, was that what it was all about? Don''t worry, Penelope. No matter how many times you repeat your words, I would never be bored of them," both Damien and Penelope smiled at each other. When the next day arrived, Damien gifted her with another dress. The dress was peachy-cream in color with an off-shoulder that disyed her cor bones. With floral patterns that started from her neck to her sleeves and distributed to the entire dress until it touched the ground. Fitted tight around her waist where a maid hade to help her with the corset as theces were pulled tightly. Unlike all this time where Damien was the one who had made her hair every time, this time she did it by herself. Keeping it simple without going over the top. She was thankful for the dress, it was a beautiful dress which would have cost a good number of gold coins. Just as she was getting ready with the maid who stood behind her, waiting on her if she ever needed any help, there was a knock on the door. Damien had already left the room early leaving her to get ready. Hearing the knock on the door, she turned to find it was Lady Maggie. "May Ie in?" asked the Lady, her red eyes looking at Penelope, "You can leave. I can a.s.sist from here," said thedy to the maid, waving her off for the maid to leave the room. Since the time Grace had been punished, Penny didn''t know why she felt as if there was this unspoken friction between her and Damien''s elder sister. She didn''t know if she was overthinking but there was something unnerving in the air around them. Lady Maggie smiled looking at her, "You look lovely, Penelope. I heard from my overbearing brother that he was taking you out. I wanted to make sure he wasn''t taking you in the potato sack. I bought something for you," she said bringing the blue box she had been holding in her hand. "I don''t think that is necessary," Penny refused already having an idea of what was in the box by looking at the size of it. When Lady Maggie opened the box to show a sparkling ne which was made of diamonds. "Please. It would go well with the dress you''re wearing. Let me help you," Lady Maggie insisted, cing her hand on Penelope''s back, "This belonged to my mother. I don''t know what she would say about Damien and your rtions.h.i.+p, that you share but with the bond which Damien has ced, I think in time she would havee around and weed you. You will be my sister-inw, I would like you to have it," saying this, Lady Maggie put the ne around Penny''s neck. Penny''s eyes widened. She couldn''t have anything this expensive. She was already worried that she was going to lose it. "I didn''t get to say this earlier because of how things had turned. My intentions weren''t to hurt you, Penelope. I hope you understand where Ie from because both are my siblings," her words came out to be apologetic, "Wee to the family." Penny mustered a smile, "Thank you." "My brother is waiting for you. Have a good time," she wished her before exiting the room. Chapter 280 Meadow- Part 1 With Lady Maggie who had left the room, Penny took another look at herself in the mirror. Her eyes staring at the diamond ne which now adorned around her neck. Sparkling even with the little light which was in the room. But it was the reflection of the fire from the firece which made the crystalse alive like some enchanting stones she had never seen before. Coming from a struggling family since she was a child, Penny had never seen anything like this. Taking another look, with her turning around to see if the dress was alright, she exhaled out the air she had been holding in. Half out of nervousness and the rest of it which was held by the corset that she wore inside the dress that didn''t allow her to breathefortably. She made her way down the stairs, meeting Damien as he had been standing at the end of the stairs waiting for her. Penny took in the sight of him. ck coat, white s.h.i.+rt with ck trousers. His usual hair which he didn''t bother tob and keep it neat now wasbed back in a sleek way that left three of four strands of hair to fall on his forehead while the rest wasbed back. Hearing the shoes nking softly on the carpeted stairs, Damien turned around to meet her eyes. At first, the man didn''t smile, his eyes drinking in her presence as she made her way towards him slowly with her hand holding the rails so that she wouldn''t fall down. He could hear her heartbeat against her chest. Her heart skipping a few beats when he smiled at her. Penelope had been shy to his advances before but she was opening up and gettingfortable. Taking the lead to kissing him which he was more than satisfied with. At least that is what he told himself but there was something more he wanted from her since he had brought her to this mansion. Since day one where his eyes had fallen on the green-eyed girl. Internally he smiled, wondering if he could turn the jade green-eyed girl really green. It was something he would like to test to see how jealous he could make her. There was a slight awkwardness when Penny finally stopped at one step above him. And though she stood one step ahead of him, her height failed to meet him where she had to crane her neck to look into his dark red eyes. "Don''t you think we are overdressed for the local theater?" asked Penny, her voiceced with embarra.s.sment with the way he looked at her unblinkingly. Damien didn''t speak right away, taking his own time to admire the girl who looked ravis.h.i.+ng at this moment. Maybe they should cancel going out and spend the day in his room, thought Damien to himself, "You look beautiful," his eyes trailed to pick on her eyes and then her lips, moving to her cheeks but not below it. "You look beautiful too- I mean you look handsome," she corrected herself quickly. The blood rus.h.i.+ng up her neck bit by bit. An evil smile came upon Damien''s lips which had Penny turn nervous even more, "What''s got you this nervous? I am not going to pounce on you," at least not right away, thought Damien to himself. His eyes filling up with mirth which had Penny give him a smile. "Lady Maggie gave me your mother''s ne." "She did?" Damien gave a surprised expression, his eyes going below her neck to look at the diamond stones sparkle, "Your eyes stood out more than the crystals that you are wearing. I don''t think it was needed. Sweet of Maggie to do that," he said, taking her hand in his hand he pulled her close to him, kissing her cheek on either side of her face, "My mother enjoyed the rare stones, I am sure Maggie has plenty of them." "It was sweet of her," Penny agreed. His elder sister was trying to make up, trying to get along with her after what happened to Grace. She had been polite to her before that too except that there was a hint of authority previously when she spoke to her which now had fallen down. "Does it bother you?" he asked to receive a quizzical expression from her. "The ne?" she asked him and he gave her a nod. "Yes, if you don''t like it you can give it to me. You can wear it back once we are back to the mansion," he offered for her to smile back at him. "Thank you," Penny appreciated the gesture that Lady Maggie showed towards her but she wasn''t used to wearing something so expensive that hung around her neck. Another reason was that it somewhat reminded her of the time when Grace had cored her. The tightness around her neck feeling ufortable. Going back to her previous thought she said, "Are we still going to the local theater?" she asked him, her feet stepping down on the ground. The butler came from the main entrance, walking towards them but keeping a good distance away from the couple, "Master Damien," Durik said, his head bowing as he spoke, "I have ced the basket at the back of the carriage. Is there something that you would want me to add behind there?" asked the half-vampire. "Napkins?" asked Damien for the butler to bow his head again which he had raised. "Yes, Master. I have added them along with water if you need," the butler answered. Damien turned to Penelope, "Shall we?" Penny was doubtful that Damien and she were going to the local theater. To wear such posh clothes and enter a ce where only the local vigers and townsfolk came, they would stand out like a sore thumb. As they stepped out of the mansion, Penny asked him, "We aren''t going to the local theater are we?" Damien shook his head, a grin up his lips, "We are going to the meadow." Chapter 281 Meadow- Part 2 When Damien spoke about the meadow, Penny had thought it to be some sort of expression not knowing he actually meant a meadow. The gra.s.sy fields expanded, stretching itself to the forest which wasn''t too far. It wasn''t green nor was it sunny with what Damien had on his mind. "Master Damien?" called Penny once they got down from the carriage, "We are going to have a pic around and in the snow?" she asked him unsure if this was what he had in his mind. It wasn''t just her but also the coachman who looked the cold scenery in front of them. Only Damien Quinn could have this kind of bizarre ideas. "You are right. Isn''t this ce lovely? It is quiet and calm with not possible distractions," he then looked at his coachman who was cold with the thin clothes he wore. Even Penny who had worn an off-shoulder dress could slowly feel the frost sinking into her skin as if it was subtly absorbing the cold around them which was in the forest, "Have the items ced at that corner," he ordered the man who bowed and went to put down the items which the butler had previously stacked behind the carriage. Penny turned her head around, looking at the forest which was covered around with tall trees. Though there was a meadow, it looked as if it had been centered around the forest. Her eyes then fell on the coachman who first spread the nket on the gra.s.sy-snownd which was thick. Next came the basket and the second basket which was ced on the nket. When the coachman returned back, Damien ordered, "You can go back to the mansion." The coachman blinked once before asking Damien, "Would you want me to return back after some time?" "No, don''t. Take the carriage and oil the wheels. I hear them creak every time it moves. Annoying," came out his words, his eyes sharp on the human whose eyes widened. It had been quite some time since they had oiled the wheels of the carriage but then he was the one riding the carriage and driving it and not once had he noticed the sound of the wheels creaking. How sharp were Master Damien''s ears that he had picked on it? With a questionable look, the coachman this time raised his head to look at the pureblooded vampire. "What?" asked Damien seeing the servant not move but continue to dawdle in front of him, "Don''t tell me you n to join us in our pic time," Damien''s eyes narrowed for the man to suddenly wave his hands in front of him. "No no, master Damien. That-uh, how will you return back to the mansion?" asked the coachman. They had traveled for quite some distance that walking back especially for thedy with him would be hard. "We will walk," came the simple answer through Damien''s lips. "Walk?" it seemed like master Damien wasn''t sparing the girl too. Internally he couldn''t help but pity the girl. To be stuck to a crazy vampire, life was only going to be hard. "If we had wings we would fly. Unfortunately, G.o.d gave us legs and not wings. So yes, we will walk," the look he pa.s.sed at the servant made the poor man feel like an insect which was going to be trampled on if he didn''t see himself out of here. Giving another bow, he turned around with his feet carrying himself with hurried footsteps, "You scared him away," Penny said looking at the coachman who appeared as if he was walking fast. "They are always scared," Damien didn''t bother to spare his precious time on the servant and instead looked at the pic set up that was made for them, "Come, let''s take a seat. I am starving." They had left home early, skipping the time of breakfast with their family which would not only give them time but also give other members in the family to have some peace of mind where no one was going to re daggers at each other. Taking a seat on the thick nket, Penny saw Damien pull the basket towards him. Opening it and pulling out the items one after another. As if behaving like a host, he asked, "Would you like some tea, madam?" "Yes, please. With two cubes of sugar, stir it well," Penny said unable to hold out her the chuckle that escaped from her lips. She had never got to make him do anything until now, not wanting to miss the opportunity, she teased him. Damien pa.s.sed her a look but it was one which belonged to a yful one. He took the warm kettle that was ced around a little box that was used to keep the pot hot along with the other food items. Picking up the teacup, he poured the tea, adding two cubes of sugar, stirring it well before handing it over to Penelope. "Thank you," she said taking the teacup from him. She noticed that there was a full pack of breakfast in the two baskets for both of them, taking a bite of bacon which was put on the te, she said, "You are much different to what I thought of you initially," she took another bite that filled up her mouth. "How much different?" came Damien''s nonchnt voice and even though it appeared that way, the man was keen and curious to know what Penny thought about him. Penny smiled, chewing on her food and swallowing it, "If given the opportunity when we first met, I wouldn''t have minded turning you into a toad." Damien gave out a gasp, "How ruthless. Especially when I offered you nothing but kindness." "Your kindness came in the form of not offering me food when I was hungry and making me climb a tree when my leg was still hurt," she said calmly, his expression freezing for a second before he resumed to fill his te with food he wanted to eat, like?a mischievous boy that had been caught. He felt like this was something that was going to go down in their history and carried into the future even after decades would pa.s.s by between them. Receiving a narrowed look from her, he instead offered her a charming smile. Chapter 282 Meadow- Part 3 A small grin made way on his face and he said, "This is me making up for those times. But if you think about it, I was worried where you would turn to be a ck witch. Imagine the joy I felt when you climbed the tree," he said proudly for her to shake her head. She didn''t know how she did it but if someone were to ever ask her to climb a tree she doubted she would ever be able to do it, "We both were strangers before but now we have pa.s.sed on to be a very lovable couple." Penny who had only sipped her tea about to swallow it, started to cough. Damien patted her back gently. "C-couple?" she asked him, continuing to clear her throat while looking at him. He tilted his head, "Are we still on the master-ve rtions.h.i.+p? I don''t mind that either," he took the cooked meat and put it in her mouth to see her reeling with the word ''couple'', "I like you, you like me, we have kissed. We share the same bed and nket. What else is there?" he questioned, his eyes already holding the answer where Penny this time decided to not run her mouth to give the answer he was waiting for, "You were speaking about the amazing me. Continue." "The person you appear to be is you but there''s another side to you. With the way my first week pa.s.sed by with you, I don''t think you would bring anyone to a meadow." "I try my best," he shrugged his shoulders making her smile again. She had been smiling more freely now. Like the smile, he had caught when he had seen her standing in the rain with an umbre in her hand. It had been weeks, no not weeks but months since he had seen her smile like this. Her unbridled smile that had caught his attention time after time before they met each other. She truly did look beautiful. Of course, the initial n had been to go to the local theater which she once used to work but buying her the dress with necessary altercations and size with the way he wanted it, he had decided to turn around the n so that they could spend their time together. Alone without any distractions. He heard Penny continue to speak with the same vigor but this time she had set the teacup down and stopped eating the food, waiting to continue to speak, "You are a strange man, Damien. Strange doesn''t cover the person you are, I think weird might be more suitable," she said thoughtfully. "Hmm, I am not sure if you are praising me anymore," Damien gave her a look but she shook her head. "It is the truth," and she said, "You are a strange man but in truth, you are like an onion," Damien''s eyes narrowed at the reference she made,paring him to a mere vegetable, "You have different shades once a person gets to know you. You are mean but at the same time you care in your odd way." "I am listening," Damien leaned closer to her, giving her all his attention, "Thankfully, you didn''t refer to me like a carrot." "Carrots don''t have the different shades ofyers in them," she reminded him for him to go ''Oh'' dramatically, "I never thought you had it in you, to take me to a ce full of b.u.t.terflies or here. You appear more simple now, someone I can understand. It wasn''t much but you treated me well and helped me. epting me being a white witch was hard but you have helped me ease it along with everything around, I don''t think many people do that. Not even our blood or rtives who will im are close to us." "I am d that you have finally understood my worth," Damien''s words came out to be more dramatic, "You never know if someone wille and steal me right under your nose while you are still wondering if we are a couple." She blushed, her eyes looking down at the teacup, picking it up. Before bringing it close to her lips, she said, "I thought the secret kisses would be enough," she took a sip, her eyes looking somewhere else and her expression coy. "You will need more than the secret kisses. Do you know how many women want me?" he asked her. "I wouldn''t doubt that, Master Damien. You might have charmed them like a snake before pus.h.i.+ng them away," Damien rolled his eyes. "I did nothing of that sort," first it was a stinking onion and now she had demoted to him to snake. At the same thought, something came in his mind where he heard Penny say, "What happened to Lady Urs and Lady Yuvaine? Are they still chasing you?" she asked for him to grin. "Jealous?" Penny frowned, asking, "Why would I? They give me no reason to be jealous," both of them appeared to be spoilt and dimwitteddies. Penny knew she was far better than them even though she didn''t inherit a mansion or a bag full of gold coins, "I have a sane mindpared to them." "Says the one who tore the dress which I was supposed to give to thedy," Damien saw Penny''s eyes stray away from him. "n.o.body ever asked you to make me wear it if you were only going to give it to her." "If I am an onion you must be the bitter guard right now. Who knew you would be upset over it," he teased her, seeing her take a bite from the baked bread heughed, "By the way, there was something I wanted you to look for in the church." "The church? Haven''t you been there?" she asked him. "I have but the time isn''t enough and I don''t have the knowledge if I even found it," he said making her curious as to what he wanted, "There must be a hidden shelf there. Nothing that you see in the eye but a shelf that holds a set of books, they will contain iplete information too but I need you to see if you can find them." "What am I going to look for?" "Something about moon signs..." Chapter 283 Meadow- Part 4 "Moon signs?" Penny repeated his words. "More tea?" asked Damien. "No, I am good," she said waiting for him to exin what he just said. Damien poured the remaining tea from the kettle into his cut before cing it back inside the basket. Picking up the emptied tray to ce it back along with the kettle, "Moon signs, there are symbols or representation for the night creatures. The night creatures consist of people who don''te in the category of humans. Long ago when the first generation of pureblooded vampire came into existence, they decided to create representation through the help of the white witches. The moon signs were used for the night creatures while the sun signs were used to give it to humans. Each of the sun and moon are subdivided into different characteristics." Penelope had neither heard about the moon signs nor did she evere to hear about the sun signs, "What were they used for?" she saw Damien take a bite from the meat that he had picked by his fork. "I don''t know," came his nonchnt words. "Why are you looking for it then?" she raised her brow in question. Damien twisted his mouth, reaching out his tongue to the back of his teeth before speaking, "You see there, where only some people who knew about the moon signs. Not everyone was aware of it. Maybe two or three of the pureblooded vampires. My father doesn''t know about it either. The pureblooded vampires are forbidden to speak on it, a saying that has rumored of how talking about it would reach one''s whispered words to the ear of a white witch. I have searched for it, but there was nothing that could be found. Those three pureblooded vampires died, otherwise I would have asked them." "What makes you think the witches will have it in there?" "Because even one says they don''t have it and have never heard about it, it would be a lie to not know something especially when you are in a treasure look like that. There''s something more to the saying which was never given out. There used to be a man, an old monk who had created the signs which only got destroyedter. There should be another copy which the white witches have stored. Not the newbies but the old witches before they were killed. When the information is notpleted it is not because they didn''t have time for it. It was written in the thought so that the knowledge that would be pa.s.sed down would never be misused," Damien exined his thoughts on it. "Maybe it was hidden for the betterment?" she asked him, noticing his red eyes that were curious to know more about it as he spoke on the signs. "It could be. Thest time I went there, I went there with Father Antonio but a lot of the information was missing. It makes me wonder how many truths have been buried when the white witches were killed there," he looked thoughtfully, his eyes looked at abyss far away before they s.h.i.+fted to her, "It isn''t important but I am curious. You are a white witch now and only a white witch can fill in the pieces which are missing." Penny didn''t know if she was supposed to be happy that Damien showed a lot of trust and belief in her. "I will have a look around tomorrow," she said to find a piece of bacon that was waiting in front of her mouth. Damien held the for in front of her, waiting for her to open her mouth. He tilted his head that finally had her open her mouth. She looked at the quiet forest that stood still except for the leaves and the branches of the trees that moved with the wind. Though they were surrounded by the snowy ground and some of the snow that had settled upon the trees, asionally pus.h.i.+ng down the snow down from them, Penny felt warm enough not to s.h.i.+ver in the cold weather. The nket beneath them was thick and the food warm. There was no one here but just them. Still, she wondered why Damien had her dressed like this if they wereing here. The usual attire would have sufficed unless the man had something up his sleeve. "So, Miss Bitterguard," Damien started to have Penelope frowning instantly. "I am not jealous of the girls around you, and what happened to the name mouse?" her brows knitted as she asked him. "Oh? You have made peace with it. I wasn''t aware of it," he smirked, "Once you''re done, let''s go for a walk," he said seeing her eat. Once she was done eating, Damien ced the tes along with the food which had been pulled out of the basket. Standing up, he gave her his hand for her to take. Leaving the pic set up behind, Penny walked next to Damien. Carrying the front of her dress, she ced her feet forward one after another on the patchy snow that had fallen on the ground. He had sent the coachman away as they could teleport at any point in time but in that case wouldn''t he want to consume more blood? "How often do you need to drink blood?" Penny asked out of curiosity. "Seven .s.ses a day to fully function," he answered her question. She nodded her head before asking, "And what if you don''t receive that amount of blood or skip a day?" "A day should be alright. It is the lower vampires who struggle with the need for constant blood in their bodies. Us, pureblooded vampires can survive a day or two before we start to feel the hunger." "But the ability consumes it?" "It does, which is why some of us need to be on constant blood if we make use of the ability constantly. You don''t want a pureblooded vampire going rampant by killing anything and everything in their way." Chapter 284 Dearest Mother S - Part 1 With time that pa.s.sed by and no nket beneath or around her, Penny could feel the cold sinking into her skin and bones. The deeper they stepped into the forest, the colder it got and so did the color and appearance of the forest change from green to white with the amount of snow that covered the ground and the trees around them. The forest was deserted and quiet. Not a single soul around them such that it was as if they were in a different world of s.p.a.ce and time. Far away from them, an owl hooted. Its hoot echoing in the forest. "Where is this ce?" Penelope asked him, her steps being careful as she ced them on the freshly fallen snow on the ground which left an imprint on it. "This is a path not far from the vige that you once used to live in. The one you used to live in with your mother." How strange, thought Penny to herself. She had lived for almost seventeen years yet she had never stepped into this side of the forest. One of the reasons might have been that her mother had often warned her to not step too deep into the heart of the forest. Warning her on the ck witches and other creatures who lurked in here. Funny, she thought to herself. Especially when she was living with a ck witch for those seventeen years. At the same time, she wondered what might have happened. Theoretically from what she had learned from the church, Penny would have guessed that her mother had turned from a white witch to a ck witch after her father''s death. But after what she heard from her aunt earlier this week, she could tell that her first theory was wrong an invalid. There were a lot of unanswered questions and the only person who could provide her with answers was her mother itself. Though her memories had been tampered, she doubted that there was anything useful that she could get from it. When another hoot came from above them as they walked by a tree. Penny turned around, searching for the owl that had camouged itself with the snow as it was white in appearance. "My mother and I used toe here to hunt," she heard Damien speak, his voiceing out to be clearer due to the silence they were surrounded with. She noticed the distant look that his face carried right now as he remembered about his mother. Penny had heard about his mother, the way she lived her life and it made her wonder if she would feel the same about her own mother. Damien''ste mother had pa.s.sed away when he was young, but he carried her in his memories. Even though the woman was a cruel vampiress, he adored her. Both Maggie and he loved their mother. The woman had killed innocent people. Maybe they weren''t pure souls but their punishments were directed to direct death and there was no way out of it. "We used to bring our horses. Early in the morning before the sun even rose up in the sky. My mother hunted animals before bringing them back to the mansion," he said, his eyes ncing at Penny who was looking at him. "What about you and Lady Maggie?" "We were too young to hunt, at least that is what my mother thought. She was overprotective about us." She could guess that. An overprotective mother. She didn''t know why but she had a feeling that Lady Maggie wanted to tell her something when she hade this morning to give her the ne to her in the room. Like there was something on her mind which she wanted to speak but in the end, she didn''t. "Can I ask you something?" Penny asked Damien to see him nod. Unsure of how to put it in the right words withouting to be odd, she said, "If your mother was alive right now. Would things be the same?" she already had drawn the conclusions about it in her mind but she wanted to hear it from Damien. Damien smiled, could a smile be one that looked like it was thoughtful? Asked Penny to herself, "Maggie spoke something along the same lines. About how things could be different if our mother was still alive. I don''t think I have ever pondered about it knowing that there is nothing like it to change what has happened in the past," she heard Damien speak, his footsteps barely audible to her ears while her feet appeared heavier, "My mother has pa.s.sed away. Therefore she holds no control over the way our lives are running. Maggie would have been devastated if she was still alive." Penny looked at him with a frown, "Why do you say that?" "It is in regard to her former lover or fiance. Option one, the man would have been forced to continue his rtions.h.i.+p with my sister under my mother''s eyes. Because of fear which would lead to a very unhappy marriage until he would finally decide to give up. Option two, he would have strayed his path like he did in the past and would have been shredded into fine little pieces," he shrugged his shoulders, "I did tell you my mother was an overprotective woman. She wouldn''t like the fact of someone misusing us or our feelings. But in my case, I would like to think that she would be happy with whatever I did. I was the favorite child." Pennyughed hearing Damien boast. "I am not making this up but it is the truth. She loved me more than Maggie for I was the one who listened to every word she said, following through what she wanted from me which in the process had the core of my heart to be corrupted in time. Let''s believe what will keep us happy and at ease. Not to forget, I don''t look at anything that I find worthless," he concluded his words. Chapter 285 Dearest Mother S - Part 2 Of course, how could Master Damien ever pick or look at someone or something of low worth, "Your father is a quiet man. It is hard to-" Penny paused while trying to find the right word. "Think that they were married? There are pr opposites," hepeted and agreed to what she said. "What about your mother? Was she overprotective?" Damien took his turn to know more about the woman who was trying to kill her. Penny looked at the front, the spiky looking tree which branched out in a different direction symmetrically, "She appeared to be normal at that time," she said with an awkward smile, "She didn''t mind me going out, bringing the nickels back home that the house used to run. She was alright," she didn''t know how she had failed to see the facade all those years she lived with her mother. Seventeen years and not a crack in the way she appeared in front of her, Penny wasn''t sure if she was supposed to be worried that she had acquired her acting skills from her mother. Somewhere it was haunting to think that she had lived with a woman who wasn''t who she had presumed to be. "She was like any other mother out there in the vige. Kind and sweet. Maybe kinder than the rest," but then Penny thought if it was because the rest of the vigers were unkind to her, therefore, the little amount of kindness her mother showered on her felt a lot, "I don''t know sometimes on what to a.s.sume and think." "It''s alright," she heard Damien say, his eyes s.h.i.+fting to look from the scenery that was in front of to look at her, "You don''t have to think too much on it. Maybe somewhere I do resonate with what Maggie said." "What is that?" asked Penny curious about what his sister said. "She is happy for how things are. Not that she wanted our mother dead but happy nheless for us. Now that I think about it, it is one less mother to deal with," he said for her to smile. That was somehow true, "Do you want me to take the ne for you?" he asked remembering how ufortable she had been when she had walked down the stairs. Penelope had forgotten about it. Now that Damien reminded her of it, she paused her steps, her hands rising up ready to take it off. "Allow me," Damien turned his body towards her, taking one step to close the distance between them, his hands reached the hook of the ne. He leaned over, his hands working on it. As she had worn an off-shoulder dress, Damien''s breath fell on her skin that tingled down and thrummed her body. Once he was done removing it, he stepped back. She felt as if a weight had been lifted from her neck where she could not move her neck freely that she had forgotten about. "Better?" he asked to see her nod and see her sigh. "I hope Maggie won''t mind it," she murmured, not wanting Lady Maggie to think that she didn''t appreciate the gift. Before they could continue to walk forward, Damien suddenly whisked his hand around her waist to bring her close to him. Her body fit into his snuggly and she could feel the cold temperature slowly starting to s.h.i.+ft to a much warmer one. Penny stared right into Damien''s eyes, a freckle of ck dust that was swirling in his eyes which made her worry, "Is your corruption acting up again?" she asked him as he stared back at her. His arm around her was tight and firm just as the corset that she wore inside her dress. "Why do you ask?" his words came out huskier than usual. She could tell that her guess was right. "When was thest time you drank blood?" she questioned him when his face came close to her, his lips drawing closer to her but instead of kissing her where her lips parted and awaited for the touch, he moved his face away and kissed below her ear. His lips pressing on her skin which felt warm and undeniably nice. "In the morning," he responded back, his words vibrating against her skin and he dropped another kiss. She gulped. Her breathing turned shallow with one kiss of his. She forced the words out of her mouth that came out in s.h.i.+ver, "How many .s.ses did you drink?" his lips trailed up to her ear lobes. "Seven of them," he whispered the words back into her sh.e.l.l of the ear. He pulled back and this time Penny saw one of Damien''s eyes turn ck while the other had red and ck swirls in it. "Damien...The corruption is acting¡­" she said her eyes moving back and forth between his eyes. "I know," he chuckled as if the corruption was not a big deal where he was being affected now. "You know," she nodded her head, letting it sink in, "Do you need to drink blood?" she asked him when the red eyes started to fill up with ckness, "I think you should," she said to have him let go of her waist. With one more blink and both his eyes returned back to the color of deep red. "It isn''t unusual," he a.s.sured catching her troubled expression, "My heart sometimes can''t contain things in it and starts to activate the corruption. Ites and goes." Penny wanted to help but until now she was just a mere white witch who was trying to get around with the potions and the life of the witches to be able to cure the corruption in his heart. Damien had told her that until now no one had been spared from corruption it was part of the process of living and no one could do anything about it. One had to go through it but it appeared that Damien was stuck in the starting stage of it. Chapter 286 Pureblooded Vampires- Part 1 Penelope and Damien spent their time in the forest which extended for an hour or so where they spent their time talking to each other, the little things that helped them understand each other. When the time finally arrived to leave, Damien only had to touch Penny''s palm and in an instant, they were transported back to the vige which was where Bathsheba once used to live before the hunter had attacked her. She looked around the ce, the vigers had not realized the two new people who had only entered the vige without walking in. They made their way to the Isle town. Seeing Penny''s face turn dull and pensive, Damien said, "Don''t think about what happened when youst visited here. There are plenty of ves thate and go with their master and mistresses." "I know," Penny responded back, her green eyes staring at the people who were looking at them. "The reason why they are looking at you is not for what happenedst time when you were here but because for what you are and how you look right now," She heard Damien say next to her as they walked, their feet stepping on the stony cemented ground where the path was cleaned when snow had fallen so that the visitors coulde and go without the interference of the weather or the snow itself. He was right. Penelope was used to the res that people sent her since she was young but right now people looked at her with a sense of curiosity. A hint of jealousy and intrigue in their eyes. "I haven''t received this kind of attention until now," she muttered her breath which had him smiling. "Enjoy it," hemented with his hand that rested on her back as they walked into the crowd of posh and the sham full of the society of politeness where rich people visited the Isle Valley. Truth was that thest when she had been here, people had not spared her a proper nce at her. She was someone''s ve which made her a person of no importance. People weren''t looking at her just because of the way she was looking. It was because of the person whom she was walking next to. Without taking permission to ask, Penelope asked, "How manydies do you bring here to shop and stroll?" she could already feel the grin on his lips turning wide to her words, "Nevermind, you don''t have to answer the question." "Oh, no, please do ask me questions. What would I do if you stopped asking questions? You cannot tell you aren''t jealous," Penny huffed. "I am not. There''s nothing to be jealous about." "Keep denying, darling," he teased her, the smile stretching wide enough for her to retort, "You will look like a haunted ghost in the abandoned house children speak of if you smile anymore wider." "The joy you bring me. I don''t think any shop here can buy something as priceless as your words." "You are very good with your words," he knew what to say at any point in time, his words alwaysing out to be charming oring out to look down at a person. Walking further more on the corner of the street, both Penelope and Damien caught sight of a man who was acquainted with Damien. She didn''t remember his name but his face was clear in her mind. It was because of the time back in the mansion when Damien had taken her where the maid had been beaten. "Damien, what a lovely surprise," the man came forward with a smile on his face which was bright enough to make one look away. "Reverale," Damien said the man''sst name, "I was expecting you here," he smiled at the pureblooded vampire, "Knowing you have very little work to do, this is one of your favourie ces to walk. Did you find anydy to walk with or are you alone?" This was what Penny was talking about in her mind, his ability to look down at people was on point and he looked at people with a calm face like he was only exchanging good words. "Unfortunately, I haven''t but I am hoping to find someone here," the man named Reverale turned his gaze on Penelope, his lips still smiling, "Every time I see your ve, she only gets dolled up in fine clothes. It makes me wish that I was there the day she was being sold in the market. You did well with paying five thousand gold coins," the man rambled on. Penny didn''t bother to hide the distaste she felt looking at the man and his gaze. "Whom are you calling a ve?" It wasn''t Damien but Penny who spoke to the man. Her face looked at him with an unimpressed expression. Reverale didn''t take her words seriously. Heughed instead, his eyes s.h.i.+ning brightly as he continued to stare at her, and addressing Damien as he spoke, "Your ve is untrained. You need to fix her att.i.tude before she falls into trouble." "She isn''t a ve," Damien corrected the man, a yawn pa.s.sing through his lips to show Reverale of how bored he was in this additionalpany now. "What do you mean she isn''t a ve? You brought her from the ck market and paid for her. I thought it was an outrageous amount but now looking at her like this, I don''t think you did wrong," Mr. Reverale continued to rave about it without trying to understand the gist, "I mean look at her," his eyes fell down to her shoulders and then her chest, "You can see those big round-" SLAP. People who were walking by paused their footsteps, their feet almost slowing down to see the drama that was about to rise in the middle of the street before they quietly continued to walk. Reverale had stopped talking with the little impact that had been caused by the kiss of the hand on his cheek. It wasn''t Damien who had pped him but Penelope which was why the man stood still with his face turned to his right side. Chapter 287 Pureblooded Vampires- Part 2 He twisted his jaw, touching it before his eyes red at Penelope. Penny had pped him for his ill eyes and the way they had moved before going to speak about how her b.r.e.a.s.t.s looked. It had angered her. Not once had she ever taken it as apliment that was crude. The man didn''t know her and to speak words like that towards her, her hand had itched so bad that she couldn''t help but p him. Damien, on the other hand, didn''t appear to be amused with what Mr. Reverale had spoken about Penny. The man was known to use such borate words to describe a woman''s body in front of the woman but Penny was not any woman. She was his woman. But Mr. Reverale mistook Damien''s expression as if he were unhappy with his ve''s reaction. Mr. Reverale took one step forward towards Penny but before he could reach out to her, Damien had raised his hand to Penny''s side as if to block the man. The man looked confused at Damien, "Don''t tell me you are one of those men who get attached to their ves and listen to their beck and call," Reverale spat the words out while rubbing his jaw. "What word of ''She is not a ve'' didn''t get through the thick brain of yours?" Damien didn''t mind that Penny had pped Reverale. It was much better than him pping or beating him up. There was no better insult than getting pped by a woman to a man. He could see how it hurt the man''s ego right now. "I don''t think he has a brain, to begin with," Penny blurted out and it turned the man furious. His?expression suddenly turned vile. He looked ready to drag this ve and show her where she belonged. The people around them and people who were far away looking at the show couldn''t help but snicket, enjoying what was going on. After all, who cared who was right or wrong. The people there thrived on gossip. They were the leeches of the society who spread rumors which were usually baseless and right now they couldn''t wait to spread the word on what was happening. "Take another step towards her and I will make sure you will never be able to walk ever again," Damien said looking at Reverale. His red eyes looking at the other pureblooded vampire cooly. The man unable to move forward, gritted his teeth, "You''re shameful, Damien. Being a pureblooded vampire you support a ve who is beneath our feet," he continued without taking in Damien''s words that Penelope was not a ve, "What is it? Puppy love? The days we all see where the biggest creature falls down." "And the days Ie to realize how dumb a pureblooded vampire can be. I don''t think you were listening," Damien raised his hand to tap on the side of his ear. "She.is.not.a.ve," finally Mr. Reverale looked at Damien, his words sinking in for him to look back at the girl. "What do you mean? Did you change her status?" The man looked taken aback with the information that the ve girl was not a ve anymore. It wasn''t usual but status could be changed through paper filing and doc.u.ments which was supposed to be submitted to the council for an appeal. He wondered if Damien had gone to the council to change her status from being a ve to thedy now. Especially with the way she looked, he could feel his mouth water at the sight of her. "You can figure that yourself. We are in a hurry and have somewhere else to go at the moment. And yes!" Damien stopped by before they would walk away from the man, "Apply something on your cheek. Fingerprints of the five digits don''t look pretty," with that they left Mr. Reverale behind and continued to walk through the streets. The people who had paused their work continued to resume what they were doing and going on their way. Penny was quiet. No wordsing out of her mouth. After a few minutes pa.s.sed Damien asked, "How is your hand?" "It hurts," she suddenly took his hand and walked to one of the smallest alleys so that no would look at them before saying, "This wouldn''t have happened if you told everyone that I wasn''t a ve and if you had let me free from the beginning." "Why does it feel like I am being med? Are we having the lover''s first quarrel?" he asked her in a confused state. Minimizing the dramatic effect, he said, "Would you have stayed if I asked you to stay with me. In the mansion and in my room? Freeing you was not an option then." Penny closed her eyes, feeling the anger she felt dissipate and fizzle out of her mind. Her temper had risen and gone just like that. Thanks to Damien, "I don''t like him." "I don''t like him either," Damien admitted about Mr. Reverale. "I didn''t mean to-" "I know," Damien smiled, pulling her arm towards him, he took her in his arms and hugged her. What had happened in the past was done and they had moved on from the master-ve rtions.h.i.+p. Damien had done what he was supposed to do and maybe if it weren''t for him she would have been another man''s ve who would have mistreated and abused her by now, "I actually enjoy the little rant and was waiting for you to go on," he looked at her disappointedly. "You might be the first one to say something like that to me. No one enjoys listening to peoplein," she pulled back to give him a weird look. She then muttered, "Why do I feel like you always find ways to hug me." "As I grew up I was told not to miss opportunities in doing what you love doing the most," he answered. "Who told that?" "Myself, of course." Chapter 288 Days Of The Butler- Part 1 AN: If you find free time, do try visiting the earlier chapters. Thements then and thements on Damien was funny. In the mansion of the Quinn''s, the servants continued working on the orders of the new butler who had been newly appointed after the death of the previous one who had died out of heart corruption. Durik walked through the halls of the mansion. His eyes looking left and right which was bright red in color to showcase that he was part of the lower vampier hierarchy. It had been a few weeks since he had started his work here but the empty corridors and pa.s.sages freaked his very soul that he was too scared to walk alone. Most of the time he had a maid or two to walk along with him in the name of cleaning windows and shelf which would have collected dust. But in truth, he didn''t want to be alone. He wanted to leave the mansion. He wanted to quit working here since the day he had arrived but mentioning the word on quitting his work here had received the threat of being killed and thrown into the sea here. It wasn''t that Durik didn''t know how to swim. He was an excellent swimmer but the sea that connected to theke of bones was not a ce where he would test his ability to swim. Being a former human, he had heard plenty of things about theke of bones. On how ominous the ce was. He had been there several times. Not to stand right in front of it but to see it from a far distance where there was no water but fog covering the ground which was named as theke of bones. There was something very eerie about it. Like an ill environment that reeked of death. But then how would he know that the higher officials used it to dump bodies. A lot of humans and people who belonged to the lower part of the society weren''t aware of a lot of things. Most of them avoided going to secluded and isted locations to keep themselves breathing. Rumors often spread about it which had turned and twisted to the point by people that no one dared to go near theke of bones. And it didn''t matter how fascinating it was. Durik nodded his head as if talking to himself. It was fascinating to look at night but he ha heard from his fellow vigers on how people disappeared after they neared to the sh.o.r.e of it. Walking closer to the vase which felt delicate-looking flowers which were small b.u.t.ton like, he poured the water from the sk he was holding. "Where is the meal?" came a voice behind him and he turned around to see it was Lady Fleurance who stood in front of him. His eyes itched to look at the wall where the clock of an owl was fixed but he didn''t dare to look away from thedy''s eyes that was ring down at him. He was sure that there was a good hour before the time dinner arrived. "Where is the meal? I went to the kitchen and there''s only half of them cooked," she said looking down at him. "The servants are still cooking for dinner, mdy. Let me go see and hurry it up," he bowed his head. "Don''t you know a person can get hungry at any point in time? What were you thinking of getting the meal prepared thiste?" "Would you like to have something else in the meantime? I will be quick to get it to your room," he offered to see thedy who was still ring down at him. She took a step forward to have his back straighten right away in alertness. "How about I snap your neck and drink your blood for yourck of managing the mansion," Durik gulped, his face turning white as the snow that was outside the mansion right now. He didn''t know why he was putting through it. The people in this mansion were crazy and illogical and he was sure that soon they would drive him mad to make him bang his head on the wall. Thedy said, "Do you know what sets pureblooded vampires and people like you apart?" Durik wished he could speak but the words and his voice refused toe out. He tried remembering though the only difference he could see was the difference in the status between them. He made a face as if he was trying hard to search for an answer. Seeing Lady Fleurance''s fangs appear which were sharp and pointy. Pearly white teeth, he gulped again, his back leaning backward. "I don''t have to search for a human for a meal. I can have you as my meal even though you are a lower vampire," Durik who wasn''t aware of this fact as he had been ignorant about it looked at her wide-eyes yet trying to cool down the expression that appeared on his face. Pureblooded vampires could drink blood from him? Did that mean he was not safe here at all?! Why didn''t anyone tell him this?! "Have the food prepared in less than twenty minutes and have it ced in the dining room. Else you know what ising up in my menu today," she smiled, stepping away from him and going to her room. Durik touched his forehead in an effort to dab the possible sheen of sweat away from there. This is what he was thinking about earlier. Living in this mansion was stressful for him. Maybe he could appeal to Senior Quinn. That''s right. The man appeared quite and kindpared to the rest of them. There was also Lady Maggie who he could win favor in leaving this mansion than finding himself in the sea of bones. With a new resolution for tomorrow that he would ask Senior Quinn, hope rose in his mind. There was still the ray of hope, he said to himself, looking through the window outside, he noticed the thick white and grey clouds. Chapter 289 Days Of The Butler- Part 2 When the next day arrived, Duri made sure toplete his words with utmost care. Looking through every single detail until everything was perfect. Not wanting to be scolded for theck of his work likedy Fleurance had threatened him, he walked up to Senior Quinn''s room at the time of noon. Taking the blood tea along with him, he knocked on the door which was already open. "Come in," Senior Quinn beckoned him to step inside the room. Durik walked inside, pus.h.i.+ng the trolley which had the kettle of milk, a kettle of blood and a bowl of sugar cubes in them. He began pouring the blood and milk together, stirring and mixing them right to ask, "Will Mr. Quinn have sugar in his blood tea?" asked the butler in a polite hospitable tone. "No," came the curt answer. Senior Mr. Quinn raised his hand as if waiting for the butler to ce the teacup in his hand. Durik picked up the saucer and teacup, handing it to the pureblooded vampire who took the teacup in his hand, sipping the blood tea. "You can leave," the man said but the butler wanted to stay. He had things to discuss with him leaving the mansion and never ever return back to any pureblooded family house. That was right, he would never work for a pureblooded family. Senior Mr. Quinn raised his head, giving a look to the butler. "Sir I have a request, may I?" he started. "Speak," came another curt reply from the old vampire. His eyes looking dull whilst he waited for the butler to speak but he didn''t wait for too long. Turning his head back to parchments and the quill that was on his desk, he took hold of them. The butler licked his dried lips, swallowing the saliva down his throat, "I was going to say that, it has been a few weeks since I started to work here-" "You''re looking for a vacation? Don''t you think it is too early, boy," said the pureblooded vampire without ncing to look at him. His face was turned to the parchments where he was marking the lines while reading it. "Ah, no, Sir. Not vacation," Durik didn''t know why but he felt himself starting to sweat again. There was something about these Quinn''s that made a person nervous. "What is it then? Speak quickly." "Yes, I was saying that it has been a few weeks since I started to work but-" "But?" it would have been easier if the pureblooded vampire was not trying to scare him. "But I think the weather is not working well with me. It is too cloudy here and there is no sunlight. It hasn''t been working well with my body," Durik said trying to get to his point. Senior Mr. Quinn, stopped marking and rested his wrist on the table, turning to the butler he asked, "What are you a sunflower that needs light?" Sunflower? Durik blinked back at the man. "You will function fine. Haven''t you been here in Bonke before you even started to work here? You''re doing fine. You will also get used to it ande to live thend," said Senior Mr. Quinn, turning back to his work leaving the butler unsure of what to say next. How could Durike to exin that there was a ghost in the mansion? There had been a ghost that had almoste to take his soul away with it, he was sure about it! Was it because he had gone in search of theke of bones and had seen the unholy ce which he was not supposed to look at? Shaking his head, he tried to sort out his thoughts, "There are other butlers in line who the magistrate could offer to work here." "Don''t you like working here¡­" the pureblooded vampire asked, trailing his words. "Durik, Sir." "Durik," Mr. Quinn gave a nod to his head, "You took the step to turn yourself from a human to a half-vampire, I am sure you face some problems and are still coping with it but you are managing it well. To be able to adapt yourself is a great achievement that you should thrive for. I am sure," he turned to look at Durik, moving his quill up and down, "Your sunflower self will adjust to the weather of Bonke in no time, "If you have nothing else to speak, I am sure you can find your way out so that I can continue my work in peace. Right?" "Yes, Sir," Durik bowed his head and saw himself out. When he stepped out of the room, the butler''s shoulders slumped like a sunflower that had not seen the sun, wilting. Maybe, he was a sunflower, thought Durik to himself. He was unable to get his point across. Forget about even proposing the idea, it seemed like he would never reach the point if he continued to ask Senior Quinn. Dragging his feet away from the room, he continued to do his work. During the time of the evening, he heard the carriagee to stop at the front of the mansion. Dropping what he was doing at that time, he went to the main door to greet Master Damien and thedy with him, Lady Penelope. It was none of his business but he had heard from the maids who often whispered around saying how Lady Penelope was a ve before. It had got him extremely curious but at the same time, he kept his curiosity to himself. He could tell by Master Damien''s actions on how fond he was of thedy. "Good evening, Master Damien and Lady Penelope," he bowed his head, offering to take his coat and helping Master Damien in taking out his overcoat. They often were out and not in the mansion which again made him wonder where they went. Given Master Damien was a councilman, he wondered if thedy apanied him to the council duties. Chapter 290 Days Of The Butler- Part 3 Two years ago, even Durik wanted to be part of the council. He had even gone to give the exam but had failed to reach the location as the carriage had broken down with the wheeling off of it.?But that didn''t matter, he had told himself he would earn money by opting for a high serving job. And here he was now, wanting to run away from this mansion and work elsewhere. He shook his head again receiving a stare from thedy who stared at him. Her green eyes reminding him of the gra.s.s fields early in the morning after the time of dawn. She then looked away, not holding his gaze anymore to walk with Master Damien up the stairs. The butler wondered what to do. Was there a way where he didn''t have to go through some sort of penalty without being threatened and instead to be let free. The couple disappeared up the stairs leaving the butler to sigh. He told himself that he had to do something to get out of here. Whilst walking out of the mansion, making sure the servants were cutting the extra growth of the nts, he looked at the statues of people who looked as if they were in shock or were going to be attacked. It seemed that it was normal, of course, the mansion must have been built decades or centuries ago. And the servants who were working here had worked for years now. Be it humans or half vampires like him. He wondered how they even managed to work here for so long. One day and he had already decided that he didn''t want to work here anymore. The main reason being this ce haunted! He wondered maybe he should suggest for a priest toe here and exorcise the entire mansion. Sleeping at night had turned hard. Every single noise on his window or at door had his eyes snapping open like an owl without any movement on the bed. While putting the rounds in the garden and going to the backside of the mansion, he met Lady Maggie, who had picked up a flower. Raising it to her nose as she smelled the scent of it. When she brought the flower down, she turned to meet the butler''s eyes. Durik bowed his head in respect. Compared to all the people in the mansion, the butler found thisdy to be the sanest of them all. She kept to herself, smiling at times. At least she was politepared to the rest of the people who lived here. Testing his luck, he decided to make a conversation, "Good evening, Lady Maggie." "Evening," she gave him a nod, a faint smile on her lips. "Do you enjoy the flowers?" he asked her. "You could say so. They say flowers can speak. That is why they are called the whispers of the light and secret holders in the night. You have to be careful with what you say near flowers, never know who it might spill your secret," she said looking down at the flower, twirling it in her hand back and forth between her fingers. Durik had expected a simple reply with a yes but the way Lady Maggie spoke to him her eyes slightly lost while exining about them, he gulped down wondering if Lady Maggie was part of the odd group of pureblooded vampires in this mansion. After all, she was part of their family. "I didn''t know that mdy," he apologized for hisck of the unneeded knowledge. "It''s okay to not be interested," he heard her say which made him alert. Did she notice hisck of interest in the flowers or the conversation? "You happen to drag your feet at times. Are you not happy working here?" she asked him. She was speaking about his work here! He wondered if this was the time to speak to this angel vampire to help him move from here. "Don''t you like this ce?" she continued to ask. He gave her a deep bow at first and then said, "Pardon me, Lady Maggie. It is not that I don''t like this ce," which was so not true, this ce scared the living life out of him, "It is just that, I have never served a pureblooded family before and the weather-" "It is beautiful, isn''t it," she turned to face him, her dark red eyes holding his brighter ones. Now that she called it beautiful, Durik couldn''t word it to be gloomy, "I am used to the sun on my skin mdy. I don''t think I have been doing well." "You seem alright though. We have an excellent doctor who works for the council. I am sure my brother wouldn''t mind taking you there if I ask him to," the butler shook his head. "Oh no! Please don''t bother about the lowly me. It is something else," as he said this, Lady Maggie looked at him with a quizzical expression. "What is it?" "I don''t think I fit into the job and this mansion deserves a much better butler who can manage all the jobs in here," while also keeping the person''s sanity intact. "You want to move from here," she said, her voice drifting like the waves which could be heard distantly. His heart soared at her words. She had caught it right. A?small smile appearing upon her lips, "I think you are doing wonderful here." Listening and seeing her say that this was even worse than trying to speak to Senior Mr. Quinn. He was a human by heart though some part of him had turned to a vampire. Yet he tried with a stronger heart. "I will ask the magistrate to find a better recement in my ce." "Why don''t you speak to Damien about it? I am sure he will have the solution," this was enough to have the butler look at her like a beaten puppy. A rumble of loud thunder could be heard and he looked up at the sky with her. Chapter 291 Things In The Dark- Part 1 Music rmendation on YouTube:?Winter Thunderstorm Sounds: Lightning & Thunder, Howling Wind . The clouds that were up high growled against each other, shaking the window panes of the windows as they reverberated with the mere sound of what the clouds did. The snow had started to fall down again, the ground around the mansion which had been cleaned and cleared that noon again starting to collect the coldness and settling down ke after ke. With the time of evening that had started to pa.s.s by and the night taking over thends, the sky had turned darker, the forest and thends almost mes.h.i.+ng together if one were to view it from the mansion. Durik continued to walk around the mansion, checking every corridor to make sure there was at least onentern burning at every curve. This time not because he was scared but he was asked to light up the mansion along with the other servants. "Sir, thenterns have been lit on the ground floors," one of the maids arrived, her eyes looking big and wide. "What about the backside of the mansion? Make sure you have one there. Also, where is that blonde boy who was with you, did you send him up to the second floor near the attic?" asked Durik making sure one of the servants had covered that part of the mansion. "I don''t think so, he went out to fix thenterns at the front side," she answered, rubbing her hands together due to the cold which was starting to fill and creep into the walls of the mansion. The snow had turned to a blizzard. The wind was moving fast as it pushed the snow any and everywhere around thends of Bonke. "Okay. I will go light up some of thenterns up there. How many more do we need?" asked the butler, picking up threenterns in one hand and another three in the other. "We might need more than six," the maid answered thoughtfully while looking at his hands, "There should be some in the kitchen cupboards." "Go get them up there," he jerked his head looking at the top floors. "Yes, Sir," the maid bowed her head to Durik. Seeing the maid leave Durik couldn''t help but agree with himself that having some kind of authority in this big mansion felt good. Even if it was just maids and the other servants, he enjoyed that little control but he had promised to not misuse it. He could hear the Quinn''s in the dining room who were having dinner right now. The candles had been lit on all the chandeliers, some candles covering around the corners of the mansion where thenterns had not been ced. Making his way up through the stairs, his shoes made small ck sounds against the carpeted floor. Reaching the floor, Durik took a deep breath at the darkness that awaited him. The dark corridor where some of the candles had been spent out while some that was about to extinguish with a small blow of wind. He started to walk, taking a left and cing onentern there first. He continued to walk and repeated the same with him positioning thenterns at every corner of the floor until only twonterns remained in his hands. "How strange," the butler murmured under his breath. The maid had told him he would need more yet he had covered the floor with fournterns. Wondering if he had missed a corridor due to the darkness a.s.suming it to be the walls, he took another round. Noticing that he had covered all the ce, he ced onentern near the stairs if Master Damien would ever need it. Walking back down he met the maid who carried two morenterns in her hands. "That won''t be needed. I positioned thenterns at the corners. Take this one back," he ordered the maid and shooing her back to the kitchen. Durik went back to the dining room to make sure everything was in ce and there was nothing amiss where there would be a probability of him being put under the ''meal for today'' list. "The snow was alright until morning but the weather has changed drastically," Lady Fleurance said while having her dinner. Durik wondered if the vampiress had a huge appet.i.te as she had asked for him to serve her food a few hours ago. He was somewhat thankful that he did get something prepared for her quickly as the time for the dinner had been pushed today due to the heavy snow. "The white witch had already predicted it in the newsletter today," he saw master Damien speak, his hand cutting into the meat that was on his te, "There will be too much snow collected tomorrow again," saying this, he looked at Durik who bowed his head. "I will have it cleaned early in the morning," said the butler. People didn''t actually talk in here, they were usually quiet as they had meals and if they weren''t quiet, there were severe jab of words thrown left and right. Last week if he hadn''t moved away on time from where he stood, a te would have smashed onto his face. Such were the days of a butler. Cleaning up the table along with the other servants after the meal was done, he went to check the kitchen and then went to the main doors to lock the entrance of the mansion. The bunch of keys which were given to him, jingled as he twisted his hand around the lock to finally let it go. Before he could go to his own room, he heard the sound of a window hitting against the wall. A frown came to form on his forehead. He had asked the maids to close the windows tightly but instead of making sure they had left one of the windows open. He walked back up the stairs. Picking up thentern which he had ced down earlier, he walked searching for the open window. Finding it, he ced thentern on the ground and stretched his hand to reach the edge of the window before pulling it closer to him. Even with the gloves on his hand, he could feel the harsh cold that had surrounded the mansion and thends near it. For once, he was d that he was in the mansion and not somewhere else. The mansion had some ces which were warm and the walls were thicker than his own house which had the ability to freeze him to death. Sessfully closing the window back how he wanted where the cold wind couldn''t get through, he picked up thentern for it to only blow out even though there was no way this time for the wind to get in from where he stood.?Suddenly the butler was surrounded in nothing but darkness. His onlypanion and source of courage had been blown out. In the cold darkness, Durik blinked twice before he gulping down the fear that was trying toe up. Thentern that he had was covered around with .s.s and full oil, did it decide to extinguish just like that? Chapter 292 Things In The Dark- Part 2 Releasing five chapters... . Surrounded by darkness, the butler didn''t know what had happened. He was sure he had closed the window and then the fire in thentern had blown out, and not before he had got the opportunity to close the windows. Trying to be brave right now than being scared, he waved his hand in the front, trying to get back to the corridor where there was light. With the sudden darkness, his eyes took time to adjust. When it finally did, he could see the scarce light which was falling out from the other end of the corridor which was connected to where he was. Maybe thentern''s light decided to blow itself out. It was alright, said the butler to himself. With one step forward, he ended up kicking thentern which he had ced down that had no light in it. The sound of thentern rattling against the wall as it moved in the force he had moved his leg. The sound felt harsh on his ears and then came the sudden lightning from the window which had him turning to look outside, at the sky. The clouds continued to growl deeper, the sea that surrounded them quietening due to the snow flow. He started to walk through the dark corridor, making his way and as he reached the start of the light where the otherntern was spilling light all around it, Durik decided that he would pick up thentern tomorrow. Right now his weak heart could not take up the darkness. He should have known to work for more money as a butler meant going through the dark path like this. Durik could wake up tomorrow early to clean up thentern if there were any broken .s.s pieces or if the oil had been spilled on the carpet. The clouds didn''t stop to rumble, the sound continuing and numbing any other possible sound around it. Just when he was about to walk away from there, the side of his eyes caught something in the darkness. Durik didn''t dare to look at it but neither did he continue to walk on his way leaving the current corridor. He stood there frozen, able to see a shadow in the dark or the silhouette of someone or something every time the lightning struck and the light pa.s.sed through the giant windows. The butler was a human by heart, even after turning to a half-vampire his senses had continued to remain the same. The curiosity making him stay there, wanting to see what he could feel. His mind told him to run away from there, walk away without looking back but there were only a few who listened to their gut feeling. Giving in, he finally turned to look at the dark corridor as the lightning had stopped, leaving the path that he had walked through before dark and lonely. It was when the lightning struck did he finally see what was standing there at the ends of the corridor. It was a shadow of a person, at least that is what Durik thought at first but with the white sh that came through from the window, Durik did not dare to close his eyes. It wasn''t a shadow but a person who wore dark clothes. The robes old and ck, torn at the ends which dragged as the person walked. Wait, dragged? Durik shook his head to realize that whoever this person was, was walking towards him. Without giving another thought, the butler turned around and started to run. He didn''t care about his shoes making noise right now. His life was more precious than some scoldings he would get. Quickly making his way down the stairs and then to the kitchen, he started to walk out of the mansion and towards the servants quarters. The lingering curiosity made him turn to look at the back of the mansion. The building looking lonelier than what it appeared inside. One of the maids was only going on her way to the quarters when she caught sight of the butler who looked in a hurry. Not paying attention to it as all the butlers they had had until now were always running around, she went on her way. Reaching the entrance of the little quarters that was built for the servants, he again turned to look at the mansion and then at the kitchen backdoor which he had locked and closed before heading here. He sighed. He was safe here. Whatever he saw was in there and not here. Even the other day it was in the mansion and he had never experienced anything in the servants quarters. Maybe the ghost went after only rich people, thought the butler to himself. He was a poor man. The d.a.m.n ghost! In the mansion of the Quinn, Pennyid on the bed, her face turned towards the window where she had to crane her neck to position her head so that she could look at the snow falling down. Her eyes then moved from the window to the man who was at the table, reading parchments and writing something in it. Before the snow had fallen one of his subordinates hade to hand over the parchments as they needed to be looked over. Curious, she asked, "What are those?" "Someone put an appeal to have an exorcism in all the viges." "Witches?" "Hmm," Damien responded looking down at the parchment. Though the firece was burning brightly, extra logs of wood that had been added to keep the room warm against the freezing cold, a stand of candles were ced on the table where he was seated right now, "Someone believes that the witches have again intruded the viges." "Why not have them do it?" "Things like those take time to process after submitting the request. The council doesn''t give away priests, diverting them from their given work. I will have to go out tomorrow, maybe the ck market and see if I find something." Chapter 293 Hooded Woman- Part 1 The next day, Damien tidied out the papers which hade from one of the councilmen to look through what was going on in the viges and town. Apart from the ma.s.sacre that took ce, there was recent abduction of women, men, and children in all thends but there was an increase in the headcount in the East and the Westnds- Bonke and Valeria. Getting down from his carriage, he made his way through the Isle Valley before taking a left where he continued to walk for some distance until he entered the ck market. It was ironic that both the posh as well as the ce that wasn''t spoken about out in the open was built and located next to each other. Isle Valley and the ck market, it was as if the older generation had built the posh town to hide the dirt they were involved in. Continuing to walk, his eyes scanned the area. It wasn''t noon, yet there were people here. Walking and hustling around to buy things which they couldn''t find elsewhere. Finding a man who was sitting in the corner with his hand raised forward holding an empty bowl who looked as if he were blind. The man wore ragged and torn clothes, a beard around his jaw and his hair messy and filled with dirt. Damien dropped a gold coin into his bowl. At the feel of heaviness in the man''s bowl, his head looked down and at his bowl. His eyes falling on the gold coin and then to look up at Damien. "I have some questions. Care to answer?" Damien asked and walked away from the market. Going to the alley he stood there waiting for the man who arrived after a minute. "Master Damien. I didn''t know you were going to grace here today in the market," the man came limping, his shoulder t.i.tled as he walked into the alley. "There''s no one here, you can stop limping," Damien said chewing something in his mouth, "Don''t you get tired of acting blind? There are other professions and disabilities you could choose from," he walked towards the little bins which had been cleared of garbage that morning. The man chuckled hearing Damien''s words, letting one see his dark teeth which looked decayed, "It works the best. No one doubts a blind man." "It is why I was the one to catch you the first day you arrived here at your spot," Damien rolled his eyes, "How is the little boy?" "He is doing well. Sometimes sits and cries a lot but he should be alright," answered the man, walking near Damien but not too near. People in the ck market exchanged things easily and readily but that didn''t mean that they trusted one another. At least not in the alley''s where a third person couldn''t witness what was going on. There was no saying when a person could be killed to have his or her body found by aplete stranger where there was a possibility of the body to continue to be left alone. The ck market was a shady ce. It was told that once upon a time, the ck market was a town where people lived in before it started to flood with things that were considered to be illegal. Some of the families migrated while others never left because they were killed. There was some part of the alleys andnes which still looked like people could live but no one lived here. The buildings were usually vacant and was left for public use. The council had never done anything about it, the previous council management had overlooked a lot of things which made one wonder if they were really good people back in the old days. The ve establishment continued though humans were part of the council and it continued to exist with the ck market which didn''t seem like it would be pulled down any time soon in theing years. Why would one decide to pull it down when there were many benefits from it. "Would you like a cigarette?" asked the man trying to be polite. Damien didn''t bother with it, "Did any of the ck witches contact you?" The man shook his head, "Why would they?" "Because you are their only supplier for the in and out when ites to ingredients," the man chuckled. "I heard old Bathsheba ran away from her usual spotting." "It was a witch hunter who attacked her. She killed him. Where did you hear about that?" Damien questioned the man, his back leaning against the stoney-brick walls. He lifted one leg to ce the foot against the wall. "It was one of the white witches," hearing this Damien t.i.tled his head. "Since when did the white witches keep a tab and know the sightings of the ck witches? Who was it?" The man shrugged his shoulders, "I don''t remember her face clearly. She wore " the man raised his hand and waved them above his head, "A hood. But she was a talldy. Like really tall," before Damien could dissect the information by posing more questions, the man said, "She came in search of a man and didn''t stay for more than two minutes. Asking if he had stepped in here. She obviously knew I wasn''t blind so I couldn''t make a lie." "Your disguise is s.h.i.+t. Did she give a description of that man?" "Someone who was buff, this size," he moved his hands again in front of him, "ck and straight hair, square jaw which was firm and an eye patch," Damien narrowed his eyes at this little detail. There was one person whom he knew who wore an eye-patch over their eyes. "Did she mention anything else?" "Nothing that I could remember," the man answered, "She was pretty though." Damien narrowed his eyes, "You said you didn''t look at her. Do you want me to hang you like one of those clothes up there?" his voice turned low. The clothes above them were old and dusty that didn''t belong to anyone who was alive anymore. Chapter 294 Hooded Woman- Part 2 The man scratched the back of his neck, "Master Damien, I could see her lower face. Her lips were pretty and pink. I say anything and you start speaking about killing me." "Are you sure she was a white witch?" The man nodded his head, who was standing far from the pureblooded vampire but not far enough where he had to shout to give out the information, "She showed me this charm stone that was red in color. The ruby." The charm stones were designed by the white witches, for one to create, they had to have ess to the ingredients and the spell books which not everyone could reach out for. The only people who could do it were the white witches who belonged to the church as they were put under the protection of thew until they decided to follow the words of the council. Charmstones were stopped a few years ago, to even possess one, one had to ask for permission. If he could follow the trails by looking up through the registry, then it wouldn''t be too hard to find who it was. He wondered why the white witch hade here looking for the eye-patched man. "I thought she was joking at first. I mean everyonees up walking here iming to be a witch and then we find out they aren''t one. So I told her I wanted a proof after she pointed out about my eyes that had turned red. She got me there," the man continued to babble, "It was while talking randomly did she tell that my friend was not there anymore. That Bathsheba has run away from the vige she used to live in. Not like Bathsheba and I was friends, we were more sort of acquaintances. Yes. Why were you asking if I spoke to a witch. ck witch?" "Yes, I heard something very disturbing about them yesterday." "Oh?" the man leaned slightly forward in interest, "What was that?" "That is what I came here for. To know what it is," Damien said cooly making the man confused. Did Damien say he had heard something disturbing? "The ck witches have been visiting here?" the man nodded to his question, "What have they beening here for? What were the most bought items?" "It was the usual dead animals," hearing the man reply back, Damien drew to a conclusion that is one knew nothing. Damien put his hand in his pocket, pulling out a coin and throwing it towards the human where the human caught it in his hand, "Let me know if you find something," Damien didn''t stay to further talk and make idle conversation. He started to walk away from the alley and back to the heart of the ck market. He saw the empty stage where the ve auctions were usually held. Walking by, he caught sight of another trader simr to the man he had just spoken. The traders were usually humans or half-vampire, behaving like mediators who often handled in transaction between different creatures, earning silver or gold coins depending on who gave them work. The trader was none other than the woman whom he had spoken to the day he had found Penelope here. Heading towards her, he saw that the woman had noticed him from afar, smiling at him invitingly, "h.e.l.lo, Master. I see you havee here seeking for things. Did you find it?" she asked, her eyes sparkling as they looked at him. Her ent felt thicker, yet smooth as she spoke as if she hade from Valeria. "I didn''t. I was hoping you would be a darling to help me out," he sweetened the words for her ears. "That will depend on what you can give me. Why don''t you take a seat?" she patted the empty s.p.a.ce next to where she was sitting. "I think I will stand," he smiled back at her. "You want information from me but won''t sit?" she asked. Damien looked around him sitting in front of her on his heels instead of next to her. The woman smiled, leaning forward towards him, she asked, "How can I help you?" "Do you know what is the most bought things by the ck witches?" he asked her, waiting for her to answer. "I do." "What is it?" he asked. "We traders don''t give away information that easily. There''s always a give and take, Mr. Quinn. Did you think I don''t know who you are?" she asked, a coy smile forming on her red lips, "You created quite some uproar a few months ago when you picked a girl from here. Is she doing well?" He instead asked her, "How many coins are you looking for?" he pulled two gold coins from his pocket and ce it in front of her. The woman though pushed his fingers back to cover the coins that were in the palm of his hand. "How about a kiss on my cheek like a lover for the trade of what I give ?" "Don''t you think you are trying too hard?" he raised a brow. She shrugged her shoulders, "Women like me can only dream for one like you," she smiled looking straight in his eyes, "I don''t think the girl you took home would mind." "I don''t think it works either way. She ims to not be jealous though I can''t me her. Some women can be really dumb," he replied back to her with a smile. "Why don''t you share a kiss with me, you will have something to make her jealous." Damien gave out a chuckle at that idea, "Tough luck with that. So tell me, what did the ck witches buy?" She gave him a stare, a few seconds pa.s.sing by, "They are collecting euphorine," Damien''s brows furrowed deeply hearing this. Euphorine was an element or substance that was created only in the pureblooded vampires. An element that was responsible for turning humans to half-vampires. If the witches were meddling with it, it meant they were trying to create more vampires which didn''t make sense. The ck witches were so good with their magic that it was possible for them to have the half turned humans to obey their biddings. "By the way, do you remember our first conversation?" "How can I forget, master. Handsome men are not easy to forget especially when one looks like you. Isn''t that why I asked you for a lover''s kiss," she fluttered her eyes, "What did you want to know about it?" "You said the product was taken by someone else. A man with two different color eyes. How did he look?" his voice came out low to avoid any possible listeners that were walking by to not catch on what he was asking. With a thoughtful expression she said, "He must have been of average height. Slightly on the heftier side, short ck hair. Possibly a squarish jaw," he took a deep breath. "Did he have a moustache?" she nodded her head. The person both the traders were speaking about was one of the high standing councilmen. Leaning forward he gave her an airy kiss, "A kiss like one would give to a sister. Thank you for the information," he winked, standing up and disappearing in the crowd. Chapter 295 Case Files- Part 1 Taking back the information he received to the council, Damien stepped into the building. The white walls standing clean which were now surrounded by snow. The council building was always busy at this hour of the day until the night would start to fall down. His shoes cking on the marble floor as he made his way towards one of the head rooms. Knocking the door, he turned the k.n.o.b of the door in time when the person on the other side of the room asked toe in. "Councilman Damien," said the man who sat behind the desk. "Head council Rueben, good afternoon," Damien offered the man a slight bow as he was the man in charge of the council who was the one to handle matters in the council as a final word, reviewing the edicts before they were pa.s.sed down and having thest call in most of the matters unless there was the judiciary who would involve themselves in a particr matter. He was a half-vampire, a human who was turned to a vampire, "Did you know we have rats in the council?" Damien asked the question as the man in front of him waved his hand for him to take a seat in front of the desk. The head councilman looked at Damien with a puzzled expression before it dawned that rats meant the councilmen, "Who are we speaking about?" asked Rueben intrigued, bringing his elbows to rest on the surface of the desk and linking his fingers together. His bright red eyes had settled on Damien. "Who do you think I am speaking about?" Damien asked another question with a gleaming smile. Rueben smiled back, a calm smile which pulled further up, "There are too many rats in here. I am not sure which one you are talking about right now." Of course, Damien knew that. It didn''t have to be told but they were minor rats he hadn''t bothered himself with. It would be hard to deny if one were to question the loyalty of the council members who worked for the council that they didn''t stray away from the defined path for their own gains. Switching the conversation, Damien said, "I came here to talk about the ck witches. They are collecting euphorines," the head council''s brows knitted together. "Wasn''t the production stopped long ago? Ah, the ck market," he leaned back against his chair. If one had to find anything and if the person knew the right person, it didn''t take long to acquire something of need. There was a reason why it was called the ck market, because all the forbidden items could be found there with a good price to pay, "Did you find out why?" "She didn''t give the information about why but knowing what the substance does I would guess that they are trying to convert the humans. I looked a few more spots but everything has been sold out. Even if you offer a soul you wouldn''t be able to get it," the head council sat in his chair with a grim expression on his face. "I will have Lionel''s team a.s.signed to the case. They almost finished one, it shouldn''t be hard to look up for it," Damien gave the man a nod. He did hear about that. The Duke''s team was already efficient but since thedy had been a.s.signed, their workpleted quicker which had left many of the councilmen in question on how capable the woman really was. After all, she hade alive from the second examination, "I received the parchments you sent me. Thank you for turning it in soon." "Hmm," Damien hummed, "I will have another parchment ready so that councilman Lionel can have a look before it gets handed down the councilman Leonard." "That would be great. By the way," head council Rueben said when Damien stood up from his seat, "I received aint against you," Damien knew this was going toe up, especially after what happenedst week, "Is it true what you did?" "Depends on what you heard," he tilted his head, waiting for the head councilman to scold or warn him. Rueben pinched the bridge of his nose, "Is it so hard to treat people nice, Damien?" Rueben got down to the first name basis. "You should ask the man what he did." The man nodded his head, "I heard it. That he had switched your blood tea with tomato juice and what did you do? You stabbed," Reuben looked at Damien as if waiting for him to exin about it when there was nothing to exin. "Stab is an overstretched word. I merely cut the top of his skin. For a councilman, he isn''t that good in dealing with pain nor bright. The jury picks the wrong people in." "If you were in the jury we would have people limping with missing limbs andcking councilmen." "He shouldn''t have tried to joke in the first ce and should rather be happy I didn''t dismember any of his limbs," Damien walked out and away from the chair, "I will have the report filled. Is Lord Nichs here?" he inquired. "Not yet. He didn''t mention abouting to the council today," the head council answered. Walking out of the room, Damien started to head towards the entrance of the building. On his way, he met the man of the day. Councilman Creed who stood talking to another councilman- Abel Harlow. The man was the exact description as people had mentioned him to be. His eye-patch in ce making him question what exactly was going on. Whoever the white witch was from the church had looked and asked for him. By appearance, he appeared calm and poised. Older than the rest of the councilman, there were fine lines around his eye. Different colored eyes meant either the man had a gic change or another possibility where Councilman Creed was like him with a corrupted heart and was now hiding it. Chapter 296 Case Files- Part 2 Due to the number of chapters, the book might appear long but it hasn''t reached the length of the previous book in this series ''Bambi and the Duke''. Will let you guys know when it hits the mark. . The vige where the witches had stationed themselves after finis.h.i.+ng the ritual now closely monitored the people around who had been injected and infected with the potion the ck witch named Ester had given them. After the man was killed with his throat slit, he was injected with the serum of potion, the potion which had the extraction of the substance called Euphorine that allowed the vampires and pureblooded vampires in turning the humans to half-vampires. The Euphorine which they had received was not from any vampire but a pureblooded vampire which had a much stronger essence of power to itself when it came to converting the being to its own. One of the ck witches walked to the man who had been killed and revived back. Unlike the usual way of transformation, the witches were working on converting humans to a set of half-breed ck witches. "How are you doing, Michael?" the woman ck witch who had taken upon the appearance of a human asked the man. The man didn''t respond but only stared back at her. There were a lot of humans who had to be turned and the ck witches were targeting one after another while also trying to not alert the others from going on a panic frenzy. What they needed was people to be turned, and not having corpses piling up one after another. "Can you hear what I am saying," she stepped forward to cup the man''s face. He was the test subject, not a sessful one but somewhat close. At least he didn''t behave like the dimwitted humans. Another ck witcher walked towards them, "Stop annoying the man. Asking him the question more than ten times is not going to change his reaction." The woman grinned, her eyes turning to slits and the slithering tongueing out as she spoke, "It is a pity that we picked him. Such a pretty face who now looks damaged. Should have saved him for thest until we were sure." "We don''t have time like that to y with people whom you find to be pretty. You should feel fortunate that Ester even chose to have you in the group, especially with that one track of mind," the male ck witcher spoke, his eyes rolling. "Don''t behave like a little b.i.t.c.h of that girl. If it weren''t for me you wouldn''t have found the perfect spot to start the ritual. Do you think killing the magistrate was easy?" she stepped close the half turned witch, cing her hand on his chest to look into his eyes. "Careful with what you speak about Ester. You will have your tongue on the ground," the fellow ck witch warned her. "Hmm? Do you have a thing for the leader?" the woman scoffed, "Don''t think she will even look at you more than twice. You should be the first one to know that harboring feelings for another in us ck witches is not possible. The concept of love doesn''t exist." "If you know Ester is the one who is driving it, then learn to follow the orders that have been set by her. You failed to do so don''t forget I will be the first one in line to have your head in my hand and the body on your ground," the man red down. "A f.u.c.ker like you wouldn''t be able to touch me. You might be a man and might think highly of yourself but I am much experienced than you are," she stepped away from the doll-like man to turn and face the male ck witcher, "Ester wants us to manifest the vige with the potion so why don''t you goplete that, than trying to argue with me. Saying that she walked away from them to greet the fellow vigers who she had befriended in two weeks. Not even the magistrate had found out about it. Unfortunately, the transition was taking ce painfully slow which extended their stay in the vige for more than a few weeks now.?Two more days pa.s.sed by and none of them had found out about the presence of the ck witches in the vige they lived in. With another day pa.s.sing by, the man who was making rounds subtly without being too obvious to constantly monitor the people whom they infected felt a pungent smell wafting across his nose. The male ck witch had also turned himself to a human in appearance to perceive the crowd around them and toplete the task easily with their maniptive words. His footsteps stopped and he looked around to see which house was the smell wasing from. Sniffing, the ck witch walked towards one of the houses. Taking a look back and forth around him, he opened the door of the house where the first test subject was living here. It was the same man who was being hit on by the fellow female ck witch. ck witches were used to the stinking smell as that was where they came from, evolved from and worked with. Walking around the house, he found the man who sat at the table. And to say the man looked different would be an understatement. The half-bred witch looked as if he had been roasted in the weather of harsh sunlight. His eyes wide open, his body looking dry and almost chalk-like. Previously the man was not responding to their words but this time, the ck witcher was sure that the man was dead. The potion that was made hadn''t been sessful. All the ck witches working here had thought it was working fine as the man had continued to live after reviving him back. Looking around the house which looked shabby, he decided to pick the man up so that they could hide this man''s death while continuing to experiment with the potion with the other vigers. Walking closer, he touched the man''s hand to feel the skin that felt chalkier than the appearance. Deciding to take him the way he was sitting on the chair through the back door, the ck witch pulled the chair and started to drag it on the ground... Chapter 297 Case Files- Part 3 Opening the back door, he took the man out but a loud banging was heard from the front door that startled the ck witch. Out of surprise, the dead man fell on the ground in an awkward sitting position. "Michael!!" the door banged at the front. "s.h.i.+t," the witcher cursed, it appeared that it was one of the neighbors who hade to visit this person. "Michael? You in there? Are you at the back?" came the woman''s voice. Their orders had been clear to turn the humans to half-witches. If needed he would have to kill the woman but he could sense the footsteps on the ground. There were people walking nearby which would make it difficult to kill her. To make it worse, the ck witcher heard another voice along with hers. "Did he go out to the woods?" came the other voice. "Don''t think so..." In a hurry to not be caught, the ck witcher left the body as it was, leaving the chair back inside quickly and disappearing from the scene quickly. In less than a few seconds, two loud screams echoed through the vige after sighting the dead man. Even though some days pa.s.sed by, the body continued to sit there at the back of the house. As it didn''t appear to look like a normal death, the magistrate had invited doctors to look at the dead body but no one could conclude what happened with the man, the way he looked right now. The report had been sent to the council but it was pa.s.sed on to the higher-ups. Finally, the day arrived where Councilman Lionel''s team came to inspect the scene. The witchers who were hidden in the houses, peered through the windows to look at the four council members. Strangely there was a woman with them. By this time, most of the humans were in the process of being converted to half-witches while some of them hadpleted the process whilst the witches waited for them to break down as the man did. It wasn''t confirmed if the potion which was being injected would work the same on every individual being. Most of them were mum and they stayed inside their houses. One of the councilmen asked, "Is it me or is it just quieter than the norm?" The blond man who was walking in the front agreed, "It is quiet," His red eyes moving to pick the way some of the vige folks peeked out of the doors, "It is why we are here. Have there been any recent attacks in here, Heuren?" he asked his fellow councilman. Heuren, looked down at his little notes which he carried along with him on what background check he had made after collecting the necessary information, "The vige hasn''t experienced any recent witch attacks. Not in thest two months at least," he exined, "It''s strange." As the four of the council members walked, who hade to look at the body after they receive the case in their hands, one of the ck witches peered through the gap of the curtains from inside the house. Staring at them. They had somehow got the doctors who had arrived out of this vige by spells, and some who left on their own unable to conclude with what happened. With the dead man who was found behind the house, no one dared to touch him or move him from there. It wasn''t just because he looked as if he would crumble to dust but also because they feared what happened. If it was an ill omen which would pa.s.s on to them. The woman who was with them turned suddenly to look at the witch who had been peering at them. Her eyes holding the councilwoman''s gaze as she continued to walk past the house. They couldn''t do much with the magistrate as they needed him to act as one of the normal beings before they would convert him. The magistrate arrived in time to greet them who was a scrawny looking man, "Duke Leonard! It is good to have you here, finally." "Your vige looks dead, Mr. Fleek," said Leonard directly without holding back what he had to say. Vivian stared at Leonard from behind wondering how others worked with him. A little out of tact without sugar-coating things, his words were often blunt when spoken. "It has been like this for some time now. Come this way please," the man guided them around the deserted town, "There has been an increase in death for the past few weeks." "Did you report it to the council?" asked Lenoard walking next to Mr. Fleek. Mr. Fleek nodded his head, his hands holding each other close to him as he showed his hand towards the house in front of them, "I did, but we got the report canceled." "Duke Leonard," interrupted Heuren who stood behind them, "The death has been caused due to the unknown anomaly. Some of the doctors came here to check but were sent away." When Leonard gave the magistrate a look, the man quickly went to reply back, "There was a gue sire. An infection that broke down and infected some of the men and their families but it went away within two weeks, therefore, the council rejected it from being pa.s.sed to the higher council. But that was a long time ago." "Where is the body?" "It is behind the house. This way please," the magistrate guided them towards it. When they reached the spot, the caught sight of the body sitting upright with its eyes and mouth open. The body looked as if it had been sucked dry out of the air and water. "He looks toasted in this cold weather," another councilmanmented looking down at the body. Councilman Leonard stepped forward, squatting down to crouch himself in front of the dead man he observed the color of the eyes. The body looked delicate as if a gust of strong wind could blow the body out into tiny dust particles. He then picked its hand thatid on one side of the body to check the nails that had turned ck. Dropping the hand, councilman Leonard said, "Mr. Fleek, it looks like you have a ck witch living in this vige of yours." "ck witch?" the magistrate repeated his words, "We don''t have any ck witches here. This vige has been clean out of it as if we hang the mistletoe leaves in the four directions," the man exined seeing the Duke stand up who seemed hardly interested in what he was telling. He turned to his other councilmen to say, "Dutan. Heuren. Go check everyone who resides in this vige for the presence of a ck witch," he ordered them to have the men leave and follow the order. He then called, the councilman woman, "Vivian, go check the house," he gave her a look and the woman understood what she had to do. The ck witches who stood inside the houses realized that this was another group they had to get hold of. Either by sending them away from here or turning them to one of them. Chapter 298 Chef And The Fingers- Part 1 Penny was fixing up the firece with some extra logs of woods as the cold had crept inside the room when someone knocked on the door. Leaving the log of wood on the floor, she went to the door and opened it. "Is master Damien in here?" It was the butler. "No, he went out for work," she answered to notice a confusing expression fall on the butler''s face. Compared to Falcon who had always been calm andposed, this new butler appeared to always look as if he was ready to run if someone even coughed. She wondered if it was the Quinn''s that had him behave like this right now. She gave him a questioning look. "None of the carriages has been taken out from the shed," he waved his hand over his shoulder. Durik was sure that he had been on the ground floor and near the entrance the whole day since hest saw Master Damien. Understanding what the butler was doubtful about, Penny said, "He must have gone by walk. He likes to walk sometimes," Damien had apparated out of the room with his ability instead of wasting his time by making use of the carriage. The butler nodded his head but he still wasn''t convinced with it. Did master Damien perhaps jump out of the window and not take the door? It was because he had been near the entrance getting a frame fixed on the wall while aligning it in the right direction which Lady Fleurance had bought home yesterday. "Was there something you needed?" Her words had the butler to frown at the tone she used on him. Wasn''t this human a former ve? Just because she had been turned to ady by the master thedy thought she could use that tone with him like he was some pesky housefly? His mouth twisted slightly before opening his mouth, "Yes, mdy. These letters came in for Master Damien an hour ago," he handed them out to her. He stared at the girl, her green eyes feeling unique as he had never seen this bright, sparkling eyes. He saw her shuffled the letters in her hand before looking back up at him, "I will make sure he reads them," seeing the butler not move from where he stood, she asked, "Is there anything else?" He still couldn''t believe that this human was ordering and questioning him. In his mind, he red at her. Surely she was younger than him and he demanded respect until it came to his notice on who she was. She was Master Damien''s woman. The gear in his mind started to change, talking to himself. Penelope, on the other hand, found the butler thinking to himself. She wondered if this was how Damien found her having conversations in her mind. She turned her face a little, looking at the still and raised her hand to snap in front of his face which had him suddenly shake his head. "Are you alright?" thedy asked him, a small frown on her face. With the mere three words, the butler''s seniority in age or possible status melted down like a b.u.t.ter ced under the sun. It had been some days since he had started to work here but not knowing anyone and having no time to get acquainted with anyone, life had been lonely for Durik. Butlers often weren''t allowed to make friends, they were the lonely people of the mansion, at least that is what he had concluded. No one had asked him how he was doing in this ghost mansion. He couldn''t share his thoughts with his fellow workers in the mansion. And when he had shared his thoughts on wanting to leave the mansion he had been threatened to be thrown into the sea and was called a sunflower. Thisdy asked him without him having to tell his woes, "Mdy, may I speak?" Penelope nodded her head wondering what the butler had on his mind. His demeanor reminded her of a puppy that had been scolded. He opened his mouth and then closed before opening it again, clearing his throat he asked her, "Mdy, do you believe in ghosts?" she was not a vampire but a human, a kind he once belonged to. "Why do you ask?" she asked him. Ghosts? His voice dropped low and he said in a whisper in fear that the ghost would hear what he had to say, "I think this mansion is haunted." "Really?" Penny questioned him to have the butler nod his head immediately. "I saw it twice?" he raised his hands, showing two fingers to emphasize his point. "Twice?" she repeated and the butler nodded his head. He looked at her anxiously, "I don''t think I can work here. With the ghosts and in this big mansion," Penelope gave it some thought, to say, "With the number of people who might have been thrown in the sea and would have died, it shouldn''t be much of a surprise if one or more of them were spotted walking in here." Hearing this, Durik''s eyes turned wide in horror, "It is true?" did it mean he wasn''t hallucinating and was the only person able to see them? "Mdy," he bowed his head, "Please, I appeal for you to talk to Master Damien so that I can be moved from here and the mansion can have a new butler in my ce. I cannot sleep at night and have been seeing thingstely. I don''t think the pureblooded vampire family is for me." Understanding where the butler wasing from, Penny suggested, "You should speak to him directly then." The butler bowed his head again, "I did, mdy but Master Damien refused. When I asked him to let me go while I speak to the local magistrate about my recement he said I would be swimming with the fishes in the sea." Penelope smiled hearing this, "Then I hope you enjoy your stay for the rest of the years here, Mr. Butler." The butler shook his head, "Please, mdy, help me. Is there no way to escape?" Deciding to share some of her thoughts, she said, "I once thought about escaping from here too," the man gave his full attention, waiting for the end result of what might have happened, "But the ns didn''t stay long especially when you think there would be people who would hunt and bring you back here if you escaped," she gave him another smile at the end of it. Did that mean he was stuck here for life?! Chapter 299 Chef And The Fingers- Part 2 Once the butler left the room, Penny couldn''t help but shake her head with a smile. She wondered why he thought there was a ghost in the mansion When she, herself had nevere to meet one. And even if there was one, the ghost had nevere to harm anyone until now which was why she didn''t worry much about it. It was people who were alive that one had to worry about and not the ones who were dead. People who were living were harmful and one could never gauge when they would inflict harm. Damien had been visiting the counciltely, saying how the case files had increased due to the vampires and witches but apart from that, there was the problem of switchers. Looking back down at the envelopes which the butler hade to hand over, she looked at the names on it. Shuffling around one after another to find a female named ''Yuvaine'' on it. Staring at it for a good ten seconds, she wondered what thedy had written in here for Damien. She wanted to look at it, but at the same time, it was considered rude to open someone else''s letter. Walking to the table, she ced it on its surface. She wanted to go out, walk to the balcony and look at the scenery outside where the snow had frozen the sea into a thin surface of ice at the top of it. But every time her feet wandered close, her mind reminded her of the two mishaps that took ce. Though the sea was frozen due to the snow, there was no telling if she would be plunged inside to never resurface if she were to fall now. When Damien returned back at the time of the evening, he picked up the letters. Tearing one of them, to say, "It feels like it was only yesterday that the girl celebrated her birthday. How fast does time fly?" Penelope was reading a parchment she had received from Sister Jera which could be carried home for her to study that had to be returned back in time once she was done with it. She looked up from the parchment to look at Damien who stood next to her. The candles burned brightly at the desk, the light falling on both of them. "When is the birthday?" Penelope asked, craning her neck to have a proper look at Damien as he stood close to her. In time, the man leaned forward to ce a kiss on her lips, a smile blooming on his lips. "It is tomorrow. Strange that she decided to celebrate it now. I wonder if it is her second birthday she is celebrating so that she gains some attention to herself," hemented cing back the letter on the desk and then going through the other letters. "People do that?" here she was where she hadn''t celebrated her birthday as the concept was never implemented. It was the usual food, the usual day where her mother wished her and that was it. With theck of friends she had in her life, there was nothing more to celebrate. "You would be surprised if you knew the things the aristocrats do just to gain some light and attention on them." "That is stupid," sheughed not believing it. There were other ways if one was seeing attention. To celebrate birthday twice in a year, wasn''t it embarra.s.sing? "It indeed is. People in the higher .s.s are men and women who are lonely. Even though they have everything, the void of not doing anything fills up and makes them do ridiculous things in life," his eyes were on another letter as he said this, "Let''s go tomorrow," he decided to put the letters on the desk. "What about work?" she asked him. "I can spare some time before I head to work. I am not the only man who works for the council though I am the only one who can find delicate information. They should be fine without me. How has your parchment reading been going on?" he asked starting to unb.u.t.ton the cuff b.u.t.tons before moving to the other b.u.t.tons on the front. "I was going through some historical facts of the white witches." "What did you learn about?" he asked mindlessly pulling off the s.h.i.+rt that he wore to only have his trousers on his body while leaving the upper body bare for her to see. She didn''t have to touch him with her fingers to know the firmness of his muscles over the expanse of his chest. Penny tried to find the words seeing him with no s.h.i.+rt on. She opened her mouth that had gone dry, "Uh," she cleared her throat while trying to her mind straight, "It was about the first generation of white witches who were burnt in the church and other ces. Did everyone die? It is as if there is no witch who belongs to the first generation anymore," Damien took the parchment from her hand which she had been reading since this afternoon. "Most of the white witches were either killed or they killed themselves as they came to know about their transformation. It was a matter about their pride where they didn''t want their blood turning dirty like the ck witches. I don''t think there are any first-generation witches alive anymore. If there was one, the council would hunt and keep them in the council, also the half information in the church would be restored but as I said, a lot of this is probably not there because they didn''t want the future generation to know or misuse the knowledge the previous generation white witches knew about." "What happens with the first generation vampires?" she asked curiously. "Some live while some die. It is told that the death reapers wait to take the souls of the vampires as they are more expensive than the rest," he handed back the parchment to her. Seeing him walk away and to the closet of his clothes, Penny couldn''t help but let her eyes follow him. Her eyes looking at his back muscles. His shoulders were wide which looked strong and taut, the body tapering as it went down to his waist to have a V like a body. An unexpected sigh escaped her lips and he suddenly turned his head to catch her looking at him. "You alright?" he asked, seeing her eyes dted across the room. He knew the effect he had on her and Damien didn''t mind pus.h.i.+ng her b.u.t.tons. Penny nodded at him. s.h.i.+fting her gaze away and to the parchment to stare at it. Oh dear G.o.d, said Penny in her mind. Chapter 300 Art Of Seduction- Part 1 Penelope turned her body away, turning back to look at the borrowed parchments from the church. Her concentration had gone not only out the window but had jumped out of the window and had dived into the dark cold sea with Damien who now looked the way he looked. She had seen him s.h.i.+rtless before, said Penny to herself. Was there something else in the wind today that had her face heating up to this extent? "Are you turned on?" she heard him ask for her heart toe out of her throat. This man..cked the ability to be subtle, "Don''t look embarra.s.sed. You have seen me like this plenty of times in the past." Yes, that is what she was telling herself right now. "I am doing fine," she said, shuffling the papers in her hand and staring at the words which she wasn''t actually reading. "Mhmm," he responded back, looking her way, he took the towel with him and sauntered towards the bathroom, disappearing behind the curtain that part.i.tioned the room from it. Hearing his footsteps gone, she turned her head this time to see the room empty except for herself. She patted her chest as if asking to calm it down. Penny had never seen a man who was as fine as him. The man really took good care of himself. There was not a blemish on his skin. It was smooth and hard, she knew it because she had touched the muscles around his shoulder and chest with his s.h.i.+rt on. The people she had topare Damien were the statues which were sculpted at some of the churches. The upper body bare and some of the statues which were bare orpletely naked at the bottom. It would be an understatement to tell he looked better than all those statues which people especially women, idolized them. Wetting her lips, she gulped. It''s okay. It was not a big deal, it was Damien Quinn. She shouldn''t have expected anything less than how he looked. That''s right, thought Penny as she continued her inner monologue in her head. Trying to put her mind back on the right track, she went to read the lines that were written in the parchment which she hadn''t read through yet. ''What we find is not what we seek. What we look for is only the mirror image of what we know. What we need is what another person thinks is right. Go at the end of the circle, after the trees of the dried wood. A ce where we have the love that is only left in memories, if you go in search of it you will nevere to find it.'' Penny read this paragraph another time wondering if it was some sort of riddle but then there were a lot of pa.s.sages which were written in a simr context, making one wonder what was written actually and at times they felt so random. But she doubted it was anything random. She continued to read, ''Life is more than we know, the people that exist and coexist do you think it will work or it won''t? The greed of the human, the thirst of the night creatures, and the sanity of the witches, one will wield the power. If you were to know what lurks in the shadows, there is more than one who walks by. If there is a beginning, there is also an end to everything. Life circling back to where it all began. That is what we all think. What if there is something more, beyond the walls we thought was all it was. Death is the end, but also a beginning. The guarded creatures of the world, the possibility where we are yet to explore and find. White witches have been theorizing the worlds but the word is onlyughable when it is heard by another. There is something more than what our world runs in and on. We here seek power yet there''s another who ys the puppeteer in the shadows. We have existed for years before the vampires came to walk on thesends. The first of first, but none of us knew what we were getting into when the forbidden magic was given to us. Though the white witches walked on thend of the North, so did the ck witches who had tricked the white witches to make use of the forbidden magic. They say everything starts with jealousy at times. To thrive and move at the front, it is the jealousy that people call it to be motivation. The jealousy to be better, and the ck witches couldn''t be any less from what they felt. Their appearance hideous, their very speech which was unrefined waspared with the white witches which led to the start of the destruction of the white witches who once used to be loved and lived in peace with the little humans who knew about them. Centuries ago when the revolt started, the ck witches came to triumph over thends of humans. Leaving a gue of fear which has been prolonged for this very day. If you are still reading it, it must be true that it still exists.'' At thesest words she read, Penelope frowned. What did this mean? Her eyes continued to skim through the parchments again. ''What we knew and what we have predicted mighte true but then it might note true either. The world''s riches have been exposed but the true riches have been hidden. If you seek it, you will not find it. Some things in this world don''t like to be searched for and some like to present in front of you, to test you and turn you to the dark side where there is no returning back. There is a cure for everything but is it really a cure?'' Penny scratched her neck. All these words written down were nothing less than a riddle. It made her question if anyone had ever questioned it and solved what these lines actually meant. Chapter 301 Art Of Seduction- Part 2 Cure for everything? Was it for the ck witches? But then she didn''t remember anyone ever mentioning about a cure if it really worked that would mean less ck witches to worry about along with lesser dead bodies on the surface of thends. Right now, she wished she could head to the church, try running her hands across those books to see if she would find anything in there which these parchments were talking about. Sister Jera had pulled these from the rack and had handed it over to her. Maybe she would know something about it? Putting the parchment of papers down, sorting them with her hands as they aligned together, she pulled the drawer and ced the sheets inside it. Getting up from the chair, she ced her hand on top of the desk and then stood up. Hearing the ssh of water which meant Damien was still bathing. Picking up the .s.s she poured herself a .s.s of water, taking a few sips at first and then emptying it. She could hear the wind howling outside the room. Near the windows and the patio which were closed. It appeared that there was more snow going to fall tonight. Going back to the firece, she again pushed the logs of wood, adding a few more so that she could survive the cold night. Just as she did it, Damien''s wet feet quietly made way to her. Penny who was done with the log of woods stood up, ready to walk towards the bed when she met the tall pureblooded vampire who was wet with water. Her sight first fell on his torso, the water droplets dripping down his body before being absorbed by the towel around his waist. Opening her lips, she closed again with her eyes trailing in the opposite direction the water was dripping down in. Moving from his torso to his chest. His neck before it moved further up to look into his eyes. Keeping herposure, she said, "You are wet," but what she meant came out to have a different meaning which even she realized when he saw one side of his lips pull up, "You need to wipe yourself. I mean body," she added. It felt as if she was only adding more woods to fuel the fire up with her simple words noting out to be simple. "Help me," he demanded. His eyes catching her where she found it hard to move away or look away from him. With the fire from the firece that started to brighten the room further with its light, Penny caught the ck eyes that she had noticed earlier. It was the corruption that was affecting him again. She would have pointed it out but the man must have already known and he had told her it wasn''t something to worry about but with the way his eyes looked at her she didn''t know what to make out of it. There was something very wild about him. Damien Quinn was a man like that but this, this right now felt daunting yet at the same time, there was something undeniably attractive. Another towel that rested around his neck, Penny pulled it towards her and away from him. Opening and folding it as she stared into his eyes. She started to wipe his body, from top to bottom, covering one ce after another while sticking to the upper part of his body. "Sit down on the bed," she said, not breaking the gaze away from him. Damien didn''t mind the order which Penelope gave him. He had noticed the way her heart had jumped with every movement of his earlier before he had stepped into the bath. He wanted to get her familiar with his body before he would attack her. That was right, thought Damien to himself as his feet padded on the carpeted floor and he sat on the bed. Waiting for his adorable mouse who followed him with the towel in her hand. He didn''t know how long he would be able to contain himself and his control was slowly slipping away which he had he ced a leash on. All he wanted was to sink his teeth into her skin and have his way with her. Was it bad? No, thought Damien to himself. Feelings like these were considered to be natural and there was nothing right or wrong. He had noticed the way her eyes followed him. Times when she thought he was looking at her, her eyes would mindlessly wander towards him. Her breath hitching up with his simple actions. That was right again, it was what got the blood coursing through her veins. Her eyes slightly dted the way it was right now. A whisper about her emotions that would start to spiral out and start to surface when he decided to stop the show that her eyes were looking on. Damien enjoyed the chase and he didn''t mind it if the chase went in either direction. It being her chasing or him, he could let her believe she was in control but all this time Damien was spreading the far and wide for her which she had stepped into and wouldn''t be able to escape. He was aplicated man. Had always been one. Since the moment he had seen Penelope, her mesmerizing eyes and smile had been infectious. The value of the women around him who had been trying to court him, their value had fallen down, plummeting to the ground. He stared at her, cing both his hands behind him on either side of him. Leaning back slightly with his wet hair, he continued to stare at her when she came to stand right in front of him. Penelope on the other hand, had her eyes narrowed at him. Did his mood flip back to the older version of wanting to torture her? Sometimes it felt like he was craving her attention but then Damien didn''t have an issue of childhood where his mother or father didn''t love him. With what she heard and had known, Damien was the favorite child... Chapter 302 The Soceity- Part 1 Truthfully right now with the stage and phase they had crossed over and stepped into, she didn''t mind doing it. Secretly there was a part of her that didn''t mind and actually enjoyed these moments which she wouldn''t tell him out loud. The man already had Satan like horns on his head. If she could admit it, he would have wings next with a grin on his face. "I will get a backache if you lean back," she said, cing her hand on his shoulder she pulled him to sit straight. He adjusted his position to ask, "Better?" "Much better," seeing him smile, Penny smiled back. See? This is what Penny was talking about. Damien had his moments where he could be the devil or angel, switching back and forth that could give one a headache but then he didn''t show that angel side of his to people, "Are you doing okay?" she asked him, his smile easing her errant nerves. "Why do you ask?" This was another skill of his that Penny had noted. Asking a question on another question, "You are here with me. I am doing amazing," where did this side of his emerge? Penny asked herself as she shook her head. Taking the towel with both her hands, she started to gently rub his wet hair which he hadn''t bothered to wipe. "Did you have maids before to help you wash and wait on you?" she asked him as she continued to wipe and rub his hair. Moving her hand in a circr motion. "I did. At least two of them," he hummed, his eyes closed enjoying the feel of her hands on his scalp. Penny nodded herself. Of course, he would. He was the young master of this house, it would be strange instead if he didn''t have maids waiting on him, "It feels like we are having a husband and wife moment, don''t you think?" he asked her. Penny wondered about it, "It does," she agreed to his question. "We should meet your mother and get her blessings," Damien said to have Penny wondering how her mother would react to this information. A small sigh escaped her lips to have Damien open his eyes, "Don''t worry about it. She might be more weing considering her background." "Yes, let''s hope for it," Pennymented. G.o.d only knew how her mother would react to her being alive, talking about them...the feeling and thoughts sank into her mind as she went through it. It appeared that they were a couple, were they? A small blush crept up her neck where she cleared her throat, "I am done. I am sure you can do the rest of it," saying this she quickly slipped into the bathroom to wash her feet and face, readying herself to get into bed while leaving Damien out in the room. When the next day arrived, both Damien and Penelope made their presence in Lady Yuvaine''s birthday. To say people were shocked to see the girl who was once a ve now wearing an extravagant dress on her with diamonds around her neck, people couldn''t stop but stare. Penelope was left with Lady Sentencia who was one of Damien''s friends. The woman was somewhere between being polite, quiet, and sarcastic. With a group ofdies surrounding them as they discussed Duke Scathlok who had taken in a ve who was one of Woville''s good looking men in the higher society. "Don''t you think it is great though? To be a ve and have one dot on you?" one of the women in the circle asked. By the color of her eyes, Penelope could tell she was a human. A woman who was brought up with a frivolous character who enjoyed gossip. "You think so?" asked another woman, a vampire with bright red eyespared to Lady Sentencia. "Yes!" the first woman whispered, "I mean all you need to do is to please the man." "I don''t think I would be able to live the life of the ve," spoke a thirddy in the group, sipping the blood they had been served. Lady Yuvaine who stood there couldn''t stop ring at the human girl who had been levelled up from being a ve to the status of the high standingdy. Not anydy but rumour had it that the girl shared the same room as Damien even after her status had been changed. Taking the opportunity, Yuvaine spoke, "I think we shouldn''t speak about the ves right now. I mean," she looked at Penelope to have everyone''s eyes on her, "I mean some are lucky to have dotting masters and mistress but can you imagine for one''s who don''t have that. It wasn''t only a few weeks ago where I heard that one of the ve had been dragged through the streets of the Isle Valley after getting some good beatings," her bright red eyes stared at Penny to emphasize her point to everyone that the ve was none other than Penelope who was standing with them. "Ah, must have been shameful," said the first humandy who had brought up the topic. The vampiredy who was a friend of Lady Yuvaine, added, "That is true. But ves are what they are. I doubt one can change from their basic instinct of being a ve to a..dy and us." If they were thinking that it would hurt Penelope, they were wrong. Penny had gone through far worse curses where people wished she didn''t exist with her mother since she was a small girl therefore these words they spoke were something that brushed right across her without affecting her. When a servant was walking past the group, Penelope raised her hand to stop the man from picking up a .s.s from the tray. Lady Yuvaine''s friend was the first one to pick the .s.s even though it was Penelope who had stopped the servant first. Picking up the .s.s from the tray, Penny thanked the servant, "Thank you," but she didn''t stop there, "I must say, Lady Yuvaine. Some of them trulyck polite words and action," saying that she took a sip from her .s.s. Oh, orange juice! . . Don''t forget to vote for the book with all your power stones. Chapter 303 The Soceity- Part 2 Lady Yuvaine and her vampire friend didn''t expect to have the girl not react but instead throw mud on them. Lady Sentencia had chosen to sit next to Penelope, she turned her head to look over on the other side with a subtle smile that crept up on her lips which she hid back again when she turned to look at the threedies who looked stunned with theck of reaction when it came to instigating the human next to her. The woman scoffed, red eyes that looked slightly livid at the thought that a former ve was trying to teach her manners, "Was that for me?" she asked Penny. Penny gave her a surprised look, "The juice?" she lifted her .s.s as if she were clueless about what she did, but everyone around knew what she had done. Lady Nelle, red quietly, not letting the matter rest or slide. She said, "I forgive you," said thedy, pitying Penny, "You are new to the higher society. For someone who has lived her life as a servant and in ve establishment," she s.h.i.+vered, "I wouldn''t me you if you didn''t know that we don''t thank the servants here. You were just lucky. Toe here and be where you are," she sized her up and down, giving her a smile. "Thank you for parting me with the unnecessary wisdom," Penny responded back for Lady Nelle who had been smiling to have the same smile fall down her face. Previously Penny couldn''t do anything. She was a ve who had to listen and obey, though Damien didn''t give her too many orders she had to learn to behave which she now found to be pointless. She found no reason right now where she had to stop her tongue from running freely as she wished. After all, she was now one of the high standingdies of the higher society, the elites. "I am indeed to be lucky here, to havee from the background that I used to belong, I must say, mdy. Excuse me before that," Penny looked straight in the eye of Lady Nelle to say,?"I think you mistake your rudeness to high standing status. You might be rich but don''t forget that what you drink and eat is something that is made by those low lives who you try tough upon. Funny that you are willing to eat something that was made by them but can''t agree on their existence but belittle them. Unless you are telling me that you have stepped into the kitchen to actually cook." Penny took a sip from her .s.s, "Belittling people is an essory that doesn''t suit you, mdy. You should perhaps drop it and wear something nicer which will make you look better than making you look like a...you know," she let thedy fill in the nks whichever suited her. Damien was in another room for him to know the trouble his mouse was brewing in the other room. Penelope words weren''t taken too kindly by the woman around her. Except for Lady Sentencia, everyone looked angry as if the words were spoken to them. "Don''t you know how to talk to people? You are trying to get something started," Lady Nelle straightened her back, her eyes looking brighter than before as they fixated on Penny. "Apologies," Penny bowed her head. It wasn''t her intention to brew trouble but these were the very women who had looked down upon her, speaking ill words about her when she hadst visited Lady Sentencia''s house for a party she had hosted. She knew it was petty of her but she had taken a sensible approach and she stood by her points. The higher society thought they were much better than others, looking down at the people who were born into poor families and houses, "I was merely stating my point of what might look better on you," she added. Looking back at the group, she locked her eyes back with Lady Yuvaine, "Don''t you agree, Lady Yuvaine? Lady Nelle would be much better pursuable if she dropped the att.i.tude, especially where she is trying to court Mr. Hadrint," both Lady Yuvaine and Lady Nelle looked at her with slightly wide eyes. Of course, Penny had good ears. When both Damien and her had entered the mansion, she had overheard them speaking. Picking up some words and understanding who the man was. He was a human. "Oh, I see it is the Lord," Lady Sentencia cut in through the conversation that had the women turning around to see Lord Rune enter the room, taking up all the attention as he smiled. Penny recognized the man instantly. How could she have forgotten, she had met him when Grace had dragged her in the Isle Valley. Lady Yuvaine ced a hand on Lady Nelle''s arm as if asking her to follow instead of sitting here. The humandy who had tagged along with the duo stood up, bowing her head at Lady Sentencia and bowing at Penny unwillingly. "I see Damien is rubbing off of you," Lady Sentencia spoke who was sitting next to her, "Or were you like this from before?" she turned her head to look at Penny with a small smile. Her eyes looked amused at the little spit-spat that took ce in front of her. Lady Sentencia had many acquaintances but there were only a few men and women that she considered being friends. It was possible that the acquaintances took her as her friend but she never did. The woman was as old as Damien who had known him since before his mother had pa.s.sed away. She had left her ve today at her mansion. There was no need for him to be here in the crowd and she had to say she was enjoying this human''spany. She wasn''t stupid and an airhead like the others. Seeing Penny smile, Lady Sentencia didn''t wait for an answer and she took another sip. Chapter 304 Broken Wheel- Part 1 Before the time for lunch appeared, Damien sought to look for Penny who was still sitting on the couch talking to his friend Sentencia. Somehow he was d that his childhood friend was giving his woman thepany rather than leaving her alone. Of course, he didn''t want to part with Penny but Sentencia had taken her along with her, ''borrowing'' as she said. "What happened to Humpty, Dumpty, and Empty?" Damien walked around, taking a seat in front of them. Crossing his legs one over the other as he leaned back leisurely. "They couldn''t hold up a conversation and they left," Lady Sentencia replied to him like it was nothing big. "How overdramatic," hemented looking at Penny now who looked back at him, "Was it your doing?" he asked her. When she nodded her head he smiled mischievously. Raising his hand in time as a yawn pa.s.sed through his lips, he heard Lady Sentencia ask the couple, "Night keeping you awake?" she tipped her chin, a teaseful smile on her lips. "You cannot even imagine. With all that work in bed of holding-" he stopped seeing Penny''s eyes widen. "It is nothing as he is stating it to be," she cleared the possible confusion. "Hmm? But didn''t you tell me I was wet?" he asked tilting his head. "Oh my, I don''t know if I should cringe at the image or gush about it," came Lady Sentencia''s dry tone at her shameless friend. Damienughed, looking at Sentencia to say, "Why don''t you give us the love birds some s.p.a.ce and go somewhere else to drink," Lady Sentencia rolled her eyes beforeughing. Damien waved his hand as if wanting to shoo her. "By the way, I don''t know if it was impolite to ask earlier but didn''t Yuvaine''s birthday pa.s.s by seven months ago?" Lady Sentencia questioned. "It was. You will find her celebrating it again in the next six months," uncrossing his legs and leaning forward, he took the drink which Penny was having from her hand to take a sip. "Do you want to try another drink? Maybe we should visit the cer, there''s a decent collection in there," he informed Penny. Just when he was about to speak a man came with hurried footsteps towards him. Leaning forward to his ear to whisper something as quiet as he could, "Who is there right now?" "The four of them," the man informed. "Get the carriage ready," Damien replied back to the man where the man quickly left the room. His expression turned one to be serious. Turning to look at Penny, he asked, "Will you be alright to go back home by yourself?" "I will be fine," she nodded her head. They both were adults and Damien believed Penny was old enough to be able to travel back to the mansion in the carriage. The path wasn''t too far from Lady Yuvaine to Quinn''s mansion. "Good. I will see you back in the mansion," but Damien didn''t stop at that. Not caring about people being around them, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. And he left leaving many people''s attention to have fallen back on Penelope. Penelope spent the rest of the time getting acquainted with some other men and women who knew Lady Sentencia. As she conversed, keeping the information of her being a ve away and out of the topic, she found that it wasn''t just about ve or the lower and higher difference that made it difficult to speak to some of them. Some of the folks had a narrow mindset, their ability to only see the straight line instead of looking at left and right on certain matters. When Penny sighed after thirty minutes, Lady Sentencia said, "You will get used to it," she smiled knowing what was going on in the human''s head, "Take it as an amus.e.m.e.nt." When more time pa.s.sed, Penny decided that it was time to leave and return back to Quinn''s mansion. "I will be here for a little longer before I leave," Lady Sentencia informed her. Penny nodded her head, "Thank you for yourpany, I appreciate it," she thanked the woman. "Likewise, have a safe trip back home," Lady Sentencia wished her. Penelope bowed her head, standing straight up she made her way out. On her way outside, Penny''s shoulder hit another man''s shoulder to which she apologized, "I am sorry," she offered a bow and just as she lifted her head, she noticed it was the man with the .s.ses and blonde hair. "That''s alright," came the man''s breathy voice, a kind smile on his lips which felt unsettling for some reason within the pit of her stomach. Turning around, Penny headed out and got into the carriage which Damien had left for her to use so that she could travel back to the mansion. As she traveled back alone with the coachman sitting in the front, it wasn''t even ten minutes since they had left Lady Yuvaine''s mansion that the carriage started to shake unstably. Penny wondered what was wrong and if it was the snow on the road that was causing it. One side of the carriage suddenly dropped down having the carriage lose its bnce and Penny had to use her hand to stop herself from cras.h.i.+ng against the sides of the carriage. The coachman jumped out of his seat and opened the door to find thedy sitting down, "Mdy, are you alright?" there was a sense of panic in his voice as he asked her. The elites usually held the poor to be responsible if something like this happened. Not to forget thisdy belonged to Master Damien. "Yes," she answered, taking his hand so that she could step outside with a frown she said, "The wheel broke," she said looking at the carriage wheel that had not onlye out but had also broken into two uneven halves. It didn''t look like it could be fixed. She looked at the snowy road and the surrounding wondering how she was going to get back now. Chapter 305 Broken Wheel- Part 2 The Quinn''s coachman stared at the broken wheel with a mixture of surprise and worry. He had made sure to oil the wheel and also had made sure to refix the wheel to the carriage to make sure the ride would be smooth and it had been smooth until a few moments ago. The servant wasn''t sure if he should be thankful that the wheel hadn''te off else the carriage would have been dragged for a certain distance beforeing to a halt. But on the other hand, there was a possibility that the wheel could have been fixed back. Right now the carriage had broken down, the wheel broken into two halves which in a few seconds broke into another half with a loud sound of the carriage moving down towards the ground. Both the coachman as well as Penelope cringed hearing and looking at the front left corner of the carriage to fall down. "Let me go get some help, Miss," the coachman bowed his head. "Okay," she gave him permission to see him away from the carriage and her. Looking around, she sighed. The carriage had broken down right around the forest which made her wonder what help would be provided right now. He would have to go back to Lady Yuvaine''s mansion to get help as the next vige was farther awaypared to the ce they hade from. Penny wouldn''t have agreed if Quinn''s mansion wasn''t far from here. She believed in staying put than wander around and be caught in something unexpected and maybe she was right.?Maybe there was trouble that lurked in the forest, troubles of being caught by men whocked ethics, ck witches who were waiting to pick their nextmb for their ritual and possible uwful vampires who were waiting for their next victim. Penny had forgotten to carry her pocket watch today, thinking there was no need to carry it. But as she waited for the coachman, looking at the path they had traveled from and the path they were to head and pa.s.s through, she didn''t know how many minutes had pa.s.sed since the coachman had left her here. Folding her hands across her chest, she heard a bird far inside the forest to chirp loudly, its sound echoing on one side of the forest. Though it wasn''t snowing right now, the snow on the ground was thick enough to let the temperature drop around it that Penny rubbed her hands against her arms. Thest time she had been out in the cold, it was when she had to bring back bread from the market. She was twelve years old. Unfortunately, her mother had been kicked out of work and there was no money to run the house. No food to feed and life had been dire for two months. She had sneaked into the market but the baker had caught her, wringing and twisting her arm until she had cried in pain. ''Thief! Thief!'' She could still hear the voice of the people around who had caught her from stealing. When she blew air out of her mouth, it brought a fog through her mouth that disappeared after a second. She knew it was wrong to pick and steal things that didn''t belong to you but she had been hungry for straight two days. Asking for work in another vige while trying to look for food. In the end, she had gotten nothing to take back home and received ps instead. After all the trouble she had gone through for her mother, her mother had decided to repay her through death. She didn''t understand what her mother wanted. Raising her and then sending her to her rtive''s house, had she turned to some kind of sacrificial being where she had been waiting for the right time? And why her? As the thoughts continued to circle in her mind, Penny heard the sound of carriage arrive from the direction where he hade from. She wondered if it was the coachman who had brought help. Taking a few steps away from the carriage, she walked towards the path to stand aside and wait for the carriage to stop when it came near her. She was about to smile and thank the person who hade to help when the smile dampened down by just looking at the person who stepped out of the carriage. It was Mr. Reverale. He was one of the people who were in Penelope''s top dislike list. Penny''s eyes quickly looked behind the man and on the carriage where it was only him and his coachman. "Lady Penelope," Mr. Reverale greeted her, he looked at the state of the carriage to ask, "What happened to your carriage?" "The wheel broke," she answered, her words short and crispt without wanting to fuel the conversation with him. "It looks like it did," Mr. Reverale walked around the carriage to have a look at it. Penny wasn''t sure how he was here right now talking to her as she struggled to keep from ring at him like thest time they had met at the Isle Valley. She had pped him hard enough that had left her hand burning that day. It appeared so that the vampire kind were shameless. She could ignore Damien''s shamelessness but not the others. She heard the man say, "This might take more than a day to get fixed. Why don''t youe along with me, I will drop you to the Quinn''s residence," he offered her politely. But Penny couldn''t help but be suspicious about his offer. She saw him bow his head at her, to say, "I hope you forgive me for what happened during ourst encounter. I didn''t realize what Damien meant. It wasn''t right of me to speak to you the way I did. My deepest apologies to you, mdy." Penny stared at him. Her eyes looked carefully at the man wondering how sincere he was with his words. "I only offer to help you and nothing more than that," he added waiting for her to speak. Chapter 306 Bye Bye Fingers- Part 1 Just a remainder: Robarte and Mr. Reverale are 2 different characters in this book. . Penny didn''t know how to react but sit stoically without speaking a word with Mr. Reverale. Though the man sat there quietly as if minding his work, she couldn''t brush the awkwardness around her. Trying to ignore it, she looked outside the window until Quinn''s mansion finally started toe in view. As the mansion approached closer and closer, the carriage was pulled towards the bridge and Penny couldn''t tell how happy she was. Internally sighing to herself, her eyes finally s.h.i.+fted away from the window to look back inside to find the man who had been staring at her. How long had he been staring at her? Even after her eyes met his eyes, the man refused to look away from her. "Why do I feel you haven''t epted my apology yet?" he asked her, his elbow resting on his leg while the edge of his hand supported his chin. He gave her a smile that looked slightly threatening as if wanting her to know he was much superior to her. As a creature as well as in the term of status. With the carriage that was nearing the mansion and heading towards the bridge, she gave him a tight smile, "I think we should both put the event that took ce behind us. Some things are better to be forgotten don''t you think?" she didn''t want to start any ill fight. She was already aware of the strength of a vampire. Thest thing she needed was him trying to behave as if he were superior to her. Thest time the situation had been different. He had not only ridiculed her status but also had looked down upon her, trying to be rude and cra.s.s with his words for her. She didn''t regret pping him one bit and if the opportunity presented itself, she would p him again with the way he was looking at her right now/ But Penny knew her limits and sometimes it was better not to test it. She would have to hold herself back for some time until she learned how to turn people into toads. "Is that so?" she heard Mr. Reverale say, his red eyes looking at her face and not her eyes. She could feel it move across from her cheeks to her lips and then to her neck. Men like him didn''t learn did they, thought Penny to herself. His mouth twisted, as if he were remembering her hand pping his face, "I must say your p was very weak." Penny''s palm itched hearing this. Was he some kind of m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t who was asking to be pped again? Keeping a neutral face she said, "I will be sure to deliver the next one harder if the opportunity ever presented again," her nails dug into her palms, unable to resist the words from spilling out. The man took no offense but threw his head back tough at what she just said. "You are a funny woman, Lady Penelope," he stressed the worddy as he addressed her, "I think I now understand why Damien kept you beside him. You are quite an amusing woman," he said to her. "I will take it as apliment," she smiled back at him. "Oh, you should. I don''t give outpliments that easily," his thumb moved up to move across the bottom of his lips with his chin that had gone back to rest on his hand. The carriage slowly started to pull over, the coachman pulling the reins of the horses as they had reached Quinn''s mansion. Penny who was closer to the door readied herself to step out when the coachman opened the door for them. But Mr. Reverale had other ns. His hand was quick to move forward and block her from stepping out while the coachman waited for them to step out. "Is there something you want to tell me, Mr. Reverale?" Penny questioned the man whilst keeping her tone polite as she stared at him. "Actually, yes. I do," with his other hand he waved his coachman away who went back to the front to stand near the horses, "With you being a former ve, how about youe to my house? I will treat you better than a queen," he gave her a suggestive look with his eyes roaming around her chest. With one strong push on his hand, Penny hopped out of the carriage. Mr. Reverale instead of letting the matter go who was entranced and l.u.s.tful for the human girl with green eyes followed her quickly on his heel. He caught hold of her arm, spinning her to look at him, "I was not done talking to you," he said with a slight irritation that he couldn''t hold the girl''s attention. "Maybe not, but I am done talking to you. I appreciate the ride back home here. For your soul, I hope you leave and not treat women as some kind of object. You would not only be doing a favor to the women around you but also to yourself," Penny''s words were something which excited the man instead of turning him off. She pried his hand away from her arm by this time the butler had heard the sound of the carriage. Being the one to always greet people as it was his job, he expected it to be Master Damien and Lady Penelope. Stepping out of the mansion, he caught sight of Lady Penelope who was with another man, who had his hand on her arm. Lady Penelope was cheating on master Damien?! Was the first thought that urred in Durik''s mind. On a closer look, it didn''t appear to be the case. Leaning closer and giving his ear he heard the man say, "Tell me how many gold coins you need? I will give you more than a thousand gold coins," saying that he stepped closer as if wanting to kiss her but Penny''s hand had already raised. SLAP! Penny had not been gentle and had pped him with all force. Two of the maids who were in the garden witnessed this and stood stunned without any movement. Mr. Reverale didn''t take her actions too kindly and in a second had his hand wrapped around her neck, choking her. His eyes red up, his fingers digging into her neck, "Do you think just because you are pretty your actions and words can be forgiven?" The butler who was witnessing this quickly jumped from behind therge pir, walking towards them, "Mister, take your hands of thedy before I call Senior Quinn," his words were firm as he spoke those words. Reverale released Penelope''s neck leaving her to cough. Reverale didn''t look away from Penny, his eyes fixed on her, he said, "Think about what I said," Penny could only imagine that something was wrong upstairs in the man''s head. He then looked at the butler when the butler opened his mouth to speak, saying, "Do you want to be sliced into pieces? Ie from the family of Reverale''s for you to interrupt me while I am speaking." Once the man left in his carriage, the butler turned to look at thedy''s neck that had fingerprints. He could tell that the day was not going to be smooth and soon h.e.l.l was going to unleash on thend of Bonke. Chapter 307 Bye Bye Fingers- Part 2 Penny rubbed her neck with her hands, feeling the man''s fingers around her which had tried to suffocate her. The pain reducing within a few seconds just as the carriage was pulled away from Quinn''s mansion and out on its way. She was right. Men like him didn''t change and it was hard to change in such a short duration of time. And though the man had squeezed her neck, she had the satisfaction of pping him harder than before. If he were a human, it would have hurt more but with him being a vampire the scale weighed more on the shame of being pped by a former ve than being pped by a woman. Her hand clutched hard. "Are you alright, Miss?" the butler asked, his face looking worriedly at her. "I am alright. Thank you for before," she thanked him. "Let me get something cold so that you can apply it on your neck," Durik offered. As much as he wanted to get out and leave Quinn''s mansion so that he could work where there was no fire breathing down his neck, his sense of responsibility came in first to offer help to thedy. "It''s okay. The pain should disappear in some time," but the butler continued to look at her neck, "Are there marks on the skin?" she asked, her voiceing out to be dull. Seeing the butler nod, her lips set itself into a thin line. "Let''s go inside, mdy," Penny walked inside the mansion, the butler following closely behind her. Thankfully it was the season of snow where ice could be found everywhere, "Please take a seat in the dining room. I will be back soon," the butler spoke politely before asking, "Would you rather go to the room?" he asked. Penelope was nody who was used to being waited by a butler or a maid to do her work, "Could you get me a bowl and a cloth," she said looking at the butler. The butler was quick to go to the kitchen ande back with a clean cloth as well as a bowl. She went back outside, going near the statues where the snow had .u.mted to more than three inches. She first spread the cloth on the bowl and then scooped the topyer of the ice to ce in it. cing enough ice, she folded the cloth and then ced it on her neck. With the already cold atmosphere, Penny only s.h.i.+vered further when the cold wrapped ice made contact with her skin. She could feel the light burn on her skin as she pressed the cold cloth on her skin, s.h.i.+fting the position every now and then. Walking back inside the mansion where the butler stood waiting for her, he followed her again but the timing was so perfect that the sound of the carriage could be heard which was approaching towards the mansion on the bridge.?Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting. Both the butler as well as Penelope had their heads turned towards the entrance of the mansion. The butler''s hands going cold as the carriage came to stop right in the front. Damien stepped out of the carriage, walking in to see the butler''s face that had turned pale. Ignoring the butler, his eyes then fell on Penelope but before his eyes could meet hers, there was something else that caught his attention. The dark red marks on her neck which looked like fingers being imprinted where someone had squeezed her neck with a lot of strength. Not asking a word, he started to walk towards her. Every single step of his daunting and heavy on the marble floor. His eyes turned darker looking at the skin that had been sc.r.a.ped leaving thin red angry lines on her now. Catching hold of her chin, he moved it to the right so that he could take a better look at her neck. When his sister Grace had dragged Penny a few weeks ago to the Isle Valley, treating her like her own pet he had broken her fangs in retaliation for what she did. He would have done worse if she wasn''t hanging by the thin luck of being part of Quinn''s family. She had been fine when he had left her at Yuvaine''s house. Did something happen there? Anger coursed through his skin, his eyes beginning to flicker to ck and red. The rationality that was present in his mind was slipping away into darkness and he felt nothing but anger. Damien asked her, "Who touched you?" his eyes brooding down at her and waiting for her to answer so that he could find the sc.u.m who did this to her. Penelope who had been holding the cloth of ice dropped her hand down to her side when she noticed his eyes. His emotions were taking over and so was the corruption. When she didn''t answer his question, his voice thundered in the hallways, "WHO?" The butler who was standing not too far away flinched due to the octave with which Master Damien spoke. h.e.l.l had been unleashed and now the master was only waiting to kill the person who had squeezed thedy''s neck. Even the maids who were far away from them didn''t bother toe and look at what happened as they sensed that Master Damien was furious right now. n.o.body wanted to face the wrath of the pureblooded vampire. It didn''t stop the family members from stepping out of their room to see what happened. Before Penny could answer, the butler decided to give the answer to his master so that he wouldn''t be agitated further. It was told to never test the patience of an angry man. With a shaky voice, the butler said, "Sir, it was Mr. Reverale," Damien''s face turned sour, his jaw ticking in anger he turned his face to the side where the butler stood behind. Without missing a heartbeat, Damien ordered, "Bring the man here." "N-now?" stuttered the butler. . Privilege chapters are avable for advance reading. Check below the chapter index table Chapter 308 Bye Bye Fingers- Part 3 8 chapters updated. Let''s try aiming for #1 in power ranking thising week which is tomorrow at reset time. PRIVILEGE CHAPTERS: If a reader wants to read the privilege chapters, go to the end of the chapter scrolling to the end to find the orange block. Or go to the end of the chapter index. The privilege chapters work on coins and not fast pa.s.ses. Privilege expires every month, but a reader should still be able to read the previous unlocked chapters. If you face an issue with it, please drop an mail here with the screenshot. It can be about any information on issues you are facing with app or the privilege: service @webnovel . . Damien who hadn''t broken his eye contact with the Penelope in front of him turned to look at the butler. His eyes looking seemingly dark. The butler quickly bowed his head. Eyes on the floor and then slowly looking at his master, "Do you have any other better time? Or should it be after I wring your neck?" Damien asked calmly tilting his head. The butler didn''t need to be told twice. He ran out of the room leaving everyone behind. Halfway out of the door, the butler realized he didn''t know where Mr. Reverale lived. Out of sight, his feet paused and he contemted what to do. To go back and get the address to be killed? Making his way to the shed where another carriage was stationed, he said to the coachman, "Take me to Mr. Reverale''s mansion," internally he hoped the man knew where the vampire lived. Seeing the coachman step on to the front of the seat, the coachman let out a relieved sigh and stepped on to sit next to the coachman. The butler came back after twenty minutes, his heart beating loudly in his chest. Stepping away from Mr. Reverale who was walking behind him. Penelope stood near the wall with her back against it when she noticed the man enter into her vision and make his way towards Damien. "Damien, are we having ate tea party?" Mr. Reverale came to greet, his eyes falling on Penelope who was a few steps behind Damien. With the amount of cheerfulness the man spoke to Damien, Damien himself stood with a nk expression. His eyes turned to catch a knife that was stuck to the apple on the table. Without sparing a second, he picked it when Mr. Reverale came to exchange a handshake with him. Grasping the hand, he mmed it against the table. In one swift movement as if he were going to chop the onions, Damien chopped the four fingers of the man off his hand making him scream and curse in pain, "AHH! WHAT THE f.u.c.k IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Blood spurted out on the table and around it as the man continued to scream. The onlookers stared at the ongoing scene quietly without uttering a word. Damien pulled out the kerchief which was on Mr. Reverale''s chest pocket, using it to clean the b.l.o.o.d.y knife. As he started to clean the knife, he said, "I don''t think you understoodst time to not step out of the line. You should know better than anyone that no one touches what is mine. I am sure this will remind you the next time you even think about touching her," Damien sighed, throwing the b.l.o.o.d.y kerchief on the floor. Mr. Reverale fell on his knees, clutching the wrist of his hand that Damien had chopped without little to no remorse. Not bothering to look at the man who was on the ground, growling at him in pain. "Uggh!!" Penelope saw the blood splutter out. Falling drop after drop without stopping. Her eyes looked calm andposed because she didn''t mind Mr. Reverale''s fingers being chopped away from his body. The man was disgusting and he deserved it. Not once but twice the warning had been sent out to drop and forget about it. Yet, he?had not listened to a word she had spoken. His gaze had been clear since the very first time he hadid his eyes on Penny. The eyes that l.u.s.ted after her and had intentions to bed her. "I d-didn''t do anything for you to cut my fingers!" Mr. Reverale spoke with great difficulty. Damien looked down at the man, crouching down he asked, "You didn''t?" "No!" Mr. Reverale spoke through his gritted teeth. Holding his hand close to his chest, his good hand reached for the kerchief that was thrown on the ground to stop the blood from being lost. On the ground was not only the kerchief and blood but also his scattered fingers. "My bad," Damien looked at his hand, receiving a baffled look from Reverale. Just as Reverale went back to pick the kerchief from the ground, Damien stood up and stepped right on it, the crus.h.i.+ng sound of the bone falling on everyone''s ears, "You should be careful with your lies, Reverale. Did you forget it is me who you are speaking to?" the other man leaned forward with the pain of his bones being broken. Penny looked at Damien and then the man. Mr. Reverale appeared to be in pure agony, his lips parted as he tried to catch his breath. One hand with four missing fingers and another hand where Damien had stepped on it. Her eyes moved up to look at Damien, his eyes had turnedpletely ck. It was possible that people would mistake it to be that his eyes had turned darker because of anger and the gloomy weather which had less light to shed through the windows. How strong was Damien that all he had to do was press his shoe on the man''s hand which had broken the bones in his hands? "You," Damien said looking at the butler who looked deader than a dead body. Hearing Damien''s words he quickly stood in attention, "Have him sent back to his mansion." When the man stood up, taking a couple of steps towards the entrance of the mansion, he stopped. Clutching both his hands close to him, he turned,?"What you did is not right, Damien. I will get back at you for this," Damien smiled hearing this. "Go ahead. This time it was just your hands, next I will have your legs broken were you will need to crawl. If that is what you seek," his eyes were still ck which none of them had picked upon. Reverale then sent a threatening re to Penny who had been standing there quietly, "Leave," with that the butler saw the man out making sure he got into the carriage with his b.l.o.o.d.y hands. Chapter 309 With You- Part 1 Rmended music: Studio Ghibli Summer Night Piano Collection With Nature Sounds Piano. Go to time: 53:19 . The other members of the family didn''t know what had transpired except for the fingers being cut by Damien as they were unaware, unlike the butler who had witnessed the scene where the other man had squeezed Lady Penelope''s neck. Without having any mood to exchange words with anyone, Damien took hold of Penny''s hand and dragged her up to his room. Making her sit on the bed, he pulled the chair which was near the desk, making it face her. In Penny''s mind, she could still hear the booming voice of Damien which he had used earlier in the hall while questioning her. In a blink of an eye, Damien disappeared and appeared in front of her, holding snow in his hand. Picking out his clean kerchief from his pocket, he ced the ice and sat down on the chair in front of her. "Hold this," he said, giving the snowpack to her. With both his hands, he raised her face up so that he could look at the wounds. A serious expression marring his face as he stared at her neck. His eyes moved across her skin to see the handprint which had turned darker by the time and would only turn darker. His fingers traced her neck, the sharp red lines that ran on both the sides which made her flinch when his thumb ran on it. "Don''t do that," she said looking up at the ceiling of the room as he had raised her chin up. "Apologies," he responded back, leaning closer, he ced a warm kiss on the lines that had formed. His lips pressing on her skin, "The sc.r.a.pe like lines should be gone by tomorrow," he said pulling back. The finger marks would take three to four days to disappear. Taking the snowpack from her, he ced it on her neck, "What happened?" asked Damien after he was done chopping the man''s fingers which brought a small smile on her lips, "What''s funny?" She shook her head, "You cut a man''s fingers without knowing what happened. What if I was wrong?" she questioned him. "I would still have cut the person''s fingers forying a finger on you," he answered her. With the constant mischievous smile that wascking on his lips, Penny could see he was in a bad mood. "I am okay," she said for him to look up from her neck to her eyes. His eyes were still ck in color. "I know. You will be fine around me. I won''t let anything happen to you," his words warmed her heart. Who would have thought he had that kind of ability. It stirred something deep within her heart, making her eyes moist, "Is it hurting?" he asked, stopping his hand from pressing the pack of ice on her neck. She took a deep breath before releasing it, leaning forward this time she kissed him on his lips, pulling away she smiled. She could see his expression hadn''t returned back to the usual one, "Can I ask you something?" Seeing him not respond she continued to ask either way while his eyes looked at her curiously, "Do you...do you love me?" Penny didn''t break her gaze away from him. She didn''t know why the question popped into her mind suddenly but she wanted to know. For someone who didn''t care to see what happened and blindly support and protect her, Penny looked at him waiting for him to reply to her question. "What if I said I did?" he asked her. Another question on a question, he then said, "I thought I already gave the answer to it a long time ago," he did? Penny''s eyes moved to look into his eyes left and right. Her heart shuddered, his words sinking into her mind. Of course. He loved her and that is why he did things that he did, not because Damien Quinn enjoyed fingers. He did enjoy it but there was always more to his actions always. For someone like her, and the background she came from where she had no family. No one to love and protect her, this man had unspokenly vowed to look after her. Caring for her like now as he went back to pressing the ice pack on her skin. Her heart moved over his actions. Damien was brash with his actions and words, rude and pompous, a narcist vampire who could be overbearing. But at the same time somewhere deep down during the rare asions, he was gentle with her. It made her wonder if he knew about it, and these moments usually came when his eyes turned ck. Though he didn''t show it, the man had a deeper understanding of his surroundings than others. A pureblooded vampire who knew how to make rabbit apples to eat. "Don''t get used to this," she heard him say suddenly. "What?" "I can feel where your mind is wandering. I wish to bite you right now but it would be rude to do that," he said with a frown. Pennyughed hearing this. "Since when did Master Damien consider things to be rude?" she asked him with a smile. "Since the master fell in love and found his woman to be hurt. Is it that surprising?" he questioned her. "A little." "Do you want to get used to that? Me dotting on you?" "Don''t you do that enough," which was true, thought Penny to herself. He didn''t hold back his affections for her. Kissing her in public or teasing her. Damien switched the pack to be ced on the other side, working on cooling her skin, "What brought upon this incident? Did he follow you here?" he asked her, "I need to know if what I did was less to what he did to you." "The carriage wheel broke on my way here and he happened to pa.s.s by with anotherdy. The exchange of words didn''t go well," she concluded what happened, "Do you think you will fall into trouble for what you did?" "Don''t worry about him. I have cut hundreds of fingers so far. And it isn''t like I do it for amus.e.m.e.nt," seeing Penny stare at him, he corrected the sentence, "Not most of the time at least," a smile finally falling on his lips. Chapter 310 With You- Part 2 The wind outside the mansion whispered against the closed windows and doors, Penny sat on the bed, getting attended by Damien who finally ced the pack of snow down on the dressing table. Staring at her neck with a pensive expression. "Are you okay?" Penny asked him, his eyes had yet to turn back to its usual color which was still ck right now. It was the longest time she had seen him carry the corruption for this long duration of time. "Yes. How about yourself?" "I am okay," she whispered, looking deep into his eyes and then saying, "You should go change yourself," Penny didn''t know where he had been to as he had left the birthday party without many words but a kiss on her cheek. "Hmm, I should. Come with me," he offered her his hand. Penny had forgotten that she hadn''t changed her clothes as well as she had arrived at the mansion to only have her neck squeezed and witness the fingers being chopped. She gulped hearing his suggestion. Damien didn''t stop there and he said, "You will need a warm bath with his grubby hands on you. Join me," he waited for her patiently but his eyes told otherwisepared to his calm voice that was a sea of calmness before the storm would fall upon it. His dark soulful eyes stared at her. Penny ced her hand in his. Getting up from the bed to follow him into the bathroom, her feet padded softly on the ground. Once they entered the bathroom, Damien let go of her hand. Walking towards the tub to plug the little k.n.o.b into the hole of the bottom of the tub. Turning the faucet, he touched the water that started to run down and fill up the bathtub. Walking to one of the cabs, he pulled out a box to pour something dry and brown into the tub. As the water level raised in the tub, something like bubbles started to appear which was the doing of what Damien had just poured into the tub. Penny could feel herself turning nervous by the second, the water continuously pouring down as it turned the room warm because of the heat present in the water. She saw Damien unb.u.t.ton the first few top b.u.t.tons of his s.h.i.+rt. Reaching for his back, he pulled out the s.h.i.+rt in a swift movement. She let her toes curl which drew closer to her when she saw his bareback. Her heart beginning to beat against her chest. "I don''t mind if you are nning to step into the bath with your clothes on," Damienmented looking over his shoulder where Penny stood still and hadn''t moved a finger. That wasn''t the considerate Damien but the sarcastic Damien. Her hands made way to her own b.u.t.tons at the front and sides. Her hands shaking softly out of nervousness and the cold weather. The temperature was a mix of cold and hot. It wasn''t that Damien hadn''t seen her naked before. The pureblooded vampire had not missed an opportunity to move in and out of the bath when she used to bathe which was why during the initial time of her being here, she had changed the timings on when to take a bath. For a moment she stopped, her thoughts turning fuzzy and warm where she was sure she was going to faint with her nervousness. She hadn''t felt this way even when Mr. Reverale had squeezed her neck to suffocate her. She tried to calm and soothe her errant nerves but it didn''t help before she started to draw out why it was okay or not okay. Damien who had pulled down his trousers until he stood stark naked turned towards her where her hands were moving in a snail''s pace. With three long steps, he reached her, "You still have time if you want to walk out," he said grabbing her attention where she stared into his eyes. "You wanted me toe," on Penny''s words Damien''s lips twisted but he hid the grin. "Is that why you agreed?" he c.o.c.ked his head in question. Wondering what she woulde up with. He could see that the wind around her had changed. Penelope who had always put up a guard now had lowered it and it wasn''t out of unconsciousness. Lately, he had been noticing how her eyes would often follow him everywhere around the room. When he would catch her looking at him, the eyes that had started to flicker somewhere between needy and l.u.s.tful she would look away like he hadn''t caught her at all. Penny, on the other hand, felt embarra.s.sed. It wasn''t every day she stripped her clothes ready to get inside the tub with a man. "I want you to be here but what about you, Penelope?" he challenged her, pus.h.i.+ng her to a corner, "Are you willing to take a step forward from where you are?" She herself could hear her own breath that had turned slightly shallower with her chest heaving. She had followed him like it was something natural but right now she was nervous. She liked him and he liked her. Their feelings were mutual. If it was another man maybe it would have been much easier but Damien had the habit of being intimidating at times like this. His feral like eyes watching every move she made- be it the blink of her eye or the way she breathed. Suddenly she felt his hand on her head. Patting her, "You should step outside. Come back when you are ready," he offered herforting smile which tugged the strings of her heart. Something swirling at the pit of her stomach. When he was ready to turn around, the thoughts in her head were running so quickly that she ced a hand on his arm to stop him from walking away from where he stood. Damien gave her a look wondering if she had something to say, "My fingers are slow," said Penny gulping and pus.h.i.+ng away the nervousness away from her. Chapter 311 With You- Part 3 She had been tiptoeing around for awhile with how she felt being around Damien before she came to realize her growing feelings for him. He had done a lot of things for her. A roof over her head, food that she wouldn''t have eaten if she hadn''t met him. A ce where people epted for who she was and so did he but that wasn''t all. Damien Quinn was an attractive man and it seemed like he had the right to be a narcissist. Her eyes had been following him for far too long with every pa.s.sing day where she would sneakily look at him before looking away and behaving as if she had other things to do. There were times where his presence near her would fill up her chest and she had never felt something like that before. Her toes curling while she thought about it. "I can wait," Damien responded back to her words, "Or...I can help you with it," he offered her the help if she needed it. "Umm, I can do it," she answered him. "Take your time," said Damien, turning and walking towards the tub. And as he did walk, Penny could see his back. His muscles were tight and firm. His legs looked toned and so did his broad back or his..her eyes trailed down and she let out a breathy sigh which came out to be inaudible. Every move of his muscle as he walked were defined, his broad back bringing the heat back to her core. He stepped into the tub and sat down without looking at her now. The faucet of the tap had been turned a few moments ago after it was half-filled leaving the room to be quiet. The wind and the crackling of the fire was the only thing that filled her ears right now. Continuing to unb.u.t.ton her dress she finally let the dress fall down to form a pool around her feet. The air that was previously warm had turned cold now that she had no clothes on her body. Her body was bare with her hands that covered her front. Pulling out the clip around her hair, she retied it for her hair to be tied messily now. Some of her blonde hair falling down the side of her face and at the back which she hadn''t grasped into the bun. Stepping out and away from the pool of dress, she pushed it away to a corner. Too shy right now to bend and pick it up. Damien hadn''t turned to look at her but that didn''t mean he wasn''t aware of what she was doing and Penny knew that. Walking on the cold floor, she made her way towards the bathtub where Damien was already in and had seated himselffortably. When she came near the tub, Damien turned to her, "Sit this way. Your back facing me," he said, giving his hand for her to grasp so that she could step inside the tub. She first ced one leg into the warm tub which felt good because of the cold temperature around them. Putting another leg in it, she let her body dip down in the frothy like bubbled water which had filled up the bathtub. Penny was extremely careful as she sat down. Her body leaving a decent gap between him and her. With her face that was facing the wall, she let herself further sink into the water, loving the feel of the temperature on her skin. Suddenly, Damien curled his hand around her waist and pulled her back ced against him snuggly. With the sudden movement, her hands slipped away from the edges of the bathtub and found his legs that were positioned on either side of her. She could feel his hard muscles under the palms of her hand. Holding it so that she wouldn''t slip down further into the tub right now. But with his hand around her waist which he didn''t let go of, she felt him bite on her shoulder. Nibbling and biting testingly as the pain increased and decreased. Bolts like thunder pa.s.sing down to the tips of her fingers and toes. "You didn''t have your lunch. We should ask the butler to get something for you," Penny said trying to distract the embarra.s.sment of her naked body against his own naked body. "I would like to have you if you allow me," Damien bit into her shoulder harder making her cry out before he sucked on the skin. With his tongue he licked it. "What are you doing now then? Biting me," her voice came out to be breathy, feeling his coa.r.s.e tongue on her skin whichpped on her shoulder. "This is me tasting you. Would you like me to eat you?" he asked her, his nose trailing up to the back of her ear and he kissed her there. Peppering down kisses, his hand that was around her waist slowly sliding away to hold on to her waist. Ma.s.saging and kneading her with his hands under the water as he continued to kiss on her neck. Penny who sat close to Damien could feel him against her. His member that sat close to her bottom and she blushed profusely. "Do you?" "What?" she asked with her mind that was turning mushy where she failed to get her thoughts right. "Eat you," he whispered against the sh.e.l.l of her ear which sent a jolt of electricity down her body. "Please don''t eat me," she replied back to have him chuckle against her skin where he continued to kiss her. As Damien continued to distract her with his kisses and words, his hand started to move up from her waist which Penny could faintly grasp. The gentle hands moving higher hand higher until his hands brushed against her b.r.e.a.s.t.s bringing a gasp out of her lips. Too shy with the simple brush of his fingers, she tried to move away, moving front but Damien cupped one of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s to push her back against him... Chapter 312 With You- Part 4 "Where are you going, mouse?" he asked with her heart thundering against her chest. Unable to process the words right, she blurted, "I think I am done with my bath." He tched hearing this, the sounding out to be yful, "What are you talking about. You only stepped into the bath now. I still have to wash you. Breath mouse. I don''t want you fainting on me," he said to her noticing how red she had turned, "You wouldn''t want to tell this to your children or grandchildren now on how you fainted in the tub after I barely touched you," he teased her. T-this was barely touching? She could feel his hand covering her breast, holding it that had air knocking out of her body. His fingers moved, teasing her as they yed with her breast. "Rx, Penny. Don''t doubt or question right now. That''s right," he praised her when her shoulders dropped down. Damien being the sneaky man he was, reached the plug of the tub which was blocking the water from draining out. Pulling it such that the water subtly started to drain out and the level of the water in the tub started to lower down. Bringing another hand, he held her other bare breast. Giving it equal attention it deserved, weighing and palming them in his hands. When Penny turned towards him, Damien leaned forward and captured her lips. Running his tongue over the seam of her lips had her lips open up for him. Penelope herself couldn''t contain the swirling need of emotions that hade to settle at the pit of her stomach, her tongue reaching to meet his as they kissed in the tub. The level of water had fallen down until her waist and his feet talentedly pushed the plug back which was only half open previously. Feeling the cold air touch her skin, Penny tried to quickly hide where the water had previously been, she tried to hide her b.r.e.a.s.t.s which were held firmly by Damien''s hands. "Aah!" came out the m.u.f.fled cry from Penny with a ssh of red spilling on her face to cover her entire body when his fingers pinched her nipple. She could feel something building up in between her legs. Her breathing out uneven as her body started to heat up. He sucked on her lips, his eyes holding her captive when his head pulled back. His hands had not moved away from her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and he continued to ma.s.sage them. Running his fingers around the pink areole round and round her breast, teasing her knowing well what his touch was doing to her. He thought he wouldn''t have been able to control himself, especially with the corruption that had surfaced up but right now he was enjoying teasing her to the fullest. Damien could feel every hitch in her throat with every brush of his hand on her body. Her sighs were enough to have himself go hard. The next time he pinched the rounded beads on her mound she arched her back with a small crying out of her lips. Her hands holding on both sides of his thighs for support. Penny couldn''t stop the sighs and cries that erupted from her lips with his hands on her body. Her mind was going fuzzy, the feeling in the pit of her stomach only growing as he yed with her. She was embarra.s.sed not because he was doing this to her but because she didn''t have the mind and heart to tell him to stop. Not a word of protest on her lips as his touch brought both pain and pleasure. It was hard to know what he was thinking, especially with the way he was being quiet and working on her body. She didn''t know what was happening but with his continuous kisses on her skin, she could feel something peeking up, her breath turning out shallower by every second and her back arching as he flicked his fingers over her nipples. When she realized her fingers digging into his thighs, she let go of it suddenly to hear him say, "It''s alright," letting go of one of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, his hands moved down to her stomach. Gliding down the sides of her body which moved to her leg and towards her inner thigh. Out of reflex, she tried to bring her legs close and look at him anxiously. "No?" he asked her, his voice teasing her to kiss the top of her nose making her blink back at him, "Let''s continue it some other time, the water had turned cold," Penny quickly poured herself withe five mugs of water before leaving Damien in the bath as he had decided to stay back while letting her go.?Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting. After Penelope had stepped out of the bath, Damien had turned on the faucet of the tap again. Unable to hold himself back any longer he had so far as gone to tease and touch her but he didn''t want to go further with her yet. He wanted to take his time in teasing and torturing her. After all, what was the rush when they had an eternity to spend with each other. With Penny not in the same room as she went to dry herself and wear the clothes, Damien who was standing touched his manhood that had been hard for quite some while now. He had held back, wanting to open the doors of pleasure to her. He would have enjoyed teasing and testing her limits but today was not the day. Holding his hardened member, he moved his hand back and forth whilst remembering the way Penny felt under his hands as he touched her today. Her sighs and gasps that had erupted erotically through her lips continued to stir his own body. His head fell back as the movement of his hands turned faster and his breathing turning heavier until he finally let go of himself, his breathing out harsh?as his eyes which had been closed previously opened this time to reveal back his dark red eyes. Chapter 313 Next To You- Part 1 With Damien who had been so touchy-feely in the bathtub, Penny was sure she would have pa.s.sed out once her head would hit the pillow but nothing like that happened. Instead, she was wide awake. The scene and feelings that had surfaced erupted through the tips of her fingers and sizzling her skin. Her cheeks were bright red but with the shadow of the firece that fell upon the room, hid the ssh of embarra.s.sment. She pulled the nket closer to her. Bringing it up to her nose as her eyes blinked, looking at the top of the ceiling of the bed where Damien now sat with a couple of parchments in his hands. His back leaning against the headboard with his .s.ses settled on the top of his nose. His unruly ck hair was as messy as ever, not bothered tob it he had left it as it was. His eyes cast down on the written papers which he now read. Was she the only feeling the turmoil running up and down her body? Thought Penny to herself. He looked utterly calm, his body rxed while her body felt as if it was lit on fire and she was burning. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s especially felt sensitive right now. When she closed her eyes, she remembered what had transpired between them in the bathtub. His hands aroused her with every breath of hers that only moved up higher and higher until she was scared to fall back down. How embarra.s.sing, thought Penny to herself yet it felt good. His hands-on her body felt as if she were drifting to somece where paradise existed. Yet at the same time, it was embarra.s.sing that she wouldn''t admit it to him. She peeked back to look at him, her jade green eyes staring at him through his reflection in his mirror. She moved toy down on the side of her body. Her eyes peering up at him for him to ask, "Aren''t you sleepy?" he turned his head to look at her where she looked nothing less than a mouse hidden in the mouse hole that was trying to peek out to look at the cat that sat outside. "What are you reading?" she asked him instead. "Some of the reports that have been sent to me for verification and also some so that I can read on the recent matters that have been taking ce in the fournds," hearing Damien say this, Penny looked up at him with interest. Seeing the interest lingering in her eyes, he continued to humor her with what he knew. It was also time that she understood and was aware of the few things that took ce behind the public eye, "There have been recent spotting of the ck witches who tried to turn an entire vige to a bunch of half-ck witches." "Is that possible?" Penny asked, frowning as she thought about it. "If humans can turn to half-vampires by a bite, it shouldn''t be that hard for them to mutate and turn to another creature." "But ck witches don''t have the venom to trigger transition for the humans," after having spent a decent amount of time in the dungeons of the church, she hade to learn some things about the white witches and the ck witches. She knew that witches couldn''t turn any of the humans to their own kinds, even though they could turn them into anything else like an object or to an animal but not for too long unless the witch was really powerful where there was a time limit until the human turned back to his original form. "They don''t but we do," answered Damien, bringing his hand forward to mark something in the parchment, "The ck witches pulled out the venom from a possible pureblooded vampire and created the potion which could turn the humans to their kind. Though it wasn''t a sessful experiment. One of the council team caught the happenings," Damien already knew something was going on when he heard of the element Euphorine being sold in bulk in the ck market but he still had his suspicion on over the event. It was true that someone had bought the euphorine but at the same time, it was hardly believable that the very same tubes were used by the ck witches. Euphorine, when kept out for long, didn''t have the same power and instead lost its essence. The same bottles which were sold secretly in the ck market were usually the cause when a human tried to inject themselves with it, which lead to an instant malfunction in the body which ended up with corrupted hearts or deranged vampires who were the same as the corrupted vampires. For a switcher to end up in the council, it would be hard to not believe that someone from the inside had helped the creature to get inside. "Were all the humans infected with it?" Penny could only hope it wasn''t true until she saw Damien nod his head. "Every single one of them. There were some ck witches in there too who were killed with the rest of the turned humans," he then added, "It is the not first time for a witch to have a ma.s.s murder caused by them or because of them. They are notorious in that matter." "That isn''t good," her voice was low but Damien could hear it well enough. "Nothing is ever good when ites to the witches. Not you but even the white witches cause us a good amount of trouble. Some of them go far beyond repair, causing harm to every possible around them before they even turnpletely to a ck witch. It is why humans fear witches in general. It doesn''t matter if they are white or ck witches. The ck witches are more open to causing destruction while when ites to the white witches, their transformation takes ce slowly without anyone''s notice until you catch them in the act that they are not supposed to do." "Is that why the council has the white witches registered and monitored?" Chapter 314 Next To You- Part 2 If you don''t get an update from me tomorow, consider that myptop has crashed and I am unable to write (date 27-02-202) "Right. The council''s goal, in the end, is to provide a harmonized environment so that they can keep the people safe. Humans being their top priority. That is what they say..." he replied back to her query. Penny knew why the council did it and so did Damien but he didn''t go to rify his words further. It was obvious why human safety was prioritized. They were the very food source for the vampire kind. And to the witches, the humans were the energy source that interlinked with nature itself. The humans were very simr to insects who went to pollinate one flower to another, simrly, the humans were a trigger for a series of events who helped in maintaining the bnce. "The vige has been wiped out clean right now, the witches dead," Damien said thinking back at the news he received on it directly from councilman Lionel. His thoughts went back again on the pureblooded vampire who had bought the Euphorine. He wondered if there was a possibility that the man who came to the market and the man who let the person inside the council was the same person. Penny had slowly drifted to sleep after some time, leaving Damien back with his parchments which he continued to read and mark. Making sure there was no redundancy of suspicion that he could find. It wasn''t umon for councilmen to try to cheat their way out by tampering with evidence. Most of the time, people joined the council for certain reasons. One was the need to be part of the system. To be able to do good for the people. Two, so that they could attain the power that was given to a councilman. This allowed in manipting information and other details a person wanted who was involved in uwful activities. Pulling his .s.ses off his face, he ced it on the side desk, on top of the parchment papers. Blowing the candles that were next to him, he slid down to the bed where Penny was fast asleep. Her head rested on the pillow, her cheek on the smooth satin surface as she breathed softly in and out. The sound of her heart and breathing felt calm. A gentle wave breezed through his chest which gave a sense of tranquility. Heid the side of his head on the pillow, looking at her without touching her in the intention so that he wouldn''t wake her as she had only fallen asleep. Her bare neck held the marks of the man''s hand. The coloring out to be dull and dark on her pale skin. It made Damien wonder if she was doing alright. He had s.h.i.+fted her mood in the bathroom, her emotions of worry and anxiousness that had turned to l.u.s.t which continued until she fell asleep. All he wanted was for her to be safe. Safe near him but it seemed like unwanted pests were trying to cling to her. He knew Reverale would cry and whine for what happened here today but he didn''t care about it. Damien had warned him but the thick-skinned man had a hard time grasping it. Right now Penelope was vulnerable. As tough as she acted with him or another stranger the truth was that she had to be careful. One enemy was enough to bring the truth of her being a white witch that would put her on the map. The reason why he didn''t want to do it was that he knew what happened to his aunt. Alexander''s mother. She was a white witch, a clean white witch who was loved by people yet she had been killed by the very same people. It was obvious that someone had instigated the vigers. It could be the council people but it could also be the vigers themselves who had nned which he doubted was the truth. Though his uncle and aunt had been married for decades, his cousin was conceived onlyter on where Alexander spent only a few years with his mother and father. His doubts fell upon Creed, he was the only man in the council who wore an eye patch, it was possible that his doubt could be wrong but the intuition that he had acquired from his mother pointed the needle of thepa.s.s to him right now. The man belonged to a pureblooded vampire family. Not of high standing like the Quinn''s but decent enough to mingle with the high society. He had earned a good name during his time in the council. He now was one of the high standing councilmenmunity which fell below the head council. Damien went to look back at Penny who softly snored right now. Her shoulder moving with every breath she took in and exhaled out. Penelope was a fine looking woman, finer than the wine itself which made people turn to look at her. Be it a woman or a man, attracting both the gender''s attention. He wondered if it was because she was a white witch that made her appear so alluring that made one want to hold her in their arms. As long as he was here with her, he wouldn''t let anyone hurt her. If they did, they would have to face his wrath He didn''t need words of confirmation from her. Already knowing how she felt for him, he was okay with that. It was the acknowledgment that mattered and he had received the acknowledgment from her. She was right in front of him, sleeping with her eyes closed yet he felt like he missed her. His chest felt full just by the thought of her, touching her was euphoric, her reactions sweet but she didn''t shy away. He had taken her to the peak to only let her stay there and send her to wear her clothes. Oh, his sweet mouse. With her sleeping next to him, he closed his eyes whilst his ears picked on the little sounds of the room. Chapter 315 The Lies- Part 1 8 more chapters ahead... PRIVILEGE CHAPTERS: If a reader wants to read the privilege chapters, go to the end of the chapter scrolling to the end to find the orange block. Or go to the end of the chapter index. The privilege chapters work on coins and not fast pa.s.ses. Privilege expires every month, but a reader should still be able to read the previous unlocked chapters. If you face an issue with it, please drop an mail here with the screenshot. It can be about any information on issues you are facing with app or the privilege: service @webnovel . . The girl walked through the forest path, her bare feet p.r.i.c.king with the little stones and sticks that came to fall in her path. Barely at the age of twelve, her green eyes looking through the forest, she heard the birds in her path chirp, speaking to each other where she didn''t understand. She continued to walk back to her home. Her hands could barely hold all the logs of wood in her hand and she had to be careful. The clouds of the Bonke appeared to hover up in the sky, dark and brooding. Entering the vige which had been for years that she could remember, she made her way back towards her house. Her eyes and head looked down without meeting anyone''s eyes as she pa.s.sed houses and alleys. She had to walk and cross two more paths of houses when some from behind pushed her. The logs that she had been carrying carefully scattered in front of her on the ground and in the process she felt down. Her hands sc.r.a.ping the ground where she felt the burn. She gulped. She had been quiet this time, without causing any trouble of talking to people who belonged to this vige. Her eyes darted left and right, slowly reaching out to take hold of the woods in her hands when the person who had pushed her before pushed her again for her head to almost hit the surface of the ground. "Where do you think you are going, taking the woods from our forest?" It was a man who was in his early twenties who stood behind her with his hands in his pocket and a thin piece of wood in his mouth which he s.h.i.+fted back and forth, biting on to it. "I don''t think she understood thest time we gave her a lesson," another young man spoke who stood next to him. His face holding a light dusted amount of scruff around his jaw. The girl turned around to look at the men who stood tall behind her. Towering over her, waiting for her to carry the logs of wood so that they could only push her all over again andugh at her. The little girl remembered thest time she felt the pain in her body. Were they going to hurt her again? She didn''t know why the two people wanted to hurt her when she had done nothing wrong. "What? Did you lose the ability to speak?" "It would do us good if that happened," said the first one that had both of themugh over it. "The woods are from the other forest," she answered them for one of the men to stop smiling. "That''s right. Don''t ever think of cutting the trees around here. It doesn''t look like she has any dead animals with her," said the same man and both of the adults walked away from her after enjoying the little scare they gave the little girl. She started to pick up the logs of scattered wood, one after another in her small arms as people walked past her without stopping by to her or ask if she was alright. She was an outcast to them. Just as she continued to pick thest two blocks of wood which would help in heating the house in this cold weather, she caught sight of a young girl of her own age looking at her. With both the young girls'' eyes meeting, young Penny smiled at the girl. A smile that was filled with innocence but the smile was never returned. The other girl hid behind her mother where her mother red at Penny. The woman''s eyes hateful as she looked at her before she said something to her daughter that had the other girl turn her head away and look elsewhere. Penny felt the little p.r.i.c.k in her heart. People ignoring her so tantly, hurting her with hurtful words and not treating her like others hurt more than the thorns she stepped on to. She didn''t understand why people treated her the way they did, never talking to her, not looking at her. Once she had picked all of them, she headed back to her home. Her mother appeared to be cooking something in the pot as she stepped inside the little house of theirs. The girl wanting to peek and see what her mother was cooking for theing meal ced the woods on the ground in the corner. Walking towards her mother, she stepped closer when her mother suddenly gasped as if she weren''t expecting her toe home so soon. "What are you doing here?" the woman asked before putting a lid on top of the vessel which had a ck liquid boiling in it. The little girl who caught it along with the pungent smell, she frowned. Her eyes looking up at her mother when the woman blocked her view from what was boiling behind her, "I brought the wood," the girl spoke cheerfully, "What are you cooking, mama?" she asked her mother. "Nothing, go get the water. We are running out of water," the woman attempted to shoo the girl away but the curious girl continued to hover around wanting to see what her mother was cooking that had turned bad. Maybe it only smelt bad but was actually good in the mouth, thought the young girl to herself. "But I am hungry," she said with knitted brows. She hadn''t eaten?her breakfast well in the morning as they didn''t have sufficient food but now that her mother was cooking she wished to eat. Just as she tried to reach the vessel by walking around her mother, she was suddenly pulled and thrown across the room with her body cras.h.i.+ng against the wall. The girl looked up at her mother in fear, "Mama?" The woman appeared to look furious at her, "How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from the pot but you keep hindering my work? Every single time!" the girl looked confused. Her mother was never angry, she was a kind woman. But what the little girl was unaware of was that her mother tried to erase her memories... Chapter 316 The Lies- Part 2 Let''s try aiming for #1 in power ranking this week. . The little girl didn''t know what happened and what had got her mother so angry right now. All she had done is reach towards the food to only be pushed to the hard wall. Her body hit the muddy walls where she fell back down on the ground. Penny winced, the dull paining to appear again and she looked up at her mother who stood in ce. Her eyes looking different and her appearance slightly changing but the girl didn''t question it at first. "How many times do you need to be told to not go near the pot? How hard is it for a little girl to understand?" her mother looked at her with a vexed expression. The eyes slowly turning to slits which looked different from how humans looked. "Mama," she whispered with her hand clutching on her side which had hit the walls. Slowly getting up wondering what she had done wrong, "I only wanted food." "Did I say you could eat it right now?" her mother asked, her eyes ring down at her, "I am still cooking. What are you going to eat? Uncooked food?" her mother came forward, holding her jaw as she spoke shaking her head so that the little girl would look and listen. "I am sorry," little Penelope apologized. "You are sorry? You want food, right? Come let me give you the food that you want," her mother let go of her, looking around to spot the rabbit which Penelope had brought homest week to pet. And though the little one had brought the rabbit home to y, her mother had allowed to keep it for different reasons, "Let me feed you this thing," her mother pulled the rabbit''s ears with one hand, bringing the knife forward. "No!" Penny cried realizing what her mother was going to do, "No, no, please!" she cried. She wasn''t hungry anymore. She didn''t want to eat anything and she would be alright skipping the next meal. "Why not?" her mother asked looking at her daughter, "Didn''t you want to eat? How can I let you stay hungry when food is right here. It will be cooked in a few minutes," her mother smiled while her daughter started to cry. Even though it had only been a week, the little girl had grown attached to the little animal. Apart from her mother, there was no one who spoke to her or interacted with her. At that time, this rabbit had warmed her heart. Penny shook her head, tears falling down from her eyes, "Please! I am not hungry. I promise you, mama. I won''t do it," she pleaded with her mother. "You always say this and it always results in this. How many times I have iterated to note near the vessel yet youe to reach even after my word," saying this, her mother ran the sharp knife that had only been chiseled to run it across the rabbit''s neck to have blood profusely falling down the ground. "No!" Penny continued to cry more. She couldn''t believe what just happened. She didn''t know how her sweet mother could do this to the animal. She looked at the dead rabbit with horror in her eyes. All she had done was wanting to eat the food which was prepared and it didn''t matter it was bad she would still eat it as the food was scarce at their home. "Let''s cook this now," her mother said to her horror. Not wanting the rabbit to be cooked, she quickly jumped to her feet and towards her mother to s.n.a.t.c.h the animal away so that she could bury it where it deserved to be than be cooked as a meal. Maybe she would have eaten it if?her mother had brought it to the house from the outside herself rather than the little girl. If the little girl didn''t get attached to the animal but to have her pet killed and to be cooked so that she could eat it, she wanted to vomit. "What do you think you are doing?!" her mother asked in an irritated tone when Penny went to take the rabbit in her hands. "You can''t cook the rabbit, mama!" "Move out of my way, Penny," her mother pushed her away from her hand but the girl didn''t back away. Instead, she struggled to get back the animal which had gotten on her mother''s nerves. Pulling back her arm, the woman threw the rabbit with so much force that the little furred animal hit itself to the wall before falling down lifeless, removing any possibility of life from it. Seeing this, Penny''s stomach dropped. Her mother was kind. She was a good mother who had protected and loved her when people didn''t bother to help or look at her. She was kind but why was she doing this? The sight of the dead animal thatid lifeless on the ground brought more tears in her eyes. With a shocked expression, she turned to look back at her mother where she was unable toprehend what just happened. "Why did you kill him?" the young girl asked, questioning her mother for her actions. She pulled her mother''s dress, moving it back and forth as she questioned, "Why did you kill him? He did nothing, we had food!" she had only brought some vegetables back home two hours ago before going to fetch the log of woods. Her mother raised her hand and pped her across her face, "Don''t raise your voice," she red at the girl, "Don''t forget whom you are speaking to. I am your mother. Do you think your useless rabbit is more important than me?" asked her mother. The young girl was too shocked by the death of the rabbit and her mother raised her hand for the very first time on her that she failed to respond to her mother''s question which resulted in her getting beaten by her mother''s bare hands. "No," she cried after the few beatings where her mother treated her violently. This wasn''t her mother. Chapter 317 The Lies- Part 3 Her mother was nothing like this, she knew it.?She cowered away from her mother after her mother had beaten her, leaving marks on the young girl''s body. The woman who had been furious with her skin that had started to darken with her tongue turning and her eyes changing, they finally went back to look human. She looked at her daughter who didn''t look up at her. With a sigh, she reached her daughter when the girl scooted away to only raise the anger which was slowly evaporating. "Come here, dear," she raised her hand, her voice sweet and her eyes?looking gently at looking at the little girl. Penny had wrapped her hands around herself when she looked at her mother. She shook her head scared to go to the person whom she believed was not her mother. Her mother would never have reacted to her like this and never would have touched the rabbit roughly. "You aren''t my mother," said the little girl, the voiceing out in a whisper as she moved away. The woman hearing this looked at her beforeughing, "Who is your mother? I am the only mother you have, Penny. I am the only one you have in this world and no one else," her mother said stepping close to her to which she stepped back again. Moving away every time her mother took one step closer to her. Young Penny shook her head, "No," she said walking farther and farther away until the door was close by. Her mother seeing this looked at her with a displeased look on her face. She grabbed the girl who struggled to stay away from her. "I am so sick and tired of your behavior!" the woman gritted her teeth, dragging her back and away from the door, "Sit here!" she shouted but Penny didn''t want to. She tried to run away and the woman caught hold of her neck to make her sit, her fingers squeezing to hold her in ce, "Stop moving or you will share the same fate as that f.u.c.king rabbit of yours," she red down, the threat keeping Penny still. The woman didn''t loosen her hold on her daughter. Her fingers squeezing the girl''s neck who struggled to pull her hands away from her neck. Penny saw her mother take a chain that often hung on the wall. Her mother put the chain around her neck, muttering something under her breath for minutes as she started to drift off to sleep. By the time Penny had woken up, she found herself in the bed. Her mother sat at the side of her bed where thentern-lit itself. "Mama," she called her mother who looked to meet her eyes, "What happened?" the girl asked. "I found you in the street, Penny. Where were you?" asked her mother. The little girl tried to remember her time after she left the house. She remembered going to the woods and reaching the vige but she couldn''t recollect her time after that, "I had been to the woods," she answered her mother. When she tried to sit up, her body started to hurt. It had been alright in the morning, why was it hurting? "Careful, dear," her mother made her sit up on the bed, "Here, drink some water," she said offering the .s.s that had been readied so that Penelope could drink it which her mother ha prepared for her personally. Penelope who knew nothing of what had urred previously that day, took the .s.s of water out of innocence and trust, drinking the water until thest drop in the .s.s. "Did you find me outside?" Penny asked to which the answer had already been given. Her mother looked at her, her eyes losing the kindness for a moment as if what she had done had not been sessful, "You were lying on the street," she gave the same answer. The woman ran her hand over her head and as she patted her hand touched her cheek where Penny winced in pain, "Oh my, they must have beaten you again. Leaving you unconscious," her mother said. "Beaten?" Penny asked with her brows knitting as she looked confused. She didn''t remember anyone hitting her yet her face and body right now were hurting. Throbbing in pain. "The vigers," her mother responded to her question, "They took it too far," her mother patted her head, "Go back to sleep. You will need the sleep to feel better," her mother smiled at her. Gently putting her back to sleep now that she was done drinking the water which was dissolved with impurities by the same person whom she called her mother. "Why don''t they like us?" asked Penny. She didn''t know why they hated her enough to beat her and leave her lying on the ground, "I didn''t do anything to them," her voice came out pained. "Unfortunate, humans," her mother''s words slipped out, "I mean, sometimes it is hard to understand people. It is better if you don''t talk to people too. Stay away from them else they will beat you and me," hearing this the girl gave out a startled look. "No one will hurt you, mama! Mama is kind," Penny smiled looking up at her mother, holding her mother''s hand and bringing close to her face. Her mother returned back the smile, hearing what Penny had to say to her. When her daughter closed her eyes whilst holding her hand as she slept, the smile on the woman''s lips fell down. Once the girl was half asleep. She pulled her hand away from her and walking away back to the pot she had been working on that noon before she was interrupted. Opening the lid, she looked down to see the bubbling ck froth that was thick in texture. Using thedle she turned the contents inside it. A boneing to stop her from moving she pulled thedle. It seemed like the bones were yet to dissolve in the pot. . It is the weekly reset, let''s try bringing the book up to #1 in the power ranking. It is the red stones that are used to vote for the books and not rating chapters when ites to ranking. Chapter 318 To Be Lost- Part 1 In Quinn''s mansion, the night was colder and p.r.i.c.kier on the skin. If not for the heat which came from the firece, one would freeze and turn to a piece of ice. Damien who had his eyes closed suddenly snapped it open at the smell of salt. His eyes moved to find Penny who had her eyes closed but tears fell down from her eyes. His first thought was that she had woken up from her sleep and something had happened but listening to her heartbeat he realized she was still asleep and she was crying in her dream. Bringing his hand to her face, he ced it on her cheek and she opened her eyes with tears that seeped into the pillow cover. She took a deep breath, like a person who was brought back to life. He didn''t ask or speak a word to her. He let her sink in back to reality, where she belonged to but what he didn''t know was that Penny had onlye to know the reality now where a veil had been ced in front of her eyes all this time. With her head still resting on the pillow, she noticed Damien observing her where he was on the other side of the bed. Her watery, blurry eyes met his. The tears that fell down made her cheeks feel wet but that didn''t stop her eyes that was tearing up again. Pus.h.i.+ng herself, she sat up and Damien followed her suit. Stepping out of the bed, he walked towards the table. Pouring a .s.s of water and bringing it to her. Silently Penny took the .s.s, drinking the water and handing it back to him. She sat there quietly without a word. Her thoughts muddled over what she dreamt about in her dreams. It felt like her emotions had evaporated and she couldn''t feel anything. She felt numb but that wasn''t what had happened. With what she found out, things that had been erased which had been hidden and lost had finally surfaced up her mind. The bed dipped down again and Damien got back to sit in front of her. He could see that she was in turmoil. Her mind was trying to grasp something which he could see in her eyes. Her emotions felt vacant like she was back to sleep but even during her sleep he could sense her feelings and the way they moved. He didn''t have to know what might have happened as it wasn''t her dream that had caught up with her. It was her memories that were returning. Her eyes were cast down as she continued to stare. After a while, when her eyes finally met his red ones, the tears that she holding in started to fall down. Her eyes filling up with tears which she had no control over. The little girl whose mind had been stubbed and suffocated all these years was finally voicing out the pain, the betrayal which was hidden and kept unknown to her. A sob escaped her lips, the tears continuing to trail down her cheeks where another sob erupted through her lips. It was as if a bottle of emotions had started to overflow and Damien hugged her. Putting his arms around her where she broke into sobs. Her shoulders shaking with every memory that felt bright right now after the time of darkness that had hidden it over the years. Damien didn''t know what she saw but nheless he held her, lending her the chest she needed where she could cry. He didn''t like the sobs that broke through her lips, the sound breaking his heart and he gently rubbed the back of her head. There was no end to the tears that fell down her eyes. The mother she had known until now had it all been a sham? Everything, every moment they had spent with each other. Her mother who was a kind person who was soft-spoken and who always took care of her, had it all been a lie? After a few minutes, where Penny had finally calmed down after the overflow of the tears where her mind felt fuzzy where she could hardly think about what was the truth and what had been lies all these years she had spent before. Damien gently ran his hand up and down her back, trying to calm the tears that had wrecked through her body with every sob previously where she now had finally quietened down. He let her stay as long she needed. He then said, "Don''t cry for the past that had gone by. There are a lot of things that are not in our hands and we only need to walk through it." "I feel lost," she replied back with her forehead that was taking the support of his chest. Her breathing out harshly due to the tears. There was sadness in her voice, a certain void that hade to fill her up at this hour of the time. "Don''t worry, I will find you if you ever feel that way. I am here," he said, still continuing to move his hand up and down her back before it finally stood still and he only ced it to make sure she felt safe right now. She wanted to cry but it was as if the tears had dried up since the very past before the memories were erased. She parted her lips to speak, taking her time to utter the words, "I thought...I thought finding answers would help me. But I didn''t know that I was looking forward to something I never expected," she shook her head. Who knew that behind the hidden erased memories she would find her mother''s true nature. With the dream that she had only dreamt a few moments ago, the scene was etched deeply into her mind.?Damien knew that it was her something that had surfaced from her memory which was removed or had been purposely made forgotten so that she wouldn''t know about it. Chapter 319 To Be Lost- Part 2 Whatever she hade to know was bad and hurting her. Enough that it had her crying again. The smell of the tears fresh around her. "She was always nice to everyone around her. No matter what happened, always kind and sweet," he heard Penny speak, her wordsing out m.u.f.fled as her head continued to rest on his chest, "At least that was what I knew about her. Back in the day...there were vigers who would pa.s.sments on us. Talking about how I didn''t have a father and how my mother was a deranged person because of it." "Was she?" asked Damien, holding her in his arms. "More than that," Penny pulled away from his arms. Sniffing and wiping her face with the sleeve of her right hand. Her eyes were wet, her eyshes having specks of water in them with her eyes that looked void and lost, "I had wounds on my body. ck and blue which appeared every now and then when I was young. With the hostility between us and the vigers that had formed, they often punished me." "How so?" his eyes narrowed waiting for her to continue on the thought of what the vigers had done to her. "Not letting me go home. Making me stall if I bought something from the forest. Pus.h.i.+ng me to a puddle of mud or taking away things that were meant for the home. All these years, I thought it was them who had hurt me," she exhaled out the air tiredly. The fire in firece crackle, a burst of wood due to the possible .u.mtion of gas which crackled up before letting the others burn more brightly, "When I was young, I fell sick a lot. Finding myself in the bed often but also because my mother found me pa.s.sed out on the streets but that wasn''t what happened." Now that part of her memory had returned back, the memory which spoke the truth, she could hardly digest what she had seen. Her heart broke thinking about and remembering the way her mother had sliced the animal''s neck. Thrown it on the wall like it was nothing. How could her mother be heartless? Everything was a lie? Then what was the truth? Had there not been affection and her mother had never meant to love her as her daughter? She felt her head hurt. "It wasn''t the vigers who hurt me," she repeated her previous words, "It was my mother who hit me in the house for not listening to her. I guess our rtions.h.i.+p wasn''t as perfect as I thought it was. In the past, every time I came close to knowing about her using her witchcraft to do something, she tried to stall me. And when that didn''t work, she erased my memory in regards to everything that rted to the hour and day. It isn''t that I didn''t question what might have happened. Because with the number of times she had cleared the memory I don''t think she did a good job at it," a single tear slid down her eye, trailing down her face which fell on herp. Damien raised his hand, wiping the tear away that had trailed, listening to her as she continued to speak, "A few things never made sense in those times of my memory that was erased. She beat me and?wiped my memory only to take care of me back when my consciousness returned back." He could only imagine the toll of emotions that she was experiencing right now. Her heart was shuddering and her mind was far more anxious and in panic even though right now she appeared to look calm as she revealed what she had just found out. "I thought she was the world''s sweetest mother. Who took care of me, someone who protected me from all the ill people who surrounded us but the truth turned out to be that the person I needed protection from was the same person who I lived with." When her eyes met him, she closed them, "You don''t have to worry about the past, Penny. She can''t hurt or erase your memory anymore." "I know," she nodded her head, opening her eyes back to reveal the s.h.i.+ning green eyes of hers, "I am scared to see what more has happened but yet at the same time I want to know what happened in all those years." "You don''t have to force yourself if you don''t want to," she was already in pain and he didn''t know what the ck witch had done to her where she was now wanting to kill her. "I would want to believe she isn''t my mother but my aunt already told us how...strange she was. Sadly she is my mother and I am her daughter." "It isn''t necessary for you to ept it if you can''t handle it, but the deeper you go down the rabbit hole, you might find the truth you want to know but it won''t be easy," Damien took her hands and squeezed them in his, "We ended up with mothers who were bat s.h.i.+t crazy." "I thought you loved your mother," she whispered to see him chuckle. "And you love yours too even after what has happened and what you found out," she felt guilty hearing it. She was her mother, someone she had looked up to for years and now she was finding it hard to fit the pieces in her mind, "I love my mother, Penny but that doesn''t mean I didn''t know she was sometimes swinging from being demented to being insane. You ended up having the worse one." "It sure is," Penny''s voice came out to be dry. He brought her hands closer to him, "They might be our mothers but it is alright to take a stand to what is right and wrong. Our situation was different but you need to know when it is right to stop loving a person. Love like that is not love at all, if you are trying to find reasons to hold on to the past which you knew of, then you should rethink because that wasn''t the truth." Chapter 320 To Be Lost - Part 3 He was right. She was trying to find reasons to hold to the little bits of pieces, hoping that there was an ounce of feelings that had been pa.s.sed to her by her mother which was true. This was only one incident. He then continued to say, "My mother was a different case, Penelope. She loves us too much. Her family was something she valued above all but even though it was love, it was toxic and the woman didn''t know about it. She didn''t realize what it was doing to her husband, her children or people around her," his thumb rubbed the top of her hand, "My father is a quiet man but he wasn''t always very quiet. My mother didn''t like any person trying to take time for her family. She wanted it to be just four of us. Once she had gone as far as to threaten him by killing herself." "I thought pureblooded vampires can''t die easily," shemented for him to nod. "There are some orthodox ways of the first generation pureblooded vampires where one canmit suicide. It is a long process but it is possible. The more the generation grows, the bottom chain of the pureblooded vampires only turns weaker which makes it possible to kill them easily. There might be a day when a pureblooded vampire will walk equally as the human, like a mortal but those are only predictions with no justifications," he said before speaking again after a pause, "You should be able to understand the tolerance level of my father to be able to handle my step-mother who looks like an antpared to my mother''s maniptive tantrums," even though Damien spoke about the true nature of his mother, she could tell that he didn''t hate his mother. "Maggie turned to this person who yed safe around people while also wanting approval from our mother which she didn''t often get. With me, you know about the corruption. My mother wasn''t a good woman but she was a mother who wanted to live up to her expectations. Your mother falls under a different category." Of course, she knew that. Her mother was on a whole different level where no one would be able topete with her. Had she always been like that? Spiteful with her sister and her adopted family. What about her father then? "Do you think she killed my father?" Penny asked thoughtfully, wondering if it was possible. Why was she killing her now when there were days and years to do it? It seemed like only her mother could answer that and for that, she had to find her. Damien didn''t answer her question and instead looked pensive, "Can we go to the church?" she asked him. "Now?" he saw her nod, "Change your clothes." Thankful, she draped her hands around his neck. "Thank you, Damien." She couldn''t tell how much she appreciated his words and presence around her. If it weren''t for him being next to her, the things she hade to learn recently would have driven her mad and in circles. Him being here brought a certain sense of rea.s.surance in her mind where she didn''t have to worry. "You can always count on me," Damien said, hugging her back, "If not for anyone in this d.a.m.ned world, you will always have me no matter what," Penny''s eyes closed, her emotions again starting toe up in her eyes. Changing her clothes to something more suitable which wasn''t thin, she wore the coat before Damien came to her to put a thick scarf around her neck, "Ready?" he asked her where he only wore an overcoat upon his the clothes he had been wearing in bed. Unbothered in wanting to look presentable to the people outside the mansion. "Ready," Penny answered him. Putting her hand in his and in an instant, the room was left alone and empty with the couple who had disappeared into thin air. Both Damien and Penny zapped inside the church without waiting to walk in from the outside. Thest thing they needed was someone catching them appearing right in front of the church or seeing them walk towards the couch, which would only appear to be suspicious as it was the time of midnight now. They walked down the aisle to find Father Antonio who was sitting on his knees praying at the chapel at this hour of the night. Sensing the presence of the two beings inside the church, the man''s eyes opened to turn and look over his shoulders to find Damien and Penelope walking towards him. "What are you praying for, Father Antonio?" Damien questioned the man as they found him praying in the middle of the night. "I wasn''t expecting anyone in this hour of the night. It is quieter at this hour than any other," Father Antonio stood up, dusting his clothes and turning towards the couple. "The church is quite enough. Are you waiting for time to seize?" Damien asked the priest to give a smile. "Humans call it to be the hour of the devil but this is the hour where the windows and the door open to many possibilities. Good and bad," the father answered, looking at the attire he gave them a suspicious look to say, "It seems that you have arrived for something important. What is the pressing matter?" he asked Damien. "It isn''t I but her who looks for answers from you," Damien looked at Penny who had a grave expression on her face. Father Antonio turned to look at Penelope, tilting his head in wonderment as to what the girl was looking for. She had beening to the church to learn about white witches, the potions that they made which were used as medicines and the history of the white witches from the dungeons and the secret room. Father Antonio had ced her in Sister Jera''s hands so that she could learn from her as he was often busy greeting and protecting the church from people who visited here. Chapter 321 Favourtite On List- Part 1 Please REFRESH your libarary before you read~ It wasn''t always the humans who came in here seeking pardon and hoping for a better life but also the council who came for the work which they were involved and the witch hunters who always stepped in to intimidate and threaten the people of the church who were the white witches. "Can we go to the dungeon room?" Penny asked the white witcher. His intelligent eyes looking at her where he gave her a nod, "Give me a moment. Let me go close the doors. I think I forgot to close them," he said with a smile as Damien and Penny were able to step inside the church. The man raised his hand in front of him and in the air, he murmured something under his breath. Anguage that the white witches spoke of, he spoke the words before a gray as smoke appeared on the palm of his hand. The smoke moved within itself like a cloud in the darkest time of the weather before pouring the rain down on thends. After a few more words, he sent the smoke towards the entrance of the church. The smoke started to spread itself, moving in different directions until it stretchedpletely from corner to another of the doors which were open. "What is that?" she asked the man. Penny was yet to learn how to make use of basic spells. As she was still a beginner, she wasn''t allowed to touch the magic of spells as it was believed that it was easy to tamper the magic which had the ability to turn something simr to the forbidden magic. "It is a spell of concealment," Father Antonio moved his hands so that the couple could follow him to the door, "It will provide the necessary protection where people with ill minds whoe with the intention to harm won''t be able to enter the church at this hour of the night. Like I said earlier, this hour is nothing but a pot full of gold and snakes. You pick what you like and make use of it. To an outsider who needs help, the doors of the church will appear to be open where help will be provided but not to any other kind. Most of the churches that have high standing witches make use of it." "Calling yourself a high standing witch, Father Antonio," asked Damien. His eyes falling on the back of the witcher to hear the priest say, "I would have been in a higher position if it weren''t for the councilmen who like to steal our work. Of course, I am not ming you, it is the others whoe here in the name of inspection," sighed Father Antonio. As they continued to walk, none of them came to realize something following them in the path of darkness that moved along with them. "When was thest time the council held an inspection here?" With what he knew, Damien was aware that the inspection never came. It was always sudden and a surprise so that they could catch the witches who were in the process of turning to ck witches or doing something against the council. "It was two months ago. They have been frequenting their trips more than necessary." Even though the witches were ced in the churches for the council''s use and need, many of the older councilmen who were in the highermunity of elders believed that the white witches were nning on something bad which was to stand against the council. They believed that the white witches would one day strike them which was why they felt the need to monitor the witches especially the one in the high standing. The high standing witches were the ones with higher knowledge than the rest of the white witches who barely knew the surficial magic. As much as one would love to boast about the superiority at the same time, the same high standing white witches fell in grave danger where their movements were restricted and were ced under the eye of the council. But as much as the councilmen scrutinized both the ck and white witches, there was a reason why they were worried. A few decades ago, two of the white witches who were in the high standing had worked on a spell. A spell that was made to wipe the vampires who were deranged, corrupted vampires. They had been sessful as they had cast the spell across one vige in this verynd of Bonke as the poption of the vampires was thicker than the othernds. Unfortunately, the spell had backfired. Instead, of betterment, the vampire families who were innocent were dragged into the spell which was cast to kill them along with the others leaving a dead mine of people in the town. What was meant to be created for good had turned to a dead man''snd where lives had been taken. It was still not known if the witches had meant the spell for only the deranged vampires or if they had nned it secretly so that they could start clearing one town after another until there would be no living vampires which would leave thends to the witches and the humans with the nonexistence of vampires where the night creatures woulde to cease. "We don''t care much about the inspection as the councilmen whoe here know and understand that we follow their words," what was not meant to be seen was ced in the secret room which no one would be able to find unless they decided to demolish and bring down this church. But the church was old, old enough that one didn''t dare to pa.s.s themand of wanting to destroy it. Another reason being, the council needed the approval of the magistrates and the Lord of thend. Lord Nichs knew what was going on in the church, but the man didn''t know every little detail as the witches were secretive about it. At least that is what they would like to believe. Lord Nichs and the others who wanted to keep the church going took in their own favors when it came to making weapons or any other thing they needed. As the church itself was old, many of the other people from differentnds who knew on what went behind and underground the church came to ept the favors while providing the needed protection. "You should know better, Father Antonio," Damien said catching the priest''s attention, "The cleaner you keep your church, the more suspicious the council will grow to be. Having little mishaps once in a while is alright. Too much cleanliness will only make one question if a crime had taken ce before the ce was left spotless," they walked down the stairs and pa.s.sing the pirs beforeing to one of the dungeon rooms which was more cave-like than the normal rooms. Whatever had been following them, stood outside without following them inside the room, camouging itself in the shadow of darkness. "Please take a seat," said Father Antonio before going to pick up some of the unlitnterns that were ced in the corner of the rooms. Lightning it, he came back. Father Antonio didn''t take a seat, instead, he rested his hands on the top of the wooden chair and asked, "Did you want me to use a spell?" he looked at Penelope. The dungeon rooms were a ce where the spells were cast, it was a medium room which allowed the spell to move smoother and also had a couple of potions which were ced on the several racks on the walls. The potions here were used for the white witches'' own purpose and not for the public, but it was kept in the open. Even though used by the witches, they lied to the council officials that it was something that was used for the human''s own benefits. Though some potions had specific use, there were some who changed their properties depending on the spell that was used. Like a potion that was used to heal a human''s fatigue in the body was used by the white witches to wash their hands and create a medium to understand the state of the mind. The emotions. Penny shook her head, "No not spell, I mean not the forbidden magic," she said to have Father Antonio nod his head as if wanting her to continue with what she wanted from him, "You said you cannot pick on where a person is." "That''s right. The white witch magic doesn''t allow it," the white witcher answered her. She knew that. Using the ck magic for minuscule things wouldn''t make sense as it wasn''t worth it. "I read in one of the books that you can drive a person''s dream. Visit memories as you sleep," she said, her voice hopeful, "I know it isn''t one hundred percent guaranteed but that it is possible to go to the past in the form of dreams. Have you practiced that magic?" she asked him, her eyes waiting on him. "I am not the right person for it," Father Antonio answered her, "There was a white witch who resided in one of the nearby churches. She helped people with their dreams." "Which church?" asked Penny eager to know so that she could get the help that was needed. "The one thates in the opposite direction of the Isle Valley, near the Grakken''s vige. But she can''t help you anymore," Father Antonio had a grim expression on his face. "Why not? Is she one of the high standing witches?" "She was but she had gone missing for days now. None of us know where she is," Father Antonio turned to look at Damien, "There were some of the councilmen who came asking for her. After them, there was another councilman who came for answers. The one with the eye-patch," look at that, thought Damien in his mind. It seemed like Councilman Creed was only getting into matters which he wasn''t involved in. At least not involved through the council. "Is there no one else, who can help?" Penny asked him to receive a thoughtful look by the priest as if he were trying to remember. "Well, we do have one, but I wouldn''t say the boy has mastered it yet. If I am not wrong he is only in his beginning time of witchery. It wouldn''t be right to touch your dreams as there might be the possibility of messing something up there with your mind," Father Antonio warned her. Did shee to a dead end again? Asked Penny to herself. She offered the man a smile, "Okay." Taking that she wasn''t going to use the novice witch, Father Antonio spoke, "What did you want to dream about?" he asked her. "My family." "I see. Let me check in the witch circle if there is someone who knows how to drive the dreams. If I find someone I will let you know." "Thank you, I would appreciate that. Umm, Father Antonio, do you mind if I take a look at the room?" she asked, hinting about the secret room even though it wasn''t a secret among the three of them. "You may," Father Antonio looked at her curiously as she stood up and left the men in the room. Chapter 322 Favourtite On List- Part 2 Penny stepped out of the room, carrying one of thenterns she had taken from the room. She walked towards the stairs which was where the secret room was. Her footsteps were quiet and inaudible as she walked. The fire in the bowls at the top of the pirs had reduced as most of them had gone to work while there were some white witches who were still working on the weapons made of holy water which had to be delivered early to the council. While she walked she heard something, footsteps which followed behind her at the sides. Stopping for a moment, halting her footsteps and turning around wondering if it was her sleep-filled mind that was ying tricks with her. The church dungeons were quiet which was why she could hear the sound of footsteps earlier. She ced thentern in front of her, holding it high but the light couldn''t spread to every part of the ground she stood on as the dungeon itself was quiterge. Penny didn''t know why but she felt like there was something in here which was not supposed to be, something very evil which she could hardly grasp on. It was a feeling which she couldn''t shake. She wondered if it was because of her dream that gave out the unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach right now. She stood there for a couple of seconds, unmoving and staring at the darkness. Breathing softly which was the only thing she heard right, she guessed that it was possible that it was another witch who was only walking by which she hadn''t caught. Ready to turn around, she ced her feet on the other side ready to walk in the other direction when suddenly she gasped to catch a creature that stood right in front of her. It was nothing like she had ever seen before. It had horns and wings behind its back, wearing no clothes. It''s teeth jagged which looked like a series of up and down teeth making it look like a saw. With the flight and fight mode, Penny took two steps back and when the creature came close to her she swung thentern on its face. Which had the creature stop momentarily thatsted for a second before it opened its mouth, howling that made her cringe. The sound of a gunshot echoed in the dungeon which was shot right at the creature but the creature escaped, attacking Penny relentlessly as if she was the reason it was here right now. Penny, on the other hand, looking at its sharp ws and teeth started to run in the other direction. She ran as fast as she could but whatever this unknown creature was was fast. Clearly faster than her and the gunshot which Damien shot as he and Father Antonio followed them. "What is that?" asked Damien as he continued to shoot the creature which he had?never heard about. "I think I saw the image of it which was drawn in the secret room but never have I heard of it. Most of the white witches had the habit of dreaming which was not true. Sometimes it is hard to know what is real and not," Father Antonio had pulled out his own gun to take a couple of shots at the creature. The creature was close to Penny as she ran left and right and around the pirs. Damien stopped for a moment, bringing the gun close to him he aimed at the creature before firing the gun where the creature whined loudly, it screeching voice making all of?them to cover their ears and cringe. Before he could take another shot, the creature jumped into the darkness where its cry suddenly disappeared. Penny quickly ran to where the other two men were, her hands empty of thentern which she had been carrying as she had thrown it at the creature which had only angered it more. "Where did it go?" asked Father Antonio, both the men held their guns at the front. Waiting for the creature to appear but it never did. Other witches who had heard the cry of the creature who were nearby came with their ownnterns, "Is everything alright, Father Antonio?" asked one of them. "I think we had a thief slip in here. Can you have a look around here," he ordered his witchers who nodded and walked all around, going to the ces where there had been darkness. Returning back they said, "There''s no one in here. Would you want us to look at the chapel?" "No, that would not be necessary. You can go back. We will be here," he a.s.sured his people, a smile up on his lips as he sent them away. Once they were gone the smile fell down instantly, "Lady Penelope, might you know who that was?" "Someone who was trying to kill me?" she asked unsurely. Damien rolled his eyes at the question as well as the reply Penny came up with, he turned to look at Father Antonio, "You think they are her rtives that she would know about?" Father Antonio shrugged his shoulders, a smile on his like he meant no harm, "You said it has been filed in the secret room. Take us there," Damien demanded the priest. The white witcher sighed, "You need to learn to be polite, Young master Damien, this is not-" "I can drag you there if it is necessary," Damien cut in not in the mood to chit chat. "Of course, I was only going to ask you to follow me," said Father Antonio. Penny offered the man an apologetic smile. Taking another look around, they went to the secret which the white witches had built that unknown to a lot of people and known only to some. Some of the newly joined witches to the church were unaware of it as the members of the church didn''t believe until their worth was proven. Chapter 323 Favourtite On List- Part 3 Reaching the secret room, Father Antonio started to search for a book as he stepped in front of the racks of the books, "What are we looking for?" asked Penny so that she could make herself useful. Penny could hardly catch a breath. One thing happened after another without a break where she had finally learned to keep herself ready and on her toes. Last morning she had thought it was going to be a quiet day but who knew that she would first have Mr. Reverale holding her throat threateningly and then it was her dream about her mother and her, and now this. She knew deep down there was no running away from it. She had to fight whatever was thrown at her else this life that she had would kill her before she would even know about it. "It is a historical book. I remember very faintly that this creature was recorded in one of the books but I don''t remember which one," answered Father Antonio who was skimming through the books. The three of them pulled and checked most of the books that held the headings regarding the historically recorded events or information by the first white witches. There were hundreds of books in here, some which she had missed seeing as it was covered by a sliding wall. Was this another secret hidden ce inside the already hidden room? Asked Penny to herself as she went through the books but even after an hour had pa.s.sed, they weren''t able to find anything regarding it. "Are you sure it is in here and not somewhere out in the local library?" Damien asked Father Antonio as they went through the next set of books which could possibly have the information about the creature. Father Antonio said, "I am definitely sure the book is somewhere in here," in Penny''s eyes she could tell that they would be sitting in here until the morning arrived as going through all the books was no easy task. They were already looking at the possible historical books but ending the book was left in disappointment before they picked up another set of books to check. She paused for a moment. Taking a step back as if she knew if they thought it through finding the book wouldn''t be that difficult. The creature was something none of them knew about but Father Antonio spoke about it, saying there was something written about it in this very room yet it was hard to find it with three of them going through the books. Penelope first wondered why the creature hade. Was it to only hurt her? Because when Damien had shot fire on it, the creature never turned to attack him but it was her that it focussed on as if she was the intended target. She couldn''t help but think about where she was lucky in some things, the very same way life was trying to bnce it out by sending things like this after her. First, her mother wanted her dead and still did. And now this unheard and unseen creature was after her. She had apparently turned to a favorite to kill on the list. Picking up a new book she hadn''t turned the pages yet, she wondered why though. Why would the creature ever want her for? If being a white witch was an answer then she would tell there were many other white witches in this very church. So that wasn''t the answer. And then something clicked in her mind. Penny hadn''t read a lot of things that were in here and having read just a few books, she remembered something from the scroll of parchments she had borrowed a week ago. Getting up quickly, she tried remembering where she had ced the parchments after reading them and bringing them in here. Looking around the stacks of parchments, her hands traced up and down before pulling them out finally. Noticing it was the same ones which she was looking for, she turned the parchment sheets until she came to a particr one. ''....life circling back to where it all began. That is what we all think. What if there is something more, beyond the walls we thought was all it was. Death is the end, but also a beginning. The guarded creatures of the world, the possibility where we are yet to explore and find. White witches have been theorizing the worlds but the word is onlyughable when it is heard by another. There is something more than what our world runs in and on. We here seek power yet there''s another who ys the puppeteer in the shadows...'' She took it to Father Antonio, giving it to him and asking, "Do you know what this is? What the white witch was referring to?" her eyes appeared bright and alive. The white witcher adjusted his .s.ses, reading the parchment. A frown formed on his face, "About the daily utilization of mushrooms?" he asked perplexed. "What?" Penny asked confused about what he was reading. Where was mushrooms in the parchments in there? "No not that, the one about the guards," she said wanting him to find the right line. "The parchment speaks about the wild mushrooms. Mushrooms that you can eat and the ones that you are not supposed to eat," Father Antonio who was holding the parchment, looked up from it. He wondered if it was something she suddenly had a doubt about in the middle of the night while looking for the creature. Damien took the parchments from the white witcher''s hand and read, confirming it indeed was about mushrooms. Penny herself looked confused, she took the parchments back to read what was written in there which spoke nothing about the mushrooms. What was going on? Were they ying a prank on her? Staring at their faces it didn''t look like they were in the mood to joke right now. Had the white witch who had written this put a spell on it which hid the actual written content in here? Chapter 324 Parchment Of Secrets- Part 1 Damien catching the confused expression on Penelope''s face, asked, "What do you see, Penny?" "This doesn''t speak about mushrooms. Not a word about it..." her words trailed still confused on why they couldn''t read it, "It speaks about creatures that the people don''t know about. About death and other things," she looked up to meet Damien''s eyes. "You must be special," said Father Antonio taking back the parchments in his hand to observe it. Reading the lines and not finding anything that she was talking about. The priest didn''t doubt her. Like many other things, he had heard or read from this very library on how some of the white witches who had died due to tapping into the forbidden magic or because of being burnt, had hidden things from their own kind. It was due to the risk in those times where people couldn''t trust anyone. The white witches like the vampires and humans had turned to greed and power. Wanting to know everything and anything their hands could reach so that they could use it for their own needs. Somewhere it was written on how some of the witches had decided to hide the knowledge they had acquired on the potions, the spells and many other parts of this world which none knew about. Years had pa.s.sed but he doubted anyone ever had the doubt raise in their mind about it. After all, everyone read about the same things the other could read like the mushroom and here was this one person who could actually read the truth that had been over decades and centuries. "You must have been granted a gift," he looked at Penelope, his eyes staring at the girl wondering what it was about. She had only known about her lineage recently yet it seemed like she stood apart from her own kind, the one to read the parchments, "Parchment reader," he gave the name to her. Penny stood in her ce hearing the words pa.s.s through Father Antonio''s lips, "Why?" she asked him. "I don''t know," he replied back to her, "The white witches hid information in this room but we thought it was only the books that didn''t hold everything in there. The missing pages is what most of us considered it to be the half information but it looks like it was more than that." Did that mean that what Sister Jera had meant to give her was supposed to be regarding the mushrooms and not about the actual written in detail by the white witches who were now dead? Both Damien and Penny gave each other a silent look, making them wonder if it had anything to do with the alignment of stars that she could read the parchments which Father Antonio and the others had failed to read in these many years that it had been lying here to speak just about the good and bad mushrooms. Even when Penny had given him the parchment back in the mansion when she had taken it home, he had read but that wasn''t everything. The parchment spoke about various things but what she saw and what others saw was slightly different. A piece of hidden information that none were aware of. "What do you see in there?" asked Father Antonio. Penny took back the parchment, reading out loud for both the men. Reciting every word that was written. When she was finally done, Father Antonio looked with a grim expression, his eyes staring at the bottle of potions that were ced on the shelf. He then said, "I think I know what these are, there was a saying that used to go around the white witches. In the coven which now people aren''t aware of because people were forced to not speak about it. The saying went on something like- beware of the early birds who disguise themselves in the cloak of white when the cloak is filled with blood that carries the death." "What is it about?" Damien asked, his eyes looking nk. He didn''t like the fact that some creature had entered the church and out of the blue had attacked Penny. It was like everyone wanted to kill her right now and they had no clue about what the creature was or from where it came from. "I don''t know," Father Antonio gave out an apologetic smile as he couldn''t be of any help. The man belonged to the current generation where he had started to learn the magic only after the previous ancestors had locked and thrown the key which could unlock a sea full of information. As the men continued to speak, Penny tried remembering and understanding what was written down here. Her head suddenly snapped, asking Father Antonio, "Could you please exin the hour you spoke about earlier. The time," he had spoken about the time when this hour was full of opportunities. Where it allowed good and bad. He looked at her, giving her a questionable look but either way went to exin, "It is called the hour of the hour.s.s." "I know this," Damienmented, his eyes narrowing, "It isn''t just for the magic but it is a portal for other beings. I thought it was a rumored myth. It was written in one of the children''s books for the pureblooded vampires," who knew that the hour.s.s which was mentioned as a harmless story was going to be used here. Damien said, "But then they are just words regarding the portal where a person coulde and go from one world to another which is what they called the hour.s.s." "I think we were searching for it in the wrong books until now. There must be another book solely written on the hour.s.s," Penny looked at both of them, and soon they started to look through the books which would have anything rted to the hour.s.s and the hour of time. Father Antonio picked a book but he didn''t know why he wasn''t sure if it really did have the information or not. He called Penny to his side, "I think it would be best that you look at what we are going through. Thest thing we need is to have the information on hand to only close and move to the next book," She nodded her head. Standing between Damien as well as Father Antonio... Chapter 325 Parchment Of Secrets- Part 2 Midnight had pa.s.sed and it was four in the morning when finally a book that Damien pulled had the information about the hour.s.s, "Oh! I can read it too!" eximed the priest. Damien brought the book closer, cing thentern above it to say, "Look there''s a drawing about it. They are called the scavengers." "A scavenger is the creature that belongs to the pit of darkness. It moved in darkness and appears usually at the hour of the night and not necessarily at the hour of the hour.s.s. The creature is said to have been one of the very few firstborn in the fournds before the existence of the white or ck witches or also the pureblooded vampires who have imed to have been the first one to descend on thesends with the humans. The creature is cunning and maniptive, something that has been only lurking in the shadows with the other creatures that only haunt during the darkest hour. Some of us have been attacked by these creatures who seek more than blood or body but the very soul which is the essence of a person''s very being. Last week, one of the witch sisters had gone out to never havee back or returned to the living. We believe that and are sure that these creatures with the rest are waiting to hunt down the souls which they find are important so that they can be sacrificed and p.a.w.ned with each other." Penny stared at the parchments of the bound book as Damien read from it. He turned some of the pages as the rest only spoke about what they were until he came to the secondst page. "It looks like the white witch who wrote this made a diary entry," he said turning the page back and forth before reading it, "Location Winter of the North, age of the beginning. Two of my sisters have gone in search of the creature that often lurks in the shadows. One of my sisters told me how the creature speaks to them. Helping them. It has been a dire time with the vampires who have been trying to take im of ournds. The ce where we reside has been burning down the ashes." Penny not listening to Damien read it, she read the rest on her which went on to say, ''It has been a week now. Our elder witch sisters have started to retaliate by killing the vampires. Some have gone so far to kill them in their houses which I believe has not gone well. There have been more rise in death and we have gone so far as to touch the magic which we have sworn not to use. One of my sisters said that magic is cursed. Another day has pa.s.sed by and things haven''t gotten better. My sisters are changing. Changing for the worse where there has been rise of secrets among us, we hide and neglect what is important. The sisterhood has been forgotten now.'' There was another diary entry after it, the writing much shabbier than the previous days, ''Things that I have written down all these years now appear to be unsafe. Some of my sisters have gone missing. I havee to believe the forbidden magic didn''t appear out of anywhere. It hasn''t been there but was brought to our world. There has been nothing by chaos, more families have been burnt alive and the harmony which was present has now disappeared. This madness will not end. It started to only end from what started it. Some of us have tried to understand the cause but it seems unlikely any of us have ever been able toe close to knowing the truth. The scavengers might disappear but they haven''t left the world we live in. There are other creatures, the guards at the gates who are guarding but we can only hope for it to never return back.'' "If the witches have recorded it down here which wasn''t even recording but more of a diary entry. How do you think it is possible to know what this creature wants?" asked Father Antonio with a frown on his forehead. The man knew only as much as the others did. "Penelope is special, we''ll need to know what others things we haven''t explored yet," he said looking at the girl who stood quietly right now, her thoughts going to an overdrive thought process after reading the parchments. If the creature had taken away the white witches and as spoken in here where this scavenger was trying to entice or might have brought the hidden magic, it was possible that it was trying to have Penelope touch the forbidden magic but he doubted that was the case. After all, trying to attack and kill someone was never taken to be as a sign of persuasion which meant the creature found her soul to be worth stealing. "Have someone ask about these. If they can find anything at all," Damien ordered it to the priest who nodded his head. As much as Damien was interested about this creature, so was Father Antonio who wanted to know more about what the white witches knew in the past, "Thank you for your time," he said and Penny thanked the white witch before leaving the church and getting back to the mansion. Once they were back in the room, Damien stepped to look at Penny to make sure she was alright and had been unharmed before they had left the room. "How are you doing?" he asked her. "A littleck of sleep," she answered truthfully for him to nod. "That''s good that you weren''t hurt. I don''t think I have ever seen anyone run like a duck before," hemented to have her roll her eyes at him. "I did the best I could by running away from that thing. I don''t think anyone ever thinks if they are running elegantly when something like this happens," she pulled away the scarf that was around her neck which had kept her warm from the cold air outside the mansion and inside the bottom dungeons in the church. Chapter 326 Parchment Of Secrets- Part 3 "That''s right," Damienughed still thinking about her running. As she removed the coat from her body he took a step close towards her, having her chin pulled up so that he could check her vital signs by looking into her green eyes. They looked back at him unwaveringly. "What happened?" she asked him, her eyebrows raising at him. "Just lookin''," he responded back, leaning forward and pecking her lips. Penny blinked back at him when he pulled away from her. Such a small kiss...came to mind when she saw him walking to the stand as he pulled the coat he had been wearing. Untying the belt around himself, he slipped the coat off his body and ced it on the stand. He turned to look at her, feeling the feelings of disappointment form in her mind. He stared at her, his eyes smoldering dark and red in color, "You should get some sleep. We have a lot to do in the morning." He watched her walk towards the bed, climbing on it and getting inside the sheets. Today had been quite a day and she needed rest. "Will you be sleeping too?" she asked him from where she was in the bed. Looking at him. He smiled at her brightly, walking to the other side of the bed and he got inside, "What are you doing sleeping on that side after asking me to join you in the bed." "Master Damien, I meant to sleep. Don''t change my words as you please," she corrected him. Even with the life with how things were going on, her heart continued to be at ease knowing there was someone who was going to be there as she would go through it. "I am offended. I might possibly take the couch to sleep," he spoke, his wordsing out to be dramatic. "Mhmm," Penny agreed, "You can take the nket along with you so that you don''t feel cold," she said that had his eyes narrowing down at her. "Who knew the mouse was cold and cruel to have me sleeping on the couch," he picked up his pillow. Fluffing it up with his hand but instead of taking it along with him as he had proposed of sleeping on the couch, he ced the pillow closer to her. Letting both their pillows touch each other and he moved closer to her. Slipping back inside the cover, he saw the smile that was trying to break free from her lips. "You''re not going to sleep on the couch?" she asked him. Heughed at this, "Don''t look disappointed, darling. The weather is cold, we should try to exchange some heat between us. Don''t you think so?" "Is that your way of saying you want to hold me?" "Indeed it is. Do you like the proposal?" he asked and instead of waiting for her response, he pulled her by her waist. Bringing her close to him so that he could look at her more closely. "I won''t put the cat out of its bed," her words turned out mellow. He kissed the top and tip of her nose. "This cat feels very fortunate to have the mouse allowed to sleep on the bed," they both chuckled at this. As fast the smile hade on her lips, she couldn''t help but worry about what the future held for her or them, "Everything will be alright," he a.s.sured her. "Life was much simpler before but I appreciated it less," she said, her hands tracing the texture of the s.h.i.+rt that he wore. Back in those times, she had thought it was difficult, on how hard life was but the further she moved the more trivial those things looked, "Will it be?" she asked him back. "Like everything, this too shall pa.s.s. Even in the darkest days of Bonke, the sun peeks somewhere in some part of thend. And if it doesn''t, then you light the candle yourself. You don''t need to wait for the sun. You carve your own path," his thumb ran over her cheek, brus.h.i.+ng it carefully to feel the softness beneath his own finger. "When did you turn like this?" she blurted out. "Special Damien isn''t for everyone. It is just for special ones," saying this he winked, "Get some sleep now, mouse. I don''t want a panda or a ghost in the bed. Even though I would ept you how you are, you know how ghosts look," she shook her head. Damien Quinn, she whispered in her mind. Her head tucked below his chin, she let herself be held by him. With what happened, she was too tired to fight the already existing feelings that had made an appearance. She knew there was no turning back but then she didn''t n to turn back or away from him. The next few days that arrived, Damien was busy with the council work. A lot had happened. One of the councilmen had been exposed to letting his own sister and brother-inw take the fall in one of the cases which involved the four ck witches. But that wasn''t all, councilman Lionel''s team had caught hold of the switcher who had been impersonating one of them for their own benefit. Strangely it wasn''t just one but there had been two switches in there. Though not everyone knew about the matter, the higher-ups and some of the councilmen had received the news on it. From what he heard from the head council, it was Lady Vivian who was part of councilman Lionel''s team who had got the case closed. By now his doubt on the woman''s ability was no more a doubt but had turned to a confirmation. Unlike Penny who was being attacked, once now, thedy appeared to be doing fine and so was the Duke who was with her. There was no news from the church regarding the scavengers which they had encountered and the notes which Penny would need was brought to the mansion without having her to stay too long in the church. Chapter 327 My Plate Is Full- Part 1 One of the short visits to the church, Penny had only finished her time when the carriage came to wait right in front of the church for her to step in so that she could return back to Quinn''s mansion. Just when she walked out of the church, a man came to call her, "Lady Penelope," she turned to look at who had called her as she didn''t have many acquaintances. There were only a few people who she spoke to, she raised her brows wondering who this man was, "Excuse me, mdy," he was a man who was taller than her. His clothes looked rough and dirty which made one think he had been living in the forest or was a traveler. Penny took a quick note of the man''s boots that he wore which was covered in dirt and mud. As if it had been more than weeks since it wasst cleaned. With the winter which hade to settle in thend of Bonke, she took him to be a traveler until the little arrow peeked out from behind him where his cloak covered his back. He was no ordinary man but a hunter. Oh great, thought Penny to herself. As if one and two weren''t enough, she would have another person who was keeping an eye on her. "Yes?" Penny asked her hand that was resting on the carriage door continuing to hold it before it slowly slid down. "I am Caymond Turner. I was hoping to ask you some questions. I hope you aren''t busy, if you are," the man said, "I can apany you in the carriage so that we can save time," he had a hard scruff around his jaw. His eyes looking at herzily as they were slightly nted that had her wondering if the man slept enough. There was a shadow beneath his eyes to confirm it. Penny had no interest in riding a carriage with a witch hunter, "What is it about?" she asked, her eyes moving to follow the sight of the man who looked at her. "Would you like to sit?" he asked her, showing his hand towards the empty cemented seats outside the church. She walked towards the seat and ced her bottom on the surface. Her hands in herp. "I was wondering why your name has not been registered in the council registry of the white witches," he saiding straight to the point. Penny gave him a nk look, "White witches?" "Yes," the man confirmed. "It might be because I am a human, Mr. Turner," she answered, her words confident and firm but the witch hunter had encountered many witches who had tried to get away with lies. They were always almost the same and this one was no better. "How strange for a mere human to keep visiting the church almost three to four days in a week. I apologize I wasn''t keeping a tab on you," said the man, his eyes moving from her to the carriage that pa.s.sed by them. "I would call it stalking, Mr. Turner. I believe you and I both know why we visit the church. To pray," she said, leaning back slightly and then to say, "Is that all that you wanted to ask?" "Maybe we should go to the magistrate and have yourself checked and verified to make sure that you aren''t one. What do you say?" the witch hunter proposed being stubborn about it. The cold wind in the atmosphere that the man had been standing in for hours and days didn''t deter him. He was used to such drastic weather and was nothing that he couldn''t withstand. With a jacket that looked old and the cloak around him, he stood looking at the people pa.s.s by while giving the witch an option to respond than deny the kind she belonged to. Penny spoke, "I wouldn''t mind going to the magistrate but that doesn''t mean you can threaten me without any proof. Like I said-" "Do you know how many witches have given me the same answer? Oddly, they are all the d.a.m.n same ones. What are you doing here sitting in the church for hours? From what I have gathered you are ady in Quinn''s mansion," Mr. Turner the witch hunter appeared to be one of those nosey people who didn''t let go of the matter until they got to the bottom of the matter. As much as she would have loved to admire that certain quality she didn''t like her being questioned and putting herself in the spot. At the same time, she noted that there was a possibility that the man didn''t know she was a ve before that. But she wasn''t going to speak about it, "I see the pureblooded vampire, Damien Quinn whoes to drop or pick you." "Have you been stalking me, Mr. Turner?" she confronted the man. "I have. My work involves it. At least you should be aware of so much, isn''t it?" he asked her, turning himself to face her where he challenged to make her say otherwise. "Knowing this is making me ufortable," Penny said, her eyes looking at his disapprovingly as her words turned to be distant, "Your words imply that every person whoes to the church are all witches. People like mee here to gather courage, to ask for forgiveness to be able to shoulder the difficulties that we face in life. I am sure you understand that unless it has been a while since you have entered the church," she sent him a hostile look at him. He huffed, a smile that was sarcastic, "What sin have youmitted that you are asking for forgiveness?" "You are neither my father nor my husband that I need to answer on what forgiveness I havee to ask here for. I like to spend my time in the church here. It brings peace to my mind," she said, cing her words heavily so that it coulde out to be genuine. "Spending an hour or two is understandable but being here for the whole day makes one person suspicious about it. It wouldn''t be so bad if you were to agree that you are one of the witches. All you will need to do is register yourself at the council, the councilmen wille here for you. You wouldn''t have to trouble yourself." Chapter 328 My Plate Is Full- Part 2 "I don''t know why you continue to insist when I have told you that I am not a witch." "Let''s prove it then," saying this, he pulled out a couple of things from his pocket. There were keys, handkerchiefs, cigarettes and matchbox which he held in his one hand while the other continued to rummage through his pocket coat. He then pulled out a chain with a cross in it. s.h.i.+fting the contents again, he handed the kerchief to her, "Can you hold this one for me?" he asked. Penny knew exactly what this was. Of course, every witch would not be aware of it, but a vampire who was aware of the various scents used by the witch hunter would know that it was a potion made to identify and expose the witches. It didn''t matter if the person was white or a ck witch. Raising her hand, Penny took the kerchief from his hand without making it known that she knew what he was trying to do. It was probably one of the easiest ways to find out if the person was a witch. Seeing Penny not react to the kerchief, the witch hunter frowned, taking it back from her to say, "It seems like I was under a misunderstanding," he apologized, putting everything back in his pocket coat. Hearing this Penny could only release a sigh of relief internally in her mind before she heard him say, "But my gut still continues to tell something that something is very odd about you," he ced his hands in his pocket, "Thank you for your time, Lady Penelope. I am sure we''ll be crossing paths again. I will be in the Shawen''s cottage," she could only hope that it didn''t happen in the future. Was this his way of saying he was going to be here to keep an eye on her as he seemed still unsure. Seeing him walk away from her, his figure diminished smaller and smaller until itpletely disappeared. Finally, she let out a sigh of relief and stepped inside the carriage to go back to Quinn''s mansion. The next few days as Penelope came to visit the church, she couldn''t help but be wary of her surroundings. Once or twice she had also caught the witch hunter walking by but he wasn''t only walking by. It was as if he was trying to let her know that he was always watching, waiting for her to make a mistake. She had thought that the kerchief would have been enough proof for him to get off her path. One fine day just as Penny was done studying in the church, she opened the door which led to the confession box and then out of it step towards the chapel to look at the witch hunter who had taken a seat at one of the benches inside the church. She decided to ignore him, walking away from the chapel and up the aisle when she heard him call her, "Lady Penelope." She turned around, watching him walk towards her, "Yes?" she asked with the patient voice. "I think you dropped this," he said, bringing up the kerchief in front of him. Penny wanted to tell him to find another means to detect if a person was a witch than overuse the concept of kerchief over and over again. Did the witch hunters really hunt the witches? "It isn''t mine," she spoke. Both of them staring at each other as if there was some kind of match taking ce between them. A local woman who had entered the church looked at them with the corner of her eyes before walking by them. "Are you sure?" he asked her, "You didn''t even look at it." "That''s because I don''t carry a kerchief along with me." "Hmm, whatdy wouldn''t carry one," he asked her. "Ady who knows she won''t spill things and eat like a wild person in the jungle," she took the kerchief anyways, looking down and fiddling around with it before handing it back to him, "You should at least bring a better kerchief if you''re going to make a woman im that this is hers, Mr. Turner." Penny believed that the man must have added something more and had returned in the hopes of proving that she was a white witch. There was a look of disappointment as well as confusion on his face. "I have told this before I am not whom you are looking for. There are actual witches who are causing havoc by stealing people and butchering them. Maybe you should focus on them and not me unless this is only an excuse for you toe see me every day which I truly hope isn''t. Is it?" she asked, turning the table around. The witch hunter looked at her startled. Was she implying he had been following her because he was smitten by her? It was given that a lot of aristocrats had big heads but never had he been used like this. This was shameful for him. "I will make sure to change the kerchiefs next time," he said holding her eye to which she nodded. "Please do, but I am sure a lot of them already carry what they need while discarding what is not required. We, women like to walk with our hands being light. This is will thest warning, I would rather you not hover around and offer me your kerchief unless you want to be reported and thrown in the local dungeon of the vige," the witch hunter left and Sister Jera who had been peeking from the confession box jumped out and went to the Lady who hadn''t moved. "Are you alright, Lady Penelope? We often have witch hunters who hover around the church. You should be careful," the nun advised. Curious she then asked, "Howe you weren''t affected by the kerchief?" the potion which was put into the kerchief didn''t spare any in identifying who the witches were. "Maybe it wasn''t effective enough." Chapter 329 Approvals- Part 1 At the time of morning, Damien''s shoes made noise on the marble floor of the white building. Each step of his was poised, the pa.s.serby councilmen couldn''t help but bow at him in greeting or quickly scatter away. Having quite a reputation when it came to injuring people without a thought, a lot of the usually preferred to steer clear and away from his path. It was only the pompous ones who crashed and broke their fingers often which was thenined to the elders and the higher-ups. Someints didn''t get through while some turned out in Damien''s favor as he was always right while the other person was held to be in wrong. It didn''t matter to him, he grew up with a certain air around him which made him unapproachable at times and when he was approachable, people didn''t want toe close in the fear of his tongue. He was after all the young master of Quinn''s family, the second generation of pureblooded vampires who were much better in terms of knowledge, strength or abilities. If a person belonged to the first and second generation of pureblooded vampires, elder councilmen didn''t stop to ponder on if those pureblooded vampires had some sort of ability. Not everyone was gifted but the ones who were gifted never breathed a word about it. Walking up to the room, he knocked and turned the k.n.o.b of the door to see Lord Nichs, Councilman Lionel, and head councilman Rueben in the room. "Take a seat, Damien," head council Rueben waved his hand to the empty seat which was unupied, "We were only speaking about the recent deaths that took ce in the council a few days ago. It is a great loss that we have lost men without knowing and having the final goodbye to people," the man''s voice weighed a certain amount of silence in the room, "I spoke to Lord Alexander on what you felt about one of our councilmen." Listening to this, the eyes of the other two men in the room s.h.i.+fted to look at Damien. Councilman Lionel appeared to look curious, wondering which councilman was being doubted while on the other hand, Lord Nichs Rune looked at him as if wanting to confirm his very own doubts. "What did he say?" Damien asked, his back leaning against the chair. "He said to go send the warrant to Creed. To have a search ced with respect to see if he still has any evidence of euphorine lying in his mansion while also checking his eyes," Head council Reuben conveyed the short letter which was sent by his cousin, Alexander Delcrov. "What''s wrong with his eyes?" Lionel questioned, looking at them with his monocle .s.s that rested in front of one of his eyes. "It''s corrupted," Damien filled in for the councilman to narrow his eyes down. "That''s not possible. If you are questioning about the eye-patch, he lost his eye during one of the jobs that were beingpleted. I was right there," councilman Lionel said, not believing that they could have a corrupted vampire working in the council. The man had no knowledge about Damien being a corrupted vampire himself. The issue here was not about the corrupted heart but that he was one of the people who was involved in bringing the switchers into the council which had led to many deaths. The Council had a clean record up until now but it was Damien''s words that had brought the matter to light. Head council Reuben then cleared the matter, "We aren''t sure. It might be false or true but we want to make sure by running a check," he then looked at Lord Nichs, "Councilman Creed is a very old councilman who belongs to the eldermunity of the council. As you know to run a search warrant we need a minimum of two approvals from the four lords else the search is considered invalid and we will need to run the approval through the courtroom for further matter. Alexander has already given his sign of approval." "You want me to sign in," Lord Nichs''s lips kept a small, kind smile which was harmless as he sat in the seat, "Where shall I sign?" he asked. Head councilman Rueben pulled out the parchment of papers from the drawer and handed it to him. The man took the quill in his hand, reading the papers before putting down his signature on the parchment. He handed it back to the head councilman. "Thank you, Nichs. It is very much appreciated. The drafting shouldn''t take long. We can have the warrant sent by evening. I take that you would be interested in taking the lead?" he asked Damien. He tilted his head to his side, "What happened to Lionel''s team?" "Councilman Lionel," the man with the monocle corrected him, "Though youe from the high standing house, your words have not been fixed." "There are other important things that need to be fixed than my words," Damien grinned, his sharp fangs peeking out of his lips. The man was someone who decided on right or wrong which he found to be ethical in his eyes without having the habit to bend down rules in his career until now, "You and your cousin, don''t think you can always get away with your twistful words. You won''t be riding the same high horse." "There is more than one horse, Lionel. Sometimes you only get a higher horse than the one you are riding," Damien irked the elder councilman''s nerves. Nichs couldn''t help but cough and hide hisugh. Catching on to the Lord''s cough, councilman Lionel spoke, "All the young pureblooded vampires think they are smarter than us," his tone came out to be annoyed. "Gentlemen," head councilman Reuben stopped them, his voice rising slightly higher than normal, "I think we have important matters to discuss. You can take this conversation outside this roomter. Thank you," he added when the room turned quiet again... Chapter 330 Approvals- Part 2 After the discussion that took ce in the head council room, Damien and Nichs were the first ones to step out of the room, leaving Lionel in with Reuben as they headed out of there. "Lord Nichs, I had a few questions to ask which I couldn''t ask you earlier in the room," said Damien as they took a right. The two men walked, Lord Nichs giving him a nod while staring at him with his eyes looking mellow and soft on a person which was not what it seemed to be, "Have you heard about the alignment of the stars?" he asked him. "I don''t think I have evere across it. What about it?" asked the man, a pureblooded vampire himself where his eyes scanned the floor before going back to Damien. "It was something that I discovered a few months ago through a witch named Bathsheba." "ck witch?" Lord Nichs inquired. "Yes," Lord Nichs was already aware of how Damien Quinn worked. The man got the work done therefore it didn''t matter on how it was gettingpleted, "She spoke about the alignment of stars. Falling stars one after another in the very same line, it happens once every ten centuries. When the star fell this time, each star gave a special ability to someone. Three stars, three people but that wasn''t all," though Lord Nichs'' expression was calm and peaceful, Damien could tell that something was working at the back of his head. Figuring and dissecting every word he spoke to him, "The belief is that the ck witches were targetting the families for corruption as well ma.s.s murder in the house where these three people live." A smile came to y on Lord Nichs'' lips, and he said, "Looks like you know something. How about we step outside the building. The walls here are sometimes very thin," he suggested and they went stepped outside the building. They walked close towards the forest, Lord Nichs asked, "How do you know the witches picked the families considering who lived and about these stars?" "I am sure the ck witches have been testing out everything and anything, first killing the humans, then the vampires, white witches. They went so far as to have the humans turn to half ck witches. I say this because I know what happened and who are the people who receive these gifts." "People don''t call you the digger for no reason," Lord Nichs praised the man for finding it out yet keeping an eye after all one of the people whom he was speaking about was no less than a sister to him. Damien chuckled. That wasn''t the reason. The reason was that he had threatened and had also dug and buried people alive before. "I am taking that with the recent attack of corruption that took ce at your own mansion there''s a person with an ability there too," Lord Nichs was quicker in catching up to where Damien was going. "That''s right," there was no point hiding when all of them were ying on the same team which was against the ck witches, "Lady Vivian Carmichael is one of them. The second is Penelope, the girl you met at the market," Lord Nichs nodded, he remembered the girl. She had green eyes. Vivian had the ability to touch and see the history of an object, it made him wonder what the girl, Penelope was capable of. "Who is the third person?" he asked intrigued. "Belle Adams," answered Damien, "Though the ck witches might have tracked where the alignment of stars favored, it couldn''t point out who it was. If the death took ce parallelly it could have been considered as a ritual but it wasn''t one. They were trying to create a whole wipe out whilst killing the main person." "But none of them died," Nichs stated to have Damien nodding his head. '' "That is because the ma.s.sacre turned out to be unsessful. I am not sure what the witches are looking for but this is just a possible theory. Unfortunately, my handy ck witch was chased away from thend thanks to the witch hunters," Damien sighed. It truly was a disadvantage with no Bathsheba to take information from, "The reason I spoke about this is so that you can ry the message to the Duke to be careful with the ck witches, none of us know what they are trying to achieve." A small frown came to settle on his forehead, "Leonard and Vivian are in Valeria. They have gone to visit her brother there, I will send the message to them though." "Also another thing. In our case, it was another switcher who I had mistaken to be Penelope when I got her back home but I believe it was Creed who slipped in the switcher to the Carmichael''s mansion." "I see," he said, his lips setting into thin line where he looked pensive, "I appreciate the information you have shared. If Creed really has a hand in it, I think it is only time he departs from this ce," he said smiling. When Damien left Nichs'' side, walking back inside the building as he had other things to do, Nichs continued to walk in the forest. The snow making it unknown of his presence as not a sound was heard, his shoes sinking in and out of the white ground he finally stopped when he reached the middle of the forest. A ce where no one ever came or wandered. Though the magic where the ck witches were made sure that they would nevere to enter or wander anywhere around the council building there were still some ces away from the buildings where the councilmen didn''t go to step on. Something lurked behind therge trees, its dark robe moving across the snow, "You shouldn''t be here. It''s easier to spot you during the time of winter," said Lord Nichs to whatever it was that continued to lurk behind the trees. "I need you to follow a man. He has an eyepatch on one of his eyes. His hair is ck and he''s considerably old and friendly. Follow councilman Creed and deal with him as you always do," Lord Nichs continued to look at the abyss of the white snow which was around him. If there was one thing he wouldn''t risk, it was family. Chapter 331 Approvals- Part 3 When the warrant for the councilman was issued who was one of the person in the higher level of the councilmen, four mens and Damien had gone to bring the man to the council where he would be ced under keen observance, questioned and would be put through trial in the court until he would be found guilty or not. Everything was just a theory at the moment. Damien knew that he would find the answers from Creed. If he truly was working with not only the witches but also the switchers through which they were able to infiltrate into the council as well as the houses, he would be able to find a lot of things. But then at the same time it was difficult to get answers. People like Creed wouldn''t utter a word and would only mock until the other side of the person went through a series of frustrative episodes. This only meant that the man was as good as useless being alive and killing him would only eliminate the possible threat that could further brew in theing future. He wondered which way to pick it to make it look like the man had died out of an ident. "Councilman Damien, are you sure head council Rueben sent us to search out Councilman Creed''s mansion?" one of his fellow councilmen asked in a serious tone and knitted brows. Damien was bored to iterate it and swished the paper that was in his hand, letting the other hold the parchment of paper feebly in their hand as they travelled in the carriage. "Wow, I would have never suspected. Councilman Creed isn''t like that. He has been someone we have looked up to," another one spoke, not agreeing with the order that was written in there, "It must be some kind of mistake of yours," he said to receive Damien turn to look at him with a nk expression. He could tell that the man didn''t like him by the tone of hostility that was used with him. Damien didn''t care about it. It didn''t matter if the man liked him or not, "It''s an order sent by the head councilman. If you cannot do the d.a.m.n job then you''re free to stop here and get out of this carriage." The councilmen was aware of this sn.o.bby pureblooded vampire. How could he not, he had stabbed one of his fellow councilman''s hand, "Do you think just because you are a pureblooded vampire you can speak to me like that? You aren''t even my senior." Damien didn''t hold his breath and he knocked on the window to call the coachman to stop the carriage. "Kreme, open the door," Damien ordered the young man who usually a.s.sisted him around with his work. Kreme didn''t hesitate but opened the door right away as he sat near it. Pus.h.i.+ng it wide open. Damien then said, "Out of the carriage, councilman Linguine." "This is ridiculous!" Councilman Linguine looked baffled at Damien and the rest. It was the middle of the night and they were pretty much in no man''snd as they were surrounded by nothing but forest. The temperature outside was a blistering frozen wind where frost could form quickly on the smallest hairs if exposed. It was so cold to the point that he could not?withstand it for far too long. Especially when there was no local carriage traveling this side. "I don''t take disobedience well, especially when I am the one driving the case right now. Out," he said with a calm looking face, waiting for the man to step down, "It would be ridiculous to take you along as you are unwilling toe along andplete your duty which was handed down by the head council himself. Now you either step out of the carriage so that we can go ahead or youply with the orders that have been given. Which one is it going to be?" The man gritted his teeth. If Damien left him out here in the cold, it wouldn''t be him but Damien himself who would be getting into trouble for leaving one of his councilman out in the dark when they were in the mission. Damien should be knowing that, thought councilman Linguine. With proud air, he stepped out of the carriage. Testing Damien but without knowing who he was dealing with. "Fine, I am out," said councilman Linguine. Kreme who had been holding the door opening couldn''t help but shake his head over this man''s stupidity. If he was thinking that Master Damien was going to show him pity he was very wrong. "Good. Kreme, you can now close the door," said Damien and councilman Linguine''s mouth was left agape hearing this. "What? Hold on!" "Yes?" asked Damien, "I hope you have a good walk back home. Kreme," Damien called the young man''s name who looked at councilman Linguine hesitatingly, "Do you want to apany him too?" Kreme quickly shut the door close to the carriage. On the tap of the window, the coachman started the carriage again leaving the councilman behind out in the cold. When they reached councilman Creed''s mansion, Kreme asked Damien, "Master Damien, the man might die out of cold," he said in reference to Linguine who they had left behind. "He will be fine. If he has brains he will walk ande here," hearing Damien''s answer, Kreme didn''t know how to respond back. It was a minimum of twenty to twenty-five minutes walk. As they had stepped down from the carriage, the councilman could hear some sort of ruckus that was taking ce in the mansion in here. As if a thief had broken into the mansion. A guardsman who was running around stopped at the sight of the councilman. Damien asked, "What''s going on in here?" he could hear people calling out to each other and alerting. "Sir, Mr. Creed has pa.s.sed away. Someone killed him," the guardsman informed them, "The intruder must have not gone too far away," he informed. Damien turned to look at the men who had arrived with him who quickly scattered to start searching for the intruder. He said, "Take me to where his body is." Chapter 332 Cookbook- Part 1 The servants and the other guards continued to search the intruder who had killed the master of this mansion. Councilman Creed was a popr man, maybe the opposite of how Damien was as he was never found in the frontline of any scandalous or rumored news in the council. If he were to ask to decipher on the matter further, there were some people who fell in the very same line. Walking up the floors where the mansion was built high and wide, he stepped into the room to find the man lying near the patio of the room. Both the doors of the patio were wide open and Councilman Creedid on the floor, lifeless with his eye wide open, lips parted and unmoving but the eye-catching detail was that there was no wound that had been caused outwardly. If it were a human, one would call it to be an attack on the heart but pureblooded vampires didn''t experience this. They weren''t superior beings for no reason. Pureblooded vampires were stronger than the usual vampires and humans, given that they could die but this looked as if something that had urred in the past too. "It doesn''t look like anyone harmed him," Damien said walking towards the body and bending to have a closer look as he squatted on the floor. "Master Creed had asked the butler to prepare his meal as he was out andte working in the council," said the servant. "Was that what he told?" Damien questioned him. "Ah, yes, Sir. He said he had been tired with the council work and exhausted too. When the butler came to call him for dinner, knowing when master Creed finishes his bath, he found a shadow jump out of the patio before master fell on the floor." "How long has it been since this happened?" "Fifteen minutes before you arrived, Sir." "Hmm," Damien touched the man''s neck at first. Feeling no pulse which a pureblooded vampire had unlike the average vampires, he then traced and ced the palm of his hand on his chest where the heart usually beat. Clearly the man was not alive but he could feel a certain dip in the expanse of the chest when he ced another hand. Another heart exploding case which would be considered and added into rare disease thought Damien to himself. Lord Nics could honor with the name of the disease as it was surely his doing. Not that he cared about it, but he wanted to torture the man. He was disappointed that he couldn''t torture this one. The only people who knew about the case and warrant that was going to be issued were the three people he had a meeting with. Turning to the servant he said, "Could you fetch me a .s.s of water?" The servant nodded his head and left the room. Leaving Creed in the other councilman''s hands. With the servant gone, Damien''s hand moved towards the dead man''s face, pulling up the eye-patch that the man had hidden for years now. The color of the iris was back in color while the other one remained to be red. He was right. The man was a corrupted vampire who had helped the ck witches as well as the switchers. He would have stayed alive if he hadn''t taken the risk of buying Euphorine from the ck market but even the wise and cunning members of the society made mistakes. Damien barely cared for what was going to happen with the death of councilman Creed. The man would be put under another added case of the unknown disease which would ultimately close the entire matter and be swept under the mat. The servant returned back with the .s.s of water by this time Damien had let go of the eye-patch and stood up, leaving the body behind him. "Do you mind if I got through the room?" he would go through it anyways but it was sometimes nice to ask them to have them oblige to his words. Damien went through the closets and drawers. Checking under the bed and every corner where he didn''t find any hint of the euphorine which the man would have bought. Of course, it was never for him but for the ck witches. "Unfortunately, your master has pa.s.sed away. We''ll see what can be done with respect to finding that shadow which one of you caught. In the meantime, I would ask you to call his family and other rtives so that we can prepare and send the man away in peace," said Damien returning back the .s.s. The servant looked sad, his shoulders drooping not that Damien cared. Walking down the spiral stairs, something caught his eyes. It was a series of books that were ced in the rack in one of the rooms which came right after the hall. This time not asking, he walked forward and stepped into the room with the servant who followed him closely. Damien didn''t know why but having the servant follow him right now so closely felt nothing less to a lost puppy following him. Ignoring the presence, he walked towards the shelves. If there was something that was intriguing about a mansion, it was the books the owner collected. His eyes raked in, moving past one book after another. "I didn''t know, councilman Creed was a reader," hemented. "He loved collecting different and odd books." Odd? "What kind?" Damien continued with the chatter. Pulling out one of the books from there to read, the t.i.tle inside read - How to grow a mushroom. Wasn''t that an interesting t.i.tle. "He liked collecting books regarding vegetables," and that was strange? Asked Damien to himself, "Master Creed never ate vegetables, neither did he grow any," the servant scratched his neck nervously for letting out the secrets of his master. "What did he eat then?" Damien picked another book that spoke about onions. This reminded him of Penny. The more books he read the more vegetables he found. It was indeed an interesting collection of books. "Only meat. Usually raw meat." Chapter 333 Cookbook- Part 2 Raddish, cabbage, turnips were the other books which were present along with the onion and mushroom which he had found. It made Damien curious as to why a pureblooded vampire who didn''t eat vegetables as his servant said would have these books with him. n.o.body ever collected things that were irrelevant to them. It was always relevant. "I would take these with me," Damien sated carrying the books in one hand. The servant looked at him quizzically, "Are you interested in cultivating the vegetables, Sire?" "No, these will go to the council. We need to make sure it wasn''t what he ate but that someone really was in here. I don''t think the person would go too far away if the person really exists," No. The person would be long gone, far away from where evidence never came into the picture, "You said he ate meat. What is it from the very beginning?" he inquired, raising his brow at the servant who had his hands folded in front of him. "It has been like that since I started serving Master Creed, Sire," the servant replied to his question. "And how long has it been since you started to work here?" "As long as I can remember. My parents had been working here and then it was me," the servant didn''t know why but Damien''s question made him sweat. Was the man doubting that he was the one who killed his master? "I didn''t kill master Creed," the servant blurted like an idiot. "Says every murderer. We should collect some of your samples so that we can run the test if the culprit is right here in the mansion," Damien said in such a straight face that had the servant look at him in shock. He then chuckled. It seemed like Creed had been corrupted for a long time. But having only meat, he couldn''t help but ask, "How was it cooked? The meat." "He liked it raw," Damien wondered if it was the corruption or the nature of the man. Raw was good but too much of rawness wasn''t entirely digestible when it came to the pureblooded vampires. In Quinn''s mansion, Penny had been up and waiting for Damien. She had been so used to having him around at this hour that she couldn''t help herself but look at the clock every now and then. With her knees drawn close to her chest and her chin resting on her knees she heard the sound of the snow blizzard that had only started to begin. The whirring of the windows as the cold air tried to get in shook softly. She yawned tiredly. Waiting for Damien to arrive whilst she waited for him. Watching the clock move with her eyes beginning to droop down slowly until she fell asleep in that position. When Damien arrived back home and into his room, he found Penelope sleeping as she sat on the bed with her arms around her legs and her head on her knees. What was she doing sleeping like that? Her eyes opened groggily and she raised her head up at the sight of him. "You''rete," she said yawning again. Letting her hands go which was around her legs, she folded them. "How sweet of my mouse," Damien walked towards her, leaning and leaving a kiss on her cheek, "Don''t wait up for me and get to bed. You will look like a corpse if you keep missing out on sleep," he gave her look which told her that he knew what was going on. Even though Penny wanted to find out more about her mother and her, wanting to know what else had been hidden, she was still worried to discover what she woulde to know. The disappointment and pain which she feltst time still resided in her mind which she was trying to cope with. Noticing the books in his hands, she asked him, "What are those? Council books?'''' She knew that Damien read a book asionally at night before he went to sleep but those were too many books. And didn''t he just get a set of booksst week? "These my dear are all about the vegetable you will need to know. From your very own favourite onion to carrot and many more vegetables." "Are you nning to cook?" she asked him wondering if he had bought cookbooks to cook. "Do you want me to?" "Will you?" "You tell me?" "It would be hard to believe that you can cook. Oh, I know what will be your top dish," she said nodding her head to herself. "What is that?" "Hot freshly taken floating fingers," she said before coughing in the end. "My my, was that a dig at me?" he asked, his eyes narrowing down at her. Penny grinned looking at him, "These are for you actually. I thought it is only right for you to start learning how to cook and what to prepare. We can start with onion," he said opening one of the books, he started to read from it, "Onions can be diced or sliced, fermented to bring in vours or fried until they are turned brown." "I don''t think I have evere across a book which speaks about onion for hundreds of pages," she muttered under breath. "Here, why don''t you check what is the best dish," he said handing the book to her. Penny took hold of the book, turning it around and looking down to read, ''Circles have been one of the most important figures when ites to the incantation of the ritual. It holds down the energy which has been derived when ites to the sacrificial ground...'' This was no cookbook, she looked up at Damien who was watching her. "This isn''t a cookbook," she said looking down again to read some more lines. Damien said, "It looks like the white witches have created more than one book which has been falsified and doesn''t fall under the normal eye that can be read. If there is one thing I can say, they had a thing for vegetables." Chapter 334 Cookbook- Part 3 Penny took the other books which Damien was holding with him right. Her hands flipping through every page one by one where she tried to read and understand the bits and pieces that this was another hidden script of books by the white witches. "Where did you find these?" she asked him curiously. "One of the councilmen had these stored in his library. Though I doubt the man ever came to know or decipher what it was." "He must have known these books had some sort of codes," Penny who was done with flipping the pages raised her head to look up at Damien, "He allowed you to take them with you?" "The man died. I didn''t kill him," he added, sitting on the bed and picking up the book of turnip, "Someone had him killed before we could go check the mansion and interrogate the man. Yes, he must have known about them but he was never able to decipher and understand what it meant until now if he still continued to keep it out in the open." "Why was the man killed?" Damien had returned back to the mansionte, making her wonder how important or delicate the case was which he was handling. "He got two of the councilmen killed with some others. Also having sent the switcher to one of the houses where the chosen alignment of stars took ce," he informed her, reading the parchment of paper that spoke about breaking the vegetable and smas.h.i.+ng it with a hammer. How odd, "He sent it on the word of the ck witches. Can you tell me what the books are about?" he asked to have her nod immediately. Her eyes started to scan and as she read one after another, moving across the pages, she said, "They speak about summoning the spirits, about the incantation where you draw and mark the area for different kinds of energy. Both the white witch and the ck witch have the ability to draw and channel the energy which requires sacrificial object which was why the white witches opted out of it, swearing to their fellow sisters to say on how they would nevere to use it and taint themselves with the unholynds and words thate from there," she then moved to another book, quickly skimming through to say, "This one...it speaks about animals and other kinds¡­" she trailed, her brow knitting together which continued to speak about the animal. Turning the page she read, "Ah, spider. It speaks about cunningness and its way to trap others. The lone spider-" "I think we found treasure," Damien interrupted her, "The book is about moon signs. What does it say apart from the animalistic behavior with their descriptions." "Hold on," she started to move one page after another, pus.h.i.+ng it until she finally came almost to an end, "There is different handwriting here which is different whenpared to who wrote this book. I think there were empty pages that have been filled." "What does it say?" Penny leaned closer to the book as the writing was much smaller here as if it were made sure that everything that needed to be said was put in here. She then read out loud, her voice soft on the crackling fire from the firece, "The book you have found is not something you should have been able to find, and if you are reading this, it means the stars have aligned themselves and death is close, knocking at every door which is what will happen. I write this in a state of haste where the hour is dark and it is where the hand of the time shows to the left. We all hoped and prayed that it wouldn''t happen and if it has it means ill omens are bound to descend down thends which you live in. The time is going to be dark and I fear that nothing wille to life and there will be nothing but death." "If you have found this book it also means you have found the other sister and brothers of it. With what they are, they walk together. Where there is darkness, there is light and where there is both, there is the shadow to look for. The shadows are where you need to be cautious about." "I have been unable to burn these books as they are under the protection of my older sister but I wish if you find these that you burn them until the very ash that remains. The world is not safe where we can bestow what we have found and learned. The more we learn the more we fall into the pit of darkness which we cannot return or turn back in time." As she looked down the writing was much worse than the previous one where her eyebrows knitted together in concentration, "...The moon signs are part of every creature, witches, vampires and the rest that have been derived by nature. What we started as an intriguing subject was onlyter discovered that there was a trail of death in it. A path of darkness which we didn''t realize we had carved. Yet, we are not allowed to burn what we have found or we are unable to do so. Every sign provides a link to fate, like a puzzle that can be made use of to create nothing but destruction and annihtion of all the creatures except for the ck witches. I don''t know but I see my sister change day by day. Her appearance and speech, her thoughts which once were calm are now vtile." Penny sighed, "The rest is scribbled and I cannot read them," it was the time of midnight and her brain could not process the gibberish writing, "The sister must have tapped into the forbidden magic and had started to turn to a ck witch." "They must have created the books in their interest but it must have turned to be useful for the ck witches." After a while, Penny asked, "Will you be handing these to the council or the church?" "The council and the church has no use for it. I doubt anyone will be interested in how to cook vegetables." Chapter 335 Plan Of The Black Witches- Part 1 I already did mention: Belle''s will be the next book. 5th book in the series. You guys should really follow the notes written at the end of the chapters. , When morning arrived, Penny was up and ready with the books. Reading as she held a quill in her hand, making star marking which she felt to be important. All the books which Damien read to be about vegetables were nothing but a book filled with the secrets of the white witches. It seemed like they had created a series of books which in the name of vegetables when in truth each of it had its topic which waspletely different from the normal eye. Every word and every line that was marked in the pages was important. There was an exnation on how to create a ritual, how to spill magic on thends, how to draw out blood and track a person out. It was almost a treasure that Damien had stumbled upon when he had gone to the councilman''s house. For a man to collect it, did it mean he knew about it? Damien had told her on how the man was responsible for deaths that took ce in the council, was it supposed to be shared with the witches. If the witches did know about the existence of the falsified books, then there was a higher chance of them stealing the books for their own use but maybe they did see the books but they never got to read the actual content that was present. Turning the pages, she continued to read but there were a few things that didn''t make sense. At times she had to go look up another book to understand what it meant. Penny was sure that these books were written by the very same witches who were burnt here before the church was rebuilt. It was a mystery how the secret room survived the fire. She read the lines, ''One of the very first few magic we happened to tap to find about the forbidden magic was ''harvesting energy''. We started by cing objects we considered to be dear to us, throwing it in the fire which was reced to something else. And every time we pushed forth with the minimalistic ritual, it was aimed for a higher energy source for a greater need until the time where we reced the objects with animals.'' Penny could only imagine that in time, the witches had moved from using animals to bigger beings like humans. She studied the transformation figures, the circles, and lines, trying to understand what each of them represented. Some lines formed to a triangle while others were small that were ced around the circle, but there was always a circle. Hearing the knock on the door, she turned towards the door to find it was Lady Maggie who had arrived at the door. "Good morning, Penelope," she greeted her, "Oh, are you busy?" she asked seeing the books that surrounded Penny on the bed, "What are you reading?" she asked curiously as she stepped into the room. Damien had gone down to greet one of the councilmen who hade to the mansion to take up the report about what happened to the dead councilman. "Good morning, Lady Maggie. Uh, just some books on vegetables," she shrugged her shoulders like it was nothing important. "Hmm? Are you both nning weddings so that you both can y husband and wife?" Lady Maggie asked with one nce at the books and then looking back up at Penelope who looked red, "I take that my a.s.sumption was wrong." "..." Penelope didn''t add any words so that she wouldn''t add any fuel to the existing fire of words. "Well, I came here hoping you would like to apany me to one of the tea party. Don''t worry it ispletely safe and with onlydies who are attending it. So Damien doesn''t have to be jealous," but Lady Maggie doubted that Damien was the jealous type, "You don''t have to agree out ofpulsion. Come if you are free," said the Lady. It wasn''t that she had any specific ns today and Damien had been busy since the wake of the early morning of the day with the councilmening and going as it seemed that the man who was killed was an important person. They were holding a funeral for him soon to pay thest respects. "I wouldn''t mind," Penny answered to receive a pleasant smile where thedy appeared to be delighted. "Okay, then. Shall I see you down at eleven?" Lady Maggie asked to receive a nod. Returning back the nod, Penny saw Lady Maggie step out of the room. "Cooking for Damien," Penny spoke under her breath before going back to read the inscription as there was plenty of time for the clock to strike eleven. When the clock did strike eleven, Penny had got ready by then and she turned to look at Damien who appeared to be reading the notes she had made. With the information that was hidden to others, she had written a few things about the circles and the lines but a lot more about the moon signs as that was something Damien had been interested in earlier. Heid on his side on the bed. "Do you think this is okay?" she asked him, her hand touching her hair so that it didn''t stick out strangely. "Yes, it looks fine," he said without looking up from the sheets and having his eyes on the parchments which she had written. Penelope sighed. It wasn''t like people would take in her appearance badly as Penny knew she was pretty. With a pretty face and expensive dress, also with the person who she was going, she knew no one would question her but females were always spiteful. His sister Maggie had told that she was inviting her because it had only females in there which made her wonder if Damien was the jealous type. Wanting to test, she said, "Oh, I wonder who I will meet there. Did you know before I was brought here, I often heard about how the servants who worked in the sheds were handsome. There was also a book apparently but I wasn''t well versed when it came to reading back then." Chapter 336 Plan Of The Black Witches- Part 2 "You should aim higher, mouse. What''s with looking at servants. If you want to check out men I have a wonderful ce that might delight your eyes and be a feast for your eyes. Would you be interested in it?" Penny looked at skeptically, her hands now crossed over her chest as she wondered what he had on his mind, "Okay," she nodded her head but Penny didn''t know what Damien had on his mind. Damien gave her a bright smile, "My sister is waiting for you. Have fun, mouse," he cheered for her waving his hand which had the parchments. As she stepped out of the room, she asked herself- how could Damien not be jealous of a man? Was he not the possessive type? She frowned thinking about it. Meeting Lady Maggie down at the start of the stairs where she was trying to make her dress proper, Penny smiled at the Lady. Though she was older than her and a pureblooded vampire, she was still a person with a heart and had given her the opportunity to have here along to the tea party. Looking up from her dress and letting her hands rest on her dress, Lady Maggieplimented her, "You look lovely, Penelope." "You look lovely yourself," she bowed her head and thedy returned it back. Now that Penny had been turned into one of the finedies of the society her stature expected some respect in return too. They started to walk when Lady Maggie said, "The weather is cold. Are you sure you don''t want to carry a coat with you?" Penny nodded her head. "I will be fine." "If you say so. Come, the carriage is already here waiting for us." On their way to Lady Maggie''s acquaintance''s invited mansion, Penny could see the slight nervousness that surfaced upon thedy''s face. At first, she ignored it thinking it was nothing but when the time increased as they hadn''t reached the mansion, she asked, "Lady Maggie?" The woman turned her head to look at Penny and her hand had stopped tapping on her leg, "Yes?" "Are you alright?" she could clearly see the distress that was hovering on her face, "You can tell me if something is bothering you. I am a very good listener," she offered her a warm smile. "I am fine. Thank you, Penelope," Lady Maggie smiled back and looked forward. Penny wondered what was bothering thedy. She had been fine while leaving the mansion but right now she looked as if she were trying to cover the distress. It didn''t seem like she would tell her anything as they weren''t exactly close and were only bonding now. Reaching the mansion, both thedies stepped out of the carriage. Penny could only silently look at Lady Maggie who took in a deep breath and released it without noticing that Penny was looking at her. Out of curiosity, Penny inquired, "Lady Maggie, who does this mansion belong to?" it wasn''t huge as she had seen until now, a humble-looking mansion which was smaller than usual. "It belongs to Mrs. Cranne. Her daughter is one of my very close friends." Penny made an O shape on her mouth. Heading inside the mansion, they were greeted by the servants and the two women who had been invited like them. "Oh, Lady Maggie, you are here!" a young woman came to wound her hands around her waist, "I am so d to see you here," the girl appeared to be younger than Lady Maggie and maybe around Penny''s age if one left the detail about the red eyes. "How have you been doing, Dessy?" Lady Maggie patted the girl''s head, her hand gently moving back and forth. "I have been doing well but I missed you. I am happy to have you here," the girl caught hold of Lady Maggie''s hand where thedy let the young girl drag her. The other three women followed them that included Penelope. Taking a seat in the room, the women conversed with each other and strangely Penny found theirpany to be much decent whenpared to the ones where Damien was invited to take part. An hour pa.s.sed where it looked like the young girl Dessy was trying to catch up with Maggie like it had been years since they hadst spoken or seen each other, where thetter was true. Once in a while, Lady Maggie''s eyes would s.h.i.+ft to look at the entrance of the room which had no door.? Her face looking nervous which the others didn''t notice. When the time for snacks arrived, the maid entered the room to offer the guests suddenly a male voice boomed at the entrance, "DESSY!" The young girl looked at the man with a startled expression, a frown already forming on her cute face. He had blond hair and was tall in appearance, carrying two scrolls in his hands, "What did I say about bringing her here?" The man then turned to look at Lady Maggie, his eyes full of hate, "Have you no shame,ing here when I forbid you to enter ore anywhere near me?" Penny looked back and forth to look at the man who appeared to be furious by the mere presence of Lady Maggie. Lady Maggie, on the other hand, appeared hurt but she covered it with a strong, her hand clutching. "I was the one who invited, Lady Maggie. She came for me and not on your ord," Dezzy replied back, taking the me on her, "Don''t scold her." "I shouldn''t. She has been dead for some time now," the man''s words broke Maggie''s heart and her hands that were clutching softly slowly let go. The other women hid their vile smile which was directed towards Lady Maggie. "We are here by ourselves, Sven. You can do your work and I will do mine," Dessy continued to stand her ground which didn''t sit well with the man. "Do you think I would allow a woman like her, a murderer to be around my sister? Have you lost your mind?" the man named Sven asked his sister, ring at her and then at Maggie. Chapter 337 Plan Of The Black Witches- Part 3 "Dessy, go to your room. The Tea Party is over. You," the man said looking at Maggie, "Out of the house. You have some nerve to show your face here after what you did." Penny by now understood who this man was, he was Lady Maggie''s fiance. The man who broke her heart while cheating with the servant girl of Quinn''s family. She could see how guilty Maggie looked and sad with every word he uttered. It could be seen clearly that he despised the vampiress with his sheer strength. Finally dawning in her mind as to why she had been nervous since they had stepped into the carriage. "What? I am not a child!" Dessy huffed which was when Lady Maggie interrupted. "Dessy, it''s alright. I will leave," she said, a stoic smile on her lips which was tight. Dessy looked extremely guilty. She had lied to Lady Maggie, giving her hope in the letter that her brother still loved her as he hadn''t been with a woman, "Apologies for entering your home. I came here to meet Dessy and not you," Lady Maggie spoke, her eyes hardening as she looked at him. It wasn''t that she was dying to meet him or hade to see him. It was true that Maggie loved him despite what he did to her and out of wrath she had killed the maid. She was rightful where she was and to him, he was right as he loved the woman, but cheating on her was something that was not right and he had no right to use her. "Don''t show me your face," the man gritted his teeth. "I didn''t get to speak about it before but let me tell you this- it wasn''t my fault for what happened in the past. If you didn''t want to marry me all you had to do was tell me. I would have at least tried to understand." "Understanding should havee when you found out, trying to speak to me and the maid and not rip her into pieces like she were not a living person," Sven huffed in disgust, "What I did was cheating on you. Yes. But what did you do? You ended someone''s life." "I had the right at that time. You were my fiance-" "By words, I wasn''t your husband," he interrupted her. "Do you know what you did?" Lady Maggie asked, and even Penny who was sitting a little away could hear the heartbreak, "If you weren''t serious you shouldn''t have even been engaged to me. You had the time to call it off. But instead, you went behind my back and made out and promised another girl. A girl who worked in my mansion as a maid! Don''t you dare call me a murderer for what you did? If you hadn''t done anything like that, the girl would have still been alive." The pureblooded vampire male angrily threw the scrolls on the ground, his eyes zing red and anger, "You killed her, shredded her to pieces. What sort of treatment is that? Do you think you can cover up the crimes for what you did by lying to others? But you know d.a.m.n well yourself for what you did and I don''t have to say it to remind you what you did. I don''t know what Dessy said to you that had youe here but I will appreciate it if you never came to our doorstep." "I have no interest in looking at a man who can cheat after promising something and doing something else. It is better that I don''t get involved with you," she threw shade on him. "If you really didn''t you wouldn''t have agreed toe here. How shameful that the woman cannot even keep her own word," the man spoke back. "Look who is speaking about keeping words. You are a coward, Sven, for not being a man and not making up your mind, leading two women by your actions." While both of them stared at each other in silence, Dessy looking guilty and sorry for what happened, staring at the floor in shame, Penelope picked the scroll that was lying near her which Sven had thrown out of anger. Taking the scroll in her hand, she didn''t give it away as both Lady Maggie and the man continued to re for what had happened in the past where they held onto the bitter things that had taken ce. With iting half done from its roll where something like drawing could be seen, she unrolled it to look at the houses that were drawn. There were little houses and buildings yet the detail which was provided was quite a lot. Thedy and the gentleman continued to argue to their heart''s content which they hadn''t been able to do a few years ago when a deep frown formed on Penny''s forehead as she continued to look at the houses and when she stared at it without focussing on one part, she asked the pureblooded vampire, "Excuse me," she interrupted them, looking at the man she asked, "This- is this a new draft of the city that needs to be built?" she asked him. The man gave her a nk look, wondering what a human was doing here, "The city has already been built." "What?" Penny whispered, "Where is it?" "Ites after the border of Bonke and near to Woville," he answered her back. Seeing Penny''s expression change to worry, Lady Maggie walked to Penny and asked, "Are you alright?" "Ah, I think we need to go back to the mansion," Penny felt her head feeling dizzy, "I am sorry but I will need to borrow these blueprint. I shall return it to you tomorrow," she said to Mr. Cranne. Lady Maggie heeded to her words and they left the mansion of Cranne. Once they reached the mansion, Penny went to find Damien and pulled him to the room. "What''s the matter?" he asked her as she pulled one of the books which he had broughtst night, turning and flipping the pages before opening the scroll which she had borrowed from Mr. Cranne. "This, the circles and the lines. They match. I think the whole town is going to go under a ma.s.sacre," she breathed the words out in worry. Chapter 338 Massacre- Part 1 Author-note: This book is standalone, but the other books in the series will give you more insight on the other characters and their rtions. Valerian Empire, Heidi and the Lord Bambi and the Duke ( you need to read the above two books as it is a prequel) This is the 4th book to the series. 5th book will be released by the end of this series. . Damien sat down on the bed where Penny had spread the parchment of the town design as well as the book which she had been meaning to refer to. He looked at the architecture which was written and drawn in detail. It was a beautiful build if one ignored what Penny just said. Obviously he couldn''t read what was written in the book but he heard what Penny had to say as she ran her hand around the parchment, "There are no evident lines and circles but if you look close to the plumbing facility which has only been introduced. The houses here have been used to match the others, but if you take a closer look, they are aligned together," going to fetch the quill, she came back to mark a line, "This here, the plumbing with other facilities being provided looks like a mesh but beneath it, it forms a circle right here." "What kind of markings are these? There are plenty of rituals," Damien stared at the architecture. "Apart from the circle, we have a triangle that forms like a star. Moving from one corner to another. Have the people been moved back here?" "We will need to check that," he turned the parchment, searching for the name on who built this one. He read ''Jerome Wells''. He knew the man. He was an average vampire, brother of Elliot Wells who worked with his cousin Alexander. Damien went to the wall where a wire which was wrapped with satin that connected to the bell for the butler to know when he would be needed. Shortly, Durik arrived, knowing on the door. "Master Damien, what can I do for you?" asked the butler politely. "Bring the man named Jerome Wells here. Tell him it is urgent and rtes to the matter of the council," Damien ordered the butler. For a second Durik had decided that another man''s fingers would be chopped off like the other day. He was worried to invite a man here after what happened to Mr. Reverale. "Yes, master," the butler left right away. "If the people have already moved and the ma.s.sacre hasn''t taken ce even though the markings have been done, it means that they are waiting for something else to fall in ce before the ma.s.sacre takes ce. Did you find any other criteria or ingredient that is required?" Penny pulled the book close to herp and started to flip the pages, trying to catch important lines as she read. Her finger went through some lines before she finally reached what was necessary for certain rituals to take ce. There was just too much information here and remembering it was hard, "I found it. For the ma.s.sacre to take ce, it is necessary that it is done under the light of the moon," as it had been snowing, the clouds were heavy in the sky which made her wonder if the ritual would take ce in this weather, "The lines and circle with the star will have enough energy to draw in and cause deaths." "What are they aiming for?" She blinked, "They want to open the magic which was previously closed by the white witches. The first generation white witches had taken away many powers that left the ck witches handicapped. They are trying to bring it back to this world." "This world?" Damien raised his brow, "What other world do we have?" he questioned in curiosity. Penny had already read this in the morning as it had been one of the most interesting things than the usual theory that was recorded in the books. She had alsoe across it in the book of ''mushrooms''. "The white witches spoke about the shadows, they said though everything looks the same all of them don''te from the same ce. There is a kind that lurks in the dark, something simr to death which cannot be killed, some have evolved while some stayed just as they were. There are different worlds and one of them is where we are now." "Did anyone ever cross dimensions?" Damien had never heard about it. He doubted that the first generations of the pureblooded vampires even knew about it. Penny shrugged her shoulders, "I haven''te across it where someone has crossed it. They have caught shadows moving and that is why they brought up their theories." "Theories," he turned towards the window, looking at the clouds in the sky,? "A shadow won''t move until the object moves. There cannot be a shadow if there is no object, to begin with. Being part of the world or another is something that is hypothetical." "Do you think the creature belongs to our own world? Or the portal where the ck and white witch is tapped during the hour of .s.s?" Penny pressed her lips in this line. "We haven''t seen anything and we don''t hold any proofs to if it is true. Unless someone does get in contact and goes to the other world which the white witches speak of. Most of us are aware of the first generation of white witches how paranoid they could get." "What do you mean?" Penny had heard about humans considering witches, in general, to be crazy. Damien rubbed the back of his neck, "It is because the first witches were experimented or experimented on themselves to find out more about themselves. You need to remember that it was the white witches who started the sacrifices and not the ck witches. First came the white witches and then came the ck witches. Currently, it is like scolding the child without realizing that it was the parent''s fault. It has already been mentioned on how worried one of the white witch was in the book because their object of sacrifice went from using non-living objects to living beings." Penny couldn''t help herself but feel bad that she was a white witch now. Out of all the creatures she had turned to be a white witch, "You aren''t like them, Penny. It was the first generation of witches who came to exist along with the pureblooded vampires. You will never turn like them." Chapter 339 Massacre- Part 2 Penny and Damien had taken the parchment to the study room when the butler came in with a man who had designed the architecture of the entire town. "Master Damien, Jerome Wells is here," the butler announced, bowing his head and then walking out of the room leaving the curly ck-haired man. Penny noticed that the man was a vampire, his features humble in appearance where he stood with a questioning expression on his face. "Damien Quinn," Damien gave his hand to the man and the man shook back. He looked at Penny and said, "This is Penelope." "Jerome Wells," the man introduced which they already knew, "I heard it was something about the council?" "Yes. Please take a seat, Mr. Wells," Damien raised his hand pointing towards the empty seat at the front of the desk. As Jerome took a seat, he caught his own architectural designed blueprint of one of the towns which he had been asked to rebuild a few months ago, "I believe you recognize this?" Damien asked the man. "Yes, this is my own," Jerome answered, his expression still confused as to why he was called. "I am aware of your work in high society, you have a good name when ites to building and remodeling houses. Could you tell us how you came up with this design and what was the need to demolish the viges?" he asked the man who sat in front of him. Penny stood near the wall, her hand crossed against her chest as she waited for the man to speak. The man looked genuinely confused but one could never say when it came to the part to act to know if the person was lying or speaking the truth. She wondered if he had anything to do with the witches as he now imed to have done this blueprint but then again, which idiot ever epted that they were the ones to do the markings?" The man named Jerome smiled, "Mr. Quinn you should already be aware that we architects at least one like me don''t have permission to demolish the viges. Ites from a higher authority. The magistrate approached me asking to rebuild the entire vige and that we would be repeating the same with the other viges that need to be developed," Damien who was leaning back in his seat came forward. "Which magistrate?" Damien asked, his eyes narrowing when Jerome answered, "Mr. Grinderval. He was the one who came to me. It must be more than eight to nine months. The buildings are the way I usually build but if you are asking for the designs, he brought it to me with specifications." "What specifications were those?" Jerome gave a thoughtful expression as he recollected the items, "He said he needed the plumbing to happen in a certain way. He came many times to check if it was going as he was told." "Told?" Damien''s eyebrows rose up at the chain link that was moving up right now. Usually, the higher-ups didn''t bother to check with how the buildings had to be built and what criteria had to be used. The work was left in the hands of the vige or town magistrate who would handle minuscule jobs like this while they had other important matters to deal with. "I do remember the magistrate bringing it up once or twice but I don''t remember who it was, it was one of the councilmen though," Damien didn''t know why but he had the gut feeling on who was behind it. "You wouldn''t mind if we borrowed more of your time, would you?" Damien smiled, standing up from his seat and walking around. "I don''t but what''s going on?" Jerome asked, standing up himself. "The town you built is nothing less to a graveyard." "What?" Jerome couldn''t believe it. Penny took the time to exin as Damien was already reaching out for the door, "Mr. Wells, the architecture which was asked to be made is ayout which is used by the ck witches to start a ritual and create the ma.s.sacre. What you built was intentionally made for the benefit of the ck witches. When did the vigers move back?" "I have no clue, Miss. My job was to build the town and I did it," he answered her question as they started to walk out of the study room, making their way through the corridors and to the hall. Damien said something to the butler who quickly nodded his head and ran out of the door and towards the shed to get the carriage prepared. The couple went up to get their coats while also wanted to discuss what they heard from the architect, leaving Jerome Wells standing in the hall. At the same time, Lady Maggie who had only stepped out of the dining room almost crashed her back against the man who was standing. With quick footwork, she stepped away to meet his gaze. His brighter colored red eyes curiously looked at her, gazing at the woman who had stopped walking, "Are you alright?" he asked her. Maggie didn''t know who this man was. His curly ck hair stood out the most from his appearance and a certain warmth in the eyes that was directed towards her. Instead of replying with what he asked her, she responded with, "Who are you?" "I am Jerome Wells. Mr. Quinn wanted to speak to me. And you?" "Maggie Quinn. Daughter of Mr. Quinn." "Oh, I didn''t know Mr. Damien had a daughter," the man gave out a surprised look. Maggie in return stared at the man. "Damien is not my father but my brother. My father is very much alive," she corrected the man. Jerome smiled, "I know. I was only testing," he stated to see the woman press her lips. "You shouldn''t test or a.s.sume," idiot, thought Maggie in her mind. "Did you say something?" he asked and her eyes widened. Could he read her mind? She surely didn''t speak out loud, not thest word at least. "No," Maggie stood there, unable to close the conversation like she always did. Hearing the footsteps from the stairs, she took the opportunity to bow her head at the man to receive an equal bow before she quickly walked out of there. Chapter 340 Massacre- Part 3 Damien, Penelope, and Jerome Wells made their way to the magistrate''s office in the carriage. Stepping down, they walked into the office. Mr. Grinderval was obviously aware of both the men who entered the office. One was a poor man, an architect and on the other hand was a man of wealth, a councilman. Mr. Grinderval greeted, "Councilman Damien. What brings you here to my humble office?" "A mishap which you caused," Damien spoke without beating the bush, "Your inability to look through and confirm things is what brought me and the others here," the magistrates face fell hearing this before he lifted his mood back again. "I am sorry?" Damien walked towards the desk and unfolded the parchment of the blueprint, running both his hands on either side before cing the rock that had been lying on the table and a quill stand, "Do you remember this one?" he ced a hand that left a bang in the room. The bang jerked the magistrate from his sleepy state. He looked down, trying to remember the architecture and the architect who stood, "Ah, yes, councilman. Why what happened? Did this man not build it right?" the magistrate was a vampire who pa.s.sed an using look towards Jerome who stood behind Damien. Jerome returned it back with an annoyed look. His work was one of the top-notch kind which was many elite vampires sought out to get his opinion on their buildings "He''s built is fine," the magistrate wondered what was the problem then? Weren''t people supposed to be happy about what they aplished? He then heard the councilman say, "The problem here is he built it to be perfection. How many designs have you built? For thisyout for this man?" Damien directed his question to Jerom as he looked over his shoulder. "There are four of them," hearing this Penny''s stomach fell down. This was not good news. "Where?" "There are two here in Bonke and the other two in Wovile," Jerome could tell that the councilman was not happy hearing about it. Already having heard about hisck of interest in knowing if the vigers had been moved back, Damien turned to look back at Mr. Grindeval, "When were the vigers moved back to the new towns?" The magistrate didn''t know what was going on but with the seriousness that now hung in the room, he could onlyply to answer without uttering an extra word, "It has been a week since we moved them. Some of them were yet to be moved but after hearing what happened to Councilman Creed yesterday-" "It was Councilman Creed who asked you to build it this way?" the magistrate bobbed his head up and down. Great. The man who gave the details on the architecture was dead. This only confirmed further to show how involved Creed was when it came to what was happening along with the ck witches. It would take time for Damien to track down everything the man had involved himself with. Bringing in switchers into the council, sending to kill families, helping ck witches and it wasn''t a simple pa.s.s-through but helping them by creating towns for their own benefit. It made him wonder what the man was up to. So far as he knew, Creed had always aimed to be part of the elder council as that is what he believed that he deserved. But that was a lie. Everyone wanted power, it ran through the very blood of the pureblooded vampires, the craving which was equal to one thirsting for blood. Creed wanted to take ce in the highest seating of the council- to be the head council. It made him question if he had nned to throw Reuben off by showing his incapability with the amount of chaos that was only approaching thends with every minute that pa.s.sed. The magistrate and Jerome were only following orders and the man who was giving out the orders was dead. Fantastic, thought Damien to himself. Heading out of the magistrate''s office, Penny asked Damien, "Are we going to clear the towns so that the vigers are kept safe?" Jerome hearing this said, "The towns that have been built are big, mdy. Webined the two viges which were close by to form into one." "That isn''t the case here," Damien sighed, he then said to the coachman, "Take us to Lord Rune''s mansion. Thank you for your a.s.sistance, Mr. Wells," the man nodded his head seeing the couple get inside the carriage and leave. In the carriage, Damien said, "To even have them exit, we need sealing from the higher-ups. There are some magistrates who wouldn''tply and we have four towns in hand right now. Two in here and two in Woville. Moving families will not only take permission but also time. How long are we going to keep them away from their homes?" He was right. Demolis.h.i.+ng something and rebuilding not one or two houses but a whole town itself took a lot of money and by the time they would try to get the ordeal pa.s.sed and approved... "Why can''t the head council approve it directly?" Penny asked, after all, he was the highest man in position in the council. "A king is not always a king as seen by the subjects, at least not when you have ministers and other people who take part in what you do. The elder council wouldn''t let it pa.s.s. Some of them enjoy the drama and death that takes ce, it keeps them busy." "That''s twisted," shemented to heard himugh. "Oh, mousey, there are many other things that are twisted in the council. Why do you think I am like this?" "I thought you were like this since you were a child," came the quick response which took even Damien to respond. He scoffed. "Please. I was a wonderful boy when I was little. Well behaved, smart, an obedient child, amazing," Damien raised his hand counting it in his fingers, "Handsome." Penny smiled hearing him list out his qualities. The very narcissist, young master Damien. Chapter 341 Massacre- Part 4 When they reached the mansion, Penny and Damien caught the Lord who was only stepping out of the mansion and about to get inside the carriage. Seeing their carriage arrive, Lord Nichs halted his footsteps, waiting to see who it was, "Good afternoon, Councilman Damien and Lady Penelope," the Lord greeted them both. Seeing the seriousness, he waved his coachman to take the carriage back to the shelter as if he had changed his mind. "Lord Nichs, we have news about the ma.s.sacre," Damien informed the Lord who heard the entire information of what they had found so far. With time being of utmost importance right now, they hadn''t bothered to get inside the mansion and stood outside exining about it. After a while, the Lord heard what thedy had found out from what she knew. "As you said, the council members do not get involved with the buildings and if they do it onlyes up to the point of the funding which is usually allotted in the beginning. With Creed dead it is one less headache but with the witches, they will keep pouring in no matter how much we try to contain them," he then turned to face Penelope, "You said they used the plumbing to create the markings. Wouldn''t it be easier to remove and cut the connection off each other?" he asked. Penny shook her head, "Unfortunately it won''t work, milord. The witches in the past made the markings but after the markings left an invisible bond that couldn''t be erased. Once set it is done and can onlye off after the ritual. Removing the plumbing or even demolis.h.i.+ng might not work. Because in the future if the town is rebuilt, the ce can still be used by the ck witches." Lord Nichs nodded his head. With a pensive look, he rubbed his chin, "We can get the council involved but it will be toote by the time everyone puts in their thoughts ande to a conclusion. I have some trusted men who can help in the evacuation. Is it going to be today?" "We aren''t sure actually. I thought the full moon was today but it has been nothing but cloudy," Penny had gone through the book again but time was not enough again. There was just too much where she couldn''t read all of it. "Give me a moment," the Lord turned his head around, searching for something or someone. When his eyes caught a servant of his who was walking by, he called, "Vermice." "Milord?" the servant came forward who had only finished chopping the shrubs to give a better shape in the garden which was actually negligible as the surroundings looked bare. "When was thest time you saw the moon?" The servant looked utterly confused as to why his master was asking about it, "Uh, I think it was four days ago," the servant answered. "How did the moon look in shape. Was it full, half?" "It was closing to be a full moon, milord." "You can get back to work," Lord Nichs saw his servant leave and he turned back to the people who stood near him, "I think it is good to consider that the full moon might be today or tomorrow. I will have the two towns covered and have my trusted officials who will handle it with me. Sending a letter to Wovile and getting the lord there to listen might take time, but if you are going, you should leave now. I will send the people you need." "Will the men be enough?" Damien asked for Lord Nichs to ponder. "We will have to rely on what we have. If the officials question you, you can turn it to me. Let me sign a letter and seal it as confirmation." Lord Nichs handed the letter to them and saw them leave the mansion in the carriage they hade in. Walking back inside the mansion, he went to his study room, pulling out more letter parchments as he wrote down to the people who could rely in this dire time while also alerting the head council so that he would be aware and in the loop of what was going. What they would have to do to stop the ck witches from entering anywhere near to the two towns was to take the help of the white witches who worked in the churches. Once he was done with the letters, he twirled the quill around his hand before writing another letter. Writing down in further detail of what happened and was about toe. As he finished folding them, he called his butler and handed all but one to him. "Send it out immediately," he ordered. The butler left the room to do the a.s.signed work by asking other servants to take the letter so that it would save time. The Lord stood up, picking up the letter in his hand to hear a garbled voice behind him. It was one of his most obedient ghoul, Narcissus. Its dark and ragged cloak covering its entire body. "I have an important task for you as well. This one," he raised his hand, turning around he handed it to the ghoul, "See that it reaches Leonard and the official there." Leonard and his partner, Vivian Carmichael belonged to Councilman Lionel''s team. A team that had solved most of the crucial cases until now. Though Nichs hadn''t specifically asked for Leonard and his partner toe, he had hoped for both to travel back as they had solved many cases together. Reaching Quinn''s mansion, Penny started to pack her trunk with the necessary items for their quick trip to Wovile and once done, she had locked the trunk. "Ready?" Damien asked raising his hand and Penny ced her hand on his. "Yes," she said to feel him ensp his hand around hers. In a blink of an eye, they were no more in the Bonke and had traveled to Wovile. Chapter 342 Wovile- Part 1 They went to the local inn which was nearby. Standing deserted with no trees around or houses that stood distantly away from it, they walked inside the quiet inn. Going to the counter, Damien rang the bell which was ced on top of the desk. "It looks like an abandoned ce," Penny stated, her green eyes taking in the ce where there was no one, "Where is this ce?" They didn''t know where the towns had been built exactly and would need to look for it. "We are in one of the abandoned towns in Wovile. The town that has been built is nearby. A fair walkable distance. Thest time I was here, I came across people who were helping the town being built," his eyes took in the desk and the door which stood ajar open behind the counter. "We might be the only customers," she murmured and a woman walked through the curtains where the door had been open. Her appearance small and her back bent as she made her way and stood in front of them. Her short hair was grey in color, wearing a dull green sweater over her body which made her look slightly plumpy in appearance. "What do you want?" asked thedy, her voice in no state being polite but brash as if the people who had stepped inside the inn were annoying her. Damien ced a gold coin on the desk, his fingers moving the coin to her front as he said, "We want a room and food for four days," a bright smile was stered on his face. The woman looked down at the gold coin, her face turning a little mellower by the sight of the coin. When Damien let go of the coin, drawing his hand back. Thedy took the coin from the top of the counter, putting it in her pocket dress, "Follow me," she said, her eyes staring at both of them and walking towards the other side of the small inn. She took them to the next floor which was the only one after which came the roof. There were three rooms, and she went to one of the rooms, picking up her keys which jingled in her hands as she unlocked the door. The woman appeared to be grumpy who didn''t spare too many words for them, "The water is cold at noon. The only time it will be heated is in the morning and it will cost extra if you need hot water at the time of night." "Doesn''t the gold coin cover everything?" Penny asked, knowing well how much the coin meant to the local vigers. The lower .s.s families earned in terms of nickel and penny''s, the maximum they could go up to was by saving a few silver coins but feeding and having the basic necessities often exhausted the saved money. "It doesn''t," the woman replied back in a clipped tone. Damien didn''t bother to haggle and he handed her four more coins to Penny''s astonishment. Master Damien giving out money without haggling? Did something happen to him? The woman didn''t go far to exchange more words with them, apart from saying, "Food will be served in two hours," with that, she went back down and do whatever she was doing. "Isn''t she charging a lot?" Penny asked Damien to see him nod. "She is," he ced his hand on her small back and led her inside the room, closing the door they ced their trunks they had carried, "But she also knows we cannot find another inn unless we n to move to another town which you won''t be able to see unless you travel for another two hours. She knows it well, and right now we need a ce to stay. Staying in the town itself isn''t feasible. We don''t know right now if the ck witches are already there or if they are waiting to go there after the night falls over the sky andnd." "The Lord said he would handle it there, the two towns. Will we be able to handle the two here?" by what Penny saw on the blueprint, the town wasrge and wide. She had brought the books along with her, to be able to see if there was a way they could destroy the markings but right now there was zero possibility that she could find it. "Well, there''s you and me here. It should be fine," he answered her. His confidence was something that had to be appreciated, "The Lord even said he would send others. Right now the time is the constraint and we don''t know how we are going to stop the ritual if there is one that is." "Why not going to the Lord of Wovile and talking about it? I mean he should understand the critical time which has arrived." "People don''t trust each other, Penny. To have the viges demolish and rebuild itself would have taken a month of time and there''s also ego to consider. The letter might help a bit but we need to move the people away but for how long, is the question," Damien knew the consequences and the seriousness of the situation they had been presented with. Four towns and hundreds of people who resided in there. If they didn''t do something, people would die. It could be today or in the future. There was no time to waste, "Let me go give this to the Lord of Wovile. You can rest here and finish reading to see if you find something. Will you be alright?" he asked her. Penny nodded, "I will be fine. I will go through them. What about blood?" she asked him. "What about it?" he asked tilting his head, "Don''t worry, there are sufficient bags of blood for now. You can save your blood. See you soon," and suddenly Damien disappeared leaving her alone in the room. She could only hope that he wouldn''t run out of the blood and go thirsty for it, after all, he was making use of his ability since the time they had left the mansion... .. 8 chapters are present ahead, to ess go to end of chapter end and click on orange block. Chapter 343 Wovile- Part 2 Bring the book to #1 in power stone ranking for the week until next Sunday by voting powerstones. It''s just a 15 seconds work and would mean a lot to me. Releasing 5 chapters. . In the cold room where there was no firece right now, Penny was surrounded by the cold weather. The onlyfort being given by the fur coat which she hadn''t removed since she had stepped into this room. She had also gone as far as to cover and surround herself with a nket while reading the book of the first witches. Leaning her back against the pillow, she flipped the page before continuing her read. As time pa.s.sed by which she hadn''t recorded as she had her own work to do while Damien had gone to speak to the Lord of Wovile right now, she was yet to find out how to unbind the markings. She read more and more, and the more she came to flip the pages the more disheartening it was to think that she hadn''t found the answer yet. Though Damien had booked the room for four days, they didn''t know when the moon would show up. The clouds above thesends were as cloudy as the ones in thend of Bonke. After a while, Penelope decided to take a break. Pus.h.i.+ng the nket away from her, she let her legs hang at the edge of the bed. Her own mind trying to figure it out on where she could find the answers. It was told that most of the people of the same kind often thought and did the same way others did. Following the trail like an ant that followed one after another without unless someone came to make it lost. Penny was never a white witch from the beginning, at least not until the alignment of stars had taken ce. The white witches were the ones who had created the initial markings. Surely there was a way to nullify it. That was right, thought Penny to herself. The lines weren''t just pretty designs but each of them when connected to another line or the cements of it had different meanings and understanding of why they were done. She started to go through it again, making some more notes but without using many words. Short and crisp wordings like phrases where if another came to stumble upon it would not have theplete information. She was only reading the book when she heard some whisperings that came to reach her ears. The whisper so soft that at first, she hadn''t noticed it until it turned slightly higher for her to look up from her book. cing the book aside and sliding down the small bed to go stand near the window as she felt iting from outside. Her eyes moved across the barrennd. The trees that were still there had shed all their leaves to leave all the trees around this local inn bare. The darkness of the grey clouds and the snow that stretched far from the inn until the horizon at one corner and another corner letting her see the tower bell which stood tall from the rest of the town, she caught sight of a figure that stood in contrast whenpared to the rest of the things around. Penelope''s hand which had been holding the grill bar of the window slowly slid down on seeing who it was. Her hands felt close, her face pale which had nothing to do with the weather. The person stood there with the same ck hair and brown eyes staring back at her. A smile on the woman''s lips. At first, she thought it was her imagination. Her eyshes flicking open and close where she saw her mother standing in the midst of the snownd. She was here. "Mama," she breathed the words to see the continuous smile on her mother''s face. She saw her mother''s lips move but what she said never reached her ears and she guessed that her mother had called her name. She didn''t know how to react right now. The mother whom she had buried in a casket, cried and cried until there were no more tears right now stood in front of her. Penny was too shocked to process it. She knew there would be a day where she would meet her mother, had also antic.i.p.ated it but not this soon. She was here, realization slowly started to sink into her mind as they stared at each other. When her mother raised her hand, waving at her, her heart only sunk down further in her chest. She saw her mother starting to walk away after that which snapped her from a daze. Penelope, quickly put the books away while ignoring the papers. She then reached for the door, opening and closing it behind her with the key in her hand. Quickly running down the little stairs, she heard the woman say, "Do not run here," the woman red looking at the girl who ran out of the inn without apologizing. The wooden stairs were weak as it had been years since her grandfather had built it. Holding the front of her dress so that she wouldn''t fall, she reached the back of the inn. Looking for her mother who was missing from where she was standing before. She looked back at the inn room where she had been a few moments ago, her eyes reaching the room before s.h.i.+fting her gaze to search where her mother was. Seeing a diminis.h.i.+ng figure far away which was heading towards the forest, Penny started to run towards it. It had been months since her mother faked her death. For months she had mourned her, at the loss of her mother who she believed had loved her. But recently, since her lost memories had started to resurface and make an appearance she had onlye to realize that her perception and what she saw and believed was nothing but lies. The very life she had led had been a lie. With her shoes dipping into some soft fresh snow and some snow that had watered and turned to an icy surface, she followed the figure into the forest. Chapter 344 Wovile- Part 3 The forest which was near the inn was as abandoned as the surrounding which she had left to walk into the woods. Its serene white color stretching and spreading until her eyes couldn''t see. The figure was diminis.h.i.+ng and Penny ran trying to catch up with her mother who had walked past here. She tried to catch up when suddenly she lost sight of her mother. Her feet that had been quick in movement slowly started to fall back and she stopped, moving in a circle in the same ce she stood while trying to find where her mother had disappeared into. She had been right here, closing and in the forest. Where did she go? Penny''s breath moved rapidly as she had tried to catch up with her mother so that she wouldn''t be lost but in the end, she did anyways. With only her harsh breath that filled the entire s.p.a.ce around her, her green eyes moved from one ce to another, looking behind the trees where she exhaled closing her eyes to hear her mother speak, "You have been doing much better than I thought, Penny," hearing her voice from behind, Penny snapped herself around to face her mother who stood a few meters away from where she was. "Mama," Penny still couldn''t believe that her mother was here, standing in front of her alive. A part of her missed her terribly, so much that she wanted to run to her arms and be consoled that everything will be alright. She was happy to see her mother, whom she once admired, the same person who had looked after her every time she had fallen sick but every time she fell sick was the time where her mother had erased her memory. "How have you been, Penny? Won''t you give your mama a hug?" her mother asked, a sweet and kind smile that she had been used to for a very long time which now p.r.i.c.kled her very skin by seeing it. Instead of hugging, Penny took a step back when her mother opened her arms and stepped forward towards her. Her mother gave her a confused look, "What happened? I thought you would be happy, happy to see me back." "You lied," Penny''s eyebrows knit together as she said it to her mother. "You are confused." "About your death or about the lies you have woven into my life?" she asked, her green eyes looking vibrant in the background of the white snow and her cheeks pale a slightly pink due to the cold. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Penny knew she shouldn''t have chased her mother here, into the forest where no one came to walk or pa.s.s by it. It was a lonely forest where not an animal or a bird made a sound. Just the leaves moving against each other to cause the whispers between themselves. "I can see that you''re very upset about my death but I did what I had to do to save you from the people. Things were very hard a few months ago. If I didn''t do it, it would have put both of us in trouble," she could tell that her mother was lying and she wasn''t buying it. Once a lie was woven with more lies, trust was something hard to retrieve back. With the current record of her mother, she doubted she would evere to trust her at all. "You don''t think I would do it for fun, do you?" her mother gave her a look of heartbreak which did break her own before she reminded herself that this was not the person she once knew. "How did youe back alive?" she humored her mother with a question. "I had an acquaintance of mine to help me so that the debt collectors-" "Debt collectors?" Penny cut her off, "We didn''t borrow any money from anyone. We didn''t have money to spare which was why I had to work and get the money home. We didn''t spend it on anything. Don''t tell me we did spend it because I was the one who was keeping the tabs of how much money was being spent so that I could bring enough of it back." "Believe or not, that was the truth. It is the reason I did what I did a few months ago. I needed to talk to you alone. How have you been? I heard that you have started to live in the pureblooded vampire''s mansion." Penny nodded her head, "I have. Why didn''t youe for me after the whole thing?" Penny was angry with the woman yet she tried to keep herself calm andposed. "Because it wasn''t time yet, but now, I think it is. We can go away and live the life that we always wanted Penny," her mother raised her hand for Penny but she never came to move her hand towards her mother. She stared at the woman who once was her mother. She had loved and adored her, respected her, "I promise, things will go fine." "Just like in the past?" Penny asked softly, her eyes turning softer on her mother who smiled at her. "Yes. Just like the way it was in the past. Just me and you, our own world. You don''t have to live with that vampire, he must have not treated you well. I saw the marks on your neck," listening to this, Penny internally felt rmed. Her mother was speaking about the marks which were left by Mr. Raverale. When did she even meet or see that she had caught sight of it? "Purebloded vampires have always had a bad history with us humans. They treat us like dirt and you never know when they are going to kill you. I am d to see that you''re still alive and healthy and that is all that matters now. You don''t have to worry about that vampire, once we leave this ce you will never have to think about the awful time you have spent. Be it being hurt or humiliated in the public," her mother knew about the incident that had taken ce with Grace in Isle Valley too. Had she been following her always? Chapter 345 Lies I See Now- Part 1 "How did you know I was here? What are you doing here?" "I came for you, my dear child. I took help and found you here." "Why didn''t youe up to meet me then?" She could see her mother staring at her, her suspicion growing as to what Penny was thinking. Penny herself tried to figure out why her mother didn''te up to meet her. For someone who had been keeping track of her, she could tell that her mother didn''t know about her frequent visits to the church, nor the rtions.h.i.+p she shared with Damien. But why? She had faked her death and Penny had mourned over it. Wasn''t she supposed to go her way if that was so? She had tracked her here which was possible that it was a coincidence for both of them to be in the samend because surely she had no ability when it came to transporting herself to another ce like Damien. It then dawned on her, without holding back she asked, "Was it the spilled magic?" Her mother stared at her for a second, "What?" Penelope gave her mother a smile, "Wovile was once and which was dominated immensely by the white witches in the past. It was because the witches themselves came from the north and started to settle in. Unfortunately, not everything was well between the sisters," she looked up at the bird that chirped in the sky as it moved from one side to another side of the forest, "The reason behind the friction and differences between the sisters came when some of the white witches stood against the witches who had turned to ck witches and the others who were transforming into the other kind as they couldn''t stop the l.u.s.t which they craved from the forbidden magic which was told never to use." "To drive away from the ones who didn''t listen or obey thews which were set from the start of time from theirnds, the pure white witches left magic on thends which were spilled during the chase out of the ck witches. It wasn''t intentional and known but the ces where it was split and slowly people who were unaware, the humans started to build their houses and estate on top of it. Those ces turned out to be a piece ofnd where ck witches couldn''t step on it. To be specific, a mutated specie of the existing creature. What do you think it is, mama?" Her mother stayed quiet. Listening to what Penelope just said, things she herself wasn''tpletely aware of. "Is there something you want to tell me, Penny?" her mother gave her a look like the one she hade across in her dream. A look that said she had caught her lie yet her mother was trying to maneuver around what she just said. "I don''t know. I think you should tell me. Considering the fact that you falsified your death while you were here, keeping an eye on me yet not meeting me," Penny taunted her, seeing her mother who was only gauging on what to say and how much Penny knew about her, "As you''re not speaking let me help you with that. You are a ck witch who couldn''t step close to the inn as it has magic spilled there," of course that was why Damien had even picked the inn so that she would be safe. The sweet appearance that her mother had been holding until now dropped, her jaw ticking by the truth which Penny presented it to her. "It seems like you found out." "You weren''t very subtle when it came to wanting to kill me," Penny could hardly keep the truth in and she wanted answers. She had spent countless nights thinking about why her mother wanted her dead but she could never draw up to anything. Her mother chuckled, exhaling out loudly and looking at her as she asked, "It seems like you have learned quite some things during my absence. We should fix it, shouldn''t we?" she pulled out something from her dress which Penny couldn''t see what she held in her hand. "Am I not your daughter?" Penny asked, holding her breath. This was something that had been haunting her since she had found out about her mother who was trying to kill her. "You very much are. I am not lying," her mother smiled looking at her affectionately, "I am the one who carried you for seven months in my womb. I am the one who fed and brought you up. Have you forgotten all the time we spent?" When her mother took a step forward again, Penny took two steps behind. Her back hitting the bark of the tree she stepped away from it. "I do," Penny answered, each step of hers moving back and away from her mother so that she could keep a safe distance, "If you are kind enough, could you return the other ones too so that I could keep them closer and cherish them," as much as Penelope was hurt right now, her mouth couldn''t stop being sarcastic as she felt bitter for what her mother put her through. It had been months since she had seen her mother being buried in the vige cemetery and now that they did, she wanted all the answers. She knew that the debt collector was a big lie and it was untrue. So many weeks and months had pa.s.sed and her mother felt nothing. She could see it clearly in the eyes now. Things that she once used to ignore, the subtle indication which she hadn''t realized all those years of living with her mother, she could now see them as if they were transparent to her eyes. "What are you talking about?" her mother asked, her voiceing out to be ignorant not knowing what Penny was speaking of. "I am talking about the memories you so conveniently erased from my mind..." Chapter 346 Lies I See Now- Part 2 Her mother only smiled at her before going to speak, "You have started to remember," she epted the fact that she did erase her memory, "You are being a disobedient child again. You were so well behaved, listening to every word I said without questioning with any why''s but there were times," the ck witch paused, her steps again starting to move where Penny only moved farther away, "You know, the spell on the mind was supposed tost forever yet your curious little mind kepting back," her eyes narrowed down not liking it. "So you erased it all over again," Penny gulped the air when her eyes caught hold a bundle of a stick in her mother''s hand. It wasn''t any bundle of stick but a voodoo doll that was made for her. "I had to. You could be very rude, a child is supposed to listen to the parent but you always and always had to rebel," her mother stressed the word ''always'', "I was only teaching you to be good, Penny. Don''t me, mama for it." "It was you, wasn''t it? Trying to sink me in the water. Why do you want to kill me? If as you say you did erase my memories I was a good child in your eyes." "Because you will remember things you don''t have to. Don''t you see, Penny? I am only trying to help you and lessen your burden." "By killing me?" Penny asked appalled. This person, she had hoped somewhere deep down that her mother would apologize and regret the problems that had been created. But here she was unsympathetic about the matter. "Yes, of course. I thought we could live together, for a long time but here you are who knows who I am. Which is why you will need to die, my daughter. Do you know what is the best thing about the voodoo doll?" her mother asked raising the doll in her hand, "It will do just as you want. All I need to do is whisper some words and then you go. Poof!" her motherughed at her own words. "I am your daughter. How can you have the heart to kill me?" Penny''s voice cracked at the end, her emotions filling up until her throat. "I am only removing the burdens from your shoulders, Penny. You are my daughter and I have the right. My perfect daughter," her mother said before twisting the voodoo doll''s leg. Though the ck witch hade prepared with the voodoo doll when she found out that her daughter was here but the woman hadn''t done enough preparation as she had no idea what Penny had been doing until now in her absence, especially after she found out who she was. When her mother twisted the leg, she had expected Penny''s leg to twist as that was how the voodoo ck magic worked but Penny stood still staring back at the woman. Her mother frowned, twisting another leg and then going for the arm but nothing ever came to happen to the girl who stood in front of her unharmed. She pulled out another voodoo doll of a bundle when Penny asked, "Tell me why you so desperately want to kill me? I have done nothing but followed your words, you cannot kill me just like that." "Oh, I will and you will die, Penny." "You had all the time you wanted back then. Why kill me now?" she confronted her mother who was trying to fix something on the voodoo. "Was this something that has been bugging your mind? I can tell by the look on your face it has been on your mind," she let out a tired sigh through her lips, "You were my ticket," Penny didn''t understand what she meant by it. Seeing this her mother stopped fiddling with the doll and said, "Do you think we got to stay in the vige just like that? You were the testament to show we were normal humans though a lot of them didn''t like us which you already know. Poor you, always getting beaten by the vigers." "I know it was you who did it," Penny gritted her teeth, her hands clutching the sides of her dress remembering what she had dreamt. All this while she had used her very own daughter as an alibi that she was normal and had a family. A wicked smile fell on her mother''s lips, "I must say, you were a very annoying child. I had to shut you up, I must say though...I did enjoy it, to release the stress as the vigers kept a keen eye to what I did outside but who cared what happened inside the house. What can I say, little children, are always entertaining when ites to beating them up," though Penny knew it was her mother who was telling her all these things, she still couldn''t believe it. The person she knew and the person now were poles apart from that she would have never imagined it if someone told her the truth. "It is ready. We can start the ritual and have you gone before that pureblooded vampire notices. I must say he is a very handsome man, to even help me thest time he had stepped in here when I was having a fight with another ck witch. I should probably get him once I am done with you," her mother smiled, breaking the hands of the voodoo doll as she antic.i.p.ated for Penny''s hands to break which again didn''t happen, "Why is it not working!" she heard her mother''s frustrated voice as if she was in a hurry to leave somewhere. Her mother tapped the doll on the palm of her hand while using the ck magic on it. It was then Penny said, "It isn''t going to work. It might have worked once, twice but it won''t the third time," her mother raised her eyes to her daughter, eyes narrowed, "I am a white witch mother. Something that I acquired from father." The ck witch twisted her mouth. She knew that the girl would turn out to be a white witch if she wasn''t going to be a human but that never bothered her, "So what? You are an inexperienced white witch who knows nothing," the girl would have hardly found any time to learn anything about herself. Especially with the council and the hunters have a keen eye where no one liked witches, it would be hard to do anything. Penelope herself had ced her hand in her dress pocket who pulled out the rosemary which she held in her hand tightly, "You shouldn''t be overconfident about it..." Chapter 347 Unanswered- Part 1 Penny clutched her hand tightly on the gra.s.sy nt which she had started to carry after going to the church. While studying about the witches and their spell, she hade across the voodoo doll and how hard it was to get out of it. Most of the books which the current white witches had spoken on how one couldn''t get out of it if any ck witch jinxed a person to do their bidding. But there had been a solution to it. It was recorded by the early white witches which were preserved in a way where no one would ever find the information and be misused. After years, it seemed like it was Penny who had the ability to decipher the coded parchments which no one had read or had read something else which they were meant to see. "Rosemary," her mother said looking at her hand, "Is that what is preventing the voodoo to take ce?" the ck witch gave her a curious look, still continuing to follow her daughter''s steps where Penny continued to move away like they were ying a game of catch. Penny didn''t go to answer her mother''s question, "Why are you so intent on killing me? We have spent years together, even if I wasn''t the child you were looking forward to. You mold me the way you wanted by erasing and tampering with my memories so that everything went your way. Will you feel no remorse?" Penny''s heart stood still when her mother replied with, "No. Why should I?" A smile reached Penny''s lips, a smile which was a mixture of sadness and the from knowing the truth. Her mother didn''t care about her. The care that she thought it was was never care but a s.h.i.+eld which she had used as Penny to save herself from being suspected by the fellow vigers and the witch hunters. "I made you," there was a certain pride in her mother''s voice as she said it. And it wasn''t because she was proud of Penny but of her own self, "I gave birth to a human, a white witch who had been disguised for years which even I didn''t notice. Now that I think about it, I know why your memories camepsing back to you. It wasn''t because my magic was wrong. Only the white magic can go wrong where there are rules and not ck magic. Because there are no rules when ites to ck magic." "You were a white witch from the very beginning. Your father must have done something which even I didn''t know about," she let out a throatyugh, her eyes turning colors from brown to gold. Further changing to slits, her skin turning darker with scales like patchworks on her face and hands which Penny caught on to. The ck witch had appeared in front of her and she felt numb. "Tell me more about father. Was it true that he really left us? Or was that a lie too?" Penny questioned her mother. One of the other things she had learned about the ck witches was that they always changed their appearances to an original one during two situations. One, when they had to channel the ck magic for the oing blow to be put against the enemy. Two, when it was the matter of fear and anger, the need for flight. Right now she wondered which of the two it was. She had prepared the rosemary to protect herself from the voodoo at the fear of drowning in the water again. But as she realized that she had no other protection if her mother tried something on her then she was in deep trouble. Therefore she tried to buy time and increase the length hoping she would make it to the inn by scooting away slowly inch by inch. Her mother wouldn''t be able to step on thends with the spilled magic, it was hazardous to a ck witch which was equal to a burning torch of me. "What do you think?" her mother responded back to her question. With the way she was smiling right now, Penny could only deduce that it was another possible lie, "Your father was a good man, Penny. An amazing one actually, someone who loved me and you very very much," this changed her line of perspective, "He actually did leave us. You shouldn''t me mama. Especially when I have done nothing but protect a cub like you and have nurtured you." "Your words of nurturing and taking care falls under the maniption of your own world which I doubt others would agree to," how long had it been since Damien had left her in the inn? She had indulged herself in the books to the point that she hadn''t bothered to look at her pocket watch which she now regretted now doing. The pocket watch which she carried was lying on the desk next to the bed. "Are you speaking back to me, Penny? I can just flick your mind and we can return back to how we were before. Just you and me. It wouldn''t matter how many times your memories return back to you. We can schedule the memory to erase every month so that you will never stray from the path I have set for you." "You don''t want a daughter. You want a puppet who listens and abides by you without any question or feelings," Penny stated, her mind sobering. She built walls around her heart now so that she wouldn''t be hurt for what her mother wanted and was trying to do. The ck witch smiled, her entire presenceing to be known that looked hideous inparison to her human self. The scales on her skin appeared like a snake, some part of her skin looking dry and cracked like a driednd out of the draught. Penny had previouslye across witches on how they looked but seeing her own mother like this was a p on the face. She had imagined it or had at least tried to but nothing ever came close to how she looked right now. Chapter 348 Unanswered- Part 2 "You look at it wrongly," her mother''s speech came out in a hiss, her tongue had turned like a snake that slithered in and out of her mouth when she spoke to her, "I am merely trying to protect you and here you are putting the me on me. Come here, dear," she raised her hand, reaching out to Penny who stood far away from her. Penny shook her head, "What did you do to father?" she wanted to know about him. She had found out that he had died but she wanted to know more about it and she knew her mother had hidden the information about him. "You already know the answer. It should be there in your memories," her mother smiled looking at her. Penny didn''t know. How could she know when her mother had erased all of the important parts of her life.?But she said that she knew about it? Did that mean she was there with her father? Of course, her mother had done something. Suddenly out of the blue, her mother started running towards her. Throwing away the voodoo doll which was useless to her and used, she pulled out a knife from her dress which she had hidden beneath her dress and pockets. Penny could only put the rosemary back in her pocket before she started to run. The fresh snow that was on the ground along with the harden snow made it slightly harder to run away as she almost tripped once where there was nothing but snow there. Her boots slipped against the ground once in every while and she had to catch the bark of the trees when it almost happened. Her mother was faster than her, so fast that it didn''t take her time to catch up with Penny. Catching hold of Penny''s dress from the back, she pulled and threw her against another tree. Penny groaned when her body made contact with another tree of the forest. Falling down on the ground she flinched. Her mother walked towards her, her movement slow as she approached her.?Penny had learned a few things when it came to living life so that she could survive but no one ever taught how to handle heartbreak or how to defend from their mother who was willing to go as far as to kill their only child. Her mother raised her hand, "I thought I would be able to keep you once I returned but I don''t think I have any use for you now. I created you so it should be alright to kill you with my own hands. Don''t you think it is fitting?" this person was in no way her mother. She was never the mother and everything had been nothing but a sham. "Don''t do it," Penny pleaded with her mother to whatever she was trying to do right now, "You do this and everything will change," which was the truth. She had believed her mother all this time, hanging to the little thread of hope which her mother was pulling as the strings started toe out one after another. Hoping that the mother she?had grown up with was still somewhere in there. The ck magic which her mother had used on her had been so strong that the memories that she erased never let her know about the events that took ce which had turned out to be a clean white te. But the very te which was white now looked tattered and old. "Oh, Penny my child. Things have always been like this. It was just that you never knew what was going on." Penny could feel the cold ice that her hands were ced on the ground. The snow turning her body numb that it refused to move right now. Her mother wanted to kill her but she spoke about erasing her mind at the same time, what was it going to be? Picking the loose snow, she threw it on her mother, distracting her before she stepped rolled away from where she was seated and stood up again, "How childish of you to think that you can run away from me. I have always had my eyes on you, Penny. Always. I have been your mother, and it is the mother''s duty to make sure that the child follows the right path." "I don''t think I have ever heard a logic as dumb as what you have proposed," Penny walked back quickly, turning herself away from her mother and starting to run. She used all her might to run. At the same time, she reminded herself to practice to run faster as it seemed like she was running quite a lottely with everyone wanting to her, for reasons she wasn''t even aware of. It was one thing to know who and why they were doing, and apletely different matter when one didn''t know what they did that had put themselves on the map. Both her hands were busy as they held the bottom of her skirt so that she wouldn''t step on it and she tried to?widen the distance between them, heading in the direction of where the inn was. "Don''t fight it," Penny''s mother raised her hand, whispering something as she used the spells in the air. Before Penny could go too far from her mother she tripped out of nowhere as the roots that were below and were buried under the ground and the snow crept up reaching out for her. The roots circled her ankles and stopped her from running away. With a small thud, she grimaced over the fall before trying to move her legs from the roots that had entangled itself around her feet but its grip on her was strong which made it unable for her to move or stand up. She tried to race her mind over the spells she had learned but she could hardly remember anything right now as she was panicking with every step her mother took towards her. She didn''t want to die, she wasn''t ready for it! Chapter 349 Getting Ready- Part 1 With her mother who almost reached the spot where she was, Penny closed her eyes, trying to calm her mind and the raging of her heart which had been panicking for a while now. When she felt she was much calmer than before, she opened her green eyes to see her mother standing in front of her. "Did I tell you that your father had green eyes too? Just like yours, so very rare and beautiful," her mothermented, ying with the knife that she had been holding in her hand. "No, you didn''t but I guessed that was the case. That I had taken after him and not you," Penny replied back, pulling her leg again in an attempt to escape from the binds of the roots. "What do I hear in those words? Are you happy or sad about it?" her mother tilted her head, a grin on her lips which looked more hideous in the appearance of the ck witch. "I am definitely happy about it," They both knew it therefore she didn''t see why she would have to beat around the bush. "I am sure, daddy would be very proud of you," her mother patted her head and Penny tried to get the hand away from her. "What did you do to him?" Before Penny''s question could be answered, a horn echoed through the forest, loud enough from where it was created that had both Penelope and her mother look in the direction of where it was heard. "Oh, dear. I think it is time for me to go. I will see you soon, daughter," the appearance of her mother started to change back to one which adorned as a human, the features turning soft and pleasant on one''s eyes. "Wait!" Penny said as she was not done receiving the answers she had been looking for but her mother didn''t stop walking and instead disappeared in the thicket of the trees and snow, leaving her alone there with her legs bound to the floor of the forest. Alone in the forest, Penny tried to get the roots that had made past her ankles and now to her knees which was subtly trying to move up which made her worried. Whatever magic her mother had put here, the spell still continued even with her absence. Looking around she couldn''t find a stone near her, where ever she was now, she was surrounded by nothing but white snow. Digging her hand through the ice-cold snow near her, her hand tried to reach for any possible stone so that she could use it in breaking the knots that had formed around her leg. "Ahh!" she screamed looking up at the sky in pure frustration before stopping her hands from moving around. Where was Damien? She didn''t know exactly how this soul bond which he had ced on her worked, or at least that is what Penny thought it was. Though the bond which Damien ced was special there were certain restrictions when it came to it. The feelings could be felt stronger when the person was near. The farther the distance, the weaker the link turned out to be where detecting the partner''s emotions were hard to do. It wasn''t like they could talk telepathically but she hoped he would feel her distress right now. And he did. After more than twenty minutes had pa.s.sed Damien came into the forest searching for her to find Penny who had her back lying against the floor of the forest. When Damien had reached the local inn, the room was empty and Penny had gone missing. He hadn''t bothered to enquire as he could already feel her. Her emotions were calm by the time he had made it to where she was, deep inside the forest. To a person who would have taken a nce at her right now, one would tell that she was meditating with her eyes closed. Hearing the footsteps, Penny opened her eyes to see him upside down, "How did the meeting go with the Lord of Wovile?" she asked without going to sit up. She continued toy down on the cold floor. If it weren''t for the thick coat that she wore, her back would have frozen by now. Damien looked at her confused, "What are you doing here?" His eyes then caught sight of the roots which had bound her legs and over her dress up until her thighs. "What happened here? I thought you were going to stick to staying in the inn," he had at least hoped that she would upy herself with the books that were there to be read. Walking past her head and making it to her feet, he pulled out a knife from his sock which he often ced. Starting to cut it one after another, Penny was finally released from the roots and she could finally sit as she pleased. Taking Damien''s hand, she stood up, her expression slightly off. "I nned to stick to stay in the room," Penny stated for him to raise his brow. "What happened then?" Penny stared into his eyes, her lips pressing before she said, "I met my mother. We spoke," Damien was rmed by the fact that the ck witch had followed where Penny was. She herself didn''t know how to put everything into words, seeing the inability, Damien asked, "Are you doing okay?" to his question she shook her head. "I hoped she would be empathetic, thinking there was still a part of her which I had known since I grew up that cared," Inhaling the air, she let it out. She was far from doing okay. It was one thing to know that her mother wanted her dead and another thing to hear it from her very own lips. "Come here," Damien pulled her by her hand seeing her quiet expression where she was trying to contain down her emotions, "You''ll be okay," he whispered for her to nod her head. Chapter 350 Getting Ready- Part 2 With Penelope''s few words that she spared to let him know what her mother and she had spoken, Damien had understood that thedy was a goner. He already knew that she had no guilt or self remorse for what she had tried to do with her daughter and with the opportunity that present to her, she would do it over and over again until Penny rested in the coffin box. He peered at Penny through his .s.ses who was reading the book since they had returned back in the room. Since they had returned back from the forest she had immersed herself in finding more about the ma.s.sacre and how to unbind it. When he had enquired, Penny had said, ''She said she met you here. Thest time you visited Woville. When she was having a fight with another ck witch.'' His eyes had narrowed, remembering the woman he had helped, thinking she was a ck witch. The situation was presented in front of him in a way that it shadowed the possibility of her mother being a ck witch and he had shot the other ck witch. Misunderstanding that she was a human, he should have known though. Penelope had acquired her acting skills from none other than her very own mother. The woman had yed the part well. "I studied the winds and its direction," Penny pulled away from the book to look up at Damien, "The ma.s.sacre is taking ce not just by the full moon''s presence but the color of the moon needs to turn golden in color," she ced her finger on the parchment of the book and running it from left to right, "A full moon''s coursests up to three nights. The first moon is the formation of the moon, the white moon and then the golden moon which is the process of how it turns up every night. Though the witches can make use of the white moon, it is the full moon that allows the white or the ck witch to channel the power of nature to its fullest which is impactfulpared to the other moons." "We already have a full moon awaiting for us tonight," Damienmented to have her nod in agreement. "But we don''t know which day of the full moon it is. If it is the first, the second, third or the fourth," Penny pointed out the hurdle which they had to work on right now. The weather had been cloudy not just in Bonke but also in the other fournds. Another thing was that they had no idea if the clouds would drift away from each other. "Lord Herbert said he would send some of his men to guard the town but even with many people to guard, we don''t know if the ck witches had already reached the town and have infiltrated all around for the process to take ce. Finding witches right by barging in every ce right now is hard and it will only increase the panic in the public which will turn chaotic." "What are we going to do then?" "The Lord said that he would be sending some of thest witches who were the apprentice of the first generation white witches. There aren''t many who were left who could put in a spell to catch the witches and right now they are roaming in the town in search of the ck witches," he filled her in with what was going on. Penny tried to understand, hoping it would work, "But they will know¡­" her eyebrows knit together in a frown, "The ck witches can cheat their way out of it before the white witches even decide to make their move," it was because while the white witches couldn''t identify who the ck witches were, it wasn''t the same when it came to the ck witches. The ck witches had a good amount of advantage to fool the white witches. Their ability to detect and their ess to the forbidden magic which they would use and she knew it. "We can only hope that the white witches do their job and don''t fall t on the floor dead," Damien stood up from the chair he had been sitting on, going to the extra trunk which he had carried where he utched and unlocked it. Penny had to tilt her head to have a better view of what was in the trunk. There wererge ck pouches and she didn''t have to ask to know that there was blood in there. There were around eight to nine of them where Damien now picked up two bags out of it. Turning the k.n.o.b at the top he started to drink from it. Finis.h.i.+ng one in less than two minutes and the next one in the same duration of time. She saw him lick his b.l.o.o.d.y lips. They had traveled back and forth using his ability, it was only known that he would need to replenish his energy by drinking the blood to keep his thirst away so that the corruption wouldn''t act up. Damien threw the empty pouches into the trunk to say, "Also, we have you," he grinned tipping his chin up. Penny didn''t know how Damien could count on her when she knew nothing. "You have high hopes on me," she said when he pulled his chair closer to her and sat. "I do. I believe that if the opportunity presented where I was about to die out of corruption, you would somehow find a way and bring me back." "And what if I can''t? What then?" "Then you let me die and say you tried your best. Don''t tell me you wouldn''t," he narrowed down his eyes suspiciously. "How can I not bring you back, it would be a great offense and everyone would miss you." "That is true. I am a very missable person. Did I tell you I miss myself sometimes and then I realize I am right here," and heughed. Chapter 351 Getting Ready- Part 3 Vote using your power stones and bring the book to #1 in power stone ranking for the week until next Sunday. It''s just a 15 seconds work. Releasing 5 chapters. . The time of evening approached quickly and Penny was yet to discover if the books really held any important information in regards to the ma.s.sacre so that they could stop it before hundreds and thousands of lives would be sacrificed in the hands of the ck witches. Lord Nichs had told them that they would guard the towns in Bonke, therefore, they hadn''t taken the job and worried about it, concentrating only on the Woville right now. Though the white witches had descended from the north, very few remained in thend of the North as the hate people had against them was too much. Right now Penny was the lone person that Damien depended on. The girl was unsure if she could ace the way he wanted it but he knew better than her that everything happened for a reason. She was one of the alignments of stars, destiny was waiting for her to pick up what she was supposed to do and he believed in her. "Damien?" Penny called him as he readied himself with the coat which had many pockets and cements for the various weapons he would need if the war between the witches and the other creatures did break out. As he tucked in the knives one after another, Damien raised his brows, "Yeah?" "Could I borrow a gun too?" she asked, her hand clutching on the top of the chair not knowing what his reaction would be. Growing up with the humans, she was taught to not cross her limits as a female of the society which was ironic. As it was the very same humans who maintained distance with her and treated her like she was some piece of garbage. "I don''t see why not," bending down and picking up one of the guns from the bed where all the weapons were ced in a disy, he handed the silver gun to her, "Do you know how to use it?" he asked. When she shook her head, Damien didn''t ridicule her as a woman with ack of knowledge. Instead, the man took the gun back from her and started to exin how the gun worked. "This is how you hold it. I have put the bullets in right now but you will need to reload them after the count of eight. This here is the hammer where you pull it towards you, and then you pull the trigger to shoot. Here''s a pack of silver bullets. Do you need a demonstration?" he asked her. "No, I will test it out there," she said, not wanting the innkeeper toe barging into the room when they had so many weaponsid out. The worst scenario would be the woman barging in and shouting before Damien would shoot her right in the head. "If you''re not going to use it, uncork the hammer. We wouldn''t want you shooting yourself and dying in the effort of wanting to save the others we don''t know. It would be pointless and wasteful. I would rather have you stay safe and they die. I am a selfish man," he added in the end, "What do you have with yourself?" he asked seeing she had a few things of her own which she had picked up from the church." "Uhh, I have the liquid tubes with me. You will need to drop it on the ck witch, it will emte their skin and burn them. Will help in slowing them down. I made them myself," Penny said proudly before handing a few bottles to him. "So I just throw it?" he asked before tucking them all in his pocket. "Yes. I have made sure that even if it sts with you near it, you wouldn''t be affected by it. Just the ck witches," she exined about it. She then pulled out a set of needles that looked nothing less to a hairpin, "This will help in quick body disintegration. Make sure that you push the needle deep inside so that it reaches the muscle tissue. These are the only ones I have." "You can keep them. Will you be okay to use it? You will need to be in close proximity if you''re going to use the needle." Damien was a little concerned as Penny had personally never fought with a ck witch or many witches at a time. Taking her into the town where the ma.s.sacre was taking ce was something that he had gone through back and forth of his mind until he decided it was best to have her around in close range than have here where there was a possibility of her being lured by her mother. "You are there if something happens," she beamed like a child with the weapons she had brought along with her from the church. It was even a mystery as to when she had brought it to the mansion as Damien had never noticed it. "I will always have your back. Why do I feel like you''re excited to kill the ck witches more than me?" he gave her a look as he continued to load the other weapons in this clothes while speaking to her, "Remember, the ck witches can spot you, so you need to make sure you don''t get set up by them. Humans don''t take the presence of any kind of witches kindly here. They won''t see if you are a good person but will burn you on the spot. Do you think you will be able to handle it?" he asked with the utmost seriousness, staring straight into her eyes. "I will be able to do it. Telling this to me, you''re only trying to make me nervous," sheined quietly. "That is because the town is soon going to turn into a death mine and the city of the dead. Listen to the orders I give and don''t stray away from it," she nodded her head diligently, "I mean it, Penelope. One wrong direction and I will bring your sweet a.s.s back to this inn while having you locked up here." "Yes, Master Damien," Penny saluted him for him to nod and then lean forward and kiss her. "Good, mouse." Chapter 352 Pitchforks- Part 1 The town that was built was truly beautiful and exceptional to what she hade across until now. She had already seen the blueprint which had been drawn out in detail but to see the ce with her very eyes right now, she felt blessed. "This ce is beautiful," shemented as both Damien and her walked through the throng of crowd. The already dark sky had turned dark until there was nothing but clouds covering the sky. Right now it was guesswork if the clouds would move away to let the moon make its appearance. "It indeed is. We should get a mansion designed by Mr. Wells. He appears to have excellent skills and stands up to his reputation," Damien responded back. His dark red eyes had turned to the color of ck, bringing forth the corruption to his own advantage right now so that the people here wouldn''t be too wary of his presence. "Will the other viges be changed too as time goes by? To turn into towns like these," she asked him, her shoulders crossing to avoid herself from colliding with another person who was walking by. For some reason she could feel the eyes of the people as they walked by, their eyes focussing more on her than Damien. Feeling her restlessness, he said, "Rx. They are only humans. You don''t have to worry about them." "How can you be sure? Witches take the form of humans and disguise themselves so that they can walk freely amongst us," she argued with the fact. She looked up at the high building that they walked by. "The coat you are wearing I perfumed it with something special that the witch hunters use," he currently bit into the matchstick where he had broken one end to y it in his mouth. She wondered how safe she would be. Though the ck witches were allergic to the scent, it wouldn''t mean they wouldn''t expose her once they would find out that she was a white witch. Right now Penelope hade here knowing well what it would mean if she were ever to be exposed in thend of humans where they despised the witches to the very core. She understood where the ck witches wereing from, wanting to burn the people who hated them but she didn''t understand why they would even target Bonke. Was it something they had picked out of whim? "Didn''t you find on how to identify their other sisters?" Damien asked without using the words like ''ck witch'' or ''white witches''. As they got closer to the heart of the town, it was better to not be attacked and be suspected by the crowd. People of Wovile usually didn''t speak about it. "Nothing that I could find so far. It feels like even though a lot has been recorded down as if they were running out of time, I believe a lot of things were left out for the people''s own benefit," Penny spoke in a hushed tone, keeping up with Damien''s steps and the people who walked in every possible direction, "What is the n here?" she asked him. They had brought their weapons along with them if a fight ever broke out but right now there was no indication that there was a ck witch which they could spot. ck witches were extremely good in disguising themselves but even if they were good, Penny was the bait right now. The coat she wore would attract the needed attention. "Right now we only scout the area. Do you remember the blueprint of this town?" he asked. "Yes. Why?" "Because we''ll be needing it." Damien knew Penny had a good recollection when it came to reading as he had seen her pick up details very easily when his sister, Maggie, was tutoring her in the initial days. She had the ability which manycked on top of her other abilities and a person would have found it to be wise to have her in the council but he knew how filthy the council was. He would rather have Penny work behind the scenes than in the front and take a hit by the other councilman or other people who woulde after her. The lights in the city were put up with thenterns that were fixated in the poles to form like amp post as the night prevailed up in the sky and on thend. It turned the town to look golden in color. The city was built new but the people who lived there were still the same people. The articles of a person in the house or the clothes that they wore was old and some were ragged. The magistrate had got it approved with the word of the councilman but no one had thought about their welfare. As they continued to walk, Penny''s shoulder hit a woman''s shoulder where they had to pause. Both the women bowed at each other, apologizing as their eyes met. The woman had blonde golden like hair, her eyes soft and her appearance that looked nothing less to an angel. "I am sorry," the woman apologized. "It''s okay," Penny responded back. She herself hadn''t been keeping her eyes on where she was going and had been looking around as it was a new city to dash herself with the person. The woman gave her a nod, and as she did, Penny caught sight of the woman sniffling before she let out a loud sneeze. The woman''s eyes widened and she stared at Penny, where it took her time to realize that this person was a witch. Of course, the woman didn''t know Penny was one as she was warped with the scent that Penny was immune to because of her ability to nullify the effect on her. The witch raised her hand to hide her mouth as she sneezed again. A series of sneezes and she bolted out of there. They didn''t know if she was a white witch or a ck witch as she had disappeared as quickly as she could. "What do we do?" Penny turned her head to look at Damien. "Let her be. She''s a white witch. We are here for the ck witches." Chapter 353 Pitchforks- Part 2 Penny gave out a worried look, "Don''t you think we should help her and the others?" "We don''t have time for it, Penelope. We came here to drive the other sisters away if they have already infiltrated the town that is." "But-" "She will be fine. She was doing fine all this while, she should be doing good," Damien looked down at her with his knitted brows. An evident frown that was directed to her, "We need to find the connection pipes in the underground." Penny pressed her lips. Staring at Damien as he switched the subject to what they hade here for. The scent which was sprinkled on her was allergic to the witches. It caused them difficulty in breathing which was one way to stop them from running away so that they could catch them easily. She saw Damien waiting for her to speak, knowing well his threat stood well when it came to her being put back in the inn so that he could work without any hindrance, "There are too many pipes. It wasn''t just the outer pipe that connects to the nearest rivers but there are sub connectors that form the inner circle on top of which the buildings have been built. You will need to find another alternative." "How about your spells?" he inquired. "I have a few but I will need to find a spot to start the ritual." "What about your ingredients?" "I have them," on Penny''s answer, Damien was d that she hade prepared with everything than with empty hands like they hade to view the city. Penny had a candle in her pocket, one single candle that she had carried before leaving the inn. But before they could decide to move to a more secluded s.p.a.ce where there wouldn''t be any eyes to hover and look, there was a sound of swooping in the air that felt like the wind which had suddenly started to cut into the atmosphere everywhere around. A loud cacklingugh was heard at the top of one of the buildings where a person stood with a broomstick in the hand which stood upright. The person was none other than a ck witch, a man with his scaly skin and tongue that slid in and out of his mouth before he ordered, "Pick what you get!" For a moment, everyone was still until other witches started to zap in and out through the alleys and other ces of the town. The crowd started to panic and scream, a loud hustle being the cause where everyone started to scatter while trying to make it to their houses. At a point, it didn''t matter to go home and all they wanted was to take safety.?Some of the nearest houses didn''t care to give shelter and instead locked their windows and houses leaving people out when they approached them. While some vigers were trying to hide and take shelter there were some brave souls who came with their pitchforks and torch fire. It was Penny''s first time seeing the witches fly and attack a vige, her life had been fortunate but she willingly had stepped into a possible future deadnd a mine of where ck witches would attack. She saw some of the ck witches who picked up the vigers, some picking thin ones while some picked the fatter ones which showed how size didn''t matter to them. There were at least more than thirty witches right now who hade to attack and steal from the new town. "AHH!!!" "MOVE MOVE! TOWN UNDER ATTACK," a man cried out as he ran past them without caring if people actually heard what he was saying as everyone was busy screaming and running. In midst of all of this, Penny and Damien hadn''t moved from where they were since the attack of the witches. The screams were turning a lot as people were being picked by the ck witches, swooping with the help of their broomsticks which were filled with ck magic. "Do you want to take part in it?" she heard Damien ask her calmly. Of course, Damien didn''t care if the ck witches were going to attack him or now unlike the other humans and some of the lower vampires who were residing in this town. "You mean the running or torching?" As Penny asked this, she saw one of the humans who had gone yelling towards the ck witch had his head twisted that had him fallen t on the ground. "You can do anything you want until you can keep yourself safe. If you don''t reveal yourself now you can move freely tomorrow and wait until you decide to strike. If you hunt them today they will hunt you tomorrow," saying that he pulled out one of the few bottles she had given him earlier which she personally had created, "Shall we test if it works?" Wait! What happened to giving her an option?! Damien didn''t wait and instead threw the bottle right at the ck witch who had killed the human a few seconds ago. Penny didn''t know why but as Damien threw the bottle casually everything felt as if the time had slowed itself. The bottle moved from his hand, flying in the air and slowly dropping right at the ck witch''s feet that shattered the .s.s. Suddenly there was a st and the ck witch''s body caught fire and smoke started to emanate from her body. Though what she thought didn''t go as expected. The ck witch wasn''t burned until ash and it only went as far as to bother the witch and distract her so that others could find time to run away and escape from there. "I didn''t have a subject to test on," Penny flinched looking at the ck witch who was trying to get rid of the fire from her body. "That''s alright," Damien spoke out, casually pulling out the rest of the bottles he had carried, "This is your ground to test if your creations will do well. This is an excellent ce..." he threw the bottles right at the other witches... Chapter 354 Pitchforks- Part 3 The witches were too fast heading in their direction after three of the witches who were nearby witnessed what the humans had done to one of their sisters. The bottles he threw hit two of the witches caught fire, one at the ends of the broomstick and the other one on his dress where his flight hindered and he had to step down on the ground, "I think it works great just a little more maniption in terms of explosionponent," Damien pulled out his gun, and started to fire the ck witches. The ck witches quickly picked up their brooms and swooped away from him. It seemed like their only target was to pick up humans from the town and it was possible that it was for the sacrificial purpose. Some of the guards and the vigers fought the ck witches but their pitchforks weren''t of much use nor was the fire. The one that caught fire earlier in the tail of the broom didn''t work well and the ck witch couldn''t fly well. Pulling her own weapon which was the jagged knives which were thrown continuously, Penny and Damien had to move away which they did but in different directions. The knives were too fast that appeared like raindrops that were moving in the atmosphere. Penny could no longer stand idle as few of the ck witches who were flying up in the airnded down on the ground by bringing the broomsticks down. Using the movements of their hands, they moved it whispering in the wind while pointing at people who flew right across the buildings to fall down one after another. Damien was busy shooting the witches without holding back, his expression nk as he tried to get one after another. The starting few ck witches didn''t realize that there was a person in Wovile who had upgraded weapons that could not just injure the witches but kill the ck witches. Once they realized it was all about ying hide and seek. There were the ck witches, humans, Damien, and Penny to fight. Penny was watching Damien and the other fight while taking a deep breath, readying herself to join in the fight as it was now or never. Having never been caught in this kind of situation before, she was giving herself a mental pep-talking when one of the ck witch who had caught sight of her had already sneaked right behind her, "h.e.l.lo there," she quickly snapped her head around toe in face of a beautiful orange-haired woman. Her smile brighter than the sun itself but Penny doubted that the woman had ever been in the sun looking at her pale skin. She was another ck witch, "What are you doing here instead of running away?" the ck witch walked forward, pus.h.i.+ng her closer towards the alley which was darker with no lights. "There is something I need to test," Penny had her hands in her back, her hand clutching on the little bottle as well as the needle. The ck witch had a sneer on her face, her eyes looking down at Penelope judgingly, sniffing her as her eyes red in anger, "You must be brave to be wearing Grinver all over yourself if you think that will help you stay alive," so that was what it was called, Penny made a mental note. Her footsteps continued to go one step back to another while keeping her ears alert as she didn''t want another witch creeping behind her. "It is a beautiful perfume," Penny replied to her annoyedment, "Do you want one?" I have some of them back home which I could share with you if you want," she offered the ck witch. "I will be very pleased after tearing you into pieces," the ck witch gave her a brighter smile again, her eyes holding madness which wasn''t going to be good realized Penny. "Do you know who I am?" Penny tried to intimidate the ck witch. Most of the times it worked with the humans she had lived to scare them away as if she were the daughter of some rich family even with the clothes that she wore but then the vigers never came out of the sh.e.l.l or never got to see the elite society to know who or how they looked. "A witch hunter?" the ck witch asked, How ironic, thought Penny to herself, "Or the daughter of Lord Herbert? But then the man has no children. Enough of chitchat, I care less," she raised her hand, muttering something and just when she swished her hand Penny moved away as quick as she could to hear the trash can that was behind her rumble against the walls. Penny had made the bottler herself, if the ck witch could manipte the energy around them by the spells, surely she could do too. Removing the small bottle which could fit in her hand, she muttered some of the spells without moving her lips so that the ck witch wouldn''t know. Combing the spells along with the bottle, she threw it at the witch to have the intensity and volume of the fire increase dramatically. Like her, the ck witch had moved away from the fire. The ck witch started to continuously spin her hand pointing at Penelope where she had to dodge it over and over again without getting an opportunity to breathe or take rest. As time pa.s.sed by, Penny had run in the opposite direction of where Damien was. When the witch did catch up, she caught hold of hair making her wince. The nails of the ck witch dug deep into her arm to stop her further which was when Penelope cried out in pain. Thest time she had felt this pain was when she had stepped on the iron nail. She pushed the ck witch away but the person was much more experienced than her which put her on disadvantage. Taking the pin in her hand, she stabbed the ck witch. Pus.h.i.+ng the needle until it had gone deep into her skin. Both the witches fighting with each other, she kicked the ck witch so that she could create some s.p.a.ce. Her hands searching for the gun which she had ced inside. Once she did create a sessful gap, the witch raised her arm to look at the flimsy needle, "How childish of you to think a needle will hurt me," sheughed, cackling with her appearance turning one to its pure form when she realized something was wrong. Herughs stopped and she raised both her arms to look at the change, "Why am I not able to change?!" As if realization hit her, she red at Penelope. "It was good to have you like my test subject," the witch started to scream as her hands and other parts of her body started to disintegrate and turned to nothing but dust, letting the needle drop on the ground. Chapter 355 Witches- Part 1 With Penelope who had been chased into the alley, not many witches caught her as many were fighting out in the open, loving to sabotage the newly built down by turning it into a mess. When they finally left, the town had turned quiet and deserted. Most of the people had got inside their houses, some who were out and some who were on the ground dead. The ck witches who had tried to abduct people had been unsessful as the Lord of Wovile had sent out his men to the two towns after having the talk with Damien. Making her way back to Damien where he himself hade in search of her, he saw her hand bleeding, "You''re hurt," he said pulling her other good arm. Seeing no one was there, Damien was going to transport them back to the inn when one of the doors in the building opened. Light creaked out from the open door, leaving the surrounding dark. When the door opened further, they saw it was none other than the woman who Penny had dashed earlier. The white witch. "You need to disinfect the wound," she said, her voice quiet. Her eyes looked at the couple who stood outside, saying, "I can help." Penny looked at Damien who stared at her for a second, "Okay," he said and they got inside the house with the door closing behind them. The house looked empty. There were hardly a few things in here. A mattress was ced in the corner of the room. A few utensils in the kitchen and that was it unless one considered the twonterns to increase the number of objects in here. "I thought you were hunters until I saw you kill the ck witch," the woman spoke. With the minimal things in the house, Penny wondered if the woman had no family. If there was one thing she had noticed it was that the white witches lived a lonely life with no family with them. It was very rare to find a family. Their biological families were often killed which left them alone to walk a path where they had to hide from others. Damien didn''t speak a word when the woman looked at him, instead, Penny took a turn to speak to the white witch, "How often do the ck witches attack here?" she asked. Damien had taken himself to walk near the window, having his back facing them. Penny noticed the way the woman''s eyes followed him, her eyes slightly holding l.u.s.t at the sight of him. She wasn''t sure how to react to it. It was the very first time since she had acknowledged her feelings that she had to go through someone else eyeing him. Back in time, she had never bothered about it but right now, she wasn''tfortable with it, not to forget that thedy standing in front of her was beautiful. And even though she was beautiful, she didn''t like the fact that she was eyeing him right now while talking to her. This white witch was shameless, thought Penny with narrowed eyes. At the same time, she reminded herself to be nice. The woman had offered to help her and it would be rude to call her shameless. Would it? She asked herself in her mind. "You should know it better. Can you please take your coat off?" she said looking at the b.l.o.o.d.y coat near her arm, "The town was built very recently and we vigers moved back to take shelterst week. This was the first attack after months," she answered Penny''s questions. "Oh," that was logical, thought Penny to herself. She removed the coat from her body to reveal the deep wound which was caused by the ck witch''s nails. The blood was still fresh and so was the wound, "This is my first time here in Wovile." "Is that so? I hope you enjoy your stay better than-" suddenly a gun was shot out of the blue, her ears ringing from the sound of it. Penny gave out a startled look to see the woman who had been holding a bowl in her hand to drop it on the ground. Her body appeared to look like a frozen statue as she had stopped talking with the bullet that had made its way to the side of her head. The woman fell down t her body sprawled on the floor. What just happened?! "What-why did you kill her?" Penny asked shocked. "She isn''t whom she appeared to be," Damien said putting back the gun behind his back. "Is she a ck witch?" but that couldn''t be. The reactions for the ck witch and the white witch when it came to the perfume slightly varied where the ck witches'' true form revealed by taking a sniff oring in contact with it while for white witch it took time as they had no other form to transform to. "No, she is a white witch. Do you know that amongst the good there are also bad? She was going to poison you," he walked towards the woman, pus.h.i.+ng the bowl with his feet, "There are a few very few white witches who live here. And if they are still on thesends, they are in the churches because of the current conditions and situations. If this thing dissolved itself in the wound you have, you would shortly be lying here like this with her." With little mercy or sympathy, Damien pushed the woman with his boot to have her body face up the ceiling. "Did you know from the beginning?" she asked bbergasted by this revtion. "It was the scent. It is made of certain poisonous flowers. The first time I met Bathsheba, she had tons of it and I traded her life of execution with my own terms of information," Penny couldn''t believe that there were white witches who were setting up their own kind to death and here she was sympathizing the woman for theck of family. The dead woman''s eyes looked empty and hollow as she stared up at the ceiling where the soul had pa.s.sed and left an empty sh.e.l.l behind. It seemed like they could trust none here. Penny asked him, "What now?" Chapter 356 Witches- Part 2 He gave a look at the dead body and then at Penny, his eyes falling on her arm where the ck witch had pressed and pierced her nails purposely into Penny''s skin. The ck witch must have got a whiff of her being a white witch which was why she had used her nails. The nails of the ck witches were not only septic but also infectious. It was one of the ways to ink the white witches so that they could slowly turn to their side of lifestyle and join them finally. It was a dirty move by them who enjoyed inflicting wounds and trying to corrupt the good witches. Going to her, Damien took her hand, "Did the ck witch say something?" he asked her. "She didn''t like my perfume," Penelope replied to have Damien nod his head. "I think you smell rather lovely," he then continued to say, "She was right about the infection, we need to remove it right away if we don''t want you turning like your mom," bring her hand close to his mouth as he leaned forward, his mouth covered the wound and he sucked out the blood out of from there. Sucking and spitting the blood which had turned ck. Even Penny couldn''t believe how her blood had turned ck in such a short duration of time. Damien kept repeating the process of sucking her blood out until the color of blood started to diminish from being ck and started to turn red. Baring his fangs, he sank his teeth into her hand and drank the blood. "Wait!" wasn''t it going to affect him? Penny looked at him worried. When he was done drinking a little amount of blood from her, he pulled away. Licking his lips that had blood on it, "Their nails are infectious only to the sister white witches, not vampires or humans. I will be fine." Damien looked down at the body of the white witch along with Penny, the person lying t on her back expressionless. Only Damien would know the difference between the right and wrong of the witches as he was used to being around them, they were one of the main sources when it came to retrieving information. "We need to fix the body," Damien responded to her earlier question. Now that the ck witches had left the town, they could hear the town people shouting and screaming. Penny nodded her head. In normal circ.u.mstances, she wouldn''t have agreed and would have spoken about having to fetch someone for help but right now help was not only scarce but nonexistent. "I will carry her legs," Penny offered to help so that he could hold the other side of the woman. "The bodies of the witches will only get heavier in time. Leave it to me," he said, bending down and pulling the dead person before he put her over his shoulder. In the meantime, Penny opened the door of the house, putting her head to check the s.p.a.ce was clear of any who would be pa.s.sing by, "How does it look outside?" she heard Damien ask her. Turning behind she said, "It looks clear. I think most of them have headed towards the center where the fight took ce. Where are we going to put her?" "In the local cemetery," he answered, walking towards the door and pus.h.i.+ng it open, "Hurry quickly. We need to leave before someone catches us as one of the ck witches'' allies." Penny pulled the door close, hearing the sound of a click and hoping no one would notice the white witch''s disappearance. Keeping up with Damien, she walked next to him, their footsteps quick as they saw themselves out of the town. Leaving the buildings behind, Damien and Penny continued to walk, pa.s.sing by the cemetery when Penny asked, "We pa.s.sed by the cemetery," Penny reminded him just in case he was consumed in thoughts. "I have a better ce to bury her. Do you know how who visits the cemetery often?" he asked her casually as if they were not having a dead body with them. "Families of the dead or people who miss them?" "Yes but there are strangers who visit too. We used to have this children''s book when we were kids. Books that were stupid and some that were intriguing. There was a story about how the cemetery was guarded more than the local guard," how interesting, thought Penny to herself. The ce she came from, children were told about prince and princess and here Damien had grown up with children''s books which had death and cemetery in it. She heard him continue, "The story spoke about a greedy vampire who didn''t like to spend money and instead loved to take others'' money. He didn''t care about anyone. When the man died he was ced with his pot of gold and buried in the cemetery of his vige. But some who didn''t like him dug out his grave took out the gold and money but did more than that." Penny didn''t know why she had the feeling that she wasn''t going to like the way the story was going to go, "What did they take?" she asked him anyways out of curiosity. "They took away his bones. The witches," he answered, walking down the empty road with her, "It was told that the vampire''s soul was very angry and he decided to avenge the humans and witches very sleep in the grave. And then came another ent.i.ty, to bnce the world." "We are helping that ent.i.ty by hiding the body elsewhere?" Damien was being sympathetic and helpful? She needed someone to ssh water on her face and she smiled. "Of course, not. This is so that the witches don''t get a sniff of the white witch who was helping them. It is better to have her buried elsewhere. There''s a church that has been abandoned for years. No one goes there in the fear of ghosts," the body hanged on Damien''s shoulder which Penny gave a nce. "Speaking about ghosts, did you hear something from the butler?" Chapter 357 Quiet Inn- Part 1 Arriving at the abandoned church, Penny pushed the door which was closed while the other was left open and broken at the same time. It looked nothing less to a ruin that was left after some great event that must have taken ce back in the time of history. Stepping inside, with her hand that had touched the dusty church door, she wiped it off her bottom skirt. The sky was still cloudy and it didn''t look like the ritual would take ce today. It was safe to say that the witches wouldn''t enter again as they had already attacked the town once. Penny''s eyes scanned the worn out building which looked broken mostly, the windows were not intact some with the windows and some without the windowpane in it. There was snow on the floor where the ceiling was broken and the other side was filled with cobwebs. "How do you know of this ce?" she asked still taking in the church they had entered. There was no cross at the chapel and it looked as if someone had stolen it purposely. "I came here when I was stuck in Wovile," Penny remembered the time when Damien was away and she was stuck with Grace and his step-mother. Those were some days, she thought to herself, "You will find some more corpses if you open the confession box," she didn''t know if he was warning her or he was only stating what had happened. She heard the sound of the body falling on the ground when he dropped the dead witch on the floor. "Why did you kill them?" she watched Damien crack his neck. He rubbed his hand around the back of his neck, looking at the church, "They were little pests who wanted to kill me after noticing my corruption," it made her wonder how bad things had turned when he was here. Damien wasn''t able to use his ability to return back, at least not for some time due to spilled magic. With Grace dragging her out, they hadn''t spoken much on what happened during his time here and had instead spoken about her time. "I thought only the colors of your eyes changed." "My teeth and my l.u.s.t came out when I was feasting on a woman which I left behind. I didn''t know someone had followed me. And they were all witch hunters. Most of the witch hunters origin from Wovile which is why you will find witches very rarely not only because they are burnt but also because they are chased away while also the white and the ck who side with each other," once he was done stretching his back, he took the dead witch by her hand, dragging her back as he walked ahead near a cupboard looking ce. When he opened it, Penny''s eyes widened. Therge cupboard at the side which must have been used for other holy purposes now had dry corpses in it. One body after another body whichid on top of each other. It looked as if their soul was sucked dry, not only that the body had turned to like as if it had undergone draught where the water content had been sucked out of them.?There was a pungent smell in the air due to opening the cupboard which had the dead bodies. Penny didn''t ask Damien but the man went to continue while pus.h.i.+ng the white witch into the cupboard while making s.p.a.ce in it, "They were quite persistent when wanting to kill me. It is very rare someone gets out of the situation once they are found with their heart corrupted. I don''t know what thisnd did but I think it only maximized what I am. Unleas.h.i.+ng the raw strength thates with being corrupted. You see when a person gets corrupted he or she loses their sanity. There is no right or wrong, with no emotions. Weck emotions at that time," pus.h.i.+ng the sliding door shut, he turned to look at Penny where his eyes were red now, "They have no rationality which puts them at a disadvantage. Anyways, I drank all of their blood. I was very thirsty back then and once I had all the blood I needed, I got back home," he concluded, walking past her to fetch something behind her. He drank all the blood? Penny''s eyes gradually moved as her head turned to look at Damien who pulled out something from behind the garbage that had turned out to be with leaves and multiples desks that were pushed and put on each other while turning the inside of the church bare except for this heap in here and the few cupboards that were lined at the walls. Bringing a dusty book that was stuck in there, he asked her, "What do you see?" ncing down at his hands where he had raised the book, she said, "Holy Biblical scriptures," she said for him to nod, "What happened?" "Just checking. We don''t know when we will catch another book in time again which has been ced under the deceiving spell of the eyes," Dropping the book t, he ced his hand on her hand and in a blink of an eye they had moved from the church back to the local inn. "Let me go see if missed dinner," he announced after hearing her stomach growl. "What time is it?" Penny asked, her hand reaching out to the pocket watch and flipping it open where the time continued to tick its way forward. It was past nine. Time had pa.s.sed so quickly. They had left the inn around six something and they had spent three hours out in the town, "Will the food be provided?" they had paid for it with a gold coin but local vigers and innkeepers usually had fixed time and had their dinner early so that they could retire to bed early. "Let''s ask thedy herself," Damien said, his hand reaching out quickly to open the door to have the innkeeper who standing there at the front of their room. Chapter 358 Quiet Inn- Part 2 The woman stood there with eyes that had a certain kind of annoyance even though it was her who hade at their door. How long had she been standing there? It had been less than two minutes since they had returned back to the inn. ording to thedy they had been in here since they had returned back from the forest after Damien hade in search of her. "I have been knocking at the door for the past hour. Will you be eating or shall I throw the food?" the innkeeper asked Damien. "Will you be making another one?" Damien asked to see the annoyance increase on the elderly woman''s face, "We''ll have porridge. Don''t add anything. We need it nd," he ordered the woman. Damien raised his perfectly raised brow in question when he didn''t see the woman going to get them the food. The innkeeper took a step back and walked down the stairs. Something caught Damien''s ears and he peeked out of the room to see the other two doors next to their room was shut close. Leaning back into the room, he heard Penny ask, "What happened?" She padded across the room, going to step next to him and leaning forward to see the inn quiet as if everyone had gone to sleep and they were the only ones who were awake at this hour with the rest of the party who had gone to sleep. Which was if they hadpany. "Our neighbors appear to be eavesdropping. How sneaky of them. I should probably give them a visit," he said, ready to apparate into the room yful when Penny caught his arm. "Do you need to disturb them?" "Why not? If they are awake and have time to eavesdrop I would say it is only wise to go pay them a polite visit," he beamed with a wide smile. "Wait, Dami-" before she could utter his namepletely, Damien had disappeared in thin air leaving her alone in the room, "Damien," she sighed worriedly. He was going to startle them with his presence confusing them on how he broke into the locked room. She quickly went and closed the door not wanting the innkeeper to return and see Damien, not in the room. Damien on the other hand who had apparated to another room stared at the nothingness in the room. There was nothing in here. No bed, no desk, no table, not a single furniture or object where the room had left to be in and empty. How peculiar, he thought walking softly and to move to the next room which was the same. It looked like they were the only guests in the inn. It wasn''t much surprise that it was so as the inn itself was built far away from the towns, standing between the forest and the barrennd. He was back in the room on time when the innkeeper arrived with the porridge which was made earlier. The innkeeper before leaving said, "The food won''t be served tomorrow at breakfast after nine." "Of course, madam," Damien used a thick ent to reply her back and closed the door after she turned to leave the room. Turning to Penny, he said, "I don''t think she likes guests." "Yeah, I don''t think so too. Do you think we skipped her sleep time?" "Who cares. She took the gold coin. You take the gold coin, youplete the service. I wouldn''t mind taking the coin back," he shrugged his shoulders which reminded her of the thrifty Damien Quinn. "Sometimes you make it look like you''re a very poor man. Haggling like one of the women in the market for vegetables and fruits." "How s.e.xy of you to perceive me. I am the ideal husband, don''t you think so? You won''t have to worry about your husband being a drunk, gambling his money," there was a smugness on his face which didn''t wipe away as he looked at her, "Your future will be bright. At least brighter than the weather of Bonke." "How romantic," Penny reached for the bowl which he was holding in his hand, taking it and starting to eat.?She had by now stuffed herself with the food. It didn''t matter if the food was nd as she was hungry. Though Penny didn''t show it out, holding back her expression but his words warmed her heart. There had been people out of the vige who had tried to pursue her but after hearing some of the untrue rumors from the vige she lived in they never showed up in front of her. Penny wasn''t lonely as she had a mother with her back then to look after her but at the same time, she had started to let the reality sink into her mind that no one around the mile or radius would ever take her as his wife. No man had ever spoken this confidently about wanting to have a future with her as Damien did. It was because they weren''t Damien Quinn. The next day again, both Damien and Penny took rounds around the two towns. They didn''t meet any white witches, neither did anyone suspect of the white witch who had gone missing. Even if they did, the humans were unaware and it was the witches who would be looking for the missing person, who was dead and in the cupboard of the abandoned church. Searching for a loophole in the marking so that the marking could be nullified and be of no use to the ck witches or the white witches who were involved. The second day neither did the moon appear nor the ck witches to attack the town and with that, they went back to the inn where they had taken shelter. After their untimely meal again and checking the sky before heading to bed, both Damien and Penny went to bed to rest as their day would be busy again tomorrow. The inn was quieter than the mansion as the waves didn''t crash against the hill or the mansion itself which was built near to it. During the hour of three in the morning, Penny was woken up due to the sudden heat that she felt around her and the smell of something being burnt in the room. Her eyes opened groggily, trying to get rid of the sleep which had fallen heavy on her eyes until she caught the mes that surrounded them. Snapping her eyes open, she sat up as the fire filled the room and the me around them which was raging angrily. Penny turned to look at Damien who was fast asleep. Confused and worried, she shook him, "Damien! Wake up!" she pushed his shoulder back and forth but he didn''t wake up... Chapter 359 Blazing fire- Part 1 Music:MISSIO - Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea When Penny woke up she was surrounded by mes all around her. Damien didn''t wake up no matter how much she tried to shake him. "Damien!" she shouted over the raging fire but it was to no avail. Stepping down from the small bed, she went for the door, shaking the handle as it appeared to be locked. She used her leg, trying to kick the door but the fire kept hovering in front of her which made it difficult for her to kick it as the fire only increased as time increased. Screamed loudly, trying to bring the innkeeper''s attention but she doubted anyone could even hear with what was going on right now. It was possible that the entire inn was caught up in fire and it had eventually caught up to the room they were in. Thentern had been closed before they had fallen asleep therefore it was unlikely that the fire was caused by their room. Going again to Damien who looked as if he was fast asleep, she pushed him back and forth. Trying to wake him up this time harder but he never woke up no matter how much she tried. For a second she turned scared and worried. Leaning forward, she ces her head on his chest to hear his heart still beating. Though vampires didn''t have a heartbeat, the pureblooded had a heartbeat very much like the humans where they had the core that kept them alive. She didn''t know what happened. Everything had been fine. She would have suspected the food but she was fine. It couldn''t be that the food they had eaten for dinner had affected only him, could it? It didn''t look like the fire would stop until it burnt the whole inn to ashes and if she wasn''t able to get out with Damien before that, it was possible that they would be the two corpses out of the three which included the innkeeper unless they had more guests. She walked to the window, considering that the door wasn''t opening and was jammed, this was one of the ways they could get out. Knowing well the fall would be bad if they did make it out of the window. When she opened the window, the fire only increased making it impossible for her to move closer to it. She used the nket to wave it off but that didn''t work. Of course, it wouldn''t! She was only increasing the fire by doing it. She looked around her before her eyes went wide and she ran towards the desk where the books had been ced. Given that she hadn''t ced all of them there as most of them were in the bag, there were the two books that were left half burnt. Time didn''t help as it continued to move and the fire was only getting closer to them. Burning the wood above, below and around them. At this point, she wished desperately that she had the element of water so that she could extinguish the fire from the inn. Why wasn''t Damien walking up though? She went back to him, picking up his pulse near his neck where his heart was low or was it now that it had dropped? It had been fine a few seconds ago when she had checked his chest. Worry filled her face now and the panic was slowly getting her nerves where her mind froze and she didn''t know what to do. She tried recollecting some of the spells and even though she had learned a fair amount of them, there was nothing she felt that could be used. Finding a jug of water, she brought it to where Damien was and scrunched her face before throwing the water right over his face but that didn''t work either. His eyes had been fine thest few days and his corruption hadn''t acted out, not that she had picked on any strange behavior of his. When she again went to the window, the fire there had decreased. Taking the opportunity, she rolled Damien from the bed to move him near the window. Unfortunately, the person who had the ability to apparate was unconscious leaving the person without any important ability behind, which was her. The elemental bearer who was supposed to bestow her with the power to handle and control water had rejected her saying how she wasn''t an elemental bearer which only left her with purification. Pushing him forward, she helped Damien to get down on the floor. If their room was under fire, it was possible that walking down the stairs even after breaking the door was not going to be a good idea. It was a cheap and lonely inn that was made out of wood and not stones to not catch fire. The window was their closest outlet. She took a deep breath, her eyes looking through the window which she had opened to see some people standing out there. There were three of them in different positions. Their clothes were dark that almost camouged with the background if it weren''t for the snowy ground that they were in. And one of them was none other than her mother who stood out there watching her who stood at the window. She stared at her and Penny stared back at her. Why? Penny didn''t understand why things were happening as her mind was still under panic. It was when she caught sight of another person who had a stick with him, drawing something from one end to another did she realize what the fire was about. ''Rituals can be of many forms and have different purposes. There are some rituals that go hand in hand where it can increase the possible energy to channel through but rituals have been something that has been advised to not take ce in multiple ces as it only increases the chance of the magic to friction together and steps into the zone of forbidden magic.'' Penny gulped, her hands turning colder when she saw the man was done drawing the line which wasn''t a line but a supposed circle to withhold the massacre which had been started. Chapter 360 Blazing Fire- Part 2 They were turning the very inn to a ma.s.sacre ce too. After five seconds, she caught sight of the innkeeper, who walked outside the circle. Bringing a knife and cutting her hand as blood was spilled inside the circle which was marked. The innkeeper must have added something such that the food had only affected Damien and not her as if she was needed for the ritual while they didn''t care about him. Far away she could see a burning light that let out a cloud of dark grey smoke. Up in the sky, the clouds had finally moved and the moon stood proud which was gold in color. Not waiting to see how the ritual would progress and end, Penny sat down next to Damien, checking out his vitality to make sure he was still there with her. But with the few more minutes that she had let slip out of her fingers was costing her gravely. Damien''s heartbeat was further slowing down. Like the heart''s core which had been burning red and bright now started to diminish and had started to lose color and life from it, which it eventually would. A pureblooded vampire''s body was differentpared to a human''s body but it wasn''t too different, after all, they did share something which was the heart and warmth in the body, unlike the average vampires. cing her hand, she started to whisper under her breath words of incantation. Concentrating and hoping that whatever the witches had added in the food, the poison would be removed from his body. If she truly had the ability to purify then she believed it was possible to remove the poison from his body but how much would it work? She had wanted to remove the corruption from his body and that had gone down unsessfully. Then how different would it be? She shook her head to rid any questions as she had no time for it. She unb.u.t.toned the first few b.u.t.tons of his s.h.i.+rt, cing both her hand so that there could be a direct contact from her skin to his skin without any intervention that could stop the purification process or reject it. The ck witches who were outside had already started the ritual, blood of the ck witches being poured in different sides of the inn so that there was equal distribution. One of the ck witches asked the innkeeper who was a white witch but who was involved with the ck witches, "Is the pureblooded vampire in there?" "Aye, I sedated the man. It is difficult to kill a pureblooded vampire but this should be fine. He won''t ever wake up and will continue to sleep forever. The girl will burn down fine." "I thought we had a white witch," another ck witchmented as the ritual had begun. "We did but the b.i.t.c.h ran away and I refused to step in and give myself as a sacrifice. You think I am f.u.c.king crazy?" asked the innkeeper with a re, "You wanted my help and I gave you a white witch. If I find you setting me up I will burn your body to dust." "What about the towns?" Penelope''s mother who stood there quietly watching the inn burning which emitted enough light to stretch towards the dark forest hadn''t bothered to get into their conversation before and finally answered, "They are going to start the ma.s.sacre soon. After the moones to the fire and after the firees death and thenes the glory of the ck witches where we shall reign thends again," she was d to have left her daughter alive two days ago. She knew she would need her. Her daughter had alwayse in use to her and this was the final time she would use her as they needed a white witch. She knew for a very long time that deep down her daughter would turn to be a white witch, would take up to be like her father as that was how it always turned out to be and she was right. With theck of white witches in Wovile, and the one in the town who had disappeared out of the blue, she had her daughter be ced as the sacrifice to drive the ritual. "Start the spells, we have to go back to the towns toplete the ma.s.sacre after this," Penelope''s mother ordered where the other witches started to use spells and tap into the forbidden magic. Back in the room, Penny struggled to bring Damien back to his conscious state. Her hands were on his chest, trying to cleanse any impurities that had made its way into his blood, waiting for him to wake up but he never woke up. She didn''t lose hope and continued to ce her hand on his chest, praying and trying to cleanse or purify him. But Penny still hoped he would wake up and that there was still a way to get out of this. Standing up, she searched around the burning room which wasn''t much. The bag that was filled with blood had caught fire and the only things remaining were Damien, her and the books which he had ced close to her and Damien. Her eyes fell on the jug, taking in her hand, she threw it on the ground that left it in broken pieces. Picking out one of the shard''s she went back to Damien. This was thest thing that came to her mind and she had no more ideas. She brought the palm of her hand closer to the .s.s piece and ran it across her skin without a second thought. Bringing her bloodied hand towards Damien''s face, she pried his lips open to let the blood fall into his lips. The blood dripped down her hand and into his mouth before tilting his neck back so that it would seep in further. Time pa.s.sed, and the blood that had been dripping had reduced and Penny had to squeeze her hand tight, flinching due to the pain so that more blood could squeeze out of her hand but even after that Damien didn''t wake up. Chapter 361 Blazing Fire- Part 3 At this point, she felt helpless. She could feel her eyes starting to p.r.i.c.kle and that?wasn''t because of the fire or smoke that was emitting out by the burning wood. Though she was a witch she had no power or magic that could bring him back that could wake him up. The fire around them only raged more, with every second getting closer to where they were and she knew soon she would burn in it. If not by the witches'' hands who now stood outside, both Damien and she would die in this fire. Nothing. He didn''t move an inch and his heartbeat started to beat once every two or three seconds. Tears started to stream down her eyes. Internally she felt frustrated. She moved his chest, calling out his name, "Damien! Damien, wake up! Please," her pleaseing out in a whisper, "You narcist vampire you told me you would be my husband," she said angrily hoping he would at least wake up to respond to her cheesily but that didn''t work, "Why won''t you wake up," she asked him, her eyes blurred with the amount of tears that had filled her eyes. Didn''t he say it two days ago and here they were...She wiped the tears from her face as it only increased.?Penny had done everything she thought was possible. Jumping out of the window had been canceled knowing the witches wouldn''t allow her and Damien step out of the circle. She closed her eyes taking a deep breath and opening to look down at Damien. It was told that when a person is about to die, they see their entire life in front of them and right now it was Damien who Penny gazed down at. Was this all? It was hard to ept that this could be her fate and his. Another tear fell from her eye. Taking Damien''s hand in hers, she wrapped hisrger using both her hands, wanting to express how grateful she was to have met him.?They had spent good months together and with the time that had pa.s.sed, she wouldn''t have wished to die with anyone else next to her but him. Her chest felt heavy not knowing what was going to happen. If the ritual would proceed and she would die in a snap or if it would be a slow death as the fire would engulf her and him together. Her fingers brushed the back of his hand, holding it with tears that only spilled before they seized, her mind starting to settle down and calming herself around the ming fire. She closed her eyes, her hand gripping tight on Damien who was on the ground when she felt his fingers move.?The blood that Penny had poured into his mouth had taken time to trickle down, touching the back of his neck that slowly had seeped in the back of his throat.?When Damien''s eyes snapped open, they had turnedpletely dark. It was pitch ck to be consumed by the darkness that had often lurked around his heart. The corruption had triggered and taken over the body of the pureblooded vampire that hadn''t been able to handle the sedation. What the ck witch had pa.s.sed in the porridge was more than sedation to the vampire to put him into sleep but also to stop the heart which would eventually stop and corrupt the heart during sleep. Maybe it would have worked if no blood was given. The sedation caused an imbnce, breaking the sleep with the blood that the corruption in Damien''s body was seeking. Corrupting an already corrupted body didn''t make much difference as it was already done. Damien belonged to the second generation of vampires, which meant cheap tricks of the white or ck witch of the current generation wouldn''t work on him. He was as good as an indestructible vampire unless one of the first two generations witches potions were given to him which none of the witches could get their hands on. Noticing Damien who was awake and sit up, unable to contain herself and not bothering with the fire anymore, she flung her arms around Damien happy to see him awake. Damien didn''t hold back in holding her close to him and as the fire zed, the room was left alone where Damien had switched them to the cold forest where snow was around. Penny clutched on to him, fearing she was dreaming him to be awake. She felt his hand brush on the back of her head slowly. Now that they were both safe, she remembered, "The books!" and without needing to be told or asked, the next second Damien dropped the books on the snow. He started to walk back towards the inn and she held his arm, "Where are you going?" her eyes were extremely anxious while his eyes were left to be hollow and empty, "There are five of them there," she notified him. She was unsure if Damien was alright as a while ago he had been asleep without being able to wake himself up. "I know," his reply came to be clipped, his eyes reminding her that his emotions were not in control and it was the corruption that had taken over his body now. She didn''t want him to go where there was a possible trap waiting for him. Penny had never been in such situations or had never seen Damien''s abilities to believe that everything would end well. She was worried after what just happened where the witches believed that they were still in there with her being sacrificed. Seeing him take two steps forward, "Don''t go, please," she could still feel the pain of loneliness when he was lying back in the inn motionless. The tears that had stopped filled back up, "If you''re going, drink the blood," she knew Damien hadn''t taken blood this evening and she was not going to risk it. It wasn''t the snarky, sarcastic Damien but as if something else had possessed him, "Please," she pleaded in a whisper, her green eyes not looking away from his. Turning, he took a step further towards her, his hands circling around her waist and his face leaning towards her. Instead of his lips going to her neck, it came to halt near her ears, "Wait for me here," his voice seemed deeper and the next second he had snapped something below her ear that her body turnedx and unconscious in his arms. Chapter 362 Safe- Part 1 Penelope was unconscious in Damien''s arms. cing her down on the snow floor and putting the coat around her which he had brought from the room that hadn''t been burnt, he walked away from there knowing she would be safe by being away from her mother and the other witches. Right now, Damien Quinn was a pureblooded vampire with the corruption that had affected and wrapped his entire heart. It was obvious by looking at his eyes right now that the corruption was the one that was gearing forward his mind and the sanity had slightly slipped away thanks to the sedation which the white witch had given them. Though Damien didn''t know what it was, he assumed that the innkeeper had something to do with it. He could feel the taste of blood on his lips and tongue which felt potent right now and he wanted more. He knew that having a drink from Penelope was risky and maybe that is where his sanityid but he wanted more. If he were to take a sip from her, there were chances that he wouldn''t be letting her go until she turned to one of the corpses like the ones which he had ced in the confession box and cupboard of the church. He was thirsty but that wasn''t all that he felt. He was thirsty for more than blood and he wanted to rip bodies out which were near the inn. Reaching the edge of the forest, he watched the witches who were merely standing a few meters away from the inn, using their spells to conduct the ritual under the light of the golden moon. Damien walked towards them, the snow which was on the ground and the fire that was running aze in the inn minimized the volume of his footsteps where he came to stand right outside the circle, some distance away from them. When the ck witches caught sight of him, it was only the innkeeper and Penelope''s mother who noticed to see who had joined them. They looked at him bbergasted, not knowing how he had escaped. "Who the f.u.c.k is that?" asked the witcher, the ck witch who had been enjoying the inn burn and waiting for the ck magic to release so that the ck witches could im thends which rightfully belonged to them. Penny''s mother appeared furious, her eyes narrowed down, "I thought you said you sedated him. What is he doing here?" she turned her head to look at the white witch. The white witch who was a middle-aged woman opened her mouth in shock, her lips moved but there was no voice, "I gave both of them the sedation in their meals. It would affect him and it should have." "What is he doing here then, you dimwit?" Penny''s mother gritted her teeth, "You had one job and you couldn''t do it?" The innkeeper gulped, her throat had gone dry, "But I did give and it must have worked! It was a strong dose which I added in the bowl." "Shut up, you fool. Because of your little mistake we won''t be able toplete the ritual," Penny''s mother couldn''t believe how they had entrusted the job to this foolish white witch who appeared unsure of what she had done, "Sky," she called the young female ck witch who stood behind her. The young woman didn''t have to hear it twice before she went after Damien to attack and kill him. She took out her two sharp knives that were coated in a poisonous venom. Damien who had been standing outside the ring whilst watching the inn go down in mes, his eyes reflected the fire and the scene that was taking ce in front of him. Just when the ck witch closed in to him, he turned his head, taking a step back and catching her by her neck. It wasn''t hard to figure that she was a young ck witch with only energy and whocked tack. One hand held her neck and the other caught hold of her shoulder, tearing both of them apart and throwing the head of the ck witch at the burning me. The ck witches were angered by this. To have a fellow sister being killed right in front of them was disagreeable. The white witch paled at the sight. She had expected things to go smoothly. For the potion to work and have the couple dead but who knew that the man woulde out alive. Not to mention what he just did was horrifying. Next was the male ck witch who went to attack Damien but he was unmatched due to Damien''s sheer pureblooded strength where he dodged the witch easily by merely moving until he twisted the man''s hands to have his weapons drop down on the snowy ground. Twisting the arms further, he broke his hands off his body but didn''t let him go as the witch screamed in pain and the loss of his limbs. Biting his neck off and throwing the flesh on the ground the head detached itself from the body to fall on the ground. Penelope''s mother was a smart woman to know it wasn''t possible to win right now. The man wouldn''t follow her as there were other ces he had to be. She looked at the inn room where she had seen Penny two days ago before making her follow her into the forest. Every inch of the room was burning and zing. One could hear the cracking of the woods as it was starting to crumble down. Far away from where they were, the town was getting burnt too as they had started the massacre but with theck of white witch, it would soone down. She didn''t mind her daughter being ced as a sacrifice, what better opportunity but to serve the darkness by serving her own daughter? She was sure that she would be rewarded. Not knowing what exactly was the rtionship between this vampire and Penny, she wondered if he had left her to burn by herself or if he had carried her somewhere. Her eyes narrowed. She hadn''t seen him or her walking out of the circle. They wouldn''t have been able to walk out once they were in the circle. That was the rule of the ritual. So how did he even step out then? By the time Damien had reached the white witch, Penny''s mother had disappeared and escaped from there. Chapter 363 Safe- Part 2 The innkeeper''s eyes were wide and she stumbled behind as the vampire whom she didn''t know was a pureblooded vampire approached her. She waved her hand behind her as if trying to search thest standing woman as another male witcher was torn to pieces when she felt nothing but empty air behind her. When she turned to look at the tall and lean ck witch, the woman wasn''t there anymore and she looked back in panic. Damien straight went for her neck, raising her from the ground such that her legs started to swing furiously like a fish which was taken out from the water, "What is the n?" he asked her. The white witch shook her head to tell him that she didn''t know about anything and was only helping the witches, "Pl-ple-ase, sp-are me!" "Aren''t youte for forgiveness?" he wasn''t in the mood of forgiving her, "To have some nerve to poison me and n to kill me in the fire. Let me take you in there," saying that he dragged the woman, pulling her as she thrashed and tried to get away but there was no one until now who had been able to get out after Damien had caught them by his sharp ws, "Don''t be shy. I will return the hospitality you have provided us and for the lovely stay. It is only right that I return it back to you." As the witches were not performing the ritual anymore and had stopped it here the ma.s.sacre that had only started must have stopped too. Damien didn''t care about the thras.h.i.+ng as he was much stronger than her and her weight felt indifferent to him. When they were near the white witch started to fret and panic, "NO! NO! DON''T-" she screamed at the top of her lungs but there was no one to care or to look. Damien finally looked at the innkeeper, a smile on his lips which looked creepier than anything right now, "Enjoy your time in h.e.l.l until I arrive," the white witch shook her head. Catching hold of her from behind he threw her into her inn. The inn started to crumble down one after another, the scream of the white witch which made him look at the broken inn caught up in the fire. The ck witches wanted a white witch to be sacrificed and one of the white witches did get sacrificed. Though unfortunately, there were no ck witches to continue the ritual and the white witch they had decided to make use as the sacrificial goat was now safe. His eyes sought out for his beloved mother-inw. Scanning the area to see she had long gone and wouldn''t be seen for a while but not for too long,, thought Damien to himself. He would hunt her down, drag her through the pits of fire and torture her for thinking time after time to kill Penny. Until he was alive, he wouldn''t let anything happen to her. He would protect her with everything. The fire continued to burn brightly, the smoke moving up higher and higher up in the sky, the me in front of him reflecting in his eyes. After a while, there was nothing but smoke that surrounded the area. To have others notice it, the town people who lived nearby had their own town lit up in fire to notice it. Even the smoke started to reduce after a while leaving two bodies and blood on the snow ground with a body that was buried in the copsed inn. Back in a mansion, Damien had his hands folded against his chest. Staring outside therge window and looking at one of the towns where men were pouring water around to stop the little fire which was left. When the door was knocked, he turned his body to look at the Lord of Woville step inside the room, "You should rest too, councilman Damien. The ma.s.sacre won''t be taking ce for a while now. At least for a few weeks. Would you want me to call a doctor?" he offered. The man was young and in his early twenties who looked like ate teenager, his brown hair chopped to be short and sharp. "That won''t be needed. She needs rest," said Damien, looking at Penny who was still sleeping. Penelope was now on the bed, her eyes closed as she was fast asleep. After returning back to the forest, he had brought her here as the outer part of the towns or viges was not safe for her. The technique he had used with her was something he had picked from one of the oldest councilmen who no longer lived in this world. It made a person unconscious by putting them to a temporary sleep. The Lord of Wovile, waved his hand towards the door before walking out of the room with Damien so that Penny could get some peace and quiet as she rested. "How are things in the town?" Damien asked the state of the towns that had been caught up in the ma.s.sacre. "No one died which is good news but there are some significant injuries. I will need to take help from both the Lord of West and East so that they can strengthen thends such that the ck witches won''t step in and out freely." "I will be sure to put in a word with my cousin," Damien stated for the young man to nod his head. "That would be very much appreciated. I am sorry for what happened. I don''t think any of us expected the ck witches to make a hub and use a white witch as a sacrifice. Though I don''t understand why they would choose to do it here and not Bonke. No offense but the white witches here are very scarce. People don''t show up and if they do all of them are involved with the ck witches." They walked down the corridor but not too far until they came to stand in front of arge window that was the size of the door itself... Chapter 364 Safe- Part 3 Damien ced his hand on the edge, looking back at the town where the amount of fire had reduced, "This is the ce where the white witches started their lives, this is the ce where they cast their spells on the race of the ck witches, closing the gate in a way that left the other sisters handicapped. I think it is the right ce to be setting up the ma.s.sacre and harvesting the energy so that they can unlock everything that was once locked," his eyes had turned back to their usual red after reaching Penny back in the forest, "There''s a woman who is still alive and there are many more witches who are running freely, you should keep an eye so that the incident doesn''t repeat." Lord Herbert nodded his head, "Thank you for saving mynd and the people today, Councilman Damien. I would be grateful for the help you have provided." "Don''t worry. I was only saving her. We just didn''t realize that the white witch hadid a trap for us by pretending to have the inn to be secure with the spilled magic," which was true. Damien was a careful man, and it was he whoid traps and not the other way round. "Do you mind if I ask you something?" Lord Herbert asked the permission that had Damien turning to look at him, "The girl...is she a witch?" Both Damien and Herbert stared at each other before Damien answered, "Yes." "I ask because I am aware that the ritual needs a white witch, at least that is what some of the artifacts say but I really doubt that they are looking for a white witch. The ck witches aren''t aware but it is not the white witch''s sacrifice that will help in the unbinding," the young man''s brows knit together in concentration as if he himself didn''t know the answer, "For what you have done today, your help, I will keep my lips sealed for who she is." "That is a very easy trade," one side of Damien''s lips pulled up. The young Lord smiled, "It indeed is. Councilmen''s deals and trades are usually heavy to pay back. We need to find the easiest and settle the deal that is why." "I shall ept it," Damien replied in a heartbeat. It wasn''t like he was interested in any favours and instead he found it to be a fair one. "You can stay here as long as you wish to. My mansion is your abode. I won''t file in the entire report and will only mention how you were here to stop the ma.s.sacre," with the both the men agreeing on it Damien said, "I don''t intend to stay long here. Thend of Wovile has been quite troublesome every time I step in here. If possible I would not like toe here for a while at least," thend which was once thend of the white witches, he wasn''t interested to stay longer and have troublee and bite both Penny and him. He wanted to take her far away from her mother, a vacation from all this chaos. He knew they would have to step back again but with everything that was happening one thing after another, they needed break and he needed time with Penelope. "I am sorry to hear that," there was amon way of response when a person replied back or would have replied back the Lord if it was another person and somewhere the Lord was used the response he received that he was ready to ept the- it''s alright, thend is not that bad and instead got to hear, "All thends have some defects in them which makes me dislike it but we end up choosing which is less defective," came Damien''s reply nonchntly. The Lord of Wovile cleared his throat. "Well, I will ask the butler to send both of your meals up here to the room," giving each other a nod, Lord Herbert walked away as he had tons of paperwork due to the attack that took cest night as well as what happened two days ago. Going back to the room, Damien picked up the books which looked burnt at the edges but the inside was still intact. It made him wonder if it was made out of something durable against heat and fire. cing the book back on the table, he stepped closer to the bed where Penny was asleep. Sitting down next to her, he remembered the time of yesterday when he had only woken up surrounded by fire. He had never seen her that broken, his heart broke looking at her. Her eyes wet along with her cheeks. Gently, he moved his hand to push the hair back, leaning forward he kissed her forehead. He wondered if she knew that her mother was part of the ritual, having her sacrificed. If she knew, he could tell that it must have destroyed her. To know and to see were two different things. Like Damien had said, they didn''t stay long and once Penny had got her consciousness back they had left after the next meal in the carriage. On the way, Penelope was still tired and he let her borrow his shoulder as sheid her head and tried to catch some more sleep and not ready to talk about what happened at the inn. Damien not having the patience to travel and not wanting to get into another trap decided to discard the use of carriage by waving the man off with a good old gold coin before he traveled to Valeria, his cousin Alexander Delcrov''s mansion. When they did reach the mansion, entering therge gates by foot, Penny asked Damien, "Don''t you think they will find it strange that you came on foot?" she asked. Master Damien walking on foot? She would have told it was going to rain frogs if one told her that in the past. "They are used to it." An old man came wearing the clothes of a butler. His appearance lean and ghost-like with a scar that ran down on his face. If Penny met the man at night she was sure to scream by looking at him. "Master Damien, wee back," the butler spoke in a stoic voice where his face remained expressionless. Chapter 365 Valeria- Part 1 Music rmendation:?MISSIO - Can I Exist (Official Video) . The butler appeared to be familiar with Damien, taking the books from his hands which Damien entrusted to keep in the room. Penny wondered if it was alright to give it when she remembered that to any other person except her the books were nothing but about varieties of vegetables. "Lord Alexander is currently out with Sir Elliot. Let me take you and thedy to your a.s.signed room," the butler''s voice was low and nd. Expressionless and emotionless as he spoke. By the looks of it, she could tell that the man was a vampire. His eyes must have been bright red when he was young and they must have dulled over time. Following the butler, they were taken to their room. The mansion was big, maybe not as big as the Quinn''s but of fair size for a mansion. It looked much more human-likepared to the other mansions she had been to which were darker inparison. She remembered the lord''s mother was a white witch. A woman who was married to a pureblooded vampire and who was killed by the vigers. Somehow the beginning part of the story reminded of her own where Penelope was the white witch and Damien was the pureblooded vampire who had fallen for each other. That was right. For awhile now she had been denying her feelings for Damien, dodging what and how she felt for him but after what happened, she didn''t want to hide about it anymore. She had cried and cried when he had not woken up, scared that she wouldn''t be able to let him know about her true feelings. She wondered if in the future she would end up meeting the same fate as the Lord''s mother. She thought about it because she doubted if any of the white witches ever lived long. Most of them either were killed or they disappeared from sight to never return again. With their bags ced and the butler who stepped out like a phantom whose legs appeared to glide across the floor, Penny sat down on the bed. Lifting her legs up in the air. She then looked down at her arm which was now covered in cleaner clothes which were given to her in Wovile in Lord Herbert''s mansion. Damien sat down next to her, letting his back touch the surface of the bed, his long legs resting on the floor. He looked at the nk ceiling of the bed, "Ah, I miss home." Turning her head, Penny asked him, "Why didn''t we go back there?" Penny didn''t know that Damien had nned to visit his rtive who was also the Lord of Valeria. A man she had met months ago and was about to meet again. Now that she had acknowledged her feelings for him, she wondered if it would be awkward when she would meet Lord Alexander. "Bonke will be a mess right now and the council will be chaotic because of the ma.s.sacre that was going to take ce. Even though the ma.s.sacre was unsessful, soon they will have a team a.s.signed where they will start to dig and find the root of who and from where this was set up. Do you know how much paperwork that is?" he raised his leg up so that his heel rested on the edge of the bed. His brown shoes looked clean and polished. "You don''t want to go back because you have work?" "Paperworks take time. Firstes the survey and in the survey of the scenees detection and information which needs to be collected. After the survey is the interrogation and the case handling where people are annoying but it is enjoyable. Then you file them and put it through the box where the elders of the council look through it which ister decided if the case has already reached an end where a direct order is sent out. If not, the case goes under a series of trials in the court council to have a fair judgment." "You could always pa.s.s the work if you ever felt it was too much," "They are all a bunch of dimwits who don''t know where and what to do," Damien rolled his eyes. "Asking them to do anything would be equal to me piling up with more work. I don''t trust them with theirck of expertise." "No one is born with expertise," Penny defended the unknown councilmen. "I was born with it," came Damien''s quick response. This made Penny twist her lips and she turned and sat in a way now so that she could face him without having to twist her neck, "You don''t believe me." "I did not say anything, Penny shrugged her shoulders with a smile, "You are very unique, Damien." "I know. I am too precious," he said with a smirk and a smile broke on Penny''s lips, "During myte teen years I used to work under Rueben before. The head council," Penny looked at him in awe, she hade to learn how the head council was the highest standing person. Damien was his apprentice? "After a few months of work, he decided that I would do better in gathering information than sit in the meetings which wasn''t for me. Also for other things." "Other things?" she questioned. "There are some old geezers who didn''t like how I spoke or my views when I pointed out how they used their position for their own benefit. Unfortunately, even if you find mistakes, there are some you cannot remove from their a.s.signed position for the years they have served. So I served them their own dish by cutting out their supplies from the ck market which included things as well as information," he exined. Raising his hand, he took her hand and tugged her hand for her toy down next to him. "They didn''t retaliate?" on her question, he smiled cunningly. "When a person is used of stealing apples and ims he doesn''t have that fruit. When he''s robbed, he cannot cry out loudly about his lost apples," but it wasn''t just the source but he had also got some of them resigned by their own will. Too many yers at the table were not good. Chapter 366 Valeria- Part 2 Next to each other on the bed, Damien rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, moving it soothingly while testing her nerves. She had been tensed when they had left Wovile but after a night of sleep and far away from thend, she had finally rxed. He could guess that she has shaken with what happened. After she had woken up from the sleep he had put her in, the only words he had said was, "The ma.s.sacre was stopped." Penny was d to hear it but her main concern had been something else. It was her mother who had been so intent on killing her off. If there was something that was registered when she was in Wovile it was that her mother didn''t care about her. She was as good as a dead person and she tried to digest everything. The look on her face where she wasn''t bothered as fire surrounded and was ready to kill her. "You don''t have to keep it in yourself," she heard Damien say next to her and she turned her head where she had been staring up at the empty and ck ceiling, "If you aren''t feeling okay let me know," he rubbed his thumb gently over her fingers. She had been feeling nk since her thoughts went back to what happened. She shook her head, her eyes meeting his red ones that looked at her in concern, "I am not doing okay," she whispered, the heaviness in her chest slightly s.h.i.+fting as she told it out to him, "Every strand of hope didn''t just break but it has been burnt with no return." "Rtions.h.i.+ps like those are better to be burnt else they will burn you. She doesn''t deserve you," he said s.h.i.+fting his body toy on his side and she did the same, "No mother would set their very child on fire. Are you sure she is your mother and she didn''t steal you from another person?" it was something that had been bothering him for a while now but at the same time, Father Antonio had already said on who Penelope''s parents were. "She is my mother," Penny sighed heavily, "To think she was also involved in the ma.s.sacre. I feel ashamed," she closed her eyes. "Hey," Damien tugged her hand, and she opened her eyes again to look back at him, "It isn''t your fault. She might be your mother but this had nothing to do with you. In fact, if you didn''t make out of the circle during the start of the ma.s.sacre there would have been bloodshed. Four cities of death where the ck witches woulde to rule Wovile by iming it back. You should be happy about it." It was Damien''s ability that had stopped the ma.s.sacre. Without the ability, they would have beente in getting out of the circle, "Teamwork?" she asked him to see a boyish smile appear on his face. It was a time like these did he appear to look young without that look where he was going to throw someone to the sea so that they would never return back. "Teamwork," he agreed to her, "Talk to me," he said when she started to fall quiet, "I am here ready to listen to anything you have to say. If you want to cry I am here." "Don''t be so nice," Penny''s voice came to be soft and her eyes fell on his chest. "Why not?" Damien questioned her, unhappy that she had lowered her eyes where he couldn''t see what exactly she was thinking so that he could decipher it along with her emotions. "I am not used to people being nice to me," she could feel her chest feeling heavy and to let the heaviness out she took a deep breath and let it out, "I don''t think even my mother was that sweet even after erasing my memories." "Someone told me that many sons-inw don''t get along with their mother-inw. I don''t think we can fix that." "It''s okay, you don''t have to fix it," Penny smiled with her pressed lips, "I don''t think it''s worth the trouble of going to fix it. I can''t believe you think about such things even during some serious situations," she frowned at him, her eyes finallying to meet his. "What can I say, I am Damien Quinn. Let''s ignore your mother, we''ll deal with her when timees," he smoothed her hair strands, pus.h.i.+ng it away slowly behind in concentration, "You have me with you. I don''t think anyone can match the great me, unless you think otherwise," Damien was being very nice to her right now. Penny knew that he was trying to get her mind off her mother while trying to cheer her up and she didn''t know how grateful she was for it. At the same time there was something that bothered her, "Can I ask you something?" "What is it?" She parted her lips to speak, "Why didn''t you kill her?" Penny knew if Damien wanted he could kill her mother by hunting her down but she was still alive and the danger now not only fell on her but also on him. It worried her tremendously on what might happen if her mother were to ever hurt him. Things like the voodoo doll didn''t work on the pureblooded vampires but that didn''t mean he was entirely safe. "I had other important things to deal with. I had put my darling girl to sleep, I didn''t want to bete to find you were in trouble again or if some animal had eaten you during your slumber," his finger ran behind her ear to settle down on the side of her neck, "You cried way too much that night. Your eyes were swollen and red. Did it scare you that I was gone?" he hadn''t had the opportunity to ask her this before but now that they were here, he couldn''t resist but ask her. Damien already knew how she felt but he wanted to hear it from her through her lips. Chapter 367 Valeria- Part 3 Penny returned his gaze back with one of loneliness she had felt, "It was the loneliest I have felt until now. Even my mother''s death didn''tpare to it. I know you''re enjoying it," she narrowed her eyes, "You will know if you experience it t-" Damien pulled her by her neck, closing the gap between them as he kissed her. She felt his warm lips possess her like it had its own mind, conquering every inch of her mouth as he pried it open. His hand pulled her waist close so that he could hold her, stealing every breath of hers until she was left breathless. She clutched on the front of his s.h.i.+rt, her hand twisting in them as they shared kisses. Penny herself opened her mouth like a bud of flowers that opening beautifully for him one petal falling after another leaving the sweet nectar behind for him to have. Her willingness turned Damien on, his own hand holding her tightly in his arms to thest words she just spoke. He hadn''t ever envisioned it and he didn''t believe it would ever happen yet the thought not which was instigated was something he couldn''t grip on and instead his hands gripped one waist. He could feel her pulse that started to beat faster and thurm under his hand which was ced on her neck. Pulling back with their forehead touching each other''s, he said, "I won''t let that happen." A giggled escaped Penny''s lips at the thought of how many times the mishap had taken ce when they were together, yet she didn''t mind it. They were together. Meeting his eyes, she felt her heart feel full like there was nothing else she would ask the world right now. Her own hand reached up to his face, running her fingers from the side of his temple to his sharp jaw, trailing it down to his chest and stopping. Leaning up forward she pressed her lips on his, "I know," she whispered. "We should go for another pic. It is your first time here in Valeria, it will be good," he looked at her, happy to have her in his arms. Since the first time they had met each other officially, they had progressed from one height to another, "We can go shopping. Buy you some good clothes in case Alexander isn''t having any women''s clothes secretly being stored for hisdy flings. We can eat anything outside. There are some good inns that are purely built by vampires so we are safe from the witches." "We can go shopping for you," Penny suggested as it wasn''t just her who had no clothes but even Damien''s clothes were burnt in the bag except for the coat which was hung on the other side of the room. "We can do that together. Is there something that you want? Anything, in particr, you wanted to buy for a long time but couldn''t," he asked her. Penny gave it a thought but shook her head. There wasn''t anything at the top of her head that she wanted, "Nothing at all? No diamonds to sparkle around your neck or some good shoes that will take you to ces?" "Thank you for the offer, Master Damien but I think I am fine without those things," upon her answer, Damien replied, "You will turn to an excellent wife. Someone who won''t waste the money and will use it well," Penny got her head closer to his chest as she gotfortable with him. cing it close enough she could hear his heartbeat steadily. "I don''t haggle like you," she murmured to hear a surprised gasp. "I thought peasants were used to haggling." "Are you calling yourself a peasant, Master Damien?" she chuckled, her smaller body shaking in his arms as she caught him in his own words. She gasped when she felt his hand move down to settle on her bottom. "You were saying..." his voice trailed when his hand moved lower and she buried her head in embarra.s.sment. "T-that''s ying dirty," came her m.u.f.fled voice. When his hand moved lower and lower feeling the curve of her bottom Penny couldn''t make any more words. "Dirty? I hardly did anything to call it dirty," he answered in a low voice which turned his voice to a husky whisper. By her reactions, he could tell that she was finally ready. He was going to have everything that belonged to her. Her heart, her mind, and her body which she was slowly entrusting it to him. Hearing the sound of the carriage arrive Damien let go of his hold on Penny, "Alexander is back home. Come let''s go meet him," he helped her get up from the bed and both of them padded through the corridor where a maid was cleaning a portrait. Seeing the lord of Valeria appear, his hair was as ck as Damien and eyes that were simr made them look like brothers. His brooding aura set both of them apart and the dark eyebrows which were thick. He wore the same cross she had noticed during the party in Quinn''s mansion. Now that she had worked and read in the church, she could finally pick on which were the normal crystals and which was the charm stones which had previously been made by the first generation white witches. Now that she had her hands on the books which had the recipe on how to create a charm stone, she wanted to make one for Damien. "I was expecting you when I heard you were in Wovile," both Alexander and Damien shared a hug, "It is good to see you." "Likewise," Damien replied back. Lord Alexander was older than Damien but by what she knew, Lord Alexander belonged to the third generation of pureblooded vampires while Damien belonged to the second generation of vampires. When Lord Alexander turned to look at Penelope, he gave her a curt nod, "Wee to Valeria and Delcrov''s mansion," he weed her. Chapter 368 The Blood - Part 1 During the time of dinner which was set up early, Penny sat next to Damien at the table. Apart from Lord Alexander and them, there were two more people who had joined the table. Elliot Wells, who sat on the other side of the table next to Alexander whereas this side was upied by Damien and her. The man was charming and sweet, his wavy red hair exuding a very weing appearance. He was the younger brother of Jerome Wells, the architect who they had met less than a week ago. Both the brothers appeared to be poles apart, one was an introvert gentleman while the younger brother was aplete extrovert. "How do you like the food, Ms. Penelope? We got some vegetables in here if you aren''tfortable," Elliot offered the bowl of sd which had beans in it. "Thank you," she responded back. "There was another dish I asked them to prepare," the man started to look around when thedy who was sitting next to him advised, "Let her eat it first," thedy''s name was Sylvia who was another helper of Lord Alexander when it came to managing work in thend, "She''s not some goat for you to give her vegetables," the woman turned to look at Penny and asked, "Is there anything in particr that you like? We can ask the cook to make it," she offered polite words. "No, I am fine," Penny smiled at them and heard Lord Alexander say, "Don''t mind Elliot. We don''t have humans over for meals," she nodded her head. Everyone except for her was vampires at the table now. "We would but Alexander doesn''t like to entertain the humans and even if he does it is only men and women who belong to the higher society but for his own reasons," Elliot went on to speak without pause, "Thest time we had someone over was the Barton. Quite annoying I would say who even gets on Alexander''s nerves," Penny couldn''t help but look a little surprised that Elliot had not bothered to add the t.i.tle before Alexander''s name while addressing. "It has been a while since his wedding now," Sylvia ced her voice a little low in the quiet dining room which could be heard by everyone. The woman went to reach for the pepper when Elliot quickly took it and started to add it to his meat. His movements slowed, which annoyed the woman sitting next to him who pa.s.sed a silent re. Lord Alexander didn''t bother with the two of them, ignoring their little childish disy and he asked Damien who was rather enjoying the food right now, "How long do you n to stay over? I will have Martin ask to s.h.i.+ft your room to the right-wing if you both n to stay long." "We nned to sightsee at Valeria. Penny doesn''t find much time to go out as she has been busy herself and I have council work to attend to," Damien used his knife to make a thin slice of the meat of the animal that was ced in front of him, "I thought what better ce than here to have a little getaway." "It''s good that you both will be staying here longer," Sylvia responded pleased to have a woman''spany in this mansion. The only people who visited here were the elites who didn''t stay for a too long time and even if they did they weren''t pleasant people. Lord Alexander was usually busy with his own which left her stuck with the man who now sat next to her who enjoyed to irk her since the first time they had even met. "I am already sad that I won''t be able to see much of Sylvia now that Ms. Penelope is here," Elliot received a re at his remark and he chuckled before looking back at the couple, "Are you preparing for the council''s examination too?" Council''s examination? "The one where you write the exam if you want to enroll yourself to work in the council." She chewed her food before gulping it down, "No, Mr. Wells. I think I am happy where I am without being involved with the council or any otherw," she answered. Damien said, "It is better she doesn''t get tied with the council or any other elder councilman. It would be troublesome. She''s been helping and studying in the church to learn more about the white witches and even created two weapons against the ck witches," Penny could tell by Damien''s voice that he was proud of her that she had achieved it in such a short duration. "That is impressive," Lord Alexander agreed, "It is very rare for Damien to praise anyone. Makes me wonder if the weapons were excellent or if he is only being partial for who you are to him," she could feel his eyebrows slightly raised with his lips, "I have a workshop right here in the grounds of the mansion. If you are willing to try¡­" he trailed. Once their meal was done, Sylvia had taken Penelope to tour the mansion where Elliot had stuck along with them, leaving Alexander and Damien to talk. Standing outside one of the guest rooms'' patios, they smoked the cigars which were in each of their hands. Damien let his back rest against the railings. His hand had the cigar resting next to him. "Why do I have a feeling that you brought her here not for vacation," stated Alexander looking at the forest which was dark yet white because of the snow. "She needs guidance." "I don''t have materials to teach her. You forget that unlike the others, I don''t practice the art and lifestyle of the witches but live the life as a pureblooded vampire as that is what runs through my veins and what people know me of," Lord Alexander took a drag from the smoke before releasing it through his lips, "Isn''t the church enough? They have good services..." Chapter 369 The Blood- Part 2 "It is but I would rely more on you than some strangers. Some of them have already tapped into the forbidden magic. As good as they are right now, they are nothing less to an explosive weapon where you don''t know when it will go off in the greed for more power," Damien had let Penny work in the church as it had been feasible until now but with the new unknown creature who had attacked her, he didn''t believe the church was safe anymore, "I heard something from Herbert." "What did he say?" Alexander''s eyes s.h.i.+fted from forest to his cousin who had lifted his hand towards his mouth. "Something about the ck witches who didn''t know how to work the ritual. That it isn''t a white witch they need to unbind the magic." "You think I am the one?" Lord Alexander asked, taking thest puff and putting it down on the ground before stamping it with his expensive shoes. "It only makes sense. All we have known over the years is that we have a ck witch and we have the white witches, the theories that have conspired ande up which some of us believed and some of us didn''t. Aunt Isabelle was part of the era, wasn''t she," Damien reminded his cousin where the Lord turned his head back to look at the forest. Lord Alexander wasn''t the child of simple parents. His father was a second-generation pureblooded vampire while his mother belonged to the first of the first witches. Not everyone knew about it, and the ones who knew of it kept a keen eye on the man. Waiting for him to trip and do a mistake which neither his parents nor he hadmitted until now. It was obvious that when a man reached or belonged to the highest society and level of vampires and witches, one was bound to fall under many''s eyes. The man continued to stare at the forest whilst he remembered the days where his mother had been murdered in front of his eyes. He was five years old when that had happened and many years had now pa.s.sed since that event but the day was still fresh in his mind. His hand gripped the rails of the patio. He knew his mother had protected him, enough that no one suspected him that it wasn''t just vampire blood but that part of his blood came from his mother which he had never used. His mother Isabelle Genevieve was a white witch but she had stopped practicing it after she married his father. He had made sure to stay away from it but at the same time, he felt there was another reason as to why she had stopped. Not letting a shadow of the magic to fall on him and raising him as the heir to take up his father''s position when the time woulde. "I can''t have the ability of a ck witch and no one has ever suspected me to be a white witcher," said Alexander. Knowing well how the ck witches could identify the white witches to only put them in further trouble, "I must be another kind," he smirked saying it. "Do you think the witches know or suspect about it?" asked Damien, tilting the cigar and pressing the burning side to the grill, "It is only time when they realize ande for you." "So far I doubt anyone knows about it. Everyone knows me as the person who kills and doesn''t follow the lines of thew." "You should be d Rueben lets you off the hook," Damien chuckled, knowing well how the head council was lenient when it came to him. Reuben didn''t take inefficiency well, especially when it was about breaking the rules which everyone was supposed to follow but the pureblooded vampires found it to be hard when it came to following them. "He had a thing for mother. It is only obvious he would be lenient to the woman''s son." "How do you know that?" Damien tipped his chin up in question. Alexander smiled, looking afar to say, "I just happened to find out about it." His mother and Rueben knew each other for some years before she met his father, Zachary. It had been a few years ago since he had found out about it when he had found out the little picture in the drawer that was hidden in the head council room, "Don''t you think the ck witches will tip Penelope''s name to the council? You cannot have her hidden forever here." Damien rolled his eyes, "I know that but she isn''t prepared for it. There has been an increase in the count of the witch hunters. What I don''t understand is why aren''t they going towards the Wovile as that is where the ck witches reside. Most of them at least. They have been popping back and forth in Bonke." "How many?" asked Lord Alexander. "Killed six of them and there are more who are strolling in the streets. One has been following her ardently," Damien didn''t like the fact that Penny had failed to mention it but when he had started to send her to the church for studying from the other white witches, he had changed his coachman to a fellow council to chaperon her. To make sure he got the reports as it was. Penelope might have thought it was something she could handle but the witch hunters were like a pest that was hard to wash off the skin and had to be removed by a knife once they got attached. "That''s quite a party. What did you do to the bodies?" "All in theke of bones," Damien waved one of his hands. Lord Alexander sighed, "I wished we had one here. It is hard to hide the corpses," by name his cousin was the lord of Valeria but in the end, he was still his cousin brother. He knew the number of bodies that could pile up in a month or a year when it came to Alexander. Chapter 370 The Blood- Part 3 Penelope who was taking rounds in the mansion had both Sylvia and Elliot as her guide when it came to exining and talking to her, their speech not once hurtful but kind which made her wonder if they knew about her being a white witch as the Lord knew about it. Though they had spoken in the dining room, nothing was told directly as to why she was going to the church but at the same time, it was an understandable reason as to why she would visit the church frequently. "Oh, there''s Areo," Elliot walked ahead and picked up a ck cat that was only pa.s.sing by without waiting to greet anyone in the corridor. "Meow," the little ck bat meowed when Elliot picked him up. "Whose cat is this?" "He belongs to Lord Alexander," Sylvia stated, going to scratch its neck before letting her hand slide down, "It was a gift by thetedy." A cat as a pet, thought Penny to herself as she stared into the cat''s eyes, "He is very handsome." "Damien is handsome too, how long has it been since you both started to you know," Elliot started the topic casually to receive a look from Sylvia which he ignored. "Uh, just some time ago," Penny replied, a small blushing up as no one had ever asked her this before. Maybe Lady Maggie had put it politely without much use of words, "How about you both?" she quickly diverted the topic to them. "Since we first met. It was love at first sight," Elliot replied, that had Sylvia scoff. "Please!" Sylvia rolled her eyes when Elliot''s face brightened, "He badmouthed me to Lord Alexander to not have me work for him." "Now now, Sylvia. You know that is not what I meant. You should know how much I dot on you," Elliot took a step closer to her and in a blink of an eye, Sylvia had pulled out a sharp hairpin as if she was ready to stab him. Elliot turned to Penelope, "This is my cat. She hasn''t been tamed yet," his words came out to be yful. "Don''t listen to him, Ms. Penelope. Would you like to see the artifacts room? Come," the woman raised her hand to show the way while sending a re to Elliot. Penelope was instead in awe as to how she had pulled up the pin out of nowhere. One minute her hand had been free and the next moment she was ready to pierce it through the man''s skin. Her voice was filled with a mix of curiosity and excitement as she asked, "How did you do it? The pin." Sylvia at first stared at her before raising the pin in her hand, "This?" "Yes," Penny nodded her head eagerly. "I learned it from my father. He taught me how to use it when to release and to stab someone." "It looks like, Ms. Penelope is interested in it," Elliotmented, "You should ask the young master," Penny made a note to ask him but at the same time, she felt one of his skills was to break and crack fingers. "If you want I can teach you some of the tricks," Sylvia offered and Penny looked ted by that. "I would be happy to learn from you, Lady Sylvia," Penny bowed her head thanking the woman. After taking the tour of the mansion, they dropped her to one of the rooms which Martin had only got it cleaned. Damien hadn''t returned back to the room and she walked towards the patio before stopping her footsteps. She reminded herself that there was no water around the mansion. Taking a step forward, she felt the cold air touch her skin but she didn''t feel the cold like she did before but she did rub both her arms together. With her arms crossed, she looked at the quiet night. Noticing that Valeria wasn''t heavily snowed like Bonke and Wovile. A vacation, thought Penny to herself. They were far away from home. Far away from the trouble that had been there for years and away from her mother who was ready to throw her into the fire for her own use. She did feel her mind settle down, like what had happened was a distant memory or dream but that dream woulde to haunt her again and before that, she had to do something. Damien had brought the books along with him and she could only imagine Lord''s Wovile''s confused expression when they had carried the books of vegetables with them. When she finally s.h.i.+vered in the cold, gooseb.u.mps started to form around her skin and she decided to go back inside. Turning her body to see Damien who stood there, making her wonder how long he had been standing here. "Aren''t you feeling cold?" he asked, stepping back when she walked forward and stepped back inside the room. "It is freezing," she muttered under her breath, closing the door to the patio so that no air woulde to enter. "Take a seat at the firece. Now," he said, not happy to see that she had decided to stay out without wearing a coat or a shawl around her to protect from the harsh weather, "How was your tour of the mansion?" "It was okay," Penny answered, going to the firece she sat down right in front of it without taking the chair. Her legs crossed, she raised both her hands in front of the firece to feel the warmth on her skin, "Come sit," she said looking at him for him to stare at her, "Don''t be shy," she grinned at him. He rolled his eyes at her, "Do you want me to show you, who is shy?" walking behind her, he pulled the plush chair closer to the firece and ced it behind her. Seeing him sit behind her, Penny moved back so that she could lean her back against his legs, continuing to feel the warmth seep back into her bed with Damien sitting behind her. Chapter 371 Strolling- Part 1 I request every one to take a look at the review posted on the book by me. Heidi and Katie do not exist in this time period. They aren''t born. YMDP, BAD and the 5th book are a prequel of the other first two books. . The next day when the sun rose up in the sky, Penny couldn''t help herself but reach her hand where the rays of the sun pa.s.sed through the window of their room which they had slept in. It took a while for her hand to turn warm and when it did, a smile rose up her lips. The weather in Valeria was different whenpared to Bonke where the sun was hard to see. Here, even though it was the time of Winter, she could feel the warm sun. Just as she was enjoying and basking in the sunlight on her hand, she felt Damien''s hand circled around her waist which pulled her to him. Holding her like it was his habit. Penny cleared her throat, first softly and then louder to hear Damien say, "I knew you would catch a cold by standing outside yesterday. Stay like this. I will warm you up soon," she heard him say. She was yet to get used to him holding her so closely in the bed. Until now the maximum she had willingly done was holding his hand in the bed but this was too intimate to her. "The firece will be much effective than you," she said wiggling out of his arms which he didn''t allow as when she turned around to face him, Damien had pulled her back so that she faced him, "Where do you think you''re going?" Leaning forward, he kissed her neck, cing b.u.t.terfly kissed on her that had something stir within her, reminding her of the time when they had shared the bath. Her toes curled at the thought of it. "We are in the Lord''s house," she said pus.h.i.+ng him with her hands and wanting to step down from the bed which Damien was unwilling to do so. "I don''t think there''s any rule that I cannot touch you when we are in the Lord''s or anyone''s house. I will touch you whenever and where I want," she gasped when he bit into her neck, "I am sure you already know that," he pulled back to whisper it and then take another bite without drawing blood but to suck and bite on her skin. It was early in the morning and this man was already being like this-Ow! He had taken another bite on her skin. Did he think she was some kind of morning pre-snack? Seeing his exposed s.h.i.+rt and trailing her eyes up, she scooted closer and up before biting into his shoulder. She heard Damien wince. That''s right! Always chomping on her, he had to know how it felt. Unfortunately, Damien didn''t stop and her bite had only urged him on to im more of her. Turning her body, he got on top of her while having her back against the surface of the bed. Dipping down his head, he bit more this time and her hands clutched on him as a sigh escaped her lips but Penny didn''t give up! Using her elbows to get up, she pushed Damien on the other side of the bed where the foot often rested with both her hands. Damien was in a yful mood, seeing the girl earn some confidence as she had pushed him and he willingly had given himself to rest on the bed. After all, which man would refuse when his woman was initiating to kiss and bite? Only an insane one would. He could see the spark in her eyes which he enjoyed looking at. Her feelings were slowly s.h.i.+fting from the calm to embarra.s.sment with a hint of l.u.s.t that her body was starting crave. She leaned forward, biting him like a little kitten would, the teeth sharp but not sharp enough to hurt which he found it to be quite cute. Penny didn''t know how adorable she looked through Damien''s eyes if she did know she would have stopped doing it but unaware of what she was doing by biting him. His muscles were hard to bite on his chest and therefore she resorted to herself in biting his shoulders. Both Penny and Damien were so into it that they failed to notice when three people entered the room to only stop midway by looking at them. Penny who took another bite from Damien was busy when she heard someone to the side speak, "Oh my, this is some treat for eyes." It was a male''s voice and it didn''t belong to Damien. Her eyes snapped to the side to look at three pairs of legs and she quickly turned to look at Elliot who had a smug expression as if he were enjoying the scene. Behind stood Sylvia who looked almost as embarra.s.sed as her but embarra.s.sed for what Elliot said as she covered her eyes with her hand. Then there was the butler who had eyes cast down on the floor like he saw nothing, continuing to carry an expressionless face. "I told you to knock on the door!" Penny heard the whispered voice of Sylvia as she red at him. "Who knew they were rabbits. I thought they would be sleeping but oh well this is a surprise," Elliot spoke enthusiastically. Damien didn''t mind their presence and Penny could tell he instead enjoyed the attention the way she now sat on him with both her palms resting on his chest. Seeing Penny looking fl.u.s.tered, Damien asked, "Did the door vanish?" "Oh, no, we used to get inside," Elliot answered and Sylvia only wished she hadn''t followed the man to make her look like an idiot along with him. "We apologize for intruding. We''ll leave," Sylvia started, the butler as if in agreement started to leave when Elliot said, "We made an extensive n to go out today. We''ll leave the schedule up here," he said leaving a rolled parchment of the list he had made, "We''ll see you both love birds in the dining room," he sent a wink and stepped out of the room as Sylvia pulled him by his sleeve. Chapter 372 Strolling- Part 2 When Penny and Damien made their way down to the dining room, Penny felt utterly embarra.s.sed for the position in which the three vampires caught her and Damien in. She wasn''t just on top of Damien but had been biting him, thinking about it she internally covered her face with her hand while outwardly she kept a straight face like no one saw nothing. "The table is quieter than usual," Lord Alexandermented as he sipped his tea. Unaware of what had happened early in the morning. While no one wanted to answer and divulge into thatment, Damien was the one to address it, "They caught Penny biting me," Penny kicked Damien under the table to shut him up. Did this man have no filter? Of course, she knew he didn''t but she wished he hadn''t told it out loud. "What were you doing in their room? I thought the room in the right-wing would give you the needed privacy," Lord Alexander said with a straight face which only made it worse. Elliot couldn''t stop chuckling and Sylvia could only offer Penny her condolences. She just wanted to die. She wished someone could give her a shovel so that she could dig the ground herself and cover the mud over her right now. "Ow!" Elliot jumped in his seat making everyone look at him, "I thought I saw a bee," he said when he received looks across the table before narrowing his eyes at Sylvia who didn''t bother to turn to look at him as she sipped the soup from her spoon. He then turned to look at Penny, "We apologize for the morning, Ms. Penelope," he bowed his head, "Alexander, do you think you can make time for some shopping." "Hmm, I think I can spare some time as I am free until evening," Penny noticed how Lord Alexander didn''t mind Elliot dropping the t.i.tle and addressing just by his name. The five of them headed out leaving the mansion in the capable hands of the butler who had been living here for many years. The snow had been cleaned and paved to make way for the carriage which they had traveled to another town that looked simr to the Isle Valley, except that there was no ck market in here. Another thing Penny noted was that there were no obvious looking ves aspared to Bonke. She wondered if it was because the ve establishment and the ck market was closed and in Bonke that made the elite who owned ves to show them off or if it was because of the pureblooded vampires who spread the authority that they believed in over the lower beings. Valeria was the secondnd after Bonke which was densely popted by vampires. On a closer look, Penny came to realize that there were ves in here if one watched the people walking closely. It was just that it wasn''t too obvious like in Bonke. The carriage had been parked at the front of the town as they strolled down the streets. As Penelope was new to Valeria, her eyes moved everywhere, taking in the view of the people and the little buildings were there were shops. Walking beside Sylvia, Penny asked, "Do you know where I can find decent dresses which aren''t overpriced?" she had no clothes to wear right now and if they were going to stay for a long period of time here in Valeria, it was only wise to buy dresses of her own size. "There''s one thates after the two streets from here. The shop must be open to enter, we can take a look there," Sylvia offered. "That would be lovely, thank you," Penny was d that there was a woman to talk to. It wasn''t that she never had apany back in the mansion of Quinn''s but just that there weren''t women of her own mindset. Penny came from a background where she wasn''t used to the rich lifestyle. She knew that Sylvia came from a simr background with the way she spoke and moved, her movements were careful and nothing outrageous that caught one''s eyes, except for Elliot which made her wonder if there was something between them. Damien and the rest who walked behind them, heard them interact while they conversed about thetest event that had just taken ce, "Her arm," Lord Alexander began, looking at the wound that was healing, "Was it the ck witch?" "Yes. They attacked the town two days before the ma.s.sacre was set up." "I hope that you have removed the venom out," Lord Alexander knew that his cousin had marked the white witch as his own. His mother had been careful enough to not tap into the forbidden magic and not to fool around with it but Penelope had only begun to use the magic and she would have to be careful in handling it. "It has been removed. You should send a notice to all the white witches who work in the church and elsewhere. The ck witches would want to catch a new one once they target a new ce to host the ma.s.sacre," warned Damien. It would be months before they would try to achieve for another ma.s.sacre and if they did they had to be prepared in deflecting it again. Surely no town would be built without supervision this time by the council. "I received the letter by the council this morning. Iterating about what took ce," Alexander stated as they continued to walk, following the two women behind, "They want to run an exorcism for precaution''s sake." "Wouldn''t it bring forth every hidden witch in all thends?" "It will," Lord Alexander agreed, "It will also bring the hunters out who want to hunt the witches. It will also bring me to light. We''ll have to figure it-" before he could finish his sentence, an excited woman''s voice was heard behind them. "Mr. Quinn!" This had everyone turn to see who it was. It was a man and a woman, who approached them. The man was young, probably in his early twenties and the woman looked younger, her eyes red in color. They offered their bows as Damien said, "Lady Helen." The woman said, "I have been doing well, Mr. Quinn. It is so good to see you. I was worried when I didn''t receive your letter after that night," both Elliot and Sylvia''s eyes shot to the side to look at Penny who stared at Lady Helen. Chapter 373 Tailor- Part 1 Lord Alexander looked unbothered and so did Damien who only stared at the Lady who hadined about him having not written back to her after her letter. He didn''t even know which letter she was speaking of as he was popr, it was hard to keep track of the letters he received. "What night are you talking about?" Damien tilted his head, his face void, "There are so many nights we spent together," Both Elliot and Sylvia looked rmed hearing this. Was the pureblooded vampire digging his own grave voluntarily? Hearing this, Lady Helen blushed profusely, "Ah, that¡­" she tried to contain down her blush which didn''t stop from showing up on her face, "The night when it was¡­" Penelope who stood behind, watching and listening to their conversation couldn''t help but listen more to what was going on. Did Damien have an affair with this woman in the past? Her jaw was set firmly and her hand which had settled loosely next to her now clutched on to the bottom of her dress but she didn''t say a word. Yet, at the same time, she couldn''t stop the jealousy that brewed in her chest. She wondered if she should even call it jealousy and it might be that she was ufortable about it. To think the man she was with had a past fling who appeared right now. Lady Helen''s brother was the one who came to clear the air, saying, "Helen had created the miniature nt in the pot. She wanted to give it to you after you taught how to do it." "It was nothing big. Alexander wanted me to showcase and put the time for some good use," Damien brushed away the topic like he didn''t care which he didn''t. It was two seasons ago in Valeria when he hade here for some good time to be spent with his cousin when he was asked to attend a tea party where he came to teach them how to potrge trees into pots. "I am Victor, her brother," the young man introduced himself to Damien and then offered a bow to him and the Lord. The others didn''t matter as the siblings didn''t know who they were or that they held lesser importance than these two men, "It is good to have finally met you. My sister has spoken a lot about you." Penny looked away not bothering herself with what was happening ahead of her. Instead, she asked Sylvia, "Would it be okay to head to the shop you mentioned earlier?" Sylvia nodded her head right away, "Of course. Lord Alexander, we''ll be going ahead," the woman informed to get a small nod of approval. The siblings spared a look at the third party before s.h.i.+fting their eyes back on the Lord and the councilman. "Will you demonstrating another .s.s, Mr. Quinn?" asked Lady Helen. Damien who had been quiet and following the conversation cut in to ask, "Do I look like a gardener to you?" "What?" thedy asked taken aback with his response. He took a deep breath before saying, "It was a simple cut out of the nts. I am sure you will do well by yourself and don''t need me to supervise you," his words came out to be sharp where he didn''t bother to sugarcoat it. There were times when Damien sugarcoated his words but that was only because he wanted something from a person. To get the job done one either had to use sugarcoated words or had to use a threat with torture and Damien used both of it. He didn''t care about other''s feelings as he came to be first. The young woman looked slightly dejected that he had refused to spend time with her which she had put in subtly. Lifting her face with a smile, she said, "That is alright. I am sure you are busy with other things." Her brother then chimed in, "Lord Alexander, will you be attending the party which Mr. Carmine is hosting this week?" "Yes, I have some people to greet and meet there," Lord Alexander replied not adding any further words for the conversation to move up. "Will you gentlemen be joining?" though the man asked it for both Elliot and Damien, his eyes came to settle on Damien. As if he were asking the question on behalf of his sister. "Sure. I don''t see why not," Damien replied for both the siblings to express their glee as they bowed and left them, "What a way to phrase the words." Elliot whistled, his eyes still following the two siblings who hopped on to the carriage which had been waiting for them. The young woman waved her hand and it was only Elliot who waved back at the girl before he came to say, "I was sure you spent quite some raunchy night with the girl the way she said it." Lord Alexander''s lips twisted in a subtle smile that wasn''t too evident, "We all thought the same. Especially if we take into Damien''s ount with women so far." The red-headed manughed, "Oh, milord. I don''t think his count exceeds yours," he then cleared his throat, "I was told not to lie." "You can still shut up," Lord Alexander raised his dark brow that only made Elliot smile. Damien added, "It is alright. I am sure we all are aware of Alexader''s reputation amongst ourselves. You really need to move to Bonke if you n to kill them all." Alexander rolled his eyes, now that the siblings had left they started to walk again, "I kill only the ones I feel I need to. People who don''t deserve to live and might or has caused trouble. You should be happy I am eradicating unwanted people from thesends of mine." "I think you are doing a good job in taking care of thend," Damien said knowing well on how much work it took when it came to managing it. For a magistrate, it was just a town or a vige. For many viges and towns cl.u.s.tered together was the Duke and then came the Lord above them. Seeing that they had fewer cases of ck witches than Wovile and Bonke, he could tell his cousin was doing a fair job even though he killed people. Chapter 374 Tailor- Part 2 Penelope didn''t bother to turn around to check if the woman was still fawning over Damien. She didn''t care about it. That was right, who cared about past lovers or affairs he had. Yet, she could feel the irritation and the slight anxiousness that brewed in her chest. "Penelope?" "Huh?" Penny turned to look at Sylvia with a questionable look on her face. "It is okay if I call you Penelope, right? You can call me Sylvia. No need for the formalities" spoke Sylvia. The blonde woman had noticed Penny s.p.a.cing out as they walked and stepped into the shop. She was sure that the girl had not noticed that they had already reached the shop, "We are here," she notified her. "Ah. I am sorry for s.p.a.cing out," she apologized quickly. She had done back to her inner monologue with herself without realizing that they had entered the shop. "That''s okay. It ismon to feel jealous when you are in love," Sylvia smiled and Penny quickly blushed. "Haha," sheughed slow and awkwardly. "You shouldn''t worry about such trivial things. Men and women might flock around but all you need to know is if the man you love wille back to you after that flocking." "How about yourself?" "Me?" asked Sylvia with a surprised look on her face. "I mean Elliot and...you," Penny trailed. Sylvia only smiled. The shop owner walked in, interrupting their talk with the loud sound of the boots on the floor, "Good morning,dies! How can I help you?" he put on his best face to please his customers, "Madame, Sylvia. How lovely to have you back here." The man appeared handsome even with the old age that was approaching him. His jaws still defined and his brows stayed raised. The mixture of ck and white hair which was straight in texture was long enough to settle on his forehead. Sylvia turned to him to speak, "Good morning, Mr. Hensely. This is a special guest of Damien Quinn, Lord Alexander''s cousin. I am sure you can tend to what she is looking for." "Of course! How can I be of your service, mdy? Let me take a look at yourself," the man said, pus.h.i.+ng his small .s.ses back to his nose while looking at her from top to bottom. Penny wasn''t used to this. The tailors or going to look at clothes before she met Damien and after he started to buy clothes for her. It was always people using a tape to measure the size of the body but right now the man used his eyes. She looked at Sylvia who said, "Mr. Hensely is one of the best tailors of the Valeria and also underrated at the same time when ites to the prices he cespared to the other dresses you will find in other towns and shops. I worry what women like us will do once he pa.s.ses away." "Oh, hush you girl. Ms. Sylvia likes to talk highly about my dresses. I do what I need to do." Seeing Sylvia talk to the man like she knew him for a very long time, Penny rxed her shoulders, "Hmm, I think I have some dresses that might fit you. Let me go back and get it from the storage room." The man walked back in from where he had appeared and Sylvia then continued their conversation, "Elliot and I aren''t like that. We may appear to look like that but no," Penny only nodded her head, "Elliot liked another woman or still does." Penny leaned forward hearing this. With the way the vampire behaved with Sylvia, she was sure he was flirting with her but who knew there was something else in here. "Beforeing here to work for Lord Alexander, Elliot used to work in the theater," Penny''s eyes brightened hearing this part of the information. There was someone who acted in the theater like her. Damien was not considered as he was a born actor but to have actually worked, "It was there that he met a girl. Fell in love but things didn''t work out." "Why not?" "She was apparently a ck witch." "Oh¡­" that was something that she didn''t expecting. "All I can say is-" "Is that Elliot is trying to woo Sylvia now but she never believes when he confesses his love for her," Elliot chimed in as he got closer to them and the other two men stepped through the door. "This is such a small shop," Damienmented looking around. "Indeed," Alexander agreed to look at the ceiling that wasn''t too far if they were to raise their hand up. "You should consider giving a raise to Sylvia, Alex. You must be a stingy employee that shees here to buy clothes," Damien chuckled as the Lord stared at him and in the end ignored him. In that time, Sylvia retorted back to Elliot''sment with, "What a heap of garbage." "Who calls my shop garbage?" came the shop owner with several dressed in his hands. Sylvia sighed, "No one did, Mr. Hensely." "Oh, it is the Lord! Good morning, Lord Alexander," the man bowed his head to show the pureblooded vampire his respect. Alexander spared the man with a nod, "Please take a seat here. Let me go get some more chairs," saying this, the man dropped the dresses on the table and went to fetch the chairs. Walking forward, Damien picked up a dress, looking at the texture to say, "This looks like a fine piece but it won''t fit her. It is going to be tight," when the man returned back,? he said, "Do you have one size bigger than this? Also, do you have some nice white cream nightdress that she can wear at night? Also, do you make thosece things for women that you wear in-" Penny''s eyes widened and she ced her hand on his. "I think that is sufficient for now. Let''s not buy too many things," she said looking at him. Penny saw Damien give her a grin and he stepped closer to her, his head bending down to whisper in her ear, "I wanted to see you wear one of those," and her face only turned redder feeling his breath on her ear. Chapter 375 Tailor- Part 3 Penny only hoped that the others who hade with them wouldn''t have heard what Damien had whispered in her ear. The man had no shame. Not one bit and he always proved it, shamelessly. When the tailor appeared back with two chairs, none of them said anything except for Elliot who went to help the man in moving the chair across the counter before cing it down for Lord Alexander and another chair which was left empty. Lord Alexander sat down on the hard wooden chair, crossing his legs and his arms as he looked at the dresses that were kept for disy. Penny didn''t dare to look here and there instead had her hand ced on Damien''s own hand so that if the time needed she could and would dig her nails into his skin. With Lord Alexander in the room, his eyes looked bored yet intimidating at the same time, the tailor was on his work right away, asking Penelope, "Mdy, these are some of the samples that we have. Please let me know if you find anything of your taste," the tailor man pulled one dress over another so that she could take a good look at it. "Do you have something in blue. Maybe in the shade of blue," Damien was the one to ask, showing his interest in what she was going to wear." "Hue. I will need to check on that one, Mr. Quinn. Please take a look at it while I go check if there''s something in the color of hue for thedy," saying that the tailor man went to go inside again beforeing back to say, "I am sorry, I don''t have it. If you or thedy so desire to make one I will make sure to get it ready after taking her fittings." As Sylvia was the one who brought her here, Penny knew the price for the dress would be much cheaper than what the elites paid in the fancy shops for the pureblooded vampires. They were going to stay here for some time so she didn''t mind the time. "How long will that take?" "Six to seven days if it''s urgent," answered the tailor. "We have enough time for it," without another word, Damien pulled out the pouch of coins and took out seven silver coins. cing it at the top of the wooden counter, "This should be sufficient?" The tailor bowed his head, taking the coins from the surface and offering a deep bow, "I will have the dress prepared to the soonest once mdy says what she''s looking for." Penny felt Damien''s hand on her back, he said, "Get what you need," this time his voice didn''t appear to be teasing and he instead walked outside the shop that left Penny confused. One minute he was teasing and another minute he was serious. She saw Lord Alexander follow him out like they had some business. "Mdy, what type are you looking for? Let''s start with the sleeves first and then move to the neckline. Here are some designs you might be interested in," he took the parchment of bind to pull it up on the counter. As he turned the pages, she caught sight of the different designs that were drawn out. Elliot appeared to be much interested in the fabric as he chatted with the tailor while Sylvia helped in giving out her suggestions on what might suit and match. One would have thought that the men were bored and had stepped out of the small shop for some air but Damien stepped out staring at something or someone who had walked by. "What''s the matter?" "What is the possibility of pureblooded vampires dreaming during broad daylight?" Damien asked his cousin who furrowed his brows. "Was it her mother?" "At least that is what I think who walked by. It would be uncanny though. To have someone follow us so quickly when it has been only a day since we left Wovile and turned up here," his eyes scanned, "I will take a look ande." "Hmm," Lord Alexander responded to stand outside the shop and see if there was someone who stood out of the normal. His dark red eyes continued to stare at the people who walked by, offering their bows where he stood intimidatingly that had people not get too close but still offer their respect for who he was. A ck witch would not dare cross and step close to him, not just because he was a pureblooded vampire but most of the witches knew who he was or who his parents were. In the past when he had only applied for the council, there had been objections by some of the higher elder councilmen and he didn''t have to be told that these were the very people who had tried to frame his mother time and time again and were trying to do the same with him in the fear that he was an ent.i.ty who was a higher being. After all, he was the son of a pureblooded vampire as well as the first generation white witch. He had been made to undergo tests to prove that he was not a white witch which hade out to be true as he wasn''t one. Once Damien had entered the council soon after some years, he had worked together to get rid of the very same people one by one but there were still some pests who were hard to find out. His hand touched the pendant that rested on his chest. The cross had the charm stone in it which once belonged to his deceased mother. Lord Alexander could only hope that the ill fate that had touched his parents wouldn''t touch Damien and Penny. With the society that they lived in, people were not just judgemental but also weren''t weing when it came to the witches. He looked in the direction Damien had gone in. Chapter 376 Tailor- Part 4 Damien walked through the streets of the town. The town was an old one which wasn''t as big as the Isle Valley, maybe not even half of it which made it easier for him to search through the ce to confirm that it was only his imagination but at the same time he was sure that he had seen her mother walk by. He wondered if it was a premonition. Something that he had acquired from his mother where one could see things before it happened. There was something different though which made him search through the streets again before he came back to the shop. "Did aunt Isabelle have any books with her? Stored some favorites which she must have stacked up when you were young?" Damien asked Alexander who stared back at him in thought. "Most of her things have been moved to the West wing as it is not widely used but why?" questioned the Lord, "If you''re looking for any of her materials she burnt them all." Damien shook his head, "No. She burnt only the ones she believed to be essible to others. If Aunt Isabelle did write some of the books, then she must have ced a charm on it. Something not everyone can read. "Care to exin more?" Damien waited for the mother-daughter duo to walk by them who were visiting the next shop. Seeing them gone, he said, "You remember the secret of the church?" "In Bonke? Yes." "There are some books which have been preserved since the time it was built. Books that speak about vegetables. Even Creed had them in his house." Lord Alexander parted his mouth as it dawned on where the books came from which had been carried by the couple here, "Does the council know you took them from Creed''s house?" "Not yet, I hope they don''t. I spoke about Creed to Nichs about it." "So that was the mystery case." "You believe it too," Damien chuckled for Alexander to look to his side, his eyes looking far away in a distance. "When it involves Nichs people always die mysteriously. Some of the elders have noticed the pattern for years and are keeping a close eye on him," said Alexander, his lips forming a thin line, "I have spoken about it to Rueben. He must have told him." "What a love-hate rtions.h.i.+p you both have. It makes me cry," Damienughed when he received a re from Alexander, "Murkh is still trying to figure out what kind of disease the pureblood vampires are being struck with," he still remembered the time when a body had been brought to the council''sb for the vampire scientist to look at. "So what about the books?" asked Alexander, turning back to see if the women and Elliot were done talking to the tailor. "The books are not about vegetables. They are the whole history and secret about the white witches and the event that took ce back then. Interesting?" "Very. What was Creed doing with it?" "Possibly waiting for something or someone who could read it. Not everyone can read it. Not even white witches." "But Penelope can," deduced Alexander to see Damien nod, "Why?" "There are some recent developments that took ce. Creed couldn''t get to read it therefore he must have only collected it to receive nothing in return. Have you seen my ck witch? She goes by the name Bathsheba." "Might have caught the name. Do you want to track her?" "She''s a good one. I need her alive," he then added, "With limbs and hands." Lord Alexander smiled at his cousin''s words, "What do you need her for?" "I got a reading made for Penny. On her elemental ability and it turned out to be wrong." "You n to dismantle her yourself?" Alexander raised one of his eyebrows. "''Course, not. What do you take me for? I would do more damage but no. I need to get the reading again," Damien ran his hand fingers through his hair, pulling it back and then letting his hair fall back in its ce. When Penny stepped out of the shop with the others he saw her eyes meet his, her eyes looking at him suspiciously, "Did something happen?" she asked getting closer to him. "Nothing at all. Did you buy everything you needed?" Penny didn''t believe it was nothing but seeing Damien who didn''t answer her question, she nodded her head. They shopped for other things before going to look at other shops which had jewels, shoes, and clothes for men and women. After an hour pa.s.sed where Lord Alexander said he had to go to work, Damien said to Penny, "I have somece to take you," he linked his fingers with his, mes.h.i.+ng them together as he squeezed them. Seeing the other two off, Damien pulled her along with him, catching her hand closer as they walked down the streets. "Where are we going?" she asked curiously. "You will see," he grinned mischievously before they came in front of a small building where women worked inside it. A guardsman stood at the front and before they could pa.s.s, the man said, "It is only fordies, Sir," when a gold coin was presented, the guardsman bowed to say, "I am sorry, Sir. Onlydies are to enter this building." Two more gold coins were presented that had the guard smile, "Please," he moved back, letting both of them in. Walking inside, Penny saw what the fuss was all about a male stepping in here. Thankfully, they were the only customers in here. "Master Damien..." "Yes?" asked Damien like he had no clue what she was going to say. Damien could tell that she was speechless looking at the garments and the nightdresses that were designed for women. One of the women walked towards them with her high heels, her expression unchanged as if it were not the first time the guard had been bribed by a male. She put a smile on her face and asked, "How could I help you, mdy?" Penny was still trying to wrap her head when she heard Damien speak to the woman, "I am looking for pale pink nightwear which has full sleeves but more on the sheer which isn''t tight on the skin. With low neckline, just up the swell and free flow from the bosom which might touch her ankle and a touch of waves at the bottom so that it doesn''t look t." Chapter 377 Just The Two Of Us- Part 1 The store woman stared at Damien, not believing that he had detailed out a nightdress one detail to another as if he had already made his mind with it on what he wanted hisdy to wear at night, "We must be having one like that. Please make yourselvesfortable, I will be back in a moment," the woman ran away, her heels clicking on the floor. Damien had expected for Penny to be embarra.s.sed, ready to hear from her which she did but it wasn''t what he had expected, "Such detail, Master Damien. How many nights have you spent with other women that you can iterate every single detail of what you want?" her eyes stared at him and then she turned away her face. Wanting to test it out more, Damien didn''t care to rify what she heard back then and rather enjoyed himself in the jealousy that she felt, "What do I smell here? Must be the green envy," he taunted and teased her to see her not turn to look at him. "I am not jealous," she responded back, her eyebrows furrowing. The grin on Damien''s face broadened, "Of course, mdy. The girl only wanted to learn and understand my expertise fingers." "I don''t care if she wanted to cut a nt or a forest," Penny rolled her eyes. The girl was young and she looked innocent by the choice of words she made which also could have been done purposely to attract the attention of others. She walked forward, going to look at another nightdress which was on the stand. "If you were so bothered you should have asked the girl yourself." Penny finally turned to meet his eyes, her eyes holding the spark which he now basked in, "You are being delusional. I was hardly bothered by her or her little pots. I won''t be bothered by someone like her," that is what Penny said to him but in truth, she was still curious to know what was that ''night'' she had mentioned with Damien about. Damien continued to have the smile on his face and she red at him when he said, "I should probably bring Lady Helen here to see what she likes." "You should." He finally said, "She phrased it wrongly, mouse. You won''t find a loyal and faithful man like me, who loves you so ardently. I wouldn''t look at another woman," he confessed and time had stopped still. The little sparks of anger and irritation that she had carried had dissipated in the air like it was never there, to begin with. She stared at him. "What? You didn''t know I was in love with you?" Damien watched her eyes widen further. It was his turn to look at her with his narrowed eyes, "How oblivious are you?" hearing this her cheeks flushed red. She knew he liked her, cared for her but this was the first time he had said it directly where she was unprepared as she felt her heart skipped a few beats. They had spent so much time together now that it had turned out to be a habit where she looked forward to spending more time with him. To tell things that happened which he listened attentively. The woman had appeared back with the dress which Damien had described moments ago in her hand, "The room is right at the corner if you want to try how it looks," she offered her words. "Yes, thank you," Penny quickly hurried to the room along with the dress and locked the door to stand in front of therge mirror that was stuck on the wall. Her cheeks were red and she had to touch them with both her hands to feel the warmth on it. "Idiot," she muttered under her breath. Not knowing if it was her or him. Wearing the nightdress, she checked the size to be of her own that made her wonder if Damien had seen this dress before. Or maybe it was just Damien being Damien. The man knew what shoes to pick, what clothes to wear, how to style her and he was just good at a lot of things. Raising both her arms she turned around before noticing the nightdress was not sheer like the sleeves but it sure didn''t find her a.s.sets. Hearing a knock on the door, she heard thedy ask her, "Is everything alright, mdy?" She opened the lock, her head peeking out to ask, "Do you have something that will cover the front." "Yes, one moment," thedy returned back with something that lookedcy with frills around it, "This should do it. You tie it from behind with a hook," thedy advised and Penny nodded her head before going back in the room. After trying and twirling in it, she finally changed and stepped back out of the room, walking to where Damien was waiting for her. She noticed how some of the staff stared at him, their eyes scanning his back and he barely looked bothered by it. Noticing her step back in view, he asked, "Did you like it?" Penny took a few seconds before she breathed in to say, "Yes," it was unnerving to think on when she would wear it in front of him how it would be and she didn''t want to scare herself with it right now. "Wonderful!" he pped his hands and then looked at thedy that had her nod her head and start to fold the dress that had been picked. Stepping out of the store, Damien took the bags in one hand of his and with his other hand, he held her hand, not letting it go. "How do you know so many things? The hairstyle, clothes..." she asked him curiously as they headed back in the other direction to have a look at the other shops. And then came the quick reply from Damien, "I don''t know. G.o.d must have bestowed me with many talents." Chapter 378 Just The Two Of Us- Part 2 They walked down the streets which got busier as the time started to move from morning to noon, the sun which hade out now had started to go back and behind the clouds, turning the temperature back to one which was cold. Penny felt Damien''s hand held onto her hand firmly, not letting it go which made her feel like a child as it moved back and forth as they walked. A smile on her lips at the peaceful time they were having right now. "Valeria is nice," shemented seeing the children on the streets y with no care in the world. "Better than Bonke and Wovile?" Damien looked at Penny before his eyes tracked to where she was looking at, "Is it the weather or the people?" he asked. "Both I guess. I grew up in Bonke, under the thick clouds without feeling much sunlight on my skin and even if it did, I was always in the house with my mother. Never out ying with others." "Do you hate it?" Damien kept his questions short without wanting to interrupt much. He saw her smile as she breathed deeply. "I might have back then. I was young with a child''s heart. I think it is only obvious that I would have craved for people more than me. I remember there was this girl who was very scared of me. People in Bonke are much resistant but here, it looks much more peaceful." "It wasn''t the same before," Damien''s voice chimed in, "Life here has turned around with strict rules. Can you see the spot there? The two buildings away from the tower bell," he jerked his head in the direction without pointing his hand, "It was the ce Aunt Isabelle was burnt." Penny couldn''t believe this was the same town that Lord Alexander''s mother had been killed. The man had appeared to be serious, a man of few words but spoke only when needed in the beginning. His appearance was darker than Damien where Damien used his mouth to be sarcastic with others and poking annoyance, the Lord mostly red. Nheless, he had apanied them today with them before leaving for work. To step back where the gore had taken ce where his mother had died. It was hard to face things that hurt. The man was brave to do that. "Do witches get burned down still?" Penny asked him, her lips falling to a thin line as she thought about the previousdy of Valeria. "There are some incidents. Not everything can be controlled but fear helps," Damien smirked, "You scare the vige and townsfolk enough they will fall in line sooner orter. The ck witches are not spared but if a white witch is spotted by the guards, it is necessary here that they report it directly to the Lord. After what happened to his mother, he doesn''t want other white witches to have the same fate. I think it is different like that whenpared to Wovile where white witches are not wee at all by the humans and vampire but then it is also because of the circ.u.mstances." She nodded her head. She knew that. It was as if no one was at fault but at the same time, they were at fault. People who were going to protect had turned their backs and no one trusted anyone. "I guess no ce is safe," she sighed, her fingers being pressed by Damien. "If there isn''t a safe ce, I will be your safe haven. You can alwayse to me and I will be there," he a.s.sured her. Damien had turned to a sweet man, she doubted he changed as he still handled people the same way he did as before but it was his affections for her that had changed. Making it evident and more open where he didn''t bother to hide what he wanted to do, say or show. "I will be your safe haven too," Penny stated. Damien''s lips only stretched. "You wouldn''t mind if I killed people?" "I am sure you have the best interest in me or people you care about when you do it," she turned to meet his eyes where he was looking at her already. "So much trust," he murmured before saying, "You wouldn''t mind if I killed your mother?" he stared back at her, gauging her expression. Damien didn''t judge Penny if she still held some sort of attachment to her mother. She had grown dependent on her mother all those years. Her mind being erased and brainwashed over and over again where she had turned docile while she had to be resentful for what her mother did. He had seen the pain and dejection before they had left Wovile. She was scared to let it go previously, to break away things but the pain had reduced after her mother had tried to set her up to be part of the ma.s.sacre. "You should already know," hershes touched her cheeks as she looked down and then looked up back at him, "I don''t mind if you ripped her head off her body," she nodded her head in confirmation. "Consider it to be done," Damien was d to hear that from her. This way there would be fewer mishaps. It was only a matter of time before she would get back all the lost and erased memories. After being fixed then they figure out why her mother was intent on killing her. He would help Penny with anything she wanted. His sweet mother-inw was hiding something that she was scared and yet to not kill Penny on the spot she must have grown some kind of attachment as well. Attachment or not, in the end, she would kill her and it was only right to kill her. "Say, howe the ck witches haven''t set up Lord Alexander for his witch blood?" she asked in wonderment. "You have seen that cross that he wears, it suppresses the presence of the witch. The charm stone was made by his mother. And he''s some kind of mixed creature of the witch and the vampire," with what Penny knew, making a red charm stone was impossible. There were many different colors but until now the existing white witches weren''t able to acquire the red stone. Chapter 379 Things That Were Hidden- Part 1 Returning back to the mansion, Lord Alexander was away and Elliot and Sylvia were on the other side of the mansion, bickering with each other as Penny and Damien made their way to the right-wing where they were staying in now. cing in the corner of the room what they had got, Penny walked out of the room and into the patio. The weather was truly beautiful here which felt nice on her skin. The warmth made her feel somewhat safe which made her wonder why. Turning around, she caught Damien who was changing his clothes to something much morefortable than what he wore earlier when they were out. Hearing the birds chirp outside, Penny enjoyed the moment. Knowing the time they had taken right now was the calm before the rising storm which would soone looking for her. Though they had understood a few things, there were still a few things which they weren''t aware of and she had a lot to learn. The mansion they were in once belonged to the white witch, Lady Isabelle Genevieve who belonged to the first generation of white witches. It was an honor to be here and Penny couldn''t tell how happy she was that both Damien and Alexander were rted to each other. People never spoke about the first generation of witches and it was always termed as witches through which the information was left. People were left to be illiterate who didn''t know what those old white witches were capable of. After dinner, Lord Alexander had taken them to the study room. The room was quiet and dark like other parts of the mansion. "Mother didn''t leave anything behind except for a few obvious books and details which the council could not take with them," said Lord Alexander, walking to one of the walls where the books were ced. He picked them randomly before going back and cing them on the table, "These are some of the books in here." Penelope leaned forward to pick one of the books there, reading the t.i.tle ''Warling''s story of the bees''. Opening it, she noticed it was about bees and flowers but nothing that spoke about the witches or their history. Both the men looked at her, waiting for her reaction before she shook her head, "It is a normal book. Can you try reading this, Lord Alexander?" Penny asked, pus.h.i.+ng the book to him which they had acquired from the councilman''s house. Alexander picked up the book, "This is interesting. It is about moon signs. You shouldn''t be having it," Lord Alexander could read it too! But then that would mean it had nothing to do with the alignment of stars. "So we have two people who can decipher and read books. More the merry,"mented Damien. "The story and information about the moon signs were considered to be lost though I know some of them still have some information pa.s.sed on like idiots," Alexander flipped the pages, his eyes taking in what was written and speaking, "Mother said a few things about it." "I thought aunt sheltered you from the witch life," Damien stated for Alexander to continue reading and then reply with, "No. There were some bedtime stories which she used that had details about the witches. It is only after you grow up youe to realize the stories are real," his expression was grim as he said, "I think even though she wanted to keep me away from the witches, she still wanted to tell me about her heritage of where she came from. Where I belonged too and it wasn''t just the pureblooded vampire. Probably to have somepa.s.sion to the witches." Lord Alexander looked at Penny, asking her, "Did you read this?" she nodded her head. "Not everything but some part of it." "What did it say?" he inquired not having the time to go through what was written in it right now. "Each signs behavior and how to identify them by the pattern and characteristics. On what they do and what might be their possible fate¡­" Penny trailed when Alexander''s face only turned grimmer. To test her knowledge and how much she covered the book, the Lord asked, "Can you tell me what sign I belong to?" Penny stared at him, having been put in the spotlight right now she tried to remember what she read in the scarce time she had found, "You iste yourself. You prefer to work alone and the past that you carry is what you have learned and have applied. Quiet, yet dangerous with the way people look at you. Your presence demand respect but it makes one think if it is?because of the position or for who you are as they are scared knowing what you are capable of making them wary of you yet talking to you in polite greeting," she paused, trying to gauge if she had got his characteristics before saying, "You are a spider." Lord Alexander stared at the young white witch who appeared to have potential. The same promising potential his mother had which she had not used after she married his father, "What about Damien?" he asked, testing her further. Damien and Penny had never discussed his moon sign but Penny had caught his sign with just a nce. "Wolf," she answered Alexander who nodded his head, twisting his lips and sighing loudly. "I take that it''s not good to have this book," Damien chipped in his thoughts. Closing the book and handing it to Penny, Alexander turned to his cousin. "No, it is not. Follow me," he said to have both of them follow his footsteps when he went to the shelf of books and pulled thentern that was hanging in there to have the shelf move and make way to a pa.s.sage, "Penelope, you have potential but at the same time I would advise you to not get in the eyes of the council. What Damien doing is right but once your namees up in the council there would be no way out. Once a person gets stuck with the council it is for life." Chapter 380 Things That Were Hidden- Part 2 Penny knew that Lord Alexander only meant well as she was rted to his cousin and she was right when she heard him say, "Damien and your rtions.h.i.+p aren''t too far from what my parents shared. The creatures they came from and who they were, maybe just improvised version. I don''t think I would like to see Damien heartbroken and wither away if something ever happened to you. It is good to consider that his life resides in your hands now because of the bond," Penny had never thought about it like that until now. She knew that pureblooded vampires ced bonds but she didn''t know that it was serious. She turned to look at Damien with a frown on her face. "Stop scaring her like that, Alex," Damien tched, turning to her he said, "There''s nothing to worry about." "I am not scaring her," Alexander''s voice was serious as they walked through the dark path thentern in his hand, "I am merely stating the truth." "Tell me more," Penny said as she didn''t have much idea about the bonds. "You should ask him yourself, Penelope. Because I don''t know what kind of bond he''s ced and only he can exin it," when Alexander didn''t exin it to her, Penny turned to Damien for answers where he ran his hand through his hair which he mostly did out of frustration. "Why won''t you tell me?" Penny asked. She never knew putting herself in danger would automatically put Damien in the same boat, now that she had heard part of it, she wanted to know more about it than being ignorant about it. Feeling her unbroken gaze, Damien finally said, "The bonds the pureblooded vampires leave on their partners is life long. It is something that ties both the souls where they form a sort of sync where if one person dies, the other follows. If you die, then I will die in time too. The bond doesn''t take into consideration if I am a pureblooded vampire who has the ability to live long or not. It is a soul contract. And if something were to happen to me, you would follow. Very few have survived the break of bonds." "Okay," she whispered, taking in what he said which wasn''t too hard to understand except for how it happened. Was Damien ready to die for her sake? he did confess that he loved her but she didn''t know it would be deep enough for him to tie their souls to each other. "See, it wasn''t that hard," Alexander raised his brow looking at Damien when they finally made it to the wooden door. Taking his chain, he took hold of the pendant to push it into the keyhole and turn it around which clicked open, "This was built by my father for my mother so that she could store what she had in here. Though a lot of things are useless in the eyes of humans as well as vampires, only the white witches who know what ingredients each of them smells like will know what it is." "There are nobels in the secret room of the church too," Penny added to his words. The room needed a bit more brightness than what thentern provided for one to be able to look at what was in here. There were some books in the corner which was stacked in the corner. It resembled simr to the council with the various looking sks that had ubelled potions in it. "Which is why you will find most of them useless yet the witches have continued to store and save them." "You did too," Damien pointed out the obvious. "These are mother''s fewst things which I have saved. We all have something of our mothers," Lord Alexander''s eyes fell on the chain and the pendant that Penelope now wore, "I feel that it mighte to be useful someday." "May I?" Penny asked Alexander''s permission before she would start touching that was in here. Children were often privy to their parents and belongings that belonged to their family. "Please," Lord Alexander moved aside, going to stand next to Damien to whisper carefully, "Did you say she has a hunter attached to her?" "One so far. I will have him taken down if he''s still alive once we return back to Bonke." "Why not keep her here? You do know Valeria is the safest ce for her right," Alexander asked, looking back at Penny who walked in front of the potions and looked at them closely. "I rather keep her near me than a ce where it''s termed to be safe." "Lovestruck vampire," Alexander shook his head. Damien grinned like a young man in love, "Is it that evident?" he asked his cousin, Alexander rolled his eyes, "It is why I am on off duty right now. I traded Nichs'' silence over the matter of what happened to Creed with my day off here in Valeria." "He must be very delighted to know that. Does he know about her?" "I think he has an inclination just like most of us do for what is taking ce. What was about the moon sign? The humans have sun signs too but they don''t fret over it," Damien questioned his cousin, his hand reaching to thentern to increase the me of it. "When a ritual is formed the ck witches or the white witches need ingredients to perform andplete it. Apart from the minuscule objects, they need a witch. If it isn''t a ck witch and if like Lord Henry said, it isn''t a white witch. It means it is me that they need toplete the unbinding as one of the direct blood," as Penny was looking at the potions lined in the open shelf, she turned around when she heard what Alexander just said, "Your mother was one of the witches who left the binding magic on the ck witches'' power?" Penny couldn''t help but look in awe by hearing this. Lady Isabelle wasn''t just a first-generation white witch but she was one of the few witches who had fought back and stopped the ck witches! Chapter 381 Things That Were Hidden- Part 3 Alexander answered Penny, "Yes, she was one of the few. The ma.s.sacre makes use of the moon signs. Initially, when the white witches were noting them down, they noted it for pulling out energy without harming the people but as time went by and the greed increased, they started to note down and kill the people with certain signs. Signs who have elemental properties which is why most of the books that were written down were burnt," the man paused for a second and then said, "A lot of people think it was the vampires and the councilmen who burnt everything that belonged to the white witches but the truth was that it was the white witches themselves who had burnt them in the hope and effort that no one would ever know about it but it looks like the books still exist." Penny had read about some of the moon signs but she didn''t know that it would link to the ma.s.sacre. "Who do you think got these then?" she asked him. It must have either been stolen. "We don''t know. The only thing that mattered was that the people who fell in certain moon signs would be in trouble. They destroyed a lot of things along with it. There must be a diary that belongs to my mother here. She wrote it down when she came here¡­" It had been years since the source of ck magic had been closed by the first generation of white witches. Witches did live long, thought Penny to herself in her mind. She had been a.s.suming that they had the same life span as the humans but it wasn''t so. Lord Alexander walked to one of the stacks, pulling one book after another, lifting them up to pick a small book which was hidden in midst of the other books, "Here, you go." Just when Penny opened it and looked at the handwriting, she said, "I know this¡­I think it was your mother who wrote the books which we have." Damien took a peek at the book but he found no difference, he could onlye to a.s.sume that like the books that had been put under the enchantment, simrly the handwriting was perceived differently. He could also see that Penny was awed by his aunt Isabelle and was turning to be one of her admirers like many others. He was sure even Alexander had caught on to her little excitement. Flipping the first page she read some of Lady Isabelle''s thoughts and they were simr to the things she had written in other books. But this one was more mature in the writing. Even the words had slowly progressed down that felt calm as if she were in peace. Her hand ran across the page to feel the texture of the parchment under her fingers. ''Life has turned out to be peaceful now that I am here in Valeria. I sometimes worry at night when my mind is empty, wondering if I did a mistake by leaving Wovile but it seems to have done better for me. I am thankful for my husband who brought me here, to have met him was the good fortune I was looking for with my beautiful boy who is now two. The life I left behind me and the people, I wish there could have been better ways of handling it. To know that some of the things would happen and that the few that were left could have deflected it but now that it has been done. I hope the dark side that we have locked and buried down hoping to never see it surface while keeping every other creature safe. People have taken the white witches unkindly for the deeds of the ck witches and what they have done. First chased away and then burnt down in the hopes to finish the entire lineage of the witches. But over the years I havee to believe it was the ck witches who were trying to hunt down the ck witches by using others just as a means to reach us. I am thest standing white witch of the first generation and I know there will be a time when I won''t be able to save myself but I can save the family that I have built. In hope, that no harm would fall on them.'' There were some more pages where she spoke about Lord Alexander when he was little and about how loving her husband was. By reading the contents in there she felt her chest feel full of love. It was obvious that thedy was dotted and she loved the family she had made here.?Closing the book she gave it back to Alexander, seeing him take it and ce it amidst the books again as if he didn''t want anyone''s eyes to fall on it. All the first generation white witches were dead. Anyone who was looking at the facts could tell that the death didn''t take ce due to misfortunate events but because the white witches were eliminated one after another. If Lord Herbert was right about the ma.s.sacre, the ck witches would never be able to find out and unbind the magic. Lady Isabelle had protected her son so that the ck witches would nevere to harm him if they were to know that it wasn''t the white witches but him, a witch of a darker version. A dark witch. She had read something in regards to it but she had taken it to be in reference to ck witches, not realizing it was a whole different kind of witch. Damien then said to Alexander, "I will have a talk with Rueben about the books to be hunted and burned. And create a whole new set for?the curious humans that would not be important and can be ignored," this way it would avoid any unnecessary reason for the humans to poke their nose or the ck witches to have their hands on it. Chapter 382 Rules To Play With- Part 1 Somewhere deep down in her heart, Penny wished she had met thetedy. What Penny didn''t know was that time had let her meet thedy, walking past each other where Penny didn''t know who thedy was but the woman who had walked by her one of those days in the church was the very person whom she now wished to meet. To think she lived here and Alexander was her son, she couldn''t stop the genuine respect she felt right now. The woman had been considerate and like many others wanted a life of peace but the ck witches had got to her. Lord Alexander knew about it but the man was a lord of the whole Westnd and he had to act the part without raging out his anger for what happened to his mother. "Are the books in the room?" Alexander asked to receive a quick nod by Penny. He went to one of the closets, opening it and pulling the bell. In less than a minute, the ghost butler arrived. It made Penny wonder if the man had run to reach here, thinking about it she smiled to herself, "There are some old rusted books that are in Damien''s room. Get all of them here." "Yes, milord," Martin bowed his head and went out. The butler returned back with all the books using just one hand to bnce everything out, "Where do I ce it, Sir?" he asked for instructions. "Here, should be fine," he pointed out at the table and the butler ced all the books without letting any fall down. "You can leave," Alexander said to have the butler close the door behind him and walk away. It looked like the lord trusted Martin a lot to let him see this side of the mansion which she doubted anyone saw at all, "Did you try reading it?" he asked Damien who smiled. "Yes, I can. It speaks about how to grow mushrooms and carrots and whatnot. Aunt Isabelle sure had a sense of humor to camouge it with a spell that we couldn''t read," this brought a smile on Lord Alexander''s lips. "Others might not be able to read it right now but it is better that you burn the moon signs once you are done reading it," he looked at Penny for her to nod. "I know!" Penny''s sudden exmation startled both the men, "The book of clouds and weather speaks about nts and flowers. They have a scent. The reason why the potions don''t havebels is so that others will nevere to misuse it. Only the white witches can smell and tell what each other they belong to." "And how do we know what it belongs to?" asked Damien which even Alexander had no answer to at the moment. She pulled one of the books which the butler had ced. Tapping on the surface of it, she said, "This one speaks about the use. They are very subtle hints and do not talk directly. But they are all in here," she a.s.sured them. "Looks like you both will be doing a lot of reading." The next couple of hours and two days were spent reading the book and deciphering what it was all about. What was in here in the mansion was just a portion of what was in the secret room. They had to know the scent and use the potions. The witches didn''t mean to eat the information but were only protecting what they knew. With many books, both Alexander and Penelope sectioned the books to read andplete it. Apart from the identification of the scent, Penny found out something that was scribbled in haste. It read-''Making of charm stones''. She went through the content but it appeared to differ from the way the church did. Finally, they decided to create one of the potions which were to heal the injury. No potion had ever been mentioned like this before. The maximum a white witch ever did was give some herbs but healing wound was something unheard of. "I don''t think we got everything right in here," Penny looked down at the boiling pot which had turned ck. "Hmm," Alexander stared at it, picking the book he said, "We added everything that was needed. Roots of chimole, hair of the cat, nail of an old man, a drop of blood." Damien who couldn''t read the book was reading a normal book that he had borrowed from Alexander''s library, hearing what they were doing, he leaned slightly forward to see what his cousin and his mouse were up to. Seeing the state of the pot, he frowned along with the ingredients that were listed. He didn''t know why but it didn''t look like it was anything remotely close to what one would use for healing. Raising his brows and pus.h.i.+ng the .s.ses back on the bridge of his nose that had slid down, he went back to reading while leaving the excited children with the cookbooks, until he heard Alexander''s voice, "Let''s test this on you, Damien," the lord looked at him with a serious expression. "Oh, h.e.l.l no! Are you serious?" "You will be fine" Pennymented before looking at him sweetly when he narrowed his eyes, "You told you would trust me." "You? Yes. That thing? Not happening," he shook his head. Lord Alexander looked back at the pot and then the ingredients they had added. It was often told on how white magic had to be handled delicately as one misstep could touch and open the forbidden magic. Something didn''t feel right. At least with how the potion turned out to look. Damien took another look at the pot before he asked, "Are you even sure what is written in there is right? All the ingredients used there looks like one a ck witch would use. I mean you did add an old man''s nail." Lord Alexander was one of the first person to realize following Damien on what was going on, their expressions turning grim and serious. The room had suddenly turned quiet. She asked,?"What happened? Did we miss something?" looking at them back and forth. With the lord who was still trying to wrap his head around, Damien replied, "This isn''t white magic," it took Penny some time to sink the information in her mind, "There''s a possibility that you both have tried to tap the forbidden magic." Chapter 383 Rules To Play With- Part 2 Did she hear it right? "It can''t be," Penny couldn''t believe that they would have stepped into the lines which they weren''t supposed to do. Alexander was still trying to contemte what they did and looked at the book and flipped through the parchment of pages of the book when Damien asked, "Do you feel any change? Any change in the body?" he stared at Penny to see if there were any changes he could see but he found none so far on her face or her hands. Penny shook her head, "I don''t feel any changes so far," turning to look at the Lord who was quiet; she wondered if he could feel anything. It was an obvious thing that when a white witch tapped into the forbidden magic, there would be change in their body where it would start to transition from white witch to ck witch. She was definitely not looking toplete the process and turn to a ck witch. To be something she detested along with the others, she didn''t want to be part of it. "It is a white witch''s book. Why would there be anything regarding the ck witch when they know what the consequences are?" and it was Lady Isabelle''s books, she was a white witch until her death. Lord Alexander then came to answer, "It is possible that my mother tried some of the forbidden magic," his words were soft in the room and he exhaled with his lips twisting, "The books that you found in Creed''s house might be mixed with what the white witches wrote down but it is very possible that she or someone else tested it out. If you go to the normal witches here in the town who work in the church, the maximum they will give you herbs that have been mixed and crushed with other nts to give relief which will make it feel like the pain you feel is getting better but it is only stopping the pain from going to your brain." "Does this mean Aunt Isabelle has touched the forbidden magic and now you both have done it too?" Damien had ced his book down from reading it and not liking where the conversation might be going or how bad the situation was right now, "I don''t see any changes so far. The effect should have taken ce right away." Even Penny agreed to it. When a white witch tapped into the forbidden magic, the skin would start to itch and one would feel and know where the skin was changing. The beginning process of being part of the ck witch n, Penny herself didn''t like it. "Mother never mentioned about touching the forbidden magic or any magic borately. I don''t think I caught anything about it because father and the others never spoke about her change in behaviour or anything remotely making her appear that she had changed her personality. People still perceived her as the kind woman," Damien nodded his head, "I don''t think we havepleted the process of the magic, which is why the changes haven''t taken into effect yet. There are some spells that have been written down which need to be told out loud for it toplete." "That''s good," replied Damein, "What a close call-" he said before catching Penny''s eyes that started to change differently. Her beautiful green eyes were still there but it was the pupil that had started to change and fluctuate from being round to one that resembled like a snake''s eye that had turned to slits. Penny had been happy hearing what Lord Alexander said until a slight headache started to form in her head. She closed her eyes and then opened it to look at Damien who had stopped talking. Her own heart dropped when she saw the look on his face and she didn''t have to be told why he looked at her the way he did now. Her lips parted and she asked, "It is changing, isn''t it?" Lord Alexander''s head snapped on Penny''s words. Looking at her eyes that had changed. Usually, it was the skin that changed but for Penny, it was her eyes. He didn''t get it though. They hadn''tpleted the spell for the potion, for her to be affected by it. Damien was wondering about the same as his cousin appeared to bepletely fine yet his mouse was looking at him with snake eyes, "This is why you shouldn''t call others snake, mousey. Look at it being backfired," he said looking at her where she had started to panic, hoping it would ease her nerves. "It''s not supposed to happen. No magic isplete if one doesn''tplete the process. If it didn''t affect me it shouldn''t affect her either." "Ah¡­" Penny trailed. "What happened?" asked Lord Alexander, his eyes strained on her as he tried to pick any difference in her appearance. "Do you think a ck witch doesn''t need spells for thepletion of the potion?" she asked no one in particr. She stared down at the potion they were making earlier which had turned to a ck soup, "My father might be a white witch but my mother is a ck witch. It might be possible that as much as the white witch blood is dominant in my blood, there''s still a residue of ck witch''s blood that runs in my veins." "It still shouldn''t matter," Alexander started to flip and turn the pages, "Look. It says- the spells and magic of this book are for white witches'' use where one will have to create the ingredients and then make use of the spells for the potion to bepleted." "Yet it has affected her and not you, Alex," Damien stood up from the chair he had been sitting in to bend down and look at the pot, "It looks too dark to be called as white witch''s potion," He lifted Penny''s face so that he could take a better look at her eyes. "I don''t want to turn to one," Penny whispered to him... Chapter 384 Rules To Play With- Part 3 Penny didn''t want to be like her mother. Being a ck witch was something she didn''t want to be, "I don''t want to turn to one." "You won''t. As you said, it might be one of the side effects of being the offspring of two different witches. The spells and the procedure must be different to different kinds of witches and isn''t the same when ites to how it would react," they stood up and Damien pulled Penny to his side, "If aunt Isabelle wrote this down, it is possible that she performed the forbidden magic." Penny walked towards one of the .s.s shelves, looking at her reflection to see her eyes that had turned to slits. She felt like she was seeing apletely different person right now. This was not supposed to be happening. They were only testing to check if the potions could benefit and it was the same ones they had believed it to be by the scent of it but who knew she was walking in the path of the forbidden magic. "It is possible that as Alexander is a different sort of witch, it must have not harmed him and he must be immune to it," Damien came up with the theory of the possibility of what might have happened just now, "If it is true. Alex,plete the potion," he said to his cousin who only frowned at him. "How do we know it is not going to backfire?" asked Lord Alexander who was not interested in ying check if the forbidden magic would affect him or not. Penny turned back, looking at Lord Alexander who was contemting what to do, "Okay, let''s test it." Saying this, he bent down and added a few more things into it and started to chant the spells that were written down which was in anguage of the witches that was not spoken anymore now in any of thends, "I need a test subject," said Alexander looking at Penny and Damien as they were the only ones in the room, "We aren''t sure of how it will react with the pureblooded vampire. The normal healing mechanism of us is higher than the other creatures and we don''t know how much time it will take if we were to use the potion," his eyes then s.h.i.+fted to Penny who felt like she was the goat who was about to be sacrificed. At the same time, she wanted to know if it would work. If it could heal, the potion they had made where her eyes looked like a snake. Thinking about it, she internally whined. Alexander walked towards her, his stepsnguid until he reached for the room bell to call his butler. When the butler arrived, the man covered his surprise over what was happening in the room. "How can I be of your service, Lord Alexander?" asked the butler, his head bowing at him. "Take a seat, Martin. We are trying to experiment with something from one of my mother''s books," hearing this the butler''s eyes slightly widened. One would have mistaken his widened eyes to be because he was going to be the test subject but it wasn''t because of it. Alexander had grown up with Martin around him to be able to pick up subtle expressions of his butler, "Is something the matter, Martin?" he tilted his head in question. To Penny, the butler appeared to be the same with his hard cold expression that seemed unchanged. She watched the butler stare back at Lord Alexander like the person in front of him had not spoken a word to him. The butler, on the other hand, remembered the times when the Lady and the previous Lord were still alive. His eyes didn''t move to look at the books as he realized what he had carried in here. "These are the lost books of Lady Genevieve." "Lost?" Alexander asked seeing there was an answer right here without the need to look outside. "When the Lady met Sir Zachary and started to live here after their marriage. She had stored some of the books in her room. Sir also made a library with the number of times she visited local libraries and stored the books. Some books that weren''t part of the library. The council after knowing the marriage of a pureblooded lord to a white witch came to run a check. It happened once in every six months. Sometimes lesser than that as a surprise visit but it then stopped after two years." "Must have been the time when Rueben was appointed to be the head council," Damien chimed in. This put a thought in his mind, wondering if his aunt had pushed forth the current head councilman for his job so that he could be useful to her or if Rueben had taken the step himself. He had heard how they knew each other for years but it was a one-sided feeling there and then came his uncle Zachary who swept her off her feet. Martin said, "One day Sir Zachary hosted the Winters b.a.l.l.s in here ad a tradition. It was then that the books went missing. Some of the books and now they are here," his eyes fell on the books that were on the table. "How do you know these are the same books?" Alexander interrogated his butler who had spent more years in this mansion than him. "They were about vegetables. She was very upset when she noticed that they were gone. Master back then couldn''t do anything like a search for it would only cause suspicion. She was upset that there were other things that were written in there which she was worried would be misused for one''s own selfishness," said the butler, the most Penny had ever heard the butler speak, "She said it would be a downfall if one where to find what she and her brother wrote." "Brother?" Penny uttered the words. "Mother had a younger sibling but she said he died in the fire of Bonke when the church that has the secret room was built onter," Lord Alexander answered her doubt. Chapter 385 Dancing In The Meadow- Part 1 Penny couldn''t help but think about it, on what the butler just said. The great white witch wasn''t a lone child but had a brother. A younger one at that. Was he perhaps alive? She asked herself but Damien asked Alexander, "Is her brother alive?" Lord Alexander shook his head, "No. He was killed in Wovile long before mother even came to Valeria. It is possible that Creed or someone who worked for him stole the books from here but if he''s continued to keep it without moving them around, it means he never got to see what was in there." "I wonder who tipped him on it," upon Damien''s words, Lord Alexander said, "It isn''t much of a surprise actually. There were some who knew that mother was the only standingst white witch of the first generation. When you are special, many eyes are bound to follow where and what you do. What else do you know, Martin?" his gaze s.h.i.+fted to look at his butler. "She told more than the white witches, they had ended up writing the books that might have turned out to be helpful for the ck witches. She said she had ced a charm after her brother''s death. Something about only the blood being able to see and no one else will evere to open the book to what it really holds. That is all I know, milord." Damien pointed out, "That''s like telling Penelope is your sibling or cousin," that could have been true but her brother had died and obviously he couldn''t be her father. Her father was dead too, Penny frowned remembering it. "But we have no connection. Her father is a nameless person which we couldn''t trace back to," Lord Alexander cleared the air about it. "It must be because of the alignment of stars then," Penny was sure that the Lord couldn''t be her distant rtive. They had been living in Bonke ever since she knew and not once had she heard her mother speak about any othernds apart from it in her good memories. Not having heard about it before, the Lord questioned, "What''s this alignment of stars?" "It''s something about the stars falling into a pattern, three stars in the East which marks from right to left. Three stars meaning three people with abilities," Penny exined and Damien let her exin to her cousin. Penny went on to exin before Damien took to exin the rest of what he had gathered so far. He spoke about the n of the witches when it came to having the ma.s.sacre take ce to kill the people who were involved and part of the alignment of stars to some of the council members who had taken part in it. Lord Alexander stared at Damien without blinking his eyes, listening to every word before he sighed, "You aren''t wrong when ites to Lady Vivian but I didn''t know she was part of this alignment of stars." "You knew it?" Damien''s eyes narrowed. "I was only protecting the girl. I didn''t know everyone here had their fates shared and linked to each other. It was during the time when I had gone to visit a ball and we had a switcher''s problem." Penelope was curious and she asked, "What ability does she hold?" to think that it was the samedy who had helped her in the Isle Valley when she was with Grace. "The gift of touch," Lord Alexander replied back, "She can see the memories of objects and people by just touching them," Damien could now see how everything was falling into ce when it came to their cases. They had been able to solve the cases faster with her ability, also the reason why he had seen her wearing a pair of ck gloves which never came off her hand except for the time of the investigation, "But I heard Leonard say something more about her gift." Everyone stood quietly, waiting for him to speak, "He said something about healing ability but it was more on the curse side. She tried to heal someone but she only started to lose blood from her, like it was damaging her life span." Healing... thought Penny to herself. What she did, was it possible that it could be taken to be healing. "Have you experienced something more than purification?" Damien turned to question Penny. Penny didn''t know if it could be called an ability that she felt months ago. She gave him a nod. She received a look from him as if he was asking her that she had not bothered to mention it to him. She gave him a queasy smile, "I did mention to you once about it. Remember that ck smoke behind a person. I don''t know what it was and I didn''t feel anything," Damien remembered about it faintly. "When did you experience them?" Damien continued to ask her. She tried remembering the first time and then said, "It started when we visited the council. In theboratory where the bodies are kept in the jars." "Cylinders," Damien corrected and she nodded her head. "I felt a little shock like the man was alive but the vampire doctor said he was dead for years now and had been there. The one who was lean and looked dead, with a lot of skeleton bones been seen. The next one was when we went to Bonke." Hearing this, Damien frowned, "The one after the ident of the switchers?" "Yes. I think the Lord sent some guy from the council or it was the magistrate. The one with blue eyes." "She''s speaking about Maximilian Gibbs," Lord Alexander helped who appeared to look with a pensive expression on his face, "You must be able to see death but it isn''t clear and isn''t your ability." The Lord pulled one of the books that were nearby, turning it to thest page which was empty. Pulling a quill from below, he drew three dots. Chapter 386 Dancing In The Meadow- Part 2 Alexander who was holding the quill said, "So what we have here is Lady Vivian, Ms. Penelope, and Ms. Adams. Vivian has the ability to touch memories. Penelope has the ability of touch when ites to purification and Ms. Adam''s, we don''t know but I don''t think it''s hard to figure it out because each person has carried a part of the other in a certain direction. The ability is there but it cannot be used. Lady Vivian carried the ability to save people which isn''t far from what Ms. Penelope has," she was right, said Penny to herself as she heard Lord Alexander exin, "And Ms. Penelope holds something about the death. A person who has died or is going to die." "Maximilian Gibbs died in the council," Damien confirmed Alexander''s words. Alexander made arrows from one point to another, "She might have been able to see a part of it but she doesn''t wield the ability. It is the third person who can master it. But anyway, that is not what we need to be concerned about right now. If she''s really special then it might be why she''s able to read it but we need to do something about her eyes." Penny had been so engrossed with the story exnation which Lord ALexander was giving them that she had forgotten about her snake eyes. "It would be best to have her confined here until we find a solution," Penny''s head snapped to look at Damien, her eyes wide. No going out at all? What happened to the vacation? "Hmm," Lord Alexander hummed in agreement. It was strange that like many other white witches it wasn''t her skin that had discolored but it was her eyes that changed. There were many reasons they coulde up with but they didn''t know which was the right one but she didn''t care about it. She hadn''t uttered the words of spells for the potion to take effect on her which felt unfair. What was Lady Isabelle thinking while writing about the spells which were about touching forbidden magic? Things like these were supposed toe with a little note of warning but the white witch had left nothing in here. Both Lord Alexander and she had gone forth without questioning about it which she made a note about. Read through the contents and question them without following them blindly. Why her though and why her eyes. Was it some sort of resistance that her body was working on against the forbidden magic? It was true that the first sign was the skin, the tongue, and their behavior. The eyes were thest part that ever changed. At least that is what she had learned from the church but this wasn''t going as expected. Amidst her thoughts that were running in her mind, she heard the butler speak, "Would this be fine, milord?" she caught sight of the butler holding a s.h.i.+ning knife. His expression looked dull as he ran down the knife over his wrist, drops of blood falling down on the floor. "That''s great. I would say Martin has mastered the art of slicing," Damien whistled, walking on the other side to keep a distance from the magic that might take ce. The butler bowed his head, taking it as apliment, "Lord Alexander makes sure my skill doesn''t turn rusty and makes me use the knife and des regrly," Lord Alexander came back with the ck soup that was boiling in the pot, holding it one hand and the other hand carrying the book which had the book opened to the page where the spell was written. Without a word to be prepared, Alexander poured the liquid on the butler''s wrist and started to read the spells from the book. He repeated the spells again before dropping the book and the cup on the table. "How does it feel, Martin?" asked Damien to get the reply back, "It''s hot, Sir." "It isn''t working," Lord Alexander stared down at his butler''s hand where the deep cut was still visible. "Was it exactly what was written down there?" Damien asked Alexander nodded his head. Penelope didn''t know why but she felt like maybe, maybe she could read the book. If Lady Isabelle really did write this down, it only meant that she had tested it out and had not written it by asking others. These books were written by both her and her brother. Nothing had happened to thedy, and she had been fine. Wouldn''t that mean there was a possibility that nothing would ever happen to her? The reaction was different from what normal white witches went through. When her hand reached for the book that was ced on the table, Damien pulled it away from her reach. His eyes that had sharply narrowed, "Don''t even think about it," he knew exactly what was going on in her mind but he wasn''t ready to take a risk when it came to her or anyone whom he cared for. Alexander was apletely different case as the man was neither a white witch nor a ck witch. "Why not? I might be different." "Yes, you are. You haven''tpleted the spell but your eyes have already changed," Damien took the book off the table. Penny gritted her teeth hearing this. It wasn''t that she wanted to y being a rebel right now as it wasn''t the moment to do so, but something deep down in her mind told her that she would be alright if she were to touch it. "Nothing happened to Lady Isabelle, there must have been reasonable if it didn''t affect her. Even if she was the first generation white witch, she had the power and ability to deflect it," Penny said, looking at Damien and then s.h.i.+fting her eyes to look at the Lord for support. Unfortunately, Lord Alexander was in support of her not going through with it. "Let''s figure your eyes out. Once we are done with it, you can use the book to your heart''s content. Until then this one stays with me. Either way, it is useless to have it around as Alex is not able to get the spells right either," Damien gave her a smile, "Yes?" Chapter 387 Dancing In The Meadow- Part 3 In chapter 385. Alexander was merely making up theories about the alignment of stars. The three dots were to represent the three people they believe to have the star crossed-fate. One dot-Penny, second dot- Vivian, third dot-Belle. Please tell me you weren''t expecting Alex to draw stick figures when there''s some serious talk going on? It is 3 simple dots just so that Alexander could exin to Penny and Damien. I did mention, the alignment of stars is something very recent and not something that took ce years ago, which affected 3 people. They know it is Penny and Vivi and they have their doubts on Belle because there was a ma.s.sacre at her home. Anything regarding Belle is just a pure theory and she has her own booking up after YMDP. . "Damien is right," Alexander voiced his own thoughts on it. Thest thing he needed was this girl turning to a ck witch where there would be no turning back, "If you are to turn to a ck witchpletely Damien might not do the job but I wouldn''t mind shooting you in your head but then that would also mean that I would be killing him indirectly. Let''s try to be wise and not do anything which we aren''t ready for." She sighed softly. She wanted to help but right now she felt useless. Feeling her internal turmoil and frustration, Damien said, "I have other things to upy you in the meantime." The next day in the morning, Lord Alexander had upied himself with the books that once belonged to his mother, reading and deciphering it as some of the lines were ced in codes for further security. While the lord was busy, Damien had taken Penny out to the meadow carrying a box with him that looked like a music instrumental case. Penny looked around them, the meadow wasn''t small that was attached to the forest next to it, sandwiching itself with the mansion. "How are you doing today, mouse?" he asked her, "Share your thoughts with me." "I am frustrated. You know that," she said, her lip setting in a thin line, "But I do get your point." "Mhmm." "I will wait until my eyes turn back. That is if they do," she took a deep breath then exhaled out the air she had inhaled. Sincest night, her eyes hadn''t changed back. "I think you still look beautiful with those new eyes of yours. If that is what is worrying you, darling. My love will not change how you look," he chuckled. Unlocking the case, he opened it which had s.h.i.+ning knives in there. Penny still remembered the way Sylvia had moved in the market in front of her. Her movements were fast which made her envy her, "You are going to teach me to fight?" "I am. Elliot said you were looking at Sylvia in awe. So I thought, who better than me to teach you?" Damien stood up from the case, turning around to pat her head, "But we won''t be using all these knives," he presented her with a single lone knife and she took it. He took her to the middle of the meadow. Making her stand as she waited for him to teach. Was he going to teach her how to throw the knife at a person? Was it aiming at the trees? Or were they going to concentrate on her movements as she was new? Damien then said, "Try to attack me." "What?" "Draw one drop of blood from me and you win. If you don''t do it in the a.s.signed of twenty minutes," he pulled the pocket watch from his trouser pocket, looking at it and then her, "If not you shall be punished," he gave her a?mischievously. He gave her a wink, "Ready? This is the first basics. Let''s see how you do. Your time starts- woah mouse!" Damien jumped back when Penny attacked him before he even said to start, "I love your enthusiasm. But don''t forget that this is your future husband here," he grinned. Penny attacked him without holding herself back. Damien Quinn was a pureblooded vampire and she knew he was much stronger than he led on to. All she had seen was him break fingers and shoot the witches but she wanted to know more about him. To know the person whom she was giving her heart too. She smiled when he stepped to the side to dodge her strike effortlessly, "Look at you, smiling while wanting to stab me," like he was trying to study her movements, she was trying to do the same. "Wasn''t it you who proposed to stab you?" she said, her hands moving back and forth and trying to get the knife near him but it felt like by the time her hand even reached close to him, he had moved away from there as if expecting the obvious attack. "I said to draw a drop of blood. Who spoke about stabbing me. Don''t tell me secretly you have been wanting to kill me. Still mad at me for making you climb the tree like a monkey?" he instigated her and saw her eyes re over the matter. Yes, it seemed like she was still not happy with what he did at that time, "Why not try remembering how I made you feel back then," her movements came forth to be faster, the knife slicing in the air making soft noise that made him grin, "That''s more l like it." She red at him for calling her monkey. It was him who had made her climb the tree and to think she did follow through with it, her hand went to his neck but Damien was too fast for her. It was exactly how a mouse was trying to attack the wolf which only amused the wolf. Of course, she knew she wouldn''t be able to get the knife close to him unless he wanted to himself. In the mansion, Sylvia was walking through the corridors when she caught Elliot glued to the window like a moth during the time of the rainy season. Wondering what he was looking at, she walked to where he was and looked at the window where one could see the meadow. "He''s teaching her," Sylvia noted, seeing the young girl trying to attack the pureblooded vampire who kept dodging with little to no effort, "Or he''s ying with her," she added for Elliot to smile. "When are we going to y, Sylvia?" Elliot gave her a hopeful look turning to her. His eyes bright and a smile stered on his face. "When I go back to sleeping in my coffin," she started to walk away from there and Elliot gave onest look before following the woman. "Awe, don''t say that. What would I do if you end in a coffin? We should probably make some s.p.a.ce in that coffin of yours," Elliot suggested receiving no response from the woman. Chapter 388 Dancing In The Meadow- Part 4 Time went by and Penny tried to bring the knife as close she could but it was always the air that swiped the little knife with, "Don''t use just your hand," Damien said, studying her movements, "A person capable of fighting will fight even in dresses so don''t give me reasons. Is that all you got?" She swung her hands, moving her legs forward in the left and right direction. She had tried but she was getting tired. She tried attacking his arm but the man kept moving further and further away and she paused for a moment to say, "You didn''t give me any tips on how to do it. Do you think I was born with it?" "You won''t get it," he deadpanned stopping his steps too, "Would you ask the witch hunter the same question on how to attack him if he attacked you by surprise?" "I will be sure to blow a kiss to distract him." "Oh? What a brave woman you are. Using your womanly features to persuade him. I wouldn''t say it would be a bad idea. Time''s up. My turn to attack," It took Penny some time to understand what he meant until he raised his hand, the nails growing from being short to sharp. "You must be joking," she whispered, her eyes turning wide. "Scared?" "DAMIEN!" Penny screeched when his hand came close to her face. He chuckled, "I am holding back. I have my hands and you have your knife." He never told her that he would be attacking her. This felt like a crash course of learning something which she was supposed to do in a day. Seeing him not retrace his nails or hand away, she gulped. Damien was serious, "Please go easy on me, Master. This is your future wife," she rephrased his own lines to see him smile before he gave her a nod. And suddenly his hand moved towards where she wasn''t ready yet. Damien knew that Penny knew he wouldn''t hurt her which meant it would not be an effective way to get her to defend herself. His fingers ran through her long sleeve which tore, "Keep standing there and we can design your dress for my eyes to look at," the next attack Penny had dodged. Good girl, thought Damien in his mind. As he promised, he held back his attacks but at the same time, he didn''t go easy on her. When Elliot had brought up the matter to him, Damien knew that Penny had to learn how to fight. If she had to protect herself from the ck witches, the hunters or any other creature who woulde at her. Her mother had left her alive in the forest and only tried to instill fear in Penny, keeping her alive only for the sake of the ma.s.sacre but next time wouldn''t be the same if they were to meet again. The ck witch was not only insane but vengeful, she would strike and that day Penny had to be ready to face her. Penny ran to the forest, finding it easier to dodge and take a breath of air by hiding behind the trees. This went on for a while until one of her foot got stuck in the raised root of a tree that had been covered by the loose snow. Before she could fall t and hurt her leg, Damien had caught hold of her hand and pulled her back to him. "Caught you," he whispered in her ear with her heart thundering in her chest and adrenaline coursing through her veins as she heaved for air. "Yay," Penny''s replied back in a shaky voice, "I am tired. Can we do this tomorrow?" she asked not minding his hands around her, feeling him ced his chin on her shoulder. "Tired already?" he kissed the back of her ear. "Where was this love when you were chasing me?" She muttered but she was too close for him to not be able to hear her. "Missing my love? Let me squish you to death," he dered and?tightened his hold around her, "Still mad?" "I wasn''t mad," she replied him back as he released her to turn her around so that he could look at her, "I was just..." she pressed her lips, "Just upset over turning to a ck witch. To be someone like my mother and then I realize there is good even in the flock of bad." Damien knew exactly whom she was speaking about, "Bathsheba," he said that had her nodding her head. "And there is bad even in good. I think it was just the idea of turning to something which we have been trying to fight and get rid of," and she had gone on to touch the book hoping to make things right where it could have only turned bad for her. "I know you want to help but let Alex do this little part and decide what''s written in the other books. He reads fast so give him some time," he ced his hands on her waist. Looking into her eyes which hadn''t returned back to normal, "You know I was thinking. If you were to have these eyes forever, we can turn you to a decent spy." "Wonder how that will go," she said, willingly moving forward and he pulled her close to him so that he could hug herpletely in his arms. "You would do wonderfully. I will train you myself," he promised her. Penny smiled, "Have you trained others before? Or am I your first disciple," his arms felt warm and she got herself closer to him and heard him answer, "I have had some fair share of students. All of them turned out to be the worst, useless, coconut head councilmen. Kreme was the only one who could withstand the work I gave him." Hearing this, she pulled away from his embrace, "How did I do?"? no matter how much Damien had made her work today, he had done it for her own sake and she was looking for some sort of praise, fis.h.i.+ng it from him. "You did more than I expected," this made Penny smile wide like she had achieved something big and she heard Damien tell her, "Smile as much as you want now, you can prepare for the punishment that willeter tonight," the look in his eyes had turned darker as he said it, something yful yet dangerous that scared yet excited her at the same time. Chapter 389 Possible Relatives- Part 1 Alexander turned the pages of the book in his hand. Sitting in the study room as he marked the important facts that had been never mentioned by anyone or written anywhere. Having these right now, he felt closer to his mother. Making notes separately with points that had him spending most of his time in the study room than going out. He had appointed Sylvia and Elliot toplete the errands which were urgent while having no one bother him. On a certain page Alexander ced the quill down and stared at the book. The book was already coded enough for no one to take a look but the writing in here was further written around circles which made it look like a story and nothing more than that but the truth was that these books were the treasures of the white witches. The truth of what happened and the possibility of what could happen. Damien and Penny entered the study room when it was the time of evening. "How is it going?" asked Damien taking a seat in front of the desk where Alexander sat with the books covering the table right now. Penny could tell that the Lord was doing everything he could understand and piece out the information which was there in here, "I found something," he did? She looked at him with a hopeful expression, "Not on finding how we can rectify what happened with your eyes. I am still reading on it," Penny nodded her head understandingly. "What is it about then?" Damien asked. "It is written here that the witches were often married soon to preserve the kind as they believed one day the white witches woulde to perish." "How young?" Damien asked further to receive the response from Alexander, "Thirteen? Sometimes much younger to that age. It isn''t that far if we look at humans who get their daughters or sisters married by the age of sixteen to seventeen," exined Lord Alexander. Pulling out the book which has the information, he turned it around and gave it for Penelope to read as Damien couldn''t read it. Penny took a look at the two pages that were opened for her, her eyes scanning on what was written in there- ''The first generation witches lived in peace until a few events started to cause our downfall. It is hard to move or breathe. To talk or sleep at the fear that our families are going to be ambushed like the other families up in the higher North. In the wakeful call, some of our parents have decided to get us married. I belong to the first generation for the family Ie from. It might not be the same as time pa.s.ses by. Among others, I have been asked to be betrothed and I hope to find a solution for it. I am sixteen and I amte. Time is pa.s.sing quickly and though we aren''t aging, there is a pressure that is building up and my parents worry where I will not be able to find a rightful suitor for myself in our n. My younger brother has already been matched with one of our second cousins. I hope somethinges up for it. For this gue that has descended down from a world, we don''t want to be part of. It is a never-ending gue that will never stop and will continue to thrive even during the times of light until the white witches continue to exist.'' Penny stopped reading there. Her eyes slowly moved up to meet Alexander''s eyes, "What age did your mother meet your father?" she asked him, trying to gauge the time of when and what happened. "Probably when she was neen. The ambush took ce a year after she wrote this," answered Lord Alexander, his eyes heavy and dark over the matter of his mother and what happened to her family, "It would mean she was seventeen when she escaped from there as the white witches were being burnt by the humans and the councilmen. "Didn''t the councilmen ever talk to them? They did take the help in the council for spilling out magic for no witch to enter." Alexander then remembered her speaking about going to theboratory, "But you stepped on the grounds of the spilled magic." "Penny is a special case. It didn''t affect her. It was thest test I wanted to try on her but she was alright," Damienmented, remembering the time he had tested and checked her for any signs of being a ck witch. But the spilled magic which was around the council should have affected the white witches too. There were different spilled magic, one for just the ck witches, different creatures that varied from what was being designed on thend. "It looks like she is," Alexander agreed, his eyes trained on her and Penelope looked back at him, her eyes still holding the slits in them, "Even though the white witches are transformed to ck witches, they are still able to turn back their appearance back to normal. You can try it," he pointed to the fact which hadn''t crossed his mind before. Penny blinked at him and then looked at Damien not knowing how to go about it, "Just concentrate," she heard Damien who sat beside her. She was tired to concentrate with all the chasing and running she had done with Damien. At the same time, she didn''t want to be stuck with these snake eyes. She wanted her usual eyes back and she closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath and calming herself down. The more she concentrated on her breathing, she could hear the slightest wind that pa.s.sed through the open window. When she finally opened her eyes, she found Damien staring at her. "Look at that! It''s all gone," Damien eximed. "Really?" Penny asked he smiled mischievously. "It''s still there. Let''s try to concentrate harder this time," he said, removing the moment of happiness that she had felt, "So gullible," he murmured. Penny then heard Alexander say, "It looks like it is gone for now," What? Was it gone or not? "Damien is only ying with you." Chapter 390 Possible Relatives- Part 2 A full-blown smile came to form on Penelope''s lips, "Really?" she asked Lord Alexander who gave her a small nod. She then looked at Damien, "Why would you do that to me?" she red at him a little bit before going to smile back again. Standing up, she walked to one of the closest reflections she could see of her and looked at her eyes. Her eyes were back! She no more looked like a ck witch. While Penelope was still trying to look at her eyes over and over again making sure she wasn''t dreaming it, Alexander turned back to look at Damien who smiled looking at Penny, "How did the lesson go?" "It was lovely. I am thinking of doing it every three to four times in a week. Never have I enjoyed someone''spany this much," he acknowledged loud enough for only Lord Alexander to hear it, "What was it about the marriage you were talking about?" he finally tore his eyes away from his girl to look at his cousin. "There might be a possibility that we are rted," Alexander''s words had Damien''s eyes lift up in curiosity. "Because of Aunt Isabelle and her brother? You think it is one of the brother''s offsprings?" "It is possible don''t you think so?" Alexander asked by the time where Penelope came to sit back next to Damien, happy that the slits in her eyes hadsted for a day and not more than that, "What do you remember about your father?" "Just the time of when they were taking shelter near the bank of the forest which isn''t too far from the vige my mother and I used to live," Penny could feel the sourness in her tongue when she called her mother ''mother''. "What else?" asked Lord Alexander and Penny shook her head. That was all she knew about him. "Her mother erased her memory," Damien filled his cousin in when Penny shook her head. "But I am getting them slowly. Little by little," Penny added. "I see," Lord Alexander didn''t press on the matter to learn more about what happened, "That''s alright. For now, the ck blood has been put to sleep. We need to make sure it doesn''t reappear or try to force the transformation toplete. If what my mother said is right regarding the blood of their own to be able to read it, then I would say the chances of you and I being distant cousins is very possible." Wow, thought Penny to herself. "Right now all we have is a bunch of a.s.sumptions. We don''t know when and who got married and how many children of offsprings came here on thends. Or if there was none, to begin with. Let''s not dwell too much on it and look at it only when we have scarce time," said Alexander to Penny, offering her the faintest smile which made her wonder if the man knew how to smile at all. He carried a serious expression and it was very rare to have him smiling at anything at all. Mr. Elliot must have stolen all his qualities to smile, thought Penny to herself. "In the meantime, we will do what we can do. To decipher everything that is in here and know if it is worth to be saved or if it needs to be burnt down like the books that went up in mes. Your mother might put you up again for the ma.s.sacre as you are a white witch so it would be better that you don''t go hunting for her and let her approach you instead." "I wouldn''t go looking for her," Penny gave him an awkward smile. "Says the one who followed her mother back in Woville," Damien reminded her and she replied to him and Alexander, "I won''t do that again, not knowing that she wants me dead. I do wish to live and not kill Damien along with me," she gave her word to Alexander. His eyes strained on her where he didn''t say anything. The man was obviously protective of his cousin and she was an outsider unless she was really rted to him so it was understandable that Lord Alexander had only his best interests when it came to Damien. Alexander was curious about why her mother had not killed her when she was in reach. ck witches were known for their merciless and selfish nature, where they didn''t care about others'' feelings. All they cared about was themselves, and to think that the woman had let her live this long unless it was for her own means to blend in the social norms. Not wanting to be nosey over it, he spoke to Damien, "I have sent the letter to the magistrate who will help you in creating the books of the moon signs. Make sure you leave out the important details and pick only a few things. Something intriguing which shall be useless," he looked at both of them who sat in front of him. When they were leaving the room, Penny''s footsteps slowed down to match with Alexanders, "Lord Alexander," Penny called for him to look at her, "If I do end up being your distant rtive, does that mean the potions and the spells won''t have any effect on me too?" "Maybe. There might be a chance though that you will still react to it differently. We might have one of our parents as white witches but the other one I have is a pureblooded vampire and in your case, it is a ck witch. As we are dealing with the potions, the chances of the ck witch in you getting affected is higher than me," he answered her question. Penny went back to the room, leaving Damien and Alexander talking in the hall regarding a case for the council. Opening the door of the room, she was only about to step in when she caught a shadow behind the white thin curtain near the patio. The figure looked simr to what she had seen during the time in the church. Gulping softly, she took a step forward and then the next one that followed. Her hand raised to reach the curtain where she could still the shadow behind the curtain. When she pulled it away, there was nothing there. Chapter 391 Warm Whispers- Part 1 Music rmendation for the next 7 chapters:?Ruelle ft. Fleurie - Carry You Not giving much to the shadow she had imagined during the time of day, Penny stayed back to talk to Sylvia about how to dodge and attack as she had seen her chase Damien around the meadow with the knife. Thinking about it had a certainical ring to it, thought Penny to herself as she got back to the room after exchanging some good words with Sylvia after the time of dinner. Happy to have apany of her own kind background made her happy. Witches were hunted everywhere but Valeria was where she felt happy like she was one some kind of a break before they would get back to their lives in Bonke. Reaching for the door, she turned the k.n.o.b to see Damien who had taken a shower and was drying his hair with a towel in his hand. And though he was doing it, Penny could feel his gaze on her as she closed the door with a small click. Turning carefully, she made her way inside the room wondering if she should take a shower with all the sweating during the time of noon. "Would you want me to make some notes?" she asked him, trying to make a conversation as he was quiet. "For the moon signs?" he asked from where he was. As Damien couldn''t read the book, it was only right to write it down so that he couldter supervise what had to be given to the magistrate for writing. "Yes," she replied, noticing the b.u.t.tons of his s.h.i.+rt that were left open except for two or three from the bottom of his s.h.i.+rt she found it hard to concentrate on what he was saying, wondering if her own voice came out to be shaky out of nervousness. Going to the cupboard, she picked the fresh and dried towel to catch sight of the little bag that was in there. She could feel her heart thud just by looking at it. It was the nightdress which Damien had brought for her yesterday. Her eyes scanned the cupboard to find another nightdress that she had been wearingst night that was washed and ced there. She had borrowed the nightdress from Sylvia. What was she supposed to pick? Her hand went to reach for the white nightgown which she had worn yesterday but deep down she wanted to pick the new one. While she stood there with her back facing Damien who was done rubbing his wet hair and letting the rest dry by itself, she suddenly heard his voice that was right behind her. "We can do it together," he said, standing and towering over her height where he could see her hand had clutched onto the white gown, "You can read out the book and I can listen to it. The book doesn''t have to be urate as it will be a false doc.u.ment which we are spreading out to avoid from anyone knowing it." "Okay," her answer came out like a squeak at the closeness right now. She reminded herself that it was Damien and not some stranger she was in here with but that was the problem wasn''t it. It was because it was Damien who was standing behind her so closely without making any sarcastic remarks and instead seriously replying to her answers. She wasn''t used to this serious person not with her at least which was now making her heart pump faster in her chest. "What are you standing there trying to be part of the furniture in the room," there, master Damien was back yet it didn''t feel the same. The room was warm and she could already feel a sheen of sweat forming remembering her words on how he was going to punish her. If it was before, she would have a.s.sumed it to be another round of weeds being pulled where she would get him to do it along with her but she knew this wasn''t the time to pull weeds. It was something that made every inch of her body aware of the person in this room now. His voice dropped an octave down and she heard him say, "It is good to see that you haven''t forgotten about your punishment but should we let it go for once?" he asked the question as if in thought. Penny''s heart sank in disappointment hearing him say it right beside her ear. Why did he say that? Did he have a change of heart suddenly or was it because he had lost interest because deep down even she knew that some part of her came from her mother. But her eyes were back to normal, then what was it? Her anxiousness only piqued up, and Damien did nothing to calm it down. He instead let her thoughts spiral out, wanting to know how she felt and if she was ready for what he had been holding back all these months. "Unless you n to wear what we bought yesterday," his words were tempting, a whisper of untold promise that held behind his words which ran a s.h.i.+ver down her spine. She heard him move away, walking away from her where she felt her shoulders that had been tense slightly rx. Closing her eyes, she tried calming her errant nerves. He had given her choice. A choice to choose on if she was ready and willing to take this rtions.h.i.+p they had built to something more than what it was now. To move it where she had never stepped into, it was unknown territory for her, making her wonder if Damien had the experience the way he exuded confidence, but that did everything in utter confidence that could leave a person speechless. Her hand had loosened on the material of the white dress. Not going back to clutch and pull it away with her. Turning around she saw Damien who had his back this time, standing at the table drinking a .s.s of water. Her hand moved, picking up the nightgown she dashed to the bathroom which had a door, unlike Damien''s room which was covered by a curtain to separate itself from the room. Chapter 392 Warm Whispers- Part 2 For readers with ''MORE UPDATES''/ ''SLOW UPDATES'' there are 8 chapters ahead if you want to read. If you don''t want to buy and pay, wait for the chapters to be released. I would like you to check chapter 26 of author''s note, to understand I am working hard to release 5 chapters a day. You ask for ''more updates'' I will just consider you to be an insensitive reader. Thank you. . After she was done taking a warm shower, she stepped out of the tub. Taking the towel and wiping herself off with it. Picking every drop of water she could from her skin, she walked towards the sink where the oval mirror was ced. Staring at her reflection, her cheeks already having the color in them as her green eyes stared back at her. Little hair of hers near the sides of her temple came out loose than the rest of the hair which she had tied up to avoid them getting wet earlier. Penny''s eyes moved to the right side of the counter where she had ced the pale pink colored nightgown. Her mind was already feeling dizzy but at the same time, there was the excitement that she didn''t bring forth on her face as it only looked anxious thinking what was going to happen once she would step out. Taking the dress in her hand, she let the towel drop and she wore the dress which she had brought in here. She finally stepped out of the bathroom, wondering if an hour had pa.s.sed since she had stepped in to take a bath. Her eyebrows furrowed when she noticed his absence in the room. Looking around she caught sight of him standing outside on the patio. The white curtains flew due to the cold wind. He turned to look to his side but notpletely turning to look at her. The floor felt cold as she padded towards him. The wind made the nightgown that she wore fly back, sticking to her legs as she made the way through the curtains and to him to see him finally turn to see her, his expression unchanged. He raised his hand when she stepped closer, her heart thudding in her chest where he only tucked the piece of hair which came to hinder her eyes. "I thought you wouldn''t be wearing it," said Damien as his fingers trailed from the back of her ear to the side of her neck before settling it there. How could she not when she remembered thest time they had spent time together in the tub. He had ignited something deep within her, a fire that had been sparked which was only waiting to set her skin to the very bones ame. "It''s a pretty nightgown," Penny responded back to ease her nerve-wracking nerves that had started to spiral out by looking at him right now. "Indeed it is. It looks even more beautiful when you wear it," heplimented her, his hands falling on her shoulder which trailed down to the tips of her fingers. He linked his fingers with hers, holding them in his. Not sure how to take the simplepliment at a time like this where she felt starstruck by looking at him, she turned to look at the night scenery, to say, "It hasn''t snowed here since we came," internally she wondered if it was the effect of the night outside or if Damien was really this handsome as he looked right now. His midnight hair moved with the wind, pus.h.i.+ng his hair behind he caught sight of her errant nerves, running his thumb on the tips of her fingers when he released her hand. Penelope was beautiful, the woman who could match his thoughts and the way he lived. Right now she looked evidently anxious, not able to keep up with his smouldering eyes. The more he stared at her, the more embarra.s.sed she turned out to be. He took his time to appreciate what she wore, his eyes raked her. Looking at how her neck was bare with no hindrance, her pale skin continuing to show until deep to her neckline which showed the swell of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and the curve where it covered the rest of it. Her waist was neither too small but it was enough to define her hips which he noticed because of the wind that stuck to her clothes, showing her the outline of her body on one side. "What''s gotten you shy?" he asked her, "What happened to my feisty mouse?" he chuckled when she gave him an awkward smile, "Don''t be nervous. I won''t do anything you don''t like and only things that you will like and want which both of us can enjoy," came his direct words. Penny turned to look away from the scenery, facing Damien as she turned and looked straight at him, his deep red eyes staring back at her.?She?surprised him when she took one step closer, raising herself by slowly standing on her toes, leaning closer she kissed his lips. Pressing her cold lips on his cold lips. "I know," he noticed the trust she held in those.?Gone were the days where she was wary of his every move and word. He could see how she had epted him, slowly and surely her heart was now given to him which he could hold and protect. When her eyes lowered down, her gaze fell on his chest with the s.h.i.+rt of his b.u.t.tons open that he hadn''t bothered to b.u.t.ton. Not caring about the cold weather, "I haven''t done anything like this before," she said. Damien didn''t respond to her words, instead, he only squeezed her fingers in his hand, pulling her back inside the room. Closing the doors of the patio to prevent the cold air froming in, he tugged her close to the bed, making her sit on the bed and he sat next to her. "Tell me, Penny. What did you think when I said I was going to hand down your punishment tonight?" asked Damien, letting her hand go and watch her eyes widen when he said it, "Tell me," he repeated the words. "I did not think anything," she turned red over his words. "Now now, Penny. Your punishment isn''t hard," he said, his words sweet like honey. Her punishment was to tell him the dirty thoughts that had conjured up in her mind, that hadn''t happened in reality? "I am sure it must have sparked some curiosity because you and I both know that you weren''t thinking about me asking you to pull out weeds. What crossed your mind? I want to hear it in detail." Chapter 393 Warm Whispers- Part 3 Her throat suddenly went dry and she gulped, unable to look away from him as he held her like a prisoner with his gaze, he brought his hand forward again, holding the bottom of her face in a gentle grip so that she wouldn''t look away. He leaned forward, drawing her closer not satisfied with the kiss they had shared outside on the patio. Pulling away without giving her too much, he said, "Tell me and I shall see if we can make ite true," he could feel her heart thump, flipping in its own rhythm. What she thought about his punishment? If he knew she didn''t know what to do but dig a hole over her wild thoughts. "We can try other methods if you continue to be disobedient with the simple punishment," there was an evil glint like he was waiting for her to disobey him so that he could test. What happened to making her happy andfortable? If it weren''t for the cold weather, Penny would have been sweating bullets. The things in her mind were something she didn''t want him to know but he was eager to unfold what was in there. There had been plenty of times when her mind had gone astray when it came to him and truthfully it wasn''t her fault. The man kept walking in and out s.h.i.+rtless, making it look like a piece of meat that was being dangled in front of her. She was a healthy woman and she had fantasized about him after their bath together. "I told you, I didn''t think an-" Damien ced his finger on her lips. "Last chance, mouse. I am being benevolent with you," she gulped the words that were going to pa.s.s through her lips. She knew all she had to say were few words to get out of the said punishment but it was harder than what it looked. If she lied, he would catch it in an instant but even if she lied with the subtle details, who spoke about such things out loud?! This shameless vampire had thrown shame far across the sea in a locked trunk that had sunk deep down in the bed of the sea. "I-uh," Penny started before clearing her throat, "I thought about the bathtub." "Mhmm," he urged her to continue. "What we didst time¡­" she trailed for him to stare at her before he said, "I doubt you considered it to be a punishment," Damien''s eyes sparkled, knowing well there was more to the surface of what his mouse than she said right now, "What else? There must be something," seeing her not reply, he pulled her close and kissed her lips. His lips moved against her fervently, the temperature that was cold had slowly started to warm. He bit into her lips to hear her gasp and sucked on her lips. Gnawing and pulling it as his tongue ran across the seam of her lips and she opened her lips for him to take and conquer what was rightfully his. As his lips kept her busy, he moved his hands from the sides of her face down to her neck to feel the leanness of it. Moving it further on her shoulders, he ma.s.saged them before moving one of his hands to the side of her breast before holding it from underneath it, making her gasp into the kiss. She went to pull away to only be pulled back into the kiss. His wet, coa.r.s.e tongue rubbed on hers. Coaxing and teasing it, turning her breathless with the kiss. Damien''s hand which was on her right breast, he used his thumb to feel the swell of her breast. Feeling the softness underneath his touch and he squeezed it not too rough but neither gently, enough to make her gasp. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were of perfect size that fit in the palm of his hand without spilling too much. He continued to palm her, letting her ease in the sensation but not too much. Penelope had failed to speak out the fantasies that had run in her mind. Cajoling her had not worked but what better than a good punishment where she and he could both find the pleasure. Pulling away from the kiss, Penny looked utterly flushed and her face felt warm. She saw Damien look at her heatedly as he pulled his s.h.i.+rt off his body which came off in one quick motion as the b.u.t.tons to the s.h.i.+rt had already been open. Bringing her closer again, he continued to kiss her like a wolf that was on the prowl and had found its prey to feast on. Every kiss left her wanting more from him, some were gentle while most were rough. Damien was merciless when it came to nipping her skin that had her skin turning red but not enough to draw blood out of it. Taking her hand, he ced it on his chest where she could feel his heart beating loud like hers, "It is not just you but also me," he said looking into her eyes. Was he nervous like her too? But Damien didn''t look like that, his gaze had turned dark, his breath breathless like hers, "I haven''t loved anyone the way I love you, Penny," hearing this, her heart felt full and she blinked back the tears that had tried to surface, "Does it scare you?" he asked her. He was asking about him loving her and she loving him back, something she hadn''t told him until now. She knew he already sensed it but she had yet to utter those words to him. Penny nodded her head, "A little." "It is a first for both of us," her eyes looked a little confused at him and he said, "I have touched women but not until the very end," he picked her other hand and kissed her on her wrist. Her heart shuddered in her chest when he dropped one of her hands which he had kissed, letting it fall back down and moving his hand on top of hers to let her feel his beating heart. Chapter 394 Warm Whispers- Part 4 It wasn''t just his heartbeat that she felt but also the unblemished skin on Damien, his hard muscles which felt warm on her hand. Pureblooded vampires were told to have the same body temperature as humans. He felt warm yet dangerous with the way he looked at her. She ced the other hand on his chest. Running her hand over the expanse of his smooth chest, feeling the ridges as if he were a sculpted statue of the devil. Along with her hands, her eyes trailed. Trying to memorize how he felt with her own time as if time was endless. When she lifted her eyes to look up at him. He leaned back closer bringing her to the center of the bed and kissing her again. His hand slid through the nightgown that had raised itself, pus.h.i.+ng it up further and further up, "Let''s take this thing off you," his words came out smoothly, helping her stand on her knees on the bed, he held the seam at the bottom of the dress, "Lift your hands," he took it off leaving her naked to his delightful eyes. Penny tried to scoot away, bringing her hands up to cover her front but Damien caught both her hands in his effortlessly, "You are beautiful. Don''t hide," he said, taking her hands to drop it down to her sides to admire her, "I have seen you naked before and you have too. There''s nothing to be embarra.s.sed about," it was true, butst time she had her back facing him not standing like this with her front facing him. "I am not used to it," Penny said to get a quick retort from her as he pulled her naked body t against him. "Get used to it," he said. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s pressed against his chest and she could only feel the heat rising in her body. He smashed his lips on hers, probing and ying with her, his hands moving down to feel the curves of her body that moved from her where she pulled back with her eyes closed. Feeling him trail his fingers down from there to her waist and reaching to settle it on her bottom. When Damien''s lips touched her neck, a sigh escaped her lips where she came to hear him say, "My, we forgot we have a punishment to be handed down. Last chances, darling," she flinched when he bit her ear, "Lay down on the bed for me," he said, his hands gently pus.h.i.+ng her shoulder for her to move back. Though his hand was gentle with her, there was something that lurked behind his eyes, something that excited her while also turning her anxious on what he had nned for her punishment. While Damien reached for the drawer next to the bed, Penny went toy down t on the bed, before pulling the pin away from her head and letting her hair cascaded down on her shoulder. When he returned, she caught sight of him with a ck cloth that looked like a scarf. Penny didn''t have to imagine what Damien had nned, the antic.i.p.ation that had built now twirled like a storm which was going to wreck her body to dust. During the past, she had been to one of the theaters at night. Being part of the theater herself, she had been curious once to go check the theater backstage and that day had felt like she had sinned but it wasn''t because of what she saw it was because of what she felt. "It appears that you know what I am going to do. Your hands," he saiding back to her. She raised her hands up, feeling the ck silky smooth scarf being tied around both her hands together, "Is it too tight?" he asked when he was done tying her hand securely not wanting to cause any marks on her skin. "No," she whispered to see him smile. He pushed her hands to ce it at the back of her head. Picking up pillows he ced it behind her head. Giving her another kiss, he kissed her neck, "Don''t move," he ordered her, gripping on her hand when she brought it front, "Didn''t you say something about kissing a witch hunter," he asked, biting into her neck and she hissed. He licked the skin with his tongue. "I was joking," she said to feel him bite onto her skin, sighs, and gasps escaping through her lips when he went further down from her neck to the two swells of her chest. Her eyes were closed as he let his hands and mouth roam around her body freely. The areole had turned dark and her nipples taunting as they stood up for his attention. Watching her writhe under him, he flicked one of her nipples to hear a soft cry escape from her lips. Catching both of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s in his hands, he leaned down to take hold of one of them as he captured them with his mouth. "Ahh..!" another sigh escaped Penny''s lips and she tried to move but with her hands bound it only moved forward for Damien to push it back. He looked at her fiercely. The heated gaze he gave her only made her toes curl further and increase the pool of heat that hade to settle down between her legs. Damien sucked on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, his mouth rough and relentless on her soft mounds, taking everything she could offer, and she gave him everything. Her back arched every time his teeth grazed over her skin, her back lifting for him to only run his hands behind her back. Giving the same attention to her other breast, he peppered kisses down her stomach. Every kiss he ced, her stomach dipped down, her lungs trying to catch the breath that was escaping with every touch of his. His hand ran down from the curve of her stomach to her hips, feeling the smooth and plump flesh, he squeezed it to hear the hitch in her breath. Chapter 395 Warm Whispers- Part 5 Music rmendation:?Ruelle ft. Fleurie - Carry You Damien''s hand continued to prowl over her body, letting it move freely bringing out sighs and moans from her lips. He touched the length of her legs. Running his hand from the side of her, down lower before moving his hand back up. Her legs were crossed, hiding what was between her milky legs. He looked at her, her head turned to the side and blush covering her cheeks which ran down to her neck, "Penny," he called her and her eyes carefully moved to look at him. Some part of the shame and embarra.s.sment still there which had yet to evaporate from his touch. His hand traveled down to her ankle, holding it before he pulled it up in the air, startling her and her body moved like a fish. Her hands tied, she tried to move away, wanting to hide but Damien''s grip on her ankle was firm and he said, "Stop moving, mouse. What did I say about pleasuring you? I hold your best interest when ites to you," and she stopped moving. One leg up in the air where Damien held it and the other that was resting t on the surface of the bed, she felt him kiss her ankle now. Her heart slipping out of her chest as he left kisses like a trail from her ankle to her calf muscles. His lips moved with ease on her skin, gliding from one part to the other, letting her calm down. As he inched closer and closer, he dropped her leg, parting her legs feeling the resistance that was there earlier had slowly started to dissipate. With his eyes still on hers which kept her in a ce like a prisoner, he bent down to kiss her stomach again, feeling it dip down as he moved further and further down and Penny cried out in pleasure when his lips touched the core of her body which was in between her legs. "So wet," Damien breathed the words on top of it, his warm breath only making her hot and wet by his words, "Let me see if we can make you wetter and hotter until you have no voice left tonight," his dirty words embarra.s.sed and only riled the blood flowing in her veins. Penny''s eyes turned wide in antic.i.p.ation of what Damien was going to do. Her hands were bound tight enough so that it would note off, "Damien..." she whispered his name in the warm light of the firece that was burning brightly. "Sshh," he shushed her listening to her beating heart. He could hear the way it hitched in her little chest, "Rx, mouse," she took a sharp breath when his finger touched the wet part of her. Running it from up to down and gliding it back to the top. Damien had not done anything more than tease her but feeling her warmth on his finger which was wet, he could tell she was finally there where he was. Thest time they had done nothing and he had only teased her a little. Enough to have her curiosity pique up and entice her so that she would follow him. It seemed like it had worked just like he thought. The binds held fast her hands, not allowing her hands to freely grip on the bed, the hands that she had brought front now went back. Grasping on the pillow that was behind her. Every time his finger teased the wet lips between her legs, Penny''s body arched back. Raising herself, her toes pus.h.i.+ng against the bed and her eyes closed. The more he ran his finger the wetter she turned. When he pushed his finger in, her eyes snapped open, "Ahh!" she cried, gasping for air every time it went in and out. She looked utterly delightful and ready to be eaten in Damien''s eyes. Going to her, he kissed her lips while not stopping his hand and continuing to build the heat he had ignited. Fanning it over and over again. As Damien leaned forward, he could see the need and l.u.s.t in Penelope''s eyes. She reached for him, her lips parting and he gave her everything she wanted for affirmation that he was right here. There was a sliver of fear of how she was feeling right now as she was new to it, "Cry out more for me," he said over her lips, pus.h.i.+ng his finger further in and she cried this time. Her eyes shutting while the air hitches in her throat. As she heaved for air, her chest moved up and down. Going back down, he continued to push his finger in and out, feeling his digit slip into her core and then slid out. He gave her a few seconds toe down from her high, not letting her climax but bring her to edge to not let her fall to the pleasurepletely. She opened her dted eyes to gaze up at him, her handsing back, "Please untie it," she pleaded, her eyes looking at him with a .s.sy look that made him want to plunge into her right away but he wasn''t done teasing her. Or torturing her under him, he wanted to hear her cry more until her voice turned hoa.r.s.e from screaming. Damien looked down at her, "Not so soon. I am not done with your punishment," he brought his hand up, putting his finger in his mouth and tasting her. His eyes darkened at the taste of her. cing his hands on both her legs, Damien pushed her legs so that he could have better ess and look at the wetness he had caused. When he brought himself in front of him, he ran his coa.r.s.e tongue,pping the wetness. When he ced his mouth there, Penny felt her soul had left her body, his mouth sucking and licking her which turned her on and she cried every time he brought her to the peak to only let go. Chapter 396 Warm Whispers- Part 6 He wasn''t lying when he said he was going to punish her. Damien gave her everything, bringing her to the highest peak before letting her fall back, denying her the pleasure which he had shown her. "Stop torturing me," she whispered looking at him, their eyes meeting and he could see how she was struggling to keep herself from falling apart but that wasn''t what Damien was looking forward to. "But I love torturing you," Damien said, grinning back at her where she looked frustrated and tired. "I am not going to run away," she pleaded, looking at him with a sweet l.u.s.tful look and he pushed his finger back into her core, "Punishment doesn''t end until you tell me what you had in your mind. Come on Penny, I know you want to tell it to me. Don''t you want your desires to be fulfilled?" he asked her. Swirling his hand to press it to her core. Bending down, he bit on the skin where she could see the outline of her hip bones. Sucking and biting into her skin to hear her hiss in pain before he ran his tongue to soothe it. "I am waiting," he said, his eyes meeting hers as he ran his tongue up her body. Penny thought this was the punishment but she should have known better. He would make her speak out her mind and only then rest the case. His hand reached for one of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and he palmed it before squeezed it, his hands turning rough and she took a sharp breath that came out in gasps with hands ministrations. She closed her eyes, speaking through her already parted lips, "I¡­" gulped down the nervousness that had risen again. Damien''s eyes sparkled hearing her ready to let him know about what she wanted him to do. It was important for him to know every inch and part of her. Be it body or mind. She found it hard to concentrate with his thumb that rubbed against her nipple. Her head and her thoughts were muddled up. Damien had made an artwork on her where she could no more think straight. Even without his hands and mouth not on her body she could still feel her skin vibrate just by the memory of it. But right now with his hand ying with her, running circles around her are before running between the valley of her lips, she stuttered, "I thought of you kissing me¡­" she started, his lips twisted hearing this. "That''s the beginning. What else?" She tried pleading him with her eyes but the man didn''t budge, "It''s embarra.s.sing," and just thinking about it made her feel heady. "I would still like to hear it. No matter how embarra.s.sing or dirty it is," this shameless vampire, she closed her eyes and then blurted out what was on in her mind. Words spilling out of her mind through her delicate lips, "I imagined you taking me in your arms. Torturing me more¡­" she whispered with her eyes still shut that brought a grin on his devil-like lips. Damien licked his lips, "What else?" he coaxed. He stepped out of the bed, discarding the trouser and getting back to bed. She felt her heart pound in her chest. Right now, Damien was as naked as her when he returned back to her on the bed. Penny didn''t dare to let her eyes wander but there was that curiosity. The young curiosity of her mind got her eyes trailing down from his taut body to look at his manhood and she involuntarily sucked in air through her lips. The man was well endowed between his legs. "What else, mouse?" she heard him ask and she s.h.i.+fted her eyes, trying not to be embarra.s.sed by theirplete nakedness. Her hands softly s.h.i.+vering out of nervousness. "Y-you making love to me," she blurted further before her face turned red and she then said, "I told you what you wanted to hear, untie this," she said, her brows furrowed and her face holding anxiousness that he was only going to tease her. "Didn''t you say you wanted me to torture you? Shall we test it out now? I didn''t torture you to my own heart''s content," he said, reaching for her hand but instead of loosening it, he leaned to her lips. Just when his lips could descend and reach her own lips, Penny moved closer to only see him pull away. His expression hauntingly dark and serious ying with her like prey being caught and poking fun at it. This happened two more times before Damien finally gave her the kiss. She opened up to him like a flower, blooming in his arms as he kissed her pa.s.sionately. Pecking one more time, he said, "Rx your body," Damien whispered into her ears before pulling away from her. Finally pulling the scarf off her hands, Penny could finally move her hands. Damien went back to settle himself between her legs, pulling her closer by her waist. Taking his manhood, he rubbed it against her entrance and she couldn''t help the moan that pa.s.sed through her lips. The sensation was different than what she felt when he had used his mouth and finger a few moments ago. One of her hands came to ce on her mouth, but the back of her hand covering her mouth but not well enough when he rubbed itnguidly, her wetness pooling down in between her legs which made it easier for his length to move. With both their eyes strained and gazing at each other, she tensed when he stopped but Damien this time didn''t give her much time as he pushed himself into her, her cry falling on the walls with the pain she felt for a moment. Damien pushed into her further, feeling her body tense and letting it rx before he started to push his hips back and forth, bringing Penny''s every desire out. The fantasy was a secret part of her mind turning alive and her eyes starting to turn foggy. Chapter 397 Warm Whispers- Part 7 With every thrust of his came a cry in return which was sweeter than anything he had ever heard before, "Wrap your legs around my waist," he said, helping her bring closer to him and she shyly locked her legs around his waist. One hand gripped on her thigh and the other one held her waist in ce, feeling her tightness around her. Every time Damien pushed himself it only left Penny breathless. He could feel how warm she was, pulling and pus.h.i.+ng into her, he brought her to the edge, tipping her off continuously to see her open her beautiful eyes to look at him with her lips parted. He pushed further to hear her cry, a devil-like smile appearing on his lips with satisfaction, "Damien!" she cried when he continued the torture before scooping her with his hand around her waist so that she would sit right in hisp and for a moment she stopped breathing feeling the fullness she felt right now. "Breath," he whispered, the warm air falling on the sh.e.l.l of her ear, "Try moving," he guided her and Penny looked at him wide-eyed. T-to sit and do it? Her? Penelope''s hands s.h.i.+vered as she ced them on Damien''s shoulders. Clutching on them tightly while preparing herself and she felt Damien push himself where she gripped on to his shoulders, her head falling on his chest. Penny tried moving but Damien soon took the lead with her slow movements, entering her over and over again until she had her nails digging into his shoulders. Red lines started to appear on his shoulders where she held. Moans and sighs escaped both of their lips, the bed creaking softly as they moved on the bed. His hands roamed on her body, feeling her back and the curves around her body. Entangling his hand in her open hair, he pulled her head back for a kiss. Feeling her m.u.f.fled moans that turned him harder as he pushed himself relentlessly into her until letting her off the kiss to feel hering close but she looked scared. Scared of falling apart with the intense feelings she felt right now that was wrecking her body. "Let go, Penny," his voice came out hoa.r.s.er than normal, "I am here to catch you," he promised her as she looked at him with her knitted brows. And when she did, she came apart beautifully in his arms, and soon he followed. Holding her body close that fell ck and tired. Slightly covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Penny didn''t let go of him, her hands continued to hold on to him as she tried to get down from the high feeling. Her mind feeling dazed and blurry with Damien holding her closely. With her forehead resting on his chest, she heaved for air catching her breath and her soul which was only returning back to her body. Her body felt utterly spent and if it weren''t for Damien who held her in his arms, he helped her into the bathroom was.h.i.+ng her and himself before they returned back to the bed. Before she could get to the bed where Damien was holding her hand, she tried to search where her dress was to hear him ask, "Do you want it?" she looked back at him, her voice not working right now. Before she could decide on something, she felt him pick up the dress and bring it to her. Helping her wear it as it was her first night. As much as Damien enjoyed torturing and hearing her cry in the bed, he didn''t want to scare her off and wanted her to befortable. Unlike many whom he had known, Penny wasfortable in her own skin with a little persuasion and coaxing. Picking his trousers from the floor, he wore it and got into the bed with her. Penny had not spoken anything but he didn''t need words from her right now. The way she held onto him, her hands clutching onto him back then and even now was sweet that warmed his heart. He didn''t know there would be a day where he would be satisfied and thrilled to please a woman to her own content, putting forth the person and cing her first was something new which Damien had not done before. He was always his first preference until he met her. Right now it felt like he could touch her heart without having to do it which felt strange. He tucked her in the bed,ying down next to her to feel her inch closer and closer to him, cing her head right below his chin like the mouse she was. "Are you okay?" he asked her, wanting to make sure she was fine still. He pulled the nket around them, cing his hand over the nketed her. "Yes," he heard her reply, her voice came out to be heady, "You?" she asked him. A smile appeared on his lips, one that might have never appeared on his lips before. Penny who had hidden under his face and his chest right now, heard him say, "I am doing wonderful. Get some sleep, mouse," he ran his hand on her back gently. Sleep came quickly before she knew it, taking her tonds she had only touched and tasted. When morning arrived, her chest felt light and her mind was at ease. Feeling Damien''s arms around her with her back currently facing him, she smiled along with the blush that coated her cheeks early in the morning. Who knew that it would be this enjoyable where she would be calling his name the whole time. She had seen it one time, seeing how the man had pleasured the woman but that had kindled the curiosity which now Damien had fulfilled. He had done more than that. Feeling his lips press her neck for a kiss, she said surprised, "You are awake." "I have been awake for some time now," and she flinched when his teeth nipped her skin. Chapter 398 Suspect- Part 1 When both Damien and Penny made their way to the dining room, Lord Alexander had already taken a seat and it looked like the other two vampires were only settling down in their seats. Taking the seat next to Damien as she did naturally, she pulled the napkin to ce it on herp. "The night was colder than usual wasn''t it?" Elliot asked rubbing his hands together like he could still feel the frost biting into his skin. "What were you doing outside the mansion walking like a ghost?" Sylvia asked, shaking her head as if wanting to ask him who had asked him to step outside the mansion when the night had only turned colder by the hour. "What can I say, lonely nights of the vampire who walks in the garden," Elliot''s tone came out to be dramatic. He gave the woman beside him a look who behaved as if she didn''t hear it. Elliot then turned to look at Penny to ask, "What do you think about me writing a book with the t.i.tle that goes as ''Lonely nights of the night creature''?" The sudden question by him she nodded her head, "It sounds catchy. Do you write books, Mr. Elliot?" she inquired. "Of course, he doesn''t," Sylvia cut into the conversation, thedy looked at her to say, "The first time I gave him a book he tore out the pages and made paper airnes that Martin had to quickly get the hallways cleaned up before Lord Alexander arrived back home," Penny couldn''t help but chuckle at this. It appeared that Elliot was the heart of this mansion who liked to keep the atmosphere light around him. The man brought light where he was but at the same time, she wondered if he truly was the way he looked right now. A lot of people brought smiles on other people''s faces but the same people held too much mncholy inside that was darker than the darkest hour of the night. Before Elliot could notice her gaze, she switched back to look at Sylvia but the vampires who lived with the lord in the Delcrov mansion weren''t living for free without any perception. They were intelligent, agile and smart in work, and Elliot was one of the men who had picked on her continuous gaze even though it was more spare seconds. At the same time, she felt Damien ce a hand on her thigh. She didn''t turn to look at Damien, feeling him turn to Alexander to speak about something. The problem wasn''t that Damien''s hand was not still. Instead, it moved up her thighs, she cleared her throat to gain his attention once he was done talking with Alexander. "You alright?" he asked her cooly, his eyes and face barely revealing anything as he sat rxed. "Yes, doing great," she said as she willed her heart to calm down. Sitting at a table where there were four vampires, she didn''t want anyone catching what he was doing right now. How embarra.s.sing, thought Penny to herself. "You both look chummier today," Elliot leaned forward, bringing his hands to close where his elbows had been resting on the surface of the table, "Did the cold night ignite spark-ouch! That hurt," heined, pulling his chair away from Sylvia who was cutting into her vegetables and bent down to take a bite from her food. Sylvia had stamped right into Elliot''s feet that were next to her, pressurizing the heel of her shoe on to his feet to have him shut up, "You''re going to make it awkward for Penelope," the woman didn''t bother to look up at anyone but continued to eat. ncing at Lord Alexander who looked hardly bothered, it reminded her of Damien''s father who often didn''t involve himself when Grace, Lady Fleurance, and Damien got into a verbal banter before anything started to be thrown at each other. Those days...thought Penny to herself. There were some days which weren''t peaceful but at the same time now that she looked back the changes that had taken ce in Quinn''s mansion, it didn''t feel like before. She wasn''t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. At the same thought, she realized that if Damien and Alexander were rted by their father''s side, it meant that Alexander''s father was a second-generation vampire which didn''t make sense as both Damien mentioned his father and the lord''s father as brothers. She wondered if it was because of the close age that they called each other that. When it came to aging and the ages of the pureblooded vampire, Penny found it hard to count and decide as she found it to be confusing. Thankfully, Damien had not moved his hand further but he hadn''t moved his hand away from herp either. Letting it rest there as he spoke to his cousin and others at the table. "Yes, they will be going to the town today," she heard Lord Alexander say, "You can apany them and have a word with the magistrate as he hasn''t sent the papers yet." "Are you suspecting him?" Elliot asked, sipping his tea as he looked at Alexander. Alexander was stirring the tea that was ced to him, his wrist moving elegantly round and round, "There have been a lot of magistrates who had been scheming with the higher elder council. The reports will a.s.sure us if the man can be trusted. If he doesn''t submit them after half an hour of your arrival, have him killed." Penny who had been smearing b.u.t.ter on the bread paused before continuing to spread evenly. Kill the man just like that? Listening in to their conversation without s.p.a.cing out, she heard Damien say, "I have a list but the man has never been suspected. What makes you think he''s the one who has been supplying the information to the witches?" The lord ced his spoon down, holding the handle of the teacup but not picking it from the table, "Do you remember about the spitgra.s.s?" "The corruption which was used by the ck witches," answered Damien. "Yes, that one. When the search for it had been submitted by the department council of Lionel''s team, a warrant was sent out to find and burn it but the magistrate never did it. He instead dyed the work and also had the other councilman who worked here to en route to othernds by saving the spitgra.s.s. Lionel thinks I had something to do with it which has put me in the spot and map of his eyes." Someone was trying to frame Lord Alexander? asked Penny to herself. Chapter 399 Suspect- Part 2 "That''s not good,"mented Damien, he knew there were some of the councilmen who weren''t happy with his uncle''s marriage to his aunt when they had first married. He had heard rumors. Some of them were absurd that made him think that he was worrying midst illiterates. It wasn''t umon for white witches to be under the eyes of councilmen and Aunt Isabelle had done everything to keep Alexander out of trouble but it looked like someone from the council had pulled the strings in such a way that Alexander would fall into suspicion. "The obvious suspect is the magistrate, if it isn''t him then we looked further into the roots of the trees to who is pulling the strings, that is unless it was Creed was doing it," Alexander looked not happy with how the events had turned out to be. "Looks like both you and Lord Nichs are going to have a field if you aren''t going to be careful," Damien whistled and put the food that he had picked in his fork into his mouth. Eliot gave out a curious look, asking, "What''s up with Lord Nichs?" "Just him breaking some people''s hearts," Damien chuckled, he then turned to look at Penny to ask, "Do you want apple''s?" Remembering Damien''s fancy rabbit apple''s she shook her head, "No, I am good." "Penelope," Lord Alexander said, gaining her attention where she looked up to meet his brooding eyes, "When you''re out in the town today, do not get separated from Damien or Elliot. Stick close to one of them no matter what." "Yes, Lord Alexander," she heeded his words. Penny had gone back to eat but Alexander couldn''t help but feel a sense of this day where it could turn out to be ominous where she was going out to the town to meet the magistrate withe Damien and Elliot.? Something like this had happened years ago when he and his mother had gone to the market. Though they had gone to the market, the day his mother died, they had also visited the magistrate. Of course, the magistrate had nothing to do with it but he couldn''t brush his feelings away. When the time to leave to the town came, Alexander stopped Penny to talk to her, "Make sure your eyes don''t turn back to slits. You changed it back to normal but we aren''t sure when it might surface back up again. I would tell it would be safe for you to stay back here where no harm shall befall you but we need someone to trante the book where only you can read," he said with a frown. Alexander would have gone himself but him being in spot with the councilman''s eyes on him, going with the books would only cause trouble. "I believe you have heard about the switchers. So make sure you keep some kind of code word which only you know," seeing her expression turn one of dread, he said, "I heard that you already met them. It isn''t hard to notice them, they perspire more than the other creatures. It is the time of Winter so it wouldn''t be hard if you were to encounter one," For some odd reason Penny felt like this is how her father would have advised her if he was still alive. "Thank you," she thanked him. When the trio reached the town, Penny came back to the ce where they had visited two days ago. Looking at people who walked on the streets of the town. The town was once a vige but had been remodeled to a town from what she had heard from Damien. Making their way towards the magistrate''s office, Damien being Damien didn''t bother to knock on the door and instead barged right in. The magistrate looked annoyed while he was signing something, a local man standing in front of him until he noticed who had stepped foot into his small cabin. "Councilman Damien, Sir Elliot," the man stood up from his chair, greeting them until his eyes fell on the girl who stood between them not knowing who the girl was. "Lady Penelope," Elliot added for the magistrate''s reference who took a second before greeting her too. "Lady Penelope," the man bowed his head. The magistrate looked in better shape than the other magistrates she hade across until now. He wore clean clothes like one of the elite, his face clean and shaved. He had his hairbed behind with not a single strand out of ce. He waved the local man away and once townsman had stepped out of his office, the magistrate waved his hand, "Please sit down. Would you like to drink something?" the magistrate asked. Damien had no interest to waste his precious time which he had plenty. He pulled out his fun, uncorking the head of the gun which made a creak like sound when he ced the other side of the gun on the magistrate''s forehead. "C-councilman D-Damien?" the magistrate stuttered. Penny had thought there would be a talk before they would trap the man to have him confess for what he had done, that was if Lord Alexander was right but Damien had pulled out his gun pointing at the man who looked pale as a ghost. The man was a human, his eyes brown in color and he was more than shaken by the sudden change in atmosphere. Here he had politely asked for some refreshments but Damien had refreshed the man. "I have received someints about you. Is it true?" "Comints? From whom, Sir? I d-didn''t do anything," the magistrate stuttered. "Committing sins and forgetting so easily? Let''s blow your arm and see if we can jog some part of your useless brain," Damien pulled back the gun, pulling the cork further behind and cing it on his arm. Penny didn''t know what to say but see the scene unfold in front of her. "Wait! Wait!" the man yelled but he was toote as Damien had fired his gun. Chapter 400 Dont Anger A Witch- Part 1 Penny''s eyes shut close at the sudden sound of the gunshot which ran in her ear over the quiet room. Smokeing out of the gun which had fired the bullet as Damien held the gun staring at the magistrate who cowered in fear. Opening her eyes she looked at the magistrate who looked scared but he had been shot. Damien had instead chosen to scare the man by aiming the wall behind him. The magistrate s.h.i.+vered in fear, his eyes wide, antic.i.p.ating the burning pain in her body which never came. "I know you were helping the ck witches in their endeavors, what favor did you take?" Damien asked, pointing the gun back to the man and aiming it to his head, "I did not miss the shot. Was making sure it was still working." When the man went to touch something on his desk, his hand fumbling with the drawers and Damien didn''t bother to shoot the desk that grazed the sleeve of the magistrate who froze, "I-I can exin." "Wasn''t that hard now was it? You could have saved your fear and I could have saved my bullets. Speak," Damien demanded. In the meantime, Elliot walked around pus.h.i.+ng the man away so that he could take a look at the desk of drawers that the magistrate had tried reaching for. "What a shabby ce. You need to hire someone to clean it up," Elliotmented, finding the drawers to be filled with things he considered to be garbage and of no importance, "Oh, you have a pack of cigars," he picked up the brown cigars to ce them on the table, "Let''s share a smoke once we are done," said the vampire brightly where the magistrate didn''t know how to react. "Start speaking in five seconds or I will blow your brains out," Damien threatened the man with a tone ofziness like he had other important things to do than be here, "Five, four, two," Penny turned her head noticing how he skipped a number to shorten the time. The magistrate stuttered out, blurting in fear, "Councilman Damien, please forgive me but I didn''t do it because I wanted to do it. They have my little boy with them." Damien stared at the man who had bowed his head, "Why didn''t you alert the council or the Lord. The Lord doesn''t live too far from this ce. A letter would have sufficed," he corked the gun back. "They have threatened to kill him if I don''t adhere to their requests. Another little boy was taken by them who never returned back. The ck witches had killed and thrown him in the ditch during the time of rain," the magistrate''s eyes were wide as he exined to Damien, "I was only protecting my boy because I know he still lives." "And therefore you decided to trade your son''s life for entire viges andnds that could have caused chaos. Your one action of wanting to save one life threatened the whole race of humans and vampires. Do you understand what grave error you have made?" Before he could pull out the cork further and scare the man, Penny ced a hand on his arm. Penny looked at him anxiously, not wanting to kill the man, "This can be solved talking out calmly," she whispered only for Damien to hear. Elliot who was going through the drawers, nced at the couple when Penny spoke to Damien. One side of his lips pulled up and he went back to going through the drawers of the desk. The man had already admitted and had asked for forgiveness, having a solid reason for what he did. Though it wasn''t right, he had done it to protect his child. The magistrate looked already exhausted, they didn''t want him pa.s.sing out due to the gunshots. Elliot pulled out a drawer that had some of the dried leaves in it, "Isn''t this spitgra.s.s?" he looked up at the man with an eyebrow raised in question. Damien didn''t care and was ready to shoot the man knowing well how spitgra.s.s looked like and that he was hiding it in here. "Please, please. This isn''t mine!" the man cowered further away from them, his hands upon the sides of his head, "I was told to deliver this tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" questioned Damien. "Yes," he nodded his head fervently, "It was given to me to hide as there was a recent search across everyone''s house. The witches wanted to keep this here and told them that they would collect it tomorrow. In return, I would get my son back to me." "Haven''t you heard the phrase of not to make deals with the ck witches? When did your son go missing?" Damien continued his questions. "Please put the weapon down, I will tell you everything. P-please!" he pleaded and Penny only hoped Damien was only trying to scare him and wouldn''t actually shoot him. He waited for Damien to lower his gun down but Damien never dropped it. Not even when Penny had asked him. Seeing it not drop, he sighed, "It has been more than a month or two since my son went missing. After my son went missing, the next day in the morning someone had dropped a letter at the front of my door and I found out it was from the ck witches. It was written along with the chain as identification, telling me on how to not notify the higher-ups and to follow their words if I wanted him back alive. I just did what they wanted. I thought it would best after they told the councilmen elsewhere but they came back saying this was thest favor." "Being a magistrate haven''t you learned anything?" Damien asked, putting his gun finally down and tucking it behind him, "If the ck witches are asking for further favors it only means they will keep asking you for more in the name of your son who you say has been kept as a hostage. The worst case is knowing your son is already dead..." Chapter 401 Dont Anger A Witch- Part 2 "No! He is still alive," the magistrate disagreed on the option Damien gave. "So what is it going to be? You either continue to work for the witches and we kill you in the possession of the spitgra.s.s which is used to corrupt the vampire race and use the seeds in there to regrow the nts which we had burned down or," paused Damien, "Or you stop working for them and let your son die." Life was harsh but Penny had never had to experience something like this where a father was trying to keep his son alive to only be caught up in such a mess now. The worse she had had was her mother wanting to kill her which she still hadn''t been able to figure as to why. She couldn''t tell how fortunate those children were whose parents fought for them, to keep them alive and breathing, protecting them from the wretched world. Her heart ached to remember it and she brushed the feelings away from her mind. "Do you know where the witches are?" Damien asked while the man had clutched both his hands in frustration of not knowing what to pick, "There might be some ck witches in here who are still living in the town but it would be hard to weed them out. If the ck witch is going toe here to collect it she must already be here. Elliot," he called the red-haired man, "Do you think we can close the borders of the town checkpost in an hour?" "Sure. I will go get the guards alerted and have them ced for inspection," Elliot replied back quickly. If the ck witches weren''t here yet, they wouldn''t be able to enter the premise of the town easily. And if they did appear, it meant they were living here amongst the other townsfolk who were unaware of it. Right now they had to filter the people who came and went to the town, while also sending some people to scout the forest. "I don''t know where they are. I never met the witches," answered the magistrate who looked worried, "Themunication always took ce through the letters that I received." "Which would mean you will soon receive another letter on where to meet the witch to hand these over," Damien''s eyes narrowed. The ck witches were stupid but there some smart ones and if it was someone who was handling the spitgra.s.s, it mean that the ck witch knew not to get caught by anyone. After speaking some more with the magistrate, warning him to not run away or do something stupid, the three of them stepped out of the office. When they dide out, a person who was sitting on top of the roof stared down at them. Eyes that were made of slit snake eyes but the features still very human, the woman ran her thin tongue across her thin lips. It seemed like the magistrate hadn''t been caught yet as she couldn''t see them carrying the spit gra.s.s out of the office which was stored there. Damien who was speaking to Elliot, said, "We are being watched," he didn''t turn to look at the roof where the woman who had been sitting there stared at them. Keeping an eye on their movements. "The one like a monkey on the roof?" Elliot asked noticing right after they had stepped out but making it look like he hadn''t seen anything at all, "I should probably babysit the magistrate so that he doesn''t turn into a dead fish." "Yes, that would be wise. If she''s here, it means there are others who have already entered the town. Penny and I will have a look around the town and speak to the bookkeeper," Damien informed, receiving a nod of approval from Elliot. The red-haired man walked towards the window of the office, looking at it from outside and the reflection where he caught the ck witch perched up on the roof still has her eyes on them. He brought his hand up, running it through his wavy locks of hair as if he were setting it and turned around. "It would give enough time to destress him by a few smokes," Elliot, shook his hand with Damien and stepped back inside the office to see the magistrate frown, "I forgot we were supposed to share some smokes. Also, those refreshments you spoke about earlier, do you have them ready?" Elliot asked the man. The ck witch who was sitting on the rooftop made of red mud bricks stared at the vampire who went back in, her face turning sour. One minute she was there and the next second she had disappeared to go let the other witches who were in the town. "Are you always like this?" Penny asked once they were alone and had started to walk, making their way towards the bookkeeper. "Like what?" he asked her, his head tilting to his side. Penny opened her mouth but closed it, shaking her head, "Tell me," he urged her to speak. Her question was unnecessary as she already knew the answer to it. Damien had always been like this but seeing the plight of the magistrate where his son had gone missing, she had hoped for him to be a little sensitive over the matter. "You''re going to waste the bullets if you shoot unnecessarily," she said, s.h.i.+fting the subject but Damien didn''t let it go. She pressed her lips, trying to form the sentence right so that it wouldn''t rebuke an argument between the, "Telling the man his son was dead-" "It is the truth," Damien interrupted her before her sentence could start properly, "ck witches have been known to be cruel and heartless. Selfish with their own needs and I don''t think I have to put much light on them." "A few false words would have eased his mind," Penny spoke back, her face turning one to be of a frown. Chapter 402 Dont Anger A Witch- Part 3 She knew what Damien was talking about but he could have handled the situation without having to throw salt in the man''s already existing wound. "My work isn''t to ease his mind. I am not his rtive to do it but a councilman. He should have been shot already for saving the ck witches when he could have got them caught. If it was another councilman the magistrate would be dead by now." Penny narrowed her eyes, pausing her footsteps and turning to look at Damien, "You didn''t kill him because you want to use him as a bait," she pointed out to him. "Aren''t you learning everything from your prestigious master already," Damien spoke proudly of her and she rolled her eyes, "Soon you will be able to outwit others and also understand why we do things we do here." "Would you have done the same with me?" she asked him. "Do what?" he asked her. "Saying I am dead if I were to be kidnapped by the ck witches?" she stared at him, waiting for him toe up with a witty reply which he did usually. And she then heard him say, "Well, if you are dead I cannot say you are undead, can I?" Penny stared hard at him where he continued to say, "First of all you are with me. What makes you think I will let a flimsy ck witch kidnap you. No one dares to steal or kidnap what belongs to me," he dered but that didn''t suffice as an answer in Penny''s eyes. Her lips pressed in a thin line, she started to walk to where they were headed. "It appears that you are mad at my answer," said Damien as he caught up with her, walking next to her with a grin on his face. Penny gave him a silent look not saying anything. She had never been involved too closely before until the time when they had gone to Wovile to know how things worked within the council. She could only hope that the magistrate''s son was still alive and he hadn''t been killed by the ck witches. One could only hope as hope was thest thing a person held on to. She wondered if there was anything she could help with. One way Damien was right for what he did but at the same time, theck of tack was something to be worried about. But then she guessed that it was what was required when it came to dealing with people. Reaching the bookkeeper''s library, Damien shook hands with the man, "Good morning, councilman Damien," the man was lean and slightly old. His hair on his head waspletely white and .s.ses that settled on his nose. "Morning, Mr. Haltman," Damien greeted the man. "Good morning, mdy," the bookkeeper didn''t give his hand but bowed and she returned it back, bowing at him before he took them inside the library which he owned. It wasn''t big but it wasn''t small either, just a good size for a town''s library, "I received word from Lord Alexander that you needed help in making a book with some copies," the man turned to look at them. Penny noticed how the library was empty with no one but just them in here. The man caught on to her gaze and hemented, "We have been having fewer customerstely," he said and Damien asked, "Is there a new library?" "Oh, no, Sir. Because of Winter we usually don''t have many customersing in here. People only want to sleep when they are supposed to be reading books," he grumbled as if not understanding the youngsters and the other townspeople. Taking a quick look around, his eyes scanning the racks, it. came to settle on the man to say, "We need new ink and a parchment book. Nothing big, just a small one with ten to eleven pages. How much time do you think it might take forpletion?" he inquired. "Might take a few hours, Sir. I have a helper boy who does the writing. Would you want him to do it or would you like me to do it for you?" the man gave them an option to pick. "Whichever is faster," answered Damien for the bookkeeper to nod his head. Turning his head to the side, the man called, "Owen. Help the councilman in the writing. Where did you go?" he asked when the person didn''t show up for the first few seconds beforeing out through a door. A young boy appeared holding a couple of books in his hands, his brown hair messy and unkempt. He bowed at them when the bookkeeper ordered the boy, "The book is going to be eleven pages. Bring your bindings and get to writing. It needs to be given back by this evening," turning to confirm he asked Damien, "Am I right, Sir?" "Any chance for the work to be sped up with a few silver coins?" asked Damien and the boy''s eyes turned wide and he said, "Consider it done, Sir. Let''s take a seat at the table," he raised his hand to show the way but before that Damien said, "I will need you to close the ce until our work ispleted. It wouldn''t be much of a problem would it?"?The old man obliged Damien''s words, going to the main doors and closing it shut without a word. Taking a seat at the table, Penny opened the book which she had been carrying with her which spoke about the moon signs. Lord Alexander had told her not to deviate too much from what was written in here to avoid suspicion by the ck witches. The trick was to change the book in a way that held the same essence as the original book where they had to imprint some of the initial pages as it was. The boy named Owen started to write down as he was told. Starting from the first page, holding a quill and parchment of papers in his hand. When the sign of wolf appeared, Penny said, "Are you done with it?" she asked, finis.h.i.+ng the previous sign to see the boy nod, "Coming to the sign of the wolf. This moon sign is considered to be born under the light of the moon with good strength and territorial characteristics with the pack," Damien couldn''t help but straighten his back over the good words about his sign until she said, "Due to the low light, these signed creatures are quick to fight over matters making them petty. Stingy over the money who behave like peasants when ites to haggling..." Damien slowly turned his head with his eyes narrowed down at her. Was she still mad about calling her dead if she were dead? "Lady Penelope, I think you are reading the wrong line," Damien slid the book towards him as Penny''s lips twisted, trying to hold back her smile, "See, you''re reading wrong." The boy didn''t know why they were dictating the lines when he could just look and write but it seemed that they wanted to condense the content of the book, "Go on," the boy heard Damien and he readied his quill. "The moon sign of wolf is the most talented sign of all the signs present. Extremely good looking with an amazing personality..." Chapter 403 Sweeping Brooms- Part 1 The young boy wrote down what Damien said which went on to one page, then two and up to four pages before ending about the sign of the wolf. It was the most he had writtenpared to the other signs which they had finished that was seven signspleted in six pages and the introduction which took two pages. Owen didn''t know what these animals meant and what the moon signs were but it is his job to write down any request and make copies of it, he tried not to be intrusive about it and followed what was being told to him. "Did you get everything written down?" he heard the councilman ask enthusiastically. "Yes, Sir," Owen nodded his head. Compared to thedy who sat with her arms crossed listening to them, the man dictated the lines faster where he had to cope up by writing quickly. "Okay, let''s get to the next sign," Damien pped his hands together when the boy said, "A moment, Sir. I need to go fetch more of the parchment pages," said the boy as he excused himself and got to bring the pages as Damien had given more information on one single animal. With the boy gone, Pennymented, "I think what you dictated to him was very less," she said trying to keep a straight face but the smile peeked out of her lips which even Damien caught. "I know," Damien sighed, "My amazingness cannot be contained in four pages. We need to make a whole book which speaks about me. The kind Master Quinn," he said, turning to her he noticed she was amused by what just happened, "You know I wouldn''t let anything happen to you. I meant it the very first time when I said to stay by my side and I will protect you. I thought you were angry," a smile formed on her lips. Penny''s eyes twinkled, leaning forward she kissed his lips, "I never said anything like that. You aren''t the only one who can be yful," she had only been ying with him. Of course, there were somethings that she wasn''t okay with but she wasn''t stupid to not know or understand how things worked. "Come here," Damien pulled her back for a kiss by holding the back of her neck, reluctantly letting her go before the young boy entered the room again with papers in his hands. "Apologies for making you wait," said the boy, taking a seat in front of them and bringing his pages close to as he readied himself to listen to the dictation, "I am ready," he looked up at Damien. "The fairdy will a.s.sist you further," Damien said, his hand finding Penny''s hand under the table to hold it. When the smile continued to y on Penny, the boy wondered what was going on. She cleared her throat before she started to tell the boy what to write next. By the time they were done, a decent two hours had pa.s.sed. All the while Damien had continued to run his thumb over the back of her hand soothingly.?Damien and Penny stayed in the book room while the boy copied what was already written to make copies of it. Taking a seat near the open window, Penny looked at the townsfolks who walked on the streets of this town. Since the time of Wovile she had acquired the sense to look at the ground to make sure if there was any marking. She doubted there would be another ma.s.sacre any time soon but she couldn''t help but be alert after what happened. Her eyes caught sight of a woman and a girl who was walking in the other direction, her memories not able to rte to it. Even though her mother had erased her memories, she wasn''t able to grasp the time where they had spent their time walking down a street. Life had been hard before her mother decided to fake her death and in many ways now that she looked she was d that her mother had decided to fake her death and let her daughter go even if it was for sometime beforeing back to kill her. "I am d to have met you," her words came soft on his ears, not wanting to disturb the boy who was copying the content from the written parchments. "I know," he answered before adding, "And I am d to have found you," Damien looked at her, his attention on her which was undivided. She couldn''t help but smile and blush, her eyes tearing away from him to look back at the window as memories of what happenedst night flooded her mind.?Just remembering it had her bodye alive, every touch and kiss that he had ced of her, trying to remember and hold it as one of the precious memories. "Did youe out here with your parents?" she asked him. "I came alone here. I found my ability too soon when I was young and learned how to switch from onend to another. The only trouble was that I didn''t know I would be bloodthirsty after using it too much. My mother didn''t like me mingling with Alexander," he said, Penny who had been looking outside turned her eyes back to him. "Why not?" she asked. Lord Alexander sure was a brooding man but he had his times where he was caring when it came to Damien. With decent parents and taking into ount the t.i.tle and the money they had, she didn''t know why his mother didn''t let him spend his time with his cousin. "Because Aunt Isabelle was a witch," he answered with a straight face. Penny didn''tment on it. She was sure that if thedy was still alive, she would have never approved of her for Damien. She was not only a white witch but a person who didn''te from a defined background, "My mother grew up with thoughts of pureblooded vampires being of superior beings." "Was she a first-generation pureblooded vampire too?" she asked, slightly curious about it. "A second generation pureblooded vampire," he replied, moving his hand towards his hair to fluff it up and let it go, "It is a verymon thing a pureblooded vampire has. Pride of who they are and how others are inferior to them." "Is that why you call others peasants?" Damien chuckled hearing her say this. "Just sometimes, the rest because they were dimwitted people," he said, one side of his lips pulling upward. Chapter 404 Sweeping Brooms- Part 2 By the time Damien knew about his ability, his aunt had already pa.s.sed away but his mother wasn''t happy with the family. With what his uncle had married into, a white witch who had caused enough problems to the pureblooded vampires by tapping into the forbidden magic. It wasn''t known by many on who had caused the binding of the ck magic in Wovile but the ones who even had helped the other creatures by standing against the ck witches weren''t well received. The witches were burnt, either way, be it good or bad. "I came to visit Alex when everyone was asleep or when I went sauntering out of the mansion but it wasn''t for too many hours. My mother could turn paranoid when we stayed out for too many hours," he said calmly with no emotion in his voice right now. "I think it is wonderful that you have someone like Lord Alexander to share your thoughts with if you ever need to," Penny squeezed his hand. Neither of them had ever hid things between them, opening up about their lives as the time when by little and little. Lady Isabelle was a woman Penny hade to admire and it was a shame that Damien''s mother had failed to see it. Maybe, maybe if the woman had let Lady Isabelle into her life, then maybe they would have found a cure for her irrecoverable illness. After three more hours pa.s.sed, the boy had finished writing and making two more copies for them to take. "Keep this one here. It might turn to be useful," said Damien letting one of the copies they had first written to reside in this book room. Giving him and the bookkeeper gold coins, they made their way out to look at the clouds that had turned dark. Resembling close to the clouds of Bonke. They went back to the magistrate''s office to see the man have fallen asleep at the desk with Elliot who was ying cards by himself as he switched back and forth between two sets that was ced on the table. Sensing their presence, Elliot turned, cing the cards on the table, "Wee back." "What happened to him?" Penny asked worriedly. Elliot waved his hand as if it was nothing, "He just fell asleep after crying," he pointed the empty .s.s at the table, "I see you got the books made," he eyed Penny''s hands. "Did anyone visit him?" "None at all. I think the ck witch who had been watching us tipped some of her sisters and brothers," when Elliot spoke Penny closed her eyes at the error of why she hadn''t noticed it clearly before. "Oh no..." Penny murmured under her breath, "I don''t think it was the witch who was at the roof. Do you remember the man who was here when we arrived?" "Are you telling he is a ck witch?" Damien asked. Both he and Elliot had failed to notice it, and even Penny who been studying about the ck had noted it. She didn''t know why she hadn''t realized it before, "It was his hands, they were ck and dark. Almost rotten." "How strange," Elliotmented, "I remember his hands being extra clean." "Maybe I was the only one who could see it?" she was the only white witch while Damien and Elliot were vampires who must have not been able to identify it. Damien then said, "It must be the potion you and Alexander were making," that was right, "A white witch cannot identify a ck witch. Only a ck witch can spot another ck witch," Penny was happy but at the same time, her shoulders drooped that she might be in the process of turning to a ck witch, "Don''t look so glum. You haven''t turned to a ck witch yet, mouse." She could do nothing but sigh, "I thought only after aplete transformation one could be called a ck witch," at least that is what she had thought it was. "Maybe your internal body const.i.tution is different which is either speeding the process or trying to bnce both the white and ck blood in you. I don''t think it is speeding the process else I would have seen your skin change. Unfortunately, we don''t have Murkh with us and even we go now he''s upied with other cases. Once we go back to the Delcorv''s mansion, we will have Alexander check your blood," Damien patted her head, "Your eyes are fine," he a.s.sured her. Damien went to the desk, pulling the drawers again on both sides to pull out the papers which the man was signing when they had arrived here. "What is in there?" asked Elliot, craning his neck to see what was written in there. "I don''t think the magistrate knew that he was a ck witch. The witch hade to check on him, to make sure everything was going ording to the n that he hadn''t told the council anything about the spitgra.s.s. Theponent that is in here is the remaining andst one in all the fournds. The council had got it burnt but the witches continued to save it," putting the papers down, Damien sighed. Penny looked at the man when she heard him mumbling something under his breath in his half-conscious state, "What if they aren''t going to wait until tomorrow?" she asked them, "What if they are going toe tonight," after all it was just a small package of the dried leaves and seeds in it which would take less than two minutes for them toe here and take it from the man. "I don''t think we need to wait for that long," Damien said, his ears picking something in the wind and so did Elliot who turned to look at the door and then the window. Penny who didn''t have a keen hearing like vampires looked at them. Walking towards the uncleaned window to see something swoop right across the window and saw people starting to run with screams. The ck witches were here. Chapter 405 Witches In Town- Part 1 The people in the town had started to scream as they ran in different directions. Leaving everything they were doing, people pushed to get back to their homes. Penny and the other two men stepped outside of the magistrate''s office. She noticed how the situation was as same as the one in Wovile, only that this ce was far less crowded and it was the time of noon. Screams could be heard of women and men, children running to their parents without following a straight line. The town looked confused right now. "I will go take the magistrate and the spitgra.s.s with me back to the mansion," Elliot proposed knowing that leaving the person and the poison here was not right. After all the ck witches hade to take it right now without waiting for the day to pa.s.s by as they had intended it to be in the beginning. "Will you be fine?" Damien asked for the red-haired vampire to nod. "Yes. I will take the back route." "Okay," Damien and Penny looked at Elliot who went back, turning to Penny he said, "You should go with Elliot." "What about you?" Penny''s eyebrows knit together in worry of leaving Damien behind. She knew Damien was much capable than her or maybe even Elliot but he would be the only one fighting the ck witches. Damien pulled out his gun, checking the bullets that were in there, adding two of them which he had wasted earlier when they had firste here, "I will be right behind you. The ck witches want the spitgra.s.s. Make sure to protect it. Worse case," he pulled out metal like a box from his pocket, "Burn it in the forest." Penny took the metal box in her hand, opening it to hear Damien say, "You run your thumb from the top to the bottom of this surface. It will light up like summer," he then pulled out another gun, handing it to her, "Take this," but Penny shook her head. "I brought a few things of mine along with me," she pulled the coat to show him the .s.s tubes and the needles in there. "Go!" he said, noticing Elliot who had picked the man as well as the spitgra.s.s with him, moving towards the backdoor. Penny nodded her head and left Damien''s side to get back inside the office and through the backdoor which was a narrow alley. It was possible that the witches woulde to follow them soon. With both Penelope and Elliot who had escaped through the background, he brought them the needed time, keeping the ck witches busy as she shot one of them. There were four of them here. One of them being the man who had visited the magistrate. His aim was sharp and precise, hitting on the ck witches who had been floating right near him. Seeing her fall down from her broomstick in the midst of the chaos, one of the other ck witches, her fellow sister, looked at him furiously. She swept through the air, moving in a zigzag motion missing Damien''s gunshot which his hands quickly ran the trigger over and over before loading the guns with the silver bullets. The ck witch came straight at him, cras.h.i.+ng against him. Both their bodies entered the office as Damien had been standing at the door to only collide and crash. The ck witch tried to get to him, stopping his hands from the gun which was going to be used on her or her other ck witch sisters. When the gun slipped out of his hands, the witch tried to get to his face with her long dirty nails trying to disfigure him. With her on the top and Damien at the bottom, he noticed that this witch was much stronger than the other witches he hade across until now. It was as if their strength equaled the strength of the vampires. With one swift kick, the witch crashed out of the weak office which was made of wood to go back out in the open. Damien searched for his gun, picking it up and shooting it right at the center of the witch''s head when she came to step inside. The ck witch dropped dead. Damien looked at his arm, dusting it off to step outside the office. He counted the witches again including the witch he had killed. He wondered if the ck witch who had been sitting on the roof had followed Penny and others. "AH!!! HELP! Somebody save my daughter!" a woman cried out looking in the opposite direction of where he stood. Turning behind he caught sight of the ck witch who dragged a young girl by her dress. Laughing and cackling to hear the young girl scream, "Mama! Mama!!" the girl iled her hands, struggling as she was swept across the ground. There were guard officials fighting the other two witches while the male witcher came down on the ground, cing his broomstick to lean across the wall, smiling at Damien who was staring at his fellow witch who was having her fair share of fun. "Let me go!" the girl screamed, yelling for help but the humans who resided in here were too scared to involve themselves with the witches. Most of them didn''t care about the young girl or other fellow humans who were being tortured by the intruders. After all, they cared about their own life and not others. One brave soul stepped forward, a low vampire who came to save the girl by standing in front of the path where the witch was headed in but one should have known how evil the witches could turn out to be. If humans were selfish, the ck witches were far worse than that. Though the witch stopped flying, having the girl groan in back pain where she was sure her skin hade off with the way the witch had pulled her. The ck witch didn''t let her go and kept a firm grip on her arm. Chapter 406 Witches In Town- Part 2 Before Damien could go after the ck witch who had the girl, the male witcher came in front of him. Stopping him from taking a step forward. "We meet again," said the ck witcher, his eyes had turned to slits and his face patches of scaly-looking skin that was white and ck making him look hideous. "Unfortunately," Damien replied back. Checking his hands which now looked ck just like Penny had told. He wondered if the witcher had made use of a spell to hide his hands and appearancepletely that no one had caught it before. Even Penny had realized about it after they had returned back from the bookkeeper''s ce, "Step aside you," he said leisurely putting the bullets in his gun which he had exhausted earlier on the other witches. "But I am not done talking to you," the male witcher''s tongue peeked out, slithering itself out and in as he spoke to Damien, hindering his gaze over the other witch who still held the young woman captive. "I will make sure to host a tea party the next time we meet so that we can sit without much interference," Damien responded back, done loading his gun, he looked up at the male witcher. "What pretty words you have," the male witcher continued toment for Damien to respond back with. "Not as pretty when I blow your head," this only made the witcher grin wider, his eyes looking livid at Damien. "Not before I rip your guts out and have you hang on the tree," the ck witch pulled out something from his pocket, picking up the sticks like a doll he said, "Do you know what this is?" "Your representation after you die?" Damien humored the witched while still keeping an eye on the ck witch who was standing far behind the male witcher. The manughed, his body shaking like Damien had told a big joke to him. Damien on the other hand only stared at the man. "Javier! Stop fooling around and kill the vampire. We have to fetch the bag," one of the ck witches shouted at the man as if he was an impudent fool and Damien couldn''t agree more over it. Damien had given one book to Penny while he held the other in his coat. Noticing the book boy standing there with a shocked expression while trying to camouge with the wall so that no one would notice him, Damien called him, "Book boy! Catch this!" without another word, Damien threw the book from where he stood to the boy. The boy looked like someone had put the light from h.e.l.l for the witches to catch him standing near them. With the force Damien had thrown the book towards, he staggered the bag with an oof sound, his body staggering back. "Hold it for me unless you want to die," Damien shouted at him and the boy nodded his head. With a lot of townsfolk people who had scurried back to their houses or were hidden behind the trash bins are other ces where the ck witches couldn''t see them, Owen turned out to be the special boy. One of the ck witches saw the little exchange, her eyes falling curious about the book which the vampire had thrown at him while also asking him to keep it safe. Without any hesitation, she swooped right down and at him. Seeing this, Owen quickly bolted from there. Running with all his might as his life depended on the book. With the book, he was going to die by the hands of the ck witch and without the book he would be sucked dry to death by the vampire. Right behind the male witcher, a scream erupted through the vampire''s mouth who had stopped the witch from dragging the girl on the ground. The female started to cackle loudly which had the humans cowering further in fear to see the vampire fall down with his leg that twisted in his body. The ck witch held the voodoo doll in her hand, ying with it to twist the doll''s arm and the low vampire cried out again in pain before his head was torn away slowly from his body to fall ck on the ground without being touched. People around gasped at what happened, the smell of death only getting more evident as the looked at the body with the head torn. Blood started to spill on the ground, flooding it around the body. "You all should know by now to not stop a witch when she''s going somewhere. Anyone who tries it will only meet the same fate as this one," letting go of the girl, she walked forward, picking up the vampire''s head and dangling it in the air for the people to see who hadn''t seen yet. The young girl though hurt started to move further and further away before running away from the ck witch who turned to look at her running. The girl ran past Damien and before the ck witch could follow her sacrifice for the day, Penny had shot the gun right at her feet. The ck witch stood still, looking down at her feet where Damien had shot and then looking back up to hear the male witcher who was in front of him snicker. "You missed your shot." "I did?" Damien c.o.c.ked his head looking at the ck witch who irritated, "I am sure I got her right," it was often told to aim the witch''s head while going for a kill as the bullets they had created before in the past was never that effective. Soon the ck witch''s fingers and hands started to crumble to dust, moving one inch after another as the ck witch screamed before her voice turned to nothing but an echo. "You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" the male witcher looked back in rage for killing another sister of his, "Just you wait," he said ying with the voodoo doll to hear Damien say, "Don''t you know that the voodoo doll won''t affect a pureblooded vampire?" Damien raised his hand pointing the gun at the witcher, "Guess, we''ll have to postpone our tea when we meet in h.e.l.l," and he pulled the trigger. Chapter 407 Witches In Town- Part 3 When Owen hadpleted working the books for the pureblooded vampire and thedy who hade with a bag of silver coins, the young boy had been internally ecstatic. He had decided he would eat the meat pie from the store which was three streets away from where the bookstore. The meat was something he was looking forward to, but with theck of customers to the bookstore came theck of money where no one paid or nothing. Even then there were fewer people who woulde to look at the bookstore unless there was something someone needed. But today was going to be a special day, at least that is what he had thought in his mind when he had received the silver coins from the owner of the bookstore but he would have never thought it would be different in a way where he would be running to save his dear life. Owen was still running even after ten minutes, being chased by the ck witch who was having her own fun like she was poking a squirrel which was going to die very soon. The young was short in stature, at the age of sixteen he had stopped growing and it had been two years and he was stuck with the short height which made him look younger than the rest of the crowd. He quickly stepped into an empty abandoned house nearby but when he entered the ck witch entered with her broomstick, demolis.h.i.+ng the house as she didn''t bother to take the door. Chasing the boy she finally let go of her broom. Walking when she caught the boy had nowhere else to go. "You should have thought before entering a house not knowing where you are going. Humans are stupid and men stupider," said the ck witch, her scales evaporating as she walked towards him, her appearance turning one of a beauty which made Owen only worry. The ck witches were considered to be one of the most beautiful and handsome male creatures unless they adorned their true form who looked nothing but hideous. He had a hard time not thinking how to run away from here after seeing her beautiful face. The ck witch could see the conflicted expression on his face, knowing what effect she had on him. Owen gulped when the ck witch stepped close to him and he tried to mold himself into the wall unsessfully. The ck witch leaned forward, smelling the boy, "You smell tasty," he closed his eyes shut, scared that she was going to eat him right away, "What did you eat today?" she asked him, her brown eyes staring at him. "P-porridge," the boy answered, praying to G.o.d himself so that his soul would rest in peace, "Please don''t hurt me," he shook in fear. All he wanted to eat was meat buns and meat pies, who knew that he would be turning to a meal himself. Fretting internally, he s.h.i.+vered in fear. The ck witch tore the book away from his embrace and his eyes snapped open. Oh no! The book, thought Owen. He was too scared to go near her and too scared to leave and run for his life in fear that the pureblooded vampire woulde hunting him if he were to lose it. The woman looked at the book not knowing that it was created just an hour ago. Her eyes skimmed looking at the symbols that was etched into, her eyes turning wide in surprise, "Look what do we have here," she eximed in a quiet murmur. To think that the vampire outside was holding it all this while. This was far better than the spitgra.s.s leaves. This was treasure thought the witch as she turned it to the next page, "You appear to be involved with the vampire. I cannot keep you alive," the witch was beautiful to look at but every time she opened her mouth, it came out to be slightly whiny and squeaky. Owen tried to walk away from her, one step at a time to have the witch stop him suddenly and reach out her hand for her to catch him and at the same time her head suddenly snapped to look at the vampire who had appeared at the door where they were. Damien didn''t give a second thought but shot the bullet for her to dodge quickly. Before he could shoot another one the ck witch jumped out of the window and disappeared when he reached the window. The young boy''s back hit the dusty dirty wall and he sighed a relief before he realized he didn''t have the book in his hands. "S-sir, I am so sorry. The witch took the b-book," he said to hear Damien say, "Good. You did just as I expected," Damien said, putting his hand in his pocket and flipping the coin towards the boy, "Until next time," he said jumping out of the window that had the boy look at him confused. Had he not threatened him that he would kill him if he were to lose the book? On the other side of the town far away into the forest, Penny followed Elliot who was carrying the man as well as the bag full of spitgra.s.s in his hand. With her hand holding the front of her dress, she ran where she wore boots which wasfortable to run. The forest was situated right after the vige, it was quiet except for them huffing, especially her where she tried to keep up with Elliot who was a vampire. The temperature in the forest was much colder than the town itself, the further they ran into the forest which was a short cut to the mansion, the colder and stuffier the air turned out to be. Penny turned back to see if there was anyone following them but so far there was no one. Soon the witch who had been sitting on the rooftop watching them appeared in front of them. Chapter 408 You Have Me- Part 1 Penny''s footsteps halted seeing the ck witch appear. She appeared to be around her age, not engaging with useless talk the ck witch said, "Hand over the package and the man, vampire," she looked at Elliot who had both the man as well as the element which was required to create the poison against the vampiress to corrupt the core. To the ck witches, it was nothing less to gold. An element that could start destruction and armageddon which would first strike a town, then thend before it would infect like the gue to the othernds. Elliot stared back at the ck witch, his features looking calm and poised without looking ruffled as if he had encountered plenty ck witches, "I wouldn''t mind handing you the package but why do you need the man for?" he inquired, engaging the ck witch in his conversation. He gave her a pleasant smile but the ck witches didn''t care for it. She was under orders by her other ck witch sisters where she had toplete the task of bringing the man as well as bringing the package. The boy! Penny remembered, they had the boy, "Where is his son?" Penny asked the witch who nced at her with an annoyed expression. She received no response, the ck witchpletely ignoring her and instead choosing to answer Elliot''s question. "He has much good intelpared to the other empty-headed magistrates," the ck witch answered. She took something from the pocket of her dress, something that appeared to look like ck dust or was it ash? Penny couldn''t tell until she brought her hand forward, blowing the dust and suddenly there was a fire where both Elliot and Penny had to move away from the fire which the ck witch had created. She was clearly using her elemental abilities. Penny frowned, she had thought it was only the white witches who could use elements. How was she doing it though? Asked Penny moving away from them. It looked like the ck witch who was interested only in attacking Elliot which gave her enough time to catch her breath as they had been running from the time they had left the town. She tried to figure out how the ck witch was able to make use of the ability. Was she perhaps a former white witch who could use the fire element? She saw the ck witch pull out the dust from her pocket, blowing air to it where the dust caught fire before causing an explosion. Quickly another ck witch entered the scene finding Penny with the book. "Alina, get her. I will deal with this one," said the older ck witch. The young ck witch switched position, onmand she suddenly came at Penny to attack her without wasting her breath. She wondered how things worked with fire against fire. Taking the little bottle in her hand from her pocket, she stood there as her footsteps went back one after another. The ck witch looked like she was some sort of small pest she could flick with her finger before squas.h.i.+ng her clean. When Penny had left the Delcrov mansion in the morning, she hade out prepared with her friendly use knives that she carried with her. She had to do something about her clothes, thought Penny to herself. Of course, when it came to hers and the ck witch who approached her, they had simr long dresses but Penny was still new. Just as the ck witch pulled out the heap of dust from both her pockets, Penny didn''t wait for her to breathe fire into it. She threw one bottle after another right at the ck witch who caught it. Well, that didn''t go as nned, thought Penny to herself. "So stupid," the ck witchmented taking a look at one of the bottles in her hand, "Is this your invention? Doesn''t even crack in a collision," unfortunately the ck witch didn''t know what it was and pressured the .s.ses that poured the liquid down her sleeves. She blew the powder on Penelope who jumped away from the spot and suddenly there was another collision but it wasn''t just the dust the ck witch had blown in her direction but also her sleeves that caught fire, sparking another collision, one after another where the ck witch had to throw the coat she wore away which had the ash-like powder in them. The ck witch looked irritated that she couldn''t use the powder as every time she blew the powder her own self caught fire and went to an instant explosion. As she was a fire element, it didn''t do much damage as the white witch only had to dust the fire off her body. This was going to be difficult, thought Penny to herself. If she were a water element like they had thought, there wouldn''t have been anything to worry but right now she had nothing but needles for an effective attack. But then Penny thought she at least had something. As it was already tested, all she had to do was pus.h.i.+ng it into the ck witch but with the fire around, she didn''t know how she would do it. Yet, Penny couldn''t stop the smile that appeared on her face, "How incapable of not be able to decipher that you will catch fire yourself every time you try to use it on me," the ck witch red at her. She pulled out a sharp butcher knife that was big and sharp, its ends s.h.i.+ning as if she had only got it chiseled this morning. Penny at first took out the coat from her body. Throwing it on the grounds where she stood. Her dress has pockets where she had ced the needles. She stretched her arms first, left hand and then the right to receive a more annoyed look from the ck witch who didn''t bother to wait for Penny to finish her exercise when she came to attack straight at Penny. Chapter 409 You Have Me- Part 2 After having a good session with Damien when it came to chasing him and being chased by him out in the meadow, Penny had somehow learned to dodge away from the ck witch who moved her hand in the air back and forth with the butcher knife that was aimed at Penny. She moved away every time, trying to defend herself and not able to attack back as the ck witch was too fast for her. There was no opening which made it difficult to even put her hand down for a second. When the ck witch attacked her directly, Penny used both her knives to deflect the hit, pus.h.i.+ng it above her head before using force to kick the ck witch which had her stagger. This gave Penny an opportunity to run around the tree as the ck witch chased her. The butcher''s knife cut through the air and she moved farther away where the butcher knife got stuck in the tree tightly. Penny quickly attacked the ck witch who moved away from the tree where her knife was stuck. She tched under her breath. On the other side of the forest where Penny was, Elliot had engaged himself with the older witch who was trying to get the package as well as the man. The man kept the same pace as the ck witch, enjoying himself with some good fight by making use of his long legs to kick her and have her stay away from what he was protecting. This time it was Penny who attacked the ck witch, not letting her pull out anything from her dress and keeping the woman busy. She was able to get her knife closer to the ck witch''s until the woman caught hold of her had and threw her across the forest floor, sliding down the forest floor which was covered in snow. The witch had been quick enough to pick the knife which Penny had been using, bringing it to her ready to stab when a gunshot echoed in the forest. The ck witch fell t on her face, the ck blood first seeping out before her body turned to dust, leaving an imprint of the body on the snow. Damien moved his hand to the other ck witch but before he could get her, she escaped from there. Leaving the man as well as the package of spitgra.s.s behind. Damien walked towards Penny, giving her his hand and she caught it, standing straight to feel one side of her body hurt, "You okay?" he asked looking at her. "I am okay," she gave him an a.s.suring smile when he continued to scan her. "Do you have your book with you?" he asked Penny, she shook her head. When she had started to defend herself, Penny had forgotten about the book and had dropped it, "I don''t have it." "Good. With this, the ck witches will never know about the true moon signs and the ma.s.sacre won''t take ce sessfully any time soon with the ritual," at least not until they realize what was written in the book was nothing but false information. Aplete utter lie that was useless for the ck witches. Damien had initially nned to make one copy of it to store in the library but he knew that creating more than one would benefit them. Especially if a ck witch was prowling in the town it was obvious that they would want to take it if they made it more suspicious. "Do you still have the lighter?" asked Damien to get it back from Penny. Taking the book of the moon signs and tearing out the pages, he burnt the spitgra.s.s along with the pages of the book. This way no one would evere to know or make use of it. Penny saw the dried leaves give out smoke and a strange smell that Damien couldn''t stand long and he walked away from it. Penny followed him instantly, leaving Elliot who was waving his hands near the fire as if he were freezing. Catching up to him, Penny came to stand in front of him to see Damien''s face that had changed, seeing it she pressed her lips. His eyes had turned ck, the skin around his eyes showed the nerves like fine lines. His fangs had appeared but it looked different. Like a rabid animal in the wild. Was it the smell of spitgra.s.s? She could hardly imagine how strong a pinch of it was and to inhale it in the air even after moving away from it. He looked as if he were in pain, cing one hand on the tree, he turned away from her. When Penny went to touch his arm, she heard him warn, "Don''t," her hand hung in the air but she ced it on his arm. "I have already seen your corruption before," she could feel his muscles that had turned tense out of pain or thirst. "You should keep some distance from me right now, Penny. Did you forget the body in the abandoned church?" his voice came out hoa.r.s.e. No, she hadn''t forgotten about it. The bodies where every ounce of blood had been sucked out of them, "I don''t function well with the corruption," he turned to look at her, his eyes still having that wild look in them, "You don''t know what I am capable of when I am like this." Penny wished she could do something about it. To stop the corruption so that it wouldn''t bother him the way he was feeling the pain in his body. His expression again started to turn dark. She took a step forward and put her arms around him to hug him. She could feel his heart beating in his chest, faster than usual. She closed her eyes when she felt his arms go around her, his hold tightening around her. "I won''t let anything happen to you, Damien." She heard his heart calm down after two minutes to hear him say, "My knight with knives and needles," and she smiled. Chapter 410 Forbidden Forest- Part 1 The package that had been saved for months to use it against the pureblooded vampires now was getting burnt in the forest, going up in mes while leaving smoke up in the forest. Elliot who had been waving his hands next to it while enjoying the little victory against the ck witches while also knowing how furious they would be once they would find out that theirst stack of spitgra.s.s was being burned down with nothing else to grow where they would never be able to create a potion to trigger corruption in the vampires or pureblooded vampires heart. The fire and smoke started to fizzle out when he turned around to look at the two love birds who were standing on the other side hugging each other. Penny enjoyed the warm embrace of Damien, listening to his heart which was turning back to its usual beats and she pulled away to look at him. His eyes still ck but his face had cleared of any veins that had popped up earlier. "Do you feel better?" she asked him, worry still marred her face out of concern. Damien picked her hand which she had ced on his chest. Raising it to his lips to kiss the back of her hand. "I am doing amazing. How about you?" now that his urge to rip bodies had disappeared, his sensesing back to him, he stared into her eyes to see if her eyes had turned. How funny, thought Damien to himself before he said, "Both of us here are having changes in our body. We do belong to each other," Penny nodded her head. It was true. "But let''s hope that both of us can be cured of it. I don''t want you killed by the other vampires or humans," and she didn''t want to die too. She had no ns to die this soon. Damien went to hold her face, bending down and kissing her lips, "Let''s fix a cure for it." "What are we going to do with this one?" they heard Elliot ask them, who was now looking at the magistrate whom they had dragged into the forest. The man appeared to move in his sleep, moving his neck left and right. Damien nced at the man who was lying down on the ground, "If the ck witches want him as much as his son, we will need to interrogate further on what happened and why he''s being sought out so eagerly by the ck witches." "The witch spoke about some intel," Elliot remembered the one who had died by Damien''s had said it. "Then we take him with us. Was there any other package where the spit gra.s.s is?" they had looked at the office but apart from there, there wasn''t anything more that was of their help. "Nothing at all. I asked him some questions before he pa.s.sed out," said Elliot, picking up the man and putting him over his shoulder like he was carrying a sack full of cotton. "How much did he drink?" asked Damien. "Hardly one .s.s? I didn''t know he had a low tolerance with alcohol," Elliot answered back, holding the man with one hand to make sure he didn''t fall down. "Are we going to look for the witches? They still have the boy" he reminded the two. Penny was d that Elliot brought it up. The magistrate would surely look for his boy. Now that the package had been destroyed there was no saying if the witches would keep the boy alive. "Shouldn''t we do it quickly then?" Penny asked furrowing her brows. The witches left minutes ago to wherever they were hidden right now. Once they would know that the vampires and the councilman had acquired the spitgra.s.s, the witches would have no use of the boy. Damien could feel Penny''s gaze on him. Her eyes waiting for him to agree to go find the boy and bring him back, "Take him back with you to Alexander. Penny and I will go find the witches," Elliot looked slightly taken aback as Penny wasn''t used to fighting the witches or vampires. The witches who were actually operating the whole process of bringing the vampires and humans down had only sent theirckeys to do their work. Minions of lesser strength. At the same time, thedy wouldn''t be able to carry the magistrate back to the mansion. The pureblooded vampire knew what was best for thedy, therefore, he didn''t go to question the decision. "Sure," Elliot answered, "Would you want me to ask Alexander to send some backup?" "No. Asking others to get involved will only draw more attention from others. Do you have your gun?" Damien asked, in a second Elliot had pa.s.sed his gun to him. "Careful you both," Elliot wished both of them, his eyes s.h.i.+fting to Penny, "Take care, Ms. Penelope," he hoped she wouldn''t get hurt. Giving a nod, he took the man with him and started to walk towards the mansion. When Elliot was gone from their sight, Damien and Penny headed in the direction which the ck witch had gone in. Even though a lone broomstick was there in the forest, it was of no use to them as to start it to fly there were spells that were to be used which they had no clue of. "Do you think ck witches can really turn people to frogs?" asked Penny as they headed in the direction which Damien thought was right. "Not all. It is only a handful of them who can do it. I havee across only one until now," he answered her, "Do you need to go back and rest?" he asked her. "Isn''t it a bitte to ask?" Penny asked him as Elliot had already left. Her body did hurt and she felt exhausted. With Damien''s torture yesterday in the bed and today with the ck witch who had thrown her on the grown. One side of her back hurt. Chapter 411 Forbidden Forest- Part 2 "Your answer was supposed to be ''No Damien I am fit as a fiddle and am ready to hunt those witches down''," Damien tried mimicking her voice which she was sure that she did not sound like. He chuckled seeing her stare at him, "This is a good ce for you to learn. To make use of your entire strength and spells which you have learned in the church. Practicals are always effective and theories," he raised one of his brows as he looked at her, his eyes then moving to look at the trees that breezed air through the forest, "You have been doing well so far, though I should say you would have turned to a fine dish if the ck witch had attacked you if I didn''t interrupt you both." "I was doing fine." "You were doing more than fine," he praised her to gain her attention back at him fully, "But just fine is not what I am looking for. With years that wille by and pa.s.s, I would want you to fight along with me. To have my back while I will have yours. Though, you will need to upgrade your weapons. To create something which will not require you to stay too close to your enemies," he said without sparing a nce at her this time, he looked ahead with a small smug smile on his face. "I will do my best!" she eximed, her voice full of spirit now. "I have no doubt about it," he responded back to her. Both Damien and Penny walked in further and further into the forest, the parts where the local''s men and women didn''te to visit or stroll. The ce only turned thick from the scarce scattered trees. The roots of the trees stood out on the ground, like creepers only that these were thick and they had to raise their legs to step and move forward. Penny didn''t know when it happened but there was a smoke-like fog that started to move at the bottom of their legs on the ground. "There''s fog," Penny said out loud for Damien to hear who had noticed the fog as they had reached them to spread out, "It doesn''t look like to be part of the forest." "It is," Damien corrected her, his eyes lookingzily over the ground where the fog didn''t move but had settled itself. They could still see part of the roots like the trees they belonged to were thick and old, "Some parts of Valeria have these that are part of the forest. They are often called the heart of the forest, telling how these parts have their own mind. Be careful where you ce your feet," that was something hard to follow, thought Penny to herself especially when she couldn''t see the ground clearly anymore. Seeing him push the branches away from their path so that they could pa.s.s through, she heard Damien say, "Once Alexander and I got stuck in the forest but we dide out alive. It was fun," his voice came out to be casual and Penny couldn''t stop focussing one the word alive which he had uttered, "Ayman will never dare to step in here unless they aren''t aware and are stupid. Of course, we are noyman''s children so it doesn''t apply to us," he added before Penny would point out anything he just said, "It is called the forbidden dark forest one should never step into but at the same time if you''re looking for witches, this is the best ce to look for." "What kind of things are there in here?" she asked, suddenly turning around to hear an owl hoot in the distance. This didn''t feel like a training environment, thought Penny to herself. It felt more like a haunted forest that she shouldn''t have followed Damien. The owl continued to hoot in the quiet and deserted forest. So far they were yet to meet the ck witches who had taken the books along with them and the boy who had been kidnapped. "Just creepy little beings and some tall or wide. I hope you enjoy them," Damien said grinning at her. Penny didn''t know why but she had a bad feeling about this. Every time Damien looked at her with that sparkle in his eyes, there was something big waiting for her. They continued to walk until something flew in the wind and Damien quickly pulled Penny to his side to let a sharp knife get stuck in the tree behind them. "We finally have thepany we were waiting for," hemented turning in the direction in which the knife had been thrown. Penny was standing next to him, watching with him when she felt something wet fall on her shoulder. As she had removed her coat earlier, the drop seeped in and touched her skin. Turning to her look at her shoulder, she watched a ck liquid that had fallen on her right shoulder. Another drop dripped down but this time a little away from where it had fallen the first time. When she raised her head up, she found a ck witch sitting there, aiming at them with an arrow. Before she could pull out the string, Penny pushed Damien while moving away from the spot to have the arrow shoot and hit the roots of one of the trees. "Take this," Damien threw her the gun which he had borrowed from Elliot. He then pa.s.sed her the bullets. Unfortunately for Penny, she had only learned by seeing Damien on how to shoot without paying much attention to how to open and load the gun. One witch sat at the top, firing the arrows one after another making it difficult for them to stand in the same ce. At the same time, other witches arrived, which included the woman who had previouslye to visit the town. Arrows and knives started to fly in the air and Damien started to fire the gun, the revolver which kept shooting silver bullets one after another. Chapter 412 Forbidden Forest- Part 3 The ck witches here were faster and agile, used to the forbidden forest they moved deflecting the bullets by hiding behind the thick trees. Clutching the cold gun in her hand, Penny raised it, trying to aim at the ck witches but she missed all the targets. Damien was sessful in shooting one of them and then another fell on the ground to evaporate in the atmosphere. One of the ck witches who appeared to be in herte twenties jumped right in front of Penny, staggering her back from her firm stance. "Look what we have here, Giana. A newmb in a pack of wolves and vultures," the woman smiled wide, her teeth looked neat and clean. Her ck hair was left open and the dress that she wore resembled one of a decent family and not a peasant. Penny raised her hand, pulling the trigger of the gun to hear it click but the bullet never fired out of it, "Your bullets are empty," the ck witch reminded, her walk was smooth even with the forest floor that had roots to make up a stop before taking another step. Oh great, Penny muttered in her head. Even if she were to know how to load the bullets in the gun, she didn''t have the time to load as the ck witch stood too close to her liking. Every time she tried to create a distance so that she could pick her needles that were in her dress pocket, the ck witch somehow closed the gap. "Where is the boy?" Penny asked,ing directly to the point. "Boy? What boy?" the ck witch gave her a confused look, her eyes looking down at her curiously as she was two inches taller than her. Penny was of decent height but the woman was just tall. Catching her lips that moved up a little, Pennymented, "Looks like all witches can turn to a decent actress," the boy must be somewhere hidden but how hidden, asked Penny to herself. "Oh? I did think of going to one," the ck witch said, in a blink of an eye she pulled out a knife in the air before throwing it at Penny, the sharp edge of the knife slid too close to Penny''s cheek before going to get lost behind her. It seemed that the ck witch was ying with her. Trying to scare her before killing her. Damien was upied with two other witches who were attacking him and he was fighting back with his gun as he reloaded and shot and repeated the cycle, his hands extremely fast where the witches were able to keep up as they were two. Penny could feel the sting of pain on her cheek which was caused by the graze of the knife. Drops of blood appearing, one drop of blood slid down her cheek. "What happened?" asked Penny, "Your parents didn''t let you because they wanted you to brew people?" she asked the woman to receive a smile from the ck witch. "That happenedter. I was adopted you see," the ck witch pressed her lips as if feeling sorry for herself. When she went to throw another knife, Penny moved back to hide against the tree before running away to a much cleaner and tter ground but there was nothing but roots. The woman kept throwing knives at her. Taking shelter, Penny tapped on the sides of the gun, checking on how to open the slots to push the bullets, "What a naive child," the ck witch said who had suddenly made it to the top. When did she even get there? Penny remembered the time when Damien had made her climb the tree to test if she was a ck witch. The woman crawled down the tree like a spider, her legs twisted as she made her way towards her. This didn''t stop Penny from tapping the gun which continued to stay locked. The witch caught her and threw her against the nearest tree and Penny fell down. The woman continued to throw her left and right. d.a.m.n, ck witch, cursed Penny. Damien was right, practical lessons were much differentpared to the theoretical ones. The ck witch looked at Penny who had dropped the gun. "What little b.i.t.c.h doesn''t know how to use a weapon while carrying? White witches like you are really dumb, thinking you are pretty ande out to fight who knows nothing at all. Once you are dead there will be less empty-headed witches who think they are oh so very nice," said the ck, catching hold of Penny''s neck, she got her to stand and let her legs dangle in the air while Penny struggled to pry the ck witch''s hand from her neck who was tightening her hold around it. Penny put her hands in her pocket, pulling out the needles and jagging the needles on either side of the ck witch''s neck who let go of her suddenly. The ck witch started to cough first, seeing her body not disintegrate like the others she had seen, she pulled two more needles to stab her shoulders. "You speak a lot," Penny huffed for air, running her hand around her neck. Pulling another needle, Penny ran it right over the ck witch''s forehead, "This is for all the throwing." Moving away from the ck witch who was on her knees first, the ck witch stood up, knowing something was up. ring at Penny, she started to chase her three steps with her hand almost reaching her when her fingers started to turn to dust before her whole body turned to nothing but ash that couldn''t be seen due to the fog on the ground, leaving the clothes behind. As if the existing ones weren''t enough, another witch came out of nowhere. Penny screamed at Damien, "How do I put the bullets in?" she asked, making him miss his concentration to get hit by one of the ck witches before he shot her. The sound of the gun was like a beacon of light that was calling the witches to fight. She had to jump away from where she was standing as the ck witch came to attack her. "You can feel the b.u.t.ton down the trigger. Push and leave it," she heard Damien say. Not knowing what to do, Penny used the end of the gun to hit the ck witch. Well, this worked too! Chapter 413 Grievance- Part 1 Damien noticed how witches in the forest had a better resistance when it came to the bullets who didn''t disintegrate immediately by the silver bullets. It was like they were different and more advanced than the other witches he hade across so far. With the new ck witches popping up, he used his gun over another, the gunshots echoing one after another in the silent forest except for the witches who came at Damien. Seeing a ck witch near Penny, he pulled out another gun and shot it while having another gun that was shooting the other witches near him. One of the ck witches had perched himself up in the trees looking at them, drawing his arrow, he was about to let go of it when he felt his neck sting. Confused, he touched his neck to feel a needle and turned to look down to see the white witch who had a gun pointing at him. Penny didn''t know how to put the bullets in but the gun somehow behaved like a catapult, which was why she had ced the needle to hit the ck witch whom she had noticed because of the rustling leaves above. The man went to pull the needle but he disintegrated right away, his arrows falling t on the ground. She used some more on the witches, the silver bullet of Damien and her poisoned needles creating a uniquebination. Damien had left one witch alive, dragging her and cing her against the tree as he raised his gun, cing it on her forehead to ask, "Where are the others?" The ck witch resisted him, pus.h.i.+ng and trying to w his face, wing his face sessfully tough as it started to bleed. It was when he pulled the trigger did the ck witch stopughing. "At the count of one. Five, four, one," said Damien. Even the witch looked startled like Penny over the skip of numbers, "SSWAMP! SSWAMP! Near the ssswamp," answered the ck witch, her snake-like tongue slithered out. "Show us," Damien said, dragging the ck with him as she pointed out the ce. The gun was still pointed at the ck witch and Penny walked behind them, watching over the ck witch so that she wouldn''t use any tricks on them. Reaching the swamp that the ck witch had taken them, they caught sight of a hut-like house that was surrounded by the swamp water. A broken bridge stood that looked old and out of use. It was hard to imagine for a sane person that anyone would have ever lived here unless the house was built by the ck witches themselves. Shaking the ck witch by her cor of clothes, he said, "Call them out. Each and every one of them. Let''s start the counting," before he could start counting, the ck witch hooted loudly, the sounding simr to an owl. Penny realized that when they had entered the forest, she had heard an owl hoot distantly. When two more ck witches came out, Damien shot them one after another without any question but the third witch who was in there ran away, escaping from them with necessary things which were of use. Penny looked at Damien on what to do. "Let her go, we need a messenger to carry and spread those books," the ck witch didn''t understand what he meant but before she could learn more, Damien shot the ck witch right into her head. If there was one thing she had learned and noticed over the fights was that Damien had pulled the trigger many times before and every time he pulled the trigger, he did it without any remorse or self-guilt after it. She wondered if this was how Damien''s mother treated the people who crossed her. "Let''s look for the boy," he said, turning to her and then walking towards the bridge and she followed him. With the bridge which was broken, Damien tapped his shoe on the bridge. He was the first one to jump over the other side and then he waited for Penny to do the same. Ready to hold her if she were to miss her step while jumping. The witches who were in the forest around them had died leaving only one to escape with the potions and the book of moon signs. Stepping into the house, they were weed with the smell of death. Both of them had to cover their noses as the pungent smell invaded their noses. The house was dark which made it difficult to see. She heard Damien''s footsteps that went to the left, opening the window to let the light in where she caught sight of dead bodies that were ced on the far end of the walls. The bodies had their skin torn, some with no limbs and some with a half-face who had disfigured bodies. It was one thing to see a normal dead body and another to see a disfigured one of more than ten to twelve children in the room who were made to sit next to each other. Unable to look at it, Penny ran out of the house and puked what she had eaten in the morning. The bile rising in her throat when the scene she just saw came back in her mind. She felt Damien''s hand rubbing her back, soothing her body as it convulsed to puke her guts out. Her head and she closed her eyes before turning around. Her eyes falling on Damien who appeared to look calm. "The ck witches never leave people alive. It doesn''t matter if it is a child, a baby, a young person or old. They will use what they need for their rituals," said Damien as her head reeled. She knew the ck witches were bad but, this inside the house here was not only cruel but it wasn''t right in any sense. She had known witches to hunt, to kill people but she had never known this side and she felt her hands go cold. Damien said, "I told you. The boy would be dead." Chapter 414 Grievance- Part 2 She didn''t know if she was ready to go back in there right now. Clutching her hands on the wooden rails which were weak, she let them go when she felt it wobble. Her eyes darted left and right but not looking anywhere constant as she tried to wrap her mind over what she just saw. "You can stay here if you don''t want to step back inside," she heard Damien say who stood behind her. His hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. Penny could only nod her head and heard Damien go back inside the house. For years there had been a war between different creatures. Most of the time they were for stupid reasons which could have solved easily but this war which everyone was waging against the ck witches, it was the only right one to fight and win. Taking a deep breath, she looked to her right to see a frog croaking while sitting on a leaf that was floating in the swamp. She was scared right now, scared to turn to one of those things who were responsible for what happened inside the house here. How could they be cruel to this extent? She rubbed her hand on both her arms, hugging herself as the gooseb.u.mps rose on her skin. After taking some more time, she finally started to walk back inside while covering her nose as she stepped inside the narrow pa.s.sage and entered the room. Damien had pulled away the shutters that were covering the windows which now allowed light to pa.s.s through it and into the rooms where one could see everything clearly. It was time for Penny to mentally prepare herself from looking at these things and scenes. She wasn''t a human anymore, she said to herself in her mind. She was a white witch and if she was going to continue walking in this path which she was already doing, then she had to be prepared to look at this and face things which were morally not right in her books. When Damien had pulled the shutter earlier, it had shown only one side of the room but with all the windows pa.s.sing through light, she could now see two tables that were full of cauldrons that were sitting on top of it. There were ck liquids with the bad stenching from it and Penny didn''t want to go and check what was in there right now. She saw shes in front of her eyes that she couldn''t grasp right now. Flinching and looking at the cauldron as if the images from her past wereing forth but not fully. Penny didn''t dare to go close, fearing she would see something and vomit her guts out again. "The bodies of the children have been used to create different kinds of potions. They usually abduct them because of their pure nature," Damien said looking at the children. He walked to the line of the dead bodies who were made to sit like dolls in a showcase. Bending down as he stared at one of the boys, "Here''s the boy of the magistrate," hearing this, Penny''s head snapped to look at Damien who had squatted down in front of a boy. Her hand not letting go of her nose as she covered her nose to stop the stench of dead bodies a.s.saulting her nose, she found apletely disfigured boy. To look at the small boy, it took more than courage but also sanity that she was living in a world as disgusting as this. The bottom side of his skin had pulled out in a way where she could see the bones. His jaw and teeth were clear to one''s eyes. His eyes...Penny''s lips pressed together, the flesh around his hade out, one eye-popping out and the other, there was no other eye but an empty socket. "H-how can you tell he''s the magistrate''s boy?" Penny asked not able to distinguish because of the disfigured face. They have the same eye color and hair texture. The other boys don''t match up to it," Damien answered. Penny''s head was too messed up right now to figure out what was what. "What now?" they had found the bodies and they would need a proper burial. "We''ll have to inform Alexander about it first. So that he can send the letter to the council. In the meantime, the townsfolk of the nearby vicinity around the forest will be informed so the parents can see their child." Penny closed her eyes, already able to imagine the pain the parents would go through by finding their sons and daughters not only dead but in this state. "I think the children were used when they were still alive," she informed, "I read that the ck witches have the potion that can stop the movement of a body. The effects go down due to which they need to keep injecting it." "I will have it reported about it. The sooner the word reaches, the faster we will have the bodies taken out from here and ced in the coffins to rest," Damien stood up, walking back to Penny and taking another look. He ced his hand on her shoulder. Once he touched the palm of her hand, they were back in Delcrov''s mansion and away from the awful stench. While Penny went back to the room, Damien went to speak to Alexander. Informing about what happened and what they saw. The magistrate was still unconscious and was locked in one of the rooms which Alexander''s father had built not too far away from the mansion. When the night came, Damien returned back to the room to find Penny who was curled on the bed. She had refused to eat, not able to eat after what she had seen. Walking to her side, he saw her eyes closed and her breathing that was even to tell she was sleeping. Not wanting to wake her up, he ced the tray of juice which he had brought up for her. Pulling the nket over her body, he blew the light of the candles to dim the lights in the room. Chapter 415 Purpose- Part 1 ''Penny look!'' Penny heard a distant voice who was speaking in her dream that she had, ''See this right here,'' came the man''s voice. Little Penelope looked up at the man, her father who had caught a golden fish in his hand. They were in the water stream which was gus.h.i.+ng down while bringing new fish every minute and every day. "Papa, it is dying!" she said looking at the fish p its fins and body. Noticing his daughter''s distress over the dying fish, he let the fish down, releasing it which joined the rest of its school in the river. The little girl still looked worried, a deep frown that settled between her eyebrows. Her fatherughed looking at her, "Didn''t you say you wanted to eat some fish for dinner?" he asked his daughter. "I didn''t know this was how the fish came to the te," upon her answer which came out to be on a quizzical side, her father threw his head back. His blond hair radiating under the rare sunlight that fell on thends of Bonke. "Did you think they magically appeared?" he asked her, "To eat anything you need to first catch it, let it die or kill it." "Kill it?" the little girl''s eyes widened. She was too young to know about it and he had phrased it as any other adult would but he rectified it by saying, "Maybe not kill. There are some foods which we need to eat, or we eat to survive. There''s plenty of food for everyone and we have been eating them like this. Catching and cooking them." "B-but, won''t it be hurt?" Penelope asked her father who caught hold of her hand in his and started to walk away from the river as she appeared to look upset on the thought of killing the fish. "Some of them are born for us. To consume as it is its life''s purpose," he answered her innocent question, "We all have a purpose too." "To be someone else''s food?" She was going to be eaten one day?! The young girl looked shocked and her fatherughed again. She was reallyical for a girl of this young age, a light in his life along with his wife. And, oh, how much he treasured them. He could only hope that things would remain the same and no harm would evere to fall on them. "You can choose to not be someone''s food in the future but no that is not life''s purpose. Everyone has a different purpose, the fish that we caught could have fulfilled by feeding us. Keeping your little stomach happy and it would be happy to have served you," the father and the little daughter of his walked through the forest, making their way towards their home which wasn''t too far from where they were right now. "Then what is mine?" she asked, looking up at her father to meet his green eyes that were simr to hers. "Yours?" her father questioned and Penelope nodded her head vigorously, "To be a great woman when you grow up. Be an admirable one, my dear Penny. Be the good in this bad world," he murmured thest line to himself which the little girl didn''t quite catch it, "When you grow up you will find yours without having to think of what I have told or what others want." The man looked down at her, knowing she was too young to understand what he actually meant and he could only hope she would be safe right now. To be away from harm and the darkness that belonged to the world which they were part of. A parent could shelter his or her child only for a certain duration. Until the little bird would learn to fly and fly away to its own adventure. Reaching the house, he entered along with his daughter to see his wife who was cooking something in the pot. "Wee back home you both," his wife smiled. He walked to where she was, kissing her on her cheek, "Hm? Where is the fish?" his wife asked, noticing their hands which had no fish but nts which were the vegetables they had picked on their way back. "Well," the man said, running his hand on Penny''s head to say, "We decided to have vegetables today and have the fishes for tomorrow." The man turned away, cing the vegetables down and going to wash his hands and legs to not notice his wife staring at the child and his back with gritted teeth. By the time he returned back, the woman smiled back at him. "I got some things prepared as you both went out to get the fish." "My bad," the man smiled at his wife sweetly, apologizing to her, "I hope it doesn''t go bad for tomorrow. I will bring some of them early in the morning," his wife gave him a nod. After they were done with the meal and his wife was cleaning the utensils outside the house, Penelope''s father had pulled Penny and had made her sit next to him with parchment and a te in her hand. He was teaching her how to write the alphabet. "Yes, you curve it like this. Just pull it around. Let me show you," her father patiently to her hand and guided it with the piece of chalk she held in her hand, "See? It wasn''t that bad." Young Penelope nodded her head, her smile bright, "Yes, papa." "Now, let''s go to the next," he said while reading the sentences for her so that she could memorize the words written and understand at the same time. Their family was lower than the rest of the other families which made it difficult to get a good education for his daughter. The man had received education by being tutored by one of the church members when he was young, and he had been fortunate enough to be taught. "I got it!" little Penelope raised her hands together, looking at her father when she read the line right. "My smart daughter," her father patted her head. Chapter 416 Purpose- Part 2 When his wife appeared back with the fresh utensils in her arms, he quickly stood up and went to help her by taking them in his hands and cing it in the kitchen which was in the same room as the hall they were in. Even though it was small, it was enough to get their lives going. Penelope''s mother looked at her daughter who was holding the parchment and the te on herp as she saw her murmuring under her breath as she read them, "Is it necessary to teach her right now? She''s too young. People won''t take it well, Gabriel." "People will never take anything well but look at her. She is more intelligent than the other children of her own age. Her ability to learn is amazing, faster than what I was able to pick up. It is only right we teach her early and prepare her," he responded back to his wife, looking at his daughter who was still trying to figure some words which were new to her. "She''s too young to know anything, even though she is smart...people won''t perceive it in the right away," the woman felt slightly agitated over her daughter learning words and sentences on how to read it, "We live in a society where children are supposed to y out, girls are meant to cook for their husbands and take care of the house and their family, not go out," said the woman, her hand clutching on to her dress. "Time will change though. As years wille, Penelope can grow and she will grow to be a wonderful woman where people wille to look up to her," the man said, already feeling proud of his little daughter who had many years before she would grow into an adult. But that was what the woman didn''t want. Penelope''s mother could only clutch her hands and stare with a smile which she didn''t mean. She looked at her husband who went back to teaching their daughter. Her husband didn''t know and hadn''t told her but Laure knew that he was a white witch. A witch she despised but had stayed her building a family to herself away from trouble after killing a whole family to almost being caught by the vigers. She had fled. Fled away from it and had found this fool of a white witch who didn''t know that she was a ck witch. ck witches and white witches didn''t get along, they were each other''s nemesis for a generation of decades. Despising each other''s existence. To Laure, they were nothing but a tool until she was done with her work. So far her daughter showed no signs of being a ck witch or white witch which she regrly checked every single day but she appeared to be a human. A pure human, she wondered how it could be. The girl must have taken either his or her side of genes but she had acquired none. Had the mix of blood nullified her nature? One day, Penny was helping her mother clean the house when she picked some of the parchments which were hidden under the mattress. The little girl had the habit to read what she picked up and she started to read with her mother who had her back facing her not realizing that her daughter had stopped cleaning and had picked something of hers. When the ck witch turned her eyes widened in shock and fear, she ripped the parchments from the little girl, "What did you read?!" her mother demanded furiously. "I-I¡­" her daughter''s hands shook and her eyes wide, meeting her mother''s furious eyes no words came to pa.s.s through her lips. The ck witch gritted her teeth. This girl had read it! She f.u.c.king read it! She was doomed if she spoke about this to her father. It would not only blow her cover but would put her in trouble, "Come here!" the ck witch pulled her daughter in force where the girl resisted. "W-what was that mama?" asked little Penelope. The girl was too young to pull away or suspect something to be wrong except for what she had just read. She was smarter than the rest of the children of her age but with her mother pulled her to the side, she followed. Laure on the other end cursed this girl and the white witch who was teaching her how to read. She knew this was going toe back at her. It wasn''t just her husband whom she was hiding things from but now she would have to do it with this little thing. She leaned towards the window to see her husband who was walking towards home. She gulped. This wasn''t good, thought the ck witch. Not good at all, her hands shook at what might happen if he were to know she was his nemesis. They would kill her! But she wouldn''t let that happen. She was not going to let anyone kill her. Picking what she got, she chanted the words for the very first time in front of her daughter. Running through spells and then picking the brick and hitting it across her daughter''s head for the girl to fall unconscious. When her husband arrived home, carrying logs of woods in his hands to be used for cooking as well as to keep themselves warm, he saw his daughter lying on the bed with her eyes closed. It was not night yet for her to fall asleep this soon. "What happened to Penny?" asked Penelope''s father, going to his daughter''s side quickly and running his hand over her forehead to see if she had caught some kind of fever. "She had a little ident," the ck witch answered, cutting vegetables while she looked at her daughter. "What kind of ident?" asked the father. "It was a spider on the floor and she got scared, hitting her head," Laure replied like it was nothing, after all, children did get scared about little things like these. Chapter 417 Purpose- Part 3 Her husband frowned hearing this, running his hand over his daughter''s forehead and then leaning down to kiss her head. He didn''t say anything and sighed. "You look tired," Lauremented, her eyes staring at her so-called husband that she had built a family with. He did look exhausted, bags that had started to form under his eyes like he was stressed about something. "Work has been tiresome. Let me see if I can ask the owner to raise my pay," hearing this Laure only smiled, internally thinking how one could think of raising a librarian''s pay. Nheless, she ced a smile on her face to encourage her husband. When the little girl woke up, the ck witch had been put under stress not knowing how effective the spell she had cast on the girl would hold. "How are you doing now, Penny?" Laure asked,ing to her side and running her hand over the girl. Seeing her daughter flinch when she touched the side of her head, she said, "Looks like you hurt your head pretty bad. Let me get something for that," she kept a keen eye while her husband went to pamper their daughter. "You shouldn''t be scared of spiders, Penny. When you find them, you have the ability to squash them with your feet. They are so tiny, they cannot do anything to you," her father said, taking the wet cloth from his wife, he ced it on his daughter''s head. Laure continued to watch her daughter, waiting for her to say something of what she found in the parchments but she had left a spell on the girl, a spell that erased part of her memory on what happened and what she read. One of those days, Gabriel looked at his daughter as she tried to recollect the lines she read, unable to remember what he had taught her. "I told you," said Laure, looking at him, "She''s too young to remember if you teach her at this pace. I don''t think an adult would also be able to pick up with the amount you teach her." Gabriel knew his daughter''s potential and all these days it had been fine which made him question what was causing the sudden hitch in her mind, "It is alright," said the man, "We''ll take it slow and go over it again, okay?" he spoke patiently to his daughter who gave him a nod. Suddenly they heard someone scream not too far away from where they lived. All of them looked out to see what happened. The clouds had started to gather around in the sky, turning dark and heavy as they shed against each other. The sound woke Penny up with a small gasp, her head still resting on the pillow. Her eyes adjusted to the dim-lit room, finding herself in one of the rooms in Delcorv''s mansion. She then caught Damien who was seated in front of the firece, writing down the report on what they encountered today in the town as well as in the forest. Getting up from the bed, Penny made her way to where he was, "You woke up," Damien said, pulling out the .s.ses that he wore from his face and cing it on top of the parchments he had been working on. Bringing his hand, he brought her to him, "Sit," he said, making s.p.a.ce in the big chair he sat in so that she could sit between his legs. "You didn''t finish your report?" Penny asked, walking around and sitting in front of him. "Finis.h.i.+ng thest few bits and going through it. Aren''t you tired? Was it a bad dream?" he asked her, his eyes watching her from the side to see her staring at the firece unblinkingly. "I don''t remember," she said, she tried recollecting it but her head hurt with the little amount of sleep andck of food in her body right now, "It must have been something about the past." "Is it," he murmured, putting his hand around her waist and letting himself ce his chin on her shoulder. She didn''t remember what she had dreamt but she could feel that it was something about her past. Because when she tried to think of her parents, she could feel the parental love her father had showered over her. As if he had taken very good care of her when she was young. It was a bittersweet feeling which she couldn''t exin right now. She wished she could remember. "Rx your mind," she heard Damien say to her, "The more you think with the pressure the memories of the dreams will shatter and leave nothing for you to grasp. Let ite to you, calm your mind, mouse," Damien said, holding her hands on his on herp. He was right, thought Penny to herself. Dreams were difficult toe in sleep and it was even harder to grasp when a person came back to reality. The more a person chased it, the farther it went, making it difficult to ever remember it and causing it to be lost. Taking a deep breath where her mind was still fuzzy and was in a half-sleep state, she closed her eyes. Letting theme to her. She remembered bits and pieces but not everything. "Everything okay?" Damien asked her after ten minutes had pa.s.sed, letting her sink in the memories she had found. "Yes," Penny answered him, "I saw my father." "How was he?" he asked her casually with a hint of curiosity in his voice. It wasn''t the first but the second time to see him but this felt much closer. The fatherly love which she believed she had not received was right here in her mind all this while. She had envied other children, children who had fathers while she was left with nothing but a mother but the truth was her father had been there with her. "He was a good man. A loving father," Penny replied clutching on to Damien''s hands as she stared at the fire. Chapter 418 Good Kitty- Part 1 Penny wished she could have known more about her father but all she had were fleeting glimpses of him. She could now understand why she could read things, unlike others who found it to be difficult even after practicing the words and sentences many times. Her father had started to teach and educate her when she was too young, and she had grasped it. Able to read parchments that were written by people but she wondered what her mother had hidden that had made her go so far as to erase the memory. She was sure it was the first time she had done it. But all this while she had thought she didn''t know to read and write much until she met Damien, and Lady Maggie tutoring her. No wonder she was able to read the theatrical scripts easily. Some parts of her brain knew to read but it had been camouged making her think that she had memorized it by its shape. Penny was not an illiterate but someone who had been educated to only be made to be forgotten in the end. Taking a deep breath, she asked Damien, "Did you tell the magistrate about his son?" "Not yet," he replied, pulling and bringing her closer to him, "Alexander is contemting on what to do." "What do you mean?" Penny turned around and Damien helped her ce her legs on his own so that she could face him without having to crane her neck too much. Damien ced a hand on her leg, saying, "The bodies are getting corroded quickly," she gave him a questionable look, "Worse than the condition we found them in. The swap must have been protected with some sort of spell to not let the children rot quickly. With the bodies moved away from the swap, they have been brought here." "Can I take a look?" Penny asked him. Her eyes searching for an answer. "I don''t mind you looking at the bodies unless you n to puke again when there''s nothing in your stomach." "I will try not to," she a.s.sured him but there was a sliver of nervousness as she said it to him. Both of them knew that Penny was not used to looking at rotten bodies but she wanted to look and understand what might have happened. If there was something more than their body parts being in the pot and what ritual were they practicing. Penny couldn''t tell how happy she was to kill the ck witches back in the forbidden forest. Damien took Penny down the mansion, and to the dungeon which the servants were not allowed. Two guards were stationed at the front who bowed at Damien when they walked past through the entrance. "What is this ce?" Penny asked looking around the walls. "It is my grandfather''s ce," she snapped her head to see Alexander who had arrived, "Few years he had got it built for his prisoners who didn''t listen or get along with him." "Back in the days, there was too much hustle among all creatures of different races. They had to be contained and questioned. We have two lower levels for safekeeping." As they walked, one could tell that this ce was old. Older than any person who now lived here, the smell of iron heavy in the air which came from the iron bars of the many cells while also some smell that came from the deceased bodies which had perished here. Reaching the rusty cell, Penny saw the bodies that did look different now. When they had seen the bodies earlier, they still looked...juicy. Like the flesh in them was still soft and the blood still there but right now, they looked dry. Dry like thest drop of blood had been taken out from their body. Their pale skins had turned somewhat green in color. "The magistrate said that the boy was abducted two months ago?" Penny confirmed with Damien. "Yes. He must have been killed right away before the ck witches put him for their use. The rest of the children must have gone through the same conditions." Penny pressed her lips together. Staring at the bodies as the light fell in the dark dungeon with the help ofnterns that hung on the cells, "They look unrecognizable now," she whispered. "It is why we have held back on calling the parents. Children are often now shown the dead bodies of their beloved pets. It is one thing to show and another to show it in an unrecognizable state that will cause great pain before chaos falls in," Lord Alexander''s face stayed almost expressionless as he said it, "Letting the parents know, it will be painful to let them know what their children went through. The torture they put them through. Information is always put forth in front of people but thenes rumors to add up to it which turns a small spark to a raging me which will cause a domino effect in the fournds that we have." "I have already issued the notice for every town and vige in Valeria. No one is supposed to walk alone and into the forest. If they do they are supposed to report it to the magistrate. Everyone stays home after seven," said Lord Alexander who had taken precautionary measures for thend he was a.s.signed to, "What about the report?" "Almost done with it. I will hand it to you in half an hour," Damien replied to him. "Good. I will be sending out the letter to Reuben so that he can take a look if needed. The magistrates and others are hard to trust," Lord Alexander stated. These were the times where he failed to believe and rely on. There was hardly a few ones could trust because no one ever knew when the knife would be stabbed on their back. "That''s true," Damien agreed before taking a deep breath and releasing as if he were tired. The children were killed two months ago and now that they were taken from the swamp. They were finally decaying, making up for the loss of time for the body to dpose. Chapter 419 Good Kitty- Part 2 Penny pondered over their words, her eyes still fixated over the bodies and her heart ached. They were little children. Children who had a life and could have the opportunity to grow into something of their dreams but their right to live had been stolen by the ck witches. Anger bubbled in her body thinking about it. The ck witches, most of them had to be removed, they had to be killed, to let them know what fear meant. Right now they were freely moving in the forest and entering the towns, and the viges but they had to be taught on what fear was so that they wouldn''t attack and abduct children in broad daylight. "Can''t we do something?" Penny asked, turning herself towards Lord Alexander, "What about using spilled magic on the grounds?" Alexander shook his head, "That is something we cannot do. Most of the magic which was spilled was nothing but the tapping of forbidden magic." "What?" Penny didn''t read or hear about it. "If you ask the church to do it, they won''t agree to it. Truth to be told, white witches who serve the churches and the council are under the oath of to never touch the forbidden magic." When Damien felt Penny''s gaze on him, he knew the doubt she had on her mind, "Some of the tappings takes ce without the knowledge of the council. Most of the rules that are ced are often bent for one''s own needs and purpose." "The council turned some of the white witches to ck witches," Penny realized to have Alexander correct her thoughts. "The council didn''t know back then that the spilled magic meant touching the forbidden magic which they were not supposed to use. By the time they found out, it was toote." She now understood part of what happened in Wovile. The inn they were staying in belonged to the white witch and she had tapped into the forbidden magic. Once a person touched the forbidden magic it was nothing less to a drug. And for a person to resist it took a lot of will power. She didn''t sleep the rest of the time and waited for Damien toplete the report which he was supposed to give to Alexander which was to be sent to the head council to let him know what had been going on in Valeria. Apparently there were too many people who often gave out wrong information which ended up into something else. Penny sat on the stairs outside the mansion. Sitting near the pir with her legs pulled close up as she looked at the dark dawn breaking through the sky. The butler who had seen thedy sitting outside and taking some fresh cold air went to the kitchen toe up with a tray, "Lady Penelope, would you like some tea?" he asked her. Penny had been lost in thoughts and she looked to her side a little startled. "Ah, yes. Thank you," she thanked him for bringing her warm tea in this cold weather. The sky didn''t lighten and still had the dark clouds in there making her wonder if she would be able to see a glimpse of the sun, "Don''t you have it?" she asked him. "I do, mdy," the butler answered, his responseing to be more mechanical than natural. "It is lonely to have tea alone. Why don''t you bring yourself the tea out here? I insist," Penelope said who was yet to take a sip from her cup which the butler had given her. "Apologies, mdy but butler''s having food or drink in front of their owners or guests is considered to be impolite," the butler said, folding his hands together in front of him. How pish posh, thought Penny to herself. The butler didn''t appear to budge from here if she would try pressuring him. She wondered how the butler was doing in Quinn''s mansion. The poor man was scared to his wits ends at the thought of some ghosts haunting the mansion. "Will we have snow today?" she asked him, making conversation. "Yes, mdy," and the conversation died. Lord Alexander sure had a peculiar butler who spoke less. At the same time, she found the cat who was named Areo who belonged to the Lord. The cat walked to her, it''s head rubbing against her leg which made her smile. She used her left hand which was free to rub behind its ear, touching the cat''s ck fur. "How old is he?" Penny asked as she continued to pet the cat. "Older than Lord Alexander," the butler said not knowing the exact year of the cat. Wow, that old? asked Penny in her mind. The fur was so soft which made her remember that Damien had his dog sent here to Valeria but she hadn''t seen him here. Curious she asked the butler, "Is Baxter here?" "Master Damien''s dog? He was herest month but he has been sent to work with the council for the cases that need his a.s.sistance," Penny nodded her head, going back to her tea to sip and drink it. The warm liquid felt good as it went down her throat in this cold weather. She hadn''t eaten anything sincest noon. She hadn''t felt hungry and she had stayed that way until the tea touched her tongue. She wondered if there was any food right now in the kitchen as it was still early for breakfast to be set at the table. "Thank you for the tea," Penny thanked him, giving the empty teacup back to him. The butler bowed his head and went back inside, leaving her sitting at the stair along with thepany of the cat. The cat, swis.h.i.+ng its ck tail left and right came closer to her, she heard him purr. One second she was ready and picked up the cat in her arms and the next second Penny didn''t know what happened but to have her heart leap in her throat in fright with the cat that had transformed to a bigger cat. A panther! Chapter 420 A Parents Grief- Part 1 She blinked a couple of times to make sure she wasn''t imagining but did the small adorable cat transform to a panther that was sitting on top of her?! She didn''t know if it was because ofck of sleep and food but to make sure she wasn''t dreaming, the animal pawed at her yfully which came more like a threat to her. Oh G.o.d thought Penny to herself. Forget about getting killed by a vampire or a ck witch. She was going to die by the paws of a panther! Hearing the animal purr didn''t make it anything less difficult. There was no maid and the butler had gone in with the teacup. "What an intelligent cat," Penny praised the panther who purred,ing close to her face and rubbing his own face on the side of her cheeks as any small cat would. But the problem here was that this was no small cat but a bigger version of a cat, "You had to turn and scare me right after the butler left, huh," shemented to have the panther lick her face. This made her giggle. If this was the cute cat, she hoped that she wouldn''t turn into its early breakfast meal. Hopefully, the butler had fed him. "Down Kitty!" she said when Areo continued to lick her face. "Oh looks who is here," she heard Damien arrive at the door ande to where she was. Taking Areo''s attention away from her and petting it. "The cat turned," Penny pointed and Damien chuckled. "Yes, he does turn once in a while when he wants to y or hunt," joked Damien while running his hand on the panther''s fur, "What a baby," the more Damien rubbed the big cat, the more the panther purred, going closer to Damien and sitting on him. Penny saw how Damien handled the cat without any fear unlike her where she had been shocked, "This isn''t a normal cat, is he?" she asked looking down at the ck animal, its fur midnight ck in color. "He belonged to my aunt. She kinda altered him so that she could leave someone familiar behind with Alex if she were to not be here in the future. Do you want to hold him?" he won''t bite unless being told to. "How a.s.suring. I think I am good," she said, her heart still beating her chest over the sudden transformation. "Scared mouse." Penny had never seen anything transform like this, it made her wonder and question if thetedy had really touched and tapped into the forbidden magic which not even her husband or the servants of the house had not noticed. The woman had written down spells of curses but at the same time, it didn''t work when Alexander had tried and she, who had not evenpleted it, had got her ck blood activated by getting the slit eyes which she had to school it down if it were to appear again. When the sky turned bright, Penny had gone to Alexander''s room along with Damien to have the report be given and the Lord said, "I am not thrilled to let the parents see the condition they are in but it is the protocol to let the public know as it is their right. I will have Martin deliver the letters and the children will be taken to the cemetery directly." Both Damien and Penny didn''tment knowing some rules though could be broken, there were some rules which were in the eyes of the public and one couldn''t break away and bend it. Before the town was alerted and before the parents would hear from the official guards, the children were first taken to the cemetery in three carriages due to the number of bodies in them. Penelope had apanied the rest of them, going to the cemetery and watching the children who were dposing at a rapid rate that turned the body only to a dull green as they were ced down on the ground. While the guards had gone to check on which family had the missing children with the report they had, the magistrate was already here with them. "This can''t be!" the man shouted looking at them. Going close to all the bodies anding to stand right in front of the one which Damien had pointed out yesterday. He was right, the boy with a torn mouth and eyes with an empty socket was the magistrate''s son, "NO!" the man fell on his knees crying for his deceased son. Lord Alexander was the one to talk to him, "Your son was found with the rest of the other children in the forbidden forest. The ck witches had gathered them up for their own use. Penny doubted the magistrate heard a word Lord Alexander said right now as he only continued to cry, wailing over the loss of his child. She couldn''t help but feel pity over what happened. She, herself had hoped that the boy would have lived after the witches wouldplete their bargain with him but they never had the intention to return him back. The boy like the rest of the little children had been p.a.w.ns who were fated to be discarded by the ck witches. The man went closer to his son, not caring if the body smelt bad right now or if the body was sticky with insects that were being attracted by the rotten bodies which were .u.mted right here. He touched his son''s forehead. "They said he was safe. That he would be returned!" the magistrate eximed in frustration and his inability to save his child, "My boy is dead," he sobbed, covering his face with the side of his arm. She could only imagine how he was feeling but not know the exact emotions that were pa.s.sing through him. The man might have appeared to be selfish in their eyes, ready to sacrifice others but he had done what was right in his eyes. His first priority was his own blood, and a lot of parents and people would first save their loved ones than picking unknown strangers. Chapter 421 A Parents Grief- Part 2 At the same time, a carriage came to pull over in front of the cemetery. As the coachman got down to open the carriage, Penny turned to see who hade here at this hour where the children were going to be buried. A man first got down from the carriage who was followed by a woman. Their clothes were rich which anyone could pick on. Tall in appearance and their eyes red in color to make one know that they were vampires. Both the man and woman made their way into the cemetery and she heard Damien mutter only for them to hear, "What are the siblings doing here? Did you invite them?" he asked his question which was directed to Alexander. Alexander''s sharp eyes stared at them as they approached close, "They have the habit of inviting themselves," when the two people came to them, Alexander greeted them, "Councilman Sylvester and Councilwoman Evelyn, a surprise to see you here," his voicecked any enthusiasm which showed a clear disregard for the people on who he wasn''t happy that he wasn''t here. "We found out about you finding a couple of dead bodies in the forest and thought toe visit as we were nearby," the man named Sylvester had grey hair who was as old as Alexander. His entire hair wasbed back and the sides of it shaven. With a lean built, the man wore ck clothes from top to bottom like his sister. The woman stayed quiet standing next to her brother, her eyes looking at the bodies that were lined down on the cold snow. "I hope you don''t mind our presence here," said councilman Sylvester meeting Alexander''s eyes. "You have alreadye here. I don''t think if I said to leave you would," came Alexander''s words. Penny internally had her eyes turn wide over their exchange of words which only continued as time pa.s.sed. "Unfortunately, no," the man smiled, showing his pearly white fangs which he didn''t bother to hide, "I would never miss an opportunity especially when we find out that you have some bodies that look like they have been stored in your mansion." Alexander returned back the man''s smile by saying, "Then I must insist that you take part in it too, maybe we can treat you well. Be my guest," he tested the man, his dark red eyes staring down at the man, "Maybe if you tried to be less manwh.o.r.e the children would have lived as some of them belong to the towns and viges which are under your care." Councilman Sylvester raised his brows, "What? It feels like your cousin''s character is rubbing off of you," it was a jab to Damien but Damien didn''t mind it one bit. The man enjoyed the limelight which was thrown at him and it didn''t matter if it was good or bad. "Did you want to rub yourself off him, Sylvester?" Damien asked the man, a wicked smile on his face where the meaning of the words came out to bepletely different. Implying the man had something for Alexander and not against. "Oh, look. It is Master Damien here," the councilman behaved as if he just realized Damien was present with them, "I didn''t see you." "Of course, you didn''t. I have been s.h.i.+ning so bright that your eyes have gone blind," Damien responded back with the same vigor the councilman jabbed at them. Penny was d that she had Sylvia and Elliot with her who was listening to their conversation. The woman named Evelyn spoke, "That should be enough of banter for a day. We weren''t expecting you here, Councilman Damien," the woman had short blonde hair which was wavy in nature. Her eyes looked straight at Damien. Unlike her brother, the woman spoke politely but it must have been only for Damien. The look in her eye, even Penny noticed that there was something for him in there, "You missed out thest meeting," she said. Penny wondered what it was about. This young master of hers must have yed with quite some women who had been left hanging in the air. "Apologies for that," Damien didn''t appear one bit apologetic as he said those words, "I wasn''t expecting you here either. I came here for a good vacation with my lovely fiance right here." Fiance? "Fiance?" Evelyn looked taken aback with the information. Her eyes fell on Sylvia first and then fell on Penelope. Penny could feel herself being scanned by the woman''s eyes from top to bottom. "Isn''t she lovely?" Damien asked her and Penny wished she could go back home now. She was aware of how he enjoyed the spotlight but he could keep her out of it than make her the next hunting target by the past flings he had before meeting her. But Damien enjoyed putting people in tight spots, watching them squirm and turn nervous. "She looks okay. I didn''t know you would pick a human," thedy looked truly disappointed with Damien''s choice. "What my sister means to say is that she would make a better fit as your partner, councilman Damien," Sylvester chipped in, looking at the girl who had been standing there quietly. The girl looked like a pretty flower but she didn''t appear more than a showpiece,ck of words and her difort as they spoke right now was clearly seen by the siblings. Damien chuckled, "I must say for a brother who wants to fulfill your sister''s wish of marriage, I don''t see you licking my boots but the elders in the council. You should perhaps go look for her hand in marriage there," Damien''sck of filter and tact for anything that he spoke made everyone stare back at him. Evelyn continued to look displeased over the matter, "I will be sure to get back to you on that once we are done dealing things here," the woman smiled, her pink lips stretching to a formal smile. Her eyes lingered longer on the girl who she would deal with without letting go of the matter. Chapter 422 A Parents Grief- Part 3 Councilman Sylster like his elder sister looked unhappy with thements. He wanted to go further in talking back to this man who his sister had ced her hopes on but she had paused their conversation. Though her sister liked Damien Quinn and had been looking forward to changing their status of fellow councilman and councilwoman to something much closer, it didn''t mean they like this Lord of theirs. Lord Alexander was the son of not just a pureblooded vampire but also a white witch, a race that they didn''t approve of and they were one of those people who were watching Alexander closely. Waiting on the word of where he would show his witch powers so that they could burn him, sending him in the same path as his very mother. "Howe the magistrate was not informed to let others know that we have a couple of bodies?" Sylvester started interrogating Lord Alexander. Lord Alexander didn''t bother to speak but to show his hand to where the magistrate of the town was on the ground with his body crouched forward, "The magistrate''s son was one of the children who was abducted by the ck witches." "Mr. Magistrate, we will be needing to ask you some questions," Sylvester didn''t bother to show any contempt over the man''s plight and was interested in looking into this matter. The man who had been crying over his dead son, he stood up unwillingly. Dragging himself to where the councilman stood with his eyes that had turned red and his face wet. He wiped the tears off his face using the back of his sleeve, "We are sorry for your loss but we will need to discuss some things with you until then we cannot let the bodies be buried here." "Actually, we cannot let the bodies be buried no matter what the outputes as," Evelyn interrupted her brother, "These children were touched by the ck witches." "What? What do you mean?" the magistrate asked confused. The woman gave him a sharp look, a look that appeared to say how she was superior to him while he was a measly insect she could squash if needed, "What I am telling is the children were involved in something very unholy and we cannot let them reside in the same cemetery as the rest of the folks. It would be stupid to do so while not knowing what the notorious witches might have done to them. The next thing we know the children will be out of their gravesing to attack other people." "Your logic doesn''t make sense, councilwoman Evelyn," Alexander''s eyes narrowed over this sudden decision of burring the children elsewhere and not where their parents wanted where the other deceased members resided. "Lord Alexander, it might look absurd but you should know yourself that the ck witches are crazy men and women. They are capable of doing anything and I being part of the elder councilmunity hold the decision making on what is good for the people and wouldn''t put the people here under risk. Look at them," she said, throwing a look at the children whoid on the ground. "We won''t be burying the bodies anywhere else," Damien chipped in his own thoughts, "There is no need to bury them where their parents will be reminded of why and what happened." Evelyn didn''t like that Damien was going against her word, it was amon nature to want the person one liked to support in their decision but this man always went to irk her. But that was what she loved about him. She enjoyed the fact that he often challenged her and they were the right match for each other, not the dimwitted human who stood there looking like a doll without a word. The councilwoman smiled at him, tilting her head to ask him, "What do you suggest then, councilman Damien?" Damien responded back to her, "You are the ones in the council elder department. You should know that with a simple exorcism for the bodies whatever the ck witches have put a spell on them will be gone. We don''t need to opt for a roundabout solution when things can be done in a simple old fas.h.i.+on. The siblings took in his words before the woman councilwoman replied to him, "Do we have the white witches who are capable to perform the tasks?" her eyes fell on Alexander, testing him to say, "Maybe we can have Lord Alexander test the skills." "Sure," Lord Alexander said, "Along with it we can also test if you are part of the ck witches." Penny had been standing there quietly hearing the people who were part of the council bicker with each other politely like children. Were all the council members like this? "Lady Evelyn is a ck witch?" this time it was Elliot who took part in the conversation to receive a quick re by the woman. "I would ask a low vampire like yourself to keep your mouth shut," the councilwoman didn''t take his words of her being a ck witch kindly. She appeared to look more than offended. "How rude," Elliot continued to say, "For someone who can refer to the person as a white witch, you cannot handle the same when thrown at you. Haven''t you heard not to throw garbage at people if you cannot take garbage?" Like Penny, even Sylvia was in the same condition. But while Penny was looking and listening to the conversation, Sylvia looked in the other direction. Staring the trees as if not wanting to be part of this little bickering. "Watch what you''re speaking, you low life," Sylvester stepped in, trying to intimidate the average vampire who wasn''t at the same level as them in status. Elliot hardly was bothered with it. He didn''t mind taking a step, a smile ying on his lips which annoyed the councilman. "If this is why you came here then I would have to ask you to leave," Lord Alexander stepped in, "Watch your words before throwing mud on someone," his eyes stared down at Sylvester and then his sister who tightened their lips. Chapter 423 Councilwoman- Part 1 No matter how much they didn''t like this man being the Lord, he was still someone who held the authority to which they had to abide. Evelyn then spoke, "Have the others been informed, the parents? If you''re going to look to exorcise the bodies I would ask you to do it right away than dy it," she gave Damien a look before the magistrate was taken to the side and Lord Alexander apanied them to supervise the situation. "Do you always have to create a racket," Sylvia scolded Elliot, "It is something between the Lord and the council. b.u.t.ting yourself in the situation will only have your fangs pulled out." "Are you worried for me, little Slyvia?" Elliot asked amused to receive an eye roll from her. "Who are the elder councilmen?" Penny asked Damien once the council members had gone to stand away from them to discuss privately. "They are as old as thew which has been ced for years after the council came into the picture. Some have died as they were old and some," Damien raised his hand and ran it across his neck to tell that he had killed them so that the sibling wouldn''t hear him speak about it, "We have a few newbies who joined four to five years ago who think they are higher than the rest. They pa.s.s the important orders which are often not discussed out in the public, not even the council court." "How does one get into the council?" Penny asked, curious after meeting this woman who thought she was better than the rest, maybe except for Damien. Damien who was looking at the council members speak, his eyes suddenly snapped to look at Penelope''s sudden interest in it, "They need to write exams to get through." "Written?" she continued to ask. "Yes and no. There are two exams. One which is written and the second which is practical exams. If you have ns of entering it, forget it right now because it won''t be happening," Damien''s response to her came out quick and sharp. "What? Why not?" Penny looked at him with her eyebrows furrowed, her green eyes demanding an answer for his quick denial. "Because I said so. Discussion closed," Damien didn''t go to exin in detail and said, "I will be getting the priest or priestess to exorcise the bodies. Elliot, you can check if the parents have been informed," he said noticing the parents of the deceased children hadn''t arrived yet. Penny took a deep breath, staring at Damien as he left her with Sylvia in the cemetery. His answer had been so quick that she hadn''t got the opportunity to ask more about it. She decided to bring the conversation up once they would reach the mansion. She could hear the councilman and councilman asking questions to the magistrate and it wasn''t difficult to know that he would be punished. Everything was so twisted and connected with each other than helping and saving someone was difficult. It was evident that the man was in pain and he had done what he thought was best for his son but his son had died in the hands of the ck witches who had promised to return his son back to him. Of course, they wouldn''t have specified in what condition. When her eyes looked up to see the forest, there was something that rustled behind the trees and it was only one ce where the leaves rustled while keeping the rest of the trees still that moved ever so gently only with the breeze of the wind. She didn''t know why but it made her feel like there was something there behind the trees but she couldn''t see anything from here. To walk and go there now would only put her in the spot where she was up to no good. Especially in front of the sibling council members. Staying put, Penny continued to stare at the forest before it suddenly stopped still. "Penelope?" Sylvia looked at her slightly worried, "Everything alright?" she asked her. "Ah, yes," Penny nodded and gave her an a.s.suring smile. With the men gone and it was only thedies here and she inquired, "What is up with the siblings and Lord Alexander? I thought the council members got along well with the Lords to be on their good side." Sylvia looked towards the siblings who were scaring the magistrate with their words who looked utterly distressed while Lord Alexander only heard what they spoke, chipping in a word or two only when it was necessary. "Many of the councilmen and councilwomen don''t get along with the ways Lord Alexander deals with things here," Sylvia''s voice was very quiet that came out like whisper so that no one could hear what she said, especially the siblings, "His ways are a little brash but they are very effective when ites to dealing with people and keeping them in line. But while doing so, it affects some of the council people who are in the higher management who can''t get things done the way they want. Some who are corrupt. Lord Alexander''s ways of dealing and handling people end up cutting off their source of whatever it is. It makes people angry when they don''t get what they want. But there''s also because he is the son of a white witch." "Is it bad to be a white witch''s son?" a person had no control over who their parents were and with Sylvia''s words she was sure Alexander was doing a good job here, at least if onepared thend of Wovile. Thatnd needed some damage control from the witches, thought Penny to herself, "Lady Isabelle was a good woman," she reasoned. Sylvia smiled over her words, "It doesn''t matter if a person is good or not. People are hypocritical in categorizing everything into one lump." Penny could only sigh over her words. People were truly not weing over the thought of having a witch help the people. Chapter 424 Councilwoman- Part 2 It was also funny how the very same people visited the church every day,ing with hope and prayers which was looked over by the white witches who took over the roles of the priest and priestess while also making the medicines which were used by them. Now that she thought about it, she realized there were some things that were being followed through. Right now both Damien and Penelope were here because she was a white witch. If everything in Wovile had gone through right without her mother putting her up for sacrifice, they would have nevere here to discover more about herself or the people. Maybe even finding the children would take time but that wasn''t all. The magistrate would have given the package of the spitgra.s.s which would have led to more families being put up for corruption. It made her question and wonder if this was what it meant to be part of the alignment stars. To drive what life wanted from them or her. "No!" they heard suddenly the high pitch voice of the magistrate who shook his head in disbelief. "We would ask you to oblige ande with us so we can start the proceedings." The magistrate stepped away from them, "I did nothing wrong! I was saving my son." Lord Alexander looked tired over the matter and said, "We might understand where you areing from but what you did was protect your son while putting the entire race of vampires in jeopardy. It would have in the process killed humans and your family too." "I don''t agree with this! I want to go through the court council for this! I am liable to it," the man continued to revolt their words to whatever they hade down to. The councilwoman turned to her younger brother, and councilman Sylvester suddenly turned the magistrate''s hand, twisting it behind his back to say, "We would request you to follow us so that we cane to a further decision after speaking to the higher-ups with the head council. Until then you stay in the cells of the town." "NO! My son!" the man thrashed, trying to escape from the hold of the vampire who had caught him but to no avail, "I need to meet my wife and see my son buried. I need to see him again." "You will be brought here again," Lord Alexander gave his word to the father of the dead boy, "When the ritual is done you will be brought here to see him be cremated. We expect your coordination in the matter. The more you try to revolt the more difficult it will be for me to bring you here to see your sonter this evening," he said knowing how much time it would take for the exorcism to take ce. Gone was the man who Penny had met yesterday who had been holding himself back from breaking down. His hair was a mess and his eyes looked tired and exhausted. Right in time, a woman came running through the gates of the cemetery. "Oh no! What happened to him!" the woman cried looking down at her son. She was the magistrate''s wife. The woman''s cries could be heard in the cemetery, her eyes smeared with tears. Her husband who had been with the councilmen and councilwoman ran to console his wife, "Our son!" his wife cried in his arms, unable to look at the state of how their little son was found now. Penny''s heart broke seeing this. Gulping down the sadness which bubbled up her throat and eyes. It was too sad to look at as both of them cried. The council members gave him a few more minutes before he was being pulled away from there. "Where are you taking him?!" the magistrate''s wife questioned, her eyes wide in fear. This time Sylvia had stepped in to stop thedy, holding her to console the woman. "Madame, please calm down. Your husband needs to go through some questioning before he would be released," Sylvia said as the sibling council members both of them took her husband away from the cemetery. The woman looked torn, one where her sonid dead and the other side where her husband was being taken away. Lord Alexander walked back to where Penny was, looking at her frown over what was happening, "This is just the beginning," she heard him say to her, "With the other parents who are yet toe there will be more tears being spilled and more vengeance being fueled where other races will be held guilty even though they aren''t," he said his hands in his trouser pockets with a sullen expression on his face, "Do you want to go back home?" Lord Alexander was being considerate enough to give her the option of going back to the mansion where she wouldn''t be able to deal with it. "You think I cannot handle it," shemented hearing his words for him to twist his lips before he said, "I am sure you can handle more than what the rest of us can. But it isn''t about if you can handle it or not, you have already stepped into this world but you''re still at the entrance and you still have the ability to turn back, to look away and not know how bad the world is." "Wouldn''t that be me ignoring by closing my eyes and telling everything is fine," Penny replied back, a small smileing on her lips. "Maybe. But haven''t you heard a saying by the humans on how ignorance is sometimes a bliss? The more you step in the more pain you will find. I say it because I find certain simrities between you and my mother." So that was what it was, thought Penny to herself. He was worried that she would end up with the same fate as his mother. "True that you have Damien with you but the way you are right now, you need to acquire more knowledge. And that knowledge will need bending rules even if they are set by your loved ones. Will you be able to do that?" he asked her, seeing Sylvia continue to console and hold back the woman who was in fits of tears, "We might try to ignore it but the truth might be that my mother tried tapping into forbidden magic which was why she was able to write down the spells in detail. I am a person with mixed blood, two different races which turn me to a different race again. But you have two types of blood of different races." Penny tried to grasp what Alexander was saying. After a few seconds, she asked him, "Are you saying it is okay if I tap into the forbidden magic?" "I don''t know. Is that what I was saying?" Lord Alexander, in turn, asked her question. A characteristic which even Damien possessed when she asked him a question. Chapter 425 Councilwoman- Part 3 Parents of the dead children appeared and like Lord Alexander had told, the situation was nothing better. There was pain and sorrow. Rage over the loss and the state they received their children back. Everyone did their job well but the witches knew when and what to do when to pick the people and where they would find them as the humans slipped when it came to looking after and knowing what was going to happen. The magistrate was brought back but taken away after the white witches had appeared at the cemetery with their books, cross and holy water to perform the exorcism. After the ritual of exorcising was done, the children were finally buried in the cemetery. The parents stayed longer, watching over the headstones while refusing to leave right away. With their work done, Damien and the others left the cemetery and Penny asked, "Will the magistrate be executed?" "It is only the right thing to do. He could have caused chaos if we didn''t appear in time to question and take away the spitgra.s.s that he was going to trade with," Damien''s answer came out to be empty, unaffected with what they saw and did. The carriages which had been used to bring the children over to the cemetery had gone for a wash while fresh new carriages from the town had been a.s.signed for them to leave in. "What aboutpensation?" she asked him, "The woman had no family to take care of her." "Alex will settle them with some coins for their losses. It should suffice them, at least for now or for the future." "Okay," she breathed out, getting into the carriage and heading back to the mansion. Penny sat quietly as the rest, her mind still full of what she saw and experienced. The death in the cemetery reminded her of the time when she had to bury her mother months ago. The loneliness she had felt with no one to take care of her or love her, she had felt the pit of emptiness until her aunt and uncle had appeared to take care of her. It wasn''t that she wanted someone to take care of her back in the day but it was more on the side where she wanted a family whom she could get back to. Someone whom she was close to but that never was built with her rtives. By the time she had thought about it, reality had hit her hard with the cell of ve establishment that surrounded her. Family¡­ Even with the scarce memories, she missed her father terribly. He was a good man. She knew it. Damien''s hand squeezed her hands gently to bring her back to the carriage as he felt her emotions drift farther and farther away to where she often went to dwell. Reaching the room, Penny who had been holding her question shot Damien with the question, "Can I ask you something?" "Mhmm," she heard Damien respond, who took his coat off his body, hanging it on the stand. "Do you think I will have the same fate as Lady Isabelle?" his hand that was still on the stand stopped moving. He turned to look at her, "Why that question?" Damien stared back at her, his eyes gauging and knowing where Penny was going to steer the conversation to. "When I asked you about the council examination you denied right away," she pointed out and saw him nod in agreement. "That I did¡­" "Why? Isn''t it better to have your enemies closer than keep them far away not knowing what''s going on?" He gave her a surprised expression, "You have enemies? Don''t tell me this is about the councilwoman Evelyn." "Of course, not I am not that petty," Penelope went to brush his words away to see him raise one of his brows as if asking ''Really?'' She pressed her lips and said, "Okay, maybe a little it is but I would still want to enter the council." "The council is not a child''s y, Penelope. Once you enter the council you will be stuck for life there. I thought women wanted to drink wine, look pretty and enjoy the money of their husbands. Was I wrong?" "I am not like other women," she corrected him and he quickly agreed. "That''s right, mdy." "Then why not?" she pestered him. "Because it isn''t safe," he deadpanned. "I can protect myself." "Maybe you can or maybe you cannot but that isn''t the point. I would rather you work with me behind the scenes than take yourself to be part of something which is filled with nothing but filth. People like you won''tst long," he turned his back, removing his tie and hanging it next on the stand. "W-what do you mean I won''tst long?" she walked around the room toe where he stood. She knew she hadn''t fought the witches as he did but for a first timer in her mind she did pretty good. "You want to walk in the path of righteousness. To make and set the world right, it is why you want to join the council, am I wrong?" He asked to receive her silence in return, "The world of the council is not for good people, at least not with the ones who have good intentions. Very few survive and even if you did I will always be worried. Do you want your future husband to have worry lines on his forehead and make him look ugly?" he asked her in a serious face and Penny had to turn her face away to stop herself from smiling in front of him, "Do you?" She turned back to look at him, "Yes, I do," hearing Penny''s answer, Damien gave out a baffled expression in response. "You want this handsome man to turn ugly? How cruel. If we were of the same s.e.x I would have told you were jealous," she rolled her eyes over his act. Chapter 426 Wounds- Part 1 Penny stared into Damien''s eyes, knowing just well what he was trying to achieve, "Don''t change the subject with me. I know it won''t be easy but it might turn things for better." Damien ran his hand through his hair, "Do you remember the alignment of stars. Vivian Carmichael?" "Yes," she remembered thedy. "I wanted to make an appointment to have her meet you so that we could discuss what was happening but I haven''t been able to get a hold of them." Penny looked at him with doubt, "What do you mean by that?" "I wasn''t able to reach them." "They must be traveling," Penny replied for him to sigh. "Not sure about that. Alex said they came here to visit her brother after that they left Valeria but they haven''t reached the mansion. I have a feeling that something happened," Penny walked closer to him, cing her hand on his arm to ask, "Why do you think so?" "I sent a letter to the council receiving back the response that they were on a temporary work break which was granted by Lord Nichs. The little sight of premonition gives me the vibe. We don''t know how far it is true and if they are really safe and taking a vacation like us or if something bad happened." "They must be doing fine," Penny said with a bright smile on her face, "If someone is destined to do something, there must be a way to keep themselves safe and be happy still. I won''t end up in the same fate, especially when you are here with me. It must do something with the alignment of stars and not a person going who enters in the council." "Mouse," Damien said, pulling her to the bed and making her sit at the edge of it, he held both her hands in his, "I know you want to enter the council and want to maybe even revolutionize about the changes for white witches but it won''t go well. I say it because aunt Isabelle had tried the road before she only helped people in the churches and the people, but even the people whom she helped turned their backs when she needed them." Lady Isabelle had tried for the council? "Shocked?" "I am. I never heard about it," she frowned. How could she have never heard about it? "It was the previous head council who was allergic to the witches. When she tried for the exams, she was almost killed. Almost. The story is that uncle Zachary didn''t let her take the exam again. Though the councilman is no more, there are minions of his who are still in the council and who follow the no witch to be allowed into the council. You might say you will hide but until when? People are scared for the potential a witch might show if she or he were to enter the council." "Wait. does that mean Lady Isabelle didn''t help in the spilled magic?" she was slightly confused over the facts she had heard. One story ovepping over the other which made it difficult to see on which was right and which was wrong. Damien shrugged his shoulders, "I don''t know. Alex is unsure about it too because no one ever spoke about it. Even Reuben is unsure. Where were we? Yes, you don''t have to prove or revolutionize people or thends because not all heroes were walk in the front." "So I can make things work without going to the council or being part of it?" Penny asked for confirmation. "Yes. Why do I feel it is going to be more dangerous now," he looked at her with his narrowed eyes, "What are you thinking?" "When did you meet that councilwoman? She appeared to be someone who was sure to have you unless you were only leading her on," Penny wiggled her brows. "Jealous?" "Never," she retorted quickly and he grinned. "Is that not why you wanted to join the council. I met Evelyn six years ago before she even joined the council. Actually, if I think about it now, she joined the council after I told her I wouldn''t talk to peasant-like her." "But she''s pureblooded vampire," Penny pointed out as pureblooded vampires being peasants were very rare. Damien threw his head back,ughing over what Penny said, "No not like that. I called her a peasant because I felt she was one. After a year, she appeared in the council and came to me telling me how she entered the council." "Wow, she must really like you then," Pennymented and Damien nodded his head. "What can I say, I bring out the best and worst out of people," he said to her before adding, "Don''t take her words to your heart. My step-mother had decided that she would be the one to the daughter-inw when she first met her. We did spend some good time together but that was that." To Penny, it didn''t matter much as it was the step-mother and not his real biological in the equation. "I did tell her it wasn''t going to go more than the few touches but she didn''t get the memo yet I believe," Damien spoke to himself thoughtfully, "What is it?" Penny opened her mouth and then closed her mouth before opening it up again, "Ah, it was the day before yesterday when you know-we were-" she said trying to get to the point. "When we were making love?" Damien asked directly and she felt her cheeks turn warm. "You said it was your first. How is that possible?" frankly Penny had put Damien in the category of the male species who would have had his fair share of fun when it came to thedies. "Oh G.o.d, my mouse needs some cleaning in the mind. What? A man cannot stay chaste?" Damien ced a hand on his chest dramatically while pulling away himself from her. "No offense but you sorta don''te off to be like that." Damien put his hand down, his face turning into a grimace, "Some women can be dirty at times, you never know where what has been put in there by whom. I had rather prefer to do it with one person who I know it''s clean and has never been touched but at the same time doing it with virgins never enticed me. You are special." Chapter 427 Wounds- Part 2 She stood outside the patio, looking at the clouds grumble as she stood in Delcrov''s mansion. Looking straight at it wondering what to do. Damien was against her joining the council as if something bad woulde to befall her. He had also tried to maneuver her out of the topic, she sighed. It was alright, she thought to herself. Lady Isabelle, though she wasn''t in the council, she was sure she had done many great things before she had died. Also part of her told her that if she ever were to join the council, she would be put under watch and failed candidate category by Damien himself to make sure she didn''t get through. She wished she could do something rather than sit around worrying if she would turn to a ck witch. Lord Alexander had subtly coaxed her to try it out though his words were not direct they told her to break the rules. Did it mean it was alright for her to touch the book? Her hand clutched onto the rails pondering on it. Both Damien and Lord Alexander had gone out as they were called by the council to further rify over the matter in regard to the ck witches. Biting the bottom of her lip, she turned around and went down to Lord Alexander''s study. Making her way there while making sure Sylvia and Elliot didn''t catch her going there. The key was to get inside and work with it without anyone''s notice. Her shoes padded down the floor, her steps carefully as she reached the study room, she turned the k.n.o.b and went to enter when she found the butler who was cleaning the room. Dusting it with a cloth in his hand. Noticing her there, the butler turned around and Penny stood there frozen on what to say to him. People didn''t go into others'' study rooms, especially a ce where there were important things being ced here. They stared at each other for a few seconds, an awkward silence forming on Penny''s end and both of them bowed their head. The butler noticing Penny who was about to leave said, "I am almost done with my work. Please feel free to venture," said the butler with a stoic face, "Would you want help?" he asked her. "Help?" she asked him. Stepping inside the room and closing the door behind her of the study room, she followed the butler who stepped close to the rack of books and he moved thentern which was fixed on the wall for the rack of books to open up for one to pa.s.s through. The butler moved aside, bending his head and waiting for her to walk by the open rack of books. As she started to walk, she heard the butler say to her, "I will be right here if you need anything, mdy." Once she was in, Penny went to the room which she had been to quite a few times in the presence of Lord Alexander and Damien. This was the first time she was here alone. Stepping into the room she saw the number of potions that were lined. There were some additional ones that she believed that it must have been created by Lord Alexander as he had been stuck working here since they had arrived in Valeria with the books that belonged to his mother. Without wasting any more time, Penny started to study the book of spells which she had previously not ventured. The book felt nothing less to treasure for a witch who wanted to perform spells. The only problem was that the spells were mixed with white magic, ck magic andstly the forbidden magic. Though some looked neat without the need for a rat''s tail or a person''s nail, she couldn''t truly decipher what was what. She didn''t want to trigger and touch something by turning herself to aplete ck witch. She wondered what would happen if she did turn, imagining what Damien''s reaction would be she started to read the book in her hand while she settled herself on an empty wooden chair. As time progressed, from time to time she looked at the door to make sure Damien wouldn''te barging through it and tear the book out of her hands after her eyes had turned to slits. Not finding a quill in the room, Penny walked back to the study room to find the butler who was still cleaning the room where he had moved to the side of the walls to pick up the tiniest non-existent dust that was present. Picking up a quill from the table, she went back to the room. Marking paragraphs and segregating it as she picked up a pattern in what was written. Lady Isabelle had made the segregation of the spells but one only had to decipher what belonged to the white and ck magic. The forbidden magic was what separated the first two. Once she was done with it, she ced the quill down. Murmuring to herself she said, "This is not a direct spellbook. It is a book to make spells," and as the knowledge about it sank in, excitement bubbled in Penny''s mind and body. The white witch had only added what would be needed to create a spell or a curse. It wasn''t aplete spell that was already there and had been ced for use. One had to use it to create and make it work. It must be why it didn''t work when Lord Alexander tried to use the spell. Taking another clean parchment, she started to write down. Making something simr to the form along with the spells by adding and taking out theponents before she had made a simple sample sheet for herself. Penny who was already averse with the scent and smell of the potions which she had gone through in the church, it didn''t take her much time to pick up the bottles and add it in the cauldron. When it wasplete, Penny looked down at the muddy ck liquid that bubbled in the vessel. Chapter 428 Wounds- Part 3 Looking at the ck substance floating in the cauldron, she scratched her neck on why the color had not turned as she had expected. cing the liquid in a cleaner .s.s, she rotated it up in her hand while staring at it. "Let''s see if you will work," Penny stared at the liquid and brought it to the table. Holding it in her hands, she went through the notes she had made while flipping the pages in the book and trying to guess what was to be done next. Using her very own ability, she concentrated on the .s.s she held, staring at it in concentration where the liquid which is ck had started to turn and change to not a clear water solution but to a light blue in color which she hadn''t expected to see. She hadn''t tried to purify it entirely bad had only gone up to the extent to clear the solution from the garbage color. With the solution created now the only thing remaining was to test it out. But before that, she quickly made way to one of the .s.s shelves to see if her eyes had changed and thankfully it didn''t. So far, everything was going great! Thought Penny to herself and in a blink of an eye, her eyes had turned to slits like snake eyes staring back at her. She wondered why they even appeared. This was not forbidden magic but it was a series of mixed magic which she doubted came in the forbidden magic which was why not much of her features had changed. Taking in a deep breath, she calmed her nerves and her eyes went back to normal. Penny picked a sharp object, going back to sit on the chair and staring at her hand as she readied herself to cut her skin making herself her own test subject right now. When she did cut her wrist, out of nervousness at first she had only scratched it and it was on the second try did the cut turn deep and red blood dripped down her wrist and on to the table. The blood continued to drip and she took in a deep breath. The butler who had been working out in the study room while making sure no one disturbed thedy as he was already informed by his lord that thedy might want to spend time in here. Smelling the blood in the air and hurried where thedy was to watch in time to see drops of blood falling and sliding down her wrist. He went to get the cloth to wrap it around her wrist to help her and just when he neared her, Penny had started her incantation. Her words came out in whispers that filled the room, raising the .s.s she had been holding, she sprinkled the water on top of her wound to see the drops of blood which had fallen down to go back into the wound. Once she was done, there was a thin line on her hand but the drops of blood which had previously fallen had been pulled back like the time that was reversed. A bright smile appeared on Penny''s face, "It worked!" she eximed, turning to the butler she asked, "Could I ask you for a favor?" The butler didn''t use words but bowed his head as if to say he was at her service, "Please take a seat here," she patted the chair, "Please," she insisted seeing him not move. She remembered the etiquette which the butler had spoken to when she hadst asked him to join for tea with her. After some resistance, the butler finally took a seat, his backpletely straight making him look taller than her which he was. He gave his hand readily and she picked up the sharp object which was like a needle and heard the butler stop her, "Mdy." "Yes," Penny said looking up from his rough hand. "A moment please," Martin said, bending and leaning to his side as he stretched his hand, he pulled out a sharp-looking knife from his shoe. Where did he hide that big looking knife?! Penny looked surprised as she saw the butler offer it to her, "This will give a deeper wound and you can know how much you are able to heal it," he said, bringing the knife to her. She took the big knife which Martin presented her with, and she apologized, "I am sorry for the pain," her eyebrows furrowed and she quickly cut the skin before repeating the process of sprinkling water from the .s.s and closing his wound back with just a small mark. "You should be able to work with it without the water," she heard the butler speak, using the cloth to clean any possible drop that might have not been picked up during her incantation spell, "The Lady was able to do it." Penny stopped whatever she was doing to look at the butler and asked, "You mean the Lord''s mother?" "Yes," the butler responded back to her. "How do you know that?" "I was her very first sessful subject," he raised his hand to point out at his face which had a deep scar with st.i.tches on them, "Thedy brought me here and tried to get the open wound closed as it was difficult to stop the bleeding. As it was a first, she had to sew it upter. The book you are reading," he said, his eyes ncing at the open book on the table, "Some of the pages were empty and she filled it up." Hearing this, she pulled the book close to her and checked the first few pages and then thest ones. There was difference when it came to the inks. Some that were lighter and some that were darker in color on the parchment of the book. "You said she didn''t use the liquid?" Penny confirmed with him. "Yes, mdy. Lady Isabelle didn''t make use of the liquid but just her hands." "I see¡­" Penny replied looking down at the blue solution she had created. Chapter 429 Heal- Part 1 Closing everything after making use of it and keeping the blue solution aside without giving it abel which now smelled sweet like a flower in the spring, she walked out of the study room before Lord Alexander or Damien returned back to the mansion. Not going to the room, she walked around the mansion toe to stand in front of the previous Lord and Lady''s portrait which was painted magnificently. The size of it as big as the wall and Penny continued to stare at them. Looking at them warmed her heart. She could see how the couple sat next to each other, without the over affection but a simple touch of a hand on each other. They look lovely and she couldn''t believe that these two were not here anymore, that they had pa.s.sed away. For some odd reason, she felt like she had met Lady Isabelle. Was it in her dreams? She wasn''t sure about it because she was sure she would have noticed or recognized thedy if she had met her. Her eyes fell on the chain that she wore, a blue crystal that hung in the bottom of her chain which went past her bosom and almost camouged it if one didn''t look at the painting closely. There were also some rings that Penny only understood that this was how she was able to heal without having the need to sprinkle the water but how did the energy of the stone transfer to the wounds? It was something she would have to venture deeper into the books. "How has your stay been so far?" she heard a voicee from behind her. Turning around she saw it was the red-haired vampire, his eyes looking at her curiously as he came to stand next to her and admire the portrait along with her. "Peaceful," Penny''s answer made Elliot curious. "Bonke, isn''t? You can always ask Damien toe to stay here," Elliot suggested, looking at her and then back at the portrait. "No, not like that," Penny replied back to him, "It can get a little chaotic at times." "The Quinn''s have the ability to do it. I am surprised how well you get along with Damien. He was a notorious child when he was young," Elliot put some light-catching Penny''s attention. Damien had always portrayed himself as a quiet and good boy he was but notorious? She should have known. "I a.s.sume you have been staying here for many years now?" she asked and heard him hum. "A good few decent years I would say. This must be your first visit to Valeria," he noted. "The first time I have visited twonds in such a short span of time," and then they stood quietly next to each other. Penny had known Elliot and had spoken to him mostly when there were people around, listening to him trying to get on Sylvia''s nerves, "I met your brother!" she remembered Damien saying how they were brothers. Jerome and Elliot Wells. "How is he doing?" Elliot asked, cing his hands in his pocket and standingfortably there. "He''s been doing well. He is a talented man. The architecture he built is beautiful," they then moved away from the portrait and started to walk through the empty corridors. "I did hear about the mishap that happened in Bonke and Wovile. It must have caused everyone quite some sweat and trouble. Apologies for that," he bowed his head and Penny quickly shook her head. "Oh, it''s okay. He didn''t know about it. He was only following the magistrate''s word. Not everyone knows if the design they are following belongs to the ck witch''s ritual to sacrifice people for their own needs. "True on that. My elder brother has never mixed himself with thew, so he is slightly ignorant when ites to it," a soft smile settled on his lips. Penny caught sight of his smile but the smile never reached his eyes. There was some sort of hollow and emptiness in there which she detected. She wondered why or what the reason was. For a person from afar, one would have taken the man to be someone who wasid back. Someone who didn''t take things seriously and lived in the moment but she wasn''t sure if it was just for show. Penny had seen how Sylvia didn''t bother with his advances like he didn''t mean it. Initially, she had pitied that he was trying hard but did he really mean it? "You stare for a longer time, Miss Penelope. It makes one know you are looking," his red eyes that had been looking forward s.h.i.+fted to look at her. "I have been caught," Penny said without hiding the fact that she had been staring to understand him. "You are. You shouldn''t stare too much unless you n to make your fiance jealous," came the sharp note in his voice. She wasn''t sure if she said something he didn''t like or if she had offended him. Penny spoke back, "You should already know where my interest lies, Mr. Wells. Which is not with you," she gave him a smile, her eyes looking at him calmly. "Of course," the man suddenly grinned as if he were testing her, his fangsing out and he yed with one of his fangs by running his tongue over it. "Could I ask you something personal?" she asked him not that he appeared to be less daunting where earlier he had looked slightly evil, testing her like how he tested Sylvia but differently. "Please," he gave her permission to ask. Their footsteps stopped when they reached the wide window. "Sylvia said, you liked a girl," Penny said. Hearing it, Penny noticed the way the color of his face changed yet he still continued to listen to her, "Sylvia said she was a ck witch." "Indeed, she was one. Thedy never told me she was one, and here I thought lovers were meant to share everything," Elliot spoke dramatically trying to hide the pain he felt. "What happened to her?" she asked him curiously, something she couldn''t ask Sylvia as it wasn''t her story to tell. "Want to hear it from the start?" asked Elliot. "Only if you''refortable speaking about it," she knew it was very personal to him but she was curious to know what happened to the ck witch. Chapter 430 Heal- Part 2 Elliot walked towards the window, cing his hand on the window sill while staring at the snow which had covered thend around the mansion, "I was a rebellious child when I was young. My father wanted me to do something good in life, to live and have a life like the pureblooded vampires do. We were the average vampires, simr to the middle-.s.s society except that unlike humans, we have avable food walking around," he said, giving a pause and then continuing, "My brother stayed and I left. I wanted to live my life like a free bird. Do what I felt was right and what I was good at." "You joined the theater," Penny said to see him nod. "I did and I loved every part of it. I did try to get my father to see it, to make amends but that never happened until I joined Lord Alexander with his work here," it was good to hear that, thought Penny to herself. "I used to be part of the theater y too," Penny mentioned seeing him raise his brows as if he hadn''t expected, "That was before I was sold to the ve establishment." "I heard it from Alexander. I am sorry to hear that you had to go through it but hey! On the brighter side you met the love of your life who keeps you on your toes," Elliot eximed with a smile, a smile she could consider to be genuine, "Life is the choices we make, the rest is destiny and fate of where you will be carried to." At the beginning of the time, she had been sad and had always wanted to escape but things had changed. In time, she had realized this was what she needed and not the life she once lived which she had left behind. Elliot then continued, "I met her there. She had very simple features nothing too out there but excellent skills when she stepped on the stage. Lean in physique, long hair that went past her waist. She was wonderful and I loved the instant I saw her. She didn''t speak much to people around and always stayed quiet until she started to turn popr. Shy thing," he said remembering the old times which was years ago which felt like a distant memory right now. "You don''t like ck witches?" "No, it wasn''t that. I would have taken her if she had told the truth but that never came. I didn''t know she was a ck witch until one of the crew members of the theater went missing. It was only after a week did the local men who were walking by the forest found a finger sticking out of the ground. They dug and found him there. Buried and possibly it was done when the man was still alive," there was a certain calmness as Elliot said this to her, like he had made peace with the incident which made it easier for him to speak on it. "I didn''t know it was the same girl I was in love with and who promised back to love me. Young men and women are always naive falling in and out of love," Elliot chuckled, his red wavy hair forming a shadow on the other side of his face, "By then I had wooed the girl and had taken her out, and had spent good enough time to decide that she was the one I wanted to marry. When I found out she refused, insisting it was not true until the truth finally spilled out of her mouth when one of the priests came to attend a holy y of the G.o.ds. And I let her go." Penny pressed her lips hearing thest line, "You found it hard to kill her¡­" "I guess I was too in love with her to think about killing her. The man who died was a human. He was a good man, someone I knew before she entered my life but it was hard to harm her." Elliot stopped talking as if remembering the day when it happened. He continued to look outside through the .s.s. "Did you ever meet her again?" "No," came his simple answer. Elliot smiled when his eyes focused on his reflection, "With the years that have gone one day after another and you see things like the way you have seen," he was speaking about the children, "I am not sure if I will still give her a chance or want to rip her head out her body," his voice was emotionless, sending chills down her spine, "Is it bad?" Penny didn''t know how to respond to it. She tried to put her and Damien in that ce, "Do you think she killed the man for a reason?" "It isn''t that I haven''t thought about it but death is extreme at times and sometimes it isn''t depending on who the person is who has been killed, isn''t it?" he asked her, a small chuckle escaping his lips, "Would you kill someone if the time came for Damien?" he questioned her. "Do witches count?" she asked him. "Sure. For now but what about in the future?" Elliot''s eyes were trained on to her green ones. "I haven''t killed anyone purposely but only to defend so far. Time will tell," she said, somewhere deep down she agreed to herself that she would end up killing someone if any harm came to Damien. She had no one else but him, her father was gone, her rtives were useless, her mother had betrayed her and to turn to a friend she never had one to begin with. "You''re already nning to kill someone. I saw the look in your eyes when you saw Evelyn," Elliot teased her, bringing the topic to a lighter note to avoid the heavier subjects and Penny let him steer the conversation feeling it would be rude to press him with other questions on his personal life. "The councilwoman? Please," Penelope rolled her eyes, "I wouldn''t kill her. And like you said death is too much," she would instead stare at her until she was five feet down the ground. Chapter 431 Heal- Part 3 "Mhmm," Elliot only gave her a look as if she was lying to her own self, "I heard you wanted to join the council." "Ah, yes. I did think about it," Penny agreed on what he had heard was true, "But I dropped the idea of it," they had started to walk down the corridor again. She heard Elliotment on it saying, "It is a wise decision. If you want to keep your mental peace then one shouldn''t enter the council. Truthfully, stepping any close is not good either but you are already in the mix. So wee to this side of the dark life." "All of you make it sound so bad," she said with a small frown. She realized she had been frowning a lottely. Damien had said the same to her. "You don''t feel like your life has changed?" Penny made her expression turn to as if she was thinking hard about it before shaking her head, "No." "No? Well, that is a surprise," Elliot gave her a surprised look as if he didn''t expect that to be her answer. "My life has been like this since I was little," and it was the truth. It was just that her mother had meddled with her memories which was why few things were filled with rainbows but it was only a lie. There was never a rainbow and it had only been dark clouds with rain. "Tell me more about it," Elliot coaxed her, interested to know her side of the story as he had nothing else to do right now. Penny took a deep breath before saying, "When I was little I saw something which I wasn''t supposed to see and my mother started to erase my memory and she continued to do every time I didn''t listen to her and now that my memories are returning, she wants to kill me," she turned to something short and sweet. Elliot pped his hands together, "Your mother must be on the hit list of to be killed then." "You could say that," every time she tried to speak about it through words, the thought sank deeper into her mind on what was about toe in the future. The emotions had moved from love, pain, betrayal, shock and was slowly converting to something else that she was still trying to figure out. To hate someone so quickly was difficult but Penny wasn''t blind over how her mother had treated her. Not once or twice but time after time, she had hurt her for her own advantage and when the time came she left..but why? Penny had been so wrapped around the fact that her mother had tricked and used her, she now came to realize that she had never tried to find out why exactly her mother chose to fake her death. It couldn''t be her, Penny had done nothing and her memory had not returned for her mother to flee away. Was someone hunting her? Was it possibly a witch hunter? Questions started to pop in Penny''s mind and she now had new things to find out once they would be back in Bonke. The first thing she would have to do was to backtrace the events. Finding the start was difficult therefore she had to go one step back after another to see and understand what was going on. "Everything okay?" she heard Elliot ask her. "Yes," she responded back with a smile.?Having spoken to Elliot, she felt a little more rxed around the vampire than feeling him be a stranger. "Do you like flowers, mdy? Martin is digging and adding some fresh nts in there. Because of the cold weather, the flowers which were blooming have now frozen and they refused to live. He always brings new nts and keeps recing them." "How often is that?" "Three to four days if the nts are lucky?" he shrugged his shoulders. Making their way down the stairs and out of the mansion, they walked towards the back garden where Martin was with two servants who were a.s.sisting. Or at least that is how it looked but the butler refused the servants from touching the nts not believing they would do the job right. "Martin, nting a new flower today?" Elliot questioned the butler who was busy digging the first nt out of the ground which had frozen to the point where it looked lifeless and dead. "Yes, Sir Elliot," the butler''s words were crisp and short as usual. Penny looked around the mansion, watching some of the trees which weren''t too far away from the mansion that had turned bald where it hardly held any leaves on its branches or stems. It looked like a barrennd with nothing but snow all over thend which stretched from one end to another. With nothing else to do right now, Penny watched the butler nt the flowered nt as if it was the most interesting thing she had ever watched. Seeing him take one after another to rece it with new nts. "Where did you get so many of them? If I didn''t know you better I would have thought you are growing them in your own room," Elliotmented to receive no reply back from the butler who continued to work with the nts. The ever so stoic butler didn''t heed to any remarks and only continued his work, giving the servants the dead nts to hold before he would start nting the new one. Penny who was looking at it for a while looked at the forest with the leafless trees and then back at the nt and then she slowly looked back at the forest and her eyes widened. Elliot, who had been calmly poking fun at Martin, saw Penny who ran inside the mansion, gaining the servant''s attention if she had suddenly fallen ill. Going to the study room she brought the .s.s out with the blue solution which she hid in a cloth. Startled that she was leaving somewhere suddenly, Elliot asked, "Where are you going, mdy?" seeing her run towards the entrance gate. Chapter 432 Heal- Part 4 "I need to check something," Penny shouted before making her way out of the entrance. The woman had not even taken a coat to wear in this cold weather. Elliot said to Martin, "I will be with her," he informed him just in case Alexander and Damien returned to see both of them absent in the mansion. For the vampire running wasn''t a big deal and he caught up with Penelope in no time, "Where are you going?" he asked. "You know taking off suddenly like that will give anyone a slip. Human or not," he said where she had stopped running and was now huffing for air with the sudden adrenaline rush she had felt a rise in her body. "I was working on something earlier. I want to test and see if it will work," she answered him, "Thank you for apanying me." "Don''t mention it. If I didn''t chaperone you well my fingers would be the next in line to fall out of my body," Elliot joked, making her smile, "What is it that you have there?" he jerked his towards the .s.s she held which she was making sure not to spill it out. "Something that will heal." "It can''t be done in the mansion?" "There are people in there," she pointed out for him to go ''ahh''. The distance would have been lesser if they had used the carriage if Penny hadn''t bolted through the mansion''s gates. When they did reach the forest, she realized how cold the weather out here was. "Where do you want to test?" Elliot asked, seeing her look around, her eyes looking at the mansion and then in the other direction. She walked away from the forest and finally stopped as Elliot followed and stopped seeing her. He folded his hands looking at the girl sitting down near the tree. He saw her sprinkle the water on it. First one time and then pour the half of the water down to the roots of it not knowing how she was going to heal it. Walking to a tree on the other side, he leaned his back against the tree while watching over her. Penny started the incantation. Spells whispering in the wind and air, concentrating on the nt when she felt something vibrate on the palm of her hand. Taking her hand away from it, she took a couple of steps back to see the color of the bark turn darker and browner, the nt started to move its branches and she took a few more steps away. Elliot who had been quietly watching her furrowed his brows, hearing the nt rustle and move. Small leaves started to grow on the branches of the tree, the lush green color starting to paint on the tree. He said, "What did you do?" he had never seen anything like this before. "It is a healing spell," she said watching the leaves continue to grow more that stood out from the rest of its fellow trees around it. Happy that the spell actually worked, Penny waited for Damien to return back to the mansion. And when he did, she made him sit on the bed. Sprinkling the water which she was still left with. Damien blinked his eyes wide when the water went into his eyes, "What are you doing, mouse?" when he reached the room, Penny had pulled him and made him sit on the bed eagerly. His first thought was that his mouse was eager to jump on him but he hadn''t expected the sprinkling part. "Sprinkling holy water on you," she said with a serious face, sprinkling more water and he smiled. "I have sinned so much that holy water might not work on me," he looked at her with a smug face. "Shush," she hushed him and he waited for her to do whatever she was trying to do. "Are you trying to exorcise me?" he asked her once she started to whisper words which were spells. Seeing her not respond to him, he stayed quiet waiting for it to end. Penny had ced both of her hands on his shoulders and once she was done she moved her hand away. Staring at him hard to see if she could see any change in him. Damien in return stared back not knowing what she was trying to achieve by sprinkling water all over him. Penny waited for a minute. A minute pa.s.sing to two and then to three where she finally heard Damien ask her, "Will you tell me what is going on?" Her lips pressed together she asked him back, "Do you feel anything? Any changes?" her voice had turned one to be anxious. Anxiously waiting to hear him say something about it but Damien gave her a quizzical look. "It is cold?" Her shoulders dropped and she looked simr to the wilted flower which Martin was taking out from the garden. With the wound and the tree healing themselves to their original state, Penny had hoped that she could also heal Damien from his corruption. She had the ability to purify, all she had to do was to twist the words and mix her ability into it. That is what she had done before but there was no change in Damien. Taking her steps forward to stand in front of her she asked him, "Can you change the color of your eyes?" she stared into them to see them change from red to ck and her heart sank looking at it. Damien reached for Penny, pulling her to him and making her sit on hisp, "Were you trying to cure my corruption?" he offered her a gentle smile over her enthusiasm which now had deted, "How sweet are you?" "I was hoping it would work," she whispered. Penny had seen the pain cross over and over his eyes that day when he had smelt the poison in the forest. The pain he was in as he struggled to keep himself sane. She wanted to help him but the corruption was still there. Chapter 433 Dream State- Part 1 Damien looked at Penelope who looked heartbroken and dejected, "The corruption can''t kill me, mouse. Cheer up." Penny looked at her hands and his hands which now came to hold, linking with his fingers. She was sure it was going to work, sure because it was tested on the open wound as well as the tree which had wilted due to weather to be brought back to life. She had been eagerly waiting for Damien to return back so that she could get rid of the corruption but she didn''t know it was going to fail like this without a sliver of effect. "You know, truth to be told, I don''t mind the corruption one bit," he said, gaining her attention. She lifted her head to look into his eyes which was close right now, "Having the corrupted heart is good in a way where the potion will never work on me." "But the smoke did," she pointed out, her hand clutching to his. "Just a bit of smoke. You cannot break something which is already broken. It wouldn''t make sense, it is thew of nature," he exined to her, "And having a corrupted heart has its own perks. I am much stronger, durable," he winked his eyes, "I see things and hear from a different perspective." "Different perspective?" "Yes," Damien answered her, "Every time corruption has taken ce, people don''t have the time to wait and watch. They usually ascend directly to the death zone where they are killed once they are spotted," this brought the worry back in Penny''s eyes, "My case is different from the rest. You won''t find a corrupted man who is free, also Creed was one of the corrupted cases in the council who often wore an eye patch. I don''t think anyone ever found out that he was corrupted." "But aren''t the bodies examined before they are cremated during scenes?" she asked him. "Of course, they are. He was screened by Murkh too but by the time the body reached theboratory of the council, both his eyes were squeezed leaving on the squished ones behind," Penny made a face hearing that. "Was it like that before too? When you went to check," he shook his head over her question. "Nope. It was done by someone else." "J-just like that?" "Just like that," he confirmed making the event appear to be something unbelievable, "Sounds strange?" he asked her. "Very," she said and suddenly Damien had picked her up from hisp and put her on the bed before going to hover over her. Pennyid on her back, staring back at him. "Were you ying with the potions?" he asked her, his hands starting to unb.u.t.ton the s.h.i.+rt. "Was I not supposed to?" Penny asked as if she had no clue at all. "You didn''t know that?" Damien asked her, giving her an equal surprised look. Penny gulped seeing him pull out his s.h.i.+rt from his body, "How shall I punish you for this today, mouse? Shall we go out and do it on the patio?" Her heart jumped, getting stuck in her throat at his words. Leaning down he nipped her lips that had her hissing in pain. Taking her bottom lip in his mouth, he sucked hard on it, gnawing and biting it until she felt it turn numb. "Shall we try it?" he questioned it against her lips, kissing it again and looking into her eyes, "Or shall we try a different position today," his hand ran from her thigh up to her waist, pus.h.i.+ng the dress up as he moved his hand before it traveled to the curve of her breast. He kissed her neck, nibbling the skin and then using his teeth to bite her neck and Penny''s hands gripped on Damien''s shoulder. She then heard him ask her against the sh.e.l.l of her ear, "You were working in the theater, right...Do you know what a night theater is in the world of vampires?" hearing her heartbeat skip, a wicked smile made its way on his face, "What an innocent mouse I have. I am taking that you have been there..." "I-I went there just once." Pulling back to look at her face that stared back at him with eyes that were getting riled up with his words, he said, "Where is that liquid of yours? I am sure we will need holy water on you too. What did you see there?" he questioned her, enjoying seeing her being cornered where he was ready to nt another punishment for both of their benefits. "What did you see there?" she questioned him back, earning a chuckle from him. "I saw a lot of things. I can show you right here," he said, his voice turning an octave lower, his hands running inside her skirt as it touched her smooth leg. One-touch and she was putty in his hands. Penny s.h.i.+vered under his touch and before he could go any further she went to roll to get away from him not wanting to fall into his trap, "Where do you think you''re going?" Damien raised both his eyebrows while holding her thigh, his grip which was firm and warm he squeezed it, "You know what, I know exactly what can cure the corruption of my heart." "You do?" she asked intently. "How about I take a bite from my lovely mouse. More than a bite, let me gobble you," he spoke like the devil who hade to take her soul away. Saying this he stole a few more kisses from her lips, "There''s a theater which is specially made for just the pureblooded vampires. Let''s go there." Penny shook her head immediately to a no, "Why not?" "Because I don''t want to," she said, averting her eyes away from him. The night theater wasn''t popr amongst the lower society of people as they didn''t know what the night creatures were up to and what things went by without their notice. But with them being here in the mansion, she couldn''t imagine how people would look at them. The embarra.s.sment, oh G.o.d, thought Penny to herself. Chapter 434 Dream State- Part 2 The next day, Penny worked with the potions in front of Damien and Alexander. Exining how she had found about the writing that Lady Isabelle had written down, to know which was the ck magic and white magic. "Thews that have been set for the ck and white, it doesn''t apply the same when ites to the other different kinds of hybrid witches. The tapping of forbidden magic was restricted only to the two kinds, which is why it shouldn''t affect Lord Alexander," Penny exined to them, showing the book to them which she had personally taken to mark it for them. "Aunt Isabelle must have written the new casting spells and potion creation after giving birth to you," Damienmented reading the inked writing on the parchments. "That''s right. You should probably test it out, Lord Alexander," Penny said looking at Lord Delcrov who had his eyes still glued to the book, "Do you have an element like the white witches?" she asked him. "No," came the quick answer from Lord Alexander, sitting in front of the firece, he gave the book back for Penny to take, "One of the reasons why the council has not been keeping a keen eye like on the other witches is that my elemental abilities were tested when I joined the council. Actually, before it, because the council didn''t want witches infiltrating the council. Knowing who my parents were, I had to go through a series of tests. There was a ck witch who was caught by the council and they got her to check the elements." Penny stared at the man, listening to him to speak about the elements. It was true, to know and find out if a white witch possessed which elements one needed the help of the ck witch. "You don''t have an elemental ability?" Penny asked him as he had said no. "Truthfully, I don''t know," he answered, making her more confused. Damien cut in through the conversation, exining to Penny, "The ck witch and Alexander made a quick deal without the other council members'' knowledge. He didn''t want to know his elemental ability and she wanted her freedom. That ck witch was Bathsheba." What? How old was Bathsheba then? Penny asked herself not to know that the woman had helped Lord Alexander. "Bathsheba seemed to be the perfect candidate when it came to trading the lie with freedom. Reuben helped along with it and the matter never surfaced again which helped in clearing my name from being a white or ck witch," said Alexander while Penny continued to look taken aback with it. "I thought Damien caught her in Bonke. Is she the same woman?" Penny murmured. "Oh, it is the same person. I caught her in the ck market and got her stationed near the town of Isle Valley as it is one of the central hubs for things to pa.s.s through," Damien was sitting next to Penny, his hand reaching for the book of spells to open and see nothing but exining about radishes, "There was a rumor two months ago, a case that came up in the court council about humans having their own book of spells." Alexander''s eyes s.h.i.+fted from the firece to look at his cousin, "What was it about?" Damien flipped some more pages, reading the lines trying to decipher something out of it which he wasn''t able to crack yet, "It was a family who killed their son or daughter, I don''t remember all the details but when the investigation went further, it was told that the child was already dead." "You mean we had a ghost in the court council?" Alexander raised his eyebrow in question. "Indeed. I don''t think the matter went out to the public and only some know about it. I heard it from Maximilian on what happened because the case was being handled by Lionel''s team, the Carmichael''s mainly," Damien put the book down on hisp, "The humans have or had their own spells but any evidence about it has been burned down." "Isn''t it simr to how the spells which were used by some of the pureblooded vampires have been burnt and lost now?" Alexander stated, "Years ago when the witches, vampires, and humans had ascended the fournds, it was told that each of them had their own book of origin which contained secrets and powerful spells which they could use. But the witches had them burnt down, every single one of them including their own books after one of the white witches foresaw the destruction that would befall on all the creatures." Hearing them speak, Penny started to drift into her sleep feeling her eyes turn heavy. She had been staying upte trying to get the potion book read over and over again due to which she was now sleepy. With her head lulling softly, Damien let her use his shoulder so that she could rest her head. Her mind drifted in the clouds, in the cold weather where the room was heated up thanks to the firece she took Damien''s shoulder to rest and in time as her consciousness sunk into the half-dream state, she heard her someone cry out for her. "PENNY!" Her eyes snapped open toe back to the room she was sitting in and had dozed off to hear Damien ask her, "Everything okay?" he could hear her heart beating loudly and Alexander could hear it too as the room was quiet. "I thought I heard someone call my name," she answered, pulling herself away from his shoulder. Penny didn''t know when she had fallen asleep. Damien listened to her speak but that was all she said. Lord Alexander who was seated with them in the room, spoke to her, "Did you find any spells for the memory?" "I found some spells for dreams but I am yet to find about the erasing of memory," she responded back to Alexander. "We must try the dream state then," Alexander proposed the idea to her, "If what you have lost ising through the dreams, we should try instigating your mind so that the dreams fall in more rapidly than in broken pieces for you to be able to find answers." Chapter 435 Stones- Part 1 Dream state? Asked Penny to herself in her mind. She had initially thought to ask father Antonio about it but she never came to ask after realizing that the man didn''t know about it. To instigate dreams took skill and if one didn''t follow the protocol there was no saying what would happen to the person''s mind. Because there was a possibility of the present memories being wiped out. "No," she heard Damien object over the suggestion which Alexander proposed, "Penny can take her time in finding the memories. None of us are in a hurry to know what happened in the past," he knew the consequences in meddling with fate, especially the current situation where Penny''s mind was delicate. Before it was only during sleep which was rare that she experienced the shback but right now even the shortest duration of time the memories woulde to leak out but they were never in the whole picture. "It is just a suggestion," Lord Alexander raised the .s.s he held in his hand, taking a sip from it. "I can wait," Penny nodded her head. As much as she wanted to unfurl and know where and what had happened all these years, she didn''t want to feel overwhelmed if she were to unlock the memories which would end up flooding through her mind. It would have the ability to break her emotions which she had been holding on to and she wasn''t ready for it. She could only hope her mother could disappear and they would nevere to meet ever again. To never cross paths with each other but that was far from it. She needed mental peace before she would delve into anything. "Then there is no rush. You can instead concentrate on creating the spells," he raised his .s.s to her, "I have an old copy of my mother. It isn''t in the study room," this got her attention. Another book which she had not seen? "What is it about?" she asked Alexander with her curious eyes looking at the Lord. Was it another book of spells? Or was it a book of potions? Or maybe a journal over the past of the white witches. "It is about this," he pulled out the chain which he wore. Showing the cross where the blood-red stone sparkled very lightly in the presence of the firece in front of them. "It speaks on how to create charm stones." "Oh," the excitement slightly went down as she already knew about to create some of the charm stones which she had seen in the church but they weren''t done abundantly. A faint smile was seen on his face, "Did you know that what the church is creating is only the synthetic version of the real stones?" Penny blinked at him, "What?" "It isn''t real stones what they are creating, they are stones that only mimic and are made to fool people." So all this while what she had been learning had been nothing but artificial stones? "Why would they do that?" Damien asked himself curious about the witches who were creating them, "Do the people in the church know about it?" Alexanderpleted the drink in his hand, cing the .s.s to the side and leaned back thinking about it, "I don''t think the witches are aware of it. This generation of witches. It is very simr to what you did with the ck witches. Giving out wrong information so that they believe it is true and go ahead with it. You should read it, Penelope," he said to her. When the book was brought to her, Penny flipped through the first page and went through the pages. It was true. Theposition which was used to create the charm stones waspletely different from what was there in here. "You never went to make one?" Penny asked Alexander looking up from the book she was reading. "I never had enough resources to make one for myself and I already have one," he said pointing the cross that he was wearing right now that never left his neck, "My mother had only a few potions which she could make while most of it you will find in that church of yours which you have been working. With the namelessbels on the potions which are in the secret room, no one would be able to make one. Even if they were able to do it, it would result in bad luck. There''s a little tale behind the book. Open it," he urged her. Staring at him, she looked back down. Turning the book around she started to flip the pages from the backside. One after another empty page before she reached thest written page. The words were written down there read, ''Careful with the water, careful with the colored water. Never to add more and never to add less unless you want to bring yourself misery over yourck of conduct.'' It was a very few words that sounded more like a warning. She then heard Damien say, "What about some of the pureblooded vampires or humans who have been wearing the stones. Are they just a hoax?" "Maybe. Most of the pureblooded vampires do not wear the stones, it is just some of them. Some believe it to be fake and useless while some know-how malicious the stone can turn out to be. The humans, however, take it for luck, sometimes receiving it as a piece of the gift which in truth the gifter has ill intention if it is another human. Very few mean good luck while the rest will wish for your bad luck." "How do we know then? If the stone is genuine or if it is artificially made or has the elements of bad luck in it?" Penny questioned Lord Alexander wanting to know more about it. "Now that is the trick. It is the white witch who creates the charm stones and it is the ck witch who you verify it with, because of their free ess to the forbidden magic," Alexander replied to her burning question. Chapter 436 Stones- Part 2 So that was how it was, thought Penny to herself. Before anything else, Penny asked him in wonderment, "Are you able to identify the realness of the charm stone?" "I do," he answered and Penny could only imagine further that this man could actually use the forbidden magic without being affected by it at all. The following day, one of the pureblooded vampires had invited the society of the elites to celebrate his birthday. Damien and the rest had joined in along with the Lord as they had received an invitation to attend the party which was hosted by the elder pureblooded vampire. Penelope had borrowed Sylvia''s dress as the invitation hade to the mansionte for which she had no time to shop. Wearing the pale blue gown with long sleeves that was puffed at the shoulders. The dress was frankly too tight to Penny''s liking where the inner corset that had been tugged and pulled to make her waist look slim. The swell of her bosom at the top made her pull the gown up which only further emphasized her front. With a soft sigh, she turned around once the maid was done helping her wear the gown. Sylvia was smaller than her in terms of hips and b.r.e.a.s.t.s which was why the current dress she wore felt slightly tighter. Taking a deep breath which she was unsessful, she let the air pa.s.s through her lips. Raising both her hands, her fingers made way to her open wavy blonde hair which she was yet to tie and turn them look elegant. All she had learned was to tie her hair in a bun, it it or to tie them with a kerchief to keep them down. She turned around to the other side to see Damien who was yet to wear his coat as hebed his own hair. He wore a blue s.h.i.+rt which was in sharp contrast as it was richer and darker in colorpared to her own dress. Pairing it up with blue trousers, his usual unkempt hair had beenbed back, a small piece of short hair falling on his forehead which he had pushed it aside. Penelope was used to seeing the disheveled hair of his which he merely bothered tob it and did it usually with his fingers. This must be a second time since she saw himb back in this fas.h.i.+on and now that her feelings had only blown out, her heart skipped a couple of beats at the sight of him. She turned away from him, ying with her hair with her fingers, moving and part.i.tioning it. And as she did it, Penny continued to have a conversation with herself in her mind. It must be G.o.d''s fruit, thought Penny to herself, to have a man who looked like this with a sinful mouth and his eyes that often raked her shamelessly. Turning her on as he stared at her. Remembering their first time, Penny started to feel hot and she fanned herself. Oh, it was hot! Maybe it was the tight dress, she reasoned with herself. "Do you need another dress?" she heard Damien ask her when she had started to fan herself on her neck. The weather was cold yet she felt agitated right now, agitatedly hot. "What?" Penny suddenly stopped fanning herself, "No, I am fine. Just tying my hair," she said to have Damien walk around the room, crossing the bed toe to where she stood right now. "Let me help you. Sit," he said not waiting for her as he picked up theb. Who was she when the great master Damien who was good with hairstyles was offering to help her? Readily, she took a seat in front of the dressing table. Looking at him as he started tob her hair. "You missed a few knots," he said, his hand moving from top of her crown to the tip of the hair. Hebed it over and over again until he found no knots in them. His hands moved into her hair and touched her scalp which started to make her feel heady and sleepy. It felt so good, Penny admitted to herself, just like in bed her mind whispered that had her eyes snapping open hoping Damien had not caught her l.u.s.tful self fantasizing right now. Taking a handful of her hair, Damien started to pin them one after another, keeping her hair to be messy without making use of theb and pulling the sides of her hair, "Sometimes simple is just the best. Nothing over the top," hemented, finis.h.i.+ng thest couple of her hair which was still not pinned, "What do you think?" he asked her, looking at her reflection in the mirror. "It looks good," came her breathy voice, her eyes met his red ones, a sinful smile on his lips. "Do you want to stay back?" he asked, catching her off guard. She looked at him quizzically, "Stay back? What about the party?" "We can skip the party and spend time here without much disturbance. In the room," he said, noticing the eyes she had been giving her earlier. As if caught doing something bad, she shook her head, inhaling the air into her lungs and she gulped it down. "Master Damien, you are a pervert," Penny threw her words at him, raising one of his eyebrows in question. "Me? Did you watch your cheeks? They are red in color. Don''t tell me you are drunk in love with me," his mouth twisted in amus.e.m.e.nt, "Shall I run my hands over you and see if your body has turned hot by the thoughts of me?" if Penny''s face hadn''t turned red before it sure did now by his words. "I said nothing," she said in a quiet voice which still came out to be breathy. She wasn''t sure if it was because of the gown that she wore which was making her heady dizzy. Chapter 437 The Coy Girl- Part 1 "Who spoke about you saying anything. Digging your own spot and sitting in thereter. How cute," Damien teased her. Leaning forward, he kissed her bare neck which he had full ess to with her hair which was tied uppletely, "One word and I can tell you fell sick." "Why should I fall sick for it?" she turned her head in time to have his lips be ced on hers and move against her soft lips. Damien smiled into the kiss. Pulling back he said, "So you agree you have been eyeing me, mouse," he bit right into her ear and she squeaked in the pleasurable pain, "ying hard to get are we?" he asked her. Seeing Penny not answer as she only stared back at him, he said, "Shall we test your patience today?" he asked her. Her expression and her green eyes that had the l.u.s.t and need for him suddenly turned one to be of anxiousness. Clearing her throat, she asked, "Patience?" "Yes, Lady Penelope," he pulled himself away from her, moving his hands away from her shoulders which had been resting there until now. Padding away from her, he picked up the coat which was spread on the bed. Wearing it, he straightened the coat as well as the s.h.i.+rt that he wore, "Ready?" he asked after seeing her step into her shoes. "Should I carry anything?" she asked him. After her encounter with the witches, Penny had started to get used to carrying little weapons along with herself every time she stepped out of the mansion not knowing when it would be needed. "Don''t worry I got it," Damien said, pulling out his jacket to the side to show her the revolver gun which he had tucked in safely. Reaching the mansion with the rest of them, Penny caught sight of other carriages that were parked outside in line. The mansion looked decently big and everyone stepped inside, greeting and to be greeted back where she was only a stranger to this side of the world. Stepping inside the mansion, Penny''s face turned sour at the sight of not just one woman she had met but two of them. The pair of siblings. One was the woman who she had met in the town when they had gone out to shop while the other was the councilwoman who wore a red dress that stood out of the crowd. With the Lord who had been pulled away by one of the Duke, the bickering couple, Elliot and Sylvia had moved to the section to take something to drink while leaving Damien and Penny to themselves. "How long do vampires live?" Penny asked Damien as she knew no vampire personally until a few months ago. "Depends. Some live in the time of centuries while some live just a few years farther away from the humans." "How about the person we havee to attend the birthday?" she inquired, watching some of them eye them or her in particr as she was never seen here before. "Hmm, let me think¡­" Damien trailed beforeing with the answer, "Over a two hundred years old," that was long, thought Penny to herself. She wondered what would have happened if she would have nevere to know that she was a witch and she wouldn''t have aged like the humans but slower than them. "Mr. Quinn!" came a not so delightful voice when the young girl named Helen came to stand in front of them. "Good afternoon, Helen. I didn''t know you knew Mr. Bingley," Damien''s voice came out to beckl.u.s.ter when he greeted the girl which she failed to notice. The girl bowed her head, bending down deep enough to show her cleavage and then raise herself with a coy and shy smile on her face. "Oh! Father knows him and I got him to get an invitation with my brother after hearing you would be making your presence here," she blushed in the end, her cheeks turning pink in color. Penny noticed everything but she didn''t say a word yet, instead, she chose to listen in to their conversation. The young girl was pretty with an innocent face but didn''t she bend a little too much right now, asked Penny to herself with her eyes looking sharply at the young girl. Sure, the girl must be innocent but seeing her clothes she should know how to interact with a male unless she was doing things on purpose. The rich clothes meant it was possible that she had a governess to guide her on what to do and what not to do. "You must really like me to know if I wasing here," Damien kept the conversation going. The voice which wasckl.u.s.ter now came back to life. Helen continued to blush at Damien''s words. "Have you met Lady Penelope?" Damien introduced Penny who was yet to offer a word as they had not spoken to each otherst time. Helen turned her starry eyes from Damien to Penelope, the stars diminis.h.i.+ng as she stared at the woman who stood next to the man she was interested in. Still keeping her sweet appeal, she asked, "Is this your sister?" Penny stared at the young girl who was two-inch shorter than her, "If I am his sister then you should be his sister too," came the smart words out of Penny''s mouth. Damien internally chuckled over the words. "Oh, you aren''t his sister. I apologize," Helen smiled offering her words of apology which the girl meant none, "I am Helen. I haven''t seen you here before," she introduced herself. Damien, unlike before when he had introduced her as his fiance had not mentioned it here which made her wonder if it was because he felt that she wasn''t threatened over this girl''s advances. "I don''t live here," Penelope replied back, her words short and not instigating more conversation with this girl. "Oh¡­" the girl said before conveniently deciding to ignore Penny''s presence she went back to talk to Damien, "How long are you going to be here, Mr. Quinn?" Chapter 438 The Coy Girl- Part 2 "A week or two more before I return back to Bonke. Where is your brother?" he asked, switching the conversation to have Helen turn around as she held a drink in her hand. She looked for her brother. Unable to spot him, she turned back to Damien, "He must be somewhere here," she answered and looked back at him with love. Penny wondered if she had to go get a drink herself. This felt like she was interrupting the girl''s time with Damien, "Excuse me," Penny bowed her head, a sweet smile on her lips when she heard Damien ask her, "Where are you going?" Thinking it would be impolite to speak about drinks, she said, "I was going to find Sylvia." "She has Elliot forpany. Stay here with me," Damien''s voice came out to be amand which evendy Helen noticed. Lady Helen had taken great effort in finding out if Damien Quinn was going to attend today''s party. She had to pester her father to get the invitation and to know the whereabouts of where it was taking ce in order for her to meet him. Helen had put in a great effort when it came to getting ready. Buying the most expensive attire which cost more than the dress that she had bought for her birthday. Her hair which she had got ady from the town to set it and put some fine color on her face. The hair was tied half while the rest was left hanging in tight curls behind her head that moved every time she moved her head to look left or right. She had been eagerly waiting for today and hadn''t slept wellst night. Everything had gone well, from her appearance to her meeting the councilman but she hadn''t expected a third wheel to be standing here with them. When Damien had said ''Stay here with me'' to the woman next to him who had somehow decided to leave them, Helen''s face turned to a displeased look but she smoothened it down when the woman looked at her. "Please stay," Helen insisted, being the good girl she was used to showing people off. Instead of scattering away from her, thedy decided to stay and Helen couldn''t say how unhappy she was right now. She hade here to make progress but instead, thisdy was in the middle, "I have been to Bonke three to four times." "Was it to meet Mr. Quinn?" Penelope asked with a smile of her own to see the girl blush. "How did you know?" The girl looked ecstatic. "I just guessed," Penny continued to smile before she said, "If you have stalked him when he is here, I wouldn''t be surprised if you followed him all across thend," Helen''s face fell hearing this. "S-stalk?" Helen uttered the word as if the word was a defile one. Sheughed nervously, saying, "I never stalked him. I only happened to go visit him." "Oh? Mr. Quinn must have quite some free time in hand to invite guests over," Penny stated, her body turning towards Damien who only smiled at her slyly as if he were enjoying the scene in front of him, "You know what? You should visit Quinn''s mansion again. I heard there will be a ball held there," this time it was Damien who turned sour. "I don''t remember any ball being hosted." "Mr. Quinn, you''re so humble," Penny turned to look at Helen, "You muste," she insisted Helen. "Of course. How can I refuse the invitation," Helen responded back, giddy with joy to hear she would be going to Bonke to meet. Though the girl hadn''t forgotten how thisdy had termed her like a stalker, "You got the news early," Helen noted out loudly, to think this woman who was here knew about it before she did. Penny offered the girl a smile. Helen waited for thedy to speak, curious to know how she had found out as she had never seen or heard of her hanging around with Damien before. Penelope then said, "It is because I am his fiance," her eyes sparkled. It took a few seconds for Helen to digest and under what Lady Penelope just said as the words sounded distant in her ear, "F-fiancee?" Helen stuttered the words unbelievingly to look at Damien as if she had been betrayed, "When did this happen? I mean congrattions but isn''t it a bit soon," especially considering she had never heard about this woman before?! "My bad, I forgot to mention that little detail," Damien joined in. Putting his arm around Penny''s waist, he pulled her closer to his side, "Meet my fiancee Penelope." With the hall of the mansion being huge, the guests who hade to attend the party stood far away to hear what was going on with the three of them. Helen took a minute to recover from the shock. Not wanting to splutter more words, Helen asked, "When is the wedding?" she kept a pleasant face as her tongue turned bitter with the news she heard. She hade here to coax the man to form an alliance. To twist him with her words and looks but what did she find in return? This was uneptable! Damien was the one to exin, "Given the opportunity, we would like to get married today but we need to send the invitation and receive everyone''s blessings," of course that garbage didn''t matter to Damien. Penny had only stepped into the phase of loving him and he wanted to love her without ushering her into it which was why he had ced the wedding forter. "I am very happy for you. Let me give you both some s.p.a.ce," Helen wished both of Penelope and Damien while her hands clutched into tight fists next to her dress, "Excuse me," she bowed her head, turning herself around as she walked away from them. Looking at the young girl leave and walk away from them,? Penelope asked, "Do you think I spoke a lot?" now that she looked at the hall, she noticed some of them looking their way and at Helen. "It was fine. If you didn''t I would," he chuckled, bending down to her face he kissed her cheek, "Ick patience when ites to headless peasants." Chapter 439 The Elderly Woman- Part 1 Damien had moved to talk to the councilmen who worked in Valeria when Penny decided to slip away and go join Sylvia who was talking to an old woman who was a vampire, telling her own tale of how things were decades ago whileparing the current party where they were celebrating Senior Bingley''s birthday. The elderly vampire wore a ck gown with a diamond ne that sparkled under the light every time she moved. "How about you, dearie?" asked the old woman who appeared to have lived for centuries and not decades. She was a decently looking plump woman who appeared to be healthy, "I hear from Sylvia that this is your first time here in Valeria. How are you finding it so far?" "I am quite enjoying it so far. It is a lovely ce and mypany has been great," Penelope answered thedy politely. "Oh, Sylvia is a wonderful girl," the words the woman spoke came out slow and clear for them to understand, "The boy, Alexander, he can be very grumpy but not that I can me him," she said her voice turning softer, "But Sylvia is a goodpany. She brings me flowers every Friday so that we can go to visit myte husband." "I am sorry about your husband, Mrs. Kieth," Penny bowed her head that had the woman wave her handoff. "It has been over a hundred and fifty-nine years and two months and the four weeks," Mrs. Keith said, her voice shaking at the end as if remembering her time with her husband and the emptiness after it, "It has been very long. Sylvia has doubts when I told her to get along with Elliot." "Not again, Mrs. Keith," Sylvia protested with the old woman. "Oh, hush you," Mrs. Keith called Penny using her hand toe closer so that she could let a little secret out, "I told her to get along since I first saw them together. I don''t know if I saw it right, it must have been the angle but it felt like they were about to kiss each other. Everyone needs someone in their lives. What about you, Penelope?" the woman looked at her, waiting for her to speak but went on anyway, "Do you like Alexander? He is a good man" "No, Mrs. Keith," Penny coughed not knowing how Damien would react hearing this. "You got it wrong, mdy. It is Damien Quinn who Penelope likes," when Sylvia cleared the air, Mrs. Keith looked like she was trying to concentrate on something, "It is Lord Alexander''s cousin." Mrs. Keith waved her hand again, "I know who he is," she looked at Penny closely, "Why him?" hearing this, Penny wasn''t sure if it was some kind of a test where she had to answer smartly. Her eyes darted towards Sylvia who subtly shrugged her shoulders, "Were you always looking for that kind of man?" Mrs. Keith asked her another question. She wondered why thedy asked the sudden question who was now waiting for her to give her an answer to why she liked Damien. People usually started with ''He is a good man'' but looking at how Mrs. Keith was looking at her, something told her thedy wouldn''t buy it if she used the generic words. Penny smiled softly, she shook her head saying, "No. He wasn''t the kind of man I thought. Damien, he is rough around the edges because he chooses to be it makes it easier to know what he thinks and wants without hiding anything. He might not be good all the time not to all the people but when he is, he is someone I can depend on without a thought. Someone, I know who won''t turn his back away from me. Someone I can trust..." Mrs. Keith gave a hmph sound putting Penny in a state where she wondered maybe perhaps the elderly vampire wasn''t fond of Damien maybe? A slow smile appeared on Mrs. Keith''s lips. Coming forward, she patted Penny''s back where Penny could still feel the strength in the woman''s hands even though she was old. "I am happy for you. Damien can be difficult at times, he often would tear down all the portraits which were there in my living room so that he could step outside the house because I was asked to watch over him and Alexander," Penny''s eyes turned wide. Tearing portraits? "I used to paint them so it was fine. I didn''t mind painting them over and over again and the process went on until he finally decided to give up when my dog died," Sylvia had by now excused herself as she was called by Lord Alexander to report on one of the matters "I can only imagine what he must have put you through. Was he the same when he was little?" Penny asked thedy. She had heard only the version about him and his mother or him and his sister when they were little but to get a look from another person, her eyes s.h.i.+ned in the excitement of knowing something about Damien. Mrs. Keithughed, a light airyugh as she said, "Actually, he was a very quiet and good boy except for his pa.s.sive-aggressiveness. I think it was only after he grew up he changed so much. I didn''t get to see him for a long period of time. Especially after his mother pa.s.sed away. I am d to hear that he has found someone," the woman looked into her eyes, "Even pretty," Penny didn''t know how to respond back, therefore, she only smiled at Mrs. Keith. Just as Mrs. Kieth moved her hands to make her coat right that she wore, Penny caught sight of the woman with a stone on her ring finger. The stone was white in color but there was something in there that caught her eye. It was a small green frozen leaf-like which was in the crystal. She wondered where she had seen the leaf before. Chapter 440 The Elderly Woman- Part 2 Penny tried to recollect where she had seen the pendant before. She knew she was familiar with it but where? Obviously it wasn''t the charm stones as the woman was a vampire who didn''t appear to appear she would possess one. Not because she appeared to be poor where she couldn''t acquire one because it didn''t fit into the picture. Sitting at the table when the meal was announced, Penny and the others headed to the dining room which was quite big and had a long dining table which she had never seen before. While her eyes looked at the decor, she heard Sylvia who was next to her, "Mr. Bingley usually hosts parties for the council and sometimes the ball or any other event is hosted here which is why he has enough rooms and s.p.a.ce for people if they ever need to stay." "Feels like a reputed inn-house," Penny murmured, taking a seat at the table having Sylvia and Mrs. Keith who sat one seat away from them right now as another woman and joined them. Damien sat on the other side, not too far but not too near either. "It actually is one. Mr. and Mrs. Bingley owns a series of inn-houses for the pureblooded vampires and some of the human elites in different towns and in differentnds. They are vampires but their lifestyle is nothing short to a pureblooded vampire," Sylvia continued to exin to Penny in a hushed tone without attracting others'' attention to pull them into what they were speaking about. Inn-houses was expensive to staypared to the local inn''s which one could find in the vige or the smaller towns. Not that the local inns-were cheap but it was decent enough to have a roof if one had decent silver coins or s.h.i.+llings. The inn-houses were simr to mansions, only that the rooms were rented to people and the food was served just like in a family atmosphere. Looking after the stay, food, travel and any other necessities over their stay there. "You see there," Sylvia said, her head jerking to the right, "The one with the midnight coat. That is Donovan Bingley, Mr. and Mrs. Bingley''s son," Penny looked at the man who sat next to an old man who appeared to be his possible grandfather. The young man appeared quiet, listening to what the old man had to say and offering a few of his words. When the food was served on the table, Penny''s mouth only watered at the sight of it. Moving from onend to another sure had its own perks, thought Penny to herself. The roasted and grilled meat was ced on the table, freshly cooked vegetables sitting along with it and cut fruits which looked as if they were only torn out of the tree today. Though there was some meat that she didn''t let her eyes hover for too long on it due to the heads of the animals, she decided to stick to things which she could eat while also letting her curiosity float and bring the food on her te. As the meal continued at the table, the conversation went on with people trying to catch up speaking with the one they had no opportunity before. Penny was no exception to it as she was pulled into the conversation. "Yes, it rains quite a lot in Bonke," she said to a middle-aged couple who were having a decent conversation, "You will not see the sun much out there and even if you did it is very scarce," she exined to the woman who nodded her head. The woman leaned forward and said to Penny, "I was there for one week and my G.o.d. I thought Valeria was gloomy back then but Bonke is even worse. I don''t think I would ever want to live there. Maybe just a few visits because my niece and nephew live there. They got married and had to move," thedy then asked, "Do you know Walter and Caitlin?" "Artemis," her husband said as if in soft warning of not wanting to inquire about them which Penny caught right away. With the woman who stopped speaking, the man said, "We haven''t seen them in a very long time." The man had ced his hand on the woman''s hand under the table but that didn''t stop the woman from speaking more about them, "After they got married we were unable to see them because they got busy I think. We used to look after them after what happened to their parents." Another woman who was sitting next to Penny who had been listening in to their conversation said, "Oh! I remember them, such cute little children. Always very polite. I am Mrs. Grimitlin," the woman raised her left hand to shake hands with Penelope. "Penelope," Penny introduced herself. After starting to mingle with the higher part of the society, there were times how she felt awkward with only giving out her name and not herst name. It was because she didn''t know what herst name was. "I remember when Artemis used tob Caitlin''s long hair, it was beautiful hair hahaha," the woman chuckled and Penny smiled before subtly turning her head back to her te. The woman named Artemis then said to Penny in hope, "If you were to ever find her or him," she added, "Do let us know." "Of course," Penny nodded her head in agreement. It wasn''t like she went out to meet and greet people right now but if she were toe across the sibling she would be sure to drop a word about it. As she continued to have her meal, Penny could sense eyes on her. Not one, not two but too many which made it difficult for her to open her mouth and eat in the beginning but as time pa.s.sed, she started to ignore the gazes after noticing where it wasing from. Mostly it came from women who held an interest when it came to Damien, to think he was actually this popr, Penny took another bite from her fork. Chapter 441 The Elderly Woman- Part 3 On one side sat the young girl named Helen with her brother and not too far away sat the council siblings who belonged to the higher elder council. There were some ''peasants'' like how Damien would call the women who were staring at her which she didn''t bother herself with. As time went by, Penny only started to eat her food dramatically where she took her time in cutting the meat and then putting the food into her mouth seductively. The women could not bare the thought of a woman with such indecent eating skills to be someone who had caught Mr. Quinn''s interest. Taking another bite, she looked at Helen who red at her. Hmm? The girl had decided to drop her act now that Damien wasn''t around to look at her. She caught sight of her Helen''s brother who nudged her before she schooled her features to something much more drastic like she had turned to a defenselessmb. When their meal was done finally where everyone started to scatter out again to smaller groups with the crowding together to talk to each other, Penny continued to choose to stay next to Sylvia as she was the only woman of her own age and her own frequency without any fake act in the front. It was then it hit her when she was offered a drink by the servant along with the rest. Not bothering what was in the .s.s that she had picked up, she finally remembered what the nt was which Mrs. Keith was wearing around her neck. It was a rosemary nt! The same nt which she used to deflect the voodoo magic but what was it doing around the elderly woman''s neck? Was it a gift that was given to her without her knowledge of what it was? Or did she know what it was? Penny wanted to ask but with the number of people she was surrounded with, asking her about it would not only be odd but also suspicious. After all, who asked about witches and asking why she was wearing it? It would alsoe off to be rude, Penny nodded her head internally. "How do you like the drink, Lady Penelope?" a young man asked who was standing on the other side while the others were still in conversation. "This is quite good. Feels like fermented cherries," Penny replied back, looking down at the .s.s in her hand which had reddish-pink liquid in it. "It indeed is cherries but it has the alcohol which the pureblooded vampires drink often," the young man stated before asking her, "I am guessing it is your first time." "Yes," Penny answered, the alcohol already taking its effect on her. "You should be careful with it then. The alcohol they make for pureblooded vampires are different and might react a little too much on us humans," he tried to exin why it would not be a good idea to drink too fast or too much. She gave him a smile, "I will make sure to stick to one then. Thank you for the tip," she raised her hand, tipping the .s.s at him before taking another sip. The man looked at the human with green eyes who looked nothing less to a G.o.ddess in his eyes but he didn''t dare to look at her like other few men in this room. Suddenly the young man was pulled into the conversation with the rest, "How has your studies been going, Barn?" "Ugh, it is going well, Lady Sylvia," he bowed her head, "I have been studying as much as I can for a year now. Hopefully I will be able to pa.s.s through the council exam this year." "That is good to hear. I am taking this to be your first attempt?" Sylvia continued to ask. "Yes, mdy. I am ashamed to say it but I am a little more than nervous to write it. I heard thest exam didn''t go that well and there were only two survivors out of the whole lot who had pa.s.sed through the first written examination." Penny had heard about it from Damien. Lady Vivian Carmichael was part of that exam, "Isn''t that a little bit soon, the examination I mean." "They must have changed the cycle this time to an early one," Sylviamented, "Well it was just one examination, I am sure they will have this time exams have the papers set much easier than before." "Thank you for your encouragement, Lady Sylvia," Barn bowed his head again in appreciation. Mrs. Keith, who was done talking to a couple, turned to find the boy and the other two women, hearing part of the conversation thedy said, "Barn, you better pa.s.s through the examination else what a shame it would be. My husband was part of the council too, he was a man who set on making things right." "I will make sure to turn like him," Barn''s obliged the woman''s words to get a swat on his arm, "Ouch! What was that for, mdy." "What do you mean you turn like him? He enrolled himself in the council for two years and then he died. Don''t die like him you fool," Mrs. Keith scolded the boy and then finally smiled. "Of course," Barn smiled back before raising his eyebrows looking at Sylvia who stifled her smile with a cough and then going back to drink the alcohol in her .s.s. "By the way, I heard something just now," Mrs. Keith leaned forward and the other three leaned forward like there was some gossip worthy talk about to happen, "Did you know Mr. Patrik''s cat died?" Was this what this olddy was going to say? Thought the young man staring at her. Mrs. Keith then said, "But that is not what I wanted to say. I heard the cat was found ripped apart and ced in two different directions of the house. I think there was some kind of ritual that took ce. We know how some of the council members don''t take things seriously so Barn, once you get in the council you take that as your first case for investigation. I am still figuring out why it would be put there. Once I know I will give you the proof." Chapter 442 Throwing Dirt- Part 1 Penny frowned, her forehead creased as she heard this. Cat being torn and buried didn''t sound like a normal cremation but a ritual that she had gone through in the book of Lady Isabelle. It was forbidden tapping magic but to do that one had to be a witch. As time pa.s.sed by, Penny only found things here to be distorted. Thepany that she had here was decent but the stories that she heard, everything felt to be suspicious. And then came Lady Helen with her sweet face and her brother escorting her. They walked to where Penelope stood, joining the party with extra women and men who were talking about their mansions and then the servants. "I cannot wait for Winter to pa.s.s by quickly. Don''t you think this season has prolonged longer than necessary," spoke one of the women in the crowd who was the neighbor of Mrs. Kieth. "My nts are all dead and I had to get the servants to remove it not once but twice." "Twice?" Mrs. Keith asked. The woman nodded her head, pulling the fur that had adorned over her hand closer to her, "The maids never do as they are told. It is so difficult to have them listen to what we say." "You should get them fired. Servants like that never learn even after years," an elderly man said who hadn''t uttered a word since he had joined the little crowd of people. "I will but getting good servants are even scarce right now," the woman continued toin, "It''s like everyone in Valeria has servants now, even the humans who once were beneath us. h.e.l.l, forbid one day it might turn out that the vampires and humans stand equal." Though Penny was a white witch, the others perceived her to be a human and she didn''t fail to notice when the woman merely nced at her whileining about the servants. But she didn''t care about it. She had to make sure to learn the book of spells soon so that she could turn people like these into toads who would be chased by dogs and other animals. One day would be more than enough to teach them a lesson. Penny wasn''t offended by it, she instead looked towards Damien who was still talking to a council official, and whatever he was speaking seemed to be serious right now. "Why don''t you go get yourself a ve in the ve market?" Helen took the lead, her eyes twinkling as she proposed the idea. "Having a ve for a maid is not a bad idea. Only that they are expensivepared to the regr maids," Mrs. Keith chipped in her thoughts on it. Theining woman''s shoulders slouched down, "I don''t believe a ve can do all the work. I mean most of them are bought only for specific reasons. If you know what I mean." Helen said, "They aren''t used only for s.e.xual demands. I am sure you can get many other things fulfilled by having them around. You should ask the former ve here who is amongst us. "ve? We don''t have any here," the woman said before following the line of sight of Helen who was eyeing Penelope, "...So the rumors are true." Mrs. Keith, who wasn''t aware of what was being spoken of,? asked, "What rumors?" Sylvia, on the other hand, appeared slightly rmed at the steer of conversation and she couldn''t stop her eyes narrowing down at Helen for exposing who formerly Penny was. "Anyone here wants a second .s.s of drinks?" Sylvia asked them, and the young man named Barn caught on to her and agreed on getting drinks for everyone. Like many others who hade here to the party today, Barn had heard many rumors but one of the rumors was about the fairdy who stood with them. But rumors were rumors which were mostly untrue and fueled by the thoughts of the people. "I thought people only hushed around speaking about it. Is it true, Lady Penelope," the woman smiled at her smugly, gauging her from the tip of her hair to length of her gown. Penny looked back at them feeling the eyes on her while her own eyes had been staring at Damien from afar. "Pardon me, I didn''t hear you. Could you please repeat it again?" Penny asked the woman politely when in truth she had already heard about it. A decent woman would not have the nerve to ask but knowing the woman was someone who thrived on gossip and enjoying the pain and plight of others, she asked, "Some of them here were whispering about you-" "Whispering?" Penny asked, finis.h.i.+ng her drink and picking up another one from the servant who had been stopped by Sylvia for bringing more drinks to thedies so that they could have their mouth upied than spew nonsense. The woman found nothing wrong in it, and went to continue, "They were whispering on how they saw you standing in the ck market. Mr. Quinn sure tidied you up neatly. Who knew a ve could look like this. Ah- this is why your attire looks like this," she chuckled. "What about my attire?" Penny asked, her voice still patient. She saw the woman''s eyes look up from her waist and then her neck, "I don''t think I have to speak about it. So tell me, what work did you do when you were a ve?" Penny gave it a second as if trying hard to remember before saying, "Nothing." Some people''s eyebrows raised hearing this, even the ones who were near them. Damien was yet to hear and know on what was going on when the woman said, "Nothing?" the woman huffed, "Must be nice to have only serve your master on the bed then. But I must say I am disappointed that he didn''t make you work. It is the duty of the ve to work for the master or mistress but seeing you like this, I must say you must have turned the tables around. How horrific!" she eximed. "Let''s not throw dirt on Lady Penelope here. It is something that happened in the past," Helen came back again to show her sweet and kind side like she meant no harm by her previous words that were spoken before which some had forgotten. Chapter 443 Throwing Dirt- Part 2 Mrs. Keith looked at Penny with her eyes filled with doubt not because she felt like the fact was hidden from her because the girl didn''t appear to look like a ve girl. Over the decades that had pa.s.sed, she had seen enough ves know one if their status was leveled up from one position to another. The ves usually held marks and if it wasn''t marked on the bodies, it was the marks in their minds which they carried with themselves even after they stopped being ves. It was because the ves were never treated well. Most of the people who brought ves to their homes, it was for their own greed or to impart the cruelness in their minds. She hadn''t heard about Damien buying a ve and even if he did buy the girl named Penelope, it was a shocker. A few years ago, one of his friends Meredith Hopkins had been killed by a ve boy whom she had entrusted the mansion and herself. Taking care of the boy like a younger brother as she had no siblings of her own. Those were sad times, even sadder than buying ves because where there was a possibility of improving the rtions.h.i.+ps between an owner and the ve, the trust had been broken. The people of the higher society who had ves and who bought them never ever came to believe with that simple incident as words always spread like a fire in the dried forest. She knew the boy would have never bought a ve for himself just for the sake of it, making her wonder again if this girl who stood amongst them with her head held high if she was truly a ve as the others perceived her to be. Lady Helen came to the rescue of Penelope, her words kind, "Lady Penelope is not one of us now and she''s a ve anymore. Though I must say I feel very sorry for you. I have heard so many things about the establishment on how they treat the ves. It must have been quite hard for you," the young vampiress offered her a pity smile. "Thank you for your concerned words, Lady Helen," Penny thanked the young girl. With the eyes on her right now, she didn''t want to cause any trouble or a scene which she wasn''t that fond of. "Helen is always such a good girl in diffusing the situation," the man said, patting the girl''s pat and not taking into ount that it was her who had put Penny in the spotlight and not the whiny woman. The woman smiled back in agreement, "You will make a wonderful wife, Helen. How odd that a youngdy as yourself has not found a suitor yet." "Oh, it isn''t that, Mrs. Raver. I have already found the man but I am only waiting for him. Or was waiting for him," Helen tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear shyly while saying this and looking down before looking up at the woman. "What do you mean by wait? He must be a stupid bloke to not know what a gem you are," Penny could tell that both Helen and Mrs. Raver bonded well with each other. They made an excellent team of pompousness. Just that one was coy while the other was a b.u.mbling idiot. Helen continued to smile, "He must be stupid," she agreed, "I mean, why would he choose someone beneath his feet when there''s a better choice for him. I have been making time for him but here he is deciding to go with a mutt. I even wrote him letters." "My! Is she bad? Don''t feel bad, Helen, dear. I am sure you will find a better suitor," Mrs. Raver tried to pacify the girl. Penny took the opportunity to speak now, "Lady Helen, did you receive his reply back? If he hasn''t it only means he isn''t interested. Perhaps you were mistaken by his words?" she tilted her head in question. Lady Helen stared back at Penny, "He did," Now that was a heap of garbage which the girl was spouting. Maybe if it was someone else in Penny''s ce they would have believed but Penny knew it was false. "Then I think you must demand the man for your attention. What do you say, Sylvia?" she turned to Sylvia and the woman didn''t know what exactly was going on but she slowly nodded her head. Clearly they were speaking about Mr. Quinn here, "I believe if the person is worth it, you should go for it." "Then I would need you to step aside," Lady Helen said, staring at her, her red eyes looked down upon her if it was possible as she was shorter than Penny in height, "Aren''t you acting a little coy, Lady Penelope? First, you have Mr. Quinn turn you to ady and then you have the audacity to go close to him wanting to take over Quinn''s work and have it in your name," Helen looked at her as if she was disgusted at Penny. Take over what? A little chatter started to form as the girl put doubts in everyone''s mind on Penelope''s character. "I don''t know what you''re implying, mdy," Penny responded back to her false allegation, "One shouldn''t tell lies. I have no interest in Damien''s family money." "What a disgracefuldy you are. Calling my truth to be lies," Helen replied back to her. Mrs. Raver who had no direct business in the matter stepped into the conversation between Penelope and Helen toment, "If you have turned to ady you must have left the mansion but you leaching on him right now only shows that you are waiting for him to spend more on you." "You aren''t fit for him," Lady Helen pressed her lips, trying to keep her thoughts to herself which was building up in her mind, "You don''t belong here," she added with a kind smile still ced on her face. "If it is Mr. Quinn, I am sure all we need to do is remind who this girl is," stated Mrs. Raver, winding the ck fur around her arm, "His mother would have been truly disappointed. How ashamed would the soul be to know what is going on? I knew her personally and she would pick you Helen and not this low-status girl," Mrs. Keith only continued to watch on the sidelines like many others, observing the girl and watching how she was handling the situation in regards to her character. "Mrs.Raver," Penelope turned to the woman, "Damien and I like each other, and if two people like each other there is no s.p.a.ce for a third person like you or a fourth person like Lady Helen." The woman was unhappy with what Penelope spoke, upset almost, "Do you think just because you are no more a ve you can speak to us like that?" "No," said Penny, pausing herself for a second, "For people who are ''whispering'' and don''t have the gall to speak loudly. It only shows that they are trying to hide? this matter they are ashamed of being caught on." Chapter 444 Throwing Dirt- Part 3 The woman took a step forward, turning towards Penelope who stood there unaffected right now, "Are you implying to call me a gossiper?" the woman looked deeply offended. With the littlemotion and the atmosphere that had turned ufortable for some of them, Damien finally turned to find Penelope and Mrs. Raver who were standing face to face. "Lady Penelope," Helen tried to gain back her attention, "If you think I deserve to win him back what are you doing here? Don''t you think it is inconsiderate of you to speak to me like this, trying to give me hope while keeping him bound to you." "Lady Helen," Penny used the same tone, "I am sure you, as well as anyone here, knows that Damien is not someone who can be bound by maniption. He is a person of his own unless you never knew him at all. It is instead pathetic of you trying to put a false im on me when you can''t even win the man''s heart fairly." "I have done nothing wrong for you to call me out on not being fair," the young vampiress red quietly at Penny. "How pathetic of you to not have a clean conscience. I thought we made it clear earlier yet here you are trying to spoil my name. Do you think Damien will notice you by trying something like that?" "How dare you speak about me like that. You have been running your mouth so far when I have done nothing and also took your side. Is this how you repay someone''s kindness?" Lady Helen brought tears in her eyes which didn''t shed out of her eyes. This girl must have been in the theater and not here, thought Penny to herself as her eyes narrowed down at her. Damien, Elliot, and others came closer to see what exactly had triggered the conversation to this point. Seeing Damien walk towards them, Penny''s eyes met where he raised his eyebrows as if asking her silently what happened and she sighed softly. Helen continued to be the girl in front of everyone who had been wronged for helping a girl in need, "Lady Penelope, I forgive you," Penny stared at her, this young girl was quite an actress to put up a show like this in front of everyone. She had been minding her thoughts and words until this little stunt actress had started to throw mud at her, "I won''t take the unkind words of false usation to my heart." "What''s going on?" Damien was the one to ask, his eyes falling on Penelope in question without caring what Helen had to say while she stood there with a face filled with pity. Penelope opened her mouth to answer him, "Just revisiting my previous status with thedies and gentlemen," she gave him a tight smile. "About you not being a ve?" he asked her. "No, the one where I was a ve for some duration of time in Quinn''s mansion," Damien made an O in his mouth, nodding his head. Lady Helen noticed how the matter was resolving just by simple words which she had taken the effort to brew and stir. She wasn''t going to let go of the opportunity like this go from her hand. She didn''t believe that this ve who was supposed to bow down to her was Damien''s fiancee. If she truly was, word would have spread long back about it. But she had heard nothing about it, not even a doubt of whisper which had reached her ear. Her face turned small and dull, taking a deep breath which ended up in a sniffle. Elliot, who was standing behind her, peeked in the front to look at tears forming in her eyes. "Lady Helen, are you alright?" Elliot offered the girl his handkerchief from his pocket, handing it in front of her which she took in her hand. "Thank you," the young vampiress whispered, dabbing her non-existent tears that hadn''t fallen down on her cheeks as she tried saving them forter. Mrs. Raver, who had no business at all like before, decided to b.u.t.t into their matter, taking Lady Helen''s side by saying, "We were discussing servants and then went to speak about ves. Helen here was empathizing with Miss Penelope but thisdy has only been giving out false remarks. She also had the gall to talk back to me and Helen by saying she has to pursue you while she''s clearly trying to manipte people around her." Lord Alexander turned his eyes from looking at Penny who stood quietly to the girl who sniffled behind Elliot''s kerchief. He was gauging the situation on what was going on and who had truly instigated the topic, he asked Mrs. Raver, "What do you mean by manipting?" "Milord," Mrs. Raver bowed her head, "Our families havee from pureblooded vampires for years now, this girl is nothing but bad blood. Not just by status but also by character. Look at the way she is looking at me right now!" Mrs. Raver eximed when she caught Penny ring back at her. On this remark, Penny turned her face away to look at the tall pir knowing well her mouth was soon going to run on its own if this woman didn''t keep her mouth shut. Most of the people around only enjoyed the ongoing drama as their life was pale and colorless, dull from living the same day over and over again unless they found something to feed on. When Damien''s eyes moved to the other people who were present during the matter, his eyes fell from one person to another which then met Mrs. Keith''s who only subtly smiled at him. "Mr. Quinn, I was quiet by myself but this woman here," Helen started, her bowed head raising up to look at him and the blonde woman who stood in front of her who was now not heeding to her words, "She tried to instigate me, telling me how I should pursue you." Penelope rolled her eyes, "Isn''t that what you are trying to do right now?" . Do consider voting for the book with your powerstones at the end of the chapter. Chapter 445 More Than Just Dirt- Part 1 "I did nothing like that!" Lady Helen eximed her eyes that were filled in tears now falling down her cheeks. "Please don''t cry, Lady Helen. I am sure we can sort this out with any tears being spilled," Elliot came to the rescue like a knight in s.h.i.+ning armor. Helen only continued to sniff whereas the others continued to look at the scene that had been created. Mrs. Raver turned to Helen, rubbing her back soothingly trying to console the girl. She asked for someone to bring the water and the servant came with a bottle of wine in the tray, some .s.ses that were filled with the wine already along with some .s.ses of water. "Have you no shame, look at what you have done," Mrs. Raver said to Penny who had crossed her hand against her chest now, listening to thedy continue to rant along with the sobbing girl. Sylvia wasn''t a high standing woman and she was only one of the people who served Lord Alexander. It hadn''t been too long since she had joined work here. Not liking the unfairness, she began, "Milord, what happened is-" But Helen quickly cut in not letting Sylvia speak, "What happened is that the matter of Lady Penelope being a former ve came up which we tried to brush away but she had to use me now. How is it fair when she''s standing between blocking my way while asking me to pa.s.s by?" The men appeared slightly lost as to what Lady Helen was referring to right now. Penny ran out of patience by now, she spoke as politely as she could by speaking to Helen with a calm voice, "If you like a man then be upfront about it, Lady Helen.?Behaving like a damsel who has to be looked at don''t you think it is pathetic? Or worse don''t you feel ashamed about it?" "See! This is what I meant," Mrs. Raver pointed her finger at Penelope, "Her words are crude and unrefined that she thinks it is alright for her to talk to us like this." "Youdy," Penny turned her attention to the middle-aged woman, "Stop implying I have been rude. I spoke what the truth here is. Stop poking your nose in matters which has no rtion to you." "I cannot believe that you said that. Girls like you should be punished," Mrs. Raver was lucky to be standing away from Damien and not next to him when she said the next lines to him, "If you had disciplined the girl when you bought her this would have not been a problem but she runs her mouth like we are some insects. This is for all when I speak, if you''re going to buy a ve, then make sure you supervise and make sure to deal with them so that they don''t behave like this indecent woman," truly the woman had never interacted with Damien Quinn before and hadn''t noticed the rtions.h.i.+p between the girl she was pointing at and him. Lady Helen ced her hand on Mrs. Raver''s arm, stopping her from speaking anymore. Too much of anything was not good and she would deal with this girl ording to how she wanted. "Mr. Quinn. I wrote letters to you, continuously and...you didn''t reply back to me but I didn''t take it to my heart," she looked down at the floor, her longshes falling on her cheek before she looked back up again, "This girl you have kept beside you, she has a foul mouth. Uncouth characters like you see here." "Uncouth?" Damien raised his brow, "I don''t see her speaking any ill words against anyone here." The vampiress gave him a pleasant smile, one with a hint of pity in it, "She has wrapped you around your finger, Mr. Quinn. Had it been someone else, you would have the person''s tongue cut out for speaking like this. Am I wrong?" "Aren''t you the one who brought up about her being a ve? Barn," Damien turned to the young man whose eyes had turned wide while looking at the three women who had been going on about something which shouldn''t have been spoken about, "What happened here?" Barn, didn''t like the sudden spotlight. He could also sense Lady Helen''s re directed at him to not tell anything unnecessary which wouldn''t be good for him or his family. Though Lady Helen wasn''t someone who belonged to a pureblooded family, her family had a lot of money. Money and decent power which was why she could look Damien in the eye right now as she spoke about Penelope being in the wrong. The young man awkwardly turned to face Damien who had questioned him as if he were an eye witness. There were others but the councilman had decided to pick him. He didn''t know if he had to consider it to be fortunate or to feel unfortunate right now. "Ah, the topic started with the servants and then moved to the ve before Mrs. Ravers asked Lady Penelope what work she did before she was leveled up to be ady of this society," Barn spoke very slowly, his eyes darting from Damien to the three women. "Mrs. Ravers," Lord Alexander was the one to step in this time, his voice was sharp as he spoke to the woman, "You should know better than make someone ufortable," the woman fidgeted slightly where she stood before covering up. Damien chuckled, "If you don''t have anything better to do, let me know so that I can give you some work which might help the council," he said, a smile on his lips which was lopsided, "For a human who was picked by the streets to be married and turned to a vampire, you sure have the audacity to question another person of her status," whispers started to run amongst the people in the hall when they heard this information which they had never heard before. Chapter 446 More Than Just Dirt- Part 2 "I-I don''t know what you are speaking about," Mrs. Ravers tried to cover up the truth which hade out in the light. "You should understand and empathize with the people, instead here you are telling yourself that you are better when in truth you or worse than anyone when ites to the background of your life," Damien continued not caring that she had her eyes fuming and her expression which told she didn''t want him speaking about it. "Why are you holding, Mrs. Ravers guilty?" asked Lady Helen, "It was a simple question and a simple answer was received." "Then what riled up?" Damien turned his head to her. On Damien''s question, Lady Helen closed her lips. This wasn''t going as she had expected and she had to move it in a way she would win and have this ve out of the picture. Parting her lips, she started to speak, "It was Lady Penelope who started the misinformation-" she was interrupted by Penny. "I will tell what happened," Penny said, feeling left out. If everyone were speaking their piece of words it was time she did it too, "Lady Helen is feeling bad that she cannot gain your attention anymore. I don''t know what happened in the past but seeing her right now, she looks like she''s trying hard to get yours and the rest''s sympathy so that she can continue with her act of what a sweet young girl she is." Lady Helen''s eyes red, uneven temper swirling in her eyes, "You are crossing your line." "Truth is bitter, Lady Helen. Am I wrong to state that you are trying to gain Mr. Quinn''s attention and affection, trying to ce yourself as his wife?" Penny asked the young vampires who was fuming. "My affections have nothing to do with you," Lady Helen''s voice came out low and quiet. "That is right. It should do nothing with me so I don''t know why you''re trying to nder my name here when I did nothing to you," Penny let her hands down which had been crossed over her chest, "As I said earlier, if you truly love the man, then persuade him than act like you are a starry-eyed girl who is waiting for the man to ask her hand." "How disgraceful to be this forward by asking a man''s hand," Mrs. Raver started to only close her mouth when she received a look from Alexander. "I am a starry-eyed girl? At least unlike you, I didn''t turn myself to a ve to get his attention. Throwing yourself at him-" "Are you talking about yourself? For someone who bends down to show your b.r.e.a.s.t.s to the man trying to entice him. You have some nerve to throw the allegation at me," Penny stated with her eyes that were now narrowed down at the vampiress. Lady Helen smiled, "What a hypocrite. For a person who is wearing tight fitted clothes and with that," she said pointing at how her b.r.e.a.s.t.s swelled up for a person''s view, "Is it me or is it you who is trying to entice people?" Well, that...Penny thought to herself. The dress was tight and smaller to her in size. It was a miracle that she was still breathing and hadn''t fainted yet even with the lightheadedness she felt in her head right now. "You should know not to point your fingers when you are in the same position," Lady Helen continued to speak. A smile up her face, "To call me enticing people? What are you doing throwing yourself at the man here," she said, giving a look at Barn. The young vampire shook his head when Damien''s eyes fell on him as if he had done nothing and it was a false im. "You know Lady Helen," Penny responded back, "For a young woman you sure are too smart which is good but to be overconfident and step into things, if you had the gall to speak to Mr. Quinn and let him know about your true feelings it would have been better, but instead you have been following him like a puppy. Sorry not a puppy," she corrected herself, "Like a stalker. It is good to be head over heels in love with someone but to not fight fair and instead create scenes to win things in your favor," Penny shook her head, "If you really like him, there is still time. Mr. Quinn is right here, why don''t you spill out your feelings and we can move on from this little event." Penny was trying to be a bigger person, letting the girl off by thinking she was still a child. Someone who didn''t know yet how to approach and do things. It somewhere reminded her of Grace, Damien''s sister. Though Grace was a little more forting in her actions, Lady Helen, on the other hand, was a sly vampire. Using underhanded methods that she doubted anyone appreciated. She raised her hand that moved towards Damien as if he was going to listen to Lady Helen now. The vampiress suddenly felt conscious of the fact that she had to speak about her feelings for him in front of everyone. She clenched her hands tightly which rested on her sides. This woman was trying to achieve being nice when in truth she was no better than her! How dare she insult her in front of everyone. "Will you step aside then? Once I have confessed I mean. You speak as if you are trying to return a favor to me. Keep in mind you little wretched woman I will do what I want when I want," Lady Helen''s eyes burnt brightly, both the women staring at each other. "Yes, take your time," Penny offered the young girl a smile, "But once the time is up, don''t try to be the other woman. It never suits anyone," The people around her were stunned with the way she had phrased it, even Elliot who was in aical mood had stopped to stare and listen to what Lady Penelope had to say. "Are you trying to warn me...Especially when you so benevolently told me to go ahead and confess my feelings. Are you perhaps scared? To be left behind?" Lady Helen''s words. .h.i.t a mark in Penny''s mind, "Am I? Most of the ves have a very bad history. Sold to the brothel or to the ve establishment, by parents or by no parents. Your parents must have sold you too." Chapter 447 More Than Just Dirt- Part 3 What Lady Helen said was the truth, it was the reality in almost seventy percent where the people who were sold were often sold by their own people who they knew and it was nothing different when it came to Penelope''s case. She had been first sent away by her mother, pa.s.sed on to her rtives and those rtives had pa.s.sed her to the ve establishment. "You are scared to be left alone for what you are so you are slyly trying to threaten me. Of the loneliness you will have to go through," Lady Helen had stopped fuming and instead chuckled looking to her side, as if trying to choose her words wisely, she said, "Flocks of feather look better when they are the same. You should instead pack your bags and go back to where you came from." Damien who was about to say something, Penny raised her hand wanting to deal with this woman, "Aren''t you crossing your line here. I speak about you letting your thoughts known to the man you are interested in and here you are asking me to pack my bags. Are you scared of the rejection because you know what the answer is? Looks like the word of me being his fiancee didn''t sink into that little brain of yours," Lady Helen who was holding her .s.s of wine threw the contents straight into Penny''s face. People stopped murmuring and talking, their eyes catching on what was going on. The red liquid of the wine that was sshed on Penny''s face dripped down. From her face to her neck and down to her front. Penny had closed her eyes, a small sting in both her eyes and she opened it when Helen started to speak, "Little brain? You have the nerve yourself to call me that you weakling-" Before more words could be uttered, Penny''s mood had switched. The servant who was nearby, holding the tray of drinks and bottle on it, instead of ss.h.i.+ng the .s.s with wine in it, she took hold of the bottle and broke it right across the young vampiress face on the side. Breaking the bottle as well as ss.h.i.+ng the entire content of the wine in it on Lady Helen. As the bottle broke into pieces, the wine dripping down thedy who looked utterly shocked right now, people around them gasped. Both the women were drenched in wine. One who had sshed the wine on the face and the other who had broken the bottle on the vampiress'' head. The .s.s pieces of the bottle fell down on the ground with soft clinks. Suddenly rage took over Lady Helen, her demeanor turning to one no one had ever seen until now except for her brother. The young vampiress lunged towards Penelope to be stopped by Elliot before anything more broke down in the hall. Penelope on the other hand, received a kerchief from Damien to wipe her face. A smile was stered on his face that let her know how he didn''t mind her breaking a bottle on Lady Helen''s head. "What is going on here?!" As if one wasn''t enough, anotherpet.i.tion was here, thought Penny in her mind when she looked from the corner of her eyes to find the councilwoman walking towards them with her shoes clicking on the marble floor every time her heel touched the surface of the ground. "This is supposed to be a party ce where we gathered to celebrate Mr. Bingley''s birthday. This will have to be reported to the council, such behavior is uneptable," Councilwoman Evelyn said, her eyes sharply looking at the two women who looked like the only fools in the room. "Haha, that isn''t necessary, councilwoman Eveyln," Mr. Bingley didn''t want to make the issue big as it was a small tiff between the two women, though he himself was surprised to see the two women who were drenched in wine, "I didn''t know we were having an event to throw wine on each other." "This should be reported so that women can behave maturely," Evelyn''s eyes then moved to Penelope to catch the broken bottle that appeared to look jagged in her hand. "Woah Woah, theredy!" Elliot walked around the people toe to stand in front of the councilwoman, "Don''t you think you are taking the matter a little too seriously?" "Elliot is right," Alexander stated, "The two children wanted to y and have sorted out things amongst them. Just because your cat doesn''te near you to pet himself doesn''t mean you will raise the issue to the council for silly matters. I am sure you have your hands full with matters that need better attention on it than here." He stepped in because the reporting didn''t mean simple filing to the council. Guards would bring the a.s.sociated person to the magistrate office to settle matters. Lady Helen''s brother hade to take the girl to the restroom to wash but instead of going along with him, she stood right there. Turning herself to talk to the councilwoman, "I would like to raise theint." "Helen, what are you doing?" her brother grit his teeth in question. "She broke a bottle on my head. I already feel the pain and it could have damaged my face. I need justice for it! She needs to be punished!" "Justice for being a maniptive little girl?" Penny retorted back, "I guess one bottle didn''t work for you. We should probably try another one," saying this Penny''s eyes started to look at the nearest servant with a bottle. "She is threatening me!" Lady Helen quickly made her way to stand behind her brother so that he could protect her, "I demand a court filing immediately!" "Alright then. Come with me, Lady," councilwoman Evelyn said, her voice cold and smooth. "Don''t you think you are stretching it a bit too much, Evelyn?" Evelyn suddenly stopped, her eyes s.h.i.+fting to Damien, "Are you perhaps taking the situation to your own advantage? That would be too low for even you," he c.o.c.ked his head to the side, his dark red eyes staring at her. Chapter 448 You And Me- Part 1 Music:?Ruelle ft. Fleurie - Carry You The woman gave a hard look at Damien before twisting her lips, "Will you take me out to the theater?" she asked unashamedly in front of everyone. Lady Helen who was making her way towards the councilwoman stopped to go back to her brother. This woman was courting Mr. Quinn too?! With the drink which was on your dress and on one side of her face, she quietly red at the woman. It was as if two women were fighting and the third one appeared ready to s.n.a.t.c.h the prize. Penelope had guessed that the answer would be no but instead, Damien surprised her by saying, "Sure, I will take you to the theater," he agreed, surprising everyone in the room. Some of them didn''t know what was going on. Three women who were courting the man, Damien Quinn was a popr man, "But, I will tell you the time and ce," he added for the woman to nod. "Okay." When the crowd dispersed by the end of the party, Damien took a wet cloth, wiping Penny''s face. They hadn''t spoken to each other since they had left the halls. In the bathroom, Damien continued to run his hand with the cloth on her skin. "We need to get you out of the wet clothes," he said. Penny stood up, feeling the dress tightly holding her which she hadn''t noticed before with the people around her which had been keeping upied. She turned around as theces were tied from behind and she would need him to pull and untie them before it would release itself. She didn''t know what was going on in Damien''s mind. Out of adrenaline rush, Penny had picked up the bottle and had rammed it against the side of Helen''s head for the words the vampiress had uttered. She had tried to be patient. Gave her a window to let her feelings out but instead, what did that little girl do? She had thrown the drink on her. Penny didn''t understand why Damien had agreed to go out with that councilwoman. Her lips were pressed tightly against each other, refusing to speak a word right now. "You have been very quiet since we left the hall," stated Damien, noticing her tense shoulders. He ced his hands on either side of her shoulders. "Why did you agree to go out to the theater with her?" "Is that what is bothering you? Feeling jealous and insecure?" Damien asked her, his hands sliding down her shoulders to her arms before they s.h.i.+fted down to her waist, "I won''t leave you, mouse." Damien couldn''t stop the grin that formed on his lips, feeling her emotions which she had been holding well until Evelyn showed up, now had turned out to be anxious. Her nerves were errant in worry, her thoughts muddled and confused as to what he and why he had done. "Why?" he heard her question again. He had started to pull thece from her back which had been tightly tied, removing the knots around the crisscross corset and throwing it to the side of the bathroom, "We don''t want another case of you using the bottle to hit someone." "Are you disappointed?" she asked him, her wordsing out to be short as she spoke to him as if she were upset with him. Women didn''t behave the way she did. At least not in a gathering which even she was aware of but she couldn''t help not reacting back at the vampiress for continuously trying to bring her down. By this act, she had proved the vampiress right that she had no .s.s. That she came from a ce where n.o.body wanted her. The one who wanted her was dead but the rest didn''t care. With her anger and words all spent outside talking to the girl and woman outside in the hall, there were no more words she could think of. Rather she felt vulnerable. The councilwoman had made it clear the day they had visited the cemetery on how she had her interests when it came to Damien. He had touched the woman before, they both had, did he perhaps want to touch her again? But it didn''t seem like it, thought Penny to herself. "I am impressed," she heard Damien speak behind her. Feeling his hands around her legs, she felt Damien raise the dress she wore and she raised her hand to remove itpletely. She took off the rest of clothes which had turned wet because of the wine while Damien ran his hand over her back which had red lines, he traced them with his fingers, "How did you breathe in this?" he asked her, getting closer to her, when she stood straight, he caught her in ce. Bending down he kissed her back, his lips touching the red lines, "Does it hurt?" he asked. "No," Penny whispered her words to him. Feeling his warm hands on her skin. Penny was usually the one to subtly protest but she didn''t want to today. She still hadn''t received her answer from him on why he was going to the theater with that councilwoman named Evelyn. "You don''t have to wear these clothes if you aren''tfortable," he murmured against her, leaving a couple more kisses and then standing up. Reaching for the fresh gown, he helped her wear it. Penny had hoped to be kissed more by him but Damien did nothing like that. He helped her b.u.t.ton her dress up while zipping at the back to see her in a floral printed dress. "You broke a bottle on her head and she was persistent in having you being dragged to the magistrate or the court council. Do you know what will happen in the court council? You might be either exposed or you might be highlighted in a way you don''t want to be." "Don''t the council have other better things to do than y with themon people?" "Sometimes they don''t," Damien responded back. Chapter 449 You And Me- Part 2 She walked towards the sink, bending down and was.h.i.+ng her face with the water. Once she had cleaned her face, she took the towel that Damien gave her, dabbing her face with it and then letting it hang on the stand. "You think I don''t want you to join the council for no reason?" Damien asked her. He was sitting on the edge of the bathtub watching her stand in front of him. "Because it isn''t safe," she pipped in. He pulled her by her hand, bringing her close to him before standing up. "It''s a dangerous ce. Like a spider''s web where one cannot get out of it. I would rather you do nothing and stay beside me than do something and turn dead," Damien ran his hand over her freshly washed face. Running his fingers as he traced her face, "Evelyn might put you on spot and before she does I only need to put her where she belongs. If she gets a whiff about you being a witch she won''t think twice before pulling the trigger over your head. She will have more than one reason to pull a trigger over you. Do you want me going rampant and killing people after you die?" he questioned her with a serious question. "Why would you do that¡­? You can go to the theater with her," Penny stated, her gaze falling down and away from him. "You hate the idea about me taking her out so much?" Damien''s eyes burned up brightly with curiosity and excitement. It wasn''t often to hear her speak her mind out about how she felt when it came to jealousy but it was also because she never had anyone to be jealous about back in Bonke. Right now, Damien couldn''t like that he was extremely enjoying himself. "It is not that¡­" He tilted his head in question, "Hmm, it isn''t?" "You said we would be going to the theater," she muttered under her breath without looking up at him and this only deepened the smile on Damien''s face. "Such an obedient mouse looking forward to some good punishment," he pulled her by her waist, to have her finally look up at him, "I won''t be taking her where I will be taking you." Leaning down his head, Penny eagerly reached closer to his face to kiss him. Her own lips moving against his as she felt the pressure increase. Feeling him lick the seam of her lips, she opened to him. Her hands moved to his shoulders and then to wound her hands around his neck, her back arching back as he continued to kiss her until a knock was heard from outside the bathroom door. Penny went to move back but Damien wasn''t pleased nor was he willing when it came to letting her go from his arms. His hold only tightened and his kisses only increased in pressure. Her hands gripped the back of his s.h.i.+rt until he finally let her go. "Um, Sir, do you need any a.s.sistance?" came the voice of a male servant from outside the bathroom. "No, we are good," Damien replied back, looking at Penelope who had looked back at him. Hearing the footsteps of the servant leave the door, he asked her, "Still feeling anxious," he could feel her emotions so transparent that when he touched her cheek she subtly leaned closer to his touch. Opening her green eyes which she had closed for two seconds, she said, "I am okay." "You know when Helen sshed the drink on you, I wasn''t expecting you to quickly pick up the bottle to hit her," she blushed, smiling awkwardly, "I was very surprised at first on what you did. She must have tested you enough for you to want to break it on her head in return," Damien knew that there had always been a spark in Penelope which she hadn''t voiced out before but now that she had enough s.p.a.ce to stretch her hands and wings, she was blooming out to who she really was. "I caused a scene," and she heard him chuckle. "I absolutely loved it. It was beautiful," his eyes twinkled in mirth, "It will be a short visit to the theater with her. You don''t have to work your head too much on it. Leave it to me," he asked to trust her. Penny wasn''t looking forward to it but Evelyn had got herself to have Damien take her out because of what she did, she couldn''t help but think on how scheming this woman was. A simple matter that didn''t concern her had been turned to her own advantage. She could only tell herself to be careful. If Helen was a small snake the councilwoman was a vulture. "Okay," she responded back and found herself to have her forehead to be kissed by Damien. "You created quite a scene outside, you will be the talk of the town today and for the next week," heughed after telling it as if he were enjoying reying the scene over in his head again, "Come, let''s head outside before Mr. Bingley decides we stay here." Stepping out of the bathroom, Damien held Penny''s hand which he hadn''t done earlier when they had arrived here. Walking with her towards the hall and the drawing-room which was adjacent to the hall where others were seated while some stood. Most of the guests had left, leaving only a few back in the Bingley''s mansion. Mrs. Kieth was one of the guests who had stayed back, seated in the plush chair with a .s.s of blood which was served to her. She was speaking to the Lord of Valeria when she saw the couple enter back the room. Damien stepping in first with Penelope, holding each other''s hand. Penny said something to Damien who nodded his head, seeing her walk towards Sylvia and he made his way to where they were. "Everything good?" Alexander asked Damien. "Perfect," Damien smiled, his eyes meeting Mrs. Keith''s. Mrs. Kieth then said, "She is a nice girl," a subtle smile on her lips and she sipped the blood from the .s.s she held. Chapter 450 Happenings In Mythweald- Part 1 She ran through the forest, her feet crunching on the leaves which had freshly fallen after the snow in the forest. Every crunch beneath her legs only gave more proof of her existence here that had people following her right now. She turned around, her eyes livid and her skin that had turned to the scaly nature which she belonged to. Bathsheba breathed heavily, catching some breath to see the men and women who weren''t too far from where she was. Gunshots was fired and she suddenly took herself to hide, not able to run anymore. With her back against the trunk of the tree, she ced both her hands on her mouth and nose, not letting anyone know she was here. "Where did she go?!" asked one of the men who had been following her. His hand carried the bow with his back that carried a number of arrows with its tips made out of silver to stop and kill the ck witch. "She mustn''t be too far. Search her!" came a woman''s voice. The woman had ck straight hair which she had braided from behind. Her eyebrows sharply looking along with her ck eyes, "She was right here." "Yes!" came a series of voices that echoed through the forest. Bathsheba had been fine an hour ago. After running away from Isle Valley with the hunter hot on her tail where she had to kill him and leave thend, she had made her way across the border of Mythweald which was thend of South, hoping the witch hunters wouldn''t catch her. Taking a temporary job in a quiet vige, she served drinks and food to the people who came which she had been managing just fine until tonight. Bathsheba was a lookerpared to the other humans which rolled in decent s.h.i.+llings of coins in her pocket but today particrly had been a bad day. She had been serving drinks to one of the men in the local inn like a bar, not knowing that he was a witch hunter along with the rest of hispany. It wasn''t that she hadn''t dealt with witch hunters before but knowing the location of Mythweald, there were very few witches and because of it, they had fewer witch hunters. But who would have thought that he had dipped himself in the potion which made the white and the ck witches skin to react and make them feel heady like someone had drugged them. She had been caught. Her skin had turned to the scaly features that even though she bolted from the bar, the hunters had caught a whiff of her appearance who now were ardently chasing her. Bathsheba heard the main witch hunter who was the woman instruct her subordinates to search her as the people spread themselves. At this rate, she doubted if she would be able to live long. The more the people searched the more her time turned out to be limited. Very carefully she moved around the tree when one of the men came too close to her. This wasn''t the time to fight as she knew she was outnumbered. She would die before even thinking about attacking someone and her only survival was to hide and defend herself. "Where is that f.u.c.king c.u.n.t?" asked the woman, her gun ready to shoot the ck witch, "I thought we had no ck witch in the vicinity. Didn''t the exorcism take ce?" she red down at one of them. "We made sure to run the check plenty of times. She must be a new witch here," answered the man. "I want her dead or wait. Bring her alive. The mistress might want another addition to her party," Bathsheba heard the woman speak, making her wonder who this mistress was. "But the mistress said to kill every possible ck witch and a white witch. She fears that they might be working with the council," spoke the man. The womanughed, "Yes, it is possible but we can also get the information back from the council. All we need to do is torture the witch and bring what is needed." One of her men came closer to her, asking, "Is it alright to go against the council? I thought we were working for them," the woman turned to look at him. Her eyes gauging the man. "Do you want to go back to them?" seeing the fluctuating att.i.tude of the man that she caught in his eyes, she raised her gun and pulled the trigger before anyone could even react, "Do we have anyone else who is in doubt on whose favor we fight? Don''t forget it is the councilmen who have been behaving like fools. They let people die and do not investigate the matter," she tched loudly. "They said it was a heart explosion," pipped another. "That is what they say, but are we sure? They killed Master Creed. It is only right we help those who need our help, not people who are not worth our trust," said the woman, her ck eyes looking at the ckness of the night where there was no moon in the sky and the sky was covered because of the trees that didn''t let anyone see the sky. Master Creed, thought the woman, remembering the man who had picked her up from the streets and had looked after her. Had given her a meaningful job to serve him and the people by turning her to a witch hunter. But after hearing about his death a few weeks ago, she couldn''t believe that a man as capable as him had been killed and there was no further information which was given to her when she tried to enquire about it. "Do you think they don''t go further into the investigation? The council always goes deeper than it but for some reason, they didn''t do it this time. Just like that," her voice went up loud, "Just like that they dered him dead and closed the matter. I know it was someone from the council but I don''t know who. The council cannot be trusted my friends and if there''s someone you can trust right now, it is Sabbi." Chapter 451 Happenings In Mythweald- Part 2 "But she is a ck witch,"mented one of her men whom she led in hunting down the witches. "Isn''t she too young to devise something like this?" asked another man. "I heard Sabbi was working with Master Creed. Is it true, Ms. M?" There were some whispers from them, when they heard the woman named M speak to them, "Master Creed was working with the ck witch named Sabbi." "But we have never seen her. How do we know it is the truth?" asked another man. "Because the ck witch has the crest of Master Creed. It was given to her by him as a deal to be kept. It is only right we serve her," she said, her eyes searching through the trees to see if the other ck witch who hade here was sitting in the branches, "The ck witches who here need to be killed, the ones who are new. The old ones will be left untouched. Our goal is to help Sabbi in what she and Master Creed had nned for our future." "I really don''t think it is a good idea to listen to her. ck witches are not to be trusted-" M didn''t bother for him to continue his words and she pulled the trigger, "Any more people who think like the ones who are dead?" she looked at her men, her eyes staring at the people who didn''t protest or speak a word, "Keep searching for her and make sure she doesn''t return back here. Dead or alive shouldn''t matter much. I will be going to Diskenth to report what happened here. Bathsheba who had been hiding from every witch hunter here, felt herself release her breath when she heard the footsteps scatter and move away from where she was. "Sabbi?" she asked herself. She had never heard of a ck witch with that name. Of course, Creed was a popr name which she had heard in the market who was part of the council for a long time. He was dead? Thanks to working with Damien, Bathsheba had learned quite a few names who were in the council. She had to find out who this Sabbi was, something didn''t feel right here. Mythweald was supposed to be and free of any witches roaming around. It was because the witches came from the north, moving to East mostly and then to West but very few had an opportunity to move further down as they were usually caught and killed, or many didn''t dare to move down in the fear of being killed. Bathsheba was one of the very few ck witches who still had a decent heart in mind of not wanting to live like how the other ck witches lived. She wanted a life of solitude but when a person was a ck witch, the word solitude did not exist. There were witch hunters who were often on the tail and if that wasn''t enough, her own kind would set her up to traps to get caught and burnt. Such was her life. She knew that the council was not clean but to think that a pureblooded vampire would go as far as to kill his own kind and others by siding with the creatures who were trying to kill humans, vampires, pureblooded vampires, they sure were a bunch of idiots, thought Batheshaba to herself. She had to go back to Bonke. The only person she could trust and who trusted her a little out of the whole lot was Damien Quinn. Now that she had moved down South, she had to go back to thend of Bonke. She had to let him know what was going on in here and that there was going to be a riot soon. With the witch hunters gone, Bathsheba started to make her way to Bonke. She carried no broomstick at the thought of being caught which would make her travel slow. There wasn''t anything important, therefore she walked away from the forest, making her way towards the road. She had some coins and the night was still young. If she was lucky she could catch the local carriage which would take her to the next town or vige which was much safer from this ce. Reaching the road, Bathsheba walked on the side while also keeping an eye to make sure no one was following her. Soon she heard the sound of carriage that was heading from behind, turning herself back to her human appearance from the ck witch appearance which was hideous. She stood there, waving her hand for the coachman to notice her. She moved her hand up and down, hoping it was a local carriage and not a private one which rarely stopped. Rich men and women who owned carriages never stopped for others, unless they were really kind or if they wanted something from the pa.s.senger. With no coat in the cold winter which was yet to pa.s.s by, she stood on the lonely road, the carriageing to a halt and she let a sigh of relief pa.s.s through her lips. The coach person was a young man, who smiled looking at her. Right now she was a beautiful woman therefore no one would pa.s.s by her without stopping to give her another nce. It was one of the deceiving characteristics of the ck witch. Their extreme beauty which had the ability to sway any man''s heart. "Where do you want to go, mdy?" the coachman asked, wondering what a lone woman was doing here in the middle of the road. "Where is this carriage going?" Bathsheba asked to make sure it was safe to ride in than invite more trouble to her. The man gave her a thoughtful look. Staring at her, "To the town of Hamps.h.i.+re." "Oh," she responded back, her eyes catching a glint of something s.h.i.+ning in the side of his shoe which was covered by his trouser, "That''s alright. I am going the other way," she gave him a polite smile. . Do consider voting for the book with your powerstones at the end of the chapter. Chapter 452 Happenings In Mythweald- Part 3 "Let me drop you to the next vige. It would be wrong to not offer you help and leave you stranded until the next carriage appears," the young man offered her but the ck witch was having her doubts with him insisting her. Stepping down from the carriage, he walked around the horses and Bathsheba took two steps behind to see the man walk towards the door of the carriage and open it, "I am sure you will enjoy thepany," he smiled at her with the door opening. His own appearance changed to one like the ck witcher. His eyes turning to slits and his face transforming the smoothplex to one that looked like a draughtednd, skin that was dry and broken. She took another step behind her and at the same time, she heard the rustle of leaves behind her to find the two of the witch hunters who had been chasing her earlier with the woman. "Come join us," the young man said to her, keeping the door of the carriage open and when she didn''t get in, she saw a child''s feet hanging as if a child was seated in there. She could see the frock along with the dress. Had the ck witcher kidnapped a little girl without the parents'' knowledge? But that wasn''t the case. In less than ten seconds, the little girl stepped down from the seat. Stepping outside the carriage with the help of the ck witcher who gave her his hand when she was going to get down. The girl stepping down stared up at her. She looked no more than a child above five or six years of age. What was going on? Bathsheba couldn''t tell with the two witch hunters behind her and the ck witcher who stood right in front of her with the small girl. "Let me pa.s.s through," said Bathsheba, not wanting to cause any trouble and not wanting trouble from them. "Join us in the carriage. Come with us," said the coachman, snickering in the end at her confused face. Seeing the witch hunters who did nothing but stand behind her, she could only conclude that both these people were working together and the ck witcher in front of her would be left unharmed. The little girl then spoke, her voice sweet and almost kind when Bathsheba failed to respond back to the ck witchers offer, "She won''t. She''s from anothernd. Kill her," said the small girl with little to no remorse. Bathsheba stumbled away from them, her back turning and trying to escape them after muttering some spells but that didn''t help. "But Ms. Judith-" "Lady Sabbi has no ce for people with second thoughts. Shoot her unless you want me to report how incapable you are in your job," the little girl smiled, a smile that resembled as if she belonged to Satan''s daughter, "We don''t travel every day back and forth through these roads for fun. It is to kill the weak and strong and keep only the ones who can offer their loyalty. Go on," she said softly. The coachman pulled the knife from his shoe, throwing it right at the ck witch''s leg that made her stagger and fall on the road when he threw two more at her legs and back. The witch hunters came forward with the other two, watching the woman crawl on the ground as she tried to get away from them. "Why didn''t you kill her directly?" one of the witch hunters asked, drawing the arrow which was on their back. The little girl smiled down looking at her fellow ck witch as her appearance changed. From the sweet girl she started to transform into a version of a ck witch, "Because we ck witches like torturing others," said the ck witcher. The witch hunter raised his hand before running the arrow right into Bathsheba''s body where her heartid in her chest. Bathsheba cried in the pain of the silver piercing through her skin and body. The more the hunter pushed the arrows, the closer it reached her heart, her eyes turning dim as she realized she wasn''t going to live anymore. She was going to cease and before she could think anymore, her body started to crumble into dust, one cell in her body to another like a chain reaction that had started. She raised her hand as if reaching for something or someone. Tears formed in her eyes and when her heart raised up the rest of her body caught up and left behind nothing but the clothes that she had been wearing. "Clean this up," the little girl said, turning her back and getting back inside the carriage as they had more rounds to take to see if they could find other witches here. The hunters picked up the clothes and went back inside the forest, trailing back to where they hade from. In one of the nearest viges of the forest, the woman named M got back to the building which had been abandoned by one of the family. The locals called it the ghost house and because of the fear, the humans never came near it which had turned to a ce where the witches and others came down to meet. Stepping inside therge house which was broken with no windows and that had .u.mted dust, she saw the man who ran and handled the witch hunters group in thend of Mythweald. Diskenth. "You arete," the man said letting go of the witch whom he had been kissing. M stared at the witch who smiled at her coyly before walking away from them so that they could speak. "I met a witch." "Where is she?" asked the man named Diskenth, his long blonde hairbed behind which looked dirty and unwashed for days. His eyes moved behind her to see no one there. "She escaped. She''s being hunted at the moment, shouldn''t be too long before she is dead," M reported him and then walked away from the man. She didn''t know why Master Creed had a.s.signed him when all he did was manwh.o.r.e with the ck witches. His att.i.tude towards the work they did irk her and she knew it was only time when she would rece him and teach him his ce. She was about to take her seat near the dirty and dusty staircase when there was a series of murmur at the entrance. A young girl entered the house, her dress clean and her blonde hair which was tied. Her bright blue eyes staring at the people who were in the house. Chapter 453 Happenings In Mythweald- Part 4 M looked at the girl who looked as good as a fifteen or sixteen-year-old. Her blue eyes which were the most attractive feature of her face which scanned the room, walking forward and entering the room that gained everyone''s attention. Though by looks she looked young, M was sure she was older than the rest who were here. They had been hunting witches for years now, their n which was created by Councilman Creed, they often caught the witches and brought them to Creed''s disposal, to M he was a father figure, someone who had bothered to care for her when there was no roof to shelter her. It was only after Creed''s death did this young ck witch show up in front of her but toe in front of everyone today, she wondered what was going on. The ck witch had appeared only in front of a few people, and she chose her time wisely before she disappeared again making her almost like a phantom ghost. Getting up, she went to the ck witch to greet her. M bowed her head, the girl looked young but that didn''t mean she was young. There were rumors on how ck witches hid their age, slowing down their age process simr to the vampires but gradually moving forward than stopping and then continuing their age like pureblooded vampires did. "Who do we have here?" Diskenth asked, standing up walking towards the beautiful ck witch who looked young. Of course, the man had never met her even though he was a.s.signed by Master Creed. Diskenth not having met her before went forward, touching her hair when suddenly he screamed in pain, "AHH!" his hand twisting by itself and he fell on his knees with pain. The other witch hunters and some of the witches who had taken a hub here just stared at the young girl. Her hand which was in her coat pulled out the voodoo doll which she had been holding in her hand. She didn''t bother to talk to him and instead spoke to M, "Where are the rest of the members?" M didn''t know how the ck witch knew that some of them were still out as she had never met them before. "They went out after a witch. They should be back soon," she informed the young ck witch who only continued to stare down at the man and the people, looking them in the eye. M was not particrly fond of the ck witches but it seemed like Master Creed had great ns along with this witch to turn the world to a better ce. And she believed the man. "That''s alright. From now I will be here mostly telling you what to do and not," said the young girl with blue eyes, "Both Creed and I wanted to change thends. The people who most have been believing are nothing but falsified statements that are filled with lies. People are selfish and will steal any and everything which is why people who in support will be weed and be allowed to be part of something bigger that will change the history of thesends. Children like you will not be abandoned." "How can we trust you?" a woman asked from behind, "The ck witches have done nothing but bring us trouble over the years." The blue-eyed girl smiled, "I won''t deny there are some of the ck witches who are like that who like disrupting things around which is why I will be managing those witches from now. Leave them in my care and they will not only work for me but for you. My name is Sabbi," she announced it out loud which returned some murmurs from the crowd of witch hunters, "This is what your master Creed wanted. To clean the council, to clean the council, you need to clean thends and to clean thends we first need to clean the towns and the viges. To take control, unless you want to turn your fate to something like this." The girl said looking down at the man who had tried to touch her which reminded her of the time when her mother had been vited in front of her. When she napped the arms of the voodoo doll, the man screamed in agony and pain. His arm looking loose as if it was barely hanging on his shoulder right now. The people around her looked at her in shock. They hadn''t heard her whisper nor did they see her move her lips, all she had to do was move the doll to get her work done. They had never heard or seen anything like this. "Taking that you will cooperate well, I look forward to working with all of you," said the young blue-eyed girl who had called herself to be Sabbi. Upon hearing a carriage that came to stop by in front of the abandoned house, the girl turned around, walking out with M who followed her closely. "Mistress, wee back," the little girl named Judith bowed at Ester who was small in stature, "I didn''t know you were going to visit us here." "I thought it was time to look at how things were going here. I will be here, monitoring how to establish ourselves and make sure the council doesn''t have much hold on the people or management. You''re doing a wonderful job, M but make sure from now any witch you find you bring him or her to me," Ester gave a peaceful smile to the human hunter who nodded her head, "Go inside and kill the boy there. We don''t need someone handicap who can''t work for us." M didn''t move from her ce. She hated the man but he had been working with them for some years now and it was none other than Sabbi who had almost torn his arm off his body. "I can send drop him to another vige-" M started to hear the girl interrupt her, "He knows too much. We don''t want him bbering something he shouldn''t out of hate. If you don''t go now and do what I have asked you to do," the blue eyes of the girl stared into hers. M gave her a reluctant nod, walking inside and pulling out her gun to point at the man who had hurled himself on the floor in pain. When Diskenth and the others watched her aim her gun, the man started to wave his only good arm in front of her, "What are you doing?!" Diskenth asked in terror, his eyes wide and M shot the man dead. Outside the house, the little girl turned hearing the gunshot inside the house, she looked up at her mistress and said, "You have found your scapegoats. It is good that Creed died. You were going to kill him anyway," giggled the little girl. Chapter 454 Seeing You Go- Part 1 When Penelope woke up the next morning in the Delcorv''s mansion which was situated in Valeria, she caught sight of Damien who had got himself ready and looked handsome as he usually did. His ck hair wasbed behind, his face clean and neat with a coat that he wore on the clothes he was already wearing. cing one hand to sit up, Penny brought her legs close to her while seeing Damien walking around the room. Noticing her up, he made way to her and kissed her cheek, "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" he asked her, tucking in thevender-colored scarf in the middle of his vest coat. "It was okay¡­" she replied, watching his hands movements when she asked, "Are you going to meet Evelyn today?" she heard him hum for an answer. "Better to finish it sooner than have it pending. Don''t you agree?" he asked in return. From standing in front of the mirror, he came back to sit in front of her. Penny knew that Damien had told her there was nothing to worry about and she knew he didn''t feel that way with the councilwoman but women were vile and they were far worse than vile when it came to the matters of men, money and other things which they felt they owned and deserved. She was worried where Eveyln would try doing something to him which was already making her ufortable. "Yes, the sooner the better," the faster this was done, the faster Evelyn would be out of the picture. Before Damien leaned forward towards her, Penny picked up the .s.s of water and started to gargle her mouth to rid her mouth from any bad breath. Damienughed hearing this. "You know I don''t mind kissing you like that. It wouldn''t make much difference to me," he said pus.h.i.+ng the .s.s of water away from her mouth when she took another gulp, "Worrying about things that shouldn''t matter," he leaned closer, tipping her head after her mouth turned empty and parted for him to close her mouth with his, "Think about me," he whispered on her lips, pulling away and gazing down her eyes. "You won''t tell me where you are taking her?" Penny asked, anxiousness lingering beneath her skin and he only responded with. "Nope," her heart sank hearing this. To have the man you love, go with another woman and not worry about it was not possible in her case. Damien hadn''t given her any details and her mind was going wilder with every thought that pa.s.sed through her mind. Thankfully, he wasn''t taking her in the night, else she was sure there would be another bottle waiting for Eveyln this time. "I will see you in the evening, okay? Be a good girl," he kissed her again and she could only see him leave the room with her heart sinking further in her chest. Damien went down, his carriage ready but instead he went to meet Alexander who had onlypleted writing the new reports while also adding another report on yesterday''s event to the head council before someone else gave the story which was bent and manipted about Penelope breaking the bottle on Lady Helen''s head. People had no better work to do and having ample time in their hand, he was sure some woulde up with bizarre stories of how Lady Helen''s life had been threatened by a human who had tried to kill her with a bottle of alcohol in it. "Aren''t you a little too dressed to meet a woman you aren''t interested in?" Alexander asked Damien as his cousin took hold of the report which he would be sent to another man so that the letters wouldn''t be lost. "I am?" Damien questioned moving to the window to look at his reflection, making sure his hair was sitting perfectly without moving left or right. "You know more thanst night, I am surprised that Penelope hasn''t broken .s.s on your head for agreeing to go out with Lady Evelyn," Alexander leaned back with his chair that stretched back, looking at Damien who grinned widely, "What have you nned? Don''t do something extreme," he warned him knowing how Damien was. "Keep her mind upied. You can teach her the curses from the book. Supervise her." "Chaperone you mean," Alexander moved back and walked out with Damien. "She likes the spells and the curses. The forbidden magic hasn''t hurt her so she shouldn''t turn into aplete ck witch right now. I will go have these submitted," Damien waved the envelopes before heading to the carriage and the carriage left after a minute. "Hm? Damien left already?" Elliot walked towards where Alexander stood, his ears picking on the carriage that left the mansion, "He seems very excited to finish it up. I wouldn''t me him if he was excited to meet Lady Evelyn. Even with the sharp features and her cold look, she is quite a looker. Don''t you agree?" asked Elliot not knowing Penny had only gone to step down to make an about-turn and go back to her room. "You are an idiot," Alexander muttered hearing the faint footsteps retreat. "What? For calling Lady Evelyn pretty?" he tilted his head not knowing what he had done. Alexander sighed, giving Elliot a nk stare and walking away from there. Penny went back to her room and shut the door close. Going to the bed and falling t on her face to say, "I hope they don''t meet today. Ugh," she grumbled. She knew Damien had done it for her sake, to not rebuke anything by giving out favors but had thedy no shame!? It seemed like some of the vampiresses had none even after they had openly imed that she was Damien''s fiancee. She could only wonder about what they would be doing from now until the time of the evening. After Damien was done submitting the doc.u.ments to the councilman who was traveling to the East where the council was located, he went to pick up Lady Evelyn from her mansion. Chapter 455 Seeing You Go- Part 2 Lady Evelyn was ecstatic when Damien arrived at the front of her door at the time of noon. Wearing clean crisp clothes, looking chic like a gentleman, she couldn''t tell how delighter her eyes were to see him now but more than that she was happy to see him standing there waiting for her. Even during the time in the past, the man had never done this for her ever and it p.r.i.c.ked her heart. She quickly dispersed the thought away, walking in an expensive-looking gown that was emerald in color. With a coat of thick fur, and jewels that sparkled around her neck, she walked to him with the mansion butler who had opened the door for her. "Good afternoon, Damien," she greeted him, dropping the t.i.tle from his name to make the noon much closer and intimate. Damien smiled back at her, "Good afternoon, Evelyn. You look lovely," heplimented her. Of course, she was looking beautiful right now and Evelyn knew that without anyone having to tell her but hearing thepliment that rolled out of Damien''s tongue, it only made the time sweet. "Shall we?" Damien asked her, giving his hand like a gentleman and Eveyln only turned that much pleased by his behavior. She knew they were a perfect match for each other, so perfect in everything that she didn''t know what he was doing with that human yesterday. Maybe if she tried to jog his memory with some events, trying to create some that would remind him of the good time they had spent when he hade here to Valeria two visits ago, things could turn back again and Damien would leave that human, seeing how much shecked while how much Evelyn herself had the potential to be his bride. Evelyn stepped in the carriage, moving herself to the other side of the seat while making room for Damien. Once the carriage started, she moved closer to him, cing her hand around his like they were a couple. "I am so d that you agreed toe and take me out to the theater. Though I must say, I would have been more impressed if you took me to the night theater. I wouldn''t have minded if you made the ns for it," her right hand touched his leg, her fingers running delicately on his cks of pants that he wore right now. "You didn''t give me an option," Damien smiled back, a crinkled smile that looked down at her which wasn''t the usual smile he gave to Penny. "How could I? I needed to make sure we could spend some quality time with you taking me to the theater so that we could enjoy ourselves. Do you not miss me, Damien?" Evelyn asked, her red eyes peering up to look at him. Evelyn couldn''t stop herself from admiring the man who sat next to her right now. Damien looked like one of the high standing councilmen, a true pureblooded vampire with the way his ck hair had beenbed behind to perfection. His sharp jaws and the straight nose stood proud on his face. Damien smiled at her, taking her hand and putting it back on herp as he said, "You seem to have forgotten our deal, Evelyn," a look of displeasure pa.s.sed through the vampiress'' eyes, "What happened in the past was a deal where no one would be emotionally attached to another. That when the time needed anyone could call quits. If I am not wrong, you were the one who set it," he raised his eyebrow at her, pulling out a pack of cigar from his pocket to ce it between his lips and then light it up. Evelyn responded back, "It was different back then. Now it is different, now I want you," she dered to hear Damien chuckle. "I think you missed the memo but I already have a fiancee whom I very much am in love with-" "I will make it change," Evelyn said, her words firm. She had to close her eyes when Damien blew the smoke right over her face. "Change what? You are you and she is she, and so am I. Take this as a day to have closure and end it right here. Today," Damien looked at her through the clouded smoke. But Evelyn didn''t take a no for an answer. The woman was a pureblooded vampire and not some weak or meek human to give him this easily. She had held her affections, waiting for the right time but here he was already engaged to a human girl? What a joke thought Evelyn to herself. If she couldn''t change Damien''s mind, then she wouldn''t mind erasing the girl from thesends. It wasn''t the first time where Evelyn had tried to keep women away from Damien. She had done that stealthy when they spent a few hours touching each other. "I won''t give up on you, Damien." "Good luck waiting for nothing then," he answered her, taking a drag from the cigar and then blowing the air where the carriage had turned full of smoke. "Do you really need to smoke now when we are going to the theater?" she asked him, her red eyes staring at him as he took a peek outside the window. The esteemed theaters were something where only the pureblooded vampires went and maybe some scarce number of humans who were rich. A lot of money was required to be able to afford to step inside and look at what was in there and more money depending on where one wanted to seat themselves in the theater gallery. The perfume which she had sprinkled on herself started to evaporate and she was soon going to smell as if she hade out of a burning house. "If you don''t like mypany you can get down. No one is forcing you, dear. It was your idea to ride the carriage and take you to the theater," upon Damien''s harsh words on her ears, Evelyn could only quietly fume without expressing anything more knowing well how Damien''s smart mouth worked. Chapter 456 Enjoy Your Time Lady- Part 1 Leaning back, she crossed her arms to sit without another word. She didn''t want to spoil the mood of them going to the theater. Evelyn knew that Damien was only testing her. It was his habit to test people and get on their nerves until he took the pure enjoyment from it. She let him instigate her as much as he wanted but she wasn''t going to step out of the carriage without him. It was noon now and by the time they reached, with the carriage being pulled over, Evelyn looked outside at the ce it had been stopped, "Is there a new theater here?" she wasn''t aware of one here and why it looked like the buildings here were small and not big enough to what she was used to looking when she was dressed the way she was now. "This, mdy, is an old theater," Damien replied to her. The coachman who had jumped down from his seat, he walked around the carriage to pull the door open. Damien got down from the carriage and then Evelyn got down with a frown on her face. In front of them stood an old oval-like building at the front and up in the flyer which looked tattered, it read ''Minnie''s theater''. Evelyn crossed her hands again, "Please tell me you didn''t n to go to this one," she huffed softly looking at the old building which looked like it could possibly copse with two or three strong rains being poured down at it. "You said you wanted to go to the theater and this is what popped in my mind. You don''t like it?" Damien turned around to look at Evelyn. Evelyn in return gave him a tight smile, "Not at all. It will be a decent thing to experience this," she waved her hand. Before walking forward, Damien again gave his hand for her to take. The man had his own flippant att.i.tude which fluctuated left and right that could give a person a headache with the continuous whish but she was ready topromise with it. They walked towards the entrance until she caught sight of a familiar man who worked for the council. Not directly but someone who handled the resources for more than three to four towns which made him an important person. The man was in histe forties and a human, wearing a hat and his small potbelly which was covered by the s.h.i.+rt and the coat that he wore. "Good afternoon, Mr. Prescley. Did we make you wait long?" asked Damien to the man, greeting him with a handshake, "Not at all, Mr. Quinn. It has been less than five minutes since I have been here. I am so d to see you here, councilwoman Evelyn," Mr. Prescley greeted the vampiress'' hand. His kiss lingering longer on the back of her hand which made a smooching sound on her glove that irked her. "It is good to see yourself too, Mr. Prescley," Evelyn put up a business-like smile on her face. She didn''t know what this man was doing here when her time with Damien was supposed to be of spending time together. Unlike others, she couldn''t handle the man crisply as they had offers to pull from him. Speaking or treating the man rudely would not only affect her image but she would also have to hear from the council on the mistakes she had made when her record until now had been perfect. Hearing a drum roll of music being heard when the door opened for a local man who stepped out of the theater with ragged clothes. Internally the vampiress cringed looking at what came outside. The ce also had some strange smell which she couldn''t express right now. After all, she was a councilwoman who had to know how to handle anything at any time. But at the same time to think she would be going inside like this where she had dressed for the elite theater, she could only silently re at Damien before pus.h.i.+ng her thoughts aside that she would still be able to spend time with him so it didn''t matter. "It is good that you have made time to speak to the council. Regarding the issue with the crops in the fields because of the Wintend that we have, it has been frosting and most of them dying. It would leave very little for the time when Summer arrives where everything will have to be rented," it was only when what Damien next said did Evelyn''s head snap suddenly to look at him, "Councilwoman Evelyn will be at your disposal to talk to you about it. She is not only a councilwoman but also part of the elder council which would make it easier for you to discuss instead of the back and forth letters." "What are you doing?" Evelyn asked, anger surfacing in her eyes. He had brought work when she had nned to watch the theater. Damien gave her a bright smile, "I am making your task easier, councilwoman Evelyn. This way we canplete the work efficiently. Lord Alexander said on how there were some pending matters that were being waited on as the elders have been upied and are taking the time. I think it would be great to use the time to enjoy the theater as well asplete the work at the same time for both of you," he continued to smile while Evelyn couldn''t believe what he had just done. Evelyn turned to Mr. Prescley, "I would like a word about the same with councilman Damien if you don''t mind," she said with a polite smile, taking Damien by his arm, walking to the side she red at him with untamed anger, "Are you forgetting something? This was supposed to be my time with you-" "Councilwoman Evelyn, I don''t remember you asking me to watch the y with you. Your words were ''Take me to the y'' and I have done just that part which not to forget I said I would choose the time and ce." Chapter 457 Enjoy Your Time Lady- Part 2 "Yes, I didn''t forget but to let me be stranded and twist your words how you wanted, don''t you think it is a little more than a foul?" she red at him. If she could, she would have burned Damien with just her gaze for the humiliation she was feeling right now. Damien tched at her words. Shaking his head in disappointment, "Don''t turn it around me. You are a councilwoman and should be wise enough to know what you are getting into when ites to the deals you make. I upheld my side of the deal of what you wanted from me," he smiled, looking at Mr. Prescley who was waiting for her, "Speaking about foul y, don''t you think you are trying too hard when I have been clear enough to let you in that I have no interest in you." "You could have refused it instead of bringing me here to only send with this d.a.m.n old man," Evelyn spoke through her gritted teeth. "Would you have let it go, if I were to refuse your deal. Trying to trap me for something so silly," the smile that was on his face fell down, sending a sharp re back at her, "Don''t test me, Evelyn. Drop your persuasion while I still have patience when ites to you. You know what will happen if you don''t listen to me, don''t you? Enjoy your y with him." Evelyn didn''t say anything and returned back to Mr. Prescley, turning to give him a look before she made her way with the man, getting inside the theater doors. Walking back towards the carriage, he heard his coachman ask, "Where do we go next, Master Damien?" With one foot on the stand of the carriage, "Take me the town next to the mansion. I have something to pick from there." Penelope sat on the bed with the book of spells thatid open in front of her. It was Lady Isabelle''s book on the creation of charm stones. She hade to know finally why the red stones couldn''t be achieved by the people in the church. The stones which were made in the church were not natural stones but one which was synthetic and not a hundred percent efficient to what they were created. She stepped out of the mansion that noon, upying her mind than thinking about what Damien and that councilwoman might be doing right now in the theater. Enjoying themselves. Her jaw clenched together at the thought of it. Picking everything that she would need, she even picked up the fur of the cat, Areo as one of the ingrident''s recements. Going to the butler, she asked him for the freshly cut out blood of an animal and Martin cut themb which was going to be cooked for tonight''s meal. Taking everything along with the book with her to the study room, she saw Alexander who was working at his desk. Bowing at him, she made her way through the rack of books to go to the room of potions and books. Walking in, she ced the book on the b of the center table in the room. Starting to heat up a cauldron while walking to the potions, picking them one after another. Smelling them to either carry or to ce them back from where she had picked them. Once she was done picking everything up, she started to add them one after another. Chanting spells that were written in the witch''snguage. Mixing everything up, she looked at the colorless liquid like water in the cauldron. She added the blood of themb but the red blood that touched the surface of the liquid turned to colorless with not a hint of the blood in it. Somewhere Penny was worried, her ability to purify liquids was something simr that it didn''t matter what she touched at times as it could be turned to clean pure water regardless of what it was previously. The liquid continued to boil in its own heating temperature before she turned off the fire and ced the cauldron in a vessel of cold water as she had put the snow in it for cooling purposes. When the church had tried it every time, the people there had been unsessful in creating the red charm stone. It was a stone that not only protected the soul from the harm of the ck witches but it was a sign of protection of love. It could deflect the nature of the witches. It was told in the past on how pureblooded vampires got their stones made just so that the witches could not manipte them. Taking the knife in her hand, Penny p.r.i.c.ked her finger with the sharp tip of the knife for drops of blood to start falling down on the surface of the cauldron which was cooling. The red color spreading lightly and then turning darker with every addition of the blood in it. She chanted using the spells again and in no time, the liquid started to evaporate, the content of it getting lesser and lesser. Penny could feel her eyes turning, the changes she could finally sense where she didn''t need a mirror to see that her normal eyes had turned to slits. She had tapped into the forbidden magic. essing it and as time pa.s.sed she could feel her heart thudding in her chest. Staring into the vessel where the entire water had evaporated leaving a single crystal of red stones which didn''t need sharpening or cutting as the spell had done the job for it. She picked up the stone in her red which looked blood red. She had used her own blood to create it. But she had also added more than protection in here. It was the longevity of life, her fear and worry about his corruption was something that had started to worry hertely. Though Damien had told he was alright, there was a part of her which knew it wasn''t true. He had seen him struggle, the pain in his red eyes. If the entire council and the public were to know about it, Damien Quinn would be another target in the society who would be added to the list along with the witches. Chapter 458 Taking The Right One Out- Part 1 This would do, at least she hoped it did. She was still looking at it, turning the stone in her hand when she heard, "Did it work?" Her head snapped to look at Alexander who had been standing at the door for a while now, watching her work with the stones. He caught sight of the red stone in Penelope''s hand. "Could you test it for me?" Penny asked him as he had toldst time that he could identify the stones to be real or false ones. Alexander made his way to where she was, taking the crystal which she had created, "You made it very quick. I tried creating it myself but I couldn''t," he looked at the stone closely, turning it in his hand. Seconds pa.s.sed by and Alexander was yet to answer if she had done it right. He finally handed it to her, "Did you add something into it? It doesn''t feel the same as what I am wearing," he looked at her. "Ah, the book asked to add a sacrificial animal''s blood but I ended a bit of my own in it," she said not sure if she did it right. Penny had not stuck to the rules and steps of the book and had instead added her own into it. "It looks fine," he replied, "Congrattions on your first charm stone. Is that for Damien?" Penny nodded her head. "It is good to see that you both treasure each other well," Penny beamed at his words, "And that you are still doing fine," the man looked at her eyes which went back to looking normal after a few seconds. This only proved that the forbidden magic was restricted to the white witches but the samews didn''t hold for the children who came from mixed parents. "Lord Alexander?" "Yes," he wondered what she wanted to ask. "Is there something that is precious to you here. In this mansion," she asked to see him give her a questionable look, "Apart from Areo that is," she knew that Alexander loved his cat as the cat was usually found near him, resting near his leg and the other times walking on the roof of the mansion or somewhere where no one could see or catch it. "The rose." "Rose?" she asked him. Who knew that Lord Alexander loved nts. Maybe that is how and why the butler took utmost care of the nts in the garden, it was his master''s influence on him. "The blue roses at the corner of the corner. You will find it behind the red roses. Don''t pluck more than one," he gave her a pointed look as if the blue roses held some sort of meaning to it. Lord Alexander went back to the study room, going back to his desk to continue his work. Penny in the meantime tiptoed out of the mansion again, taking not more than a petal from the blue rose. As she walked through the entrance, she caught sight of a maid who worked in the Delcorv''s mansion looking at Penny who returned back from the garden. When the time of afternoon started to transition to evening, the clouds cleared somewhat to give a glimpse of the multicolored sky. The color of orange and pinking through the blue color of the sky, Penny had onlye out of the study room when she caught Damien who had only returned back from his time with Lady Evelyn. Her footsteps slowed down, watching him carry a box that was wrapped like ate Christmas present. "How was your day?" Penelope asked, her throat dry and her eyes looking at him with a slight anxiousness in them. "It was wonderful. The best day I have had in awhile," Penny''s hand clenched together hearing it. Of course, beautifuldy, good .s.sy theater, the atmosphere must have been good enough for Damien to enjoy with her, "Why do you look sad?" he asked her, his head tilting in question as if not knowing the reason when he knew it well. "It wouldn''t have hurt to tell it was bad at least for the sake of it," she muttered under her breath. The box must be a gift by the woman, thought Penny to herself. "What is that that I hear?" Damien frowned, saying, "Is that jealousy?" "It is not," Penny turned her head and herself walking towards the stairs and Damien followed her, "I had a wonderful time here myself." "You did? I thought you would have missed me," hemented, keeping up with her quick feet which walked on the stairs and then the room. "I didn''t," Penny lied, keeping her head and nose up like a child that made Damien grin. Penelope had appeared to be fine in the morning but he could feel and sense the insecurities that entered her mind and chest. Penny had made peace in the morning after speaking to Damien and seeing him go but after hearing from Elliot on how beautiful Evelyn was, she didn''t know why but her mind had been unsettled and hence she had spent her time in the little potion room of the mansion. She knew that Lady Evelyn was beautiful. Her short blonde hair was wavy, her eyes red with sharp facial features which women envied. Not to forget she was a councilwoman and a councilwoman held respect. At least that''s what most people perceived unless they knew how shameless the woman could be by asking an engaged man to go out with her to watch a y. Penny''s eyes narrowed at the thought. She had been living a simple time until a few months or weeks ago but right now she wanted to be equal when it came to Damien. After all, she hadn''t forgotten the way Evelyn had looked down upon her like she was an insect that could be trampled on. She had already started to work on her skills on turning people to toads, it was only a matter of time when she would turn one of these leech-like women and turn them to toads. Chapter 459 Taking The Right One Out- Part 2 Going to the room, Damien couldn''t tell how much he enjoyed Penny''s feistiness. If it was possible he would want to read what went in that mind of hers. With Penny who had epted him wholeheartedly now, he could feel and read her emotions without much difficulty. One minute she felt down and then the next minute he could feel the evil aura around her as if she were plotting something very big before it turned to an emotion of happiness. "This is for you," he said, pus.h.i.+ng the box in her mind and she stumbled back slightly as she hadn''t readied herself to receive the box as a gift. "Me?" a smile formed on her lips. "So easy to please. Didn''t I tell there was nothing between Evelyn and me, yet here you are," he flicked her forehead making her cry softly. "Ouch!" "What an anxious girl." "But you spent time with her, I mean¡­" she trailed her words before saying, "You are someone who refuses if you don''t like it. I know you did it for me but I also know you could have handled it in another way." "Your words show ack of trust in me, Penny. Do you not trust me anymore?" the smile on his lips dissipated and he looked at her, a look of disappointment crossing his features, "There will be times when I will need to go out with women, to get favors but I wouldn''t touch them. The time spent would solely be for the council and work purpose. Are you going to be like this all the time?" he asked her. Penny held the box tightly in her hand, "Would you be fine if I spent my time with men?" "I know you wouldn''t do anything with them and that I have your sole attention," Damien smiled, raising his eyebrows. "I know that too," she sighed, not knowing what to say. It wasn''t that she didn''t trust Damien but knowing and seeing him with other women, it made her feel ufortable. And she knew he enjoyed looking at her squirm and worry! This s.a.d.i.s.t, thought Penny to herself, staring at him to see a spark in his eyes. She opened the box to see a ck dress in it. Penny ced the box down on the bed, pulling the dress out of it to see the length and glory of how it looked. Did he get it just for her? That meant he hadn''t spent his time with Lady Evelyn. "Wear this. We''ll be going out," Damien informed, going back to look at the mirror to check himself out. "Now?" "Mhmm," he responded back, "I didn''t get this ready for nothing," he said waving his hand across himself up and down. Penelope bit her lip, nodding and going to the bathroom to wear it. Once she had worn it, she zipped the gown from behind, reaching her hands as much as she could to pull up the zipper. The ck gown was beautiful. Covering her back and front until the base of her neck which was transparent from the top of her bosom. Her sleeves went until her wrists which fit herself snuggly. She stepped out once she was ready. Tying her hair at the base before twisting the sides of her hair to put it in the pony. It wasn''t a hairstyle an elite would carry but it looked good on her. Stepping out of the room, she saw Damien who was fiddling with the spellbook which was a vegetable book to him. Sensing her presence in the room, Damien looked up to stare at Penny who was ready. He stared at her for a couple of seconds more leaving Penny fidgeting if she had to refix her hair or dress. Damien stood up, "Time to leave. Grab your coat," he said without a word ofpliment on how she looked right now. Penny picked up her coat and walked out of the room alongside Damien. Penny didn''t have to know where they were going because she already had an idea about it. Especially considering the time they were leaving the mansion to go out. But at the same time, she doubted if that was where they were going. "Are we going to the theater?" she asked, unable to keep her curiosity. The night theater usually startedte at night, almost at the stroke of twelve but right now, it was only six in the evening. "What do you think? Or what do you want?" Damien gave her the option to choose. His eyes s.h.i.+fting from looking outside the window of the carriage at the pa.s.sing trees to s.h.i.+ft his attention to her. Penny''s lips parted, thinking on what to ask him. "We will go wherever you want to go," Damien stated, the dark depth of his eyes holding her still. "I don''t mind whatever you pick," she gave the option back to him. Unlike Damien, Penny wasn''t too vocal about her needs but that didn''t mean he couldn''t sense her feeling wavering up and down with her heart beating loud enough for him to hear. At her small gulp, Damien gave her a sinful looking smile, "Let''s go to the theater which I have picked. I have asked them to y something better," that didn''t exactly answer her question on where they were going but considering that it was the time of the evening, she a.s.sumed it was the normal y. The carriage rode until it reached the theater, the coachman stepping down in front of arge building which was stark apart from what he had driven earlier at the time of noon. The building was tall and wide, painted ck in color which would camouge itself during the time of night as if it did not exist. He opened the carriage door, bowing his head down where Damien and Penny stepped down from it. "You can go back to the mansion. You don''t have toe pick us upter," Damien instructed the coachman who bowed his head again and got on the carriage to leave the front of the theater, heading back to Delcrov''s mansion. Chapter 460 Sinful Touch- Part 1 Please read- Privilege chapters If you DON''T want to pay a lot, you can continue to stick to the 8 chapters tier which costs 5 coins. I ced it as low as I could so that it is affordable, especially considering my number of updates. The number of chapters avable is from thest regr chapter which is essible by everyone and then add +8, +15, +20. A total of 20 chapters ahead. . Damien gave Penny his hand and she held onto it, her eyes taking in therge building that stood in front of them. "This is really tall," shemented as they started to head inside. "It is one of the oldest and possibly the biggest theaters in the fournds. Simr to how Wovile gave way to the rise of the witches, giving them home, Valeria is where most of the pureblooded vampires originated. The concentration was more in thend of the West before it moved to the East. Land of Bonke," Damien educated her with the little history about it. "I didn''t know that," she said, walking closer to him when she caught sight of other people in here. It looked as if the town was a deserted one as she hadn''t seen a single soul nearby until they had got in here, "Where is this ce?" she asked him curiously. Her voice was not too loud and only for him to hear. "This is a city that has been abandoned for more than a century now. It was told that the city or the town was gued by some disease which was actually a curse that a witch ced." "But the theater still functions?" her eyebrows furrowed in question. "Strangely it didn''t affect the theater but if you go look at the town outside, you will see nothing but dust." "Why not get it renovated?" the magistrates could demolish a good working vige but they couldn''t fix this? "Even if the buildings are rebuilt, it won''t push the curse away. Unless the curse is uplifted, no matter how many times a person builds and makes it new, the gue will again hit and destroy the lives of the living." "So strange," shemented. She wondered what made the theater special that it still stood tall while letting the other things around it die. Two women who were standing in the narrow pa.s.sage of the reception helped them take their coats and went to ce their coats on the stand. Damien pulled out a ck card which was embroidered in gold color, showing it to one of the women who bowed her head, leading them through and away from the reception. The walls were made of brown and white in color but the soft lights of candles that were fixed at the end of every wall gave out a soft glow of gold and brown. It wasn''t too dark but there was enough light for one to see what was there. Penny looked up at the ceiling which felt not too far away with the length of the walls which was built decently. When they entered the main seating of the hall with the stage that stood not too far away, Penny''s mouth opened wide. For someone like her who had worked only in one theater and where she had taken a peek at the night theater once until now, this ce looked like heaven in her eyes. Red seats were ced across the room in a series of lines where she stood. The stage was big enough for one to have enough sectioned rooms to y a long script with different settings in it. But that wasn''t all that this theater was about. Before entering this ce, they had stepped down. Taking the stairs as if they were going underground to reach this ce. What she had seen outside was the top of the building which was magnificent. There were chandeliers that were ced at the top, multiple ones with candles that were burning brightly to illuminate the paintings which were at the top of the ceiling. The entire ced illuminated in a color of warm gold low and she had seen nothing like this that made her eyes only continue to look at it. Damien let Penny take in her surroundings. Giving her the time she needed to enjoy something she had never seen before while he instructed thedy to say what he wanted her to bring when it came to the drinks and food so that they wouldn''t be disturbedter once the y would start. "Come mouse," Damien said, slipping his hand to hers and tugging her gently along the empty path as they crossed the series of seats. "It''s so beautiful," Penny praised the theater, her green eyes looking wide like a child. She wondered how it must be for the actor and actresses who worked here. She wondered how it would be for her to act here. There were around six people at the front of the stage who sat next to the instruments. Two pianos, two violins, one cello and one which looked like drums. The ce where Penny used to work, there used to be no such facility and she could only envy now on how it would have been if she had worked here before. But then she was living in Bonke, not Valeria. "Damien, do you think I can work here for one day. One hour," Penny asked him, hope-filled in her voice. A long time ago, in the beginning, Damien had denied her from working in the theater. "Why?" he asked her. His voicecked any excitement of curiosity in it. "This ce looks so beautiful. It would be so nice to y here with the music and everything else," Penny like a child was still looking up at the ceiling, her eyes gazing at it while she was being led up the stairs this time. "Few things are good to look at, not touch or be part of it," Damien replied back to her and her shoulders drooped down. "One hour?" "No," came the quick reply from him. They made their way up to one of the private galleries. The room was small but sufficient enough for two people to walk around. On the side table sat two binocrs. At the front stood the balcony-like atmosphere which was half made of .s.s at the top and the other half at the bottom was the extended wall. Chapter 461 Sinful Touch- Part 2 Penny forgot her question and went to the .s.s. Looking at the stage which she could see clearly, she turned her head to look at the other galleries which were covered in .s.s which made it difficult to see if there were other guests like them.?This was the lower section of the gallery and they were on the second floor. Other open galleries came to be ced at the top and she could catch sight of a couple of people, some of their attires making it obvious that they were pureblooded vampires while some who were dressed decently. "Do you want to move closer to the stage?" she heard Damien ask her and she quickly shook her head. "No, this is fine," her voice came out a little higher than normal. The seats below were mostly empty and there was hardly anyone there. It made her question how much Damien would have paid to get this gallery. To sit in the normal seating itself cost a lot of money, but the gallery wasn''t something people could afford. She turned her head around to find Damien talking to one of the women who had previously helped in taking their coats in the area of reception. The woman had brought up a bunch of cut fruits, food for them along with wine and two .s.ses which now rested along with the binocrs on the table. Next to the table, there was another b where two quilt-like nkets were ced in which was dark blue in color. The woman bowed her head and left the room before closing the doors to a click sound leaving both Damien and Penny alone in the room. "How much does one gallery in here cost?" she asked him in wonderment. "Depends on the show which is put up here to watch and the timing, and the days. This one was around six hundred gold coins excluding other minor services," he looked at the food and then back to her. Six hundred gold coins thought Penny to herself. She hadn''t earned so much herself except for silver coins which were out of the great difficulty of her blood and sweat being spent. It was good to say that one seat here cost as much as an average ve who was bought in the ve market. "Are you nning to chip in money?" Damien teased her, making herugh. "I don''t think I could afford ten percent out of it to chip in, Master Damien," Penny replied back, an awkward smile forming on her lips. With the options of her working in the council being striked out and also working in the y being striked out again, she wondered if she could herself make any money at all. "Don''t look so glum. What is mine is yours now. You don''t have to hesitate yourself if you need or want to buy something, mouse," though somewhere it was soothing to hear it, Penny still wished she could do something. With them being alone and the y which was yet to start as the guests were still being seated in either at the lower level or in the galleries, she decided to put what was running in her mind, "Tell me," he said after sensing that she wanted to say something. Penny let go of her hand which she ced on the .s.s earlier while taking in the view, turning her back to the .s.s and facing him, "Do you think it is bad to wish that I want to be equal to you?" "I don''t think so. We all have ambition and goals. I must say though, I am very ttered to hear that I am the goal point. At the same time, it won''t be easy to be who I am," came the words out of the narcissist Damien Quinn. He then said, "I think you are doing much better than I am already. Not everyone takes a leap of faith in what they believe to be true and follow their instincts. Though some don''t turn out good when followed by the gut but it still sticks through what you believe in. You are special, Penelope," he walked towards her, picking up her hands which were resting on both of her sides, "I think you are more than special and are meant to do great things." "You have a lot of faith in me," a small smile flickered by her lips. "I do. You are my woman, and I believe you would do everything right. Dummy mouse," though it wasn''t exactly apliment, it sounded more of an endearment, "How many white witches can read the books of the vegetable?" "Alexander." "Leave him out. There aren''t others who have been able to crack the code. If it weren''t for you, there would have been so many lives that would have been sacrificed in an instant. Not me, not the council, not anyone but you were the one to pick the scrolls of the blueprint. You are already working hard," he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hands, "I know your heart goes out for a few things but some things are better to be left alone." He was speaking about the theater. "Maybe we can do an hour''s y," hearing Penny''s eyes which were cast down suddenly snapped up to look into his eyes. "Really?" the hope had been bloomed again. He gave her nod, "An hour or two should not cause any harm but I would decide the time and day. Are you willing to agree to it?" "Will it be here?" "Sure," he answered her back and Penny''s eyes twinkled. "Will there be people?" she asked him skeptically, her head pulled back to look at him if they were going to have an empty theater. "We''ll have people. You don''t have to worry about that." Pulling her hands away from him, Penny put her arms around him, "Thank you!" whispering to him even though there was no one in the room to listen to them. Chapter 462 Sinful Touch- Part 3 Please read my COMMENTS of this chapter, to get an idea of how privilege chapters work. 20 extra chapters have been posted right now. To ess it, go to chapter index, scroll below to see orange block. . Damien patted her head while holding her closely. He knew the theater meant a lot to Penny and she enjoyed it. It wasn''t that he wanted to keep her away from the things that made her happy and keep her busy with work where her mother wanted to kill her. Right now he needed to get rid of the threats which could not only kill Penny but also him. Of course, it was another matter that they would find each other again in the next life and the next after that but he wanted to keep both of them alive for now. When the guests had finally seated themselves, the music started from the front of the stage. The tempo of the music slowly moved from the base to the top which touched the ceiling and every part and corner of the theater. The actor and actress came out as the curtains were pulled apart from either side. Wearing rich clothes that resembled any other elite who hade to witness and enjoy the y today. With the music and dialogues which she could hear, Penny glued her eyes on the stage. It was a y that she had never heard of which made her curious about where the story was going. When they were into the y for ten to fifteen minutes, it was then she noticed that there were no book pamphlets of the y which was in the room. It wasmon for the book pamphlets to be handed to the guests during a y but with theck of it, it slowly started to sink into her mind where she came to realize that this wasn''t the usual y. Taking the wine which she had ced to rest next to her side, she took quick sips from it to reduce the dryness in her throat. "Don''t drink it so quickly, mouse. You will get drunk soon," Damien advised her without moving his own eyes away from the stage as if he was concentrating on it. "Damien," she called him over the sounds of the dialogues still pa.s.sing on the stage with the light music that came out soft and asionally without tampering the actor and actress'' voice during the act, "Is this not the regr y?" By now, Penny had turned her head to look at Damien, her eyes taking in his strong masculine features in the little amount of light as curtains had been pulled over the candles on the walls to dim the atmosphere of the theater so that people could concentrate fully on the stage. "What do you think?" his question made it obvious that it was not. "I thought the night theater took ce only at the time of midnight." Damien finally turned his head, his eyes staring deep into hers. "I got it moved." "Moved?" "Yes," he replied back to her question, "I got the timings changed for today to fit our schedule. Booking the seats of the regr y and having them move it now. Isn''t that good?" Penny stared back at him, "They agreed just like that?" "Money makes the world go round, mouse," Damien replied back to say, "How are you finding the y so far?" "It is very nice," there was a sliver of tension in her voice which wasn''t a bad one but it wasn''t either a good one as her mind drifted back to the y. The antic.i.p.ation in her mind and body turning the heat up in the small room. As more time pa.s.sed, the time finally came where the man caught his wife talking to another man. His anger showing in his voice as he spoke to the woman, the actress there who appeared to give him an oblivious look to get back to him as she had seen him talking to another woman. It was a misunderstanding between the man and the woman here who loved each other. With the setup on the stage that had changed to one to be of a house with the bed awaiting, the man pulled the woman to their bedroom. Penny''s own heart skipped when the man pushed the woman on the bed. Clothes came off both the character and her face turned red, not moving her eyes away from the scene but at the same time feeling aware of Damien sitting next to her calmly without a change of expression. The music that was ced took to different heights and she watched the man starting to kiss the woman, his hands holding her down. When Damien''s hand touched hers, Penny looked at him startled, "Your heart has been beating quite a lot. Are you turned on?" came the unfiltered words from Master Damien''s mouth. He pressed the tip of her fingers with pressure which sent a bolt of electricity through her body, reaching between her legs and she suddenly turned breathless. Damien was only holding her hand yet simple touch of his hand had sent her body spiraling. Was it because of what was in front of them? With his other hand, he ced it below her chin while pulling her head close to him, his lips hovered above her own. ying with her without letting her get too close to him. Realizing what he was doing, Penny stopped following his moments to hear the woman on the stage cry loud when the man started to suck on one of the mounds on the actress'' chest. Penny remembered Damien telling her on how he was going to punish her for not listening to him when he had asked her to keep herself away from the book of spells. But those were only his teasing remarks.?He stood up, pulling her along with him. He walked towards her and it took less than three steps for Penny to hit her back against the .s.s through which they had been viewing the stage, "People will see," she said, her mouth going dry. The shadow that fell on Damien''s face made him look daunting, "You don''t have to worry about that. The .s.s won''t let anyone see what happens in here," he said, leaning closer to her. Chapter 463 Theater Gallery- Part 1 The music amped her feelings, the soft keys of the piano that echoed through the entire theater. Damien stepped closer to her, his body pressing her against the .s.s. She could feel her pulse running fast, gooseb.u.mps forming on her skin. He ced his left hand on her waist, curling it to pull her to him, his right hand holding the side of her neck he moved his head closer and kissed her lips. Pus.h.i.+ng and moving against her own which moved along with his. Her lips were already parted which made his work on her lips easier where he didn''t have to wait for her to open up. The sensual criesing from the actress, even though being faked, she could feel her own senses clouding with the way he looked at her right now making her knees weak. "We are going to try something different today, mouse," he spoke against her lips, his eyes staring right into hers. This wasn''t the first time but it didn''t push the embarra.s.sment away. They were in a public ce, a theater and Damien wanted to try something which she was worried to try it out. She gulped down the nervousness, pus.h.i.+ng it down and away, "Why not back in the room?" maybe the gallery was tinted with the kind of .s.s that didn''t allow one to see, but she found the thought of doing anything out here in the public to be mortifying. A smile came to be known on his lips, it wasn''t a teasing grin but it felt like he was smiling in his mind. A very faint smile that wasced with something very wicked and sinful. "Why not here?" His habit of questioning her back was something that put her in a spot. "Because it''s embarra.s.sing doing something like that-" she felt him run his thumb over the bottom of her lips. "Then I am going to enjoy it more," bending down to capture her lips, he bit into her lips which made her gasp in pain. He licked his smooth, sharp fangs, running his tongue over it staring down at her, "You will enjoy it too," there was promise in his words and Penny''s heart somersaulted in her chest. Seeing him take a step back, Penny wondered what he was going to do next. By now the voices from the stage had dulled down and all she could see or hear was Damien who was in front of her, maybe the light music which came pa.s.sing through the screen of .s.s. He pulled the purple-colored scarf which he had been wearing that was tucked in the front of his vest, "Turn around," he said and she did just as he wanted her to do. He took hold of both her hands behind and tied them together. Stepping closer to her, such that her back touched his front, she felt his breath on her right ear, "How are you doing so far?" he asked, his lips caressing the edge of her ear. "A little dizzy," she said feeling the overwhelming feeling which was starting to .u.mte in the pit of her stomach. Damien stepped away to pick up the .s.s of water, and when he left her side, Penny took a glimpse at what was going at the stage along with her hormones which were raging in need. Her cheeks turned pinker but her eyes never looked away. The woman on the stage had positioned herself in between the man''s legs and was going down on him. Penny turned around when she heard Damien arrive back to her with a .s.s of water in his hand. With her hands tied, Damien brought the .s.s up to her lips, tilting the .s.s so that the water would flow down to her lips. Some drops of the water escaped from the corner of her lips, trailing down her chin and her neck. He pulled it away, asking her, "More?" and she shook her head. cing the .s.s back on the table which was at the side, Damien then put his hands around her shoulders before it slid down to the top of the zip of her dress. He pulled the piece of metal down until its end was met on the dress. His fingers tracing her back which sent a s.h.i.+ver down her spine. His fingers along with his hands moved up to pull the dress backward from the front. But he didn''t pull it downpletely, just enough to have her shoulders exposed to his eyes. He pushed her back against the wall, his teeth and lips finding its way to her shoulder which was bare and smooth. He took arge bite and heard her sigh. His teeth a.s.saulted her skin but Penny had noints about it, with her hands tied, there was no way for her to move her arms and she was at his mercy. "I should have tied your handter," he said with a hint of unpleasantness in his voice, as he wouldn''t be able to pull the upper half of her dress down until her waist. A giggle escaped through Penny''s lips when she saw the deep frown on his forehead. He gave her a sharp look, the frown disappearing from his face. His hands reached for her dress and he tore the front part of the dress that she wore as if he had paid less than a silver coin for it which in truth people would think more than ten times before paying the price of this dress. The tear of the dress came out to be a harsh sound and Penny''s eyes turned wide like saucers. His hands next reached for her hair which she had tied it in a single braid. He started to unwind them one after another until thest one. Using both his hands hebed her hair to spread them out evenly.?Before she could ask him, he said, "Much better," hemented, his eyes wors.h.i.+pping what was in front of him.?Penelope looked absolutely delectable right now. Chapter 464 Theater Gallery- Part 2 Her hair was disheveled, hands tied behind her back to his own pleasure he looked at her eyes which was less anxious but more worried about the dress that he had torn in the front. He had torn just enough that released her bosom for his eyes to look and his hands to touch but he didn''t touch her. He admired her, looking at her green eyes which were alive and bright. "Nervous?" he asked her, running his hand from her neck to the valley of her chest. He could feel the faint perspiration that had formed between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "No," he smiled at her words. "Excited then?" he continued to ask her. Unlike the previous times, Damien''s hand was rougher yet moved sultry?on her skin. It made way to hold one of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, holding it as it filled his palm. His lips made way to her neck, nibbling on them as he trailed down one bit after another at the same time soothing it with his tongue and kisses. Gasps and moans erupted through her lips, his touch sending her mind to a spiral. Today was different, she could feel it in the air and in the atmosphere. She wasn''t sure why, if it was the theater, the music which was amplifying her emotions or if it was Damien himself. The way he looked at her, she felt herself s.h.i.+ver under his gaze. Her lips parted when his mouth made its way to the breast he was holding in his hand. Pus.h.i.+ng the offensive material of the dress, the dress tore further so that he could have more ess while also noticing her breath much better with the top of her dress not holding her bosom. Multiple sighs left her mouth when Damien''s mouth took hold of one of her buds in his mouth. Sucking hard on it that had her arching her back in pleasure. If she could right now, she would have held onto his shoulders but with her hands tied there was very little she could do but let Damien take and do what he wanted. His teeth were merciless on her. Biting on to her tips which left a burning sensation that hit the core in between her legs. "It hurts!" she cried in protest of his mouth a.s.saulting her mounds. And though she protested, the l.u.s.t in her eyes was thick which negated her words. When Penny''s eyes met Damien''s where he was looking at her with his unblinking eyes, his lips moving around her nipple before switching it to the other one giving them his undivided attention, more sighs escaped her lips and she could only grip her own hands which had been tied behind her back. Penny didn''t know how long she would be able to continue standing like this. Her knees were turning weaker with every lick and bite that she was worried her knees were about to give away. Damien''s hand touched her ankle, holding it in his ce to stop her from squirming under his touch, not giving her enough room to move and restricting her movements. His tongue swirled around her tips, leaving it with a small pop sound turning it hard and cold after his little ministrations. The hand that was around her ankle started to move up to her knees and then up to her thigh, squeezing the flesh there. He picked up the hem of the dress from the bottom, picking uppletely and tying it around her waist so that he could have a better view and ess as his hands slid into the white pants that she wore and pulling it down. He gave her time to step out of it but her mind was visibly lost, "Raise your legs, Penny," he instructed her, bringing her senses back to the room and she gulped down. Seeing him wait, Penny raised her leg slowly one after another before the pant that she had worn underneath her dress came out leaving her bottom bare which felt cold. When her legs went to cross, almost about to squeeze what was between her legs in the heat of need, she heard Damien warn her, "Don''t." One word from him and she stopped with the gaze he was looking at her which only turned her putty in his hands. Her nails dug into her hands, squirming in front of him. "Damien, please," she whispered, hoping he would know how she was feeling, her body wanting to release itself the way she had feltst time when they were in the bed but Damien was having none of it. Instead, he was enjoying seeing her in this state. It wasn''t always that Penny pleaded or asked for him this needly. Usually, it was her retorting back and sometimes not listening to his words. "Please?" he tilted his head in question, wanting her to tell him what the please was for. This only brightened her cheeks, "You have been a bad mouse," his fingers traced her thighs up and down before they parted her legs so that he could have a clearer view of the core which had turned wet in need, "Don''t lean against the wall," he ordered her. When Penny failed to do so, he sent her a sharp re which only made her wetter. He took a step back whilst pulling Penny away from the .s.s-like walls so that she wouldn''t take the support of it. His hands slid quickly into her folds without any prior notice making her gasp. Her back arched further but there was no support this time. She could feel his finger moving deliciously slow, moving in and out, making her dig her nails more until it bit into her skin and she had to let it go. Her legs quaked, her body shaking in his hand, breath turning shallower with every second that she could feel the light amount of precipitation coating her body because of the heat.?It was when his mouth came in contact with her s.e.x did she cry out in pleasure. Her voice echoing inside the room and not letting a word out of the room. With the music outside, it would be hard for anyone to even eavesdrop on what was going on in there. Chapter 465 Theater Gallery- Part 3 Her toes curled where she stood with her shoes, her legs moving and unable to keep still before Damien using his hand to hold it in ce. His lips nipped the nub, ying with it before he pulled his finger away and reced itpletely with his mouth. Probing her entrance with his tongue, whilepping the juice that hade to form on the bottom of her lips. He sucked as hard as he could and the more he did it, the more cried out. "Damien!" there was an evident need for her voice when she called his name, wanting him to give her the release from this torturous tease but the man was enjoying it to his fullest and didn''t look like he would be letting her finish. He brought her to the edge over and over again to pull her back, denying what she wanted from him. "Please, no more," she cried out which only had him grin and his eyes twinkling. He finally pulled his mouth away, rubbing her entrance with his finger which left her out of air. When he stood up, his hand was still continuing to touch her slowly. He pecked her lips, her eyes looking up at his which looked nothing less to a devil who was not done with her and would never be done until he found her writhing in pleasure under him while screaming out his name. He pulled her dress down and suddenly there was disappointment in her eyes. Was that all? He had teased her to only leave her panting and wanting more from him. "Don''t look so disappointed. I am not done," he licked his lips which still held the traces of her wetness which he had kissed and sucked on which was in between her legs. He turned her around and then said, "Bend yourself towards the .s.s." Bend? Penny blinked back at him not knowing what Damien was trying to do. Though Penny had once taken a peek at the night theater and now being the second time, she wasn''t sure about it. Listening to him with her pounding heart and her hands tied behind her back firmly, she leaned her upper body forward. "More," she heard him instruct her, "Stick out your bottom for me, Penny," he said, raising her dress up from behind this time, Penny was embarra.s.sed to fulfill his request. For someone who had not done such a thing before yet wanting to fulfill her own needs, she pushed her back but Damien wasn''t satisfied with it. His hand went around her waist and to her stomach before he helped her stick it out from behind. He parted her legs, spreading it on either side of her. For a few seconds nothing happened and she could do nothing but antic.i.p.ate what Damien had in store. Her core pulsed without him having to touch her which drew her legs back together. "Do it again and I will see to it that you nevere today," he warned her and she dropped her legs to where they were before, "Tell me, Penny. What do you want me to do?" he asked her. Penny could only squeeze her body the way it was positioned right now yet it never felt the same without his hands on her skin. "What?" "That wasn''t the answer I was looking for. Let me make it easier for you, my darling girl. How would you like me to please you?" he questioned her and somewhere she felt her mind go dizzy over his words and the heat that had spread across every part of her body now, "Shall I stop here then?" he asked her. A grin formed on his lips when he heard her heart hitch at the possibility of it ending. As much as he enjoyed bullying and teasing her, he could see that she secretly enjoyed getting teased though he doubted she would admit it out loud. His hand reached her bottom, running his hand around the round globe before pulling it away and having it smack right across her globe toe in contact again. The sudden smack made Penelope blush furiously. Her entire body turned red, one side of her bottom turning pink with a small impact but Damien didn''t stop there. He smacked it again, this time with a little more force that had her body move forward with the sudden impact of his hand on her bottom pping it once and then twice. This didn''t help her. Something this embarra.s.sing was turning her and egging her more to the satisfaction which made her wet all over again. "It looks like you''re enjoying your punishment for being a bad girl," she heard Damien murmur against her ear, his deep husky voice which told her that he was burning up in the same intensity as she was right now. "I didn''t do anything," she muttered under her breath for her to flinch and close her eyes momentarily when Damien''s hand s.h.i.+fted his attention to her other globe. The heat spread quickly where he gently moved across it before another smack followed it. "Really? Not listening to me. Failing to stay indoors." "But that was for you¡­" she trailed softly, focussing her eyes on the .s.s where she finally could see his faint reflection on it. "For me?" he asked her, his hand which had not left her, moving his hand back and forth, "Do you understand what will happen if you turn to a ck witch? Or if you are exposed. Was it to retaliate for my actions of taking Evelyn out? Jealousy doesn''t look good on everyone but I must say, I enjoy it on you immensely," it gave him great pleasure to see her worried and anxious, needy the way she was right now. The time when he pulled away, his hand fell close to her core and it only had her glistening more. Penny was mortified. Not because of Damien''s actions but because of her reaction her body was giving out and how it was enjoying it. Taking in everything he was giving her. Chapter 466 Theater Gallery- Part 4 While she was in her own thoughts, she missed the sound of Damien unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants. Damien stepped closer to her, holding the side of her waist. With his other hand, he held the length of his manhood which had turned warm and hard. Moving it up and down, he brought it close to her entrance. Teasing her as he rubbed the tip of his manhood on the lips of her entrance. The glistening wetness between her legs made it easier for him to move and he heard her take a sharp breath once he started to increase the tempo of his movements. But he only teased her, stirring her mind and thoughts to a puddle of nothingness. The music that was yed outside vibrated against the .s.s, shaking it ever so slightly. If Penny would have ced her hands on the .s.s she would have been able to sense it but with her hands tied, she was held in ce with ack of movements. Every time Damien''s length pushed into her wet folds but not entirely, just enough to tease her while holding himself back and losing his own mind, Penny''s body moved forward to be held back. The more he teased her, the more wanted to free her hands so that she could grip or ce her hands somewhere much morefortably. Damien pulled her back, continuing to rub himself and then turn her around to look at the art of mess he had created. Penny was panting for air desperately. He was torturing her in ways where she wished she could do something about it. Wanting to squeeze her legs to relieve herself from what she was feeling. Her core was throbbing, wanting and waiting to let her tip her off the cliff which Damien was pus.h.i.+ng and pulling her. He ran his thumb across her lips, brus.h.i.+ng it over and then kissing her back again. iming her lips like she was just his which she was and none would have her as he did. No one would ever hold her the way he did. Penny''s lips looked swollen right now. Her cheeks red and her green eyes staring at him. With his body so close to her, he put his hands around her back, pulling the scarf which he had tied around her hand. Dropping the scarf, on the floor he brought her hands around, taking both her hands and cing it on his manhood. He whispered to her, his eyes staring into the depth of her soul, "Move your hands, mouse," He let go of his hands on hers. Penny''s heart had started to beat louder than ever, nervous as this was the first time. It felt warm in her hand, hard and hot holding it. Damien staring at her didn''t help the embarra.s.sment reduce which had appeared on her face. The pureblooded vampire was enjoying the plight she felt. Though it wasn''t the first time for her to see it, she had never touched it before, at least not by her hands. But Penny had seen the way the actress both now and back then had done the job of pleasing their counter partner, she wanted to return the favor. He had been pleasing her since the very beginning. It was torturous but she enjoyed it and somewhere something told her that he knew it. Moving her hands which started meekly she started to with the up and down motion. "A little firmer," he directed her, his lips parting when she did as she was told. Her hand firmly holding his length, pumping it back and forth with pressure and higher movement which he hissed looking at her. His eyes turning dark and his own feature which resembled one to be of his corrupted heart with his fangsing out like he was readying himself to bite into her. Hearing him hiss and the sharp intake of his own breath brought some kind of joy that she was the reason he was enjoying it. To give him pleasure and she moved faster before her hand was stopped with Damien catching hold of her wrist. "How brave of you wanting me toe so quickly," he said, ying with her neck and then she heard him ask, "Do you think you will be able to do more?" At first, Penny didn''t understand and it took her more than three seconds to understand what he meant. With a bit more courage being drawn into her body, she whispered, "I can try." "You will?" he asked her in confirmation. It warmed Damien''s heart, to think that she would agree to it readily but at the same time, he didn''t want to rush and push things suddenly for her to not be able to handle it. They were in the theater right now and he had noticed the way her eyes had caught the scene of the actress who was on the stage who had been blowing the actor on the bed when he had returned back with a .s.s of water for her. He looked into her green eyes, searching for any possible sign which would let him know if he wasn''t okay and she was doing it willingly and not out of force. "I am not a child," Penelope''s words made him smile, his tongue running across the front of both fangs while looking at her. Penny got down on her knees, her dress which was torn continuing to expose her skin to his eyes. Damien wanted to chuckle at her action, she was nervous yet she wanted to prove to him she was an adult who knew what to do. With that thought, he let her do what she wanted.? Penny, on the other hand, continued to pump his organ in her hands which felt hot. Going closer to it, she opened her mouth wide, not sure if he would fit. Taking a different approach her tongue peeked out of her mouth. Putting it out in a way that had Damien turning him harder. The way she sat right now on her knees with her lips parted and her tongue out about to lick him, he didn''t know how long he would be able to hold back himself. Chapter 467 Pillow Talk- Part 1 Music Rmendation for the second half and next chapter:?Gert Taberner - Fallen Penny moved her tongue across the length. Moving it from the bottom to the top before giving a lick to his head and she heard him hiss, that let her know that she was doing it right. As more seconds pa.s.sed, Penny turned bolder by licking and sucking it. When her teeth grazed his length, Damien said, "Careful, mouse. Don''t use your teeth," her eyes looked up, locking her gaze with his, "Hollow your cheeks and then suck it, more," he instructed her, his eyes smoldering and his hand made way to her head, gently holding and moving it back as if he were smoothening her hair. She took him in as much as she could, having it open her mouth wide as she went down and up on his length, bobbing her head. When she pulled away, a string of her saliva form from her mouth to his manhood before it broke away and Damien made her stand. Turning her around where she right now faced the window, he said, "ce your hands in the front," and she did. Damien pulled up the back of her dress, going back to rubbing his length to groan at the feel of her wet entrance. Penny herself couldn''t hold back anymore. The teasing had gone too far and she wanted him to do something about it and he did just that when he rammed himself into her from behind. She gasped, her lips parting and her hands tightly clutching the edge of the window. He pulled out of her halfway, his movements slow before thrusting himself back into her. The slow movements had her mind cloud, desiring him more and more. "Ah!" Penny cried when Damien pushed himself further before moving his hips in a way to create a circr movement that had her hands and toes curling. He continued to push in and out before increasing the pace to hear her breath hitch over and over again. He pulled out of herpletely, flipping her body around and picking one leg of hers to hold it by her thigh before pulling her dress. Positioning himself back to her entrance, Damien continued thrusting into her. She clutched on his shoulders this time. Her nails dug into his skin with every thrust that pushed her to a higher s.p.a.ce which she had only been dreaming about since thest few hours of the days that had pa.s.sed since he hadst taken her. She cried out his name with every thrust into her which was hidden because of the pianos and the violin which was ying outside. The scene on the stage had ended minutes ago. His movements picked up the pace and he pushed his length into her, going deeper until she finally parted her lips with no voiceing out of it, her toes curling more as he spent himself into her. Damien held her in his arms, before finis.h.i.+ng himself with the climax. Her body fell ck and he pulled himself out of her while dropping down her leg which he had raised up previously. Both their breaths came out harsh which the music dulled it down. Penny had her eyes closed, her arms around his neck not wanting to let go yet. Sensing it, he turned himself to look at the room to check if there was something important that was left behind. Noticing nothing there except for what the woman had brought in when it came to the drinks and food, in a blink of an eye they were transported back to the Delcorv''s mansion room. Both Damien and Pennyid on the bed after Damien took his and her clothes off their body. Her body spent and tired, she curled towards him, her body reaching out for his heat and wanting to let it go. Damien didn''t need words from Penelope on how she was feeling right now. Bringing her naked body close to him, he yed with one piece of her blonde hair, feeling the texture and pulling it to test the length without pulling her hair. Letting it go, the back of his hands touched her cheeks gently to see her eyes which were closed previously to open up that had a deep green color in them right now. Penny felt tired but she didn''t want to sleep yet. She had missed him immensely in the morning. So used to his presence next to her, she hadn''t realized how much she missed the narcissist vampire next to her. Her own hand reached to his face, tracing his cheekbones, his jaw, his nose to see a smile appear on his face and she smiled back. A beautiful smile which he had reserved for himself and one to give her back. He took her hand and kissed each of her fingers before holding on to it. "I had Evelyn go with another man in the local theater today," Damien said, wanting to clear the air between them, "I only picked and dropped her today. Nothing else," yes, Penny had somewhere guessed that Damien had not spent his entire time with the councilwoman after seeing him give her the dress. Oh, the dress, thought Penny to herself. "You were teasing me," she said. "I was. You got worked up easily. Do you love me so much that you cannot bear the thought of seeing someone else with me?" he continued to tease her. "I trust you but I don''t trust the woman," Penny confessed, her eyes falling on their hands which Damien was holding, "Sometimes, I go thinking..what if we didn''t meet the way we did. Would things be the same, I don''t think it would. And it is because of how things happened, one after another, thanks to my mother and my rtives I am here now." "Foolish mouse," hemented, her eyes looked up back at him, "Didn''t I tell you that I saw you before that. More than once. Even if things didn''t turn out the way it has now, it wouldn''t have ended differently. Don''t you believe in my words of persuasion? I would have got you to agree to go out with me." Penny smiled, he had teased and tortured her literally and figuratively that his words now seemed so sweet to her ears that her heart was overjoyed hearing it. Chapter 468 Pillow Talk- Part 2 "Thank you," she said, meaning the two words from the bottom of her heart. A few months ago, she had been busy catching up with her own life where she had to bring in money to run the house and then to forget the loss of her mother but with Damien entering her life, there was not a single day which was dull. They had started like cat and dogs, or maybe here cat and mouse but things had changed to something so much better that she could fall down the cliff on his word knowing he would have a way to save her. "What are you thanking me for?" he asked her, touching the tip of her nose back and forth making herugh. "What are you doing?" she continued to smile that had him staring at her. "Making you smile," Damien Quinn, was unpredictable with his mood swings but right now all she received was his warmth and love, "Hmm? Are you crying?" he asked seeing her eyshes turning wet and her nose red as she tried to hold it back. Penny blinked back the tears quickly, "You are making me cry." "I did? I thought I did it more than enough in the theater gallery. If I knew you had more tears I would have continued there without stopping," he grinned looking at her, "I wonder what goes in that head of yours. It makes me curious, actually. Whatever happens in the future, don''t believe others'' words. You are a wonderful woman, Penelope." "You are a wonderful man, Damien," she returned back thepliment. "That I am. You are a very lucky woman to have me," he started and she couldn''t agree more. "I am very lucky," as if remembering something, she got up from the bed. "What happened?" he asked her curiously. "I want to give you something. Umm, can I-" she asked looking at the white sheets for him to nod. Penny took the cover to wrap her and went to the cupboard, searching for something. Damien in the meantime took hold of the pair of trousers, slipping into it beforeing to meet her halfway in the room. She held something in her hand, clutching it in a way that he couldn''t see what it was. By the smell of it, Damien could tell it was a metal, "Close your eyes," there was eagerness and excitement in her voice and her expression, her fatigue of the body forgotten while she waited for him to close his eyes. Damien gave her a curious look but nevertheless closed his eyes, doing what she said. He felt her put something over his head, feeling the cool metal which undoubtedly was a chain, "Okay, you can open your eyes now." With not wearing the s.h.i.+rt he could feel the cold pendant that rested on his chest. He opened his eyes, looking down at his chest to see what had made him wear. It was a silver chain that held a t triangle pendant below. Red stones ced in there with three lines that touched the ends of the sharp edges. "You made a charm stone," hemented, picking it up in awe as Damien had never had one before. It wasn''t that he couldn''t afford one but because he had never had taken an interest in the charm stones after learning how most of them were faux. But to have Penny make one just for him, he couldn''t tell how special it was. Penny stepped closer, standing on her tiptoes so that she could look at the pendant along with him to exin about it, "It is very simr to what Lord Alexander has right now but I added some more elements, so it is more full-proof from any harm. From now you will be able to step on to thends of spilled magic." He looked up at her, "I don''t know if I should punish you more or not right now," a crooked smile forming on his lips before he went back to looking at the red stone, "How did you crack the code?" "Lady Isabelle tapped into forbidden magic to keep her son safe. I used my blood the way she did to keep you safe," she exined. "Thank you for this," he said, raising the pendant and then dropping it back to his chest, "I will treasure it well," Penny beamed seeing that he was happy about the pendant. "I asked Lord Alexander for the chain. He told me it would be a gift from both of us," Damien rolled his eyes. "He must be joking about it." "I wasn''t sure about how to cut and ce it so I did this," she continued to exin. "I think it''s great. I love it," leaning forward he went to her lips but then moved up to press his lips on her forehead, "Thank you." When the next morning arrived, Damien made sure to put the chain outside so that he could show it off to the people who were yet to see what his lovely mouse had made for him or rather what had been gifted to him. Telling it out that she had made him for him could be suspicious, therefore Damien decided to just ce it on the top without a word. At the table during breakfast, Damien cut the apple into little rabbit-shaped, arranging it on the te and pa.s.sing it to Penny who sat next to him. Alexander didn''t bother with the apple arrangement and instead continued to eat like he saw nothing special at the table. But it wasn''t the same for Elliot and Sylvia, having never seen a man especially doing something artistic out of the apple, they ate their food slowly without making their eyes on the couple too obvious. Elliot started the conversation by asking, "How was your date with Lady Evelyn? She sent a letter to Lord Alexander telling how miffed she is. But I read the letter and she seems to be outrageously angry, just waiting to blow up." "What did she tell in the letter?" Damien couldn''t stop the wicked smile that appeared on his face, his eyes twinkling in amus.e.m.e.nt. "It said that you took her to a shambles, broken and if I remember right, torn and ragged. That you set up a meeting with Mr. Precely, a man who has no manners and kept trying to get closer to her. She said she was absolutely embarra.s.sed for what you did to her. You think she will do something?" Damien raised his fork in the air where he was still chewing his food, swallowing it down he said, "If she wanted to do something she would have done it by now. Evelyn might try it in the future but for now, there''s nothing to worry about her. She cannot take the matter to the council which will look utterly silly and she knows that," he took another bite from his te, chewing it and then saying, "It serves her right. t.i.t for tat." Penny continued to eat her food, basking in the rays of the sunlight which pa.s.sed through the windows where the curtains had been drawn to the sides. "I see you gave it to him. That was very quick," Alexander said, giving a look at what Damien was wearing, his eyes s.h.i.+fted to Penelope, "Did you use the book to cut the metal and stone?" he inquired. Lord Alexander had asked after the maid who had been serving them had stepped out of the dining room, leaving only the butler to handle the rest. "Yes," Penny replied to Alexander''s question and he gave her a curt nod before going back to eat his food. Pennypleted eating the apples which Damien had cut for her when they heard Elliot ask, "Do you n to have babies any time soon?" he asked the couple who were sitting in front of them to receive an elbow jab from Sylvia, "That was a decent question!" Chapter 469 Pretty Things Are Bloody- Part 1 Their stay in Valeria extended, and Penny continued to study the books along with Lord Alexander where some of the white and ck magic could be performed by him, reacting to his words and movements in his hands. In the meantime, Damien started to take up cases that were handed down by Alexander which came from the council, this way both of them had their time upied during the day unless one of them was free. More than two weeks had pa.s.sed since they hade to Valeria where Penelope''s mother couldn''t catch hold of where her daughter was right now. After the failed ma.s.sacre, the ck witch had fled from Wovile in the interest of keeping herself alive so that her daughter''s pureblooded master wouldn''te after her. After all, she had got the man poisoned to set him and her daughter as a sacrifice but everything had failed. She had hoped to catch her daughter again but she was in Bonke and her magic wasn''t working on her. The time of Winter wasing to an end and it was turning the atmosphere back to being wet, muddy weather which the people of Bonke were used to. It had only rained today. The hood that she wore was drenched and wet. The ck witch made her way to one of the local inns of Bonke which was shabbier than the other inns which also served food. "What will you eat?" a young man came to take her order, a bandana over his forehead and an ap.r.o.n which was tied around his waist. "Lard on bread," the woman replied to him, pulling the hood that had been covering her head. The boy stared at her, and she asked, "What?" "Is that all?" "If there is something you can offer me for free please don''t hold back in bringing it to the table," she gave him a look, her eyes keeping him in ce before the innkeeper called his name, snapping his gaze away from thedy, he quickly went to the innkeeper to clean the table which the customer had only left. One of the advantages of being a ck witch was that no one would ever doubt them. Unlike the white witches who always kept watching over their shoulders making their existence known to the others, ck witches were highly scheming. Laure continued to drink the water and finished the meal very slowly. Looking at the people who cane here where she needed to steal money from. Or rather use a scapegoat here. If it weren''t for a stupid daughter, she would have had money in her pocket. Instead, she had only a few coins in her pocket. She would have been paid after the ma.s.sacre, not only paid but she would have lived like a queen while the humans and vampires would fear and bow down at her and the rest of the ck witches. Everything had been going ording to the n. It was a n that started almost a year ago when one of the ck witches started to recruit the other ck witches, she was a young girl but her knowledge over the council and the people, her goal to bring back the locked ck magic had ignited people to start working with her. Building an entire town was no easy task and to have them built along the marking where the curses had been ced after the entire town was done in the twonds, everyone had hoped for this to be it. Her hand clutched on to the te she was holding. One mistake. It was only one mistake and it had cost her. Only if that little b.i.t.c.h had died. Laure had everything nned together with the other ck witches and the white witch but somehow her dear daughter and the pureblooded vampire had escaped from there. She still couldn''t figure out what happened. Did the curse spell which they were using for the ma.s.sacre not work? How did they escape though?! With her daughter who had failed toplete the task of the ritual, the ma.s.sacre had stopped. Not even throwing the other older white witch helped in the ritual. Laure wondered if it was because she had tapped into the forbidden magic to spill out magic on thend. A man sitting across the room from where Laure sat staring at her, waiting for her eyes to meet his eyes and he smiled. The smile that wasn''t pleasant but one with ill intentions. Laure, in the beginning, didn''t smile. With the meal done, she walked outside in time to be caught by the man who appeared to have a carriage waiting for him at his call. "Mdy, do you need a drop?" asked the man, his head bald and his age which appeared to be somewhere in his early forties. The ck witch stopped and turned to look at him, a polite smile on her lips, "No, thank you." "Please, I insist," he persisted. It took less than five seconds to look him up and down to notice that he was married with the ring settled on his ring finger. Laure looked not more than thirty, her age never showing which was another ability to manipte a person to their charms and whims. She turned to him, gauging him this time knowing men like him like the tips of her fingers. "Do you have money?" she asked and the man couldn''t be any happier. He pulled the bag of coins which he had pushed in his pocket. She gave him a sweet smile while ncing at the coachman who didn''t bother to look at them or was rather trained to not look at the woman who was picked by his master, "Okay." The man pulled out the door for her to get inside the carriage and Laure did when the man said, "Mdy, please," he gave her a bow. cing her delicate hand on the sides of the door, she stepped inside the carriage and the man followed her soon before the carriage started to move away from there. Chapter 470 Pretty Things Are Bloody- Part 2 The man who had picked up the woman from the inn had no idea who she was or what she was capable of. The beauty of the woman had blinded the man, losing sight of the basic signal which he would have known if he had seen her closely but the woman was beautiful and her slightly wet hair which was drying after drenching in the rain, her hair sticking to the nape of her neck looked alluring in the man''s eyes. His tongue peeked out to lick his lips at the sight of her. With her in the carriage now, he looked at her from the corner of his eyes when she pulled the coat from her body. Removing it and cing it down. It gave him the full view of the woman''s body where her dress stuck to her like a second skin. "Where are you from?" he asked, trying to make a conversation to know more about the woman he had picked. The woman turned her head to look at him her brown eyes looking innocent and meekly at him, "I am from Wovile, Sir, but I have been living here for some years now with my family." The man quickly checked her hands just like she had, to see no rings on her hands nor any chain around her neck, "Where is your family?" he asked. At his question, the woman looked down at her hands, and when it looked up there was a certain moistness in them which indicated the sadness she felt, she shook her head. "They died." "My condolences to your family," and though he uttered those words, his wordsing out to be insincere. The man had already started to scheme in his mind on what he wanted and what he could do, "Don''t worry," he ced his hand on hers, squeezing it as he stared at the beautiful woman who was sitting next to him. "I know how harsh this world can be. I will make sure you have a ce to stay," if the man was willingly ready to give her home, who was she to deny it? But at the same time, she had other things to do and it was no time to y. She woulde back to y. The carriage had moved further into the route of the forest when the man tried to lean close to her. "What are you doing, Sir?" she asked him, her voice yful as she asked him, seeing him lean closer to her with every second. "Don''t you think you need to repay me if I give you a ce to stay?" he smiled, showing off his teeth and Laure smiled back with parting her lips. She let the mane close to her. It had been a while since she had someone touch her, so long that she enjoyed the human touch until she tired. Pus.h.i.+ng him back, she sat on hisp. Looking at him sweetly before pulling the knives that she often carried with her along with the rest of the objects. The man looked momentarily taken aback but she gave him no chance to digest what he saw. Raising her hand, she pushed both the knives right into his neck before twisting the knives by moving it around to have blood ss.h.i.+ng on her, his clothes and the seat where he was sitting on. He iled like a fish out of water and she enjoyed seeing that. Laure only smiled seeing the man struggle. His movements had been obvious because of his weight that moved the carriage, rumbling it. The coachman had already started to head in a different direction where his master usually took his mistress''. Before they even traveled halfway, the carriage had moved, rattling his seating too which made him pull the reins of the horses. Once the horses came to a halt, he got down to check if everything was alright inside the carriage. He knew his owner was a h.o.r.n.y man but he could have at least waited until they got inside the house. Going to the door, he knocked on the window to gain the attention but no sound came and the carriage wasn''t shaking anymore. His hand hung in the air before he knocked again, feeling suspicious, he pulled open the door for his expression to turn one to a shocked one. His feet stumbled back to look at the man whose neck looked b.l.o.o.d.y and sliced, letting one see the flesh which was peeking out of his skin. The coachman had to use both his hands to stop himself from barfing at the sight of the dead man. But that wasn''t all, the hands had been twisted in a way to make it look like they were positioned backward. Where was the woman?! The coachman craned his neck to look inside the carriage to see her not there. He took a couple of steps behind. "Looking for me?" Laure asked the coachman and he snapped his head around and took a step back. The beautiful woman who was riding with his owner was no more beautiful but had turned to an ugly looking ck witch, her tongue slithering out of her mouth before attacking and killing him. Throwing the man out of the carriage whom she had killed and putting her coat back, the ck witch turned back to her human self. Sitting in the coachman''s seat, she started to ride the carriage. The carriage moving from thends of Bonke to thends of Mythweald until she reached the destined ce with the bag of gold which she had stolen from the man she had killed. When she got down and stepped into the abandoned house, ament came to pa.s.s by a fellow ck witcher. "Look who is here." Another witchughed, "Coming back after jeopardizing the entire ma.s.sacre, you have no shame at all do you, Laure," the womanughed who had her back against the wall, "We thought you ran away just like a b.i.t.c.h would." "I thought it was your thing to do and not mine," Laure replied back that annoyed the other ck witch. She looked at the humans who were around them. "You really do have the courage toe here after what you have done," a voice spoke behind her which was tender and sweet. Turning around, the woman found the blue-eyed girl standing in front of her. Laure quickly went down on her knees and ced her head on the dirty floor which hadn''t been cleaned for decades. "We had everything nned but I didn''t know-" "No one ever knows," said the young girl, her eyes looking down upon the woman who had her head pressed down on the ground, "What happened that you failed in your task?" "The white witch who was ced escaped," Laure heard the young ck witch hmph at her words, "Not everybody gets a chance but I will give you one as you have been loyal for thest few years by giving the needed intel of the humans. Here," the young girl pulled out a book from her cloak. The older ck witch raised her head, looking at the book which was offered to her. Taking hold of it, she read thebel at the front ''Garlic''. "I found this book which was in the possession of a white witch. Find out what this is about." Chapter 471 Portraits- Part 1 Damien and Lord Alexander were busy with a recent murder that took ce in one of the official''s house, leaving Penny with Elliot and Sylvia. Mrs. Artemis had invited some of the people who had visited Bingley''s residence to her and her husband''s mansion for lunch and a game of cards that didn''t stop at just one game. Lady Helen had been invited too but the girl wasn''t in the mood to go outside especially after the humiliation she went through. And though she hadn''t raised theint that day, the word of what Penelope did had spread around the elite society on what took ce that evening. Penelope was viewed in a different light after she broke the bottle on the young vampiress'' head that made some of them look at her as if she was a wild animal who had been picked up and ced in the room. Some didn''t like her presence because they had a soft corner for Lady Helen whom they had known for some years now unlike this girl who hadest week. Sitting at the rectangle table with the others, Penny was seated between Elliot and Sylvia as they yed the game called ''Tricksters fool'' it was a game which was pa.s.sed from the pureblooded vampires which then went to move to vampires and then the humans. Betting on each other''s money, everyone in the room yed which included Penny who was still learning how the game worked. "Ah, I am folding my cards," a woman dropped down the cards after giving it another look, "I hardly have any good cards while I am ying," sheined, picking up the .s.s of wine which had been served. The woman was a vampiress, an average one who did not belong to the pureblood families. Now that she thought about it, Penny noticed how Mrs. Keith was the only pureblooded vampire here while the rest were either humans or vampires. Considering the Artemis family who were humans, one didn''t need to guess too much that pureblooded family members woulde visit a human''s household unless they belonged to a very rich and elite family. "I think my cards are great," Elliot eximed, his turn being the next, he pulled one card out from the stack that was ced in front of everyone to draw it out, "Mhmm, perfect. Absolutely marvelous," he eximed, making the others look at him dubiously. The other people at the table looked back and forth between him, their cards and the money they had to y. While some others dropped the card including Penny who didn''t know what exactly she was doing while still understanding how the game worked, Mrs. Keith was the next to put her cards down leaving Sylvia to continue the game along with Elliot. Everyone started cing their bets on Elliot and Sylvia on who would win while the two went back and forth, drawing and dropping the cards. "You saw him pick the card like he has been waiting for it. I am telling you he is almost done with it," said Mr. Artemis who had joined with the rest of the group, "Just watch," he said to his wife. Mrs. Artemis shook her head, "You are wrong," and her husband rolled his eyes. Mrs. Keith asked Penny who was watching them y, "What do you think, Penelope? Who is going to win the game?" She? Penny smiled at the woman. "I am not sure." "A guess will do," Mrs. Keith encouraged her to speak and be part of the conversation. Since the young girl had arrived with the duo, her speech had been limited to only a few people in the room while the rest were only wary of her like she had done something very bad, "The game is called trickster because you are tricking people, which is what Elliot has been doing for quite some time now." Elliot brought his cards close to his chest, letting out a gasp of shock as he looked at Mrs. Keith, "You cannot let out my secrets, Mrs. Keith! How will I earn my bread and b.u.t.ter with a .s.s of blood next to it." "Isn''t Lord Alexander paying you enough, Sir Elliot?" asked another woman, her age to be around Penny''s. She leaned closer from where she was to show her interest in Elliot. "Oh, he does. But I need another side money for the misceneous activity. Like taking a lovelydy like you out for a meal or a walk in the meadow," Elliot smiled, letting his fangs out which looked sharp and pointy. "It is hard to tell though, Sir Elliot has usually one with good and bad cards," the same young woman continued to ask him the question. "That I do, Ms. Haven." Penny had only turned to her right when she caught Sylvia''s expression change quickly, the previous one being of a frown. It made her wonder at times if perhaps Sylvia liked Elliot but didn''t show her interest openly knowing about his past and the woman he once liked who had turned out to be a ck witch who had killed his friend. And maybe Elliot didn''t know it. With the different fort, they were both seated on, Elliot was only teasing her and maybe Sylvia just wasn''t ready to show her feelings, thought Penny to herself before her gaze returned back to Mrs. Keith. "I think Sylvia will win the game," Penny said to Mrs. Keith. In the end, Penny was right. Sylvia did win the game and Mr. Artemis was wrong. Penny turned to Sylvia to whisper to her, "Where is the powder room?" "You will find right here if you take a left and then take a right. There''s a small garden in there right outside the powder room." Mrs. Artemis, who was in front of them, heard Penny ask and she quickly got the maid to help the young woman to help her find the powder room. Excusing herself, Penny left the room. Chapter 472 Portraits- Part 2 She took her time in the washroom, taking in a deep breath before releasing it. Penny should have known things would be awkward and it would have been if both Elliot and Sylvia hadn''t apanied her. Some of the folks in the drawing-room where the card game was going on, she could feel them looking at her as if she were an insect. Even though Lady Helen had not joined them today, it hadn''t stopped Mrs. Raver in joining them for lunch and the game. Her hands were on either side of the basin with her back facing the mirror. After what happenedst time, Penny didn''t want to draw more attention to her which would not only cause her trouble but also cause trouble to Damien. The maid had left the door who had helped her reach the powder room. Turning back around she looked at her own reflection. Leaning close to the mirror to check if her eyes were alright and there was no hint of her being part of the ck witch family. Just when she was about to step out, she heard two voices speak as they walked past the powder room, "Did you hear that she is the samedy who used the bottle on Lady Helen?" "How ill-mannered," another voicemented, "She might not be part of the elite family. You can only guess why people don''t mingle around. Mixing dirt with water," Penny''s head hit the door, a sigh escaping through her lips. She knew it wasn''t something ady would do but the vampiress deserved more than that. Hearing the thud sound from outside, the maids who were talking amongst themselves stopped walking to go back to the powder room to ask, "Is everything alright, Ms?" one of the maids asked, giving an ear forward when the door suddenly opened to reveal Penny who stepped outside the room. Seeing the same woman who they were speaking aboute out in the light, the maid''s eyes widened but they didn''t utter a word more. Penny gave them a bright smile, "I am fine," the two girls nodded their head and quickly scurried away from the corridor. She stood outside the powder room, wondering to herself if she should join them before she started to walk in the opposite direction, away from the people so that she could rx. Mr. and Mrs. Artemis, they had been nice enough to invite her along with the others today, she felt slightly weed by the gesture but the atmosphere felt rather tense in the room. She didn''t want herself to be dragged into the court council and im the spotlight by letting them know she was a white witch. Walking through the corridors where the mansion was decently big, she admired the little objects which were ced for show and the flowers which were put in freshly today. Walking past the dining room and taking a peek at it, she continued to walk when she came upon a series of portraits of the family members. The portraits of the family members were usually interesting to watch the clothes they wore and the setting behind or around them which was usually made a little more extra than usual. There was a decently young portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Artemis of themselves. The paint on it felt old and the sides of it a little torn which needed to be redone. She moved to another portrait, one after another when she found Mr. and Mrs. Artemis with their two children. They were two boys, really young to be called as their parents, thought Penny to herself because the couple looked young. She moved to the next one which was when her brows furrowed together deeper than ever before. She took a step closer, having a better look at the two young children but these weren''t the two boys which she had looked at a few seconds ago. It was a young girl and a young boy. Both of them were smiling as they stood behind Mr. and Mrs. Artemis who were seated on a heavy couch. The faces looked strangely familiar. Had she seen them before? But it wasn''t possible, she said to herself as this portrait must have been created years ago. At least two decades ago and two decades ago she wasn''t even born at that time. Penny pressed her lips together. A maid who was pa.s.sing by another corridor found one of the guests who had made their way past the other side of the mansion, watching the woman through the windows who quickly went there. "Mdy, you shouldn''t be here," the maid of the Artemis informed her. "Pardon me," Penny offered a small bow of apology before walking away from there, taking one more nce before joining back the other guests in the drawing-room. She didn''t mention her little stroll but when the maid who had warned came to Mr. Artemis'' side, whispering something in his ear, the man''s eyes fell on Penelope. He gave the maid a nod and the maid left the room. Now along with the other eyes in the room, she felt wary of the man of the house. Though she was watched and she was observed, Mr. Artemis never came to tell her anything and the day proceeded from ying card games to a meal before they rxed back in the drawing-room. Finally, everyone wished each other on how lovely the evening had pa.s.sed by before going back to their houses in their respective carriage. That evening, Mr. Artemis stood in front of the portrait of the pictures that had been hung on the wall years ago. Mrs. Artemis came searching for her husband to find him standing here in front of the portraits. She looked at her husband who appeared to wear a grim expression on his face right now. His eyes staring at a specific portrait on the wall with the two boys in there. The woman ced a hand on her husband''s arm, rubbing it gently. "They died too young," the man responded back, his eyes vacant. Chapter 473 Portraits- Part 3 He took arge breath in, continuing to look at their sons before his eyes fell on the portrait next to it, "The girl...she came strolling in here," he informed his wife who frowned at him. "She was with us the entire time," the woman then remembered Penelope getting up and going with the maid to the powder room, "She is unrted. Not a rtive, not a council member, don''t get worked up about it. She is no one to know about anything," the woman consoled her husband, "I will talk to the servants tonight to manage the mansion better than let people walk around freely." "We cannot have people walking in the mansion," he reminded his wife, a sighing out of her lips. Her expression turned from the sweet kind woman to one that looked serious and cold. "We have already spoken about it. Bringing guests home will reduce our risk from being put under suspicion. Why do you think the white witches get caught easier than the ck witches? It is because they hide and raise the curiosity of other people. The more we hide, the more people will want to know and question. The easiest is to live the way we have been living all these years. That way, no one will evere to question us about anything." The elderly couple looked down at the portrait of the young boy and young girl in there with them. The girl had wavy red hair, her physique leaner than the boy in it and the boy who looked healthier than the girl, his eyes bright which the painter had captured well. "Come. Let''s take a walk around the mansion. It has been many days since we visited all the corners," she put her arm around him and took her husband away from the many portraits that were stuck on the wall. In the Delcorv''s mansion, Penny couldn''t stop thinking about the two children whom she saw in the Artemis mansion this afternoon. It was something that ran at the back of her head while she was trying to read through the book of Lady Isabelle. Reading the context of the book which was another page of life philosophy that was twisted and turned with riddles, Penny quickly moved to the next section. ''Behold the hour of the night which opens the window and leaves it open until morning to let another window open. A door that never closes and the door which is locked to the ones who walk thesends. It is not just the moon or the sun that is present above us but also the stars whiche and goes but there is more in the air. Creatures of the night and the day, guardian of these both which has been written in the book of ''Vervus''.'' Penny doubted there was a book with that name here. She had gone through most of the book''s name which Damien had brought from the corrupt councilman''s house and the book mentioned was definitely not that. When Damien entered back from the bathroom with a towel around his waist, she called him, "Damien, do you have a moment," he sauntered to her. "What is it?" "This word here, the one I am holding. The whole line actually, what does it read to you?" Damien turned his head around, reading it out loud, "You need to make use of more than one garlic while wanting to use it to increase the heat along with the onions," he looked up at her. "Which one garlic here?" she moved her hand away and Damien ced his finger on top of the name ''Vervus'', "Okay¡­" her words trailed. Even though the words were read differently in different contexts to him and her, it was still closely rted to each other. "What happened? Something not making sense?" he questioned, rubbing his wet hair with the towel that was hanging on his neck. "I think we missed a book." "White witches?" he raised his eyebrow. "Yes. The cookbook of Garlic to you and the book named Vervus to me." "What does it speak of?" Penny shrugged her shoulders. "It says to refer to the book to know more. I didn''te across it before." Damien nodded his head, saying, "Maybe it isn''t an important book if Creed didn''t collect it. ording to ancient myth pureblooded vampires don''t like garlic." "But it isn''t true," she pointed out to see him chuckle. "People like to make up garbage and feed people garbage. And the people do get fed," Damien put the towel on the chair to start wearing his nightclothes, "There was also a myth about holy water." "But that does affect you. No?" she asked to see him shake his head to a no. "Holy water depends on whom you are trying to spill it on. If it is a vampire who is one of the lower categories of vampires then it does affect them, unlike pureblooded vampires who hold a higher ability or immunity against it. Also, you need to take in various factors like the generation of vampires." "I have a question on that," she remembered hearing about the generation, "You are a second-generation vampire and Alexander is a third-generation vampire, how is that? If it were so, then...your father would be.." she looked at him with a confused expression trying to connect the two sides of the dots. "Smart girl. Alexander''s father was somewhat an adoptive brother to my father. They aren''t blood-rted," Penny raised her eyebrows as she finally understood about it, "Not all generations of pureblooded vampires grew up the same way. The years have differed greatly. It is simr to the pure ck witches who weren''t turned by tapping the forbidden magic. Though in ck witches they can turn their age back and forth, the first generation pureblooded vampires took their time to grow up. Some who died early and some who still continue to live." So that was the answer to it, Penny said to herself in her mind. She then asked, "What do we do with this book of garlic?" "We can inquire about it once we go back to Bonke. Antonio might know about it," that was true, he was the only knowledgeable onepared to the rest of the white witches who worked there in the church. Chapter 474 Part Of The Past- Part 1 When Penny''s head hit the pillow, her dream state took her back in time. A ce where once her memory was stubbed and erased which now was only returning back to her as they had always belonged to her. Waiting for her to be ready so that she could see and know about what had happened in the past. In the time, where darkness surrounded the room. The sizzling of the fire which was diminis.h.i.+ng slowly in the firece, the coal continued to burn brightly. Damien slept next to Penny on the bed unaware of the dream she had been taken to, her eyes flickered behind her closed eyelids... "It''s going to rain tonight," she heard her own voice speak, "More than what we experienced yesterday." She was in their living room, looking at her mother who was knitting a sweater right now while sitting on the wooden chair which had weakened over the years. "Indeed it is," her mother replied back without pausing her hands and looking at the small window of their house, "You should get the clothes that are hanging outside. They will get drenched." "Let me go bring them in, mother," Penny, who had been standing near to the window, walked outside the house, going behind and pulling the clothes that she had washed and put on the rope earlier that morning. It was always easier to wash clothes in the river when no one was around than face the viger''s hateful eyes. She walked towards the ropes. The wind blowing fast and hard that had the clothes moving in her direction without standing still even for a moment. From where she stood, she could see a swirl of dust that had been picked with the moving wind which was going round and round, moving towards their vige. A loud crackle of thunderstruck down from the clouds, the darkness only increasing in time. Reaching her hands to the clothes that hung on the rope which had dried, she pulled them one after another, her hands turning to be full as she moved from one side to another. Going back inside the house to ce them, she went out again, this time to pull out the bed sheet which had been put to wash after three weeks. As she walked closer to the cream sheet, she felt as if someone was standing there. Behind it, where when the wind blew it got stuck to the person. Her eyebrows knitted together, wondering who was standing there. No one in the vige ever spoke to them, walking to be around them was a far fetched thought that Penny had lost hope too. Now that she was seventeen, she understood that the world that was there in front of her wasn''t for her. People avoided them like gue, watching them with the corner of their eyes like they were some sort of pest. There had been many times in the past where she had proposed the idea of leaving the vige but her mother refused as she said this was the ce she had met her father. She wanted to continue to remember him even though he was not going to return back. And with that, she couldn''t request her mother by bringing the subject up. Right now, she continued to stare at the outline and shape of the person who stood behind the long cream sheet which hung on the rope. The air continued to blow. She gulped, her eyes and mind trying to figure out who it was or if this was another prank that was set by the vigers. With brave steps, she walked closer and closer to finally see a man who was standing behind the sheets, his movements still unlike the breeze that moved. His hair was pale blonde in color, his eyebrows andshes holding the same color as his hair. One would have guessed and taken him to be a porcin doll if his eyes didn''t move slowly s.h.i.+fting from the sheet that was right in front of him to look at her. He turned his head, his eyes looked dull and sleepy which held no light in them. The color of his eyes was dull gold in color to match his appearance. She had never seen him around here before. They both stared at each other, she out of curiosity and him as if he were making sure she was the one he was looking for. Penny wondered if the man was lost the way he looked at her right now. For someone who didn''t have the habit to interact in this vige where she was taught to keep her head down and walk and not make any eye contact, she now stared at him. "Can I help you?" Penny asked the man who hadn''t uttered a word yet. He was in their house property, in their backyard which made it her right to question him. Instead of replying to her, he walked towards her, his hand raising up to which she moved back quickly. She raised her brows when he said, "I came here to help you." Help? She was surely capable to pull out a simple bed sheet from the rope and had been doing it for a few years now, "I am sorry?" she said for him to respond with, "Don''t be. You don''t know," he said but he said, "Many children aren''t aware but I see you out here. It is time you knew." "Know what?" she asked him. He was speaking in circles which were hard for her to decipher what he was trying to convey to her. He, who had been dull and expressionless all this time, suddenly smiled. A faint smile on his thin lips brought a spark in his eyes when the clouds continued to grumble and sh against each other above them, "I am your element bearer," he said, making her even more confused. She tilted and turned her head trying to make sense of what he was saying and until now what he told didn''t connect a dot in her mind. Chapter 475 Part Of The Past- Part 2 Was it the weather that had turned her mind fuzzy which was why she wasn''t able to understand but then his words didn''t make sense to her. "You are a white witch, Penelope." "I think you have mistaken me for someone else, Sir," she said with a frown. Thest thing she needed was someone calling her to be any kind of witch. Witches were never taken well here or anywhere for their activities which were always vile. If any vigers heard this, they wouldn''t want to throw her out of the vige with her mother but burn them until they would not be alive, "You should go from here," she said, her voice firm. She started to pull the bedsheet from the rope, almost halfway until she heard the man say, "Don''t fear for who you are. You belong to the good one," the man said from where he stood. The wind only increased in the atmosphere which had her hair falling on her face. "You got the wrong person. I am a human," she said, clearing his thoughts about her, "My parents aren''t witches. They are humans just like I am." "Are you sure about it?" he asked her, his eyes staring down at her as he was a tall man. "I have been living with my mother for seventeen years now. I think I should know it better than you do, don''t you think?" She kept her tone to be polite. Trying to get her point across and at the same time not wanting to offend the man. "I cannot be wrong, Penelope. I am an elemental bearer, I know if the person is a white witch or not. Don''t believe everything that you see, sometimes even a person with good sight has a cloth around his eyes and sometimes it is the blind who can see better." "You are blind?" she asked him. "Yes, but I can hear you well. The wind guides me," he said. How strange, thought Penny to herself. Somewhere she felt an ounce of pity for him after hearing that he couldn''t see her, "I need no eyes to see or sense in what I believe. Do you believe in yourself, Penelope?" he questioned her. "We all would like to believe in ourselves." "I don''t care about others. Elemental bearers nevere looking for the witch unless they are summoned but as I said, I have been noticing you. I will make an exception for you and for that you need to believe in yourself." "What do you mean by elemental bearer?" she asked him as he had brought it up many times in their conversation now. "Every white witch has the ability to open their mind and wee what has been bestowed and gifted to the person. It equals and bnces the nature of the ck witch who makes use of the forbidden magic, where darkness resides. The four elements- water, wind, fire, andnd are what const.i.tute the circle that is part of the white witches. I am the wind bearer." Penny didn''t know why she was humoring the man. She was no white witch or any kind of witch at least with what she knew she was a hundred percent human, "Okay¡­" she trailed wondering where he was going with this. "I will give you what is needed to activate so that you can ept it and make use of it when you are in need of it but for that, I need you to believe," he raised his hand, his finger pointing up and she looked up to see some of the clouds s.h.i.+ng more than before that had thends shaking because of them, "But I don''t think you bear just one element. With what I see you might be a water element as I have been summoned here right now in this weather." "I wille tomorrow, meet me in the forest before it rains again," he said, his eyes still looking at her even though he was blind. With the hand that he had raised, he lowered it down near his head and snapped his fingers that had the man suddenly disappear in thin air. Surprised, she looked around left and right where there was no one in the backyard of the house but her. Blinking her eyes, she took the sheet with her and walked back inside the house. As she stepped in, her mother asked, "Was it too windy outside?" "Ah, yes. I think it would be best to stay here due to the strong wind," Penny replied to her mother, beginning to fold the bedsheet which she had brought in along with the other clothes. cing it on top of each other. Her head felt heavier, and she brought her hand up to rub the side of her temple. "Are you alright, Penny?" her mother asked who hadn''t moved from her seat for hours now. "I think I am falling sick because of the cold air," she smiled, not wanting her mother to worry about her. "You should make use of wood, heat them up," her mother suggested and she shook her head. "I will be okay," there were barely four logs of wood right now that they could use to heat the room and if they exhausted it, they wouldn''t have the fire of heat for? G.o.d knows how long as the forest and other trees were wet with the continuous rain. She took a woolen scarf which her mother had knitted, putting it around her neck so that she wouldn''t feel too cold. When the time of dinner arrived where Penny and her mother ate the meal with antern that was always running on a low me so that they could save the oil that was used for it, her mother said, "How has the work in the theater been going on?" "It has been okay. They haven''t received any recent recruits which should be okay for now," she answered taking a bite from the food. Chapter 476 Part Of The Past- Part 3 "That is good to hear. Work has been very difficulttely and food has been scarce. I think the vigers stole all the food, hiding it away so that we can''t reach for it." "Don''t worry, mama. I don''t mind walking to the other side of the vige." "But it is far," her mother muttered. Penny smiled rea.s.suringly, "A little work and time is something I can still spare for. You don''t have to worry about it and let me take care," her mother nodded, her eyes looking at her before she went back to eating her food. Her mother had finished eating first and had taken utensils to be washed behind which had an extended roof. Just when Penny was eating her hand suddenly froze with the quick shes of images that came to move in front of her eyes. It was like a piece of memory she didn''t know of and her hands turned cold. Her mother was the one toe and fetch her empty te, "Wash your hand. It isn''t good to leave it dry," said her mother. Penny only nodded her mind in a daze where she wasn''t able to form a proper sentence or speak a word right now. Was.h.i.+ng her hand and seeing her mother clean up the ground, she turned around. Walking to the desk and asking her mother, "Mama, I brought a small stone back homest week. Did you see it?" she asked, her head turned slightly to make sure her mother was still outside. "It must be somewhere there on the bed. Where did you misce it?" she heard her mother ask. Penny could feel her hands shake, her heartbeat rising and thudding as seconds flew by. She quickly reached for the parchment of papers which was lying in the drawer as expected. Pulling it out, she started to read, ''Incantation of the dead and bringing the death to step back into the world¡­'' she couldn''t read past more than one line when her mother pulled the parchment from her hand. "I thought you were looking for your stone," her mother looked straight into her eyes, an evil smile which she wasn''t familiar with her mother''s face right now, "Your habit to snoop around is something I have been trying to get rid of. Every.Single.Time," her mother stressed. Penny, unable to stop herself from asking, asked, "What are those?" "Why don''t you take a seat, Penny?" her mother said but Penny was shocked with what she just read. Her mother walked to the other side of the room, taking a handful of the ash powder and cing the parchment down on the table. "No...you..you have been doing something to me," Penny could feel the gooseb.u.mps forming on all over her screen. She didn''t remember everything but there were bits and pieces of her memory that had returned back which her mother had done something with. Her mother smiled sweetly at her, "What do you mean I have done something to you? Do you even hear what you are saying," she then suddenly blew the powder from her hand, chanting and murmuring something under her breath which made Penny standstill and unable to move, "You are my daughter yet you are so slow. To blurt out what you find after your memories return to only be caught again. Don''t worry. I will make sure to take care of you as I have been doing. You don''t have to remember the bad dreams." "No," Penny whispered in an rmed tone, "Don''t-" she could feel the panic begin to trickle up her nerves which were climbing up. "Shh," her mother patted her head. Moving her hand gently as Penny remembered thest time her mother had beaten her, "You don''t have to remember the bad dreams. My good daughter, you have to listen to me but you never do." "Mama, please, don''t do this," she uttered the words as her mother continued to pat her head, "I am still your daughter," she said looking in horror on her face. "I know, dear. But if you really were, you would have told me that someone came to visit you today. Didn''t they?" how did she know? "You didn''t tell me and instead hid it from me. I feel hurt and betrayed. Every time I fix you up, it''s like you want to continue to be broken. Why Penny?" "Why did you hide?" Penny returned her answer with a question, "We are not humans, we are witches. You lied and hid it." "This is what I meant. Running your mouth without listening to me. Let''s hope this time you listen, okay?" and suddenly her mother banged her head against the wall with a force that turned Penny unconscious. When the next day arrived, as usual, Penny couldn''t recollect as to what happened the previous day. When asked, her mother called it to be her episodes where she often fainted due to her weak health. Unfortunately, where the element bearer stood in the forest waiting for Penelope to turn back, the girl had no memory and the element bearer didn''te looking for her. When Penny finally woke up back in Delcrov''s mansion, she stared at the ceiling. Her chest feeling lighter yet heavy at the same time. Her mother had been tampering with her mind over and over again until she felt she was the obedient child. Back then she loved her mother. She cherished her only family member but not anymore. Her memories wereing back, trying toplete the nks which she had onlye to notice. Damien was right about something. At one point she would have to take a stand for herself against her mother. It wasn''t that she hadn''t in the past. Her questions which were asked to her mother in the past had been erased. Any form of resistance had been removed to the point where she believed every lie that her mother spoke. She tried remembering the day when this had happened. It wasn''t an old memory but one which was recent as it felt fresh where she could grasp on the details better. It was a few days before her mother decided to fake her sickness. Going to move her hand she found it to be wrapped in Damien''s hand who was lying next to her in the bed. Upon her hand movement, his eyes opened. "Bad dream?" he asked. Chapter 477 Known Penny''s head was on the pillow, her mind still raking in the day as she pieced the memories together, remembering the time of when it happened and how things had turned out to be. It must have been a week or two before her mother had imed to fall sick. "I met an elemental bearer before the water person," she let Damien know, her head still heavy with sleep which was only leaving her mind right now, "It was a wind element." "That''s great. Did he teach you how to use your ability?" he asked, ted by the news. At least there was some good news which wasn''t just hurtful and bad memories that Penny had to go through but when he saw Penny shake her head, he asked, "Why not?" "He asked me to meet him at a certain ce but I couldn''t meet him. I forgot about him," Damien gave her an understanding look. Penny''s mother sure was a b.i.t.c.h who had misused her own family for her own benefit, "But that wasn''t all. He said I was a water element too." "He did? But didn''t the water bearer say you weren''t one?" "He said it was because of the rain. When he came to meet me it was only about to rain and which was why he felt that I was one," thest time they had got it checked by the help of Bathsheba but after the witch hunter who had attacked the ck witch, they had no clue on where she was. If she was still in Bonke or if she had found shelter in anothernd, "If the forbidden magic is not going to affect me, do you think I can test it on myself to see if it works?" "It is worth a try," Damien replied to her question. He could tell that even though she had tried tapping into the forbidden magic, somewhere it scared her, to use something which was unholy and wrong in the terms of the witches. "There is no hurry for you to learn and take in everything right away. You can take your time in learning about finding elements in time. We will have to fish a ck witch for that." "Fish?" she gave him a confused expression. "We will need the spells and the potions that are required for the elements to be tested. If the water element came searching for you, which might I add was the ghost the butler was talking about, why didn''t the wind elemente looking for you?" he questioned in wonderment. It was a valid question, thought Penny to herself. The water element had told her that it was because of the ritual she came looking for yet she was disappointed telling she wasn''t one. "Wait, I saw someonest week here. Shadow like but I didn''t know if it was trees outside because when I went to check there was nothing there-" "And you''re telling it to me now?" Damien gave her a worried look. "I think it was just my imagination." "Nothing in this world is about imagination and if it is, even the things that you imagine are true and real. What did you see?" he asked her. She tried remembering it, "It was just shadow-like. Very light. Maybe if it was a dark shadow like an actual person standing, I wouldn''t have gone near. I am safe here," she reminded him, not wanting to worry him seeing the crease between his forehead. Bringing her hand up, she smoothened his forehead. "Are you feeling alright?" her mother was a topic which they had gone over enough which made it easier for Penny to speak how she felt. "Just angry for what she did," she sighed, "I didn''t know a mother could be vile to this extent. All she wanted was a doll as an alibi to prove that she was a human like the rest. That was what I was to her. I don''t think she ever loved or took me to be her daughter," and even though the matter was sad, Penny felt nk saying this, unaffected about her dream, "I wonder if she''s looking for me now." "She will be tired doing it," one side of Damien''s lip pulled up, "She might have started from Wovile and then back to Bonke to only find you and me missing, not knowing where we are." Agreeing and s.h.i.+fting the topic as she wasn''t sleepy anymore, she asked, "How is the case going?" "It is doing okay. We should be done by tomorrow," he said, ying with her fingers. "You''re fast," sheplimented and a quick retort was heard from Damien. "Since I was born, mouse. How was your tea party? How many bottles did you break?" he teased her to receive an awkward smile from her. "There wasn''t anyone to sing your praises or chase you today, though there was onedy who trying to catch Elliot''s attention while we were ying cards." "Did you have fun?" he asked her and she shook her head, "Missed me?" she nodded. A broad grin formed on his lips, "Come here," he pulled her so that he could hold her tightly in his arms, the flowery fragrance she had applied on her hair wafting over his nose and he breathed it, "I missed you too." Penny smiled at his words. The previous dull atmosphere was gone and she felt calm in his arms. She had missed him too. Before she would doze away, she asked him, "Have you been to the Artemis'' house before?" "Once I guess. Why do you ask?" It was a human household and Damien very rarely step foot in a human household. She pursed her lips, "I was walking around the mansion this noon and came in front of a series of portraits on the wall. Where are their four children?" "Four? If I remember right, the Artemis had only two boys who were found in the well as they died in an unfortunate ident. The other two must be their rtives, but definitely not their children." "I see," Penny responded back in thought, "I don''t know why I feel like I have seen those two before. Noth the boys but the other pair of children. The boy and the girl." Chapter 478 Witcher- Part 1 Penelope didn''t know many people in her life. The people she had met in her life were few, so were her interactions because of her mother who had created the atmosphere where she didn''t mingle with anyone. Even if she wanted to, people were often wary. It still made her wonder why...why were the people wary of their family. It couldn''t be just a false rumor, right? Her mind went back to the portrait that she had seen in the Artemis'' house, "Was it the children''s fault, the drowning?" she asked Damien. "I am not sure about it. When the event took ce Alex and I was young, kinda young. I remember not having seen them but it might be because it was only once that I went to their house which was after I grew up," so Damien had not seen the boys, thought Penny to herself. "Do you think I can get the information about this case that took ce?" "We will have to check who the councilor was who was handling the case. It has been many years so we will need to check it. We will be leaving for Bonke in four days," he informed her, "I can check in the council. But if the person is dead, I don''t think pulling out information will be easy." "Why not?" she questioned, "There should be some sort of record about it, right?" "There are records of the cases but once a case is dismissed and closed, the files and other objects rted to it are put in a storage room which no one id allowed to go. I will speak to Rueben about it and see what can be done." "Thank you," she murmured to him. "Why do you want to know about their children?" he asked her curiously. To him, it seemed like she was digging back a case that had been closed and was of no relevance. The Artemis couple were a pair of humans who had lost their children when they were young. They were fairly a decent elite with a pa.s.sing grade of fortune that was made after a few years of the couple''s marriage. "It isn''t because of the children. It is the other two that have been bothering me. I am just curious to know what happened," her green eyes stared into Damien''s red eyes. Gazing as she looked up at him. "Okay. Let me see if I can catch hold of a ck witch before that. Alexander said the witch hunters had reduced here due to which there haven''t been many sightings of the witches, instead, there have been spotting of humans going missing. Finding one in Bonke is risky, there are many which have created a concentration of witches and witch hunters." "Why doesn''t the council do anything about it?" "Some of the council elders don''t want themselves to be caught in the midst of this war which the witches are trying to wage and win." Penny frowned, "But it is going to damage the vampires along with humans. The humans are not the only ones to get affected by the witches." "You and I understand it but not everyone is smart, it is because they put themselves first. Greed is second nature to people in the council. They will go to any extent when ites to the power they want, everything runs behind closed doors and you won''t know until you mix into it," Damien yed with the back of her hair. Touching the tips of her hair. "Have you done it?" She asked, the question pa.s.sing by her mind on if Damien had ever broken the rules like the rest of them. His eyes stared into hers, his expression picking on being pa.s.sive, "What do you think?" "You did¡­" "I have killed plenty of people, Penny. Some for the thirst of blood and sometimes because they were more corrupt. Of course, everyone is corrupt in the council. There are only a few who you will find to be right and those people die. It is filled with filth, like the reflection of the world. It is not who is corrupt but who is the most corrupt that we target and kill," Penny took some time to understand his words, "Sleep now. We have a long day ahead," he pecked her lips, wis.h.i.+ng her goodnight and tucking her under his chin. To point out who was the most corrupt, thought Penny to herself. It was true though. Her eyes closed, she went through what Damien had told her. Everyone was selfish, greedy, and everything bad but it was the one with the highest amount who had to be taken down. Her eyes beginning to drift back to sleep, her breathing evened out as she fell back to a much peaceful sleep than before. During the time of noon, Penny was in the hidden room of the Delcrov''s mansion when the butler came to her. Knocking the door, "Mdy," Martin tried to gain her attention. Penny who was trying to put one drop of the solution to another carefully stopped herself from doing it and put it back down, "Master Damien call''s for your presence in the dungeon room. Dungeon room? It was the ce where she had seen the dead bodies of the children they had rescued from the forbidden forest. "Okay," putting the two .s.s-like tubes down in the stand, she wiped her hands on the ap.r.o.n she had been wearing around her waist. Making her way out of the room and then the mansion, Penny walked on the open ground beforeing upon the two guards who stood at the entrance of the dungeon. They bowed their heads at her, moving away from the path which they had blocked for anyone to pa.s.s through in or out of it. Penny picked up thentern which was at the front, the atmosphere outside was already dark with the clouds going back to hover in the sky and the atmosphere inside the dungeon was no less cold. Holding it above her head, she picked the front of her skirt for easier movement as the dungeon was dark and only in some interval of distance did shee to meet a litntern before it turned dark again. The stench of blood mixed with the rusted iron rods was heavy in here, which made her eyebrows draw together due to the smell. She finally caught a glimpse of Lord Alexander who was with Damien in the cell room. The closer she got, the brighter the ce turned out to be as manynterns were ced and lit. It made her wonder who the guest was. "You have another witch," came a shrill voice from the prisoner of the cell. When Penny finally came to stand in front of them, the doors of the cell open, she found a ck witcher whose hands and legs were tied with metal chains. Chapter 479 Witcher- Part 2 It was a male ck witch who was bound to the chair, ck blood dripping out of his mouth and his appearance that had turned to its original form, "It is good to see you here," he smelled the air, sniffing with his nose before his head tilted in amus.e.m.e.nt, "The blood of both white and ck that runs in you. How interesting," the witcher didn''t care about the two men, or that his life was in threat right now. Penny didn''t react outwardly but internally she was taken aback. It was true that ck witches could identify who the other ck witches or white witches were but for him to know the kind of parents she had, she pursed her lips. "Penelope," the witcher called her and it only raised her eyebrows. "Do you know this ugly b.a.s.t.a.r.d?" it was Damien who had turned to look at Penny and ask her the question. Damien had given his word to Penelope on him bringing a ck witch here so that they could pull out information that could be of use to Penny so that she could learn something from him. The spells which were used by the ck witches couldn''t be used by the white witch and the spells which were used by the white witch couldn''t be used by the ck witches. Penny had no restrictions right now when it came to using the magic. She hadn''t seen the man before, not that she could recollect at least. The more she stared at the witcher, the smile on his face fell down. "This one is lying like the rest of them," Alexandermented looking at his cousin. Damien nodded his head in slow motion. Due to the light, Penny had not seen what Damien was holding in his hand but when his hand raised itself her eyes went slightly wide looking at the metal rod which was surrounded by metal wires around it. He smacked the rod right across the witcher''s face that had even Penny grimace over it. "What are you doing?" asked the witcher, unhurt by it. His voice was calm like the ocean. "Beating you?" Damien asked back. "You don''t remember me, do you? It must be because of my appearance right now," asked the witcher, his tongue slithering in and out of his mouth. His appearance started to change, from the ck scales which covered his entire body, his skin now turned one like a human. Smooth and unbroken except for the cuts which Damien had inflicted on him. The man returned to his falsified appearance, blonde hair and brown eyes that stared into hers with a sweet smile on his lips as if he weren''t beaten just now. Looking at his face, Penny frowned initially before her head started to hurt. A piercing pain made through the back of her head and she flinched. shes of something came in front of her eyes. ''Penelope, where do you think you are going?'' ''Mama is here, I need to leave.'' ''Penny, how could you?'' she heard her mother''s voice ''No!'' The voices in her head spoke to her. It continued with more of the voices and she touched her forehead. Seeing this, Damien came to where Penny was, "What happened, Penny?" "She is remembering me of course," the witcher chuckled sitting in his seat and enjoying the scene in front of her. "My head hurts," she said to Damien. "Let''s take a break away from here," he proposed to see her shake her head. "No, it''s just some memories," she whispered but the whisper was not a whisper in the quiet room of the dungeon. Alexander, who was watching this, took to inquiring the ck witch, "How do you know her?" "She was my neighbor once upon a time until her mother decided to chase me away by having a witch hunter on my tail," replied the witcher, "I used to like her and she¡­" he paused that brought the other members attention in the room to what the witcher was saying. Penny looked at the witcher with her breath paused. Damien narrowed his eyes, bringing up the bat he was holding to notify the man to use his words wisely. The only reason the witcher was even alive was that he knew Penelope''s name and he had chosen to mention her name in front of him which made it suspicious. "Are you trying to threaten me?" the witcher smiled looking at Damien. "What do you think?" the pureblooded vampire asked back with a smile of his own. "You chose a violent man, Penelope," the witchermented, his words were directed to Penelope. "You haven''t seen violence yet. This was just warm-up," Damien''s eyes shone in mirth, "Depending on your questions, let me see how this bat wille to be of use." Penny waited for the ck witch toplete his sentence, his eyes staring in her green ones which were green and beautiful just as he remembered. "She was a friend of mine," hepleted his previous sentence which he had left hanging. Penny couldn''t tell how relieved she was hearing this. For a moment she was worried where he would call her his lost lover. There would have been a bloodbath for sure. There were traces of voices in the back of her head where she recognized the voice. Matching it with the male witcher who was bound in the chair. ck witches colonized themselves in the forest but they never lived near to each other in a town or a vige, due to the obvious sh and the witcher hunters who could catch them one after another. "He came looking for you," Damien informed her. Penny looked back at the man, asking him, "Why?" if they were simple neighbors there was no reason for him to follow her. "I wanted to see you. Your mother is not here now, I can finally court you," the male witcher replied back. Damien exhaled out air from his mouth, his lips smiling before he swung the bat over the witcher''s face. Penny flinched over the impact of the bad on the male witcher''s face. "Penelope, are you interested in him?" Damien asked her. "Of course, not," she frowned. What kind of ridiculous question was that? "There, you have an answer. Now tell us why you havee here looking for her without beating around the bush before I beat you to a pulp that even your potions might not work on that sweet look you are giving to my woman," Damien warned the witcher. The man didn''t respond back, his eyes staring at Penelope even after being beaten, "I think I understand your feelings now," he stated to her which made her lips tremble to bubble up theugh. She had to remind herself this was not the time with him subtly mentioning about her breaking the bottle on Lady Helen''s head. "Your taste in men is not good, Penelope," the ck witcher spoke to Penny, the already quiet room turning silent. Chapter 480 Witcher- Part 3 By the little memory shes, Penny knew the witcher wasn''t lying and was speaking the truth, "Were we friends?" she asked him. "We were," the man answered her. This time it was Damien whomented by saying, "Your taste in friends is bad." "Apologies, Master Damien. I didn''t have any topare to," she retorted back earning a grin from Damien. The man continued to look at Penny and now at Damien, listening to their conversation. Lord Alexander stared at the male witcher, his appearance s.h.i.+fting from ck witch to human before it finally settled on the human skin, staring at the couple in the room who were back in their own bubble-like little children. Leaving them be, he took a step forward to observe the man closer. "You are a ck witch who was chased by her mother. What do you know about the woman? Was it the reason that you liked Miss Penelope or was there something more?" asked Alexander, his dark red eyes calctingly staring at the ck witcher whose eyes had s.h.i.+fted from the couple to the Lord of Valeria. "You aren''t normal too," he said sniffing the air. "Congrattions on finding that out," Alexander praised him, "Do you think I care if you know what I am or what she is?" "Of course, you don''t. You will have me killed before that," came the solemn answer, "Isn''t that what you do? Son of the white witch." "That''s true," Alexander agreed to the ck witcher, "So tell us about her mother." Even Penny was interested in knowing about it. She already knew some versions of what her mother showed and some of which she found out herself. To know from an outsider''s perspective would surely give another story. "Penelope''s mother...she was a kind woman. She worked very hard for her daughter''s sake, day in and out always away from home and tired without anyone''s support," okay maybe this was not what Penny wanted to hear, "At least that is what I saw and noticed until Penelope one day told me that she remembered something which wasn''t aware of. Telling her mother had hit her." "She didn''t tell me anything but I understood that it was the curse of the memory which her mother had ced on her. It was only after learning about her memory erase did I understand that there were witches apart from me. What I didn''t understand was how she didn''t turn out to be a witch but eventually, she did," said the ck witcher, his eyes falling back on Penny. "You didn''t help her?" asked Damien, for someone who liked the girl he didn''t do a good job in keeping her safe. "I tried to but Penelope didn''t tell me anything and headed home telling me she would return the next day, but that day never came," Penny took his words as a sign that she must have confronted her mother which had led to another erase. It made her question on, how many times did her mother actually do it? The amount of patience to save herself from Penny who still didn''t know what she must have seen that had scared her. Alexander then questioned, "If a ck witch can identify another ck witch, howe her mother didn''t get a whiff about you? Or didn''t you get one from the family?" "We have a talisman that helps in covering our entire appearance from the ck witches," the witcher continued to exin, "A few months ago, the talisman crumbled itself to dust. Whoever has ever owned one they all withered away and I don''t know why. Penelope never came to see me and I didn''t get to confirm as I have witch hunters who were too keen on hunting me down. After that, I had more hunters. By the time I returned back it was told her mother died and she didn''t live in the vige anymore. So I decided to search for her." Penny realized she didn''t know his name and she inquired, "What is your name?" The ck witcher looked a little disappointed to know that she didn''t remember him but it was her mother''s doing, "It is Isaiah..." he said locking his eyes with her beautiful ones. "How long did we live next to each other as neighbors, Mr. Isaiah?" she asked him. "Must be around nine months. The house next to you had only turned vacant as the old man pa.s.sed away. So I moved in there for a temporary time," answered the male witcher named Isaiah. "Did you ever speak to my mother?" "No," he shook his head. Then that would mean that her mother had taken him to be a threat where she might have blurted out to what she had done to bring back the box of memories which were hidden from her, "It isn''t hard to know it was her who tipped the witch hunter because, in less than two days, I had left the vige. But I am d to hear she died, was it a witch hunter?" he asked to see Penny smile. "She''s still alive." "What?" he turned his head, looking confused at her, "But there is a grave of her and the viges were happy about her death." Damien chuckled, "Some graves are not filled but left empty witcher. The woman is still alive and breathing. She faked her death," he turned the metal rod, rotating it before asking, "Do you know how to unwind the memory? To bring it back?" The ck witch shook his head, "If I knew I would have helped her that day. With the way it happened in the past, I don''t think her mother did a good job of hiding her memory because if I am not wrong, Penelope must have already had episodes of her past slipping through the cracks of the wall. It is only time until everything opens up." Damien gave some thought about it, his eyes staring at the man and asking, "Do you love your life witcher?" "Yes, why?" The pureblooded vampire smiled, a scheme already forming in his mind. Chapter 481 Keeping Things Alive- Part 1 The matter was still unclear to Damien on why the ck witcher named Isaiah had uttered Penny''s name, "Have you been mentioning Penelope''s to every other vampire you have been meeting here?" he tapped the bat on his hand which he hadn''t let go yet. Penny noticed how Isaiah, the ck witcher stared at the bat. With her broken memories, she didn''t know how they had spent their time together. To think that she actually had a friend even if it was for a short duration, she was d to know about it. Maybe her life was harsh and lonely as she thought it was. Maybe the memories that had been removed, some of them contained times like how she spent with her father. Those were the heartfelt memories and she would cherish it. "I was tracing her, trying to find her when I heard someone mention the green eyesdy with a pureblooded vampire who had been taken in as a ve. There aren''t many who remember vibrant eyes and the only one I knew was Penelope''s, but she seems to be doing well," Isaiah looked at Penny''s dress which was nothing a ve or a lowly .s.s woman would wear. These were clothes that belonged to the elites. "I am d you are doing fine. I can now leave. Could you untie me please?" the man moved that had the shackles make sounds. "Hmm? What happened to you wooing thedy?" Damien questioned him. "Of course, I still like her but I have the decency to not get between the two people," said Isaiah. Penny came to realize that the ck witch who sat here in front of them was one of the few good people in that whole lot of ck witches who were nothing but ill and bad. "A ck witch with morals, so hard to find these days. I think I will keep you with me," Damien smiled at Isaiah who sent a small re at him. "I am not a pet for you to keep. I answered all your answers and I have found thedy to be in safe hand, there is nothing here for me-" "See that is where you are wrong. I am sure you are older than what you look," Damienmented, hitting the right spot as the witcher continued to re quietly at him in his seat, "You must have vast knowledge on how to use the spells like many other ck witches. Penny needs some a.s.sistance. You will be handy." "That seems like a perfect idea," Alexandermented but the witcher wasn''t ready. "I deny to help," Penny heard the ck witch continue to say which was one when she asked him, "Mr. Isaiah...Were you a white witch before?" At her words, the man''s eyes snapped to look at her. There was a certain sadness in his eyes upon hearing her question, "I used to be one," Oh, dear, thought Penny to herself. No wonder, the aura around him was much calmer for a ck witch. "Why did you tap into the forbidden magic?" she asked, looking at him with curious eyes. He pursed his lips, "My younger brother was ill and I needed to turn him healthy," did witches fall ill? She nodded her head, half to him and a half to her. She did fall sick in the past. "I am sorry to hear that," she said. Isaiah smiled, "I knew it would happen but didn''t know that the spell wouldn''t work right. I lost my young sibling and in the process of wanting to fix him desperately, I continued to use the magic which our elders warned us not to. It is hard to stop once youe in contact with it, like a drug until you turn toplete darkness where there is no way out," she truly did feel sorry for the man now. He had been searching for her hoping she was alright. Damien, who was looking at both of them let out a loud yawn, "I will give you a day to pick your choices to stay and help us. It is hard to find a ck witch and harder to trust the one we find. You seem to share some sort of attachment with Penny so I am sure you wouldn''t do anything to her," he said it confidently. "Aren''t you worried I will poison you?" asked the ck witcher and Damien looked back at him. "Do you think I am an idiot to drink things that you make? I will have Penny drink it first," Penny hearing this turned to Damien to give him a look, "I am just joking, mouse," he turned his eyes back on the man, "If it isn''t an expected answer the servants of this mansion will be asked to set up a casket for you." Leaving the man alone in the dungeon, the three of them made their way back towards the mansion, the time had pa.s.sed quickly and it was hard to tell what time it was right now. Penny knew Damien could be reckless and enjoyed the gore on his hands but the man they had left behind appeared to be a genuine person. "Please don''t kill him," Penny whispered to Damien, tugging the coat that he wore. "You know when you say it like that," he said to her looking into her eyes, "It makes me want to kill the person more." Penny gave him a narrowed look, "He didn''t hurt anyone." "It isn''t good to bet when a person has changed from being a white witch to a ck witch. The trait of ck witches doesn''t leave anyone. Once you are inked you are part of them," he said before Penny countered him back, "Yet, you have caught him doing anything. Were you only threatening him?" "I am not sure," Damien answered her. "Penelope," Alexander spoke, who was walking next to Damien with Damien being in the center, "Turned ck witches often are used as bait. No matter how good they are, you can never tell if someone is ying puppet with them. In this case, even though he might be a good man. It is best to keep him close. What if your mother gave him the task to find you and erased the necessary details." "But Damien can detect lies," Penny looked at Damien. The man instead of responding to her statement chuckled, "I read people Penny, which is why it is easy to detect. But some people are very good at hiding. Right now we will only have to wait and see if he truly means well." She finally nodded her head, "Okay," believing in a story which he told might not be her best guess on judging his character. Chapter 482 Keeping Things Alive- Part 2 When they neared the entrance of the mansion, there was a slightmotion that could be hearding from outside the mansion. Penny wondered what it was about and continued to walk with Damien and Alexander. Reaching the entrance, they saw many of the maids and servants who hade out to see what the sound was all about. Their expression held one to be of shock. On the other side of the front of the mansion stood the Delcrov''s butler who was right now pus.h.i.+ng a young girl''s face on the ground along with her hands which were held from behind. By the clothes, she could tell it was one of the maids from the mansion. Her eyes took in the girl who appeared to be in pain, her face contorted in difort and agony with the way the butler held her hand behind. Penny still remembered the pain that had shot through her arm when Grace had twisted her arm during the first week before she was saved by Damien. Suddenly the Lord appeared angry, he walked to where the butler and the maid was. Penny was still trying to grasp when she saw a bush that had been pulled out and sabotaged. It was the blue roses that Alexander had asked her to not pluck more than one. "What happened here?" Lord Alexander had always been calm and quiet, speaking only when required while the rest of the time he appeared to be intimidating. Penny had never seen him this angry. More than angry, he appeared to be in a rage. Even the butler appeared to becking words for a second before he said, "The maid was found destroying the nt and I had to stop her from damaging it anymore," Martin bowed his head, his eyes on the grey ground. The girl struggled to get up but the butler''s grip was tight on her. Penny and Damien made their way towards the garden to see and hear what was going on. She saw how the bushes were pulled out, its roots that were not only pulled but also chopped with a pair of the garden trimmer. "Let her up," he ordered Martin and the butler was quick to oblige to his Master''s words. The maid stood up, guilt on her face yet there was no actual remorse on it. Her eyes looked to the side, not meeting the Lord''s eyes, "What do you think you are doing destroying my property?" Alexander''s words were hard, "ANSWER ME!" his voice boomed around the mansion which even had Penny jerk back with the impact. Alexander looked at the crowd that had formed at the entrance, "The rest of you can go back to your work," one line and it had everyone scatter inside without a question. The maid had done something bad which she wasn''t supposed to do, but all she wanted to have the Lord''s attention on her, "I-I, you drank blood from me, you touched yet anotherdyes to the house and you give her more attention! Am I not special to you, milord?" For a moment Penny wondered if the maid was pointing to the woman to be her, "The woman you brought here yesterday," so it wasn''t her. The girl didn''t continue and instead broke into a series of tears. The maid''s shoulder shook devastated, "I thought you liked me, instead you go sleeping with that b.i.t.c.h! When I tried to speak to you today you said there was nothing...how could do that, Lord Alexander," the girl asked, her wide eyes staring at him with a bewildered expression on her face. "I don''t remember mentioning you being special. Did you perhaps decide to imagine it yourself to decide that you were?" he raised his brow. "How heartless, milord. How heartless," she repeated herself, "You caressed me as if you loved me. Whispering words and now I am nothing. You behave cold yet you love this nt like it''s some child. If you can treat me like some dirt, it is only right I do this-" The girl picked up the trimmer which was next to her legs, ready to harm the remaining nt but she never reached it. Alexander caught hold of her neck in time, bringing her in front of him, "How dare you touch things which don''t belong to you, you also dare to damage the nt," he squeezed her neck that had the maid trying to push him away right now as she found it hard to breathe, "Don''t forget you are a maid. Unless I have promised those words to you, you have no right to think and behave like you are my lover. How pathetic." Alexander didn''t care about the maid, for someone to go far as to damage things that they knew were important to him, people like that had no ce here. He squeezed her neck further before letting her go and twisting her hand before pulling it off. "AHH!" the girl screamed in pain. Penny turned her face away quickly, taking Damien''s shoulder to shelter her from looking at what just happened. The girl only continued to scream, yelling in pain. "Take her out to the forest and have her buried," came Lord Alexander''s orders and Penny''s eyes widened, she looked at Damien not knowing why Lord Alexander was so attached to the nt. "Come, let''s go inside," Damien urged and tugged her along with him, leaving the people who were out outside as they got inside the mansion. Damien took her to the room. Making her sit on the bed before sitting on the front of her, "What just happened?" she asked him. He took both her hands in his, sitting in front of her on his heels, "The nt is important to Alex," more than a person''s life? She wasn''t able to wrap her head around it, "Remember how Lady Isabelle was killed in the middle of the vige? Where the vigers burnt her. Alex stole her ashes which was put in the cemetery to rest her soul. He brought the ashes back to the mansion and...buried it along with the rose nt. It was a normal nt but because of Aunt Isabelle, his mother, the nt turned out to be special for him." Chapter 483 Keeping Things Alive- Part 3 She walked out of the room and into the balcony after a while. The room had the view of the front of the mansion, Penny noticed Lord Alexander who had taken himself to sit in front of the bush of the rose which had been damaged. First, it was the snow which was trying to frost the nts and now it was the maid who had tried to destroy the nt over her jealous thoughts. Truthfully, Penny didn''t know whom to me. As much as the girl was at fault, she felt somewhere even Lord Alexander could or might have been responsible over it. Lord Alexander might have been nice to the girl, and maybe he might have not told her what the s.e.xual rtions.h.i.+ps meant to the girl, that it was nothing but tonic and it wouldn''t change their master and servant rtions.h.i.+p. For the girl to be upset she must have overreacted over the matter, wanting attention from a higher man, who was the Lord of Valeria. The pain of not having someone love you back over the conditions and to feel hurt over it after investing a lot of emotions, it wasn''t hard to tell that the girl wouldn''t retaliate but if she knew how much the nt meant to him, she should have not touched it. Instead, she had gone as far as to cut the roots of the bushes to make him understand her emotions. Her thoughts went to the man who was in the dungeon, eyes moving from Lord Alexander and the garden to the dungeon which she could see. "What are you thinking?" Damien asked her who hade to apany her out in the balcony. "Do you think the ck witch was speaking the truth?" she asked it because Damien knew how to detect a lie which was uttered in front of him, his sharp gaze and eyes didn''t miss the lie that came out of a person but people could be highly deceiving. "For now I would like to think yes, but that doesn''t mean I won''t keep an eye on him," Damien answered her question, "I was sure he was going to say you both were lovers," so it wasn''t just her. The tone that came out of the ck witch''s mouth had appeared to be so before he told her that it was just him who liked her. Damien then said, "For someone who was concerned enough toe looking for you, it makes me doubt that he would let go of you that easily. Love like that is not something you give up unless you put a fight to it." "You think he will try something?" "Maybe or may not be," Damien shrugged his shoulders. Penny looked back at the dark forest and the t uneven grounds where the Dungeon was. The night was dark and peaceful but she couldn''t tell it was the same for everyone who was in Delcrov''s mansion. The servants appeared to fear Lord Alexander even more which she noticed while walking past the corridors. The pureblooded vampires had deep family bonding, who didn''t change their path of living. Killing was an instinct which they picked up but it was left to them if they would act on it or leave it by turning blind eyes over some of the matters. "It is better to keep him close by for many reasons. You will get to learn how to use the magic which can be a quick process that waits for the next witch. The next one being, Alexander and I aren''t sure if he is working with your mother. You sensed his presence but the images aren''t clear, are they?" "Then we wait?" she asked to see him nod. "We wait." "What about food? Is he being served one?" she asked, her face looking at him doubtfully. She still remembered the first day Damien and she had spent their time together after he had just bought her from the ve market. He had left her hungry while eating in front of her a whole good meal. Her eyes narrowed down at the memory. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he c.o.c.ked his head wondering where her thoughts were traveling to, "He wouldn''t be served one today. If he can show his persistence of resisting his hunger without turning himself into aplete ck witch again, then he will be served food." Penny frowned, her green eyes full of questions of why he was being tortured, "But he didn''t do anything." "He tried causing a ruckus in the town. Walking around without hiding his ck witch appearance. How do you think he got caught? Thatme idiot," muttered Damien at the end. "Then doesn''t that mean he has no control over it. It must have happened-" "He was trying to scare the vigers, stealing their things using his ck witch appearance," Damien rolled his eyes, "We don''t know what his history is. Maybe if we can borrow your hidden memories then it would help him and us." Penny sighed, looking away from Damien and then back to Lord Alexander who hadn''t moved from there since she had stepped out of the balcony. She then said, "Let''s go down." "There?" asked Damien looking down where his cousin was sitting on his knees on the ground. "Yes," she nodded her head. Before leaving the room, she picked up the solution she had created a few days ago with her. Going down and out of the mansion, Penny walked to where Lord Alexander was. His face looked gravely serious, his eyes set on the nt. Some of the bushes were out from the mud while some were out. Alexander held one of the blue roses in his hand. The stem is long with some leaves on it. Coming to stand near him, she heard Alexander ask her, "Was it too gruesome for you, what you saw today," his voice was nk and hollower than before. Penny sympathized with him, for the young boy who had lost his mother right in front of his eyes. To know and not know where two different things. "I have seen some gore because of Damien," she answered back which was the truth. Damien had not left any stone unturned and had made sure to show the different sides of him. The onion peeling one after another which had different shades of color in it. "That''s good to hear," Alexander noted, turning his head, he gave a look at Damien who didn''t dare to make any sarcastic remark right now. Chapter 484 Freed Prisoner- Part 1 The event that took ce this evening was equal to someone dying all over again and Alexander held the nt too dear to him. When they grew up he had fenced it enough to make sure no one would evere to touch it. Only after a few years did the fencee out. "You must be confused¡­" upon Lord Alexander''s words, Penny pursed her lips. "Damien said why the roses are dear to you." "It seems like my cousin doesn''t hide things from you,"mented Alexander and finally Damien cracked a smile which came from the corner of his lips. He was sure his cousin was only being sarcastic about it. People like Alexander and Damien had many secrets, secrets that were hidden in their shadows and souls. Penny, on the other hand, was d to hear it, to have Damien inform her about things without holding back, "Can I touch the nt?" she asked for his permission. With the state the nts were right now, she doubted it could be regrown like before in a natural way. The maid had made sure to damage it well enough so that it would never grow again. Alexander noticed the sk she held in her hand, offering her a small nod. He made s.p.a.ce for her so that she could look at the nts. Standing up, he finally looked at her picking up the nt and sorting them out without them being jumbled. The stems at the bottom and the flowers at the top. One she was done picking most of the good ones, she moved closer to the mud which hade out fresh from beneath the surface due to the pull. Using her hands, she started to dig and move the mud before cing the good stems back in there where it belonged. She could her hand tingle every time she moved the mind, making her wonder if it was the ashes of thetedy which caused this effect on her skin right now. Picking up the sk, she poured the liquid on top of the surface which she had only dug and closed. She then turned her head around, "Could you both stand behind me and make sure no one is seeing," thest thing they needed was one of the servants of the mansion to go around telling others in the mansion and outside the mansion about a witch who was living under the roof of Delcrov''s mansion. Damien and Alexander''s height was enough to have her covered which would avoid bringing any attention right now. cing both her hands on the ground, she started the spells. Both the men noticed how Penny wasn''t making use of the books to help her read the spells. She was fluently uttering the spells and in time the nt which she had dug started to regrow. Turning it bigger and wider as it took up s.p.a.ce on thend. First bringing the leaves and then bringing the buds after which the buds turned bigger to bloom out with bright blue roses. It was in better shape than before but Penny didn''t stop it there. She continued for the liquid to move from one nt to another in the garden, bringing life to the dead ones which would be removed tomorrow. Letting go of her hands from the ground, she moved away to admire the roses before turning her head over her shoulders to ask Lord Alexander, "Is this alright?" "I think it looks fantastic," Damienmented, to have the roses back in the ce that looked much better than before, Penny had done a really good job. "Thank you for restoring the nt to its original state, Penelope," Lord Alexander thanked her. For the very first time, his head bowed in front of someone who wasn''t his parents. Blue roses weren''t something that could be grown in Valeria, it mostly didn''t exist here in this part of thend. "It is because of your mother''s books I was able to do it," she reminded, to see him nod. Alexander bent down, his hand reaching out to the roses without plucking it out. Penny saw how Alexander touched the petals of the flower, running his finger without much pressure. She went to stand next to Damien whose hand moved around her shoulder and he kissed the side of her temple, "You did a good job, mouse. So proud of you," Damien didn''t bother to whisper and he said it loud enough that even a person who would be standing at the entrance of the mansion would be able to hear the praise that he had for Penelope. In return, Penny smiled. Happy to have done something useful and to have not wasted the books and the potions she had found. "How did you use the spells?" Damien asked her, the question which even Lord Alexander had in mind. The man stood back up after admiring the roses which were grown on top of his mother''s ashes. "You must be a really quick learner. It is a shame that you won''t be able to join the council else we could have made use of that talent." "Alex," Damien warned, not wanting to rekindle the hope in Penny''s mind so that she would go back to wanting to work in the council for the better cause of the people. "I was only saying. Of course, my words continue to stand that it is better that she doesn''t join. It is best for both of you," Alexander answered his cousin not wanting any misunderstanding over the matter. "Actually it isn''t me, it is the spells," Penny cleared the air before both the men would set her at the top of the pedestal, "The book of spells has a mystery of their own. If you read it once you won''t know. Not even five times but after that, you will notice the patterns. These patterns have their own magic, a spell which isn''t direct but ced in utmost secrecy." "Looks like aunt was looking for a prodigy and here''s one right in front of us," Damien continued to admire Penny making her blush. She waved her hand, ignoring Damien''s words, she said, "There are some inscriptions. These allow you to infuse yourself with the spells that are in there, turning your very body to a written book," the men gave her a look trying to grasp exactly what she was saying. "Do you mean mind or the skin?" Alexander asked her. Damien''s eyebrows rose, "Wait a minute. There was a body that Murkh found, it had inscriptions. When he opened the body up, there was nothing he could find but when he pulled out the skin from the muscles of the body, there was anguage that was unknown to others. It was written on the other side of the skin." "I remember that case," Alexander chipped in, "It must have been during the first month of your council work. The case was concluded to be a ck witch''s body as they had never seen anything like that before. If I am not wrong, Murkh must still be preserving the body in there." Chapter 485 Freed Prisoner- Part 2 That particr night, the clouds made a lot of nice, thunder striking on thends over and over again but it didn''t wake Penny from her sleep. She was used to it, used to the sounds of the rain and the thunder which brought tranquility to her mind as her head lulled itself to sleep. Her dream was peaceful as she slept next to Damien on the bed. When the morning arrived, and Damien was busy over his work with Alexander on the council case as they were still working on it, she made her way out of the mansion. Her eyes fell upon the blue roses which looked pretty even with theck of sunlight on it. Penny''s thoughts went over the maid who had been taken to the forest to be killed. The decision which Alexander took was quick and precise which left little to no room for any discussion. It was after all his personal matter and his servants. It was a rule to not interfere between families and their servants when it came to the pureblooded vampires. She felt sorry for the girl. The horror had been too much for her to look at. Making her way out of the mansion where Sylvia apanied her on Alexander''s word, both the women reached the dungeon where the ck witch or the former white witch was held captive. Isaiah was the man''s name. When they reached the cell room where he was supposed to be tied, they came to find an empty room. The shackles which were tied around the man''s hands and legs were left open as if they were unlocked. "He''s not here," Penny whispered, her head moving left and right to see if the man had stepped out but the iron bars like door was still locked. By the looks of it, the ck witch had escaped. "Let me go take a look in the corridor and the floor above," Sylvia suggested, "Please stay here," she requested from Penny before moving forward to look at the cell rooms to see if the man was there. Penny waited for her, walking closer to the cell and looking up to see if he was ying pranks with them but it didn''t appear to be one. Where did he go? Sylvia returned back and shook her head, "He''s not here. We should go inform Lord Alexander about his disappearance quickly," ready to leave the floor to head back up and out. They reached the end of the floor when they heard something behind them. Like the shackles that someone moved. "How many prisoners are in here?" Penny inquired Sylvia. "He''s the only one here for a week. Lord Alexander had directly been killing people than keeping them as prisoners," wasn''t thatforting, thought Penny to herself. If there was no other prisoner who was being held in the dungeon, it was possible that the sound they had heard hade from the room they had checked. Going closer and closer to it again, Sylvia ced Penelope behind her, making sure to protect her first. When they returned back to the cell room which the ck witch was expected to be in, they found the room to be empty again. "It''s a rat," Penny murmured looking at something moving below with a ck tail. The little animal walked in the corridors. But how did the ck witch even escape through this cell? Penny found it hard to believe. "Yeah, I guess we should go let Lord Alexander know," Sylvia repeated herself and Penny nodded her head in agreement. "You are right," Penny looked up from the cell room, her eyes meeting Sylvia''s before she caught a shadow that she hadn''t noticed before. She quickly pulled Sylvia behind her and raised her hand, "Light!" she said and the dark corridor lit itself up, thentern which was out of oil and cotton twigs in it now reced for it to burn brightly. And there stood the ck witch who held a scrumptious looking fruit in his hand. He had his back leaning against the wall. His hands and legs werepletely free as if it weren''t bound earlier. "Don''t look at me as if I were a ghost," the ck witch took another bite from the fruit. "You were in the cell. How did you get out?" Penny asked him, her hands still raised as the light continued to burn brightly on the walls and on every object that surrounded them. "Just like that. It isn''t that difficult to get out. I needed to eat something," Isaiah''s brown eyes appeared to be vacant and tired, the look on his face as if rxed which made her wonder what the man was up to. Though he was part of her memory, the images were unclear for her to know if the man was a friend or a foe, "I was told to stay in here and if I didn''t I would be hunted down by that deranged pureblooded vampire. You shoulde with me, Penelope." Penny blinked looking at him, "What happened to noting between the people who loved each other?" yesterday he said something and today he was telling something else. "Did I tell that?" he asked, he took another bite from fruit while the two women stood in front of him. Staring at his non-caring att.i.tude, "If I have apologies. I did think about it the entire night and while I thought about it, I came to the conclusion of courting you. It''s not like you are married." This man...why did he remind her of one of the women who was chasing Damien? Penny surprised the man when she took to bow at him, "I apologize if my words in the past or present were take in a different meaning," she then raised her head, "I hold no feelings like that for you and it wouldn''t ever be." "Are you sure?" he questioned her as if there was something about them. "Yes," her answer was firm as a rock. In the back of her mind, she only wished to get her memories back as quickly as she could. Chapter 486 Oath Bond- Part 1 It was as if one thing didn''t get over there was always something else ready in the queue, waiting to fall on her head, thought Penny to herself. Both the witches stared at each other in intensity. Her jaw clenched and unclenched in wonderment, "If you truly value the friends.h.i.+p we have had a few months ago, then you would step back to be the man I have known you in that period of time," her words were short but it was enough to have his attention. "You are trying to pull the friends.h.i.+p card to push me away. Is that what you want?" he asked her, finis.h.i.+ng thest bit of the fruit in his hand. "It is what I have been telling you, Isaiah," she used his name to let him understand she was serious. "How sad," he muttered under his breath. His face turned to look towards the little window where light pa.s.sed through the thick walls apart from the light of thenterns. Suddenly his body started to fluctuate, not with appearance but as if it were a reflection which Sylvia and Penny were watching. Suddenly his body moved inside the cell room. They looked at him in shock. It wasn''t possible, thought Penny to herself. His ability was simr to that of Damien where they could transport from one ce to another. Isaiah stated, "What will you do if I go tell mommy dearest of where you are? I am sure she''s searching for you very ardently right now. She would be very happy to find you." "I didn''t know a friend would threaten for his own benefits," Pennymented to see a small smile on his face. She didn''t know why but it felt like the man had a lot on his shoulders, a soul which was depressed and sad. Tired of the world, it was how she was viewing the ck witch. "Sometimes we need to do what we need to do. I have loved you, Penelope. Maybe I should tip your mother about your pureblooded man. Maybe then she will see how much of a better option I am than him." Did something happen in the night that was making him talk like this? Last night when she had visited him in the presence of Damien and Alexander, he had spoken of how happy he was to see her safe and he would leave thend but right now...Right now it seemed like someone had washed his brain. Or was he only trying to y them yesterday? "I saw you with the nt. How did you do it?" he asked her. Penny continued to stare at him. The ck witcher ran his fingers over the iron rod which was rusted and old. The orange and red color on it indicated how old the cells were. No one had sensed this ck witch but he had seen what she had done yesterday with the rose nt. "Go on," Penny challenged him and caught the man off guard. If he so much wanted to harm her, he would have done it already. "Really?" he asked her. Hiszy brown eyes looking at her with a hint of faint curiosity. "Yes," she nodded her head enthusiastically, "You go and tell her hi. When you return back with her I will be sure to burn and put you both in the same coffin. You better drop that else I will personally kill you myself," she gave him a small smile. The ck witch stared at her before chuckling to himself, "Don''t kill me, Penelope. How cold and heartless." Hearing the footstepsing from outside, the ck witch didn''t bother to sit back in the chair. Damien walked through the dull and dark corridor. Seeing Penny and Sylvia, his eyes fell on the ck witcher who was leaning in front of the cell, holding the bars up with his hands. "Well well well," Damien eximed seeing the man without bounds, "How did you get out of those?" Damien gave both Penny and Sylvia a look and it was Sylvia who answered, "Sir he was found outside eating a fruit." "I told you we should feed him," Penny pointed out. "I didn''t know food had the ability to do things like this. How did you get out?" he asked the witcher who only stared at him as if he were his mortal enemy, "And what did you guys talk about that I feel the killing intentions here?" Damien''s voice was light and yful, hardly bothered even the man was out of the shackles they had ced him in, "I thought I saw you yesterday." The ck witcher who had been calm stared at Damien in suspicion. The pureblooded vampire was bluffing. They all did. "You don''t believe me? Standing behind therge tree where you picked fruit before disappearing, how cute," this irked the man inside the cell. This time Penny caught the man in time to see his lips move and in a blink of an eye, he moved from being inside the cell out where Damien was. He readied his free hands for a punch and in the same instant, Damien had used his own ability to switch positions such that the ck witcher had nothing but air to punch at, his feet stumbling forward with a confused expression of what just happened. The ck witcher trying to get back on his feet after the lost stance looked ahead to see just the two women standing in front of him. When he turned back, he found the pureblooded vampire. "What an interesting ck witch," said Damien, taking the man by his body and ramming his head to the bar that was enough to get the man dizzy. As if one wouldn''t be enough, Damien rammed his head this time against the stone wall, "How do you feel?" he asked the man who groaned in pain. The blood had started to ooze from the side of his head. Chapter 487 Oath Bond- Part 2 Damien pulled the man back to the cell, trying his legs and hands back in the shackles. Rotating the chain around him before looking at his handiwork. He pulled the chains to make sure it was tight enough, "You can use your spells again to unlock all the chains but that is again going to take an hour or two more," Damien gave the ck witcher a smile who looked absolutely annoyed by him, "How did you learn to do that? The little switch that you did." Isaiah''s head drooped down with the number of times Damien had rammed his head against the wall after the first two times. Penny who stood outside the cell with Sylvia was confused by this man''s behavior. When they saw him today, she had thought everything was a farce but there was something about him which she couldn''t put her finger on to. His threats were empty which she knew he wouldn''t act on. If he wanted to, he would have leftst night after freeing himself from the chains in here. Yet, he had stayed around. And now he even got beaten. It was just a little confusing right now. It was as if he were testing her, but the question now was how did he share the same ability as Damien? Damien picked up the bat which he had used earlier, "Don''t tell me you stayed around to hit on my woman, especially if you can apparate and disapparate like that," he tapped the bat on his hand, ready to blow the ck witchers'' face. The ck witcher appeared to be in shock, staring at Damien as if he was a different being he wasn''t aware of. "How can you do that?!" Isaiah looked evidently shocked. Damien threw his head back slightly, running his fingers through his hair to say, "I am a man born with many talents, unlike you worthless peasants," tilting down to the normal position he asked, "What did you expect?" Penny turned her head so that the man wouldn''t catch her expression for what Damien just said right now. She turned her head back again, curious to find out how this man here could apparate as Damien did. "I received it from the forbidden magic," Isaiah replied, "I tapped into the forbidden magic while I was still trying to save my brother''s life. I couldn''t resist it. When I found I used it," there was a hint of shame in his voice over hisck of control over wanting the forbidden magic. "You got it by chance?" Penny questioned him. He shook his head, "There was a parchment I found a few years ago. It had the inscription there. I thought it was going to help my brother heal but it was the forbidden magic and not white magic that I touched that day. But you aren''t a witch," he said looking at Damien, still confused with it. "Weren''t you listening to me earlier? I was born with it," Damien deadpanned. Isaiah appeared to be in deep thought before something dawned upon him, "It is the rare gift of the pureblooded vampires but you have it too," he said looking at Penny, "You have the ability to heal even though you aren''t a vampire." Neither Penny nor Damienmented on it. "You said you were going to let me help Penelope." "That is before you tried to hit me," pointed Damien receiving a grimace look from the witcher. "I will help her..." the witcher stated but this time it wasn''t Damien but Penny who doubted him. "How do we believe that?" Especially considering his fluctuating thoughts and decision which had changed overnight, she didn''t know if they could believe him. "You have my word, mdy," this man was a chameleon and Penny wasn''t going to fall for it. She narrowed her eyes at him before saying, "Alright. I will take your word over the oath bond." "Oath bond?" Isaiah asked, he and the other two in the cell room gave her a questionable look at her as they had never heard about it before. She gave him a nod, "Like the pureblooded vampires, the witches have had their own bonds because of the mistrust and disloyalty to each other. Years ago, the witches used it to uphold the words given to the other person. If a person breaks the bond, he or she will first feel immense pain in the heart. If continued it will cease to beat. Are you ready for it?" The ck witcher stared at her for a few seconds, "Okay." Penny whispered something under her breath before asking him, "Do you give your word to never betray us? To never help my mother." "Yes, on the same note I do like that b.i.t.c.h," the white witcher added. "Do you give your word that you will help us with anything when ites to the knowledge you have acquired while not speaking a word of what you saw today?" she gave a look at Damien before s.h.i.+fting her eyes back at him as if meaning to say to keep his mouth sealed about Damien''s ability. The man nodded her head again, "Yes." Penny again whispered something under her breath and she then said, "The oath bond has been ced. You have given your word, Mr. Isaiah. I think we are good to release him." The witcher was released and Sylvia walked with him leaving the cells and taking him towards the mansion. While Damien and Penny made their way out of the dungeon, she heard Damien ask her, "I didn''t know there was a bond for the witches until now. I don''t think anyone even knows that it exists if they did the witches would have worked much efficiently. Was it written in aunt Isabelle''s books?" "No, it wasn''t there," she scratched the back of her head. "Where did you pick it up from?" She gave him a sheepish smile, "It actually doesn''t exist," seeing him raise one of his brows she continued, "I just made it up to make sure he wasn''t lying." "What a smart mouse I have." Chapter 488 Retest- Part 1 Sylvia and Elliot sat at the table where the ck witch was being served with food. The man was eating at such speed that they doubted they had seen even a vampire eat at this pace. One dish getting over after another and the maid kept bringing more food. Elliot leaned towards Sylvia, turning his head to her to ask, "Why is a ck witch sitting in the dining room? Aren''t you supposed to send him to the servants quarters and let him eat there?" "Lord Alexander was the one who asked him to sit in the dining room," Sylvia whispered back to him so that the witcher wouldn''t hear them, not that he would see him concentrate on his food as the fourth te was served to him. "How strange," Elliot murmured, his head turning back to look at the ck witch. "I never knew the appet.i.te of a ck witch could be this much. It feels like a ck void where he is dumping the food," Sylvia said to Elliot, picking up the .s.s of water in front of her and taking a sip from it. "They actually do. Some of the mainline ck witches often abduct humans or animals to have them for their entire meal," Elliot stated that had Sylvia cringe at the thought. She doubted she would be hungry anytime soon as just by seeing him her stomach felt full. While Lord Alexander was discussing with Damien and Penny about the witch''s ability and what took ce down in the dungeon, Elliot and Sylvia were put to babysit the grown man, the ck witch as he was being served with food. Curious, Sylvia interrupted the man, "When was thest time you had food? Apart from the fruit, you had half an hour ago," she asked him. Her red eyes met staring at his brown ones which looked at herzily as he licked his fingers, pausing himself from his meal. "I had some fruits and some mushrooms which I didn''t realize were poisoned. It has been months since I had a proper meal," the ck witch replied, seeing Sylvia notment on it, he went back to eating it. It reminded Sylvia of the times when her family was in dire condition. Lacking food where her parents had no money nor food to feed them. "You shouldn''t eat it too fast. Your stomach will flip and might not be able to digest if you eat any more than what you have eaten right now," she said to him, her eyes turning to the butler who was in the room, "Martin, you can take the food back," with one word of hers Martin had picked up the food which was still there on the table that had the ck witcher give her a look of disbelief. "Lady, I am not done eating," Isaiah''szy eyes suddenly turned alive. "Making sure you don''t vomit what you ate," Sylvia responded back. Getting up from the chair, she started to walk towards the door of the dining room, "I will let Lord Alexander know you have eaten your meal for this hour. The next food will be served at noon." Isaiah still couldn''t believe that the food he had intended to eat atst to enjoy the taste of it was taken away right in front of his eyes. Elliot hadn''t followed Sylvia as he did, he continued to stare at the ck witch, his eyes looking at him unblinkingly which the witcher felt aware of after thedy had left. Finis.h.i.+ng thest two bites that was on his te, the ck witcher took his own time to finish it and Elliot only continued to stare at the man as if he were the most interesting thing in this room to look at. "What?" Isaiah''s eyes s.h.i.+fted from his te at the vampire who was looking at me. "What?" Elliot replied back, giving him a questionable look. "Is there something you want?" asked the ck witch, seeming slightly irritated that this vampire had not scattered from his sight. There was something very eerie the way he looked at him as if he wanted to dissect him. It made the ck witchers'' skin crawl. Isaiah wasn''t a ck witch by nature but had been turned due to unfortunate events by tapping into something he wasn''t aware about. Turning to the ck witch was not something he had been looking forward to but at the same time, the magic enticed him enough to touch and ess it more until he hadpletely turned into one. If he were a ck witch, he wouldn''t have bothered the gaze that the vampire was now giving him which made him ufortable yet annoyed which he didn''t bring upon his face. Continuing to keep his usual dull face, he stared at the man. "I was only looking," the vampire smiled at him, his smile meaning to lighten the atmosphere which in turn turned creepy in the witcher''s eyes. Not waiting for the vampire, Isaiah stood up, picking up the tes and walked out of the room. Elliot continued to sit there for a while before getting up himself and seeing himself out of the room. In the study room, Lord Alexander gave a pointed look at Penny who gave him an awkward smile. "Do you think the witcher won''t find out if he were to test out and find out that the oath bond you made up was a lie? It can backfire," said Lord Alexander, his expression grim. To rescue her from Alexander''s looks, Damien interrupted his cousin, "She told it only to test him. I doubt he would try to betray her if he wanted he could have escaped from herest night but he stayed." "What if it is something that he wants? We all are aware that ck witches or turned ones at theplete stage are no less to each other," Alexander questioned them. "You worry for no reason, Alex. I am sure he doesn''t mean any harm except to me where he is nning to steal Penelope but seeing his actions it looks like he only means well. Maybe a little messed up here," Damien raised his finger to point it to his head. Chapter 489 Retest- Part 2 "Lord Alexander," Penny took the opportunity to speak when both the men paused, "I used the oath bond only to test him. His eyes didn''t flicker and as Damien said, if he wanted to do something, he would have done it by now. The butler also checked him before letting him inside the mansion," which was true. The mansion was secure enough that strangers weren''t allowed in easily without being checked, especially the ones where they didn''t know the background the person came from. Alexander sighed, looked at the window before looking back at them, "Keep him close then. I asked Sylvia to feed him and Martin will arrange a room in the servants quarters for him," right before he finished his sentence, the butler knocked on the door of the study room, "Come in," and in came the butler behind whom was the ck witcher, "Take a seat, Isaiah. We were speaking about you and will need some rification before we can start working." The witcher stared at the lord and gave him a single nod. Alexander gestured his hand to the empty seats which were in front of the desk. The butler bowed his head and left the study room, closing the door behind him. Isaiah took the seat, his back straight without leaning his back towards the chair. He could feel the eyes of the three members in the room who was looking at him but he instead chose to look at the table and the files that were ced on top of it. "I heard you have the ability to transport yourself. Care to borate on it while we go through things one more like so that I know you are a man we can trust." The ck witcher raised his eyes up to meet Alexander''s dark red eyes, "I told them what was there and also took the oath bond," Penny eyes slowly moved from the witcher to Lord Alexander before looking at the shelves behind the Lord, "I tapped into the forbidden magic thinking it was white magic, it was my first time, it was what led me to the ability that I possess now which in turn turned me to a ck witch." "And what are your intentions while you are here?" Alexander asked the next question. "I was told to help Penelope. I thought about escaping from here as I didn''t n to stay long in Valeria but I gave it some thought after seeing her heal the nt in your garden. Her mother would have taught her nothing and she would need someone to teach the ck magic," Isaiah''s words brought a smile on Penny''s lips, "I will help her with what she needs and then go." "Where do you n to go after this?" Lord Alexander appeared to have some questions prepared as he shot it one after another. "I have my parents who are still in Wovile. I would like to go visit them." Damien''s eyes narrowed at that little detail and he asked, "Don''t you think you should move them to somewhere much safer as Wovile is not safe for the witches, even if it is white witches." The ck witcher nodded his head in agreement, "They have lived there for as long as I remember and my words would fall on deaf ears," it was because after the man started to show the signs of a ck witch, he was put out of the house and was asked to leave so that his presence wouldn''t cause them trouble especially when their younger child was severely ill. Isaiah had left the house to onlye after a week to find out that his brother had pa.s.sed away and was buried in the cemetery, "I visit them to see if they are doing fine and if they are still alive," he confirmed the Lord of Valeria. "Wovile right now is on high alert with the ma.s.sacre that was about to take there and in Bonke, did you hear anything about it?" Lord Alexander continued with his question. "No," responded the ck witch, "I don''t know other witches and have tried to survive without their help. Owing to someone''s life is hard to fulfill back again," his voice appeared to turn somewhere mncholic that received Penny''s attention. "Ah, Mr. Isaiah, there is something I would like you to read," she pushed one of the books that were written by Lady Isabelle, s.h.i.+fting the subject to something lighter. Damien, who stood there watching the ck witch look at Penny noticed how the ck witch''s eyes softened every time their eyes met. Feeling Damien''s gaze, the ck witch''s eyes s.h.i.+fted from Penny to the pureblooded vampire who looked at him dauntingly. "The first page will do. Can you tell me what you see?" Penny flipped the page, waiting for the man''s response. Isaiah turned his eyes to the book''s first page, reading it to say, "Why are you making me read about turnips?" He gave her a look, wondering what was going on. "Wanted to make sure you could read," Penny smiled at him, pulling the book away from him and holding it in her hands. So it meant he couldn''t read. People who tapped into the forbidden magic didn''t get any extra powers. Isaiah finding it suspicious asked her, "Is there something about the book I was supposed to notice?" he questioned her, his brown eyes staring at her green ones he felt he could drown in. "No," she shook her head without giving them information about the books which were written by Lady Isabelle. Alexander was still gauging the man as Penny and the ck witcher spoke to each other about vegetables, hearing Penny mention the names of vegetables before adding another one in the list. Garlic. "We don''t have that book, do we?" Alexander confirmed with her after listening to their conversation. Penny shook her head. "We don''t. I think it is the only missing book from the entire collection," she answered Lord Alexander. The ck witch had a questionable look on his face when he asked, "Why are you collecting books about vegetables?" "We are a family who is into cooking," came Damien''s smart answer. If Penny could she would haveughed. Did Damien ever step his foot into the kitchen to cook ever? It was something she had never thought about, his only talent in food was the rabbit apple, "We n to add all the vegetables and cook the witches as they cook others." Chapter 490 Retest- Part 3 "Are you nning to kill me?" Isaiah asked, his eyes narrowed at Damien. "Don''t worry I don''t n to cook and eat you. I have eaten a witch already," Damien grinned looking at Penny who took a few seconds to understand what he meant and her face suddenly turned red. "I will cook you myself," Penny retorted back. "I am all yours to be eaten," Damien raised both his hands, making Penny roll her eyes. This shameless vampire thought Penny to herself. "How good are you in potions and spells which the ck witches use?" Alexander asked the witcher, "Do you know how to find the elements of a white witch?" "I do. You want to find yours?" Isaiah asked before adding, "I will need some ingredients before I start the process." "It is for me," Penny chipped in, "I wanted to know which element I hold." "Write me down what you need and we''ll have someone look for it." After Isaiah had written down a sheet of parchment filled with the ingredients he would need to perform the ritual of finding out Penelope''s elemental abilities, the butler was given the sheet who stared at the small handwriting where one would need to look very closely to see what was written in there. Withoutining, Martin left the room in search of it and in less than two hours, the butler had arrived with a bag on his shoulder which had everything that was asked for him to bring. Having already scared the ck witch with an oath bond, the people right now were a.s.sured that he wasn''t here to cause harm, Alexander took him to the secret room and Isaiah''s mouth was left wide open. "You have so many potions," different colors of sks with liquid in them were ced in sequence and he had never seen so many before. "Penelope will be here to check on you, Damien and I will be outside," Lord Alexander said before leaving them be and walking out of the room. Penny took hold of the chair, sitting on it to see Isaiah start to do his work of brewing the potions. As time pa.s.sed by, she only observed what he did, he threw things into the cauldron one after another before looking at them and making sure everything was mixing well. When he was finally done, he drew markings on a bigger parchment, "Where did you learn this from?" Penny asked him while he drew one line after another. "It was from a ck witch. She used to have a lot of parchments drawn and she taught me some from it. It was from her that I learned how to use ck magic but she isn''t here anymore. The humans killed her," she gave him a nod. "I am sorry about that¡­" Isaiah didn''t say anything andpleted the work on his parchment before saying, "It is ready. Do you want me to start the ritual now?" he asked her. "Yes," the sooner the better thought Penny to herself. Isaiah started to use the spell words which belonged to the ck witches, as he was a ck witcher now the man could make use of it, unlike other white witches who were pure and untainted by the forbidden magic. She gave her hand for the fresh blood just like she had given before to Bathsheba, the blood dripping down her fingers which fell into the .s.s. Giving it to him, the witcher poured it at the center and blood never sshed across the parchment. Instead, it moved like a snake on the parchment, moving across the lines and circles which he had drawn which finally was inked by her blood. The ritual went on and during the halftime that had pa.s.sed, Damien arrived at the door, standing behind them and watching without disturbing either of them. The blood raised up in the air, shaking at a point before ss.h.i.+ng down finally making the parchment non-usable. Isaiah looked at the parchment with the sttered blood on it, a frown on his forehead, "You appear to have two elements. Water and wind." Penny would have been happy for the confirmation that the person whom she had met in her memories had been right but seeing the witcher''s forehead marred in concern she asked him, "Is it bad to have two?" "Not at all. I have never met a white witch with elemental abilities. Rather it is unheard that a person can hold two elements. I would have concluded it was because of your mixed blood but ck witches don''t possess such elemental abilities. They know how to deduce it but not use it on their own. While there is gain to one of them, there is a loss to the other. Nature is bncing what is part of our lives," Isaiah replied, still slightly taken aback that she would have two of them. You don''t appear to be shocked, didn''t you know about it already?" he asked. "I did," Penny confirmed his words, "I wasn''t sure though." "Hmm," Isaiah started to clean the items that were used, putting it to the side and some in the sk for future use. As he cleared the table he said, "It is normal for a person to be happy over a present, a gift which we acquire but every giftes with a cost. A curse which sometimes is good and sometimes which is bad." "What do you mean by that?" Stopping his hands from moving here and there, he ced it t on the marble b. "The woman who died, the ck witch, told me that the gifts are not bestowed by G.o.ds but theye fromnd or ce of the unknown which the forbidden magic resides in." "What kind of ce?" "''Somewhere which is not here'', that is what she told me. It was when I was young and had only turned to a ck witch," he said, exining further, "She said, the gifts that we have received which are special is something that hase from the forbidden magic." What? Chapter 491 Shadows That Move- Part 1 Intrigued by his words, Penny asked him, "What do you mean by that?" was he meaning to tell that the elemental abilities were taken out from the forbidden magic? "Why do you think white witches were left out of it? It wasn''t because they had to find out from the ck witches on what their element was, but it was because like the tapping of forbidden magic by making use of spells that turns a white witch to ck witch, to the individuals who are not witches it affects them differently. Curse or luck, it differs," said Isaiah, exining to her what it meant. "I am a ck witch then?" Was her body going to start the conversion? "It didn''t affect you before, I don''t think it will be affecting you now. In the past, white witches who went looking for their abilities eventually turned to a ck witch. It is why most of the witches didn''t dare to pa.s.s the knowledge about it. To avoid further conversion. The woman''s theory was that...the gift you have received, the gift which the pureblooded vampires are gifted, all thosee from the forbidden magic but no one ever knows how it works or why and when it happens," concluded Isaiah. "How are you sure about it?" Damien finally questioned, making his presence known as he stepped into the room and made his way towards where they sat. "I am not sure about it, but that is what she has told me but don''t you think it is possible? Why would we share the same ability?" asked the ck witch. Penny gave it a thought, her mind going over his words and the possibility of the forbidden ce. She remembered there were some words and lines that were mentioned very subtly which didn''t make sense to her. It made her wonder if this was the same ce that Lady Isabelle had written about. "Might you know how she knew about the ce and how she drew the theories?" the pureblooded vampire asked Isaiah, the dark red eyes staring at him with grave intensity. Isaiah had to blink and look away from the staring eye contest, his lips pursing together, "She told me she had been there. She entered thatnd but she was quickly pushed away before she could understand and see what it was." "That''s interesting,"mented Damien, interested over this newnd which none had ever heard about before. "She didn''t tell me more except that it was dark and the time of night. Is there anything else you would want me to a.s.sist you with?" asked Isaiah, moving back to what they were working on. "There is one thing I will need help with," Penny smiled at the man. It didn''t take much persuasion to take the ck witcher''s help as he readily offered to help her with anything around in the room when it came to the potion-making. Penny had already memorized and inked herself with the spells turning herself to one of the most prized people in the empire of the fournds. At the same time, it put her at risk. With the words that were spoken only to Damien and Alexander, the secret was kept safe but if the ck witches or someone who wanted to abuse the power were to catch wind of it, there was a possibility that she would be killed before her skin would be peeled from her body to find the hidden inscription. The spells were at the tip of her tongue. She didn''t add too much information into herself but only the things she had tested and what were the most important spells. They started creating with the healing liquid so that Lord Alexander would find it to be useful in the future when both Damien and she would have gone back to thend of Bonke. Once they were done, she ced the liquid in the many sks in there. Not counting but cing them back and forth in a form set. With that being done and the day moving from the time of the evening to night, the light in the sky had started to change, forming a canvas of a beautiful painting for an artist to paint with the colors and the clouds that had slowly started to drift away from each other. It was a sign that the time of Winter was finally beginning to pa.s.s and was beginning to move to the next season. Isaiah was taken out by Damien to talk and know more about this forbidden magic while Penny was still in the room making sure everything was back to its ce. The cauldron being thest one to be ced back in its a.s.signed ce. She picked up a cloth so that she could carry the small utensil back to its a.s.signed location. When Penny had gone to pick up the cauldron, she failed to notice a shadow that moved behind her stealthily. She walked to the shelf, cing it there when her eyes moved to the sks that she had only made. A small smile formed on her lips out of happiness that she had created something that could be of help. Though it wasn''t tested on people and only the wounds, it still was worth creating and admiring it. It was when her focus on the liquid in the sk moved to the reflection of the .s.s did she feel her heart slip by looking at something tall and dark, shadow-like in a hood. Her blood ran cold. Penny snapped her head around to look at what it was to find nothing there. She looked back at the sk which showed nothing this time. Gulping down as she knew what she saw, her eyes looked around. Walking forward one step after another and not realizing that the shadow was right behind her. She took a step forward and the shadow moved its hand very carefully and quietly. It''s boney skeleton-like fingers moving towards the sk which Penny had created a few minutes ago. It was when she took another step did she hear the sound of .s.ses clinking to each other. Penny stopped. Even holding her breath, her heart thudding in her chest over the sound. Another louder clink was heard and she turned her head around and there was nothing there again. Not the reflection she had seen along with some of the sks missing as it appeared to have reduced in quant.i.ty which she had previously ced. Chapter 492 Shadows That Move- Part 2 She quickly walked forward, looking at the sks to notice some of the sks were indeed missing. Her feet made out of the room, almost bolting from there to tell, "I think there is something or someone in there," her voice came out to be nervous. The men''s eyebrows furrowed and they went back in to look at the room to find nothing. "What did you see?" asked Damien. Penny''s eyes were still trying to search the person when she said, "Someone with a cloak. Really old and ragged but it wasn''t clear because I only saw the reflection by the time I had turned whoever it was had moved away from the spot." "Doesn''t look like anybody broke into the mansion and in here. There are only a few who know about it. Four in this room and the next one being Martin," Lord Alexander frowned, his eyes searching like the rest of them, "I don''t think it would be a ck witch. Witches cannot enter unless they are invited and the invitation cannote from a servant." "The person who came in took some of the sks from here." "The potions?" Alexander narrowed his eyes. "The ones which Isaiah and I worked on." Alexander walked towards the potions, looking at each and every one of them, "Looks like the person was interested only in the healing potion and not in any other potion that is in here," he turned to look at the ck witch, asking, "Do you know any spell to know if it is a ghost?" The ck witch blinked his eyes a couple of times. Ghosts? "But even if it is a ghost, why would a ghost pick only the potions which rte to the healing. Doesn''t one need the spells and skill to perform it?" Not knowing who else it could be or what Penny had seen, they left the room before locking it with a lock so that no one could enter it. In the meantime, Lord Alexander had asked the servants to search the entire mansion to make sure there was no intruder. But what they didn''t know was that the person that had entered the mansion was long gone with the healing potion that was created by Penny and the ck witch. More than two to three hours pa.s.sed before it was stated that there was no one in the mansion. The only proof was the missing the sks, if not Penny was sure she would have considered it to be another part of her imagination. The time of night arrived and everyone went back to their rooms. The candle lights in the room had been blown away and the firece which was beginning to end after burning brightly. Penny slept on the bed with Damien when she heard a simmering sound that reached her ear. Opening her eyes, her eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room. She wondered what the sound was as it was still being picked by her ears. She sat up on the bed and because of her movements, Damien''s eyes snapped open. Seeing her sit like that for a good two minutes, he joined her, "What''s the matter?" "Um, can you hear something in the air?" she whispered to him. Damien said, "Rustling of the leaves far in the forest and some that are in the mansion," seeing the worried look on her face, he asked her, "What do you hear?" "It is something more like a whistling sound but very soft like a whisper. It is increasing," she notified him, moving the nket away and getting down from the bed. Before her feet could move towards the balcony of the room, a woman in white entered through the open doors letting the person walk in. It was hard to call the person white as it was more on being a crystallized .s.s woman who was colorless like water which moved as if it were flowing down her body without ss.h.i.+ng the water away. Before Penny could react to the elemental bearer, an expression of annoyance appeared on the woman''s face, "You again." Damien who was behind hermented, "Ghosts do exist," this appeared to irk the elemental bearer even more than seeing Penny. "I am not a ghost, I am an elemental bearer," the woman rified. The woman turned to Penny to say, "I am not your element bearer. Haven''t I told you that thest time we met." "I got the ritual done again and it points to you. If you weren''t my bearer then you wouldn''t havee seeking out for me." "I am sorry to say this but there must be some sort of mimunication. To think I had to travel from onend to another," said the woman, her hair sparkling due to the little light which emitted from the firece, "You should get a new person to get the ritual." "I did," Penny muttered under her breath. She didn''t know what they were doing wrong. "Ghostdy," Damien called to get the attention of the elemental bearer, "Why don''t you give her the power that you have? You will have to keep visiting her every day if the ritual is performed over and over again. "It''s Seira," she corrected him, "I cannot do that. Thews that are enforced by the othernd cannot be changed. If you aren''t a bearer then you cannot use it. Giving her the power will not only corrupt her but will also destroy me. We havews to keep." "Corrupt?" Damien asked her. "Yes, it will infect her heart and she will turn to one of the things she is not right now," the elemental bearer named, Seira answered him, "I hope you find a better ck witch to perform the ritual next time," not wanting to spend more time here, thedy turned her back to hear Damien ask her, "Thisnd you spoke of, do you know where ites in the fournds?" The woman didn''t turn around, she only turned her face to the side, "We do not speak of it," and in a blink of an eye she disappeared in front of them. "Was she like thisst time too?" he asked Penny. Penny sighed, "Something like that." "We should definitely have the ritual run tomorrow again," said Damien with a grin on his face. Chapter 493 Letters To The Council- Part 1 Morning arrived quickly and when they iterated on what happenedst night in the study room, Isaiah the ck witch said, "I am sure I got it right. It is the only way to know and summon the elemental ability," he confirmed them. "Have you ever tested it on someone else before?" Alexander asked to receive a no from the ck witch. "I don''t think going with another ritual will be helpful right now. She might really not like it if I called her again only to see her grumble," Penny said, not wanting to annoy the woman any further unlike Damien who was interested in running the ritual again to see how it would go. "But if it''s working where she''sing to meet you, it means something has gone wrong in the process. Not in the ritual of course," Damien added his thoughts over the matter, "Penny, do you remember anything from your dream. Anything the elemental man spoke about?" Penny tried recollecting it, but her memory on it was faint where she couldn''t grasp all the details. It had been a dream and in the sequence of dreams, only the important ones got highlighted, in this case, it was her mother who was erasing her memory and her, who met the wind bearer. "He only spoke about both wind and water being my element," and they had confirmed it, thought Penny to herself. "Any reason why the wind element hasn''te to see you yet?" asked Damien. She shrugged her shoulders. There was no sign of the wind element. Both the times they had created the ritual it was the water elemental bearer who hade to visit her. Was there a reason? If there was, she didn''t know what it was. Alexander stared at Penny who was struggling to remember her dream when he said, "I am sure none of us are in a hurry to find it right now. Give it some time and we can run the ritual again. At least we know that there is a ce as this one''s teacher spoke of. Forbiddennds and forbidden magic which none speak about." "Elemental bearer sometimes don''t respond to all the calls," Isaiah said looking at Penny, "I don''t think she is ignoring you but there must be some kind of blockage which is not allowing her to recognize you fully that you are the water element," he reasoned as if wanting to console her for not getting the element being bestowed. He ced a hand on her arm which was lying on the armrest. Penny offered him a smile, "Yes, I think that too. Like Lord Alexander said, I should give it some time before we summon the elements again to see if the wind element has something to do with it." Damien''s eyes zeroed on the ck witcher''s hand which rested on Penny''s hand. His eyes narrowed further and he sent a small re before putting his hand around Penelope''s shoulders. Pulling her closer to him to show who Penelope belonged to he said, "Don''t worry about it. We''ll get it sorted out. In the meantime we can work on the potions and other inscriptions which this ck witch can help," the other three members in the room didn''t fail to notice the words ''ck witch'' which was stressed with the small narrowed look he sent to Isaiah. "Do you have a problem remembering my name? It is Isaiah," the ck witch reminded Damien. "I can''t help it when you forget not to be chummy with my woman," Damien looked at the hand which the ck witch hadn''t let go of even after pointing it out to him. "My bad," Isaiah smiled, "It looks like bad habits die hard," he slowly moved his hand but after fueling the pureblooded vampire. "I think it is time to bring the bat with the spikes back. Are you missing it?" Damien asked him. The ck witch was sitting next to Penny and Damien sat on the other side, leaving Lord Alexander who sat in front of them with a ck look on his face at the sight of little children in this room. Isaiah scoffed, "Is violence the only way you know tomunicate with?" "Some people have weak empty brains. Sometimes I need to make sure there is something up there other than garbage," Damien retorted back. He knew that Penny had ced a fake bond on the ck witcher but that didn''t guarantee anything. It had been only to test if the man was good enough to be trusted. The ck witch could help Penny in learning many things which Alexander wasn''t aware of as he didn''t practice magic himself until now. At the same time, the man had the nerve to be touchy while also bringing up subtly on how close both Penny and he were before she lost her memories. Penny leaned forward, ignoring the two men beside her to talk to Alexander, "Lord Alexander, can I ask you for something?" the man readily nodded without letting any words out, "There is this case I was interested in, something that happened years ago." Damien and Isaiah who had stopped sending each other quiet res now turned to her attention, Damien said to Alexander, "Do you think you can ask Reuben to get a case file which has been closed? It''s on the Artemis'' family." "Artemis?" Lord Alexander questioned in faint curiosity, "You want to know about the boys?" "Yes," she nodded her head before asking both the councilmen, "Umm, also about their nephew and nieces. When we met in Donovans'' mansion, Mrs. Artemis mentioned something regarding that her two rtives hadn''t contacted them back." Lord Alexander nodded his head over it, "Yes, that one I know. I was young too back then and saw them asionally. Good people, I would say? They are witches, you are aware of it right?" "Really?" Penny asked, confused as she hadn''t realized it. She had a.s.sumed them to be humans as they never showed a sign or whispered anything rted to being a white witch. Chapter 494 Letters To The Council- Part 2 With the way the Artemis looked and behaved it appeared that they were humans but who would have thought. Alexander then said, "I know it because my father knew I think. The rest of the town aren''t aware of it and we don''t speak of it. Though some doubt and question their longevity, they usually tell it is a blessing and a curse to live that long without their children next to their side. We have the names cleared for the witches, a treaty my father held on to and it still goes even after my parent''s death. This is a world full of mystery, some people are gifted, some people aren''t. No one can be certain unless you are the person who is running the show," Penny didn''t understand what thest line meant, "I will speak to Reuben on it. It might take a little more time. Do you both have it?" Both Penelope and Damien had nned to leave Valeria and go back to Bonke but it seemed like they would be extending their stay further as Penny wanted to learn more about the Artemis out of sheer curiosity. Also, she would be able to unravel the mysteries of the ck magic which she could learn from Isaiah who appeared to be helpful so far. "We can extend the time. I will drop a word about it to the council," Damien squeezed Penny''s hand in encouragement. If she wanted to know more and let her thoughts settle down, Damien had no intention to stop her. Instead, he enjoyed seeing her take part in the world she had stepped into wholeheartedly. Penny was a brave woman, reckless at times but it was alright. He admired her over those qualities along with her courageous behavior which kept him on his toes as he had to watch her back to make sure she was safe. He might have refused the idea of her working in the council as well as working in the theater, but it didn''t mean he was against her exploring matters which she was keenly interested in. All Damien meant was for her to be well. The very day, both Alexander as well Damien wrote a letter each before sending it to the council. By the time the letters did reach the council, a man brought the letters to the head council''s room. Rueben was drinking his blood tea, speaking to one of the councilmen regarding the rea.s.signment of a particr case which had not been fulfilled yet when the two letters from Valeria made its way through the door and onto the desk. "I thought we were progressing well with the case. What happened?" the head council, Reuben asked the councilman. "The members of the team have been unable to fulfill it. They are finding it hard. Usually, it was councilman Lionel''s team who took care of it in the back end when things didn''t work well," the councilman replied back. Rueben pursed his lips, "Councilman Igor. Currently, Lionel''s team has been dispatched. Councilman Durik pa.s.sed away due to the incident that took ce here in the council. Councilman Leonard and Councilwoman Vivian are on vacation and we don''t know when they will be returning back to work. Councilman Heuren is a.s.sisting Lionel in his court and other duties. You cannot expect that your team cks over the cases and then decide to push it to another team while you take the benefit now do you?" Igor was a small stout looking man, his eyes sharply looking at the head council knowing well what the man was implying. "My men don''t drop all the cases," Councilman Igor smiled, his uneven teething to be visible, "They aren''t able to find the resource as many of the councilmen have moved to othernds for work. Getting information from the witches is already hard enough." "Then they shouldn''t find it hard inpleting it," Reuben picked up the letters which were ced on his desk. Looking at the names which were on it, he looked back up at the man who was seated in front of him, "You will need to train your men to find other means. Unfortunately, right now we cannot call the ones who are not here and will rely on ourselves. I can give you one more week of the extension before the points go under deduction along with the case which will bepletely moved to the next team," Reuben offered the man a small smile. Councilman Igor stared at the head council. His level of status as a councilman was lowerpared to the head council which put him at a disadvantage to talk about anything right now. "Thank you for your generosity, head council," the man stood up, bowing his head which meant nothing out of respect before closing the door behind him. Once councilman Igor left the room, Reuben heard the click sound of the door before he opened the first letter which was of Damien stating how he was going to extend his work in Valeria. "This boy," Reuben muttered under his breath. They were alreadycking people in Bonke and he being one of the key resource finders the cases weren''t moving as smoothly as before. Some had died, some had moved to fill in the position of the other due to death taking them away from thesends. Damien had the habit of doing things on his own which was why it was alright but he wished he would inform him beforehand than drop the bomb like this. He had been like this since the time he had joined the council. Turning to one of his very own personal apprentices, Reuben was the one who had chiseled the boy and it had been hard in the beginning. The pureblooded vampire was a cousin of Alexander Delcrov and there were only a few people who Damien listened to. The man did what pleased him. Sighing, he looked at the other envelope that hade for him. Chapter 495 Letters To The Council- Part 3 cing Damien''s letter down. He picked up Alexander''s letter. Tearing the letter open to pull out the small parchment which was in there. ''To Head Council Rueben, I hope you are doing well since thest letter I sent you. I am aware Damien Quinn has dropped you a note on his extended stay and I hope you can grant it as there are a few things they are looking over.'' Reuben paused himself staring at the sentence to wonder who ''they'' meant here. Knowing the younger pureblooded vampire, Damien had no patience when it came to working with others. Either the person was called enough names to irk the other councilmen or they came back to this room with broken fingers which Damien liked snapping. There had been so many incidents in the past that Rueben had finally s.h.i.+fted Damien where he had the niche skills to swindle and pull out information, unlike others. Rueben continued to read Alexander''s letter, ''I am looking for a case which was closed more than a decade or so ago. It was on the witch family who lived not far from the Delcorv''s mansion. They go by the name of Artemis. If you give out the information on the file, it would be helpful which now lies in the locked storage room. Will be writing you another letter soon.'' Below the content, it was signed by Alexander Delcrov, the son of the woman he once loved and treasured. Getting up from his seat, he put Damien''s letter with the other letters while putting Alexander''s letter in the fire as it was confidential information. Making his way out of the room, he was greeted by members of the council who worked in the building. The storage room was a room where the old cases which had been dealt with until now had been stored. They were things which were not essible to all the councilman or councilwoman who worked there. The only person who held the key was him, Rueben himself yet one of the councilpersons had been able to break in along with a creature who waster killed. He sighed as he remembered the incident. It was a bad time when the switchers had got a hold into the council building. To think a creature that could s.h.i.+ft appearance along with the clothes was something he had never heard of until the incident was brought forward by Damien. He didn''t know how councilwoman Vivian Carmichael had got into the room, especially when there were two guards guarding it. But thanks to her, the switcher had been caught along with another old case that had never been covered properly. Rueben continued to walk, his shoes clicking on the white marble floor, making his way towards the storage room. Reaching the front of the storage room, the guards who were a.s.signed bowed their heads letting him in. He picked up one of thenterns, and then picked another with his other hand. Walking inside to step into arge dome-like room that had several shelves both on the left and right side. cing one of thenterns at the front, he walked through the shelves remembering what happened weeks or months ago here. He had been called after the guard found a councilman''s dead body lying on the floor. It was the dead body of the councilman who was part of Lionel''s team. Pus.h.i.+ng the thoughts of that day which had seen the most dead councilmen in that period of time, he tried remembering about the Artemis. The name did sound familiar as he was the one who had to run through the final closing of the case before cing the items of the case in the storage room along with the reports and files. His hand holding thentern up and high, he looked at the years and the order of the files. There were some out of ce and he realized he had to get someone to sort them in order. Using the longdder, he started to climb and started looking for the year one by one which took time before he finally found the dusty box with files in it but no item in there. Opening the files, he started to read the contents, murmuring under his breath, "Family''s children had gone missing at so and so date and their bodies wereter found in the nearby well which wasn''t too far from the house of the Artemis. Considered to be an unfortunate ident the case was dismissed over the fates of the children. Hmm," Rueben hummed, "Doesn''t look interesting apart from them being a pair of witches." Walking down the stairs along with files that he carried in his arm. He stepped out of the storage room to finally feel the light as the storage room was a ck hole if one didn''t carry antern along. Two days pa.s.sed and Lord Alexander who was in Valeria received a package which was intended from his G.o.dfather, a nickname they had used for the head council. Somewhere it was true as the man had taken upon the role to look after the pureblooded vampire lord after his parents had pa.s.sed away. "Here it is," Lord Alexander handed the files to Penelope which he had received from Rueben, "This all of them," Penny took the files in her hand. Turning the parchments that had been bound together, she read a few lines before looking up at him to thank him, "Thank you, Lord Alexander." "No problem." Going back to the room, Penny took herself to sit on the bed. Turning the pages this time, she started to read what was written there. It spoke about to boys who had drowned in the well but there was no mention about the girl and the boy she had seen in the portrait. If she remembered correctly, Mr. and Mrs. Artemis didn''t look too old but almost the same in the two pictures. The files only spoke about the family being of four. Also, didn''t one of them mention how they had adopted the children then wouldn''t it have meant they would have been added to the family? Unless the other two children were adopted after the death of the two children. Chapter 496 House Of Artemis- Part 1 Penny went through files again which held nothing much of importance. When Damien entered the room, she asked him, "Damien?" "Yes, sweet mouse?" he asked her, cing one knee and one hand on the bed to give a peck on her lips, "What are you reading?" "I received the files which Lord Alexander had asked from the council regarding the Artemis'' case," she informed him to see him withdraw himself from the bed to start unb.u.t.toning his s.h.i.+rt. "Anything interesting that you found in there?" "The nephew and niece, were they of the same age as their children?" she asked him, her eyes watching his elegant fingers that started to unb.u.t.ton his s.h.i.+rt from the top that went down one after another. "I don''t think so. Weren''t the niece and nephew much older than their children?" Damien questioned her back. "They are?" "I think so because not that I think about it. Mr. and Mrs. Artemis often took in children, children who were orphans and who had lost parents. It is actually confusing. What do you think of having a cup of tea in the Artemis mansion?" Damien asked her to raise her brows in question. "Uninvited tea?" she wasn''t sure about that. "We can always self invite ourselves, don''t worry about it," Damien replied, dropping his s.h.i.+rt on the floor before padding his feet towards the closet of clothes and picking one of the fresh s.h.i.+rts. The next day like Damien had said they had visited the Artemis in the name of an invitation where there was a tea party being held in the Delcorv''s mansion. Damien was a smooth talker and no one would have suspected him to have any ulterior motives as he never touched upon the subject of the children. Penny, on the other hand, sat next to him, pretty like a doll with a small smile on her lips to make it look polite. That didn''t mean she didn''t feel the eyes of Mrs. Artemis that often fell upon her but not a word was spoken to her. Penny remembered thest time she had been in the house. After visiting the powder room she had explored the house, walking to the part of the house where when the maid found her she was asked to go back and join the guests below. But it wasn''t just that. Her mind kept moving to children in the portrait-like she had seen them somewhere. No matter how much she tried remembering it, she could barely ce her finger on anything right now. The more she thought about it, the hazier the portrait appeared in her mind and now it was nothing but a mush of details she wasn''t able to grasp anymore. She wanted to see the picture again, to make sure so that she could remember. "You haven''t touched your tea yet, dear Penelope," Mrs. Artemis reminded her as it had been more than fifteen minutes since the tea had been poured for her in the porcin cup. "My bad," Penny apologised as if to tell she had been listening to the conversation so intently that she had forgotten about it. When she reached for her cup, Mrs. Artemis stopped her. "It''s alright. Let me get you a new cup of tea. This one must have chilled right now," said thedy, raising her hand to get the maid''s attention. A new cup of warm tea had been reced instead of the cold one. When the tea was served, Penny didn''t miss the way the elderly couple looked at her, Mr. Artemis giving her only a nce before going back to speak to Damien while Mrs. Artemis smiled at her warmly. With the way she looked, a look of antic.i.p.ation in her eyes, Penny felt something was wrong. Of course, Penny wouldn''t have had an idea of what the Artemis'' was that they were a couple of white witches and it was because of Lord Alexander she knew about it. If they were witches it would mean they had ess to some kind of potions which was now added in her teacup. She picked the teacup in her hand. Not by the handle but using her entire hand in a way as if she were scooping it. Holding close to her, she smiled at the elderly woman. "Is it warm enough?" thedy asked and Penny nodded her head with a fixed smile. "It feels good to drink tea in this weather," shemented. "Oh, yes. It sure does feel good. Thankfully the time of Winter is finallying to an end and soon we shall have light here with roses and greenery around us," Mrs. Artemis answered her. Her eyes still held Penelope''s eyes which made it hard for Penny to put the teacup down again. Penny didn''t have anything to worry about. She raised the teacup to her lips and before the edge of the cup touched her lips, the liquid had turned to water. She drank all of it in one go. Thedy looked slightly surprised that Penny had drunk all of it in one breath. By now it wasn''t just Penny who had noticed Mrs. Artemis looking at Penny and the teacup she had just finished. The woman had surely added something in the teacup but Penny had turned it in time. "Looks like the weather is really working on you. Let me get you another cup of tea," Mrs. Artemis got the tea poured into the cup for Penny again, and Penny drank it without a hitch, "Tell us something about yourself, dear. Do you have siblings or if...your parents are still alive?" What a strange way to phrase it thought Penny to herself. "I have no siblings and my parents pa.s.sed away," this earned her a look of sympathy and it was hard to tell if the woman was giving her a genuine look of worry right now. At the same time, she didn''t mind dering her mother dead as she had broken ties with her after her mother had set her as a ma.s.sacre sacrifice. "It must have been very hard on you then," Mrs. Artemis freely ced her hand on Penny''s to show her concern. "It was in the beginning but now I have Damien as my family. It helps reduce the burden on my shoulders and mind." "Of course," thedy nodded her head. From the corner of her eyes, Penny could tell that Damien''s'' chest puffed at her words. Chapter 497 House Of Artemis- Part 2 "If it isn''t too intrusive, how did they pa.s.s away?" asked Mrs. Artemis as Penny ced her teacup down on the saucer. It was the third cup and she was already feeling the need to go visit the powder room again. Unlike her, Damien had refused on the face of telling them how he had already drunk plenty amount of blood in the Delcrov''s mansion and how he was full right now due to which his teacup was ced as empty as it was brought out at the table. "Not at all," Penny gave Mrs. Artemis the sweetest smile to let the woman know she meant no harm at all before it fell down. She looked as if she was back to remembering the memories of her parents when in truth Penny was trying to find the rights words and the disease she could a.s.sociate with her parent''s death, "It was the consumption that took their lives," her expression had mellowed down as she replied to Mrs. Artemis'' question. The woman shook her head, a sigh pa.s.sing from her mouth, "I am sorry to hear that. Only if there was a way to cure it¡­" "How about yourself, Lady Artemis?" Penny asked, not wanting to lose the window where she could ask the same question to thedy. "Well, as you see it''s just me and my husband now," Penny and Damien were already aware that their two children, the boys, had drowned. The question of how had been concluded as an unfortunate event. Knowing there would be no point in asking something they were aware of, Penny asked, "Your nephew and niece that you mentionedst time, do you know where they live? Maybe Damien and I can go visit them to let you know how they are doing." Mrs. Artemis'' eyes flickered, an unexinable expression pa.s.sing through her eyes that Penny couldn''t deduce. Mr. Artemis instead took to answer it, "They actually changed their address after getting married, it has been more than fifteen years now since we have heard from them. After they got married, it was kinda hard to connect back. I guess children grow up too fast," the manughed and everyoneughed along, their emptyughs filling up the hallowed room. "Did you do something that they don''t want to talk to you anymore?" Damien''s words were sharp enough that Penny internally closed her eyes. The pureblooded vampire had no idea on how to be subtle about things and went directly for the kill. Mr. Artemis gave a thoughtful look, "I don''t think so, we looked after them really well. Didn''t we dear?" he asked his wife. "That''s true," the woman smiled. Penny found it hard to decide if the elder couple were either good at lying or if she was only looking into the matter unnecessarily too close where the couple meant no harm, "They are lovely children we got to bring up. Always so well behaved and nice." "How long are you going to be here, Mr. Quinn? Will you be staying after the tea party that is held during the weekend?" "Yes, that''s the n. You have a lovely house. A shame that they haven''t set a Winter''s ball in here," Damien said looking around at the architecture, "I know an excellent architect who lives in Bonke. Have you heard the man named Jerome Wells?" "I might have heard about him," Mrs. Artemis responded. Picking her own cup of tea which she hadn''t actually drunk yet. Penny noticed how the woman stirred the tea with a spoon after adding sugar but never took a sip from it. She picked it up to only ce it back on the table again. "He has very good designs. If you ever n to build a house or want to modify something in here, you should definitely contact him," Damien gave out a free promotion to the vampire''s work. "We''ll be sure to keep that in mind. Thank you, Mr. Quinn," Mrs. Artemis replied. "Why don''t we take a walk in the house, dear and leave the men here," Mrs. Artemis proposed. It made Penny wonder if the woman was going to take her around the house so that she could let her guard down or to erase any thought of suspicion, considering the maid had told her that one side of the mansion was not allowed to have guests. Penny stood up along with Mrs. Artemis, giving Damien a look who gave her a nod to go with thedy of the house. Leaving the men behind, both Penny and Mrs. Artemis started to walk in the house, taking up the stairs that was away from the hall and people. The house was kept pretty, decorating it with fresh flowers that seemed like it had only been put in the vases this morning. As they continued to walk, Penny could feel the awkward silence growing between them. Previously she had somehow tried to hold up conversations but right now for some odd reason, her mind couldn''t pop up with the right question. "How have you been spending time here in Valeria? Did you go shopping or have you been stuck in the Delcrov''s mansion?" asked Mrs. Artemis. Creating potions, adding odd things in the cauldron while adding things to test and turning them ck. Learning if I could get something out of the ck and white magic, thought Penny in her mind. She gave the woman a smile again, "I have been in the mansion, it gets boring," the woman gave her a knowing look. "You shoulde here then," proposed Mrs. Artemis, "I am sure wedies will have much more to do. I am very good at cooking. Right now it is just me and Mr. Artemis, without the children it gets lonely. When Caitlin was here it was much easier, she was like a daughter. I still remember brus.h.i.+ng her red hair." Penny nodded her head before something finally hit her. She now understood why the face appeared to be familiar... Chapter 498 Visit To The Slave- Part 1 Penny''s lips went dry as the realization sunk in her mind. It couldn''t be, could it? She hadn''t met many red-haired men or women. Her first thought would have been that the little girl was rted to Elliot Wells. Both Jerome and Elliot had curly wavy hair but their hair colors were different. One had ck and the other had red. She had tried to race her brain over where she might have seen the little girl in the portrait. The boy in the picture wasn''t familiar enough because she didn''t remember him but the girl. "Caitlin, was her name?" Penny asked Mrs. Artemis, gulping down softly. "Yes, Caitlin. She was really a bright young girl and we spent really good times together. I wonder what brought upon the distance that she now doesn''t want to meet or talk to us like her brother," Mrs. Artemis gave a confused look of expression, "Mr. Artemis and I were childless when we took her and Walter in." In the meantime, Penny tried to wrap her head around the timeline and the gap between the time where nephew and niece had been taken in, grew up to get married andter the Artemis came to have a family of their own by having two boys he ended up being dead. Penny tried to conclude the information in her mind. "I am sure when they find the time they wille to see you," Penny tried to a.s.sure her. Still looking at the frames in front of her, she asked the woman, "How old is this portrait?" "Which one? This?" Mrs. Artemis pointed to the family picture with the two boys. Seeing Penny nod, the woman went to answer, "Maybe only ten years older from now." Ten years wasn''t too far yet in the picture they looked young and had now aged to theirte years. The age of the witches varied and it wasn''t fixed which made it tricky to know what and how old they were. People could pause their age when they were young, spending a possible of forty to sixty years while still looking like a child. Looks were deceiving but when it came to witches they were far worse to know and calcte. "Both your niece and nephew must have been very sad over the loss of your children," Pennymented, still wanting to test the time when she heard Mrs. Artemis say, "Oh, they were married by then and gone. I wrote letters to them about our loss but like I said earlier both my husband and I never came to hear from them. It is sad how it turned out to be," she murmured, "Come let me show you the garden I have been gardening myself. It is one of my favorite times of mine to pa.s.s." "Yes," Penny gave her a small nod before walking along with her, leaving the portraits behind her. Both Damien and Penny spent more time there until the time of meal was announced where they decided to take their leave. Neither Penny nor Damien wanted to taste the food of the witches who they were suspecting right now when it came to the case of their dead sons and the children they adopted. Getting on the carriage, Penny waved back at Mrs. Artemis. "Do visit me if possible until you are here in Valeria." "Thank you, Mrs. Artemis," Penny replied back. The carriage started to pull away from there, the horses pulling the carriage behind them and taking them away from the house of the Artemis when Damien saw Penny who appeared to be in a state of nkness where she was yet to speak. "You found something," he noted. Penny''s gaze moved from the front of the seat to s.h.i.+ft slowly towards Damien, "The girl in the picture, I met her in the ve establishment. She was my cellmate there." "You''re sure it is her?" Damien asked her and she nodded her head. "I am sure it is her. Of course, she looks older now. I thought she was only five or six years old to me because of her young appearance but I didn''t expect her to be old. When I was about to escape, I wanted her toe along with me but she seemed hesitant over the idea. As if she didn''t want to leave the establishment." "She never told you why?" "I spent only a week there. She didn''t want to help me initially and I had to trick her to help me," she smiled sheepishly at the thought, "Mrs. Artemis said that she was married but what if she was not married at all and what if, what if she was sold to the ve establishment?" "It is a possible thought," Damien agreed, "But for that, we will need to go to the ve establishment to see what is going and if the girl you have seen in the picture is the same woman who is the ve establishment right now. I guess we''ll need to make a quick trip to Bonke." Before Penny could hear hisplete sentence, Damien ced his hand on top of her hand. In less than a few seconds, both Damien and Penny stood not too far from the ve establishment. "That was quick," she muttered under her breath. "Come, stick close to me when we are in there," Penny knew what he meant. The ve establishment wasn''t a ce one would like to be part of. She had been here for less time but that didn''t mean she had forgotten how the guards and others treated ves right in here. Penny had been extremely lucky to put her name in the list of auctions and to end up with Damien as her buyer, it must have been the fates showing her some mercy over what her mother had put her through. The ve establishment looked the same, the dark grey walls were tall and wide to cover the entire buildings inside it in a way no one could evere to escape it. Only brave souls would dare to try escaping from here through the front gate by running past it. Chapter 499 Visit To The Slave- Part 2 Even Penny had no such guts to run past the many guards through the only entrance and exit of the gates. It was a highly secure building where the guards meticulously checked every person that went in and out of the establishment. Reaching the equally tall gates of the ce, one of the guards came forward, looking at Penelope next to him who was dressed well along with him. "What is the purpose of your visit?" the guard couldn''t help but scan at the woman next to the pureblooded vampire. The guard was a half-vampire who was turned from human to vampire, he wondered if the woman was brought here to be sold as she appeared to be human. It wasn''t the first time people brought in possible ves before being sold to this establishment for the sake of money. Most of them often conned women and men, misusing the trust by swindling lies and false promises to only throw them here to get a good amount of cash. After all, money was something that stood above all of the rtions. It wouldn''t be a surprise if the pureblooded vampire was going to sell this girl here today, but he felt pity that the man wasn''t going to keep such a beautiful woman with her womanly curves. Penny red at the guard when his eyes reached her neckline, "My eyes are up here, mister. Not on my chest," she said to have the guard quickly look up at her eyes. Yes, the girl had good eyes too, thought the guard to himself. Strangely she appeared to be familiar but he was sure he would know her if she was a former ve. Damien fished something in his pocket and gave a ck card to the guardsman whose eyes widened, "If you want to keep those two eyes of yours you better stop looking at her," he gave a wide smile to the guardsman. The card was something that only the higher pureblooded vampires carried. A card that meant to not to be questioned of their ident.i.ty as the little card was enough to speak for them. "Pleasee in," the guardsman bowed his head, "Would you want me to call the warden for you so that he can a.s.sist you better?" "Yes, that would be lovely. How is he here today? I thought he must be shaking some woman in his home," Damien''s blunt words made its way out of his mouth. The guard didn''t look stunned. Rather he was used to thenguage, much more coa.r.s.e that was used on the ves and the guards themselves who guarded the establishment. "Let me take you in," the guardsman took the privilege to take the highly esteemed elite inside the building, let them pa.s.s as well as he motioned his hands towards the other two guards. Two guardsmen had to push the gates, to let them pa.s.s. Penny looked at the ce, the feeling of nauseousness returning to her sense as she remembered the little time she had spent here. She could hear the screamsing from somewhere that echoed back from the tall walls, without letting anyone from the outside know what was going on in here. They pa.s.sed through the many cells which had ves imprisoned. "How do you feel?" Damien whispered for only Penny to hear when the guardsman used the rod to hit the bars of one cell which had a ve crying and begging for his attention. "Nauseous," Penny answered him. "Don''t worry. You have me here. If you faint I will take you away from here, I won''t leave you here," Damien promised that gave sce to her mind. She knew that. She was already aware that she had Damien next to her and it made her feel braver than thest time she was in here. It felt like a faded memory which she didn''t want to remember and had tried to erase it. How funny, thought Penny to herself. There were some memories she didn''t want to remember while there were some that had been made to forget. Only if she could trade and get back the right ones. "Have you been here before?" she asked him curiously as she didn''t ask him this question before. "Two times, this being the third time. The first time I came here for council business with Lord Nichs. The next time I came here with a friend of mine, her name was Meredith," Penny remembered this piece of information as she had also heard it from Maggie, Damien''s elder sister. "I am sorry about her," Penny responded back for him to run his hand through his hair. She wondered if the memory hurt him, "Maggie told me that you despised ves because of it." "I did," he replied as they followed the guard who was way past in the front and they were walking behind him with a good distance between them so that their words didn''t spill out to reach his ears or anyone else''s, "Meredith was Sentencia''s cousin. She was younger than us. Maybe by four years? She needed someone, a ve, in particr, to listen and love." "Sometimes we pure-blooded vampires envy the middle and lower-.s.s families, Penny. I don''t speak about me as my parents gave us more attention than we asked but there are some who are busy with their pride and egos, feeding them to the society without giving a dime of time to the children. These children are often neglected and very lonely. Some cope up while some cannot. Sentencia had sent me along with Meredith." "Were you the one who picked the ve for her?" she asked him, wondering if this was why he hated the ves before meeting her. "I merely apanied her here to the establishment. I wonder sometimes if it would have been different if I had picked the ve for her, to choose the right one than she picking the wrong one who was responsible to kill her," came out Damien''s response, his voice had not lost its essence as it continued with the same tone without falling down or rising up, "Of course, there''s no one to me to. After all, I wasn''t the one who suggested she buy a salve. Spoilt children are adamant and don''t listen." Chapter 500 Confinement Again- Part 1 Coming to a particr door, Penny first blinked a few times before realizing which room this was. Oh, no! Thought Penny to herself. Wasn''t this the very room which the warden had dragged her to? And she had struck some statues on his face which had received her time in the confinement. Damien heard the skip of Penny''s heartbeat before he could ask, the guardsman had knocked on the door before pus.h.i.+ng the k.n.o.b to open the door. In sat a vampire, who stood up from his seat at the sight of Damien. Penny noticed how the room was much brightly lit with thenterns that were ced around unlike the time she had been herest time. "Mr. Quinn," the Warden raised his hand, reaching to meet Damien''s hand as the men shook their hands together, "What a surprise to have youe here today. Would you like to drink something?" asked the man. How polite, thought Penny to herself while she internally red at the man. "Yes, a .s.s of blood would do good," Damien didn''t bother to hold the false front of being not thirsty, "Make it two," Penny noted then that Damien would need the blood in his body as they both had traveled from Valeria to Bonke. Of course, they could go back to Quinn''s mansion but right now they would need to go back again to Valeria if the woman was whom Penny thought she was. The warden''s eyes s.h.i.+fted to look at Penny who was standing next to Damien. Her features are beautiful, almost doll-like. Her face appeared to be familiar and he asked her, "Who is this lovelydy?" "She is my fiance," Damien introduced Penny to the warden so that he would know not to cross the line which was drawn for him. The warden''s eyes quickly s.h.i.+fted after Damien uttered the words. The warden might have been one of thews in the ve establishment but that didn''t mean he was higher than the people who lived outside the ve establishment to not know how to behave with a pureblooded vampire. He waved his hand to the guardsman to get the refreshment that was asked by the pureblooded vampire. "Are you here to look for a ve?" asked the warden, a smile upon his face. "Indeed. We were looking for someone who could look after my wife and the baby in the future," Damien replied smoothly without a hitch, "Preferably a woman. and not a young girl." "We have some remaining but are you sure you don''t want a healthy and young person who will be more efficient?" the warden reasoned. Older ves were mostly useless because they didn''t bring enough money into the establishmentpared to the young girls who were ripe and oozing with such a tint of attraction that could make men or women throw money immediately. "I am not asking for a wrinkly old woman. Apart from male and young girls, the rest should do," hearing this the wardenughed over Damien''s grave looking face. "Of course, I understand," after Damien had drunk the two .s.ses of blood they finally went to look at the ves who were confined in the room. The building was tall with many floors and each floor contained the cell rooms which were either filled with one or two people in it. The corridors were narrow and deserted. With only guards who were ced at regr checkpoints. When she was here there weren''t so many guards in here, it made her wonder if they had tightened the security. How long had it been since she hade and gone from here? Five months? Or was it more than that? Penny couldn''t remember the time as in the beginning, she had only focussed on running away from here and then from Quinn''s mansion. As she pa.s.sed by one cell after another, she caught the look of every ve who was captured in here. To think that she was once here, Penny couldn''t help but wonder how dark things were back then yet she had held on to the light of hope. The smell that came from the cells was nowhere to be pleasant. Each and every cell had a foul smell of blood and the smell of rusting from the iron bars to be potent. The warden and the guardsman walked in front of them, asionally turning around to ask Damien if he had found any suitable ve. Penny continued to look through every one of them. There were some familiar faint faces who she remembered. The most noticeable one being the men who had ogled at her when she was asked to be stripped naked with the rest of them before heading into the bath. Penny had been anxious to meet the woman again. Searching for the woman with red hair but not every time they moved to the next cell, her face turned to one to be of disappointment. She wasn''t sure which exactly was the room she had been in but she was sure it was somewhere and here was not where Caitlin was. Either it were other ves or it was empty cell rooms. "Is this all?" Damien asked when they were done taking a stroll through every corridor in here. "This is all that we have. There were some that we sold yesterday to the ck market," answered the warden. When Damien''s eyes s.h.i.+fted to look at Penny, the warden did the same wondering why her green eyes looked like he had seen it before. The guardsman leaned over to whisper something in the warden''s ear, "Would you want to wait for a week before checking in here again? It seems we''ll be having new ves added in here." Was it possible that Caitlin had been sold by now? But she had told she had been here for years now. Her words also implied how she didn''t want to be sold or had no interest to step outside the ve establishment. Where was she or who was she with? wondered Penny to herself before something hit her mind. "The confinement rooms," she said gaining the attention of both the warden as well as the guard who looked slightly taken back as she spoke for the very first time since they had met today, "Take us to the confinement room." The warden''s eyes narrowed making him wonder how the woman knew about the existence of the confinement room. Chapter 501 Confinement Again- Part 2 "The confinement room?" the guardsman asked thedy who had asked the question. "Yes," Penny nodded her head, "I am sure you must be having a fair number of ves in there? After all, there might be people who don''t follow the rules that have beenid." She could see the hesitance of both the warden as well as in the guardsman''s eyes and she didn''t need to know why they carried that look. The council had done nothing when it came to shutting down the establishment but that didn''t mean they forgave everything that went down in here. The warden''s eyes widened and Penny didn''t have to know that the man had finally recognized her. His eyes looked at her fiercely. How could he forget a woman like her? She was young and beautiful, a prized possession when his eyes had fallen on her the first day he had seen her. But he didn''t know what happened, a weekter after he checked for her, her name was marked to be sold. Gone. He had been furious. Furious that the guards had not been keen enough to look through the names and had randomly picked her while she had not spent enough days in the ve establishment.?New ves were never handed out quickly to the customers. Even if they were, it was always at a high price that only a pureblooded vampire could buy or people who had a lot of money. The man had decided to discipline the girl when she had not stripped. The more a ve resisted the more thrilling the experience turned out to be as he would get to beat, p, burn and imprint their body to hear them scream until he felt the satisfaction sink in his mind. He couldn''t resist not punis.h.i.+ng the girl but when he returned back she was sold in the ck market. Her green eyes stared back at him. Undoubtedly she was the same girl. The same size of b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her luscious lips, and her blonde hair that looked like it had ruffled itself with the help of the wind. "There are some ves who have been bad and undutiful when it came to listening to the orders the guards and I have set. Why don''t you both sit and wait in the office below while I have the guardsmen bring the ves who are in there," offered the warden to the couple. His eyes looking at her sharply. Damien instead spoke Penny''s mind, "I am sure we don''t want to trouble your guards. Also, I would like to look at this confinement room. I have heard very good things about it," he pped both his hands, "I am looking forward to it." If the vampire warden could, he would have dragged the woman by her hair and vited her to the point where she woulde to fear about the ve establishment. To not utter things that were in here and bring in trouble. It was one of the reasons why ves were never given away quickly until they understood what it meant to be part of the ve life. To obey and not speak, to only listen and do what was told, it was something that was instilled into the ves this way the establishment never came to receive anyints. Now that the pureblooded vampire had spoken there was little to nothing they could do but oblige to avoid any problem. It wasn''t the first time that someone had shown an interest but people never went in there. The warden smiled. "Please follow me," he said, walking back in the way they hade just now. As they walked behind, Damien asked in a sign as to what was up with the warden. Penny appeared calm outside but he could feel the jitter in her nerves. Penny raised her hands. Pointing at the warden and then pointing at her before she used both the knuckles that collided with each other to let him know that something happened when she was here in the establishment. Damien didn''t know what exactly happened but he could tell by the eyes the warden was giving Penny he knew she was a former ve. "How is the ve who was bought when you came here along with the youngdy?" the warden tried making small talk. This was a wrong topic to initiate, thought Penny to herself, "I would have suggested-" "You should be lucky that you weren''t the one who suggested. Else your corpse would have been added in the nearest forest," the warden turned around to give a questionable look, "The ve boy killed my acquaintance." A few seconds of awkwardness surrounded them and the warden didn''t go to initiate another conversation. Reaching the part which was called the confinement rooms, the guardsman hurried himself to get thenterns, turning them on and handing out to the warden. "We would like to have one each. Unless you have a shortage ofnterns in here," Damien demanded. The guardsman looked torn, his eyes darting from their customer to the warden to know what to do. "Apologies Mr. Quinn, we are running out ofnterns and it needs to be stocked again," the warden answered to his request. "I see," Damien responded back before saying, "Then you wouldn''t mind if I used thentern, would you?" Penny wasn''t sure if Damien was trying to push the b.u.t.tons of the warden for fun to see how he would react, also not giving thentern felt more than suspicious. Damien stared at the warden, raising his hands as if the warden had already agreed to give it to him. To not pa.s.s thentern woulde off to be rude and to give it to him would mean inviting trouble. "Pardon me, Mr. Quinn," the warden bowed his head, "It would be rude to make you carry thentern. This is your first time so let me lead the way," reasoned the vampire, his eyes meeting Damien''s while hoping the man would agree. "Sure," came the curt reply from Damien. The warden and the guardsman took to lead the way. Chapter 502 Confinement Again- Part 3 The floor to the confinement rooms was dark as expected, with only onentern that was the source of light, it didn''t spread the light too far but enough to know what was in front of them. The remaining area was pitch ck. She could see the silhouette as well as the outline that was formed by the light in front of them when it came to the warden as well as the guardsman. Walking beside Damien, her feet were firm and st.u.r.dy. Her nose was suddenly greeted with a foul smell. Did it smell this bad before? Asked Penny to herself. Maybe it did and she had just not noticed, how could she forget her stepping on the iron nail that had made her pa.s.s out from the pain. They pa.s.sed by one of the dark corners to move to the next one. Unlike the outside cells which had walls, this ce was made purely by iron bars which separated the s.p.a.ce of one person to another. The cells were filled with four people and the woman she hade to meet was ced in thest cell. The very same cell she once had been ced in. "These ves are here because they find it hard to follow rules. A ve who doesn''t know how to follow one is not someone we give away. It would be a bad reputation," said the warden, using the rod he had been holding, he used it to hit on the metal bars that made the sound echo throughout the s.p.a.ce making one wonder how big this ce was. Truthfully one wouldn''t need to hit the rod. With the floor being this quiet, even a drop of a small stick could wake a person in here. "I don''t think the ve establishment has any reputation at all since the very beginning," Damienmented, his eyes staring at the ves in here, "There isn''t much difference when ites to witches and what happens in here." Hearing this the two men who worked here snapped their head to look at him. Their face hardened forparing them to the witches but that didn''t bother Damien Quinn at all. Instead, he went on to say, "What I mean is, witches, abduct people for their use. While the ve establishment mostly makes use of the abducted people who are sent in here. Aren''t I right?" asked Damien. He waved his hand as if he was always right, "But it is a good sanctuary for people. Better than witches but still the reputation..." he trailed, going to step close to the people he asked, "What do you make them do here? Just keep them caged?" The warden changed his expression quickly to reply to the question asked, "We don''t feed them. Depending on the severity of what they have done, their days here are allocated ordingly. Also, we don''t provide them food in here to remind them of their ce." "What if one of them dies?" Damien moved forward, noticing the first three were male and the fourth one there, in the end, was a woman. "Then it is their fault for not listening,"? answered the warden with ack of remorse to people who were in here or people who had pa.s.sed away in here. Penny walked forward, going closer to the cell where the woman sat in darkness, "Her," she said looking at her as the light on the woman fell, "I want to talk to her," she turned her head looking at the warden which irked the man. A mere ve who was in his grasp in the past was now ordering him. His eyes burned in darkness, he looked at the guardsman who nodded his head before going to the cell. Pulling out a bunch of keys, he opened the door to the cell. The guardsman wasn''t gentle when he went to call the woman who was awake, the woman looked up from the light which was falling on her. Squinting her eyes, she turned to see who hade and what the ruckus was. "Come out! It is your break time," the guardsman dragged the woman who appeared to be feeble and weak due to theck of food and the s.p.a.ce she was ced in. After ten minutes, they were seated in a room. Penny was sitting in front of the woman whom she hade to know as Caitlin when she was here. Damien and the other two men stood outside while Penny stayed in the room, giving the reason that she wanted to make sure she was the ve she was going to take home. Two .s.ses of water were ced, one for each of them. At first, Caitlin only stared at Penny with no words. It made her wonder if the woman didn''t remember her. "Is that your master who hase with you?" the red-haired woman asked her. Her eyes had dark circles and her face looked tired. Penny nodded her head, "He was my master but he''s freed me." One side of Caitlin''s lips pulled up, "There was nothing to free in the first case," because Penny was never marked with the ve establishment seal. She hadn''t given the opportunity for them to mark and had escaped early, "It is good to see that you are doing well." "What did you do to get in there? You look terrible," Penny whispered, earning a smile from the woman. "Just breaking the normal rules. They are waiting for me to pa.s.s away as I am not young meat for the market to be sold. Why are you here? I don''t think it is to buy a new ve," the woman gauged Penny''s expression. "I had a few questions to ask you," the woman gave her a nod to continue, "Have you heard about a family named ''Artemis''?" she didn''t miss the sour expression that formed on Caitlin''s face. "Thought I would never hear about them here," Caitlin muttered under her breath. Her guess was right, the little girl in the portrait was Caitlin. The woman''s eyes suddenly narrowed, "How did you know it was me? Does anyone else know that you are here to meet me?" Penny shook her head, "No," she looked slightly worried as Caitlin appeared to be stressed, "It is just me and him. Why?" "I think you should go from here if you don''t want to be in this mix. Act as if you have never met me and stay away from that family," warned the woman inplete seriousness. Chapter 503 Process- Part 1 *Belle Adams'' Butler*: The FIFTH BOOK of this series is out ''Belle Adams'' Butler'', you can now add the book to your library. The chapters will be updated after or around thepletion of this book (should be done around May or the start of April). You can vote for the 5th bookpletely once we are done with this book , so that the book can have better visibility just like this one by bringing it to the top rank of power ranking. Do let me know how you found the excerpt~ . With furrowed eyebrows, Penny stared at the red-haired woman, the woman looking at her sharply after what she heard from Penny. Stay away from the Artemis? But why? "Did they do something to you?" she asked Caitlin wanting rity on the subject so that she could understand what might have happened that got the woman to refuse to speak about them while also asking her to stay away from them. To what she had learned so far, the Artemis posed as humans while they were actually white witches. Their background was decent where they didn''t meddle in other folks'' matters which didn''t concern them. Lord Alexander already knew about them being white witches that would mean he had studied them at least a little bit right? Or maybe his father had. "You should not meddle into things that will bring you ill luck, Penelope," the woman took the .s.s of water, downing itpletely before putting the empty .s.s down on the table. "I am trying to investigate something," Penny stated to see the woman smile. "Why?" "Because I found it suspicious," came the simple answer through Penny''s lips. Caitlin asked her, "You finally have a good life. Why are you trying to jeopardize it by getting into this?" "I can help youe out of here. You can have a better life than being a ve," Penny offered and suddenly Caitlin became irritated. "I don''t wish to leave this ce. Don''t you get it?" the woman whispered through her gritted teeth, "Bringing me out will only lead my life to be in trouble. I am happy here." "Like this?" Penny questioned giving an overall look at the woman, her eyes moving up and down at the thin dress that she wore which was dirty. The woman folded both her hands against her chest, leaning behind to reply, "Yes." Penny continued to frown at her behavior. When a person was offering to free her, this woman was refusing it. She was aware since the time she had met the woman that thedy had no intention to leave this ce. If she truly did she would have written her name along with hers when the time of the weekly ck market was approaching before the parchments of names were handed out to the guards on who to take from the cell rooms. "Will you tell me if I ask?" Penny asked the woman, her eyes looking at her hopeful before saying, "I found you in the portrait of the Artemis'' house with many others that is hung on the wall. Mr. and Mrs. Artemis said that you and your brother got married. And after that you never came to visit them nor did your brother. I am guessing they didn''t get you married." "If you have a sharp mind you should use it in the council. The council will work better," Caitlinmented over Penny''s thoughts. Penny turned behind her to see the locked door and then leaned forward to move closer to Caitlin, "I did n but Damien is against it." "Such a protective man," Caitlinmented to see Penny smile. The woman turned to the empty and nk wall, staring at it without any focus when she said, "You are right. I didn''t get married but my elder brother did get married. Walter and I lost our parents because they were burnt by the vigers after finding out that there were witches." "You are a witch too¡­" Penny murmured under her breath. Caitlin nodded her head, "I am. After we were turned to orphans our uncle and aunt took us in. They were nice. Everyone is usually nice but they were nicer which was why we failed to see the motives behind every action of theirs." "What do you mean?" she asked curiously. Caitlin turned to look at Penny to say, "They often took in children, wanting to take them but those children went missing after time. Of course, my brother and I didn''t go missing. We grew up to a fine age until they decided it was time for my brother, Walter to marry. They brought in a girl who they knew and my brother moved away from Valeria. When it was my time, I decided not to marry but you know how society can be. My aunt, Mrs. Artemis talked me into it and got a man for me. It was one of those days before the wedding did I find out who my rtives had actually got for me. The man wasn''t a human nor was he a white witch, he was a ck witch. He wanted to sacrifice me and I ran to only run into my sister-inw, toter find out that she was a ck witch too." Penny gave her a surprised look, "Does that mean the Artemis'' family aren''t white witches?" Caitlin shook her head, "I don''t know how they have been doing it but they have a deep a.s.sociation with the ck witches. Only a witch who has been constantly tapping into the forbidden magic and who is turning to a ck witch has those kinds of connections," the woman sighed, "The ve establishment was really close by and I decided to turn into a ve. Life here is much more peaceful than life out there." "But they would have forgotten about it," Penny reasoned. Surely, it had been at least close to two decades if Caitlin was still here. "I was part of a ritual which didn''t take ce because I escaped. Do you think the witches would take it well and let it rest in peace? My uncle and aunt don''t know about me because they haven''t heard from me or seen me walking outside." "Mrs. Artemis said they had been to Bonke only twice or so," hearing this Cailtin tched. "Don''t listen to liars as they will only lie more about what they do and what they don''t. I don''t know what happened to my elder brother but with how things were that day, I am guessing he got killed before he found out about me." "What if we expose the Artemis?" Penny questioned. "You are free to do it, but it doesn''t warrant my safety. I chose this life. Let me live it in peace." Chapter 504 Process- Part 2 Penny pursed her lips. This witch was rigid in her decision of staying here, Penny was sure she would be able to have a much better life than how people treated her here. The ve establishment was a ce where no one was ent.i.tled to be but were forced into it. "There is a church here, in Bonke that recruits white witches. These white witches help the council while they are also being sheltered by the council. I know you worry about your life but I don''t think hiding here helps in any way," she was getting beaten obviously by the marks and scars on her body, with theck of food and water, the woman looked like she had suddenly in thesest few months since thest time she had seen her. "Why do you want to save me, Penelope?" Caitlin questioned Penny, her eyes staring into her with intrigue. "I came here looking for answers because I was suspicious but if I am out here today like this, then it is because you helped me," Penny whispered to the woman. Though Penny was willing to help she wondered why the Artemis had not been caught until now. With the way they had arranged the portraits, one would think that Caitlin and her brother were adopted after their own children had been drowned. But it was the opposite, like deception to the eyes who visited their home. "Do you think they knew that it was ck witches who they got you both married to?" Caitlin nodded, "The female witch confessed that the n was devised. That it was necessary for the consummation between a white and a ck witch for the ritual." Hearing this part, Penny felt she had heard or read about it. Was it in the church library? Or was it in one of the books that were written by Lady Isabelle? No, it must be the church library. She tried recollecting it. "It is for the start of the ritual, for a ma.s.sacre," Penny breathed the words out of her mouth. ording to others, the witches had recently started killing people by creating ma.s.s murders in the viges and towns but that wasn''t it. All this killing had a goal which was to unlock and unbind the powers of the ck witches which were locked away by the white witches. Consummation between white witches and ck witches was nevermon in the past. It was because no one trusted ck witches. Turned or not they were all categorized into one ck box which no one was willing to touch. In the end, the untouched box only turned darker until there was nothing good about it. It was why most of the witches tricked each other. The consummation was only the fourth or fifth step when it came to unbinding the magic. But a mere intercourse wouldn''t work. It would work only for the two peasing from one pod. They had to be siblings for it to work. Everything had a rule that had to be followed. Not knowing how to put it out without offending the woman, Penny parted her lips to speak, "Did you¡­" "I did," Caitlin answered knowing well what Penny was implying. If she had shared the bed with the ck witch. Of course, thought Penny to herself. If the steps weren''t performed it would have meant the ma.s.sacre would be dyed but it didn''t. The ck witches had tried to perform the ma.s.sacre which had turned out to be unsessful. Lady Isabelle was one of the witches who came from the same era as the time when the ck magic was driven away leaving the ck witches with little to nothing which was why they were trying to test their hands with forbidden magic which wasn''t working that great for them. It left them with only some spells and lots of potions. The death of the children she had seen in the swap wasn''t done out of the ord. She took a deep breath as it started to sink in her mind. To kill that many children and keep them in there without throwing or burying them, it was all part of the ritual. A goal that the ck witches had been working on for years. Penny doubted that she had read the details about the ritual from the church too. Not bothering about it, for now, she looked back at Caitlin who had been observing her for a while now while she was trying to sort her thoughts out. "Wouldn''t you want to know if your brother is still alive?" Caitlin might have found out about her the man she was about to be betrothed to and her sister-inw to be ck witches but would her brother have known or was he killed or chased away like Caitlin? "Walter must have died. The woman must have killed him by now, he was too good to be her husband. Or rather no man deserved a wife like that," the woman had already made peace with her brother, not wanting to know more about him. A couple of knocks on the door interrupted them and the door opened for the guardsman toe in. "Time is up. Do you n to buy her?" Penny looked in the eye of the woman before saying, "No." Getting up from the wooden chairs, Penny was about to turn away when she said, "I wille for her in a week," her words were directed towards the guardsman, "Make sure you don''t break or kill her until then," her green eyes stared into the guardsman''s eyes who only nodded his head. Giving a final look at Caitlin she left the ve establishment with Damien, feeling the eyes of the guards and the warden as they made their way out. Walking through the gates, they continued to walk until no one could see or spot them. "How did it go?" asked Damien. The room was a soundproof one that had not allowed for the people outside to listen to what they were speaking. "She''s the same person in there. Are we going to Valeria or Quinn''s mansion?" Penny asked him. "We are still going through the Artemis'' case. Home can wait," answered Damien, taking her hand in his and they zapped out of there in a blink of an eye. Chapter 505 Nowhere- Part 1 When Damien had taken Penny''s hand in his, ready to apparate from here to thend of Valeria so that they could go back to Delcrov''s mansion, she had expected to be back in the mansion. In the room. But when their bodies halted in the middle of the forest, it was obvious to know that this was not Valeria. "Where are we?" Penny asked, wondering if Damien had ast-second change in the n of going to the Lord Alexander''s mansion. "I actually have no clue," Damien answered her. His eyes moving left and right, ''Ah, that b.a.s.t.a.r.d of Warden. How cheap!" his eyes narrowed as he figured out what happened, "The blood wasn''t pure but probably an artificial thickener which was used to increase its quant.i.ty." "Master Damien got conned," Penny noted. Damien''s eyes narrowed looking at her, "I didn''t. Who knew they could be stingy enough to serve artificial blood for a pureblooded vampire." "Is that why we weren''t able to reach the mansion?" "This happened once a few years ago and I don''t know where we are stranded right now. We''ll have to find a town and pick up blood from there," said Damien, his hands running through his hair before letting them fall down on his forehead. Penny understood his frustration right now. If it was before she wouldn''t have bothered but he was worried because of theck of blood in his system. The only avable source of food was standing in front of him. Her. "When was thest time you had blood?" Penny asked him if he had it for breakfast, it shouldn''t have been much of a problem. "I didn''t have any today," so he was only bluffing in the Artemis'' house when they had offered him blood? One way it was good he had not taken anything when they had offered him at the same time she was worried now. Without thinking much, Penny raised her hand in front of him, "Take it from me." "I am not fainting, mouse," he pushed her hand down. "But you don''t have enough energy to transport yourself. Doesn''t it mean that you are running out of blood?" If he wasn''t going to have enough the blood l.u.s.t would affect his corrupted heart and it would be difficult to bring him back with theck of blood here to offer, "You can have some until you sustain your possible hunger. Didn''t you hear precaution is better than cure?" Penny raised her brows in question, her both hands were ced on her waist and Damien found her nothing less to a doting wife. He smiled at her that earned him a stern look from her. "How about this. I will sit here under the tree while you go hunt me some nice animal," saying this, he sat down under the tree, leaning his back towards the trunk and crossing his legs which were stretched out. "..." Penny blinked her eyes, looking at him raise both his hands to ce it behind his head as he made himselffortable. Why did it feel like Damien who often bullied her had made the presence known now. "Let me rest here for a few minutes. I will be right here so make sure toe back here once you catch the animal," he made sure to let her know about it. Penny squinted her eyes, staring at him when he closed his eyes as if he were taking a break to nap under the shadow of the tree, "Why won''t you drink my blood?" she asked him. It wasn''t like it was the first time he was going to taste her blood as he had already drunk from her. "You want to know?" Damien asked, his eyes continuing to be closed. "Yes." "Because I might end up killing you if my fangs and tongue taste the blood right now," his eyes snapped open to show his eyes that had turned to ck from red. The corruption had already started to act, "Don''t look at me like that," he said with a small smile, seeing Penny giving him a worried look right now. "I will be back soon," Penny said, leaving him to rest and walking away from him to find something he could draw blood from. Penny knew not to argue because she knew what had happened back in Wovile. The abandoned church was filled with dead bodies in the cupboards, how could she forget it. It was because Damien couldn''t hold in his thirst and he had a series of bodies ced in the church until thest drop of the blood in the body. Walking through the unknown forest, Penny wasn''t sure where to find an animal. Having never gone hunting, she looked left and right. Surely birds were out of questions, and big animals would take time to kill. Continuing to search, her feet moved on the wet ground. She wondered where they were right now. Were they still in Bonke? Or did they reach Valeria? Something rustled in the bushes and she suddenly stopped walking. Staring at the bush with her heart thudding in her chest on what it was. Finally, a small white rabbit jumped out of the bush that had her shoulders drop in a sigh. At the same time, she realized she would have to kill it. The thought of killing the rabbit brought the image of her mother throwing the rabbit across the room that hit the wall. Penny closed her eyes, her heart stuttering as it started to beat. She didn''t have to wait for the rabbit as when she opened her eyes, the rabbit hade near her leg. She bent down, her hands touching the rabbit that innocently hade near her. She touched its head, patting it gently. "Please forgive me," she murmured under her breath, picking up the rabbit in her arms, she felt her hands tremble as she had never done something like this before. Holding it close, she took a deep breath before twisting the rabbit''s neck. Chapter 506 Nowhere- Part 2 Penny returned back to see Damien who had his eyes closed. He was lying the same way she had seen him but there were some changes. The changes showing up on his face to show the corruption showing on his face right now. Even from afar where she was making her way towards him, she could see his chest moving back and forth as if he were struggling to breathe right now. She carried three rabbits in her hands, all of them dead. The heavy feeling in her heart reduced at the sight of Damien struggling to sit quietly, with his eyebrows that were drawn together. When she was a few steps away from him, Damien''s eyes snapped open that were dark. The little roots like nerves stretching from his eyes towards his temple. When she went to give him the rabbits, Damien suddenly growled and she had to pull herself away from him. Retracing her hand like she was handling a feral animal right now. Penny had never seen him like this. Not in this extremity. "Damien?" Penny called out his name to only receive another growl from him. The fangs which were usually slick didn''t look sleek anymore. They resembled one like a wolf with sharp canines. Her hand held the rabbit''s ears, dangling which caught his attention. Noticing this, Penny threw the rabbits haphazardly on him and Damien caught one of them while the rest fell down. Feeling the soft animal in his hands, Damien''s blood l.u.s.t only increased and he quickly down into the rabbit''s neck, drawing blood one after another. But when Damien had finished drawing blood from the rabbits she had brought for him, even she knew it wouldn''t be enough. He threw the rabbits aside and stood up. Damien walked towards her, every step heaving on the wet ground and Penny wasn''t sure if it was wise to run away while he was approaching her life, his next meal after the appetizing rabbits which he had had a few seconds ago. "Damien, can you hear me?" Penny asked, her feet starting to walk back as subtle as she could until it hit the back of the tree. There was no response from his side. It was as if he had changed to a different person, almost possessed. Thest time it hadn''t been this bad because it was only the smell of the spitgra.s.s that he had inhaled. But this time it was much more severe. Right now Damien was not in his right sense. She heard him growl, his facial expression turning wilder and his thick fangs baring out at her. He suddenly attacked her and Penny raised her hand to stop him from advancing which resulted in her hand in between his jaws. His fangs dug deep into her arm that made Penny cry out in pain. They tore into her skin, breaking it that brought blood out of her hand. The potent taste of blood only made Damien dig his fangs deeper into her hand. She had offered him before but he had refused and asked her to bring an animal. And right now he was sucking her blood out so quickly that Penny was sure she was going to faint. Her arm felt weak. The more seconds pa.s.sed the more it turned worse and her consciousness had started to fade. When she tried to free her arm, Damien didn''t let go of it. Instead, the movement of his fangs in her skin moving back and forth hurt her more, bringing an excruciating pain as if someone had jabbed a knife and moved it. Penny raised her hand to ce it on Damien''s face. Trying to gain attention which she sessfully did but it was at the wrong time. Damien did pull out his fangs from her arm but at the same time, he pulled her close to him, his eyes zeroing on the skin which connected her neck and shoulder. She felt him pull closer and was panicking worth getting her torn by his fangs right now? She had tried to pick up as many spells as she could. Using some of the incantations spells that she had written beneath her skin which no one would ever know until they pulled out her skin to take a look at it. But she had no defense spells with her to use that could momentarily turn the corrupted vampire unconscious. Even if she did know, would it affect him the same way as it would for a normal person? Spells reacted differently with the creatures who walked on thesends. She had her needles with her but she was scared to use it Scared that it would backfire her. What if itbusted Damien''s body like the witches? So instead here Penny was contemting thest moments of her life as her head started to feel light with a small headache and her eyes starting to feel blurry. It felt as if her head was spinning. As Damien inched his mouth towards her neck, Penny''s eyes turned heavy with theck of blood in her body and she gave herself up to darkness. The next time when Penny woke up, she was lying on the bed with her back against it. A small room that ended with the two walls that were built closely. Was this afterlife? Asked Penny to herself looking at the dull grey colored walls on both sides of her. But then she questioned. Did shee to heaven or did she go to h.e.l.l? Surely, she hadn''t done any wrongs so it must be heaven but why were the walls so grey? It bothered in her mind while a dull headache started to increase and pound in her head making her stop thinking about the walls. She flinched and groaned softly in the bed when a woman entered the room. The woman appeared to be in herte twenties. She was beautiful by appearance. Her golden-brown hair cascading down on one side of her shoulders which were open. What a beautiful angel, she thought in her mind. At the same time, she wondered why she was still in the bed still. "You are finally awake," said the woman,ing closer to her, she ced her hand on her forehead, "It appears your fever has gone away." At the same time a man appeared behind her, a man whom she had met in Bonke when she was with Damien. Chapter 507 Nowhere- Part 3 The man came in along with the woman, walking behind her. ck hair and ck eyes. Penny knew his name but for some odd reason, she wasn''t able to his name on her tongue or her mind. She tried remembering the names where she had seen him but for the love of G.o.d, she wasn''t able to do it either! Internally she was frustrated and her brows furrowed enough to raise the eyebrow of the woman. "Is something the matter?" asked the woman who had checked her temperature moments ago. "Am I in heaven?" Penny asked the woman. The woman instead of replying to her turned to look at the man behind her, "No this isn''t heaven." Oh, no, thought Penny to herself. For some reason, her soul had been warranted to h.e.l.l? She felt her heart sink. She should have known by looking at the color of the dull walls. "This is a ce we call as unknown," the man answered her thoughts which was appearing on her face without needing her to speak up. So it was neither h.e.l.l or heaven. She woke up, sitting upright on the small bed. "I am not dead then? Where is Damien?" she asked slightly anxious over the fact that he was still sucking her blood when she had pa.s.sed out. He was still under the influence of corruption. "Damien?" asked the woman as if unaware of who he was. "The man who was with me. H-he," Penny touched her arm to feel nothing. There was no pain nor were there any fang-like marks when she looked down. She looked up at the woman and then the man for answers. She had never been this confused in her entire life. The man raised his hand to sign something to the woman who nodded to bring a .s.s of water for Penny to drink. Penny looked at the .s.s, staring at it. "Please drink," the man offered her a small smile which was faint. She took note of their clothes, which looked very simr to a church''s clothing. The long robes and long sleeves that both the woman and man wore, "It is hard to tell if you are still alive, Miss. We do not speak of this ce and even if we do, we make sure to erase the person''s memory." The .s.s that Penny was bringing up to her lips stopped and she ced it back on herp, "Are you ck witches?" she asked worriedly. She had enough of memory-erasing and she wasn''t willing to get her memories erased again. "No. Rest a.s.sured, we are not here to harm you," the man said, moving his hands from bottom to top, asking her to drink the water, "You are in the transitioning phase. From being alive to dead. It seems long right now and dragged but consider it to be the span of a dream. I need you to go back because you have things to aplish." He ced his hand on her forehead and Penny started to feel dizzy again. "Farewell, Miss Penelope," said the man, as her eyes drifted close Penny found the woman and man talking to each other, their lips moving but she heard nothing before darkness engulfed her for the second time. The next time when Penny woke up, the room was dark and warm. And though it was dark, she felt like she was back somewhere safe. Her left hand appeared to be somewhat warm and when her eyes trailed to look at the other hand which was ensped in Damien''s hand. "I am alive," she said, her voice brighter than he had expected it to be and he let out a sigh of relief. "I don''t know what I would do if you didn''te back to me," she could tell that he had been utterly worried and had not moved from here. Holding her hand in his for the entire time, "I am sorry for putting you through it," she could sense a sense of disappointment in his voice as if he wasn''t happy how things had turned out in the forest. "If there is anyone who should be med we should me the warden for offering you artificial blood. Does that exist?" she didn''t even know something like that existed until today. "You get them as pills which are created by the white witches in the church. Though it isn''t distributed everywhere, some are sold in the ck market which is how it must have ended in the ve establishment. How are you feeling? Let me ask Martin to prepare something for you to eat," he said ready to get up from his chair and Penny stopped him by cing her arm which hurt. She pushed herself up to sit upright where Damien helped her. They were back in Lord Alexander''s mansion, in Valeria. Damien suddenly engulfed in his arms. He let out a sigh of relief. "When I got my consciousness back I was worried to find you in my arms. Your heart had stopped beating for a good ten seconds before it started to beat again. The next time my corruption reacts, the first thing you do is take a carriage and go to the closest safe ce you know. I almost killed you," said Damien hugging her tightly, worried as he felt her pulse beating softly right now. Damien had almost lost his mind that had only elerated the corruption in his heart at the sight of Penny who was in his arms, unmoving who was not breathing. Penny shook her head, "I don''t want to leave you alone," things might have turned to the worse but she still wouldn''t change it. The dream she had before waking up felt faint in her mind but she didn''t bother herself with it. She didn''t need words from him, his silence and his hug that held her close as if he was afraid to lose her told her everything. They hadn''t expected for things to turn like this when they had left for Bonke, but who knew the sketchy warden would offer and artificial blood. Penny hugged him back to let him know she was alright and here with him. Chapter 508 Blood Pills- Part 1 Penny stayed in Damien''s arms as long as he needed to know that she was still alive and breathing. They had never gone through something like this before. To have her almost die and toe back again to life. It made her wonder if she did die when Damien had sucked the blood out of her body. With the force he had been drawing the blood out, she knew it was bound to happen but that was also the initial idea which was why she hadn''t stopped him. To see him in pain, it had squeezed her heart. Killing the rabbits for him to drink blood from felt like it was nothing. If his corruption would have increased, there was no telling how many more bodies he would be killing and where they would have to bury it. She was d that in the end, they were both fine. But Damien was still trying to reel in the truth that Penny had died to onlye back alive. After Penny had left his side in an attempt to bring him food, he didn''t know when he had slipped into the darkness. He came back to his consciousness only when Penny''s body had gone limp and his fangs had touched her skin without piercing it through. The corruption somehow had stopped but that didn''t mean it didn''t affect him internally. Physically the damage had gone one step further, pus.h.i.+ng the corruption of the core of his heart further. To find the one you love lifeless and dead without moving had torn his heart, his mind going into shock before trying to apparate back again to Valeria which had finally worked with the little amount of blood. Damien didn''t care about many things and if he did, he cared for them to the point where he wouldn''t mind cing himself first to take the blow. At the same time, there weren''t many people for whom he was ready to do it. Penelope was the woman he had loved in his life, to fall in love and to have her in his life. He cared for her dearly and though he often bullied her, she was only his to bully and not for others to tamper with. When Damien was young, his mother had gifted him a toy that existed to this date which was now lying in the cupboard. Things he loved were always treasured and to think at that moment today that Penny was not alive, he didn''t know what he would have done without her. He had checked her pulse, checked her heart by cing his hand and ear on his chest but there was nothing for the initial seconds and finally, when he did, he could not tell how relieved he was. To Damien, Penny was everything, his very life that he had attached to her. He had loved her to the point where he didn''t know if he could take another step forward without her. Having been so used to her presence now, bantering and talking, kissing and touching her in ways only he knew he didn''t know if he could go ahead without her in his life. Pulling away, he said, "Let me go have Martin prepare something for you to eat. Rest until then," he said, leaning forward, he pressed his lips on her forehead that lingered on her skin for a long time before he let go of her. Penny saw Damien step out of the room in search of the butler while she tried lying back down in her back on the bed. Her body felt weak and felt slightly nauseous right now. She wondered how long it would take before she would be able to feel better. The only person who had taken blood from her was Damien but today had turned out to be more. Looking down at her hand, she saw the bandage around her arm which was wrapped gently. Not too tight nor too loose. By the time Damien had arrived back at the room with food, he caught Penny staring at the ceiling of the room. Her eyes snapping to look at him, a smile blooming on her lips. Penny''s arms were weak along with her body due to which Damien fed her with the spoon and food. Food that was digestible that wasn''t going to be heavy on her stomach. Once she was done, he had the butler take away the empty dishes while having them alone in the room again. Penny was too tired and when her head touched the surface of the pillow she fell asleep quickly to a dark dreamless sleep. "Is she alright?" asked Alexander when Damien had stepped out of the room after three hours of watching Penny sleep. Monitoring her breathing and heartbeat to make sure there was no hitch in it. "Yes, she''s resting at the moment. She will need as much sleep as possible," Damien answered his cousin. "Come, let''s take a walk outside," proposed the Lord and they took themselves outside, walking in circles around the mansion, "I thought you had enough blood today," said Alexander, his eyes having a look of concern in it. "I thought I did too. Usually, two .s.ses are more than sufficient to move around but I think corruption has only been inching closer and closer wanting toplete it?" Damien wasn''t sure why it happened. Unless he was hungry and thirsty for blood this shouldn''t have happened but it did. "If it were forpletion you would have a higher side effect. Maybe you need a higher dosage of blood in your system. You were reckless to not drink more," Alexander gave Damien a pointed look. Alexander was the eldest between him and Damien, he couldn''t help but be worried about Damien. Damien lived the way he wanted but he had to make sure to not live the way he had been living. "I didn''t know it was going to be bad. I have survived with two .s.ses of blood and who knew the b.a.s.t.a.r.d warden was going to give me falsified pills." "The pills that the church uses are a recement and it should work just like any other blood. I don''t think the warden gave you the right supplements. If they were brought from the ck market, it is possible that they were not genuine. And maybe not made by the white witches. I will have some of them ordered here so that you can make use of it if ever you need blood in the future. It will help to keep the blood l.u.s.t at bay." Chapter 509 Blood Pills- Part 2 The night was dark and the clouds had cleared that was up in the sky. Both the pureblooded vampires walked side by side toe to stand in front of the bush which Penny had fixed. The blue rose. "It is good to see you have finally warmed up to her," Damienmented, staring at the roses that had bloomed. The color of them was darker than before. "What do you mean?" Alexander asked to have Damien smirk. "So ignorant. You are as good as me when ites to acting," Damien chuckled, "Don''t think I don''t know how you were looking at Penny when I brought her here the first day." "I didn''t dislike her but that didn''t mean I was going to let her off easily. You know I don''t have many people I care about and would still want them alive," Alexander asked, bending down, he used his hand to push the little mud that hade out from the surface to secure the nt, "Trust is not something which is given out freely. It has to be earned and the girl has earned now. We have each lost many people we have loved. One after another which makes us worried as to whom might be the next one to leave our side." "Don''t worry, I am still alive." "Of course," Alexandermented, letting go of the nt and standing up. Not minding the mud which was on his hand, "I am thankful to Penelope. For being able to fix the nt which could have died. It was thest and only part of his mother which was still living and breathing." Damien who had been staring at the nt looked at Alexander, "Why did you bury her here though, like this I mean. Did you know this would happen, the blue roses?" he asked him, curious as he hadn''t asked about it before. "When I was young and before she pa.s.sed away, she used to tell me stories. Stories that appeared simr to a child''s imagination which is usually written for humans. One of the stories was about a girl nting a nt on top of her beloved pet animal. I just happened to follow my instincts." "So the stories were not just stories then," Damienmented, starting to walk away from the nt both the men walked on the trail of stones which was ced on the ground thatcked the growth of gra.s.ses on it. "I remembered it after going through one of the books which you brought in here. There are some stories which match very closely to what she has told me when I was little. I guess even though she wanted me to not know about my other half of the heritage, she still found it hard to not let me know about it. Don''t feel too guilty for what happened," Alexander advised Damien seeing how his eyes kept darting up to the room where Penny was sleeping in. "I can''t help thinking about what could have happened. Is it possible to stop the heart and start beating it again?" Damien asked, his eyebrows furrowing in question. "I thought some of the witches could do it or was that a lie?" asked Alexander. Damien shook his head, "I don''t think they are capable of doing it. To stop the flow of the blood, the heart-stopping and no pulse is the indication that the person has died. When we were in the forest I felt nothing buting back here it was like her soul had been restored back in her body. I am d she is back and resting right now." Alexander patted his cousin''s back, "I wonder out of you two who is more on being a troublemaker. You or her. You both are reckless," Damien grinned listening to this. "You knowpliments like these make me happy." "I am aware of it," Alexander shook his head gently, not knowing what he was going to do with Damien. He had always been like this when they were young, dragging him along in his ns of creating more trouble and he had to save them both, "Do you remember what happened in the time of summer when you have sneaked in here, your mother had caught you." A smile settled on Damien''s lips at the memory, "I wasn''t that good at lying or my mother was extremely good at picking up the lies." "Would say it to be thetter. You picked most of the genes from her," Alexander was d that it wasn''t everything that his cousin had picked from his mother. The former Lady Quinn had been strict. The epitome of a pureblooded vampiress who preferred to keep her family clean without any influence of the external mixed blood in the family. It was only because both their fathers were closer did Damien get to spend time in Valeria, if not he would have turned just like his mother, taking up her characteristics and way of living. When Damien was in Valeria, he did what he wanted. Picking up his reckless behavior which made Alexander wonder if Valeria had spoilt Damien. After his mother had pa.s.sed away there was no one to stop him. He switched back and forth between Bonke and Valeria that during their young age Valeria had turned to a second home until he joined the council to be buried in work. Though they didn''t spend as much time as they did in the past, Alexander and Damien continued to be close, to continue their brotherhood. "I had something to tell you," Damien started to gain Alexander''s attention, "There is ady in Bonke. She resembles Aunt Isabelle a bit." "Did you speak to her?" enquired Alexander to see his cousin shake his head. "I didn''t. She belonged to another church. She hade to meet Father Antonio," Damien filled in.?It had been years now since Lady Delcrov had pa.s.sed which made it impossible for her to still be alive and they brushed it away. Chapter 510 Young Memories- Part 1 A young boy slept in the bed who looked no older than nine years old, his mother looking down at him as she brushed his ck hair aside, "I will need to cut your hair tomorrow. It has grown in length," she said, looking at the hair before their eyes met. She was used to seeing her son with shorter hair that didn''t fall on his forehead. "Tomorrow," the young boy replied, a glint of mischief in his eyes which made his mother wonder if he wanted to keep his hair long. The woman looked at him, her dark red eyes which her son shared looking at him. Leaning forward, she dropped a kiss on his forehead. "Get some rest, Dami. Tomorrow will be a long day. You will need toplete the a.s.signments which were given today," said Lady Quinn. Brus.h.i.+ng his hair one more time before getting up from the bed, "Goodnight," she wished him. "Goodnight, Mama," the boy wished back. Thedy went to the table where the candles were burning brightly in one stand. Picking it up by its base, she lifted it and started to make her way out before closing the door behind her. The firece was the only source of light right now. The boy had his eyes closed for several minutes after his mother walked out of the room. Hearing the sound of the footsteps reduced and diminished before his eyes snapped open. Turning his eyes to look at the door, he looked at the bottom to make sure there was no one right now at the door or pa.s.sing by it. It had been several minutes since his mother had left the room. Waiting for some more time, he pushed the duvet of cover which was on him. cing his feet on the ground, he stood up before making his bed with the pillows and nket in a way that looked like someone was sleeping in there. Damien made sure to have the size of the pillow in there that looked like it was him who was sleeping so that no one would find it out at first nce. It wasn''t the first time he had done it, since he had found the ability to apparate and disapparate. Once the setup wasplete, he took the coat which was tailored for him by his mother. Looking around the room, he snapped his fingers and the boy disappeared from the mansion of Quinn. Damien was on top of the roof, his feet steady like a cat that didn''t wobble as he stepped on the tall mansion. He looked at the sky which was clear and bright in this part of thend of Valeria. The stars s.h.i.+ning bright up in the sky which were millions to count and when he looked below and away from the mansion, he saw the viges that were many and scattered from each other. There were only a few towns with the tall tower bell which he caught sight of, ringing in a distance to point to the hour of the night. Letting people know that the night hade and had ended but to Damien, the night had only begun. "I thought you weren''t going toe," young Damien turned around to find his cousin Alexander who had only climbed up and on top of the roof, walking towards Damien. "You said you were going to take me to the forest," there was eagerness in the young boy''s voice. His smile wide which his older cousin found to be worrisome. When Damien smiled like that, nothing ever good happened and they ended up in trouble. "I think we should stay inside the mansion," Alexander suggested and in time a gust of wind pa.s.sed by them as they were standing at the second tallest building in the mansion. "Ah!?" Damien looked at him in surprise, "What happened to taking me out?" "We''ll do it tomorrow," Alexander said, turning his back to face Damien but Damien crossed his hands across his chest, tapping his feet on the roof of the building, "How r. Didn''t you give me your word that you will be taking me to the forest?" "I did?" Alexander tilted his head to receive a quiet re from Damien, "I change my words then," he said before starting to walk away from him. "What a sore pureblooded vampire you are. Going back on your word," thement made Alexander stop walking. He turned over his shoulder to look at Damien with his narrowed dark red eyes. "Don''t think it is going to work on me," the older boy knew exactly how Damien''s mind worked. To his mother and family, he was a quiet and obedient boy and it was only here did he show his true colors. The scheming little vampire knew just where to press someone''s b.u.t.ton to get an answer. "But you turned to answer. Doesn''t it mean it worked?" the little boy gave him an innocent expression that had Alexander rolling his eyes at his cousin. "Keep thinking about it. I heard there have been some odd activities in the forest going right now is not feasible. There have been some officials from the council who have been camping at the border," Alexander let Damien know to see Damien blow air out of his mouth. "Lord Alexander," came a voice from below. When the two boys looked down, they found it was the butler, Martin who hade out, "The night is going to get colder. It would be wise for you and Master Damien to step inside." Alexander gave a nod to his butler, not wanting to cause him trouble. Since his parents had pa.s.sed away, it was Martin who had been looking after the house but that didn''t mean the butler had overtaken the house and its rules. Everything was asked and run through by the young vampire who this mansion and other things around including the butler himself belonged to. "We''ll be down there in a minute," Alexander replied to his butler. "Would master Damien want to drink something?" asked the butler looking at Damien. "You don''t have to call him master because he has asked you to," Alexander muttered under his breath. Damien had everyone call him master in a way that it had turned out to be a habit and a tag that had got stuck to the little boy. Some of the people in his mansion had referred to him as Master Damien that made the younger boy make everyone address him in such fas.h.i.+on and now he was the young master Damien Quinn. Damien gave a thoughtful look, wondering what to drink when he said, "Do you have the Winter''s bottle with you in here?" the butler didn''t react to the mention of alcohol by the young vampire who was of age nine. Chapter 511 Young Memories- Part 2 Please add the book: Belle Adams'' Butler to your library, this way you will know when the book will start getting updated. . Martin''s eyes darted to look at Alexander who was older than Damien by two years. "Blood tea will do. Thank you, Martin," Alexander dismissed his butler to see Damien pout, "When did you taste Winter''s bottle?" asked Alexander, jumping from the roof to have his feet reach the ground and he hunched his back before standing up straight. Damien followed him by jumping down andnding with little to no trouble. "Father gave it to me," Damien answered Alexander''s previous question as they headed inside the mansion. "Does your mother know about it?" Alexander asked to see the boy shake his head. Damien raised his hand, cing his finger on his lips, "It was done in secrecy." "Sweet." Taking themselves to sit in Alexander''s room, the butler bought two cups of blood tea, one for Damien and the other for Alexander. They spent their time talking to each other until after an hour they saw something sweep in the sky. The first thought was that they had seen a bat or a bird fly by closely, but when another line formed in the sky from the corner of both their eyes, both Damien and Alexander took themselves out to the patio to see what was going on. "Those are¡­" Damien trailed looking at the brooms flying in the wind which was being ridden by men and women. "Witches. I told you," Alexander responded back to him, "Drink quickly," he said when his eyes zeroed in at the witch who was closest to the mansion but not anywhere near it. The female witch had picked up a child of their own age in appearance who was human, "Drink the other cup too." Damien quickly gulped the cup which was given to him and then picked the other teacup, downing it beforeing out again, "Ready?" "I thought we were underw curfew," Damien grinned, already excited to do something out of the normal. "Law doesn''t apply to us, Dami," Alexander''s words received a snicker from Damien. "Let''s go," said the young vampire, cing his hand on Alexander. The next second they were out of the mansion and in the long and wide meadow which connected to the forest. Both the young vampires were courageous enough to not carry any weapon along with them. Walking straight into the den of the ck witches. Some of the council members in the number of four were already fighting them when they reached but it didn''t seem like they were being victorious in their fight. "Which one are we targeting?" Damien asked Alexander eagerly as his eyes fell on the ck witches. There were enough ck witches to hunt. Though he had heard a lot about these creatures, it was the first time he hade to see them this closely. The excitement in Damien''s eyes was clear and his pulse was pumping with blood, eager to y with the witches. "I think it depends on which one attacks you first. By the looks of it we have been spotted already," Alexander said looking at the three witches who caught two young vampires who weren''t average vampires but pureblooded vampires, "Will you be alright by yourself?" asked Alexander, a smirk up his face. His cousin was too eager to fight the witches and he let him be when the young boy gave a nod in response. "Don''t worry about me. I will be here looking," Damien smiled, turning his head to look at one of the witches who came at him to pick him up. Just when the witch came closer to him, the young boy had moved himself to a spot which was closer to a log of wood. Of course for the ck witch Damien looked like a defenseless kid with his adorable face, Damien shook his head to push the hair behind knowing how cute he looked. It was one of his qualities, the point of being cunning and scheming since he was young. Having a mother like his who was strict and wanted him to follow the pureblooded vampire etiquette while his father was more liberal in the lifestyle, he had turned to this mix of the sweet and sour mix in spice. The ck witch had an appearance like a reptile, thick and cracked skin that was scaly. When she smiled wide, her snake-like tongue pa.s.sing through her lips, Damien picked up the log of wood and swung it across her face in surprise that had the ck witch stagger and fall down from the broomstick she was riding on. Damien raised the log of wood, cing it on his shoulder to rest as he looked at the ck witch who looked angry to have fallen down by a small child. "Don''t be angry. What are you doing here?" Damien asked the witch curiously, wanting to know what business they had in here. The witch came right at him, trying to grab him so that she could take him back and cook him up or use him for the next ritual but every time her hand came close to the boy, the boy jumped away from her. This went on for a good one minute until the witch pulled something out of her pocket. A handful of ash. Damien, being curious, took a closer look to see what it was and just when she blew, a spark of fire that ignited had him running away from her. "What do I do with the fire Alex?" Damien asked Alexander, hoping to get some tips on what to do as it was the first time. "Pour water," his cousin replied that had Damien stop and stare at the answer that he just received. The ck witch came close to him again and this time her fingers sc.r.a.ped the side of his face which had his eyes widen. Not because of anger but at the thought that his mother was going to find out what he was up to. His mother was going to kill him! Using the log of wood he bashed her head again, going quickly towards her he went on beating over and over again until she appeared to look unconscious and lying t on the ground. To make sure she was dead, Damien took one step after another, using his show to kick the side of her body. The ck witch suddenly snapped her eyes open and dragged the young vampire boy by his feet. Putting him down on the ground, she tried to strangle him by pressing his neck with both her hands. Damien raised his hands to push the witch away from him, scratching her face with his nails and then biting into her hand when he found the opportunity. Taking this opportunity he remembered the time when his mother had killed one of the people in their mansion. Using the very same technique, he held the witch''s face and tore the woman''s face by tearing half of her face by pulling it away from both sides of her mouth. Killing the woman instantly, the blood spurting out from the ck witch on his face and his clothes. "Ugh!" Damien let go of the witch feeling the blood on him. Turning to see his cousin who was fighting with another witch who had been carrying the young vige boy, Damien yelled, "I got one, Alex!" Chapter 512 Young Memories- Part 3 Damien was happy knowing he had killed someone who was bad but this instead attracted the attention of the other witches and the councilmen who hade here, "Oops," Damien whispered when he found all the eyes on him. In the end, young Damien had killed only one ck witch while Alexander killed another one. The rest of them were handled by the council, taking two of the witches with them alive who were bound by tight ropes so that they couldn''t move their hands and legs. Their broomsticks were burnt so that there was no chance to escape. "What are you doing here, Alexander?" it was the head council, Reuben who entered the scene who had only joined them after dragging another ck witch behind him. "We were only pa.s.sing by," Alexander said to have Damien nod in agreement. "One in the morning?" Rueben raised his eyebrows at both the young boys who gave another sync of nods to him, "You shouldn''t be stepping in here when there are witches. It isn''t safe," he advised them. The other councilmen were handling the witches and ready to carry them while the head council was having a talk with the young pureblooded vampires, "Okay?" While Alexander diligently nodded his head for a pretense of listening to the councilman who was an acquaintance of his parents, Damien was busy looking at one of the witches who was staring at him. Rueben coughed to get his attention and the young boy snapped his head to give him an obedient look while putting a sweet and innocent appearance in front of the head council who narrowed his eyes at them. "Is that clear?" "What?" Damien asked, blinking at the man before he grinned widely. "Troublemakers. Where do you live?" he asked Damien who didn''t answer right away. "He''s living with me. He''s my cousin. Damien Quinn." "Quinn," the head council nodded his head, "Don''t they live in Bonke?" "Yes, he''s on vacation." The head councilman gave a suspicious look but nheless had them go back home by the carriage. When they reached back the Delcrov''s mansion, Damien zapped back into Quinn''s mansion only to have his mother who was seated on the bed with a disapproving look and a mild horror on her face at the ck blood which was on her young boy''s clothes. Damien looked at his mother as if he had set their mansion on fire or as if he had thrown her favorite jewelry in the sea which was never going to be found again. "Where have you been, Dami?" he heard his mother question him. Standing up to look at him closer. The smell of the ck witches blood on him and his head holding a wound that appeared to have been cleaned. "I was out," came the young boy''s reply as if his mother was unaware that he had been out of the mansion in the middle of the night. Both Damien and his mother stared at each other for a good few seconds. Taking the candles which she had brought back again, she took it along with her before asking him to change his clothes and have a quick bath. Damien did as he was told. Was.h.i.+ng himself to get rid of the smell of the witch''s blood that he had on him. Going to the bed with his hair wet and his freshly changed clothes, he saw his mother pick up the cotton to bring it to his cheek and ce it on his skin and the boy flinched. "What were you doing outside?" she asked him, pressing the cotton on his cheek, "Always waiting to leave the mansion at the time of night. Seems like you find it hard to sleep. Did you meet the ck witches?" the boy could feel the wet cool cotton on his cheek being pressed. "Did you kill one?" He gave her a nod to her question. "Yes, mother." "Good," she replied softly before tucking him back in the bed. Thankfully his mother didn''t ask where and who exactly he had gone to meet so it had been safe. Damien smiled at the memory as he walked back to the room. Opening the door, he stepped in to find Penny who was sleeping soundly on the bed. Taking off his shoes, he stepped into the bed next to her where he could see her face. Her serene beauty shadowed by the shadows in the room, the crackling of the firece giving a soft luby in the room as she breathed in and out. A proof that she was still living and what had happened in the evening had only been a memory like a dream. When Penny woke up the next time, it was nearing to noon and the sun was up and high, s.h.i.+ning brightly with the clouds that had stopped to hover around. The meal was brought up to the room and in came Sylvia and Elliot to visit her after hearing about the mishap that took ce yesterday. "How are you doing now, Penelope?" asked Sylvia, looking at Penny as she checked her signs without touching her. "I am doing much better, thank you," she took a bite from her food while having both of them as well as the butler as herpany in the room. Damien had gone out to meet a councilman who was handling the case which had been given to them. "Could I ask you a question, Martin," she asked the butler who had been standing in the side without speaking a word to them. "Yes, mdy," the butler was quick to respond. "You have been working here for a long time right. Did Mr. and Mrs. Delcrov spend time at the Artemis'' house?" "They must have gone for the tea party when it was organized for everyone but I don''t think they spent a close rtions.h.i.+p with each other." "But they knew they were witches..." it was hard to think that the same kind of people didn''t go long. "They did. The Artemis'' family didn''t mingle before. The children that they brought were always sent to other families," Penny gave the butler a questionable look, "They adopted children in need and gave them away when families who wanted children came by," at the butler''s words Penny didn''t have to know more than the children weren''t being given to the families but to other ck witches for their own need. Chapter 513 The List- Part 1 There was no way all the children were given to families. The Artemis was involved with the ck witches. It was hard to tell if they had turned to ck witches. If they had tapped into forbidden magic, there should have been a sign or maybe they did turn to ck witches but were only good at hiding the fact for all these years. Penny had already seen the witches in Wovile. They came out to be helpful but in truth, they were all working with the ck witches which only put a light here that the same case must be going on. White witches who were not good. "Do you know anything more about them? Of when they settled in here and where they came from?" "Not much, mdy. Other family affairs are not of my interest unless strangers are getting involved and I believe them to be harmful," answered the butler, his voiceing out to be pale and nd. That was understandable, thought Penny to herself. Seeing how the butler was, the man hardly spoke to anyone unless being spoken to. Penny nodded her head, "Thank you for answering my questions," she said to hear Sylvia tell, "I might know a few things about them," Hearing this Penny''s ears perked up, her head snapped to look at the woman, "The Artemis family have been very cautious when the questions about where they came from had been asked in the past. It usually goes with them telling on how they were born and brought up here. On how the couple met in Valeria and got married." "The children in the picture, is it their own sons?" Penny couldn''t help but ask about it. With the way she had heard so far, she was doubtful if the children were their own that had been registered in the council. "The drowning one yes. I did hear about that during several asions," Sylvia answered her, a small frown came to be ced on the vampiress'' face, "But they have been dodgy. It is hard to point out what exactly the matter is but you can notice it if you look at them keenly. After their children pa.s.sed away, they brought in a lot of children, finding the orphans to give them a family." "Do you think it is possible that the children were stolen?" Penny asked her. "From the families?" Elliot asked in return to have Penny nod. "Bringing children over and over again to their house, isn''t it suspicious," Pennymented, letting them think about it, "Howe they haven''t bought any more children now? When was thest time they had children in their home?" Sylvia gave her a thoughtful look, "It must have been years now. I haven''t seen any children since I started my work here but I doubt they have had any children being brought because I didn''t hear anything about it from the people I meet during the tea visits." The ritual that Caitlin had mentioned, regarding the ck witches consuming physically with each other with the white witches who were siblings, there were more rituals before it. Though they had found the children to be dead in the swap, it was possible that these white witches had something to do with the ritual after it by making use of children. ''Abomination in the hands of the white by killing the innocent.'' Penny felt a sharp pain in her head and her hand reached out for her head, touching her temples in the pain. Sylvia, who noticed this, asked, "Are you alright? I think you should rest," she suggested helping her with the food which Penny had been eating slowly to give it to the butler and helping her lie down on the bed, "Let me go fetch Mr. Quinn." When Damien arrived back in the room, having the others leave so that Penny could get some rest as she had lost a lot of blood, he asked her, "Do you want me to get a doctor to look at? A priest cane have a look if you''re alright." "No," Penny shook her head softly which moved on the pillow that she rested on, "I am okay." "You seem far from being okay right now," Damien picked her hand and ensped it with both his hands. Holding it firmly, "How are you feeling right now?" he asked her. "Just a headache. It came out of nowhere," a small sigh escaped her lips, "I was trying to remember something before I felt the headache erupt in my head. There has been something, a part of parchment that I have read either in the church or in the books in here. I think they had a series of tasks on how to unbind the ck magic which has been locked away by the white witches previously. Like there''s a list on how to ess it." "Do you remember what it says?" one of Damien''s hands moved to her head, rubbing her forehead by simple strokes of his thumb. After Damien and Penny had left the ve establishment, they hadn''t got the window of opportunity to talk about what Penny had heard from Caitlin. Being stuck in the middle of nowhere Penny had gone to find food before fainting in his arms. "When I spoke to Caitlin, she said the Artemis is her rtives but they had her and her brother betrothed to ck witches. It is one of the rituals that need to bepleted and these are done in sequence. It is necessary that two ck witches siblings consume their rtions.h.i.+p with siblings who are white witches." "And they ended up being the targets. Well, at least we know now that the Artemis is not any normal couple of middle-aged elders but people who are involved in something bad and bigger," Damien continued to caress her forehead to ease the pain she was feeling in her head. "Caitlin worries that she will be killed if she were toe out of the ve establishment." "Is that why she turned the ce to her home?" Penny nodded her head, "But then it won''t be enough. If we are going to expose the Artemis, we will need more than a solid reason to bring her in front of them. I spoke to Alexander but he knows only as much as we do. The family has left no dirt behind which makes it difficult to point fingers." Chapter 514 The List- Part 2 Penny knew that. For a family to not be caught by the Delcrov''s or any other councilmen in the vicinity, how shrewd were they to not be caught? Not to forget¡­ "Damien, do you think there was something in the teacup yesterday?" "Mhmm, I am d you turned the tea into the water." "You knew," Penny smiled to receive a smile back in return, "How did you know?" "I think it was Mrs. Artemis who was interested in giving you the pots of tea over and over again which you drank like water yesterday. Having already discussed what they are or could be, I didn''t want to take the risk while I also knew you would change it. The woman slipped up because of her eyes that kept moving back forth between you and the teacup. Witches have often put things in what we eat or drink to make them listen to you so that they can take advantage." Damien let go of her and leaned forward to pick the filled water in the .s.s. Putting a red pill that started to submerge and fall down, releasing red color and turning the colorless liquid to bright red and in time thickening it. He took a sip from the .s.s. "It isn''t anything new for witches to not do it. My guess would be that they have been making use of spells and making people eat such that it makes one forget or rid thoughts about them." "Like the memory spells?" her mother had used to erase the memory. "This might be running along the same lines," replied Damien. It was just spection from his side but it was possible, thought Penny to herself, "Do you know what are the other rituals that need to be done for the unbinding?" Penny''s lips pursed as she tried remembering it to feel her thoughts only going in closed circles, "The swamp in the children," she mentioned to see a dark expressione to settle on his face. They both had not forgotten the way they had found the little children there in the forbidden forest where no one went. She still remembered the pain in the parent''s voice as they cried for their dead children. It had been too much, the pain raising gooseb.u.mps even now on her skin. No one deserved to go through such pain of loss. The world was already dark in the past but it had turned like a ck hole of darkness after the white witches had stopped and pushed the magic out of reach to the ck witches. "All these things that are happening. The death using ma.s.sacre, burning of witches, killing children...it is all to get the power back that had been stolen and thrown away by the ck witches. They want it so desperately that they won''t stop until they have found a way to get it and they are already on the path of it." Damien took another sip from his .s.s, "It isn''t possible that every walking ck witch is trying to reach out for it but there must be someone who is running this show withouting forward to let us know who it is. Whoever the ck witch or witcher is, they have stayed out of the spotlight." Her mother was part of it, thought Penny to herself. "My mother is involved too," she reminded him, "She has been in the front line so I don''t think it is possible that it is her." "Your mother might be an old witch but it doesn''t appear she has been old enough to run the whole scene." "You are right," Penny agreed, "Could you bring the books of Lady Isabelle up here so that I could take a look at it? It has been bothering me for a while on where I found out about the ritual." After Damien had brought the books to the room, Penny went through them. Flipping pages trying to remember where it was but she couldn''t find it, "Do you think it was somewhere in the church back in Bonke?" Damien asked after she had stopped searching the books. Penny was usually sure to find out because of her memory but at the same time, her very memory had turned weak. She didn''t damage her memory more after the blood got drained right? asked Penny to herself before finding it to be stupid. "I don''t think such information would be freely avable to all the witches out there who have ess to the secret room," Penny replied back to the question he had asked. She spent some more time thinking about it and her lips parted, "Ah..." "What is it?" "It wasn''t from these books or in the church. I read a list about the ck witches ritual to unbind the magic when I was young. My mother was carrying the list with her and she must have thought she had hidden it well until I found it when we were cleaning the house. It was the first time when she wiped my memory," she hadn''t realized it before but now that she did she finally understood why her mother had panicked and taken the step to wipe her very memory on how to read and write. It was so that Penny would never be able to utter what she read to her father. If she had left Penny without meddling with her thoughts then there was a possibility that she would have blurted it out to her father who would have finally found out that his wife was not an ordinary human but a ck witch. She wished she could remember the rest of the details in the parchment but she couldn''t right now. "If my mother had the parchment to bring back the ck magic, it means she had been involved in all these events since the very beginning," Penny''s hands clutched tightly together, "I wish I could remember what else was written in that parchment." "How big was the parchment?" he asked and went to thinking as the piercing pain came back, hurting her head. She raised her hand, "The size from my fingers to my wrist," now that she thought about it, it wasn''t too big. Chapter 515 Knock Knock- Part 1 Please add the book: Belle Adams'' Butler to your library, this way you will know when the book will start getting updated. . It took Penny about a day more before she was allowed to walk in the room and outside in the mansion with Damien''s eyes keenly staring at her every time she walked around to make sure she was feeling alright. Somewhere Penny felt as if she were pregnant with a baby with the way Damien kept a watchful gaze on her. She wondered how things would turn out to be if the day came in the future. To have a baby together, Penny''s mind drifted, feeling her stomach unconsciously which reminded her of how t it was. She hadn''t thought about children as both Damien and her had only started to move forward from their rtions.h.i.+p. Enjoying the time with each other. Though the word had spread about her and him being engaged to each other, they hadn''t spoken about getting married or engaged yet. It seemed like Damien automatically considered her to be his wife. Insinuating a promise which didn''t need direct words. She walked in the garden, having Sylvia next to her. Penny knew she would miss Sylvia''spany once they would go back to thend of Bonke. These days weren''t a walk in the meadow but that didn''t mean it was as stressful as it was back when they were in Bonke. Or was it just her mind that had exaggerated the scenarios were now that she was away from it, she was able to look at it much more clearly without the fog of clouds hovering in her mind. "The bush looks healthier than before," Sylviamented while she was speaking something that had Penny''s mind drift away into her own thoughts. "I am d to see it worked," Penny smiled looking at the blue roses which were quite unique in color. She might have seen blue roses but this color was more radiant. It made one turn their eyes and look at it, "Can I ask you something?" she asked Sylvia. "Please," Sylvia replied back, wondering what Penny wanted to ask. "The maid who was there that day, the one who sabotaged the nt¡­" "You want to know where she is?" Sylvia asked when Penny trailed her question, "She was killed and buried in the nearby forest. People don''t walk there, the vigers as well as town folks men or women," so the girl was killed, thought Penny to herself, "Do you find it to be evil?" asked Sylvia in return to her previous question. "Not much," Penny smiled, pa.s.sing by the roses to walk ahead of them in the garden of the mansion, "Though I think things could have been handled a little more delicately but then at the same time I am just a guest and the roses hold much more meaning to Lord Alexander than it would to an outsider." The woman gave her a thoughtful nod, "That is true. I didn''t know what was the obsession with the nt until I found out why he takes care of it. Lord Alexander mighte out to be harsh but the man holds dear values when ites to the things that belong to his family. I think it is a verymon behavior for children to hold on to thest things of their parents. He grew up to be very alone and sometimes it worries both Elliot and me that in the end, it would just be him and the butler in the mansion." "Why not find a suitable wife for him?" on Penny''s suggestion, Sylvia chuckle as if Penny had cracked a joke. "Pardon me forughing. Pureblooded vampires don''t get engaged or married soon unless it is for political reasons or if they are madly in love,'' Sylvia answered Penny''s questioning gaze, "Lord Alexander has been nice enough to not bring a woman home right now as you are here or maybe it''s just that he''s upied with work right now to not find time with a woman but like many other vampires he enjoys things, a life of luxury. I do hope one day he finds someone he falls in love with so that he doesn''t feel alone. So that he doesn''t seek meaninglessfort from people who are not worth it which even he knows," a sigh escaped Sylvia''s lips. Penny was d to see that people in this mansion cared about each other even though they weren'' rted to blood. "I am sure one day he will find the right one." "Yes. I will make sure to help when that timees," Sylvia gave her word. She hoped one day Lord Alexander would be able to fall in love than be a man who intimidated men and women, scaring them by his looks without speaking a word to the people. Though the vigers had burnt Lady Isabelle who was a white witch, the same vigers were scared and slightly respectful towards the Lord. After all, if he wanted he could have them killed with a blink of an eye, with or without the help of the council. "Are you feeling better today?" Sylvia asked, changing the subject, "How are things going with the ck witcher?" "I actually haven''t seen him for two days now since we returned back from Valeria," she wondered where the ck witcher, Isaiah was. "I am sure Elliot is giving him a goodpany," said the vampiress and Penny nodded her head. "I see, that is good to hear." Penny and Sylvia were only walking when she sensed a shadow from the corner of her eye. At first, she had taken it to be one of the shadows of the tree but when the same shadow moved, following them, her head snapped to find nothing there. But that didn''t mean she missed the dark robe that swept on the ground. "Is this mansion haunted?" Penny surprised Sylvia with the question. Sylvia smiled, "I don''t think so. Did you see something?" "I am not sure. I sometimes feel like there''s something in this mansion," she murmured that was enough for Sylvia to turn to look in her direction to find nothing but the corner of the mansion. Chapter 516 Knock Knock- Part 2 In thend of Bonke, in Quinn''s mansion, Lady Maggie had only gotten ready for the tea party she was invited by a fellow friend, walking through the corridors when she caught sight of the curly ck-haired man who was talking to her father at the entrance of the mansion. Lady Maggie stopped a maid who was walking by, "Yes, mdy?" asked the young girl wondering if the vampiress wanted something from her. "When did Mr. Wells arrive here?" Maggie asked the maid, her eyes fixated on the man who was saying something to her father. The maid looked back to see who it was as people often came and went, visiting Mr. Quinn or Master Damien in the mansion, "He''s been here for around an hour, Lady," Maggie nodded her head before saying, "You can go," she sent the maid away to continue wherever she was previously going. Maggie didn''t move forward but stood there looking at the vampire. The man wore a blue s.h.i.+rt and ck trousers, his shoes ck and she noted it was made of leather. When he moved his head more towards her, she caught sight of the sharp jaw, his eyes were warmerpared to the other vampires. Most of the vampires and pureblooded vampires she had met so far, all of them were stuck up and that included her ex-fiance, Sven. People in the higher society didn''t bother to be polite and instead believed being harsh and cold was what got them through. This was the second time since she hadst seen him here. Thest time he had made a joke of how she had a child. Thinking about it, Maggie frowned. It was true that she was older than her brother Damien and her other cousins but she doubted she looked that old. Turning her face, she looked at her reflection which mirrored her face. Her lips pursed and it let go when she heard the man shaking his hands with her father. He was leaving. Maggie wondered to herself if she should wait here until he was gone but when her father turned to catch her standing in the middle of the hallways, he asked, "What are you doing standing there, Maggie?" Maggie iled at her father, hiding the awkward smile that had formed when Mr. Wells who was about to leave turned back at the mention of her name. "Are you going to Mrs. Jillian''s mansion?" her father asked her. "Yes, father," Maggie answered and when her eyes met Jerome Wells'' eyes, she bowed her head and the man did the same. "Let her and her husband know I asked for their good health," her father wished her, stepping closer, her father did something she wished he would not do. He kissed her forehead as if she were a child in front of Jerome Wells who suddenly had that glint in his eyes which she tried to avoid looking at. "I will be sure to let them know that you asked for them," she smiled at her father, "See you in the evening," she said and her father went back inside as he was done talking to the vampire who hade to speak to him as well as his daughter who was going to an acquaintance'' house. "Good morning, Lady Maggie," Jerome wished her as if they hadn''t shared a bow just a few moments ago. The man could tell how the woman was trying to quickly jump in the carriage and go on her way which was yet toe. Instead of letting her go in peace, he stopped her to speak without getting into his own carriage that was stationed right in front of the mansion. "Good morning, Mr. Wells." Maggie wished him, sparing him a look that appeared toe out cold that only made Jerome want to knock on the invisible door to catch her attention. "How have you been doing?" he asked her. Maggie wasn''t the rude vampiress to ignore someone when one asked her a question. She had been brought up to be polite and also uptight with the other creatures who weren''t in par with their family, and out of the two she ended up losing thetter after her mother pa.s.sed away. She first nodded at his question, wondering if she should leave it at it or answer his question verbally. As her lips pried open, she replied back, "I have been doing well. How about yourself, Mr. Wells?" she returned the question. After all, it would be rude to not ask. Maggie could be considered to be one of the very few pureblooded vampires who were polite and had the decency to stop and talk to a person. Her brother Damien was more of a person who would pa.s.s by the person and if the person standing in front of him to be noticed, he wouldn''t mind tantly pus.h.i.+ng the man out to walk through. "I am doing much better, now that I have seen you," thest words came out to be a murmur. Jerome''s answer had Maggie''s stoic expression give a reaction where her eyes widened slightly. "What?" she asked in a serious tone. "Hmm?" Jerome tilted his head in question as if wondering if she needed to be exined while her reaction told she did hear it right. He gave her a harmless smile that only made Maggie that much more suspicious, "Would you like me to drop you to Mrs. Jillian''s ce?" he offered her. "Thank you but I have my own carriage," said Maggie, a small smile to make sure he didn''t take it to be rude, "I am sure you have other ces to go to. Thank you for your offer-" "Why does it feel like you are avoiding me," he smiled back at her. "I think you are overthinking about it, Mr. Wells," Maggie''s smile faltered. "Am I?" he asked her.?A sweet, kind and polite smile on his face. Maggie didn''t know what this man wanted as he was trying to poke and coax her but she wasn''t going to fall for it, "Yes," she answered bluntly and then said, "Have a good day Mr. Wells," and she stepped into the family carriage but not before giving him one more look to see him tip his non-existent hat at her. "Have a lovely day, Lady Maggie," he smiled before getting into his own carriage. Chapter 517 Knock Knock- Part 3 After seeing the man smile at her as if he were in a very good mood, Maggie stepped into the carriage to have the coachman close the door before hopping on the front seat to sit. As the carriage was parked behind Mr. Wells carriage, Maggie leaned forward to tap on the .s.s. "Let them go first," she said to her coachman who nodded his head. "Yes, mdy," answered the coachman. She saw Mr. Well''s carriage move forward to leave the mansion after which they left. Maggie didn''t know why the man had the habit of knocking on her to ask her questions even though it had been only twice since they had met each other, this being the second time. Her lips pursed together, her eyes looking outside the window of the carriage to look at the trees as well as some of the houses which were built in midst of the forest as they headed towards the vige. The carriage continued to pull itself forward and away from the vige while Maggie lost herself in her own thoughts. Men were not to be trusted. She had learned it from her experience and she wasn''t going to fall for any lie this time. After having her heart broken while feeling the shame for what had happened in the past, the blood on her hands, she didn''t know she had it in her soul to love someone. Of course, Mr. Wells had only spoken to her but with the way he did, she could sense his interest. Trying to poke her to get her to talk to him earlier. Sven had been her first love but after what took ce, things had not only turned bitter but far worse than any she would have ever imagined it to be. The signs were there all along but she had failed to notice. It is often told that things that one ignored, turning a blind eye initially were what broke the rtions.h.i.+p in the end. Sven was her family''s choice and it had turned to her choice too but not anymore. As the carriage continued to move, Maggie felt a small b.u.mp on the road before she felt herself fall back along with the carriage as the wheel broke down. "Are you alright, Lady Maggie?" the coachman came hurriedly to her side by opening the door of the carriage. He extended his gloved hand for her and Maggie took the coachman''s hand to crawl out of the carriage. "What happened?" Maggie asked the man, her eyes falling on the wheel to notice that the back wheel hadn''t broken itself but it had got itself stuck in a deep puddle of mud. The water that was filled in the puddle came up to the quarter height to have the wheel slipped in there. "The wheel got stuck, mdy. I didn''t realize it would be this deep," the man apologized quickly. Truth was that he had been distracted by a bluebird that flew right in front of him where he had ended up missing the spot of watery mud on the road. Maggie crossed her hands across her chest, "Get it fixed right away," she ordered her coachman who quickly nodded his head and started to work on the wheel. Trying to push the wheel out but the weight of the carriage was too much for him to handle that he alone couldn''t do it and would need someone''s help in getting the wheel out. While the man continued to put his efforts, Maggie continued to stand quietly in front of the carriage as she waited for him to get it moved so that they could ride the carriage again. It was obvious in the first two minutes that the man wouldn''t be able to do it. Hearing the sounds of horses and the carriage that rode on the road. Maggie told her coachman, "I will be taking a ride from the carriage that ising now. Have the carriage fixed and taken back to the mansion. I will take my ride back home myself. Tell father to not worry about me," she informed the man. The coachman could only nod over his demise were he would take more than hour or so depending on who would be able to help him and help was never sent easily, "I will see if Mrs. Jillian has their coachman in the house to a.s.sist you once I reach." Maggie waved her hand, walking towards the wet road as she iled her hands in front of the carriage in the hope that it would stop. The carriage appeared to be a distant one which wasn''t a local carriage. It was very rare for a carriage to not stop when one found a strandeddy on the road. A woman like her- rich clothes, expensive pearls that hung around her neck and the way she looked with her red eyes, it was hard for one to not stop. As expected the carriage did stop in front of them and she saw who was in there, her face turned slightly sour. Mr. Jerome Wells. Didn''t he leave the mansion before their own carriage? She had even given them enough time so that the man would not be there to catch her on where she was going. After all, the ce she had told her father she was going was not exactly for what she went to daily. ording to her family, Maggie spent a good rapport with Mrs. Jillian who was a pureblooded vampire which was why they found it to be agreeable. But they didn''t know the truth, it was something she had been hiding from everyone''s eyes and ears. "What happened to your carriage?" asked Mr. Wells, his eyes falling on the wheel that had got itself stuck in the mud, "This is why you should have apanied me in my own carriage, Lady Maggie." Maggie wondered why out of many people in the town and vige it was him who hade to stop right now, "I don''t think anyone would have presumed with the premonition of it happening. It is just an unfortunate incident." "Your unfortunate incident appears to be an opportune moment for me. Let me give you a ride," offered Jerome, his brighter red eyes waiting for her as she appeared to be conflicted, "I promise you, I won''t bite," Maggie looked at him rmed. "I think I will prefer to stand and wait for the wheel to be pulled out," she turned her head away from him looking in the direction of the other end of the road as if she were waiting for the next carriage. Chapter 518 Knock Knock- Part 4 Jerome stared at the stubborn and prideful looking man who didn''t meet his eyes, "Are you always like this?" he asked her, still sitting inside the carriage and talking to her whilst she stood outside on the side of the road. Maggie turned to look at Jerome, her eyebrows slightly raised in question, "Like what?" "I offer you help and you refused. Perhaps did we get on the wrong foot?" the man continued to smile that only made Maggie look at him with her narrowed eyes. "I am sure you have elsewhere to go and are a busy man." "Are you telling me you wouldn''t mind standing here by yourself until the next carriage appears?" Jerome questioned her, his eyes sparkling with amus.e.m.e.nt as he continued to stare at Maggie Quinn. The woman had a mix of soft and sharp featurespared to other pureblooded vampires. Her eyes were bigger than most which right now had turned small as they looked at him cautiously. "Let me drop you to your destination. It would worry me to think and question if you are still here or you received the help you have been waiting for," Jerome didn''t stop there though, he instead continued to say, "Help doesn''te often, Lady Maggie. During broken times, you need to get on with the help thates to you." His words appeared to have another meaning as if meaning to tell her that he knew something that she wasn''t fully aware of when it came to him. Jerome didn''t speak another word but pushed the door of the carriage wide open, waiting for her to step in. Maggie sighed and made her way into the carriage. Sitting on the other side of the same seat they shared together. "That wasn''t that hard, was it?" he asked her. "Are you always like this, Mr. Wells?" Maggie was the one to fire the question this time. "Hmm?" "So kind to people," Maggie smiled, changing her quickly as she realized it would be rude to speak something sarcastic to the person who had offered her a ride right now. "Not all the time. I am very picky to choose who I help. People aren''t grateful for it," answered Jerome before asking her, "Do you often visit thedy of the house? Mrs. Jillian I mean," overhearing the father and daughter''s conversation he asked Maggie. "Few days in the week. Do you know Mrs. Jillian?" Maggie asked the man, wondering if he knew about the olddy. "I have met her at a tea party. She is a beautiful woman," Jeromeplimented the woman and Maggie agreed, a small smile barely touching her lips that Jerome caught. He noticed how thedy who was sitting next to him didn''t smile enough. She was too collected and closed that a person could misunderstand her to be cold and aloof. A minute of silence pa.s.sed between them, awkward silence that Maggie felt and she decided to look outside the window. Maggie still wondered about how Mr. Wells hade to stay behind in the carriage, making her wonder if he had taken a pit stop at one of the viges or towns. Jerome didn''t speak to her and she wasn''t sure to be thankful or not over the quiet silence that fell in the carriage until they reached the mansion. Though Jerome''s coachman opened the door, the man himself stepped down, giving his hand to the vampiress who stared at his hand before she reluctantly ced it in his hand to step out of the carriage. "Thank you for the ride," Maggie murmured the thanks to Jerome, bowing her head to him and ready to sprint inside the mansion. "It was my pleasure, Lady Maggie. We could do this often," he suggested and she turned her head slightly on what he was implying. "Breaking my carriage wheel?" she asked him. Jerome shook his head, "Yeah, that too. It was wonderful to ride the carriage with you. I look forward to our next time," his voice was evenly toned, his red kind eyes staring at her with a harmless smile which would have been warm if one opened their heart but Maggie had closed the doors to her heart tightly. She bowed at him, a sign that she was about to leave when she heard Jerome say, "By the way¡­" he trailed making her stop and listen to what he wanted to say, "Take good care of yourself, children can be hard to handle at times." "Children?" Maggie asked him, ying oblivious to what he just said. "You tutor children in there, don''t you?" Jerome gave her another smile, bowing his head and leaving in his carriage from the mansion she was left standing in. When Maggie released the air she had been holding back all this time, her lips pursed again with her hands clutching by the side of her dress. How did he find out what she was doing? Except for Mrs. Jillian, no knew about it and Maggie hadn''t spoken about it because her father and her family like her step-mother found the work of a governess to be disagreeable. For a high vampiressing from a pureblooded family, they believed it wasn''t something that fit her or any woman like her. She had known before her mother had even pa.s.sed away which had etched into her mind. Seeing the carriage disappear from sight, Maggie made her way inside the mansion of the double doors. Her feet clicking the quiet marbled floor before she met Mrs. Jillian who stood near the study room, talking to her butler. Mrs. Jillian was an old woman. With wrinkled skin and short grey hair on her head. Noticing Maggie''s presence, the woman smiled. "Good morning, dear," the woman wished Maggie. Maggie moved forward, leaning over to exchange the kisses in the air by each side of the cheek. "How are you doing, Mrs. Jillian?" Maggie asked the woman with a genuine smile on her face to the old woman. "Just as good asst week. I was asking Aaron to dismantle the dining room as the renovation to it would start by tomorrow. The ce has turned so old and dark that my eyes have turned weaker with theck of light," the woman wound her hand around Maggie''s arm, "I had to speak and get an appointment with the architect, Wells something." "Jerome Wells?" Maggie as the woman. "Yes, I think that is his name. Curly ck hair, a vampire," Mrs. Jillian said that had Maggie thinking what a small world it was, "Anyways, Mr. and Mrs. Kratin had arrived earlier, hoping to have their daughter enrolled here for the week. Will you be able to manage the time?" Maggie was d to hear it, "Yes, I will be fine." Chapter 519 What Happened There- Part 1 Back in thend of Valeria, Penny yed with the quill as she stared at the parchment paper where she had written down the points of the ritual that needed to be done, "This is all I remember right now," she pushed the parchment towards Lord Alexander, his eyes scanning the words that were written down, "I don''t think this is all and there might be more what the ck witches have done until now. The ma.s.sacre is only the final step to unbind the power that has been locked." "But we aren''t sure about it," Alexander sighed looking up from the parchment, "We will need to catch one of the witches who are working with whoever is driving this whole movement to know what exactly is going on. If it is just unbinding the power or if there is more to it." "Do you think others will notice if we drag the Artemis out in the open?" Damien asked Alexander who gave a thoughtful look. "They may not but for the Artemis to not be caught over all these years. They must have been able to get out of every trap that has beenid by the councilman just in the hope to catch possible witches in the towns and viges." "Won''t there be a registry for the children who were adopted by the Artemis before they other families or witches came to catch hold of them?" Damien smiled, "You don''t keep a b.l.o.o.d.y knife out in the open for everyone to know that you murdered someone, mouse. Alex said the council wasn''t the one to handle the record. If the council has not been involved then there''s no way to find the whereabouts of the children who have been given away. The children and the ck witches who came to get them are as good as invisible to us." It had been a few hours since Damien, Penny and Alexander had taken their seats in the study room, thinking about how to bring the information out from the Artemis. With their niece, Caitlin who had leaked the information, there was little to no doubt that these witches were helping the ck witches. Every white witch helped another ck witch to receive a favor. Was there any favor that Mr. and Mrs. Artemis was wanting from the ck witches? If there was one, what could it be? "Were the Artemis always rich?" she asked Alexander. "Yes," he answered her. So it wasn''t money, it wasn''t the age but it could be the children who had pa.s.sed away. "Um, did youe across the resurrection by ck magic so far?" she asked Alexander. "Like your mother?" Damien asked her. "No, this is slightly different. Remember Isaiah spoke about a ce which sounded like it was where the forbidden magic came from?" she asked Damien who nodded his head. "This ce is mentioned in the Vervus book. The book of Garlic which we don''t have with us." "It is impossible to find a book unless we hear a whisper about it," Damien pointed out to her if that was what she was looking for, "It makes me wonder how many more books are there apart from what we have. We thought this was all it was but there''s one more out there." "It is thest book, it is like everything ends up to reference it to that book," there was a spark of curiosity in Penny''s eyes as she said this. By now she had finished reading all the books, memorizing them so that they could let the books go at one point so that it would never be used by anyone else. As much as the books were important and something that was equivalent to a treasure for a witch like her, leaving it out in the open could cause trouble if someone did learn how to decode it, "What I mean to say is, maybe there''s some kind of resurrection that is written in the book that has been offered to the Artemis." "Bring their dead children back," Damienmented for her to quickly nod at him. "That''s right. And if it was promised then the ck witches might either be lying to them or maybe they really know to bring back the children," Penny gave out her possible theory on what was going on. Right now everything they had was theories and there was nothing solid. "It would be wise to bring the white witch here. The woman who is in the ve establishment," Alexander proposed to them. Looking at Penny who was the one to talk to her in Bonke. "We can bring her here," Damien agreed. Penny frowned at their words, "She doesn''t want toe out or leave the establishment. Don''t you think she has a good reason to note where the Artemis is." "But she didn''t tell you the reason, did she? All she answered were basic questions and a bit about the ritual?" Damien asked her, "We are not nning to sacrifice her, Penny. If we have her here, it will be much easier to tackle the problem and close the case of the Artemis. Unless you decide to let Alex deal with this." "Okay," Penny sighed, wondering how Caitlin would react and she said, "You can get her with Alexander. I will be here," even if some mishap took ce, there would be Lord Alexander to take care of it. Her words had only ended when Damien stood up and ced a hand on Alexander''s shoulder and the next second it was just Penny in the study room all alone. That was fast...thought Penny to herself. After Penny and Damien had left the ve establishment, the guardsman was going to take her to her cell room as thedy had spoken to him on how she would like to have this particr ve to be in good condition the next time she would visit her until the warden said, "Where do you think you are taking her?" his eyes red at the guardsman. "To her cell room, Sir," answered the lowly guardsman, "She will be bought-" "She hasn''t finished her confinement time yet. If I am not wrong," the vampire pulled out the pocket watch, flipping it open, "She still has a good twenty-eight hours. Take her back there." Chapter 520 What Happened There- Part 2 "But-" "Didn''t you hear what I said?" the warden rolled his eyes. Walking forward, he gripped the ve''s arm and pulled the woman, taking her to the confinement room and throwing her in the same cell that she had been staying in for nearly two days. Caitlin was old, having spent years here in the cell, she was used to the treatment. She had been here before this new warden had been a.s.signed after the previous one was murdered. It wasn''t anything new, a rumor went how the wardens were cursed for what they did to the ves in here. Their ill morals onlys.h.i.+ng out on them but the words circted only among the ves and not a whisper being told to the warden himself or the guardsmen who guarded the ve establishment. Her already rough hands grazed against the dirty floor of the confinement room which was dark and reeked of death. Caitlin''s red hair came to hover on her face, and she tried to push herself to only be pushed back again as the warden stepped on her back using his feet, "What did theye here for?" he asked her as he wasn''t able to hear what she and Penelope had spoken to each other in the room where the sound never escaped out of there, "She was your cellmate wasn''t she?" he pressed further that made Caitlin groan in the pain of her chest being pushed more. "Thedy? I don''t know," responded Caitlin before something sharp pierced her skin that had her screaming in pain, "AHH!!" "Don''t act smart with me. Do you think I don''t know every ve who steps in here? I know every person," the Warden turned his to look at the guardsman who had followed them, "She was her cellmate. She hadn''t finished her initial term in the ve establishment but here she is free and looking down at me. I know you had something to do with it. You f.u.c.king c.u.n.t cost me a ve!" the warden pushed the nail into her hand. A lot of rusted iron nails were ced in the confinement rooms, wanting the ves to know and understand what pain meant in here without anyone touching them. It was a way to teach them how to turn to be obedient. She could tell that the vampire was extremely upset. He had been upset when he had returned back to the establishment to find out that the blonde girl had been sold. As Penelope had finallye to meet her cellmate, the warden suspect and doubted the red-haired woman. And he could tell that she had something to do with it. After kicking her some more time, the warden left her alone in the cell before locking the cage which was built. Caitlin''s breath moved the dust which was on the floor but none could see but only feel the dirt they were surrounded in. The confinement rooms were one of the prisons for the ve who didn''t follow the rules set by the ve establishment. How many times did she go ande here but she didn''t mind it. She was safer here than out there in the open. Many years had pa.s.sed but the shock of what happened always haunted her. Life was mundane in the ve establishment. Being one of the oldest here also hard to bend ording to the rules, she visited the confinement room every once a month turning her to a regr. When Penelope had first arrived here as a ve, Caitlin had onlye out of the confinement room to find her unconscious. It was hard to tell how many hours pa.s.sed or if it was days, or maybe it was only minutes which made it difficult for the ves to count on which turned them docile by the time they came out. There were some cases where the ves turned mad and had to be killed. As time pa.s.sed, she heard the sound of the keys jingle that had her eyes open at the sound of it. Her eyes adjusted to the light of thentern which the guardsman had brought. "Looks like you will be sold earlier than expected," hearing the words of the guardsman, Caitlin''s eyes snapped open. They came out of the floor where the confinement room was located, being dragged by the guardsman with her body feeling weak yet alive at the thought of her stepping out from here. She was brought back to the room she had been to, to see to men who were sitting in front of the warden. "Here, she is, milord. If I knew you wanted her sooner I would have made sure to polish her up to turn her in a much presentable way," said the warden, "Bow at them," the vampire red at her but Caitline refused to do so. She was hardly in the mood to listen to him as her eyes focussed on Damien. Lord Alexander turned to him, making the warden feel embarra.s.sed as the ve failed to listen to him. Standing right up,? when his hand almost reached the ve who stood there not listening to his words, the pureblooded vampire suddenly stopped his hand. "What do you think you are doing?" Damien asked with a nk look at him, "Didn''t you hear what my woman said about keeping her unharmed?" The warden gave out a smile, trying to take away his hand which Damien had caught hold of, "Mr. Quinn. The woman here has no polished behavior. Are you sure you want her? I am sure I can offer you a better person in her ce," said the warden. Damien stared at the man, his eyes dull and uninterested, "Are you deaf?" The vampire raised his brows in question, "Pardon me-" "We have already mentioned the previous time I was here that this is the woman I will be taking with me. How hard is it for you to understand?" Damien questioned him, and as he asked it, he twisted the wrist of the man so quickly that the warden had not seen iting. Chapter 521 What Happened There- Part 3 "What are you doing, Mr. Quinn?" the warden asked slightly rmed over the sudden turn of events as he had only asked a simple question to make sure about the choice. "Did you touch my woman with these hands?" Damien asked him. With the question came a crack sound making the vampire yelp in pain. He had sessfully broken the warden''s middle finger, "Don''t cry. It is a useless finger after all." Hearing the warden cry, the guardsmen who were standing nearby the room arrived. Opening the doors to see their superior in pain. They looked conflicted on what to do, one side was superior and the other side were two pureblooded vampires who were of high social standing. Damien had not let go of the warden''s hand. He was enjoying tugging it until he snapped another finger. "URG!" the warden groaned with the second finger being snapped. "Mister please step away from the warden," the guardsman from behind said but Damien wasn''t done asking his questions. "I didn''t want to do anythingst time but that doesn''t mean I was letting you off the hook. Did you think I didn''t notice how you looked at her," Damien was merciless when he twisted the entire wrist to push it back to hear another snap.? Damien was much stronger than the average vampire warden who was nothingpared to his strength as Damien was blessed with the pureblooded vampire blood in him. While Damien was enjoying breaking bones, Alexander was sitting in the chair with his arms and legs crossed waiting for his cousin to finish breaking the remaining bones in the warden''s body. When the guard came to defend his superior, Damien used his legs. One kick and punch on the guard''s face was enough for his nose and mouth to start bleeding. He took a quill that was on the table. cing the warden''s hand on the surface, he pierced through the quill into his hand that had the man screaming. "Let me go before the guardse for you!" yelled the man. "Right," Damien pulled the quill and then bashed his head across the wall. Turning the warden''s face b.l.o.o.d.y. The warden put a fair fight but to the pureblooded vampire, his advances were like one of a child. "I will be outside," Alexander said, getting up from his seat and stepping out along with the woman who they were picking up from the establishment when another guardsman came running towards him and it took Alexander less than two seconds to pick him up and throw him down like a piece of useless garbage as they stood in the second floor. Seeing this act, it spurred the other guards. Some stood knowing there knowing the status of the pureblooded vampire who was here, the Lord of Valeria while some who didn''t know attacked him head-on. Every time some came close to him, Alexander threw the man out and this repeated until the guards finally stopped charging towards him. "Is that all?" asked Alexander, his voiceing bored. Damien stood there smiling inside the room, the painful yelp and the groans of the warden music to his ears, "You dared to even look and think about her while she was with me. Don''t you know not to eye another man''s woman?" "I am sorry! It won''t happen again!" the lowly vampire pleaded. Right now the pureblooded vampire had not only broken two of his fingers but his entire wrist while the other was bleeding profusely. "Apologies are always good. You must have skipped the lesson when you were a child. Look at me such a good man," Damien''s smile diminished as he stepped closer and kicked the man. Caitlin who had been standing there said, "Can I do the honor?" if she was going to leave this ce, it was only right for her to serve him what he deserved. "Don''t get your hand dirty,dy," Damien said already knowing she wanted to take part in punis.h.i.+ng the warden for what he had put her through. Damien pushed the warden by his neck, keeping him still. SLAP! Caitlin felt her hand burn in pain but it was worth it as the warden red at her in hatred. It was for everything he had done so far. Ridiculing like any other warden in here. Abusing the ves physically and mentally. "Let me catch you once I am free-" "Alright, times up!" said Damien before snapping the warden''s head. The woman had expected some more broken bones but hearing the snap of the head and the man''s body fall limp on the ground before hitting his head on the table which made more sound, Caitlin looked down at the man. "You will be questioned by the authorities for this," she said looking at the dead body and then at Damien. "It''s alright. Not the first time," he said before walking out of the room without worrying about fixing the warden''s body somewhere, "The confinement room that you have been in. It has many more people in there." Caitlin followed Damien out of the room, "There are only four to five rooms in there." "Who is speaking about the rooms. The warden has been killing ves and dumping them in there. All that is needed is to tip the council about what is going on in here." In less than forty minutes, Damien and Alexander arrived back in at the mansion with a not so happy white witch along with them. Caitlin didn''t utter a word and instead walked past them to meet Penny. She hoped that Caitlin wouldn''t be mad, and she found the woman hugging her when she reached where she was. Surprised she blinked back before awkwardly raising her hand and patting the older woman''s back. "It is good to see you," she heard Caitlin whisper to her ear before the woman pulled away from her. "Wee back to Valeria," Penny wished, her eyes darting from Damien to the woman and then to Lord Alexander who gave a look of indifference to hear Alexander call the butler. "Martin, take thedy to one of the guest rooms here on the floor," the butler bowed his head who had appeared from nowhere, "Also get her some clothes to change into," ordered the Lord Chapter 522 What Happened There- Part 4 "I will see you soon," said Caitlin before following the butler without offering a word to the two men she hade along with. Alexander appeared to go back to his own room leaving Damien and Penny alone. Damien walked forward to pull Penny in his embrace, "What are you doing?" she whispered, her eyes looking left and right to see if someone had caught them and in time a maid who appeared out of the door to only turn and go back in when Damien leaned forward to kiss Penny on her lips. "I missed you," he whispered against her lips. His lips pecked the tip of her nose making her smile. Damien was d to see she wasn''t escaping from his hands and was weing him no matter where and what time they were together. "I missed you too, cat," she responded back to him before correcting herself, "Wait, not cat. You are a wolf." Damien circled his arms around Penny''s waist, "Call me anything you want," moving one hand away from her waist, he used it to move the single strand of her hair that was near her temple. "Peasant too?" "Except that," he answered, happy to see her like this, safe in his arms. It wasn''t that Damien hoped but knew that he would give Penny the peaceful life she deserved and he would be there to experience it beside her. Once they sort out the necessary danger, like her mother out of the picture, Damien had promised himself to take Penny somewhere far and quiet where there would be no one to disrupt the life they would have built together. "Look at the two love birds chirping in the middle of the hall. Was the bedroom not enough?" Elliotmented as he pulled out the maid who had been standing in the dining room waiting for the Lord''s cousin and thedy to walk away from there as if she had seen nothing. But Elliot, who was walking first spotted the maid who had a coat of blush on her face and he couldn''t resist but tease by pulling the girl. Damien didn''t let go of Penny and continued to hold her waist, "Bedroom is never enough," Penny elbowed Damien''s side hearing this, not wanting him to shoutout what he had in his mind in regards to this matter. Elliot wiggled his eyebrows at Penny before sending her a wink, as he continued to pull the maid along with him, "You both love birds have been busy in the hall that she was scared to walk past you both," by this time even Sylvia who was in the other room had appeared along with Isaiah. The red-haired man let the maid''s hand go but Sylvia''s expression turned slightly dull when she saw Elliot catching hold of the maid''s hand in his. "We''ll be mindful next time," Penny apologized to them, but not missing the look that Sylvia had which vanished in a blink of an eye making one think if it was only their imagination. After spending some days here and conversing with both Elliot and Sylvia, Penny somewhere came to the conclusion that maybe Sylvia did like Elliot but Elliot being a frivolous man who touched and held a woman without meaning anything didn''t share the same feelings as her which was why Sylvia never reacted to his advances. As if she had seen nothing, she joined everyone in the dining room and after some time, Caitlin appeared in the room who took a seat next to Sylvia which was spare. Having a round of introduction, Penny saw how the table was a little full. It reminded her of the words Sylvia had spoken about Alexander. About him living his life alone without anyone directly close to him right now who was living here or around in Valeria. While they were eating, Penny leaned close to Damien, "Why did she look mad earlier. What did you do?" her voice was meant toe out quiet and maybe it would have if people at the table were speaking instead of concentrating on their food. "Just the usual. I thought she would be used to it," Damien replied back. Penny''s eyebrows furrowed together in question, "Used to what?" Though the others heard it, none of them answered but they were sure interested in what it might be as Elliot, Sylvia and also the ck witch, Isaiah decided to lend their ear closer to the conversation. Though Caitlin appeared much calmer right now than when they had arrived,? and she hadn''t spoken much at the table and was instead busy eating her food, picking up one food after another as it had been years since she had had a decent meal. Penny was still waiting for Damien along with the rest when Damien said, "We had a bit of scene in the ve establishment," he sliced the tender meat with his fork and knife that was on his te, "Just some loss of fingers and broken bones." All of it happened in forty minutes? "Was it the warden?" there was a tinge of excitement in Penny''s voice as she asked him. Alexander who had been quiet was the one to answer her, "More than the warden. There were some guards who got involved in it. I wouldn''t be too surprised if I get a letter in two days about it. Or if Nichs gets one," the Lord of Valeria picked up the .s.s of wine, sipping it like it wasn''t a big deal. When the meal was done, Penny searched for Caitlin who was in her room without wanting to go out at the fear of someone spotting her. Penny knocked on the door to hear Caitlin say, "Come in." Turning the k.n.o.b, Penny stepped inside the room to see the woman who was sitting on the bed in front of the firece. The woman appeared to be much more approachable and friendly since the first time they had shared the cell room together. "Come sit, Penelope," Penny could tell something was really different. She took a seat next to her, the bed dipping down as she made herselffortable. "I apologize for bringing you here so abruptly," Penny started with an apology as thest time they had met Caitlin had been clear enough to refuse the opportunity to step out. "No worries. I gave it some thought after you left and got one," the woman pointed out her jaw to show the bruise that had formed on her face, "Maybe it would be good to frame my uncle and aunt than I run and hide forever from them. It might also save many lives." Penny was d to hear this, at least the woman was not angry about being forced to leave the ve establishment. Chapter 523 Crooked Family- Part 1 Please add the book: Belle Adams'' Butler to your library, this way you will know when the book will start getting updated. . Penny found Caitlin to be in a much better mood than before, it made her wonder if it was because of the warden who had been killed or if there was something more than she was unaware of. It was because the first time she had met the woman in the cell room, Caitlin had appeared to be a person who had built high walls around her who didn''t want to do anything with anyone. But today, she had hugged Penny. Not that she minded but it just felt a little off as she thought about it in the room. "Damien?" Penny called him who was standing out on the balcony. He came back in hearing her voice, "Did you speak to Caitlin about anything before bringing her here?" she asked. "Apart from her speaking about the warden and telling her where we didn''t have to pay for her freedom, I don''t think so. Why do you ask?" Damien asked her, "Did she say something?" "No, she didn''t. She just seemed more epting to be away and not in the ve establishment anymore," maybe she was thinking too deep over something where there was nothing to look at, thought Penny to herself. Damien walked towards her, taking a seat right in front of her where she was sitting in front of the firece on the ground without making use of the chair, "We found her in the confinement room when we arrived. The man must have done something to her, she is covered in bruises," which was the most evident thing that Penny had noticed too, "He must have extended her time there. Maybe she had a change of heart." She nodded in agreement, that was possible. "What about his death?" The warden was not a small man but a person who belonged to the ve establishment which was a world different and away. Hidden behind the tall and thick walls which were guarded by their own people for maniption. In that, Damien and Alexander had gone and killed people. Creating a bit more than a mess, "They can''t do anything about it," Damien a.s.sured her, "In fact, they will increase our ranks for doing something like that." "For killing the warden?" how strange, thought Penny to herself. The council was more twisted than she thought it was. "Not just for that. The council allowed to keep the establishment running but on the code of not to kill the ves who entered here unless it was out of their own circ.u.mstances," Damien let his legs stretch forward, cing both his hands behind him as he leaned back, "Everything has an exception and a rule no matter how bad it is so that the people will follow the path and not change the course which will lead to the further demise of people. The man has been .u.mting bodies. Some fresh and some older than the time you had entered the establishment the first time." "The day when we went to inquire about it, I could smell it. A person might take it to be something else, but we are the people who have been working in the council, differentiating the bodies for me isn''t that hard. I sent a letter to the head council about it, the men should be there by now or tomorrow to get the bodies out." She was d to hear that, "Alexander said that it could create a mess¡­" "That is because there are some council members who are always ready to sling mud. Nothing that you should worry about." The next day, Penny and the others sat in the drawing-room trying to think of how to expose the Artemis and see if they were involved in something more right now. It was the time of noon and time was only ticking and they were still trying to figure out what to do as Caitlin was finally here with them. "They have been keeping a low profile, milord," Sylvia filled in looking at Alexander, "I went through the magistrates'' record for this year and found nothing. In fact, I found them donating food for the poor." "Do you think they have been adding something in the food before giving it?" Elliot questioned the possibility. Penny remembered something that had happened in thend of Bonke, "Damien, do you remember the time when the vige was having the issue of the witches. The witches were trying to convert the humans to half witches." "Wasn''t that an unsessful case though?" Lord Alexander questioned. He had heard about it from one of the council and what had happened, "It was a case solved by Lionel and his team." "Yes, but what if they are still working on it?" Penny asked, raising her eyebrows. The Artemis giving out food was suspicious. "Elliot, take Sylvia and Isaiah with you. See where the food is being distributed. Take the sample with you to Murkh and get it tested. I doubt the witcher here knows how to identify the ck magic ingredients yet and would possibly not be aware of it," Alexander gave out the order and Elliot was quickly on his feet with Sylvia. But Isaiah wasn''t ready, "What will I do going there?" "You can help in identifying if there are witches who are turning in the viges the food has been getting distributed. We don''t have the time for exorcism as it needs approval and with approvales rumors which will spread fast," Alexander answered him, "Make yourself useful," the witcher frowned. Staring at the Lord and then his eyes falling on Penny. Penny gave him a nod, "Lord Alexander is right. We can make use of your help as you are the only converted witch who has the ability to spot." Elliot pped his hands together, "We shall take our leave then. We''ll be back soon," he chirped and the three of them left. "Where did you find him?" Caitlin asked, her eyes staring at the back of the witcher. She hadn''t expected to see a ck witch here. Having met enough number of ck witches, to think she was sharing the same roof along with a ck witch was something Caitlin would have never imagined before. "He came searching for Penny," Damien answered, his voice calm. Chapter 524 Crooked Family- Part 2 "Why?" Caitlin turned to look at Penny in question. Penny now realized that she hadn''t told the woman yet that she was a white witch. They had been speaking for a few hours but she had failed to mention it. She looked at Damien and Alexander who didn''t go to answer Caitlin''s question as the question was directed to her. Leaving her with the choice to let the woman know if she wanted to. "Isaiah said he used to be my neighbor," Penny started with that instead of diving in with the shock of telling ''My mother was a ck witch''. "He appears to like you," Caitlin stated and Damien confirmed, "He does." Penny ignored that and said, "He was worried about me as I don''t live in the ce I once used to live," taking in a deep breath she then said, "My mother erased my memories, she has been tampering it since I was a child and he found out about it to be chased away and here we are now," she let the information sink into the woman''s head who was quiet. "She erased your memories," Caitlin murmured under her breath. It wasn''t a question but more on being thoughtful on what Penny said, "When was thest time you met your mother?" Penny looked slightly surprised as she hadn''t expected the red-haired woman to ask her this question out of all of them, "It was a few weeks ago in Wovile," the men in the room looked at Caitlin who had not questioned about her mother''s ability to erase the girl''s memories. Damien''s eyes narrowed down at that note. "What about your father?" Caitlin questioned, a tinge of curiosity in her voice as she looked at Penny. The young girl with green eyes shook her head, "He died," Caitlin''s eyes lowered down as she heard it. Her face turned to be pensive. "I am sorry for your loss," Caitlin ced her hand on Penny''s hand. Penny didn''t say anything for a few seconds before she asked the older witch, "You know I am a witch¡­" she searched in the woman''s eyes who now lifted her gaze to meet her own. "I didn''t notice it before and it took some time, your eyes," Caitlin pointed out, "My brother had simr green eyes," she revealed the truth leaving the room back in silence. Hearing this Penny''s eyebrows furrowed. She took her time to digest what was just told, "That can''t be," the portrait she had seen hanging in the Artemis'' wall was of two children. A girl and a boy. It was a colored portrait she remembered seeing brown eyes on the boy, "You both share brown eyes," Penny said to see Caitlin shake her head. There was a soft smile on the woman''s lips, "There are many who share simr color eyes but the eyes you have are the ones you have acquired from your father. They are a different green that you won''t find on anyone. I didn''t rte to you until you brought my uncle and aunt into the picture when you came to visit me this week. It has been many years." "Your brother''s name is Walter." "He was known by another name. Some of us witches, we have different names. One real and one which is falsified," Caitlin exined about the witches, "It is why sometimes, it is hard to find and track a witch. You know them by one and they go by the other." Penny had dreamt about her father but to think they were the same person when it came to her dreams and in the portrait of the Artemis, she felt a chill run down her spine, "Do you know what was his name?" her eyes darted left and right, looking at the woman. "Gabriel," Caitlin whispered and Penny felt her heart sink, "Why do you think I agreed toe out of the ve establishment? It has been years since I have been there and there have been plenty who have tried to buy me out and I have stalled every single time. You are my niece, Penelope." "..." Penny was speechless. The white witch sitting in front of her was her aunt? Her father''s very own blood sister? She now remembered what Caitlin had told her earlier when they had gone to visit her. The Artemis'' family had got both her and her brother married to ck witches. Oh no...thought Penny to herself. Did it mean that they knew she was her mother''s daughter? She doubted it could be but Caitlin had mentioned her green eyes. There was a possibility that they had their doubts like she had hers. "I am still processing it," Penny answered the questioning look Caitlin gave her. To think she was her aunt, it somewhere felt odd right now because she had known the woman as her cellmate in the establishment. "There are many green eyes in this world, miss," Damienmented, giving her a little amount of respect and not wanting to be rude if the woman did turn out to be who she was, "You are too sure to call her your niece." "I have no interest to build a false rtions.h.i.+p, Mr. Quinn," Caitlin gave the pure-blooded a smile, "I did get the name right." Penny nodded her head. She was right on that. How else would she have known unless she was her mother''s sister, "Earlier you said something about the siblings consummating physically, that would mean that...I have an uncle from my mother''s side?" she was not thrilled nor was she eager to know but it was good to get the facts right now. "Yes," the woman replied, making Penny sigh. And by her yes, it meant he was still alive, "He is the one who has been wanting to hunt me down and kill me, along with your mother¡­" "Your sister-inw is a crazy woman," Damienmented. "I realized it after some time," Caitlin smiled, acknowledging the truth that the ck witch was bat s.h.i.+t crazy. Penny could see that their hate for her mother was something both of them wereing to bond on right now. Chapter 525 Crooked Family- Part 3 After the big revtion, Damien and Alexander let Penelope and Caitlin alone. Penny was still trying to wrap her mind around the information about the white witch being rted to her. "It might take time for me toe around to call you Aunt Caitlin," Penny said, an awkward smile on her face which faltered on her lips. "You can call me anything you arefortable with. You can continue calling me Caitlin, Penelope," the woman said, her brown eyes had softened along with a smile which was upon her lips, "I thought it was only right for you to know than I wait for the right time to let you know about it. If something were to happen in the future, I wouldn''t want to regret it," there was certain sadness as she said this, retracting her hand back to her side, Caitlin took a deep breath to release it. "Thest time I spoke to your father, we were on bad terms. I was worried for him and had been too harsh when it came to the words I spoke to him." "Was it about my mother?" Penny asked, calling the woman as her mother was another thing that sounded odd on her ears and sour on her tongue. The woman was never her mother and if she was it was only in name, "Actually no, it was about our rtives. I didn''t want to marry the man but everyone found it was the time for me to get married and settle down like the rest of them. After all, people don''t take a lone old woman too kindly," said Caitlin, her back leaning against the chair she sat in. She looked down at both her open palms on herp, "Your father was very mad at me and so was I. It was after a few days of me being engaged to the ck witch I found out about your mother. I couldn''t let your father know about it and was chased away." "I am sorry to hear that," Penny consoled the woman to see her shake her head. "It was just bad timing. Though I should say, I didn''t expect him to father a child and to find you. If you wouldn''t havee to visit me again, I would have never known that we were rted to each other," Penny felt her heart full hearing this from Caitlin. It was true. They had spent the same s.p.a.ce in the past but without knowing who and what their rtions.h.i.+p was. To think that she had one sane family member who was alive, she couldn''t help but feel her eyes water. "Our family is messed up," Penny uttered the words to hear Caitlinugh. "Yes. Most of the families are like that. Just turned out our family is much more on the deranged side. Come here," Caitlin said, opening her arms for a hug. It was slightly awkward but at the same time, Penny was happy to know she had an aunt. She felt Caitlin pat her back gently like a mother would with her child. She closed her eyes before her eyes would water more at the thought of it. Not once had her mother ever hugged her like this. Even in the happy memories which her mother had left untouched without tampering them, there was nothing loving about it. It made her realize how she never had a mother figure. The right one. Pulling away, she smiled at Caitlin, "Wait, you told your mother died which was how you ended up with your rtives." "She faked it. I think she had something important to do and had gone away for some time before she tried to kill me several times," the words came out freely from Penny''s mouth. She had gone through it so many times in the back of her head that she could tell it even in her sleep. A deep frown came to be ced on Caitlin''s face, "Do you know why she wants to kill you?" She nodded her head that moved slowly, "You mentioned the steps of ritual which the ck witches are doing to achieve the unbinding of the ck magic." "What about it?" "I saw the list when I was young. I think there was more than one list that I saw which was on her ''to-do-list''. I am actually not sure but I am guessing that is why it is," she replied to Caitlin''s question. "I see," Caitlin murmured Penny didn''t know why but she felt as if the list kept growing when it came to who to look out for. She had stayed back in Valeria only out of mere curiosity and had never expected to find out that she was part of the family she was suspecting. "Does this mean I am an Artemis?" Penny asked and the woman gave her a nod. Her mother had never told what herst name was but now she understood why. If Penny knew herst name, there was a possibility that she would have tried to find out her father through it which would have led her to Mr. and Mrs. Artemis. All this while, Penny was only Penelope and not that she knew she was Penelope Artemis, she didn''t want to a.s.sociate herself with that name. "What happened to your parents?" Penny asked Caitlin as the Artemis'' family had adopted the two children. Caitlin replied, "They were burnt alive by the vigers. Humans have been very cruel after the ck witches came to existence. They won''t see if people are good or bad. Or if they have a family. If they find they have family, they will burn them together along with them. It is difficult for a white witch to walk on anynd and if one can, it is mostly the ones who have joined hands with the ck witches." "Like Mr. and Mrs. Artemis," stated Penny. There were more though, one she had met in Wovile who had set her and Damien on fire. They made their way out of the room, walking out towards the entrance for some fresh when she caught Damien and Alexander who stood outside talking to each other. Damien feeling her presence turned to look at her, a smile instantlying upon his face that in turn made her smile. Chapter 526 Silent Corridors- Part 1 Please add the book: Belle Adams'' Butler to your library, this way you will know when the book will start getting updated. . The house was quiet, the corridors empty and thewn outside that hadn''t been mowed for two days now. In the empty hallways, and the darkened rooms, Mr. and Mrs. Artemis were in a room which was often locked and never opened in the presence of anyone, that was if there was someone in there to find out who never came to this part of the house. They had been living in this house for decades now, making their presence known yet hiding from the people who could catch up to their acts of what they had been doing all these years. People who questioned their existence as humans who had lived this long had considered and concluded them to be blessed and not one ever questioned about their longevity of life if they could be a pair of white witches. It was because people who questioned them were often silenced by their minds. Pus.h.i.+ng their mind to close itself in a way one didn''t remember about them, turning their memory faint, something they had acquired from the ck witch. "It didn''t work on her," said Mrs. Artemis, picking up the teacup which she had ced on the table earlier, "Did you notice it?" "Didn''t you get the potion right Mrs. Artemis?" her husband asked, his eyes looking up at her dully. "It worked on Mr. Patrick fine. I don''t know why it shouldn''t work on her. There was enough time for the potion to sink into her body and reach her mind," after finding out that the young human had gone walking around the mansion toe in ce in front of the portraits which was ced in the other side of the room where they were in right now, an elderly couple of white witches had decided to clean out her mind. To remove the necessary bits and to let her live the way she was living so far, "I took her back to the portrait and she looked more intrigued than before. She found something out." "We should invite her back to a tea party and give her the potion," Mr. Artemis proposed the idea, staring down at the bubbling froth of pot in front of him, he added the dead mice into it, "It would be reckless to not clean her mind if she has a doubt. Though I doubt she will ever find anything." Mrs. Artemis smiled a calm collected smile. Adding the powder she had just created into the tea box as her husband brewed another potion, she said, "She appears to be a curious girl. They are never good. She might end up telling the man, Mr. Quinn was it." "Don''t worry about it, dear. It isn''t the first time we have erased ourselves when ites to others finding anything remotely close to us. Let''s send out an invitation to dinner. We''ll have the Lord and the others as a precaution and wipe about us," Mr. Artemis a.s.sured his wife, looking at her with his snake-like eyes that looked green and yellow from his previously human eyes to indicate the ck witch blood that had started to stir in his body. His wife smiled, "Excuse me then while I go start writing down the invitation." Mrs. Artemis took herself out of the room, antern in her hand, she walked through the corridors where her leg slightly limped due to the side effect of a potion she had made a year ago. It was the time of night, the night wind softly whistling outside the mansion while trying to get through by the sides of the windows. As she continued to walk in the dark and thentern being the only source of light, she came upon a maid who stood still. Mrs. Artemis took two seconds to admire the maid, the maid she had modified and made herself. With a continued smile on her lips, she touched the maid''s face. The maid''s eyes moved but her expression remained the same, like a soul that was trapped in the body that was not under her control. "Have you been having fun, Patricia?" Mrs. Artemis asked the young-looking maid. The maid''s eyes widened, eyes glistening with unshed tears, "This is what happens to naughty children," said the woman, letting her hand drop to stare at the maid, "Do you regret stepping on the property? You could have had a good life, outside and away if you didn''te snooping in here. Look what you brought upon yourself." "Are you talking with the maid again," Mr. Artemis came out with his ownntern, his expression as dead as the maid but still having life as he wasn''t under the spell. Mrs. Artemis didn''t bother to turn to look at her husband who walked towards where she was, "She is my favorite out of all the collectible members we have in here," confessed Mrs. Artemis to her husband, "She used to be such a lovely girl." And as the husband and wife spoke to each other in front of the maid who had been standing there in darkness until the couple had arrived, she hadn''t spoken a word. Not a single breath of hers had changed though she wanted to she couldn''t. Her body was not under hermand or control but under these elderly couples who had done something to her due to which her body refused to listen to her own mind. "I am d that I have you here. Remember the first time we met. You said you were fond of my cooking, and I was so happy," she said to the maid named Patricia, "You said you wanted to spend more time with me," hearing this the maid''s eyes slightly widened as if meaning to tell her she didn''t want it anymore, "And here were are. Together and forever." Mr. and Mrs. Artemis started to leave the maid, walking to pa.s.s many other servants who had been standing in the dark instead of having themselves in the servants quarters. Walking with their twonterns they made their way to the ground floor where light slowly started to fill in s.p.a.ce not letting one know what was there on the other side of the house. Chapter 527 Silent Corridors- Part 2 In the Delcrov''s mansion of Valeria, Alexander had a grave look along with Damien as they heard Elliot and Sylvia speak on what they had found out after their trip to the near and far viges who were being fed by the generous Artemis'' family. "It is true that the couple brings food but Isaiah found nothing in there. Not a speck of a person who was a witch." "Do you think they are trying to atone for what they did previously?" Sylvia wasn''t sure about it as the couple hade out to be kind and friendly, a pair of humans she had thought until she heard that the Artemis were not human but a couple of white witches. Of course, she was new which was why she hadn''t kept a track about it and had only heard what others spoke about them. "I doubt they are trying to do it," Caitlin cut in who was sitting on the chair, her eyes set on the firece, "People like them will never atone for anything. Not even if their own spouse dies," she pressed her lips. "It might be for goodwill so that no one doubts it," this time it was Damien who spoke about it, "How many times have we noticed people trying to camouge something they have done. Did you find out how many times they are being fed? If it is a daily thing or if it is weekly or monthly?" He looked at Elliot and Sylvia. Elliot came to answer the question, "They are very random, Mr. Quinn." Penny who was listening to this wondered if Damien was right. Did they do something and were now desperately trying to cover their tracks so that people would not doubt them? But what could it be? They were not adopting any children and what happened in the past had urred in the past was something everyone had forgotten about. It was possible that it was fresh tracks. "When was thest time the people were fed?" Penny asked them. "Almost three weeks ago," Elliot answered again. This meant it wasn''t too far away, "What kind of cases are usually registered in the vige and towns?" "They vary from being silly to the extreme," Damien replied, "I guess we will be taking a trip to the magistrate''s office. Every single one that is around this town and viges that fall until the river." "Why?" Isaiah asked who had been tired staring at every single person he hade across this noon and evening as he had to make sure if there were any witches but they had found none. Not a single witch, which was what made Alexander curious. It wasn''t possible to have cleannds if it was life would have been much simpler without the ck witches trying to cause havoc but right now with a clean report it only made things that muchplicated as well as eye-raising. If the witches hadn''t been spotted, it meant something really bad was going on that had not been caught by any of the councilmen or the guards who were looking after the towns and viges. "Do you think we need to exorcise?" Damien turned to look at his cousin who had not spoken a word and had only stood there with a brooding expression listening to them. The Lord of Valeria shook his head, "No, it would invite trouble as well as alert the witches. If they are in this, that would tip the Artemis that we are onto something. The three of you," he said looking at Elliot, Sylvia, and Isaiah, "I will need you three to camp in the vige or town where they had been feeding the people regrly. If they are going to do it again, we''ll need the sample of the food to see if it is in food or if there''s something more to it. Sylvia take Isaiah with you to one of the towns while Elliot can handle the next town by yourself." Both the vampires nodded at the order given by Alexander. Isaiah was still not happy the way things had turned out to be but seeing how the situation could turn dire as Penelope was involving herself, he agreed to it withoutints. "Penny youe with me," Damien said, making sure her newfound out wouldn''t take her away from him over the course of this day while they went hopping to the magistrate''s offices. The young witch readily agreed, ting his mood as he grinned for Isaiah to look at him with a sour expression, "Don''t look so grim, witcher," Damienmented without holding back his thoughts over the expression Isaiah had expressed. "I didn''t say anything," Isaiah, red at the pureblooded vampire. It was as if the man enjoyed rubbing salt over his wound of not having the woman he liked beside him. Ignoring both Isaiah as well as Damien''s words, Penny asked, "Will the magistrate''s office be open? It is almost turning eight in the night," she had been to the magistrate''s office before but it was usually during the time of morning or night. Even the office that was set up in the vige she used to live in, the office was usually closed by the time of the evening, sometimes even before that. "The office usually has recement s.h.i.+fts to have the office open at all the time here in Valeria. This way help can be availed at any point in time," Alexander exined to her. Penny couldn''t tell how well organized thend of Valeria waspared to thend of Bonke. "The one in my vige closed at the time of four," Penny mentioned making Alexander nod. He said, "People in thend of Bonke are efficient but not in the right ones. Most of them close their offices to let bad things ur and not be recorded for the council. It is why there are many crimes there." "Sometimes I don''t know if I am getting the jabs or if it is Lord Nichs who is getting it," Damienmented before pointing out, "Penny darling, Valeria isn''t all nice and cozy. You just haven''t seen the uglier side of it which you will be seeing now." Chapter 528 Quiet Village- Part 1 Alexander and Caitlin went in a separate carriage and Elliot and the other two different carriages. Though there were four carriages that were stationed in the mansion of Delcrov, Penny and Damien hadn''t made use of it. "Will it be safe?" Penny looked at Damien who was wearing the coat, sliding his hand into it before straightening it on the front. After thest time they had tried apparating from one ce to another, Penny couldn''t help herself but worry for Damien. Seeing him out of control and wild had been difficult for her and she didn''t know if she would be able to find an animal for him to drink from. The only source were the vigers and she wasn''t ready for Damien to go on a hunting spree due to his corruption. They already had enough on their te for the week adding more would onlyplicate things right now. Damien walked forward,ing to stand in front of her and kiss her, "It will be fine. What happenedst time won''t repeat again," He picked the two .s.ses of blood which he had asked Martin, the butler to bring up the .s.s of blood for him. Emptying the .s.ses in less than a minute, he pulled out something from his pocket. "Blood pills," Pennymented, looking at the red capsules and then to look back up at Damien, "You sure it will work?" She was still worried. "Hmm. I have tested them for a day. More than you, I am worried about you. I don''t want to lose you, Penny," Damien picked both of her hands that she had been holding together, "Alexander tested and remade them for me." "He''s a good family member," Penny said to see Damien smile. "That he is. I have troubled him quite a lot when we were young. Why do you look sad though?" he asked her, taking their time as they didn''t have to use the carriage. Penny didn''t answer his question for a few questions. Still trying to arrange her words and formting the reply as her mind felt nk and hollow right now, "I sometimes envy you." "That everyone does, mouse. What can I say, I am an extraordinary man with good looks and personality. I am the envy of the sun and moon," he made herugh before he asked, "Is there something that has been bothering you?" he asked her, both his thumbs rubbing against the back of her hands as he waited for her toe out and spill out her worries to him. She smiled, her eyes gentle on him, "When I was young, I wondered how it would have been to have a father next to me. To have aplete family with my mother. It was something that I craved for when I was young but now that I look back at it, I realize I never had even part of it." "Are you scared that your aunt might turn out bad or die?" Damien didn''t bother to mince his words. There were only some rare asions when he did that came out lesser than a full moon in the sky. With her father gone, she depended on her mother and then her mother went and she believed and epted that her aunt and uncle were her families. And then the very people who she epted as the family had turned her in to the ve establishment for the sake of money. "Hey," Damien whispered to get her attention as she started to overthink about it. He could tell her dilemma and pain, "Let''s hope nothing bades out and your aunt will be safe and fine. I know it isn''t something to tell but in the end, if nothing works out you have me. I will be here to have your back, your soul and continue to hold your heart as I protect it," he promised her. She nodded her head. She knew that. She knew Damien was the only person she could right now fully trust without a hitch in her mind and she was doing it. She was d to hear that she had a blood rtive, an aunt who came from her father''s side who was deceased. She had found out about it a few hours ago and the fact was finally sinking in. The more she thought about it, the more she found joy and at the same time, she felt heavy on her shoulders. Caitlin was the woman who had helped her out of the ve establishment while continuing to stay in there. For someone who had helped her, she believed nothing bad woulde to befall on her from her side. The word family had been sabotaged thanks to some people who were rted to her. On the same side when she looked at Damien she noticed how even if people didn''t get along, they didn''t go as far as to hurt or kill the other. "Penelope," Damien ced his hand below her chin, raising her head as he pushed his hand up so that she would look at him, "Now that you are my family, my family is yours. Everything that belongs to me is yours to keep. You are not alone anymore, you don''t have to be," he said knowing she needed to hear those words so that her mind wouldn''t weigh further into it. Penny had been going in circles and she realized she had to stop doing it. To be stagnant wasn''t right, and she would have to leave all those ill feelings she often felt rising up in her mind and throat. "I am sorry," she sighed. Damien raised his brows wondering what it was about, "I will try not to think about it. And as you said, what is yours is mine but Damien. What is mine doesn''t have to be yours," she reminded him, it made him chuckle. "Oh, trust me, mouse. I don''t want your family. Just you will do," leaning forward, he kissed her below her ear. He moved slightly back, pulling away to look into her green eyes and then Penny ced both her hands on his cheek, kissing him on his lips. "Thank you," and she meant it from her heart. "Do you think we can cheat for some more time," he asked, running his hand through the front of his hair making Penny look at him, "Come here," he said, pulling her by her waist, he kissed her lips again, prying them open so that his tongue could reach out to hers. To Damien, it didn''t matter if the world was ending. Even in the middle of chaos, he would pull Penny to his side to kiss her until he was satisfied. Their lips moved against each other, hands moving to caress each other. It wasn''t just Damien though. The pureblooded vampire had enchanted the witch enough to turn her wanton to his touches. He held her closer to him, in his arms as they continued to kiss. Penny has her eyes closed, their forehead touching each other as she breathed in and out through her lips. "Ready?" Damien asked, feeling her nod, they quickly zapped into a vige which was quiet and dark with the lights that had been evidently blown out due to the hour of the night. Chapter 529 Quiet Village- Part 2 They pulled away from each other''s embrace, they stepped into the vige which was quiet.?The sky was dark but the moon was clear as it shone the light down on thends of Valeria. To Penny, the crescent moon was beautiful. She had seen the moon back in Bonke but it was never this clear. Always surrounded by the dark clouds before it disappeared in less than five minutes. "How many viges and towns are there in Valeria?" to visit every one of them would take time. "Around fourteen I believe. Though I don''t remember now clearly because some of the viges have either joined themselves or the existing ones have split up to form a much smaller colony," he answered as they made their way down the road. She looked at the vige where thenterns didn''t burn outside the houses. It was as if everyone had decided to head to bed early which made it somewhat¡­ "Do you sense something?" Penny asked him. Her ears allowed her to pick only the sound of crickets and the rustling of the leaves which moved against each other. Valeria was much sunnier inparison to Bonke during the time of day until the time of evening which wasn''t something Bonke had. "Viges being quiet or the owl hooting on the other side of the tree?" Damien asked her, his dark red eyes making it look almost ck because of the night. "The vige. What time is it?" she had been so busy trying to figure out what the Artemis was up to as well as caught up with her own feelings that she hadn''t gone to check what time it was. "Almost touching seven. Look," Damien pointed out therge tower clock that was moving its second hand up above and far from where they stood, "The vige here is sure quiet. Do you think people will mind if we go and knock on the door?" "Why would you do that?" Penny asked him, her eyes looking at the vige like him as they continued to walk. "For joy," came out the dull voice of Damien and he yawned loud enough that he could have gathered attention who were around them but in the entire vige where the houses were located they were the only ones, "It is awfully quiet. I don''t think I havee here but only pa.s.sed by it." "Did you see people at that time?" she asked him. "I did. It wasn''t this deserted. Let''s go meet the magistrate to see what is going," saying this, they headed towards the magistrate''s office which would be much better looking than the houses that were made of mud and stones. When they did reach the magistrate''s office, they caught sight of a woman who sat behind the desk. Penny was surprised to see a woman in the magistrate''s seat for a change. She appeared to be cutting vegetables though instead of signing parchments or papers unlike other magistrates she had met so far. Hearing their footsteps, the woman raised her head from the vegetables to look at the couple who arrived. Damien put up a bright smile seeing the stern look on the woman''s face, "Good evening, mdy." "Good evening," the woman responded back. Her eyes darted to look at both the man and woman who had appeared in front of her, "How can I help you?" though she had been cutting vegetables she didn''t mind being caught by it. "You must have been a new appointee. I didn''t see you thest time I was here," Damien''s words made Penny slightly frown. A while ago he had told her how he had only pa.s.sed through this vige and hadn''t actually walked through in here. "I was a.s.signed two months ago. You must have visited before that," came the sharp reply of the woman. By the looks of it, Penny deduced that the magistratedy was a human. Her eyes were a mix of gold and brown making it look like honey. The pureblooded vampire nodded his head, "I guess so too. It has been a while since Ist visited. I am Councilman Damien Quinn and this is my subordinate Councilwoman Penelope. We are here to look at some of the recent case files. You wouldn''t mind showing us the files, would you?" he asked her. "I haven''t seen you before nor have I received any intimation about your visit. I will need proof that you are from the council," the magistratedy appeared to be more strict than b.u.t.tering the council members who had arrived here. But Damien didn''t have it. Even if he did, they would need to show one for Penelope and the woman would take it to be a suspicious act. "What proof do you have that you''re part of the council?" Damien smiled, his eyes flickering at her and a smile stered on his face. They should have gotten written seal by Lord Alexander, thought Penny to herself. The woman was about to pull out the drawer when Damien raised his hand to say, "Councillors and the magistrate cards can be falsified and faked. You don''t think I would just believe it. For a magistrate, you have turned it to your house. Where are the guards of the vige?" Damien tried to intimidate the woman by making use of the facts that could get her into trouble. "Patrolling the vige. You didn''t expect them to wait for you to show up. There''s no one whoes at this hour of the night, I don''t see it be disrespectful to the work," answered thedy and then pulled open the drawers to take the files that were in there to ce it on the desk. "Here are the case files," so that was what she had gone to reach for earlier in the desk, said Penny to herself. The files were nothing but a bound amount of parchments on the table. "Wasn''t hard at all. We all can get along," Damien muttered under his breath without keeping his mouth sealed as he picked up the files to take a look at them, to say, "Hmm? Is this all that is there?" "Yes. This is all the recordings," the magistrate woman confirmed. Her eyes looked straight at them without blinking her eyes. "No problem," Damien brightened up suddenly, "Thank you for your a.s.sistance and continue your good work." Chapter 530 Quiet Village- Part 3 Damien and Penelope saw themselves out of the magistrate''s office and walked away from there. Penny out of curiosity asked, "I thought we were going to gather all the case files," it was why she had mentioned it in the mansion. By making use of the files, they would be able to pick up patterns on what the irregrity cases were. As they had found nothing from the vigers who were receiving food from the Artemis, they had decided to go along this route but Damien had opened the files and then had dropped them down and here they were. "There was nothing in there." She frowned hearing this, "What do you mean?" she had taken a glimpse at the papers that had writing and she had also read some that spoke about case files. "All those are old ones. When a case file is created, it is mandatory to ce the date of when the case was a.s.signed. The dates are almost four months old with no recent record." "Not even one?" "Not even one," he confirmed to her, "Either the vige has been good that as we see, people are going to sleep early to avoid any possible trouble or something is truly wrong. Of course, we all know it cannot be the first option. I mean did angels descend from heaven to wipe out every little bad doing? It is verymon for people to fight over little things. The usual brawls, or the usual neighbor or money being stolen." "Wouldn''t that mean the magistrate woman is hiding something?" asked Penny, her footsteps stopping along with him. The woman had appeared stern, her voice and eyes sharp. Damien then pulled her along to walk back in the direction they hade from, which was back again towards the magistrate''s office, "Mouse, she had no identification proof with her. If she showed, we had to show." "You were sure¡­" "Sometimes we bet on luck and roll the dice," he grinned, his eyes s.h.i.+ning in amus.e.m.e.nt, "Now if we go there, I can tell you something." When they reached the office again, thentern inside was still burning brightly along with the unfinished vegetables that were on the desk, "That the woman would not be here," Damienmented looking at the empty. She noticed that Damien was right. The magistratedy was no more there in the room and had left everything as it was. Thentern was still burning brightly at her desk. For her to leave everything on their departure, it only pointed on how things were possibly not the way it seemed. Penny walked forward, going to the desk to look at the vegetables that were fresh and supple in touch. Stepping in here the first time, Penny had first made sure to look at the woman''s fingernails. Thest time when they had gone to get the book of moon signs written, they had met a ck witch and she had failed to notice it on the spot. This time, she had been meticulous about it. "Where do you think she went?" Penny asked him, walking around the desk to take a look at the drawers which were empty, "There''s nothing in here," she said looking up to meet Damien''s gaze. "It hasn''t been too much of time since we walked out of here. Finding here where she went might be difficult right now when there are other things on hand," said Damien, looking around the room, he said, "We should go find where the guards are. That is if they are still there." Damien gave his hand for Penny to hold, "Just to make sure you''re close and with me. Also that we don''t get lost," he said before they walked out of the empty office. They walked around the vige, searching for the vige guards but there was not a single soul who was outside. The magistrate was nowhere to be found. Walking to one of the houses which were in the far end, Damien stepped forward and knocked on the door. Penny found it to be strange that with the number of houses that were in the vige, there was not a single light that was lit from inside the house. They were all dark and closed. "There are no animals here," she noted, hearing Damien knock on the door again. The knock on the door felt slightly harsh on their ears because of the silence they were surrounded in. Damien gave the third knock, hearing no onee out, Damien bowed his head and then looked up at the door. Raising his leg, he kicked the door and in one kick the wooden door broke into pieces. Penny flinched hearing the sound of the door crash. Damien was the first one to step inside the dark house, picking the unlitntern along with him. Penny was still standing outside, waiting there as her eyes moved left and right to make sure there was no one or no one had heard them break into the house forcibly. Suddenly the house lit up from the inside and it seemed like Damien had found the matchbox to light thentern. Taking another look behind her, she stepped inside the house, her eyes widening and looking startled to see the people in the house who were awake. There was an old couple, a young man and a young woman. Their eyes wide and very much awake but they said nothing. There was no reaction on their face. For a minute Penny didn''t know why the four family members of the house didn''t react over the loud intrusion that took ce. They had been sitting like this all the while in the dark? "What''s going on?" she asked Damien, unsure as she made her way to where he stood. "I don''t know," Damien said, walking towards the young man who was standing still and looking in their direction, "I have never seen anything like this. They look as if they are in a daze," which was true. Chapter 531 Ghosts- Part 1 She had never heard or read about anything like this. Were they possibly under a spell? Asked Penny to herself. Her eyes darting to look at everyone in the room. "Is there anything about this mentioned in the witch cookbooks?" Damien asked her, stepping further close to look in the eye of the man he had been standing in front of. He raised thentern to have a much better look, finding the eyes dte because of the light, "They are still alive." "It is definitely a witch''s work but I doubt the woman, the magistratedy is a ck witch," Penny said, seeing Damien drop thentern and ce it on the surface of the table. "Doesn''t mean the person cannot be a white witch," Damien pointed out, picking the man''s hand he let go of it for the hand to quickly drop by his side, "Let''s take a look at other houses." He dimmed the light of thentern that came close to extinguis.h.i.+ng itself and they made their way to the next closest house. Damien had chosen to look into this side of the houses because breaking in was easier as it would cause less attention to them and the people of the other houses would note to look at what was going on. But right now they doubted if any of the houses were awake at all. Going to the next house, Damien gave a knock on the door and after fifteen seconds pa.s.sed by he broke into the house, turning the light of thentern to see that the condition in this house was the same. Some of them were sitting, some standing and the children sleeping on the bed. It was as if time had stopped and it had made them pause whatever they were doing. The woman near the sink had bent her back and was positioned very ufortably without moving for G.o.d knows how many hours that had pa.s.sed since they were like this. "It looks like we are going to find this case to be the same in every house in this vige," Damienmented, blowing the light of thentern out, they stepped out in the dark. Just before they could move out of the house, they heard something and Damien pushed Penny behind him while cing his finger on his lips to let her know to stay quiet as she had opened her mouth to speak. They heard footsteps pa.s.s by the house and when Damien leaned forward, he found it was the magistratedy who walked quietly on her way to the office. Penny leaned forward too to see who it was, finding thedy going on her way, she said, "She has something to do with it. Are we going to follow her?" Penny asked him. "Not now," he answered her quickly. Come let''s go to the other viges. "What about this one?" She stared at him. They surely couldn''t leave so many families like this in this state. Damien tugged her hand along, not wanting to be part of the witchery dolls,?"They haven''t harmed anyone yet," he said to her, "If the humans in there are still alive, then they are still doing fine but with no reaction at all. And if those people are not humans¡­" "Why would you say that?" Penny asked him as they left the vige without anyone''s notice. "Because right now we are not sure about what is going on. We just stepped in twenty minutes ago, drawing any conclusion right away would be hasty. Come," he said, cing his hand on her shoulder that transported them quickly to another vige. This vige was in much better condition as Damien and she could see some of the vigers who were walking on the streets. It was in stark contrast to what they hade by in the previous vige. Penny''s heart somewhere along the time had started to race at the thought of the happenings that were going on in here. "I wonder how many other viges are like this," hearing Damien mutter under his breath as they walked through the streets heading towards the magistrate''s office of this vige. "This ce is not right either?" Penny questioned him. With what she saw right now, everything looked fine in here. There were men, women walking. Lanterns burned in most of the houses and some that were outside in the open. "Looks can be deceiving, mouse. Look closer," he said as they continued to walk. He was giving her the opportunity to find out herself without him blindly leading her. Penny looked back at the couple who were walking on the street, heading towards them on the other side of the street, pa.s.sing them without even sparing a nce at them. Both Damien and Penny hadn''t dressed too much but they did stand out of the crowd in here. The man who was walking in front of them didn''t stop or pause his footsteps when they came head-on. It was Damien and Penny who moved out of his way. She also caught the vacancy and hollowness in the man''s eyes. "It feels more like they have been hypnotized," Penny said her head that had turned to look at the man who continued to walk without moving left or right. Stepping into the magistrate''s office, they found a man talking to a young girl who had been sitting in front of him. "The crops have dried quickly and we need more men so that we can start harvesting," said the girl. The magistrate appeared to be in histe twenties who gave her a nod, a vampire, "I will have the workers know about it and get the help you need but that will be charged." "Yes," the girl replied, "I shall take my leave now. Thank you for your a.s.sistance," she stood up, bowing her head and turned around. "Wee, councilman," the magistrate greeted Damien. Just as they pa.s.sed by the girl, Penny noticed how the girl''s hair came to hover over her face as they walked by, the girl stepping out and them getting near to the desk. Chapter 532 Ghosts- Part 2 For some odd reason, Penny was curious about the girl but with the girl''s ck luscious hair that covered her face, it made it impossible to look at her. Walking forward, Damien shook hands with the magistrate man. "I have heard so much about you," the man said, his eyes sparkling, "We haven''t met, I am Zenith Croogs." "Evening, Mr. Croogs," Damien shook his hand before letting it go, "This is Councilwoman Vivian," he introduced Penny which made Penny wonder if this was another test. The magistrate man stared at Penny, a slight curiosity in his eyes, "I thought councilwoman Vivian was on a break," the man reached his hand for Penny to take but she never took it. Instead, she bowed her head to let him know that she wasn''t used to touching people. Damien did tell that both the council members, Leonard and Vivian Carmichael were on vacation ording to the letter and word from Nichs Rune who looked after thend of Bonke. "Yes, thedy was on vacation but she decided to continue her work here. Bonke has been quite tiresome. Isn''t it right, councilwoman Vivian?" Damien turned to look at Penny who nodded her head, going along the lie about her being Vivian Carmichael, she wasn''t sure if she wasfortable impersonating someone right now. "Please take a seat," the man waved his hand towards the empty seats in front of him. "Thank you but we are in a slight hurry. We have a party to attend and would rather finish this quickly," Damien responded back to the man before getting on to business, "I would like to take a look at the case files for thest four months." The magistrate gave them a curious look, pulling out the cupboard in the desks, he picked up the files and handed it to them, "You won''t find many details in there," the vampire magistrate said as Damien started to look through the details that had been registered. "What a good town. I must say, I am very impressed with the way this vige has been working. I hope you are not hiding anything," came the sign song-like voice from Damien which was yful yet he stared at the magistrate to make sure he wasn''t lying. "Haha, why would I do that, Sir?" "I don''t know," Damien murmured, throwing the files of parchments on the table. When he rubbed his fingers together, he felt the faint dust that had been from the outer bounds of the files. Penny stared at both of them quietly on the side to hear the magistrate say, "We have been making sure to gather everything we can to make sure the people who live here, live happily without a need to have a conflict. As you just saw now, the girl came for help for her field so that it can be farmed and we will be providing her or anyone with what is needed." "What a virtuous vige, I envy," Damienmented, and Penny was sure that his words were meant to be sarcastic, "When you say ''we'' you mean to say the council right? Or is it the people from the vige? It is not often we see helping hands." "Mostly the council," the magistrate''s eyes had started to narrow down,ing to be aware that he was taunting. Before they could take their leave, the man said, "You know, thest time I saw Lady Vivian, she appeared to be leaner." Her eyes internally widened over the thought of them getting caught. Damien had meant to test the man but here they were getting tested back by the magistrate. "I don''t think I have interacted with you, Mr. Croogs," Penny responded back over his im of seeing her be lean and not the way she was right now. Her voice was confident as she spoke to him, "Are you indirectly meaning to call me fat?" she asked him for the vampire to smile, giving her an awkward smile. "I didn''t mean to offend you, mdy," he bowed his head and when he did, Penny saw something on his neck, as if he had received st.i.tches. If the man was going to test her, she would answer him back after all Penny was an excellent actress. Having met Vivian Carmichael once in the past, she knew how the woman looked in appearance. He bowed one more time and Damien had to turn his head to stop the stifle of smile that appeared on his lips. Damien then said, "Thank you for your a.s.sistance, magistrate. Continue your good work. Soon you shall be recognized by the council and be rewarded well for it," the man gave them a nod. Penny in the meantime gave him a sharp and quiet re to have the man bow his head again. When they left the office, Penny asked, "What are we going to do? This is the second vige we found to be strange but the girl was talking to him fine," she added as they couldn''t overlook that little detail. "That''s what we heard but not what we saw. There are already some suspicious cases that are going on. Everyone appears to be dazed, the records are clean making it look like there was no dispute or any other brawl that needed to be registered," both of them turned back to look at the magistrate who had gone back to reading something at his desk, "It is too obvious. We need to see which others are experiencing something like this." Penny and Damien went to the other viges which were in a much responsive condition where they also found a woman kicking out her drunk husband who hade home. Thankfully, the rest of them were normal and there were some good amounts of cases that were being registered. Going to where Alexander was, Damien met his cousin and the white witch, Caitlin. "There have been some off cases in here," said Alexander, "They appear to be minute but they are rming when you see animals have died, pets to be specific." Chapter 533 Vampiress, Witch And The Deranged- Part 1 Penny took hold of the file which Lord Alexander had taken from one the magistrate they had visited in the town. Turning the file around she opened it to find one of the old files which were registered a few days ago, ''Lady Helen''s pet ''Puffles'' went missingst Tuesday and wasst seen to be with her in the room. The cat waster found in the very house which was buried in the garden, discovered by the garden. The case has been investigated to make sure that it was nothing rted to mental illness in the mansion as the cat was found in two halves and buried in the opposite direction.'' This sounded very much familiar to Penny. "This isn''t the only case," Pennymented after having read through it, "Which vicinity does Helen reside in?" she asked them. "Not too far from the Delcrov''s mansion," answered Alexander, "It was the first town that we visited. Which is the other one?" he asked her, curious to know where did Pennye to hear of it. "Patrick. I don''t remember if it is the first orst name." "It is thest name," Damien confirmed. "When we visited Mr. Donovan''s mansion, someone mentioned about his cat being torn into two halves. They said they found it, did you find the case?" she asked, her eyes falling on to Caitlin who shook her head. The woman merely apanied the Lord, trying to see if she could find anything odd as they walked around. Alexander frowned slightly, his expression turning grim, "Mr. Patrick lives in the same town as Helen but there''s no entry about his cat." Penny looked back at the entry which was weeks ago before Damien and Penny had even visited Wovile. How she remembered, the man''s cat was found to be dead very recently. "Looks like someone forgot to register it or Patrick never bothered to register the case. Isn''t it funny how the Artemis live right around the corner? You will need to rea.s.sign two of your magistrates. Or rather should I say that two of your magistrates are dead," Damien informed his cousin on the earlier two viges they had visited. Going into detail on what happened and what they saw. "That sounds strange indeed," Alexander had his eyes narrowed, "I visited the vige less than a week ago. The vigers were walking around fine. Nothing about them being in a daze," then that would mean whatever happened to them was very recent. Everyone left the vige as they had finished going to every possible vige and town that was near the heart of Valeria and they returned back to the Delcorv''s mansion except for two people. Sylvia and Isaiah. Having picked the end and corner viges on the map, the vampiress and the ck witch walked back towards the carriage after speaking to the magistrate and looking through the files which came out to be clean. The two of them had been lucky to not find any oddity which made their work easier and faster. "This must be it," said Sylvia reading the map that was in her hand. It was something she had made herself after the many works in Valeria. Before she even started to serve and help the Lord, Sylvia had trained physically and mentally enough to be more than capable for her to be able to take up the task alone. But both Alexander and Sylvia had noted how Elliot always tried to prey on the man, waiting like a vulture ready to w before ying with the man like he was his food for sheer fun which was why Alexander had asked Isaiah to tag along with Sylvia. Keeping him in the mansion while everyone was out was something they didn''t want to do. After all, the man was still a ck witch by nature who was a turned one. ck witches were ck witches and there were only a few who could ouw the basic nature and instincts. At the same time, there was an issue with the witches. "There are no other viges we need to cover right now. Lord Alexander and the rest must have already visited them by now," she said, folding the map she had made where Isaiah took a nce at it. "You are a diligent worker," Isaiahmented, walking next to her with a wide gap between them, "Why did you decide to serve the Lord?" Now that they were done visiting the viges, he asked her with a small hint of curiosity. "Why do you want to know?" Sylvia asked directly, turning her head to look at him to see him shrug. "It is awkward to be walking in and out with you while none of us speak," said the ck witcher, tilting his head. "I spoke a moment ago," she pointed out before going to say, "My maternal uncle used to serve the previous Lord and it was told that the next in line would continue to serve the Lord. Unfortunately, neither of them is alive and I am the only child of my parents while my uncle had none." Isaiah nodded his head, listening to her speak, "You are here to fulfill his wish," the man received no response from her, "What about the other vampire and you?" Sylvia didn''t know why everyone a.s.sumed that there was something going on between Elliot and her when it was clear that Elliot did things just for the kicks of it, "What about it?" her eyes looked sharp at him, waiting for him to continue but Isaiah shook his head, letting the matter go. When they reached the carriage, Sylvia stepped inside and the ck witch followed her trail, taking the seat which was in front of her. The coachman closed the door and hopped on the seat. Almost forty minutes had pa.s.sed since they had left the viges and it was past midnight. Moving from one vige to another had taken time, and also asking for the files without making it obvious that there was something going on. Just as time pa.s.sed, the carriage slightly shook and Sylvia''s eyes snapped open which had been closed. Chapter 534 Vampiress, Witch And The Deranged- Part 2 Sylvia quickly moved to the window, her hand pressing on the side of the carriage as she tried to look at what had caused the slight movement right now. The atmosphere outside was dark and quiet, only the trees being seen as they moved one after another into the darkness of the night. She then turned behind to look through the little .s.s that was behind the seating to find a group of four men who were chasing the carriage. Isaiah appeared to look startled as he himself turned to look at the men who were running towards the carriage, their feet faster than the most he had known. He asked, "Why are we being chased?" He saw the woman pull out a gun from nowhere, "Let''s find out." Sylvia moved in to look at the front to see that the coachman was still sitting and riding who had already been attacked, "Lady Sylvia, we have deranged vampires chasing us!" "Slow down the carriage," said the vampiress for the human coachman to blink his eyes. "What?" "I said slow down!" the coachman was sure that thedy wanted to get him killed today. While both Sylvia and the coachman at the front were shouting at each other, Isaiah didn''t bother to look panicked but instead sat there with a calmposure on his face. "Are you not going to help?" Sylvia asked him. The ck witch turned to look at the vampiress, "Do you think I know to fight?" the carriage had slowed down considerably and the vampires who had their heart cores corrupted started to near them. Sylvia reached over to his side, opening the carriage door to have him ask, "What are you doing?" "When the timees everyone learns to fight. Now is your time," and by then the carriage hade to aplete halt. Isaiah peeked out of the carriage when Sylvia stepped out of the carriage, her gun shooting one after another and the vampires with ck eyes and bigger thick fangs came to attack her. The woman was quick and agile, moving around as she blocked the creatures and kicked their face with a spin on quick and he raised his brows. Slightly impressed by her fighting skills. To get a better view, he finally stepped down. Sylvia tried to evade and get a good shot at the deranged vampire''s but every time she lifted her hand one of them would swat her hand away close enough that she had to move back every now and then. Fighting all the four deranged vampires who were stronger in nature was hard to keep up with. When one of them crept upon her, the deranged vampire reached for her and at the same time, a wooden branch was thrown right on the person''s face to get the lost vampire''s attention. Isaiah didn''t move closer but he didn''t go away either. When the deranged vampire jumped to attack him, all he did was raise both his hands and in time he tore the vampires face apart. With one gone and only three more, it wasn''t that hard to tear out the vampire''s heart before all of themid dead on the ground. "Let''s get back before we have more of theming after us," suggested Sylvia to the coachman, cleaning her hand with the kerchief she had which was not enough as there were still bloodstains on her hand. Sitting back in the carriage, the coachman hurriedly shut the door close before jumping back on his seat and starting the carriage, his eyes darting back and forth to make sure they weren''t going to have another encounter with the deranged vampires. A handkerchief was brought in front of Sylvia and she saw it was no other than the ck witch who had offered her his kerchief, "That''s a lot of blood, take this," he said. She didn''t refuse but took it in her hand. She didn''t want to spend the rest of the time back to the mansion with a dried up b.l.o.o.d.y hand. "Thanks," she used the kerchief to remove the blood on her fingers and hand, making sure to get all the nails. For someone who said he couldn''t fight, the ck witch had no issue in tearing the deranged vampire. "You fight elegantly, Lady Sylvia," Isaiahplimented her, it made her smile. "I don''t think anyone ever fights elegantly. I will return you a new kerchief." Isaiah stayed quiet. Letting the silence drop back around them, "We didn''t find anything in the viges, are you sure we will be able to get any kind of information by doing this?" "Not everything is easy to meet the target, we will need to find enough proof while also see what other matters the Artemis had been involved with until now. Catching hold of them would alert the other witches or humans or any other person who is involved with them. It is not just about catching the bigger fish but also the other fishes which might cause a threat in the future." "What about these that attacked?" "Deranged vampires are quite popr in Valeria. We are trying to get it under control but there are some of the humans who have got the venom of fangs which has been circting itself in here." Isaiah frowned to say, remembring, "I think I heard something about it Bonke." "Yes, that''s where the ck market is situated. People buy it from there and then bring it here during the time of fair," Sylvia caught the man looking out the window as if one of the deranged vampires would pop in right now, "Not that frequent," she stated to have the man lean back to his seat. This ck witch was once a former white witch and instead of hiding himself, he hade looking for the girl, Penelope who was already someone else''s love interest. He then surprised her by asking, "Who do you think started all this? The spark of fire that has spread so widely over the years." "Everyone." "You think all the species are responsible for what is going on in the world?" the ck witch asked, dull eyes looking at her and he saw the woman nod her head. Chapter 535 Vampiress, Witch And The Deranged- Part 3 There was at least more than an hour before they would reach the mansion therefore Isaiah decided to make the journey back less boring by closing his eyes and deciding to sleep. His own hands were b.l.o.o.d.y because of attacking the deranged vampire but he had used his cks to wipe his b.l.o.o.d.y hands. Unable to fall asleep, for G.o.d knows how long it had been he snapped his eyes open. His eyes moving around the carriage to look at it. "How long until we reach the mansion?" he asked her. "Less than an hour," Sylvia picked the pocket watch from her dress, flipping it open to see and tell, "It is past twelve right now." That was a lot of time, thought Isaiah to himself. "You can try to sleep until we reach the mansion," she said, already knowing he had tried to sleep as his eyes had been closed previously before opening them back again. Seeing him not sleep she asked, "How did you cope when you were turning to a ck witch?" Isaiah pressed his lips, "Those were bad days. To hate and be the same thing is an evesting conflict within the mind." "You seem to be doing better now," most of the white witches often turned to the dark side but this man even though he had turned to a ck witch, there was still some goodness in him. Most of them usually lost their mind over the magic and spells that came with being a ck witch but this man hade trailing Penelope. There were very rare ck witches who were good. "It was thanks to the woman I met. There aren''t many who are helpful," Isaiah said, a thoughtful expression forming on his face, "But it was that time. Now it isn''t so. Thest time I got conned and almost skinned alive," his voice came out dry. "You know...in the beginning," said Sylvia said, "It had been white witches against the ck witches. During the old period of the first generation of witches and vampires, the white witches had joined hands with the vampires but over time, the pureblooded vampires moved ahead in terms of power." "Back in the days, the white witches were purer in sense and were easily dominated and manipted by the vampires.?This led to a disadvantage to the white witches who felt powerless as they couldn''t use the magic they once learned. There were also the humans in the equation who loathed witches in general. Burning and torturing them was the human''s way to show that they were better.?And that was how slowly the good ones started to turn bad.?It was the survival of the fittest, to outlive and overpower the others such that now the white witches have started to side with the ck witches." A small smile fell on Isaiah''s lips, it was true what the vampiress just said. It was all just a circle where everything fell like a domino. One thing led to another and this is where everyone wherein the cross-fire. When they finally reached the Delcrov''s mansion, Isaiah was the first one to step out of the carriage and he gave his hand for Sylvia to hold on to, helping her out of the carriage. After the tiring day, Sylvia had not been watching her step and she stepped on her own dress that made her trip but Isaiah caught her in his arms. "Are you alright?" he asked. Sylvia quickly stepped away after catching herself and standing straight, "I must be tired," she said for Isaiah to nod to her. While Sylvia was making sure her dress didn''t get caught which had been fine while she was fighting the deranged vampires, Isaiah caught someone standing in one of the balcony rooms. Watching them. It was the red-hair vampire. He couldn''t stop wondering about their rtions.h.i.+p. It made one question if something was there or not there. Out of sheer curiosity and boredom, Isaiah said, "I think something got caught in your hair," he went to reach for her head but Sylvia was used to maintaining distance, "May I?" his voice came out to be polite, asking for her question. She finally gave him a nod and Isaiah stepped closer, moving his head along with it to pull out a piece of the leaf which he had been holding in his pocket that he had picked up earlier. "There it is," he said pulling away from her, a small smile on his lips that made him look like he was looking at her kindly. Before she could leave and he would walk in behind her, he caught sight of a wound on her hand and said,?"You are hurt," this time his face turning to one of concern. She had been hurt and hadn''t uttered a word about it to him nor had she flinched. "It is a small one. I will only need to clean and wrap it up. Should be healed in two weeks," Sylvia responded, for some reason, she felt as if the atmosphere had changed around them or the man to be specific. Not sure why the aloof man was now being concerned about her, "You should rest, Isaiah." He gave her a nod, "Yes. Please take care of yourself too," exchanging bows, they went and went on their way to their own separate rooms. Isaiah didn''t bother to look up at Elliot who had been standing there and watching them earlier. All he wanted to do was check and push out of mere boredom. After Sylvia and Isaiah walked inside the mansion, Elliot had a small unpleasant frown that had settled itself on his forehead. Turning around, he made his way out of the room, his shoes padding across the floor without much noise, he crossed the corridors and stepped down the stairs to go to one of the rooms. His footstepsing to a halt, he raised his hand and knocked on the door for the door to open by the person... Chapter 536 Staying Awake- Part 1 The door of the room opened to reveal a woman with sandy blonde hair, her expressioning to be nk as she stared at him. "Good evening, Sylvia," Elliot greeted before he invited himself into the room, pus.h.i.+ng the door and not bothering to close it. "What are you doing here?" Sylvia was busy getting the bath ready, having the water running in the tub and the clothes she had pulled out to wear before getting into bed. Elliot''s eyes picked on it before turning himself to face her. "I heard you were hurt," his eyes quickly scanned her from the top before his eyes finally settled on her arm which looked like there was a deep w mark, "Your skills have turned rusty." Sylvia didn''t bother to answer Elliot''s question. The man had the habit to poke his nose where it was not necessary. With her little time in the Delcrov''s mansion, she had studied the red-haired vampire well. Well enough to know and understand that he was not who he showed. "Let me help you bandage it," Elliot moved his hand forward, a bright smile on his face. "That won''t be necessary," she took away her hand by moving to her side so that he wouldn''t be able to grab it, "I am perfectly capable intending to my wounds. I still have a good arm." Elliot pouted at, his lips setting firmly together,menting, "What a stubborn and hard-headeddy. Your family must be very proud of where you are and what you did." The vampiress didn''t know what Elliot was doing here. It wasn''t evening but past midnight,ing to ady''s room in the middle of the night was something she was going to appreciate and it didn''t matter how she felt. And it shouldn''t thought thedy, staring at Elliot. "Is that all you came here for? The time of the morning isn''t too far. You should go get some sleep," Sylvia started to move him out of the room, not wanting him to drain her more because he had that effect on people. Always wearing people out as if he were a demon sucking the life of someone. But Elliot was having none of it, "Why are you always wanting to chase me out? I came here out of genuine concern," he said that had Sylvia stop moving him. "Really?" she asked him, staring into his eyes. "Yes," Elliot nodded his head as if it were obvious, "Let me help you aiding your arm and I will be out of your hair," he offered her again. He was right, the sooner the better, "Let me get the first aid box," she said, but he held his hand for her. "Let me go get it. Where have you ced it?" he asked her, already walking back into the room to hear her mutter something under her breath which he didn''t quite catch, "Did you tell something?" "You will find it in the bathroom," Sylvia said, seeing the man saunter into the bathroom ande back with the box in less than three seconds. She took herself to sit on the chair instead of the bed. Elliot came to her, pulling another chair and starting to work on her arm, "Was it the deranged vampires?" he asked to hear her hum for an answer which was short, "What was the pretty boy doing while you were fighting them?" he inquired about it. "He killed one of them," she replied, which had Elliot raising his eyebrows. "Impressive." Sylvia agreed on it, "It was. Hees out to be aloof and not wanting to take part in anything but he was able to kill the deranged vampire very efficiently. I was surprised by it-ouch!" "I am sorry, did that hurt?" Elliot asked in a concerned look, stopping the movement of his hand on her arm. His eyes looked at hers with some sort of vacancy, making his wordse off to be like he hadn''t meant it. Sylvia didn''t know why but there were times when she didn''t understand how this man''s head worked. He was an extroverted man yet at the same time it felt he didn''t give away enough thoughts of his to the people around him. Most of the time he came out to be goofy andid back which he was but there was the other side of the coin like now. "If you''re going to press it like that it will hurt," Sylvia retorted back to his question. "I am sorry, mdy," he gave her a sweet smile which she didn''t buy from him, "I will handle it gently," and he went back to cleaning her wound, pressing the cotton on her skin and then pulling out the blood which could have possibly been infected by the ws of the deranged vampires. A small frown marred her face, the subtle pain still there which she felt every time he moved near it, "Did you find anything in the towns you ventured tonight?" she asked him, s.h.i.+fting the subject to get her mind off the pain. "Nothing at all. Just the usual tiff between families, neighbors and whatnot over money or little brawls," he answered her, "How about yourself? Seeing you didn''t go to Lord Alexander, I am guessing you found nothing either." "Yes, they are usual happenings," she replied to him before looking at him putting the liquid from a small bottle on her wound. Once he was done helping her dress it, Elliot didn''t get up from the chair and instead stayed there seated. "Are you not going to sleep?" Sylvia asked him, the best subtle way to get him to leave the room so that she could wash and get to bed. Though they were vampires and wouldn''t need as much sleep as humans, she was still a lower vampire who was tired and needed rest right now. "Do you think I can sleep here tonight?" Sylvia''s eyes narrowed, wondering what he was up to right now, "No." "Why not?" he tilted his head in question. She stood up and said, "You have a perfectlyfortable bed waiting in your room, Elliot." "But¡­" Elliot trailed making Sylvia raise her eyebrows at him, "I think there is a ghost in the room. It would be much better for me to share the s.p.a.ce with you." Chapter 537 Staying Awake- Part 2 Sylvia blinked for a few seconds, making sure he had said what he just uttered to her. In less than ten seconds, Sylvia had pulled Elliot towards the door and nudging him out, "If you want to share the room you should try it with someone else. Perhaps a man. Thank you for helping me with the wound," she was ready to shut the door close but Elliot stopped her by saying, "Don''t get too close to people who you are unfamiliar with, Sylvi," his eyes were calm as he said it, a smile on his lips. Sylvia looked slightly ruffled over the name as it was a name she didn''t like. Nicknaming her to something informal yet at the same time, his words tugged her heart. "Who are you speaking about?" she somewhere had a faint idea but she wanted to hear his words. Elliot who was standing outside her room right now heard footsteps approaching and he grinned, "Look who we have here," on Elliot''s remark, Sylvia curiously pushed the doorpletely open and stepped out to find it was the ck witcher, Isaiah who hade. Sylvia wondered if she would ever get to change her clothes and get to bed. All she wanted to do right now was to let her head hit the pillow so that she could get some rest but here she was having guests in the middle of the night. Four to five hours more and the sun would rise. Isaiah ignored Elliot''s presence but the red-headed vampire was having none of it, "Isn''t it past your bedtime? What are you doing up here?" he asked him. "I am not a child," Isaiah responded back before turning to look at Sylvia, "I brought you something," he raised his hand to give a test tube filled with liquid, "This will help in reducing the pain and burn you feel." "How considerate," Elliotmented, his voiceing out dry withck of enthusiasm, "Her arm is already dressed, you can give it to her tomorrow once she starts to redress it." Isaiah''s eyes fell on the woman''s hand to notice the white bandage, "You can keep it for tomorrow," he continued to hold it out for her. Before Sylvia could take it, Elliot''s hand moved quickly to take it from the man. "You sure this is tested and won''t cause any harm? Many of the witches have tried to fix things to make it only worse," upon hearing Elliot''s words, Isaiah could tell that Elliot was neither happy with his presence bying here right now nor was he happy with his treatment for the woman. "Give it back to me," the ck witch stretched his hand but Elliot didn''t give him the test tube, instead he moved it back and forth in front of him, "I have tested it and works fine." Elliot gave the man a smile as if waiting to irk and annoy him more. He then turned his head to look at Sylvia, "This is what I meant," Isaiah who wasn''t here for the previous conversation looked genuinely confused. "You should not worry about it, Eli," Sylvia used the same tone he had used a few seconds ago, "Thank you for bringing it to me, Mr. Isaiah. I will use it tomorrow," she offered him a polite smile and then turned to Elliot, "The test tube," she smiled but Elliot was not happy. Wanting to stir trouble Elliot said, "Let''s have you make a new one while you exin it so that we know you are not nning to do something with her. There have been plenty of witches who have conned the vampire''s trust." "Elliot," Sylvia frowned not knowing what had gotten to him. The man was speaking absurdly and he never crossed lines like this, "You both should go sleep," she suggested feeling a rising headache that wasing to her. The ck witch who had been standing there, looking at the vampire in the eye, said, "Do you have a problem with me? Or do you have a problem with me speaking to thisdy here?" Elliot continued to smile, "If you think I do, why don''t you leave?" This time it was Isaiah who smirked, "Are you perhaps jealous?" Sylvia''s eyes widened in rm with the next action that came through with Elliot punching right into Isaiah''s face. "What the h.e.l.l are you doing, Elliot?!" Sylvia quickly bent down to look at the man''s bleeding mouth as it had a cut on his lips. "Keeping his mouth close. And what are you doing getting all worried for him?" Sylvia turned her head to look at Elliot in disbelief. "You need to go to sleep," Elliot who was looking elsewhere agreed. Elliot nodded his head, "That''s right. You should go to bed." "You, Elliot," Sylvia cleared that he had Elliot''s head snapping to look at her. "I have decided to stay awake," Elliot stomped his feet like a little child. Sylvia gave the grown vampire a look before saying, "Alright. You can stay awake while I go tend to his wound. Come in, Isaiah," Sylvia said to find Elliot looking at her in horror. "Inviting a man into your room in the middle of the night!" he eximed and the woman rolled her eyes. Wasn''t he in the room a few minutes ago too? Isaiah stood up and decided to fall Sylvia''s lead by stepping into the room, "You cannot be serious," this time Elliot stared at Sylvia not believing she was choosing a stranger who she knew from a week ago. "I will tend to him and have him go back to the room," Sylvia replied back politely, seeing how Elliot''s nerves were getting pushed right now. But the sad truth was that no matter how many times she would push his nerves things would nevere to change. "What about me?" Sylvia c.o.c.ked her head to the side, "You look fine. Are you wounded?" "You know that is hardly considered as a wound," Elliot pointed like a child of how unfair things looked to him. Why was she choosing the ck witch over him? Sure they had some arguments in the past but that didn''t mean she was going to ignore him, "Why don''t youe here, Isaiah. Let me break some more and then Sylvia can y doctor." Sylvia wanted tough at some point but instead, she yawned, "Goodnight, Elliot," she said before shutting the door and hearing his footsteps pa.s.s after a minute. She stood there with her back facing the ck witch who stared at her as she hadn''t moved. "You know he is right, I don''t need any tending for this." Sylvia snapped her head around to say, "I wasn''t nning it," her eyes narrowed at the man, to ask, "Don''t meddle into things which don''t concern you," she could see the tint of curiosity in the ck witch''s eyes to see what was going in between her and Elliot. Isaiah looked back at her, "You made him think that something is going on between us." "There''s nothing to make him think about. Thank you for your medicine, you should go rest too now and keep yourself away from this, unless you want me to injure you, personally" her voice was sharp and she opened the door for him to leave. Isaiah nodded his head, bowing at her and saying, "Goodnight, mdy." Sylvia closed the door and released the breath that she had been holding. Rubbing the sides of her temple, she removed her shoes and went straight to the bed to fall on it. Deciding to take the bath after she would wake up as she felt tired. Chapter 538 Fishy Indeed- Part 1 Music Rmendation: Reconcile by Peter Sandberg, All Those Letters by Francis Wells . Birds chirped outside the patio that had Penny walk towards the open s.p.a.ce, feeling the morning chill on her skin. She rubbed both her hands on her arms. Closing her eyes, a long yawn pa.s.sed her mouth before she couldpletely hide it behind her hand even though there was no one here right now to see the etiquettes. Two arms came to surround her from behind and she felt Damien pull her to his embrace, "You woke up early. Not able to sleep?" he asked, his head settling on one her right shoulder as he watched what she had been viewing a few seconds ago. She shook her head, "Wasn''t able to sleep," Damien pressed his lips against her neck. "Don''t take this too deep into your mind. Not unless it is something you cannot let go," he spoke next to her ear, "There are many things in this life which you will find to be disagreeable or disturbing. And it''s more than you can count. If you pick every burden of a person, it will wear you down." She enjoyed him holding her like this along with her arms being restricted right now, "Is that why you had a sound sleep?" she asked. "I had a sound sleep because I have you next to me," Master Damien was being romantic the first thing in the morning, "Though...it is hard to fall asleep knowing you are having trouble sleeping." "I will take your advice," turning around in his arms as he loosened his hold, Penny wound her hands around his neck. She was going to stand on the tip of her toes when Damien picked and ced her on the railings of the patio. Her hands quickly gripped tight around his neck, not letting it go, "You are nning to kill me, aren''t you?" A grin formed on his lips, "That I am. What kind of scandal would that turn out to be," Penny bit into his shoulders for it. "Don''t kill me right now," She pulled away from his neck and moved back,ing to look at his face. Damien chuckled hearing her nervous voice, "Do you fear the height?" his own hands going around her waist to make sure she would not fall down. "I used to not before," she was fine with heights until her mother had decided to push her into the sea which was next to Quinn''s mansion. She wondered how shocked her mother would be if she were to find that her sister-inw was still alive. Alive and breathing who had met her daughter. She smiled at the thought of it as she couldn''t wait to see the shock of disbelief on her face. "You don''t have to be scared of it. You are no more a human but a white witch with extraordinary abilities that no one possesses here. I will be right here if you were to slip to pull you back," he a.s.sured her. "I know, you will," she smiled looking up into his red eyes that had started to fluctuate, "When did youst drink blood?" she asked him, her hands reaching up to his face to trace the lines on the skin where the nerves had raised themselves up. "Last night. Looks like the corruption is up again," it wasn''t too long, she thought to herself. Leaning forward to hear him say, "You look worried." She then said something that made him stop to look into her eyes, "You are mine to worry, aren''t you?" ording to the little lecture he had given her a few minutes ago and what to worry about and what not to, she said, "I will continue to keep looking for a cure for the heart condition you have right now. If not able to cure, at least have it toned down so that it doesn''t affect you as much as it is doing right now," her fingers continued to trace and then stop to the sides of his face, "I don''t have many people to care for." Damien leaned forward, pressing his lips on her forehead, "I feel very loved right now," one corner of his lips pulled to the side, "After we go back to Bonke, would you like to be officially engaged to me in the public''s eye?" he asked. A goofy smile came upon her face which had a hint of mischief in it, "I was wondering when you would ask. I don''t want to be an Artemis," she cringed, saying it out loud to him. "You have been a Quinn since I ced the mark on your neck. Feel free to use it," this brought a wider smile on her face. She was a Quinn? When the time of breakfast arrived, everyone was seated at the table, having their food quietly. The maids continued to bring food from the kitchen to ce it on the table while the butler guided and got the food to everyone on their demand. After finding a few irregrities from the files and from the viges that had turned to ghost viges, they had decided to take another trip and enquire this time about it. Penny, who was eating, found two members at the table sitting in different seats today, Elliot and Sylvia. Did they have a fight? asked Penny in her mind but they weren''t togetherst evening as they had gone to different towns. Hearing the bell ring at the front of the entrance, the butler took his leave and returned back after a minute with a bunch of envelopes in his hand. "Milord," Martin said, finding a particr letter to give it to Alexander. Alexander was still having his meal when he took hold of the letter to see who it was from. Tearing the sides, he pulled out the letter to read. ''Lord Alexander we would like to invite you and your guests to our humble home for ate lunch on this Sunday on the ount of prosperousnd we have been living in...'' he read the rest of it and lifted his head to say, "The Artemis'' have invited us for ate lunch." Chapter 539 Fishy Indeed- Part 2 Penny stared at the letter which Alexander held in his hand. The envelope was dark green in color with a golden stamp on it. She found the timing to be quite odd as they were nning to confront the elderly couple once they would gather all the necessary information about them and their doings. "What an opportune time. It is more than perfect that we go there by their invitation," Damien stated when Caitlin interrupted him, "They must have nned something to invite Lord Alexander and you. Their main target is you both," she said looking at Damien and Penelope. Turning to Lord Alexander, she asked, "Have you ever eaten anything from there? In their house." "I have, why?" upon Lord Alexander''s response, her eyes cast themselves down on the table. "Alone?" "No, it was on one of the lunches they hosted." Caitlin looked slightly worried, "When we were young, Walter and I caught our uncle and aunt doing something in one of the rooms on the first floor of the house. Usually, people go to the bas.e.m.e.nts to hide something but my rtives have shown the people that they are harmless by taunting the people where they are blind and no nothing of what is going on." Penny tried remembering any strange room when she had revisited the Artemis'' house but there wasn''t any that she could recollect. Mrs. Artemis had taken them for a round of walk everywhere in the mansion as if to tell her everything in here was normal and they weren''t hiding anything or being suspicious. But the truth was deeper than what they were trying to hide. The first floor...it must have been one of the rooms she had walked by. When Damien gave Penny a look as if to ask her if she had spotted anything strange, she shook her head, "I think apart from the drink that was given to me, everything else appeared to look fine. Just like a normal house." "The viges we visited, they are some of the listed viges which the Artemis have been giving food," Damien said looking at his cousin, "Obviously, they have been mixing something and giving it to them which exins what happenedst night. Penny and I shall go back to the vige today." "That''s good. I will go to visit Miss Helen''s house with Elliot. It is best for Caitlin to stay in here than get spotted by anyone who has known you," he advised the woman who gave him a nod. "I am sure most of them who knew me are already dead," muttered the woman under her breath that had Damien smile. Both Penny and Damien this time made use of carriage unlikest night where Damien had made use of his ability to transport him and Penny to the vige. Reaching the vige, the coachman pulled the reins of the four horses which also brought some of the attention from the local men and women. It was only during the time of the council when carriages came to stop by the vige or sometimes rare rich people of the society who came for the welfare which was as rare as the blue moon in the sky. When Penny stepped out, she was surprised to see the number of people who were walking down the streets of the vige. The people perfectly fine making it appear as if what they had stumbled uponst night was nothing but a dream. "Look at the walking-talking people. What''s going on here?" he asked no one in particr as his voice was low, "More mystery to reveal." The coachman pulled over the carriage by taking it to one of the corners so that it wouldn''t obstruct the path of the fellow carriage men who woulde to pa.s.s through this path. "Look there, Damien," Penny pulled his sleeve to get his attention, looking to her right where she jerked her head. It was the very same man who they had met in the first house, "It feels like a trick¡­" A few hours ago they were looking dazed like a statue with no movement but right now, they looked healthy and fine. "Let''s find out," Penny followed Damien, making their way towards the man who was carrying an empty vessel. Noticing them approach him, Damien asked, "h.e.l.lo, mister. Do you know where the magistrate''s office is?" For a moment, Penny saw how the man looked nk as if trying to fetch the answer from his mind. His lips trembled before a smile came on his lips, his eyes wide as the night they hade to pa.s.s by. It was obvious that the person wasn''t doing alright. The man raised his hand, pointing it in a direction to say, "You go around this corner and then take a left near the yellow house. You will find the office right in the corner," the more seconds pa.s.sed the more Penny started to feel creepy about this man. To smile like this with his eyes wide which somewhat gave out a mixed reaction, she didn''t know what kind of magic the Artemis had ced on the vigers. She had tried finding it out from the books but there wasn''t much a white witch''s book could tell when this didn''t look like anything that belonged to pure magic. "Is there anything else I could help you with?" the man asked politely and Damien smiled back to him. "No, that would be all." The man bowed his head, his neck movementsing out to be reluctant, a slight jerk before he stood straight, "Then I shall be going on my way," and with that, he walked away from them. "This looks far worse than anything I have seen before," Damienmented, starting to walk away from there and they started to feel the gazes of the people even though they weren''t looking directly at them, "I feel more popr today, mouse." Penny frowned while also smiling to say, "I think only you would like the poprity in any form." "Of course. You need to have all kinds of audience," Damien''s chest puffed, running his hands as if he were an actor in the theater who was being received by his many admirers. The only admirers here being the doll-like people who were staring at them, their eyes following them when they pa.s.sed. She asked, "Do you think they have been hypnotized?" "That could be one of the many options. Who knew that witches could do something so extreme by controlling more than a hundred vigers by their minds," reaching the council office, they stepped back in to find thedy magistrate who this time was working instead of cutting vegetables. Chapter 540 Fishy Indeed- Part 3 At the same thought, Penny couldn''t help but wonder why the woman was cutting vegetables yesterday when they had arrived here. Her mind went to wander about it because Lady Isabelle had named the books on vegetables. Was there some kind of link or representation when it came to the vegetables? The woman definitely didn''t appear like a human but instead was a white witch. "Good morning, mdy," Damien greeted the woman with a bright smile. The woman''s face was calm where she didn''t express the surprise on her face. "Good morning. How can I help you councilwoman and councilman today?" asked the woman but Damien had other unimportant things toment on. "I see you are not cutting vegetables anymore. If you need to hire a maid, please feel free to let me know. I will be sure to rmend a good one." "I will note it down," said the woman, trying to figure out what they were doing back here and suspecting it was because of the empty files but even if they tried to enquire about any of thetest dispute, the council members wouldn''t be able to get a speck of information out right now. Damien then said, "Could you call your guardsmen who guard the vige? I had some questions for them." "What is it about?" the magistrate asked, her expression still looking cool and calm. "Just want to make sure they are getting paid well. After all, even without disputes, there haven''t been any attacks by the witches. Men like those need to be praised, do you know where I can find them?" he asked her. The woman couldn''t tell anything because Damien was aware that there were no guards in the vige. Even if there was one, the people of this vige appeared to not be in their good mindset. It appeared that they were all being manipted with no voice of their own. "The guards actually pa.s.sed away," thedy said, that had Damien raising his eyebrows, "They were killed by the witches. The event must have slipped through my mind," she smiled at him as if wanting to get out of the sticky situation. "My my, and here I thought this was one of the best towns to have a clean record. Were you busy cutting vegetables for your family that you didn''t remember to note it down?" To Damien''sment, the magistrate white witch couldn''t do anything about it. Damien and Penny already knew that the woman standing in front of them was not rted to the council and she hadn''t been appointed by one. If they had Alexandere with them, it would have blown thedy''s cover of how she was involved in the Artemis but they wanted to dig out more from her. Penny couldn''t help wondering why anyone would try hypnotizing arge number of people together, who appeared better in the daylight and turned to the statue during the time of night. Was it another ma.s.sacre? But if it was truly a ma.s.sacre, then they would have done it by now. Killing of pets and having the humans and some of the vampires who lived in the vige who belonged to the lower society of the vampires, she didn''t know where to fix the puzzle as the other pieces were empty and lost. "Apologies for not being meticulous. Let me write it down," she said and started to pull the files but Damien waved his handoff. "I hope you have given them the respectful burial, aye?" he asked her. The magistrate nodded her head, saying a yes, "Good good," he looked around the room before saying, "Take us to the graves." "What?" Thedy hadn''t expected Damien to make such a request.?"To pay respect of course," he smiled and the woman nodded her head again. "Follow me." The cemetery didn''t stand too far away from the vige and was attached to the behind side of it, almost near the forest. Unlike the other cemeteries, these tombstones were made of wooden crosses. It seemed like the bodies had been ced without a proper order as it was the forest, there were several graves that moved from one side to another. The magistratedy led them to two graves that were in the far corner. "Here it is," her thin eyebrows looked at them sternly as if she had other better things to do than take them to tour the cemetery. Damien put out a very sad face as if it were his beloved nt that had died due tock of sunlight and water. Penny in the meantime stood quietly behind Damien without offering a word. "I shall take my leave while you..pay your respect to the dead," the woman turned around and walked away, entering the vige back and disappearing from there. Once she was gone, Penny asked, "How do we know this is the graves of the guards?" "We don''t yet but we can always figure out," he walked closer and used both his hands to pull out the cross that had been ced with no flowers, "Isn''t it funny how there is not a single fresh flower in the cemetery. Makes it look like people have forgotten the dead." "It is because of no one¡­" Penny''s words trailed and she looked back at the vige, "Did you notice something?" and when she asked it, Damien pulled out the cross to show her the below part of the wood which had been pushed deep into the soil. "The bodies we are standing in or around is more than a year old," he looked closely at the color of the wood, "Look, the color and the wet wood is usually different depending on the age of how it corrodes itself with the soil." "You are smart," Penny praised him and he shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing new, "We both know the woman is lying, why are we testing her again?" all they had to do was grab the woman and spew the truth out, and Damien was good at it. Damien pushed the cross back into the soil, stepping out and away from the cemetery, "Because we know the vigers are being controlled but we don''t know the intentions of the white witch. If she''s truly working for the Artemis or if there''s someone else in the picture. It is always good to spread out the roots so that even if one of them gets damaged, there''s another to sprout. Something tells me this is all for the bigger picture." "Isn''t that given though?" Penny had already thought about it, "My mother tried to run the ma.s.sacre with the other witches, the very same mother who was married into Artemis'' family through my uncle and aunt." Walking farther away from the cemetery, Damien asked her, "What were you going to tell earlier?" Earlier? Penny wondered before she remembered, "Did you notice how the vigers have been inside? Not a single person has left the vige or away from it. No one in the farm, no cows or sheep or hens. There''s nothing," and she was right. They were the only ones who had stepped in and out of it. Chapter 541 The Magistrate- Part 1 They didn''t stay there too long in the vige and took themselves to the next one where the man was the magistrate with the viges that were in simr conditions. People walked down the roads like nothing ever happenedst night and the people here looked shocked and wide-eyedpared to the previous vige, that didn''t make it any better though. Checking the guards if they were still present here, they met them who appeared to give them clipped answers. "When was thest time that an attack took ce here?" Damien asked one of the guards. "Almost three months ago, Sir. We have been having people listen to us by following rules." "What kind of rules?" Damien asked him, standing outside the magistrate''s office while leaving Penny with the magistrate. The guardsman replied, "We have asked them not to leave the vige after six o clock. The church bell rings every morning and in the night to ensure that everyone hears it. With every bell in the morning, they step out after we make sure the area is free and clear of any suspicious activities." "And what if the witches or deranged vampires attack? Don''t tell me you have made friends with the witches," Damien tilted his head in question. "No, Sir, we," the guardsman paused, his expression freezing for a good moment that even made Damien raise his brow. He brought his hand forward and snapped his fingers for the man to continue speaking, "We usually check the forest. There have been no witches who have been spotted here." "What if I said I was a witch disguising as a pureblooded vampire?" Damien asked the same guardsman. The guardsman opened his mouth to say something but no voice came out, his mouth moved and as it moved Damien''s eyes zeroed in on it to see what the man was trying to say, ''S-save us. W-we have been tr-aped.'' The guardsman who was next to the one who had moved his mouth snapped his head and the one moving his mouth stopped like a statue. Damien''s eyes furrowed and then he said, "I think I will need to get you both an honorary mention by Lord Alexander for your remarkable work here," for still being alive and not be killed yet, thought Damien to himself. The second guardsman bowed his head, "Please don''t mind lowly men like us. We are here only to help thends and to make it a better ce." In the meantime, Penny, who was sitting along with the magistrate, stared at him. Every time his eyes went to meet hers he smiled at her queasy before his eyes darted left and right again. She could tell clearly that the man was worried about what Damien wanted to do with the guardsmen of this vige as he had taken them out of the office to speak to them. The man didn''t appear normal. By front, he looked like a vampire but in truth, she could tell something was amiss which she couldn''t point her finger yet right now. Why...Penny questioned to herself as she stared at him. "It seems like you have something to ask me," the man said after a while that made Penny blink at him. "Why do you say that?" she questioned him. The magistrate smiled at her, leaning forward and pulling his chair along with him, he said, "You keep staring at me as if I have done something to you, Councilwoman Vivian," this brought a smile on Penny''s own face. She had only been staring and his question was why she was staring before he himself was agreeing that he must have done something. Right now the man was only trying to behave cool and calm like a murderer would to cover a shred of evidence and blend into the crowd to not let anyone know what he did. "Have you done something? If you haven''t done anything you shouldn''t bring it up in the light. They say it''s equal to hitting your feet with your own hammer." "I don''t think I have heard about it," said the magistrate, "By the way, afterst night, one of the councilmen arrived here in the office. When I inquired about the files that you and councilman Damien came here for, he mentioned how you were on vacation and haven''t gone to the council for nearly four to five weeks now." So he had inquired, or was he bluffing? Asked Penny to herself. "I love to work, Sir. It is what keeps my mind upied. What keeps your mind upied?" Penny leaned forward from her own chair. cing both her hands at the desk and smiling at him coyly. A seductive smile formed on her lips and she could see it working on the man. "Mine?" he asked her, his voice falling a few octaves below than what he was speaking with earlier. "Yes," her hand went to reach the crystal stone of .s.s that was ced on top of the parchments to hold it down from any possible wind. She rotated her hand around it, ying with it just like she was trying to y him right now, "For someone who has been working so hard to protect the vige here, you must be a very busy man. Doesn''t it get difficult for you?" The man looked at Penny, his red eyes staring into hers. He couldn''t deny it but this woman sitting in front of him was beautiful and s.e.xy. Her green liquid like eyes staring at him in concern that he hadn''t found anyone to do it for her before. "It sometimes does but we need to follow the orders that are given out by the higher members. To have a better life for everyone." "What a hardworking man you are," Penny ced her hand closer to him by letting go of the .s.s. Before the man could ce his hand on the woman''s hand that was lying freely on top of the desk, the councilman arrived back inside. "Mr. Magistrate. I will be taking two of your men to the Delcrov''s mansion to give an honorary award for being brave." "What?!" the man looked at him rmed, "No," he refused the offer quickly. Chapter 542 The Magistrate- Part 2 Damien and Penny both stared at the magistrate man who had refused outright on it. "Hmm? Is there a problem with it?" asked Damien with a confused expression. The man coughed, trying to quickly think as he said, "There are some terms that have been revised that guardsmen cannot leave the vige at any point in time." "Not even on the ount of the Lord of thend?" Damien raised his brows. The magistrate was trying to get out of it but there was no reason he could find right now. ording to what he had been told, all he had to do was wait and look over the vige but who knew that someone woulde to pick the guardsmen out of this vige. "You can take them tomorrow if you want to," he said, quickly correcting himself. "It appears today is not a good today for you," the magistrate agreed to Damien''s words and nodded, "But today is a good day for me. I am upied with dinner and lunch invitations. It would be quite rude to ignore the invitation of the elites. I am sure...a peasant like you doesn''t know how rude it is." The magistrate looked offended to hear it. Was this man calling him a peasant? Penny interrupted both of them saying, "Sir, we''ll be sure to bring them back by night. They can have dinner with us." "I will have to refuse the invitation on behalf of the guardsmen. If you ask them, I a.s.sure you that they have the same thoughts as me. We are just local men and want to live a local life," the magistrate gave out a nervousugh. Damien''s eyes fell on the man''s neck and he asked, "Is that why you are wearing gold around your neck? Speak about double standards," hemented and the magistrate looked even more nervous than before. "It was a gift I brought for myself." Silence fell in the room and then Damien said, "Alright. I will let the Lord know that the two brave men of this vige will be having dinner with him tomorrow." "Of course," the man nodded his head and they started to walk away from the vige. Penny could still somewhat feel the people''s vige. When they were a good distance away from the office, Penny asked, "Are we leaving just like that? Why did you want the guards?" she asked him curiously. "The man asked me to help him." "What?" "Mhmm," Damien hummed and pulled her to an alley where they were heading back to the office, "They are controlled but there are some strong-willed people who are trying to fight whatever curse that has been put on the people in here." The alley they were walking in was dark and murky. Quiet with no one around. It seemed like they were going to spy on the magistrate. Heading closer to the backside of the office where the window was barely open, "Why was the councilman asking me to take you both then?" they heard the magistrate''s voiceing out of the window. The man must be an idiot to keep the window open and question the guards of this vige thought Penny to herself. "I didn''t say anything, Sir." "I didn''t say anything, Sir." The same sentence was repeated by two people who were the guards. "He''s going toe tomorrow again and let me tell you, you are not going to step out of this vige or anywhere. This is where you are supposed to be and listen to my word and your master. Don''t disobey any of us else you know what will happen," the magistrate scared the two guardsmen. "Yes, Sir!" Damien pulled Penny away from there quickly to the side when the magistrate pushed the door open and leaned forward to see if someone was there behind the window. Penny had stopped breathing and ced her hand on her mouth when the window opened wide, she heard the magistrate say, "If they doe tomorrow and take you away, make sure to kill him before reaching the destination. I already heard from one person that they have been snooping around sincest evening. The word has already reached the Artemis and we''ll be going there to see what we need to do next." The magistrate jumped out of the window and at the same time, Damien apparated along with Penny within a heartbeat. The man looked around, his red eyes flickering to another color and he sniffed the air. Someone was here, he was sure about it. Damien and Pennynded on the bed with a poof. She ced her hand on her chest. "Did he find out?" "Don''t think so," Damien said getting up from the bed along with Penelope, "At least now we know from the bbermouth that the Artemis is indeed involved in what is going on. But we still don''t know why they are keeping the humans and the others locked in there without letting them go." Penny wished she knew about it. Even though the vegetable books had things regarding the forbidden magic mixed up along with ck witch magic and white magic, Penny didn''t know why and what the spell that had been ced on the vige. She bit her lip in concentration before saying, "What if...what if they are trying to source energy?" "borate it, darling," Damien said, listening to her as she started to speak. "The bodies of humans, vampires or witches are mostly used to source or channel energy. That is why they have been making use of the ma.s.sacre. Do you remember when we first met the switcher, the town there consisted of dead bodies." Damien remembered it, it was one of the worst memory of his, "They weren''t testing the ma.s.sacre," Penny nodded her head, "First it was the ritual of sacrificing people who were alive, then came the dead and now it is the doll-like human..." "They aren''t being killed but their soul energy must be diminis.h.i.+ng. What if the first target where the animals and they were the first ones to die? Maybe that is why we didn''t see any animal there." That was a usible theory, thought Damien to himself. Chapter 543 The Magistrate- Part 3 When the time of night arrived and the silence fell on the streets and roads of the two viges, in one of the houses sat an elderly woman and man on the chairs while four people stood in front of them. In the dark with scare light sat Mr. and Mrs. Artemis who looked at the four people with unhappy expression, "What do you mean the councilman and councilwoman are walking around the vige?" asked Mr. Artemis. He looked extremely displeased with the people right now. The magistratedy, bowed her head, without raising it as she started to speak, "They came yesterday searching for files. I thought they wouldn''t return but they came back today asking for the guardsmen of the vige." "Yes, Sir!" the man named Zenith Croogs with red eyes who looked like a vampire replied, "Today councilman Damien even asked to take the guardsmen to the Delcrov''s mansion to treat them for dinner." "And you weren''t called?" asked Mrs. Artemis sarcastically, it made the male magistrate scratch his neck, "If they are onto something it is best to sort them out. Get rid of them," she said calmly. "But he''s a pureblooded vampire," the woman said to hear Mrs. Artemis smiles gently. A harmless smile that came to her face. "So?" Mr. Artemis stood up from his seat, walking towards the window where the moonlight fell on thend, giving out a blue and white hue in the atmosphere. "It isn''t something we haven''t done before. We have killed witches, pureblooded vampires, humans. None of them matter until we finish the goal," when the light fell on his eyes as he looked up at the moon, his eyes had turned to snake-like slits which were no more than brown and round to see. "He''s right," Mrs. Artemis agreed, "We had the humans anger against the white witch who is no more. This man and the woman are nothing. Who is the woman again? Evelyn is it?" Zenith shook his head, "No it wasn''t councilwoman Evelyn. It is Vivian Carmichael," The Artemis couple looked taken aback by this information. "That cannot be. The Carmichael''s have taken a break." "No, Madam. She had blonde hair and green eyes-" "That is not Vivian. It is Penelope," Mrs. Artemis was not happy with the turn of events. They had their suspicion on the girl because everyone turned out to be like this and every time they got it fixed without an issue. Yet, she had gone as far as to wander into the vige by involving the pureblooded vampire. "Didn''t you add the potion into the tea?" her husband asked. "I did. She drank a whole pot of tea which was mixed with the potion to erase her mind," Mrs. Artemis clutched the sides of her chair. This had never happened, her potions always worked and they had been working on most of the people who needed their memory wiped unless they had to go to the next step. "Looks like it didn''t affect her at all if she''s still snooping and being persistent on what is going on," Mr. Artemismented. "Sir, it wasn''t the girl who was asking questions but it was the councilman. Councilman Damien," Zenith let them know, "The girl did nothing." "Are you taking the woman''s side?" thedy magistrate snorted unbelievingly, "Wanting to keep her to yourself? It shouldn''t be that bad if the magic will work on her." "I need both of them. Also, the ones who are living in Delcrov''s mansion. All of them so that we can finish the matter right here before it starts spreading out," Mrs. Artemis stood up from the chair, "Let''s get this over with. Once the ritual starts it marks the opening of the gate where the magic has been hidden." The people there nodded their heads. The very same day, Damien had snuck out of the mansion alone in the vige. Walking down the street not so evidently, he had gone to the magistrate''s office who was still present until the time of evening where the man finally packed his things and left for the other vige by walk. The sound of crickets was heavy and a crow flew at a distance with the constant hoot of an owl in the nearby forest. He followed the man until he reached one of the dark houses and the magistrate stepped in. Damien walked around the house beforeing to find a window where he could peek or stand next to so that he could listen and see what was going, which he did. Who knew that there was a prep party going on before the grand lunch in the Artemis'' house. By the words that were spoken inside, he realized that the humans who had rioted a few years ago had been put under the spell of the Artemis. It must have been something simr to the vigers, after all, why would the humans who were cared for by thedy stand against her and burn her? Damien stayed there for a while, waiting for everyone to scatter out and go back to where they came from. The first to leave was the Artemis, and then the magistrates along with the guardsmen who apanied thedy back to the vige. Discreetly, he followed them with a good distance. Being used to the carriage and his ability to transport himself, it had been a long time since he had walked for this long. Seeing the woman get back into the office. The guardsmen started to walk away, parting ways when Damien decided to make his appearance known to the guardsman who had previously tried to speak to him in the morning. The guardsman stopped walking on the sight of Damien, not moving front not moving back either. Damien could tell that the man was conflicted like earlier. Wanting to speak but unable to do it. "You don''t mind if I take you from here, do you?" Damien asked the man with a grin on his face. Chapter 544 Early Date- Part 1 Damien could see the dilemma in the man''s eyes as if fighting for something but the expression on his face was docile and quiet to look at. The guardsman didn''t reply in the beginning before he said, "I am sorry, Sir. I need to go back to my home. My wife waits for me," his eyes looked back at Damien unblinkingly. Staring back with a small polite smile which anyone could spot on how odd it was. Guardsmen were never kind, usually, men who were rough were the ones who were a.s.signed for the job to be able to handle any kind of people. "Hmm?" Damien hummed before saying, "How about we go to your home and get your wife along. I wouldn''t take too much of your time. We will be going to meet the magistrateter." On hearing the word ''magistrate'' it was as if the switch in the man''s brain had suddenly been tripped and he said, "Of course, Sir. Let me lead you there," said the man and they went to walk further to reach a small house which was the size of Damien''s room in Quinn''s mansion. The poor always lived minimally for what they earned and had. The guardsman walked to the door and knocked until his wife opened who looked equally calm and starstruck with no evident change in her expression. "Wee back home," greeted his wife. Though Damien was standing right behind him, the wife didn''t bother to look at him, ignoring his presence, "You must be tired. Let me go get you something to drink." Damien noticed how the man continued to stand outside and waited for his wife to return back, who did with a .s.s of water. Taking the .s.s of water, the guardsman handed it to Damien by turning around, "You must be thirsty." "I am fine," Damien answered the guardsman. He stared at the .s.s of water until his throat suddenly turned dry. A rising thirst bubbling in his throat which was far worse than the thirst of blood he had felt. Damien had been alright all this while. He had made sure to drink enough blood. Taking the red pill out of his pocket, he put it in his mouth and swallowed it in the hope that the thirst would calm down but it did nothing. When he took a deep whiff of the air, he felt something that he had not noticed earlier. There was something in the air that stretched across thends that were resulting in the thirst he felt for the water. He gulped down looking back at the .s.s of water. He could feel his mind starting to hurt over theck of water. The guardsman said, "You must be thirsty, Sir after your long journey. Take this .s.s of water," he pushed the .s.s of water forward, bringing it up towards Damien''s face. They hade herest night but nothing had happened so why now? Did the witches use their spell so that one would bepelled to drink the water which was offered? He could tell without having to test the water or drink it to know that something was wrong with it. Something had been mixed, something very simr to what the Artemis had tried making Penelope drink. Of course. He now understood why it was so. But this was not the time to think about it. The more seconds pa.s.sed the more his control slipped out of his fingers which made it difficult for him to breathe. The guardsman stood there just as he had been, with the .s.s as Damien struggled to quench his thirst. He knew drinking the water which was offered would turn him to one of these people. A set of dolls who had no control over their body. "What is there in the wind?" Damien fell on the ground in a matter of a few seconds. He couldn''t think about anything but gulping down the water which was in front of him. He was thirsty and he needed to drink water as much as he could. Like suddenly someone had put him in a sea of desert and the sun was sucking every single drop of water from his body. "I don''t understand your question, sir. Here, please take some water so that it makes you feel better," it wasn''t going to be better but f.u.c.king worse if that liquid touched his lips. The wife of the guardsman then spoke to her husband, "Dear, you should help mister drink the water. He seems to be in pain," Damien moved back, lifting himself up and ring at the .s.s to throw it away on the ground, "Oh dear, let me get another .s.s of water." Damien wondered if the wholend was infected through the channel of irrigation. Now that he thought about it, it was possible. If he wasn''t wrong, the river that was close by here moved to the next vige, without connecting to the other towns or viges of Valeria. It wasn''t the food which they were giving to these vigers, people who would be suspicious with the intentions of the Artemis could always test it out but they would nevere to find anything. The food was only to show but what they were doing is infecting the very water that the people used to drink, bathe or use it for other purposes. The vigers had been continuously drinking the water and were under the spell for a long time. It was only time when they would infect the other vige and towns by turning all of it to a ghost town. Trying to get a hold of himself, Damien said, "You said you needed to meet your wife. Time to go." "But what about water?" Damien stared at the man, "You can ssh it on the magistrate''s faceter," he then paused and said, "On second thought, give it to me," he took hold of the .s.s and looked into it which looked crystal clear, "Alright, hold it for me. Time to travel," saying this, he ced both his hands on the woman as well as the guardsman that had them transported to Delcrov''s mansion. Chapter 545 Early Date- Part 2 There are other books in this same world. Do try giving it a read which you will find in my profile. ''Belle Adams Butler'' is the 5th book in this series~ Penny who had woken up at the slight rustle of the bedroom in the darkness, woke up to find the bed to be empty. Sitting straight up on the bed, she pushed her nket to walk outside the patio to only find the wind blowing through with Damien being absent in the room and in here too. Where did he go? Going back in, she picked up the coat to wear and tie the belt around her waist. Picking up the candle stand, she walked outside the room wondering if Damien was outside the mansion or if he was in the study room with Alexander where he mostly spent his time in. Walking down through the corridor, she heard a small purr sounding from the corner to catch sight of Alexander''s cat who was taking a nap in front of one of the rooms on the little mat. Walking past the cat, she made her way down to see no one below. The mansion looked empty and deserted at this house of the night. With only a few candles that were lit around, she was d to have brought the candle stand along with her. Before she could reach the study room where she was still a few distances away from it, she heard a thud sound from behind the door and she quickly ran to the door. Turning the k.n.o.b and pus.h.i.+ng it open to see Damien on the couch along with a man and a woman. "Hey," came Damien''s hoa.r.s.e voice, "Do you think you could get me a jug of water?" he asked. Penny nodded her head, looking at the two strangers before making her way out to get what Damien had asked her for. Returning back with the water, she had the butler trailing close behind her as his sensitive ears had picked up the sounding from the study room as if someone had broken into the mansion. No one would dare to break into the mansion as it was not just because it was the Lord''s house but also because there were a bunch of vampires living there along with the pureblooded vampires. An intruding thief would only court death by stepping in. Penny offered the jug of water where she had also brought the .s.s to only hold it as she looked at Damien to finish the water in less than twenty seconds. "Are you alright?" she asked him. He looked worn out right now and tired. He had been fine earlier but now he looked tired. "Much better now that I am seeing you," Damien grinned that made Penny roll her eyes. Penny turned to Martin to ask, "Could you please get another jug of water?" "Right away, mdy," the butler bowed his head, walking out of the room. Damien stood up from the couch, looking at the woman and man who sat there quietly right now without any movement. Hypnotized, doll-like as they stared into s.p.a.ce. "Did you kidnap these people?" Penny whispered to him not knowing if the couple could hear her speak. "I did. They kept insisting that I drink water. Did you drink anything in there?" Damien asked her not knowing if Penny had drunk a .s.s of water this morning when they had gone to meet the magistrates again. "No, I didn''t. The man did offer me a .s.s of water but I didn''t take it," Penny answered his question and he let out a relieved sigh of air through his lips. At the same time, he couldn''t stop but wonder about what happened a few moments ago. When the door to the study room opened, Penny turned around to see Alexander walking through it and then came Elliot and Sylvia. It appeared that the vampires in this mansion had very good ears to listen to every sound. But then the sound was evident in the room. "Who is the woman?" Alexander asked, walking around the couch. He already was aware that Damien was going to bring the guardsman home but he didn''t expect him to bring a woman too. "It''s his wife. He looked too attached to her," Damien answered his cousin, "By the way, I got to attend a midnight meeting with the Artemis." "They were in the vige?" Elliot questioned with a frown. Damien said, "They are controlling the vigers and they are eagerly waiting for lunch. Eating and drinking the food there is a big no. The water is infected. You need to run a check to see who is handling the irrigation. The water that pa.s.sed through from one stream to another is what had turned these people in this state." Martin arrived back with a jug of water, handing it to Damien and the pureblooded vampire gulped all of it quickly. Like Penny, Alexander noticed the worn-out look on Damien''s face. "What happened there?" "The air is stifling. There is this very faint smell of leaves when they are run across the rocks. It makes you feel very thirsty. Enough to make you drink any and everything in front of you." Alexander turned to Elliot and the man didn''t have to be told verbally as he nodded his head and left with Sylvia leaving with him to check the stream. "We cannot wait until lunch, Alex," Damien stated knowing well it would only pull in people who were not involved in what was going on, "Whatever it is, it needs to be done tonight. I also found something." "What is it?" Alexander waited to know what it was. "The humans who rioted that morning when Aunt Isabell was killed, they were put under trans simr to what is going on right now," Damien didn''t know if he did the right thing by letting his cousin know who was involved in her death as it was a sensitive subject but he believed the man had the right to know so that he could give the justice to her soul. Penny turned to look at Alexander who didn''t react to Damien''s words. With what she knew, Lady Isabelle''s death had taken thend by surprise. The woman was good to her people, and though there were many who didn''t approve of her presence as thedy of Valeria, they still obeyed the word that came from the higher-ups. Her death had been a mystery because no one knew why people had rioted for exactly when all she was doing that day was checking in the market with her son, Alexander when he was the age of five. Chapter 546 Early Date- Part 3 Though one thing which bothered her was that...Lady Isabelle was a white witch who was not allowed to kill people but she had touched upon the forbidden magic. She could have protected herself somehow. For a woman who wrote the whole book of spells, Penny was sure Lady Isabelle knew how to make use of every single one of them yet she hadn''t used it. Why? The question had appeared before in her mind, she was figuring it out that time and she was doing it right now too. Did the woman think dying was better, or was there some greater cause that she had given up her life? Now that she hade across the portraits in Delcorv''s mansion, she could tell that the woman they had met in the church was almost the same woman who was in the many paintings that hung on the wall. If there was a slight possibility that they were indeed the same person, she wondered why a remarkable woman like her had nevere to meet her son again. Her heart ached for both of them. The timings must have been so off or thedy had timed it in such a way that Lord Alexander must have nevere to cross paths with her again. Thest she had heard about her, she was no more in the church. The council kept a watchful eye on the witches and even if one went missing they often tracked them down but they hadn''t been sessful in tracking down the church Lady. Alexander didn''tment on it but he said, "We should start preparing if we are going to visit them tonight. Also about the air, it didn''t affect you yesterday." Yes, the air in the vige, Damien said, "It was because Penny was with me. I think she doesn''t realize it but she''s able to purify the air around her which must have made it breathable for me. I think the water and air are much more contaminated in the first one vige of thedy magistrate than in the second one. Which is why I didn''t notice it in the morning while I was talking to the guardsmen." Penny hadn''t even realized or noticed it. For her everything was like the taste of the air, which was tasteless. "At least I don''t have to worry about them turning you to one of their mummified dolls," Damien offered Penny a smile, "Go wake up your aunt, mouse. Tell her we are leaving tonight to the Artemis'' house." An hour pa.s.sed and everyone in the house had changed their clothes from their nightwear to something much better. With their weapons in hands and in pockets, Alexander gathered the people who were going to go to the house of the white witches. Alexander pulled up a scroll and pushed the sheet to unfold it across the table which looked like the blueprint of the house, "I was able to catch hold of the design which was made for the house before the Artemis moved in there." "That isn''t their house?" Caitlin asked, surprised as she had a.s.sumed the house belonged to her uncle and aunt. "It isn''t," answered Alexander, picking up two stones to ce it on either side of the scroll to stop it from curling itself, "Apparently the Artemis, the couple, there is no origin to the story they have spun. The house belonged to a human named Billiard Carrington. His family died out of mysterious infection and disease and the Artemis were one of the workers who worked for the Carrington family. In time the man who was the sole survivor jumped into the well and killed himself." "They killed his family," Caitlin murmured under her breath, her eyebrows furrowing deeply as she thought about it. Right now Caitlin didn''t find it too astonis.h.i.+ng that her uncle and aunt had done something so despicable. "Here you see," Alexander pointed out at the X cross marks on the blueprint of the house, "These are the parts which have been told that the bedrooms exist. Seven big bedrooms out of which, one of them is the ce where they are making their potions or whatever business they have been doing. Ites on the first floor. This side of the mansion is where they usually don''t let people step in. It is mostly because of the portraits because the pictures also consist of the deceased Carrington''s." "How are you going to get the answers though?" Penny asked them. The Artemis wouldn''t confess over what they have done and if they had the ability to kill Lady Isabelle, she didn''t know how scheming and cruel they were. The same people who raised her aunt and her father. "n.o.body ever gives the answer right away, dear," Caitlin replied to her niece. Damien chuckled, "It is usually forced out. It will be a memorable night. Ready?" he asked everyone who gave him a nod. Penny touched her coat to make sure her needles and thest remaining bottles of the bomb was in her coat. "Elliot and Sylvia will be working on the purification in the river so that they can lower the density of the air that has been formed in the vige, "Martin keeps an eye on these two while we are gone," Alexander ordered his butler who bowed at him willfully, "Also the witch in the quarters. Have them taken there." Elliot and Sylvia who had taken the carriage reached the river,nterns already in their hands, they walked towards the edge of it to see the condition of the fishes and other aquatic animals that were dead and floating on the surface. "It has been contaminated," Sylvia said, her hand outstretched with thentern hanging on top of the water where the water gently flowed down. "We need to see where the contamination starts. Wherever it is, the witches must have ced something there," Elliot responded back to continue walking and Sylvia followed him, in the quiet night far away from the viges to find the toxic substances that were putting the people under a continuous spell. Chapter 547 Night At Artemis- Part 1 While Alexander and Caitlin made their way through one of the windows, Damien walked up to the front porch of the house with nontern burning in front of therge house. The house looked dark too except for some of the front ground floor. Going to the door, he knocked on the wood, waiting for the door to open but no one ever came to open the door. Penny, who was standing behind Damien, looked up for one of the curtains to move near the windows. "They know we are here," Penny whispered to him. "That''s good. It makes life that much simpler, doesn''t it?" Damien asked her.? He pulled out the gun from his back, aiming at it when they heard a woman''s voicee from behind who had been standing right behind them. "What a violent man." Penny''s head snapped around to look at the white witch who stood there without any guard. At least that is what she made them believe until Penny caught sight of something s.h.i.+ny near her sleeves. The woman hade prepared with weapons. "I haven''t even done anything yet and here you are calling me violent. What a delicate woman you are to be carrying knives in those sleeves of yours," Damien said looking at the woman. The white witch didn''t wait for another second and she instead started to throw the knives at both of them. Damien was quick enough to deflect the knives with his gun but Penny couldn''t do much with the needles that she carried. Though she had a gun for safety, the knives that were being thrown were too fast and she felt one of them grazing against her sleeve. "Get inside," he said, sending her away and dealing with the white witch here. "So confident in sending the woman alone. Do you think she will survive?" Damien waved his hand that was holding the gun, "She will be just fine. You can in the meantime concentrate on the handsome man in front of you," Damien smiled at her. "I hate men like you," the woman started through the knives again as he deflected them while saving the bullets which he had loaded before leaving the mansion. "Don''t worry,dy. I am not here to woo you. Even if you were thest woman I wouldn''t court you," this only pushed the woman''s b.u.t.ton before she threw something near him that let out white gas. He had smelled this gas before when he was in the vige. Oh, d.a.m.n it! he cursed himself and raised the gun, pulling the trigger that shot the silver bullet from the gun he held to the woman''s head. The woman stood still for a moment.?With the bullet sinking into her flesh, the silver started to react slowly and her body started to disintegrate itself slowly. Damien noticed how the bullet had a slower effect on this white witch while other times it would take less than ten seconds for the body to turn toplete ash. Looking around, he saw there was no one and he walked closer to the woman. Looking into her eyes which turned ck, her skin turning to scale as the initial coat of her skin started to discard to show what she truly was. Turning to a ck witch which they were unable to see previously. The white witch or the ck witch had evolved itself to something more through the hands of the Artemis. When her body finally did start turning into ash, there was a howling sound and Damien quickly turned around to catch a needle that was sent to attack him. From the trajectory it was sent, he raised his head to look up at the many windows that were closed. His eyes then moved higher to find a shadow that sat on top of the roof but in a blink of an eye, the person disappeared from there. While Damien was outside, Penny had found an open door that she had dared not to enter. An open invitation was never a good sign. Instead, she decided to use the window. Pus.h.i.+ng it upward with both her hand when she heard a man''s voice. "I opened the door for you and you didn''t enter. How rude..." it was the magistrate who she had tried to coax out some answers this morning but it had only turned useless in the end as he appeared to be tight-lipped from revealing any possible secrets, "It is a surprise to see you here,dy. Why don''t youe inside and I treat you for coffee?" he asked her. His red eyes fluctuating to red and ck. She was already familiar with how corrupted vampire looked like thanks to Damien which was why she knew this color change wasn''t because of corruption.?Penny gave him a bright smile as behind her was nothing but the wall and in the front was the man, "I don''t like drinking coffee in the night. I find it hard to fall asleep after drinking it," she reasoned with the man. "What about tea?" he asked her, taking a step closer to her and she moved away from him, walking diagonally from him. "I think I would pa.s.s that too." She noticed his hands move behind him, pulling two knives out. It made her wonder if it was a witch thing, to carry knives and then she paused. That was right. This man was not a vampire, he was a ck witch! She let him closer which was when she noticed the slit eyes. Not interested to y, Penny got straight down to business, "Are you a ck witch or were you turned from being a white witch before?" she asked him. The man stopped moving, his eyes staring at her when he asked, "What do you think?" "Neither of it." This had the manughing as if she had told him a joke, "Aren''t you an intelligent little b.i.t.c.h?" the expression on his face suddenly changing to something vile she wouldn''t have been able to fit it in on him before, "I am going to enjoy butchering you. One-piece after another." Chapter 548 Night At Artemis- Part 2 Penny only stared at him over the words he just spoke, "You got it wrong," she said, shuffling her hands in her coat, "I think you failed to see with that fake red eyes of yours that I am not a human," hearing her own words, she wondered how much Damien had rubbed off of her. "You are a witch," the man looked at her slightly surprised. Penny smiled, pulling out her needles and heughed looking at it, "Is that the best you have? You must be a baby chick of a witch for carrying a bunch of needles along with you. Mommy didn''t teach you anything?" he asked her. "She taught me well," Penny said before the man suddenly jumped to attack her. Penny slid away from him, ending up on the other side which made it easier for her to maintain distance with the ck witch. The man didn''t know she would escape so easily and tried to use his knives on her again but she dodged again with ease that made him wonder if she was a vampire and not a witch. What the man didn''t know was that this girl had been training with a pureblooded vampire since she had arrived in Valeria. Penny kept moving away and running towards the door which was open when she felt something creep up from the ground and her ankle being pulled, making her fall down on the ground. Before the nt could pull her further towards the man, she pulled out the needle and stab it to see the nt let her ankle go. She quickly moved away, the man giving her time as if he were trying to prolong her death. Drawing the needle again would take time, thought Penny to herself. Her eyes darted to look at the door which was in front of her and the man who stood almost at the same distance as her away from the door. In a split second both of them ran towards the door. Penny went to get inside and the ck witch who went to stop her from entering the house. She made it to the door and tried to close the door when the man loudly yelled in pain as his fingers were stuck in between the door. His yelling alerted the ones who were capable of being awake in therge house. Penny put all her might when it came to closing the door shut, hoping the ck witch would move his hand away but it didn''t seem to be the case right now. He was stubborn in wanting to kill her and the more she pulled the k.n.o.b of the door towards her, pressing his fingers between the wall and the door, the man''s expression turned that much vile as if he couldn''t wait to get his hands on her. She didn''t know how long she would be able to hold on to it as her fingers were slipping away from the handle of the door. Letting of her hand before they would slip from the handle, the man staggered back in the force of the door being pulled. The next moment he leaped back into the house, raising his knife up ready to stab Penny when Penny pushed the two needles against his chest. He stopped moving and instead fell t against her. His body spasming. Pus.h.i.+ng him away from her, she took a couple of steps behind to see his body move as it fell on the ground. And then it stopped. She furrowed her brows. Normal witches were meant to burn until they were down to ashes once the needle would pierce them but the man still had a body that had not disintegrated by itself. With no one around them, Penny turned her head before going back to where the dead manid motionless on the floor. The first time they had met, Penny had caught the st.i.tch behind his neck when he had bowed his head. Going closer, she checked his neck to see it wasn''t just one stick but if one looked closely, there was a series of st.i.tches that went up to his neck and towards his head and down his shoulders. She didn''t know what to make of it. With him yelling, Mr. and Mrs. Artemis must have got the signal that their henchman wasn''t in good shape. Damien and the others were already inside here and she was thest one to get in. She pushed the body out of the house and locked the door. G.o.d knew if the man would wake up and hunt her down again. Penny had no time to y games with him but at the same time she realized, she had a gun. Taking the gun in one hand and the needle in another, she started to walk on the ground floor of the house of Artemis. She could feel the chill air sinking into her bones right now. It was past one in the night and here they were camping in the house which belonged to the white witches who had gone corrupt from the mind. This ce was simr to the viges. Quiet and deserted with no housemaid in the picture, if she wasn''t wrong she had interacted with the maids before. The first time when she had visited with Sylvia. The maids were fine but had they turned to mummified bodies with trapped souls? Because with the sound of bullets and the man screaming, at least one should have woken up to check but there was no one here. She could feel her heart beating with every step she took further inside the house. Earlier the house looked as if the ground floor had some lights but right now, she was surrounded by shadows and darkness. She saw a shadow move closely in front of her that almost made her heart slip down from her ribcage. The shadow appeared to move away and Penny didn''t know if it was alright to follow something she was unsure of. Chapter 549 Night At Artemis- Part 3 The shadow continued to move and Penny stood there, her feet refusing to move forward. Things like these were not meant to be followed but right now she didn''t know if she had to follow it. Havinge here twice and walked through the corridors alone as well as with Mrs. Artemis, she decided to not hover below here but instead decided to walk up the stairs to the first floor, just when she was about to do it, she saw something move from the corner of her eyes and she was sure this time it wasn''t a shadow but a person. Penny had nontern and the only source she could depend on was her ears. Walking up the stairs, Penny stepped on to the first floor of the house which was much darker than the floor she had walked by now. With a soft gulp down her throat, she took a step ahead. She had already learned some of the spells where she didn''t need an actualntern. As they were in the house of witches, Penny didn''t find any reason to hide what she knew and she raised her hand slightly up and said, "Light!" And as if an invisible candle in front of her, the ce she stood, in front of her lit up with an orangish-yellow glow enough for her to see where she was going. All thanks to Lady Isabelle. There was no need for her to have an elemental ability when there were secret codes that could be cracked and learned. She stepped further into the lonely corridor which felt strangely colder now as if winter had appeared again. The house wasn''t too big which was why now she wondered where the others were. The servants of the house, Alexander and Damien, Caitlin and the Artemis couple, there was no one she could spot or hear from right now. Her eyebrows furrowed when she caught sight of finally seeing someone standing in the corridor with their back against the wall. It was a young girl who stood there with her eyes open. The girls appeared to be in a simr state as the people she had met in the two viges. By her attire, she noted that it was a maid. In the dark corridor, she looked like a phantom. Taking another step moved the light further and she caught sight of many more servants who stood in this fas.h.i.+on. It looked like the Artemis had put everyone under their control, be it in the morning or in the night, the people here didn''t have a will of their own. While Penny was trying her way towards the others, Alexander and Caitlin were in the lower ground to make sure they hadn''t left anything unturned. They walked through the bas.e.m.e.nt which was old and dusty to catch sight of skeletons that were dumped in the corner. There were at least more than twenty of them which were thrown on top of each other, creating a tower. "Whose dead bodies do you think these are?" Alexander asked Caitlin who shook her head. "I haven''t been living here for years now. I don''t think my brother and I even came here when we were young and we grew up," how strange thought Caitlin to herself. Walking forward, she looked at the bare skeletons. She wouldn''t be able to tell who these belonged to. Except for the sizes and then she saw two smaller skeletons that were ced on the chairs one after another. The strange thing was that the clothes still existed on the two little skeletons. "I think those belong to their children. The two boys," Caitlin said, walking closer to it while looking at the bones. She raised her hand, touching the dull white surface to feel nothing, "Did you see the two boys grow?" she asked Alexander. "Damien and I once saw them, but it was just at that time." "I don''t think those two were their children. They were probably a recement of their real children." "What do you mean?" Alexander frowned out of question. Caitlin stood up straight from her bending position where she had been observing the clothes skeletons. Turning around the woman said, "When my brother and I arrived here, the reason they had given to take us in was that they couldn''t conceive a child. They had all the time if they wanted a child or two. I am older than you, milord." "That much I guessed," he responded back. White witches'' age was irregr and haphazardpared to the vampires or pureblooded vampires with only humans having a uniform timeline of their lives. "My uncle and aunt had enough time before and after us, I think they did try and they had their babies but they died right after it. I don''t remember that well," Caitlin''s memory had dulled down as she had tried to forget the family during her time in the ve''s establishment. After all, who wanted to remember people like that. Alexander stared at the two skeletons. He doubted any sane parent would ever dress up their dead children like that because no matter how he saw it, it looked like they were mocking the dead. If what Caitlin told was true, then the boys who fell in the well were not their children and it was no ident but the Artemis was responsible for the death of the two boys. "Then it is possible that everything until now has been nothing but an borate n which has been scheming for years," said Alexander, his gaze s.h.i.+fting to look around the room for anything more. His eyes fell on a bunch of papers that looked like the daily news which was often circted throughout the town and viges so that it could be bought. The Artemis couple had killed the two boys in the name of calling them their own and then raising children like sheep that were given to the other ck witches in the name of adoption and a new home for the children when in truth it was for the easy ritual. He walked towards the papers and picked the top papers to read which was of no importance. Suddenly his ears picked up a click sound at the door where both he and Caitlin turned around to see the door was now shut close. They quickly made towards the door, pulling the iron door that didn''t open. "Someone locked it," Alexander said with a deep frown. Chapter 550 Night At Artemis- Part 4 Damien who had entered the house through the door which he had got it opened had found no one there to greet him. After the white witch magistrate who had tried to kill him, he had returned the favor by shooting straight into her head that had taken time for her to disintegrate. He made his way into the house, holding two of his guns in each hand. His footsteps were as quiet as a catspaw on the floor with no noise. Damien looked up and down when a shadow moved from the corner of his eye. By the size, he could tell it was the same person who had previously been sitting on the roof and had missed attacking him. With no moment of hesitation, Damien stepped in while believing Penny had made her way inside the house. As far as he could tell, the emotions that wereing from her were still in a good state and there was only a slight amount of panic. He followed the shadow, one step after another when a curtain of an open window flew with the wind, he lost the person. Continuing to walk in the same path suddenly someone attacked him or at least tried when Damien moved away from the person. "You are not very good at covering up your tracks," said the man, removing the hood to reveal it to be the ck witch. "Is that so? I was trying to lure the enemy unless you are telling me you were attacking me for fun, Isaiah," Damien stated, a smile on his lips and his eyes sparkling. The ck witch stared at him, his own eyes now turning to slits to represent who he was, "You don''t seem too surprised to find me here." "I am sorry for disappointing you," Damien responded back as they moved away from the walls to the dining room which wasrge enough to mow right now, "Your emotions fluctuate a lot. It gives away, boy." "You found out just like that?" the ck witch asked. "No. I figured it out some time ago when I was in the vige taking a walk. I felt someone following me but couldn''t tell who exactly it was," Damien tapped the tip of his gun on his temple as if he was trying to remember, "You gave us enough to bite in while wanting to eat us all. It isn''t a new tactic but an old and effective one." Isaiah continued to walk anticlockwise along with Damien around the dining table. Damien then said, "You know, when we first met. You said you were here in Valeria like the othernds. Searching for Penny which I believe is true but I doubt you had any good intentions at all." "I love Penelope," the man confessed head-on. "You think I don''t know? Your puppy eyes that keep following her. It is quite pathetic. You might have been her neighbor, someone who wanted her to have a good life but you don''t anymore. When a person cannot bear the thought of the person who she or he is in love with, somee to believe that they have no right to share that love. You are one of that kind, Isaiah. You know your intention is going to hurt her." Isaiah pulled out a gun from his own back. The silver color gun in his hand, "I have only meant well for her. She was even happy with me before her mother decided to wipe her memory." "You do know that Artemis works for her mother, right?" Damien asked him. "It doesn''t matter to me," Isaiah looked down at his gun, "But if you are out of the picture and her memory is erased again, what do you think will happen?" Damien gave him a dramatic thoughtful look before saying, "She will one day remember all of it and kill you with her own hands. I am sure that is one feeling you would want to cherish." The ck witch didn''t take his words into consideration, instead, he said, "Who cares about it. I will erase her memory over and over again until she forgets about you or anything bad." Damien who had been biting on a tiny little stick in his mouth spat it out, "You are a disgrace and a loser. There is something called letting go when things don''t work." Isaiahughed, hisugh echoing through the empty room they were in which brought notice to Damien''s eyes on how there was no carpet here nor were there flower vases around nor was the te that was ced down on the table. Suddenly it turned out to be a house that looked old. He had taken a glimpse thest time he had pa.s.sed by and the room was filled with objects not looking like an abandoned house. Out of curiosity, he asked, "Has this house always been like this?" Damien''s eyes moved around the room to stare at the empty walls and the dirty window. Isaiah looked at him unamused by the question. It was the first time for the ck witch toe here as the meetings had always urred outside and away from this mansion. It didn''t matter to Isaiah if the house was old and rusty, all he wanted to do was kill the pureblooded vampire now. With both holding the ability to transport, using it was pretty useless but that didn''t stop them from fighting each other. Bullets firing left and right in the air. The sound of the gunshots that were fired went back and forth before both of them reloaded their guns with bullets. Damien had his hunch on the man for a few hours now. He was only pa.s.sing by the corridors of Delcrov mansion in the middle of the night when he caught sight of someone in the study room. He was far awaypared to the butler of the house who had caught the ck witch with a test of potions when asked, the man had said, ''Lady Sylvia is hurt.'' The ck witch didn''te off as someone to be buddy-buddy with a stranger when he was still having evident feelings for Penelope. Damien had stood outside another room''s balcony to see in time the maning back to the mansion from somewhere. Right now it didn''t matter because he knew it was to meet the Artemis. Chapter 551 Night At Artemis- Part 5 "You are the one who had been corrupting the river," Damien confronted the man who gave him a nk look like he knew nothing. "Is that a quick usation?" the ck witch pulled his trigger for the bullet tounch and miss Damien. "You have been here for only a few months. And those few months a lot of things happened," the magistrates were killed and the river was poisoned in a way where the humans hade under the control of the white witches. To be specific the Artemis, "What about your parents? Don''t you care about them?" Damien questioned the ck witch. "I find it hard to care for someone who kicked me out and was the reason I couldn''t be there to see my brother''s face for onest time," there was a certain hollowness as he spoke those words, "What is family when one cannot uphold until the end, isn''t it?" "You can still mend your ways," Damien moved his head, tilting to his left when the bullet graze next to his cheek. Isaiah had already made his mind. He hade here to Valeria before Damien and Penelope had arrived. He was helping the Artemis when he found Penelope walking down the street, smiling at this man as if her entire world revolved around this pureblooded vampire. The woman he couldn''t get back to was here and he had made a deal to keep Penelope when the Artemis found out that the woman and the councilman along with her rest were poking their nose. "Let Penelopee to my side," Isaiah bargained, having already decided how to fix things between them, Damien gave the man a smile, before saying, "Sure. After your death, she can sit next to your side." The firing didn''t stop until both of them had exhausted their bullets and soon started to fight physically. Chairs broke and the table kept moving because of the constant collision. At the end of the time, the pureblooded vampire was much more agilepared to the ck witch who tried to use something venomous into his leg when they were on the ground fighting. Quickly Isaiah moved away from him. He chuckled seeing Damien give him a confused look at him, "You don''t know what it is, do you?" Damien could feel a tinge of pain coursing through his body which he had felt before, "You know when everyone was busy trying to kill the pureblooded vampires, I took out a bunch of the gra.s.s before it was burnt. Thest one which is specially saved for you." "Spitgra.s.s," Damien muttered under his breath, his vision turning heavy along with his breath. Isaiahughed, a smileing upon his face to think it could be this easy. He had thought he would have to fight the man and beat him up until he would fall weak so that he could inject the liquid into this pureblooded vampire. "You know, this is why you shouldn''t hit people as you wish. When thingse around it can be quite a b.i.t.c.h." "Or quite a witch," Damien said, his back leaning against the wall so that he could take some time for his body to adjust or get worse. "You beat me with that barbed wire and I now have a bruise," said Isaiah, his lips trembling as he touched his face where the markid, "Kissing the woman I LOVE!" he screamed now. Damien felt his heart pounding. This was not good, he thought to himself while hearing the ck witch scream at him, "The nerve you have with that pompous att.i.tude of yours. Once your heart gets corrupted you won''t be you anymore. You will be dead before you even know it because we all know...we all know that creatures that don''t run along with the norms don''t deserve to be here." "Says the one who turned from a white witch to a ck witch. I still think you are pitiful. Forcing the woman you im to love by pus.h.i.+ng her into a corner. If I had the opportunity right now, I would not only beat you up in barbed wire but will also hang you from the tree using it." Isaiah sat down on his heels, to meet Damien by his eyes, "You can keep hoping while I watch you die by your own cousin''s hands. I will just be a man who had no idea of what happened who came to aid while you will be long gone." "Is that what you dream of?" Damien asked him, "If not let''s do it," Damien stood up on his feet, feeling his heart beating loudly in his chest. Damien ced his hand on the wall, his breathing out to be harsh and his blood rus.h.i.+ng up through the veins which he could feel right now. It was always the same process before his eyes and his body started to take over through the corruption of his heart. Lately, handling the corruption had been hard. There were times where he found it hard to control his urge to rip up people''s bodies or the urge to drink blood until the veryst drop that remained in the body. "I heard that the potion had reached your house but unfortunately it never made it to any of your family members or you. How lucky," the ck witch tched, enjoying the pain which was reflecting on Damien''s face right now. The nerves had begun to pop in on his face, moving quickly from his eyes to move to his temples. The color of his eyes turning pitch ck and his fangs turning thicker in size, so did his nails. "How are you feeling?" Isaiah questioned him, hardly concerned. Damien''s plight was bringing joy to Isaiah who took himself to lean against the table. Damien felt his breath turning short, his heart clenching as if someone was trying to squeeze it. His head had started to pound, the headache turning higher with every word that the ck witch spoke, "Why don''t youe here and I will let you know," Damien red at the man, baring his fangs at him. Chapter 552 Empty House- Part 1 Who knew that the spitgra.s.s potion still existed. He and the others were sure that they had burned thend near the mountains but here this ck witch had injected him with the potion which they believed they didn''t have to worry about. His eyes started to ckout before his vision came back again. "If I am not wrong I can tell you that your heart is pumping so loud that you''re feeling as if it might burst at any moment right. You are swaying with a headache and soon you will lose vision of what is right and what is wrong," Isaiah looked at him with a bored look, waiting for Damien to pa.s.s out forever, "I am d that you brought Penelope here. Though I don''t understand why you didn''t bring me here along with you, was it to stop me from taking part in this little night out?" "Why are you helping the Artemis?" Damien asked him, coughing as blood came out of his mouth. "Oh, the process is quicker than I thought. I made sure to keep one for me without making use of it when all this charade was going on. Aren''t I smart?" "Very," Damien replied back dryly to his question, "You didn''t answer my question." Isaiah nodded his head, "Alright, I will answer a dying pureblooded vampire''s question. It is the least I can do right," the ck witch ced his hands behind his back. Looking down at Damien who hadn''t moved from his ce, "They are trying to resurrect the magic that was lost years ago. Once we are done sacrificing the humans tonight, they will die automatically without us needing to touch them." "Just that? Helping the ck witches as they were treated unfairly?" Isaiah''s teeth clicked, the expression on his face changing to say, "By unbinding the magic, they will be able to ess the part of the magic which is unknown to the existing witches. There is a spell which can reverse anything except for time." "You are hoping to turn back to a white witch," Damien''s voice turned even as he asked the man, his body straightening up, looking less in pain. This caught Isaiah''s attention, and he pushed his body forward, "You look surprised. Or is it shock?" A few seconds ago, Damien was in extreme pain and he was struggling for air as if the oxygen in the room had been depleted and right now he stood in front of him like he waspletely alright. "Why haven''t you turned crazy yet?" it was normal for vampires to turn deranged once their hearts would corrupt that clouded the sane thoughts to be reced by the wild natural instincts like animals. "I have always been crazy. I don''t think you can add any more to make me crazier," a smirk formed on Damien''s face as he looked at the confused expression on the man''s face. "I injected you with spitgra.s.s and it''s reacting-" "But it isn''t reacting the way you want it to?" Damien asked him, taking a step forward. Isaiah quickly moved back, keeping a safe distance before he pulled out the gun, pointing it towards Damien. Without another thought, the ck witch pulled the trigger and the bullet pierced right into Damien''s chest but it never reached his heart. At first, Isaiah was happy that he had caught Damien off guard by shooting the bullet but seeing him not budge, walking forward only widened his eyes in question. "I pity you," Damien said, clicking his tongue in his mouth, he c.o.c.ked his head, "You really are a new ck witch who doesn''t know to do a background check. Not that it would have helped anyway and what bullet is this," Damien moved his hand towards his chest, digging his fingers into his skin to find the bullet. His expression didn''t change, feeling no pain, he said, "You mix the color ck with ck, it is going to give you nothing but ck. You cannot corrupt someone who is already corrupted," his b.l.o.o.d.y fingers came out along with the bullet that had pierced through his skin. Damien took a close look at the gold looking bullet which was not made of gold but a much lower quality of metal. He then threw the bullet on the ground, looking back up at the ck witch with a grin on his face. "You didn''t think such a pesky little thing could kill me now did you?" he asked Isaiah. Isaiah in return opened his mouth with no wordsing out. The bullets were made out of elements which was enough to mess up a pureblooded vampires system. He had shot the man, and it should have worked but the man stoodpletely alright with not a sweat. Though the corruption still lingered on Damien''s features, what Isaiah was unaware was the fact that Damien was already corrupted and with corruption came other abilities which people had nevere to discover as they always died, either with their own heart exploding or by being killed to stop their violence. With Isaiah who injected Damien with the potion of spitgra.s.s, the muscles of Damien had turned hard enough to stop the bullet from piercing further into his body. Damien chuckled, raising his hand with his gun, "I am even more corrupt than you are but I am absolutely f.u.c.king enjoying it," and he pulled the trigger. The bullet sliced through the air before hitting the ck witch''s chest. His eyes dting in realization which was toote as his body lit up in mes and turned into ash. On the ground, there was nothing but dust. The man could have turned into something better but time was the essence. If the man hadn''t met the Artemis and had instead met Penelope first, there were chances that he wouldn''t have walked the path he was in. It wasn''t that Damien didn''t understand what the man wanted. A life which he once belonged to but what people would not understand that once you understood the feeling of how it felt to kill someone, there was no returning back. Once corrupted was always corrupted no matter how many times you would try to revert the state. He didn''t regret killing the man one bit. For someone who wanted to kill him and take away Penelope from him by going as far as to erase her mind, the ck witch didn''t have a chance while Damien was still alive. Chapter 553 Empty House- Part 2 Penny was still trying to find someone she knew than be attacked when the light she had been using through the hidden incantation fell upon the elderly woman who had been standing in the middle of the corridor, waiting for her. Deep in her mind, she had hoped to meet Damien or Lord Alexander, hoping to not meet the couple first but here she was a few distance away from the woman. "How interesting for you to make use of light like that. You must be a fire elemental bearer," said Mrs. Artemis with a soft voice which was audible to her only because the corridor was quiet right now, "Why don''t youe inside and let''s talk," seeing Penny give her a skeptical look, the woman said, "Don''t worry. I won''t do anything to you." "It is hard to trust someone who added something in my tea during thest visit," Pennymented, her eyes flickering in the light that her own hand created as she hadn''t put her hand down. "You found out," a small smile appeared on the witch''s face but her expression still continued to be constant. "It wasn''t too hard with the way you kept making me drink," Penny responded back to the woman, seeing the woman who stared at her as she appeared to be interested in the light Penny was emitting through the spells which the witch wasn''t aware of. She hadn''t noticed it before as Penny had been concentrating on where she was walking instead of noticing that the house wasn''t the same as before. The floor which had carpet on the floor was missing. She was sure she had seen the carpet but right now the flooring looked old. The corners covered in dust and the walls looked nothing less dusty to it. When she looked at the window, the windowpane was broken. It was as if in a blink of an eye everything had changed. Gone were the decorative items along with the other furniture leaving an empty path of the corridor ahead of her. It must be a spell, thought Penny to herself. Had the spell broken and the house was showing its true form right now? She didn''t know what to make of it. She remembered what Alexander had told them before leaving Delcrov''s mansion. This house belonged to the Carrington''s where Mr. and Mrs. Artemis once worked for the family. It didn''t seem like they were rich but came from a poor family who needed hiding and work. To kill people who have given them roof and food, Penny wasn''t sure how much despicable the Artemis couple were. The woman went inside the room, speaking loud enough for Penny to hear, "I was hoping to add you to one of my prized collections in the mansion. Would you be kind enough to tell me what went wrong?" her voice came out distant and she followed carefully while not letting her hand down even though the moonlight fell at the front of the room right now. Her foot moved heavily as if two weights of shackles were tied around her ankles, making her way into the empty room with broken windows. She lowered her hand down. Right now Penny wondered if she had walked past this room to never notice its true self.?The room was empty except for a table and chairs that were ced unevenly around it. "Please sit down," the woman looked at her intrigued.?Penny took a seat on the opposite side of the table where the woman sat. Before the woman could ask her anything Penny fired her question, "Why are you harming the vigers and the people in here?" "Why? I think you already know the answer if you havee here with people to investigate," the woman reached for the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Penny, pus.h.i.+ng the cup towards the young girl who didn''t bother to touch it, "Drink up. If you don''t drink now you will feel very thirsty after a few minutes," the woman folded her hands across herp. You must have lost your mind to ask me to drink it, it is what Penny wanted to tell the woman but she decided not to rile a person unnecessarily. "You don''t have to be this hospitable, Mrs. Artemis. I will be fine without the drink. Thank you," Penny refused to drink the tea politely, "You are a white witch, how can you betray the line of witches who have done nothing to you or the humans." The woman humped, a scornful smile on her face to say, "What do you know how it feels to be isted? Go call yourself to be a witch in the midst of the vige and you will see how many will be ready to torch and burn you up." "Not everyone is like that but you think everyone is like you," Penny''s statement received a raised eyebrow from Mrs. Artemis. The woman made herselffortable, staring at the young witch she had not noticed before. Mrs. Artemis had thought she was a human and it made her question how she had failed to notice it before. If the girl wasn''t using her elemental ability, she would have never known, "You remind me of someone." Penny responded back, "Is that so?" "Yes. It makes me wonder who it reminds me of," Mrs. Artemis murmured to herself, looking at Penny''s green eyes. She couldn''t help but smile when the woman finally figured it out, "You are Walter''s daughter. How strange to meet you like this. If I knew it I would have weed you properly," Penny doubted the woman would have weed her nicely, "I thought your mother would have killed you by now. Oh, you don''t know? You poor little child," Mrs. Artemis shook her head with a sigh when Penny didn''t respond to her. Penny didn''t respond because her mother''s intentions were already known by the Artemis family. "Don''t worry, I willplete your mother''s job that way you will feel less bad about it," Mrs. Artemis was still sitting at the table without any much movement while Penny was making sure she didn''t look away from the woman. Mrs. Artemis stared back at the same intensity and Penny saw how her eyes narrowed as if she was talking right now only to distract her. "You look slightly troubled. Is everything alright?" the side of Penny''s lips lifted up as she asked Mrs. Artemis. Chapter 554 Crazy Family- Part 1 Mrs. Artemis stared at Penny with her darker brown eyes that had specs of green in them. The air should have stifled Penny by now, making her feel thirsty enough for her to reach for the drink that was ced on the table but the girl sat there on the chair, her own hands ced on thep as she stared back at her. "Why did you say my mother wants to kill me?" Penny asked, wanting to know what else the woman knew about. To think that Penny and thisdy sitting at the table were rted to each other, she didn''t know how to digest that most of the people she were rted to were crazy. Maybe it was a witch thing, thought Penny to herself. But then she had turned out to be normal like her aunt. Maybe it affected only some people while sparing the others to bnce the kind of people that were part of the family. "Why? I thought she already told you about it," Mrs. Artemis was vague with her words not giving away anything directly. "Unfortunately, she didn''t. My mother has been busy and I couldn''t catch up with her. As we are rted, I think it is only right you enlighten me on why I have to die," truth was that Penny felt her heart drop slightly as she asked the woman, her hands clutching on her skirt that she wore. "Laure never wanted a child. She got married to Walter upon the words of the higher witch. It was all for the sake to unbind the magic. The mother who birthed you killed many children, babies included withck of remorse," said Mrs. Artemis with a schooled expression on her face, "When I heard that she was pregnant from Walter''s letter I was surprised. You were a mistake Penelope which was not supposed toe as an oue from the ritual," Penny didn''t mind the words of the woman, she already had an inkling that her mother didn''t want a child and hearing it was like a breeze blowing through her. Penny asked the woman, "What did you mean by the oue?" seeing Mrs. Artemis not answer her, she said, "I know there are rituals that need to be performed to unbind the magic. Sacrificing the children in the swap, different ma.s.sacres and now being the soul power." "You know a lot more than I thought you would know. Was it Laure who revealed it or was it that Quinn who told you about it," asked Mrs. Artemis tilting her head in question, "I am surprised Laure has not killed you because the higher witch wouldn''t be happy about it if she learned that there''s someone like you who knows about the steps in the ritual but then it shouldn''t matter, I will take care of you so that there won''t be any problems in the future." And though the woman wanted to look satisfied over her words, it bothered her greatly that the air in this room which was of higher density was not working on this young witch, "Tell me, dear. How are you sitting here unaffected when someone else would have fainted or died by now over the madness in the body," she looked curiously at Penny who hadn''t moved from her seat. Penny caught sight of the woman moving her hand very subtly towards her own as if she were reaching for something to use it against her, "How are you sitting here unaffected?" Penny answered the question with another question. "The potion that has been burnt and spread across the house is one which I made personally with the help of another witch who has now moved to anothernd. There''s an antidote for it but only my husband and I have ess to it. So it makes me wonder how you are sitting here like this unless you are a very good actress like your family." "Family?" Penny frowned, looking at Mrs. Artemis who pushed the chair back to stand up, "Your father used to work in the theater along with your mother but that was in the past. How do you think I made them meet? It was all a well-organized n, we had to set a trap for him so that he would fall in love with your mother blind enough to not see and understand what was going on around him. It was the perfect n," Mrs. Artemis chuckled in humor that Penny didn''t find it to be funny. "They were your niece and nephew. How could you betray their parents like that," the woman had put her father through death and her aunt had to flee to the ve establishment, not showing her face for more than two decades to the outside world. Seeing the woman walk, Penny didn''t stick to her chair and stood up for her eyes to follow the woman where she was going around when there was nothing in the room. "What is a family? They were my sister''s children. A girl and a boy. I was the oldest yet I couldn''t conceive children, I got married first before my sister did. It took me years but nothing happened. No prayers were answered," said Mrs. Artemis walking towards one of the broken window panes, standing in front of it while she looked outside, "And then I realized all things didn''t have toe naturally." "You tapped into the forbidden magic," Pennymented, looking at the back of the woman. Mrs. Artemis wore a long green dress that was dull in color. Her ck and white hair tied into a bun at the top. The older woman didn''t respond to Penny''s words, not confirming it and went on to say, "It was the beacon of light and we used it. And in less than a day, I was pregnant. We found out after weeks that we were going to have two boys. Twins," the woman now turned towards Penny, the moonlight reflecting on Mrs. Artemis'' face to show the yellowish-green slit eyes to her. Penny felt her blood run cold, realizing her eyes were simr to the woman''s, "You are a ck witch¡­" "Who cares. If you have a chance at happiness, and survival, a dying man will make a deal with the devil within a moment of a heartbeat. Even if it means he has to throw the person on the boat to switch ces as a sacrifice." She sacrificed her sister, thought Penny to herself. "I killed both my sister and brother-inw. The memories now areing back to me and G.o.d does it feel good," there was something very eerie the way the woman said it to her, "She always felt she was the best at everything. Of course, she didn''t agree and had people flock around her. Do you know how it feels? To be looked down on and behave they are right. So I killed her and took her children from her. We also had to share the family name just because my husband didn''t have one." Chapter 555 Crazy Family- Part 2 Penny didn''t know how to react to it. How could she kill her own sibling? Her very own sister for such petty matters but the woman didn''t stop there. She continued, "You might think how little problem has been served with revenge," Mrs. Artemis looked at her, "You would know when the person you love has his affections zeroed on your younger sister," Mrs. Artemis liked her brother-inw? "But you got married first," Penny pointed to see the woman smile. "Silly witch, don''t you know how the society works? Even though we are from a witch''s family, to fit into society we need to follow the norms of the society so that we can blend in. Both the man and my sister fell in love while I was betrothed to my husband. As if one thing wasn''t enough I couldn''t have children. I was pregnant with the twins but they didn''t live long...they died right after I birthed them," her voice came out to be distant right now. The woman should have known that nothing goodes from the forbidden magic. Every action has an equal reaction and though the woman was promised to have children with a ray full of hope, she was left shattered after the two babies died. Penny out of curiosity asked her, "The picture in the portrait of yours on the wall, aren''t they your sons?" Mrs. Artemis smiled, walking towards Penny now while Penny took an equal step back with every step of the woman, "They were the twins who I pulled out from the graveyard. They were dead and I needed to know and make sure that I could bring back my boys," it was already taken that the taste and touch of the forbidden magic often corrupted the souls of the ck witches simr to the corruption of the pureblooded vampires. Only that when it came to the white witches, their mind turned soiled and evil, turning into ck witches with no return, thought Penny to herself. "You will be surprised by the number of things that are there in the forbidden magic. So beautiful that my heartaches at the thought of it." "But everythinges at a cost," Penny reminded the woman, "You are killing people for your own need and gain. You forget there are people with lives who are not your puppets. They have the right to live." "Oh dear, I am not harming anyone. I only am using their soul energy to resurrect my children back." "The two boys...they came out alive. Why did you kill them?" Penny questioned, moving her feet back as she round the table to maintain a good distance from the older witch. Sadness fell on Mrs. Artemis'' face, "I didn''t kill them. I tried to keep them alive but they kept trying to kill each other. It was heartbreaking to watch it every day. They kept hurting themselves too until the point where their bodies couldn''t sustain life. I had no other go but to push them to the well," the woman looked at Penny as if she had done nothing and was the victim here. If there was one thing she could tell right now, it was that this woman was insane. First she killed her sister, set her niece and nephew as p.a.w.ns for her own gain and she had gone as far to steal two children from their grave who were dead while trying to resurrect them back with her own babies. This was more than messed up and she was far worse than her own mother. The family she was born into was too screwed up that she wished she was never part of it. The only sane people were her father and her aunt. Her hands clenched together in anger. "You look angry," the woman said, pulling out a pin and throwing it right at Penny which Penny hadn''t antic.i.p.ated as her reflex had been slower. The hairpin went to stick to her skin making her flinch before she pulled and threw it on the floor. Penny''s eyes fell on the floor where the pinid that looked simr to the kind she had in her pocket. Suddenly her arm started to feel weak and so did her body. "My father could have had a better life and so did Caitlin. You robbed their happiness. Things would have been different if you had been less selfish," Penny red at the woman. She remembered her father smiling down at her, exining about the fish which had remained in her memory. Good people like her father, aunt and others had been dragged into things unnecessarily and this woman had no little amount of regret over it. She could tell that the woman would not stop until she was satisfied and the truth was that the satisfaction would nevere. "Both your father and aunt were perfect. The perfect match for the ritual to take ce. It is only the beginning that is painful, after that, it is nothing but a path of happiness." "You are being delusional," Penny pointed out, not able to keep her words to herself, "You should know sometimes it is better to let the dead rest than bring them back." Mrs. Artemis started tough, herugh starting to echo around the walls of the room and she took a deep air, her expression schooling down to say, "How about I kill that man who hase to apany you here? Once he''s dead, you will have nothing. One should go through to understand the feeling." Penny offered the woman a smile, "You are an insecure woman, Mrs. Artemis. Going as far as to hurt people who have nothing to do anything. You are right. Your family must have not loved you." "I will have your tongue steaked in the pot for speaking such beautiful words," They heard the sound of the footstepsing from outside, and Mrs. Artemis said, "Look who we have here." Chapter 556 Dont Step Out- Part 1 It was Damien who was being pulled by Mr. Artemis. Penny saw the way his eyes had turned ck and the corruption had arrived making a number on his as he barely appeared to be in his right mind. "I don''t know why it isn''t affecting you but it doesn''t mean the air won''t affect others. Soon he will be the one to kill himself or you. I hope you enjoy it," saying this, Mr. Artemis pushed Damien inside the room and the woman and man stepped out of the room, pulling the door shut behind them before Penny heard the sound of click as the couple had locked the door from outside. Penny quickly went to Damien''s side where he appeared to be in a state of the subconscious where he stared at what was in front of him without speaking a word to her, "Damien?!" she called for him to hear nothing or receive no reaction. This felt like it had happened before too. It was back when they were in thend of Wovile did she end up in a situation simr to this when her mother was preparing to burn her for the ritual. "What happened to you?" Penny asked, cing both her hands on the sides of his face. Lord Alexander and Caitlin had gone missing and it seemed that Damien had not met them but other ck witches as she noticed the streaks of ck blood on his clothes. She knew it was no time to think too much as the more time started to pa.s.s by, the more his features started to turn. Mr. Artemis must have injected something into him simr to what was injected into her through the needle that Mrs. Artemis had thrown at her arm so that she wouldn''te to move it to pull the needles from her pocket. Going closer to him, she leaned forward and pressed her lips. Parting her lips along with his and she breathed in the air from Damien. Sucking the air into her lungs while letting cleaner air into his body. Penny wasn''t sure if it would work but it was worth the try. Her hands were useless previously as she couldn''t pull out the corruption from his body but she hoped this would work. Even if it was little so that she could bring him back to his conscious state. She didn''t know how long she had been pa.s.sing the air in and out when she felt Damien''s arms wound around her waist to pull her close to him. His fingers dug into her skin painfully but it didn''t matter to Penny. All she wanted was for him to be okay. His long nails that had been caused due to the corruption pushed into her skin and she knew there would be marks but as time progressed his lips moved against her and the nails that were long had started to turn shorter. Her back suddenly was pushed to the wall and when she opened her eyes, she caught sight of wild-looking eyes staring into hers. Penny let his corruptive side kiss her, letting him touch her and to satisfy the creature that lingered in his soul since the day he was affected by the corruption. Right now was not the time for this, but who cared right now when Damien was back to his breathing self where he didn''t look like he was on the verge of letting his soul leave him. Penny flinched feeling his teeth sink into her flesh near her neck. Her right hand was still weak and she used her left hand to bring it up to hold him, to whisper to him, "Please don''t drink all of the blood. We still need to go find the Artemis...Dami," she ran her hand against his back to feel him retrace his fangs back. Pulling away Penny saw how the eyes had started to change its color and so did his skin, "Dummy, mouse." "Why are you calling me a dummy?" "What happened to listening to me about running away as far as you can when my corruption takes over?" Damien''s consciousness had returned back to him after a momentary nkness. One moment he had been at the stairs and the next moment he found himself here not knowing what happened in between. "Don''t expect me to leave you here all alone to save myself. You die, I die. Did you forget?" her eyebrows had drawn together as she stared at him. Damien surprised her by leaning forward and pressing his lips on her forehead. "Cute mouse. It might be so that we follow each other''s death but that doesn''t mean you should be around when I am on my worst behavior," he said to her before asking her, "What happened? Where is the man of the house?" "He went with his wife outside. I don''t know where. She will kill everyone in the house," she informed him before asking, "Did you meet Alexander and Caitlin?" she asked as she hadn''t seen them since they had arrived here. He shook his head, noticing her holding her arm, "What happened to your arm?" "Got a needle. I will be fine you should go," Penny told him to receive narrowed his eyes from him. "You want me to leave you here alone?" "The pain in my hand is not reducing, Damien and truth to be told...I feel tired." "Isn''t that more of a reason that I stay here with you?" he asked her to see her give him a small smile, "Let me take you back to the mansion ande back here," he said ready to do it. Penny shook her head immediately, "No! Don''t do it." "Why not?" The safest Penny right now would be in Delcrov''s mansion. Leaving her alone was something that didn''t sit well with him. "Did you notice the house?" she asked him, the frown turning deeper on her face. "It changed. I noticed," he answered her, wondering what it had to do with him sending her home anding back to get the Artemis. Chapter 557 Dont Step Out- Part 2 Penny wasn''t sure if it was the same as what she thought it was to be, "The spell is something very simr to what I came across when I was studying in the church of Bonke. It is a spell a white witch used to camouge the appearance and looks of the objects they were around in. This house, I think after the Carrington''s died no maid came here voluntarily, or more as no one came to work because the owner of the house pa.s.sed away which meant no money." "The Artemis must have imed it over time, making it look like the house was still the same while not letting people be suspicious about it. In time they must have befriended the people as if they were the next owners of the house." "I saw some standing statues. Just like the ones in the viges," Damien noted. "Yes, I don''t think they are servants." "How are you sure about it? If people dide to visit the Artemis, the servants would have flown in for work." "When I went out with Sylvia a few days ago. To one of the tea parties, I saw a woman share a picture of her daughter. She said her daughter had disappeared overnight and I saw the very same girl here." Damien had a thoughtful look on his face as he said, "Makes one wonder how many people were made to drink the tea they have been given to be brainwashed with the spell." "We need to break the curse so that the vigers can be free and the people who are in here. Yes,ing back to the house," Penny remembered quickly before Damien would decide to take her to the mansion, "There were some rules and instructions on the demonstration on it while also how things proceeded after the objects were under the charm. There was one such incident where the witch had put the charm on a room and once she stepped out, she couldn''t get back in." "A little boration on it please," he asked her to further exin it. "A person will not be able to find his way back in for a long duration of time. No windows, no doors, nothing will work and I think it applies to your ability too. Once we step outside this house, we might not be able to get back inside in time until the Artemis are killed or they decide to let people in." Damien had been checking on Penny''s emotions even though they weren''t together to make sure she was alright. The only downside of being apart was that as he was a pureblooded vampire, only he could feel the emotions much better which was why even with his heart beginning to corrupt further, Penny had been uninformed on it. She did look tired but he was worried to leave her alone. When his hand reached for his gun he found it to be missing. "d.a.m.n, the old man took my gun away." "I have the other one," she pulled it out and handed it to him. Sliding down to sit on the dirty floor, she said, "I will right here. Don''t worry about me," she a.s.sured him. If she were to go with him right now she would only be a hindrance where Damien would not only have to watch his back but also hers. "Call my name if someone enters the room," on Damien''s word Penny raised her good hand to show her thumb as a yes. Even if she wanted to go out of the room, she could use the window but there were chances that she would fall down and break a good amount of bones making the situation far worse. Damien walked towards the door and kicked right into the wooden door before he opened it wide open. Before he could leave, Penny said, "Come back soon." Damien went on his way while leaving Penny in the room who tried to remove whatever venom had been injected into her hand because of the needle. Crawling on the ground, she picked up the needle that had been used on her. Bringing it to her nose, she smelled it, trying to see if she knew whatponent was used to create this and what exactly she needed to fix this. She yawned loud, her eyes closing before she questioned if it was the injected substance that was putting her to sleep or if it was her own body. In the meantime, in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the house, both Caitlin and Alexander tried to unlock the metal door that had been closed on them. It had been more than half an hour since they were stuck in the room. The first time when the door was locked, Caitlin had turned to ask Alexander if he could open the door with the spells after all he was the son of Lady Isabelle. It had received a nk stare from the man before she took herself to sit on the chair after pus.h.i.+ng one of the skeletons on the ground. "They knew we would being. Not me, because they think I am still a lost or dead person but you three," said Caitline, her hand supporting her chin as she looked at the pureblooded vampire continuing to work on the door. "I find it strange that you and your brother never explored the house. Children are often curious to look at things especially when they are told not to touch something." Caitlin turned her head away from Alexander who was picking the lock to look at the pile of skeletons, "My uncle and aunt were strict when it came to us. To the people outside they were kind and mellow members of the society but in the home, we had to get to bed early. It didn''t matter if we woke upte but we were always sent to bed without letting us have the time to let the food digest in our stomach." "And you didn''t find it, suspicious?" "Time before you was much stricter and odd. If you look at it, everything will look suspicious," the woman was older than Alexander, someone who had seen thetedy of Valeria before she was burnt and killed. There had been days in the past when her brother or she caught the house to be empty, it was a dream they often dreamt of. A house simr to this which was abandoned. Chapter 558 Dont Step Out- Part 3 "What about when you grew up? Never woke up for a .s.s of empty water?" Alexander was fiddling with a metallic wire that he had found in the room to unlock the door. The no response from the white witch meant the sleeping routine continued and they never came to find out the truth. "Did you know my mother?" "I did. I had the opportunity to speak to her. She was an admirable woman," answered Caitlin, looking at the man again. She wondered if he knew¡­"Did your mother ever mention this family?" "I don''t think so," Alexander stood up after bending down for several minutes, his back straight and turning to the woman. Caitlin opened her mouth to only close it back again, wondering if she should drop the information. Taking a different approach, she said, "My mother was very fond of your mother. Lady Isabelle was the one who appointed uncle and aunt here to work." "Looks like it didn''t go well with what she did," came the clipped response from the man, "If she wasn''t so giving she would have been alive today," Caitlin stood up and asked, "Do you mind?" she asked opening her palm. Alexander dropped the wire on her palm and walked around the bas.e.m.e.nt, the light of thentern flickering to let them know that it would soone to diminish. Caitlin walked towards the door, sitting down to start working the wire on the lock. As her hands worked, she said, "It is sometimes the ones who feed get their hand bitten. Like my mother, I believe your mother was a remarkable woman. Woman like her is hard to find and I think the next person whom I see with that much potential is Penny, my niece who has taken the genes," her words were quiet as she said it, letting the little information sink in the room they were in surrounded by darkness. Alexander was quiet as he heard about it. "Lady Isabelle had a brother, though the brother didn''t live, he had fathered a child and that child grew up to be the mother or father of another child. I wouldn''t have believed but our father turned out to be the person who was rted to Lady Isabelle by blood," she turned around to see if Alexander was listening as he hadn''t spoken a word of surprise on it. Alexander was looking at one of the skeletons in the room by raising the hand and checking the bones in it. "I have known about it since Penelope arrived at the Delcrov''s mansion," Alexander said, not wanting the woman to think that he wasn''t listening to her. It was interesting how the theories they had drawn out were indeed right. After Penelope had deduced the writing to tell that only the same blood kin could read it and she being the only person who could read it, hearing about it hadn''te as a shock as much as finding that the woman in the room was also rted to him. Witches marrying witches or humans, or ck witches...it had created offsprings leading to thest one being Penelope. That is if her father was the only child to his parents. Caitlin who had gone back to y with the fire finally heard a click, "The door is open!" and at the same time, the light that was emitting from thentern had extinguished itself turning the bas.e.m.e.ntpletely dark. Alexander and Caitlin made their way out, and back to the ground floor to find Damien there, "Where is Penny?" asked Caitlin seeing her niece, not with Damien. "She''s is in one of the rooms. She needs some rest." "Everything alright?" Alexander asked his cousin who gave him a nod. The three of them went in search of the Artemis couple who had sacrificed the first human they had been keeping their house. It was the time to finally run the ritual that they had been working on for more than two months that had been nned decades ago. Both Mr. and Mrs. Artemis started to use spells and magic that belonged some to the ck magic while some using the forbidden magic as they started to form an invisible circle forming around the viges with marks taking ce without anyone having to draw them. The trio started to look for the elderly witch couple and when Alexander went to open the main door to step outside, Damien stopped him by cing a hand on his cousin''s shoulder to say, "Don''t go out. Once you step out you won''t be able to get back inside," Damien now understood it was so as to stop intruders from finding out about what was going on in here. The spell lifted itself up at the rise of the sun and fell back on after a certain time. After a while, they finally found the couple and they wouldn''t have stopped if it weren''t for Caitlin''s presence that shocked Mrs. Artemis. The woman''s concentration broke and she waved her hand for her husband to stop. "You are alive," Mrs. Artemismented, seeing her niece after many years who had gone missing. They had hoped for the person to be dead but here she was still breathing, "You never came back to us." "So that you could kill me?" Caitlin asked for her aunt to smile, "We considered you our family, both of you and you sold us to the ck witches," it was them who had brought her sister-inw as well as her so-called fiance to marry. The anger she felt coursing through her veins by her presence, she wanted to kill them with her own hands. Once the Artemis had ovee the shock of her presence in the room, Mr. Artemis said, "You should be fortunate that we gave you home and roof, if not you would have been one of those witches who die early out of the wrath of humans." "I hope you rot in h.e.l.l when all this is done today," Caitlin didn''t hold back her words on her rtives. Chapter 559 The Part It Ends- Part 1 Mrs. Artemis smiled hearing Caitlin''s words, raising her hand to mutter something in the air. At first, nothing happened and the room was quiet and still except for Mr. Artemis who proceeded with the ritual to have the ma.s.sacre take cepletely in the two viges who were under their spells. Alexander stared at the woman while the other two looked around the room, readying themselves to what was about toe which never came before a couple of footsteps were hearding from below. "The skeletons from the bas.e.m.e.nt," said Alexander, as he heard many more footstepsing from below which was now heading towards where they were. And in no time the skeletons did appear in the dark, attacking Alexander, Damien, and Caitlin. It was only the rooms that were wide open with the windows letting in the light which in turn spread the light on the corridor was a ce where they could see more skeletons fading in and out because of the light. The Artemis couple continued with their ritual interrupted while the other three fought the skeletons off them. Sadly the creatures who were attacking them were already dead and had no flesh on them which made it impossible to kill them with bullets or with knives. There were too many skeletons to take care of, the more they fought the more they raised against them.?When the ck witch had cursed the skeletons, putting spells on them to obey her order in killing the people in this mansion, one of them had gone searching for the fourth person who had intruded into the house. Penelope. Penny was sitting on the floor with her hand in her mouth trying to see if she could get the venom out that had turned her arm numb when she heard footsteps approaching the room. Her first thought was that it was Damien who had returned back after the first fifteen minutes but her eyes bulged when she caught sight of a skeleton that looked like it was living and breathing. The skeleton looked at the front and then turned its head, the head making an annoyingly creaking sound until it stopped to look at her with no eyes in its skull. Out of worry and stress, she bit into her arm as hard as she could, sucking out the blood from her arm before standing up. She spat out the blood along with the venom that hade to settle in her skin, trying to spread around her body. She had torn and tied around her arm the cloth to stop the venom from moving more in her body. Penny was very careful and when she stood up, she should have stayed still but because of her footing that missed the bnce, the skeleton quickly made its way to her, ready to attack her and she slid out and away from the skeleton, running towards the door when she felt her hair being pulled back painfully. "AHH!" she cried when her hair was pulled and she had to stop back from running towards the door. She did the best she could by moving her hand and legs together to push the skeleton away from her. Kicking the skeleton with her leg that had the head rotate from its structure of the body and it had to catch hold of its head from falling down. "Take that!" Penny cursed the skeleton, her arm feeling much better now that she had pulled out the venom. The creature was obviously in control of the Artemis which was why it was walking and running so sloppily. The only bad part here was that no matter how many times one would kick and beat it up, it would stille to stand up and chase the person. "What is the spell to wade you off?!" she eximed trying to rack her brain. She had read about voodoo magic but she hadn''t ced it in her skin as another incantation. It was because she had read the book in the secret room of the church. She had the rosemary with her but how would one try to stop this? Every time Penny tried to reach for the door, the skeleton woulde to drag her back. She used her hand to stop the skeletons from hurting her but the creature was dead and a puppet that threw her right against the wall making her wince. Why was she always getting thrown at either trees or walls? Standing up again, she looked at the door and then at the creature, calcting to know that this time again it would pull her back. Her eyes darted towards the windows which were half open, half closed that were mostly broken. The skeleton appeared to read her mind, its own face turning to look at the window she was checking on. This time what she did was, instead of going to the door, she decided to use the window. running towards one of them which was open and had no .s.s to stop her, she almost reached it when the creature again made its way to her. Its bony fingers reaching out for her and Penny stopped herself from moving any further. Instead of letting the skeleton catch her, she pulled the skeleton by its arm and she threw it right through the open window with all her might. The skeleton didn''t fall off but was stuck in between by holding one side of the window sill. "Get out of the window!" Penny said raising her leg and kicking the skeleton multiple times, "Stop acting like a spider," she said until it finally fell down from the window. Bending down her head, she caught sight of the skeleton who had stopped moving and was lying crumpled on the ground. She noted that the magic and the skeleton''s effect stopped outside the mansion. The house was controlled by the Artemis which meant someone had to stop them. Not staying back in the room, she made her way to find Damien and the rest of them. Chapter 560 The Part It Ends- Part 2 One of the skeletons had turned aggressive on Caitlin, holding her by her neck and the woman didn''t know spells as she had never practiced it. There were many white witches who didn''t practice magic in the fear of being caught and burnt alive. Damien and Alexander had many more skeletons to fight with who were not backing down,ing at the one after another to notice the woman who was struggling to push the hands of the skeleton from her neck. "You were supposed to die years ago and here you are alive," Mrs. Artemis walked towards her niece, "Don''t look at me with so much hate, Caitlin. You were my darling niece. Your stars have been lucky that you have died when your fiance is still searching for you," the white witch slightly rmed and worried over the thought about it, "How rude of you to leave him stranded." Somehow moving away and pus.h.i.+ng the skeleton by using the chair that was in the room, Caitlin asked, "You mean not letting him kill me?" "Yes," her aunt responded back, "Why do you think I had both you and your useless brother grow up in here? I needed you both for the ritual, we needed to make sure you both were untouched and had touched no one else for it to go smoothly." "Did it work?" Caitlin asked her aunt. The woman smiled, a smile she had not seen before, "You opened the first gates and the second gates to the sealing was removed a few weeks ago. You did well but with you here, I am you don''t mind letting yourself be sacrificed again now, do you?" Penny who came down in search called, "Damien!" on seeing him. She thought having one skeleton was a pain but looking at the number of skeletons on here made her wonder where they came from, "Where did thesee from?" "Must be from graveyard next to the mansion. What are you doing here?" he asked her worried as the skeletons had started to divert their attention on her. "I came to distract," Penny smiled to see Damien furrow his brows, "Stop moving. Trust me," she mouthed the words to him. In the midst of chaos, she tried concentrating her mind, opening her eyes to see light up again in the house along with the furniture. While drawing to remove the venom from her hand she had realized the spell that was used here was a trick spell. The truth was that this house was an abandoned one, and had been collecting dust for many years now. People who weren''t aware of it saw the house to normal while people like them who had entered knew something was fishy in here. Damien took the hit from one of the skeletons and another who reached for his chest, ready to dip its chest to pull out his heart when Penny picked up the vase that was previously not there and she dropped it to create noise that stopped the skeletons from fighting Damien, Alexander as well as Caitlin who had been busy talking to her aunt. She walked back, her footsteps moving one after another that had the skeletons look at her dazed until she picked the next vase and broke it across the wall that snapped the skeleton when she turned and ran from there to be chased by the skeletons. Mrs. Artemis looked rmed when she noticed the skeletons moving away from the pureblooded vampires and the floor. "Where are you going?!" the woman screamed at them, trying to repeat the spell but it seemed to not work as all of them started to chase the young white witch down the stairs. Penny ran as if the wind itself was carrying her, breezing across the corridors while trying to find the right way to the main entrance and when she finally stepped out of the house, letting the skeletons run past through the threshold of the house, they only made past few meters before falling limp on the ground. She exhaled loudly seeing the pile of skeletons that hovered in front of the mansion. Damien could feel Penny''s happiness, not knowing what was going on he trusted the emotions he felt from her and concentrated on the witches in front of him. He would have taken a shot at the witches but he knew Alexander wanted to do it. After all, they were responsible for what happened to his mother. Alexander didn''t bother to ask but pulled up the gun, pointing it towards the woman who appeared to be unaffected by it, "Stop the ritual and free the souls you have trapped in the vige and here," he said not letting down his hand. Mrs. Artemis smiled at him, her eyes fluctuating from ck to slit eyes, "Kill me and you will forever have them trapped in their bodies. You cannot do anything about it, milord." "Which is why I asked for you to release them from your hold," Alexander had walked through the number of people in the corridors who had stood still like a statue with their heart beating in their chest. The woman turned around to go and stand next to her husband, "Do you think we have been living here for no reason? We need to fill the ritual like everyone else so that we can unlock the next gate. Like I said to the girl, the reason is very simple, we want our children back." "Whates from the dead doesn''t return the same way it was when it was living," Caitlin reminded her aunt not knowing what and how much the woman had been brainwashed. The woman ignored her niece''s words. "Then I don''t think you would mind me doing this," said Alexander, the gun that he had pointed at Mrs. Artemis moved from her to her husband and he pulled the trigger. The bullet moved from the side of his temple that stopped him from moving. "NO!" the woman screamed to see her husband''s body turn into ashes one part after another until nothing remained but dust on the floor. "How unfortunate,"mented Damien looking down at the dust, "You gave the potions to your henchmen but forgot to offer it to your husband." Chapter 561 The Part It Ends- Part 3 Out of anger, the witch raised her hand and swished it in the air that had the three of them being thrown to the closest wall with a thud. "How dare you!" the woman shouted in anger, her head snapping to look at them and using her spells to twist their bodies that made them groan and flinch in pain, "Why so angry?" she asked, her voice falling down as if she had lost it looking at Alexander, "It seems like you found out about your mother," she tched over and over again shaking her head. "You know," said Mrs. Artemis, "I enjoyed every moment when your mother was burnt in the vige. I was there that day in the market, after all, I had to run the show of having the stupid brainless humans riot at her. Oh, wait weren''t you there?" she asked, meeting Alexander''s eyes. "She was a kind woman who did nothing to you-" Mrs. Artemis nodded her head, "You are right, she didn''t do anything to me," saying this she sat down in front of him, crouching her body to say, "I was only following orders. Do you want to know who asked? It was one of those councilmen who is now dead. Hmm, I am not getting his name but anyways...I enjoyed seeing her burn you know why? She reminded me of my b.l.o.o.d.y little sister. The righteous made my blood boil. Her habit of being nosey is what got her into trouble. You both are their children, the apple doesn''t fall too far away from the tree." "If I am not wrong don''t you belong to the very same tree?" Damien questioned to receive a re from the older witch. "You''re another nosey man, Mr. Quinn. Sadly the girl is not here and has escaped but I am sure her mother will look after her. All I need to do isplete the ritual and sacrifice you all in it," for some reason they couldn''t get up that made them realize that the spell that had been ced on them was something powerful. With their hand still loose and free, Damien who had picked up a heap of dust in his hand, he raised it to blow it right into the woman''s eyes. "Argh!!" the woman stumbled behind with the unexpected dust being filled in her eyes. With her concentration, the spell broke and Damien moved quick enough to kick her without bothering to think that she was a woman. With another hit, the woman fell t on the ground. Alexander pointed his gun back at her to hear her say, "Didn''t you hear what I said?" blood spewed out of her mouth, "If you kill me you will be taking away the lives of hundreds along with me. Do you want to do that?" "You''re being selfish," Caitlin said looking down upon the woman on the ground, "Do you know how many lives have been taken away because of what you did? You went so far as to kill the Carrington who owned this house-" "They deserved it! All of them did. Humans are foolish and pompous, thinking they are better than the rest. Once this is all done, the ck witches will raise like the past and take back what is rightfully theirs," the woman spat out. The lord of Valeria didn''t believe there was any use for the woman. Anger coursed through his veins at the thought and recollection of how his beloved mother had died in front of him, her body going up in mes while the humans rejoiced and some who didn''t bother to stop it. How could he forget that day that had twisted his very fate along with the others? "It shouldn''t matter. I am sorry Caitlin but I will be taking her with my own hands," said Alexander, his eyes turned darker. Mrs. Artemis seeing the pureblooded vampire pulling the cork of the gun, her eyes went wide as if he would think about the people in the vige, after all, he was thetedy''s son of Valeria. "You don''t care about the people?! What are you doing?" Mrs. Artemis appeared to panic, her eyes filling with panic now. "I might be my mother''s son but I am not her," and Alexander pulled the trigger before she could try anything else. The gunshot made a sound that echoed through the entire quiet house. Even Penny who was outside the house waiting for them anxiously heard the gunshot, her head turning with her eyes looking up as she wondered if it had ended or if the people in there were still fighting. Alexander could have tortured the woman but a woman like her was a nutjob that couldn''t be fixed. No torture would suffice and the woman would only continue spewing words that would remind him what happened on that gore-filled day. It was better to have her dead than prolong it. He knew she was lying through her teeth when she said her life was tied along with the vigers which she had ced the curse on. With her death, the curse had been uplifted and the bodies had returned back to normal. Most of the vigers fell down on their knees at the sudden control they received to their body which had been numb all these days. Sylvia and Elliot who was at the river finding what was causing the thirst for the drink were still searching when Sylvia felt a cloth beneath the ground. "I found something!" she eximed to have Elliote next to her, "There''s a cloth in here," she said and started to dig the mud with her bare hands. Elliot sat down next to her, helping her before they found a big bag that smelled differently. Though both of their faces were covered, Elliot said, "Don''t smell it," pulling the bag, they took it back to the carriage that waited for them, putting the bag and heading their way back to the Delcrov''s mansion. Chapter 562 Time To Leave- Part 1 When the next morning arrived which was in less than a few hours as everyone had stayed up the entire night while camping in the Artemis family, Lord Alexander had contacted the councilman to let the head council hear on what happened while sending the men and women who were locked in the house for two months now. To a lot of people, the news came out to be a shock. After all, people weren''t aware that the Artemis was a couple of witches who had turned bad and were on the side of the ck witches. Penny stood next to Damien as they leaned over the well with their back against it, his hand holding hers as they looked at the families who were being reunited, taking away their family members who were under the influence of spells. Some were taken by the carriages to their family as they lived far. It seemed like everything had finally died down and there was peace over thend of Valeria. "Is it strange for me to think that everything ended so quickly?" she asked Damien, her head that was resting on his head, moved back to look at him before looking at the councilmen who had arrived to discuss what had happened. "I didn''t know you were looking forward to having lunch and tea with Artemis," Damien raised his brows, one side of his lips pulling up, "As much as I encourage family bonding time, I don''t think you wanted to spend time with them like that. Did you?" Penny smiled at his words, "It''s just that everything feels now calmer and the mind should feel rxed yet I have this uncertainty of anxiousness that I am unable to get rid of," she said, taking a deep breath and releasing it through her lips. "I think Alexander didn''t want to drag it unnecessarily this time that he pulled the trigger with little to no thought," Damien answered her, "The pain he feels over what he saw when aunt Isabelle died, it still haunts him...some things...they are better to finish that see and hear what happened. Hopefully, by this, the burden on his shoulders will reduce and he will be able to breathe at the thought that he avenged his parent''s death." "How is your aunt holding up?" Damien asked her, his eyes falling on Caitlin who was sitting at the stairs getting her hand treated as she had hurt it. Penny had spoken to her before finding her way to where Damien was, "She''s doing okay. I think being in the ve establishment for many years, her mind has turned mentally strong. She''ll be okay." "And what about you?" Penny gave him a puzzled expression. "What about me? I am fine," she a.s.sured him with a smile. Damien''s eyes flickered in amus.e.m.e.nt, "You know what I mean," she did. Coming to Valeria was supposed to be a vacation but instead, she found out more about her family. Hearing what happened to her grandparents and what happened to her father and aunt. She had an actual blood rtive who genuinely cared for her. When Penny''s eyes met Caitlin''s who was still getting her hand treated, the woman gave her a smile and she smiled back. "It took me some time to process everything and I think it has finally sunk in my mind. My family is crazy," she said to Damien who chuckled. "Which family isn''t? We all have a bunch of crazies," said Damien to see Penny nod, "I forgot to tell you something." "Hmm? What is it?" "It is Isaiah¡­" his voice trailed to see Penny frown in question, "He was here." Penny didn''t have to hear the rest as she already knew what might have gone down. If he didn''te out of the house, it meant he was dead and Damien had killed him. Alexander had asked the butler to keep a watchful eye along with the two vigers but the ck witch had appeared here. For someone who didn''t have enough recollection of her memories with the man, she didn''t know how to look at it. "He spoke about erasing your memories," Damien let her know and she felt her heart quietly sink. She had hoped the man would be different. Someone like Bathsheba but who knew he would turn out simr to her mother. Though they hadn''t spent many days, they had worked with potions and she thought maybe he was a good man, "Love can do a lot of things, Penny. It is very toxic when you get intoxicated by it where you cannot let things go," Damien squeezed her hand that he had been holding. Damien Quinn," he said tilting his head while Penny made sure the corruption she had seen earlier was gone. Stepping forward, she tilted her face such that Damien leaned forward to share a kiss with each other. Once she pulled back she said, "You are a very missable person, Master Damien," her eyes s.h.i.+ned with the love she felt for him. "Of course, that I am. Though tell me, kinddy," Damien said, gazing down her eyes with his hands that were positioned on her waist, "I feel you are taking advantage of me by kissing me during my time of corruption. Always kissing me you perverted woman. I know you can''t keep your lips and hands on me," he said dramatically that Penny couldn''t stopughing hearing it. "Only you woulde with things like this. There is this story called Rabbit white. It is about a story of how the knight kisses the princess to wake her up," Penny answered, "I thought it was worth trying." "It was definitely worth trying," and received a peck from him before looking back at the people who had gathered in front of the dull abandoned house which now showed its true form after the death of the Artemis. "I will be back," Damien said when Alexander looked at him. Penny stayed near the well, folding her arms to look at the surrounding which looked quite barren right now. When her eyes moved to look at the house, she saw the broken windows and .s.ses and along with it, she missed to spot the shadow that stood near one of the windows. Chapter 563 Time To Leave- Part 2 There are other books in this same world. Do try giving it a read which you will find in my profile. ''Belle Adams Butler'' is the 5th book in this series~ Penny who was still looking at the house and the windows that were broken heard a creaking sound at first which had the other people''s head-turning to look towards the house as to where the sound wasing from. In less than a few seconds, the house started to copse and it fell down one after another. Caitlin who had been sitting at the stairs had moved away, taking a couple of steps far away from the house as the wooden structure fell with bangs on top of each other leaving dust to surround it and at the people who were there. The house had been alright and suddenly it had copsed making everyone raise their eyebrows in question. Penny, who was curious as the rest, walked towards the copsed building. "What happened to the house?" asked one of the councilmen. Another said, "It must have weakened overtime or the witch''s magic has now been uplifted due to which it wasn''t able to handle to stand straight." Alexander ordered the councilmen whom he had gathered, "Get someone to clean this up and exorcise it once it is done. Do it right now. Also, check if there''s something that has been left behind that is of any importance," the men nodded before giving each other orders on what to do about it. How strange magic was, thought Penny to herself, one moment the house was like any other and after a few hours the house had broken down by itself. The very day, the bag which Elliot and Sylvia had got hold of from the river was pa.s.sed to the council for further investigation to see what it was made of. When most of the councilmen and the family members who hade to pick their kin or rtive home, Caitlin didn''t move but stood in front of the broken house, staring at it. Penny had decided to stay back and she came to stand next to her aunt who was quietly watching the house as if it still existed the same way it did before copsing itself. "Since I met you, I have often wondered why I helped you," Penny heard Caitlin speak to her. The sun had risen high in the sky with the arrival of the sun and the birds, "I have stayed in the ve establishment for many years and I have never helped anyone. Not spoken or bothered to interact. Seeing the guardsman beat the ves which I turned a blind eye too. I could have escaped and maybe I would not be caught right away by your mother or by my fiance or the people who have died today but I stayed.?It makes me wonder if I did leave when I found the opportunity. The course of time would have s.h.i.+fted and we would have probably not met." Caitlin was right, thought Penny to herself. If the woman wasn''t there in the ve establishment, then she would have never met her nor would she have been able to get out of there to meet Damien or know who or what she was. It would have forever remained as a mystery or she would have been killed by the knowledge of her being a witch. Fate and destiny had yed its part and they had moved it so far by turning things right. Finally, the Artemis didn''t exist except for her and her aunt. The only standingst family of the white witch along with Lord Alexander. "I wished Walter was still alive¡­" there was a certain mncholy as Caitlin said looking to her right at something that didn''t exist, "Your father was a very good man, Penelope. He was the brother anyone could have asked for. A good son, a good brother, a good husband to someone who didn''t deserve a grain of his love or kindness and I am sure he was a wonderful father until his time came." "I had a glimpse of him," Penny confessed, a part of her memory which she dearly cherished of him since she had found out. "You did?" Caitlin turned to look at Penny. For Penny to remember it meant it was after a few years. The young white witch nodded her head at her aunt''s question, "I was probably five or seven I think. My mother erased every single memory of his and this is the only one that returned back to me," Penny wished she could remember more but when she tried to link things up, trying to move back or front after the scenes they always hurt her head. As if the spell was restricting her mind from exploring any other memory of hers, "He was a good father. He taught me how to read and write. We even went fis.h.i.+ng near the river¡­" Penny smiled saying this. Caitlin didn''t have to be told about it because she knew her brother better than anyone else. After all, she had spent years with him under the same roof with their uncle and aunt. When they had arrived here, she had hoped things would turn better but who knew things were only going to turn worse in time. "I think it turned out to be a pattern running with us too. To be betrayed by our own rtives that pushed us to the ve establishment," said the red-haired white witch, "Let''s hope it doesn''t happen to your children," Penny smiled at her words. To Penny, having a child felt it was too soon. Though the sound of adding another person as a family sounded good, she was still young and not ready for a child. Both she and Damien were yet to get engaged and married for it. With all the things going around, she believed this wasn''t the right time to have a baby. Right now, it was only Damien and her and the matter with her mother was yet to be solved. In the past, her mother had already attacked her. If she were to have a child and if something were to happen to it, she didn''t know if Damien and she would be able to digest the loss they would feel over it. It would only be them risking the child. Chapter 564 Time To Leave- Part 3 The hours in the copsed house was still fresh with what Mrs. Artemis had confessed to her in the room. People were not bad but they turned bad over little or big things which often blew up out of proportion. The woman lost her twins. To give birth to something that had been taken care of and to lose it in front of their eyes and arms, she felt sorry for the woman. Maybe the woman would have forgiven her sister, made peace that the person she loved had loved someone else but the pain must have been too much over her children. Penny wasn''t sure if she was sympathizing with the dead witch but she felt sorry for her. She felt sorry for her grandparents too who died over what Mrs. Artemis felt. "What about you, Caitlin? You don''t n to find someone and marry?" Penny asked her aunt, curiosity in her green eyes. "I don''t think so. I was actually nning to join the church as my ident.i.ty has been revealed. It would be difficult for me to live by myself." Penny pursed her lips before asking, "Why don''t youe with us?" "Maybe some other time. I have a few things to look at," Caitlin replied back, pus.h.i.+ng her hair behind that had moved towards her face due to the wind of Valeria, "Before she died, she spoke about my fiance. I will need to find him." "Come with us and we''ll help you. I don''t have a family apart from Damien," Penny turned herself to face the woman, her eyebrows drawn together as she said, "I would be very happy to have you with us. Please." The older white witch looked slightly conflicted. She had nned to scout Valeria and othernds one by one to make sure the man was not hunting her still. For someone to hunt her after almost two decades, she couldn''t tell how jobless her fiance was, that was if he was still trying to track her down. She looked at her niece who gave her a hopeful look, waiting for an obvious positive response from her. She heard Penny say, "There was a woman who was working in the church in Bonke and she has disappeared. You could always fill her spot or any other white witch. It isn''t that bad." "Okay," Caitlin answered to have Penny look at her in pure joy. "Yes!" Penny immediately hugged her aunt making the womanugh. Who knew her answer would make her this happy, "I am so happy you will be living with me." "I am looking forward to it," Caitlin patted her niece''s back. With the case of Artemis finally closed, new magistrates were appointed who were screened and exorcised before they took up their job. The body of one of the male magistrates who Penny had killed was found behind the house who was being taken to the council along with the found bag in the river so that one of the council members named Murkh could experiment and test on what the man was along with the bag. The viges had turned back to normal who needed a.s.surance of Lord Alexander. Everyone returned back to the Delcrov''s mansion after everything calmed down. With Isaiah gone, there wasn''t much difference in the mansion as he was here for only a limited duration of time. And if there was anyone who was taken aback by the news it was Penny as she had spent time with him making potions. There was a blurry memory in the back of her mind which made her question what it was. He had appeared to be a good man to turn the tables to finally reveal his intentions of how he was taking part with the ck witches on unbinding the magic. Penny didn''t give much thought to it and continued to pack her clothes along with Damien that they had shopped the first week they had arrived here. A lot of food was packed which was a rare delicacy in thend of Bonke. With all their bags packed and ced in the carriage, Sylvia hugged Penny, "Doe to visit us again when you find the time," Sylvia had enjoyed Penny''spany as much as the white witch. To have someone of her own age to talk to. "Yes," Penny responded back to the woman as she withdrew from the hug. Turning to look at Elliot who was standing there with a smile, she shook hands with him. "Send my best wishes to my brother if you can, mdy," Elliot conveyed his regards to his older brother. "I will. It was good to meet and know Elliot," Penny replied to the vampire who tipped his nonexistent hat at her. "Likewise," said Elliot before he excused himself when he was called by the butler. With Elliot gone and only Sylvia and Penny standing there, Penny asked the woman, "Are things alright between you and him?" Sylvia smiled, nodding her head, "It will be alright. I hope you have a safe trip," Penny wanted to stay longer in Valeria. With the suns.h.i.+ne in the sky and thend that made it bright, she knew she would miss it once they would go back to Bonke. With everything set and the coachman who stood to wait outside to close the carriage after everyone would be seated, Penelope went to Alexander who was standing there where Damien gave her the s.p.a.ce she needed to speak to his cousin. "We did end up as long distanced cousins," she said looking up at Alexander who gave her a nod. "Feel free to visit us. We don''t have many rtives," Alexander said to her, "I am sure Damien wouldn''t mind bringing you here along with him," the man then looked at Penny who fished for something in her pocket. Pulling a ck thread she handed it to him, "What is this?" "This is for you. Take it," she moved her hand forward. Alexander took the ck thread to find a blue stone that was fixed along with it. It was a charm stone. The color that matched the rose that grew in the garden of the Delcrov''s mansion. Penny beamed in happiness when Alexander looked down at his hand and the stone that he held right now, "It is a charm stone that I made it from the rose petal that belongs to your mother." "Thank you," Alexander said before saying, "I already have one charm stone that my mother made for me," he pointed out and she nodded in understanding. "It isn''t exactly for you," she smiled when Alexander''s brows furrowed, "I would have made any charm stone and given it to you but this one is special for more than one reason that it has Lady Isabelle in it as a memory. One day mighte where you wille to care for someone out of the circle you have right now. Someone, you will fall in love much more than your mother who you wille to care for, give it to that person at that time. It will protect her, it wille to her aid when she needs you the most," saying this Penny went to the carriage to have Damien who was waiting for her. With his hand already outstretched for her to take, she ced her hand in his and got in. Damien tipped his chin up when Alexander and his eyes met, raising his hand before the carriage started to move out of the Delcrov''s mansion. Chapter 565 Forgotten Words- Part 1 Music Rmendation-?Lily''s Theme (Extended)?Patrick Bet . Damien could have used his ability to transport back to Bonke but with the luggage, they had with them right now along with the third person, Caitlin who was traveling with them, he found it to be safer to ride the carriage which even Alexander had suggested. Thest time they Damien and Penny had found themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere had been quite an experience for both of them. It had been really long since any of them had used the carriage and using it, they could use some mental peace before they reached Quinn''s mansion. Their journey was peaceful as Caitlin fell asleep and Penny who was sitting next to Damien had her head ced on his shoulder so that she could lean and try falling asleep. The journey was more than two days from Valeria to Bonke, and the carriage rode without any hitch. Stopping asionally at viges so that they could eat and freshen up, they continued their journey until they reached thend of Bonke finally. The horses pulled the carriage to only stop once they reached the mansion. When the coachman jumped down from his seat to open the door, the butler of the house arrived to greet them. Durik stood outside, his head bowing down when Master Damien and Lady Penelope stepped down from the carriage. When the third person stepped out, he looked at her wondering who it was. "This is my aunt Caitlin," Penny introduced her aunt to the butler with the obvious question on his face. "Get all the luggage settled in the room and show Lady Caitlin into the guest room," Damien ordered the butler who quickly nodded his head. The couple had been away from the mansion for more than a month now, making him wonder where they were until today. Damien turned to meet Penny''s eyes, "I will be going ahead." Penny nodded her head to see him go in and they followed the butler. Caitlin was in awe with the ce before they even got down from the carriage, "This looks like a castle with the bridge," she whispered to Penny as they walked inside the mansion, "Damien appears to be richer than Lord Alexander," it was because he was rich. "Would you believe if I said he bought me five thousand gold coins?" actually it was three thousand but no one except for her, Damien and the auctioneer knew about it. Caitlin''s eyes widened and she said, "Looks like he likes to spend a lot." "Actually it is the opposite," Penny chuckled remembering the way Damien loved bargaining. "Then he must treasure you,"?After all, why would anyone spend five thousand gold coins on a ve. The woman didn''t have to know that both Penny and Damien were too in love and often got lost in their own world while not noticing the things or people around them. Before the three could head to the guest room, they met Lady Fleurance who was walking from the other side of the corridor, heading towards the main hall "I thought both of you died that you didn''t return home," said the vampiress in greeting that had Caitlin''s eyebrows raise at her. Penny didn''t bother to retaliate and instead, she decided to be polite, answering the woman, "We were in Valeria. Caitlin, this is Damien''s stepmother Lady Fleurance," she introduced to receive an eye roll from the vampiress, "Lady Fleurance this is-" Penny was saying when Caitlin interrupted her to say, "I am a friend of Penelope''s," the red-haired woman bowed her head and she saw the woman walk away from there, "Is she always like this?" Caitlin asked Penny seeing the back of the woman who disappeared into another room. "Something like that. Don''t mind her," Penny waved her hand. The woman would look down upon anyone who was not a pureblooded vampire, "Why did you introduce yourself to her as my friend?" she questioned a little confused as she was eager to introduce her as her aunt. "If your mother is still keeping a watchful eye on you, there''s a possibility of her finding out that I am alive and would make things more difficult. Like this there would be less doubt in her mind," Penny nodded her head. Seeing Caitlin settle in the guest room, Penny went back to her own room which was Damien''s room. Going to the bed, she fell t on it. The bed felt cold as it had not been used for several days now and even though it felt cold, it felt nice enough that she stretched her arms and legs without removing the shoes that she was still wearing. The weather in the Bonke had not changed much and it was still cloudy and dark. Dark clouds that had turned dark which would soon start s.h.i.+ng against each other. The air was cold which was a beacon that rain was right around the corner. The Quinn''s mansion had turned to home, with Damien here and the days she had spent, she started to drift off to sleep with her head lulling to sleep even though she had spent most of her time sleeping in the carriage. Getting all the sleep she had missed the previous days. Penny who had been unlocking every spell by herself by the use of Lady Isabelle''s books wasn''t aware that every time she used a new spell, her mind gave bits and pieces of her memories back to her. Her mind drifted further and farther away from the present and the more she fell into the spell of sleep, the closer she got to the part of her memory which she had been trying to find. It took her to a hill where she was walking with a bucket in her hand that creaked with every step she took. The weather was far or less the same as the present, the wind blowing her skirt behind where Penny had to quickly move her legs so that she could get back home before the sky would start pouring the rain like any other day of Bonke. Chapter 566 Forgotten Words- Part 2 Just as she was walking she caught sight of someone who stood at the tip of the cliff looking down at the height the person stood on. Pursing her lips, Penny took the decision to walk up there to see a man whose legs shook back and forth as if preparing to jump from there. "Hey!" Penny shouted at the man, her voice loud as the air was too breezy up here at the cliff. The man turned around to look at her and her eyes widened because of the blood that covered his white s.h.i.+rt along with his hands, "What are you doing there?" she asked him. It was obvious that he was nning to kill himself from this height. The man moved his lips but the words that he spoke did not reach her ears. "You''re going to fall from there if you move any closer," she shouted again to see the man not react to it. So he was trying to kill himself, thought Penny to herself. To someone like her who didn''t have enough life in the vige where people looked down at her with hate and disgust, she wanted to live, to live and prove people wrong for how they perceived her and her mother. She raised both her hands after dropping the bucket of milk she had collected from a cow that didn''t belong to her family. "I don''t know what happened but there are other ways to look at than jumping off the cliff," said Penny over the breezing wind. The man didn''t go to answer her and instead turned around not giving her an ear to listen to. Penny panicked not knowing what else to do, she said, "Oh, wait. I know you! You live next to my home, don''t you? I am Penelope. You know there are a lot of things for which I could jump over a cliff but I heard someone say once you die, the pain carries along and it doesn''t stop but only feels that much more. It is true," she leaned to her right to finally have him turn around. "How do you know about that?" he finally spoke loud enough for her to be able to hear him. She tried remembering it before saying, "It was one of the priestesses in the church. I had gone to pray that day. She said that it is better to try resolving what you feel in this life than carry it. It is why the book to humanity written by the G.o.ds tells us to wash our sins and pin in this very time than postpones by carrying it forward." The man hadn''t turned to jump and instead was facing her which was good, he slowly stepped down to where she was to ask her, "Do you believe that the book of humanity was written by G.o.ds?" now that he was near, she could see the blood which was somewhat between ck and red in color. Did he kill someone? "Umm, I think it is good to think that someone who sits in the higher seat above all the creatures had written it to guide us. Don''t you think so?" she asked him while being wary about the man who stood in front of her, "I don''t know what you did but if it''s something that was needed, I am sure G.o.d will forgive you," the man looked at the green-eyed girl. Staring at her, to notice how epting she was where she hadn''t panicked by looking at the blood on him. Seeing the man starting to walk down, Penny wondered if the man was upset. She was relieved to see that he was at least not trying to kill himself for now. When Penny''s eyes woke up from the sleep she caught sight of Damien who was at the foot of the bed removing her shoes from her feet, "Sleep more if you''re sleepy," he whispered to see her shake her head. "What time is it?" she asked. Her body felt groggy and sluggish, sitting upright, she heard him answer, "It''s three past five right now." When they had arrived here, Penny hadn''t bothered to look at the clock on the wall and instead she had fallen straight on the bed, falling asleep. She yawned, "Did you get enough sleep?" he asked her. "I think so," she murmured, letting Damien unbuckle thest shoe, letting it fall down on the ground as he sat near her. He kissed the side of her temple. "You appear a little lost," he noted. His eyes flickering to look at her expression that looked dazed. "I saw Isaiah in my dream," Penny said, taking some time to let the dream itself sink, "I sometimes wonder if the dreams I dream are the ones that took ce or the ones I am imagining. What if some things are part of the imagination that never took ce?" "Is it hard to draw the line between the two?" he asked her. "Not much but it only makes me wonder." "What did you see in your dream?" Penny''s eyes moved to look at the flickering fire in the firece that looked bright like it had only been torched a few minutes before she woke up from her sleep. Her brows knit together she said, "He killed someone and he looked upset. The blood on his s.h.i.+rt was was red and ck in color, it must have been of a ck witch. I think he wanted to kill himself over it." "Did he say who it was?" Penny shook her head, "No. We didn''t speak much. I think it was the first time we spoke to each other. Do you remember when he iterated the story about himself, he said he had been mentored by a ck witch." "I remember that." "Do you think he killed that ck witch who took him in? The woman who taught him the ck magic...Because he didn''t mention anyone else in his story," Penny had hoped for him to turn to a better person but in the end, he had the intentions to wipe her memory just like her mother had done to her. Chapter 567 Forgotten Words- Part 3 Seeing him in the dream felt nostalgic. She wondered why someone would go so far as to kill people and turn to the other side where there was no return. People like that were swayed by their past emotions which often turned toxic. "I wonder if we had good memories in the past. Isaiah and me," though in the past when Isaiah was still alive she had seen the blurry glimpse of them, she had felt the memory was something kind and not something vile that made her doubt him less. Damien could sense that Penny was feeling guilty that maybe there was some goodness in the man who was killed, "Even if you both shared good times with each other and even if he was going to help you run from there, away from your mother, the truth is he didn''t. He might have loved you but he already knew you didn''t like your mother erasing your memories and he would turn just like her." "You are right..." she sighed. Leaning her head against his shoulder. She believed Damien did what he had to do. And even if their rtions.h.i.+p would be one which was of close friends in the past, the man had turned bad to worse by going as far as to help the Artemis in their n along with the other ck witches. Damien and Penelope stayed like that, leaning against each other to support each other, the silence filling up the room which feltfortable in the warmth the firece was providing them and the room. The time of the Winter had finally pa.s.sed to let the rain and clouds take over thends of the Bonke. With Isaiah gone, there was no trustable ck witch they could rely on to summon the elements again. Penny wasn''t apletely turned ck witch which was why she wouldn''t be able to perform the spells to summon the elemental deity. She was also worried where the water elementdy would reappear again with an annoyed expression on her face. She had learned spells that were useful and she couldn''t tell how blessed she felt and at the same time as she thought about it, she said, "Oh no¡­" whispered Penny under her breath. Damien turned to her, "What happened?" The dream she just had didn''t speak about Isaiah nor the ck witch who raised him after he had turned to a ck witch. The woman, the priestess she spoke about in her dream was someone she hade across long ago but because of her mother removing her memories every so often, the memory had been lost. This time Penny didn''t have to close her eyes to dream and see what it was about it. The memory flowed into her seamlessly like water into her mind. The memory was rted to what she had spoken which had taken days before she had met the ck witch. It was the same day before she had met the elemental person who belonged to the wind. The days were next to each other, ovepping such a way that she hadn''t been able to see it previously. She had been looked down upon in the theater she worked that she had gone to the church for some peace. ''Why do you evene here with no money to buy for the clothing? Do you think we can keep you here?'' The owner of the theater resonated in her head while she made her down the aisle of the church to sit down on one of the benches. ''Do you know how to act? With such poor clothes, people are going to view us badly,'' came the voice of the theater actress who often yed the lead role in all the ys. ''If you cannot even pay for the rent then don''t bother,'' said a side actress as she sat looking at the front of the Chapel. Getting work had been extremely difficult for Penny and she had to walk for a long distance from the vige she lived in to another vige. With the people of her vige who were not willing to spare a look, making money had been hard. This was the only thing here that she could work around and they were asking her money for the clothes that she had not damaged. Tears filled up her eyes. Not wanting to shed it even though there was no one but her and the father who was taking confession from a man in the confession box as she could hear some muttering words being exchanged in there. She stared in front of her, her shoulders slumped thinking how long things would go on like this. Life seemed like it was moving in circles with them struggling every single day. Her father hadn''t returned back to them for years. She knew deep down her father would not have left her and her mother alone, and if he had there was a greater reason for it. She clutched the bottom of her skirt where she had ced her hands, taking a deep breath when she heard a voice behind her. "You seem to be troubled." Penny hearing a woman''s voice turned to her right to catch sight of a woman who had taken a seat behind her. The woman had long ck straight hair that was parted from between to leave them open which covered her ears. She had a rather paleplexion who would have suited to be called a vampire but her green eyes were what set her apart. When she hade here to sit, the woman wasn''t there, she wondered when she came and sat behind her. A drop of tear fell down on Penny''s cheek when she blinked and she quickly wiped the tears. "I am fine," Penny tried to put up a smile that didn''t stay long on her lips. She saw the woman stand up, walking around the bench to walk in herne while holding a?coif in her hand. Chapter 568 Forgotten Words- Part 4 "You don''t mind if I take a seat next to you, do you?" her voice was soothing and her speech polite as she asked Penny. Penny shook her head and the woman sat down. Now that she could see her clothes, she realized the woman was a priestess of the church, "Having a bad day?" asked the woman. "Just another day in thend of Bonke," Penny replied to thedy whose eyes were light on her without making it look like she was staring at her. "It is very gloomy weather in here, isn''t it?" said the priestess speaking about the weather as the clouds were growling and s.h.i.+ng against each other, "The weather will pa.s.s and so will the heaviness that you carry in your chest right now. Things that matter right now will look trivial as you grow old," she had a dainty smile on her face as she said it. "If you want, you can talk to me. I am a very good listener, better than the confession box," said the woman that made Penny smile. It was very rare anyone came to aid one and if they did it was usually to enjoy the plight of the other, "It''s alright if you aren''tfortable speaking about it." Penny pursed her lips, remembering what had happened in the theater today. Lately, she had been feeling the emptiness in her chest which she wasn''t able to get rid of which arose every time she woke up from her sleep. It was like she was missing something and sinking in a ck hole. To make things worse, the vigers had been eyeing her and her mother even more funnily than usual. "Sometimes it feels too much like there''s no way out...things have been hard since the start but when you put a lot of effort, hoping for things to get better to only see it turn worse," Penny looked at the father and the man who was confessing step outside the box, "It makes me wonder if it''s worth living the same days over and over, hurting inside..." The woman stayed quiet for a long time, seconds turning to a minute before she said, "It might hurt now but it will turn better, the pain is what makes you stronger. If you run away from it, it will only chase and burden you further. I understand it is easier spoken than done but every person is given a chance, dear. We all have our times, a sliver of hope and I can hope you can find and grab it when your timees." Her green eyes moved up to look at the new paint and the writing on top of the walls, "You got it painted," she murmured looking at the ck writing. The woman turned to look at the wall, nodding her head, "To keep everyone safe from evil." "Is that what it means?" Penny asked, a part of her knowledgeing forth to what she had learned when she was small to read out the text aloud, "Lliaze, zwe thou ye moth hrye." The woman''s eyes moved slowly to look at the girl. Her eyes looked at Penny with interest. If she could, she would speak but there was a rule to follow, the course of her action which could rebound back instead of pus.h.i.+ng it forth where she wanted. Her one wrong step would lead to chaos and loss of lives due to which she would have to let fate run its course while watching from the sidelines. The priestess then asked, "What is your name?" "Penelope," the young girl replied to receive another smile from the woman. "Your days will get better but might get harder in time. I hope you turn to a strong woman, Penelope. If you ever need an ear, you know where to find me," said the woman before she got up and left to meet the father of the church. Unfortunately, the opportunity for them after a few days Penny met Isaiah for the very first time and when she reached her home, she started to remember a few things about her past and her mother had wiped the memory of her day, whichpletely erased the part where she had spoken to the priestess in the church. Though it was sad to think that when they met again Penny didn''t recognize the woman as the most she had done was stare at thedy who smiled at her before meeting Father Antonio in the church a month ago, she was still d to have spoken to the white witch, Lady Isabelle once. "It was Lady Isabelle whom we met that day in the church," she looked up at Damien to ask, "Were they able to track her?" for what she knew she had been missing from the church and it had caused quite some issue in the council from what she heard from Damien as white witches who were serving the council was not allowed to leave the church without permission. "Are you sure it was her?" he asked to see Penny nod quickly, "Hmm, strangely even though I have seen her in the portraits I couldn''t point her out. Maybe she ced some kind of spell knowing who I was. The council tried to find her, they sent the witch hunters to find her but they found nothing. It was more or less like she didn''t exist so the council had to close the case as a missing person." The woman must have her own reasons to stay low without letting anyone including her own son know that she still existed.?Penny still couldn''t believe she had met the woman whom she had been admiring for quite some time now. To meet her in such circ.u.mstances in the past where she knew about Penny before anyone, she couldn''t tell how much respect she held for Lady Isabelle and right now she was happy. She hoped where ever Lady Isabelle was, she had found her peace. Chapter 569 Abandoned House- Part 1 Her memories were finally returning back to her and she couldn''t tell how happy she was for the very first time where her dreams did hold the abusive rtions.h.i.+p between her mother and her. Though at the end of her sight what she had seen had ended with her mother erasing everything again, she was now happy because she remembered it now. Penny''s mother was the worst role-model as a mother and if there was someone who she hade to admire, it was the white witch who was rted to her. She felt Damien''s hand brush against hers, "How sad that I couldn''t recognize her when she came in front of him. I think now I can deduce the smile she carried thest time we crossed paths," said Damien and this time it was Penny who moved her hand in a way she could squeeze his hand. "She must have known that you are close with Alexander and therefore put a charm on you," she said before continuing to speak, "I think when I spoke to her, I didn''t know how to read the scripts written. Now that I think about it, it was more than what she said that day. The writing on the walls read as - Help wille to the ones who seek sincerely." Damien smiled looking at her, "I can tell that in time you will surpa.s.s Aunt Isabelle." "I don''t think I am that great," Penny smiled with her lips closed, a sheepish one as she looked at him. "I think you are plenty great in my eyes. If you surpa.s.s further you might turn to a G.o.ddess. It worries me that I won''t be able to see you then," Penny didn''t have to ask him to deduce what he meant by it. His words had been put subtlety without giving out much that he was worried about her. If she would turn to a G.o.ddess in the eyes of people, there would be that much more harm where people would want to kill her. Penny slid her hands around his waist. Her head settling on his chest to say, "In your presence, I doubt anything bad will ever happen to me. I know you will be there so that nothing ever illes to befall on me." Damien held her in his arms, kissing the top of her head. It wasn''t that Damien was out of worry. Obstacles would always be there and they would need to face it together. "What are we going to do about my mother?" Penny asked him, "Caitlin told my mother had a brother. A younger one. We don''t know where to track him or her right now." "I don''t think it is too difficult to track them. Do you know how you bring out ants? You bait them. One starts and the other trails until all will form a line right behind each other." "I don''t understand," Penny said, gently moving away from Damien''s embrace to tip her chin up so that she could look at him. "The witch hunters have already been sent but there have been some recent reports that came from one of the towns. One of the councilmen spotted the ck witch and the witch hunter boarding the carriage together," said Damien to her. "At first, it was reported to be misinformation because at that time Creed was the one who was looking after the witch hunters and giving them orders. The people who used to work for Creed in the early stage had moved and scattered to different ces." "You''re telling me that the witch hunters and the ck witches are now working together? But why would they do that? Everyone knows how ck witches are selfish and what they have done so far," Penny reasoned out with Damien. "You and I know it but not everyone looks at things the same way as we do. People are brought up differently in different circ.u.mstances by which their brain is washed with different things which ister fed with lies," Damien moved from the bed, walking towards the drawer to pull out an envelope which held letters in it, "This is a piece of crucial information which was sent to me by one of the councilmen who lives in Bonke." Penny took hold of the envelope and pulled out the parchment sheets in it. Turning it around, she read what was in it. "It speaks about abduction of witches," Penny''s eyebrows furrowed deeply as the events were listed out, "It happened between the borders of the East and South Empire." "Hmm," Damien hummed, who had read through the letters once they had returned back. The butler was the one who had been holding on to it while waiting for Master Damien''s return, "The problem now is no one can be trusted. The few ck witches who are good cannot be counted and the witch hunters who are supposed to be cleaning the mess are going to create a further mess. Though I doubt everyone is involved here, a majority have started to move into Wovile, Bonke, and Mythweald. After all, we did create a radar in Valeria. Witches won''t make their presence known any time soon." Penny had continued to read while Damien was exining to her the gist of it, "Councilman Creed had a daughter?" she asked him after reading the information in it. "An adopted child. I doubt I or anyone ever saw him bringing the girl to any celebrative parties or normal tea parties. She is human. M Creed who took upon the councilman''sst name before turning to a witch hunter," answered Damien to her, taking a seat and saying, "What is here right now, it speaks that the woman is leading a mixed group of ck witches and witch hunters." "Are these the people who are creating the ma.s.sacre then?" She saw him shake his head over her words, "No. If it was M''s group, the girl who was raised by Creed then the ma.s.sacre would have stopped right after his death. Even the ambush that has been taking ce in other cities woulde to seize to exist but this has not been the case. If I am not wrong, things have only turned grey and will turn to the worse side." "My mother is part of it too. We need to find the list and see what else is there that can be stopped before they try something." Chapter 570 Abandoned House- Part 2 It also meant there was more than Creed, witch hunter and her mother in it. Both Damien and Penny didn''t know who it was and neither did anyone know who was trying to run the show to unbind the magic. "One step at a time," Penny reminded both of them, "Do you think if we have a sketch drawn of her and have it pasted on every single tree in thend she would be exposed?" she was eager to know if it would work. Her once sweet mother whom she had known to be lovable had turned out to be a person Penny hade to hate. Penny knew that until they wouldn''t do anything about her mother, the woman would try to disrupt not only her life but also the ones who mattered to her. "As much as I would love to see her being chased, she wille back with that much vengeance back at you. If you''re going to finish her, make it be one kill. We need to first bait the witch hunters and then the witch. I will have a word with Reuben tomorrow so that he can have someone trustworthy to handle the case." "Okay¡­" Penny responded back, her mind drifting to the books they had and the time she had spent reading them, "Damien?" "Hmm?" "Is Creed''s house still open for visitors?" she asked him. He tilted his head, asking her, "You want to visit his house?" he was curious to know why. "I was thinking if maybe the book of Vervus, the book of garlic is somewhere there," it was thest and final book which was written by Lady Isabelle but until now Penny hadn''t seen a glimpse of it as it wasn''t part of the collection in which Damien had brought home the night Creed died. Initially, the books didn''t mention each other but the more she read and pa.s.sed through the books, the content started to reference each other which made in the end pointed at the book named Vervus. "When do you want to go?" he asked her. And in return, she asked him, "What time do you think is feasible?" "Any time you want. Creed''s mansion is currently under lockdown and in the custody of the council as the man holds no direct descendent nor does he have anything written in his will. I think he was too confident that he wouldn''t die or wouldn''t be killed. That is what a lot of pureblooded vampires or witches or humans think when they are sitting at the top. Not realizing a ck hole has opened to engulf them. Maybe if he knew, he would have written the witch hunters name that would have given all the property to her," Damien gave out a thoughtful expression before saying, "Let''s get you something to eat and then leave for the mansion. Durik, the butler, was summoned to the room where he brought the food to the couple while also taking the food to the guest Lady Caitlin''s room as they were all tired. Right now time was crucial and she didn''t know if they could afford to lose time while people''s lives were put under danger. They could meet Quinn''ster in the morning until then, both Damien and Penny spent their time together in the room. Once they were done eating, Penny being on the side of eating as she was starving while Damien who had already eaten was merely giving her thepany, they picked up their coats. While slipping into the coats, Penny said, "I would like to move from wearing these two something much freer clothing. It is very hard to move around when you are getting attacked by someone," sheined to him. She didn''t know if she could run and jump if she would continue to wear gowns and dresses during these kinds of asions, "I will have Durik call the tailor man home so that he can take your measurements while you can tell what kind of clothes you are looking to wear," he asked to receive a thumbs up. "You are the best," she praised him already knowing what he was about to say. "Tell me something I haven''t heard before," a grin on his lips, he saw her wear the ck booths which were useful to walk during the time of rain as the roads and thend would be slippery and wet, "All set?" he asked her. The weather outside had only started to turn worse. The clouds had started to constantly crash and collide against each other with the shes of lightning spilling out in the sky and the ground to turn the sky ck and blue now and then. Traveling to Creed''s mansion, both Penny and Damien stood outside the mansion with the doors that were locked with thick chains and a big lock to stop people froming in. Especially the ck witches from intruding and making it their haven. It was one of the ck witches'' habits to find abandoned houses or other buildings they could make use of. Penny looked around the mansion which was dark from inside. With no one in the mansion, not a single light was lit. Many unwanted nts had grown along with the weeds in the garden that looked like soon the mansion would turn to one of the tales of Bonke for humans to gossip on how ghosts lived here. They pushed the gate, softly creaking as they made their way inside the house through the help of Damien''s ability. Stepping inside, Penny wondered how rich this pureblooded was with the amount of antique that hovered around the just on the first floor. If she wasn''t wrong, it had been more than a month since the councilman was found dead. Could an untouched house turn this...messy? Asked Penny to herself. There were cobwebs everywhere that had started to spread and create more webs around the objects that she saw as no one had stepped into this ce. Chapter 571 Abandoned House- Part 3 "Why is it unorganized here? Did the council make a search?" she asked him. A lot of things were put down on the floor as if people hade to search for something suspicious here. "They usually do it to find a reason or a trail because of the person''s death in the house. Creed died suspiciously and out of the blue when things around him were quiet and calm with no feud going on. You will find the books there ahead of you and there are some in his study room," Damien spoke to her in a hushed tone as she stood right next to her. Damien led her to the bookshelf and she started to look at the books that were aligned on the racks. There was at least a minimum of more than a hundred books ced in here. There weren''t many to go through therefore Penny started to read every single book in there, pulling out the book to read and pus.h.i.+ng it back from where she had taken it. Damien who was already aware of the book being called the cookbook for garlic, he helped her in looking for it. Finis.h.i.+ng the two racks, Penny asked him, "Where is his study room?" "It''s inside. Let me go take a look there," he suggested having her go back to checking the books and Damien left the racks in the hall. Penny spent her time on the racks of the book to find nothing in here. Hoping Damien would have better luck than her she went in search of him not realizing that she didn''t know where the study room actually was located in the mansion she was in. The only source of light which was the moon at the time of night had been s.h.i.+elded by the clouds, leaving only the lightning as their source of light for now which shed in and out of the windows. On her way, Penny came across a painting with a small frame of concentric design. The designs were made in ck and the background in making it appear to be exotic. It was because of the lightning s.h.i.+ng did Penny even observe it before she moved ahead to finally meet Damien who was in the far end of the corridor. "I don''t think he ever had the book you are looking for," Damien stated, after all, if the man did have the book, he would have ced it with the rest of the books which he had brought with himself without leaving it in the council''s hands, "He must have been searching for it that is if he knew it existed. The man could hardly read it, if he did, he would have been ced in a locked safe and not out in the open." So the book of Garlic was not here, thought Penny to herself. Did the book perhaps not exist anymore and was burnt? After all, garlic wasn''t something everyone favored in their food because of the strong scent it held. "Is this all that is there here?" she asked him, her shoulder slumping as the hope of finding the book here had disappeared from her mind. When they made their way out, Penny was the first one to move forward and she suddenly stopped when she caught sight of antern that was ced near the rack of books which was previously not there because thentern was one which was lit and was burning brightly. Both Penny and Damien quickly went back into the room before going to peek outside with only their top of the head and their eyes trying to see what was going on. "Search it in the racks. Do you even know how to read you illiterate?" a man walked forward along with another scrawny looking man. "Do you think a man like me will know how to read," the scrawny man chuckled to be pushed aside by the bulkier one. "I don''t even know why you are sent along with me you useless little piece of s.h.i.+t," said the bulky one with grey hair but it was the color of his hair not that he had reached the old age as he started to look for something in the racks, "Bring me thentern here. If you can''t read you can at least hold it up here," he knocked the smaller one''s head before going to look at the books there. Penny who was peeking below Damien pulled herself back to ask him in a whisper, "Do you think they came looking for the same book?" "Are they witches?" Damien asked in confirmation. Sadly Penny couldn''t differentiate a human to be a human or witches. She was still a white witch which made it difficult for her to know. To be able to differentiate one from another, she would have topletely turn to a ck witch. "I can''t tell," since the time they had killed the Artemis, Penny''s eyes had not turned to slits and they had continued to stay green constantly. It made her wonder if that was why she was able to differentiate during the time they had been Valeria, right now she couldn''t deduce and they didn''t have to wait as the two men showed their true form without being asked to. Peeking back they noticed the scaly appearance of the two men with their entire body structure changed one to be of a ck witch. "Where is it? It was told it was somewhere here." "Thedy said it to be here. She said it was in the house but didn''t specify where," one hearing the scrawny witch''s words, the other one pulled out a book and started to beat the other on his head. "Such a useless little piece," the man continued to use the book on his partner''s head before throwing the book on the ground, "The sheet could be elsewhere if it is not here. Go search the top floor and I will try to find it here!" the ck witch barked before walking away from the book racks and starting to look at every little object that was in the house. Chapter 572 Abandoned House- Part 4 "Billizard, how big do you think the sheet looks like? Do you know if it is small or big?" the scrawny man asked while he was up on the floor, talking loud enough that made the other cringe as if wondering how he was stuck with the man who had no brain or didn''t bother to make use of it. "Stop yelling," growled the ck witch before continuing to look for something that Damien and Penny were unaware of. "What a day to spend time with a pair of ck witches who decided toe here the same day and time we arrived here," muttered Damien under his breath. Both he and Penny couldn''t figure out what the ck witches hade here for. If it were books they would have continued to look at the racks but instead, they had spoken about a ''sheet''. Now they didn''t know what this was about but it sure was of grave importance if they hade here in the middle of the night like they had arrived here. "What do we do now?" Penny whispered as soft as she could so that the ck witch would not catch them here. "Stay. We need to find what they are looking for. We need to find a sheet of paper," which they didn''t know of, thought Penny to herself. The ck witches themselves didn''t know what exactly they were looking for, which would mean they were in the same boat as them. The only troubling part was that they would have to be the first one to find it while tip-toeing around these ck witches unless the ck witches found it first and they would have to fight for it. "How are we going to do it?" Penny asked the most obvious question as they were hiding from the ck witches and letting them do half of the job. "Let''s y hide and seek," Damien suggested, raising Penny''s eyebrows. Was he being serious? "Trust me, it will be fun. I have your back," he ced his hand on her shoulder. "If something goes wrong, I will be the first one to attack you," she threatened lowly. Damien had his own quirks but sometimes instead of taking a straight route, he liked to y the game of tag or chase, ying with the person before pouncing and finis.h.i.+ng the person off. That being said, Penny had taken another peek when she turned back to see Damien had disappeared from sight. Was he serious?! Penny thought he was lowkey joking but he was serious about splitting and searching this sheet the witches wanted. Tapping her hand on her side, she took a deep breath before she readied her mind to search in this huge looking mansion. She wondered if she should first look for the sheet in here, after it was the deceased study room. People often kept important doc.u.ments in their study room. But at the same time she wanted to close the door so that the ck witch wouldn''te here as a surprise while she would have to keep looking up to make sure it was her alone here. Being next to the door, Penny decided to close the door and she ced her hand on the door ready to push it when she slightly moved it to make a loud creaking sound that made her suck a deep breath of air so that she wouldn''t panic. ''Oh, dear G.o.d!'' prayed Penny in her mind. Hearing the footstepsing towards the door, Penny wondered if it was time to behave like a cat. "Meow," she mewed as best as she could to make it sound like a cat was roaming in the mansion. Thankfully the floorings were made of stone and not wood that she could quickly shuffle her feet to walk behind one of the rack to hide herself. "This ce is so f.u.c.king dusty. Why can''t the council clean it up with it in their jurisdiction," the grey haired ck witchmented, moving his hand in front to make sure the cobwebs didn''t get to him right now, "I heard a cat''s voice," he murmured. The ck witch didn''t stop moving forward where Penny was hiding right now, her heart thudding in her chest at the thought of being caught. Maybe it wasn''t bad toe out and fight the witch. Even if she wouldn''t be able to do it, she knew Damien would break the man symmetrically without breaking any sweat. Seconds moved slowly and Penny gupled, her eyes widening to close as the witch so close that suddenly Penny was moved from the ground floor to the first floor of the mansion. Her head was buried in Damien''s chest as he held her in his arms. "If you want, you can beat the man. You don''t have to hold back, mouse," he whispered next to her ear. "You said to y hide and seek!" Damien''s body shook out ofughter without a sounding out before he said, "You beat the person if he catches you. Until then the game goes on." Damien kissed her forehead making her smile. The man had no time for where and when to romance. Given the opportunity, he would kiss her any day, any time and at any moment without any hesitation to show how much he adored and loved her. Somewhere, Penny wondered if Damien was ying the cat and mouse game with her too. It had been a while since he had tortured or bullied her, was his ws itching to do it? With that thought, she looked at him with narrowed eyes. "What the h.e.l.l was with the cat?" Damien asked her in disbelief and her shoulders slumped. "I think they found out when I was about to push the door of the study room." "I am sure they found out someone is here after you mimicked a cat''s voice which I should say was terrible. Once we get back home we are going to practice on your meowing. Would be helpful in bed too," he grinned and Penny ced her hand on his mouth when she heard something creak above them. "There''s an attic to the mansion," shemented looking up at the ceiling that was made of wood. Chapter 573 Abandoned House- Part 5 Damien disappeared right in front of her eyes and after a minute he returned back to tell, "There''s nothing up there. Ready to split?" he asked and she quickly nodded her head, "Be safe," he ced his hand on her face before letting it go and leaving her on her own to find this part of the mansion. Penny started to look for the sheet of paper that was mentioned by the ck witches. If it had something to do with the witches, it meant it wouldn''t be too big. It was either a bunch of writings that were present on it or diagrams for a ritual that could be used for something big. She couldn''t help wondering how Creed haad made his way into the Delcrov''s mansion to steal the books that Isabelle had while also carrying information about other witchy things. She tried to figure out where the man would have ced. For the ck witches toe looking here today meant the ck witches had possibly never stepped in here and the sheet would still continue to exist here where councilman Creed used toe back as his home. Where would he have ced it? She searched and looked for it while tiptoeing around the scrawny looking ck witch who appeared to be an idiot as he was simply going through things that were not what he was supposed to look at. Not knowing how much time had pa.s.sed, everyone continued looking for the sheet of paper for a long time but none could find it. Everyone ended up in the different corners of the house and Penny walked down to see where else the sheet could be hidden from the intruder''s eyes. Thanks to the rain that had started to pour from the sky, the sound of her footsteps hiding behind the sound of the thunder that echoed and shook the .s.ses of the mansion While she walked through the beginning of the corridors again, she came to face the drawing again or painting she had noticed earlier. Curious, she stepped forward towards it and her hand reached for the small drawing which looked minimalisticpared to the rest of the paintings and art that hung on the walls of this mansion. Removing it from its hook, Penny brought the painting close to her to have a better look at it by having it close to her eyes. She stared at the painting in her hand when she noticed something sticking out at the front. She frowned with her hand running at the front which picked up the dust that had settled itself on the surface of the .s.s behind which the painting was locked. While Penny was busy unlocking the painting, the scrawny looking man who had made his way down searching for his partner caught sight of a woman standing in the middle of the corridor. Penny removed the painting to notice a sheet of paper at the top and when it was moved away, one could see the cutout design that was letting the ink of the sheet be seen. Turning it around in her hand she realized this was it! "THIEF!!" the ck witch started to yell, "WE HAVE A THIEF!" She looked up startled and in time the other ck witch made his way to see her. Both of them standing in two opposite corners that blocked her way. When the grey-haired man saw her holding the sheet of paper, he yelled, "Get her!" She looked back forth to see Damien who was taking his sweet time in whichever part of the mansion he was in. Running towards the scrawny man felt much more feasible and she ran towards him with both the ck witches trying to catch hold of her. Using the painting frame, she swung to hit the weaker looking ck witch across his face that had his lower jaw move to the side and he started to tap on his face to get it back in position. The other ck witch caught up with and at the same time Damien walked out from the other room to catch hold of the ck witch that ended up in a fight. They moved back and forth thras.h.i.+ng to the point where Damien pulled out the gun to ce it on the witcher''s head. Damien pulled the cork of the gun, demanding from the other, "Who are you working for?" the ck witchughed, the b.l.o.o.d.y ck blood spouting from his mouth. "Wouldn''t you want to know," said the ck witch, "All the best finding out about it," and in less than three seconds he bit his tongue to bleed to death. Before the scrawny many could do anything, Penny used the same frame to throw at him that was enough to distract him. Damien didn''t lose another second but moved towards the other ck witch, tearing a piece of clothing that came from Penny''s dress he stuffed into the ck witch''s mouth before he could bite his tongue andmit suicide. He turned the ck witch around to hold him against the floor, "There''s a rope in the corner of the second room. The first floor," Penny nodded her head, running up to fetch it and then running down to give it to him. Damien tied the man''s hands and legs, tearing another piece of cloth to tie around the man''s mouth so that he wouldn''t spit it out. The witcher struggled in panic, crawling like a caterpir when Damien moved away to get an antiquey looking long statue, swinging it across the man''s head that turned the witcher unconscious. "Is that the one?" Damien asked looking at her hand and she nodded, handing it over to him to read what was written in there, "I cannot read this one either," he smiled before giving it back to her so that she could tell what it was. Taking the paper back, Penny went to read what was written in it. She then said, "It speaks about unbinding ck magic with the use of another witch. Not a ck or a white witch but another witch," it was pointing towards Alexander which the ck witches were still unaware of, "Also about the other rituals which I think half of it is already done." Chapter 574 Tattle Tale- Part 1 The ck witcher was put in one of the rooms of the little dungeon of Quinn''s mansion. His hands and legs tied with his mouth still being stuffed with the cloth to stop him frommitting suicide. It didn''t take them much time to know and understand that the other ck witcher had killed himself to avoid them from torturing him when he realized that he was going to lose by the hands of the pureblooded vampire. Penny and Damien stood in front of the man who was shackled. His form had not returned back to humans and still continued to look like a ck witcher which he was. "What are we going to do with him?" Penny asked Damien now that they had returned back to the mansion, "If we pull out the cloth there''s a possibility of him biting his tongue like the other," she said staring at the witcher who stared back at her, his eyes looking wild with the slid eyes, struggling from the bounds which were of no use. "We won''t be pulling out the cloth from his mouth," Damien stated to receive looks from both of them, "I will make sure to beat and torture him enough where he will beg to speak," the pureblooded vampire smiled, his eyes twinkling with his gaze on the bound man. The witcher quickly moved away from where he was, going to the corner as if the pureblooded vampire would not be able to cross ande towards him. "We need to keep him so that we know who is behind this. It is obvious they havee here looking for the ma.s.sacre detail which is in your hand right now," Damien only nced at the sheet which was a normal article that didn''t speak about the ma.s.sacre, magic or the witches. If it weren''t for Penelope being blood-rted to Lady Isabelle, he would have nevere to know that there was something more than what met his eyes, "I will need you to write down the rituals so that we can send it to the head council and the three Lords." "Three?" Weren''t there four lords for the fournds of the empire- Valerian, Mythweald, Wovile, and Bonke. Leaving the man behind who wouldn''t be able to escape, Damien walked her out where there was no one to listen to them, "We know Alexander personally which makes it easier to trust him with the information. Lord Nichs had something to do with Creed''s death and also he has been a close acquaintance with Leonard and Vivian Carmichael. We have already been to Wovile which makes it easier for us to know that the Lord can be trusted which leaves us with onend that we recently didn''t step into." "But Mythweald is filled with humans. I have always heard how the witches and vampires are the least concentrated therepared to the other threends," it was also because Penny now knew that the witches hade from the north of Wovile and had started to spread down but she doubted that there were people in Mythweald who were into the ck witch with ck witches in there. "Right now we are not sure about it. We don''t know if the human Lord can be trusted. Not to be rude but humans have the most fickle mind out of the three creatures that exist on thends. You never know when what will happen as they will flip ording to their favor," exined Damien to her. All these years the highest creatures dominating the fournds were the humans, witches and the vampires who were further divided into subcategories. Damien had spent enough time gathering information for the council to know how every single creature behaved ording to time. The human lord right now was a good man but Damien didn''t trust and give the information easily. He said, "It is true that the ma.s.sacre has been hitting mostly Bonke and Wovile after whiches Valeria, leaving Mythweald to be negligible but we don''t know if it is safe to give out what we found because if the witches find out that we are already on them who are trying to unbind the magic to get to all of us, we don''t know how bad h.e.l.l is going to break loose after it." Penny nodded her head. Exhaling the air out of her mouth to say, "Okay. I will leave the witcher to your capable hands." "Don''t worry, I will have him talking in less than one hour. It shouldn''t be that long," Damien''s voice came out to be bright and it had Penny wonder what he was going to do with the ck witch who was tied, "Go on. I will be with you soon." Walking back into the mansion, Penny went to the room and took herself to the desk. Pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment, she started to write down what was written. Writing only the rituals while leaving out the part of another form of higher witch needed as a sacrifice to unbind the magic. She made three copies of them, writing as neatly as possible before she folded them and ced it in the envelope. It had taken her less than twenty minutes toplete it. Putting the envelopes back in the drawer. She locked and left the room so that no one would evere to find out. But there was something else she did before stepping out. Penny had put the sheet of paper they had found in Creed''s mansion into the firece to have it burned until there was nothing but ashes left of it. With this, no ck witch would ever be able to track Alexander and he would be able to live peacefully. Walking down the stairs Penny joined everyone for breakfast where everyone had taken their seats except for Damien who was still dealing with the ck witch. She was d to see her aunt who had taken a seat but was sitting a seat away from Maggie and the rest of them. Walking around the table, Penny went and sat next to her aunt. "Good morning, Penelope. It is good to see you finally back home," Lady Maggie greeted her politely at the table. Chapter 575 Tattle Tale- Part 2 Penny offered Damien''s elder sister a warm smile, "Good morning, Lady Maggie," she still found it hard to greet her just by her name as they had started to know each other through their status when Penny had firste here. I am d to be back. Did you meet my friend Caitlin?" Maggie raised her eyebrows as no one had introduced them. "Oh- h.e.l.lo, I am Maggie. Damien''s sister," Maggie introduced herself by leaning forward and Penny leaned back to make way as she sat between them. Caitlin didn''t hold herself from greeting the woman, "It is good to meet you, Lady Maggie. I am Caitlin," Penny found it hard to not introduce her not as her aunt as the words hade until the tip of her tongue. "It is good to see Penelope make friends out there in Valeria. How is cousin Alexander doing? All well from his side?" Maggie enquired with Penny. "He''s been doing well," Penny answered the vampiress who smiled before going back to her meal. A loud tter of a spoon fell on the floor from the other side of the table and they raised their head, their eyes moving to see where the spoon fell and it was Grace who had dropped her spoon down. Penny chewed her food, her eyes on Grace who said, "I didn''t know Quinn''s mansion was going to turn to some sort of hotel or charity lodge for people toe here and stay," the young vampiress turned to her father to speak to him, "I think it is time you renamed the mansion to the guest house as your son has been bringing people. The next thing you know in less than a few months there will less s.p.a.ce for us and more room and food for them to eat." "Grace," Maggie warned her sister, "Don''t you know how to treat a guest when theye home?" "Behave, Grace. There is no need for you to be impolite to someone who has done nothing to you," their father spoke not wanting to rebuke a fight early in the morning. "Behave about what? What wrong did I say, mama?" Grace turned to look at her mother. "She is right. She is only concerned with what might happen in the future," replied Lady Fleurance, a woman who was always in support of what her doting daughter did. "More than half-siblings it feels like you are my step sister and stepfather," Grace turned her eyes from one person to another. "Aren''t you going a little too far over it?" Maggie voiced her opinion as her father appeared to sigh, making it look like he was bored with the usual bickering that took ce at the table. "Far?" Grace turned her head back to look at her half-sister, "What is far? You bring ves and G.o.d knows what at the table and expect us to share the same s.p.a.ce as these lowly mongrels." "Penelope is not a ve as mentioned by Damien before. She is ady and to make it further clear she would one day turn to thedy of the house," Senior Mr. Quinn''s words had everyone''s head snapped to look at him and then at Penelope who looked taken aback by the man''s words. Penny loved Damien and she had loved him for who he was and how he made her feel but it never urred to her that she would turn to thedy of Quinn''s house. Lady Fleaurance looked absolutely horrified by this news, "What do you mean she is going to turn to the Lady of the house. Until I am alive-" "It is Quinn''s tradition, Fleur. Once the girl gets betrothed to Damien and they get married, she would be the one to lead the house forward with Damien," the man was firm with his words. His wifeughed, almost like a huff. She ced her hand on his arms, her voiceing out to be soft and gentle, "Things change. Previously, we didn''t let our children marry out of our society. But here you are willing to let Damien marry a human who is not lower than our status but also was part of the ve establishment." Penny frowned hearing this, "n.o.body asks or willingly goes to join the establishment. It is the unfortunate circ.u.mstances that lead them there-" "I am talking to my husband. Could you kindly not interrupt it?" Lady Fleurance cut in and Penny pursed her lips without cutting into the conversation and waiting for her turn to speak. "You speak about rules, Gerald but do you really follow them?" Lady Fleurance questioned, her eyes holding unkempt fury that was slowly starting to spark out, "You bent rules for your son''s sake but you didn''t bother to do anything about it when it came to defanging your very own daughter. Where is the justice here?" she continued to question her husband. "That was different and you know that, Fleur. What Grace did was something Damien would never forgive as part of the family." "And what about justice for my daughter? She only followed what she believed to be right in the pureblooded society," Fleurance looked with a look of disbelief look on her face. "In no time this ce will break rules and my father will be okay with it. It makes me question if you even love me, father," Grace spoke in a monotone voice without bothering to look at her father''s face, "It is how it has been going until now. I am always the one in the wrong. Why is that no one punished sister Maggie when she killed that maid in here? Everyone''s mistakes are forgiven except for mine." "You know it isn''t true, Gracie," her father stared at her, a grim expression on his face. Grace smiled, "Then why don''t you and all of us follow rules. Have these to live somewhere else and not in the mansion." "They will stay here," Maggie chipped back in with her words. "Of course, you will. If I am not wrong even she will bring someone out of the family rules to marry," Grace smirked looking at her elder sister who stared back at her, "Isn''t that right? Why don''t you ask my sweet sister where she has been goingtely and why?" Chapter 576 Tattle Tale- Part 3 Maggie quietly red at Grace, wanting her to stop but the girl didn''t bother to take up the warning. "What cat got your tongue?" The people in the room looked curious about what Grace was indicating to right now. She smiled at Maggie wickedly which was when Penny noticed how the girl''s fangs were missing. It seemed like even after the fangs were pulled out the girl still continued to be spiteful about things around her. "Sister Maggie has been working outside, haven''t you?" Grace asked her without bothering to pause, "She has been sneaking out but along with there''s another story." "Is that true Maggie?" her father asked her with a hard voice. If Maggie could, she would have buried Grace twelve feet under the ground so that her half-sister would never be able to rise up with her spiteful remarks and mind. She felt her heart sink as she moved her eyes to look at her father. If there was something that she had been asked to abide, it was to not work. A Quinn''s daughter was not to work for anyone and not bow her head. It was the life of a princess where one could only watch while not touching or doing anything else. Maggie licked her lips after pressing them together as they had dried instantly, "It is true father," she had done the deed and there was no point to lie right now. Especially with what else her younger sister was going to spill. She had thought she had been careful but she didn''t know that her sister was idle enough to tail on her matters on what she did. Her father gave out a disappointed look which made it even worse as he didn''t go to scold her. Instead, he said, "You will not be stepping out of the mansion from now. If you are, it will be with your mother Fleurance." "Gerald," Lady Fleurance looked at her husband, "If you want the members of this family to follow rules then do it without any impartiality. We need to have the bloodline strong and not mix up some human or any other creature. There is a proposal for Damien, she is a pureblooded vampire. She also works in the council." Why did it feel that Penny knew whom Lady Fleurance was talking about? "Her name is Evelyn," of course, who else could it be, thought Penny to herself. "Damien has bonded with the girl. There''s no going back to it. Unless you have forgotten how bonds work when ites to pureblooded vampires," Senior Mr. Quinn reminded his wife who now had her lips set firmly not wanting to deviate from what she stood. "No one is telling him to break the bond. We have seen it before and we can see it again," Lady Fleurance continued to speak, "He can keep this one as his mistress while taking the pureblooded vampiress as his wife," Penny blinked at the woman. Was she serious? "It is not I who is marrying but Damien. You should perhaps put forth your views to him," Senior Mr. Quinn didn''tplete his meal and he was about to drop the napkin he had picked when Grace let him know more by saying, "Sister Maggie has also been going out with someone. Someone low who is not a pureblooded vampire but then I don''t think it should matter. After all, if Damien is marrying a former ve it breaks all the records," Grace smiled looking at Maggie. "That''s not what''s going on, father-" Senior Mr. Quinn, dropped the napkin and got up from his seat before leaving the dining room without another word. Maggie red at her sister, "Are you happy now?" "More than that. I cannot wait to feel the despair I felt all these days. Why should I always be the one to suffer?" Maggie clutched her hands together in anger for the trouble Grace had caused her, "What are you crying about? That you didn''t get the food on time or the clothes not designed as you requested?" Damien had only entered the room to see his step-mother get up and follow her husband, he said, "All of you started without me. What is Grace up to again?" He turned to his younger sister. "Why don''t you ask her yourself," Maggie was the next one to leave the dining room not able to stand the younger vampiress who she considered to be her sister. Penny had thought that Grace had changed after Damien defanged her but instead of things to turn better she had turned worse while tattling about Maggie. It seemed that some people had a hard time changing who they were. Seeing Maggie leave the room, Penny turned to look at Grace who was still seated. Her hand twirling the spoon in her teacup that had turned cold minutes ago. "Just Maggie working outside which our family doesn''t approve of," Grace answered even though no one asked her. Damien only stared at Grace before taking a deep breath. Not reacting to his half-sister, he took his seat next to Penny where Maggie was seated previously, "G.o.d I am famished. What is with the cold food," he looked up at the non-existent butler who like a tortoise had moved to the corner of the room to camouge himself. The butler jumped forward, "Let me go get the fresh batch that is hot," Durik ready to leave, turned around when Grace said, "I need you to run the hot water in my bath." "Of course, mdy. Let me have someone-" "I said you," Grace had her mouth twisted with the word ''you'' as she looked at the butler if he had his brain missing in his head. Damien chuckled, "Please attend to Grace''s request. I don''t think I can bear to sit across her the way she smells right now. Disgusting," he scrunched his face. Grace didn''t give a second and the next minute the teacup was flung from one her end to the other side of the table but Damien had antic.i.p.ated her move. He picked up one of the empty tes next to him to have the teacup collide and ssh on the table, "Childish and immature. Grow up, Grace," he ended the conversation. Chapter 577 Tattle Tale- Part 4 Grace looked at him fumingly, her chair screeched loudly across the room and she stepped out of the dining room leaving only Damien, Penelope and Caitlin along with the butler. "Food, Durik," Damien reminded his clumsy butler who quickly nodded his head and left right away to the kitchen. After a while, Caitlin said to Penny, "I shouldn''t havee here." "Don''t worry about what happened here. There have been worse things that have gone down in the dining room. This is the usual bickering in Quinn''s mansion. This is how we start our day. Tea?" he asked Penny''s aunt who gave him a puzzled look before managing a smile. "Don''t take their words to your heart. You are not my friend but my family and family stick to each other," Penny ced her hand on Caitlin''s hand, giving her a rea.s.suring smile. When their meal was done which was much more peaceful than having a full table, it reminded her of the time in Valeria where the meals were much more peaceful. She didn''t know if she missed this bickering or preferred the quiet atmosphere. Turning to Damien she asked him, "How did your talk go with the witcher?" "It will need a little more time than what I antic.i.p.ated but we are heading there," he replied, picking up the napkin to fluff and spread it on hisp. "We have a witcher?" Caitlin asked, surprised. "We met onest night. He is a little shy so I am trying to coax him to get him to talk," one didn''t have to know what coaxing meant when it came to the pureblooded vampires along with the witchers. Finis.h.i.+ng their meal, Penny took Caitlin for a walk outside the mansion. They walked on the bridge with the wind gusting strong enough to have the leaves that had drifted from the forest move away from there. Caitlin looked at the clouds that had begun to hover in the sky since the time she had woken up. She didn''t know for how long she had been living on thesends that she had lost the days and weeks and then the years that were only moving forward while she had stayed in the ve establishment. Even after meeting Penny for the first time, the thought of living a day outside the establishment, free like this was something she had never imagined. The thought had never crossed her mind, how could she when she found it to be more dangerous outside than being inside at that point of her life. "The Quinn''s appear to be quite different," Caitlinmented as they continued to walk on the bridge. Penny smiled, looking down at the grey rock stones they were stepping on, "Lady Fleurance and Grace can be too much," turning to look at the woman she said, "Don''t listen to them. They have a lot to speak when ites to talking about people''s statuses and the creature they belong to." "Do they know they are a witch?" her aunt questioned to which she shook her head. "They don''t know yet. I don''t know if I will be able to tell them ever about it." "Why do you say so?" She tucked her blonde hair behind her ear that had escaped from her braided hair to fall on her face, hindering her sight, "Lady Fleurance is Damien''s stepmother. His mother, she hated the fact that Damien spent his time with Alexander." "That''s strange," Caitlin murmured and said, "They appear to be close though." "That is because Damien used to sneak to meet Alexander," Pennyughed softly at the thought of how things would have been for Damien. To sneak out to people with every opportunity to meet people he wanted. "The other girl, she spoke about the defang. What was it about?" the woman asked her curiously. Caitlin wasn''t the kind to poke her nose where it didn''t matter but something told her that the incident was rted to Penny. "That¡­" Penny trailed and before they reached the other side of the bridge, she had iterated on the event of what had urred between Grace and her during the absence of Damien. It wasn''t exactly a fond memory for Penny, she didn''t find the satisfaction as others did over Grace being defanged but that didn''t mean she opposed the thought of Grace being punished was wrong. The girl needed it and even after what happened she was still h.e.l.l-bent on making things difficult for people in the mansion. "All in all, I am d that you have someone who truly cares for you. To give and receive love back only a fortunate soul is ent.i.tled to it, but sometimes even the unfortunate soul," Caitlin said it thoughtfully, looking at the forest that came after the bridge which was the same path to the road that led to the other towns and viges. "Um, Caitlin. Would it be alright to ask you to tell me how my father was?" Penny asked, her heart softly thudding in her chest. In the past, it was as if even mentioning about him was a sin as her mother would break into tears at the thought of her father. In the end, as she grew up, Penny had stopped asking about her father and even mentioning him. Except for her own memory, she didn''t know anything about her father. "Your father," Caitlin started to say, her eyes looking somewhere far away as if going back in time, "He was a mischievous boy before our parents pa.s.sed away. Always jumping around and I think it was something we both took on. He was a bright boy even when he was young and as he grew up he was quieter and tamer than when he was young. He was like the sun, Penelope. Always full of positivity even in the darkest hour of the days when we were stumped. The only sad part is that, though he was a smart man he ended up with a woman who was unfit for him," Caitlin then put her arm around Penny to say, "If he was here with you today, he would be very proud of you and you make him proud." Penny felt warm hearing it. To think her father would be proud of her reminded her of the time when she had learned the words he had taught her. His smile was still radiant in her mind. Chapter 578 The Life That Used To Be- Part 1 As it was morning right now, they walked in the forest, trying to catch up for the lost time and years between them. Penny still couldn''t believe that she had faked tears in front of Caitlin the time she needed help. The memory made her smile further, making her realize when they would grow old, she would turn back to see how funny things were. Things would no longer look important and instead, they would be trivial matters. Going back to the mansion, Penny caught some sleep as the previous night Damien and she were busy in Creed''s mansion and then the dungeon along with the witcher. It was slightly hard for her to think that the other witch had killed himself for not wanting to be caught and tortured for information. Were the ck witches that loyal to their fellow kind? Something didn''t sit well there, thought Penny to herself. Penny didn''t sleep much as her eyes opened in less than an hour and she stepped into the bath to wash and get ready. "Are you going somewhere?" Damien asked, seeing her clothes that had changed from what she wore the previous night. "We are going to church. We are going to see if the father who worked with Lady Isabelle is still there," Penny told him, wearing the jacket he had bought her while giving him his own jacket, "Come quick." "It feels like every day is an adventure with you," Damien said wearing the coat, "Your hand, mdy," he said, picking it up to kiss the back of her hand and when he raised himself, in a blink of an eye they were next to the church. Penny had seen Damien drink blood in the morning therefore she didn''t worry about him apparating them to ces. Walking into the church they saw some people who hade to offer their prayers. The church was a ce where pureblooded vampires like him could not hide their true selves. Except for abandoned churches, the churches that still stood tall affected the vampires and pureblooded vampires, there was just something about them that the vampires felt their energies to drain which was worse for the regr vampires. "Do you want to pray?" Penny asked him and he shrugged his shoulders. "Why not." They both walked to the chapel before going on their knees and praying, "I didn''t know vampires pray," she whispered, sitting next to him. "They don''t. I am doing this for you," he said bringing his hands forward, closing his eyes. Talk about being sweet, thought Penny to herself. Damien knew when to be sweet and when to annoy someone. The man who he was to her, she adored and loved, looked after making the man pick up the pain she felt along with her. Standing up, they went to sit on the same bench Penny had previously sat during herst visit to this church where she had met Lady Isabelle for the very first time. Records told that her brother had died and maybe she thought that is where her family ended apart fro Alexander. It might have taken her by surprise to realize that Penny''s ancestor was her own brother. "I spoke to my father about our wedding." Penny''s head snapped to look at the little surprise Damien dropped right now, "And?" she asked him, her heart beginning to pound in her chest. "And what?" he asked, raising his eyebrows with an oblivious look on his face. "What did he say?" "He said if both of us are ready, we can pick a date and time before sending out the invitation to the guests," said Damien to her. Penny was nervous hearing the word marriage and at the same time, she was excited but would it be too fast? She asked herself the question. "It was a thought I wanted to put forward with my father knowing well how my stepmother had been nning to get me married to Evelyn or the next possible woman. You don''t have to feel pressured over it. When time is right, we''ll get married to each other," he leaned closed to her, kissing her temple. An elderly couple who were walking back from the chapel gave them an odd look as if they were doing something unholy on the premise of the church. "Thank you," Penny mouthed her words without bringing her voice out. Looking around the church and the priest who was there talking to the local people who were visiting the church she said, "I don''t see the previous father in here." "The man must have left after aunt Isabelle''s disappearance from here." Walking out of the church, Penny noticed some of the eyes which she wouldn''t have been able to notice before but with her constantly being on alert of where her mother would be watching her, she could feel the eyes that stood right outside the church. "Am I imagining things or do you also feel the eyes on your back?" Penny asked him, coughing to her side and as she lowered her hands down, she saw a human who looked shady. It was a witch hunter. "Either you have turned popr or they havee to praise the work we have done," Damien put his hand around Penny''s waist, "Act normal. No one knows you are a white witch. The more you flutter the more it will make them want to chase and hunt you down." "What happened to protecting the white witches of the church?" all this while she thought they were under protection. Instead, it looked like they were waiting for the white witches to make mistakes so that they would hunt them down with ease, "Will the council ever uplift the rules for a white witch to be able to walk freely without being questioned? Damien pulled her closer to him so that he could always maneuver her if someone were to attack them from behind, "Until the ck witches exist, the white witches will never have their peace." "That is like never," she frowned and she heard him agree to it. "It is a never-ending cycle." Chapter 579 The Life That Used To Be- Part 2 Damien and Penny walked for a long-distance until the witch hunter had stopped following them. Not going back to the mansion immediately, they walked down the road with their hands linked together. Though some of the people gave them looks on how they were showcasing their love by disying it out in the public, Damien didn''t bother with it but only ended up holding her tighter in his hand. "Let''s not do anything today and enjoy our time together. Life has been so busy with everything falling one after another," Damien pointed out as they walked forward, leaving the church way behind them as they had walked for quite some distance now, "Is there something you want to do?" Penny thought about it, giving it a mind before shaking her head, "I don''t think so," there was nothing in particr that she wanted to do and was instead spending her time like this with him was what she enjoyed. "Then let us keep roaming around. Your aunt won''t mind will she?" "She should be fine," remembering what happened in the dining room today, Penny asked Damien, "Damien, your father asked Maggie to not step out of the house." "I heard." "You heard," Penny nodded her head. Nothing went unheard when it came to Damien, "Grace mentioned something about a man." "How exciting. What do you want to do?" he raised one of his eyebrows at her, "Maggie should know better than to break the rules of the house. My mother and father never wanted Maggie or any other daughter of theirs to bow their head in front of anyone. Don''t worry it''s just temporary. Maggie will find a way to step out again. Father must be upset that she didn''t discuss it and he had to find it out from Grace who only makes things worse." Penny still didn''t understand how the pureblooded vampire''s head worked but at the same time, she wondered if the creatures she hade to know had something more that she didn''t know of. They continued to walk down until she came across something very familiar. Her footsteps paused in front of a building that she once used to be frequent here. It was the local theater for the townspeople who couldn''t afford to go to the higher end of the theater which was set up for the elite members of the society. She had worked for a year, is it? Or was it more? Penny didn''t remember anymore as it felt like she had crossed over from her past and was looking at something she had left behind. A nostalgic past. "This is where it all started," she heard Damien say, standing next to her he admired the theater which looked dull and wet because of the rain that had poured downst night. "What were you doing here? Coming to a local theater?" Penny asked him curiously. She doubted Damien would ever step into something so low looking, especially when he had ced himself on a pedestal. The man had money and .s.s which made her question why and what he was doing here. "I came to the town looking for a man who had escaped from Isle Valley. Chasing him but then I had Kreme take over the charge of catching him while I stepped in here to see if he had entered the theater. It was a coincidence that I saw you." "And you sat down?" she asked him. "That I did. I was quite sleepy and had decided to take a nap but theaters are not a ce to take one and instead I picked on waiting for Kreme to return," he iterated the day''s event to her, "If the man who was supposed to caught didn''t escape toe here, I would have not stepped into this town and if I didn''t I wouldn''t have seen you. I should probably go thank the man for it," he grinned looking down at her. Penny smiled and turned to look at the name of the theater, wondering how things were. Before she had to work in the theater because it was one of the easiest ways to earn decent money in which half of the money was cut by the owner before he handed the rest to the actor and actress who worked there. "Did you enjoy your time here?" he asked. "I did," she nodded to herself, "Though I didn''t have greatpany to work I still enjoyed it." Damien looked at the busy theater where people went in and out. For the townspeople and the vigers who lived around this town, entering the theater was one of the exotic ces they could evernd on. Even though the local theaters weren''t anywhere close to the theaters which was built for the pureblooded vampire society along with the humans who were rich and were of high social standing status, the local theater still cost money which was something the peasants had to gather and save, while using it wisely. A lower-.s.s man or woman didn''t have the luck to enter into the theater that easily unless one saved enough money to survive the week. "You know what, let''s go in," Damien suggested to her, cing his hand on her small back and ready to nudge her towards the entrance which was on the other side of the street. Penny''s eyes turned wide, "Haha, is it necessary to go there?" she asked him. Feeling her resistance, a smile appeared on Damien''s face like a devil who smelled something good to torture. "Hmm, why not? I am sure you would love to greet and meet the people you used to work with. It will be fun," he said, his eyes turning bright and Penny knew when his eyes turned wide with excitement things didn''t go well. "It actually isn''t fun. People, there aren''t good. I even ended up in the church that day because I had a bad day," she told him, seeing him think thoughtfully before he said, "Then we should definitely go there. Ah, I can''t wait to see the people you worked with," Damien pulled her along towards the theater. Penny wasn''t worried about it. It was something else that bothered her, something she had forgotten. Chapter 580 The Life That Used To Be- Part 3 The theater was crowded at the front and it appeared that there was something big taking ce in today''s y that had got everyone to line up messily. Penny saw people pus.h.i.+ng and pulling each other, wanting a ticked while the man who was selling ticket kept yelling, "Five silver coins for the front seats and two in the back. Tickets are getting sold, line up- STOP PUs.h.i.+NG," said the man with the cap who was busy marketing the theater y. Penny who stood behind Damien, not getting anywhere close wondered what y was being showcased. The time when she used to work here there were hardly a few customers which were at times difficult to run the show. It was one of the reasons why Penny had been charged and asked to pay for the clothes she would wear. The poster for the y or the writing of what was going to be yed should be somewhere here, thought Penny to herself. Taking a couple of steps to the left and right, she finally found a board that was written in chalk. ''The golden girl and her neighbor'' read the t.i.tle. Hmm, thought Penny to herself. Was there even a y like this? "Where do you want to sit?" Damien asked Penny who was readying the t.i.tle of the y again. Along with the writing, there was a strange drawing which made her narrow her eyes at it. A lot of people here didn''t know how to read and write, the drawing was supposedly for the illiterates. "Do you know about this y?" she asked him. "The golden girl? Yes," he then smiled looking down at her, "Do you know how d I am to hear that you don''t know about it? It is a simr version of the night theater but in a much more subtle way so that they don''t get a heart attack by seeing something too extreme. More like a sensual y but with the clothes on." So this was the reason there were so many men lined up. "Don''t worry, it isn''t that bad but people here are like dogs, so they might find it bo appealing with the dog food," Damien spoke to her in the same tone that had one of the men turn to look at him and ask, "What did you just say?" "I don''t know," Damien gave him an innocent look, "Did you hear something?" "LAST FEW TICKETS LEFT," came the announcer''s voice that distracted the man to turn back his head. "There is going to be blood in the theater if you are so loud," Penny murmured leaning close to him. "Whose mine?" "Their blood on your hand," Penny frowned looking at how far they werepared to the rest of them. Somewhere deep down she wanted to step inside the theater while at the same time she didn''t want to. It was a mixed feeling she couldn''t get rid of and therefore she decided to go along with Damien, "How are you nning to get the ticket? There are too many people in front of us." "Oh, mouse. When you have money to unt people will make way for you without even you having to say much," he pulled out a gold coin from his pocket. Raising it in front of him and then looked at the announcer. He cleared his throat softly before raising his hand in the air to catch the attention of the man whose eyes zeroed on the gold coin, "Two seats at the front and a trip to the backstage?" Damien gave out his charming smile as if he were a saint which was far from it. Damien didn''t have to go to him but the announcer himself made his way towards Damien to collect the gold coin from him. One didn''t have to know that Damien was rich, his eyes and clothes said it all. "Is there anything else you need, Sire?" asked the man, his voiceing out to be hoa.r.s.e due to the shouting. "Nothing," Damien said before getting inside the theater. The theater didn''t change one bit. It was still the same when it came to the seats that were ced in front of the stage which wasn''t as big as the one she had been to with Damien and there was no music. It was a cozy environment here, a feeling of nostalgia that was feeling up in her. First, it was the church and now it was the theater. It had been only months since she had stoppeding here after she was abducted to be ced in the ve establishment. The y hadn''t started and people had filled up the seats, mostly men and some couples who hade to enjoy the y together. While she was still looking at the theater, Damien slipped his hand into hers and pulled her to the seat which was in the front. The y took ten more minutes before it started with the curtains being pulled. Upon seeing the woman who entered the stage, Penny''s eyes hardened by the sight of her. "Oh, where am I? Where have the flowers gone? How shall I go out today without the flowers with me?" came the dramatic voice of the woman. Kylene. That was the woman''s name, the same woman who had been ying the lead in all the ys which had left no opportunity for Penny. Somewhere deep in her mind, Penny questioned if she or any other actress had a hand when it came to damaging the dress she was supposed to wear in one of the ys. Penny wasn''t bad to look at and she knew it well and didn''t need others'' affirmation over how she looked but at the same time, she knew the actress named Kylene was prettier to look at. The way she moved and talked to people enchanted the men around her. It was one of the reasons why she was given the lead in all the ys to keep the customersing back to have a look at her. And in came the actor, the man opposite to her named Watson. Ah, Liam...thought Penny to herself. Chapter 581 Rubbing Salt- Part 1 Damien was barely bothered by the people on the stage or the y. He was here only for the fun of it, to enjoy the secrets and the words of the peasants that must have hurt his mouse. He noticed the skip in Penny''s heartbeat and he tilted his head staring at the man on the stage. To be able to get a reaction out of Penny, he wondered who the man was. His eyes shone in mirth as he sat at the front with his hands folded and one of his legs ced over the other. "Do you know their names?" Penny heard Damien ask next to her ear as he had leaned over, not wanting to disturb the other people who sat around them. She turned her head like a broken watch to look into his eyes, "Why do you ask?" she knew Damien was on to what she was feeling and because of the bond, there wasn''t much she could do when it came to hiding anything from him, "Kylene and Liam," she answered him, without a stutter before turning back to look at the woman on the stage and keeping her eyes away from the man. The man was someone she looked up to when she was still working here. But that didn''t stay for long. Liam was a handsome man, golden lock hairs, a smile with dimples on either side of his face when he pursed his lips or when he smiled that had many women''s hearts melting. Both the actor and actress on the stage were who contributed majorly to the theater, they were the on-stage couple. The memories took Penny back in time when a silly feud had taken ce in the backstage. Penny had worked for four months and she had developed feelings for the man who acted on the stage, Liam was her ideal man. Someone who helped people right away without having to be asked for help and polite all the time. It made her wonder when her taste had changed as Damien was theplete opposite of what she used to like in men. Maybe it was because Damien was who he was and didn''t mind standing up to things he believed in, thought Penny to herself. "Where is Kylene?!" came the voice of the owner which this theater belonged to. "Sir, she is in her room," came the local stooge''s voice while Penny was only crossing the narrow pa.s.sage wanting to talk to the owner when they pa.s.sed by her without waiting when she stopped readying herself to talk. With the shortage of money in the house, she needed the advance payment from the owner. Penny sighed softly. Now she would have to wait until the y was done and wouldn''t find the opportunity to talk to the owner about her payment. She turned sharply around when her head hit a man''s chest. Quickly moving two steps back, she apologized with her head bowed. "I apologize for not seeing where I was going," when she raised her head, she caught sight of a man who was handsome in sight. "That''s alright. I should have been careful myself," the man smiled at her. Their start had been short but Penny often found herself looking at him, her eyes searching around to only stop when she spotted him in the room. And this was noticed by the man, Liam. In some days, their interaction had broadened and the other girls didn''t like that he spent most of his words with a girl who was merely a side actress in the theater. It was after a few weeks did the girls frame, Penny, over the dress which was torn to shreds. Penny had pleaded that it wasn''t her, "I didn''t do anything! I wasn''t even here. Why-" "That''s enough. Do you think I haven''t been informed of you snooping around in Kylene''s room for clothes? Who told you to go there?" asked the owner, "Have you been stealing her things?" "What?! No!" she couldn''t believe she was being used of something so ridiculous! One of the girls who were at the same level as her when it came to giving out roles said, "I heard her vige doesn''t look at her or her mother favorably for what they have done. Only they can say what they did," Penny red at the girl. "What did you hear? Without a proof, don''t go around with baseless rumors," Penny was angry as she was being questioned and called up as thief now in front of the entire staff who worked in the theater, "I have worked for months now, you cannot use me over something-" "Penelope," said Kylene who had been quietly looking at the drama that was taking ce in front of her, "Don''t you know you shouldn''t lie. To lie without shame," said the woman shaking her head. "But I didn''t do anything," Penny whispered. She had hoped at least one of them toe forth and defend her, she had made friends here at least that''s what she had believed but it seemed like no one liked her. People had been kind to her only until they wanted to be. Even the man whom she admired had turned his back as he stood quietly next to the actress Kylene without a word with his eyes cast down on the ground. It was as if he was ashamed of her. Not believing her words that she had done nothing and was innocent. Since that day, her time in the theater had turned out to be strictly about work and she didn''t converse with anyone. Penny couldn''t leave or switch her work because this was the only ce she could earn a high amount of money. Hence she had continued to work even after she had been used. Right now as Penny watched the y unfold in front of her eyes she didn''t pay attention to them but was only revisiting the memories that had taken ce in this theater. Both the actor and actress were still enacting their parts when the actor''s eyes by mistake fell on the audience who were seated in the front to find a familiar face there. Penny only stared at Liam expressionless while the man blinked a couple of times, almost forgetting his lines, "What have you-What have you...We need to take the carriage before the night falls over the sky¡­" his voice trailed as he tried to not look at Penny who was sitting and watching there. Chapter 582 Rubbing Salt- Part 2 Music rmendation: Kevin MacLeod ~ Sneaky Snitch Kylene the actress looked at Liam, her eyebrows furrowed yet she put up a smile she had mastered over the course of time during her stage career, she said, "Why don''t we walk instead? It is such beautiful weather, look at the sky," she looked up at the ceiling of the theater while her hand moved to position it under her chin. Liam didn''t look up and was staring into pace before he heard his fellow actor whisper to him, "Liam? Look up Liam!" did the man forget his lines? But this had never happened before. "It will start to rain before we reach your house. You are right, the carriage might note to pa.s.s on this side of the street," Liam said looking up at the ceiling before his eyes moved to the girl in the audience instead of the woman who was standing in front of him. Damien who was looking at the stage while having his eyes also on his mouse grinned quietly looking at them. He could tell that the man was affected by Penelope''s presence. "He looks distracted because of you," hemented for Penny to hear and the other side of her hand clutched the seat. Not out of worry but anger. "He must be a bad actor," Pennymented without holding herself back and some of them heard her speak, "Someone who cannot remember decent lines." "How cold, mouse," Damien beamed sitting next to her and as the actor continued to look while the actress was speaking her dialogues, Damien moved his hand to ce it around Penny''s shoulders, casually iming the woman. The man had not noticed the person seated on either side of the girl until the hand came around her. Liam moved his eyes to see who was the man to notice a pish looking man with his leg crossed one over the other as he stared back at him with a bored look on his face. Liam wanted to re at the man but he couldn''t do it at least not on the stage. It didn''t stop his face from twisting funnily that had the woman noticing it. Kylene didn''t know what was up with Liam today. This was supposed to be a show opening to gain a lot of collection. Instead of looking at her and concentrating on the scene, his eyes kept wandering in the crowd and she wanted to kick his leg to gain his attention. The woman didn''t bother to look at the crowd and instead, she decided to take matters in her own hand as this fellow actor of hers had screwed one scene which they had been practicing for days. "Hector, you are being cold today," Kylene said, deviating from the screeny, she moved closed to him and ced her hand on his chest. Looking up at him with a dewy look, she said, "I was thinking about going to the barn and staying there until we know the rain dies down. Look! There''s a drop of water." Liam had a hard time concentrating on the scene with the way Penny looked back at him. He knew she was beautiful to look at, more beautiful than the one on the stage but right now, she looked like a G.o.ddess in his eyes and what was she doing with a man?! She also looked different than what she was before. With Kylene''s hand that turned his face to her, he looked at the woman''s eyes who was in his arms as his hand circled around the woman''s waist. Bending down, he picked up the woman, walking around the stage to make it look as if they were going to the barn where the hay was stored. "Are you enjoying this?" Penny asked Damien, her head turning to look at him so that she could look at his dark red eyes. There was a faint smile on his lips which wasn''t too evident, "You''re a perverted man, Master Damien." "How so?" he asked her. "Taking me to look at the y with things like this," she cleared her throat in the end. Damien''s lips parted and she caught sight of the fangs in his mouth, "Thest time I checked you enjoyed it even more that I did. Did you forget the way you called my name?" Penny turned red at the thought of it. How could she forget? She hade to believe that she would never be able to forget what happened at the night theater. She had screamed his name to the point that her throat had turned dry and her voice hoa.r.s.e. His hands-on her body, prowling and treasuring with no part being untouched as he had made love to her. A love that was rough and raw. She moved her legs close and behind the seat at the thought of it. Damien asked her, "You alright there, mousey?" and she nodded her head. Damien''s words had turned her body suddenly alive and now she was flooded with the thoughts of them naked together. He looked into her green eyes that had slightly dted by his words. Such a reacting mouse he had. To test further, he leaned closer and pressed his lips on her mouth. Taking more than two seconds, his lips lingered with the kiss before pulling back from her. At the same time, a thud and a yelp sound were heard from the stage. Liam, who had been carrying the woman in his arms, had dropped the woman t on the stage upon seeing the man kiss Penelope unashamedly on her lips. Everyone gasped in the room to see the woman fall. No one knew if it was part of the y or if it happened by mistake. The audience didn''t dare to move but only stared, murmuring to each other on how realistic their acting was. "AH! My arm!" the woman cried when she moved her hand that had barely been sc.r.a.pped as she had fallen bottom first. Liam looked down at the woman and then Penelope who looked surprised with the fall. "What is wrong with you?" Kylene cried, getting picked up by the man who helped her back inside the stage and the curtains drew closed that left the others muttering and questioning, waiting for the scenes they hade here for. Chapter 583 Rubbing Salt- Part 3 The curtain continued to stay close for more than ten to fifteen minutes that got the people to start getting impatient. From murmurs, the voice moved to question asking where the actor and actress were, and what was taking them this much time. "What is the bet that things are going to go downhill from here?" Damien asked Penny, pulling out the pocket watch from his pocket to flip and look at the time. "They will need to return the money back," Penny replied to him, her own hands crossed below her bosom as she sat there quietly. "Poor things. I cannot wait to see how things turn out though. To guess is something and to witness it is an entirely different experience," Damien leaned left and right, eagerly waiting for someone toe out of the stage, "The woman is going to throw a tantrum and the y will only get dyed." "Why does it feel like you enjoy drama''s like this?" "You are on point. I absolutely love them, mouse," Penny shook her head at his admission to her words. This shameless vampire of hers was going to h.e.l.l and he was going to drag her along with him to the pits of fire. "I don''t know, I am slightly worried now. Did the doctor ever check your brain, Damien?" she asked him, worry maring her face, "Don''t get me wrong, I love you for who you are but sometimes you make me worry," Penny had never met anyone like Damien before and he was a full box of a new experience for her. "Life would be too dull if I was normal," it was good he knew he wasn''t normal, thought Penny to herself, "So what''s up with mister buff and you? I know my woman is popr. Even the first time I saw you hee I caught him giving you the eyes." He did? She wondered what else Damien observed. "Curiosity killed the cat, Damien," Penny retorted back at his intrusive eyes that were watching her expressions. "It did? I never knew, not that I care," Damien responded back to her, "Tell me. Was he wooing you or was it the other way round?" "It was neither." "You lying mouse. I need to punish you," moving closer to her, he asked, "Why are keeping it a secret? I should be your confidant," he dered to have her roll her eyes at him. "I liked him and that was it. Nothing happened," Penny ced her hand on Damien''s arm before he would cook up unimaginable stories in his mind and blurt them out. "Hmm, I think he likes you. The poor woman got dropped," Damien chuckled, trying to keep it quiet, "Look, we have the announcer," Penny turned to the stage to see the man with a cap on his head step from behind the curtain. On the man''s arrival, the room turned quiet and the man spoke, "We apologize for the mishap that has taken ce today. Sadly, we won''t be able to continue the y because our beloved actress has broken her ankle with the fall. We hope you will return back after a week an-" Soon people started to throw things at him, one also threw the chair making the man run away from there. "Well that was short," Damien muttered in disappointment, "Let''s take a trip to the backstage. We should make use of the gold coin which was given." While a lot of them stepped out of the theater after watching only half of the y, Damien and Penny went to the backstage to look at the little setup that was ced in here that could be used as props. It was a small ce but brought Penny a lot of memories. This was the ce where she spent the most after her house. Damien slipped his hand into hers feeling her nerves beginning to jitter. "Outlive the bad memories and rewrite them with the good ones. If you don''t do it the bad ones will continue to haunt you and even the little things that used to make you happy will turn you unhappy," Damien squeezed her hand, taking her for a walk to find the room of the actress who was crying in pain. "It hurts!" Kylene eximed in pain. The owner who stood on the other side of the room had head held in his hand, he said, "Today was supposed to be money collection day. What the f.u.c.k happened up there?! Liam!" Liam had taken to lean against the wall and didn''t answer anything. "I did everything I could, he is the one who dropped me!" Penny heard Kylene shriek in anger. It made her wonder what had caused the woman''s temper. During the time she was still here working, Kylene was getting Liam''s attention and she had sessfully done it after framing her with the other girls while trying to y innocent in front of her. Everyone''s day came and went, it was only time they would have their day taken by them. The owner on seeing them and then Penny who appeared familiar before his face turned to the shock he said, "What are you doing here?" "Look who is back," Kylenemented, her pain forgotten and now her eyes on Penny. She looked at the girl up and down at the dress that she wore which was way better than what she was wearing, "Did you steal from another ce and turn rich?" Damien took a step forward that had the woman stop talking, "Looks like you''re all good. The customers are still outside, we should have the y running," the woman closed her mouth not wanting to argue as the man was handsome. She could tell that he was rich and a pureblooded vampire. It made her question how Penelope evennded to stand next to him. The owner spat out words looking at Penny, "You are not only a thief but also stopped working here without letting us know about your absence. Step out of this theater now!" Penny knew something like this would happen. "Do you want me to wring your thick neck?" Damien questioned. "What?" asked the man blinking his eyes. Damien raised both his hands and twisted his wrists as if he were wringing a wet cloth that was going to be hung. Chapter 584 Rubbing Salt- Part 4 The owner of the theater was a fairly average looking man in his forties, a human by status, who red at Damien for the action he had just maid. "How dare youe into my theater and threaten me?" the man asked. Damien yawned while the man was still ranting, "I will have you thrown out of this ce. I will get you killed instead," now everyone knew the man was bluffing. There was no chance a human could ever beat a pureblooded vampire. It was the joke of the decade. Damien raised one of his hands so quickly that had the man take two steps back quickly away from him. He moved his hand further to only run in through his fingers, fluffing up his hair to say, "Is this how you treat your customers?" "Someone who threatens me is not my customer," said the owner adamantly who didn''t know who the pureblooded vampire was. "That is what you say?" "Yes, that is what I am saying. We have an emergency and have to look after, so if you could step out?" One of the women who was a side actress whispered to another and the word came out, "Damien Quinn, he''s Damien Quinn." "I don''t care whatever Quinn you are. Yhan, take him out of here and even this thief before she steals things from us." "I did not steal anything," Penny spoke back tired of being called a thief, "Stop calling me a thief when you are the biggest shark when ites to taking money. When there are other theaters that are much better you increase the price while misleading others. You make your own employees pay for the things you are responsible to buy because the truth is you have no money and spend it one woman like the one here who is crying like a child," she huffed for air but she was not done with it and she continued. "You are the one here raising thieves who love to damage and steal before putting the me on someone. Why don''t you ask these women who you enjoy your time with what happened to the clothes?" One of the actressesughed to say, "Trying to point at us now because you know you were wrong?" "No," Penny retorted back to her, "Because I needed the continued money I didn''t speak about it before. When a poor man is pointed out, and the rich is the one who steals it, the person who is poor is the first one to look down while the rich never is suspected for it. I don''t feel the need to hold back anymore." With all the things going on, the man named Liam continued to stay quiet without saying a word while not taking any side. The owner said, "Do you think just because you have turned to a mistress of a vampire you have money? You are just going to be used and thrown. Someone like you should not dream when all you do is spread your legs-" The man fell down with the blow he received by Damien''s fist, "Yes, mind repeating it," Damien taunted the man to speak up. The owner coughed blood out, feeling pain in his jaw and when he coughed more with his hand on his mouth, he pulled it back for two teeth to fall on his palm with his mouth bleeding. Out of rage, the man stood up and then swung his hand to punch Damien and all Damien had to do was catch the man''s arm, twist it around and push his against the desk, "You shall be arrested for false usation. I doubt the girls here are all thieves except for one or two," his red eyes fell on Kylene and the other girl who looked taken aback, "It would be good to reprimand yourself unless you are looking to spend your day and night with a couple of sewage rats," he smiled at the women, his smileing out to intimidating as he continued to twist the man''s arm. "How dare you treat me like this! I am going to sue you! I am going to send you to jail. I will-AAHHH," yelped the man in pain. "I would love to see how you do that. Come let''s go out now. Be a good man," Damien said as if he were talking to a dog. While Penny was following them, Liam stopped her by calling her name, "Penelope! Penelope," her name on his lips sounded the same the only difference being she didn''t feel or see him that way anymore. She paused her footsteps, gingerly turning her body around. Not reacting anything she heard him say, "Hey! How are you doing?" he asked her. "I have been doing well," she answered, "How about yourself?" "Good here too," he replied, staring into her eyes while they flicker around to notice her other features. Seeing him not speak, she was ready to turn and leave when she heard him say, "I am sorry for what happened today and what happened that day..." "It is okay," Penny offered him a stiff smile. It wasn''t that he was a bad person but a man who couldn''t stand up and take a side properly, she didn''t know what to say to him, "You did what you felt is right." "No, it isn''t that. I shouldn''t have-" "Liam," Penny stopped before he would go in circles, "We alle from the lower part of the society. To earn so that we have a roof above our head and food in our stomach. I was angry in the beginning but now that I think about it you did what you felt was safe. Though you did change your feelings by taking her side." "You are taking it wrong, Kylene and I are not together." "I noticed it. Whatever has happened it is in the past and I have brushed it away and just because I brushed it away doesn''t mean I have forgotten about it," Penny smiled at him. When she needed him to take a stance for her he had been mum. "I apologize for it," as he said it, Penny turned around to see Damien had disappeared from sight as they had stepped out, "Give me another chance to make it right. This time properly. I know I made mistakes in the past but I can make things work this time. Let me take you out. I will be-" Her reply was quick, "No. I am sure you noticed it today but I am with someone." "He''s a vampire," Liam said the word in disgust, looking at her with a disbelieving look. Penny gave him a polite smile, "Yes, a pureblooded vampire. Which is why you should stop talking unless you want to share the same room as the owner in cell room." Chapter 585 Visiting Acquaintances- Part 1 Penny didn''t wait for Liam to catch up with his mind or words that were going toe out of his mouth. What she felt was an admiration for him that had been long washed away like the waves that hit thend to pull back. Going out, Penny caught sight of Damien who was still torturing the man with the man''s arm twisted. "I am going to report you!" the man continued to yell, gaining the attention of the people who were around them. It seemed that Damien hadn''t told the man that he was a councilman who worked in the council and not some pureblooded vampire who was using his force and status. Damien snapped his fingers to the guardsmen who were around the corner. Pulling out the ck card from his pocket, he had the guardsmen bowing at him right away, "Have this man locked up in the town cell today. If he doesn''t behave, let me know and I will have him transferred to the council cell room." "Get your hands off me! Do you know who I am!" the theater owner tried to escape but the guardsmen took him away from there, leaving the front of the theater quiet now. Penny walked towards Damien, looking at the man go and the people giving Damien looks before they scattered away from there. "You didn''t have to do that," Penny said, her eyes s.h.i.+fting the disappearing figures to look at Damien who looked much calmer than when he was inside the theater who looked like a devil in excitement. "I can''t oversee things when ites to you. People who have hurt you will get served twice to what they did to you," he lifted her hand to kiss the back of her hand, "Did you sort it out with the man in there?" he was speaking about Liam. "Yes." "That was quick," he hummed looking at her. "Sometimes you don''t have to speak too much. A few words are enough but thank you," she said. Stepping closer to him, she pecked his lips. She wasn''t willing to go in previously but there was that petty satisfaction that she felt in her chest right now. For what they had done like Damien said they had been served. "Do you have someone you want to meet here? If there''s none, we can head to the tailor who will design the clothes you want." "How about you? Do you want to meet someone?" Penny was happy that he always put her forth and she wanted to know if there was something he wanted to do or meet someone. Damien gave a second of thoughtful look before saying, "No. There aren''t many who I like and would like to visit. People tend to get annoying and I feel like skinning them and then having them hung on the tree. Do you know what I mean?" "I don''t think I do," Penny didn''t have many people whom she spoke to. With theck of contact when it came to speaking with the people in the vige, and what happened in the theater, there weren''t many who approached her, "Where is this tailor?" she asked him. "Not too far away. Are you willing to walk?" he asked. Penny replied back at him, "I would love too." They left the theater and the town it belonged to. Walking on the side of the streets as they headed back in the direction they hade from. They spoke about little things, things that were of no importance but it was those things that brought Damien and Penny closer to each other. When they walked back and pa.s.sed the church they had visited earlier, Penny noticed how the witch hunter wasn''t there anymore. They continued to walk until they reached the clothing shop. Going in, Penny gave out her measurements along with the kind of dress she was looking forward to. Once they were done, Penny and Damien stepped outside to meet a man they had met in one of the gatherings.?The man with the .s.ses looked young, his blonde hairbed to the side neatly. Penny wondered why his name didn''te in her mind. There were so many people she had met while apanying Damien that it was sometimes hard to keep track. The man had a young woman who stood behind him. She wore clothing simr to ady but it wasn''t grand. Her head bowed down while the man spoke,?"Mr. Quinn, what a surprise to see you here," the man raised his hand forward but Damien didn''t go to take it. "Mr.?Varreran," Damien greeted the man. The man''s eyes fell on Penny and hemented, "Taking your ve out for a walk? I came out to do it too. The air in the mansion can turn heavy," said Mr.?Varreran. Damien corrected the man, saying, "She isn''t a ve. She has been moved to the status of a Lady." "How wonderful. Apologies for my rude words," the man said looking at Penny who stared back at him. The man looked poised and decent but the eyes behind those .s.ses, there was something behind those red eyes that nerved her, "Well, it was good to meet you here. We''ll be going now," Mr.?Varreran said to both of them. When the girl bowed her head, Penny could see the marks on the girls back. The ck and blue bruise that peeked out before it disappeared behind her dress. The girl wore full sleeves which made her wonder where else the girl held bruise on her body as the face looked fine. She frowned as they walked by them, "The ve girl..." she trailed who obediently walked behind the man. "Most of the ves have a tough life while some have it easy. It is luck to get picked by the right mistress and master, also luck when ites to picking the ve," said Damien to her, "Let''s go back home now." Chapter 586 Visiting Acquaintances- Part 2 Walking down the streets and towns without getting tired, both Penelope and Damien made their way to the cemetery where his mother rested in the grave. They spent their time there with Damien who sat down on his knees on the ground while not speaking a word and letting him speak through his mind. They had bought fresh flowers for his mother''s grave, flowers that were all white which nowid on the marble stone. Penny stood behind Damien, her hands holding together in front of her while she herself tried to speak some words in her mind while hoping that the woman''s soul would ept her for her son. Though the clouds hovered darkly in the sky, it had not started raining yet. She looked up at the sky, the clouds didn''t move away even though the wind had started to increase along with the smell of air that was beginning to change due to the weather. Damien stood up and looked at Penny, "Do you have someone to visit?" he asked her, meaning if she wanted to meet anyone in the graveyard. "There''s my mother''s empty coffin," Penny reminded him, that had him chuckling. "I asked the caretaker of the grave to clean up the grave and make s.p.a.ce for someone who can''t afford," after finding Penny''s mother''s missing body in the coffin that she was still alive and breathing, Damien had gone the next day to get rid of the box which had no body in it. "That''s good," Penny nodded her head over it, it was only right for someone to use it. She had already made the payment for the s.p.a.ce in the cemetery. How strange, she thought to herself, to pay money so that one could rest on thend after death, "I wish I could find my father. Knowing how things are if someone did kill him," the possibility of her mother in the picture lingering in the back of her mind, she said, "He would have turned to ash and dust. I wish I could keep him with me like how Alexander has preserved his mother." "We already have a ck witch waiting back in the mansion. All you need to do is ask," Damien tugged her hand so that they could start walking. Making their way out of the cemetery after wis.h.i.+ng his mother a bye and promising to return soon to see her again he said, "The ck witch will talk now." "How are you sure he won''t lie?" "Because he values his life more than the people whom he used to work for. The unfortunate part is that the witcher doesn''t know the main person who is running the ma.s.sacre. The witch he was working withmitted suicide." "What about his superior?" Penny asked him, her eyebrows drawing together as she questioned him. The web of the witches was spread out wide and far and they didn''t know how many people or creatures of their own kind were involved in it. "It is the witch hunter who goes by the name of M," she heard Damien answer her question, "It seems she was raised by Creed himself. Orphaned child found on the road. I have asked Kreme to gather more information about her so that we can know where and what she is doing right now." "If the witch hunter and Creed were close, why did she send the ck witches to search and bring the sheet back?" "Maybe they weren''t so close?" Damien shrugged his shoulders with the possibility of it, "He didn''t give out the cookbooks to anyone and kept it with him without knowing what it was. He must have known that it was important and never gave it to someone for a possible favor to be returned?" Damien asked her. "That might be one of the guesses," she replied back to him, "Do you think he wanted to gain something out of it?" "Everyone gets into things because they are looking for benefits. Especially when it''s something as shady as this, you need to keep your eyes wide. It might have happened, so the man agreed to trade the sheet which the ck witches aren''t aware of. Maybe one extra ritual. But with him gone now, they wanted the sheet and they sent their men." "But Damien, the witches will find out someone is on them because one ck witch died and another is with us," Penny''s mother already knew Penny and Damien were on something, especially with the way they had appeared in Wovile even if they were the orders from the council. "We don''t let them know we are snooping around. After the Artemis case, Alexander spoke to the council members and also sent a message to scout the list down and find every single witch who walked on thesends. So far the people who were involved were the switcher who had apparently got in through the help of Councilman Creed. Then there was the Artemis who had been controlling the witches and other humans in Valeria but had failed thanks to them, the web connected to her mother who was taking part in bringing the ck magic back so that they could defeat the white witches and other creatures so that they could reign on the fournds. As if that wasn''t enough, her mother had a brother. It was even stranger, thought Penny to herself. With what her aunt Marion had told her, her mother was adopted into the family and if it were so who had adopted her mother''s brother, her uncle. No, she didn''t want to be part of the family, said Penny to herself. Was it possible to backtrace where the family came from? "I think there''s one ce to visit. My uncle and aunt," Penny said to Damien who looked back at her as they continued to walk farther and farther away from the cemetery, leaving it behind before they stopped walking, "Mrs. Artemis and Caitlin have already mentioned about this brother my mother had. We should see if they know anything about it." Chapter 587 Visiting Acquaintances- Part 3 They walked into the vige where Penelope''s uncle and aunt lived. Already having caused havoc with breaking her uncle''s fingers in front of everyone both Damien and Penny were famous in the vige that people who caught sight of them stopped what they were doing to see them pa.s.s by while keeping their eyes on the couple who headed in the direction of a certain house. Penny took the lead to step ahead and knock on the door of her rtive''s house. When the door opened, Penny caught sight of her uncle who gave her a sour, disgusted look upon seeing her and Damien who stood behind her who gave him a smile. "Good afternoon," Damien greeted the man who in return snapped, "What are you doing here?" her uncle asked with a re on his face directed towards them. "We had some questions," Penny stated and in time her aunt came out from inside the house to see who it was. Her calm sober expression turning one simr to her husband''s face. "We answered everything we could when you camest time. There is nothing else to ask us. Leave the front door of our house and let us live in peace," her uncle said, pus.h.i.+ng the door to close it but Damien''s hand came in the way to stop him from closing it. "We are done speaking," Damiens said pus.h.i.+ng the door open again until it slipped out of the man''s hand and banged to the wall from inside, "h.e.l.lo, aunty," Damien greeted the woman, "I hope you are doing well since west met you both," a smile was ced on his lips as he asked. Penny could tell that aunt Marion was the most annoyedpared to her uncle. Her mother was the reason why she didn''t have children...wait a minute. Didn''t this feel simr to the Artemis case? Asked Penny to herself. Both the couple couldn''t have children of their own to love and keep. Her aunt had told it was her mother who had been responsible for it and if the Artemis knew her mother, did it mean her mother had a hand in the loss of the children? She knew it was a leap of theory to jump into conclusion by these things but it could be, right? The Artemis wasn''t born bad but they had turned to bad apples like the ck witches after going through the suffering where they wanted to bring back the children to life. "We want to live in peace, Mr. Youing here every time is going to do nothing but bring ill omen to our house," said Aunt Marion, her eyes ring while Damien made himselffortable by stepping into the house and settling himself on a chair. "Why?" Penny questioned. It was only the first time Damien had broken her uncle''s fingers and the previous time they had visited, Damien had not touched the man. She saw the way her aunt pursed her lips while her uncle gave a look to his wife to stop talking, "What''s going on?" she asked. "I would like to ask the same thing," her aunt didn''t heed to her husband''s looks and said, "I heard you moved your mother to another grave and with that, you also paid for our graves. How dare you think we are going to die right now?! Have you no shame, ying a joke as horrible as that?" asked the woman. Penny turned to Damien, giving him a pointed look for him to raise both his hands and say, "I didn''t do it." She didn''t know if she was supposed tough or console them. Damien said he didn''t do it which meant it was someone else who didn''t like them but her aunt said her mother was moved too. "We already told youst time that my mother is still alive. The coffin and the grave she was buried in are empty," said Penny to her aunt, "To move a body you need a body." "Then who came here to tell us?" her aunt asked. Damien leaned back on the chair he was seated on which lifted the front two legs of the chair in the rain, "That is something which you have to tell us. We aren''t the one who received information about our graves being readied that are waiting to be filled up," he chuckled at the end that had her uncle''s blood boiling. "Get out of the house! Both of you right now," said her uncle like a child who was repeating the same words. "It seems like you forgot about our first encounter," Damien let the legs of the chair back on the ground. He stood up to nce at the man''s hand where the fingers were missing from his hand and was bandaged until today, "Answer to the question while we are still being nice. Your niece might show mercy but that''s not the case when ites to me. You are just peasants who are trying to survive in society," his fingers made its way to the wall, tracing them in line as he walked forward. "We don''t know who came to us. It was a man who looked like a high standing man," answered her aunt quickly. "A councilman?" Damien asked her. "I don''t know. He looked rather posh and had brown eyes. A human," Damien''s head tilted in question. Damien was aware of almost all people who worked in the council, it was only a few handful ones whom he didn''t know. "How did he look? Did he say his name?" Damien looked at the woman who gave a deep thought. Aunt Marion shook her head, "We were too in shock for what you did to register the name the man said." Penny didn''t know why they would think she was the one who did it. There were other better things to do in her life than dig up graves for people who had sold her to the ve establishment. Now that she thought about it, maybe it was valid for what they had put her through. Chapter 588 Visiting Acquaintances- Part 4 It was true that they weren''t on good terms but Penny wasn''t spiteful to y a joke as dull as that even though Damien thought otherwise. Her uncle had lost his fingers thanks to Damien turning them to dust by using his hand which was more than enough along with the humiliation of what they had done to her to be known by the other vigers they lived with. Penny said, "I wouldn''t do something like that, Aunt Marion." "Penny is right," Damien supported her, "If she really wanted you dead, I would have you in the coffin before you even knew it. If you''re still alive it means we had nothing to do with it." "You broke my husband''s fingers, made it such that we cannot earn-" "This is what happens when you try to sell people out who trusted you," Penny retorted back at the woman before she could y the victim card, "Did he tell where this grave was dugged up?" she asked her rtives. The wrinkles on her aunt''s face deepened, "Ites in the next town near house number twelve," came the reply from her aunt. Damien then asked the woman for what they hade here today, "Do you know where your sister came from or how she was beforeing to your family?" he inquired about the woman who was the closest to her mother as they grew up as sisters. "I don''t know," the woman shook her head, "And I don''t even want to know about her. I would like to stay as far as I can from you," she looked at Penny and then said, "And your mother." And with that information, Penny and Damien stepped out of the house and headed on their way to the next town to see the graves which had been dug for her mother and for her aunt and uncle. When there was no one to look at them, Damien held Penny''s hand and apparated to the next town without having the need to walk all the way there. Penny asked him, "Do you know any councilman who would y a joke like this? A human." "There are plenty of humans who work for and in the council but I don''t think anyone has the audacity toe to someone''s home and pull up a joke like this one. Your aunt wasn''t sure if it was a councilman so it can be anyone who is of the high social standing and it can also be someone who rented clothes to look like he was rich while intimidating your uncle and aunt sessfully," Damien exined, their footsteps quick while they made past the houses that had been serialized in order. "The person included my mother. Saying we the body was moved from the current cemetery to this ce," Penny pointed out that had Damien wondering who it might be. "Must be a dear friend of your mother to be considerate enough to move the coffin of someone else. Only we knew that there was no body there until I spoke to the caretaker and the man filled it with someone''s body," they walked past the fourth house while Damien continued to speak, "We can always check the grave to verify but do you think the person had any reason to scare your uncle and aunt over it?" "I don''t think so. It is mind-boggling right now to think that someone would joke with them like that¡­" Penny didn''t know why one would do that. Reaching the twelfth house, they walked to the next house to read the house that carried the number fourteen on it, "Hmm? Where is the thirteenth house?" Damien asked in wonderment. Penny turned behind her to take a look at the number of the previous which was clearly written as twelve and one had to move to the other side of the street which was the next house denoted with the number fourteen. "Is it located on the other side? Maybe the person who was marking missed to write the right one,"?Penny said, looking at the next house and then the next one to notice that something was out of order, "I don''t think it''s a house," her eyes moved from the houses to the barrennd which was a few distances away from the houses. Hearing her speak, Damien looked in the direction she was looking in to find a widespread forest that surrounded half of the vige, the side where they stood at right now. "The thirteenth number is not a house but the cemetery," they walked away from the forest, moving past the wet and slippery ground to the forest area which had long gra.s.ses that had grown to the length of their knees. Not too far away stood the lonely graveyard with not a single soul to be seen near it. They hade across people who were walking in and around the vige which was enough to tell that this vige was not under spell, unlike the one they had found in thend of Valeria. It wasn''t umon to have a bed of bodies to beid in the forest as it contributed to the growth of the forest. Walking closer to the cemetery, Penny saw how most of thends and graves were upied as the cross of wood was ced along with flowers. Some flowers were old and dead while there were few which were fresh but not fresh enough that was from today. "There''s the grave," Penny pointed when her eyes fell upon the two open dugged up grounds which were waiting just as the man had told her uncle and aunt. Going towards the grave she caught hold of the words that were carved on the wood. It was the name of her uncle and aunt there. "Looks like someone doesn''t like your aunt and uncle. They must have done some shady business the way they sold you to the ve establishment," said Damien, sitting down on his heels he observed the ground and the one next to it which was filled up, "I doubt it would be anyone from their vige. No offense but they wouldn''t be able to afford clothes even if it was a rental one." Chapter 589 Visiting Acquaintances- Part 5 "But they have had a clean record. How I am aware, I think mine was the only shady work they have done so far. Do you think my mother is ying a prank?" Penny didn''t trust her mother and there was no saying when and what the ck witch could do. With her involvement in the ma.s.sacre and the unbinding of the ck magic, not to forget how she wanted to kill Penny, she wasn''t sure in what state of mind her mother was in. "If that was so she wouldn''t have pranked about her own body. Hmm, human and posh, that wasn''t much of a description to understand and figure out who it was," Damien turned his body and moved the flowers that were on the next grave, "This isn''t your mother which both you and I are already aware of." "Maybe the person who pulled the prank wasn''t aware that my uncle and aunt knew that my mother was still alive. And if he now does know and had gone back to let whoever is behind this prank which might be my mother, I think she is only getting the kicks out of it by scaring my uncle and aunt," after all, who else knew about her mother still being alive? No normal and sane person knew. Damien chuckled, letting go of the circr flowers that were designed and hung on the cross, he stood up to dust his hands, "I don''t know about your mother or the next person who did this but I sure did enjoy looking at them freaked out." "But this is about death¡­" Penny whispered. Was her mother nning on killing her uncle and aunt? Her aunt might have justified her actions but it didn''t mean she could sell her to very. "If you ask me, I would tell you that they deserve it. I know you wouldn''t like me twisting their neck and killing them. So it''s better if someone else does the job while I sit back and enjoy the show." After looking at the graveyard and spending some more time, both Penny and Damien left the vige. Far away from Bonke, below stood thend of Mythweald in the South, a woman walking on the side of the road as she continued to move up, using carriages or going by walk mostly while traveling back upwards in the map of the fournds. She wore a ck hood over her head, with a long ck cloak that covered her dress that she wore. The woman was none other than Laurae, mother of Penelope who had started to travel back from Mythweald in search of deciphering the book that was given to her that was given by the blue-eyes ck witch. Still, in Mythweald she came to stand in front of a church which she knew functioned with the white witches in there. Though the vampires couldn''t bare stepping inside the church, it didn''t stop the woman who was a ck witch to step inside the church. She walked into it freely. The church was deserted with local men or women to be seen around. The priest stood at the chapel, praying to G.o.d and when he heard footsteps he took it as it was one of the local men. Once he was done, he turned around to find a woman had moved her hood to let air pa.s.s her face. The woman had ck hair, her stature pet.i.te and fairly young looking who appeared to be in her thirties by looks. Not bothering with her, he started to move around, ready to ring the bell of the church when he heard the woman speak, "Father I need to confess," her voice was soft on the ears in the quiet s.p.a.ce of the church. The priest stopped to walk and turned around, "G.o.d will forgive the child who feels guilty. Why don''t you step in," he moved his hand towards the confession box and the woman gave him a single nod, walking towards the confession box, she stepped inside and sat down on the stool. Soon the priest stepped in on the other side and sat down to ask, "What is it that troubles you, my child?" The woman sighed at first as if she were burdened with problems she could hardly shoulder. "Father I have sinned..." "What is it that you have done?" asked the man patiently who was also a white witch. "I feel like I have done a lot of bad things. Since the time I was born. After my brother and I were born, we tore out mother apart and she died. At first, I didn''t know what was going on. There was so much blood...blood everywhere." "Sometimes there is aplication in the birth, you shouldn''t me yourself for it," said the priest. The woman smiled, her lips pulling up when she said, "I killed her after I grew up, father. I enjoyed the blood on my hands. The more I ripped her apart the more it enlightened me..." hearing this the white witch who was on the other side of the part.i.tioned box raised his head to look at the woman in question. His eyes were slightly wide, "And then I killed so many others...This is my confession," the woman turned her head to let the man see her eyes that had turned one like the snake with some parts of her face that had turned scaly as she smiled. The man quickly unlocked the door upon realizing the woman who had entered the church wasn''t a human but a ck witch. He pulled out his cross and showed it up and in front of her while also throwing the holy water that made her skin sizzle like a hot surface of a vessel had been sprinkled with water. "I am not a lowly vampire for it to work," said the ck witch tilting her head, walking towards him. "Step away and out of this church!" The ck witch stopped, giving him a smile to say, "Rx. I havee here for a little help of yours," she said, pulling out a book that read ''Garlic'' on it. Chapter 590 Stealing Things- Part 1 The white witcher who had fallen on his back on the ground stared at the woman who stood in front of him, her smile looked sweet yet daunting with her skin that kept changing back forth between being one that belonged to a human and the other being the dry, scaly cracked skin which belonged to the ck witches. "Don''t look frightened, father. If you look frightened, what will the people do whoe to the church for shelter?" asked the ck witch, walking towards him to stand a step away from him, "Do you know this book?" she asked to bring the book for him to see. The man looked at the book that read ''How to pot garlic and use it with its benefits''. Mythweald was and that the ck witches hadn''t touched or hadn''t done anything so far as the witches always ended up being stopped by the top twonds of Valeria and Bonke, a higher concentration of the witches taking ce in Wovile. "It speaks about garlic," answered the father, his eyes flickering from looking at the front of the book and then the woman who gave him an unamused look at him. "I know that it''s written for garlic. What else do you read?" asked the woman, her eyes carrying the slit eyes like a snake''s eyes. The blue-eyed witch, Sabbi had handed it over to her. She had been asked to read the book which Laurae had done before she came to believe there was some sort of code written in it that only the white witches could see and read. She had traveled far enough where civilization wasn''t too much and was scarce before stepping into this church. Now with the white witch at her feet, she wanted to decipher the code quickly so that she could go back and be praised for her quick work. It wasn''t Laurae who met Sabbi first, but it was Sabbi who hade looking for Laurae. Recruiting some of the ck witches by handpicking them personally to get her work done of unbinding the ck magic. Though what the ck witches didn''t know was that Sabbi was once a white witch and wasn''t born as a ck witch. Due to her false appearance, people automatically came to believe that she was a young ck witch with a sea of knowledge who was working for the change and betterment of the ck witches. The ck witch threw the book at the man and said, "Read it," the father, who was not a young man didn''t know what the woman wanted with a simple book. When she caught the unwillingness look in his eyes, she didn''t hesitate to pull out one of her very treasured dolls that was made of wooden twigs to form into a bundled doll. Not waiting for him, she twisted the leg of the doll that resulted in the white witcher''s leg being twisted and he screamed in pain. "AHHH!" with a nk look on her face, she twisted the leg of the doll even more and she could hear the man''s screams echoing back by the walls of the church. "I told you what you wanted to know!" the witcher replied through his gritted teeth. He felt the tear in his muscles and the burning pain that erupted from his legs to spread throughout his body. Laurae turned to the first bench and sat down on it, "I told you to read it. Read," she said, waiting for him to tell her what mysteries were there in the book. The woman knew that Sabbi had entrusted her something very important and she had to get it done quickly. The white witcher saw the ck witch move her hands back to the doll by going to the next leg, ready to decapitate him. He took the book in his hands, huffing for air as he struggled with his twisted leg. "Read it loudly and don''t bother to lie. I will find out if you lie," Laurae informed him to be cautious. Unlike Penny, who had found out on how to deflect the voodoo magic by making use of the nt rosemary as it was written in one of the books by Isabelle, not everyone was well versed with it, "Read the two pages straight," she added before crossing her legs, cing one hand over the other while holding her knees, she looked at the chapel. If there was something everyone was aware of it was that every ck witch regardless of their gender, they were all crazy and psychotic. Opening the book, he started to read from the first page. "The importance of garlic is as good as to fight the body for cold and immunity than can be grown with other benefits. You need to scallop the outer skin before consuming it. Always found underground these letting things can be grown in-" "Stop it," Laurae stared at the man to see if he was ying with her, because if he was then she wouldn''t mind tearing the voodoo doll to pieces as she wasn''t in the mood to y, "Read it properly. Move to the next three pages and read from there," her eyes narrowed at the man when he continued to look down at the book and said, "To cook with garlic, you can either create a paste or chop them into fine pieces by shaping them as you need and require depending on the consumer-" the ck witch sighed loud enough to have the priest stop talking about it. Out of curiosity, he looked at the woman who appeared to be annoyed by what he read, "What is this book?" he asked her. Either the ck witch had lost the little amount of sanity that was there with her or she was looking for amus.e.m.e.nt. "I was wondering the same," answered the woman, "Do you know any high standing witch who can help me decipher this book?" looking at the way the man was eyeing her, she said, "Maybe not," she started to walk up the aisle. Her footsteps quiet when a cross came flying towards her and she caught it. "Child," shemented. Turning around she threw the wood after looking at it, "You white witches are such idiots. Thinking you can kill a ck witch with a wooden cross. For people who haven''t found a way to stop a ck witch from entering the church, I don''t know what kind of protection you all speak about with the others." She had thrown the voodoo doll as she didn''t want to make use of it right. Instead, she walked forward while the father tried to inflict harm on her by throwing the holy water again and trying to stab her that only resulted in him getting his arm twisted. Chapter 591 Stealing Things- Part 2 White witches in thend of Mythweald were not p.r.o.ne to ck witches which had turned them softpared to the other white witches who knew how to defend because of the constant conflict. He struggled to get out of her hold but it was to no avail. Laurae enjoyed twisting his arm and she pulled up close to push him against the carved walls that had ridges on it. She pushed his head back and forth. Hitting his head until he started to lose consciousness with the number of times his head had collided. When the ck witch let him go, the father of the church stumbled down on the ground. His head hurting and blood over his white clothes that had started to drip from his mouth and head due to the cut. "You''re going to h.e.l.l," the man stated when Laurae came to sit next to him. "h.e.l.l is here and nowhere else," she whispered to him, "Would you want your death to be a memorable one?" a smile crawled upon her lips, her hand moving to his face to touch it gently as if he were her child. In the next moment, Laurae had dipped her fingers into the priest''s throat and had pulled the rest of his skin below it with her such that blood spurted out of his body everywhere with therge open cavity at the front, from his neck to his chest. She looked at him moving and gasping like a fish for water. Her hand had turned b.l.o.o.d.y, her face etching with drops of blood along with the cloak that she wore that didn''t necessarily hint it was blood because of its ck color. She smiled looking down at the dead man now, "Father, I have sinned and I enjoyed every bit of it," she took hold of the father''s hand, dragging him out as she walked out of the church. The ck witch left the church, on her way to find the next white witch who could read the book for her but that didn''t stop the local men and women from pa.s.sing by or visiting the church. A couple who hade to speak to the father was only about to enter when they felt something cold and sticky hit their face. Stopping to check what it was, they looked up. "AHH!!!! IT''S A DEAD MAN!" the woman with him screamed her lungs out, her hands raised up to cover her mouth in shock of what they saw hanging at the cross of the church. The priest of this church was found stuck on the cross with his body crouched forward along with limbs that had fallen limp. Right below him on the ground, a small pool of blood had formed. The church was surrounded by plenty of trees and in those trees something moved as if an animal had jumped down to go on its way, leaving the branches shaking. Laurae continued to move from one church to another which was mostly isted to find, in search to have someone read the book. The woman herself had gone through the pages of the book a couple of times to see if she could decipher before she came to realize that if Sabbi couldn''t decipher the book she wouldn''t be able to do it either. She left a trail of blood behind her. Sometimes humans and sometimes witches. One of the days, the ck witch had turned back to her human self and went to an inn to spend time there. Wanting to find a man who she could trap so that she could use for his money or for body parts. "It is going to be two silver coins and five nickels," said the man at the counter to her as she had picked one of the nicest looking inn. "Did the price of the room increase?" she asked the man offering him a polite smile who didn''t smile back. The man was well ustomed to the way people try to buy their way into the inn without giving the full payment. "It has been so for a year," he answered her. Laurae pulled out her pouch, pulling out the coins while counting it as she was one coin short. "Bill thedy''s ount to mine," she heard a manly voice next to her. The man appeared to be considerably older in his fifties while also being taller than her. There was her scapegoat, thought the ck witch to herself. "Oh, no, please!" Laurae said trying to be coy and embarra.s.sed, which was working well on the man who had offered to buy her her stay for the night, "I will find another inn-" the man waved her off. "Please, I insist. It is the time of noon and there''s no better inn that can keep ady safe around. Allow me," said the man, pus.h.i.+ng a gold coin. Laurae offered him another smile before saying, "Thank you, Sir. I shall return the coin back to you once I meet my family. By the way, I am Anne Sh.e.l.l," she offered him her hand and the man took her hand, leaning forward to kiss the back of her hand. "I am Victor Belling," there was a certain ent that was thick in his voice, "It is good to make your acquaintance." "Likewise," answered the woman. The man next to her wasn''t a rich man but he was enough to swindle and pull out the money. Also, another reason being, killing men and women who weren''t of high standing brought less trouble. Men like these were her local money ount she could draw out from. Giving the man another smile, she picked up the key to her room and left the counter. Stepping into the room, she locked the door while her lips dropped the smile that had been up. Staring at the door, her eyes and her features started to turn to dark scales on her kind. The ck witch went to the windows of the room, locking it while making sure it was closed and started to drop her clothes before entering the bath. Laurae was someone unknown in this town and she had made sure not to leave any of her tracks behind her. What the ck witch wasn''t aware of was that there was someone who had been keeping a close watch on her. Seeing her hop into one town after another to have a white witch read the book. The window which was locked got unlocked and the window was pushed open slowly and subtly without a hint of noise as the ck witch had her eyes closed whilst she enjoyed the water as a human would. Only that this water was boiling warm. The person looked at the witch who was in the water and didn''t bother to look again as there was something else to look for. Chapter 592 Stealing Things- Part 3 It was a creature that was cloaked from the head to the toe in the color of ck witch camouge into the night. It moved around the little room, looking at the book thatid beneath the mattress of the bed. The creature or the person, leaned down to pick up the book. It''s hands boney because there was no skin or flesh on it. Its hands were made of pure bones as it reached for the book and picked it up. The book at the top read ''Garlic, and when it moved its hands across the t.i.tle, the t.i.tle read ''Vervus''.? Looking over its shoulders, the creature disappeared along with the book in thin air with a knock on the window that touched the bottom window pane. Hearing the click sound, the ck witch''s eyes snapped open and she pulled the robe without drying her body, she stepped away from the bathtub to look at the door and then nce at the windows that looked closed. Her sharp eyes searched the room as everything continued to look the same. Laurae then suddenly heard the window edges. .h.i.t together and she went to the window to see it had been opened. Her eyes widened and she quickly went towards the bed, pulling up the mattress of the bed to see the book missing. Her eyes zed in anger and panic. Going back to the window, she pulled it open, putting her head out to find no one there. Where did the book go!? Laurae searched for the book frantically. Going all around the room front and back while pulling the entire cotton made mattress out of the bed stand to see the book was nowhere to be found. Sabbi had handed it to her to get the work done, entrusting her with the book and she had lost it. The ck witch was going to kill her if she found out that she didn''t have the book anymore! Someone from the inn must have stolen it from her! Though her window was open she hadn''t found anyone climbing down as she had been fast, her eyes looking through the trees that surrounded the inn to see no one there. Picking up her clothes, she wore them before padding her bare feet down and first went to the ground floor to lock the door. "Lady, what do you think you''re doing?" asked the cas.h.i.+er who had a.s.sisted in giving the room earlier. He came around with a questionable look but the woman was in no mood to answer anyone. "Did someone go out now?" she asked him, her eyes had changed from brown to gold which was thin. "No one went out. Everyone has been in their room," he answered her. She looked at the sky, which wasn''t heavily clouded. Noticing the color of the sky she a.s.sumed it was the time of night and evening had only pa.s.sed by. She looked around her before raising her hand and going right at him to slit the man''s throat. The man ced his hands on his throat, blood spewing out of his mouth as he fell down and died. She wasn''t in the mood to y. The ck witch walked to every single room that was in the room. Not leaving a single person as she started a ma.s.s murder. Searching for the room and then killing the person one after another until she came to know that the book was nowhere to be found here in the inn. Coming out of the inn, she burnt down the inn along with the many corpses that were in there. The ce went up in mes and she turned around to search who had stolen the book that was hers. But Laurae didn''t know that the person or the creature who had taken the book from her was long gone without a trace. The ck witch walked to all the viges and towns, looking for it for days but the book never came back to her as it was hidden where no one would evere to doubt. In one of the houses of Bonke, a girl sat reading her book before she stared at the man who was away from her while she was trying toplete studying for the day. The man was with a maid, getting the racks dusted and cleaned. With a long sigh, the young girl turned her gaze back at the book she was holding after noticing the man wasn''t looking at her and was busy cleaning the shelves and racks instead of paying her any attention. cing her book back, she stood up and walked towards one of the shelves. Her eyes locked on the man instead of looking for the book she hade here for. When his eyes moved to her, she quickly looked down at the books and then at the top as if she were busy. Skimming the book idly, she found a strange-looking book and when her hand went to reach for it, the butler arrived at her side, "Did you finish studying?" he asked her. His ck eyes staring at her cooly. "I was searching for a reference book," saying this, the girl turned her head away from him as if she had not been staring at him all this while. Looking up at the books, her hand tried to reach for one of the books that was at the top as she stood on the tip of her toes. While she struggled to get the book in her hand, she almost lost her bnce when the man''s hand fell on her back before she would stagger back. The butler reached for the book as he was taller than her and handed it to her, "Is this what you were looking for?" "Yes," the young girl pursed her lips as if wanting to say something but instead chose to keep quiet. Waiting for him to speak. Her butler smiled, saying, "If there''s nothing else you need, please go continue studying the book and not me," he saw her grind her teeth and then walk back to take her seat at the table. The smile on his lips slightly fell and his eyes moved from her to the book that he had stuck along with the rest of them. ''Vervus'' the t.i.tle of the book read. Seeing the book was safe, the butler of the Adams went back to getting the maid dust the book rack with his eyes turning sharp to get the work done. Chapter 593 Water- Part 1 Penny sat down on the floor with her hands feeling the carpet under her hand and her wet hair being rubbed and towed dry by Damien. He sat behind her on the bed and she sat right in front of the firece to feel the warm air that wafted towards them. She had her eyes closed as she enjoyed him tending to her. Once he was done rubbing her hair with the towel, he let his fingers brush through the front of her scalp gently. Life had turned much quieter than before, thought Penny to herself. Her mother had no appeared again after they met her in thend of Wovile during the time of the ma.s.sacre. Finally, she could rx her back and have time with Damien just like they used to when he had brought her here from the ck market. She leaned her head back, letting it fall behind and Damien didn''t lose the opportunity of kissing on her forehead. She smiled looking up at him before bringing her head back and getting up so that she could sit with him on the bed. "I think it is time to summon the elemental person to you," Damien said, taking her hand and holding it in his as she settled on the bed, "The ck witch has finally decided to help." "How did that happen?" she raised her eyebrows in question. His partner had killed himself and they had thought this ck witch would do the same. Damien replied to her, "The ck witcher values his lifepared to the other one. He appears to be more on being a child in this business who was only following orders." "What about ingredients?" for the ritual to take ce they needed the ingredients and he ced his feet on the ground to stand up and say, "Everything prepared. We will need to see why you are unable to summon and receive the ability which is rightfully yours," said Damien, tugging her hand and taking her down and out of the mansion to where the ck witcher was tied. With Isaiah being an example of flipping sides where they hadn''t known, Damien didn''t want to risk again likest time. The ck witches were tricky creatures who were hard to trust and to believe their words was equal to walking on the edge of the sword. Walking into the dungeon, Penny and Damien came to see the man who was still bound where his hands were not bound but his legs were bound to the wall. His mouth which was stuffed by the cloth was now free to move and talk. Damien unlocked the man''s legs and pulled him to the next room that he had prepared with the ingredients and map that he had memorized thest two times he had seen the ck witches draw. The scrawny ck witch was asked to read the spells as he didn''t know about the elemental abilities. Penny''s blood was used again and the blood started to move like snakes in different directions once it fell on the parchment where the design had been drawn. Penny saw the way the blood moved up as if it were trying to evaporate up in the air but in the end, it sshed the drops back on the parchment turning the surface of the design that couldn''t be used again. At the hour of past midnight, Penny could hear something distant that had her awake. She looked at the mirrored ceiling of the bed. A faint reflection of herself and she turned to see Damien who had awakened with her. His ears were much sharper than hers. "The air is turning cold," Penny whispered to Damien. Pus.h.i.+ng the covers from her body, she stepped out of the bed. Walking towards the patio where the doors were open with the curtains flying with the gentle wind. Damien slowly moved himself out and followed her to hear a woman''s voice. "You again." It was the waterdy who had been summoned by the ritual they had run with the ck witch today. "I feel like you are going to call me again after I leave," the woman spoke, her body sparkling due to the ridges and curves on her as the moonlight fell on her body. "Good evening, waterdy," Damien greeted the woman whose eyes narrowed at him. Penny tried remembering her name before saying, "Siera," she greeted the woman whose eyes now softened. "You must be doing something wrong," said Siera to her. Though she was made of water, the wind affected her as her flowing hair moved to the side with drops of water that looked as of they were floating out to disappear in the night, "I might be your element but you are doing something wrong which is not letting me see you as the elemental witch." "We did it thrice with the ck witches, it was the same ritual," Penny replied for the woman to not react but stare at her to make her look almost like a statue, "There''s also the wind element." "Did the elemental persone to meet you?" Penny nodded her head for thedy to continue to stare before she said, "I don''t sense the ability in you." "I met him once but he didn''t give me the ability," on Penny''s answer the woman finally changed her expression. "That can''t be. He must have given it to you," and in return, the young white witch shook her head, "He must have been your first summoner, wait you didn''t summon him?" asked thedy to her. "No, he just happened to be there that day," Penny didn''t know what that meant anymore. Every time she tried summoning it always ended up with the water bearer toe to her who didn''t recognize her to be the element. The woman gave her a nk look again and then said, "The wind element bearer has not shown up at anyone''s doorsteps. I say this because I didn''t find any wind elements nor a whisper about him." "Did he go missing?" Penny wondered, giving a look at Damien. Siera then said, "Elemental bearers cannot go missing unless they decide they want to," then where else was he? Was there a memory she was missing? Penny questioned herself. "Don''t wake me up from my slumber without meeting the elemental bearer of wind," the water woman looked slightly annoyed but much better than how she looked the previous time they had met, "You going through the ritual will only bring me here and waste both our time," before Penny could ask any more questions, the woman disappeared in thin air. Chapter 594 Water- Part 2 Penny stood at the railings, her hand holding it firmly as she looked at the empty s.p.a.ce the elemental bearer had been standing a few seconds ago. The wind moved her hair around her face and she lifted her hand to push back her hair which had dried up in the time they had spent out on the patio. "She''s right," Penny said, turning her head to look at Damien, "No matter how many times we do the ritual the oue is going to be the same. I am not even sure if I met the wind bearer before. What if I did and my mother erased the memory." Damien twisted his lips thinking about what the woman and Penny said, "Even if your mother did erase your memory, the bearer should have shown up by now. Maybe there''s some sort of order which needs to be followed. After all, you never summoned him and he came on his own. We need to see how to get hold of me," she nodded her head to it. "You are right. I should probably try rem-" Penny didn''t know what happenedter. The next thing she knew she felt someone push her and she was on the other side of the railing. Her eyes went wide as both Damien and she had not expected it to happen, her hand tried to grab the railing but she couldn''t. Damien, who had looked away for a second, jumped forward but the distance wasn''t enough to close as Penny had been pushed far away. Her body started to move down towards the water and Damien jumped following her, both of them falling into the cold water of the night. With the force both of them fell into the water, their body submerged itself where Penny moved her hands trying to lift herself to surface back out of the water but the water was too cold that numbed her movements as well as mind. She didn''t know why the ritual pointed her to have a water element when she was always being thrown into the water as if the water was waiting to engulf her to death. Damien swam towards Penny, pulling her up for the second time in this sea of cold water. Swimming back to thend, Penny coughed as the water had gone into her mouth and nose. She continued to cough to have Damien rub her back to ease her coughing. "What was that?" Penny wheezed for air, her hand on her throat while taking in air right now. "You need to learn how to swim," Damien proposed and she nodded her head. "Yes, that too," she was sure her mother had tried to use the voodoo doll on her but did she really want to drown her in water every single time? She ced her hand on her forehead, letting herself breathe out of the panic that had taken ce right now. After rubbing Penny''s back, Damien asked her, "I thought the voodoo magic wasn''t going to affect you anymore." "I thought so too," Penny breathed heavily, "I ced the rosemary in and around the house. Got it nted by asking Durik too," letting go of her head she turned to him to hear him say, "Apparently it didn''t work." "It should have worked," Penny responded back as she had made use of the rosemary nt when her mother had tried to work the voodoo magic which had deflected the spell away from her. "Your mother seems very persistent in wanting you dead. She must love you dearly," came the sarcastic remark from Damien, and Penny tried to manage to give him a smile that was unsure. "Mother of the year," muttered Penny under her breath, "Only if we could figure out somehow and receive my water element, I wouldn''t be getting pushed into it to be drowned in the water." "Stay away from the patio for now," Damien pulled her to hug her close. He was d that this time when it happened he was there to pull her out but it worried him on what could happen if the voodoo doll would work on Penny in a way where she would be forced again like today. Going back into the room, both Damien and Penny changed their clothes and they got into bed. Penny had only washed her hair tonight and to dip back into the water, her body lulled to sleep quickly with her eyes closing as she slept next to him. Damien let her sleep longer without moving until he was sure she was sound asleep. Opening his eyes he saw how she breathed softly in and out. Her lips slightly parted and the side of her head rested on the pillow near him. Rolling out of the bed, he pulled the nket closer to cover Penny''s body. Locking the door to the patio, he stepped out of the room and mansion to go meet his a.s.sociate who was soundly sleeping in his small bed. Kreme woke up with the knocking of the door wondering at first if it was the thunder of Bonke that had woken him up.?Scattering out of his bed, the man went to get his door with sleep-filled eyes until he caught sight of Master Damien, the pureblooded vampire who had shown up at his door. "Sire!" Kreme straightened his back, pulling himself out of sleep to look at Damien. "I have work for you. How good are you when ites to drawing, Kreme?" the vampire asked Kreme that had the human blink his eyes wondering why the councilman wanted to know about his drawing skills in the middle of the night. "Decent," the man replied and Damien stepped inside the small house without permission. "Get your parchment and your pencil," without a question the man gathered the parchment and pencil that was filed in the morning by him. Damien then started to describe what he wanted his subordinate to draw, detailing every feature he remembered and in forty minutes, Kreme had drawn what Damien wanted. "Is this it, Master Damien?" Kreme asked looking at the person he had drawn. It was a woman who looked to be around in her thirties. Damien didn''t respond to it immediately as he stared at the drawing before saying, "Make multiple copies of this and have it stuck in every vige and town of Bonke with a bounty on it." "How much do you want to ce the bounty for?" Kreme inquired, waiting for the vampire to answer. "Two hundred gold coins." Chapter 595 Instincts Of Survival- Part 1 The young human sat down at his desk with the oil-burning just enough not to dim out as he poured oil into it regrly so that he couldplete the task that was given to him by his senior councilman, Damien Quinn. Since the time Kreme had entered the council, he had been put under the pureblooded vampire to work with who was as quirky as one coulde to be. Though in the beginning, Kreme had decided that he wouldn''t be able to survive for more than a month with the man, it had now been almost a year and he hade to learn how to work with Damien. Though the man was odd, he had niche ways of pulling out information from people and finding it out on which the council depended on when they were in a rut of closed walls. He had thought there was no case to work on and had gone to sleep after drinking in the local pub of the vige to only be woken up by his senior who hade with work. Though he didn''t know who this woman was and the case they were working on right now, he started to sketch her face one after another until a pile started to form on his desk. There were more than forty to fifty parchments that were avable in the house and he needed more. Going to the library in the vige he lived in which was as small as a room of a poor man, he bought more parchments before continuing to work. By the time of next morning, Kreme had finallypleted drawing enough copies of the woman all by himself. Repeating the features over and over again until he had memorized the woman''s features. Kreme then took the drawn parchments which werebeled with the bounty of two hundred gold coins on the person. The bounty was usually ced to alert the other creatures who lived around and woulde to keep an eye if they were to see it. Walking to the center of the vige that had a bulletin board, he took the first sheet of parchment and nailed the picture there. He continued to go around the vige, taking the task himself in nailing every picture of the woman in and around the vige before starting to spread out, moving from a vige or town until he covered the whole of Bonke. When the drawings fell short, Kreme sat down to draw more and then nailed them where people could see. The council did his job of posting and the word started to spread out on how a bounty had been ced on a woman''s head. By doing this, Damien wanted to pull the woman out from her hiding so that he could find out where she was and finish her once and for all. The woman had been causing nothing but trouble and if he didn''t stop her she wouldn''t stop until Penelope was dead. But at the same time, he had provoked the woman who was still unaware of her face being put under spot by putting up her picture on trees or walls of the building. Laurae had her hood on her head, her bodypletely cloaked as she traveled in search of the lost book. The book she had been handed by Sabbi, the blue-eyed ck witch who was going to kill her if she didn''t catch hold of the book. She roamed in the vige, days pa.s.sing by but she found nothing. There was not a whiff or whisper about the book. Walking into a house, she raised her hand whispering spells to stop the woman who was working in the kitchen to freeze her. "I hope you don''t mind using your kitchen for today," said Laurae pus.h.i.+ng the woman aside. Taking the utensil and adding the ingredients she had been collecting after she had lost the book, she pulled her knife and slit the woman''s throat who she had frozen. The woman fell down dead while the ck witch continued to mutter curse spells. Trying to tap into the forbidden magic that had turned limited. While the white witches could ess a range of forbidden magic, a ck witch couldn''t do it as they were already turned to the final product after the use of the forbidden magic. She looked into the pot that was boiling with a thick murky liquid in it, "Where is the book? The book of Garlic," she said waiting for the boiling liquid to her and she said, "Where in Bonke?" She wanted specific details but when she continued to ask she never received the answer for it. Out of sheer anger, Laurae threw the hot boiling vessel that had it ss.h.i.+ng its contents across the wall. Her eyebrows frowned when her eyes fell on the wall and she walked closer to it. "What is this?" she murmured under her breath. Pus.h.i.+ng the dead woman aside, she said, "The stars that have crossed, my dear daughter...did you steal the book from me?" Laurae gritted her teeth by the thought of it. There was no way, Penelope knew about the existence of the book! She thought, ring at the wall and walking out of the house while she left the body without bothering to cover her tracks. A ck witch''s track could never be tracked as it would lead to multiple other witches. Laurae had brought up her daughter without letting her know she was a witch''s daughter and every time the girl questioned more than necessary, she cleaned her daughter''s mind over and over again that once Penny had forgotten who she was when she was small. It was time she stepped back into thend of Bonke to retrieve the book which was stolen from her and with that thought, she got on the carriage with a bag of money she had taken from the people in the inn she had lit up in the fire. When the ck witch arrived at Bonke, she stood there staring at the wall that had her picture pasted with a bounty on her head that read ''Dead or Alive''. Laurae couldn''t believe that it was her face that was being posted up here, her blood boiled further for what her daughter was trying to do. If she was trying to get rid of her, she was her mother. The woman would put Penny out of the picture before the girl would even think about killing her. Chapter 596 Instincts Of Survival- Part 2 She knew this was going to happen with her daughtering at her but she didn''t know it was going to be this soon. While she was still staring at her picture, the exact way she looked, her cloak slightly came out of her head due to the wind to let one know the arrival of the rain when some of the vige folks who were standing nearby caught sight of a single woman who looked young from where they stood. Wanting to tease the woman, one of the men in the group of three said, "What''s the bet she ran away from her house?" asked the man as he chewed something in his mouth. "Who cares why she ran away. Look at the way she has covered herself, it makes me think what is there beneath all thoseyers," another said before going on to say, "Watch me bring her here," and he walked to where thedy was. Laurae was still in a rage when she heard a man speak to her, "Where are your parents?" the woman didn''t bother to respond and ignored him, "Do you have a ce to stay? There''s a house that is empty." "They are dead," came thete response from the woman. The man nodded his head, "You poor thing,e with me. You must be very sad," all this while Laurae had not turned her face and had been showing only the side of her face. The male looked at the wall wondering what the woman was looking at when he found an uncanny resemnce of the poster and the woman who was in front of him. He took two steps back and Laurae realized the man had found out. His lips moved but no voice came out. When he finally did, "There''s a wit-" and his throat was slit out immediately to have the man fall down on the floor as blood sttered out from his throat. Laurae ran out of there and the men who were the dead man''s friend started to shout. "Witch! Witch! Catch her!" causing a ruckus in the vige. The rest of the days, Laurae continued to run from one ce to another as there were too many posters being ced in every part of Bonke. The safest way to leave thend and move to another but she couldn''t do it. Her book was stolen by her very own daughter! She didn''t know how Penelope did it but she was the star of alignment. Far away from where the ck witch continued her search for the book of Garlic, Damien and Penny spent their time in the mansion while having a no go towards the patio. Penny who had just finished tying her hair into a braid, she moved to the firece knowing the weather was going to turn cold and chilly soon with the oing rain in the evening. It was noon now and she turned to look at the closed doors of the patio as if something was trying to pull her towards it. Something invisible trying to entice her to open the doors and enjoy the weather. She was alone in the room as she continued to stare at the wooden doors. She wondered what kind of spell had been ced that the patio had turned risky. "Mdy," came a knock on the door and she snapped her head around to see the butler standing outside the room with a big box in his hands. "What is that?" Penny asked him, walking to where he was and lifting the cover of the box to see clothes inside it. "Master Damien asked me to give this to you. He said to try and let him know about the measurements if it needs any alteration," these were the clothes that they had asked the tailor to st.i.tch for her. Customizing the dress just as she wanted. "Thank you, Durik," she said, taking the boxpletely from him. The butler bowed his head and left the front door. Closing and locking the door, she pulled out the clothes that were inside it by cing one after another on the bed so that she could look at it. Women were often seen in dresses that flowed down from their waist to their feet. There were frills andces and what not to endorse the touch of femininity which was why she looked down at her clothes right now that was nothing like that. There was pant and s.h.i.+rts along with a jacket if she needed it. There were more than five s.h.i.+rts so that she could switch and wouldn''t need to wear the same ones over and over again. Pants were usually worn by men and there were only a few women who were gutsy enough to wear pants, one of the asions was where she had seen Sylvia wear it from where she got the idea to change her clothing. Penny changed her clothes from the dress she had been wearing to the pants and s.h.i.+rt. Tucking the s.h.i.+rt in, she finally buckled the b.u.t.tons and then wore the jacket which was dark red in color. The tailor man had taken the liberty to design the s.h.i.+rt just as he wanted as Penny had only given him a simple s.h.i.+rt that was loose in her mind. She tried stretching with it. Bending and sitting down, moving her legs and walking around the room to make sure it wasfortable and it was, as the pant wasn''t too tight. The sleeves of her dress were loose but it tightened around her wrist and there were many pockets and holders to ce her weapons in it. Penny lookedpletely different from the change of clothes. The girl she knew a year ago wasn''t there in the mirror anymore and it was someone else who stood in front of her. "Don''t you look ravis.h.i.+ng," Damienmented, who was already in the room without having to unlock the door to get inside. Penny twirled around to look at Damien who stepped close to her and ran his hands on her waist as it showed the curve of her body, "Did you do any changes to the clothes after we gave the order?" she asked him, because as far as she remembered she hadn''t asked for a holder on her pants or on the ck corset which was tied around her upper body. "I did but G.o.d I didn''t know you would look like this," Damien licked his lips and his eyes met Penny''s, "I think the male enemies will die before you even touch them," Penny didn''t know how to reply to it. Chapter 597 Instincts Of Survival- Part 3 Being new to wearing something like this, Penny asked him, "Do you think I should switch to the dress again?" "Why?" Damien c.o.c.ked his head in question, "You don''t like it?" he asked her, "Don''t bother about mypliment. I was only teasing you,e here," he said, pulling her to him. His hand moved from her waist to ce it under her bottoms. Penny''s eyes brightened and she looked at him, "What do you think you are doing, master Damien?" "Feeling your soft bottom," he replied unashamedly, "They really are too soft, make me want to smack them," he ran his around the globes of her bottom until he squeezed them to have her yelp in his arms. "I should do that to you too," Penny said and the man had a quick answer to it. "n.o.body is stopping you. I am all yours," he said knowing well the girl was still not crude to be able to grab his own bottom and squeeze them. Hearing this Penny ced her forehead on his chest. "Perverted vampire," she said that had him chuckling. "And I know you love it," Damien smirked, pulling his head back to look at her. He was right, thought Penny in her mind without having to voice her words out on what he just said. Though the words that left her lips told something to him, her body told something else and Damien read her well. "It is time for you to take .s.ses." ".s.ses?" she asked him not sure what he was talking about. Damien gave her a nod before pulling her down the stairs to meet Caitlin on their way who gave Penny a smile. "You look good," her aunt said looking at the new clothes Penny wore right now. "Thank you, Caitlin," Penny replied and on their way they found some of the maids who stared at Penny as if she had dered to be a man from this day onwards due to the male like clothing that she wore. Penny understood the looks that she received which were subtle as the maids didn''t dare to show out their actual thoughts with master Damien being around them. Instead of taking the carriage or apparating themselves to wherever they were going, Damien and Penny continued to through the bridge. It was then Penny remembered, "You''re going to teach me to swim," she said, looking at him sideways. "I got the tailor to speed his work so that we could start your lessons soon. Swimming in the dress is equal to a floating fish which would end up nowhere. With your current attire, you can get used to the water while also trying to float when things turn bad. Float alive, not dead," Damien stated, taking her down to the sea that kept ss.h.i.+ng the water to the sh.o.r.e. The sea and ocean were something that was hard to swim in while rivers were much better as they usually had still water without confusing the way the water was going in. Damien took Penny into the water, holding her hand as they went deeper and deeper until the water reached Penny''s chest. "I think I am going to drown before we start learning," she muttered when Damien kept pulling her towards the deeper side of the sea and the level of the water had reached her neck and soon it was starting to reach her chin. "Soon you shall be the swimming mouse." "More like a drowned mouse," she replied back to see him grin at her. She knew Damien enjoyed torturing her. Even though they both were in love with each other, the innate nature of Damien letting go of his s.a.d.i.s.tic tendency was far away. They finally stopped moving deeper where Penny was submerged in the water from below her neck. "This is perfect," Damien said looking around the water they were surrounded in. Penny looked up at the mansion which looked giant from where they were, "I want you to lift your legs up and try ss.h.i.+ng it like this," he said demonstrating himself by falling t on the surface of the water. Penny knew no matter how much he would like to torture her, the man wouldn''t kill her and with the trust, she held his hands tightly before letting her legs up and so did Penny''s swimming lessons began with Damien who taught her himself. As Penny was a beginner, she took the time to learn to adjust herself with the water while listening to Damien. The days went by with her being taught by Damien an hour in the day while the rest they spent time away from each other, Damien went to the council as the cases were handed to him while Penny went to the church to study more about the witches which Lady Isabelle had not written down. With thentern in her hand, she stepped into the secret room of the church. Bringing the light towards the number of potions that were ced in here which was a lot more than what was there in Delcrov''s mansion of Valeria.?cing thentern on the table, her hand reached out for one of the potions that was blue in color. Bringing it to her nose, she smelled it, Taking arge whiff from it to put it back on the rack. Now that she had gone through the type of potions on how each of them smelt, Penny was no more a white witch who didn''t know what each of these unnamed potions was. The potion she had picked was a poison. Poison for the white witch, making her wonder why it was stored since the beginning of the time. Why would anyone keep poison ready to be served for a white witch? She knew the smell because she had read it in the book but she hadn''t expected it to be in here, in the church. Before reading the cookbooks, these potions were colorful liquid but now each of them had their own significance. Of course, no one knew what it was but what if they did? Her heart started to beat when she touched the base of the conical sk, changing the liquid from blue to colorless liquid. At the same time, she heard quiet footsteps where one of the white witch, Sister Jera appeared in the room. "Lady Penelope, I was looking for you. I made a new potion,"?said the young girl to her. Chapter 598 Repelling- Part 1 Leaving the secret room behind her, Penny followed sister Jera who had been creating a bunch of weapons that could be used on the vampires as well witches. They went back to the room where everyone was busy working on the weapons on their own. The heat in here was high due to the molding that was to be done along with this ce being built underground where a human who entered the church would nevere to know. Going to stand near the high b, Penny took a look at the small capsules which were colorless. "What are these?" Penny asked, lifting them up in her hand to take a closer look at it. "These are simr to what you created. The crystal b.a.l.l.s of fire," Sister Jera looked excited as she went on to exin about it, pus.h.i.+ng the .s.ses that rested on her nose, she said, "I packed the sameponent by reducing the size which has the same amount ofponent the crystal ball has. Thest time I used the crystal ball it cracked in my hands and I..." she raised her hand where Penny could see her skin had been burnt. "I am sorry about that," Penny apologized as it was one of her very own first few creations. She had been careful enough to break the .s.s when she had carried them with her. To see the white witch had tried to aplish and improvise it, she wondered if it was tested, "Did you try it out?" "I haven''t yet," Sister Jera smiled, scratching her neck as she took the capsule in her hand, "I thought we could try it together. It took me weeks since the time you have been absent but I finally finished it and was waiting for you. Father Antonio isn''t fond of explosives in here because thest time I tried creating one as a test, the witches in here caught fire and suffered injuries." "Let''s go test it out then," Penny suggested looking forward to what the girl had done. Once they were out and near a barrennd, Penny stood behind Sister Jera, watching the white witch pull out the capsule that she had made. "So how does this work?" Penny asked the girl knowingst time when she had to use the crystal b.a.l.l.s, it needed to break for the liquid toe in contact with the force. With this being made into a capsule, she wondered how it would break. "You throw the capsule and it will pick up the velocity by shedding out itsyers that once it touches a surface," said sister Jera swinging her hand to throw the capsule that moved up in the sky and went far enough to fall down on thend with a big st, fire catching around the dried gra.s.sed which wasn''t many due to the rain. "It appears to be much more effective," Penny said looking at the smoke and fire they had caused, "But I think it works only for a far distance and not for close distance range," after all, the capsule needed to pick up speed to shed itsyers. While Sister Jera was speaking about it, exining theponents she added to build the capsule, Penny wondered how she could stop the voodoo from taking ce in thends. Even with rosemary being ced in and around the house, it hadn''t worked in stopping the spell that had been put on her where she had fallen into the water. There should be a way on how they could stop the ck witches from making use of the people as puppets. Her mother couldn''t use her body in bidding what she wanted but she could manipte the things around her and bring an external force to push her every time. Maybe the ce needed to be exorcised thought Penny to herself. "Sister Jera, do you know how to exorcise a ce?" she asked the young girl, who was looking at the fire they had created. "Is there a ghost haunting?" "No, not a ghost. Something more like ck magic," hearing this the girl turned around and asked in intrigue, "Is everything alright, Lady Penelope?" Penny gave her a rea.s.suring smile. "Just small mishaps," small enough that got her killed, thought Penny in her mind, "Have you ever thought on how to stop voodoo magic before?" The girl gave a thoughtful look, looking at the sky, "I don''t think you can cut it off. The spelles from within the ck magic which is mostly whispered to the dolls." "And these dolls work for life? No expiration date?" Penny asked her, trying to understand more about it. "They do," Sister Jera said, pus.h.i.+ng her .s.ses back with her straight hair which was the length of her shoulders flying behind her as the wind breezed against them, "They need to make use of a new one because the first spell removes the properties to resue them I think." If the sole way of making a voodoo doll was by making of the dried twigs and leaves, then the problem would need to be fixed there, "Have you tried finding of your elemental ability." "I do, Lady Penelope. It is the element ofnd," upon the girl''s answer, a grin formed on her lips, "That''s wonderful. Come we have some work to do going to the church, the next few days, Penny sneaked in and out of the secret room to make use of some of the potions as they create another one. When it was finally done, Penny and Jera took a small bottle that had a silver tinge of liquid in it. Walking to a small nt, they sat next to it. Penny started to pour the liquid onto thend and once it was all done, she looked up at Jera to give her a nod. Jera took a deep breath and ced her hands on the ground and before she could start she said, "This is going to take a lot of hours," and she then started to use her elemental ability by using the same liquid to spread out to every part of thend like invisible veins the moved and spread out. The nt that was small slightly moved its leaves as if a breeze of wind had gusted near it. Penny looked around her to see how Sister Jera''s elemental ability was distributing the little liquid she had poured to multiply so that it could move forward the next nts from the ground. Chapter 599 Repelling- Part 2 SIster Jera continued to use her ability where the water spread from one tree after another, the leaves of it shaking before it moved to another and the action took ce like water being rippled from one side of the river to be spread to create a motion that didn''t stop. Like the young witch had informed her, it would take time and they waited for it toplete which went from seconds to minutes and then moving to hours. Penny sat with the girl, watching her continue to perform the favor Penny had asked her. Penny knew it would take more than hours and she only hoped by the end of the evening they could finish what they hade to do here. What Penny was doing right now was spreading the potion she had created that would touch every part of the trees in the fournds so that the ck witch who would nevere to make use of it. Before the sun started to set behind the clouds, Sister Jera said, "It is done," she moved her hands away from the ground and stood up to stretch her arms and legs as she had been sitting in one position for far too long. "Thank you for your help, Jera," Penny thanked her. If it weren''t for Jera, she would never be able to spread the potion to all thends. Now it was only time to wait and see if it worked. Curious about something she asked the girl, "You didn''t have the elemental ability before. When did you find it?" The girl smiled, "It was after I overheard you and father Antonio speak about your elemental abilities. I was curious and went to the ck market to search for a ck witch who would be willing to summon the element bearer. Did you meet your element bearer, Lady Penelope?" "No, not yet but it should be soon," it was the wind bearer who she was supposed to catch hold of. The girl didn''tment on anything on it and gave her a simple nod. Penny then said, "Let me take you back to the church. Damien must already be there," and they left thend, traveling back to the church, "Make sure you eat well and sleep too. I heard you have been staying up until three in the morning. One needs rest." "I will keep that in mind," before Sister Jera left, a surprised expression fell on her face and she stopped to pull out the capsules, "You can use these for now. I will prepare some more again." "Thank you for your help today, Jera," Penny thanked her again to receive a bright smile from the girl, she bowed her head and walked through the door that was there at the side of the chapel. Seeing the girl disappear, Penny readied herself to leave when her eyes met Father Antonio''s eyes. She bowed her head at him. "Damien hasn''t arrived yet," Father Antonio informed her. "I see," Penny responded back to take a seat in the third row. Leaning back she sat looking at the chapel and when she noticed there was no one around, her gaze fell on the white witcher who was lighting the candles, "Has there been any news about the ck witches here or witch hunters?" she said, trying to make a conversation which was useful. "White witches...there have been many who keep roaming around. One the witch hunter killed a white witch that led to a little ruckus. Didn''t you hear about it from Damien?" Father Antonio asked he had turned to answer her. She shook her head to his question. "Was it just a kill?" "It was always a kill to reduce the number of witches who roam around but with what I heard, the witch was killed for no apparent reason who was working in and for the church," said the man, turning again to continue his work but he didn''t stop talking, "There is a conflict rising. The council might turn a blind eye over it, waiting for the witches to cut each other''s throat that would reduce the need to watch over us but witches who had been hanging on a thin thread have fallen on one of the sides. You must already be aware of the ma.s.sacre taking ce and why it is going on," this time she nodded her head. It was to unbind the magic. "How did the white witches bind and lock away the magic?" She had read through Lady Isabelle''s books and also the books that were in here but not even one spoke of how they had done it. "I don''t know about that. We only know what was told to us by our people and the elders where most have pa.s.sed away. My knowledge with it is limited," Father Antonio replied to her question, "But it does make me wonder," said the man that piqued Penny''s interest quickly as she leaned her body forward. The man turned to face her again, the candle in his hand still burning when his eyes looked around to make sure there was no one here to listen to him, "If the key to the unbind is the same as the key to bind." Did he mean to say the locking and unlocking had the same procedure which was why it was not written? They had found a list that the ck witches had to do but it was to get to the main event so that they could use the spells to unlock the magic. "And no one knows about it." "That is what we know so far. The first generation witches left nothing behind for us. Burning the most important information to ash so that it would never be misused," he stated which she understood. The only remaining existence were the books that were in Quinn''s mansion. They had already burnt the book that held moon signs and in time they would need to burn the other books so that it would never end up in anyone''s hands. It made her wonder where thest book was, the book of Garlic that appeared to be lost. Hearing the sound of the carriage outside, Penny guessed it was Damien who hade to pick her up as he did always but when she stood up and turned around, she noticed it wasn''t Damien but councilwomen Eveyln who had appeared at the door of the church. Chapter 600 Hustle In Church- Part 1 This was someone who she had least expected to see in thend of Bonke, less to see where she would be. What was Evelyn doing here? Asked Penny to herself. The woman lived in Valeria and not here. She wondered if it was because of council work she hade here. Her clothes were something simr to what Penny wore. Wearing pants and a s.h.i.+rt with guns that sat on both sides of her hips. The councilwoman continued to walk down the aisle, her shoulders proud and behind her was a fairly young man who appeared to be of her age. It was for council work, Penny concluded and when the woman came down, she barely bothered to look at Penelope who was seated with her body that turned around until she met Father Antonio who stood at the chapel. "Good evening, councilwoman," Father Antonio greeted and the woman bowed her head as if she were taking the whispered blessings before standing up straight. "Father Antonio, we are under orders to look through the church. Reports have been received on how hical things have been going in in this ce," said Evelyn, her sharp red eyes staring at the white witch who looked at her with a confused look in his eyes. "hical? As far as I remember there hasn''t been anything like that happening over my watchful eyes." Evelyn pulled out a scroll, handing it to him and while he was unfolded the paper to read it, the vampiress said, "Then it would be right to say that if we do find something that is following up the records then you arepletely responsible for it as it is under your protection." The white witcher read the contents that was written in the parchment, his expression staying the same without a change in there when he said, "Yes, that is what I believe." "Believe is a vague word in here, father. We will need to scout and check the entire church. You don''t mind us doing it now, do you?" Before the man could even answer, Evelyn walked towards the door along with the other vampire who had apanied her in here. Penny, who heard the short conversation, stood up when the vampiress and vampire disappeared behind the door and she went to where the white witcher stood. "What was written in the scroll?" Penny asked him. Father Antonio stared hard at the door to say, "That we are creating poisons and other weapons to revolt against the pureblooded vampires." She frowned hearing this, "But what we have been creating is for the deranged vampires." It was a recent a.s.signment that was given down by the council itself as this church was under the jurisdiction of the council where the white witches worked for them. Lately, the number of deranged vampires along with humans who were getting simrly corrupted by the witch''s potion, they were going insane in Wovile. It wasn''t the first time that the witches had tried to convert the humans to their side. The thought they carried was if the vampires could do it so could the witches which turned the humans to a bunch of scapegoats. "The council is already aware of the potion and bullets being created right?" Penny asked, knowing if the council knew about it then there was no problem. "No, it was a special case," Father Antonio''s speech had turned dry out of worry, "When you get a special case, it is given out directly from the head council or the Lord''s of the fournds to maintainplete secrecy about it. The case is so, so that people don''t whisper it out for others to know and we are trying to create a bullet for pureblooded vampires. Though it isn''t poison, it is enough to have the night creatures freeze until the bullet is taken out by another person." Oh, great, thought Penny to herself. "How many special cases are being a.s.signed here right now?" she asked him in a whisper. "Two more apart from this. Let me give you the information quickly," he said taking her to the side so that even if the council members returned back with a bang they would be able to hear what he had to tell Penelope, "The other two a.s.signments are- one which Lord Wovile asked to create a potion to kill the white witches who are in the intermediate stage between being a white and a ck witch." "Why?" Penny interrupted him. Even though the witches were going to transition, they were still white witches who hadn''t turned to aplete ck witch yet. "The Lord," he whispered to her, "He told me that ck witches don''t have ess to the forbidden magic, unlike the white witches. There have been some ck witches who have been abducting the witches in the transition to make use of their powers to unlock the unbinds over the lost magic. Wovile has turned bad with the number of witches being concentrated in there." "He doesn''t want other white witches to fall prey over it as they are already losing it but," Penny paused, her lips pursing to part and say, "Some of the witches here are going under transition already. You and Jera," said Penny looking into Father Antonio''s eyes unblinkingly. The man didn''t respond to it. Penny didn''t know why he was creating something so far dangerous that could kill him and the people whom he knew. Ignoring thatst words of Penny, the white witcher then said, "There''s another potion which I have been trying to create by myself. It is a truth-speaking potion that was once closed by the council decades ago. They were too scared to have something like that being brought into the world. I have been working on it for the past six years," six years was long, thought Penny to herself, "How good are you when ites to sneaking in and out of a ce?" he asked her. Penny who for two seconds had turned to look at the multicolored window turned her head back to look at the man. "I can try," she responded to receive a nod. She wanted to help him as she believed the potions woulde to be helpful even if the council thought otherwise. "You know where my room is right? Go to the next room after it. I need you to go get a liquid-like sk from there. I will go get the potion for the witches in the meantime. Don''t get caught." Chapter 601 Hustle In Church- Part 2 The worst and difficult part of this church was that there was only one way to get inside the bottom dungeon of this church and the same way out of it. With thentern in her hand, both Penny and Father Antonio made their way down the dark stairs along with thentern in their hands. They didn''t take thentern too far as they ced it on the hooks when they reached the bottom. They could hear the voice of councilwoman Evelyn along with the man who was questioning in the closest dungeon room which was wide and s.p.a.cious to have numerous weapons they were working on by the orders of the council. Not making much noise, they parted their ways to go to different rooms. They didn''t make use of thentern because it would pull attention to them. Walking in the dark was difficult for some time until Penny decided to light up the ce, "Light," she whispered in the dark and the ce suddenly lit up like a small ball of invisible fire that was guiding her as she walked to Father Antonio''s room. It had taken Penny hours until she had finally mastered in bringing out the light by making use of the resources around her. The book Lady Isabel wrote was the book that spoke on how to make use of the elemental abilities and how some of the spells and curses worked only by the hands of some witches. It was because it used the innate nature of the white witch regardless of if the elemental bearer had bestowed the person with the ability. Reaching the room, Penny opened and closed the door behind her before she started to look at the top of her desk that appeared to be clean. She continued to search for the sk until there stood a line of sks that was numbered from forty to seventy. Some numbers were missing that left only seven sks in there. With time being minimum, Father Antonio had told her to get the sk but he had failed to mention which one to pick up from here. The truth potion. Drinking it to test would be a stupid thing to do, was she supposed to be pour everything in the basin but when she turned around, she realized there was no basin. Father Antonio was going to get caught and with that, she was going to be put under spot too. Penny picked up the sk that had the highest number, before running her hands across all the other sks that were lined up there. If Father Antonio was working on the potion for years now, he should be well versed with it, and creating it from scratch should not be a problem, said Penny in her mind. At the same time, the door to the room opened with bright light with the councilman who hade to search and inspect the room. On-time, Penny had exhausted the light she had been holding on to and moved in the dark without making noise but the man was a vampire and some of the vampires had very sharp ears. Moving away from his sight she stood there like a statue. "Did you find anything in there?" came the voice of Evelyn. They hade straight into the room so quickly which left Penny on a hot surface. She had to get out of the room! The councilwoman stepped into the room, her gun clinking against her belt that made noise as she walked forward. Penny took this opportunity to ce footsteps on the ground with the clinking sound and when the woman stopped walked so did she but they weren''t the only ones who hade here. Sister Jera stood at the door who hade to show where the room was on their request while there were two more witches who stood behind her, watching the council members pulling the files to read and going to the table to look at the sks that were in here. "What are these?" Evelyn asked the white witch without looking at her. Jera had no idea what it was and the closest answer she coulde up with was, "Water," the woman gave a look at the young white witch as if she was looking at her like she didn''t know what went down here. "It doesn''t say so in the book in here," Evelyn said looking down at the book that was on the table that she had flipped. Penny frowned, not realizing she should have done a thorough check but time had been scarce where Father Antonio had also failed to mention his book. There was no point picking up the sk when the evidence was right here. "Don''t the people here work together? To give out the wrong answer, I would say you are either lying or the priest of this church is up to no good," said Evelyn twisting her lips as she said it. When the councilman and councilwoman turned their head for a split second, Penny quickly made a dash and Sister Jera who had been standing at the door didn''t know if she had to cough but she did fake sneeze when Penny ran out of the room that had both the council members snap their head to look at the door with a suspicious look. Penny had stepped out of the room but that didn''t mean Eveyln let go of the little steps she had heard. Sister Jera after coughing, tapped both her feet as if she were marching to look at her clothes as if an insect hade to hinder her. "I thought there was something in here," Sister Jera said, moving her hands around and stopping to tap her feet on the ground. Evelyn narrowed her eyes on the girl. She had been hearing to five hearts beating in the room with the five members in here but after the little sound of feet and sneeze, she realized it should have been four heartbeats because the councilman who apanied her here was an average vampire whose heart didn''t beat and was still like the other lower vampires who had no heartbeat. "Bring the book with you and bring the sks out to the bigger room," Evelyn ordered the man before she made her way past the three white witches. Penny in the meantime had run to the secret room and had ced it in there to step out in time to join the other white witches which was amon room for everyone to work in. "What are you doing here?" Evelyn asked Penelope as in the council woman''s eyes, Penny was only a human and not a white witch, "Don''t you know this is the grounds only for white witches?" Chapter 602 Hustle In Church- Part 3 Penny who had only been standing out to step inside made up a quick lie, "I came here to supervise the church by Damien''s words," she could always lie in the name of Damien as she knew Damien would go along with it without a question. She had forgotten that even though everyone in this room knew that she was a white witch, to the rest of the outside world, she was a in human who had enticed a pureblooded vampire after being bought as a ve. "You need the council''s order. Do you have the parchment for it for a.s.surance that it was from the council and has been approved?" Evelyn asked the woman, looking down on Penny as she was not a councilwoman. But Penny was already well versed in the little time she had spent here and in Valeria on how the council worked. She often asked Damien and he told her about what was going on in the council and how things worked there in the beginning when she was still thinking about taking part in the examination. "It is a special case. I am sure you have heard about extending work for the non-council members. I wanted to be useful and help in the work as he has been busy. You know how difficult it gets when two are in a rtions.h.i.+p and the other is busy with work," Penny was insinuating to the vampiress while also letting others know about her and Damien''s rtions.h.i.+p so that she wouldn''t cross the line by doing what she did in Valeria. Evelyn stared at the human girl with green eyes, wanting to rip those eyes off her face with the way she looked at her. The councilman who hade with her ced the sks that he carried from the priest''s room. With other matters on hand, the man called, "Father Antonio, could you tell us what these are?" Father Antonio stepped forward from the crowd, his long church clothes barely sweeping the surface of the ground and his coif sitting on his head. "Those are nothing at all," he answered, his voice calm and quiet in the room. "If it wasn''t nothing you wouldn''t bebeling them with numbers. Not to forget the book we found and what you have written down there." "That''s barely one page from the past," Father Antonio replied to the man''sments. The white witcher never left trails behind, he had been cleaning up every single detail he had found to only memorize it deep in his mind so that it couldn''t be misused. What Penny didn''t understand was why there werews where the requests had to be run through the council before they approved and a.s.signed work. Lord Herbert had asked the witch directly because he wanted to keep hisnd safe by creating the witch''s potion while here the father was also working on something that was told to be stopped. Evelyn, who was still staring at Penny, s.h.i.+fted her eyes to look at Father Antonio, "You and I are both aware that the creation for the truth potion was banned right before it couldmence properly for the witches to work on it. Why are you working on it?" she asked him. The man offered her a smile, "It spoke about distribution, councilwoman. White witches have the habit to create and test so that the council canter make use of it." "The terms have been stated in the edict of one hundred and nine that no witch shall create a potion without prior approval," Evelyn stared at him with her dark red eyes, "You have created a felony, or in simpler terms a mistake which we cannot overlook for what you have done. One person starts with it and the other wille to follow. Do you understand what I mean?" Penny frowned when the man with grey hair nodded his head. She stepped into the conversation by saying, "The potion hasn''t even turned to the expected result. A vampire might not know how it works because they don''t work with potions but if you look at them, you will see that one liquid can be turned to something else. Am I right, Sister Jera?" Penny asked the young girl whose eyes widened and she agreed to it immediately. "The way you speak it looks as if you were a witch too. I think we should test it out," Evelyn has her doubts now on who Penelope was. She didn''t appear to be a simple girl and there must be more than what met her eyes as she had entrapped Damien under her spell. A man who didn''t a.s.sociate himself with the lower beings, he had willingly taken a ve from the dirty ce of the establishment. Penny didn''t drop her gaze and said, "One doesn''t need to be a witch to know about it. Maybe if you spent your time here you would me the people less." The vampiress looked irked with the way Penny had phrased her words as if Evelyn hadn''t been keeping an eye on her work and people, "Don''t try to wiggle your way out. Give the bottle," she said moving her hand up to open her palm. The councilman pulled out a bottle from his pocket and ced it on the woman''s hand. Evelyn walked to where Penny stood and the other white witches gave her way by stepping back and away from them, Penny noticed the way the councilwoman looked confident. Like she had found a grave mistake from Penelope and was going to drag her to the pits of h.e.l.l. "I thought there was something about you that I couldn''t ce my finger on but if you really are a witch, you better say goodbye to the people you know. I will finish you here before you can even look at the sky again," the threat in Evelyn''s voice was evident as she spoke standing in front of Penny. "You have trust issues don''t you?" Penny asked the woman with a smile on her face, "Please go ahead," she weed the woman with not a single speck of fear in her eyes. Evelyn, who had made a background check when it came to Penelope had found out on how she had been sold and how her parents had pa.s.sed. Another information being how she was an excellent actress and everyone knew how an actor and actress lied with ease. Chapter 603 Hustle In Church- Part 4 The others who stood watching them held their breath already knowing the oue that was going to take ce in here and they feared for Penelope''s life. All the white witchers already knew what the bottle contained. It was a liquid to unravel a person''s ident.i.ty to check if they were a witch or not. They were worried because once the liquid would surround thedy, the truth woulde out on how she was a white witch and was hiding and working here which the council didn''t approve of. The council was strict and no matter how much shady work went behind the closed curtains and doors of the councilmen and women, they continued to keep a strict hold on the public members of the fournds. And while everyone continued to hold their breath from the oue, Evelyn pulled out the cap and raised her hand. Her lips coyly smiled and she sprayed the liquid all around Penny. On her face, on the sides and up in the air. "Take a deep breath, Lady Penelope," Evelyn ordered the green-eyes girl. Penny took in a deep breath, deep enough to let people who stood near her hear the intake of air from her nose. The councilwoman waited for the girl to start sneezing and showing the side effects from inhaling the air around her but what Evelyn didn''t know was that Penny was someone who had not only inhaled the scent in the air but that she had worn a coat which was covered in the scent of it. The measly amount of spray could not affect her. A minute pa.s.sed and then two minutes pa.s.sed before Penny came to ask, "Are we waiting for something?" there was an underlying smile in Penny''s voice that left the vampiress furious. Evelyn sprayed furthermore near Penny but nothing ever happened. When the spray was over, Sister Jera who was standing nearby pointed out to thedy, "The spray is over, mdy," this received a re from the councilwoman. Penny was one of the people who was gifted to have the touch to purify most of the things. She could purify the poison which was meant for the witches. "Hmph," Eveyln reacted by turning around and leaving Penny be as there were other things on hand right now to look at. In front of the witches, the vampiress had made a fool of herself by using a person to be a witch to get no reaction at all, "Coming back to the potions in here. We shall test this first. We need a volunteer. You there," Evelyn picked up Sister Jera who had been caught by the eyes of Evelyn. "Me?" Sister Jera asked unsure and unwilling to go up there. "You seem to be the right person for it, didn''t you say it was water? Come, take a seat. It is an order from the council," said the woman for the white witch to move forward and take a seat on a chair. She looked at the colorless liquid that looked like water, "Take a sip from the first one in here." Sister Jera wondered if she had woken up on the wrong side of the bed today. To be put in a spot where she didn''t know what was in each of the sks. "We don''t have much time," Evelyn stated, flipping the pocket watch she had just pulled out to put it back inside. Penny stood there watching Sister Jera fret over the sk as her hand made a way to reach the sk and bring it near her. If it waste, why didn''t Damien show up yet? Was he possibly stuck at work? If Lady Evelyn already knew about it, then it meant that she had nned and already doubted her being here since the time she entered the church. Doubts were not good, thought Penny to herself. Doubts made one verify things and for now, Penny was in clear as the spray never affected her. The sister of the church picked the sk and took a sip from it. Before the liquid touched her lips, Jera was sure it was going to taste bad but when it tasted like water, she took a mouthful and ced it back on the table. "How does it taste?" asked the councilman. "Like water¡­" was the reply from the girl. Evelyn stared at the single-paged notes that were of few lines along with the t.i.tle that read ''Truth potion''. "Drink the next two," Evelyn ordered the girl and Sister Jera did what she was told hoping it would be water and nothing else, "For how long have you been working in this church?" "Since I was taken in by the church." "What have you contributed to the church? What do you do in your free time?" asked the councilwoman. "Helping and listen to people confessing their sin. Reading books." "For how long do you know Lady Penelope here who ims to be working as an extension?" and the woman was back on confirming about Penelope. "Since the first day she came here, she''s like my older sister," Penny smiled at Sister Jera''s answer. "Do you know if Father Antonio has been doing something that is hical, where he is not supposed to be working on potions like the truth potion?" on Evelyn''s question, Sister Jera sat quietly, "Answer the question." Sister Jera gulped as she opened her mouth to speak. The girl knew what father Antonio was up to as she was his apprentice in the beginning when she had joined the church. She could only hope that the truth potion wouldn''t bring out wrong answers and she said, "Father Antonio has been working on what orders he has been receiving from the council. He has never strayed from the path. I don''t believe he has been doing anything bad." This was a bull of c.r.a.p, thought Evelyn to herself. The girl was clearly lying as it was written on the page that it was a truth potion but if it was the truth potion she should have blurted it out. After seeing everything go down, Father Antonio finally spoke, "I just wrote it down and never created a potion. It is your misinterpretation to think that it was the truth potion. If you go read ahead in the notes, you will find that the ingredients written down are for treating humans. The sickness they often catch." With this being said, Evelyn couldn''t do anything and had to leave the church as they found no further evidence. Chapter 604 Rainy Night- Part 1 Seeing both the council members leave the dungeon where father Antonio led them out politely, Penny went back to look at the sk while everyone was still murmuring on what just happened. This time she had been saved by her words but doubt had been ced in Evelyn''s mind and Penny knew that the vampiress would not let it go anytime soon. She would have to be even more careful than before. If word got out that she was a white witch, the council and the witch hunters would turn their eyes on her and she wouldn''t be able to move freely. Wis.h.i.+ng bye to sister Jera and Father Antonio with a nod, Penny stepped out of the church to see that Damien had not arrived yet. Was he perhaps stuck with work? He was usually here at this time, deciding to head back home by herself so she let one of the white witches who worked in the council know about it. Leaving the church behind her, she continued to walk in the path which headed back to Quinn''s mansion. The mud was soft on her feet, sliding at times due to the continuous rain that had been pouring over and over again since the time they had returned back from Valeria. The weather of Bonke had turned back to its usual rainy self. The sky had started to turn dark and the colors which were trying to peek out were long gone. When Penny and Jera had returned back to the church, the time had headed towards evening. Damien would know if she were walking in the path of the road. The more time pa.s.sed the more worried Penny turned on why Damien had note to find her yet. She wondered if there was another case that had been keeping him busy. Walking on the side, she felt soft drops of water starting to fall from the sky. Oh, no! The more the water drops started to fall on her, the faster she started to walk while also trying to not fall on her bottom on the ground. What started as a drizzle of rain soon started to pick up speed leaving Penny turning wet with the clothes that she had worn. She heard the clouds thunder and crash against each other up in the sky. The lightning falling on some farawaynds that shook the ce along with her. She had hoped to catch a moving carriage on her way to drop her to the nearest location so that she could make her way but not a single carriage hade to pa.s.s by her. The only carriage that did pa.s.s by was her was one which was going in the opposite direction as she was. Penny was utterly drenched from head to toe and her s.h.i.+rt stuck to her body. Thankfully she had a jacket but it was soaked too, turning her shoulders heavy as she made her way to the mansion. How far was the mansion from the church? Asked Penny to herself. With what she remembered it wasn''t too far, maybe twenty to thirty minutes by carriage? By walking it would be too much, she sighed in the rain as her feet continued to move forward one after another. After a few minutes, over the sound of the rain, Penny heard a distant sound of a carriage that wasing behind her and she stopped walking. Turning around to see it was indeed a carriage, she waved her hand hoping it would stop after looking at her. The carriage didn''t stop at first and went on to continue driving which made her huff. Where was chivalry by people these days? The sky had turned dark and so did the path that somewhere deep down, Penny was slightly worried that she had lost path right now. She was surrounded by trees and more trees with only the path to be seen. There were deviations to different towns and viges, and though she wasn''t new when it came to walking back home, she was worried she had lost her way and would worry Damien. When she readied again to walk, she caught sight of the carriage on how it had stopped. Penny quickly ran towards the carriage, ready to thank the coachman who had stepped out from his seat. The coachman had drenched in the rain like her. When the man opened the door to the carriage, Penny looked up ready to thank the person who had been kind enough to give another thought of stopping the carriage for her. It was Mr.?Varreran. Out of all the people, it was the blond vampire with the .s.ses whom this carriage belonged to. The man had already moved away to make s.p.a.ce for her to sit. He gave her his hand and she took hold of it to step inside the carriage. As she wasn''t wearing a dress, she didn''t have to worry about pulling her dress away from the door. "Apologies for your seat," she said knowing how wet she was because of the rain and as the seat was ced in only one direction, they were sitting on the same one. "It''s okay. I hope everything is well because you were..." he trailed his words letting her continue as the man looked at her. Penny pushed her wet hair away from her face while also removing the water droplets that were on her face, "I had been out in the town and thought to take a small walk and got lost," she gave him a queasy smile to have the man nodding at her. She didn''t want to tell him that she was in the church all alone as it would only bring suspiciously or maybe it wouldn''t but with what was dealt today in the church, she found it best to be that ditzy girl who was only spending Damien''s money. The man gave her a soft smile. He pulled out his kerchief and brought it forward to her. "Ah, no I am okay," she said but the man didn''t drop his hand. "Please, I insist." It wasn''t enough but it was something, thought Penny to herself. With the man still holding out his kerchief which was white in color, Penny finally took it from him. "Thank you," she said. Mr.?Varreran responded back with, "Don''t mention it." Chapter 605 Rainy Night- Part 2 Thankfully, the man had turned his head away to look outside the window that gave Penny the opportunity to use the kerchief by running it around her face, neck, and the sides of her head. The water had seeped into her clothes and hair, enough to give her a small headache. The windows were closed but as she was out of the rain finally, light termors of s.h.i.+ver started to run over her skin. She hugged herself with her hands, not knowing that even though the man had turned his face towards the window, he had been watching her from the reflection of the window. The kerchief in her hand turned wet with water quickly and she said, "Thank you for the kerchief and for the pick up here. The rain was pouring so much I didn''t know how long it would take to go back." "It is a pleasure to be able to help you. I don''t think we got to introduce ourselves properlyst time," he said, giving his hand forward this time to say, "I am Robarte Varreran." "Penelope," Penny took his hand to shake. She decided not to give herst name because calling herself to be Artemis would mean she was epting that she was part of a white witch''s family. Of course, this man wouldn''t be knowing about it but it was better to be safe. His eyes fell on her hand as they shook hands, and he said, "You must have been standing out in the rain for a long time. Your hands are cold," she took her hand back where she couldn''t detect the temperature. "I thought the carriages often moved around but there weren''t any today," Penny responded back to him. Dropping the kerchief on herp, she rubbed both her hands together before stopping so that it wouldn''t create too much noise or movement. The rain didn''t stop and the clouds thundered in the sky, often lightning itself up to show the clouds and their lining. The previous time Penny had met the man, he had somewhate to be rude with the way he called her a ve and how he had eyed her the first time. Thinking about it gave her chills and she wondered if her luck was bad that she had moved her hands for the wrong carriage to stop for her. Strangely right now he came across to be a polite, gentleman kind who was being kind enough to turn his head away from her when she was wiping her face. That didn''t mean she had lowered her guard down. She still remembered theirst encounter near the tailor''s shop where she had seen him with a ve who was covered in bruises. "The carriages have stopped functioning if you are asking about the local carriages," she didn''t hear about that. He said, "There was a recent murder case that took ce in a local pa.s.sing carriage which is why they have temporarily paused their functioning but it should be back up in two weeks." "I didn''t know that," she whispered. She asked, "How is your ve been doing?" she was curious if the man was abusing her. It wasn''t umon in the vampire world to mistreat ves. The man gave her a sweet smile as if the memory of his ve brought an instant smile on his lips, "She has been doing well. Her previous master had been mistreating her and I had to buy her," was that why the ve had bruises then? When silence fell again in the carriage, Penny didn''t know what to speak to him. Even Mr. Varreran didn''t speak and she wondered if being quiet was the best thing to do. "How has life been treating you after turning to ady?" and there went the silence, thought Penny to herself. Mustering a smile that was tight on her face, she answered, "It has been good." When the carriage finally came to a stop, Penny was d that was finally back at Quinn''s mansion. The rain didn''t appear to stop and when the coachman pulled the door open and she stepped down, Penny frowned to see that this wasn''t Quinn''s mansion. "This.." she turned to look at Mr. Varreran to ask where they were. "This is my mansion, Miss Penelope. I didn''t know you were expecting to be at your home as you didn''t give the coachman an address," he said to her. He was right that she hadn''t given him the address but she had believed that the man was already well aware that she wanted to go to Quinn''s residence and not his home. "Could you be kind enough to let me borrow your carriage? I will send it back once I reach-" The blond man in .s.ses responded back to her, "Going back will take time again and you might fall very ill. How about you take a sip of tea to warm yourself and change your clothes in here. I am sure the clothes you are in right now are ufortable." As much as there was logic in his words, Penny didn''t like the thought of spending time with him. She was grateful for the ride but that was that. She was in no sense looking forward to drinking tea with him and chit-chat when they could have done it in the carriage. She gave him a smile and tried to go about, "That''s alright. It shouldn''t be that far. I will make sure to get myself dried once I reach back." "One cup of tea shouldn''t take much time. I am sure it would do good," on his words, Penny finally gave him a nod. He had after all given her a ride. It wouldn''t be right to refuse the third time. This way she would also know if he was beating the ve. There was something very unnerving about him that made Penny question his character. It was becausepared to the first time he appeared in front of her, he was different now and she couldn''t point out what it was that bothered at the back of her mind. It wasn''t the way he behaved but his appearance. "Please," he said, leading her as he walked at the front and she followed him. If he was going to try anything funny, her needles were always ready in her pocket. Chapter 606 Rainy Night- Part 3 The mansion of Mr. Varreran was quiet and dark just as she thought it would be. The interiors were darker than she had seen in Lord Nichs'' mansion or in Quinn''s. She could tell that it was an old family house that had been pa.s.sed for generations before it came to be possessed by the man, Robarte Varreran. The man led her inside the mansion, the butler had his head bowed as he let them in while holding the door for them. The temperature in the mansion was much betterpared to outside as the rain hadn''t stopped nor did the wind which was moving with the rain in a different direction. Penny''s eyes took in the architecture of the house. The ceiling was taller than the most and the halls narrow. It reminded her of the church she worked in where Father Antonio and Sister Jera lived. When she continued to walk, her footsteps brought the mud and the water inside the mansion on the floors and she stopped her footsteps. "Don''t mind that. I will have some clean the floor," she heard Mr. Varreran said to her who had stopped walking too as Penny was looking at the floor she had dirtied. "Apologies for it. Let me remove my shoes," feeling guilty for walking in with her dirty shoes. Penny had been walking for so long in the rain that she hadn''t given it much thought that her shoes had covered themselves in the mud. If the shoes didn''t go high, the bottom of her pants would have turned muddy too. Removing her shoes, she ced them at the side. "Get Miss Penelope some new clothes from the closet," Mr. Varreran ordered his butler when the butler had closed the main door of the mansion. Before the butler could go on his way, Penny protested. "Please, no. I am fine with what I am wearing." "Please, allow me to get you fresh dry clothes. You will fall sick-" "Mr. Varreran, I am fine," Penny''s voice was firm as she said it to him, holding her ground on not wanting to change clothes in a stranger''s house. This man, though he was being hospitably nice to her, it didn''t mean she trusted him. She was merely showing courtesy to him while also letting him know that she didn''t mind telling a no. "Thank you for your concern but I will be fine. It isn''t the first time I have got drenched in the rain. I was a ve before who came from a lower background. My immunity is much better than most of the delicate women in your society." The man looked at her in the dim light that the candles lit up in the room which wasn''t sufficient turning the hallways dark. "If that is what you want," he said to her and again ordered his butler, "Get us some tea in the drawing-room," the butler bowed and left them. Mr. Varreran or Robarte led her into the drawing-room and had her seated. Another servant went to the firece and had the fire running by the freshly ced woods which were seated below the old ashes which had been burnt days ago. Coming to this room, she realized it was actually cold. She rubbed her hands again, hoping for the fire to spread its heat around the room for now so that she could stop s.h.i.+vering. She saw Robarte walk around the room to get back with a thick woolen shawl. "I hope you don''t mind this," said the man and before she could even tell anything, he had the shawl draped around her shoulders. Penny wanted to deny it but she was freezing right now. She was sure she would fall sick by the time of the morning tomorrow. With the heavy rain where she was still soaking wet except for her s.h.i.+rt which was slowly drying up, her pants were wet inside out. She had picked to sit on the wooden chair to avoid bringing water on the other chairs. "I can see you are a stubborn woman, Miss Penelope," said Robarte, taking a seat not too far away from her, that was, he had picked a seat right next to her even though there were many seats next to him, "I can tell why Mr. Quinn fancies you." Penny felt he was stepping into territories which he wasn''t too. He had made an opening to talk to her about her being a ve. "Why do you think so?" Penny asked him, her green eyes looking at him curiously. "You seem to be kind of hard to get and please. Don''t take it wrong but there have been many times when I have met you that I thought how nice it would be if I were to have met you first. Before the young Master Damien would have met and bought you," said Robarte, leaning his back when the butler came in with a kettle and teacups on the tray. The butler bent down, making tea for both of them and handing it to Penelope first and the man of the house. When the servant left the room, Penny said, "I don''t think you would be able to afford my price, Mr. Varreran," Penny gave the man a polite smile on her face. Penny sipped the tea which was given to her, her eyes still on Robarte who stared at her right now. She was sure that even if Robarte had seen her first during the time of the auction, he still wouldn''t be able to get her as Damien would have raised the price so high until everyone would give up on her and he would be the only one to take her back to the mansion. "Do you take my luck to be bad, Miss. Penelope?" she hadn''t noticed it before but the way he called her name, it felt more like he was taunting her while keeping his words to be subtle. She was on high alert so she didn''t know if she was overthinking things when it came to this man, "Or are you saying I don''t have enough money?" "I mean no offense but if you were to turn back in time to go back to the day, I think?Damien would still end up buying me." Chapter 607 Rainy Night- Part 4 She heard Robarte chuckle at her words, "You are being so sure about yourself and him. It is good to see that you both have built a good rtions.h.i.+p," said the man to have her smile and say nothing to him in return. "How about you and your ve?" Penny questioned him as she had not seen his ve here. The mansion itself was dark and quiet that made one wonder if one really lived here or not. "My ve?" Robarte asked her. "Yes," she replied back as they had spoken about the ve while they were in the carriage. Did the man forget about her so soon? "She is resting up in the room." "Is she alright?" Penny asked, slightly worried for the girl. He gave her a nod. "She hardly sleeps at night because of the nightmares of what has happened in the past. Cries all the time, so I had to put her to sleep in the afternoon," he looked at the door of the drawing-room, saying, "If she was awake she would havee here by now." "I see¡­" "Her previous master, he mistreated her quite badly. Beating her and not feeding her well which is why things have turned so bad in her case. Hopefully, she will be able to get and feel better," he said, looking at the insides of his teacup which was getting over, "Would you like some more tea?" he asked her. "Sure," Penny said before another .s.s of tea was poured into her teacup as well as into his teacup. Once she was done finis.h.i.+ng it, Penny looked towards the windows where she could see the rain still pouring down as the water trickled down in a zigzag motion on the window pane. "I should get going," she said, cing the empty teacup along with the saucer on the table. "Let me see you out," said Robarte, taking her out and getting a carriage prepare which he hade in. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Varreran," Penny bowed her head and stood up to see him offer her a smile. "Anytime. I hope to see you again," he said when Penny got into the carriage and the door was closed. Penny didn''tment on it and only waved her hand, d that she was leaving this ce and was finally going back home. She rode the carriage that took her to Quinn''s mansion, stepping out she thanked the coachman who turned the carriage around and left the ce. Penny didn''t step inside but stood outside the mansion, staring at the carriage that disappeared in the night. The rain had stopped since the time she had started to travel back, letting her look outside the window, she made sure that the path was the same and that the coachman wasn''t taking her elsewhere. On hearing the arrival of the carriage, the butler of Quinn''s came running from inside the mansion to greet Master Damien and Lady Penelope but when he came out it was just Lady Penelope who was drenched. He looked left and right to see where Master Damien was and why thedy was drenched if she hade in the carriage. The air out here was sending her chills as her clothes had not dried yet. Her hair was still in the process of getting dried and she would need to wash it again before heading to bed. Penny, hearing the footsteps turned around to see that it was the butler, "Mdy," he bowed his head in greeting. She gave him a nod, before asking him, "Has Master Damien arrived back home?" The butler shook his head quickly, "No, mdy," he wasn''t home yet? Penny wondered where he caught up with work. It wasn''t usual for him to bete and even if he was, he always sent her a carriage so that she could get back home safely without much trouble. This made her worry, wondering if something had happened that had kept him from doing so, "Would you want me to ask the maid to fill up the bath with hot water?" he asked her. "Okay," she said to see him wait for her to step in and she looked back at the gate before leaving the entrance to step inside the mansion and go up to her. A maid was sent to their room and she got the water-filled in the bath before taking the wet clothes and the dirty boots that Penelope gave her. Sending the maid out of the room while being wrapped in the towel, Penny locked the room and stepped inside the bath after letting go of the towel that fell on the ground. The warm and almost hot water felt good which she didn''t bother cooling it down not caring about her skin. She had been out in the cold for many hours now that she wanted to sleep in the bathtub if it was possible. After she spent her time in the bath, she stepped out to change herself to her nightclothes. Penny, who didn''t have the energy to go down for dinner, she continued to stay in the room, hoping she would be able to eat with Damien. And while waiting for him, she decided to reread the books to see if she had missed anything that had failed to catch her attention during her first read. Sitting on the bed with thentern and candles next to her, Penny continued to read until she dozed off to sleep. After a few minutes, the door to the room was knocked on before the k.n.o.b was turned around and in stepped Caitlin. "Penelope?" she called the young girl to notice that Penny had fallen fast asleep while reading the book. Penny had notid herself down on the bed but her body had moved to the side to lean against the pillow that was next to her. She hade here to talk to her niece about something important. She wanted to talk to her in the evening but Penny had not returned back and she had decided to wait. Walking towards her, the woman took the book that was on herp to ce it on the table and she took hold of the nket and put it over the young girl who was now sleeping. She stood there seeing her sleeping, seeing how much she resembled her brother and she was d she didn''t resemble that scheming ck witch who was Penny''s mother. Caitlin had lost hope long ago after she had been chased by both Laurae and her fiance. Escaping from death and them to find herself in the establishment. She was young at that time, young and vulnerable who had been living her life freely to suddenly find herself in a closed sh.e.l.l until a few weeks ago. Caitlin didn''t practice magic, it was something she was not used to as a child as her parents and her rtives didn''t want her or her brother to take part in it, but who knew that the same rtives were being a hypocrite by touching not only white magic but also forbidden magic. Since the time she had found out that Penny was her brother''s daughter, she had decided to look after her. She felt it was her responsibility as they were family. Bending down to the candles that were in there, she blew the candles out so that Penny could sleepfortably. Chapter 608 Date With A Black Witch- Part 1 Far away from Quinn''s mansion, Damien was in a small hut with his hand and legs tied where he sat on the ground with Kreme. While Damien sat there in ease, Kreme, the human who often apanied Damien looked at the ck witch who ate an animal without cooking it. She tore the hind legs of the animal and dug her teeth into making him cringe. How did they end up here? Asked Kreme to himself without making a noise. His thoughts went back to the start of the dad in the council. He waspleting his errands which were handed down by the head council, one after another early in the morning until Damien arrived at the council. "How is your day going, Kreme. Any hot news?" asked his senior councilman and by hot it meant if he had snooped around by eavesdropping what other councilmen were speaking in the council. Before joining the council, Kreme had looked at the council like white s.h.i.+ning heaven that provided justice. A ce where the people worked together harmoniously with each other for a greater good and peace of the fournds. He had looked forward to working in the council before the exam he took up, hoping to make a difference by doing something great to the public. His exams had gone easy and it hadn''t been hard. He had rumors on how hard the earlier exams were to make sure only the best of the best could join to work with them but everything always turned to be rumors. But it was only after he met councilman Damien did he find what had happened. The first time they had met, the pureblooded vampire hadmented, "What is a weak prawny looking man doing here in the council?" Kreme had pushed up the round .s.ses he had worn, puffing his chest to say, "I seeded in both exams," like many he had been told the tales of how the exams in the council went and he was proud of himself that he had got through both the paper exam and also the physical exam. Kreme hadn''t gone as far as to speak against the man as he could clearly see that the man in front of him was a pureblooded vampire. "Hmph," harrumphed the councilman Damien to say, "Don''t look so happy and proud about it. Your stars were apparently lucky." "I wrote the exams and pa.s.sed it by myself," Kreme cleared the man''s words, thinking he was pointing if he had cheated his way through influencing people at the top. "Who is speaking about that, peasant?" The man gave him an annoyed look at first before something sinister came to fall on his face that had Kreme take a step back subtly, "You should count your stars lucky because you didn''t take part in thest exam of the council. I am sure you would be found in one of the pits. Dead." It onlyter did Kreme find out that in the previous exam, though hardly nine to ten people pa.s.sed through the first exam, in the second exam only two pa.s.sed while the rest of them had not only failed in the exam but had been killed. His thinking had been changed after that not because he wanted to think that way but it was because Councilman Damien also went by as Master Damien to him being a second-generation pureblood vampire and a night creature who came from a high standing family, people usually didn''t cross paths with him. Another reason being his att.i.tude. Kreme had struggled to work under Damien as the man had made him do things which he would have never imagined or considered it to be hical. One of the examples being going to eavesdrop on people. ording to Master Damien, his words were- ''If one values their life, one must know what is going on around them.'' Thinking back again about the morning, Kreme had given out the details to his senior and they had been summoned by the head council for another help and work. Headcouncil Reuben said, "There is information regarding the creation of a new potion. Right now it is just a rumor as the news is faint but I need you both to find out where this ising from and stop it." "What does the potion do?" asked Councilman Damien. "Apart from paralyzing a person momentarily for a few hours, I don''t know what else it does." In Kreme''s eyes, if there was someone who would question without a fear it was his senior councilman. The man didn''t care if it was a senior or a junior who was talking to him or he was talking to. Usually, the councilman got on work without a question and he would have done too. When they were out of the head council''s room, Kreme asked, "Master Damien, you are so courageous to ask the head council what the potion is about," there was a s.h.i.+ne of admiration as the young human looked up Damien. Kreme tried to keep up with Damien''s long steps to hear Damien say, "He is a vampire, not G.o.d to be scared. Besides if we don''t know what the potion is about we might end up bringing something else back here without the proper information," the councilman looked at Kreme who nodded to say, "You have so much to learn." "Yes, Master Damien," Kreme had replied back upbeat without losing motivation, hoping one day he would turn just like Damien Quinn. Maybe not this entric but a lot more mellow but then again if he wasn''t entric he wouldn''t be councilman Damien. Stopping in the middle of the corridor, Damien said to him, "Go get the carriage out. We will be leaving now." "Time is the essence, Kreme. You need to sacrifice your appet.i.te at times for work," Kreme nodded, believing that is what one had to do while working in the council and then Damien said, "I will go get some blood to drink for me while you go pull out the carriage," and the pureblooded vampire left. When they got on the carriage, thankfully his senior had shown him pity by bringing a bun from the council pantry. Kreme and Damien had left the council to go to the ck market first that day as it was where one of the information came from. What he and his senior were supposed to do was to find if the information was right and destroy the source of the potion. Chapter 609 Date With A Black Witch- Part 2 Damien led the way into the ck market which stood next to the Isle Valley. They went to one of the women who was sitting and reading cards for her customers. The ck market was the only ce where people thought doing anything in here was alright. Like a scared bunny, Kreme stuck close to Damien like he usually did. He didn''t like this ce as it made him ufortable. The looks that people gave were as if they were ready to mug which they did and also the other looks were as if they were going to kidnap and make a soup out of him and Kreme was sure they would do it too. "How much for a card reading?" asked Damien to the woman who raised her head to see who was the customer. Upon seeing who it was, a wide smile came to form on her lips, "It''s you. Came here to give the kiss that is pending?" by the way her nails looked dark and cracked, it was clear that the woman was not any kind of human but a ck witch. Of course, he should have understood by looking at the card game in front of her. "I believe the kiss has been delivered the same day and hour," Damien grinned back at the woman he had called sister while cing a kiss on her cheek. "How unfortunate," Kreme looked between the ck witch and then his senior, were they flirting? Then what about thedy in Quinn''s mansion? "Do you really want to read a card, and who is this little parrot?" the woman''s gaze fell on Kreme. Kreme wanted to correct the woman but he didn''t want her turning him into a parrot. ck witches were as crazy as they came. He saw councilman Damien squat down on his heel, looking at the cards that were spread across the cloth that was ced below the cards. "I have indeed," said Damien, who had the woman turn her head slightly to look at him with a questionable look on her face. Without another word, she stacked all the cards in her hand which were ck in color. The ck witch was beautiful in appearance who could entice any man but men and women who were aware of this ce were always wary. It was only the weak hearted people who fell into the words of the beautiful women or men who could be any kind of creature. Kreme saw the woman shuffle the cards in her hand. Once she was done with it, she spread the cards on the red cloth. "Is there any trick in here?" Damien asked her. "Not tricks at all, Councilman," she replied back to him that had Kreme snap his eyes to look at the woman. Was it too obvious that they were councilmen? Maybe Damien Quinn was only famous which was why people in here were eyeing at him the way they were doing it right now, "You just pick the card you like." Damien ran his hand across the spread cards before picking out one of them. He pulled it out to hand it over to her. "I will need two more," she said and Damien gave her an eye. "Don''t you make everyone pick one card?" the woman smiled at the thought that this pureblooded vampire noticed what she did. "They were normal beings. You are a pureblooded vampire. Higher the cards, higher theplication," she said to him. Damien pulled out two more randomly, giving it to her again and the woman moved all the cards away to please the cards Damien had pulled one after another in order, "You appear to be having the best of the stars, councilman." "Will I be a rich man?" on Damien''s words, Kreme turned his head slowly to look at Damien. The man was already rich, was he nning to own everything? Kreme''s eyes shone now. The ways of councilman Damien was showing him to aim higher in life! "I thought you already were, at least by the looks of your shoes," the woman said before saying, "There is a small danger that lurks. You should keep a watchful eye on it." Damien asked her, "Any clue on what this danger may be?" The woman ced the cards down, shuffling it along with hers before saying, "I think you already know." That he did, thought Damien to himself and he said, "I have some questions for you." "Will I get a kiss?" the woman asked, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Damien. "Sure," Damien said surprising both the woman as well as Kreme who was listening in to their conversations, "You can kiss the parrot," it took Kreme two seconds to realize that his senior had sacrificed him for the sake of the information, his eyes went wide. Kreme quickly shook his head when the woman looked up at him that made her smile, "How can I help?" she asked Damien. "Do you know anyone who has been creating a potion. A potion that paralyzes any creatures?" Damien kept her eyes on her, wanting to make sure the woman was not lying. "I will need more than that. It is very vague what you ask but I do know a woman who might answer your questions." "Where can we find her?" on Damien''s question the woman sighed, taking her time and then said. "Come here, parrot," the ck witch called Kreme ready to be sacrificed, "I cannot give information without taking something." Kreme looked at Councilman Damien who didn''t bother to save him, instead, he was waiting to finish it quickly so that he could get back home. The human wanted to barf as he had seen how a ck witch actually looked like. No matter how beautiful a ck witch appeared, their true form had a starkparison with their skin which was hard and scaly to touch, not to forget the snake-like tongue that slithered in and out of their mouth. When the woman licked her lips, all Kreme could do was pray to G.o.d hoping the witch would not do anything to him. Oning closer, the woman grabbed and kissed him full on the mouth, "It has been long since I tasted humans. You shoulde to my house," she invited Kreme. "No, I have a lot of work. Too much work to do, early to rise,te to sleep," Kreme said, stepping away from her and keeping a distance. The woman smiled and then turned towards Damien, "Take the route from the south and cross the s.h.i.+re town after theke. You will find the odd house there." Chapter 610 Date With A Black Witch- Part 3 The councilmen pa.s.sed through the s.h.i.+re and the river that came after it, heading to another vige which was rather quiet and deserted. Some birds that had perched themselves on the trees around chirped happily but apart from that, there was no one else but Damien and Kreme who walked into the vige. "Sir, I don''t think there''s anyone in here," Kreme who had been working beside Damien hade to learn a few things during his duration in the council, "It''s like¡­" "Like no one lives here," answered Damien. The pureblooded vampire''s eyes scanned the area they were in, "We need to find the odd house out of these lots." "Yes, Sir!" Kreme responded back in a whisper. If the ck witch they hade here looking for was somewhere here, they didn''t want to alert her where she would go sprinting away. They started to look around all the houses which looked normal from the outside as it was neat and clean but the same could not be told when it came inside the houses. It was like something had happened or people had just not bothered to clean things around. "It must be more than three weeks since people have lived here," Kreme heard Damien as the man ran his long fingers across a surface and to feel the dust between his two fingers. They checked through the other houses and one could only tell that the humans must have either fled or they had disappeared in thin air without a trace as there was no spige of blood. As they continued to walk, suddenly both Kreme and Damien started to sleepy as they walked searching for the odd house until both of them fell unconscious which after a few hours that was now Kreme looked at his bound hands and legs. He looked at Damien who was sitting quietly in ease and Kreme didn''t have a clue on how this pureblooded vampire was not freaking out like him because right now all Kreme could think was that soon he would be turning to the next meal of the ck witch. Today was definitely not a good day! And while Kreme was scared and utterly worried, Damien was least bothered. It has been a few minutes since he had woken up after falling unconscious. Whatever they had smelled it had affected both him and the councilman to faint in the middle of the vige. The woman they had met in the ck market had given the address of this witch and there was a possibility that this was the same woman who was creating potions which he was looking for. The ck witch was busy eating the animal, stuffing her face with it and he looked down at his hands and legs that was tightly bound by rope. With the heat that was wafting in the room and the immense golden light which spread out on the walls and objects of the room, Damien noticed a big firece that was burning brightly right now.?He turned to his side to see Kreme who looked worried and about to faint again. He smirked at the human''s plight. "You are awake," came the ck witch''s voice, she wiped the blood from her mouth and she stood up from her seat, "A human and a pureblooded vampire. It has been so long since Ist had one of you," hearing this, Kreme looked horrified, "By the smell of it, I can tell you came to kill me. Councilmen," she said the word councilmen in disgust. "We came here for a little chat," said Damien that had the woman smirking at him. "If you came here for a chat, you wouldn''t be carrying so many weapons with you," the woman picked up the gun that she had taken away from both the men to ce it on the table. "That is for safety," Kreme said to have the ck witch sneer at them. The woman didn''t bother to hide her true self since they had found themselves tied in here. When both Damien and Kreme tried to move, they finally realized that this was the witch who was creating the potions to paralyze the body. Though they could speak, the rest of their body didn''t budge at all. "What happened?" the ck witch questioned as if she didn''t know what was going on before she threw her head back tough, "Try all you can but you won''t be able to move an inch until the potion I have given you dies down from your body. But you don''t have to worry about that, I will inject it into you again. I am sure you will enjoy your short stay here." "Potions shouldn''t work on pureblooded vampires," Damien frowned that had the womanughing again. "It doesn''t but this is specially made for you vampires of different kinds and humans. It works on witches too," the ck witch enlightened him, walking around to room she was doing something in the corner of the room and Damien tried to indulge her back into the conversation. "What happened to the vigers who used to live here?" "They fled for their lives. Just left like that," said the ck witch but Damien could tell that the woman was lying to him. ck witches were often dumb but there were a few of them who were smart enough to create potions that were not needed.?The ck witch then went to sit in front of the firece, doing something there before she came towards them holding a burning butcher knife. "What happened tost wishes?" Damien asked that made the woman stare him, her head tilting, "What use do you have by killing us, and why are you creating the potions?" The woman turned the knife by the wooden handle and said, "Who said I am killing you, I am only going to modify you. It is so that I can operate on you both," the woman came closer to them and both the men were stuck by not being able to move their bodies. The woman had told it was made specifically but then there were rules on the potions that could be bent, thought Damien to himself when the woman raised her hand with the butcher''s knife. Chapter 611 Stitches- Part 1 The ck witch appeared in front of them with the butcher''s knife that was hot and red ready to slice any creature''s skin. Damien and Kreme had the potion running in their body which made Damien wonder if they had inhaled it when they were checking one of the houses. After all, none of them had been injected by it. The witch had told him that she made it in such a way that it would affect all creatures but there was something she was missing. There were different kinds of creatures. Creatures who had been mutated to either deteriorate or to form a stronger creature than what they were. The ck witch raised her hand, ready to swing her knife when Damien opened his eyes and she noticed the pitch-ck eyes of his that had turned from red to ck. But that wasn''t all. His features were slowly changing one after another. First came the eyes, then came the skin around his eyes and when the man smiled, she noticed how his fangs hade out which were differentpared to the usual vampires. With Damien turning to his corrupted heart for help, he moved his body by tearing out the binding around his hands and then his legs. Moving swiftly up and towards the ck witch, he pulled the knife away from her while the woman struggled to get it back in shock not knowing what had happened suddenly. Catching hold of her hand, he chopped her arm off her body that had the ck witch screaming. "Now tell me. Why are you creating this potion?" Damien asked her but she was too stubborn to speak and was busy trying to get away from him. The woman groaned, making noises like an animal and what Damien failed to notice was that the witch who had lost an arm, the very same ce another arm popped out as if it had regenerated itself. The woman moved her hands across Damien''s face, getting his stomach to dig her nails as she cackled. Kreme who was watching this had a look of horror on his face as he knew his end wasing soon. It was time for him to say goodbye while he still had time. Unlike Damien who was able to move, Kreme was stuck sitting on the ground doing nothing but watch at the ck witch who had grown another arm like a lizard. Damien didn''t stop at this and chopped her hand but the more he chopped it the quicker the hand grew that chopping it had turned out to be harmless. Quickly jumping away from him by moving on top of the table and then to go to the other side, she picked up some of the sks. Continuing to cackle, she started to throw the solution in it one after another. Damien had to raise his hands to protect himself and in time he pulled out one of the furniture that blocked the potion but it was only for some time as a hole started to form on the stool he had been holding. He threw it at the ck witch before shooting her arm and chest that slowed down her body movement. It wasn''t the first time he had met a ck witch who could regrow body parts but like other times he couldn''t kill her. He needed to find if she was creating these potions for herself or if someone was involved in it. Getting back at her, he threw the knife to pin her on the wall. "Sir," Kreme''s voice came across the small room. Damien turned to look at Kreme in realization to say, "Where is the antidote for the paralyzing potion?" "Why don''t you keep finding it. It must be somewhere here," the ck witch looked back at him with her snake eyes. Her tongue slithered in and out as she spoke. "I am toozy to do that," said Damien, pus.h.i.+ng the knife into the woman''s shoulder that he had thrown previously. More than knives, these were the sharp rods that came with a handle like a knife. "A corrupted pureblooded vampire," the ck witch hummed, not bothering to answer his questions, "I don''t think I even need to do anything. You will kill him in here and then kill the others," there was excitement in her voice. Someone who was happy at the cost of others'' lives, "We don''t have to do anything at all when you are like this, what is the use of spitgra.s.s." On the mention of spitgra.s.s, Damien believed that this was another witch who was working with the others over the ma.s.sacre. "Who are you working for?" The man in the mansion was useless as he knew nothing and was only doing what he was told without much knowledge like a puppet. She smiled at him, looking at himfortably without care, "Soon you all will die once we have our hands on the ck magic which is rightfully ours." "I have a way to get the ck magic if you want," Damien said that had the woman narrowing her eyes at him. "Bulls.h.i.+t," she spat the words at him, "I am telling you the truth. Aren''t you looking for the books?" this caught the attention of the woman, "I know about the books. I also know someone who knows to read and unbind that magic. Did you think there was no shortcut route to this? Here you all arepleting the tasks one after another like idiots," he tched in the end. The smile on the woman''s face has fallen down. She looked at him skeptically wondering how he knew about it. None of the vampires or humans knew about it. Not even the councilmen knew about it and here was this man who was telling things only a few ck witches knew about. "Where are the books?" she asked him. "Wouldn''t you want to know," he hummed before saying, "How about you tell me what you have been up to and I will personally take you to this person to unlock the ck magic. Who cares about other witches when you can live the way you want? You can rise above them all," Damien coaxed the ck witch who was listening to him intently. She gave some thought before finally giving in to the temptation to proceed forwardpared to the rest. "How do I know you won''t turn back over your word?" asked the woman. "You don''t have to give the antidote for my fellow men. If you die I will never be able to save him," Damien promised, hearing this Kreme didn''t know why he was feeling this was like a double-edged sword where Master Damien or the ck witch would not fulfill their words. Chapter 612 Stitches- Part 2 The ck witch finally said, "The paralyzing effect will help a person to listen to the words of their puppeteer. It is used to modify the emotions, personality which changes eventually to the desired kind. Once a person takes a whiff of drinks from somewhere they need to be operated after the operation is sessful, they will no longer hold the traits they are part of," her words were confusing and both the men tried making sense of it, "You have already seen the case before. Back in Valeria." Damien''s lips twisted with what the ck witch said to him. Not many were aware of him being in Valeria helping in the case and if she had heard about it, the news must have spread from the council to the outside world somehow and it wasn''t a no brainer that some of the councilmen gave in to the temptation of the woman when it came to physically wanting the beautiful woman who were actually ck witches. The woman had told him that he knew about the event and not that he had taken part in it. "Our boss is very angry with what happened and will make sure everyone pays for it," the ck witch said, shaking her head and smiling to showcase a set of bad teeth, "They were test prototypes who were doing fairly well but your councilmen screwed up." The web of the ck witches was spread out in such a way that every ck witch was somehow involved in this. He wondered who this boss was and asked, "Where can I find this boss of yours?" he asked her. "Nowhere. Shees only when she wants to. You won''t be able to find her." So they were creating some kind of modification to the existing people. Now that he thought about it, Damien remembered Penny telling him how the magistrate they had gone to meet had st.i.tches at the back of his neck. Once he was done with this woman he would need to check what Murkh had to say about the dead bodies they had sent to him days ago. The body was still being tested and the report wasn''t out yet. "Do you work for her directly?" asked Damien to have the woman smiling up at him again. "Bring the person who can unbind the magic for me to use and I will tell you the rest-" before she couldplete her sentence, readying herself to step away from the wall when Damien raised his inching closer the skewers, he pulled it out and use the very same weapon to slice the ck witch''s throat out. ck blood stters on the ck witch''s dress, her eyes turning white as the eyes b.a.l.l.s had moved behind. Her body jittered for a few seconds before it stopped and Damien stepped away from her. Pulling out the kerchief he had in his pocket to wipe his hands clean. Looking down at his s.h.i.+rt he noticed how the blood had spread out on his s.h.i.+rt which was now stuck to his stomach. The material there was still wet as the blood continued to ooze out from his skin. The ck witch had dug her fingers too deep as if she were trying to squeeze a dough. Kreme was internally crying at his plight that he was forever going to be on the bed. With the ck witch dead, there was no way they could get the antidote. He should have known! When Damien Quinn was in the picture there was no guarantee about anything. "Don''t look so sad," Damien said to Kreme. The human looked at Damien with an using look. Just because he was able to walk he was asking him to not be upset about it? "You have very bad listening skills, don''t you, Kreme?" the pureblooded vampire asked him. Kreme blinked at his senior councilman, wondering what he had missed apart from Damien killing the ck witch and turning him to a paralytic man. Was that a word? Asked Kreme to himself before brus.h.i.+ng the thought away. "She said she had to inject the potion if it started to fade away, which means once it fades away from your body, you will be able to walk again. Now that you have used me of not saving you when I actually did, your punishment is to spend quality time in this witch''s nest. Bring that one back to the council in the carriage that has been parked. I will be going ahead," he ordered, looking at the dead headless witch who had fallen on the ground. With that being said, Damien left the house, leaving Kreme in there. Time was scarce and he needed to go back to the council. Going by carriage would take time, therefore when he stepped out of the house, in a blink of an eye the man clicked his fingers that put him in front of the council''s building where no one was there. Not bothering the looks he received by some of them as his s.h.i.+rt was covered in blood, Damien went to meet the crazy vampire scientist in the other building. The building that was a.s.signed for Murkh, the vampire, was in the same ce where the cell rooms were avable for thewbreakers. It smelled of iron rods that were rusted but the smell of iron didn''te from just that but also the blood that was split inside the cells. Walking in the dim-lit corridors where it was past midnight and between the time of dawn, Damien made his way towards the room. Knocking and opening it, he caught Murkh who was busy sitting at one side of his wall to observe the machines while peeking into the little .s.s. Hearing the door open, Murkh turned around to see Damien, "Still working? I thought you went home." "Had something to look at. What are you working on?" Damien asked, stepping inside theboratory-like room to find two bodies that wereid down on the cadaver bed. One of the bodies was the one they had found in Valeria, the false magistrate male. He walked towards the body of the dead magistrate, looking down at the body that had only a sheet covering the bottom part of the dead man. Most of the bodies usually turned pale and dead as they were dead but this man had turned darker in appearance. As the man had been out to get some good tan on his skin who ended up getting burnt under the sun. "Looking at the sma of the dead witch that I have been culturing for thest ten days." Chapter 613 Stitches- Part 3 "What do you see?" Damien asked moving his gaze away from the dead man to look towards Murkh who had pulled himself back from the instrument. "The blood cells keep moving. They all do for the witches but this one is a little mixed," answered Murkh, rotating himself in the seat so that he didn''t have to get up to face the councilman. "I have an answer for it," Damien said, making the doctor give him a skeptical look at him, "He was being converted from one of his innate nature to another." "Hmm, I did think about it," said the doctor as if he had already figured it out before the pureblooded vampire had told him now, "His eyes," said the man finally getting up to walk towards the corpse to pull the eyelids up to show the eyes which were somewhat green and red in color. "He had red eyes when we met," Damien knew this man couldn''t be a vampire. He was only posing to be one, "Isn''t there a mark on the back of his neck?" "Yes, st.i.tches," Murkh replied back, using his hand to ce behind the neck, he ran his fingers to feel the st.i.tches, "It isn''t just one though. Let me show you." Murkh took hold of the body which was facing up towards the ceiling to turn it around so that the corpse''s backside faced them now. Damien looked at the body curiously as there were more than just one or two st.i.tches. There were at least more than thirty to forty of them and if one were to look closely, they could tell that the cuts and st.i.tches were done symmetrically on the body. "I cut some of them," Murkh confessed and Damien didn''t bother to look at the doctor. It was his favorite hobby to cut and st.i.tch things, how could Damien forget the times he had visited with his mother when the corruption had first urred, "I looked into the organs and they have been reced. The organ of the witch has been reced with the vampire''s organs." "You mean to say this is why he was able to acquire the vampire characteristics?" Damien questioned Murkh. Wanting to know more, he traced the st.i.tches of the ck witch, "I doubt that would be enough to turn or convert because if that was, we would be having people lined up at every doctor''s clinic to change who they are at the cost of the other''s lives. Bring a dead body or sacrifice and get yourself converted. Why is it bothering you with the dead and moving cells?" Damien asked him going back to what the mad doctor had mentioned earlier. "Though the blood of the witches have movement after their death as their rate of mortality takes time to diminishpared to the rest of the creatures. Blood cells stop moving." "And you are saying they haven''t in his case," Damien concluded the man''s words to give him a nod, "Do you think his spirit is moving around and waiting to leave thends to the afterlife." "I don''t believe in the afterlife, Mr. Quinn," the response came out to be grumpy and Damien knew exactly why Murkh had that opinion, "People die and that is it." "I would say otherwise. There are some who return back to finish unfinished business," though it wasn''t clearly confirmed by his own eyes and touch, Penny had confirmed to tell him that his aunt had died by getting burnt in front of Alexander to onlye back and disappear again. Letting go of the body and going to wash his hands, he asked, "How are you holding up?" "I am alright," answered the man, his voice holding theck of enthusiasm. One of the councilmen named Maximillian Gibbs was close to Murkh and so was Murkh but the vampire had pa.s.sed away in the hands of the switcher. He could tell that Murkh was still trying to get things right and sort out over the loss of what happened. "I need you to draw my blood out," Damien reminded the doctor who gave him a quizzical. "Did something happen to you?" and there came the underlying excitement as if he could barely keep his hands away from dissecting Damien to see what Damien had turned to after the many years since he hadst tested. "I inhaled something. Something created by the ck witch. Kreme will be here with the actual test subject in a few hours but I need to know if there are any ill effects I need to watch out for," Damien rolled his sleeve ready to give out his blood for Murkh to test. Murkh pulled out a syringe from his pocket, stepping close to Damien before he injected the sharp needle into the pureblooded vampire''s arm which felt like an ant''s bite. "How long will it be before the testes out?" Damien inquired. "In three hours?" the vampire doctor replied which would be after the dawn, "Great. I have something to look at, you wouldn''t mind if I bring a guest down here do you?" Murkh''s eyes narrowed in suspicion, "What guest?" "My fiance actually. I was telling her about you. Actually you have met her already," Damien said, making Murkh frown as he tried remembering a woman who hade here. Not many came down here and females were rare as they didn''t enjoy the looks of the blood and dead body being dissected. "Okay," Murkh replied, brightening Damien''s face, "Was it the ck witch who wounded you? Need some help with it?" Damien waved his hand, "It''s nothing. I will get it cleaned once I am back home.?I will see you in a few hours. Don''t forget about the body Kreme brings in," Damien reminded the man before leaving the building to go back to Quinn''s mansion. Kreme who was left behind in the deserted vige, in the house of the ck witch, he was finally able to move his body where Damien had broken to bounds that were around his hands and legs. Ready to carry the headless witch, Kreme walked around the table and started to drag the witch by her hand. Bringing her towards the carriage, both the coachman and he put the woman inside to sit along with the dead being before the carriage started to ride towards the council. Chapter 614 Wake Of Morning- Part 1 The next morning Penny woke up to the sound of cluttering metal, making her eyes open to see a figure in the bathroom doing something. Pus.h.i.+ng herself with both her hands to sit up, her eyes focused slowly. From a blurry image, she saw it was Damien who stood s.h.i.+rtless with just his pants in front of the sink doing something. As if noticing the change of pace of her heart, Damien leaned back to look at her, "Did I wake you up?" he asked and she nodded her head, "My apologies. I was missing you and couldn''t help but drop the metal on the te," when he turned around, Penny frowned at him. "What happened to you?" she asked, quickly scattering out of the bed, Penny made her way to the bathroom where Damien stood with a piece of cotton in his hand which was colored red. She noticed five deep wounded holes that were yet to dry up, looking fresh, "Who did this to you?" "A ck witch. I was caught up with workst night," he said while Penny was still observing the wound. "It looks deep. She used her fingers," Penny didn''t know how painful it would have been for him, "Let me help," she offered. The drowsiness that had been clouding her head was now gone after seeing the wound on his stomach. Damien didn''t say anything but handed her the cotton buds and he leaned his back against the sink. He was happy to see the way she cared for him. At first, things had been rocky between then but she had finally been able to keep her feet firmly on the rocking boat. He enjoyed making her worry and though it wasn''t on his own expense, he enjoyed bullying and teasing her. To see her fl.u.s.tered at times and at times where she would worry to no end, her eyes carrying tears for him which even he didn''t feel the pain. "Why didn''t you dodge the attack?" Penny questioned him, keeping her eyes on him, her hand reached for one of the wounds with the cotton. She could clearly see the tissue around it and the blood that hadn''t solidified but had turned thick. "I thought it would be nice to have the ck witch test my stomach," answered Damien. Penny looked up from where she sat down making the pureblooded vampire grin, "She was like an octopus with hands that appeared over and over again." "Is that normal?" Penny asked him. She had nevere across witches who could regenerate limbs. Damien gave out a loud yawn, pressing his eyelids on his eyes that opened to look at the interior of the bathroom. "ck witches have the same blood type andponents as the reptiles. Not many are able to regenerate limbs but it is possible. She just happened to catch me off-guard," Penny continued to clean his wounds before she tied and wrapped the gauze around his waist to make sure the wounds wouldn''t scratch the surface of his s.h.i.+rt and catch blood again. With Damien who was yet to wear a s.h.i.+rt, Penny looked up at him even after standing straight as he was taller than her. She touched his face in worry and this was what Damien was thinking about. Her green eyes looked at him worried, her fingers tracing the corner of his eyes and then his cheek. Before Penny could drop her hand down, Damien caught it in his hand to not let it go. He kissed the sides of her wrist, one kiss turning to another and then one more before he pulled her close to him not bothering about the pain that he felt when he pressed her against his chest. "I was worriedst night when you didn''te home yesterday. And when you didn''t turn up at the church," she confessed the little amount of anxiousness that had built in her chest. "Sorry for not letting you know about it. I thought I could finish it quickly as the other a.s.signments but didn''t expect to be spending the night at the witch''sir," He ran the back of his hand across her cheek that had her closing her eyes and leaning over his touch, "You shouldn''t worry about me. I will alwayse back to where you are," he said, bringing a faint smile on her lips. "I cannot help it," a soft sigh escaped her lips, "With the way things and what we have seen and gone through until now, my chest feels very unsettled during your absence." "I am very loved by my mouse," he stated, cing his hand below her chin and he pulled her face close so that he could kiss her. His lips pressed against her soft ones that felt supple one chewable between his teeth and tongue. Her lips parted eagerly and they reached for each other, tasting and ying, sucking on each other''s mouth. Penny had seen Damienst night morning but she didn''t know a few hours of distance would make her cling to him like she was scared he would disappear if she didn''t hold on to him. Both of Damien''s hands held on to Penny''s face, maneuvering the kiss as he wanted. It wasn''t just Penny but also Damien who had missed her but then it was a different matter that Penny was constantly on his mind. When they pulled away, Damien''s hand which had made its way to the back of her head near her nap, he pulled her hair to lift her head where he dived down to kiss her neck. Leaving peppering kisses, his lips trailed down from the column of her neck to the back of her ear to bite her ear lobe. Penny gasped at the pain. Her hands made way to ce on his arm as his lips started to work on her skin. Stirring and making her wanton as her knees started to feel weak. Biting into her skin on her neck with little to no gentleness, he finally let go of her neck before running his coa.r.s.e tongue on her neck. Chapter 615 Wake Of Morning- Part 2 Damien pulled her to the bed and when she pulled him back, he turned to look at her, hearing her say, "You''re hurt," he saw her eyes fall on the gauze that she had tied it around him. Having treated the wound herself she wasn''t sure if it was alright to do what they were going to do. Without waiting to give a reply to her, Damien scooped her in his arms and walked with her to the bed to drop her down, "My body can sustain the pain, Penny," he got on the bed with her where Penny had sat up on her knees, "You look more anxious than usual. Did my absence worry you so much," he asked, cing his hand over the side of her cheek he pulled her so that he could share another million kisses with her where he would never be bored of. Every sigh and every moan that left Penny''s lips was music to his ears and he enjoyed it. It had been a while since he had had her in his arms, ready to ravish her but at the same time, he wanted to eat her bit by bit. Enjoy her like the rare delicacy she was. Penny didn''t know why she was feeling anxious. Was it because it was the first time she had seen him injured this bad? She knew that the wound the ck witch must have caused was much deeper and the wound on his stomach was only trying to heal itself, taking its time to repair the skin. Though it didn''t affect Damien and except for the blood that she had seen seeping out, the sight of it knowing it was his blood agonized her. Damien was hers as much as she was his, and no matter how strong he was Penny would always fret over it. After all, he was the one whom she loved and cared for. She kissed him back with the same ferocity. Her chest felt full where she wanted to ease her nerves by touching him to make sure he was here unlikest night where she had been waiting for him. Her hands moved from his chest to his shoulders, kissing him and matching the pa.s.sion with which she was being kissed by him. It was a kiss that was less gentle and more on the rougher side which was turning sore but she didn''t mind it right now. Both Damien and Penny nipped at each other''s mouth, the kiss turning out yful with the cat and mouse chase. Damien''s hands quickly moved to unb.u.t.ton the clothes at the top before he lifted the hem of her dress that had been bunched up. Pulling her dress, he threw the dress on the floor, to bring her naked body to him. Damien''s lips moved from her lips to her throat which ended in the valley of her bosom. He bit right onto the bottom of the swell of one of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s that made her writhe in the bed. Penelope''s hands moved to either side of her body where she gripped on the sheets as Damien left more kiss marks on her skin on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. The more Damien sucked her skin that was on top of Penny''s breast, the more she twisted the sheets that left them crumpled before Damien eased her skin with tender kisses. His movements went enough to make her cry before it eased her to a sigh when he licked and kissed her leaving the skin cold when the air touched it. When Damien''s fingers made their way between her legs and pushed his fingers into her warm folds that was wet, her toes curled and she closed her eyes instantly. "Open your eyes, mouse," Damien said, moving the other hand to feel the curve from her chest to her waist and then the bottom. Penny''s eyes fluttered open, looking at him as her cheeks flushed red. Thest they had touched each other so intimately, it was always during the time of night. Now in the morning where the sun had decided toe out from behind the clouds, the room was lit up brightly that had her heart thundering in her chest. It made her wonder if this is how it would be every time they would make love to each other. The tingling feeling on her skin and the way her stomach did a flip every time he kissed or touched her like this like it was somersaulting. "Always thinking something in your mind," Damien muttered under his breath before his fingers started to pick up the pace and he saw how her thoughts s.h.i.+fted back to what he was doing to her. Penny gasped, her eyes rolling when Damien leaned down and sucked the top of her core while his fingers were moving in and out of her. The lewd sound that came from between her legs made her even more embarra.s.sed. Damien pushed her close enough to the edge but just before she could feel herselfe close to the peak he brought her back down, stirring her frustration to note and denying it. When he came to kiss her lips, Penny pushed him around to have his back on the surface of the bed and her on top of him. It was mostly him pleasuring her and she wanted to do that to him too. Damien loved the fact that Penny wanted to please him as much as he wanted to please her but at the same time, he didn''t want her to do it because she felt she had to return the favor. "Come here, mouse," Damien called her over and she did just that. Coming face to face wondering what happened, "Promise me you won''t do something you don''t want to. You don''t have to do it," he said looking into her green eyes. A smile started to spread on Penny''s lips, "You make me fall in love with you, even more, when you say that." "Always happy to hear that," hemented, a grining to form on his face. Penny then pressed her lips on his to shush him right now. "You are an injured person right now. Let me¡­" she trailed withoutpleting the sentence. Damien then sat up to remove his trousers and have his back leaned against his bed. He asked for her hand and Penny gave it to him, kissing back in his arms, Penny took the lead to kiss him at her own pace and the man let her do what she wanted. Chapter 616 Wake Of Morning- Part 3 Penny kissed Damien with little kisses, her lips traveling down to his hard chest. Her hands trailed down his body as she continued to kiss her way down to hear him hum in appreciation. It ted her knowing that she was able to make him feel good as much as she felt and she wanted to do more. Penny slowly slid her hands towards his manhood, taking it in her hand that felt hot and hard. She was still learning and with a little tip from the theater, she tried to apply the same by leaning forward and licking the head of his manhood to hear him take a sharp intake of breath. Taking it as a good sign, she licked it again before taking it into her mouth. Moving her head up and down that made him groan. When she increased the pace by recing with her hand Damien''s hand shot forward to stop her from moving it any further so that he did note before she did. Seeing the sly smile on her lips, he narrowed his eyes, "You naughty little mouse," he said, pulling her by her wrist. Penny looked at him curiously, making here closer with both her legs resting on either side of his legs. "Today we are going to try something else," he said, his eyes were on her and he helped her get closer so close that she was in front of her face. Penny was still trying to understand what Damien had in his mind when she felt his fingers on her hot s.e.x between her legs, "Stand still," came his hoa.r.s.e order which was difficult to follow. Her legs kept quivering and she had to ce both her hands on his shoulder. While Damien''s fingers were busy pleasing her as he sat with his back leaning with a pillow behind his back, he leaned his head down to capture the tip of her breast. He sucked and bit on it while crying out his name. Her fingernails dug into his skin that was gripping on his shoulders. He let her nipple go with a pop and he also pulled out his fingers to position his manhood, "Breath, Penny," he said looking into her eyes. Penny hadn''t lost the grip on Damien''s shoulders and she descended down to feel Damien fill and open her up. All this time it was Damien who took the lead but today he was injured, of course, it was nothing to him but Penny didn''t want his wound opening up. It took time for her to get used to the feeling as she felt fuller than before. Feeling every movement where Damien caught hold of her waist. Damien moved at his own pace while moving her, maintaining the pace to see her head fall on his shoulder. Her breathing came out slightly hoa.r.s.e and the more he entered her, pus.h.i.+ng his hips up, Penny''s hand clutched on to his shoulders where he could hear moan his name close to his ears. When both of them climaxed, Damien pulled himself out of her and pulled Penny closer to him to sit and rest on hisp while her body hummed in the aftermath of their lovemaking. Penny had her eyes closed as she came back to him from the paradise he had sent her to. She felt him pat the back of her head, letting her rest as long as she wanted. Damien pulled the nket that was pushed aside to put it over their bodies while hugging Penny in the bed, looking at her as he ran his finger gently over the side of her face. "Have I told you how beautiful you are," Damien uttered the words while looking at Penny''s eyes.?A sweet smile came to form on her lips, "I think I finally cracked the mystery of why men didn''t chase or pursue you before." "What is the mystery?" she asked him. While Damien was ying with Penny''s face, Penny''s hands had gone to y with his unkempt hair. "You had bad people around you," said Damien to her, "At first I thought it was just your mother and the rumors that were spread around but I didn''t know that the rumors had stretched that far where it was enough for the jealous women to make up more stories about you. Frankly, I am not sure if I should be happy or punish them one by one. If it weren''t for everything that has happened until now, things might have been different between us. Maybe I would havee to see you every day at the theater, taking my time to see you and then asking you to spend your time with me." "I think on the scale of being happy and upset, you are on the happy side." Damien chuckled at her words, "Is it that obvious?" and Penny nodded. "Whatever has happened until now has happened for a reason. Though there are things I wish could be better, I think I will only have to swallow it down and embrace the good things," she said looking up at him. Damien leaned forward and he pressed his lips on her forehead, letting his linger there longer before pulling back. After a few hours, both Damien and Penny stood in front of the council building. "You know," Damien said as they made their way to meet the vampire doctor of the council, "I used to wonder how the spilled magic that is here in the council didn''t work on you as you are a witch but now that I think about it, Alexander is able to move freely and as you both are somewhere connected maybe that is why it doesn''t affect you." "Maybe because we have mixed parents that nulls the basic spell?" Penny asked to have him shrug his shoulders. Penny saw some of the councilmen who were either going in oring out of the other building. "That is a possibility," she heard Damien as they stepped inside the other building. Chapter 617 Morgueatory- Part 1 Damien pushed the door to theboratory of the council to be followed by Penelope who stepped inside the room to notice that the vampire doctor was missing from the room. "He must have gone on a break," Damien said, his eyes looking around to see the two dead bodies who were still upying the room since hest came here a few hours ago. Penny caught sight of the magistrate who she had personally killed. Walking towards the dead body, she stood next to it, "Did they find anything about him?" "If it''s the origin that you ask then no," Damien answered her, following her footsteps he looked at the dead corpse, "To know where he is from would be useless as most of the ck witches are mostly from the north whoe from Wovile. Murkh is trying to figure out how the conversion took ce while he ims it might be the organ recement." "You mean vampires?" Penny tried to confirm. It was because the man had possessed the traits of a vampire when it came to appearance but the basic instincts of a vampire were missing from him. Damien gave her a nod, "We thought the ck witches were harvesting only the human''s body parts and organs but who knew they had started to target the vampires too now." Who knew that the witches were trying to take every walking creature to form an advantage? The witches had to be stopped, if they didn''t things would only worsen for everyone, thought Penny to herself. When the door to theboratory opened and in came Murkh with a bunch of nts that had muddy roots dangling at the bottom of it. "I got the test results for the blood sample you gave me this morning," said the vampire doctor throwing the nt in the sink and turning to walk around the room to be a small tiny tube which was the length of Penny''s index finger, "This is the paralyzing potion which has been used by the witches. A person will need to feed into another person''s body continuously so that the potion continues to stay and has an effect in the body." "What are theponents?" "They are made from the roots of these nts. At least that is what I believe looking at the structure of it. Many nts and animals have fallen prey when they have pulled out the roots along with the shoot to eat. Some of us even noticed how the dead animals came back to life when in truth they never died but had only been paralyzed." Damien leaned over the table that was hammered to the ground to say, "So the witches have been trying to infiltrate themunity of vampires or they are trying to turn one, though I doubt it would be turning themselves into the blood-sucking creatures that we are." He was right, thought Penny to herself. The witches felt they were superior to the rest just like any other being, believing what they belonged to and where they came from, they were of higher status while the rest were lower. The ck witches were h.e.l.l-bent on bringing the ck witch back into their hands so that they could rule the fournds of the empire- the south, west, east, and north. "Do you think they are trying to do something like what happened a few months ago with the switchers infiltrating the council? Maybe they know they can''t use the switchers as a means now and they want to try to send the witches as vampires?" Penny asked Damien and the word switcher caught Murkh''s attention. "The switcher was the one who killed Max," he muttered under his breath. Damien shook his head, "But there is no way to get in unlike what happened when the switchers were in the council. The switchers had the ability to morph to any person and that meant killing a person and recing them by filling the position. If they are trying to infiltrate into the council, one they witches cannot step into the council ground because of the spilled magic, and two, there are no openings." "Councilman Damien," Murkh asked for his attention, his thin small eyes staring at the floor of the ground as he said, "There are opening positions." "Whom did you hear it from?" Damien questioned as he hadn''t heard about it. "Councilwoman Evelyn. She said she proposed to Rueben about having a few more members added for another round of examination as there had been missing councilmen from their positions," Murkh answered to continue, "There might be a possible examination to recruit some of the people to run errands but nothing too high." Damien hadn''t expected this. It was too sudden which he hadn''t heard a whisper about. If what Murkh was saying was true then it wouldn''t be too hard but there was a loophole for the witches who wouldn''t be able to step anywhere close and without giving out the initial test or even clearing it, they would be needing the ability toe to the council building. "The witches can step on thends," he heard Penny say, "If their blood os mixed with another creature and isn''t as pure as they were born or turned then they will be able toe here without a problem," she and Alexander were live examples for it. Damien stood there thinking about it before he said, "Let the council exammence." "What?" Penny''s brows furrowed in question. The ck witches would cheat their way through the exam and would cause only more problems. Murkh gave an expression of intrigue to what Damien said. The doctor vampire then said, "More corpses the better for me to be able to experiment." "We need to trace back to see how many others are involved in this little n. We''ll have some of the handpicked candidates and I will talk with Rueben about it," Damien informed then, "Just because a person survives in the exam it doesn''t mean they have pa.s.sed, you need the approval of the elders and the head council but before that, I will need to have a little chat with Evelyn." Remembering yesterday''s event with the woman in the church and then being given a lift by Mr. Varreran, Penny realized she was yet to let Damien know about it. "But before that," Damien paused catching the vampire doctor''s attention, "We would like a tour to the morgueatory." Chapter 618 Morgueatory- Part 2 The morgueatory was the room where the dead bodies were preserved. Dead bodies that held unsolved cases that had left the people in mystery. Penelope had visited the ce before the first time she hade here to the council but since the time she had spent in Valeria, she had been meaning toe back here. Murkh stared at Damien for what he had just requested. He didn''t mind showing visitors around the morgueatory until and unless they didn''t touch or sabotage anything. At the same time, the vampire was picky about whom to allow in there. Not everyone had the luck to take a peek and at the same time, not everyone was interested to look at the collection of dead bodies. People believed that what was dead remained dead and what use was a dead body? But Murkh didn''t see it the same way. More number of corpses meant more discovery and more tests to know the kind of things he was surrounded with. "Why does thedy need to take a look?" Murkh asked, his sense of being an experimentalist looking at the girl curiously if she was special. He looked into her green eyes that looked back at him right now. Damien turned to Damien to say, "He asks why do you want to see them." Penny''s eyes darted from Damien back to Murkh, "I have been reading some of the books in the church and there was a case which Damien brought up. He spoke about a body that had markings on the skin. Markings on the inside of the body," she said being truthful about what she wanted. For a good few seconds, Murkh didn''t reply to her and only stared, which made her wonder if he was not going to let her in. Of course, Damien could take her there at any point in time when the doctor wasn''t avable but it would be good to get some pointers on what the man found out. "Being curious is always good. Give me a moment to lock the cabins. There has been a thief that has been stealing my potions. I have been monitoring the room and have barely left it but there''s always something lesser than what is there here," said Murkh, walking around to the cabin and pulling out its door where Penny caught sight of the number of potions that was in there. They were the simr kind of potions that were there in the secret room of the church as well as in Delcrov''s mansion, but mostly simr to what was there in Valeria. Unable to hold herself, she asked him, "Where did you get those potions from?" "A fellow councilman gave it to me as a gift hoping it would help me out," answered Murkh. While the man was locking the cabs, Penny turned to look at Damien and mouthed the name ''Creed'' to have him a nod. The councilman who had died had not only stolen books from Lady Isabell but had gone as far as to steal her potions. It made her wonder how he did it. To step in and out of the highly secure ce where a person would be caught easily at least by the butler, she wondered if there was a story to dig in there. "He just handed it to me and I had to figure it out on what it was. Told that he found it in the ck witch''sir," Murkh said, he turned to start to lead the way which was on the lower floor to where they stood right now. The sun had risen up in the sky and for once, the clouds didn''t hover too much in front of the sun letting its light and heat spread through the atmosphere. And even if thought there was light outside, the building they were walking in, going down was cold and dark. Penny didn''t miss the stench of the blood which was rotten and old. It made her frown as they made their way past the cell rooms to stand in front of an iron door. Murkh, pulled out the bunch of keys from his pocket and unlocked the door, pus.h.i.+ng it so that the two people behind him could step inside. She looked at the transparent, .s.s cylinders that were ced upright, each of the cylinders holding one dead body that floated in the liquid that was filled inside it. Murkh went to the body she had been familiar with thest time she had been here. The little spark of oddity she had felt when she had touched the surface of the .s.s when she had tried to get a better look at the person. The man was lean and boney who was in the cylinder. When Murkh pushed a b.u.t.ton below the cylinder,? the cylinder began to move such that it positioned to sleep horizontally. The liquid that was in there started to drain out and the front top of the .s.s open to let a person be able to touch the dead body. "How would you like it? Opened on the te or in here?" Damien was the one to answer, "Opened on the ce. We would like to see his skin." "Very well," Murkh brought the cadaver bed, putting the dead man on it and taking him to another room. Both Damien and Penny followed him, and she saw stood next to Damien keeping straight face when the vampire doctor made a cut on the man''s frontal section with a small knife and then used his hands to pull out the skin that covered the bones with little to no meat. Penny''s eyes stared at the skin which was pulled out where one could see the other side of the skin which had markings. It was written in a simr style as written in the church that Lady Isabell used to work. "This is the incantation spells," she whispered, her eyes taking in the spells which she was already familiar with. No doubt, her body would be simr to this person, "Is there a way to find out who he is?" "The case was closed before it even started. There is nothing mentioned about this person, if it were, the body would not be here right now in Murkh''s collection," Damien informed her. Penny''s hand slowly moved to the man''s head and when it made contact she felt the darkness jolt her again that had her quickly retrieve her hand back, "It isn''t safe to keep the body here. It needs to be burnt," there was no telling if one of the ck witches would find out that there were spells avable on this dead man which until a few days had been residing only in the cookbooks and this man who Murkh had stored in his?morgueatory. But the vampire doctor wasn''t pleased to hear it. This was the only body that had markings like this, "The body is going to stay here and is going nowhere." Chapter 619 Morgueatory- Part 3 She knew this was going to happen. The vampire cared for these dead bodies, not like a normal person would but as a treasure, he had found and wanted to excavate from. Murkh gave her a look of disapproval, unhappy with the sudden news of having to burn this person. This was his very first prized possession in the room. "I don''t think it should matter, Penny," Damien said to have her shake her head immediately over it. "It might not be now but if someone does infiltrate and is able to read what is there on his body, it will cause a bnce between the white and the ck witches. The first generation witches worked hard to lock the magic, leaving the world in an imbnce between the two kinds of sisters which was for people''s betterment." If the people were trying to search through Creed''s house for the little parchment which was hidden in the portrait frame of drawing, then it meant they had found some kind of means to be able to crack it. The more she thought about it, the more it worried her. Damien c.o.c.ked his head as he listened to what Penny had to say on why she wanted the body burnt, "I thought the ck witches couldn''t make use of the white magic." Penny shook her head, "Mostly they can''t but the ones that are in here, it ismon magic which I doubt both of them are aware of," it also meant that she would have to burn all the books that belonged and was written by Lady Isabell. The books were no more safe to keep out in the open and they would need to remove every essence so that it would nevere to fall in the hands of the witches who were trying to desperately unbind the magic. Murkh who listened to the words going back and forth, turned his head to look at Penny, "You are a witch," there was a hint of excitement in his voice which he didn''t bother to hide and Penny didn''t bother to hide who she was. As crazy as he came, she believed that the man wouldn''t join the hands with the bad people, "How did you step on to the grounds then?" he looked at her withplete intrigue. "Keep it to yourself, Murkh. Unless you want your body to have a bath with molten iron," Damien warned the man just to make sure he wouldn''t run his mouth. "I wouldn''t, councilman Damien," Murkh wrung his hands together, twisting it in excitement, "Please tell me more about yourself." "Burn the body and I shall talk," Penny demanded with the deal and Murkh''s hands stood still as he tried to think on what to do. Though they could sneak out the body, they would still need Murkh''s help as he was the one in charge here. The Morgueatory was his home. Murkh then said, "Deal," the man was much more interested in the current living and breathing person who stood in front of him. He had met witches before but witches couldn''t pa.s.s the threshold of the spilled magic which was spread across the council. Penny was surprised with the quick loss of interest from the dead body. The skin was turned back to be st.i.tched and the dead body that had resided in her in the cylinder for many years was finally put into the coal of fires letting the body burn until the very ash to have the bones and skin melt in fire. "I finished my part of the deal," Murkh said while he waited eagerly for Penny to speak, "Who knew that the councilman would find a witch to be his partner. Wait is that why you made me work that night to create the cream for the infection?" the doctor turned to look at Damien who turned his head away as if he didn''t know what Murkh was talking about. "What cream?" Penny inquired as she didn''t know what the man was talking about. "A few months ago, councilman Damien came to me, asking me to create an antidote for a white witch as she was hurt. Said something about a nail being pierced that was not cleaned," exined Murkh, remembering the event very faintly which was still there in his memory, "On the same ount, I don''t think you should be walking here freely,dy," his red eyes stared at her as if wanting to warn her on what could happen if someone were to find out that a witch had breached the grounds of the council. "It is why I asked you to shut up," Damien rolled his eyes. "Tell me about yourself. How did the magic not affect you? If you are able to walk here so freely, you must be a strong witch with strong lineage. At first, she didn''t believe it but now that she was somewhere rted to Lady Isabell, Penny believed in herself more than she did in the past. Penny looked towards Damien who gave her a nod to let her know her secret was safe in here. The man also knew about Damien''s corrupted state more than anyone else. "I have a ck witch and white witch as parents," she said to have the vampire doctor nod at her quickly in interest to hear more from her. Calling herself to be Lord Alexander''s rtive wouldn''t be safe, thought Penny to herself as it would involve the man, therefore she left the fact and said, "I have the ability to purify things around me." "What kind?" asked Murkh. "Liquids and air around me mostly." "Was this an ability you acquired from birth or was it a recent one?" the doctor continued to question her. "Fairly recent though I am not sure about it." "Why not?" asked the man. Damien came to answer that question, "Her mother erased her memory many times so Penelope''s memories of her past are very faint. By the way, Murkh. Do you know a man by the name Wyatt, he used to be a doctor in the town of Matheiss?" The man gave a thought about it, "I don''t think I have ever heard about it and Matheiss doesn''t have any doctor there. Isn''t it considered to be an abandoned city as most of the people have migrated to other towns?" "Which town is that?" asked Penny. "The one your mother sent you when she was sick. To get that doctor," Damien replied to her. Chapter 620 Morgueatory- Part 4 Murkh was cleaning the empty cylinder that had been cleaned in decades when Damien asked Penny, "Are you sure about the burnt body? No regrets?" "I don''t think so...you said the councilmen weren''t able to solve the case and it was why he was here. Even if we were able to open the case on request instead of meeting the end, the route would turn long and tedious. I feel somewhat worried." "Unsettling feeling?" asked Damien to see her nod. He took both her hands and pulled to have her stand in front of him, "Tell me what worries you." "The first time when I had stepped in here and hadter found out from Bathsheba that my father was dead and was no more alive, somewhere deep down I had hoped that he was here," Penny meant the man who had been burnt a few moments ago, "But I have seen my father and now that I know how he looks...I know he isn''t here and I don''t know if he was burnt. Do you think this man was somehow rted to me or Alexander?" she asked him. "There is a possibility there. We all know that not everyone has the ability to read but at the same time, we can''t believe everything that is written," Penny wondered what Damien meant by that, "Aunt Isabell wrote what she knew and she pa.s.sed on her knowledge through the book but sometimes, a few things can be bent." "Do you mean there is someone in the ck witches who can read?" That was worrisome, thought Penny to herself. "Maybe or may not be. What we have are all theories and until we don''t solve it, we don''t know how things will end or what the truth is," Damien squeezed her hands together to say, "One step at a time, mouse. Let''s tackle the problem without worrying else you will go old before you even know it," his lips pulled up into a smile. Hearing the nk of sounds, the couple turned to look at Murkh putting another body that had been ready to take its ce in the cylinder. Damien noticed that it was none other than the witch whom he had killed this early in the morning. "Why are you preserving her?" asked Damien who stood afar from the vampire doctor. "Come here, let me show you something," the man said and both Penny and Damien walked towards the man. Murkh raised the ck witch''s hands that had little growth near her hands that appeared to look like roots that were sprouting out. Damien''s eyes narrowed down looking at this newly developed body that he had not seen while leaving her dead body on the ground, "Something is not right. What time did Kreme arrive here?" he asked. "Probably two hours before you returned back. This is how the body looked when it was brought to me," Murkh informed Damien, not finding anything new and believing this was how the witch was. "Well, this was definitely not how I left the body back in their. You wouldn''t mind if I borrowed your tools, do you?" Damien said as he walked to another room, bringing out a tray that held many steel made knives of different shapes and sizes. Penny stood there watching the headless ck witch who was on the cadaver bed. Her the sleeves of her dress were missing as if her arms had been previously chopped off. She remembered Damien mentioning ck witches being able to regrow certain parts of their bodies. Damien picked the sharpest knife and at first nudged it on the roots that had formed which looked like extended extra fingers making the ck witch''s hands look even stranger than usual. When Penny thought that Damien was only looking at the extended fingers, he quickly changed the position of the knife that he held and cut the ck witch''s wrist. Penny didn''t know what he was doing when suddenly they saw the ck witch''s body that was resting dead on the cadaver bed had started to move and shake. Before anything could be done, the ck witch had suddenly grown her head back from being a headless witch. "She was supposed to be dead," Murkh whispered as he had gone through all the tests before taking her down to the Morgueatory room. "And here you were trying to keep an alive witch,"mented Damien looking at the witch and then Murkh whose eyes had gone wide. For a man who loved collecting different kinds of dead bodies who belonged to different unsolved cases, he looked rather scared and had moved a couple of steps back. The ck witch jumped far away from them and started tough, the sound of her cackling filled the closed room as her hands and her body took the form of a ck witch. "Such fools. Did you think you could kill me that easily?" the ck witch asked them, her eyes zing in fury, "It isn''t the first time a vampire has tried to cheat his way out." "It is the first time I have seen someone to be excited to be in a ce she can be killed by many," Damien countered the woman back. The ck witch smiled at him, her smile not looking one bit appealing. She tsked while raising her fingers, "Still making jokes-" "I was born with many talents," Damien interrupted the woman. "You thought so high about yourself that you-" Damien interrupted the woman again, "What can I say, I was born with a spoon made of diamond. It is in my blood to behave and look down on people like you." "The nerve of you to-" "Hmm?" Damien asked as if he were bored after speaking a few lines with her. Penny could tell that the ck witch looked extremely annoyed by his constant interruption, not letting her speak. She wondered why the woman hade so far to enter the premise of the council. If Kreme was here in this room, the young human would have sure counted his lucky stars as the woman had not killed him on his way to the council. "Did you say she was a witch and to keep it hush," the ck witch''s eyes turned to look at Penny, a wicked smile forming on her face. Oh no...She had been listening to every single word they had spoken about in here. Chapter 621 Morgueatory- Part 5 Her head was chopped off and it should have meant she had died but who knew that the woman was still alive and had been waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Her presence on thend of the council didn''t affect her which meant what they had thought was true. When a witch was modified to another creature it made it possible for them to walk on thesends. "Any words on this, Murkh?" Damien asked the man as he was the one who had to test the body. As expected, the witch made her way towards the door, ready to leave with what she heard. "She cannot leave the room without the keys. She is all yours to kill and I will take her bodyter," replied Murkh who stood next to them. The man observed the ck witch, his red eyes looking at her features that had turned to normal and she took the form of a human. "That is good to hear," Damienmented back, not happy that she had eavesdropped on their conversation. Finding the door to be locked which she had been waiting for hours since she was put in here, she turned around to look at the man who this ce belonged to but instead of attacking him, she went for Damien who had chopped her head off. She attacked him fiercer than ever and Damien blocked every one of them. At the same time, the ck witch threw a knife across the room that was headed in Penny''s direction. Penny who had noticed this had moved from the path quickly not knowing she would be targeted while the witch was busy fighting Damien. As if one ck witch was not enough, one of the cylinders that held a man shattered with the liquid spilling on the floor and the floor sizzling due to the acidic property of the solution. And then another cylinder broke, waking up the dead bodies who turned their heads to look at them. "She''s woken up the dead," Penny wondered how powerful this witch might be to be able to do it. Penny pulled out the knives that were coated with poison. When the dead man came to attack her, Penny fought the man with her knife which only ended up getting stuck to his body and she wasn''t able to retrieve it back. Damien was dealing with the ck witch while Penny and Murkh were trying to get their backs off by the dead men. "You must have missed me toe back from the dead," stated Damien as he continued to dodge the witch''s attack. "I had to send you to h.e.l.l," the ck witch replied back to him, the two knives she had picked up slicing in the air to get him. "Ladies first," Damien responded before sending the woman flying across the room and she fell on the floor. It was obvious now that the infiltration would take ce during the time of the exam. That was if there was one but at the same time, it was one of the ways to find out who the witches were. Thest time he had yed with the ck witch by teasing and taunting her but Damien had no time for it, not when Penny and Murkh were being attacked by the dead men and women who hade to life.? Pulling out the gun, he pulled the trigger and in one shot the ck witch stopped moving and dropped dead on the floor. The other dead people had not stopped chasing Penny and Murkh around and no gunshots helped nor did the knives. It was only when Penny''s eyes fell on the dead witch who had momentarily stopped moving, she noticed the voodoo dolls that had fallen out of her pocket. Quickly grabbing them, Penny ran towards the fire to burn the voodoo doll where the twigs quickly caught fire to stop the dead men and women moving and fell t on the ground. "Did it stop?" asked Murkh who held the tray in his hand and looked down at the dead bodies. "For now," Damien said. His head turned back to look at the dead witch and this time, he dragged the woman from there to throw her into the fire to see her body burn. Both Damien and Penny left Murkh to mourn over his precious collections who had been damaged thanks to the ck witch. While the man was cleaning, they took a walk outside the building. "The ck witch appeared more powerful than the rest," Penny pointed out, feeling somewhere it was not because of the body up-gradation from witch to having vampire organs, "I think with every step they do the ritual, the magic that was locked away is getting nearer and letting loose of the magic towards them." "Doesn''t the magice only after filling up all the criteria and sacrificing things and people? Right now they don''t know who or what about it," they walked into the forest that surrounded the council. She then reminded him, "Maybe we know only one side of the story of what we have read and heard, the truth might be different." "We need to stop the ritual if that is, and that is only possible by killing the witches who are involved. I forgot to tell you something," Damien said remembering about her mother, "I have your mother put on high alert. She is currently on the wanted list with a bounty of two hundred gold coins." Penny raised her eyebrows hearing this. She stopped walking to look at him. He was serious? The first time when Damien and she had met each other, he had threatened her by saying he would put her pictures across all of Bonke so that she would never escape him and she had believed it to be an empty threat. A joke. "She will be furious," Pennymented, remembering one of her mother''s furious expressions which had surfaced from the forgotten memory. "I am sure she is having a good time," Damien smirked thinking about it. Chapter 622 Head Council Room- Part 1 Penelope and Damien had not returned back to the council and they only walked deeper and deeper into the forest. Speaking about what happened back in the Morgeuatory. "Last evening, Evelyn came to the church," Penny informed him as she hadn''t got the time earlier to bring what happened yesterday. Yesterday had been eventful. "Why did shee?" Damien asked slightly surprised, "If I am not wrong, she is currently working on a case that belongs to a person who is in Wovile." "She said she was there for an inspection check. She said someone informed the council about the church creating malicious weapons against the pureblooded vampires," Penny iterated as they continued to walk on the wet grounds of the forest, "She looked into the rooms and found Father Antonio who is correctly working on the truth potion." "What a development," Damienmented before saying, "Why didn''t you go back home?" "I thought you woulde to pick me up," Penny smiled. "I apologize for noting to get you. If I knew it would take the time I would have sent a word," Damien said and she nodded at him. Damien had been dealing with the ck witch as he was on an errand, "You were there in the church, did she say something?" "About that," Penny gave him a queasy smile before saying, "I think she has a doubt that I am a witch." Damien''s eyes narrowed to ask her, "What do you mean to doubt?" Penny wet her lips which had gone dry, "She made me inhale the spray which the witches are allergic to," if Evelyn hadn''t reported or caused a ruckus yet, it meant she was still in doubt but it would also mean the vampiress would try to get the bottom of it as a doubt had been nted in the council woman''s head. "Going to the church is not safe anymore. I know Evelyn well that she will send the witch hunters to guard the church to observe your movements from now." "I guessed that," Penny replied back to him, tucking her hair behind her ear as the wind blew across the forest to move the slightly wet trees as it had rained the previous night and was only drying up in the presence of the sunlight, "Murkh mentioned about the council exam that it was her who brought it up in the council. Do you think she has something to do with the witches?" "I don''t think so. The woman is too prideful to mix herself with the likes of the ck witches or white witches. Given the opportunity, I am sure she would live to blow every single head of the witches," Damien wondered if Evelyn was ruled out of the options of the suspect, who had brought the subject in front of her that had made her go and speak about it, "He would need to find if it was someone from the council or if it was an outsider." "Also¡­" Penny said, making him worry now. It seemed that her night was as eventful as his, "On my way home, I met Mr. Varreran. Instead of taking me back to Quinn''s mansion, he ended up taking me to his mansion." "Did he do anything?" Penny shook her head, "He is odd though. I don''t know why but something about him is very off. Have you known him for a long time?" "Not much. I have met him during the tea party''s but I don''t think we ever had a proper talk between us apart from greetings. What did you find odd about him?" "It is hard to say," Penny didn''t know why she felt it to be so. Was it because he had a ve who had been physically abused? But then the man had told it was her previous owner who had her hurt her. "The pureblooded vampires who are of the lesser .s.s can be like that. Let me take you back to the mansion," Damien proposed and Penny nodded her head as she had nothing else to do here. She had to find a way to stop the magic being spilled out that had been locked so that it could not be essed the way the ck witch was able toe back alive today in the council. After Damien took Penny back to the mansion, he returned back to the council to head straight to the head council''s room. He knocked on the door, and heard Rueben say, "Come in." Opening the door, Damien noticed that Rueben already had apany who belonged to the elder''s .s.s of the council. There were three of them, one woman and two men who spoke to Reuben. "I don''t know what is going on but thend has been unsafetely," said the woman who looked as old as in her seventies. She was a human and the only woman to be part of the elder council, "We need more men being put up at the checkpoint," the woman wasn''t talking to Reuben but to her fellow councilman who sat to her immediate right. The man smiled looking at her, "Councilwoman, we already have ced enough men who only end up dying." "Then we need to find better ones to be reced. Your way of the examination has dropped and so has the quality of people to serve thends," the woman turned her head with a huff and Damien knew where this was going. He hade on time. "What do you propose then?" the councilman asked her, his eyes sharply looking at her. Another human. The one on the far right was a vampire who appeared to not speak a word. "Have another council exam being ced. It was already brought up in the meeting a few weeks ago," said the woman, her eyes turning from the man on her right to look at Reuben who sat in front of her, "We don''t need the first exam, we can have the second exam that will require strength. A physical exam which will be more than enough to-" Damien couldn''t resist himself but be part of the conversation, standing against the wall with his back touching it, he said, "What you are asking is brainless idiots to be part of the council, mdy." Chapter 623 Head Council Room- Part 2 Reuben''s eyes moved to look at Damien and he didn''t say a word to stop the pureblooded vampire from speaking, "What we need is people with both abilities. What is the point of brute strength if the people don''t know where and when to apply it. We need people with an ethical code of conduct. Please correct me if I am wrong," he gave the woman a polite smile to see thedy give him a look of displeased expression on her face. "No, boy," the councilwoman looked at him sharply, "You didn''t, but you need to fix your att.i.tude on how and when to speak in front of your elders." "Apologies that you find me involving myself to be rude," Damien bowed his head before saying, "I haven''t been taught to measure respect with the time of age but the value one gains in another''s eyes." The woman red at him, "I guess your mother didn''t teach you how to respect people then. Always crossing lines and trying to poke your nose where it is not needed," she had turned her body to face him from where she sat. Damien only offered her smile before it fell in a thoughtful expression, "I think she did teach before pa.s.sing away," he continued to think and then said, "But she also taught me to rip the gut out of peasants who were not worthy. If I followed every word, the council would be much more exciting, don''t you think?" he questioned her. The woman red at him but quietly as he had called her a peasant. She was old enough to be part of the elder''s councilmunity but she had nevere across this rude behavior. Damien Quinn was a well-known man in the council for causing trouble. "I am sure your mother must be disappointed," the woman managed to give him a smile and turned to look at Rueben, opening her mouth to say, "As I was saying the council-" "I don''t mind making my mother proud. I am a dutiful son after all," Damien interrupted the woman. The councilwoman had paused her speech staring at the desk as she turned her free hand to a fist to stop herself from bursting out, "You need to loosen up, councilwoman Ava. You walk as if something is stuck up your-" "Councilwoman Ava," Reuben interrupted before Damien couldplete his words so that there wouldn''t be any more friction than what was there right now, "We already went through an exam not a few months ago. There have been two exams already this year. Conducting another is out of the question. If it is people that you need then we will have the guards recruited for it. It is not the councilman''s duty to guard as we have other work." The old woman had not done ring at Damien and she finally turned her head to look at Reuben, "Guardsmen are useless because they don''t know how to defend or understand what a witch looks like. Putting up empty-headed people in there who can be easily swayed, is that your idea of safekeeping the people?" "If that is so we will need to bring in the first examination to not rule out the brains," Reuben stared back at the woman with his bright red eyes with a sober expression on his face. "We will talk about this at the meeting again. If the majority of the votes has an exclusion of the first half of the exam, I am sure you wouldn''t mind the decision taken by the elders, would you?" the woman stood up from her seat, bowing at the head council and she left where the other two men followed as they had no reason to be here. When the door was shut close, Reuben found Damien staring the door to ask, "Do you always have to be that aggressive when ites to confrontations?" Damien shrugged his shoulders, making his way to the chairs in front of the desk to take a seat, "It brings me joy to see people like that." "Of course," Reuben sighed and asked him, "What did youe here for?" "The same reason as they did," On hearing this, Rueben who had pulled out the parchment looked up at him,?"I heard from Murkh about the council exam that Evelyn had brought it up. Did the olderdy convince Evelyn on it?" "She did," Reuben replied to his question, he dropped the parchment he had picked up and ced his hand on it, "They want an exam again which is not needed." Damien casually dropped the information, "To bring in witches to work for the council." "That is not possible. Witches cannot walk anywhere around the council, forget them entering the building," Reuben saw Damien shake his head, "They can?" "I found the potion of paralysis but there''s more to it. The witch who was making it was able to walk freely in theboratory. Anyone who is modified can walk or even fly. There is no more a limit when ites to stepping on thends of spilled magic," informed Damien, bringing a deep frown on the head council''s forehead, "The witches are nning to bring in witches through the council exam that would appear less suspicious while they own the form of a human or a vampire." "This is not good. I will need to send out an order to create spells and exorcise thend to the church," said Reuben. Damien leaned back in his chair, "That can be done but in the meantime, I would like you tomence the exam." "You want to go with councilwoman Ava?" Reuben asked to make sure he was hearing it right. Damien gave the man a nod, "I am. You and I both know something is up, why not y her game and make her think that she is in advantage," the woman was a human but to think that there was a possibility for her to have sided with the witches, it was rare unless the human was an idiot but both the men knew the councilwoman was far from being an idiot, "Instead of having a surprise attack from the witches we can kill them in an organized way," he suggested to have the older vampire stare in the s.p.a.ce. The ck witches already had ess to thend and they could drop in anytime. "I have an idea," Reuben said, that had Damien''s ears perk up ready to listen to what the councilman had on his mind, "We will have the exammenced, but we need white witches who are willing to fight these ck witches. Hold the first exam out in the open ground and then we move to the second exam in less than two days¡­" Damien continued to hear Reuben''s idea on what to do as the man spoke on the strategy and after twenty minutes of discussion, the head council said, "Do you need a.s.sistance in picking up the candidates for the exam?" Damien offered the man a smile, "I have some in mind." Chapter 624 Approve- Part 1 Penny was looking at the books as she read through the books of Lady Isabell for the sixth or seventh time. The books were big and it took her time toplete them one after another so that she could memorize most of them. It was past noon and the room''s door was knocked. Looking up she saw it was the butler who hade to call her for lunch. "Mdy, lunch is going to be served," said Durik with his head bowed at her. "I will be there," Penny replied to him to see the butler walk away from the door. Closing the books she had spread around her, she ced it back inside the cupboard before scattering out of the bed to step down and walk out of the room. Damien was in the council therefore it was possible that he wouldn''t be joining everyone or her for lunch today. On her way, she met Maggie who appeared to look dull and mellow but when their eyes met, Maggie put up a smile instantly. "Good afternoon, Penelope," the vampiress greeted her. "Good afternoon, Lady Maggie. How are you doing?" Penny greeted the woman back. Since the time Grace had snitched on her elder sister, the words between her father, her step-mother and her had been less or non-existent as Penny had not seen them speak to each other. Not in front of her at least. "I have been doing well. I started to knit for the table in my room," Lady Maggie replied to her. Penny offered her a smile not knowing what to say. It had been several days since the vampiress had stepped out of the mansion, following her father''s words which she was diligently following. If Grace had shown the same diligence, the atmosphere in Quinn''s mansion would be much cleaner. Penny had thought that after Grace had lost her fangs in front of everyone that had left her embarra.s.sed and shattered, she would change but she hadn''t. It appeared that no matter how many times one washed the crow, the bird would continue to be ck such as Grace''s nature. No matter how many times she would be humiliated, she woulde back in retaliation. One thing that made her curious was who had approached for Damien''s marriage. If it was Evelyn or if it was Lady Fleurance or was it Grace who had gone behind everyone''s back to set Damien with the vampiress. It was obvious that the girl hated her. If it weren''t for Penny, Grace would have still had her fangs intact in her mouth but for what she had sowed, she had reaped by the hands of Damien. Penny asked Lady Maggie as they were still heading towards the dining room, "Can I ask you something if you don''t mind?" Lady Maggie looked at Penny and gave her a nod, "Yes." "Why does your father not want you to work? Is it purely just because people will look down on you when you are a pureblooded vampiress?" Penny had heard from Damien but she wanted to hear what Lady Maggie had to say. The woman smiled at her, her footsteps stopping and so did Penny''s, "That is one of the reasons. Long ago one of the distant rtives of ours used to help out a human. He was poisoned and corrupted. First by the body and then by the mind. You know what happens to corrupted beings," corrupted vampires were killed without a thought,?"My father doesn''t want me to end up in the very same state. It is hard to make them understand when they love you so much where there is no room for argument." Penny could see that Maggie was missing her time outside while sitting in here which was nothing less to a cage, "Lady Maggie, if you want to work, you should work without thinking what if''s. You should maybe sit down with your father and talk to him about it on why you want to do it." "It is easier to be said than being done. Our lineage might be thicker and stronger but that doesn''t mean they see both the s.e.x equally," Lady Maggie offered her a smile again, cing her hand on Penny''s shoulders, she said, "Don''t worry, I am fine. It is just a matter of a few days." "What about that...that man Grace mentioned," Penny knew she was being nosey but she wanted to help Lady Maggie. In this house, the vampiress didn''t share her feelings with anyone and was always alone. Though Maggie wasn''t expressive and loud as Grace, it saddened Penny to see her like this. "He is no one," Lady Maggie cleared the air, "There''s nothing between us," and it was true. Jerome Wells had started to visit her often and she had been keeping a distance from him. Now that it had been days since she had seen him or he had seen her, the man would eventually forget her, at least that is what Maggie had thought. Right on time, there was someone who knocked on the main door and the butler went to greet the person. While Penny and Maggie were speaking in the corridor to each other, Durik had gone to meet Senior Quinn to get back to the guest who had arrived. "I sometimes do wish Grace minded her work without dragging people into her matter. It gets tiresome after some time," Maggie confessed with a small sigh escaping through her mouth. "I don''t think she can be fixed," Penny muttered under her breath, "Come let''s go have lunch. Everyone must be waiting," and they headed inside the dining room. Caitlin was already there and Penny made Maggie sit between her and Caitlin so that they could get more familiar and they were turning out to be good friends when it came to the little conversation. The butler arrived in the room to announce, "Mr. Wells will be joining for lunch," hearing the name both Penny as well as Maggie looked at the door to see it was Jerome who entered the room. "How good to see you, Mr. Wells. Please take a seat," said Senior Quinn as he waved his hand to one of the empty seats. "It is good to see you too, Mr. Quinn," Jerome offered a small bow and his head then turned to look in Maggie''s direction, a small smile on his lips. Chapter 625 Approve- Part 2 Maggie stared at the man wide-eyed and suddenly snapped her head to look at the front of her chair where Grace had her own head that was yet to turn around as her eyes were strained on the man who hade. Maggie didn''t know why but it felt like the man hade here tomit suicide. Her father had already been displeased with her working in a stranger''s house, and to make it worse, Grace had tattled on her about seeing a man without anyone''s notice. Darting her eyes on the food, she picked it up and put some of it on her te before starting to eat. She tried hard to keep her eyes to her but it went to drift towards where the vampire took his seat not too far away from her or her father. "Maggie," Lady Fleurance called her and Maggie looked up to see her step-mother giving her a look of disappointment, "You need to wait for the butler and the maids to serve the food than behave like a starved person." "Apologies mother. I was hungry," Maggie bowed her head, her cheeks turning slightly red at Lady Felurance calling her out in front of everyone. Caitlin, who heard it, leaned forward to say to Penny, "You should have seen my uncle and aunt who would go bonkers when we did something like this. Not that it mattered. One should be able to eat food at any point in time." Lady Fluerance eyes narrowed at the woman who was only a guest in this house for a few days. She had the audacity to talk like that right in front of her, "Maybe where youe from it is alright as people don''t have enough food, Miss Caitlin," the woman struggled with thest words as if she were finding it hard to use a proper honorific word. Penny frowned at thement that was pa.s.sed, "Where wee from have enough food but we also have the liberty to eat. Mr. Wells, I hope we didn''t disrespect you." Mr. Jerome who sat there looking at the women at the table who had started a round of discussion smiled at Penelope''s words, "''Course not. If Lady Maggie is hungry and wants to eat, she should eat without needing another person''s approval." Lady Fleurance could only smile for the briefest moment to see that the young vampiress couldn''t be twisted the way she wanted as the other two women had ganged up against her words, "Let me take this moment to apologize to you," Lady Fleurance said even though the guest had spoken out loud to let her know he found no disrespect in it. "What are you doing, mama?" came Grace''s voice next to hers. "Apologizing to our guest instead of your sister," Lady Fleurance answered her daughter but that was not what Grace meant. "The man you call a guest is a very same man I caught Maggie with. What a shameless man you are to have the nerve toe inside our house," Grace let her spoon tter on the te. "What? That can''t be. This is Jerome Wells who is an architect," Lady Fleurance cleared her daughter''s doubt and the young vampiress frowned at the thought of it. "Are you not going to say anything, father? And look at you," Grace said looking at Maggie, "To behave like nothing is going on, I saw them f.u.c.king kiss!" Maggie gripped on her spoon as she continued to drink her soup while ignoring Grace''s words as well as presence. "Why won''t you tell anything? Are you ashamed of him? To not even greet, does it mean she has been going around kissing other men then?" Grace had a big smile as she realized that it might be so, "She was so heartbroken with the other man that she''s sullying our family name." "I think you are doing that enough already. I don''t have to do anything," Maggie finallymented on her sister''s words. "Both of you sit down already," Senior Quinn spoke in a calm voice. The man was so used to the daily bickering that it had turned out to be a norm for years now. His wife Fleurance and his three children- Grace, Damien, and Maggie were always part of the daily debate and discussion. "But father, look at what she is doing!" Grace pointed her finger towards Maggie which switched between her sister and Jerome. "Yes, I have and you should keep your own legs closed before pointing out at someone else. Don''t think I don''t know what happens out of this house," Senior Quiin gave his youngest daughter a look that meant to shut up to sit down and behave but Grace was having her usual tantrum on. She couldn''t believe her father had told her that! "Grace," Maggie said her sister''s name, "Just because you don''t have a life of your own, don''t turn others'' lives into yours. You are needed there." Grace gritted her teeth that her father had not spoken a word of disapproval at Maggie, instead, he appeared calm. What happened?! She had nned it all well and she had nned to make Maggie the worst daughter of this household who didn''t obey his words. Why wasn''t he saying anything? The young vampiress turned to her mother, moistening her eyes, "Did you hear that, mother? My very own sister tells me I am not needed," she said twisting her words, "And father says I am opening my legs to people¡­" Jerome hade to the mansion to discuss the new blueprints while also hoping to get a glimpse of Maggie after theirst meet, right now he didn''t know what was going on. The subject was jumping back and forth making him wonder what he stepped into. From the corner of his eyes, he looked at Maggie who had stood up from her own seat like her younger sister. His mind drifted to the thoughts of when he hadst seen her. She had a smile on her face and with her standing so close to him, he had leaned forward to leave a kiss on her cheek. Undoubtedly, thedy was gobsmacked and she had left in the carriage right away after which he had not seen her. She had stopped traveling and visiting to teach the children. It had made him question if he was the reason if he had scared her but it seemed like the situation wasn''t so. Gerald Quinn ignored the people in the room and turned towards Jerome who had not moved an inch since everyone had started to speak, "Mr. Wells. What are your intentions with my daughter?" Jerome straightened his back. He bowed his head, saying, "I have taken a keen liking towards her. I would like to get to know your daughter better if you allowed me." Chapter 626 Approve- Part 3 The room fell silent. Lady Fleurance and Grace had their mouths hanging open before it twisted to the question of how an average vampire could ask for a pureblooded vampiress hand. Maggie had turned her head as if the air had knocked out of her body. She blinked looking at Jerome. As Gerald had not spoken a word yet, contemting the situation, Lady Fleurance started, "Do you think a lowly vampire like yourself will end up with a pureblooded vampiress?" and when the woman had just finished her words, Gerald said, "Okay. You have my permission," and the room turned even more silent than before. Penny who was sitting there watching everything y out, she couldn''t tell how much respect she had for Damien''s father right now. Not only had he been surviving all these years with a woman like Lady Fleurance but he had decided to give Jerome a chance. A man who was of not equal social statuspared to Quinn''s. "What are you doing?" Lady Fleurance ced her hand on her husband''s arm and Gerald turned to meet his wife''s eyes, "We are supposed to keep the bloodline clean and pure." The man gave his wife a smile as if she were an innocentmb who knew nothing, "Jerome is a good man if he and Maggie have a shot I would give it," and thedy looked at him as if her husband had lost it. Gerald would have been on the same page as Fleurance if his daughter had not been engaged previously but he had seen how the smile had been stolen when it was not her fault. Previously, when they had got her engaged to a pureblooded vampire named Sven the man had broken her trust and the events that had urred after that still haunted his daughter. Maggie usually kept her thoughts to herself but he could see the pain in her eyes. It was the very same time he told himself that he wouldn''t force his children to get married. If they fell in love with someone or showed interest in another, he would note to cross it. Maybe if his first wife was still alive things wouldn''t be the same and the matter would be looked into in a more stringent manner but it was the matter of his children''s happiness. Maggie had gone through enough when it came to love and if there was an opportunity for her to feel the love again, Gerald would note between her and the person. "Durik, could you get a .s.s of wine," Gerald said without looking at the butler who was quick to leave the room to breathe some fresh air where people were not about to throw things at each other,?"Now if you both will sit down and have lunch," he said looking at both Maggie and Grace. Maggie didn''t know what to say with the sudden turn of events and she was the first one to sit while Grace who found herself to be the odd one out sat down immediately after her sister did. The rest of the meal went quiet except for the res that were directed towards Maggie and her father. Penny saw Maggie speak to Jerome and she smiled, leaving them alone she went back to her room. She was d that there was someone who was courting Lady Maggie, especially after meeting her ex-fiance, she had only hoped for the woman to find happiness. Locking the doors and windows while pulling the curtains and firing up the firece so that she could look in the darkroom. Though Quinn''s mansion didn''t have a separate room like the one in Delcrov''s, Penny had to adjust herself in making use of little things and then throwing it away in the fire. Right now, she was trying to read the spells from the spellbook that she had failed to imprint in her skin. Apparently, there were a few spells that didn''t work like the others and she had to actually memorize it and tell it in her mouth. She wanted to learn to bind the magic back if this was all the spells that were there, then maybe these very spells needed to be tweaked and worked together to form a bigger spell, thought Penny to herself. She moved her hand in the air, bringing the ball of light back in the room smiling as she yed with it. Closing the book, she ran her hands across the thick binds. To think that she would have to burn these books which belonged to Lady Isabell, Penny was somewhere not ready for it but she knew that was what had to be done. Exhausting the light which she had created, she pulled out the curtains to let light pa.s.s back into the room while also being able to see the birds flying in the sky. She opened the doors to the patio but didn''t dare to step outside because she knew what fate awaited her. Three steps out would lead to many feet down the water. She was still trying to learn to swim and she could barely keep herself up on the surface right now before gargling the water as she sank down in the sea bed. Taking two steps back, Penny returned back to the bed as she plopped on it and let her back fall to look at herself in the ceiling''s mirror. She waved her hand back and forth as if it were the waves, moving up and down she looked at herself in the mirror again before dropped her hand to her sides. Staring at her green eyes she heard the words in the back of her mind, ''I will be waiting for you...'' the voice sounded distant and somewhere far away which Penny couldn''t tell if it was made up by her own mind or there was another meaning to it. Was it her father''s voice? asked Penny to herself. There was a sliver of hope that her father was still alive and maybe it would have stayed that way before Bathsheba told her that her father was dead. She knew that not all ck witches were and maybe there would have been a ray of hope if her mother truly loved and cared for her father and her but that had gone down the grave. Damien had told her that he had put up her mother''s posters all around Bonke, it made her wonder how her mother was doing now. Chapter 627 Demise- Part 1 While rain surrounded thend of Bonke, in thend of Mythweald, the main ck witch who was pulling strings was preparing to establishworks in the whole of the soutnd. She recruited every possible person who could fight and turn to a barrier between her and the people they were up against. All that mattered right now was to unleash the ck witch that rightfully belonged to them which was locked away somewhere far they had no idea about. Walking to one of the houses along with a little girl and a woman who had swords stuck behind her back, the woman with swords knocked on the door twice, waiting for the door to open. "Did we get the wrong door?" asked the little girl in a sing-song voice as the door didn''t open. "It''s the right one, Judith," answered the girl who had blue eyes. "Maybe the person is not in here then," the little girl named Judith said with a big smile that reached her ear to ear where she was smiling for no apparent reason. She saw the witch hunter human who knocked on the door again. The woman who went by the name M, looked left and right to see no one in sight but them when she decided to kick the door open with brute force where the door happened to be weak. When the door broke and they made their way in, they saw a young man who appeared to hold a cross in front of him that made the three females who had entered smile at him innocently. "Do you think we are a bunch of lowly vampires that a cross will work on us?" asked Judith he was the smallest by appearance. This didn''t result in the man from dropping the cross in front of them. He took a step back and away from them, "Get out of my house right this instant," he said looking at all of them. "We only came here to talk, Avalon," spoke the blue-eyed girl, "You can drop the cross and take a seat," her voice was sweet like honey that drifted across the small room into his ear. The man named Avalon shook his head, "I know why you are here," he said through gritted teeth, "I have heard how you killed my fellow sisters and brothers." The girl gave him a smile. Walking towards a chair, she took a seat and settled her hands in front of herp, "I didn''t know news traveled that quickly," the blue-eyed girl gave a look to the witch hunter who bowed her head in shame for not being diligent enough when it came to stopping the news being spread, "Well, it''s good that you already know why I am here. It saves my breath as well as time. So what is your reply?" "There might be other white witches who want revolt over the people or the witches who want to take your side but I have no interest in joining whatever you have nned for," he shook his head, his hand still up in the air. "Oh, Avalon, you disappoint me," Sabbi looked at the man who was standing while she had taken a seat, "Tell me why you don''t want to join me and the others." "Because what you are trying is f.u.c.ked up," spat the man in disgust, "You think I don''t know that you and your people have been killing people back and forth, sacrificing lives with the reason that you want to unbind the magic? What is the point of killing so many for essing magic." "It is just a few of them," Sabbi replied to him, making him huff. "Few? You dare to call hundreds of lives to be few? When did you turn so heartless, Sabbi?" asked the man named Avalon. He had met the girl before and the girl he had met was kind and sweet. Had she been like this since the start and he hadn''t noticed it before? She smiled looking at him. White witches were so naive that they didn''t see the truth until someone pointed out to them, "Don''t you love me anymore, Avalon?" Sabbi questioned the man knowing well about his affections for her. She was a beautiful young girl who appeared to be sixteen. Even the older men found her hard to resist such that they had died by this girl''s hand, "I have been like this since the very beginning of time. Since you have known and since you confessed to me. Don''t you see what I am doing is for the greater good?" Avalon shook his head, "I see nothing but death around you." The smile on Sabbi''s face fell and she said, "Join us, Avalon. You might see death but I see the world being conquered and it is in reach of my hands. The witches have always been looked down upon when in truth people had to look up to us. We were the creatures who were on the highest hierarchy and not the vampires or pureblooded vampires. To fear who we were but because the white witches are meek and the ck witches have no support of the magic, things have always been dire for us.? Come stand next to me and support me with what I am doing." Gone was the girl whom he had met as if the facade she had been carrying all this while had finally slipped out of pressure. Avalon didn''t drop the cross but he looked at the girl he loved in her eye, "I will not take part in it." The witch looked at him with a serious look, "I am asking you for onest time," she said, trying to persuade him hoping he would stand with her. As much as she hated people, he was someone who had shown her unconditional love without taking advantage of her like the other men. It was one of the reasons why he was still alive. "My answer will stand the same no matter how many times you ask me. If you know me, then you should have already guessed what my answer would be," said Avalon. Sabbi stood up from her seat, "I thought love could move mountains and emotions along with decisions." "It can but not at the cost of others'' lives," Avalon smiled at her, seeing her raise her hand towards him. "Anyst words?" her palm opened to face him. Avalon then said, "I hope you find your redemption when the timees," and Sabbi turned her hands which was enough to have him twist his neck and fall on the ground. "Bury him in the cemetery," the young blue-eyed girl ordered to the witch hunter before stepping out of the house. Chapter 628 Demise- Part 2 Sabbi stepped away from the house with Judith trailing closely behind her, walking towards the forest while she waited for M to arrive back as she was still digging Avalon''s body. She hadn''t spoken a word since they had left the house but she could sense the little girl''s gaze on her. Judith smiled, the smile going back to ear to ear, she asked Sabbi, "Did you love him, mistress?" The girl didn''t mind the death, the more the merrier and she preferred it this way where her mistress wouldn''t have distractions. Though both Sabbi and Judith appeared to look young, they were far from that age. The blue-eyed girl didn''t respond to Judith''s question and instead stood quietly looking at the trees that shook around them, "Who is the next witch in line?" "There''s Gratten. He had some issues with humans. I think he will join us without a problem," Judith gave out the information with her hand that was ced next to her face. The three females left for the next white witch''s house and like Judith had said, the man was on board easily. On their way back, Sabbi asked, "What is Laurae up to?" "I haven''t heard from her, mistress. Didn''t she go on the job you gave her?" Judith asked as they made their way back to the abandoned church. When Sabbi turned to look towards M, the woman shook her head, "She hasn''t reported back since she left here. Would you want me to find out?" "Please do. The book I gave her is an important one. It took me years to find it but I haven''t been able to read it. There''s something in there which will help in unbinding the magic," Sabbi stated, still walking, "Find what she is doing and where she is. We are too close to finding the answers and unbinding the magic. We cannot have slip-ups," and they stepped inside the witch''sir that they had created in the abandoned church. Back in thend of Bonke, Laurae walked with her head that was covered in the cloak, walking through the dark alley''s while making sure no one spotted her. For the past few days, walking anywhere had been difficult even when it came to buying any food. The face she had prized for so many years, using it to deceive people was of no use anymore. Every single corner of the towns and viges, her face was posted for everyone to be able to see it. It didn''t help that a bounty was ced on her head. Walking through the dark alley, she found another poster of herself that was stuck on the wall. Her hand reached to pull down the post from there, tearing it unevenly as part of the paper was glued to the wall tightly. Her hand crumpled the paper in her hand and she red in anger. She had been so close to finding the truth about the task but instead ofpleting her work and returning back to Mythweald, she was stuck here in Bonke. She had not only lost the book that Sabbi had given her but her picture in the post was everywhere that made it difficult for her to be able to search the book. Every time someone caught her face as if it were familiar it made it difficult for her to walk again there. Stealing was all she knew and had to rely on. Laurae had to find the book quickly and get back to Mythweald, if not, there was no telling if she would be killed by the humans and the vampires for money or if she would be killed by Sabbi herself. Laurae continued to walk, hoping to get the aid she needed and just before she left the alley, the men who had been standing around the corner of the alley tried to mug her and while fighting them off, her hood came off and one of the men noticed to say, "Isn''t she the one in the poster!" The other one who had been holding her, stared at the woman as she appeared to be familiar. Before they could catch hold of her and drag her, the woman quickly slipped out of their hands by throwing a bean that burst out as gas that made their eyes tear up. She ran as quickly as she could, away from the crowd to stop after some distance. Turning to look at the curtained dusty window, she saw how her appearance had changed. Her cheeks had turned hollow and her skin dry, gone was her beauty that she had cherished and she looked old right now as if her real age was trying to catch up with her body. Anger rose further on who dared to put a bounty on her. Knowing there was only one ce where she could get shelter in this whole of Bonke, she started to travel there to only be pushed down further and further away as she was being chased away by humans who swore to torch her without the need to have a bounty. After a few days, M received the report of what Laurae was up to and she came back to Sabbi to let the ck witch know, "They said she''s in Bonke and her face is on every side of the walls and trees." Sabbi was sipping her tea and she stopped to look up at M, "What did she do?" "There''s no report about where the smoke came from. No events that have been registered," M replied back. Sabbi sighed softly, "There is smoke only when there''s a fire. I don''t care about where the fire came. What about the book?" M pursed her lips when Sabbi questioned, she then said, "The witch hunters said they followed her for more than three days. But they didn''t find any book on her," though the young girl didn''t change her facial expression, she could tell that she wasn''t happy with this news, "I don''t think she has it." "Ask them to find who she gave the book to if she''s ying on both sides. Kill her," Sabbi said and M nodded her head, going back to inform the news so that some of the witch hunters could receive the information. Chapter 629 Demise- Part 3 It was the time of night at the church when a letter came to Father Antonio by a fellow councilman who was scrawny looking by appearance. Seeing the man leave immediately, he tore the envelope to pull out the thin parchment of the letter and read it. Once he was done, he looked down at it grimly. Putting a protective spell on the door, he turned around and walked through the back door of the church which led down to the bottom dungeon of the church which was cold and quiet. Walking through the rooms, he noticed how some of them had already gone to bed while some were awake working on the weapons and potions. After some time, he pulled Sister Jera who by chance was readying herself to go to her room to sleep. Father Antonio took her to the office room, closing the door shut that made the young white witch ask, "Is everything alright, Father Antonio?" "Yes. I have a task for you. Do you think you will be able to do it?" he asked her. The girl blinked at him. He hadn''t told her what it was and was asking if she could do it, "What is it?" "You need to attend an exam. An exam the council is hosting. There are two parts- one which is written and two which is practical. Councilman Quinn sent a letter a few moments ago. He wants some of the white witches who are good at what they do. Be it knowledge or in weapon making. Are you willing to take it up?" he asked her. Sister Jera was unaware of the council''s exams as most of the white witches including herself didn''t involve in their matter unless the a.s.sistance was asked by the council. Thinking it was just a meager exam, the girl nodded her head to have the .s.ses that she wore slip down her nose and she pushed the .s.ses back on her nose. "What will I need to study?" she asked him enthusiastically. Father Antonio could only smile and hope that the girl would survive. She was one of the decent white witches here, someone who was reliable. Sometimes more than strength and knowledge, it was necessary to trust a person as loyalty mattered. "The books will be given to you," in the letter it was told on how the exam beingmenced wasn''t fixed yet if there was an exam held by the council, they would need to have the white witches who were prepared for it, "There will be some others who will be writing the exam along with you so you will havepany." When Damien reached the mansion, the butler helped in removing his coat and he went inside where the butler quickly followed him with a good distance if Master Damien needed anything. "How was your day, Durik?" The butler looked surprised at why his master was asking him of his day. "It was good, Master Damien," Durik who was following the pureblooded vampire gave a skeptical look to the man''s back. "Anything special in the mansion than the normal?" Durik wondered if anything in this house was normal. Since the time he had started to work here, everything was abnormal, enough to make him want to escape. Then remembering what happened during the time of lunch, he said, "Mr. Wells was here for lunch and Senior Quinn approved of him to go out with Lady Maggie," Damien turned around and raised his brows. "That''s a development I wasn''t expecting," Damien whistled before saying, "What else?" Durik wondered if it was alright to mention that there was the ''usual bickering'' at the dining table but feared Master Damien would pull out his tongue and cut it out. "I caught a rabbit in the forest," said the butler, something that amused Damien. "Did you drink its blood? Rabbits are very sweet to taste,"mented the pureblooded man as they walked through the lonely corridor. "I let it go when it started to struggle," replied the butler. He had gone to the woods with the other two servants to get logs of woods for the mansion so that it could start drying and be used for next week as one wouldn''t know when it would start raining. In the forest, he had caught the rabbit but only to let it go. It wasn''t too long since he had turned to a half-vampire and was still learning the ways of the night creatures. "Let me take you out hunting to show how it is done," Durik gave another look with his lips pursed when Damien noticed his butler''s expression, "What is it? Do you think I will ce an apple on your head and then try my aim?" The butler quickly shook his head and he then heard Master Damien say, "If you are thinking that, you are right. You will be a good bait," said the pureblooded vampire with a cunning smile on his face as if he had already made up his mind on what to take during his next hunting trip. Durik gulped softly. The man walked up the stairs leaving Durik in shock. The butler had to remind himself to never ever go hunting. The Quinn''s family were as crazy as they came. He then?made his way back to the kitchen to get the work done by the servants of the mansion. Late in the night, he was blowing the candles out one after another while leaving some of them as it was not because to help the others but himself as he didn''t want to be surrounded by the darkness. As it was past midnight, Durik couldn''t stop but reflect his life choices. He dragged his feet across the floors of the mansion, walking through every corner in the middle of the night by making a patrol. While he was doing his usual rounds, the butler was only pa.s.sing by the windows when he heard something creak outside. Stepping closer to the window where his nose squished itself on the windowpane, he saw the gate move back and forth creakingly. The butler decided that oiling the gates would be his first job when he would wake up the next morning. Right now, he was timid as a mouse to step outside the mansion. Chapter 630 Start Of Exams- Part 1 Soon the news about another exam going to bemenced by the council made headlines that got a lot of them excited who hadn''t been selected previously. It was the very first time to have three exams held in a span of a year. Penny looked at the newsletter which spoke about the exam going to be held that was the first headline. "Do you think this is a good idea?" Penny asked Damien, her eyes still reading the content in it as she sat on the couch of the study room. "It is one of the ways to bait the ck witches and white witches who are involved. Right now we don''t have many options where we can catch people on who is involved in unbinding the magic. If it is true that they have been sessful when ites to getting their hands closer to the ck magic, then that is not news everyone is looking forward to," said Damien as he turned the tie that he was wearing around his color. The magic was already let out loose and Penny wondered how many more rituals were needed before the ck witches could get hold of the lost magic entirely in their hands. "They still have thest step toplete for the final lock to be opened," Penny said as they had no clue what the end sacrifice was about. Right now the ck witches were only killing back and forth with what they knew and they didn''t know much. "What did you do with the paper you picked up from Creed''s house?" Damien asked and Penny quick response was, "I burnt it there," she looked at the firece which had exhausted now after burning the entire night. "How quick of you to do it. Did you finish reading all the books?" Damien was intending to say that it was time for her to put them in the fire too. "I did. I thought to read them again to make sure I remember everything," Penny said before Damien surprised her with something. He stood up from his seat, walking towards the rack of books and bringing them to her, "These will be something you will be reading for the next few days." Penny looked down in herp and looked up to him, "Will I be attending the exam?" She was already aware of what was needed when it came to pa.s.sing the council exam. She was taken aback that Damien who had previously been telling her that she wouldn''t be working upfront in the council, he was now willing to send her for the exam, "You''re not joking," Penny grinned and before she could get ahead of her, Damien said, "You will only be attending the exam. You pa.s.s or fail, you won''t be working there," this brought a frown on her forehead. What did that mean? "I need you to attend the council exam to be my eyes, mouse. I need someone I can trust who will tell me what is going on. Undoubtedly, there will be an influx of ck witches for the exam and at the same time, there will be humans and vampires. The only difference is we will be sending some of the white witches." Penny nodded her head to it. She would be there to invigte the exams and people. "The first exam is the written one and you need to pa.s.s it. You already have the practical knowledge about a few things so it shouldn''t take much time when ites to studying the topics," Damien knew that Penny had the ability to learn very quickly. As much as her mother had tried to erase her memories over and over again, Penny''s inherent nature was still there when it came to consuming knowledge. "Who are the other witches you n to send?" Penny asked curiously as not many liked the council. On the same note, she said, "There is split magic all around the council. How do they expect? the white witches to walk on those grounds?" With what she knew and was aware of when it came to the council, there was a different kind of magic that was ced in there. A white witch or a ck witch standing there for more than the specified time wouldbust to dust. Sending the white witches to the council was equal to sacrificing them. "Don''t worry about that. I spoke to Reuben and we came up with the change of location when ites to the exam. It will be held somewhere away from the council. Both the exams. Coming to the registration, the examinees can send their profile through letters," Damien exined to her. Penny dropped the paper down on the bed and stared at the ground wondering how the exam would go. "The only problem is that the second exam won''t be easy. As witches are involved, Rueben has pa.s.sed the message to set a difficult practical exam." Penny asked, "The head council doesn''t set it?" and she saw Damien shake his head. "He doesn''t. The council was built to keep a fair trial for everyone. The person who sets the papers and practical exams are people we don''t know and can''t influence," he said, walking to the stand, he picked up the coat that was hanging there to wear it, "The exam might look simple but there''s more to it. People lose their eyes or hands, or legs. Sometimes even their lives." "You are sending me to a death trap," now that Damien had freely asked her to go attend the test, she was hesitant about it. She did hear that people died during the practical exam but thinking that she would be going with it was slightly daunting right now. "Didn''t you say you wanted to take part in the council?" one side of Damien''s lips pulled up, "You don''t have to attend if you don''t want t-" "No," Penny quickly said, not wanting him to change his mind, "I will take part in it." "On the brighter side, if you do pa.s.s the first exam. The second exam is only for a day. You need to survive the twenty-four hours of the task," walking towards her, Damien leaned down to kiss the side of her cheek. Chapter 631 Start Of Exams- Part 2 The day of the exam finally arrived which took ce in less than two weeks. All the people who hade to attend the written papers stood outside the tall building which belonged to the council. Penny stood in the midst of the crowd with men and women who were mixed. She saw how there were humans and vampires, a few pureblooded vampires who hade to give the first exam. As her green eyes looked around the crowd, she heard Sister Jera who had apanied her and stood next to her say, "Lady Penelope, did you read all the books for the exam?" The girl appeared to be more worried about if she would pa.s.s the first exam or not. Penny s.h.i.+fted her eyes from the crowd to look at Sister Jera who appeared to be nervous as her feet tapped on the ground, "Most of it," she answered before saying, "I heard the exam is easy," she told this only to ease the girl''s nerves but apparently someone or some people had been eavesdropping on them. "Easy?" came the remark behind them, "Do you think it''s a walk in the meadow?" Both Penny and Jera turned behind them to see three men and a girl who had pa.s.sed thement at them, the girl opened her mouth, "I can already tell who will not be making through the first exam," the girl who was standing there was someone who Penny had already met in thend of Valeria. Helen. What was she doing here? Asked Penny to herself. Penny had told herself to maintain a low profile but after seeing this air-headed girl here, she wasn''t too sure of herself if she would be able to stay quiet. "We meet again," Penny said with a small smile on her lips that didn''t reach her eyes. If only she knew that this girl wasing, she would have brought a bunch of c.o.c.kroaches to unleash on this girl, thought Penny to herself. Wait, there was something better. Right now there was a ck witch in the mansion, and she could take his help when it came to the spells she wanted to learn. The spell to turn one to a toad. "What is a low life like you doing here?" Helen asked, pus.h.i.+ng her waist to the side while she crossed her hand against her chest. "Taking part in the exam of course unless you thought it was a ce to hit on men who are already taken," Penny gave out a sweet smile to the younger human who huffed. "I thought it was what you thought but anyway. Try to fail gracefully if you''re failing. A human with no knowledge of books on how to write or read who came from the ve background, I don''t know what you were thinking," Helenmented, looking up and down her body at the new clothes that she wore. The girl wondered where Penelope got her clothes from as they looked so much better than the womanly dress she was wearing. "Did you say she was a ve?" asked one of the men. "Wait is she the one who broke the bottle on your head?" another asked,ughing about it before he quickly shut up when Helen red at the man. "She isn''t worth our time. Someone who is going to fail," said Helen, rolling her eyes she walked away from them leaving Penny and Jera standing there. Sister Jera who came from a lower background herself like Penelope, asked thedy, "Who was that?" "Someone I met in Valeria. Don''t bother about her," Penny gave the girl a rea.s.suring smile. They had other matters to look at right now than Penny involve herself with a love rivalry with the Petty human. As time pa.s.sed by, the examinees were made to wait outside the building and the crowd only increased before the doors to the building opened. The doors that were made of iron creaked open loudly which stood at half the size of the building and in went people. There was a lot of murmuring and talking as they walked inside. It was only after they made their way inside did the people realize and notice that what they had been seeing all this while was only the tall walls and gates that appeared to look like a building from outside. As huge as it was outside, the inside was empty except for the number of chairs and desks that had been ced out in the open. "Take your seats," announced a man who stood at the front, and right away people started to scatter around as if there wouldn''t be another seat avable, "People don''t have the seats at the back, pleasee to the front and upy the s.p.a.ce here." Penny and Sister Jera had arrived together with some other white witches from the council but with everyone scattering around they were split up and ended up on the opposite sides of the room. When everyone was still getting settled in their seats, Penny noticed how there were many councilmen in this ce. A minimum of at least ten was present in every corner of the dome-shaped building. A loud bell was heard and everyone looked at the councilman who stood at the front on the tform. He wore a monocle on one of his eyes as he looked at the below people him. With a staff in his hand, she said, "Wee, to the fifty-ninth council exam. I am Lionel and will be the one invigting your exam today," the man announced when everyone had quietened down. "The exam is divided into two categories where the first one will be the written exam. An exam to test your knowledge and how you would tackle various work tasks if you were given one. During this time, no cheating shall be entertained, which I doubt can be done. You will be removed and disqualified for the next two years. You will know about the exam if you pa.s.s the first one." "Your questions have already been ced on your desk and you will have two hours toplete it. Once you''re done, ce it back on the desk and the councilmen will guide you out. Your time starts now!" And the first exam of the councilmenced which had a mix of all creatures in the room- humans, vampires and not to forget the witches for the very first time in the history who had taken deceiving different forms. Chapter 632 Start Of Exams- Part 3 An hour pa.s.sed to two and everyone was immersed in reading and answering the questions that were asked in the parchment that was provided to them. Penny made sure to double read them as she wrote what she had read and as she turned the pages, the difficulty in the questions only rose higher. Beforeing here, Damien had told her how the questions were never repeated and they were always newly invented in a way so that the examinees who had attended the exams previously would not face the same questions. She leaned back when she had finished writing three-fourth of the paper. Her fingers yed with the quill as she stared at the question. ''Whates before a mule that has turned ck and the white horse after it ate the green gra.s.s? The sun goes up and the moon falls down, why do the b.u.t.terfliese out during the day and some at night?'' Penny bit her lips reading the question which made no sense to her. The question after this was a headache which made her head go round. There was barely an hour left before the exam bell would ring again and she still had more than forty questions to answer. While Penny was struggling with questions, Sister Jera who sat on the other side pushed the .s.ses up that had slid down from the bridge of her nose. She scribbled and scribbled like there was no other day. As if the answers were not enough, she turned the parchment to write on the empty sides while making arrows. Most of the candidates who arrived for the exam were in a simr state, some who were writing and some who were staring at the questions. After wasting a good five minutes, Penny pulled the parchment close to her and started to write the answers to the questions. When the bell rang, resonating across therge dome of the room, there were some who were still filling out the answers while some were done writing as they didn''t know how to write an answer for the questions asked. "Please stop writing and drop your quills. Your papers will be evaluated and we will be letting you know who is qualified for the next exam." Everyone was sent out of the building and were made to wait there. An hour pa.s.sed before the result was put out. There were close to fifty people who had been selected for the second round. And the names included Sister Jera, Penelope''s, and Helen with the rest of the selected examinees. "The names that have been called out, you are required toe here tomorrow and we will bemencing the next exam," said the man in monocle before leaving the front gate as he had appeared out with the results. There were curses around here by people who didn''t make it through the exam, some of them were attempting it for the second time. Sister Jera was going back to the church and Penny gave her a nod when she indicated she was leaving. When Penny turned around, she caught sight of the Quinn''s carriage that was waiting for her. Walking away from the building and towards the carriage, the door opened, "Congrattions on pa.s.sing the exam." Penny was surprised to find Damien who was sitting in the carriage, "Thanks. You didn''t go back to work?" she asked him and once she got on the carriage, Damien kissed her lips. "I did but I came back after it. Just had a few jobs toplete around, you know. Beating answers out of a man and torching a witch I found in the forest," Damien replied to her. The coachman closed the door of the carriage and started to move the horses after he took the front seat. On their way back Penny said, "Did you know Helen is taking part in the council exam?" Damien raised his brow at this information, "Helen from Valeria?" Penny gave him a nod, "How surprising. I don''t think I saw her name when I was going through the list of examinees. It must havee in theter entries. What was she doing there?" "Attending the exam?" Penny would like to know the same as Helen didn''t appear to be the type who was interested in working for the council but someone who enjoyed making others work. She came off to be this delicate girl who needed to be pampered who was ardently following Damien. "It would start raining frogs if that were true," Damienmented. "She even cleared the first exams," Penny let him know to hear him hum. "They have been lenient on the first exam. The maximum number of people that used to take part in the second exam usually consisted of five to ten number of people and not more than that," was that why they have picked so many people for the second exam? "I never pegged her to be someone who took an interest in thew or anywhere remotely close to the council. Maybe she took a sudden interest to chase after me?" Penny would haveughed if she hadn''t met Helen personally but after having a catfight in front of everyone where the girl was still trying to get Damien''s attention when it was told out loud that he was taken, it was possible that Helen was trying to gain his attention through the council but wasn''t that a very long route? asked Penny to herself. "Do you think she would go that far?" she asked looking at Damien. Damien shrugged his shoulders in response, "I am the amazing Damien Quinn. What do you expect? Of course, every woman wants me," Penny rolled her eyes, "So when is the next exam?" he asked her. "Tomorrow. They said toe here," she informed to have him nod thoughtfully. "I won''t be able to drop you tomorrow as I need to travel to Wovile but I will have Durike to drop you." "Okay." Chapter 633 In The Forest- Part 1 Penny had barely caught any sleep at the thought of what the next exam would be like. With the little amount of sleep, she was woken up by Caitlin who knew that Penny was taking part in the council exam. When she sat up on the bed, she noticed how Damien had left the mansion on council duties. Reaching the same domed building, she was yet to get down where Caitlin and the butler had apanied her to hear Caitlin say, "Be careful once the exam starts and trust no one," the red-headed woman looked worried at the thought that Penny was taking the exam. An exam that was not meant for witches. Penny squeezed Caitlin''s hand, "I will be. Don''t worry about me," and with that, she stepped out of the carriage which had been pulled over at the corner of the road. Caitlin looked at Penny who walked with everything she needed that was hidden in her dress. No matter how much one was careful, it was never enough. She didn''t know much about the exam but she did know that the council was never fair. It yed dirty tricks to trap the evil at the expense of the innocent lives. She had heard of how Penny had only started to learn magic and wasn''t expert in it. She could only hope her niece would be alright by the end of the exam. When Penny reached the dome, she noticed how everyone was gathered outside as they waited for the council members to speak. "Did they say anything?" Penny asked Jera after spotting her. The young white witch shook her head, "Nothing as of now. I think they are waiting for the right time," Penny noticed how one of the councilmen kept ncing at his pocket watch. "You didn''t sleep well," Pennymented looking at the dark circles that had formed around Jera''s eyes. Jera leaned closed to Penny and said, "There was this little mosquito that was singing in my ears, and then I had this very strange dream. I think they are going to speak now," she said looking at the councilman flip the pocket watch and put it in his pocket. At the same time, carriages appeared from the other end of the road one after another. There were eleven carriages. "Everyone step into the carriage in the number of four," announced one of the men from the council. Penny and Sister Jera stepped into the same carriage. When everyone had settled inside they were taken to a ce they had no clue about. It felt like a short ride as everyone had started to antic.i.p.ate what the second exam would be. When the carriages finally came to a halt, Penny leaned over towards the window to see trees. When all of them stepped down, the councilmen came forward, looking at all the candidates, he said, "This is where your second exam will be held," it was a forest and they were surrounded by nothing but trees, "For the next twenty-four hours, you will be spending your time here. A case was reported here from this forest. It is said that there have been some dead bodies that were found here. Your task is to find them." Penny frowned after hearing this immediately. Wasn''t this the exam which the other girl named Vivian had taken part in? If she wasn''t wrong the task was the same except for the settings. The reason why Penny knew it was because she had been curious to know the kind of practical exams that had taken ce all these years. She wasn''t sure about history repeating itself but she was sure the practical exam was being repeated. Why though? Damien said the exams never repeated, was this some kind of rare thing that was happening right now? On saying there were dead bodies in the forest, the people around her started to mutter and murmur on why they had to go search dead bodies when the council could do the job themselves. The councilman didn''t bother to clear the air on why they were making them hunt the dead bodies. "Find it ande back here in the next twenty-four hours. Your time starts NOW!" and the man turned around to leave the forest in the carriage. The rest of them had scattered across the forest in search of the dead bodies while Penny stood still without moving an inch. Helen who was pa.s.sing by hermented, "Looks like someone is scared at the mention of dead bodies." Penny didn''t bother to entertain the younger girl as she walked away with the two men following her. She was still figuring out if there were dead bodies in the forest already or if there were going to be dead bodies before the twenty-four hours of time. She hade here to find ck witches and it wasn''t hard to do it. All she had to do was blow the powder on every person''s face and the one who sneezed would be a witch. If there were pure ck witches then they would be able to find out that the white witches had taken part in this exam but the witches were modified and operated to take the features of vampires and with that came the loss of identification. "Lady Penelope, what is your n when ites to finding out who are the ck witches?" asked Sister Jera who had stuck on to Penny for a.s.sistance. Penny, Jera, and some other white witches weren''t here to pa.s.s the exam but they were here to catch the ck witches. Seeing people disperse, Penny pulled Jera along with her to walk through the thicket of the forest to say, "We need to observe them first. Attacking without reason will end up in making enemies here and we need to survive these twenty-four hours." "What if we find the dead bodies first and hang them as bait?"Jera asked thedy who was leading the way. "Then there''s a possibility of us ending up dead. The ck witches here seed in the task. We are here to find the ck witches. Do you know where we are?" Penny questioned the girl. "I don''t know, mdy. They dropped us in the middle of nowhere but judging by the speed and time we traveled and where the dome is located, I would tell it''s somewhere towards the North and East of the map." Chapter 634 In The Forest- Part 2 The forest was quiet and deserted enough to make Penny know that this wasn''t any small forest as almost forty people hade in here and the only person she could see was Jera as the girl was walking next to her. Almost two hours pa.s.sed and it seemed like they didn''t meet anyone. Did they get lost? Asked Penny to herself. "Do you have thepa.s.s?" Penny asked Jera who quickly nodded and pulled out a small instrument that looked like a pocket watch. When she opened thepa.s.s, both of them looked at it when Jera moved her hand to make sure it was positioned right, and as she did that, they noticed how thepa.s.s''s needle was not working. "Ah, I am not sure if I broke it. It was working finest night," Jera muttered under her breath and knocked her wrist against the instrument to see it wasn''t working. Penny didn''t know why but it felt like this forest wasn''t a normal one. They had been walking for two hours and the chance of meeting anyone had turned to zero. Was it just a coincidence that they hadn''t met anyone as they were walking in the wrong direction? That couldn''t be though. As the people had dispersed, Penny had made sure to look at where people were heading in. Her green eyes looked around the forest and as she did, she heard the sound of a bird as if it were flying from one end to another end of the forest. But that wasn''t what she found to be peculiar. It was the bird that had perched on a branch of a tree that was shaking its feathers as it sat down. "Did you see that bird before?" Penny asked Jera who looked up from herpa.s.s where she was still hitting the instrument to look up at the tree and find the bird. "There are many birds in here," the young witch chirped, noticing a leaf fall from the top and wondering what thedy was pointing at. Penny couldn''t be wrong and her palms fell slightly cold, "We need to find the closest river," the girl quickly nodded and they started to walk quickly leaving where they were standing. "We will need to get some fruits to eat for lunch and need water from the river, Lady Penelope," Jera mentioned, walking on the muddy ground she continued to speak unable to stay quiet, "I thought only the church members were going as the council knows us. I am d you are here with me right now," expressed the girl until she caught sight of a bird that was shaking its feathers before sitting down. She saw how the leaf from the nearest branch fell. "Did you notice that?" Jera asked, her footstepsing to a pause. "Someone ced a spell here and we stepped right into it," Penny replied back, her eyes picking on the things that were repeating themselves, "There''s a spell called mirroring. This spell gives you the sense of a Deja Vu over and over again, to confuse the opponent that makes them live the same moment over and over again," at first Penny wasn''t sure and had thought that it was a possible setup but they were experiencing the same incidents in the forest over and over again in a loop. She had read about it in the book of spells. "Is this the spell of ck witches? Possibly from the forbidden magic?" "Yes," Penny frowned looking at the forest and then the sky, "And though the magic is the forbidden one, they are performed by white witches," did that mean there was a traitor amongst the white witches who had pa.s.sed the written exam? Jera snapped her head to look at Penelope, "You mean someone from the church cast a spell on us? That can''t be though. The people there are very loyal and Father Antonio chose us by himself." That was true, thought Penny to herself. She had met the white witches and she had worked with them for months now to know they weren''t the kind of people who would mean any harm yet at the same time, she remembered what Caitlin had told her before she got down from the carriage. ''Don''t trust anyone''. The word resounded in the back of her head. "Alright," Penny sighed, gearing up for the team work because they had to break through this spell unless they were nning to spend the rest of their lives in this loop which would never end, "The concept of mirroring is like a box that is ced away and without the contact of the actual existing world." Jera blinked her eyes over what Penny said as the words pa.s.sed through her mind without understanding it. Seeing the white witch not respond, she said, "Though we are in the forest right now, we are not exactly part of it. This is a s.p.a.ce created by the witch which means, the rest of the examinee in the forest cannot find us unless we break the spell." Jera smiled nervously, "In short we are lost?" "You can say that. To break the spell, we need to find the point where the scene starts and ends that is creating a loop. There should be a crack," Penny started to walk and Jera quickly followed her heel, "I don''t think we saw any water body here. If we end up stuck there for more time, it would mean no food or no water. Wait, there''s the bird, so we will need to travel to catch the bird and eat it over and over again," the young girl made a face if distaste as she thought about it. "Let''s find it quick," Sister Jera pped both her hands and they two of them started to find the crack which would lead to the opening, and as they were doing it, the younger witch asked, "Who do you think ced the spell? If it is a white witch I don''t think the person''s aim is to be part of the council. I mean I have seen a white witch who used to work in the church with mebust in front of my eyes when the person walked into the council territory." "I am sorry to hear that," Penny said and the girl waved her hand. "I didn''t like him so it''s alright," replied Sister Jera. Chapter 635 In The Forest- Part 3 In the beginning, Penny was worried about the girl as she was young and didn''t know the entire background of what was going on unlike her but Sister Jera was a greatpany to have who kept chattering and speaking out her opinions as they tried to figure out who had ced the spell. Though on the downside when it came to figuring out who had ced the spell, they didn''t know who the white witches were. Thankfully the watch was still working and they noticed how time pa.s.sed quickly that they had spent five hours in the mirroring box. It made Penny curious if someone had put the spell on just them or was it on every other person who was partaking in the exam. The weather was the same and unchanging and the ground was wet. Finally, Penny found something s.h.i.+ne in the corner of her eyes and she stopped walking. Jera looked at Penny slightly confused when Penny turned her face to the side, "Did you find the crack?" there was a hint of excitement in the girl''s voice. "It''s somewhere here," Penny told the girl before going towards the trees she had caught little glimmer from. When she continued to move forward, there was nothing there but the air around her hands and her body that had her eyebrows draw together in concentration. The sky was cloudy therefore she guessed that the sun had peeked out for the briefest moment before hiding behind the clouds. Raising her hand she called, "Light," and there was a ball of fire. Jera''s eyes widened at the sight of it. "You are a fire element," the white witchmented. "It''s a spell. A handy one," Penny murmured before walking around with her hand ced in front of her. Finally, there was a glimmer and she said, "This is it! This is the crack we have been looking for," Penny couldn''t believe they had finally found it, "We need something sharp to open it up." "That won''t be necessary. Move back, Lady Penelope," Sister Jera pulled out the capsules she had made. Moving back herself, "This should be enough," saying it, she threw the capsule that touched the surface of the ground to st with fire in it. Suddenly with the impact of the fire on the crack, of the mirrored box they were in, the entire surrounding broke down like a .s.s that had encapsted them. When both Penny and Sister Jera turned their heads around, they noticed they were not in a loop anymore as the sky was pouring with water and the clouds were thundering suddenly, bringing them back to the real forest. "We need to find a shelter," Penny shouted the words even though Sister Jera was standing next to her because the rain was numbing every other sound around them which made it difficult for them to hear anything. Not knowing if the girl heard her, Penny caught her hand and started to search for a possible tree that wasrge enough to shelter them. The atmosphere had turned considerably dark that made the sky look as if it was the hour of the night. And in the darkness of the forest stood a person behind a tree watching the two females making their way through the rain. On their way, the girls finally found the people who were standing under the trees. When they went close enough to share the s.p.a.ce, the vampire who stood under it pulled the sword from his back. "I don''t think he wants ourpany," Sister Jera shouted in the rain, "I have an idea! Come with me!" she said and Penny followed her. When they came to stand near a barren patch ofnd where there were fewer trees around, the white witch bent down and ced her hand. In a few seconds, the mud rose from the ground, higher and higher until it formed a half cave-like structure. They quickly stepped inside it to stop the rain from hitting them that had been pelting on their skin. Finding the ck witches was not only difficult but it appeared to be impossible. Penny wondered why Damien had sent her here. Though he told her he wanted her to be the eyes and ears of this exam, she hadn''t been able to aplish anything so far. When they air breezed through both of them s.h.i.+vered, their skins raising up gooseb.u.mps. "What are we going to do, Lady Penelope?" asked Sister Jera who was now rubbing her hands. "We need to wait for the rain to stop and find the other white witches from the church. They must have seen something off if possible unless they are stuck in the mirroring box. Try to rest until then," Penny suggested as they had been walking for hours without a pause.?Sister Jera nodded her head and went to the corner of the cave to stop the air from breezing where she was. The rain took its own time to stop and when it did, they finally moved in search of the other white witches. Penny saw how some of the candidates were searching for the dead bodies that were in here as they walked by them. They were still walking when they heard a scream from a far distance that made the girls stop walking forward. The scream was of a woman that came from behind. They quickly ran towards the voice they heard and came upon to see some of the people who had gathered themselves in front of a tree. Helen stood at the front with a horrified expression on her face while the rest continued to stare at the tree with a shocked expression. Walking closer to it, Sister Jera gasped bringing her hands up to her mouth. Penny''s eyes moved from the bark of the tree and up to see heads that were separated from the bodies stuck on to the tree-like some sort of fruit. Penny recognized the people there because some of them were the white witches they were looking for. The people who worked in the church. Chapter 636 Who Is Who- Part 1 The trees held the bodies as well as the heads on the branches of them. Helen had screamed loud enough to gather everyone around in the forest, enough for everyone to be able to hear her. Penny stepped closer to the tree,ing to stand next to Helen who took a couple of steps back to distance herself from the tree. She took a closer look to notice that their necks didn''t appear to be cut using any weapon but it looked as if it had been torn out of their bodies that left the bottom part of the neck uneven. It was obviously a ck witch''s work but who could it be? If she were to turn around to look at everyone''s hands she would have known but wouldn''t it rebuke doubts and enmity? At the same time, Penny said to herself that this was apet.i.tion where everyone was trying to outwit people but who would have thought that someone would pull a stunt like this. Their end goal was to be in the council. One of the human, male candidates spoke out loud, "Who did this?" Penny turned around to see the man look at every one. What she didn''t do, this man was doing and she could already see the people around giving him looks for pointing his finger at them. One of the vampires spoke, "Who cares who did it," this raised some eyebrows but a lot didn''t mind, and Penny noticed the way people didn''t care about the others, "A forest is never a safe ce and one needs to be careful unless you want to turn dead. The forest contains many unseen things." Sister Jera who should have stayed quiet stepped up in anger as the people on the tree were the people who she knew and had worked for years since she had appeared in the church under the wing of Father Antonio, "Just because you don''t care doesn''t remove the fact that there is a killer or killers amongst us. To kill so many people¡­" her voice trailed. "You are using people of no reason, human," the vampiress crossed her hands who stood near her, "The killer might be someone who is not part of us. Why would anyone go killing people when the task has nothing to do with it? We are here to find dead bodies which must be decaying and rotting somewhere." There was a reason to kill them, thought Penny to herself. It was because they had lost the white witches who hade from the church and the only white witches they knew was Penelope and Jera. They were in air of ck witches with a little amount of vampire, vampiress with some humans with them. Penny turned her head back as the people continued to bicker about who did it, she looked at the tree again. The death was mixed, it was made to look like not a certain number of people were targeted. Whoever had killed them, knew that Penny and Jera were searching for the ck witches, and to make it look like a random kill they had killed more than the white witches. Her hand clutched to her side at the thought of their death. She had hoped for the exam to continue smoothly without anyone needed to die but this was only the beginning. Out of twenty-four hours, they had lost around six hours leaving them with eighteen hours more to survive andplete the task which was given out by the council. And out of forty examinees, it appeared that only twenty-five were left to take part in finding the dead bodies. "Why don''t we all bring our hands up and see how clean our hands are?" spoke another man but this wasn''t going to help one bit, thought Penny to herself. Everyone started to raise their hands to find it to be clean. "Look at his hands!" one of them pointed out the hands of the other to find the hands not so clean. The woman rolled her eyes to say, "I slipped and fell down. What do you expect from this dirty, murky ground?" she turned around to show her dress that had caught mud which had dried. "Maybe we should fight each other to know who is who?" Jera spoke out and Penny wished the young witch wouldn''t have spoken it. "Why should we fight each other?" asked Helen, her expression turning confused and the rest of them s.h.i.+fted their gaze from the other female to Jera. Penny not knowing how to make a quick save said, "By the looks of how the body has been disyed, I think she means there might be a witch amongst us." "What witch?" "Witches are not supposed to take part in the exam." "That is true, they are not allowed to work in the council." "I don''t think there are any witches, it looks more like a vampire as humans have no strength to tear all of them." Murmurs and talk went around the people as they put up their opinion of what and how they felt. "If there is a witch or a witcher, we need to burn them right away!" "Aye! Burn them before they kill us!" This went slightly in a different direction than she had expected, thought Penny to herself. "If there is a witch, how do we find out?" asked one of them. The vampire who had appeared to be uncaring about the people''s deathsughed, "Isn''t that easy? You segregated the witches from the humans and then you tested the humans out. Obviously, vampires cannot be witches," as much as Penny would have loved to agree to it in the past, it didn''t hold for the present. "That''s right. Let''s a.s.sort the people and test before we know who the next person is going to be killed," came another voice. The humans were unhappy hearing this as if they were being used of something they had no hand in. They didn''t bother to move but stood their ground and friction of tension started to form between the people around her. The first voice as expected was Helen''s who appeared to be miffed with the idea of sorting, "What do you mean you need to keep an eye on humans? Ie from a respectable house, you dare point your fingers at me," she red down at the man even though in reality she was shorter than the vampire who had suggested segregation. Chapter 637 Who Is Who- Part 2 It was a fair idea if Penny didn''t know that the ck witches had turned themselves to vampires. There might be ck witches who had not turned themselves and along with that, there were people who were turned which in total went to speak on how every person here was a suspect except for herself, Sister Jera who was out of the question to be suspected as the girl was with her and also Helen who had not stopped ring at the man as if he wouldbust himself into ash in time. This was not going to end and it was going to be in the loop. "There is no fighting with each other when there''s a task to bepleted," Penny spoke up for people to turn to look at her, "The council doesn''t have a limit when ites to how many can be qualified. All we need to do is bring the dead bodies to them and try not to kill each other in the process." "It is easy to be said,dy," came the vampire''s words, who stood at the other end leaning himself against the tree, "What if there is only one body and what if there are no bodies?" "Are you saying you will kill the people to im them as a dead body?" people started to question each other again. "Have you no morals?" "But that wouldn''t work, would it? Didn''t the councilman say he needed the bodies that have turned old?" The leaning vampire said, "I don''t think any of us have morals here. I am sure we all want to be part of the council and desperately wanting to prove ourselves. I was born a vampire and vampires like me have no morals," he grinned to showcase his fangs that peeked out of his mouth. "Who knows it might be one of you vampires then," Sister Jeramented and everyone started to point their hands at each other like children with no resolve. The vampiress next to Jera said, "Pointing at fingers is only wasting our time. We all knew what we signed up for when he started with the first exam. I am going to search the dead bodies but I will tell one thing here, if there is a killer here, beware cause I will kill you if you think about eliminating me," saying that the woman left on her own and the people started to disperse one after another. Jera looked at the people leaving and she walked towards the tree and her knees went weak as she fell down on the ground as her chest was filled with grief. The young witch couldn''t believe that they were dead and no one in here cared about dead people. Sister Jera''s eyes burned and the drops of tears started to fall down from her eyes on her cheeks. The people who had been torn apart were her family in the church. After moving from her parent''s home to Bonke, this was her home where she grew up. Penny went to stand behind the girl and she ced her hand on her shoulder where the young white witch had her head bowed dead with the silent tears falling down on herp. She gave the girl the time she needed in grieving the death of her fellow witches and then they started to make a move. As if the deaths weren''t enough after three hours pa.s.sed they found a pile of bodies that were torn apart in two halves. Penny covered her face like the rest of them to stop the a.s.saulting smell wafting across her nose. This time Penny and Sister Jera were the first ones to step on the death scene and the people who were pa.s.sing by caught sight and came to stand in front of it. "People here don''t understand when it was clearly told that there are more seats that are avable for people to join into the council," said the vampiress who had left earlier, "They don''t understand that they don''t have to kill people to step ahead of the rest of them but people don''t or won''t stop. It is verymon for people to do that. I am Sally White," introduced the vampiress. "Penelope." "Jera." Both the girls introduced themselves to the vampiress who stared at them, her deep red eyes looking at them calctingly before she said, "You don''t appear to be humans," this had both of them slightly taken aback by the woman''s words, "You smell different." Sister Jeraughed nervously at the fear of their cover being blown and shredded into pieces, "What do you mean by that,dy?" The woman continued to stare at them before saying, "I have a sense of smell. It makes it easier to smell the kind of creatures people are," this was no good news at all, "I followed you both to make sure you both weren''t the ones who are killing the candidates here. You," said the vampiress pointing at Sister Jera to say, "You are a white witch and you," the woman turned to look at Penny with a frown on her face, "I am having trouble finding out what you are." Sister Jera was sure now that it was their turn to be killed with the rest of them and though the temperature was cool in the forest with a slight amount of humidity, she could feel her forehead perspire with sweat. Penny, on the other hand, looked at the vampiress, a pureblooded vampire with a gift meant a person who belonged to the first three generations, "What generation of vampiress are you?" Penny asked in a fearless tone of voice. Sally happened to s.h.i.+ft her eyes to Penny to say, "The third generation of vampires. I see that both of you are barely interested in finding the bodies." "Are you here to invigte?" Penny asked to see the woman smile. Did the smile mean yes? "I don''t know what you are talking about," replied Sally, who had Penny wondering if the whole matter was top-secret and she happened to know about the secret of who had joined them in thepet.i.tion of the task, "There are thirteen people left out of the people who hade here initially. I wouldn''t be surprised if the number reduced further." "Thirteen?" asked Penny, her eyebrows furrowing in question. "I came across some dead bodies on my way here," answered the vampiress. Chapter 638 Who Is Who- Part 3 Penny couldn''t believe that the ck witch or witches were killing people without any tact. Not even half a day had been pa.s.sed and the count of people had been reduced to more than half in the forest. "How are they killing people?" asked Sister Jera, "We haven''t heard a single sh of sound or noise during their time of death, "Did you smell any other witches?" the girl looked hopeful. Sally twisted her lips to say, "There was one more person in the crowd though it was hard to tell who it wasing from." The first confirmation was the deaths, and the second confirmation was that apart from Penny and Jera, there was one more witch who was not on their side. Another confirmation was that the council had sent a vampiress to keep an eye which meant it wasn''t just Penny and Jera who knew about the involvement of the witches but also this woman named Sally. Though the woman had not spoken out loud about what she was doing here, Penny and Jera guessed that this woman was actually part of the council and maybe someone who never came out in the public that turned her into a spy. Hours were pa.s.sing by quickly that they had forgotten to keep track of time and now the sky was turning dark, "With only thirteen people alive, how are we going to find out who is who? Who is the witch that keeps killing the people one after another?" asked Jera. It was indeed a problematic situation at the same time, Penny didn''t know if she should be happy that their search had narrowed down or to mourn for the people who lost their lives. "We let them go on to find the bodies while we try to trap and target one after another," Sally said, taking the lead. And though the vampiress had let out a secret, Penny wasn''t sure she was ready to trust her but nheless, it was better to stick to each other in-group than be killed and piled in-group like whaty next to her. Both the white witches nodded and started to find the nearest person out of the ten people excluding them. When they heard a rustle not too far from they were, Penny said, "Take your position!" The three females took different directions to hide behind the trees to finally see the vampire who had no moralsing through the path of where they stood. The way he was walking it didn''t appear that he was looking for the dead bodies right now. With his hands in his trouser pockets, he continued to walk while Jera readied herself to throw the little perfume on his way before he would reach it, waiting for Penny''s signal. And as the man continued to walk in the deserted path, Penny tried remembering the words of the councilman before he left the forest. The task was about getting the dead bodies that were rotten. Were the council memberszy to notplete the case if they knew there were dead bodies here??There might be some sketchy people in the council but she doubted that people would ever ck, why would the council give armatures who still hadn''t pa.s.sed the exam to look for dead people. It was disrespectful to the dead to keep them lying here instead of giving them burial...wait a second, thought Penny to herself. Sister Jera who was still waiting for Penelope''s word where thedy appeared to be staring at a tree in the dark. Penelope was not part of the council, therefore, she didn''t know the in and out of what was going on but the woman named Sally should have known. She remembered the words she spoke a few minutes ago, ''We let them go on to find the bodies while we try to trap and target one after another.'' When Penny''s eyes met Sister Jera''s eyes, the girl waited for a sign that never came but Penny stepped out of the hiding that had the vampire stop walking and give a look at her. "Creeping up on me out of nowhere. Are you the one killing the people?" asked the vampire to her. Sister Jera appeared shocked and she who was leaning to the side missed her footing due to the slippery soil beneath her feet and ended uping out in the eyes of the vampire. "Oh, ackey and another one," the vampire continued toment on seeing the vampiress step out from the shadow, "I was wondering how there were so many bodies being piled one after another that only ten of us are remaining right now out of the total examinees who hade here, shouldn''t have been difficult for the three of you to pull the show." "We didn''t do it," Penny replied back to his false ims, "We were making sure that you weren''t the one killing them." Jera came to stand next to Penny and at that time, Penny s.n.a.t.c.hed the spray from her hand and sprayed it on the vampiress''s face leaving everyone confused. The woman stumbled behind catching hold of her face where Penny had sprayed the moment she hade close. "Oh my G.o.d!" Jera whispered under her breath when the vampiress let go of her face to see the woman''s face start to change to a scale-like appearance. They were walking with the ck witch all this time? If the woman was informed about her earlier, she wouldn''t have had the question of who she was unless she faking it.?Considering that there were no dead bodies, then there was only one thing that was dead here. The organs of the people who had been killed to be ced in the body of the witches. The woman should have known about it yet she had spoken about the dead bodies. At the same time, it also meant that the woman knew who and why Penny hade out of nowhere. "You found out sooner than I expected," said the ck witch with her red eyes. Chapter 639 Improvised Witch- Part 1 Dropping a note that I will officially be jobless after this Tuesday. Webnovel will be the only way I will be earning. Also, apologies for the errors in the chapters. I usually write and post immediately. . It took Penny some time to notice and realize the way the vampiress was behaving since the start. At first in front of everyone she had put up a front simr to the vampire as if she didn''t care but when they met again seeing the bodies being sliced, there was a certain kind of urgency by putting both Penny and Jera against the rest of the ten members. "How is she a witch and a vampire? The council exams are not for the witches" the vampire looked as if in shock who they were going to attack previously. The ck witch didn''t heed to the vampire''s words but instead looked at Penny, "I thought it was only rumored but it appears that you are a witch too." This had the vampire stare at Penelope and then to look at Sister Jera, "You are the girl who was in Valeria. You visited Valeria." Penelope didn''t reply to the ck witch and instead was wondering how to catch hold of her. The council members wanted the ck witches alive and not dead. If they were dead, they would be of no use. She didn''t know how much more cautious she had to be. How did she even know that she was there in Valeria and if she wasn''t wrong she was indicating what happened there. They had killed both the magistrates and they had also killed the Artemis couple which meant no one would have known but it looked like the information had somehow slipped out and reached this woman. "Your mother was looking for," said the ck witch, and Penny''s hands suddenly turned cold hearing this, "I was only joking but she''s definitely got you in the grind, hasn''t she?" the woman threw her head back,ughing. "Where is she?" Penny humored the woman. She wanted to know where exactly her mother was so that she could finish what her mother had started. "So curious," the ck witch slurred the words, walking around them, "Thest I knew she was somewhere on the border in here Bonke. Didn''t shee to see you?" she gave a look of pity to Penny. It seemed like people were aware of the dynamics between her beloved mother and her. "Do we start it now, Lady Penelope?" Sister Jera asked who pulled out the capsules. Penny wished she could pull the trigger from the gun that was with her but if she did that, the woman would not be alive anymore, "Yeah, I think it is time." She pulled out the pins that were modified since the time she had found out she would be attending the council exam. Both Penny and Jera had improvised their tools so that they could be used. "It is funny how the witches came all prepared to only end up on the trees in such a manner," the ck witch clicked her tongue, "Poor them but then like I said, they should have already known what they have signed up for. It isn''t like many people evere alive after the second examination. I am sure people will mourn you once all of you are dead. After getting inside the council, I will be sure to give you the respect of death so that you don''t feel bad." "You speak very confidently," Penny responded back to her words. "Is there a reason I should be scared?" asked the ck witch, "Do you think I am some mere person?" and just as she said that, tentacles appeared behind her back reminding her of a creature that prowled deep down in the sea. It looked like the extended appendage she had seen in the witch back in theboratory. That one had in her hands and this one, she had up to six tentacles that were moving like snakes in the air. "She looks like a monster," Jeramented and suddenly the tentacles came to harm all the three of them which included the man who was caught with them. The tentacle didn''t have a specific length as it extended as far as they went without any limit. As time flew by, the three of them continued to fight and dodge the tentacle without a moment of rest. There was no point saving the woman if they were going to die in this. To even take a bullet and throw at her was useless right now as she stood there smiling with her ck witch scaled face without lifting a finger and letting the tentacles do their job. It looked like they had a mind of their own. It didn''t take long for the tentacle to throw them across the ground. Sister Jera missed her .s.ses as it fell off her face and she started to search for it but seeing the tentacle move towards her, she left her .s.ses and went behind the tree to take cover that only led to the tree having a hold and breaking into two halves. She jumped away quickly before the branches would fall from her. The amount she was running right now, Sister Jera was sure she would lose the remaining weight from her body. On the other hand, the vampire had pulled his ws and fangs out which wasn''t as much use except for keeping the tentacle from reaching him. Penny on the other hand who was about to pull the gun out and in her hand was knocked far away from where she stood by the tentacle. When she tried to reach for it, the tentacle came in between her and the gun, not letting her get close to the gun. She took a step back, turning around, she started to run and the tentacle came right at her. No matter how many zig-zag steps she took, it resulted in the trees getting sabotaged as the tentacle chased her. Taking a sharp turn, she started to run back from where she had started to finally pick up the gun she had lost previously. Penny didn''t care about the ck witch being alive. Right now what they had to do was kill the woman and see how many more ck witches they had apany. She shot at the tentacle using the gun which was made of silver and for a moment she believed that it had worked until the tentacle came to curl around her body. Chapter 640 Improvised Witch- Part 2 Penny struggled to get away from it, but whatever this thing was only started to squeeze her and with her one hand still out, she slipped the needle she had made to push it into the tentacles body. The needle was a small one while each tentacle grew long and thick like a snake''s body that was ten-twenty times thicker in diameter. "Your little tricks won''t work on me. Do you think you have worked with a creature like me? I might be a ck witch but I am an improved version that you cannot beat. None of you can," said the ck witch continuing tough at their child-like antics, "I will make sure you have the bloodiest death." "Why are you doing this?" Penny shouted in pain as her body started to be squeezed further and further where she hardly keep up with and was worried she would either be squished in the coils or would stop breathing, "You already have the touch of ck magic in you. What is the point of harming innocent people and sacrificing them?" "Where are we sacrificing? We are offering the innocent to the G.o.ds. To the white witches as a pleading for them to unlock the magic. Did you forget how many ck witches have been sacrificed in the name of justice? Where was the justice when the ck witches hadn''t done anything but had only gone and killed more people by the witch hunters." "Is that why you are working with the witch hunters?" Penny questioned the woman. Sister Jera who was still hiding under the trees one after another while damaging the trees together with the tentacle pulled out a bunch of capsules to throw at the tentacle to see it catch fire, reducing its movements and soon the tentacle started to recede away and towards the woman like a wounded creature. But another two came at her this time instead of one and Jera ran as fast as her legs could carry her. At one point she was sure the wind was carrying her in the speed she ran. "You already have the magic-" "It is not enough. We want all of it for the injustice that people have created. Who are the pureblooded vampires or the white witches to shut something that rightfully belonged to us? It was our magic! Our life was taken away! Do you know that there were some witches who were good and some bad? How can you tell the people you belong to are the right ones when they are the ones who started the war?" the woman questioned her. "How can you tell you the ck witches are good when all you do is sacrifice lives as you did just now. Don''t you see that you killed people who were not part of this-" Penny''s words were cut off by the woman. "Are you calling the people you brought in here to be innocent who hade here to capture and torture me?" the woman c.o.c.ked her head in question, "All of you came here to capture us." "We wouldn''t if you hadn''t bothered to keep your nose out of people''s business," Penny countered back when the tentacle carried her towards the ck witch. She noticed how her eyes were fluctuating between red and slit eyes as if the organs that had been transferred wasn''t stable yet. "You speak as if you know everything. Tell me," the woman demanded and when Penny said nothing, the tentacle around Penny squeezed her further that had the young girl screaming out in pain. "How many more of you are out there?" Penny asked the woman when she released the tentacle for her to speak. "What are you going to do with the number when you won''t be alive to see who was who," the ck witch chuckled. "Tell me," Penny said looking at the woman who stared back at her. The woman smirked, "Just some of them. You don''t have to concern yourself with it," On the other side behind them, the vampire was struggling with the tentacle as he tried stopping it from grabbing him. As the woman''s concentration went to the man, chuckling to herself, Penny took the opportunity to slip her hands back to pull out the rest of the needles and capsules from her pocket and she threw the capsules first at the tentacles and then pushed the needles all together into the coil around that finally loosened around her, making her fall down on the ground. Taking the opportunity quickly as the ck witch appeared to be distracted, Penny clutched the gun in her hand. Putting the needle into the nozzle of the gun and pulled the trigger,unching the needle towards the witch that went straight to the woman''s head. For a few seconds, it was as if the time had frozen as the tentacles had stopped moving and so did the witch, she looked frozen. And then slowly her tentacles started to evaporate and it was just her eyes that moved to look at what was happening. Inch by inch the tentacles turned to dust and before it reached her, the woman said, "I am an improvised witch...this is not supposed to h-happen." It was true that the ck witch was a different kind due to which the earlier, older weapons would not work on her but after visiting Murkh''s office, Penny had taken some of the samples and with his help, she had created a different potion before dipping the needles into them. Penny didn''t go to respond to the ck witch as her body started to crumble and fall down into a pile of ash. "Did she die?" Sister Jera asked, tired and exhausted with all the running. She came walking to where Penny was, "She''s gone," whispered Penny and her eyes moved to look at the vampire who had his back leaned against the tree as he breathed for the needed air. "What if the others turn out to be like this?" Jera asked, worried as handling one witch was difficult and if the others turned out to be like this, there was no telling what would happen. Penny took a deep breath and said, "We kill them." Chapter 641 Ritual Of Black Witches- Part 1 Penny and the rest of the party stared at the witch who had turned to dust. For a witch to turn to dust because of getting burnt or killed by the silver bullets wasn''t anything new but since Penny had met the male witcher in the house fo the magistrate, she didn''t understand why her needles nor the bullets had helped when it came to killing thempletely, which was how the body had been taken to the council for Murkh to take a look at it. Knowing and understanding that the witch had been operated to turn to a vampire, Penny had created the potion of poison ordingly for the ck witches which had worked like a charm. "Witches are not supposed to be taking part in the council," she heard the vampire who was leaning against the tree speak to no one in particr. His face was contorted in pain as he tried to catch his breath, "What''s going on, and what was that thing?!" Like them, the man stared at the octopus-like tentacles that had left a mark on the ground, having a stark contrast of grey dust against the muddy brown and ck ground. "There are ck witches who have entered the exam and want to get through the council for their own use," Penny filled him in as this man appeared to be safe to talk to. He was a proper vampire who had not been turned into a vampire from being a ck witch, therefore, she said, "There has been a certain movement in the background of the world where the ck witches are trying to regain their powers by getting the ck magic which had been locked away for several years now." The vampire pushed himself from the tree and ced his hand on his back trying to stretch, "You''re telling me there are more powers to the ck witch than what they are now?" Penny gave him a nod. The ck witches were more powerful as they were corrupt. It was usually the corrupt creatures who were powerful because of their reach to different sources. If the ck witches were returned with the unbound magic that was hidden and still notpletely reachable to them, then it was possible that it wasn''t just the pureblooded vampires who would be strong but also the ck witches who would end up in a war. The reason why the ck witches'' magic was locked away was that the first generation pureblooded vampires must have predicted something. This had led them to the pureblooded vampires to get the white witches to lock the ck witches'' power but in the end, even the white witches were feared for the damage ck witches had done on the people. "So what are you white witches doing here?" asked the vampire curiously, "You do know that witches cannot enter the council, right?" "Yes, but the ck witches who are in the exam right now can enter the premises. Their bodies have been manipted," Penny exined to him to hear himment, "Clearly I can see that. She spoke about improvisation and here I thought she was a vampiress." Looks could be deceiving, thought Penny to herself. Who to trust was like walking on a thin thread while not trying to step wrongly on it for it to break. "Why is she killing the people?" the vampire asked wanting to know what was going on as he felt involved. He hade toplete the task but he didn''t know there were going to be so many deaths. He had heard about the second exams but who knew it would turn to a gore. "So what are you doing here then?" the vampire continued. Sister Jera wiped the sweat before walking towards the main body that had been burnt, bending down and collecting the samples of it. "We are here to catch the ck witches. Before meeting you, she said there are thirteen of us but with her gone, there are twelve of us remaining," which meant the three of them were in the clear leaving nine more examinees as suspects, thought Penny to herself, "We need to find and kill them. If possible bring one alive." "Why not spray on them and get the answers?" on his question, Penny pursed her lips. "If it was that easy, the council would have done it but it seems like someone has been giving them information," the witch knew about her being at the Artemis house and it bugged in her mind to know who had told her about it. The humans were under spell, therefore, making it impossible that they would know anything about it. Who had tipped the information? Another thing that bothered her was the words regarding her mother. For voodoo magic to take ce, the performer should have been in a close distance range. The ck witch had told how her mother was still near the border thest she heard and Bonke wasn''t a smallnd. It was one of thergest out of the fournds. It only meant that thest voodoo that had been performed on her was not done by her mother but someone else. Penelope had not made many enemies except for the silly girls who wanted to put her down but she doubted any of them were witches as they were still sc.r.a.ping from the life they had. "We don''t know how much the witches have modified themselves," Penny said, picking up the needles, she had used, she saw how they had turned ck from silver after injecting it into the tentacles earlier, "The spray might now work on everyone and we can''t fight all of them at a time. It would result in us turning to one of the dead bodies in the forest." "What about the task then? Are there no dead bodies?" he asked in frustration. The man had skipped thest exam which was conducted before this one and when he heard about this exam, he had given his name to attend but who knew he would end up in a mix. Penny turned to him as Jera stood up after taking the sample of the dust, "There are dead bodies. More like dead people''s organs that have been transferred to the ck witch''s body. We need to bring them to the council. That is the task," the man frowned to say nothing as he let the information in his mind, "We need to head and find the rest of them one by one. We don''t know if there are innocent people out of the nine examinees or if all nine are ck witches. Maybe except for one who is an idiot." Chapter 642 Ritual Of Black Witches- Part 2 "Are you speaking about the human girl?" Sister Jera asked Penny remembering the girl''s childish remarks while she had looked down upon Penny. "Yes, but let''s not rule her out. It would be better to have a more stringent check than be sorry," Penny replied to Sister Jera who quickly nodded her head in agreement. Penny was unsure if the vampire was going to stay here or was going on his own way therefore when both the girls started to walk, they heard him, "I wille with you. You aren''t looking to pa.s.s the exam while I am. It will be easier to attain the dead bodies and pa.s.s the exam," said the vampire, his red eyes fluctuating to look at both the men and he walked towards them. Penny didn''t mind hispany. The more people she had on their side to beat the ck witches the better and easier it would be to capture the ck witches. The three of them left the ce and started to walk in search of the next person. The forest was lush and wide, and with the thick trees and leaves that covered part of the sky, they could see in the uncovered part the sky had turned dark to an inky hue. "What''s your name?" Sister Jera asked the vampire as they knew nothing about him. "Henry," he answered without asking the girl''s name but Sister Jera introduced herself and Penelope, "I am Jera and this is Lady Penelope," the man gave a curt nod and continued to walk along with them. After they walked for twenty minutes in silence, the vampire asked, "How do you have so many weapons with you? Is it a witch thing?" "We brought the weapons from the church," Penny was the one to answer him. "And here I thought a church was a holy ce. Creating weapons to kill the ck witches, how interesting. Do you think I could borrow one?" he asked them to hear the answer from both the girls, "No." He might not be harmful now but they didn''t know how things could turn in their favor or against them. The weapons they had created to kill the ck witches could also be used on them. It hadn''t been tested on white witches but what they had in their hands and pockets, it was a higher dose of poison which could kill Penelope as well as Jera. The trio stopped walking to rest for a few minutes while also drinking water as they had stopped near a bank of the river. Penny sat close to the edge of the water, scooping the water with both her hands and sipping the sweet water as she took one sip after another to quench her thirst. The other two were aiming at the branch of the trees to have the fruits that were hanging there fall down. Penny sat down next to Jera, and seeing the vampire nowhere in sight, she asked, "Where did he go?" "To hunt an animal I think," answered Sister Jera who was busy taking bites into the fruit she was eating. Penny realized that the man was a vampire who needed to feed on blood. d that he didn''t pick her or the girl sitting next to her as a meal, she ate the fruits that had been pulled down. Wondering what it was and how much more was left, Penny pulled out the pocket watch from her pocket to see there was less than twelve hours they had in hand and nine people to inspect. At the same time, Penny wondered what a long process this was when it came to pulling out information from the ck witches. One of the ways could have been where the witches could be caught during the first exam but there were too many people who would have died and even in the second exam, there were deaths. Only that the number of people who died was fewer if onepared to the what-if situation in the first exam. Minutes pa.s.sed by but the vampire didn''t return that made Penelope worry if something had happened. Walking out and alone had turned out not to be an option as it was riskier to be targeted and killed than when they were in a group. Slightly worried, Penny said to Jera, "We need to look for the man," the younger witch nodded her head, throwing the remnants of the fruit which was going to eat. Just as they were about to leave the ce, the man returned back, seeing them stand up and ready to leave. Penny stared at the man for a few seconds, her eyes quickly trying to catch any oddity from his behavior or appearance, when she said, "We need to get moving. We are running out of time," and they started to continue their walk in the forest. Searching and looking for the next living person. After the heavy rain during the time of noon, the sky had considerably cleared and one could see the moon hovering up in the sky. Penny, who noticed it, wondered how the sky had cleared right away. She found it to be rather suspicious that it had happened so quickly in a span of a few hours because the way it had looked during the time of morning and noon it was as if the rain would arrive back during the time of night or midnight. Something didn''t feel right. It was as if they knew most of the things apart from who the ck witches were but there was a piece that was missing from this whole event. Penny knew she wasn''t overthinking this time. And then they came to find another body which was ced on the tree. "Only the ck witches love to stick people on the tree," said the vampire named Henry, "A vampire will often tear people''s hearts out. We don''t like dirtying our hands unless it is required." "Eight more," Sister Jeramented and Penny shook her head. "Look ahead there," she tipped her head towards another tree to see two more men who were stuck on to the trees, "Five more," as time pa.s.sed by the number was narrowing one after another and every time they came upon a dead body, it only told them that those people who had died in here were innocent people, people who weren''t part of this unneeded fight. Something shed in front of Penny''s eyes and a light headache started to increase at the back of her head. She remembered seeing a paper in a person''s small hands. ''What are you looking at?'' Chapter 643 Ritual Of Black Witches- Part 3 Penelope heard the voice which appeared to be distant. She had to turn away from the bodies, walking towards the tree and cing her hand on the rough bark of the tree while she wheezed for some air. It had been months since she found her mother''s true nature and intentions, and she was still coping every time a memory hit as if she were reliving the moment all over again. The little girl read what was there in there, her eyes turning wide when she turned to face her mother before the parchment of paper was s.n.a.t.c.hed away from her hands. ''Sacrifice white, red, and the human under the clear at the month and date after the ritual with the animals. The white witch should be the daughter of a ck witch, the vampire from the lowest status.'' Penny took in a sharp breath, her head felt light and dizzy and she clutched her hands onto the tree so that she wouldn''t fall. "What is today''s date?" she asked them while trying to make her head stop spinning along with the headache that had formed near her temples and forehead. "It is the seventeenth of the month," Jera answered her,ing to where Penelope was, she asked, "Are you alright?" thedy''s face had turned pale as if she had seen a ghost. Penny shook her head, "We need to get out of this forest right now!" "Why?" the vampire furrowed his brows, wondering what was going on. "Because this is a setup," Penny cursed her memory before saying, "Do you know your way out of the forest? We need to hurry before the moon turns to the color of gold," all the three looked up at the sky to see the moon was no longer just white but it was having a hue of yellow around the edges of itself. Henry was still on clear and he wanted answers, "Could you exin what exactly is going on-" Penny pulled out the gun to point it to him, "This is a revolver and has the bullets which can kill a vampire. Now you either show us the way out or you die with us here. As I said, we are running out of time." Henry rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath and starting to walk and they followed. Pa.s.sing by the dead bodies that were hung, Penny tried to recollect the memory trying to see if she read anything more than that. Only if her mother didn''t know how to erase memories maybe she would have known the truth long ago, but at the same time, her mother had not done a good job when it came to erasing it either. What she knew was a piece of confidential information which not many were aware of. Not even Sister Jera knew about it. Should could feel her heart beating like a clock that was ticking quickly with blood rus.h.i.+ng through her veins. No one would have ever thought about it that the ck witches had fooled the council. The person performing this ritual was aware that Penelope would take part in it and it was necessary to have her here. Even the dates of the exam had fallen right under the ritual day to perform and funnily it happened every once in a year. If the other witch knew about Penelope and her mother it meant there were some who knew about her. The child of a ck witch who was supposed to be a white witch. "Jera, the witches who work in the council. Did anyone have a parent who was a ck witch and white witch?" she asked the girl. "There were two of them," so that meant it wasn''t directed towards her, "T-they died back there," they had killed the white witches who could be used for sacrifice while keeping her alive. Was there a change in the n? Why though, asked Penny to herself. On their way, they found another body that appeared to be a vampire''s as they saw the man''s fangs. They hurried quickly and Penny constantly kept looking at the ground to find the markings. It had been more than thirteen hours which meant it was enough to mark the ground to have a ritual be ced. Henry finally stopped and he then looked to his left and right. He said, "There was supposed to be a path here. The same ce the councilmen left us before the exammenced." "You''re telling us it disappeared?" Sister Jera questioned him. "Yes. I don''t understand, it was right here," the man had made markings on trees on regr intervals of s.p.a.ce and time which now led to nowhere. Turning around and walking towards the tree with the marking, he frowned, "Someone erased it. One of the ck witches mislead us." The ck witches had been tailing them that made her question if they were tailing them even now. Penny pulled out three capsules in the palm of her hand. She threw the first one as far as she could, the capsule dropping softly to only explode into a fire where one of the branches of the tree started to burn. She took the next capsule to throw it behind them and then the next to the side such that each side had a tree that had caught fire. Pulling out another one, she looked around before throwing above them which sted with smoke and fire and a ck witch fell on the ground whoughed. "We didn''t know weapons were allowed in the examination," said the ck witch who fell to stand up right away. Her tongue slithered out of her mouth while her eyes were ck. Human, "We thought we would y with you but you killed one of ourpanions." Another three witches came outside from their hiding while holding a captive male who was undoubtedly a human. They needed a vampire, a human and white witch but Penny had thought it would have been Helen. Did she die? And as if on thought, Helen stepped from behind the tree, her footsteps firm on the ground as she made her presence known with a smile on her face as she looked at Penelope. Chapter 644 Burning Forest- Part 1 She looked at the young girl from behind the tree, her dress picking up the mud as it grazed over the forest ground. Penny didn''t know what Helen was doing here with these people and she saw the girl give her a mocking smile as if to tell how stupid she was. Did breaking one bottle on her head, had loosened the screws in her head? Her brows furrowed then at the thought of what the other ck witch they hade across earlier had told when Sister Jera had asked if she knew another white witch. Apart from Penelope and Jera, the rest of the white witches who hade from the church had been killed with their heads torn apart. She had told them that there was one other white witch who she wasn''t able to point out. She finally understood how the woman knew about her presence in Valeria and with the Artemis. It was Helen who had told her. "Are you surprised, Penelope?" asked Helen, and Penny wondered if she was supposed to shake her head right now. "Just a little disappointed," Penny replied back to see the girlugh it off as if she were enjoying catching Penny off guard. Helen pulled out the knife and ran it at the back of her hand, "You shouldn''t be this surprised. I thought you had sure caught up to me." Penny looked at the girl who was shedding her nature in front of her now which she had failed to see before during her time in Valeria. They had met more than once and not once had shee off to be someone who was involved in the ma.s.sacre. "I was sure that you would die in the house but I didn''t expect you to survive. The only person I wanted to survive was Damien and was hoping Mr. and Mrs. Artemis would finish you people off so that I could have the man all for myself but who knew you would be there. And who knew you were a white witch all along. Here, I thought you were a f.u.c.king human but then I am like-" the girl made a face as if she were in shock before her expression turned back to normal. "Still fixated on another woman''s man I see," Pennymented hitting a nerve that had Helen give her a re, "Don''t feel bad but...you are the definition of shamelessness." Another ck witcher who was standing on the right chuckled. Penny remembered the man who had questioned yesterday if she was the one who had broken the bottle on his head. Helen turned her head, raising her hand to whisper something in the air and the witcher''s lips suddenly started to seal in a way as if the mouth was non-existent on his face. Penny gulped softly not knowing what exactly Helen was. If she were a ck witch or a white witch but that wasn''t too difficult. All Penny had to do was remember her reading the book of spells that consisted of the white, ck, and forbidden magic in it. She was a white witch. The spell she just made of the mouth sealing, it was forbidden magic that she was tapping into. "Keep your mouth closed else I will not uplift the curse," Helen told the ck witch. "How did you turn to a witch? I thought you were a human," Penny stated to have the woman turn to look back at Penelope. Helen gave out a sarcastic smile, "I was always a witch. It is just that no one ever noticed it." "But your parents are humans," Penny had met her parents after she had broken the bottle on her head. Her parents had made an uproar which waster calmed down by the Lord of Valeria. Though Penny had been taken to another room, before leaving the hallways, she had seen Helen''s mother who was an elderly woman. "Oh, that," Helene yed with the knife in her hands,?"They aren''t my real parents. You see I was an orphan who was adopted by the Artemis. Do you think the Artemis was doing social service?" "Never thought they did," Penny whispered under her breath as little things started to make sense. The white witch couple who were now dead, they didn''t give away the children just to sacrifice them to the witches, but they also brought in witches to give away to human families, that way it was easier to blend in without making things too obvious to the society. "I just happened to be one of the fortunate witches who didn''t get burned down by the vampires, humans or the council that you so follow," Helen said and then made a face as if she were thinking about something, "You know, I was only being a mere spectator who was collecting information and I wouldn''t have got in here if it weren''t for you." Penny nodded her head, "You are really pitiful. The man rejects you, yet you follow him like a little b.i.t.c.h of a ck witch. I think it would be fit to tell that you came here for me and Damien?" Helen wasn''t liking the way the girl kept prompting on how she was here after being rejected, "For your kind information, Damien showed me enough interest when you weren''t in the picture. It''s not like he will ever suspect that I ever did anything once you are in the picture, I will be the poor girl who saw people die and was left alone in the ma.s.s of death. Isn''t that a good story?" "I might not know some things and frankly I don''t care whates from that mouth of yours because those are delusional words which your consciousness already knows is delusional just like yourself to think that the man will love you for such a sad story," Penny pulled out the gun simr to the way Helen had pulled out her knife, "Have you ever met the real Damien Quinn?" she questioned Helen. This had the younger witchughing with her head thrown back in mirth as if Penny had just cracked a joke which she couldn''t stop. "Do you hear what you are saying? I know Damien for a longer duration of time, isn''t that obvious that I know how he thinks, speaks, or does?" Helen raised her thin eyebrows and it was now that Penny noticed how extremely thin the other girl''s eyebrows were. Chapter 645 Burning Forest- Part 2 She didn''t know if she should pity the girl or go to attack her right away. With the way she was speaking confidently, Penny knew she was the one who was managing the group of ck witchers here. "You are young to know about such things. Time doesn''t guarantee the closeness or the amount of knowledge you have about a person," Penny knew this girl was crazy but she would be crazy enough to get into the council while also finis.h.i.+ng off the ritual to unleash the locked magic of the ck witch, the girl obviously needed another bottle on her head. Penny then continued to say, "It is never the matter of how long you have known but how much you have tried to understand," Damien had told it to the girl on her face on how Penny was his fiance yet this girl had the audacity to keep going on and on about it. "Speak what you may but don''t deny that my closeness bothered you. It did, right? The first time you met me in the market, don''t you see?" Helen shrugged both her shoulders, "How about I make a favor to you? I would have spared your life earlier but when you have walked into their of a witch, how can I let you go? Once you are out of the portrait frame, I will finally have the attention I so deserve." Penny sighed softly while the others suspected "Do you think I am a woman who will not put up a fight? You are the coward here and not me. I hope you get what you deserve." Right after saying this, Helen looked at Penny in rage and shouted at the other witches, "Get them!" and so began the chase of the witches and the single vampire along with the rest who were fighting against each other. The witches as if on cue had their broomsticks ready and avable at hand. They used it to fly ande close to the three people who were in three different directions while Helen stood with the human who was bound by hands, legs, and mouth covered to not utter a single word. Penny ran again in a zig-zag motion and having a ck witch flying on the broom was much more difficultpared to the tentacle that had been attacking them before. The ck witch maneuvered her way easily and Penny had to pull out the capsule that was still left in her pocket to throw it at the witcher. The capsule didn''tunch right at the witch and instead collided with the tree to have another tree burning in fire. What people didn''t notice was that during this chase, one tree after another was catching fire, burning itself, and the ones that were close around it. At one point, Penny lost her footing as the ck witch used some spell to bring the roots of the tree above that held her foot fast and she fell t on the ground. The impact of her body on the ground hurt and she groaned in pain. Turning around she tried to remove the creepers before pulling out a needle and pus.h.i.+ng it into the root that took her quite some time as the root had a hard surface. After the needle was put in, the tree the roots belonged to suddenly withered and wilted away as if out of drought. The ck witch seeing this stopped flying as Penny raised her hand by pulling the gun. The creature with the ck scales stared at her, not knowing what else was stored with the white witch which was poisonous as she nor the other ck witches had ever seen this before. Penny knew the ck witch was being cautious and before Penny could do anything, the woman pulled out a voodoo doll from her pocket, seeing this, Penny wondered how it was going to end. Taking a step back, she stared at the ck witch who muttered quick curses before twisting the arm of the doll but as expected, there was no effect on Penny. She didn''t have the time to y like the ck witches. While the ck witch was still working on her voodoo doll, Penny pulled the trigger and the needle went right into the woman''s neck and in less than ten seconds, the witch stopped moving to fall down on the floor of the ground. As the trees were thick and they were far away, Penny quickly scattered close to the witch, taking the voodoo doll from her nonexistent hand that had turned to dust. She brought the voodoo doll close to her nose, smelling the sticks to see how old they were and then breaking them into pieces to notice that it took a little more effort when it came to breaking the twigs which mean it wasn''t old but a new one. Right now, what Penny didn''t know was if the spell they had made us near the church had been sessful or not. As she carried the leaves of rosemary, she didn''t know if it was the one that had deflected it. When she heard the scream which was undoubtedlying from Jera, Penny ran across the forest, her feet carrying her to the other side to see Jera who was lying on the ground. Penny raised her gun toward Helen who stood next to the other ck witch. Helen had a voodoo doll in her hand, and before she could twist the doll which was obviously working, Penny shouted, "Stop it!" "She is of no use to me," Helen stated, "I have a human, a vampire, and the blood of two different witches running in you. This one is nothing but an unnecessary object. Why don''t you drop your weapon and follow her? We need to start the ritual soon." When Jera cried out in pain again, Penny didn''t know what else to do, "Stop hurting her and I will go," Penny turned the gun to Helen. "Sure." Hearing this, Penny dropped her gun and she started to walk behind the ck witch, taking her where the human was tied. Helen saw how the girl was not moving and was stuck to the forest floor therefore she left the white witch and started to walk back into the open area where they would be performing the ritual. Chapter 664 Give And Take- Part 2 When the morning broke into the sky, for once after many months the sky started to clear out which was a rare sight for the people of Bonke to witness. With different colors in the sky that started with pink, purple, and orange before turning to the color of blue, the sun rays. .h.i.t thend of the East. Letting the trees and the rest of nature bask in the glory of the rare light which was being given to them. The birds flew from one direction to another, pping their wings in a group before moving to another end of the world a person couldn''t follow with their mere eyes. Penelope woke up with a smile on her face when she caught sight of Damien''s face in front of her. As the light on thend, seeing Damien sleep was a rare thing to behold and Penny stared at Damien. Catching sight of how he breathed in silence with his eyes closed and lips slightly parted. She had the sudden urge to touch him but touching him right now while he was still sleeping would mean waking him up from his sleep which she didn''t want to do. How many times did she catch him sleeping? Maybe this was the second time, thought Penny to herself. Unmovingly, she stared at his prince-like face who was a devil and a man who loved annoying every single person around him, and that included her. Maybe he annoyed her less as she was an exception and at that thought, she smiled again. She wondered why today was differentpared to the other days. Was it because she was finally letting go of the doubts and pain she had carried for so long that she couldn''t remember now. It could also be because she was so in love with this man who was asleep next to her that her heart felt full just by the sight of him. Today she was just happy to be where she was and hoped wherever her father was, he was doing well. One could only hope. There were times when she pa.s.sed the cemetery that she wished she knew where her father''s remnants were. If she knew she would have gone to visit him, to talk to him regrly. Very carefully, Penny slipped out of the bed to wash her face. Though she heard the sound of the birds chirping outside on the patio, Penny didn''t dare to step outside. The voodoo magic was still there and she knew it. Damien had been teaching her every day when he found time on how to swim in the sea so that there would be fewer chances of her sinking down in the water bodies and even though she was slowly picking it up, she didn''t want to risk something that could be prevented. After the time of breakfast, Damien departed to council duties while Penelope stayed behind in the mansion. When it was past noon before the time of lunch, Penny made her way to the kitchen to find Durik who was supervising the maids toplete their task as one of the dishes had fallen behind with respect to the time it had to be served. One of the maids who was twirling the spoon in the vessel caught sight of the former ve who had stepped into the kitchen room. The maid was the same person who had first spoken to her and had a difference. She couldn''t believe the luck of the ve who had now turned to ady who wore rich clothes and ate dinner at the table with the rest of the Quinn''s. As much as the status started from the ve who was at the lowest hierarchy and then came the servants and the lower .s.s of the society before moving up. The probability of one changing their status from being a ve was higher whenpared to the servant or the humans. It was because the ves were reached out more often than the servants while they held physical rtions.h.i.+ps to entice one another. Though the maid had spotted Penny standing at the door, she didn''t bother to greet nor did she inform the butler of her presence. Ignoring her, she went on to cook and prepare what was asked from her. The servant had other things to do that entertain the ve girl who was also responsible for breaking Lady Grace''s fangs. It was when another maid caught sight of Penny standing at the door did the butler catch the maid cking, turning, he found it was Lady Penelope who stood there and he left whatever he was doing right away. "Lady Penelope," Durik bowed his head, wondering how long had she been standing here at the front of the kitchen, "Is there something you are looking for?" he asked her. Penny nodded her head, ignoring the stares of the servant girls she had ustomed herself to, she said, "I need you to pack a lunch for two people." "Would you want it to be done now?" the butler confirmed to have her nod again. "Yes, that would be very much appreciated," she said. "I will have them prepared right away. Do you have any specifics-" "Just what is there here in the kitchen that is prepared will do," Penny answered him with a smile, "I will be in the hallway," saying this, she left the kitchen room to have the butler bow at her again. Durik didn''t question where thedy was going but he guessed she was going out on a pic in the forest with her friend who had joined the mansion a few weeks ago. Bringing containers he started to add the food which was prepared once after another and when he saw how a maid had stopped moving her hand to stare at the empty s.p.a.ce in front of her, he said, "Do you think the dessert is going to be prepared by you staring at the wall?" he questioned the maid to see her start moving her hand right away. Though Durik was scared of ghosts and the members of Quinn''s family, he was a strict butler or tried to be strict with the servants. The servants got back to their work while he finished a.s.sorting the food into the containers. Once the lunch box was prepared, Durik went out of the kitchen with it. Chapter 665 Give And Take- Part 3 Penny could have walked on the bridge as where she wanted to go was near to the mansion but at the same time, she knew there were people in the mansion who were watching her footsteps. People like Lady Fleurance, her daughter Grace, and some servant''s eyes which she felt followed her every time she walked past them. Once the carriage she was sitting in crossed the bridge and moved towards the forest which appeared as if it had disappeared, "Stop, right here," she instructed the coachman who pulled the reins of the horses on her word, "Stay here, I will be back," she said after stepping down to see the man bow. She started to walk back towards the mansion before taking a different route with the food the butler had packed for her. Making her way towards the dungeon, she stepped inside there that pa.s.sed light every now and then due to the way it was constructed. Penny then came to the prison-like cell that held the scrawny ck witcher who was tied by his legs. More than a man he appeared to be a boy or maybe they shared the same age, thought Penny looking down at the boy as she stood in front of the bars of the cell that separated both the white and the ck witch. "You shouldn''t be here, mdy. Your lover wouldn''t take it well," said the scrawny boy looking up at her who looked utterly tired and exhausted. It made her question if Damien had beaten him up but looking at his body for any possible signs, she found none. "Why not?" Penny was interested in knowing why Damien wouldn''t like her being here. She noticed how the ck witcher looked at her hand that held the containers with food in it. The boxes couldn''t hold in the vor and smell of the food that started to invade the ce around her. "You came here to meet me during the absence of the councilman. Isn''t that obvious?" the witcher''s appearance was one with the scale-like appearance where he hadn''t turned back to his human self. "I don''t think he would mind. I had a few things to ask and wanted to surprise him," on this, the scrawny man couldn''t help but stare at her in curiosity, "But before that, I thought to treat you to a meal. Have you been eating?" she asked him. The man shook his head while his eyes darted back to her hand, his eyes hungrily looking at it. She ced the food at the front and pushed it through the s.p.a.ce between the bars by t.i.tling them while making sure the man wouldn''t grab her hand. Compared to the other ck witches she had met, Penny saw how this person was young. Maybe one of the youngest she had met. The ck witcher stared at the box for a few seconds before scrambling on his feet and went to get hold of the box. The cell and from where Penny stood at, she heard the harsh sound of the chains around his feet making noise as he moved around the small room. This ce was hidden close to the forest which was the Quinn family''s own prison which could hold a maximum of three people as there were only three cell rooms. Damien had told her it was his mother who had got it built and people who didn''t fit in here always had s.p.a.ce in the sea which was the result of skeletons that now decorated the sea bed around the mansion. The witcher picking up the boxes started to open them to start eating one after another without caring how he ate. Penny could guess that the man was barely able to get anything to eat with the way he looked. It made her also question how Damien was torturing him without raising a finger on him. Was it possible? "You didn''t change yourself to the human form," Pennymented at him while looking away from him. "I am not able to change myself," replied the witcher in between his intake of food, "This food is so delicious," he said, licking his fingers before starting to eat again. The way he behaved right now, it reminded her of the time when her own home didn''t have food to eat. "How did you end up with the witches? That partner of yours," Penny asked wanting to build a conversation before she would ask what she hade here for. "I was picked up telling I would be given money. They gave me a quarter of it, telling me the rest would be given on thepletion." "You never met the other people then," she saw him shake his head, "And he was the only one you have known. Did he tell you why he took you to the mansion there?" The scrawny witcher stopped eating to give her a nod. For some odd reason, the boy reminded her of a puppy, "He told it was for the ritual and I would be benefited once we found the parchment and gave it to the other witches who would be able to make use of it." Penny had burned the parchment in the mansion which would mean the ck witches who were looking for it would never be able to finish that particr piece of code. When the witcher was done eating one portion of the meal she had packed, Penny twisted her lips in wonderment. Pulling out the parchment that she carried everywhere and she raised it in front of the witcher so that he could see it. "Have you seen this writing before?" The witcher stared at it, flinching his eyes as he tried to read to say, "No." She waited for him toplete his meal and when he was done, he said, "I don''t think I have ever had such a good meal as this before in my life." She stared at the empty containers when he said, "Was there something you wanted from me?" now that his stomach was filled he looked up at thedy who had been strangely kind at him. While the councilman had locked him here in the cell without letting him go, thisdy had brought him food. Penny smiled, "I do..." Chapter 646 Blood- Part 1 Along with the human who was the first one to be tied, and Penelope who hade to the open area so that Helen would not do anything to Sister Jera, it was the vampire, Henry''s turn to be bound by rope as he was dragged by the other ck witch. "You know when I came to the council exam, I was surprised to see you there," Helen said, watching the witches start adding the sticks and readying to light it, "Who knew that a person like you could be qualified to be next to the great Damien Quinn. Here I have been pursuing him for months and youe in the middle stating your im. How shameless are you? Did the establishment not teach you anything?" Helen huffed and turned her head to look at the wood being torched. "Then I thought, now that you are here, it''s better to have you burnt and killed with my own hands," she turned around to give Penny a look of disgust. "You cannot me someone for not being able to return your affections back," she told the young white witch who was younger to her. Helen hade off to be someone who was an air-head and somewhere she felt that the girl still was one, only that she didn''t know how far she would go to attain the man she loved. Now that Jera was far away from them and Helen had dropped the voodoo doll as she was busy exining how she was going to enjoy killing her, Penny wished she could ess the needles that were in her pocket. One needle and that would be enough to have the girl drop dead but with her hands and legs tied, she could barely move now. Each of the creatures- a vampire, a white witch, and a human were tied around the poles which had been fixed for the ritual. "You know if Damien found out about what you did to me, forget about him liking you he will tear you limb by limb," Penny threatened while she wondered what was the use of the bond Damien had ced on her. Every time the distance grew, they could barely sense each other, making the feelings unreachable. He had told her that he was visiting Wovile for work and the distance between Bonke and Wovile was too far. "That will be taken care of," Helen smiled, putting round around the three poles where they were tied, "When you are not here or anyone else here, there will be no one to tell the tale of what happened except for me." This witch...cursed Penny in her mind. She enjoyed ying the victim card. Helen turned to her fellow ck witch and witcher started to a.s.sort the needed items for the ritual which was when Penny caught sight of the moon that was turning to golden. While the ck witches were busy, Henry the vampire whispered, "What is with the gold moon and ritual? What is the ritual for?" "To unbind the magic. It is one of the many steps. Aren''t you a vampire?" Penny asked the man in return knowing vampires had better strengthpared to the humans or witches. "I am running out of blood here to have any strength left," he cursed his luck for not being able to find many food sources here. Penny struggled to pull out the binds she was tied in but they were just too tight. She tried to race her brain at the possible spell that woulde out to be handy but to be tested in such stressful conditions it was hard to find any spell. On the other side of the forest, Sister Jera could feel the pain shoot up her arm and leg that had been twisted. Moving them was painful which made it difficult for her to move from where she was. Her breath came out to bebored, taking in a deep breath of air to calm down the painful limbs of hers, she ced her hand on the ground trying to lift herself up. Dragging herself to go to the nearest tree, she ced her back against it. Both she and Lady Penelope had taken the day to create the potion and to put a spell across thend. Did it not work on the trees? It wasn''t possible though and it made her question if this Helen ck witch had a stack of old voodoo dolls with her which she was using. She could see the lighting from the other side of the forest and she ced both her hands, open palms on the ground on either side of her body. This was supposed to work, thought Jera to herself. Back at the ritual area, the ck witcher started to murmur the spells, and Helen appeared in front of the human who made noise as his mouth was stuffed with cloth making him unable to speak. "Do you know how much I hate humans? They are selfish and greedy and believe themselves to be the ones who are in the wrong while having not a shred of the brain that works inside their heads," Helen looked down at the knife she held, twisting it in her hand, "It would be well to rid one of them," saying this, she used the knife to sh against the man''s neck who had started to shake before the knife had even touched his neck and blood came gus.h.i.+ng out of his slit throat. Helen walked towards Penelope who was the next one but instead of stopping, the girl walked in front of the vampire to say, "I will keep the best kill for thest. I need to savor it," she raised the b.l.o.o.d.y knife towards the vampire. The vampire bared his fangs at her, trying to free himself while putting thest ounce of strength in him which resulted in nothing. The ck witch ran her hand across the man''s neck, pus.h.i.+ng the knife further into his neck to see him gargle in pain with blood spilling out of his mouth and when she pulled the knife away, she pushed it right into his heart. A sinister smile on her face, Helen finally moved towards Penny... Chapter 647 Blood- Part 2 The blood down from the knife Helen held in her hand. Some spots of blood that had fallen on her dainty looking floral dress that had meant to dither a person from the evil person she was. Penny could feel her head-turning faint as time pa.s.sed by. The people who had been tied on either side of her had been alive two minutes ago and now they were dead with blood still falling one drop after another on the dark muddy ground. Heat! That was right, thought Penny to herself. She had had to blow the light into a fire to let her hands and legs free from the bounds but she barely had any time right now. Helen was taking her own sweet time as if she wanted Penny to feel the fear coursing through her veins and Penny knew that, and this also meant Helen''s y was giving her the spare seconds of time. Penny could feel the heat burning on her skin as she used the spells that were etched into her skin. The light because of the fire everywhere was so much that no one noticed the little ball of heat that was behind Penny. And even though the ck witches didn''t bother about the trees catching fire, far away in a town, a man had gone to fix the tower bell when he caught sight of the fire in the forest that was zing brightly in the dark forest, worried that it was the lightning that had caused it, he quickly stepped down from the talldder to go running to the magistrate''s office to let someone know what he saw. "Anyst wish, ve?" Helen asked her. Her smile was so wide that it could have halved the witches'' face. Penny felt the rope loosen, her hands moving slowly as she pulled the knife that was there and she tried to slice Helen''s neck but the witch moved with a surprised look. "You have tricks up your sleeve. Where did you learn it?" Helen asked and the other two witches who were telling the spells, one of them came to attack Penny and she kicked the witch right at her face. Before the witch could do anything, Penny first threw the capsules at the ck witch who came to attack her and she then used the needles that she had created. The other witcher came in, a male who was stronger than Penny and she was thrown on the ground right away. Helen didn''t want to lose this opportunity as it had taken a lot of nning to finally have the ritual brought to this stage. Picking up her knife, she was ready to throw it right at Penelope for a kill and suddenly out of nowhere, the ground beneath her shook and she fell down feeling the surface being pulled below her feet. Thend around her continued to shake and pull that had the girl running away from it not knowing what was going on. Helen caught the white witch whom she had injured previously. She was using her elemental ability to attack her. Helen was one of those unfortunate souls who had no elemental ability as the element had refused to bestow its power on her. Helen used her knife that was aimed at Sister Jera and all the white witch was supposed to do was raise thend to stop the knife before it could reach her. Penny sessfully stuck the needle into the witcher''s body who had caught hold of her neck, fighting off each other to finally have the man loosen his grip or rather turn into dust, creating a chain reaction on and in his body to finally have his clothes that he wore fall at her feet. Thest one standing thought Penny to herself. She turned her head to look at Helen who was h.e.l.l-bent on trying to get a kill at Sister Jera who was getting stopped by the mud andnd beneath her. Pulling the knife from her boot, she aimed at Helen before throwing it and Helen caught it with ease. Instead, the girl threw it back at Penny where Penny had to dodge it quickly so that it wouldn''t hit her. She threw the little capsules one after another but Helen was fast enough toe at her even with the dress that she wore. Both the white witches knives shed against each other, the metal nking one after another, trying to get at each other''s throat with no mercy. Helen then blew something into Penny''s face that had Penny stumbled behind and fell down, rubbing her eyes through her sleeves and hands to remove the dust that had got in. What Helen had blown was a poison to turn a person blind. "It was a good fight, ve," Helen said looking down at Penny, "Once you are gone not only will Damien be mine but the lock to the ck magic will be opened again. I will make sure your mother hears the praise for her dead daughter," the girl came close enough to slice Penelope''s throat when the green eyes that were covered in dirt cleared instantly and Penny swiped her hand across Helen''s neck for the girl to stare at her for two seconds and a thin red line formed on her neck. Before Helen could fall on her knees, Penelope rolled away and stood up to see Helen''s hands reach her neck in realization. The girl looked at her hand to see the blood but it wasn''t too much of drawn blood. Helen''s eyes fell on Penelope''s hand that held the silver-colored needle. "Goodbye, Helen," Penny said to the girl. Helen''s hand started to evaporate with the wind that breezed through the forest. The dust moving along with the wind as her fingers disappeared and then her hand to finally reach her entire body while she held a disbelieving look on her face. Soon little drops of rain started to fall from the sky, was.h.i.+ng the dust of the witches from the ground. Chapter 648 To Have You Next To Me- Part 1 Penny stood there for minutes, her mind feeling numb over the rain that continued to fall one after without a stop, thunder shaking thend as it rumbled loudly. By the time the magistrate''s carriage appeared in the forest, the fire had extinguished itself from the rain and there was nothing but water around the forest. But the man hade to put a round in the forest when he found two girls who were still alive with the human and the vampire who were stuck at the poles. The magistrate out of shock didn''t go to fetch the two females but went straight to the mansion that belonged to the lord of Bonke who wasn''t aware of the exam that was taking ce in the forest. He came back with the Lord, who walked ahead of him to see what was up as the human magistrate had done nothing but stutter while trying to exin the situation. Lord Nichs walked further into the forest to finally catch sight of two poles that stood at the center with two bodies that were tied to it. Walking closer to it, he inspected the body to find one of them which was a vampire and another who was a human. The pole at the center had n.o.body, leaving it empty. He lifted the heads of the body to notice the sh of a knife on the neck. It was evident that it was done by witches. He knew that the ck witches were taking part in the exam. He had heard it from Rueben but he didn''t know there was going to be death in the form of ritual. "Where did you see the females?" asked Nichs to the man over the rain who quickly came forward, his body drenching while Nichs was holding an umbre in his hand. The magistrate moved his head left and right, searching for the female whom he had seen standing right here but she was nowhere to be seen, "She was right here, milord. Let me go look!" saying this he went in search while Nichs stood with his umbre starting at the wet woods that must have burned earlier as the top of the woods had turned ck while the rest was of it was still brown in color. They hade up with the n to catch the ck witches yet he couldn''t sense many who were still here in the forest. Leaving the poles alone, Lord Nichs made his way to the trees that were dark. Seeing the shadow behind it, the pureblooded vampire was about to say something when he caught sight of a girl who sat against the tree on the ground. Getting closer he caught sight of another girl with who he was familiar. Who knew that she was taking part in the council exam too. When their eyes met, at first the green-eyed girl looked a little surprised before her body rxed after realizing who it was. Bringing the carriage and having the magistrate not bring it up in front of everyone as it was top secret information, he took them to the Rune''s mansion. Penelope sat in the bathtub that was filled with warm water. After Lord Nichs had picked sister Jera as well as her in the carriage, bringing them to his mansion, they were taken into different rooms to wash and wear dry clothes so that they wouldn''t fall sick. Now in one of the guest rooms of the Rune''s mansion, Penny sunk herself in the water that felt soothing and good on her skin. They had been in the rain on and off since the time of the afternoon that this warmth felt like she was coc.o.o.ned and ready to fall into slumber. She could still see Helen dying in front of her as the girl perished in front of her very eyes who was killed by her own hands. It wasn''t the first time Penny had killed someone as she had already killed the turned witch vampire along with the others tonight which made her wonder if she was sinning as a white witch for killing so many people. Father Antonio had told her that a death in the hands of a white witch was nothing less to sin, it was why the white witches didn''t kill or rpse with the humans or vampires who hurt or tried to hurt them. Until now, the maximum effect that had taken ce in her body was her eyes that had turned one to look like a snake but there had not been any change in the texture of her skin. Thest hours that hade to pa.s.s by had been the craziest as if the whole time since they had arrived at the forest until they left, it felt as if everything had been muddled because of the ck witches. They had killed the examinees without any mercy and in the end, they had died too. Except for her and Jera, everyone had died. Coming out of the bath, she dried herself before wearing the clothes that were provided to her. When her eyes fell on the bed, she wondered if it was alright to sleep right now. Walking towards it, she decided to lie as her body hurt with the amount of back and forth she had run and being thrown on the ground. Going to the bed, sheid down and tried to hold on to the light in the room. Her mind blurry and her eyes started to dim down to finally fall asleep. Jera was in pain herself with her twisted arm and leg where it appeared that she had more than torn the muscles there because of the voodoo doll. Nichs was in his study, writing letters before he handed them it to his butler, "Have it reach both the ce right away," ordered the Lord, he saw his butler leave the room. One letter was to the head council while the other letter was written to Damien Quinn who one of the girls was rted to. He had heard that Damien was away to Wovil and it would be right for him to know where or what happened to the girl. Chapter 649 To Have You Next To Me- Part 2 By the time Damien arrived back at the mansion, it was past two in the morning but that didn''t stop his butler in giving him out a letter that had arrived close to midnight. He opened the letter, reading what was written and went to his room to close the door, and at the same moment, he vanished from Quinn''s mansion to head towards Lord Bonke''s house. He knocked on the door, the metal on the door hitting hard on the wood before he let go of it. In time he heard the footsteps arrive from the other side of the door that was opened by the butler. "Mr. Quinn, Lord Nichs has been expecting you." "''Course he was," Damien muttered under his breath, "Where is the girl. The one with the blonde hair," his meeting with Lord Nichs could wait as he had other things to attend to, the one and the only main thing which was to find if Penny was in a good state. The old butler paused his footsteps and then changed the direction of his walk, taking Damien to the room where Penny was fast asleep. Damien noticed how she was wearing another set of clothes and not the ones that they had got her tailored. Walking around the bed, he took a seat next to her on the bed to see her sleeping. Brus.h.i.+ng her hair gently he heard from the door, "I thought I would find you here," it was Lord Nichs himself who had appeared at the door, "Let her sleep. She must be exhausted with the practical exam," he could tell that Lord Nichs wanted to talk to him and away from Penny so that she could get the rest she needed. Damien gave a curt nod, getting up from the bed, he walked out of the room. "What happened?" Damien asked. It wasn''t that Damien had not expected anything to happen during the time of the exam because the second exams were often rough and hard to handle, and hard meant in holding on to their lives as many died in them. When he had sent Penny to do the exam, he knew she would survive, she was one of the fated stars who was tied to him by the soul. Maybe it was his confidence that let Damien allow her to partic.i.p.ate in the exam and seeing her alive put his heart in ease. "You sent her to the council exam¡­Why?" Lord Nichs appeared slightly confused as he didn''t understand why Damien Quinn would risk the life of his woman. The man would know at one point in time and as they were on the same side, he answered, "She is a white witch," Lord Nichs raised his brows, "What happened to the other candidates? There were forty of them," Damien furrowed his brows when he heard the Lord reply, "There were only two of them who were alive in the entire forest. Lady Penelope is in there and the other who I believe must be herpanion, she has three broken ribs, sprain in her hand and her muscle in the leg has been torn quite badly. I thought it would be right to call you here before the whole of the council decided to snoop around," said the man, as they walked down the corridor letting the girl rest in her room. If there was one thing a person could count on when it came to Lord Nichs, it was that the man could read the situations that jump into things. Thest time when they had met, it was before councilman Creed''s death and it made him smile. Damien didn''t have to ask to confirm that it was Nichs who had killed the corrupt councilman. Damien then asked, "Did Reuben speak to you about it?" Nichs nodded his head, "He did. But I wasn''t aware of the partic.i.p.ants who were taking part in the exam. It was quite a surprise when I reached the site," receiving a question from Damien, the man continued to say, "One of the local men was fixing the tower bell when he caught fire in the forest. He went to the magistrate right away and when the magistrate arrived he found the scene and came to look for me. Did you know there was a ritual there?" hearing this Damien''s eyes narrowed itself considerably. "We sent a couple of witches to be able to get one of the ck witches who were involved," at least that was why they had sent so that they could get some answer from the ck witches but right now Damien didn''t care about not having a ck witch in hand and was instead d to have Penelope safe. "Yes, so I heard from Rueben. How many ever people have gone there yesterday to the forest, all of them are dead. At least that is what I know. We will get theplete report about it tomorrow once a team is a.s.signed to survey the forest. There was a human who was tied on a pole along with a vampire," Lord Nichs waved his hand for Damien to take a seat, "Would you like something to drink?" he asked. "Blood tea," Damien wasn''t a man to shy from refreshments in another person''s house. The butler who had followed them bowed his head and left the room to prepare blood tea. Damien then said, "There was a recent break in the Creed''s mansion. Two witches who came searching for the parchment of design and the next few steps that are required to unbind the magic." Nichs could only guess that if Damien knew about it, he had already delt the matter in hand. To answer the question which was not asked, Damien said, "The parchment was burnt recently." The Lord nodded his head, "I have asked one of my men to get the list of people who entered the exam. He should get it from the department in a few hours. That way we can go through the people and trace back where and how they appeared at the exam." "We will need to wait for them to wake up," Damien said because it was Penelope and the other witch who knew what went down there. For now, they needed rest. Chapter 650 To Have You Next To Me- Part 3 It was the time of morning when Penny woke up, her head felt heavy and so did her body when she tried to sit up on the bed. Damien who had been in the room came to her aid to feel her head which was hot. She had caught a fever. Fluffing the pillow behind her, he helped in letting her lean back against the headboard. The memory after seeing Helen die was hazy that she didn''t remember how she ended up here. She had forgotten riding in the carriage along with Lord Nichs and Jera and that included her memory of taking a bath and falling on the bed which was very faint in her mind. Damien leaned over the wall, ringing the bell for the butler to arrive at the door after a few seconds. "A bowl of soup for thedy and also warm water," he added in the end. The old man who was a vampire bowed his head and then left to get it prepared, "You should rest more." "But-" "If it''s the church girl, she''s resting in the bed and so should you," said Damien not wanting her to stress out and make the fever worse. Penny was happy to see Damien here. With the hectic and crazy night, she hade to pa.s.s through, she was d to see him and she leaned over, opening her arms where Damien pulled her close to him so that he could hug her. She wanted to stay close to him right now, to affirm herself that he was here with her. Damien let her stay like that for as long as she wanted until she herself pulled back from him. "My head hurts," she finallyined and he offered her a smile. "You have a fever. Did you eat anything?" he inquired to see her shake her head. "I don''t know if two fruits add itself to be called a meal," Penny muttered because to her it did not, "It rained too much yesterday. First in the afternoon and then the night. When did you arrive here?" "Hours ago. Nichs sent a letter to the mansion so that I would know about your whereabouts," he informed her. How kind, thought Penny to herself. "Helen was involved," Penny dropped the word and Damien gave her a stare, "She was involved with the Artemis. Saying she was one of the orphaned children who they had taken in knowing she was " "White witch," Damienpleted her sentence as he began to link Helen with thete Artemis who had been killed, "Nichs spoke about ritual," and he saw Penny nod her head. "They were trying to break the next spell to have the locked magic. They needed a vampire, a human, and a white witch whose one parent was supposed to be a ck witch. Along with a golden moon." "Hmm, how specific,"mented Damien. "All the ck witches wanted to do was toplete the ritual and there was one person from the church simr to me. They knew the council would do something to counter-attack their presence and they took the advantage to exploit it," Penny could only wonder how far did the ck witches n and think about these things, "They knew we would take these steps and had expected it." "They didn''t expect you though," Damien ced his hand over her cheek and she leaned to feel the warmth of his hand, "Did you kill her?" he meant Helen. Penny gave him a nod, "It was strange to see her die. The first time I met her, she was this girl who was spoilt. She still was but...I would have never guessed that she is a white witch. I think the pets who were getting killed and torn. It was her doing," it was spection but it was possible as she was now connected to Mr. and Mrs. Artemis. "She was a pest. Good riddance," Penny wondered if it was alright to smile at Damien''s words. The butler arrived back in the room, knocking the door which was already open to step in and bring the tray of food to ce on the side of the bed. Damien picked up the bowl of soup in his hand, taking a spoonful, he blew air on it so that it could cool down and then brought his hand towards Penny''s lips. Parting her lips, Penny sipped on the soup and drank it in until the entire bowl was empty. She took the medicine that was given to her before gulping down the water. "Let''s get you back in," Damien said, noticing how her eyes had started to feel tired even though she had woken up less than an hour ago. Helping her back and tucking her, he heard her say, "Won''t you be joining in?" Damien didn''t know which man could resist such a tempting invitation. Not bothering to remove the shoes, he came to sleep next to her but without sharing the nket, "I will be right here, waiting for you." She smiled over his words, "How did your work go in Wovile?" "Much better than I thought. The white witches are being a.s.signed to the church so that they don''t turn to the other side for help. This way people will hopefullye to trust them which might take another half a century," he said looking at her. "If there''s progress the wait might be worth it," she whispered softly as hershes touched her cheek before looking back at him. It was good that the council was finally taking up the initiative to help the white witches. When Penny''s brows furrowed, Damien asked her, "What happened?" "Helen and some other witch knew my mother. When I asked where she was, the ck witch said she was somewhere near the border of Bonke," her eyes darted to look at the b.u.t.ton of his s.h.i.+rt, "Voodoo magic cannot affect with long distance." Damien stared into her green eyes when she looked up to meet his gaze, he then said, "If it wasn''t your mother, someone else performed the voodoo magic then..." and she slowly nodded her head. Chapter 651 Time To Leave- Part 1 Penny had been taken back to the mansion of Quinn after a day while Sister Jera was taken to the church than stay in the Rune''s mansion. The council members were dealt with by Damien and Lord Nichs that died down after four days as people had stopped visiting Quinn''s mansion to know what happened in the forest. Though there were some bodies they had found to be disturbing, there were some bodies that didn''t exist which was evident that they had disappeared during the time of the exam or they had been killed turning to dust of witches. And even though during this time where the head council was involved along with some of the other councilmen, there were many who were left wondering how and why the ck witches wanted to take part in the exam. Penny sat in the bed, her fever had still note out and she had been in bed mostly being tended by Damien. "You know I feel alright now," Penny a.s.sured Damien to see him not listen to what she just said, "Damien?" she called him who was sitting next to her with a book in his hand and .s.ses that rested on the bridge of his nose. "And I have wings now," Damien replied back to her, his eyes still on the book which he was reading. She was bored sitting here and doing nothing. Tired of being stuck in the room where she was sent to bed early and treated like a child. It wasn''t as if she had never caught a fever before and it had been far worse than what she was feeling right now. Penny smiled looking at Damien. He had been caring for her so much that she was touched and at the same time she wished he would loosen up. It wasn''t like she would break if someone blew air in her direction. She turned her head back from where she was lying down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling where the mirror was attached. Looking at hers and Damien''s reflection, she could tell they hade along to be next to each other like this. Something moved in front of her vision and she blinked at first to make sure she wasn''t feeling dizzy all over again. Her brows furrowed looking at the mirror that moved like water. Making it look as if someone had thrown a pebble at it and it was causing a ripple on the ceiling. The more time pa.s.sed the more the mirror changed and Penny was caught in the past events, taken back to the time when she was still a child of age ten. The girl with blonde hair barged into the house, her legs muddy and her clothes wet that dripped down with water. Across the small house, her mother turned to look at the intruder to see it was Penny. She had a look of disapproval on her face when she noticed the girl''s wet clothes. "I told you not to go out and look at you," her mother said, working on something in the fire that was put in front of her that had no utensil that was heating up at the moment. The girl didn''t take notice of it. She instead said, "I got the leaves you asked me to get," little Penelope brought her hands forward to show the small green leaves to her mother with a smile. Her mother didn''t have the same smile to offer to her and she turned her head with a quiet expression before saying, "Go get yourself changed. I don''t want you catching another fever," and at the same time Penny''s nose tingled making her sneeze and the girl could feel her eyes turning itchy, "Go." Penny nodded her head diligently listening to her mother''s words before cing the leaves on the chair. Once she was gone, the woman turned to look at the girl and then the leaves. Leaving what she was doing earlier, the woman went to pick up the leaves which she hadn''t been able to find. "How strange that you see what I can''t see," she looked at one of the leaves, turning it by its stem, "I have been thinking about poisoning you but if you are going to be this useful then I should keep you for a longer time. It would be a waste to not use your talent." Later that evening, the little girl had started to feel dizzy but she didn''t let her mother know about it and though she didn''t her mother had noticed her daughter swaying back and forth during the time of dinner. It waste night when Penny who was resting herself started to cough, the cold of the rain had seeped into her body freezing and raising heat at the same time. Her mother who was awake was at the fire doing something who didn''t bother to look at her even once. The scene started to haze out and haze in until Penny could finally see her own reflection in the mirror. She felt Damien ce his hand over her forehead, "Stop thinking about other things and rest," his words were warm to her. For a person like Penny who had never been loved during the time of her childhood to the point she had been moved to the ve establishment and here, his words were nothing less than precious and tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes. Damien, who noticed this, closed his book, worried he asked, "Does something hurt?" this brought more tears from her eyes where she couldn''t stop. She shook her head not wanting for him to worry, "Just some memory," she whispered, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands. Damien could only guess that it was something rted to her family. Those were the only things that made Penny cry. "I don''t know what you dreamt if it is your mother she is not your fit to be one. You and I both know that and have confirmed it," he said, sliding down into the covers to be with her. "I know," she smiled, a small smile on her lips, "It makes me wonder if her parents never gave love to her." Damien looked at Penelope, whose eyes had turned more vibrant after the tears. She really had the most beautiful eyes. Chapter 652 Time To Leave- Part 2 Leaning forward, closer to her face, Damien pressed his lips on her forehead, feeling the slight amount of heat that was still in her body. Penny closed her eyes, feeling Damien''s soft lips on her face making her feel safe and loved. "I wish I could stop these memories sometimes. Or if I could just finish looking and going through all the memories were I wouldn''t have to feel it p.r.i.c.k one after another," Penny said in his arms, her head snuggling in his chest while he held her, "It isn''t that I care about her or the non-existent rtions.h.i.+p that we never had. But every time I am taken back in time, I pity the young girl there for experiencing things all alone," it made her wonder if this was why G.o.d had brought Damien in her life. Filling that void while taking the pain one after another. Damien pulled her closer, giving her the needed time to move from the feelings she had just experienced, "Feel better, mouse," he whispered while cing his chin rested on the top of her forehead. After some time, he could sense her emotions that had calmed down and he said, "The girl who was lonely, the girl who felt unloved, the same girl turned strong. To turn out to be a beautiful strong woman to hold her ground and I think it is quite admirable. To carry oneself even with the mncholy and pa.s.s through everything you have done, the same girl now is loved by the people who are important to her.?Though your mother wasn''t there, I am sure your father had loved and taken care of you when he was still alive." Feeling her soft breath and her heart beating in her chest, Damien pulled away to look down to notice she had fallen asleep. Kissing the top of her head gently, he let her sleep and he took himself to sleep along with her. Two more weeks pa.s.sed and Penny was now in the church where she hade to meet Sister Jeera who was still recovering from her injuries as her bones had been broken. "I brought you some food to eat," said Penny, cing the food on the desk and opening them one after another to have the smell of the food to waft in the entire room. "You didn''t have to do it, Lady Penelope," said Sister Jera even though her stomach was growling again after one meal she had eaten an hour ago. "You don''t have to be shy," Penny brought the food to Jera, handing it to the girl whose hands were uninjured, "I asked the cook to prepare a few things that could help you heal faster." "That is very kind of you," said the young white witch, she moved the spoon around the container before taking it into her mouth, "This is good." Penny smiled, d that the girl liked it, "Have you been doing well?" she asked the girl to see her nod as she was eating. It had been a while since Penny hade to visit the church. After the council exam, Damien had told her to give it some time as there were some witch hunters who had caught the wind about witches taking part in the exam while also receiving news that those witches were from this very church. Sister Jera ced the bowl on herp when she had taken a few more bites, "Father Antonio said that we will need to dispatch after a week to another church." "Why?" Penny frowned, "What do you mean dispatch?" The girl looked down at the food, opening her lips to say, "It seems some of the council raised eyebrows on why the white witches had taken part in the exam when it has been clear that witches are not to take part in the council activities. Father Antonio received the newsst night that there have been some issues when it came to what they found believing it was some of the white witches'' work." "But we all know that those are ck witches'' work," stated Penny. Were some of the council people stirring trouble for no reason? Jera shook her head, "I don''t know much about it." Penny wondered what was going on in the council for the past few days since the time they had returned back from the exams. Lord Nichs and Damien along with some of the important figures had made sure to cover Penny and Jera up that they had been the victims while still not letting Penny''s ident.i.ty of being a white witch out in the open. It was a world that didn''t wee any of the witches, not the white not the ck, no witch had ever been weed. And one such setting example was Lady Isabell''s case. "Has he told where you will be getting dispatched?" She would miss the ce once it would shut close. "Somewhere up in Wovile. Frankly, I didn''t want to go but Father Antonio said we don''t have a choice. Because, if the council sticks around to probe more into this ce, it would put the rest of the people in danger of being killed," Sister Jera took another two bites. "I think it is understandable. I heard that they are setting up options for white witches to work in the church there," on Penny''s words, the girl nodded. "I will miss you, Lady Penelope," said Sister Jera. "I will miss you too. It''s not like we won''t be seeing each other again," Penny gave the girl a smile. Once Jera was done eating and went back to rest, Penny let the girl sleep while going out to see Father Antonio who was giving two of the white witches instructions on the equipment they had. "Good morning, Father Antonio," Penny bowed her head in greetings, offering the fellow witches a bow and a smile who greeter her back to leave the two of them alone. "Good morning, Lady Penelope. It is good to see you here," he offered her a soft smile. His silver hair wasbed to the side as usual and the coif on his head, "Good that you came here. I believe you heard from Jera that we will be closing this ce." Penny gave him a nod, "Will it never be reopened again?" "For now I don''t think so..." he then said, "I have a few things to give you,e with me." Chapter 653 Time To Leave- Part 3 Father Antonio started to take a few steps before he stopped to turn over his shoulder and Penelope then started to walk. She wondered what the witcher wanted to give her. Was it books or was it the potions as they were leaving the church and closing it for no one''s use. "Has the church been a.s.signed to you and the others?" she asked him, seeing Father Antonio lead the way. He held antern up in his hand so that they could walk in the dark cold dungeon-like bas.e.m.e.nt which was built under the church. "Not yet. I requested the council to ce us in the same church or at least in the same vicinity but there are not many seats avable in a single church or rather, they are trying to spread us out. After the council exam, the loss was of the witches but the council looks at it in a different way," said Father Antonio who continued to lead as they pa.s.sed one pir after another, "They doubt the work the white witches have given them all the years." "Why not ask the head council toe forward and exin what happened then?" Penny could tell that the witches in here were careful and the weapons that were in progress had been stopped. "That would put all of us in jeopardy, Penelope." "How so?" It was a council''s matter and the ordering from the council for witches to take part in it, therefore, she didn''t understand why the council was not owning up to it instead of chasing the white witches. "As you already know, the witches aren''t favored anywhere. If there is a ce that favors them, then one should consider it to be lucky. "We are the creatures who turned to ck witches who went to destruct while also trying to fix the damage of what urred between the sister witches," they had started to walk down the stairs now, "There are only a few of the people in the council who will help the white witches and if we raise the words, it would remove the existing help. A head council is in the highest standing power but at the same time there are other people called the elders who you must already be knowing." "Like Evelyn..." Penny uttered the name. "A head council will do what he can but there are others to sabotage it like the elders and the ratio of members is higher therepared to one person with some of the loyal people. In the end, everyone ys behind the curtains to get things done," Father Antonio had a faint smile as he iterated it to Penelope, "If we put the people in a spot like that, we will lose the remaining alley that we have." "Why are they so h.e.l.l-bent on taking the witches as councilman or councilwoman when they are ready to point in the churches?" it was a question that had been bothering her for quite some time. "When the power of the ck witches turned fearful in the eyes of the higher society, they decided to shut it down along with the white witches believing there woulde a time where the witches would overtake the race of the humans as well as the vampires. It is a silly thing to think like that but it what most of us havee to understand," they finally came to stand in front of the door after walking down through the steps, "It is why you will no white witch anywhere but in the church mostly. And the most being in Valeria and Bonke. Though these twonds have a higher poption when ites to vampires, at the same time, there are some who allow us to take part in the church. It is necessary that we don''t drag them in the middle." Father Antonio pushed the handle of the door to let both of them inside. The room was dark therefore Penny stood in ce while watching the man going to light the room by using the existingntern to burn the othernterns that hung on the walls. The wall of the room was as dark as the other walls in the dungeons, a small room where she caught sight of a safe that was ced at the top at the corner. When Father Antonio walked towards it, Penny had guessed that it was something in the safe that had her curious but instead of reaching for the safe, the man bent down to pull a box from below it. "I have kept this in my care since I came here to Bonke. Working in this church. I think it is only right that I hand this to you," she heard him say while lifting the box up and cing it on the table. Thentern on the table illuminated the light on the box and Penny came to see the box that was made of carved wood. Father Antonio unlocked the case and pus.h.i.+ng the top to pick a single piece of parchment that was torn. "What is this?" Penny questioned him. He handed it to her. "I hope it wille in use for you." She got close enough to thentern to take a look at the torn piece to see something written there but she couldn''t understand what it was. "I don''t think I can read this," she said furrowing her brows. "That''s strange, I thought it could be ready by you as you read the hidden writings of the first generation witches," he said, "I found this box up in the secret room but I got it here as there was something else written. Check the box here," saying this he closed the open carved box and brought thentern towards it, hanging it in the air. Penny turned the box noticing the wood wasn''t carved with just designs but it also had writings on it and it read, ''When the time is dire and the night is dark, this shall reach one of them who have been chosen to walk the path.'' Chapter 654 Talk At The Cemetery- Part 1 Penny read the carvings on the wooden box again before she looked up at Father Antonio to ask, "What does this mean?" "Damien had spoken about the alignment of stars, I think this is what it indicates," replied the witcher. There were three of them, one who had gone on vacation and the second one was her and the third one...they were not sure if it was Belle Adams as they had not verified it so far. "I can read the scripts written in the previous book but I don''t think I have the ability to do the same when ites to this," it was a differentnguage than what Penny hade across before. Father Antonio''s dusted eyebrows scrunched together, "I thought you could." "It is a whole differentnguage. When did you start working in this church and find this?" she questioned him. The man gave a thoughtful look as he tried recollecting when he had turned to a priest here, "Two decades ago I believe. There were other priests who had been a.s.signed here in the past but I doubt anyone ever found out about this little box." Penny knew that the age of the witches was somewhere simr to the vampires only that the witches could manipte their age while the vampires couldn''t. He had been a.s.signed here before she was even born into this world. "After reading what was written in the box, I came to believe that this must be an important piece, and seeing that I couldn''t read it, I brought it to this room. I would still like you to keep it," said Father Antonio to her, "Keep it because you are the only one I believe can crack what is written in here that mighte in use." Penny pursed her lips, wondering where she could decipher it when she knew no one who could. She doubted the ck witches had their ownnguage because if there was one, the council and the others would have coughed it out of them. Folding the piece of paper and putting it in her pocket, she said, "I will see if I can do something with it," the man nodded at her. "We will be leaving the church in two weeks, it would be a shame to not give things that mighte in use for you or the others. Come up with me to the secret room. I have a few books that might add up to your collection," saying this, they left the cold and empty room. Blowing the lights from thenterns and going back up the stairs and then to step into the room of books and potions. "Will people be able to find it?" she asked him. As the church was going to shut down, there was a possibility that the council would make a check before closing the doors of this church in a span of fourteen days. "I doubt they will be able to find it. The room shows itself only to the witches and mainly the white witches. We never had a ck witch to test it," Father Antonio turned to exin it to her and then turned back to look where he was going, "It has been a cycle where we have often let the new white witches who we can trust to take a look at this ce and that is what happened when and before I came. The knowledge has been pa.s.sed over the years and with the church closed. It will remain a secret." Father Antonio then gave her the books that mighte to be handy for her one after another, filling up her arms. And while the man was searching for other books, Penny''s eyes fell on the number of potions that filled the shelves in this room. They were colorful, forming different shades of light on the floor and the walls when the light of thentern touched the sks. It was a shame how these potions couldn''t be used but at the same time, if there was one person who coulde here even after the lock was ced on the doors of the church, it was Damien. With that thought, she took the books from Father Antonio but didn''t take it along with her when she stepped out of the church. Instead, the books would be sent to the mansion directly to avoid suspicion on her. The carriage had been parked on the other side of the street as Penny wanted to visit the local cemetery here. With a bunch of flowers in her hand, she stepped into the cemetery where Damien''s mother rested right now. Penny had only seen the woman in the portraits and in the memory of Damien which he sometimes spoke when his mother''s topic arose. She was sure that if the woman was still alive, Penny would never be next to Damien. For someone who stuck on to the principles of the pureblooded society and who believed that there was no one higher than the night creatures. Both Penelope, as well as Damien, shared the same sentiments when it came to the thought about it and somewhere they were d on how things turned while also sad that she could never meet and while also thinking with ''what if'' conditions. Stepping close to his mother''s grave where the headstone was made of marble, Penny could tell that even though the woman was cruel to the public people, she treasured her family and in return, her family loved her back. Senior Mr. Quinn must be missing her, thought Penny to herself. The wife he had then and the wife right now appeared starkly different. Bending down, she ced the flowers on the headstone. "We haven''t met and we will never be able to meet or greet...but I am here because I have a few things to share with you," said Penny looking down at the marble stone, "I love your son and I hope that wherever you are, youe to ept me as his partner. I am not a pureblooded vampire but a white witch...I know your hate towards them." Penny paused her words, staring at the marble as her sentences came out to be awkward, "No matter who or what I am, I will treasure your son as much as you have treasured him when you were still next to him. Rest well¡­" Penny murmured thest few words and stood up. She wondered if she had to say something more and when she turned around, she saw a man who stood behind her. Chapter 655 Talk At The Cemetery- Part 2 Mr. Varreran...did he hear her speaking? Her hands started to sweat a little as she saw him smile. She bowed her head and he did the same, "Good afternoon, mdy. Have you been doing well?" asked the man. Penny''s head was muddled at the thought that the man had heard her mention about her being a white witch. How long had he been standing there? She wished she could ask to confirm it but the man would either doubt her or he would be confirming what he heard was to be true. "I have been doing well. How about yourself, Mr. Varreran?" she asked the vampire who looked at the grave behind her which she hade to visit. The man s.h.i.+fted his gaze from the gravestone to look at Penny, "I have been doing wonderful. I am d that I got to see you again, you have been doing well," she could feel his eyes roaming around her face. Penny could only pray and hope that he didn''t hear her whatever she was speaking to thetedy''s grave. Her mind still wanted to confirm and she said, "When did you arrive here? I didn''t hear any sound," her words came out soft and gentle, trying to not let the man know what she was on to. "I didn''t want to disturb you. It seemed like you were busy speaking¡­" he trailed his words, he raised his hand to adjust the .s.ses on his nose. Did that mean he had heard her or did he not?! Penny was nervous but she didn''t let her emotions take over her body. A vampire could always hear the rise of heartbeat and was able to notice a few things which went blind when it came to the humans or the witches. "I have never seen you before here at this hour. The woman must mean a lot to you, for you toe here alone," Penny didn''t know why but there was something very taunting about the way Mr. Varreran put it, "I heard there have been many abductions going on. You should have someone watch over you. If I was your partner, I would never let you out of my sight." The wind blew in the cemetery where high standing family members were buried in it. It was mostly for the pureblooded vampires and a few humans who had paid for their graves prior to their death. "Did you mean to say ve?" Penny asked after a few seconds to see the man smile. "Hmm, I am sure I said partner, but I don''t mind what you suggested either. A master and ve bond together is the most delicate and beautiful rtions.h.i.+p. Don''t you agree, Lady Penelope?" asked Mr. Varreran, his red eyes looking at her challengingly. "Yes, I guess," Penny gave the man a smile, "But then...it also depends what kind of people they both are. You never know which one tests the nerves and when the beautiful rtions.h.i.+p might turn to torture and an abusive rtions.h.i.+p filled with pain. Don''t you think so?" The thing between her and Damien was private matters and she wasn''t going to tell Robarte on how their rtions.h.i.+p was. This time it was Mr. Varreran who stared back at Penny, "It is indeed. Very agreeable." "Did you lose a dear person?" She tried to s.h.i.+ft the topic now. There were no flowers in his hands, making her wonder if it was just an acquaintance he hade to visit. The man looked down at the muddy wet ground that had soaked itself with the rain. He then looked up to say, "A person I used to love in the past," the smile on his face fell. "I am sorry to hear that," Penny apologized. Who knew that the man would have a past like that, "I am sure that person is watching over you and is happy to find you here to have to visit them." "Thank you for your kind words, mdy," Mr. Varreran offered her a small smile. He then turned to look to his right, the expression on his face unchanging. He turned back to look at her and say, "You must be gettingte. I will see you some other time." His words made Penny question if she had judged the man wrongly. After all, he had offered her for a ride and had told her thest time they had met that the marks on his ve were caused by the previous owner and the ve girl was still recuperating. Penny herself was d to be leaving the cemetery as it had been quite some time since she had been here. The coachman would be waiting for her. Hearing a sound suddenly, she turned in the direction of the woods. "The birds are noisy here," the man murmured enough for her to be able to hear him, "It was lovely meeting you, Lady Penelope." Penny didn''t offer any words to him except for a bow and she left the cemetery, leaving the man who watched her go. He then started to pa.s.s the other tombstones one after another toe to thest corner one where the mud had only been raised a few hours ago which was yet to be pushed. A coffin was already ced inside it with the lid on top of it. A small knocking sound of the wood could again be heard to what was heard earlier. Opening the top of the lid of the coffin, he looked down with a smile on his face. In the coffinid a girl who was his ve. Her hands and legs were tied along with her mouth being taped so that not a word woulde out of her mouth. "Are you enjoying yourself in there?" he asked the girl who started to cry as she tried to thrash in the coffin that was right enough for her to not be able to move much. Tears streamed down her eyes. Robarte got his hand close to her face, rubbing his finger over her cheek, "I told you to behave and you broke the rules one after another. To think that you were on your way to the magistrate''s office. You really disappointed me this time. What else do you think I would do?" he shrugged his shoulders and the girl did nothing but cry, "I will miss you...Have a wonderful time in here," said the man before closing the lid of the coffin, this time forever before the mud was pushed on to the coffin by people who didn''t know there was a person who was alive in there. Chapter 656 Fair In The Village- Part 1 Music rmendation:?1917 OST MEDLEY When the day arrived for the white witches to depart to thend of North, Wovile, Penelope was more than sad to see the people leave in the carriages that had been loaded with luggage of the witch and the witchers. After hugging some of them goodbye as they didn''t know when they would meet next, she stood outside the church with Caitlin next to her who had apanied her to the church. "Is it really safe for the witches to go to Wovile?" asked Caitlin, staring at thest carriage that was diminis.h.i.+ng little by little in sight, "I heard Wovile doesn''t favor both white or ck witches. Stepping there for us will be nothing less to jumping into a pyre of fire that is waiting for us." Penny understood Caitlin''s concern, "It was told that the Lord and the others would help in establis.h.i.+ng work there." "Wonder how that will go¡­" sighed Caitlin. If there was onend who was intolerant when it came to the white witches, it was thend of Wovile. Before she ran from her rtives and her fiance along with the others, Caitlin had heard how the witches were burnt in the middle of nowhere and with no regard or question. People had grown intolerant of the witches because of what had happened in the past. It was the white witches and ck witches who had opened the can of ill fate upon everyone and though the white witches had tried to fix it up, they were still in the burning side of the hate they received. Penny looked at the tall grey church that stood like the loneliest building among the rest of the other houses and buildings that were situated away from it. They started to walk away from it after she took a good look at the church. This was how life was, people came and went from a person''s life, like a traveler who didn''t say and it would only be them in the end. The church hade to turn to another home after Quinn''s mansion which she had gotten used to over the months she had stayed. To not be able to return again...it would take time to move from that anxious feeling, thought Penny to herself. "You can always visit them," Caitlinmented when Penny didn''t speak and was instead walking down the road. "Caitlin?" "Yes?" asked the red-haired woman. "Have you ever missed people back in Valeria when you ended up here in the ve establishment?" Penelope asked curiously as she had never heard about her mentioning anything about anyone else apart from her or her father. The woman looked up at the cloudy sky, her eyes staring at them without blinking, she said, "There might have been some people whom I liked. People who I got along with but I am not sure if I miss them...Sometimes you want people around you. When I was small, a young girl, I wanted to be everyone''s favorite, to be loved by everyone while I was kind to the others. And maybe I was everyone''s favorite but when life toppled, I didn''t want to be anyone''s favorite. It is because of my aunt." "She used to tell me I was the best. That I was her favorite child but when youe to realize and understand the meaning behind those words, I was her favorite child because I was one of the sacrificial elements to her. I think I erased people from my mind and don''t think it is worth going back to talk to them." "Is it because you fear your ex-fiance wille after you?" Penny asked her aunt. Caitlin smiled, a small twisted smile on her lips, "That might be a reason. The fear and shock that I felt before still lingers in my mind. I wonder if he wille after me to kill me if he finds that I am still alive." "I will make sure he never hurts you," hearing Penny''s promise the woman smiled. Her aunt was a white witch, older than her but the woman didn''t dare to touch the magic, and Penny wasn''t going to force Caitlin if she didn''t want to take part in it. Who they were was something that they couldn''t erase but it was also an option to walk the path of being a white witch or to turn away the eyes to not look at what was ahead of it. "Thank you, Penny. I hope I never cross paths with him ever again," Caitlin murmured under her breath before saying, "I forgot to mention this to you, the clothes suits you very well," sheplimented Penny''s attire which was tailored by Penelope and Damien''s specification. "Do you want to wear something like this? The town isn''t too far from here," Penny offered and Caitlin quickly shook her head. "I don''t think it would be of any use for me. I am fine with what I am wearing. Did Damien tell you how you will be creating the potions and other things?" Penny shook her head. With the church closed, she didn''t know how she would be experimenting with the spells and potions, "We''ll find a way for it." Caitlin nodded her head. Continuing to walk down the road where there was less patch of mud .u.mted, they ced their feet on the firm part of the soil which wouldn''t slip and make them fall. Penny then remembered something and pulled out the parchment she carried around with her. "Caitlin, do you know how to read this one?" Penny had shown it to Damienst week, telling her how Father Antonio had handed it to her but she wasn''t able to read it. Halting their footsteps, Caitlin took a look at the parchment, trying to read but she had no clue what she was looking at. Penny had been slightly hopeful but noticing the woman''s nk expression whoter shook her head, she felt her heart sink. "I am sorry I am not much of help," Caitlin apologized. "No no, I don''t think any of us know how to read this. I wonder whichnguage this is and who can decipher it," she sighed loudly. Chapter 657 Fair In The Village- Part 2 Folding the torn parchment, Penny put it back in her dress pocket. "Come, let me take you around the vige. I heard from one of the maids that there is a local fair that has been arranged," Penny said, pulling Caitlin along with her. Returning back to the church where the carriage of the Quinn''s was parked, they took it to ride to the next town and as expected, the vige was decorated in bright paper colors, hanging up in the air while many people had gathered around the center of the fair that had little shops arranged in tents which held different valuable items as well as food. Games were held for young children while some were for adults. "I remember these things that were held in Valeria,"mented Caitlin as they made their way towards the fair, "Your father and I would often slip out of the house to attend these things. Uncle and aunt never liked it, they feared something, maybe us getting killed out in the open as we were witches and we would hear an earful once we returned back home. Some yearster we never told them but only slipped out of our beds and rooms to be able to visit and see what these fairs were all about." "Looks like my father and you were mischievous little children," after hearing Penny''s words, the woman smiled fondly over her memories. "We indeed were. Being young and with the bliss of ignorance, life was too perfect I think at that point in time. When we are kids, we believe what is told to us. epting it to be the truth and then we grow up. When we were young, your father made up storytelling how the watermelon carried the water of Bonke in it which was why it was so watery. It is because the fruit isn''t frequent in Valeria." Penny smiled at Caitlin''s words. She was d to hear that both her father as well as her aunt had had good childhood memories. They went through the stores one after another, looking at what each one of them had to offer while moving to the next one. Taking some things to eat on their way, Caitlin and Penny had a good time with each other. It was good to hear stories from her aunt about her and her father which in turn made Penny feel as if she were much closer to her father than she was before. Right now it felt like she knew him. Penny remembered her father in her mind, his very image brightened her mind giving her the hope that she needed along with the strength. "What are you smiling so widely?" Caitlin questioned as she looked at her niece. "I don''t know if I told you this but I am d you are here." Caitlin nodded her head, "Several times but I don''t mind hearing it again," she said warmly, opening her arms for a hug, the woman said, "Come here." Penny stepped forward to hug her aunt in the midst of the crowd, "You are a strong girl, Penelope. Stronger than your own father and don''t let anyone make you think otherwise. You have the blood of the first generation witch running in you, that itself is special." "Did you tell that to yourself too?" Penny asked once they pulled and stepped back from each other. The woman shrugged her shoulders, looking around with a smile before her eyes met Penny''s green ones, "I did. When there''s no one to motivate you, you end up telling a lot of nonsensical things to yourself." This made Penelope giggle and smile wide. It appeared that Penny had not taken over her mother''s qualities and she was grateful for it. Instead, she had picked her father and aunt''s traits. "Look there!" Penny nudged her head towards a store that was selling hot cooked food, "I think we can hop to some of them and then get back," she suggested looking up at the sky where it was hard to tell if it was going to rain now orter. After getting some more food to eat, they were getting back and out of the fair when something caught from the corner of her eyes. Turning her head, she found a bunch of stones that were ced in there. "Aren''t those charm stones?" asked Caitlin, "Want to take a look?" Penny gave her a quick nod and they went to the stall that was set up with a woman who sat at the front selling it. "Come here only if you are buying it. I am tired of entertaining people who juste here to look at it,"ined the woman to the people who had crowded around to only leave the front ce and move to the next one. When the woman caught sight of Penny and Caitlin who were better dressedpared to the rest of the folks who had shown up in front of her store, she looked at Penny to say, "These are rare stones that you won''t be able to find anywhere else. Each stone is special as they hold different abilities. You have the red, brown, blue and ck and green. Name the color and I will find a suitable one." Penny gave a sweet smile to thedy and she asked, "How much do each of these costs?" "They are only ten gold coins for each of them," the woman smiled back, getting her plump self to stand up. She came to the front with her hands wringing together as she waited to make some money finally. "How cheap," Caitlinmented in a sarcastic tone to receive a small re from the storedy. "Do you think charm stones are cheap? They are the most expensive stones you will ever find. Theye from the mountains of the Abile after the volcano stops." "How interesting," Caitlin continued to humor the woman. Both Penelope, as well as Caitlin, were aware that the charm stones were made by the hands of the white witches and not something that appeared through the hands of nature. Penny who was already aware of how charm stones looked and had tried to recreate some of them stared at them. She didn''t have the ability like Alexander but as she had worked with the stones in Valeria, she could tell this was not real. "Aren''t you trying to scam people,dy?" Penny asked the woman who gave her a look as if she was speaking nonsense. "Do you even know how a charm stone looks like?" thedy questioned back with a raised eyebrow. Chapter 658 Fair In The Village- Part 3 She wanted to smack the woman''s face by the knowledge she held when it came to the charm stones but answering the woman with facts would only put her in a problem. Any words rted to ''witch'' could bring her unneeded attention that had the possibility to blow up by gathering more people with a look of suspicion. At the same time, Penny couldn''t ept that she was selling something that was not charm stone but mere stones that were polished that didn''t even hold a s.h.i.+ne. "Come on tell me?" demanded the store woman, her narrowed eyes ring down at Penny. "This woman is selling fake stones that has nothing in them," Penny spoke loud enough for the other pa.s.sersby toe to take a look at it, "If what you are selling is to be true, then demonstrate it to us." The woman rolled her eyes, "Just because you aren''t willing to pay for the charm stones you want to create a scene in front of my shop while using me that I am not selling the right stones." "It is because that is exactly what you are doing," Penny stood her ground, "Why don''t you demonstrate it to us like the rest of the charm stone owners. It would be eptable only if it worked else you are only a thief who is trying to swindle money from people''s hard-earned money. Show us and I will pay." The woman continued to re at her as more people stopped in front of the store to see what was going on. The vige folks enjoyed a good old banter in the fair as it was always interesting and they came to view the same. Caitlin''s eyes moved around to see the number of people who were gathering, making her roll her eyes. "Charm stones are not to be used unless it is given to the owner. It loses its property," the woman came up with a reason to not demonstrate the empty stones that would do nothing. The store woman had finally bought the stones after trading it with a man in the market therefore she knew that this stone would do nothing but was used to look pretty on a person''s neck. She had been able to sell only two stones since the time of morning and she had nned to nab the next rich woman or man who would buy it without question. She had been hoping to make some money but here came this girl wanting to throw her business in the garbage. The woman then suddenly raised her brows in question, "How can you im and be sure that this is not a charm stone? I don''t see you wearing one of it," she c.o.c.ked her head, her eyes gauging the girl from her head to the bottom of her shoes to look up again. For some reason, her eyes appeared to be something she didn''t oftene across, "Only a witch can know about these things. Are you a witch?" Murmurs started to float around them and Penny didn''t know why she suddenly suspected that she was a witch. Even Caitlin who stood next to Penny frowned at thedy. "Aren''t you ashamed to be throwing false usations,dy?" Caitlin stepped. The woman, in turn, replied, "What wrong did I say? She didn''t even take a good look at it and decided to call out on me. What else can I say but that she is a witch." Whispers started to circte around them and people started to speak, "Did you look at the charm stones?" "Is what thedy speaking to be true but what if she is a witch?" And another said, "We should probably call the guardsmen here to test it out if that is true." "Yes. Yes! Someone get the guardsmen here!" Penny gritted her teeth over the little scene that had been caused. The store woman had not only denied the stones but had also called her to be a witch while getting the guardsmen in the picture. She could start feeling the air of hostility around them. This was not good but she didn''t mind going through it. When the guardsmen arrived with the spray which was used on the witches, they sprayed it all over the store especially on Penelope and Caitlin but both the females stood there unaffected. The people around them had been waiting and some had even gone far enough to bring their pitchforks and oil to burn the witches but seeing them appear unaffected by it, their eyes turned to look at the store woman who had used them of being witches. Penny couldn''t help but smile internally as she looked at the woman who gulped. She went to open her mouth when they heard someone walk in and speak as people made their way to the person, "Who dares to spray the love of my life?" It was Damien. He had told her that he would be going to the council and would be busy, what was he doing here? The guards as if already knowing who the man was, they bowed their head that confused the onlookers who bowed their heads too. His red eyes red at the woman who stood behind the store. "What''s going on here?" Damien asked the guardsmen while his eyes were trained on the woman who cowered right now, her eyes darting left and right. One of the guardsmen came forward to say, "We were informed that two witches were spotted here in the fair and to check if it was true but it isn''t so and the woman here was only bluffing. We apologize, councilman Damien, we didn''t know thedy was rted to you," they bowed their head in shame while hoping the pureblooded vampire wouldn''t punish them by breaking their bones. Damien wasn''t pleased hearing this, he then raised his hand forward making the guardsman blink wondering what the man wanted. Damien sighed, saying, "Where is the spray, you peasant." The guardsman quickly handed it to him and Damien looked at the content at first and turned around the top to spill everything on the ground. He then walked around the stalls while everyone''s gaze followed him. When he returned back, Damien gave the spray to the store woman who looked at him perplexed. Penny caught sight of the liquid in it which was ck in color that looked like ink. Damien made himselffortable on the counter and ordered, "Now, spray it all over your face." Chapter 659 To Keep Or Throw- Part 1 The woman behind the table of the store stared at the vampire who had given her the small bottle of spray to be used on her. One of her hands was fisted together and her jaw was set firmly, almost grinding against each other at the way how everything had backfired. She had nned to frame these two girls who had imed that she was selling the wrong stones and after they were framed, she would have sold the charm stones in double the price by telling how to know when a witch was nearby and their life was in a threat. Yet here she was holding the spray as everyone waited for her to put it over her. Seeing theck of motivation as well as enthusiasm, Damien yawned loudly, "Are you going to do it or do you want me to force you to do it? Which one is it going to be?" he asked the woman without turning to look at her. "I did nothing to have to listen to you!" the woman spoke back to the pureblooded vampire where she was internally shaking out of nervousness that only volumed up when Damien banged his hand on the table. He pushed himself and turned to look at the human. "Do you think your reason is eptable?" he tilted his head, his words not a question which she was to answer, "Trying to call them to be witches when you know how severe it is when ites to the matter of witches. What if someone did call the guards and what if they had burned them up thinking they were witches, would you consider yourself to be ountable for it and what is the use to hold you ountable when they are gone?" The woman red at the man, "They came here telling me how I was selling fake stones. This is my business and I know what is real or not-" "Shut up you imbecile mongrel," Damien was not in the mood to hear the woman whining about her trade, "You dare to go and cause trouble to people. I shall have you behind the bars. Guardsmen," one wore from Damien and the guardsmen approached the woman. The woman shook her head immediately, "What did I do? You must be joking to think that for such a silly matter you are putting me behind the bars of a cell!" "Silly?" Damien asked with a nk expression and then a slow smile appeared on his face, "What if these aren''t the witches but it is you who has a.s.sociated herself with the witches? Because from what I know, the stones are created by the witches and not in the mountains. Didn''t thisdy ask you to demonstrate the spell and charm of it?" This time it was Penelope who turned to Damien, her green eyes s.h.i.+fting from the woman to the pureblood. Was he listening to them all this time and had been quietly spectating the show without involving himself until the very end like a heroing to a rescue? "You must be the one working with the witches if you know about it," the woman pointed her finger towards Damien. Penny could only hope that the woman could still keep her finger at the end of the day especially when she knew how Damien loved fingers. Or to be specific to break them. Damien offered the woman a charming smile. "Do you think the guardsmen are listening to me because I have money? Maybe it''s because I have much more knowledge than you. You have two options here. One. You spray yourself with the bottle that you have in your hand. Or two, you can spend a week with the rats and the crawling c.o.c.kroaches in the cell. So which one is it going to be?" "I will not-" "Guardsmen," Damien called the two men who started to walk towards the woman. "Why don''t you ask the people in here for justice!" Damien nodded his head as if she were right. He then looked at the people to say, "Who would like to apany this woman to the cells right now?" and not a single soul came to reply to his question,?"If you believe what this woman did was right by using two innocent women that they were witches while ready to kill them for the sake of her wanting to earn money, please step forward." No one wanted to take part in the cell. People had heard about cell rooms in the council as well as in the viges and towns on how the ce was covered with filth. Damien raised his hand, waving his wrist to take the woman away when she quickly said, "No, I will spray!" He turned around, folding his hands across his chest and waiting for her to finish spraying the liquid. Even Damien knew she would nevere to agree to spend the days in the cells and would rather prefer to finish this here. She took the bottle in her hand, her eyes still continuing to dart. And she finally pushed the head of the bottle in front of her face to have the ck ink sprayed over half of her face. "Four more," Damien ordered as he continued to stare at the woman. The woman in shame, sprayed herself over and over again until half of her face was smudged with ink. Some of the ink dripped down her neck and came to fall on her clothes. Damien then looked at the crowd to say, "I am sure everyone will keep in mind to not run their mouth as they wish. Just because you have a mouth doesn''t mean you talk s.h.i.+t. Disperse now, peasants," the people quickly started to scatter away from there and the crowd died down around them. "When did you arrive here?" Penny questioned Damien when he came to stand in front of her. "Few minutes before you started talking to the woman. I came here with Kreme when I spotted you both," and he was standing and watching her speak? "I didn''t think you would need me as I know you know to hold your ground without me needing to rescue you," saying this he leaned over the kiss the side of her temple. Chapter 660 To Keep Or Throw- Part 2 Penny didn''t know if she shouldugh or roll her eyes over his pettiness. Damien could have let the matter go, after all, no one could prove her or Caitlin to be witches. With the ability of purification that she possessed, nothing could harm her or the person near her. It would have been a whole different matter if Caitlin and she were separated by distance. With the crowd that had dispersed themselves and the woman who had closed her store so that she could wash her face, she wondered if the shame she was put through was harsh. For the woman, it was her bread but at the same time, she had gone too far by using them to be a pair of witches that could have got them killed. She saw a scrawny man with .s.ses making his way towards where they stood. It was Kreme, Damien''s a.s.sistant in the council. "Master Damien, I have been searching all over for you," the young human appeared to look livid at the fact that he was left in the middle of nowhere when Damien had disappeared on him, "Lady Penelope," Kreme bowed his head when his eyes met the woman and seeing anotherdy next to her, he bowed his head. "Didn''t you get lost?" Damien teased the man with an absolutely serious expression on his face. Kreme couldn''t say yes or no but he pursed his lips. "I found the witch here. She lives in one of the houses up there," Kreme turned to twist his body and point his finger towards the alley of the vige. "There''s a witch here?" Penny questioned Damien, "White or ck?" "ck," Damien answered her, "The woman posed herself to be a white and she is attending the church with the rest without others knowledge. A recently turned white from ck," he exined to her. "Council orders?" she asked to see him shake his head. "I was looking for something in the other town and came here when one of them mentioned about her usage of forbidden magic," Damien ced his hand on her arm, "Did Father Antonio and the rest of them leave?" Penny gave him a nod, "I see. You both should head back home. Do you have the carriage?" Caitlin was the one to answer, "Yes, we parked it outside the vige." "Have fun at work," Penny wished before leaving his side. Leaving the vige, Penny and Caitlin got into the carriage and headed back to Quinn''s mansion. On the way when Penny was looking outside the window, she heard Caitlin ask her, "How did you do that? The spray¡­It should have affected us," Penny realized that her aunt was unaware of this part of information when it came to her. She wondered how she had missed it. Penny then said, "I have the ability to purify the air," her aunt made an O in her mouth. "I think I remember a bit of it. Damien mentioned something about him not being affected by the poison because he was standing next to you but when he went alone it had started to affect him," Caitlin remembered making Penny nod at her words. "When ites to the air, it happens without me needing to do anything but when ites to liquid, I need to concentrate to purify it," Penny exined it to her aunt. Caitlin nodded her head then asked, "Are you feeling alright? I mean back in the vige..." "Ah, that yes. Don''t worry about that, Caitlin. I have heard many more things than this," she gave her aunt an a.s.sured smile. "I am sorry to hear that. I wish you didn''t have to go through it¡­" Caitlin ced her hand on top of Penny''s hand, "I don''t know what your mother must have done to have the people around to give you the hate which you didn''t deserve to listen to," the woman had her eyebrows furrowed as she said those words. Caitlin didn''t have to know how Laurae was. The woman appeared to be sweet to only be the kind who leeched on a person and sucked the very soul of the person. Both Penny and Laurae had somehowe to the point that Laurae was somehow responsible for Penelope''s father''s death. The woman was not only vile but shecked any morals and most of it came from being a ck witch. "I wonder at times why she is the way she is¡­" Penny said, speaking about her mother, "I wonder at times if she ever had a change of heart, after meeting me...and then I realized maybe she never changed. She and her brother...they killed their very own parents¡­" Caitlin put her arm around her niece''s shoulder and Penny ced her head on the woman''s shoulder. Her eyes mellow as she stared at the empty seat in front of her. "Things will get better in good time. Every person gets a time, Penelope and when that timees to forget to seize it," Caitlin whispered to the girl and the carriage continued to ride through the thick forest on either side of the road. Reaching the mansion, Penny walked through the corridor with Caitlin before they each took another path to head towards their room. Penny walking up the stairs went to the room and closed the door behind her. She took herself to read the books and once she was done, she stared at the books that she had stacked. Today was the day. It was the day she would be putting the rest of the books in the fire and there would be no evidence of the books to be existing ever. One part of her mind wanted to preserve it, after all, there was no one but the people who were rted to the first generation witch Lady Isabell''s family who could read the books. While Penny raised her hand ready to put them into the fire, she stopped her hand from going any further. These books were thest things of Lady Isabell before her son. Changing her mind, she took the books and ced them in the rack of the room shuffling them around. Her heart had been unwilling to throw the books away she hade to be so fond of. With a loud sigh, she took herself to sit on the bed. Though there were some things weighing in her mind right now, and with her mother was possibly on the run as her picture was stered and pasted on every side of the Bonke. She put her hand in her left pocket to pull out a crumpled paper she had picked up in the fair that had stuck to her boot while walking. Unfolding the paper, she looked at her mother''s picture where a bounty of gold was written on it. Dropping the paper to the side of the desk, she let herself lean back while taking in the changes that had taken ce so far. Time was moving quickly at times where she had no hold on it but to only watch it go past her. With Father Antonio and the rest of the white witches gone, her time at the church hade to an end and she would be working alone. It made her wonder if this was how most of the witches went through where one had to walk the path all alone. Suddenly she felt Damien''s lips on her lips and his weight on her with the bed that had suddenlye to dip down. He moved his lips against hers, kissing her and she kissed him back with a smile on her lips. Penny''s hand made its way to the nape of his neck, holding the shorter ends of his hair between her fingers. Their tongue mingling with each other as if they hadn''t seen each other for weeks or months. She didn''t hold back to show how much she loved him and her own lips matched his pa.s.sionate lips that nipped and yed with her to leave her panting on the bed. Damien pressed his forehead against her and Penny couldn''t stop the smile that was on her lips. "I love you," she whispered to him, her eyes closed as she breathed in and out. "Love you back," said Damien, going back to kiss her again as he wasn''t done iming her lips. Chapter 661 To Keep Or Throw- Part 3 Damien and Pennyid next to each other on the bed with their fingers intertwined together. Remembering Damien had been in the vige to catch a witch, she asked, "Were you able to catch the witch?" "Hmm, she ran away," Damien said unbothered with it, "She''s one of the good ones so it should be alright unless she gets killed by someone. I asked Kreme to follow up to see where she is right now. Did you have fun in the fair today?" he asked her. "It was good. It was my first time attending a fair." "You have never been to one before?" Damien appeared surprised by it. It was usually the rich children who belonged to the higher society who didn''t get to see it. Of course, his case was different as sneaked out of the mansion quite regrly when he was young. Penny shook her head, "I just saw them afar but never stepped into the circle," she replied back to him. ''What do you think you are doing here?'' ''Go back to where you came from!'' ''My father said not to talk to her.'' ''Don''t touch her or you will be infected.'' "I didn''t have money to buy anything to go there," Penny said, a small smile on her lips. Her heart ached less at the distant memory she had forgotten. She felt Damien squeeze her fingers. "How are you feeling right now?" she heard Damien ask her. "Happy to be next to you," she replied back before asking, "How do you feel?" "I feel amazing," he answered her, "Do you want to go out for a walkter." "At night?" Penny turned her head to look at him. "Mhmm. Me and you, under the clouds." "There are chances of rain," she said to him. He suggested, "Let''s carry an umbre along. Just here after the bridge. Not too far." "Okay." After their lunch, both Penny and Damien stepped out of the mansion. Penny held the purple umbre in one of her hands as they made their way outside the gates and towards the stoney bridge that hung up in the air, connecting the mansion and thend that came after the bridge. This part of thend was much more secluded inparison to the other mansions. The atmosphere was cold and both of them had worn their coats before heading out. They made their way towards the forest, hearing the crickets chirping loudly throughout the forest for the rain that was going to arriveter. Though the mud below their boots and shoes were wet, some of the dried leaves hade to fall down on the ground that crunched when they stepped one after another. "I received news on someone earlier when I was in the ck market," Damien said as they continued to walk slowly. "What is it about?" Penny had to hold back her hair from it falling on her face. "One of the people there said that Bathsheba pa.s.sed away," hearing this Penny didn''tment as she hadn''t expected to hear her death, "The person didn''t know where to find her and ced a spell in doubt to receive the news of her death." Penny asked, "How did she die?" Damien shook his head over this, "Don''t know. Unfortunately, you can only find if the person is still alive or not but not how the death took ce. It must be the witch hunters, she was too smart to fall into the hands of humans." "She was a good ck witch," Pennymented in her memory. "She was. Wonder how she got caught," he exhaled the air through his mouth, "I also heard that your mother was spotted somewhere in thend of Bonke. Many times in the South and some in the West." "Do you think she is here for some work that needed to bepleted?" Penny asked him, after all, with the movements of the ck witches which were heavy on breaking the chains that were on the ck magic, and with the way she now knew she was involved in it, she could only guess that she was on to something. "It is possible. It is one of the reasons why I put her picture up. We don''t know who else is involved but if there''s one person we know, it is your mother. The best would be to corner her. Another reason so that she doesn''te to harm you," he said pausing his footsteps and turning to her,? "There are some people in the eldermunity of the council who must still be clinging with what Creed left them." "Because the exam was held on the day of the golden moon..." "Hmm," Damien''s eyebrows was slightly furrowed, "It is too much of a coincidence to think that they would hold it there and in the forest. You think you have taken the weeds out sessfully to only find out that there are still some unwanted weeds. It is also possible that this how the witch hunters are not getting questioned. I looked into the reports two days ago in the council and there has been an increase in the death of the witches. Both ck and white. Some might think it is their diligence but that is a load of c.r.a.p." "Was there any talk about the exam?" "There are some who are probing, Evelyn is interested in how you survived with a white witch and ites as a debate once in a while with what I heard from Reuben." "You have so many admirers that it is going to be difficult I think," Pennymented to see a quick smile form on his lips. "I know. Sometimes I get tired of people admiring me this much but thates with being popr I think," on Damien''s words Pennyughed, "Evelyn is harmless. It is the others that we need to look at right now." "How are you going to find out if they are involved?" "Get them followed to see what they do every day, but people in the elder''s council are all low profile who don''t stand out much. They are smart enough to not let people know what they do. Worse case is to test them all and see which one reacts the most." Chapter 662 Danger A man walked with a hood over his head in one direction of the town, his footsteps quiet as he made his way through the empty streets of the town and then heading towards the forest which was cold and dark. He walked deep into the forest until he was met with a fog that started light on the ground and then started to increase in height and density near his legs while covering the ground. Up in the sky, the clouds had started to sh against each other while thundering amongst them as the person made his way to the heart of the forest beforeing to see two people who had arrived at the spot. They had cloaks that covered their face and the clothes that they wore. "You''rete," said a woman out of the two people who were already present. The man smiled at them, only the below half of his face visible, "My deepest apologies. I was busy with something." The below half of the woman''s face who had spoken appeared to be wrinkled unlike the one who stood next to her who had a firm face. It showcased that the woman was old, "Did you find any information yet about her? All we see are the posters." "You should have thought about it before having them ced everywhere in Bonke," said the man to hear the woman tch. "It wasn''t I or anyone I know who ced them around. I don''t even know who ced her face like that," huffed the woman. The smile on the man''s lips faltered hearing this and he asked, "It wasn''t you? If I am not wrong...I heard there has been a hunt and chase with the hunters and her." "I don''t know who did and I am still trying to figure out who would out Laurae with her pictures when she has been keeping a low profile. For the council to do it, the names and pictures should go through me and my approval. Without it, nothing can happen. It must have been someone else who got it done," said the old woman, pus.h.i.+ng her hood away from her face, the woman was nothing other than councilwoman Ava who had visited the head council a few weeks ago before the exam hadmenced, "Has she contacted you?" The man stood quiet for a few seconds before answering, "No." Her white-gray hair was short that reached until her shoulder which was open right now that she often tied during her work time. Her eyes looked at the person in front of her sharply, "We would need to know if shees in contact with you and the same holds good for everyone," said Councilwoman Ava. "Did something happen? It feels like you are hunting her more than reaching out to her," the manmented, a smile back on his face. Receiving no answer to this, the man then said, "I heard the ritual didn''t go sessfully. What happened? We were close to unlocking the next piece of magic." The councilwoman twisted her lips, "I don''t know. There were only two survivors there. One a white witch and one a boy." The man t.i.tled his head hearing this, "It appears sending Helen was after all a dumb decision," he chuckled at the end of it. "We had some of the best who were rmended by Sabbi apart from Helen. Most of the white witches have died and most have been transferred to Wovile," the man next to Councilwoman Ava spoke up. "How interesting. Look''s like Sabbi didn''t pick good enough people there," upon hisment, the old woman smiled. "Don''t be so bitter just because the great witch didn''t pick you to be part of the exam. I am sure the Mistress has something bigger nned out for you, boy." The man didn''t respond to her but continued to smile at her words. A smile of contempt in there as he looked at her. By appearance, the woman might have looked way older than him but by age, he was twice older than what she was but he didn''t bother to correct it. A human was an imbecile fool even after they crossed years before their time of death. "What is the next n?" he asked, brus.h.i.+ng her words away. "The next will be done by Sabbi herself unless she instructs us. I will contact you if there''s a change in n," the man bowed at her, seeing the woman and herpanion who had apanied her into the forest. The man continued to stare at them, the smile broadening on his face to show his teeth. "What have you done Laurae that Ava wants to desperately get hold of you," he murmured and turned around to leave in the direction he had entered. Far away from the forest and a few viges and towns away, Laurae hid behind a wall as she peeked at the empty street. It had been nearly a month since she had been getting chased away and as if that wasn''t enough with the posters, she could tell the hunters were trying to get a hold of her. Right now, she was hiding from a witch hunter she had run past a few hours ago. If the man thought that he was going to hunt her that easily, he was fairly mistaken. Laurae walked around the dark alley in a way that she stood at the top of the building while looking down at the witch hunter who held the crossbow in his hands, looking for her. She followed him. Every step he took, she took another with him, and just when he came to a corner where she would least expect her, the ck witch jumped right at him with a knife in her hand, to stab him. Twisting his hand around, she moved her hand back and forth with the knife until there was nothing left but blood on the man, she and the ground that left the evidence of murder but Laurae didn''t stop at it. It appeared that the humans were being too courageous enough to chase a witch like her. It was time to instill the fear that was lost. With that thought, the ck witch dragged the witch hunter by his leg to stick him in the tree with his insides that were torn out. Before leaving, she looked back at her work, smiling smugly, she started to walk into the darkness. She was going to find out who had smeared her face all over the town and once she would find the person, she would tear the person''s body. Chapter 663 Soiree- Part 1 More than an hour or two had pa.s.sed since Penelope and Damien hade to the forest, listening to the crickets and the leaves rustle against each other, they spent their time talking about each other. Penelope listened to Damien''s memories as they appeared to be filled with mischiefpared to hers. "Mrs. Keith used to be the one at times to look after us and we would often give her a slip. She is a kinddy to have tolerated Alexander and me," said Damien while looking far away into the trees. When he looked back to look at her, he stated, "You have been smiling for more than ten minutes now." Penny''s smile only grew wider, "It is good to hear your childhood memories. Wasn''t your mother angry when she found the blood on you?" she asked him after he had told her the story when they had gone to find ck witches. "It''s hard to say if she was angry," Damien leaned against his hand which he had used to support himself while they had taken themselves to sit on the rocks, "I would say she was pleased to hear that I had killed a ck witch." Somewhere Penny felt Damien''s mother was strict and ruthless yet there were parts of her which showed how prideful the woman was when it came to her family. "I went to visit her two weeks ago," Penny informed him as she hadn''t done it earlier. "Did you now," Damien didn''t show any change of expression, "What did you speak?" he asked, she could tell that somewhere he was curious. "Something between her and me," Penny grinned before asking, "Do you miss her?" She saw Damien pull his body back from the leaning position and stretch his legs, "Sometimes I do," Penny nodded her head. "Oh, another thing...I don''t know why but I feel like I have been meeting Mr. Varreran often now. Like we keep running to each other," Penny let Damien know. "Where did you meet him?" inquired Damien. "When I was leaving the cemetery. He hade to visit someone he knew," Penny didn''t know why but even though his appearance was soft and kind, gentleman-like, something always sparked a doubt of question in her mind. "I went through his files in the council. It tells that his parents were killed by witches when he was around twenty. Since then the man has been living alone. Strangely I couldn''t trace back any rtives which would mean his parents were a single child to their parents," said Damien from what little he found out about the man, "But I did find something very interesting from the ck market. It seems he enjoys buying ves very regrly." Penny thought about it and said, "When I was at his mansion, I didn''t see any of the ves. The one we saw, when I asked about her he told she was resting." "Mouse," Damien called her, "No matter how a master treats the ves, it is out of any of our hands. There are many ves who get abused but once a person''s life is brought, there is no turning back to it. They are stuck for life. The master or mistress can do what they please and no one can have a say to it." Penny was aware of it, yet she wished something could be done with respect to putting downws for the ves as well as masters. And she also knew the council members would nevere to implement such things. "You know when you brought me here, Maggie had told me how you disliked the existence of ves and it used to make me wonder why you bought me if that was the case." "But now you do." "I do," she nodded her head, "I heard from Caitlin that Mr. Wells has been taking Maggie out during the weekends. I am d your father approves of him." Damien chuckled at it, "If my father didn''t approve it would mean he was being partial with his children. I have chosen you to be my life partner, my wife, and mypanion for the rest of my life. It wouldn''t be right, also," he paused briefly to say, "I think he did partly to make Grace understand that she needs to stop manipting and badmouthing her very own family she is part of. I thought she would change, of course, I did not hope, but I expected correction in her character which appears to be the same even after breaking her fangs. Most of the people have a character change over time but my half-sister is a lost cause which I think all of us have established. Were you able to crack the code that was given by Father Antonio?" he asked her. "Nothing so far." "That bad huh," hemented. "I checked with Caitlin and she can''t read it either. It isn''t witch writing but something else." "Take your time. It''s not like the witches have taken themselves to attack us with their binding magic," said Damien to her, "You know, you are a destined alignment of the star. If you weren''t there in the council exam, the matter and events right now would be different." "But the ck witches have advanced and they have been trying to finish one ritual after another. Do you think there would be a point where they would unleash the ck magic?" she asked him worried. It was something she thought about since she had finished the exam. "Let''s hope that day neveres because if it does, it would be that much harder in stopping them," saying this he stood up from the stone he was sitting on to walk towards her and she stood up, "We should head back," he said, bringing his hand forward and offering it to her. "What''s the matter?" it seems like you have something to tell, said Damien as she hadn''t moved. "Is the ck witch still there in the dungeon?" "He is. Why do you ask?" Penny shrugged her shoulders with a smile, "I wanted to learn a few things," she?ced her hand in his, and in less than a second, the forest was left empty as the couple had gone back to the mansion, straight to their room. Chapter 666 Spells- Part 1 The witcher looked at Penny, his slit-like eyes looking at her unblinking as a snake would, "I gave all the information that was asked from me. What do you want from me? I don''t think I have anything more to offer," the rays of the sun could be seen pa.s.sing through the little rock-like window that had one bar of the grill. Penny could tell that the witcher was being truthful but at the same time, she was yet to ask and question why she hade here at this hour of the day with food for the boy. She then asked, "Do you know how to use magic spells?" He gave her a nod. From where he had been sitting, he stood up pus.h.i.+ng himself with one hand and took the other items that were ced down, handing it back to her, "What spell do you want me to use?" he asked her. She wondered how far efficient the witcher was when it came to making use of the ck magic which was limited to them, "There''s a certain spell I have been looking forward to. I want you to teach me how to turn people to toads," she said in utter seriousness that for a few seconds the witcher thought thedy who had brought him food was joking with him. He cracked a smile first out of amus.e.m.e.nt and when he noticed how serious she was, he erased the smile quickly, "You want to learn to use the ck magic?" He gave her a quick look and then said, "Even if you are a witch. A white witch, you won''t be able to make use of the ck magic which is meant for the ck witches. Thew holds that only certain witches can make use of spells to what they belong to. The spells that I use cannot be used by you. There''s a difference." "There''s a thin line. I am aware of it," Penny snapped softly, her green eyes looking back at the man, "I know that ck magic cannot be used by the witches but there are exceptions to it. I am the daughter of a white and ck witch." The scrawny man raised his brows, "That is possible?" he asked her, as far as he knew, ck and white witches didn''t get along with each other. Both the different witches being in a rtions.h.i.+p were unheard of or rather it was very rare. Hemented, "I thought ck and the white witches don''t get along." "They don''t," Penny responded to hisment. Curious and poking his nose in the matter, he asked, "What happened to them?" "My father died and my mother wants me dead," Penny turned her answer short and sweet with a smile on her face and she then said, "Are you willing to teach me?" "Do I get to leave this ce?" "No, you will get a meal a day depending on how far we progress," Penny knew the character of a ck witcher, there was no telling when they would flip and turn their back against the ones they gave their word to. "You think I will teach you the spell for a meal?" the witcherughed before his eyes widened and he asked, "Where are you going?" He saw her leaving the front of the cell. Penny stopped walking away. Turning over her shoulder without looking at him, she said, "I guess you don''t want the meal. You were brought here by the councilman, he will be the one dealing with you." The ck witch quicklyughed nervously, "I was only joking. Pleasee back, mdy." Penelope turned around to give him a look of full seriousness, "What do you need to teach me the spell?" she asked him. "I will need someone to turn to a toad. Obviously, I cannot turn you, the councilman might have my head for it," he said whilst holding both his hands on the grills with a part of his face sticking out of the bars. The man held his hands tightly hoping he wouldn''t lose a meal because of what he asked as thedy appeared as if she would leave right away without any hesitation. It had been days since he had eaten and never since he hadst eaten a meal like the one she had got today here. Penny was right. The witcher did look like a puppy that had been caged. Turning around to face himpletely, she said, "I will be back in some time," saying this, Penny walked away from there to return back after a few minutes as said with a man behind her. The man was none other than the butler. Penny had the option to pick anyone but if there was someone who she felt was reliable right now, it was the current Quinn''s butler. Thinking about it, Penny realized how she missed the previous butler, Falcon who had died because of a simple mistake. Only if they hadn''t gone to the abandoned town, they would have nevere across the switchers and he would have still continued to live. At the same time, Penny knew that if they hadn''t been to that town and found out the existence of the switchers, things would have only turned dire for people in thend of Bonke as the information about the switchers would be known by the council veryte after a lot of damage. She didn''t know what to think about it. She wished there was a way to turn back time and to fix a few things. If only there was a way to fix things and return things the way it was normal but what was normal right now? Before they could go any further into the cell, Penelope stopped Durik to have the man furrow his brows in question as he didn''t know why thedy had brought him here. Penny looked into the eyes of the butler, "I need your help, Durik." Being the diligent butler he was, he ced a hand on his chest, bowing his head he replied, "Yes, mdy, anything," Durik didn''t know what he was signing up to when he spoke those words. Thedy gave him a smile and then said, "You need to know something so that you don''t freak out," Durik nodded his head. Chapter 667 Spells- Part 2 Penelope wasn''t sure if there was a way to break down the news that one was a witch and not a human as she knew how skittish the butler was. She could only hope that the butler wouldn''t go running to the hills or worse to the mansion while screaming ''Witch! Witch!'' at the top of his lungs. No problem though, said Penny in her mind. If he were to do it, the worse case she would have to tie him up here to push him in the other empty cell. "I am not a human, Durik," Penny broke the news to him. The butler who heard this wondered if thedy was telling that she was not human enough but a monster. Maybe she was emotionally feeling cold? Penny, on the other hand, gauged the man''s reaction to seeing if the information had sunk into his mind to realize it hadn''t, "I am white witch," she finally said without beating around the bush and his eyes went wide. "W-what?" the butler asked, fear rising in his eyes, and Penny could only sigh for the oing storm which was going to hit the butler hard enough to have him fall down. "Do you know the difference between a white and a ck witch?" she asked him. "T-they kill and like to eat humans, vampires, and different creatures?" the butler stuttered with an answer. From what Penny knew, the butler was a human before he was turned to a half-vampire. He had spent most of his time being a human than being a vampire as he was still new to it. "I wouldn''t differentiate them entirely as each side of the creature has some good and some bad. There are good white witches, bad white witches, good ck witches and bad ck witches, simr to how humans are good and bad," Penny exined to him before he could bolt out from here, "There is going to be a war between all the creatures and some of us are preparing for it. Some of the white, ck witches and some vampires are trying to dominate thend." "Does master Damien know about it?" Durik asked, still in fear. By looks, thedy appeared to be normal who never did anything out of the norm. Penny gave him a nod, "He knew before I did." She needed the butler to trust her as they needed someone to perform the spell on, "I didn''t know whom to ask in the mansion and when I thought about it, you were the one who came in my mind that I could trust you," she said being frank to the butler, "You appear to be someone who is genuine." Hearing this, the butler couldn''t stop but think highly of himself that he was being entrusted by thedy whenpared to the rest of them. "The people in the mansion aren''t aware of it yet, and only my friend Caitlin and Damien are the ones who know about my ident.i.ty which is why I will need you to keep this information a secret. Can you do that for me?" Penelope asked, her head tilting to look at him, "In return, I will ask Damien to let you free." The butler snapped his head up to look at her. Penny hade to find out that initially, the butler had tried to get away from working here but it had been unsessful. The butler''s ears perked up, happy to get away from here. The butler then shook his head, "Don''t take me wrong, mdy, but aren''t you worried that I will tell people about who you are?" he asked her. She smiled at his question, "I think you and I both know that if you did that Damien would hunt you down. I know you wouldn''t do it." The butler wasn''t sure if thedy was telling or trying to scare him. "Are you still willing to help? If you can, you can go back to the mansion and carry on with your work," Penny didn''t want it to seem like she was forcing him. Though she needed someone to turn to a toad, she also wanted the man to have his choice. Durik gave it some thought then nodded his head, "Okay. I am in." Penny gave him a small nod and they went inside the cell where the butler caught sight of a ck witch inside one of the cells here. The butler was more than shocked to see a ck witcher in here, "This is the butler of the Quinn''s," Penny introduced Durik to the ck witch. "Piers," introduced the scrawny ck witcher to both of them. "Why do we have a ck witch here, Lady Penelope?" Durik asked Penny in a whisper. Before Penelope could reply to the butler''s question, the ck witcher answered him, "I was caught while trying to steal something from a house." What a frank person, thought Penny to herself. "Do you need something for the spell to work?" Penny asked the witcher who shook his head. "Just the spells should do. It is how you p.r.o.nounce every single syble and don''t miss words. You will first need to memorize the words," said the witcher to tell, "Listen to this carefully. Eieenle par twarfere yuvel arv ire bellen wisp le nout." Hearing the gibberish words spoken by the witcher, he again repeated it for her so that she could grasp it. He then moved his hand in the air as he brought it up, moving it back and forth to tell Penny, "While a ck witch makes a spell, it is necessary that you have contact before leaving a spell. Without the contact you cannot drop a spell as you wish," her eyes narrowed at this mentioned and she asked, "Do you mean to say that a witch''s spell can take effect only if they touch us?" "Yes," answered the boy, he then waved at the butler, "Raise your hand." The butler gave a look to Penny who nodded her head and she said, "Don''t go around. Stay here after the spell," this was the time when Durik realized he had signed to something without knowing about it fully. Durik brought his hand up, both his hand and the witcher''s hand close to each other, and when just as they made contact, the butler didn''t know what happened the next second as suddenly everything appeared to look different and...big. And what was with the green vision, he went to raise his hand to rub his eyes when he found a web-like green hand in front of him. Was this his hand?! Chapter 668 Croak!- Part 1 Durik was more than shocked right now as he stared at his webbed hand and when he tried to look down at himself, he couldn''t find his feet but his belly that was round and green in appearance. It didn''t take him too long for him to realize that he had been turned from a half-vampire to a frog. CROAK! What the h.e.l.l happened?! Did the ck witcher turn him to a frog?! Wanting toin, he opened his mouth to croak over and over again. "It worked," he heard the Ladyment looking down at him who looked like a giant building. She was tall along with the rest of the things that had been magnified from where he sat. When he tried to move, Durik failed tond perfectly on the dusty ground and fell straight on his face miserably. That was it! He wanted to quit right away! This was not what he had signed up for when thedy had asked for his help. Durik wanted to cry andin right and he did it, "I wasn''t told I was going to turn to a toad! Am I toad? Or is it a frog? I don''t care, turn me back or I leave!" and during the butler who had transformed into a frog, all hisints only turned to many more croaks. Penny could tell that Durik wasn''t happy. When she had asked for his help she had not specified what the help was going to be and the butler had readily epted to only croak. "Of course, it works. I have been a ck witch and have used these spells for quite some time now," the ck witcher who had introduced himself as Piers replied to Penny''s words. As much as the butler was not happy about these sudden changes in events with what happened to him, Penny was happy to see that the spell did exist and it wasn''t such a faux. "What are the limitations to the use of spells?" Penny asked him. If the spells were this easy, the ck witches would have turned every single creature to a bunch of toads. Piers turned to thedy who appeared to be slightly knowledgeable when it came to the use of spells, "These spells cannot be used on pureblooded vampires. For some reason, most of the spells fail in front of them. Even the most powerful ones. But if it is humans or former humans, or witches, the spell will work on them. Apart from having contact, the time span of when to use the spell is important. If a witch is weak, he or she cannot make use of the spells." "We don''t see witches turning every single one humans to toads," Penny could tell the witcher was yet to tell how the spell worked because this couldn''t be the only reason. The witcher then pulled out a pendant he wore around his neck. The pendant was round and it appeared like it had a .s.s in front while beneath the .s.s sat many different leaves and dust in it. "What''s there in it?" she asked him, ignoring the croaks that wasing near her legs. "This, I stole it from one of the ck witches. It has all the elements that are needed for a spell to be used," Pier replied to her, "I don''t know all the spells and just a few of them." Penny gave it some thought before asking, "Do you know the spell to unshackle the chains around your feet?" both of them stared at each other and she then heard him answer, "I do," the ck witcher appeared calm and quiet, looking at thedy thinking about what he just said. She had been having a doubt, the way her eyes so very often flickered at him every single time in curiosity, "Are you wondering why I am here even though I could escape?" he asked her. "A little bit. I am guessing you don''t want to go back to who you were working for all these weeks or months," Penny stated to see his lips quiver. "You are a smart woman," heplimented her, "I don''t think it is feasible to go back to working for them. If I am not wrong, very few are epted back once they return from being imprisoned. Theyck trust there." "They fear about the returnee betraying them¡­" Penny words chimed in the empty pa.s.sage where she stood in front of the cells. "There is no guarantee that I will be spared. And hence I decided to stay here for some time but there''s something about these chains, the ones on my legs that won''t help me escape even though I can unchain my hands." That meant he was still stuck here, even the spells. Curious, she asked him, "The pendant there, hasn''t anyone tried stealing it?" "No one knows about it. It isn''t hard to make but you need to have all the nts that falls straight in line with magic," hearing this from him, Penny was d she hadn''t thrown the books into the fire yet. The witches made use of various nts even when it came to making the voodoo doll. She needed to create the pendant. Looking down at the toad, Penny then said, "Turn him back," Durik appeared agitated as he was flopping back and forth first around here and then away from her as he croaked. "I can''t." Penny raised her brows, her head turning to the ck witcher, "What? What do you mean you can''t?" "I only learned how to turn a person to toads. I didn''t need to turn them back to their original form, therefore, I didn''t bother to learn it," the ck witcher shrugged his shoulders with a queasy looking smile when Penny''s eyes turned to a re. "Jog your memory and try to find the spell to turn him back to his original state," Penny demanded but the ck witcher shook his head. This wasn''t good, thought Penny to herself, looking down at the toad who was staring up looking at them. Durik blinked his eyes, questioning what they meant they couldn''t turn him back! Chapter 669 Croak!- Part 2 If Durik could he would have cried over his plight and demise of what hade to be in his life. What did he think and what had he turned out to be. The man had turned himself from being a human to a half-vampire so that he could live long and make the money before going toplete his life happily ever after where he could swim in money. But right now, forget about swimming in money, he would literally be swimming in a pond and mud. He had turned to a freaking toad, a slimy creature that disgusted him as a vampire too and he wanted to cry. "Turn me back you d.a.m.n witcher!" he screamed at the man who stood on the other side of the cell and he saw him crack a grin over his situation. What Durik didn''t know was that all his words were tranted back to nothing but a bunch of croak sounds that neither Penny nor the witcher could understand. "I need you to turn him back right now!" Penny demanded and Durik hailed the woman, jumping floppily near to thedy, he ced his hand on her muddy in the hope she would return him back to his original form. Right now he was in the cell room but if he were to go out like this, Durik was sure he would be chased to his death and the situation in the mansion wouldn''t be anything less but he would either be squashed to death with a broomstick or by hands of one of the pureblooded vampires in there unless they nned to torture him. Penny heard the toad croak at her, looking up for her to listen which she didn''t understand a single word, "Do you know what he is?" Penny the ck witcher. Pier looked back down at the frog to say, "I think he is enjoying his time as a toad." If Durik could, he would have thrown this ck witch to the sea or beaten the man ck and blue for turning him to something so disgusting! He was far from enjoying his time as a toad! "Turn me back to myself!" Durikined. All Penny could hear was croak, croak and more croaks that filled up the cell room. If she had known the ck witch didn''t know how to turn the person back, she wouldn''t have put the butler through this but who would have known about it. Like the butler who had agreed to help her, Penny had thought the ck witcher knew the performing spells for both the turning and reversal process. She was sure there was a reversal because she had heard it from Bathsheba that it existed. "I am sorry,dy, but I don''t know the reversal process for it. I thought you only wanted to learn how to perform it," hearing this from Pier, Penny sighed loudly. She looked back down at the butler, without moving her leg in the fear that she would step on him by mistake, "I am sorry, Durik. I didn''t know the man had no idea of the reverse spell. I will see what I can do and find," having a book of spells, Penny could only hope that she would be able to mix the magic there to be able to fix what happened to the butler, "I will be back soon. Stay here," she said. Whilst she started to walk away, going through the empty pa.s.sage, she heard the continuous croaking from behind her that caught up to where she was. The toad made its way to her. Turning around, Penny caught sight of the toad that looked helpless. She wondered what to do. It was her fault for not knowing the entire spell from the witcher and now that the butler had turned to a toad, she felt it was her responsibility to look after this toad. At the same time, how safe was the mansion for a toad? After a lot of thought, she took the toad along with her back to the mansion in the carriage she hade. Returning back to the mansion, Penny opened the carriage door without waiting for the coachman to let the toad out of the carriage. By the time the toad had made its way towards the entrance of the mansion, the coachman had arrived to hold the door for her. Stepping out of the carriage, she walked inside the mansion, and the toad closely followed behind her in fear that someone would spot him first and then throw him out of the mansion. If Penny was wearing a dress, it would have been a much easier way to hide behind her but with her wearing pants and s.h.i.+rt, there was very little s.p.a.ce to hide. First came a maid, and for the toad that was Durik found everything to be too big from where he was. Not only had he have to watch where he was going but he had to keep up on how to move forward as walking with two legs was way worse than rolling right now. "Mdy," the maid bowed her head, "Master Damien has been looking for you," said the maid. "Where is he?" asked Penny. "He''s in the study room waiting for you," answered the maid with a slight bow. Penny looked ahead of her with a sigh on her lips. She was d to hear that Damien had returned back home. This way she could let him know what had happened back in the dungeon and with their house butler. "Okay," Penny replied back and decided to head towards the study room when she saw Grace step down from the stairs. "Where have you been to Sister-inw?" Grace asked Penelope with a sweet voice as if Penny was her very own blood sister. Did the sun rise in the wrong direction? Asked Penny to herself, "I heard you packed lunch for some sort of pic. Whom did you go out with?" "Just an acquaintance who enjoys good food. It wasn''t a pic. Did you perhaps want to apany me?" Penny asked in the same tone as if everything was suddenly alright between them. "Oh, I would love to!" Grace chimed back in a bubbly voice. During this little conversation, Durik who stood behind Penny could only wonder if the world wasing to an end. Chapter 670 Croak!- Part 3 She looked at the young vampiress who appeared with all smiles. It wasn''t just her but even the maid who had been working for the Quinn''s for a very long time looked slightly taken aback by the sudden change in the atmosphere. It was because almost every single member who lived and worked in the mansion knew the rtions.h.i.+p between Grace Quinn and Penelope who was the former maid of Master Damien who now had turned to ady. "I will be sure to invite you the next time I go out," Penny gave false promise words. She was sure that Grace was up to no good and she was trying to do something by being utterly nice out of no reason. Both the girls had never seen eye to eye since they had met and it had only turned to an embarra.s.sing set of events one after another which was followed by shame. "How kind of you. I knew I could count upon you. Also, sister-inw," the way she emphasized on the points, Penny could only keep a keen eye on the vampiress, "I was nning to go out this weekend to shop with mother, how about you join us? You can bring your friend along too," Grace suggested and Penny smiled back. "I will look forward to it." Grace gave her another smile, she started to descend down the rest of the stairs when the vampiress caught something dark tailing behind Penelope. Grace''s eyes widened when she got the big frog in the hall here and she screamed, "Someone throw that thing out!" Penelope looked shocked that they had spotted the toad and before she could say or tell anything to them, the vampiress picked up the nearest vase to throw right at the toad. "Where is the butler!? Ask him to throw it out!" Grace screeched, for a vampire she was too loud and shrill, "Do something!" she demanded from the nearest maids. The toad started to jump around that brought many more maids screaming and throwing things at it. "Wait, stop!" Penny wanted to help the toad, the butler she meant but the toad started to run away heading out of the mansion. "Don''t let it in!" Grace ordered the maids, "Such disgusting creature," she murmured under her breath while dusting the front of her dress and exhaling loudly. The few maids who had been in the hall had made sure to chase the toad out of the mansion and Penny had followed to only notice that the little thing had disappeared out of sight. She rubbed her forehead in worry to hear Lady Fleurancee out of one of the rooms after hearing the little ruckus that had been caused. "What is going on here? Why were you screaming, Grace?" asked Lady Fleurance. "Oh, mother," Grace chuckled, "It was nothing at all. Just a small toad." Lady Fleurance furrowed her thin eyebrows, looking at the entrance and then at Penelope who stood near to the entrance, "You should have chased the toad out of the mansion. We don''t need unnecessary things in here," hearing this, Penny felt as if the vampiress wasn''t speaking about the actual toad but about her as her eyes were trained on her. Grace turning to her mother said, "Don''t worry mother, things that are not required here will be removed right away," the young girl then turned to look at Penny to say, "Isn''t that right, sister-inw?" Something really was cooking between this mother-daughter duo or it was just Grace who was being on her disgraceful side. Penny doubted that she could search the butler right now as he had appeared to be frightful with the way everyone had thrown vases and whatnot at him. Offering both thedies a bow, she headed straight to Damien''s study room. Damien was at his desk, pulling the drawer as he searched for something in there. Upon seeing the door open and close, he was about to ask where she had been when Penelope said, "We have a problem." The pureblooded vampire looked up at her with his dark red eyes. He noticed that she was anxious at the moment. "What happened?" he asked her. Penny iterated everything from the beginning of her day after he left the mansion until now to see Damien listen to her with a serious expression and when she was done, he burst out to a fit of chuckles. "Why are youughing?" Penny asked worried about the butler. Damien took some time before he said, "Poor Durik. He must be cursing himself right now. Both you and he stepped into a deal without knowing the end of what was going to happen. It is a little lesson. A good, funny one." Penny''s lips set itself in a thin line, "I am worried something will happen to him. I thought I would break the spell after reading Lady Isabell''s book of the spells but Grace chased him away. Now more than him not turning back to his usual self, I am worried he might die soon." "Durik is the butler of Quinn''s. I am sure he will survive ande back to you while he finishes his little vacation around the mansion. It will be a good break for him from his butler duties. If he doesn''t, he wasn''t a good fit to be the butler of Quinn''s," Damien stated, making the worry grow further in Penny''s mind. Damien walked away from the desk to where she was and he ced a hand on her shoulder, "You should get to searching the spell in the meantime. People who can survive living here can survive anywhere else." She nodded her head. Before she could get back to the room with the books, she asked him, "Do you know what is up with Grace?" Damien c.o.c.ked his head, asking, "Why do you ask?" "She was being too nice. Called me ''Sister-inw''." "Sister dear must be up to no good. You should make sure Grace and Durik don''t meat each other. There''s no telling if she will kill him. She doesn''t like toads," on Damien''s words, Penny could only wish how she could turn Grace into the thing she disliked. . There are other books in the series that belong to other characters. This is book #4. Chapter 671 Toads Day Out- Part 1 Going back to the room, Penny started to go through the book spells, moving one page after another as she didn''t remember if there was a reversal spell present in here. To undo a spell which was cast, she doubted herself that she had gone through it before. Every once in a while, Penny would walk towards the windows to see if she could spot a toad but she couldn''t. She had to make sure to return the butler''s life to normal as she was feeling guilty about it. While Penny was trying to find out the spell, the butler who had turned to the slimy creature ran for his life around the mansion after being chased by the maids and Lady Grace as if he were some kind of pest who was not supposed to be there. Still getting a hang of how to move with these awkward legs, Durik hopped one movement after another while taking a pause to make sure there was no one to chase him. Taking a break from the running, he went towards a rock that stood above the gra.s.s and flowers. Perching himself, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He didn''t remember when thest time he had to run so much and to think it was only from the distance from the hall to out in the garden, he didn''t know if he had to feel proud or shameful over it. If he knew he was going to turn to a toad, Durik would have never agreed to it. The world right now looked bleak, for someone who had got ustomed to working day and night as the butler by keeping himself busy all the time, right now he could do nothing but watch at the mansion that looked nothing less to the world of h.e.l.l from his little size. He sat there for hours and as he did, he spent his time reminiscing his old life when he was still a human and not a half-vampire. Things were dire but they were also easy back then. Since he had been a.s.signed as the butler of Quinn''s mansion, his life had been nothing short of tossing it to the sea. He hade across family debates which were part of the everyday routine, he had met a ghost and now he had turned to something he would haveughed if they told he was going to turn to a toad. "Why?" he whined, which came out as a croak. After spending hours there, he fell asleep in the rock and then woke up to go back to the mansion to see if he could get back inside to where Lady Penelope was. Who knew that thedy was a white witch, thought Durik to himself. If Master Damien was already aware of it, then it meant the white witch was good? Jumping from one side to another he finally got inside the mansion through the front door again. This time, he had to move stealthily. As everything appeared big in his vision, it took Durik some time to understand where he was going. Then he heard vibrations on the floor and for a few seconds he was sure it was an earthquake and when the shoes came into the picture. He quickly looked left and right before finding a bag that was ced to lean against the wall. "Did you get the paints I asked for?" it was none other than the vampiress who had spotted him earlier. Durik could feel a nervous breakdown of wanting to escape from here before more vases would be thrown at him. "Yes, mdy. They were brought in yesterday and have been ced in the painting room," answered the maid bowing her head. "Hmm. Where is the butler?" Grace asked the maid who was following behind the vampiress closely. Not knowing what else to do, Durik quickly hopped close to the bag and jumped into it. All he had to do was hide right here now. Once they would walk past him, he would have to hop himself up the stairs. With that thought, Durik stayed calm and unmoving but who knew his luck would be so bad that the bag he had hopped in was Grace''s bag which she lifted up in her arms and started to walk with it outside the carriage. You must be joking! Durik had apparently signed his death certificate this morning before he woke up from his sleep. Maybe this was all the life span he had because if Lady Grace put her hand in the back to search what was in here and would touch him, it would not be just her but also him who would be screaming or croaking. Durik could feel the bag move back and forth as the vampiress started to move and feeling the sudden swing, he could only imagine that she had stepped on to the carriage. "Tell mother I will bete and not to wait for me." "Yes, Lady Grace," the maid bowed her head again and waited for the carriage to start. When the carriage started, Grace tapped on the .s.s that was behind the coachman to say, "Take me to Isle Valley," and she moved back to sitfortably. Durik didn''t know what to do but panic while sitting in the bag. Just when he was about to croak, the butler had to hold his breath to stop himself from making his presence known to the young vampiress. At one point, he wondered what was the worst thing that could happen? He would either be thrown outside or would be killed. When they finally reached the Isle Valley, the coachman pulled the reins of the horses that had the two horses halt their steps from moving any further. The coachman jumped down and went to open the door for thedy who stepped down. "Wait for me right here," Grace didn''t wait for the response of the coachman and she walked away from the carriage to step into the streets of the Isle Valley. With her chest puffed forward, she walked with Grace and with elegance after all she was a Quinn. A pureblooded vampiress. People who knew her bowed at her sight and Grace fluttered hershes giving them smiles to let them know she was the sweetest vampiress out there. When she put her hand inside the bag to pull the pocket watch, Durik almost pa.s.sed away as he was mentally preparing himself to jump out of her bag. When she heard the bell ring in the tower she noticed the wall clock and let go of her hand. "Good evening, Lady Grace," she heard a man greet behind her, and Grace turned around, a smile forming on her lips. Chapter 672 Toads Day Out- Part 2 Grace turned around her body with the bag that she held, looking at the man who had greeted her. With his vampire''s eyes, the man smiled looking at her. "Robarte," Grace greeted the blonde looking man with a sweet and alluring smile. "I am d to see you are on time,"mented Robarte, "Let''s take a walk," he proposed to which she readily agreed. Walking next to each other side by side down the streets of the crowded Isle Valley, Grace asked, "Did you arrive here early?" "Just a few moments ago. I was worried where I would end up missing you like one of those early times," Grace could feel the light tension on her shoulders but nheless she smiled. How could she forget that time. Grace had promised to bring the ve girl to Robarte but before she even had the opportunity to get into the ck market she had not only been deviated but had been stopped and had received a p from her half-brother Damien in the middle of the street. She could still feel the shame that she felt that day and the day after that. How could she forget that Damien had not only insulted her in front of everyone but had gone far as to break her fangs turning her to a fangless vampiress. She still felt the pain of shame she had gone through for weeks until she finally was able to get back to her usual self. "You had promised me the ve girl and after that, I wasn''t able to get in touch with you," there was an undertone of disappointment in the man''s voice as he said it to her. "My apologies, Robarte. I wasn''t expecting the sudden change of ns. My brother is very possessive about his ve girl," Grace answered him. They walked by many of the shops that were still kept open even though the sky had turned orange and purple in color. "How did she turn to ady? Thest I checked she had decked herself to good clothes and shoes," Robarte asked the vampiress. Grace''s lips twisted in distaste, "I frankly don''t know. Damien doesn''t like ves. He in fact hates ves because of what happened in the past. They both weren''t getting along and there was obvious friction between them but suddenly he turned her to this finedy." "He must be enticed with her beauty. She does look good but of course not as good as you, Lady Grace," Robarteplimented her. Grace blushed at the vampire''s words. Robarte was a good looking man and if he weren''t good looking or he didn''t have money, Grace wouldn''t have spared a second over this man. With the round .s.ses that he wore, she could see the appeal that exuded from him. He was smart, good looking and was a gentleman when it came to speaking to people but Grace also knew how the man had been interested in that ve of her half-brother since the time they had first met and had got speaking to each other. "The deal still stands though. If you can somehow break the couple up and send the girl to me, I will make sure to get yourself married to the man you have been eyeing," he offered the girl. Grace had wished she could somehow sway Robarte''s feelings for her but the man appeared to be another idiot who was fixated on Penelope. What the vampiress didn''t understand was how the ve had turned to a popr maiden over time. It appeared that there was more than one man who wanted to have her. Grace cared less about Penelope and instead, she would love to throw the girl out of the house before she herself would be thrown out. It seemed liketely her father had changed the directions of the wind the way he supported not only Damien but he also supported her elder sister Maggie. To think that the pureblooded family of theirs that was highly praised was now mixing up with not only ves but also a lowly vampire, she didn''t know what else to expect in time that she would have to stand in the corner which she wasn''t ready to do. Robarte wanted Penelope, and she would somehow give the girl to him. "If you don''t mind can I ask you a question?" she asked the man. When he gave her a nod to continue, she asked, "What do you see in the girl? You can have any girl you want. If I am not wrong, there are plenty of girls who get sold every week in the ck market here. Why not look for someone new than going for a used one," she asked him curiously. Both Robarte and Grace had now entered the ck market street after pa.s.sing the Isle valley. The man did nothing but smile at her without answering her right away, "Sometimes you look at something and want it. Have you ever felt that Lady Grace?" he asked her. Grace gave him a look as if she knew about that feeling, "The feeling is something to that. I had seen her in the market that day and I was about to buy her. She looked absolutely great as if she had been beaten to exhaustion with her clothes sticking to her body and her clothes torn. You see it through the eyes of a man, you will feel something else." Grace didn''tment over this and instead, she walked beside him. "For a ve, she is a beautiful girl and I would like to teach her the way I want. Unfortunately for me, your brother came stating his ims." "You should have increased the bid," Grace stated and Robarte chuckled. "If I could I would but your brother came with such a high amount that people backed away from the bid very instant. Even if I did raise the gold, Damien would have only raised the stakes until he would be the one to take her home." Grace gave the man a stare. He was right, her brother would get to the point where he would make sure what he set his eyes on would reach only to him. "I have invited Penelope toe out with me tomorrow." "Wonderful. I will be here to meet her then," Robarte answered, delighted with what Grace had to say. Chapter 673 Toads Day Out- Part 3 While Robarte and Grace walked through the streets of the ck market, discussing their n, Durik who was still in the bag of Lady Grace had heard things in a m.u.f.fled tone as the market was too loud with a lot of people making noise that made it difficult for him to listen to their conversation properly but he had heard some things that appeared to involve Lady Penelope who Lady Grace was trying to push the girl to this unknown man who Durik wasn''t aware of. Durik in the bag tried to keep himself in ce but with the back and forth movement of the bag, it was hard to keep still but move. He had tried to catch hold of the man every time Lady Grace had addressed but the name came out to be rather m.u.f.fled. Finally, when Lady Grace had stopped walking, he heard the name ''Ververte''. It made Durik wonder what kind of name this was as it was the first time he had heard. Maybe it was a pureblooded vampire. Pureblooded vampires were not only strange but they also kept strange names along with their odd family names. The butler now knew that Lady Grace was indeed faking a few hours ago when she was speaking to Lady Penelope with false pretense. She was going to put the girl in grave danger and he had to let the master or thedy know about it. Lady Penelope might have been the reason why he was in this form but with what he had heard from her mouth, it appeared that she wanted him to turn back to his vampire self and not to be forever stuck as a toad. Not only that,pared to the rest of the family members of the Quinn, but thisdy also appeared to be one of the sanest and it made him wonder if it was because she was a white witch. Personally, it was the first time for Durik to interact with a white witch and he had been surprised when thedy had freely put her trust in him. Did she not worry about her life? Giving out information to him as if he would never cough out who she was? Lady Penelope had promised to give him the freedom he had been craving, away from the chains of Quinn''s family and butler duties. But for that, first, he had to turn back from being this gross creature! Durik decided it was time to jump and find his way back to the mansion. He did know the direction back home as he had traveled from here to the mansion. All he needed to do now was jump out of Lady Grace''s bag so that he could be on his way. But the butler''s luck was so bad that just when he had decided to jump when there was a gap above him in the bag, Grace at the very same time opened the bag to get something from it and she caught sight of the slimy creature that was sitting in the corner of her bag. Grace''s eyes widened and her hand that had touched the toad''s front, she quickly dropped the bag with a screech, "Ahh!" "What happened?" asked the vampire in concern when he heard Grace scream and throw her bag down on the ground. Something moved inside the bag before a toad came out and started to make its way away from the couple it had been traveling and apanying all this while. When Robarte got ready to chase the frog, Grace held the vampire''s hand immediately and asked him, "Where are you going?" she had almost had her heart slip out of her chest and her hand felt icky. "The toad," Robarte said looking in the way it had gone. "Leave it be. I don''t know why but my luck today has been really worse with these little things," Graceined. She wiped her hand using her delicate kerchief, wiping finger by finger before throwing the kerchief as she didn''t want to carry the dirty cloth along with her. Robarte still stared at the toad and he turned to question Grace, "What do you mean little things?" "There was another toad that had entered the house. I don''t know," Grace s.h.i.+vered thinking about the creature. She wanted to barf right now when she realized she had been carrying the bag all the time with the toad in it, "I should ask my butler to disinfect thend to make sure we don''t have these things running around in the mansion." Robarte s.h.i.+fted his gaze from the vampiress back to the crowd, looking at the ground as far as his eyes could reach but the toad had disappeared away from sight with the number of people who walked everywhere without a sense of direction. The man then turned to look at the wall clock to notice the time, "You should get going, Lady Grace," he said to her, "I will see you tomorrow. Let me see you to your carriage." Like a gentleman would, the man walked Grace back to her carriage that was stationed at the front of the Isle Valley. "Do you have some work here?" Grace asked the man before she could step into the carriage. It was hard to read a man like him who barely changed his expression from the one he carried. Robarte gave her a smile, "Just a few things I need to check before I head back home. What time might you be here?" he asked once she was in and the door was shut to have her put her head out of the little window of the carriage. "Is noon fine?" the vampiress looked down at him to have him nod. "Have a safe trip back home, Lady Grace," Robarte didn''t wave his hand and instead only offered a smile to her, seeing the carriage pick up the wet mud from the ground as it drifted further and further away, he turned around. Moving from the Isle Valley to the ck Market in search of something that had caught his eyes earlier.?Robarte didn''t know why but since the time his eyes had fallen on the toad, it had appeared to be strange, and right now he wanted to find it. Chapter 674 Bye Bye Freedom- Part 1 The toad jumped from one part of the ground to another while trying to not be squashed by the people in the market who were going everywhere and anywhere they wanted without a sense of following one proper direction. Durik didn''t turn back, he didn''t want to turn back and therefore he jumped and flopped away and into the crowd wanting to get back where he hade from. He didn''t dare to look behind at the worry that he would be killed foring in sight in front of Lady grace twice now. Worse, he had been in her bag all this time. The ck market appeared different in his eyes right now. Now that he didn''t possess the eyes of a human nor of his turned vampire self, he had green eyes of the toad that turned his vision somewhat greenish. And this very vision made it difficult for him to flop as quickly as he could. The ground was wet and not loose with mud that made it easier for him to move quickly. When he found an opening, Durik took it without a thought. Going to the corner where people didn''t walk, he wheezed for air with the way he had run away after Lady Grace had discovered him in her own bag. Today was not his day and this year was the worst of the worst he had ever had to experience. How did he end up turning to a toad? Asked Durik to himself who already knew the answer to it. He wanted to quit right away! No way was he going to stay here like this forever! At the same time, the butler stood in his ce. Unmoving as he thought, didn''t one of them tell that the spell would fade in twenty-four hours? Hmm...if that was so, he didn''t have to wait for Lady Penelope to find out the reverse spell. All he now had to do was wait for the remaining hours to go by so that he could be free. Something very evil came to his mind. What if he just went away from here? To never go back to the Quinn''s and to go where he came from. He could restart his work. It wasn''t like the Quinn could do anything when it was Lady Penelope who had turned him to a toad. He wondered what to do with the information he had found out from Lady Grace and that Ververte man. It was alright, Durik told himself, Lady Grace would be caught in no time. There was no need for a low servant like him to worry about it. While Durik was sitting in the corner with his two hands in front of him and the other two hind legs making him sit, his alreadyrge toad-like eyes turned wider when he caught what his eyes showed. It was some of the people in here who were walking in the crowd. For a normal person, it would have looked like normal people walking but through his slimy green eyes, Durik noticed the number of men and women who walked here who donned a skin of ck scales, simr to the ck witcher who had turned him to a toad. Durik couldn''t believe what he was seeing. Never in his life had hee to see these many creatures of the ck witches in one ce. There were at least more than twenty to thirty of them making it look like this ce was air of ck witches. But that wasn''t all, there were some creatures who looked different as if their skin was made of silver that shone even without the need of sunlight falling on them. What creatures were there? Asked Durik to himself in question. All he knew was that thend consisted of the humans, witches, and the vampires and he had never heard of these s.h.i.+ning creatures. The way they moved was simr to water or more like jelly-like. He stared at them for some good minutes until his head turned to the person who was sitting next to him. Upon seeing the woman, Durik''s heart almost stopped beating because the woman was already looking at him. And this woman was not a human but a ck witch. She went to grab him and Durik quickly jumped from there, flopping as fast as his legs could carry him right now. The ck market was not safe! It was a ce filled with witches and other creatures. Thinking about the time he hade here two or three times of work, his skin crawled thinking about it. What he wasn''t able to see as a vampire he was able to see it as a toad. It was time for him to leave this town andnd. He didn''t care about the money because he could always earn it again. He would join the household of a human. A family who was rich and would pay him a lot. He pondered for some time as he walked in the forest. Which ce had the most humans? At that question, he answered, "Mythweald!" he answered to himself. That was right, Mythweald was popr where everyone knew that thend was widely dominated by the humans and had no vampires or witches there. Thinking that was the direction he had to go, Durik started to move towards the road where the carriages were parked. "I bought the clothes from the side shop there. I cannot wait to wear them again," said a woman who was fat in physique. The woman''s cheeks were chubby and pink in color. "Did you hear there is going to be a ball next month? It isn''t that far. Maybe you can save the dress for it," said another woman who was the opposite whenpared to the first woman in looks. "I n to buy another one for it. My husband has enough money that I don''t need to hold back,"ughed the chubby woman.?Durik who was listening to their conversation wondered if any of them was going to travel to thend of South. All he needed was a trip there and he would finally be free. Chapter 675 Bye Bye Freedom- Part 2 Maybe this was a blessing, thought the butler to himself. He couldn''t wait to taste the freedom as he could already feel the taste of it. When a fly was flying nearby, his tongue suddenly snapped out to catch hold of the fly that quickly flew away in a different direction. Oh, G.o.d no! Durik wanted to vomit thinking how his tongue with its own mind had tried to catch the fly. Looking around the carriages, he hopped forward when he finally heard the word ''Mythweald'' from someone''s lips. Turning around he hopped to hear a man say, "I should get going. The traveling time is quite long back to Mythweald from here and I don''t want to catch a storm." Durik''s heart burst out of happiness. Freedom is finally here! He was overjoyed by the thought of it. He had to get on to that carriage before the man would leave. There were still a good amount of hours before he would turn back his half-vampire self. Jumping one hop after another he came close to the carriage when suddenly he found himself in a bar of the cage where he was being lifted. Out of panic, he looked around what was going on. How did he end up in the cage?! Using his web-like fingers, he ced them on the little iron wires that let him look at the surroundings, and at the same time, it stopped him from moving out of it. Where? Where was he going?! Durik was livid right now. If he was a witch himself he would have swished his hands and turned every single person around him to be toads. He was mad at the way the day was going. When he looked to see who was carrying him, all he could see was the hands that looked pale and clothes that were ck in color. Durik wondered if it was alright to cry over his plight right now. After all, who cared if a toad was crying right but more than anything, he was mad and angry. The person who was carrying him was walking making the movement of the cage he was in swung back and forth. Durik had to catch hold of the wires that were in front of him so that he wouldn''t fall back and forth hitting his head multiple times. Holding the wires with his webbed hands, he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Can anyone hear me? Please help me! I am a human and not a frog!" Unfortunately for him, no one spoke thenguage of frogs and even if they did, with the crowd of people who walked past them, they couldn''t hear a thing because of the noise. "Help me out of here!" he screamed loudly. Whoever was taking him didn''t bother with the number of croaks that was heard right now. Getting into the carriage, Durik''s cage was ced at the foot of the person and he noticed the shoes that were worn. It was a man, said Durik to himself. The carriage started to move and all Durik could do was wanting to get out of this cage and go back to the man who was traveling South. He couldn''t believe that his freedom was right near him before he was put into a cage. At first, the butler had thought it was a witch who had picked him up for dissection but he doubted a witch would wear such a fancy looking pair of shoes and even the pants look clean and neat. Did toads have teeth? Asked Durik to himself and with his small hands, he tried to touch his mouth to feel it smooth. He couldn''t feel his teeth when he tried to touch his mouth and when he did open his mouth, his long tongue appeared to fall on the left side of his mouth and he quickly closed it. When the carriage finally stopped somewhere, he believed this was the house. Yes, no witch possessed a house of their own. Witches were not only cruel but they didn''t actually possess a .s.s of their own. The person took the cage he was in and stepped out of the house and when they did get down, Durik wished he had never agreed to the terms of Lady Penelope of turning to a toad. He was seeing things he was not supposed to be seeing. This was no house or mansion. It looked as if a storm had blown up the house and had left the mansion broken and battered. It looked like a haunted house and Durik was scared of ghosts! His slimy hands tried to rattle the front of the cage but to no avail as they kept slipping right now out of sweat or his hands were secreting something sticky that made it hard for him to hold on to. The house was darker than the clouds and the sky that had turned dark as it was the time of night now. The house looked like a silhouette in the background that was present to them. There were no windows, there were no doors, there was nothing in here and the trees around the mansion stood bare, leafless. It was as if the house was built in the middle of barrennd. The toad gulped as the person took him inside the house which it didn''t want to go in. The further they got inside the house, the darker it appeared and a man appeared at the front as if wanting to greet the person who had picked him up. First of all, who did pick him up?! Durik wanted to p the person''s face for making him lose his freedom with a snap of a cage but at the same time, he was worried about who would take an interest in him. No one took a random croaking toad except for witches and this person didn''t appear to be a witch. "Wee back home, master," the man who appeared to be a butler greeted him. The butler didn''t look like a butler. He looked like a dead corpse who hade to greet the man who was holding the cage. Not a dry but a juicy looking corpse whose body had turned to a dull green with the underlying tissues being visible right now and his eyeb.a.l.l.s still attached in his skull. His legs appeared to be dislocated as they didn''t walk in a straight line. Chapter 676 Bye Bye Freedom- Part 3 Durik wondered what else he was supposed to see in these twenty-four hours of him being a toad. The spell was a curse spell after which Durik wasn''t aware that it had its own advantage and disadvantage. "I need you to prepare a room for this fellow," the man spoke finally for the first time and Durik wondered who it was. He looked around the age until the cage was turned around brought up in front of the man''s face who had been carrying him all this while. Slit snake-like eyes stared at him and a face that had the skin of scales like a reptile faced him who was a ck witcher. Durik could tell he was going to die today. Maybe if he was heading to Quinn''s mansion he would have not been subjected to this current good treatment instead of nning to head to Mythweald. Was G.o.d punis.h.i.+ng him? Durik didn''t know the answer for it but by the looks of it, he could agree to himself that he was being punished. Goodbye world thought Durik to himself when the witcher smiled looking at him. "What are you thinking? Wondering how you got in here?" asked the witcher. Durik didn''t dare to speak as he didn''t know what to say. Also, because he was scared not knowing if it was right to speak now in front of this ck witch. And another thing, why was this witch talking to a toad? Maybe all the witches were crazy, that was right. "I know you are a turned toad. I have plenty of toads like you in this house. You didn''t think I would not recognize one now, did you?" the ck witch said surprising him to no ends. Durik couldn''t wait to end his twenty-four hours time but when the man took him to a room full of toads just like he had said, the butler wanted to kill himself. There were at least more than ten of them in this old shackled room. When the witcher with scales let the toad out, at the same time he ced another spell on touching Durik''s current form. "Now you will forever stay a toad for the rest of your lives. It is hard to find toads as the other witches have been stealing them left and right. Like this, I can make use of you all for the rituals and spells," the ck witcher smiled, making him look even more creepy before he closed the door and got it locked by his mansion butler''s hands. Durik turned around to look at the other ten toads who appeared to be spending their time in different corners. "Does anybody speak the samenguage here?" Durik asked looking at the toads and in turn, he received a croak that made him whine loudly, "Someone get me out from here!!" he croaked loudly to finally hear someone speak in the room. "Be noisier and you will be the next on the witcher''s te as a meal to eat," it was a female''s voice and Durik''s head snapped, searching who had spoken to him right now. Finally looking around, Durik found a darker looking frog who was sitting on the right side of the room looking at him. "You can hear me?" asked Durik. "Loud and clear. I was serious when I said he will have you for a meal if you don''t shut up," said the toad before turning away. He finally had someone he could speak to! Jumping towards her, he stopped when he came near to ask, "I need to get out of this ce," he said in urgency. "There''s no way out," replied the other toad. "Why not?" asked Durik, blinking his big wide eyes. "This is a witch''sir. Smell it more clearly. He has you under his spell like the rest of us and there is a door that keeps us here. If you do get out, do you think he would let you go that easily especially after what you have seen?" Yes, that wouldn''t be easy. Then how was he supposed to get out of here? He asked, "How long has it been since you were locked in here?" "Four years," came the reply, "Some are here for seven years," Seven years?! That was too long thought Durik to himself. Maybe everyone were fed up not doing anything which was why they didn''t bother to respond to him. Durik couldn''t stay here for that long. He had to get out! He flopped around the room to find any possible exits but the door appeared to be the only ce where one could get in and get out. In the first ce did this ce exist? asked Durik to himself. This house looked nothing less to a haunted mansion whose story could be spread out throughout thend of Bonke and until now he didn''t know this ce existed. Hours pa.s.sed while Durik tried to break his head in wanting to know how to get out of this ce but the door never came to open. He couldn''t even tell if it was day or night anymore. Tired of scratching the door, he finally went and sat in a corner to have the first toad who had spoken to him, question him, "What did you do to get here?" Durik shook his head, "Nothing..." "It cannot be nothing. The witcher has collected people here for various reasons. He doesn''t have people here for no reason. What did you do?" Durik wished he knew what he did do this man but he couldn''t figure out what it was. All he was doing was going to thend of the South to be caught out of nowhere. "Well, you can spend some time wondering what you did that will help in spending some time out of the years you are going to be here," said the other toad before closing its eyes. As he was told, the Quinn''s butler started to think what he did to end up here... Chapter 677 Casting Spells- Part 1 The book of spells was ced on the floor and many other spells were scattered around the floor which was written by Penny as she was trying to figure out what the reversal spell was. With a quill in her hand, she wrote down the spell which was nothing less to a form that needed calctions to be added and removed. Damien who entered the room found Penny who was surrounded with parchment sheets around her, "Any luck with the spell?" he asked her. "I think I got half of it done, there''s still a few more words I need to search," Penny answered without looking up at him. Without bothering to remove his shoes that he wore, he stepped on the bed and let the front side of his body rest while he supported the upper part of his body with his elbows to look into what Penny was writing. She put the paper down and turned to him, "Did you find Durik?" she was worried where Grace had chased their butler out of the mansion. "Not yet. I have asked the others to look for him. As in to look for a toad ording to the description you gave me," Penny nodded her head, a deep frown on her forehead for not being meticulous when it came to the spells. If it weren''t for her, the butler would still be here. She felt guilty for turning him to a toad but when the ck witcher, Piers had acknowledged that he knew about the toad spell, she had automatically taken it for granted that he also knew the reversal casting process to it. She felt Damien kiss on the top of her head, "The more you worry, the harder it will be to think. Calm yourself and take a deep breath. If you can''t calm your nerves and the worry lines, you will fail to see the obvious things that are right in front of you," Penny sighed at this. "I haven''t done this before¡­" she had never cast a spell, "I just remembered something because of this. When we were in the forest grounds during the council exam. I couldn''t cast a spell there. It was like the element of magic was non-existent," she said to him. Because of falling unconscious and falling sick, Penny had failed to mention this detail to him. Damien smiled at this, "I think we already have our culprits." "Who?" she turned her body to look at him, her eyes searching for an answer. "The council exam that took ce might appear to have failed but with it, we were able to eliminate the main witches who were in charge of the ritual. We did lose many of the white witches but at the same time, you were one of the two people who survived and it was why I sent you there in the first ce," said Damien to her. Getting up from the bed, he came to sit next to her on the floor with his back leaning against the bed, "You are the only one who knows most of the spells right now. Someone who knows to create the potions. We might as well say that you are the apprentice of Aunt Isabelle," hearing that she was the apprentice of Lady Isabell, Penny took joy in it. Damien continued to say, "The witches who work in the church, they don''t know how to make use of magic. Not the kind that is used to hurt and attack. The witches were never brought up to hurt others but to only defend them." "Defending didn''t work either," Penny stated to hear him hum. "Why do you think it is so? Where doesn''t the magic work?" Damien questioned her, knowing Penny had the answer herself to it. "In thend of spilled magic...ck magic has their own spells for it," Penny whispered. Until now she knew it was only the white witches who used spilled magic, "The forest was prepared before the examinees went there." Damien''s red eyes held her green ones, "Before we decided to hold the council exam for the third time in such a short duration of time, there was someone in the head council room who was the one to push the council exam. Councilwoman Ava. She''s a human, makes me wonder why she''s pulling the strings unless she was a.s.sociated with Creed." "Will you be exposing her?" "I will need to trap her. Now that we know that there is a snitch in there who is the one holding the intel of what is happening in the council, there will be people who will be following her. It shouldn''t take much time. We already found the clue we have been looking for and another thread which is your mother who hasn''t appeared anywhere close to this town. As we are already sure about it, Reuben has set out people to catch her but we have been having a series of hunter bodies, which also means not all the hunters are corrupted and are still working for the council and not for the witches." "There might be a possibility that she has been turned. The councilwoman. A witch who was turned to a human." Damien gave her a nod, "There''s a possibility but the woman has pa.s.sed the test of the spray. She showed no hint of being a witch," looking down at the papers, he then said, "Let me help you," and they started to look for the spells together. Late at night, Penny was still working on the spells when she raised her hand with the parchment of the spell she had written down on it, "I got it!" Damien who was reading a book in his hand, apanying her through the night while she had been working, he said, "Are you sure? We need to test it if it works." Penny stared at the parchment paper, her heart beating loudly in her chest. She had done everything she could and she could only hope what she had found was the reversal spell. "I think we should find Durik to try it on him." "Finding him in this night is impossible if he decided to take a stroll out of the mansion," he pointed it out to her. Damien gave it some thought and then said, "Grab your coat. We are going to hunt for some potential toads." Chapter 678 Casting Spells- Part 2 Damien and Penelope headed out of the mansion at the hour that was reaching midnight. They walked on the streets and as Damien had made use of his ability, Penny didn''t know where exactly they were going. "Do you remember what spell to use to turn one to a toad?" Damien asked her whilst they walked down the street. "Yes, but I haven''t tried to cast it before. Each spell requires practice, Dami," Penny said, keeping up with his feet. "I have faith that you will be able to do it with a few tries," said Damien taking another turn that looked like a vige they were walking in. She heard the clock strike twelve in the nearest clock tower. She didn''t know where they were going and who they were going to turn into an experiment rat right now. The vigers had gone inside their house and were now fast asleep with not a single soul that walked anywhere except for them in the vige right now. Penny wondered what Damien had in his mind as they made it to a smaller looking house before he knocked on the door, not too subtly.?It made her wonder whose door they were standing in front of. When the door opened, Penny caught sight of the lean man who appeared to be in sleep as he rubbed his eyes. "Master Damien?" it was Kreme, Damien''s work a.s.sociate. "Were you sleeping?" Damien stepped inside the house making himselffortable. When the young man caught sight of Penny he offered her a bow and she returned it back to him to follow Damien''s footsteps. Kreme closed the door shut, turning around to see Damien who was sitting on his small bed and thedy who appeared to be standing quietly. He quickly went to make way for thedy by pulling out a stool for her to sit but she shook her head. "Kreme," Damien called the man''s name, "How much do you trust me?" the question made Kreme nervous. It wasn''t the first time he was hearing this question and every time he gave the pureblooded vampire a smile, everything had gone downhill. At one point Kreme had to swim in the river because Damien Quinn had thrown him into it right after the question. It wasn''t like he had an option to say no that he didn''t trust the man as he was his senior councilman at work. Kreme unwillingly nodded his head with a nervous smile, "Why do you ask, Master Damien?" asked the human. "This beautifuldy here wants to test out something on you. If everything goes well, it will be great news," Damien ced both his hands behind him on the bed so that he could lean and stretch his back. The man gulped softly, his head still filled with sleep where he was trying to get rid of it and he asked, "What if it doesn''t go well?" "Then you will be stuck as a toad for the next-" Damien turned to Penelope and she was the one to exin, "Mr. Kreme, Penny spoke to the man with respect, "I want to try out a spell. The spell needs to work both ways. In casting and reversing the process. We didn''t know who else to look for and are here." "You can take two days off, Kreme. Sleep to your heart''s content," Damien suggested to the man who quickly agreed. It was very rare to get a decent amount of sleep especially with the amount of work Damien piled up one after another for him. It made Kreme wonder if his senior overestimated his capabilities. "I am ready!" Kreme came to stand in front of Penny to attention, "Would you like to drink something in the meantime? Water?" he asked thedy. "No, I am fine. Thank you," Penny responded back to the young man''s hospitability. She looked at Damien who gave her a smile of encouragement. Penny was slightly nervous as she had never cast a spell that belonged to a ck witch. It was a magic she hadn''t touched and the sess rate would take time. "Let me take a look at the notes you made," Damien said to Kreme, going to pick one of the closest parchment papers that rested on the little table while giving s.p.a.ce to Penny to do what she wanted to do right now. Thankful, Penny recollected the words the ck witcher had used on Durik, the butler. Spells didn''t have to be told out loud if they were clear in the mind. Which was why witches who were used to practicing spells didn''t have to open their mouth wide and loud to utter the words to cast the spell. "I need you to bring your hand up," Penny directed Kreme who quickly lifted his hand up in the air. Penny let her fingers touch the tip of one of his fingers and she said the curse in her mind and in no time Kreme had turned from a human to a small toad. Croak! Came the noise in the room and this had Damien s.h.i.+ft his gazezily from the parchment to the toad on the ground, "I told you. You have an exceptional gift," he gave a closer look at the toad who croaked. The toad looked around, croaking to look at both Damien and Penny, "How are you feeling, Kreme?" asked Damien as if he would understand the toad''snguage. "Mr. Kreme, please don''t panic. I will now have to use the reversal spell which is what we are testing. If the spell doesn''t work, we will let the twenty-four hours pa.s.s," said Penny bringing the parchment she had written the spell closer to her. "Do you think it is possible that once a person turns to a toad they return back to their normal self?" Damien questioned Penny and this had the toad snap its neck to look at Master Damien. They weren''t sure if he would return back to his original self. Damien threw his head back,ughing before saying, "This is really fun." Chapter 679 Casting Spells- Part 3 Penny swished her hand, creating a motion she knew she needed and speaking the curse spells as she looked at Kreme. When she did it, nothing happened. The toad was still there sitting on the ground and Damien chuckled behind her. She frowned, a little more guilt adding up to the existing one as she didn''t know if she had got the spell right. She had made sure to double-check them after she had written them down one after another but Kreme had not turned back to his human self. Taking in a deep breath, she cast the reversal spell again to see nothing happen. Penny stared at the toad hard, wondering if she was missing something right now or in the spell. Having learned every spell to be engraved into her skin, she doubted that she had got the spell wrong. She then raised her hands, remembering something that people often did to bring someone out of their trance state. She snapped her fingers and Kreme who had taken the form of toad quickly turned to a human, except that he wore no clothes, and Penny had to turn around to look at Damien. "It works," Damien gave her a smile, "I told you I could do it. Kreme wear your clothes and eat properly you skinny human," hemented when his eyes fell on his junior who was scattering around to find clothes quickly to wear. He then asked, "How did you figure it out?" Penny shrugged her shoulders,?"I hoped it would work from what I heard about the ck witches." "A true shame that we can''t use you in the council," hemented even though he was the one who was opposed to the idea of Penelope taking part in the council, "Now we need to find our dear butler." "That''s not possible," Pennymented, "There''s no locator spell. Not with the ck witch nor with the white witches book. We will need to wait for Durik toe back. Taking in the ount of time, the spell will be lifted from him at tomorrow''s noontime," finding a toad was difficult and with the way Grace had chased him out of the mansion while sending some of the maids to kick him far away if they found him before Damien''s orders, there was no telling if he had fallen into the sea or had made his way to the forest. "What do you propose then?" Damien questioned Penny as she was the one who had cast the spell on Durik and wanted to turn him back. Penny looked away from Damien, her eyes falling on thentern as she wondered what to do now that they had the spell ready, "We wait¡­" that was the only thing they could do. Finding Durik was no less than having to look at the forest for a small creature, unsure of if the creature was still there or not. "He will be fine," Damienmented, seeing the worry lines on Penelope''s face. When Penny''s eyes moved thentern to the parchments that consisted of her mother''s face, she went to pick it up. Staring at her mother''s picture. "Kreme was the one who drew her. Does she look like it?" asked Damien. Penny gave him a nod, "She does," she looked just like her mother, but less kind and nice in here. The true face of her mother. "Has there been any report about her?" Penny asked both the men. "Nothing as of now, mdy," Kreme responded to her. He then turned to his senior, "I asked some of my friends to keep an eye on anything that they might find odd. They will send the report right away." "That''s good," Damien replied back and at the same time, something hit Kreme''s door that had all the three members turn their heads towards the door, "You have a visitor," Damienmented to see the human quickly move towards his door and unlock it. When he stepped outside, he saw no one there. The sound didn''t appear to be of a knock and therefore he looked down to find a parchment that was possibly covering a rock. Picking it up from the ground, he looked around the other houses that were near his house in the vige to notice how quiet it was right now. Stepping back inside and closing the door, he started to unwrap the paper around the expected rock and read the letter that was written. After reading what was in there, Kreme looked up Damien with a sullen look on his face. "News from the witch?" asked Damien to have Kreme gulp and then say, "It seems one of the witch hunters was found hanging in the tree an hour ago. The inside of his bodies was pulled," Kreme informed him, his eyes unblinkingly looking at his senior on the bad news, "My friend sent it¡­" Penny''s eyebrows furrowed. Undoubtedly, it was her mother who was out on the prowl, killing people. "But there''s something else that has been mentioned," Kreme added to have the couple''s attention on him, "It seems there are a lot of witch hunters who have been swarming around her since two to four days of time." "It looks like your mother has turned popr, Penny." "Master Damien, I don''t think it is good kinda popr," Kreme said that had Damien chuckle, "There has been some recent segregation when ites to the witches who have been working in thend of Bonke. ording to the report, they also said some of the obvious ck witches are not being hunted while it is mostly the white witches who are being targeted as they are the ones who had been popping up continuously in the viges and towns." "The ck witches and witch hunters are targeting the white witches?" Penny asked Kreme to have him nod. "It must be part of the ritual and making up groups to make sure when the timees they will able to strike with no one to stop them," Damien answered, "Funny though how they are targeting the ck witch who we know has been working for the other witches in bringing this dream goal alive for years now. Do you think she made a mistake?" The question was directed to Penny. Chapter 680 Soiree- Part 1 Penny shook her head. Her mother was a meticulous woman. Even when she was married to her father who was a witch himself, she hadn''t let him know who she really was. She had hid the fact so well that she had removed any possible trace of hering to be known as the ck witch. "I don''t think she would do anything against the people who she has been working for," said Penny. "What if she is trying to loosen the magic to get her hands first? Is it possible?" Damien was trying to understand the possibilities. "No. ording to Lady Isabell''s book, ck magic is avable for all of them or to no one at all. It wouldn''t benefit her if she worked alone because they need a lot of witch power to be able to break the chain binds around the ck magic that they are trying to reach out for her," but then why would her mother be in the hit list of the other witch hunters asked Penny to herself. Did she do something to anger the other side of the ck witches? Damien got up from the bed he had been leaning on. Setting his hair in the little mirror that hung on the wall he said, "If the bad witch hunters are after your mother, it means we are at an advantage of not having to look out at what she is doing," bidding goodnight to Kreme who was still feeling slimy after transforming from being a toad to back to human. "What about the other witches?" Penny questioned Damien as they started to walk back instead of teleporting themselves directly to the mansion, "And the councilwoman who is in the higher sitting?" "The councilwoman will be something I will let the higher-ups work on while the witches, they will be something we will be dealing with. Kreme said there has been a lot of coagtion poption of the witch hunters down in the south and in the borders of the Bonke. I am guessing these are not good ones that we need but the bad ones who are increasing in count as we speak as there''s a division taking ce for the uing war or rituals." That was possible. Penny could tell that the future days were going to be hard on everyone. If the ck witches did turn out to be sessful in getting back the magic that has been locked, there was no telling what kind of catastrophe was going to fall on these fournds. It made Penny question how the first generation white witches were able to seal the powers of the ck witches as unlike the other spells, the important ones were not mentioned anywhere. "Don''t worry about it now, mouse. Remember one step at a time. We still have time," slipping his hand into her hand that was next to his, both Damien and Penny transported back to the mansion. When the next day arrived, Grace was in her mother''s room who looked absolutely livid right now and her hands clutched tightly on either side of her dress. "Grace, please get yourself ready. I have no time for your tantrums right and we leave in about half an hour," said Lady Fleurance while she was getting her hair set by the help of the two maids who stood behind her in front of the dressing table. "What do you mean get ready?" Grace demanded, "You clearly said we were going out today to Isle Valley because I needed to shop." "Yes, but there has been a change in the n, darling girl. I am sure you have plenty of clothes to wear for the soiree right now," Lady Fleurance picked up a little pallet and dabbed the red color on her lips, "Be an obedient child and get ready." Grace gave her mother an incredulous look. She had woken up this morning to find out that instead of going out to shop as they had nned, her mother had decided to switch ns to go out for a soiree she was least interested in right now! There was no way she would be able to go out to the Isle Valley. She couldn''t inform the man directly as it would only give a suspicion of the doubt to her brother who kept an eye on what was going on in the mansion.?She had given her word to bring Penelope to the Isle Valley to meet the vampire, Mr. Robarte but right now she couldn''t, "I am not interested to go out to the soiree. I need to buy a new dress for it. Why are you not understanding what I am saying?" demanded the young vampiress. "Don''t be a child, Grace. If you grew up sooner, you would probably understand what I am saying and get ready instead of wasting not only your time but also mine," her mother''s hair was done and she had finished painting her lips red, "It is your father''s orders that we attend the soiree together," she gave her final tone and turned away to her daughter to say, "I expect to see you in the hall soon. Don''t disappoint me." Grace gritted her teeth, standing at the door before she turned around leaving the room to have Lady Fleurance move her eyes subtly to see her daughter gone, "Get her clothes and help her get ready quickly," she ordered the maids who had been helping her who bowed at her words. In less than twenty minutes, the family members of the Quinn''s had gathered down in the hallways to leave for a soiree they had been invited to. Three carriages left from the mansion of the Quinn. Senior Mr. Quinn, his wife, and youngest daughter used the first carriage. The second carriage, Maggie and Caitlin used it while the third carriage was used by Damien and Penelope. The ce where the soiree was being ced was none other than in the mansion of the Adams family. Chapter 681 Soiree- Part 2 Reaching the Adams'' mansion, they stepped out of the carriage where the men and women wore expensive gowns that made the simple soiree look grand like a ball was going to be held in the time of evening. With the clouds that hade to hover in front of the sun, blocking any possible sunrays that could touch any living or non-living thing on thends of Bonke. Penny walked through the entrance of the mansion as she ced her hand in Damien''s hand, walking through the marble floor which was not carpeted. As the atmosphere was dark outside, candles had to be lit to spread light around the corridors and the other parts of the mansion that stood tall and alone. Entering the room that was filled with guests in it, Penny found the girl named Belle who wore a lc dress with a ribbon that was tied around her neck. She was conversing with two of the guests who stood in front of her and upon seeing Gerald Quinn, the young girl excused herself to greet him. "Good morning, Uncle Gerald. I am d you came for the soiree," her voice was pleasant as she spoke to him. "I am d to be here too," Senior Quinn responded back to her. Penny saw them converse and she heard Damien whisper to her, "Belle''s father used to help my father with his work," she gave him a nod of understanding. She could tell that Damien''s father had a soft spot for the girl as he spoke to her. While they were still conversing, Penny caught sight of the butler who arrived with the maids who carried treats and tea in the trays that they held. She stared at the butler for the longest time as he greeted the guests with smiles and polite words that he had to offer to them as he moved around the room. Penny felt a sense of familiarity as she watched the man walk around the room. She had met him only once here in this very mansion, yet there was this feeling as if she had met him before. For a moment Penny hade as far as to question if he resembled her father before she shook the thought out of her head. No, she remembered her father''s face and he looked older than the butler while the butler appeared to look like a young man. She could feel a slight amount of headache form in her head and this usually happened when it was her erased memorying to pa.s.s through the block that was made by her mother. Caitlin who stood on the other side of her noticed Penny scrunching her face, "Are you alright?" she asked her. "Just a little bit of a headache," Penny murmured and Damien picked up the .s.s of water from one of the servants who was walking by to hand it to Penny. Her ever-attentive master thought Penny while taking sips of water from her .s.s. The hour went by as Penny and the others tried to get to know each other, "When are you getting married?" asked one of the men who stood in the crowd, "We heard you both are engaged," word did spread from thend of Valeria to thend of Bonke. "In two months'' time," Damien replied to have everyone raise their brows and Penny turned like an owl to look at Damien. She didn''t know if Damien was joking or not right now to entertain the people around them. ying along she smiled. "I don''t know if I should tell it is fast or it has been pushed for too long," said the same man. Damien gave out his charming smile, carrying the .s.s of red wine in his hand to say, "I fear my step-mother might bring me many more prospects if I don''t get married now," he joked, having everyoneugh and Lady Fleurance gave everyone a tight smile. "That is great news though!" eximed another guest. Everyone around them started to congratte them on their future day. "Congrattions, brother Damien and Sister Penelope," it was Belle who wished them with a big smile and she then looked at Penny, "I would like to be involved in the wedding!" Lady Fleurance who opened her mouth to speak was cut out by her husband who said, "You cane live at the mansion on those days and have an extra vacation. Give your butler a break," he said and Penny noticed how the girl smiled before her eyes met her butler''s where his smile didn''t reach his eyes. The guests had tea or wine, ying the game cards while some of them took their time to gossip. Penny who was sitting next to Damien couldn''t get the idea of the butler out of her head when she finally realized where she had seen him. It was in her dream! When it finally sank in, Penny excused herself to step out to one of the patios to get some air. Thankfully this one didn''t have water below next to it. Spending some time there, she went back inside when she saw the butler walking past the room. Clutching her hand, Penny quickly made her way to catch up with him, "Do you mind if I take a minute or two?" she asked him. The butler stopped walking, pausing his footsteps he looked at her with his ck eyes to give her a nod. Penny saw that there was no one here in this part of the corridor, therefore, she said, "We have met before, haven''t we?" The Adams'' butler didn''t say anything but stared at her for a few fleeting seconds, "For a person who lost your memories you happen to have a very good mind," his words had her eyes turning wide in disbelief of what he just said. Was this man involved in the ck witches work? Was he from her past? But then she would have known if he were from her past, thought Penny to herself. A light ache started to form at the back of her head. "But we didn''t meet in the vige," she saw him shake his head to her words. And then the butler said, "The more important question you need to ask is something else." What did that mean? Chapter 682 Soiree- Part 3 The butler stood in front of her with his ck soulless looking eyes staring back into her green ones. It took Penny some time to finally realize it was not here or anywhere that she knew that she had met this butler. She had met him during the time of Valeria. It was during the time both Damien and her wereing back from the ve establishment when they ended up stuck in the middle of nowhere in the forest. "You brought me back," Penny whispered, her eyes couldn''t look away as she gauged the butler who at first appeared to be simple appeared not to be simple at all. Damien was in his corrupted state and he had taken more than the required blood from her. What she had a.s.sumed to be a dream was not a dream after all. She would have pegged that he had erased her memory but she remembered him faintly when they met again today. It made her question who this butler was who was working for the Adams'' family. The butler looked away from her to look at a guest who was walking by the other side of the corridor and his eyes moved back to her. Penny questioned if he was a different kind of witch-like the one she had met during the time in the council''s second examination. With the rituals and the leaking of the ck magic, no one knew what kind of magic hade to reach the ck witches. She gulped softly before asking the butler, "Do you know my mother?" "I have crossed paths with her but I haven''t found the time to chat with her," the butler replied to her question and he then said, "If you''re wondering about some things, I will have to tell you I don''t side with anyone." She frowned hearing this, "You speak in riddles," she pointed out to the serious-looking butler. "What I mean to say is, I am not going to take part in the uing fight that is going to break soon. I am just a bystander. The book you''re looking for, you should consider it lost but safe at the same time," said the butler to her. Penny''s eyes widened. Was he speaking about the book of Garlic because that was the only book she had been looking for, "I believe it goes by the name of garlic for humans and the book of Verves to some of the white witches," he confirmed her doubts. "How do you know about it?" she questioned him. If he was speaking about it, it meant he could read it too. Was he rted to the white witches? No, it didn''t seem like it. "The book belongs to me and holds something crucial which I wouldn''t want it falling in wrong hands where there is no business. Your mother was carrying it," what was she doing with that and how did she get it? She then heard the butler say, "I did mention I crossed paths with her." Penny who had only read about the book being mentioned in the other books that were written by the white witch couldn''t help but wonder what the book contained that her mother and now this man carrying it, "What do you mean to do with the book? If you know about that book...you are aware of the other books too." The butler gave her a nod, "I am but I don''t care for some mere little spells. The book that I have is not for you or any other creatures to look at. Did you learn all the spells from the book?" he asked her. "Most of them," she replied. She was unsure of how this person knew so many things that many people weren''t aware of. "Lady Penelope, take in only things that you can handle. Thest time the book of spells fell into the hands of a person, the person got the spells engraved until the body couldn''t keep up," advised the butler. It seemed that the butler was a mysterious man who imed to tell that he wasn''t going to take part and not side with anyone. Before they could go back to the soiree that was being held, Penny''s eyebrows furrowed and she said, "I have something for you to read," she put her hand in the pocket of her dress to pull out an old parchment that was torn to give it to show it to the butler, "Do you know what this is?" she questioned him. For someone who knew about the books and could read both the versions of the books, Penny couldn''t help but ask him right now. He gave a single nce at the parchment and then replied it with, "This is a spell. Half of it." "Might you know what the spell is about?" she asked him, her toes standing on the tips of her toes. "Please wait here," the butler walked away toe back with a parchment. He gave it to her, "I am not supposed to be telling this but the spell is used to bind the ck magic. The spell won''t work right now even though you might find traces of the ck magic right now. Only when the magic is out in the openpletely, then it can be cast. I hope this wille in use for you when the ck magic which has been bound will make itself free." "How are you sure it will happen?" Penny asked him. Taking the paper while reading thepleted spell on it. The butler appeared to be stoic, as he said, "If something exists it is for a reason and a purpose it exists. It is good to be prepared." "You appear to know a lot of things. What are you doing here?" she questioned him. "Serving my mistress," a small smile cracked upon his lips as he said this. Penny remembered the first time when she had been here how she had caught both Miss Belle and the butler in apromising position. Chapter 683 Long Time No See- Part 1 Thanking the butler, she stood there for some more time while the butler left the corridor to go back to the room where all the guests were. Penny couldn''t believe that she had received a spell to close the ck magic and bind it back if all the rituals performed by the ck witches turned out to be sessful. But like everything, this spell came with the condition that it had to be used only when all the ck magic was out in the open. It was something some of them hade to dread on thoughts of what if. Penelope and Sister Jera were the only ones who hade to face off the ck witches in the second council exam and though they had lost lives, they were still able to find out that there was something more powerful to the existing ck witches. The witches had been improvised not only because of the methods and their abilities but because of what they could do by modifying the bodies. That itself was scary enough, it made it difficult for one to be able to identify who the actual ck witches were. There coulde a time where the spray they were making use of would not affect the improvised witches and neither their scales would be seen on their body, after all, they would be sharing organs with either the humans or vampires. With that thought, Penny went back to join the soiree which was held in the Adams mansion. Taking a seat next to Damien, she saw Damien who was ying the cards threw the card of minister out of what he held on the table. His eyes moved to look at Penny, "Everything alright?" he asked her. Penelope gave him a nod, "Yes," she smiled, taking in a deep breath and letting it out of her lips. She wanted to tell Damien what she found out but this wasn''t a ce to let him know when there were many people around them. They spent some more time where Penny didn''t discuss anything more with the butler and stuck to Damien''s side. Once they were back in the carriage and back to the mansion in the room, Damien said, "The butler is an interesting guy, isn''t he." "He has the book of Verves," Penny gave the information she had found out, "He said he found it from my mother who was carrying it with her." The pureblooded vampire gave her a long look before saying, "Well, at least we know where the book is and why your mother is being chased. One of the ck witches who is stringing these rituals must have handed it to her. We already know that ck witches can''t read books. She must have gone out in search of someone who could read it." "The butler could read it." "Look at that! You have a new family member," Damienmented with a small smile on his face before he said, "What did he say?" "You didn''t listen to our conversation?" Penny asked him as she knew Damien had a very good set of ears. He shook his head, "Strangely I didn''t hear a thing. Not a word or a whisper from you both." "He said the book belongs to him and not to search for it. I don''t think he''s a witch nor does he look like a vampire." Damien gave her words some thought, "As far as I remember most of us think that he is a vampire because he didn''t change in appearance. Not a day faded in his dictionary. If he isn''t any we don''t know then we will need to find out who he is." Penny shook her head, "I don''t think he''s a threat. If he was...he wouldn''t have given me the spell toplete what we have been looking for," she pulled out the parchment to hand it to him. He took it in his hands and looked at what was written. The words made no sense to him. "This is the spell to bind back the ck magic." "How helpful of him. Seems like a guardian angel granting your wish," Damien joked before going to the important matters,?"Did you ask if you need anything for the spell to work?" "I don''t think you need any of it. Do you remember the time when we wereing back after meeting Caitlin from the ve establishment? The time we got stuck and your corruption started to act?" "The time I almost killed you," Damien remembered it. It was going to be a memory that would be hard to erase from his mind. To have her heart stop whilst she was in his arms was a feeling he couldn''t forget. "I dreamt about him at that time but I don''t think it was a dream. It felt like a different ce or world. He appeared a bit different and he was the one who sent me back." It was clear that after meeting the butler today, he was much more than what he led people around him to be. If he was a person who was helping the ck witches, the man would have never let her know about the spell. Of course one could swap it with ck magic but Penny already had the first half of the spell and all she had needed was finis.h.i.+ng the rest of the spell which was done by the butler. With the way he spoke, it appeared that he didn''t want to get involved nor was he interested in letting people know who he was. Leaving it at that, Penny then said, "We have one mystery solved." "The next is to get the council," she gave him a nod. With the way things were, it was hard to trust people and even in these dire times, Penny was d that there were some people who could still be trusted to never cheat to help the ck witches. The people who helped the ck witches didn''t care about the long term on what was going to happen and were only looking at fulfilling their short term goals. Once the witches would im the ck magic, there would be chaos and they would turn their backs against people who even helped them, such was the nature of the ck witches. Chapter 684 Long Time No See- Part 2 On the other side of the mansion, Grace who had returned back with her parents in the carriage couldn''t stop looking irritated but she tried to keep it under wraps when her mother asked why she was behaving like a spoiled child. It wasn''t like Grace disliked soirees. The young vampires enjoyed it to the fullest but today was not the day she had nned for it. She had given the word yet she couldn''t fulfill it and it wasn''t the first time. Gritting her she now paced back and forth in her room on what to do. The time had been morning and now it was going to reach the time of the evening. Grace didn''t know how Robarte would react to this little missed date along with the timings. "Where are you going?" Lady Maggie, her older sister was the one to ask her who was pa.s.sing by the corridor seeing her all dressed. "None of your concern," Grace rolled her eyes that had Maggie frown as she turned around to look at her half-sister step out of the house and get into the carriage. Lately, her sister had been leaving him at the time of evening or noon toe back around the time of night just before dinner. Her younger sister had always been like this though. Not listening to anyone and doing what she pleased. Grace got into the carriage and then asked the coachman to take her to the Isle Valley. When she reached there after a few minutes. Stepping out, she quickly walked around the streets, searching for the man to see if he was still here. Seeing no trace of him, she a.s.sumed him to be gone when she heard his voice from behind. "Aren''t you a little early, Lady Grace," came thement that had her heart stutter in her chest. His voice was calm but she could feel that the vampire was angry with her. The vampiress turned around. Her skirt created an umbrelllike motion and she stood still when her eyes met his red eyes. "Robarte, I apologize for-" her words were cut down immediately by him. "I think it is enough I have had with you. Once is a mistake, twice is foolishness to believe when you can''t keep a simple deal. Do you know for how long I have been waiting here?" he questioned her. The man was a simple vampire unlike her pureblooded self yet she didn''t understand how he had such power over his words when he spoke right now. Grace knew this was going to happen. Though she hadn''t meant it to happen, it now appeared that she was only stringing him with no actual efforts put by her side. She bowed her head, but not enough like one would, after all, the girl was a vampiress who came from a well-known family that didn''t let her bow her head too much, "I apologize that I wasn''t able to keep my end of the deal." The man didn''t speak for a few seconds that made Grace question if he had heard her. Even though it was the time of evening and there were people who were still walking on the streets of the Isle Valley, Grace could feel the dull humiliation when he asked her, "What did I just question you, mdy?" Grace raised her head to look up at the man, "I didn''t mean to-" "I have been standing here since the time of the morning and you have the audacity to show up now after the hour of the evening has pa.s.sed? How hard is it for you to send a letter?" asked Robarte. She knew she had made the mistake but she didn''t understand why he was holding it out on her when she had no control over what happened today. Her patience getting lost, she snapped, "Do you think I purposely decided not toe here? My family decided to go out for a soiree which wasn''t in my hands to refuse," she quietly red at the man who had tried to humiliate her in front of people where she knew some of them. "What a prideful girl to be part of the family and pureblooded line. What will you do when there''s nothing to back you up? People cleaning up for you-" Robarte taunted her, seeing how the little girl couldn''t contain her temper. SLAP! Grace red at the man, "I told you it wasn''t my fault yet you try to belittle and embarra.s.s me in front of everyone here. So what if I am a pureblooded vampire? Are you jealous that you weren''t born in a high society family like mine?" she huffed the air out of her mouth and pa.s.sed an unbelievable look at him, "It is a problem with most of the low-level vampires who think they are better than us and believe that they deserve a life like ours," Robarte rubbed his hand across his cheek. A pureblooded vampire was always stronger than an average vampire and the gender never mattered when it came to such vast differences, a p would hurt. "I am sure your family would like to know what you are scheming," Robarte gave her a smile. Grace returned the smile, "Don''t sling mud on me when you have enough of them around you. You think I don''t know what you have been doing to the ves you have been buying? If I am not wrong you have bought nearly thirty-seven ves this year and I wonder how many are alive," if Robarte had made a check around her, Grace had done the same before she had decided to take Robarte''s help. "Look who turned out to be smart," Robarte continued to rub his jaw before letting go of his face. "Consider it from now on that we don''t know each other," Grace was too prideful to hear him throw taunts and insults at her and she was going to listen to him. She was a young vampiress who was impulsive but this didn''t deter the vampire who stood in front of her. "Of course." Chapter 685 Long Time No See- Part 3 Robarte saw Grace turn around and leave the street they were standing at to catch another path before she went off in her carriage. His eyes mellowed down once she left, his features turning softer again and he left the street himself. Walking towards the ck market when something on the wall caught his attention. It was a paper of a woman drawn on it. He stared at the picture which had a bounty of two hundred gold coins that now had been raised to four hundred gold coins. A small smile crept up his smile on the corner of her lips and he stepped into the ck market to speak to the auctioneer so that he could buy the next ve for theing week. Thest ve had turned out to be too docile that had turned him off. She had taken up his beatings without a single cry from her mouth that had him bored right away. Where was the enjoyment when the ve wasn''t crying? He had gone so far to cut her hand open but the pleasure of seeing her cry had faded. Walking through the throng of the crowd where the ck market was a ce that didn''t sleep ever, he wondered if he lost interest since his eyes had fallen on Penelope. Her green eyes were vibrant and her speech always clear as she held her ground. He couldn''t wait to turn her to his ve but before that, he had other matters and a helping hand that he needed right now. With Grace who had decided not to help him, it didn''t matter to him because there were always other sources. As fun as it was with the vampiress, she was useless and of no actual help. His patience was running thin as a thread that would break at any point in time. He bought some of the items from the ck market before he left in his carriage. Instead of heading back home, Robarte traveled from one ce to another. Pa.s.sing through viges and towns under the dire conditions of the weather where it was raining continuously without a pause. When he finally reached a vige, the clouds were lightly drizzling from the sky and the ground was slippery and wet. Jumping out of his carriage, he saw how most of them had rushed back to their houses for shelter without wanting to get drenched and wet to avoid inviting any fever or disease. Hearing something in the distance from where he was, he made his way to find two women fighting each other in the rain where no one could see. One was a witch hunter while the other was a ck witch. They fought with their weapons s.h.i.+ng one after another, their hands moving quick enough to get each other for a kill. When the witch hunter took hold of the gun pointing it against the ck witch who had not changed her appearance throughout the fight, Robarte raised his hand to pull his own trigger from the gun he held that shot the woman who was holding the gun to drop dead on the ground. The one who he had saved turned to look at him in the rain that had increased. Her hood hade off with her brown hair sticking on her face, "Robarte," whispered the woman as if not expecting to see him. "How have you been doing, sister?" Robarte asked the woman with a gentle smile on his face. The rain continued to pour down from the sky, dragging the loose silt that was on top of the ground while also bringing up the seedlings above the surface that were yet to grow to pull it out as the rain slid down. The woman looked at her younger brother with her brown eyes, "Help me with the body," she demanded. The man didn''t have to be told twice and he dragged the woman he had shot, pulling her by her leg towards the forest to be followed by his sister. No trail was left behind in the vige of the witch hunter who had been shot and some of them who saw it didn''t want to get involved. They behaved as if they had not seen a fight take ce in the rain where the two people had appeared to be hazy in the rain. Keeping their business to themselves without poking in things that were unfair, they shut their windows and drew their curtains closed. The body of the witch hunter was only dragged into the forest but it was never buried. It was done so that once the rain would stop people wouldn''t go to inform the magistrate which would buy the ck witch some time. Already there were enough people who had been following her for the past few weeks, Laurae didn''t have the time for it. Laurae took herself to lean her back against the tree so that she could get some air to breathe. "You have turned out to be a popr person in thend of Bonke," Robartemented watching his elder sister gasp for air. All Laurae had to do was to look at the man who chuckled without saying a word, "Someone has my posters ced everywhere in thend and now I have witch hunters on my back." "That was going to happen," tutted Robarte at his sister, "I heard you lost the book which was given by Sabbi to you. What did you do with it?" Laurae asked with a deep frown, "She knows?" "Sabbi knows everything. There are people who report to her and she has been keeping an eye on you for some time now," he smiled. She should have known, her jaw ticked as she thought about it. There had been a number of witch hunters who were following her and it wasn''t just because of the poster of her face on the trees and the walls. It was because the ck witch mistress was angry with herck of care with the book, "I had the book with me. I had it in the room but when the next moment when I looked at it, it wasn''t there," she had tried finding it but every search had turned to a waste of time. It was as if the book had disappeared on its own. Chapter 686 Sibling Trouble- Part 1 Robarte couldn''t help but not smile looking at the mess his older sister was in. "Stop smiling so much. I have already dragged your name in it," smiled the woman giving him a look that had the smile disappear from his face instantly, "I told them you have been helping me." "That cannot be true unless you let go one of the witch hunters who is working for the ck witches," stated Robarte, "Tell me you didn''t do it," he demanded from her who chuckled. Looking up at the sky she smiled more. "You were taking your own sweet time to find this time. How long has it been this time?" "Just a bit longer than thest," answered Robarte who gave a look at the witch hunter and then started to walk away from it to be followed by Laurae. "Bit?" Laurae asked, appalled by it. Her ck witch features finally surfacing to the scaly skin she was born with, "It has been more than twelve years," she used him. "I didn''t think you would be needing my help for anything. You were the capable ck witch sister, what happened?" asked Robarte who didn''t bother to turn as he could hear the sounds of the wet footsteps following him from behind, "And I don''t think the witch hunter would be reliable. I met the councilwoman some days ago. She ryed the message on what was happening and I must say, Sabbi is angry that you are killing the witch hunters." Laurae scoffed loudly, "Do you think I am interested to be the bait or be killed right now?" "You know it isn''t about the book. She doesn''t like the fact that you have been turning famous. One string from the dress will pull out the rest of the strings or thread out in the open," when his elder sister finally caught up to walk next to him, he said, "If you weren''t selfish you would have let me know. But you and I both know that you want to fare better than me and the others and look at what that''s gotten you into," he tched her. Laurae didn''tment on it and she then asked, "How is my daughter dear doing?" "Excellent. I have been trying to get her to drown in the water but she caught on to the voodoo magic," a gentle smile settled on his face as he said this, "A shame that I haven''t been able to catch hold of her." Laurae knew that her brother enjoyed killing people more than she did and since the time he had found her daughter, he had been wanting to have her next to her so he could torture her but it was Laurae who had denied to give her daughter as she needed the girl to survive in the vige. After a woman reached and pa.s.sed her prime age to marry, these people were mostly frowned upon but more than that, the vigers and townsmen looked upon the unmarried woman as witches which made it difficult to survive. She had kept her daughter as long as she needed and when the time came, she discarded her like she was nothing but a pair of shoes that were torn and not usable anymore. And when things were of no use, Laurae always made sure to throw them. "You don''t mind if I have her do you, sister?" asked the man, his vampire-like eyes moving to the corner to look at her. Laurae gave him a bored look, "I don''t care what you do with her." Robarte smiled at his sister''s words, "How kind of you. We need to find a healthy looking vampire," he added. The woman gave him a questionable look. "You are a vampire, not a pureblooded vampire to drink blood from them. Why do you want to hunt a vampire?" she asked him. "I wish we could get a pureblood vampire, but that will need me to go into hibernation for many more years. I think my body is malfunctioning and I need a change of organs," he reminded her as it was Laurae who had transformed him into a ck witch with the organs and appearance of a vampire. Robarte was a ck witch like her but as he had gone through the knives of the ck witches, especially by the hand of Laurae, his appearance had changed over the years to make him look like a vampire. Before Laurae had married the white witch, she had worked with the Artemis to create a prototype of modified witches. As years had pa.s.sed by, they had tried to improve the existence of the witches but most of them always failed but her brother had been one of the sessful experiments. He raised his hand, pulling out the glove from it to show the hand that appeared to be decaying, "My butler is already showing the signs of aging. I cannot ask him to go anywhere because people would only suspect if he went with an appearance something like this. You understand that, right sister?" "Don''t think I am willing to do it for free," she stated, Robarte chuckled quickly. "You wouldn''t be my sister if you didn''t ask anything in return. What is it?" he asked her. Laurae said, "You will help me get out of this mess that has been created. Either find me the book that had gone missing or help me deflect the threat that ising from Sabbi." Robarte couldn''t stop himself fromughing, "Do you think Sabbi is easy to take down? The amount of ck witches who stand along with the witch hunters between is too great. I am only asking you to fix me not revive me. I can go to the next ck witch who knows to operate the organs," he offered her a sweet smile, "Don''t worry though, sister. I won''t put you under threat. I will see what I can do to keep you safe for now but if a timees where my own life is put in threat you know the pact we have," Robarte''s face showed the scaly features finally on his face, the skin turning hard and ck like a snake''s skin would. "I remember it," how could she forget it. It was something they had done between them so that both Robarte and Laurae wouldn''te to depend on feeling obliged to save the other while risking their lives. They were a set of ck witches after all. Their own survival came first and then came the next person and it didn''t matter even if they shared the same blood. Chapter 687 Sibling Trouble- Part 2 Walking into one of the towns, they stood there waiting for the day to turn night and they started to hunt for the vampire who woulde to sacrifice so that Robarte could continue to live like a vampire and no one would evere to suspect it. With a ce full of vampires one would think it would be easy to hunt but it was slightly hard when the vampire was hunting for prey in the night. Laurae took herself to walk in the night, luring one of the vampires who wanted to feed. She lured him far away and into the forest before he was turned unconscious. Dragging the man and taking him in the carriage, they found the closest inn who wouldn''t suspect their business. Once they reached the room, the vampire who was still alive and breathing was ced on one bed with his hands and legs tied so that he wouldn''t escape. In parallel, in the next bed slept Robarte with his body turned around that was bare of clothes. The ck witch took out her tools which her brother had already brought along with her. Laurae knew why her brother had finallye to seek her out, it wasn''t out of concern but out of survival instincts as he knew she was the easiest and the most skilled person when it came to changing the organs from one creature to the ck witch''s body. Out of anger, the woman didn''t bother to inject any doze to reduce the pain and instead used her knife to cut the back of her brother''s body. When Robarte groaned in pain, a smile came to fall on her lips, "Such a weak body. Can''t even take the pain," she taunted while the sharp metal cut into his skin to bring out the blood. Once she was done cutting part of it, she opened the skin before moving the vampire''s body who now had gained consciousness. The vampire thrashed in there wanting to set himself free not knowing what the crazy ck witch was going to do. The ropes bound him tight to the bed that made his movement impossible. The ck witch didn''t need him alive as she would be operating it. She brought the knife close to the vampire''s chest whose red eyes red at the woman. "Thank you for your organs," heard the vampire from the other bed where a man slept on his front with his face turned towards him. The man smiled and before the vampire knew it, the woman had stakes around his heart, pulling out the heart she walked around the bed to go to her brother''s body to transnt the organ in there and to work with the other organs. Once she had sessfullypleted the process, she took a nap until her brother finally woke from his unconscious state. Robarte picked up his s.h.i.+rt and then his trousers to wear. Walking towards the mirror he stared at his perfect red eyes that looked bright at the moment. Finally, the color had been restored, raising his hands he took a look at them that looked brand new and smooth with no blemish on his skin. A smile crept on his lips. "How do you feel?" Laurae had only shut her eyes but she had not fallen asleep. She looked at her brother who turned around to give a satisfied smile, "Very new. You don''t mind if I go take a drink outside do you?" he asked her. "Do what you please. We will be going back to your mansion, I need toy low for some time." While Robarte went to feed himself as the vampire instincts had been restored. Laurae decided to go down to see what was there to eat. It had been weeks since she had had a decent meal. With all the stealing and chasing there were only a few options apart from hunting animals in the forest where the witch hunters often roamed. The woman went to the reception by walking down the stairs but she didn''t go too far one of the customers who hade in was a witch hunter as he was holding a crossbow on his back. When their eyes met, Laurae gave the man a warm smile like any human would and the man tipped his head as if exchanging a wordless greeting. The witch hunter couldn''t help but admire at the woman''s wless beauty as she descended down small stairs but just as she did, his expression started to change to one of a concentration. Laurae noticed how the man''s stare had changed and when his hand reached out for the gun, the witch had thrown something in the air to have the people coughing before running back to the room. The witch hunter quickly followed her trail. Using his own arrows and weapons to throw it against the ck witch who quickly jumped out of the window. But there was more than one witch hunter in there, the witch hunters who noticed the ck witch hump out of the window started to target her with arrows. Laurae ran cursing her time and on the way when met her brother who was strolling the woods she said, "RUN!" Robarte frowned when he saw Laurae run towards him and then run past him without waiting to tell it the second time.?Seeing her run, he turned back around in time catch an arrow that shot right next to him. Noticing the witch hunters, he quickly followed his sister''s suit as they were chased out from there. One of the witch hunters went back to the room, to see what the ck witch was doing in to find a vampire who had his hearts, lungs, stomach, and throat missing from his body. With a deep furrow on his forehead, the man looked on the other side of the room to find a ckened set of the same missing parts. When another witch hunter arrived at the scene, the manmented, "Are those body parts? They looked fired." "Have these sent to the councilboratory immediately. Also, send a note to the head council about it," ordered the first witch hunter. Chapter 688 Finally- Part 1 The report that was sent by the white witches took a minimum of one and a half days before it reached the council. When Rueben pulled out the ck envelope from the stack, tearing the cover to read the contents inside it, his eyebrows furrowed at what was in there. Leaving the head council room, he made his way towards the other building and on the way, he met many of the councilmen who bowed and greeted. Barely sharing any words with them, he stepped out of the current building to go to where Murkh, the vampire doctor worked in theboratory. Pa.s.sing through the b.l.o.o.d.y smell that came from the cells, he walked into theboratory to see Murk who was already with the samples that were sent by the white witches. Getting closer to the tray dish where the organs were ced, he noticed how the organs appeared to be burnt and charred from outside. "Have you seen this before?" asked Rueben to Murk who had his .s.ses on, staring at the sample organs closely before moving back. "I don''t think so, Sir. We have had charred bodies along with the organs but it told that-" "That the body appeared to be fine. These organs belong to vampires," Reubenpleted, his eyes picking up the state of a mess the room was in right now, "In the note, it was written that they found the vampire''s organs missing but his insides were fine. It was as if the organs were ripped out of his body. Damien and the others came across this one I believe during their time in Valeria." "Yes, the one who had vampire''s eyes but had a witch body," Murkh answered, giving it a thought but then he shook his head, "But the man''s body was not charred. Not outside nor in. The body that was sent here was clean without much damage apart from the bullets and the st.i.tches on his back." Reuben gave a hard look at the organs again, before saying, "Cut it open." The vampire doctor didn''t have to be told twice. The man enjoyed cutting through and opening them up for his eyes to look at. Bringing the scalpel that was longer and sharper which he had chiseled two days ago, his eager hands went to the heart that was ck and hard in appearance. He cut the outer part of the heart, going deeper to turn them into half. When it was opened up, they noticed how there were barely a few drops of blood that kept the heart moist at the center. "I think the heart was dying," Murkhmented looking at the heart that was dried and chalky when he ran his fingers across the outer part of the organ. Rueben had a grave expression on his face as he said, "The ck witches are trying to convert themselves to humans and vampires. There have been past sightings with open bodies with missing body parts. They are mostly vampires and humans because they are easily avable and no one can ever suspect you." In time, Damien appeared who hade to give a visit to Murkh when he found Rueben in theboratory, "Good evening, head council," greeted the pureblooded vampire stepping inside the room. "Damien we have a problem," on hearing the head council speak to him, Damien couldn''t help but smile. If the problems in theirnds were few he would have been spending his time in the mansion. If it weren''t for Penelope being a white witch and her mothering up in the monthly letter, he would have beenzing without a care in the world, "We found improvised ck witches." "Tell me why it isn''t that surprising," Damienmented and his eyes fell on the heart that was cut out, "Who does that belong to? Looks like someone got roasted." Reuben then exined what was written in the note, "The white witches found two ck witches in the inn. The heart and other charred body parts belong to someone but not the vampire who was killed in there. Damien gave the man a nod, "The vampire''s body parts must have been used as a recement for the witch. I don''t think we have found any recent sightings apart from what has been found a few years ago in the case files. Did they give out a description of how the witches looked?" "Yes," Reuben put his hand in his pocket to pull out a folded parchment that looked dull and dirty as if it had withstood wind and rain, "This is the one. The white witch wrote down that the woman looked like this. Was this Kreme''s doing?" asked the half-vampire raising his brows at the young man. Taking the parchment and unfolding it, Damien looked at the woman''s picture that had a bounty of four hundred dors in it. Unable to keep himself from smiling, his fangs appeared to peek out of his mouth when he continued to stare at the picture, "I had Kreme draw her." "Who is she?" questioned Reuben. Though the man was a head council in here, there were a lot of things that went unknown to him without his consent and Damien aced in it. "She is Penelope''s mother." "The girl?" asked the councilman unable to hold his surprise. Murkh, who already knew about it, left to clean the scalpel that he had used. "She has been trying to kill her daughter for some time now but if there was another witch with her. The probability of the person being her brother is very high. The woman, Laurae, has a brother but we haven''t been fortunate enough in finding anything more about him than knowing he is her brother who was engaged to Penelope''s aunt." "Do they have children?" "None," Damien responded back to Reuben and handed back the picture, "I had Kreme draw her and post her pictures everywhere so that she would make an appearance and she finally did. Sadly, the witches don''t have the locator spell else it would have been easy to spot her and have her cough up about the other rituals." Reuben exhaled the air through his lips. He could now see why Damien was involved in the case of the ritual. The people here were connected to one another. "I need you to set out a court meeting out in the open," said Damien. "Don''t we always have the court meeting outside?" the pureblooded vampire shook his head. "This is for the elder council. I need to bring someone out in the highlight," Damien stated, giving a pause before saying, "Don''t inform anyone about it. A surprise meeting is always fun, don''t you think?" Chapter 689 Realisation- Part 2 Penny back in the mansion walked around the garden in search of the butler. It had been four days and she couldn''t find a toad. She hade to realize that the butler had run far away from the mansion but where did he go? She had also attempted to go to the forest, calling out his name in hope that a toad would appear in front of her but nothing like that ever came to happen. "Still no news about him?" It was her aunt Caitlin who hade outside the mansion and stepped into the garden to give Penny the neededpany after she noticed how her niece''s drooping shoulders. Penny shook her head, "Finding toads are hard," she saw her aunt give her a smile. Penny had let her aunt know of the missing case of the butler. Damien had told the household that their dear butler had gone to his hometown for a week''s vacation and she could only hope that it would be a week and wouldn''t extend the timeline where they would have to dere that their butler was officially lost. It made the white witch wonder if the butler had really been lost or if he had escaped the household of the Quinn''s, after all, the man had been looking at how to run away from here in the beginning. ording to what Piers, the ck witch had to say, the spell stayed for only twenty-four hours but what if it stayed longer than that which was why the butler had not returned? Penny felt guilty for turning the butler to a toad. She should have made him stay there for twenty-four hours and then got him back home once he would have turned back to himself but Durik had been adamant in following her when she had started to head out. Caitlin ced her hand on Penny''s shoulder, "You will find him. Don''t lose hope." They started to walk in the garden where the flowers had bloomed and the nts stood firmly even with the amount of rain that kept falling on it. Penny didn''t know if there was anything more she could do right now than wait. Hopefully Durik didn''t get eaten by a wild animal in the first twenty-four hours, she could only hope he was still alive and nothing had happened. It was a lesson to understand the consequences before doing anything in the future. "Did the Artemis, your uncle and aunt ever keep any book of spells with them?" Penny inquired curious. They already knew the book of spells existed for the white witches and there was another book which was solely being protected by the man in the Adams mansion. "I don''t think so," Caitlin said while trying to recollect if she could remember something from the past memories, "ck witches are usually very illiterate and their trust level is worse than any other creatures topare to. They had a bunch of potions in one of the rooms but there was nothing in there apart from it. When I was young, I stumbled into the room and strangely they let me y with the liquids which I wasn''t aware was a potion made by them." Listening to this, Penny said, "There is this spell. The spell to camouge a ce or a house. I have tried looking at it but didn''t find anything in the book of spells or in the church that is now closed," it was the first time she had experienced anything like that, "The mansion, when you used to live there was fully furnished?" "Yes. Why do you ask that?" Caitlin gave Penny a questionable look. The young witch frowned, "You said they sent you and father to bed early and not to wake up." "They did. They used to be very strict about timings and disciplining us though it didn''t work out all the time." The elder Artemis couple had obviously put a spell on the house. It was possible that the house had already copsed after the death of the previous owners and the Artemis were barely keeping a falsified appearance for people to not doubt. There was a term for it, thought Penny to herself. She hadn''te across the spell but she knew she had read that phenomena of keeping objects still intact like they once used to look. The couple used to send the children just so that the children would nevere to doubt when the night pulled in over the sky. It was sad that her aunt had practiced no magic at all and she had shut the door, not wanting to touch it even now and wanting to live as a human as if she knew nothing about her own self. Caitlin wasn''t the first white witch who chose to live like this. There were plenty of white witches who didn''t bother themselves with the magic. People believed that the ones who touched the magic were bound to be cursed where witch hunters and other creatures woulde to hunt you down. Penny could use her aunt''s help but she wasn''t going to force and push her to get back into something she didn''t want to do. By what she knew so far, Caitlin didn''t want any part in the witches and she was here only for her sake. Because Penny was Caitlin''s brother''s daughter. A drop of water fell from the sky, falling on the side of her arm and Penny looked up at the dark clouds that hadn''t moved since the time of the morning. "It is going to start raining soon," Caitlin stated when a few drops fell on her. Penny smiled looking up at the sky, "It is going to be a lot of rain," she said looking at the sky. Having grown in thend of Bonke, she loved the rain, the thunder, the lightning and everything about this weather. "Let''s go in before either of us get drenched," and Penny would have started to walk with her aunt who had started to head in the direction of the entrance but the young girl didn''t move from the spot she stood at, "Penelope?" her aunt called her. Chapter 690 Realization- Part 3 She stared at the water droplets that were ascending down from the heavens. It felt one after another in slow motion, one of them falling right on her cheek that didn''t slide down but sshed on her skin. The realization hit her, the thoughts and events sinking in. Looking at her aunt, she said, "I need to be somewhere," her words came out to be in a whisper which Caitlin frowned as she wasn''t able to hear what Penny just said to her over the sounds of the wind that was breezing around them and the trees in the forest moving their branches to rub the leaves against each other. Penny didn''t know why she hadn''t realized this before but now that she did, she had to leave right away. She ran towards the shed where the carriage was parked. Asking the coachman to pull as she wanted to go somewhere. The coachman looked at the dire weather which was only going to turn worse in time but obeyed thedy''s words. Pulling the carriage with the help of the horses, Penny stepped inside it. "Where are you going?" Caitlin asked, slightly rmed as Penny had suddenly decided to leave the mansion to go somewhere at a spur of the moment. "Would you like toe?" Penny asked in haste, the door was still opened and Caitlin stepped into the carriage. If there were some things she had learned about her niece it was that the girl could be reckless at times. Being the only guardian, the woman took it upon her to look after her. The coachman started the carriage and went to the ce Penny had asked him to go to. Caitlin gave the minutes Penny needed as she appeared to be slightly agitated and worried. The carriage was pulled over at the vige where Penny and her mother once used to reside in. As it had started to rain, most of the vigers had started to see themselves back into their house or to find shelter before the rain would continue to start pouring down on thends of Bonke. "Stop the carriage right here!" Penny said to the coachman who pulled over arge tree and a small building that provided the shelter he would need until she would return back. Not waiting for the man to open the door, she quickly opened the carriage door and jumped out of it to be followed by Caitlin. Penny ran into the forest that stood adjacent to the vige. Pa.s.sing the trees one after another where the rain had started to increase making her wipe her face every once in a while as the droplets sat heavy over hershes before dripping down her face. When Penny made her way into the heart of the rest, her footsteps stopped while Caitlin was still following her who had worn a dress, unlike Penny''s clothes. In the middle sat a man who wore white clothes. Almost blending in the atmosphere and the rain that was falling pouring down right now. Penny could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest right now. Her chest heaving up and down as she had run from the outline of the vige to finally meet the person she had been wanting to all these weeks. The wind bearer. As the man had appeared from her erased memory, her memory wasn''t clear and she had missed his words. Was it possible that the man had been waiting for since the day he had told he would be waiting for her? Her footsteps were quiet on the ground as she made her way towards where he sat. Going to where he was, she saw how his clothes were wet and his hair drenched that was stuck to his forehead whilst he sat there with his closed eyes. The clouds rumbled up in the sky. As if sensing her presence, the man opened his gold-colored eyes to look up at her, "You are finally here," his eyes looked sleepy just like the first time she had seen it. His words were gentle yet Penny heard him clearly, "That was quite a long wait." Penny couldn''t believe it had taken her this long to realize his words. Both she and Damien knew something was wrong as the water elemental bearer had refused to give her the powers. "How long have you been waiting here?" Penny asked him. She bowed her head in apology,?the drops of rain that had drenched her from head to toe, it slid and dropped down on the ground. She noticed how he was sitting on a tree that had been but close to its roots. "Since Ist met you. I knew you would bete and decided to take a nap whilst I waited for you," saying this, he stood up, his height towering above her and she had to take two steps away from him so that she couldn''t have to crane her neck up to look at him. Penny didn''t understand why the wind element had been waiting for her and he could have gone on his way without having to wait for her when she didn''t mark her presence the next day, "Elements appear only when they are summoned." "Some appear and some don''t," even in the rain, his gold eyes were too bright that stood out in his face, "Two elementse only when they are summoned and two elements do what we wish without any obligations. If you look at the past you will find a lot of water andnd elemental witches while very few fire and wind elements. Theter of us don''t like to give people what they want." Penny didn''t know how to respond to this. She was still overwhelmed with the thought that she had finally figured where he was. She wondered if he was azy elemental bearer, "I apologize for making you wait," the elemental bearer didn''t react to her words, "You could have given me the element back then. Why didn''t you?" she asked him curiously as it was something that had been bugging her mind for a while. "You weren''t ready back then," his gold eyes stared into her green eyes, "It would be a waste to give you something you wouldn''t be able to keep. You appear to be in a better condition than you were in the past. It is up to you if you want to take the ability or not." Chapter 691 Wind Bearer- Part 1 The wind bearer looked down at the young white witch was getting drenched in the rain, his eyes caught hold of something in the corner of her eyes and he saw it was a woman who stood near the trees who didn''te close to where they were. "What is it going to be?" he asked her, his eyeszily looking towards her that was gold-like. Even in the dull atmosphere and weather both the elemental bearer as well as Penelope''s eyes stood brightly looking at each other. Penny didn''t know why but the way he was asking to bestow her with the elemental ability made her feel like there were some side effects to it. It was because when a person received a certain power or ability, people took it in stride and happiness to have something and hold what others didn''t possess. She had already once gone through something like this by putting a spell without knowing if it could be fixed, "What will happen once I im the ability?" On her question, the bearer finally cracked a smile as if his face telling her that she wasn''t an idiot like the rest of the white witches. "I knew you were the right choice when I decided to wait for you here," and even though he told he had napped or slept for so many months, the man''s eyes still appeared to look droopy, "Once you receive the ability you will be s.h.i.+fting closer to the nature of being a ck witch." What? "Of course, you aren''t going to transform to the other side of the witch but you will be taking one step closer. A lot of white witches aren''t aware of the elemental abilities and people who are aware don''t try to summon the elements at the fear of turning into a ck witch by mistake. Because once you im the element and you tap into the forbidden magic, then it will time to leave the world of light and time to enter the darkness. But once a person turns to a ck witch, the ability won''t stay anymore," said the wind bearer. He raised his hand and the water droplets stopped moving and stood still around them while the other part of the forest continued to rain, "I don''t think it should matter in your case, especially considering your origins." The man knew she had mixed blood running in her veins. "What else?" Penny inquired wanting to know if there was anything more she had to know. "Just because a person is an elemental bearer and gets bestowed with it, it takes time to temper and understand how to make use of it," he said. Now that she noticed him closer with herst thoughts disappearing away in her mind and being there right in front of him, she noticed the edges of his body that were hazy like there was no proper outline. "Why didn''t you move away from the raindrops earlier?" she didn''t know why he got drenched and in a blink of an eye, he had dried himself with not a single drop of water on him. Penny gave him a surprised look. She and Caitlin were still wet because of the rain while he appeared as if the weather had turned bright and sunny. Penny could now understand why every time she summoned the elements in the ritual the water bearer arrived at her door and not him. The man was here waiting for her and even if he wasn''t, the ritual wouldn''t have worked as he wouldn''t respond to the summoning. "Is it true that I have two elements in me?" she asked looking into his eyes. "You do. You don''t have to wait for Sally to do it to you because she has ced the ability right next to your door. Once I bestow you with the ability, it will be yours to wield but you will need to learn to control it. Ready?" Penny nodded. Bracing herself, she took in a deep breath to see the wind bearer raise his right hand up in the air. Now that the raindrops were no more falling on her Penny could feel the wet clothes of hers sticking on her skin. Suddenly, the velocity of the wind started to increase around her and it felt nothing less than standing at the bridge of the Quinn''s during the time of evening and much faster. The wind started to circte around her, raising her hands in the air without her doing anything before one of her hand came forward, in front of the wind bearer and he moved his open palm to ce it on her hand. The wind increased, moving without any proper direction that had started to pull out the water droplets that had soaked her clothes. He said, "When the water bearer visits the person once, the power of the element only needs to be picked and given. After this is done you will be bestowed with both the wind and water element," the wind was too high around her and she had to concentrate on what he was telling her. When the wind around them finally quietened down, he said, "It''s done." Penny felt like a child that was yet to unwrap the gift that was given to her. She couldn''t feel anything more than the vibration of the wind that she had been feeling because of the high wind a few moments ago. "There''s no guide on how to wield the element and it is something you will need to harness and workout by yourself because it isn''t hard to adapt," said the wind bearer. Before he could disappear, she said, "Wait! Do you think I can control the weather?" The man gave it some thought, "Just a little. Consider your gift to be a drop of water from the ocean. Use your spells wisely. Though you have both the types of blood running in your veins, you don''t know when time can turn bad." "What if I want to reach you?" she asked as she was yet to learn to do it. His gold eyes stared at her, saying, "I will be around. Farewell," he snapped his fingers, and the next minute he had disappeared from there. Chapter 692 Wind Bearer- Part 2 With the element bearer gone, the bubble of air that had been surrounding burst out for the raindrops to fall back on her but she didn''t care about it. She couldn''t believe that she had finally been bestowed by not just one but two of the elements. Now that the elemental bearer had vanished, Caitlin walked towards her when Penny was looking at both her hands, "Is itplete?" asked Caitlin. Penny nodded her head, "It is. I will have to learn how to control them now." By the time both Penelope and Caitlin had gone back to the carriage, the rain had stopped. They caught sight of the coachman who had taken shelter at the building that had an extended roof on top of it. Upon seeing them, the coachman quickly stepped out of the sheltering roof and made his way quickly towards the carriage. Walking around the carriage in time, he opened the door for the twodies to step inside the carriage and then close it. When they reached Quinn''s mansion and stepped out, Penny saw Damien who had been standing outside as if waiting for her to return home. As they were outside and had abruptly left the mansion in the carriage Penny had not kept track of her time. "How long have we been gone from the mansion?" Penny asked not sure why Damien right now was having a smoldering look on his face as he looked at her. She waved at him with a smile to see him narrow his eyes, "Where have you been to?" Damien asked her when she walked towards him. She noticed how his eyes took note of her wet hairs that were in the process of drying and her dress that was drenched wet in water. Seeing no one around, Penny grinned looking at him. Caitlin didn''t say anything but walked inside to change her clothes seeing Damien was there to stay beside Penny. Penny made sure no one was around and when she was about to say where she was, the man pulled her into his arms. His hands tightening around her, she heard him say, "I was worried when I didn''t find you in the mansion and no one knew where you were," Penny smiled hugging Damien back. It was usually Durik who kept an eye on who came and went from the mansion but as she had turned him to a toad, there was no one to inform. She buried herself in his arms as he didn''t mind himself turning wet by her already wet clothes, "I woulde back to you no matter where I went," she responded back to him. Rubbing his back, Penny pulled away when his hold loosened around her. "I met him. The wind element." "You found him?" Damien asked, raising both his eyebrows. Penny smiled, "He has been waiting in the forest." "What a kind gentleman," Damien murmured, "Do you feel any change?" she shook her head. "Nothing for now but he did say that I have now been bestowed with both the elements of water as well as wind," she exined to him. "No need to summon the waterdy? I was looking forward to meeting her," he murmured in disappointment that he couldn''t annoy the woman with a genuine reason, "What did he say?" "That I will need to harness the ability myself and there''s no actual guide for it but..." Penny paused before saying, "Lady Isabell''s book had a few instructions in there about the elements. So it shouldn''t be much of a trouble." "d to hear that. We can always summon the waterdy for questions. Let''s get you out of those clothes," he intertwined his fingers in her before tugging her with him. Going up to the room, Penny removed the clothes that she wore, stripping one after another to take a warm bath along with Damien in the tub. She felt Damien kiss her neck that had her smiling. His fingers trailed up and down her arm as his lips found the back of her ear. Having him in the bath felt good that her eyes closed by themselves as she indulged in the warmth of Damien had to give her. ???How was work?" Penny asked him with a smile lingering on her lips, "Ah!" she felt his teeth bite into the upper part of her lobe. "It was interesting," he whispered into the sh.e.l.l of her ear.?Damien didn''t want to bring up about her mother and spoil the good mood who could sense radiating from Penny right now. Right now he could sense how at ease her heart was and he didn''t want to disturb it. As if sensing something, she turned around to look into his dark eyes that reflected her back. With her one arm on his chest, she stared for a second more before leaning closer to his face and he helped her around in the small tub to have her face whilst holding her waist. Leaning forward, he captured her lips with his own. He licked the seam of her lips to have her part her lips to slip his tongue into her mouth. Penny clutched onto his shoulders, feeling the muscle under her hand. She didn''t know when her own lips had turned greedy as she wanted Damien more and more with her lips kissing him. She flinched when Damien''s fang nipped her bottom lip, "It stings," sheined to have him chuckle. "That was the point. Come, I want to show you something," he said helping both of them out of the bathtub. She had the ck towel wrapped around from her shoulders when she saw Damien walk towards one of the closets to pull out a brown box that was quite big. He came back to her with the towel that was wrapped around his waist. "What is this?" "A surprise," Damien said, going to sit on the edge of the bed he waited for her to open it. When Penny pulled the box closer and opened it, she didn''t have to pull out the dress to know what it was. Her green eyes moved slowly from the dress to look at Damien, her heart starting skip beats, "This...this is a wedding dress." Chapter 693 Trial- Part 1 Penny looked at the box again, staring at the white dress before she pulled out from it. She could feel her heart beating one beat after another. At first, she was shocked, then surprised, and right now she could feel an overwhelming emotion that started to seep into her skin. She hadn''t expected it which was why she fell speechless. Damien chuckled looking at her expression, "When we were in Valeria I introduced you as my fiance. I realized I wanted to marry you. Does it matter if we marry now orter when it is going to happen eventually," he tilted his head and looked at her with a smile. "When did you get the dress ready?" Penny asked, staring at the intricate details of the white gown. The sleeves appeared delicate and she didn''t dare to hold her hands there but to hold the dress by the waistline of the dress. Damien had never mentioned about going to the tailor or speaking about any dress. She knew Damien was a man of .s.s who enjoyed exquisiteness. It was a beautiful gown that had her chest full but also the thought Damien had put after he gave it to her. "Right after we came back from Valeria. The dress was still in making and I didn''t want to spoil the surprise which was worth it," his red eyes stared into her green ones that came to lower down to look back at the dress, "Do you like it?" he asked her. "It''s beautiful," Penny was torn between looking at him and then at the dress which was gorgeous. She had attended a few wedding ceremonies but the ce she came from, they never wore something like this. It felt like she was holding a G.o.ddess dress in her hands which was too pure. When Penny was working in the theater, she had been infatuated with a man but the feelings had never been reciprocated back to her. Instead, she had been framed with words of lies which she had no hand in. Even though Penny had grown to a beautiful girl, a lot of them were always wary over the rumors around her and her mother. And this had only led to no man approaching her. At one point, Penny hade to acknowledge the fact that there might be a time where she might grow old as a spinster with no one next to her. Penny a.s.sumed a lot of girls wanted to have a grand wedding but more than that, they looked forward to spending their life with that special someone who they would marry. But with no suitors approaching her, there was no way she would ever be able to fulfill that dream back then. And here she was today, holding a wedding dress that would have never dared toe in her dream. She ced the wedding dress in the box and Damien stood up from the bed, looking at her how she had mellowed down. "Marry me in the next seven weeks of time, mouse," his hands made way to her hands so that he could hold it in his hands. Pressing his fingers gently on her hands. Penny couldn''t help herself from smiling, "Yes. Yes, I would love to," she replied. The smile was infectious enough to have both of them smiling widely at each other. "I cannot wait," Damien pulled her into his arms, hugging as he swayed left and right with her in his arms. Damien had taken his time to pick the designs before having it sent to the tailor to fit Penny''s body. He had made sure to inform the tailor that money wasn''t an issue and strangely he hadn''t bought the dress from Isle Valley. It was from one of thedies '' tailor two towns next to where the mansion was built. She was a vampiress who was known for a unique style of .s.s. "Thank you," Penny whispered to him in his arms. She pulled away from his embrace to say, "I don''t think I would have dared to imagine anything if you didn''te into my life." "I do that," Damien nodded, admitting her words to be true. She smiled looking into his eyes, "I don''t think I will be able to give my vows right when the timees but...there''s never a right or a wrong time. You have vexed me in the beginning but right now, you are the most important person in my life. I am so used to having you beside me that there are times when I wonder what will happen if you are not there," she gulped down the bubbling anxiety, "I am so happy to have met you, to have known you. Master Damien, you are a man of manyyers and I havee to love that onion." A single tear slipped down her eye to her cheek and Damien caught it with his finger. Damien said, "You don''t have to worry about me not being beside you because I will always continue to exist next to you no matter what. Like I said before, I will love you even if you turn to a ck witch. I will love you no matter who you are, or what you turn to because you are the most beautiful person I have known. I promise to wipe the people out who have caused you pain, break their fingers," sheughed hearing this before he continued, "You don''t have to feel alone because I will be right here with you, having your back. I have been told I will long so you don''t have to worry about it, you''re stuck with me for life, mouse." "I am okay with that," Penny nodded her head. Taking a deep breath of air into her lungs before she released it. Out of curiosity, Penny asked him, "Why did you say seven weeks?" Damien was pus.h.i.+ng Penny''s hair away from her temple when he said, "I am hoping we can settle the matter with the ck witches and some in the council down by then. Also, we need time to get the invitation picked and sent. You will officially be a Quinn." Penny couldn''t stop the smile on her face, now fully clothed and warm in a fresh set of clothes. Happiness radiated from her face. She was happy and eager to see and share the future next to Damien. To think the same man who had annoyed her, in the beginning, was now reaching out to her with his hands open for her, she wondered at what point of the time things had started to change between them. Chapter 694 Trial- Part 2 Happiness radiated from her face. She was happy and eager to see and share the future next to Damien. To think the same man who had annoyed her, in the beginning, was now reaching out to her with his hands open for her, she wondered at what point of the time things had started to change between them. The time when she wanted to run away from this mansion she could somehow resonate the feeling of how the butler felt but her feelings had eventually changed. It wasn''t because she fell in love with Damien or he fell in love with her, it was because Damien had helped her in ways she didn''t know she would be able to go through it alone. When she had no one, not even her own blood who had given her up and wanted to kill her, he was there for her. Penelope had nothing to offer him but herself and he had taken her for himself which she didn''t mind. Instead, she was d that he was the way he was since the very beginning. After wearing clothes, Penny had taken the dress to ce in the cupboard neatly without letting it have too many folds. She sat on the bed now with a .s.s of water in her hand. It had been only a few hours since she had met the elemental bearer but Penny wanted to learn how to manipte the energy quickly. Bringing the book close to her which spoke about the elements and how to start, she decided to go with water as it was something she could touch and see, unlike the wind which was hard to manifest. The wind bearer had moved his hand effortlessly to y with the wind but Penny could tell it wasn''t easy. If she wasn''t wrong, it was the most stubborn elements that were difficult to handle and manage. Like the wind element bearer said to her, he and the fire bearer didn''t appear to the summons of the white witches, instead, they appeared when they felt like it randomly without a proper time or ce. There wasn''t much written about the elements but with the little amount that was written in the book, it was the most help she could use. She wondered if the earth ornd element was the most helpful one out of the four of them as Sister Jera had learned to cultivate through the ability very quickly. She didn''t know any white witches who had a dual element. White witches were rare, and the ones who possessed the ability never came to let anyone know that they existed. After conversing with the elemental bearer, Penny wondered if it was so because the white witches turned to ck witches after they touched the forbidden magic. Sister Jera must be already informed about the use of the elemental ability as well as what would happen once a white witch with the element would touch the forbidden magic. The witch had already shown spottings of being a ck witch which was in the initial stage. One more touch and she would turn to a ck witch. Penny made a note to herself to write a letter to Father Antonio as well as Sister Jera to make sure they were doing well in health. Damien pulled out the chair from the corner of the room and ced it next to the bed so that he could see what Penny was going to do while also being able to monitor if it would trigger any traits of her having ck witch blood running in her body. "Ready?" Damien asked her as she was still staring at the .s.s of water. Penny nodded her head. Raising her hand, she used the incantation that didn''t have to be spoken about loud. It was written in the book how once a white witch was used to the ability, they wouldn''t need any spells or concentration as it would be engraved into their souls. The ability would be like breathing which woulde automatically when needed. She remembered the words of the wind bearer who had told her to believe was to be that thing they believed in. All she had to do was trust herself. She concentrated on the water which was in the .s.s. Staring hard at it while reciting the incantation to see nothing happen. "This is very hard," Penny frowned looking at the water that hadn''t moved or caused a rippling effect. "Keep trying. Nothinges at the first go. Didn''t the book say it takes days to master it? Or was it weeks?" asked Damien who leaned back in the chair. "I must have drawn the short end of the stick," concentrating on getting it to work was impossible. She spent an hour more before she looked up the mirror on the ceiling of the bed. "It is good to see you frustrated like this after a long time," Damienmented to get a pointed look from Penny. "You enjoy seeing me torture." "I thought we already established that fact," he gave her a smile to show off his fangs. The fangs didn''t often show when he was speaking or smiling. "Did you notice your fangs?" Penny asked him, her heart dropped, "Your corruption is acting, isn''t it?" Damien only stared at her with a smile, "Just a bit. Nothing bad so far,?? but there was a possibility of it turning badter. Though Penny could purify the air and liquid, she couldn''t remove the corruption from Damien''s body and it was something that constantly worried her. "Does it hurt?" she asked him. "Not at all. I am a second-generation vampire and it might be one of the reasons why my heart isn''tpletely corrupted like the others who turned to corrupted vampires or deranged vampires. My body is much more durable and I grew up with the corruption next to me, it cannot kill me, mouse," he a.s.sured her, seeing the concern in her green eyes. "If it hurts or if you feel anything strange, you will tell me right?" she asked him. She wanted to know what was going on with him the way he wanted to know what was going on with her. She wanted to be there for him, help him, and support him. Damien gave her a stare, a poker face with a smile, he said, "I will." "Promise?" "Pinky promise," he responded back to her, "I feel like you have no trust at all when ites to my words." "Apologies, Master Damien. It must be that trickster face of yours that gives away," and it was the truth. Though they had been sharing a few things with each other, she wished he would speak about what was going on with his heart. Damien shook his head, his hair fluffing up slightly and she heard him say, "What can I say, this face is priceless. One should feel blessed if they see it," the narcissist vampire winked at her. Penny wondered how Damien turned out to be a narcist. The love he had for himself was truly admirable. Chapter 695 Trial- Part 3 The book wasn''t helping her. Penny clutched the .s.s of water she had been holding in her hand while trying to create a movement but nothing happened even after reciting the little spell that was found in there. It made her question if the spell was needed to be able to manipte the water in front of her. When Sister Jera was still there, Penny was waiting to catch up with her element bearer, therefore, she hadn''t asked the white witch on how she was controlling the earth elements. Bringing the water to her lips, she drank it. Emptying the .s.s she ced it at the bedside. She wondered what could be done next. A letter to the white witches was the best option. "Do you think it would be suspicious if I sent a letter to Wovile? To the witches," she asked Damien. "Very. Don''t send anything right now. The council after sending the witches to different church work, they have decided to keep a close watch on them, after all, there are still ck witches who are trying to get the white witches to stand against others and with them." "Will they be allowed to breathe inter?" if there was one creature out of all the creatures like humans, ck witches, white witches, vampires, corrupted vampires, half-vampires and pureblooded vampires, it was the white witches who had the most difficult life as they were always looked at with a scrutinizing gaze even though a lot of them didn''t go to socialize with the other creatures. "Not any time soon," Damien responded back to her, "But Lord Herbert has given his word on looking after the witches there and making sure that the people in there get used to the idea of witches and maybe one day they wille to ept the way Bonke has made a path for the white witches to live." "It still is tough." "No one said it was going to be easy. Father Antonio was already presented with the pros and cons of the exam. A white witch will always put forth the betterment of people, don''t be like the white witches, Penny," Damien gave his selfish words. He didn''t want her turning out to be like the other white witches, "Don''t be the good sheep and follow the crowd. Be selfish." "I won''t," Penny had done enough good deeds in her life and when she replied to Damien it didn''t mean she would do things that would put someone else in trouble, of course, she would think about herself but not at the expense of others. Then there would be no difference between her and the ck witches, "Have you ever killed people whom you were not supposed to?" she questioned him, her green eyes staring at his frame as he stood up and started walking around the room to get on the bed. "I have and I don''t regret it," he replied to her question. He pulled the nket that was at the foot, readying himself to getfortable in the sheets along with a book that was ready to be read, "If you will ask me if I regret killing them, I would have to say no. I am sorry for it but that is that. I have a long life and to carry the burden of regret is too heavy for one to live with it. It will corrode you nothing less than corruption." Damien was corrupted because of his mother. She wondered if the man had beenpa.s.sionate and empathetic when he was young, enough that had inked his red heart ck. When the next week arrived at the time morning in the council, a notice was ced for everyone to view that people were expected to be in the council room at an hour of nine in the morning. The council had its own tower bell that rang as every hour pa.s.sed by. At the stroke of nine, a lot of them hade to sit in the chairs that were ced in the front. In the opposite direction stood a taller chair and desk where the head council, Rueben, sat right now. It was usually Lionel who took the council proceedings, but he had decided to run and supervise the proceedings today as they were going to discuss a simple case today. The councilmen came to sit down, taking their seats in front of the head council, wondering what was going to happen today as it had been a while since they had seen the man up there in the high seat. Once everyone had settled in who had arrived at the council, Reuben greeted them, "Good morning councilmen and councilwomen. You must be wondering why we are gathered here in here today," he moved his gaze across the room, "Before we start with the main subject, I would like to thank the people who have been working hard to fill up some of the spots even after the council exam. Unfortunately, the n to recruit many didn''t go well and you must have heard about what happened." He gave a pause for everyone to understand what he was saying before he continued to say, "Some of the councilmembers have been working on some of the top-secret a.s.signment which I would like to disclose with you." The council members who belonged to the elder group gave each other quick look at what was going, "Excuse me, head council but if it is a secret a.s.signment, don''t you think you should keep under the wraps? Don''t you think you are breaking the rules on it?" asked an elder council in the question of exposing their ns of what they had been doing so far. Rueben smiled at the elder councilmen, "As you all are aware, the threat of the ck witches has been gaining momentum and there have been deaths across the fournds. It is not only humans but even the vampires are not being spared.?We have a hitch in the council that the work that is done by everyone in here isn''t transparent enough with our own colleagues. Questions have been raised that there has been some hical work that has been circling outside the council and we would like to address the issue of hups." Damien who had taken himself to stand against the wall heard the head council''s speak and his eyes drifted across the crowd to see some of the councilmembers face pale and some in agitation. The day had only started and he was going to enjoy it to the fullest. Chapter 696 Council Meeting- Part 1 The council members looked at the head council when he continued to speak, "As the witches have been troubling us for decades and centuries now. I believe it is better to speak about this out in the open. Unless the elder council members are hiding something very grave that they think the fellow council members should not know about. We have had many deaths in the past few days. Taking all of it in light, I would like to request councilman Damien Quinn to present today''s questions to the council members," the man then turned to look at Damien who had been standing there watching people''s reactions. Pus.h.i.+ng himself from against the wall, he started to walk around, making his way to the front of the council meeting. There were some in the crowd who frowned at the head council''s decision of letting Damien take the lead for the court with something so important while a lot of them couldn''t wait to see and heard what the pureblooded vampire was going to draw out from the council. Having Damien in the court council was the most entertaining thing when it was someone else who was being stripped down from what they were but when it was pointed at them, it was never a pleasant thing to experience. It was because the man made sure to ask questions in a way that gave people headaches. Once Damien came to stand in front of the court, the same elder who had questioned Reuben earlier said, "If the matter is grave you should have someone like Lionel lead the court than a man who is not only young but also doesn''t know how to conduct-" "Are you done?" Damien interrupted the elder councilman''s words, "If I didn''t know better I would have told you were a parrot in yourst life. I don''t think the head council asked you anything that gives you the right to question unless you have bothered yourself over these years to know that you aren''t supposed to speak until you get your turn," he gave the old man a sweet smile. And there was the first hit, thought a lot of them who were looking at the front of the court. They were d to be able to give attendance to the court council today because listening to Damien Quinn felt good. The elder council didn''t like the way he was shut up instantly making him look like he was doing nothing but had been wasting his years in the elder council. He quietly red at Damien but didn''t utter a word after it. Damien had nothing but smiles. "Well before another peasantes to interrupt me," Damien looked in another direction not caring about the re he received from the older man. Eyes widened in the room with the way Damien had addressed an elder council in such a frivolous manner. A lot of them were a mix of vampires, half-vampires, humans, and pureblooded vampires, and no one ever dared to speak back to them. They were a set of highly regarded people in the council who had the ability to gather around and have a councilman removed from the council itself. And if there was one person who did stand up against them to not nudge but poke them in their eyes, only Damien Quinn could do it. After all, the man had everything he needed and he didn''t care about being thrown out of the council. The reason was that he was excellent at his job and the council needed his help. Damien looked at people who were seated in here, his eyes roamingzily as if he were making eye contact with everyone who was in here, "As Rueben said, there have been a recent events that havee to notice that there are some people here, in this very room who have not been working for the council. They have been working for the witches," Damien didn''t bother to make up stories for people to ease in and dropped the information in thep of the council members. The council erupted itself in murmurs of words as they questioned on who was helping the witches. Everyone was working on driving them away and to think that there were people who were helping them, people started the question, "Are you sure, Councilman Damien?" "Who is it?" "It might only be a rumor..." came a bunch of murmurs in the room. Damien looked away from the people to look at the ones who sat and stood quietly as if they were not surprised. Some weren''t surprised because they were the ones who were involved in helping the witches. "Why don''t you ask the quiet ones here?" Damien asked and this had more murmurs erupt in the room. "Don''t you think it is rude to be pointing out to your fellow councilmen like this out of the blue?"?one of the councilmen asked Damien with his eyebrows raised. He responded back with a smile, "Who spoke about pointing out? I was merely stating that there were people in here and you jumped into the conclusion of who it is. Do you know who it is?" Damien c.o.c.ked his head to the side. The man gave a re to him before looking up at the head councilman, Reuben to say, "This is what they spoke about amateurishness." "Don''t get this agitated. I wasn''t done speaking, Mr..." Damien didn''t bother toplete as if he had forgotten the man''s name and didn''t care to remember it, "Order in the room. We didn''t bring the matter for fun because we were bored. At least unlike some who enjoy going for a walk in the middle of the night, I would rather prefer to do something more productive." "The matter of ck witches have gone out of hand, enough that there were ck witches who decided to take part in the council. "How can you tell there were ck witches? Witches can''t take part in the exam," one of the men in the room spoke out, "Weren''t it only the white witches'' body that had been found?" Damien''s expression turned, his eyes falling on the idiotic peasant who appeared to be illiterate, "It is because the ck witches were burned to death. I hope you know what happened when you burn the ck witches. Sadly, it was only the white witches'' body that we could find in the exam grounds along with some vampire and humans." "Why were there white witches? The council has been very quiet without speaking about it openly," another manined. Damien noticed the way Councilman Ava smiled with a man who sat next to her. "That is because there are some imbecile fools who cannot keep their mouth closed. If the council was truly working together this wouldn''t have been the case but sometimes some of them need to make a decision. The white witches were sent to control the damage. We needed to bnce the environment." "They could have been taken out without the need for examination-" another began and Damien turned his gaze to ask the man, "How many witches have you caught and killed since the start of this year?" the man pursed his lips before saying, "Four of them." "You find it difficult to catch four of them, do you think you would be able to tackle other witches who have been improvised from what we have known? The witches who we havee to know from other sources, they are trying to upgrade themselves and the white witches were helping in creating potions to stop it but the people in here didn''t want that. But that is a different day to talk about which you will find information from the head council himself," Damien then said, "The point of this meeting today is that someone somehow gave the information about the council exam to the ck witches. Enough to have them set up a ritual before the other examinees took part in it. The question falls to who tipped the ck witches." "The council exam is set by the elders," one of the men stated that had Damien smiling ear to ear. Everyone''s eyes fell on the group of council elders, the first man raged in anger, "All these years of work and something happens you are doubting all the elders in the council now!" "Sshh," Damien hushed the man right away. Chapter 697 Council Meeting- Part 2 The people in the council again went wide-eyed over the way Damien shushed the old man who was considered to be a strict elder council. The elder councilman was a human and no matter how wise he tried to portray him to be, Damien was ten times smarter and wiser. "All of you need to stop a.s.suming things. We are only stating facts unless you are trying to tell that the exam that was held this time was not done by the elders but other council members," Damien walked towards a table that had a stack of files. Pulling one of them he said, "Here is the list that was signed by you, Mr. Krane." He handed the file to the man but Mr. Krane didn''t go to look at it because he was the one who had signed it. "Please tell me this isn''t your signature," Damien asked the man. "It is mine," Mr. Krane imed the doc.u.ment, "I was asked to authorize it after the council meeting with the other elders." "Thank you for your confirmation. Getting back to the matter again, as I said the ritual was set up before the other examinees knew where the location was." Councilwoman Ava who had been sitting there with her legs crossed and hands ced on herp, said, "How can you me that it was done by the elders who nned the event when even the head council knew about it." Damien nodded his head, "That might be right too. Even if you put Councilman Rueben in the line of a suspect where he a.s.signed the white witches, have you ever seen a white witch creating a ritual? I don''t think any of us even know a white witch who would sacrifice people and what use is a sacrifice for a white witch?" "Who knows, the person might have been a converting ck witch. We all know how corruption takes ce," said Councilwoman Ava. "That''s right," Damien smiled looking at her, "The person. There have been sightings already that witches who are turning rapidly towards the ck witches aren''t sane anymore. Everything goes back to what the ck witches are doing. To go ahead with the proceeding, I would like to call one of our very renowned council members here. Councilwoman Evelyn." The woman''s eyes slightly widened when Damien called her name. She could feel her heart skip a beat when he uttered her name. Evelyn, who had been seated in one of the closest front rows stood up, walking towards the square box that was ced next to the high standing chair and desk of the supervising councilman. "Councilwoman Evelyn, were you there in the meeting when the elders decided on what the exam has to be?" The blonde woman nodded her head, "Yes, I was there." "When you set the questions for the examinees who are the ones who are going to take part in the second exam, who is the one to set the targets on what has to be done to pa.s.s the exam? Could you exin it to us." Evelyn looked slightly nervous at the moment but her stance was still firm as she stood there. She looked at Damien''s handsome feature remembering what he had done to her a few weeks ago when they were in Valeria but at the same time, she remembered how Damien had arrived to meet her two days ago to discuss what was going to happen today. She parted her red painted lips, "In the council of elders, we are divided into teams and each of us take turns in keeping a task and then a.s.signing a location that could fit ording to what is required." "And does this work get rotated every time a council exam is held?" he asked her. "Yes. This way all of us get to test the examinees. This time the rotation of what the exam''s goal was set by me and two other councilmen while the others picked the location." "Names please," he smiled not looking at her but at the council members. The councilwoman who was a vampiress could feel the gazeing from the front seats which were looking at her intensely. Waiting to see what the words were going to spill out. In those spare moments, before she replied, Evelyn recollected what happened two nights ago. She was at home when Damien had knocked on her door. Without stepping into the house, Damien had spoken to her outside, "What can I do for you?" Evelyn had asked knowing well the man didn''te for her but to know something from her. And he had not wasted his breath with any pleasantries, "Thest inspection you made on the church which is now closed. Who did you get the orders from?" he asked her. "Why do you want to know?" when a council gave work tasks it was no other councilmen or councilwomen''s business unless it was their direct superior. "Because I didn''t find any form being issued to raid the church. It was too sudden without any submission unless you decided to follow just because my lover was in there," Damien didn''t try to be subtle about his rtions.h.i.+p status with Evelyn who already knew about it. She gritted her teeth at this, "I haven''t fallen so low to follow what the girl does. I was given out orders to raid the church." "Why?" Damien continued to question her. "It was told that the white witches in there were plotting against the council members. That they were creating potions that could affect a vampire''s health. The elders feel that they are up to no good as many witches were sent from here to the council exam." "And the same witches were found dead. Stuck in the trees, you don''t believe that the white witches decided to sacrifice themselves for joy now, did you? The ce where you kept the exam was already in use, which had been turned to a ritual ground before the candidates were sent there." She huffed, looking away from, and to look back, "Are you implying that it was a setup?" "That is exactly what I am implying. There''s someone or some people in the council who set it up and I want to know who picked the venue as the forest." Chapter 698 Elder Councilwoman- Part 1 Evelyn stared at Damien for what he had to say about the elder council that had been established since the time the council had started to exist. "Are you sure you are speaking about the same people who run in highmand and who are respected and not to look down at?" she asked him. "It might be a bit of a hard thing to digest but I don''t think it should be an issue as we know many council members are corrupt but the questiones in the highlight of which one is the most corrupt," Damien knew that if there was someone who he could pull on to his side of favor that was Evelyn. He took her feelings for him to his own advantage right now. The woman was a pureblooded vampire but there were a lot of things that didn''t meet ore in front of her eyes. Evelyn was part of the elder council for thest four years but sometimes brawns of hard stuck rule didn''t workout while working in the council where there were insects who wormed their way in and out without anyone''s notice. "Tell me who were the council members who picked the venue for the second exam," he demanded, his eyes strained on her for an answer which he hade here for. She let out a sigh and then replied, "Krane, Ava, and Linguine," at her words he asked, "Linguine doesn''te in the eldermunity. Why did you choose him?" "They wanted to add a non-member in the group so that there would be fairness. We lost a man two exams ago. We had to fill the spot which was a temporary one," Evelyn answered him and continued to say, "The two of them have been working for the longest period of time, Damien. Both Ava and Krane. You suspecting them will only result in bacsh without any proof." "Damien Quinn doesn''t do things like others without proof. Some of us have already had a doubt after what happened in the exam." Evelyn pursed her lips, looking at Damien pull out a cigar from his pocket, asking her, "Do you want one?" he offered her and she took it without any hesitation. Lighting it up, she smoked from the cigar. "The girl. Penelope, she is a witch isn''t she," Evelyn confronted him. "She is? Why do you think so?" Damien asked her back. The woman gave him the longest stare before saying, "Even though the name in the registry is a male and the end results of the exam spoke about two white witches who belonged to the church, truth is thest standing was not a male and a female after the exam but two females who were from the church," Damien might have thought she didn''t pick up some of the details but Evelyn was a pureblooded vampire who worked for the council. Of course, she would have noticed and she had tried to trail back the path after finding the reports. Before Damien could feed her bulls.h.i.+t she said, "There was a fire in here and it was spotted by a man. Do you know what he told me?" "To have a good day and mind your business?" Damien gave her a smile that made her huff again. "He said apart from the three poles that were fixated with a vampire and a human who was sacrificed, there were two females he saw at the other side of the forest. One of them was Penelope," Evelyn took another puff from her cigar, turning her head she let the smoke out of her thin red lips. "Did the person see their faces clearly?" Evelyn''s jaw ticked at this question. She had asked the man while back tracing on what was found and what happened but the man didn''t remember the night clearly. It was a human who was scared to go any further away from the ground where the ritual had taken ce. When she had questioned the human, his answer had been he had seen two women but when it came to the question of wanting to identify them, he was unable to do it. "You should really not go poking your nose everywhere and keep it just where it is needed, Ev. Too much poking will stab you back," Damien didn''t bother toplete his cigar and threw it on the ground, stamping it with his expensive boot. "Is that a threat? It does mean you agree to what I just asked you," Evelyn''s eyes narrowed, looking at every movement that he made. "Consider it more like a warning." She didn''t understand why the man would send the girl to the council exam where she could not only be exposed but also be killed. By the looks of the forest ground, all she had smelled was death that had spread across thend. "You must not love her enough to send her to a death trap if you knew something like this was going to happen," shemented. She continued to smoke to see him smile, a crinkle of mischief in his eyes. "She wanted to be part of the council. It was a good way to tell why she shouldn''t be part of it," Evelyn gave him a look of disbelief. But Damien had other reasons why he didn''t care to share with the vampiress. Penny was one of the most capable witches of her time and with the help of Aunt Isabell''s books she hade far enough to make her amendable woman, "There are other things in the council and the ck witches have somehow wormed their way in. Creed was part of it." "But the man pa.s.sed away with the unknown disease of heart explosion," she responded back to him, "Creed showed no sign of unfaithfulness to the council." "You would be surprised," he gave her a sarcastic smile. He pulled the pocket watch to flip it open and look at the time in it before flipping it back and putting it in his pocket, "The ck witches have been taking the aid of some of the council members to get through and the council exam was another method which failed horribly for both the sides. They are trying to change the structure of the witches." "What do you mean?" her eyebrows furrowed together. "They are using humans and vampires to rece their body parts so that they can change how they look. There have been many cases that havee up. Cases that started from Valeria and moved to thend of Bonke," he exined it to her and asked the question again, "Who sent an order to look at the church?" "Councilwoman Ava. If I know Penelope is a witch, I am sure she must have got the whiff of it too and it is only time someone catches up to the girl. Even if it is for fun, I don''t know why you would send someone you love to get burned," Evelyn knew the man was twisted and it was something she loved about him. An attractive quality, "You know it does fall in my favor. She dies and I have lesspet.i.tion." "There is nopet.i.tion, Evelyn. In a few weeks, you will receive an invitation but I will be needing your help in the council day after tomorrow." Chapter 699 Elder Councilwoman- Part 2 "You must be joking with me," Evelyn pa.s.sed him an annoyed look, "You ask my help while you also tell me that I will be receiving an invitation about you getting married?" "I think that is right. You and I know what kind of a man I am, and if you have known me well, you should know that I have made my decision and won''t be changing it. I think you should move on from your feelings for me. It has been too long," Damien coaxed her with his voice turning quieter in her ears. Evelyn finally threw the cigar down, not bothering to stamp on it and letting it burn until it wanted to, "Tell me something. What did you see in her that you have decided to marry her? There were plenty of women who were much better looking when it came to appearance or status that would equal to your position. Out of all of them, why her?" the vampiress didn''t stoop so low to add the words ''Why not me'' as she was too prideful. She had Damien had shared wonderful moments, at least that is what she and most of them had thought when it came to their moments but it appeared that the pureblooded vampire didn''t share the same thoughts about it. Damien let the silence sink and soak them, "I fell for her the moment I saw her. You are right. There are many better-looking women who have money and status but rtions.h.i.+ps are not built on them solely, are they? In the beginning, I wasn''t sure why I was drawn to her." "It makes me wonder if I would have pursued her the same way without life putting us in different conditions. Sometimes you cannot tell why you are in love with the person, on what made you fall in love with and I would like to think it is because it is not one I think I love about her. Not just the smile or her eyes or the way she speaks but because I love everything about her that makes it hard to pick one single thing to be presented on the whys? Do you understand what I mean?" there was a small smile on his lips which turned wide as he said, "She is just she." "Lovesick," Evelyn rolled her eyes, not wanting to hear from the man she had affection for boast about another woman. "I might be," he admitted it to her, "I am too sick in love to notice other women. What you feel for me is not love. You want me because you think I am the best out there, which undoubtedly I am," said the narcissist in him, "If you are lucky, you will find the person you would genuinely want to live with not because he matches your standards or brains but because you truly want to spend your time to be thepanion they want." Evelyn sighed, already getting bored, "Did youe here to lecture me on my love life?" "You were the one who asked with a why," Damien''s smile then slowly slipped out of his lips where he said, "I meant it, Ev. Don''t go after Penelope unless you think G.o.d can protect you from my wrath. You are stubborn but I believe you are a good person. I hope to find your a.s.sistance in the council. Have a goodnight." Back in the court where the council meeting was going on, Evelyn heard the question repeat from Damien''s end for everyone to be able to hear it much more clearly on who were the ones who had been a.s.signed to pick the location for the exam to take ce. Evelyn could feel the re still being directed and she parted her lips to answer the question, "In the group of elder council, we usually rotate the task and the area to be picked on where the exam would be taking ce. Last time it was me and some others who had set the tasks," she could feel everyone''s eyes on her on where this was going. "Are you telling you were the one to pick the location as you spoke about rotation in the elder council group?" Damien inquired loud enough for every person in the room to be able to hear it. "A lot of work goes like that but no. We didn''t have a rotation this time." ??Why not?" "Some of the elder council members were caught up with sight work. There was an issue in thend of Mythewald," answered Evelyn and she continued, "Councilman Krane, Councilwoman Ava, and Councilman Linguine were the ones in charge." "Thank you, councilwoman Evelyn. You may now step down and take back your seat," Damien smiled at her, giving her a nod and she made her way around to sit back in the empty chair. The courtroom was inplete silence as to what was going to happen next. Damien, on the other hand, turned to look at the three council members out of which two of them sat in a rxed manner while the other man, Linguine, he remembered the man from the time when Damien had gone to Creed''s house before his death. The man was showing his status in front of him and Damien had stopped the carriage to put him out in the cold while they had continued their journey. Not wanting to waste any more time yet wanting to see the people fret, Damien called one of the elder council members, "Councilwoman Ava, would you mind," he showed his hand over the box of witnesses that was empty. The woman was old but not so old to beat him over the loopholes that had been created. Her short white hair wasbed with a side part.i.tion, her stature not too tall for a human. Standing up from her seat, she made her way towards the box and stood in it. "Councilwoman Ava. How are you today?" Damien questioned the old woman. "I am doing fine," the woman responded back to his question. "Wonderful. Is it true what Councilwoman Evelyn just said, that you were the one who picked the location because there was no time? If you don''t mind telling us, could you enlighten us on what reason and work you went to Mythweald?" he came to stand near the box, cing his hand on it so that he could put his weight on it. "There had been reports of recent witches troubling some of the people there in Mythweald. I went to check with another elder council as you heard from councilwoman Evelyn." "How kind of you to take the initiative to go to Mythweald. Was there a shortage of councilmen that day?" "What?" she asked the pureblooded vampire, raising her eyebrow. "It is not very often we find elders getting into cases unless they are handed down and every case goes through the head council here. There was no report found in his room. Did you bypa.s.s him and then go to help the people thinking it wasn''t needed?" "We didn''t have enough time," Councilwoman Ava stood her ground. "Did you tell it was in Mythweald or was it around the border between Bonke and Mythwd?" The woman gave him a smile as if he were a child, "Does it matter where I went in there? We had many pit stops where I needed to make sure that thend was free of witches." "It does," Damien walked to the other side of the room to pick up another file, "The guards you mentioned earlier this month during your meeting in the head council, you wanted them stationed but that wasn''t your intention now, was it? The reason you went there was to make way for the witches." Councilwoman Ava exhaled the air out, "Don''t you think you''re going too far with your words? To point your finger while trying to frame an elder council is a rule-breaker itself." "Oh my, is that how it looked?" Damien said taking a step back from where he had been standing, "Let''s call another witness. Kreme." Kreme had been standing, listening and watching the meeting proceed when his senior called, "So Kreme, did you say you saw councilwoman Ava the day you were travelling around thend of Bonke?" "I did," Kreme nodded his head, "I saw her with ck witches," the room broke back into whispers as they heard this. Chapter 700 Elder Councilwoman- Part 3 Before anyone could speak anything, the elder councilwoman who stood in the box said, "That''s rubbish. Do you think just bringing your very own a.s.sociate by feeding him lies you can make him speak here and no one will question you for your antics?" Damien knew at one point the woman was ruffled up. Of course, no one knew where thedy had been and what she had done. Though she had told others that she was on council work, the truth was she had traveled there for her very own purpose. The woman was known to be poise and imposing but Damien was even worse than she was to let things slide. He wouldn''t have kept for a meeting before but it wasn''t the time toy back and watch what was going on in here or outside the council. If he didn''t do it now, sooner orter Penny would be dragged into this thanks to her mother where the other witches knew Penelope''s existence and whose daughter she was. "Actually we have not one but two witnesses. Lord Nichs, had apanied Kreme. Is that right, milord?" Damien said turning to the man who had been sitting there quietly without saying a word. The people in the council hadn''t expected the Lord of Bonke to take part in the meeting except to be a spectator like most of them. "I did and what a.s.sociate Kreme is telling is the truth," upon Lord Nichs'' words, Councilwoman Ava red at him. "This is a bunch of lies! Where is the proof?" "A thief will never leave a trail behind but when the thief is so worried at the thought that they weren''t meticulous enough, the very same thief goes back to check if everything is alright without realizing they leave something of theirs behind. To make the story short we found a kerchief in Councilman Creed''s house the night he died," Damien said walking back and forth on the floor. He snapped his fingers for the guardsman to show everyone the kerchief as it was lifted up, "If you''re wondering why no one ever questioned you, it was because proofs were being collected for what you have been doing behind the council''s back. We don''t have many councilwoman who work here and no one as the initial of A.K woven into it." Councilwoman Ava smiled, the corner of her eyes showing fine lines of her age, "I have visited his mansion several times for work. It must have dropped without my notice at some point in time." Damien stopped walking and gave her a nod, "That might be a possibility. Tell me, do you like the smell of flowers?" The woman didn''t know why he was asking her that question but she gave him a nod to say, "Yes. Yes, I do." "I heard you usually press a flower, Gardenia to be specific in your handkerchief to keep the fragrance if the flower is fresh in it. Is that right?" "Yes. I don''t understand what you are trying to get to by bringing up unnecessary things here." "I must say, the older elder council members have no patience at all. Or is it because you are a human that youck it knowing you have less time?" Damien asked the woman. Councilwoman Ava appeared to fume where she stood. Her voice lowered so low that only Damien could hear her and the head council as he wasn''t too far away from them, "You think you are above us when I have been here for a longer time to speak in such a tone." "I am the way I am. Didn''t you know that since the beginning of the time?" Damien then lowered his own voice for her to listen, "Did you think I am one of your members who will bow my head just because you are part of the elder group? You are still a lowly creature in my eyes." This struck a nerve in the woman''s body. "How dare you," she gritted her teeth. "So as we were speaking earlier," Damien turned back the topic, not wasting any more seconds on the little banter, "One of the councilmen found the kerchief right on the day when Creed died and in that kerchief was a fresh flower. We got it checked by our beloved doctor in the council and here are the reports for it. We never were able to find out why and what happened to Creed but now that you are here we would like to hear it from you," Damien waited for her to speak while the woman gave him a baffled look. "I didn''t even go there-" "Linguine says otherwise," Damien interrupted her. The woman furrowed her eyebrows, "After I had the pleasure to put him out of the carriage while we were on our way to Creed''s mansion, the next day heined to his superior where the matter went to the head council. He said you had asked for his a.s.sistance in the mansion in clearing a few things out but because of me, he couldn''t help you." "But I didn''t go there that night!" "Where else did you go then?" Damien asked her intrigued, "You said you didn''t go there but the councilmen here had a.s.signed you the work status of going to meet Creed but you weren''t here nor were you there. Before you speak about staying in your mansion, we heard you weren''t home for the whole week." The woman gritted her teeth the way Damien was spinning words. Damien knew that councilwoman Ava and Creed had been working closely with each other while helping the ck witches. One who worked inside the elder council while the other worked from outside. Damien knew only Kreme had travelled but by taking Nichs'' false alibi, they had only cornered the woman to make her fret while targeting her in different directions. He also knew who was behind Creed''s death but the intention had been for a good reason and putting her in the spot would not only have her speak out about the ck witches soon but would also clear the suspicion people had on Lord Nichs over some of the past deaths that had taken ce. Right now the woman didn''t have an answer to his question. "Let me answer it for you," said Damien, "You were the one who killed Creed." Chapter 701 The End Of Meeting- Part 1 "You are trying to frame me for something I didn''t do!" there was a tone of agitation in Councilwoman Ava''s voice as she said this, "Just because I couldn''t make it there doesn''t me" "Then enlighten us where you were if not in Creed''s mansion. Why was there a kerchief in his house with a fresh flower? You might think I am the one framing you but I am only raising the gs that havee to be noticed by some of the higher-ups who are not part of the elder council," said Damien, waiting for her to confess the woman was being stubborn. She wouldn''tst long here and her time wasing, Damien knew this because he was the one who was interrogating her and he never left a case open for too long. He would drag her through the mud to show what she had done along with Creed. Obviously the woman had gone to meet Creed but it wasn''t at the hour of time when they had gone to speak and take Creed into their interrogation routine. By the time they had arrived at the site, the man had died and it wasn''t Damien but another man who had spotted the kerchief during the investigation. The old human would have never bothered with it, after all, who would have known that Creed was going to die that day except for the person who had got him murdered. She was stuck right now with no way out and Damien would corner to confession. "I was out to go to the church," she made up a reason. There were many who had raised eyebrows at the woman as the time in the court council proceeded, "I wanted some peace. A woman needs time, especially of my age." Then she should have quit, thought Damien with a smile on his face but didn''t bring it out as it would cause unnecessary friction. "Which church was it? Could you tell us the time you sent there?" he inquired her. "It was for an hour near the Isle Valley." "What about the remaining time? Your servants who work in your mansion said you didn''te back until early in the morning. Didn''t you think it was necessary to let Linguine know that wouldn''t be there? The poor man was out in the cold for hours," though it was Damien''s fault for kicking the man out of the carriage when he was rude, he pa.s.sed on the me on the woman. By the words and information, he had gathered, It was this woman who stood in front of him who was pulling the strings. She was the one who had ced the previous three council exams location. Those were all b.l.o.o.d.y. Maybe the difficulty had been reduced when it came to thest second exam but the woman had been scheming for a long time. It was as if the death was adding up to be part of the ck witches ritual and the council never came to doubt any of it. It was possible to say that both Creed and Ava were ying along to what the ck witches wanted but now was the time to cut the link. Last few weeks ago, they had found Creed''s involvement with the same it was found how a witch hunter named M was raised, and with the recent reports, it spoke on how her a.s.signments were s.h.i.+fted from Bonke to Mythweald which was done in the time of months. This was no one ever suspected of what was going on but Creed''s death was bringing many things that were hidden earlier. There had been spection of the council being involved in the death of Lady Delcrov but nothing could be ever proven. But now they knew it was the Artemis who was indirectly involved with the council. Everything was an intertwined web in the fournds. Though Ava and Krane were involved, it didn''t appear that Linguine was working for them. He was more of a p.a.w.n to distract their attention on him. "I might have had other things to do that are personal," she tried to evade, running out of options right now. "I don''t think it is good right now to keep the matter to yourself because it''s personal. Is it because you don''t have any other way out that you are being mummed about it," Damien poked the woman. "I did not kill Creed," she continued to stick to her words. Damien sighed, exhausted that thedy was not epting her faults, "Do you know there have been many people who had gone through the heart explosion? Let me list out a few things for you so that all of us are on the same page. You have been working with Creed for many years now, maybe there was something you didn''t like about him and had him killed. Now there are no impressions of your hands but, there''s always a but," he chuckled, "We found your kerchief in there with a fresh flower which means you went to meet him but ording to you, you must have gone at another time right? At the same time, you are unwilling to say where you went and how you spent the night." "The major highlight of your trip is going to Mythweald and Bonke''s border to meet people. We must be wrong," said Damien, "She might be a good witch right?" he poked her. The woman didn''t know when Nichs or the other councilman hade there and when they had seen her. Her mind was spinning quickly, trying to search for a lie. It was because the entire time she was the group of witch hunters as well as ck witches. If she admitted a yes, it would mean she was lying earlier but if she said no, it meant the lord was lying but did he really see her? Her eyes darted to look at Lord Nichs who appeared to look calm, seated in the seat with a rxed expression. She didn''t like the pureblooded vampires and their presence irked her to no end. It was why she had been nning and plotting along with the ck witches for such a long time now. It didn''t matter to her that Creed died. Ava had visited the Creed''s mansion to retrieve the parchment of design knowing it was in his possession but instead of giving it to her, the man had refused her. Saying he would give it to Sabbi himself. "Councilwoman Ava, do you have anything to say against this?" it was head council Reuben who asked her the question. She smiled looking at no one in particr, "What do you want me to say? I have been telling I didn''t kill Creed nor the witches." From the front of the room, Lord Nichs then said, "Who was the white witch you killed along with the ck witch who was apanying you?" Kreme had been the only one to notice it and though it was a big lie about Nichs being there with him, in truth the man was not there with him, which was what made the younger man''s eyes go wide on how Lord Nichs knew about what happened unless Master Damien had told him which was highly doubtful with the sudden cook up of things. Chapter 702 The End Of Meeting- Part 2 Nichs who had been sitting in front of the meeting, watching Damien y cat and mouse with the old woman who had been working for the council before he had even joined this ce here. He was surprised that there was more than one rat in the council, the first one being Creed. His anger had not dissipated yet over the loss and grief that he had experienced weeks ago. One man''s envy and revenge had turned like a domino effect where he lost the remaining people who he hade to care for. His chest felt empty at the thought of it. One mistake of poison and it had led to many people giving up their lives. He looked at the woman who stood stubbornly without answering the questions that were asked for rifying it. Nichs was a patient man but he wasn''t patient enough right now with how everything had turned out to be. The damage that had taken ce could have been reduced. The memory was still colorful as he remembered the time when one of his ghouls had arrived to let him know about Vivian''s health, on how it was deteriorating quickly. If the ck witches didn''t hold the ma.s.sacre for the sacrificial ritual, Leonard wouldn''t have had to go through the pain to see the woman he loved to be gone before he arrived at the scene. The towns that were rebuilt were none other than this woman''s doing and he couldn''t tell how much he wanted to see her and the others punished. "Pardon me, milord. I don''t understand¡­" Councilwoman Ava could feel the acid in her mouth when "You killed the white witch because she wasn''t ready to help you," said Lord Nichs to the woman who clutched her hands that were either side of her body, "You slit her throat and saw her die in front of you but that wasn''t enough. You took her to the nearest town and then set her on fire in the name of helping the other vigers." Nichs wasn''t there but his ghoul was there, watching over the event that took ce before it came to let him know. The only reason she was still alive was that there were a lot of links that needed to be connected. But right now, it seemed like the councilman who stood at the front had figured out most of the things, therefore, he didn''t see the point of keeping her anymore. "She was a good witch, councilwoman Ava. Why did you kill her? You do know your odds are not looking good right now because killing a good witch while taking the help of a ck witch. It doesn''t portray you in a good light." The woman wanted to say no but she couldn''t right now. She had been framed and found out with proof in a way that she couldn''t get out of it. "The doc.u.ment that was filed by the magistrate over the ount of the white witch being killed has been submitted already to prove that the event did take ce and the magistrate has signed that it was done under your supervision," Damien said to the woman, "Guards!" he called the men who were waiting to take the woman away from here so that she could be locked. "I haven''t done anything wrong!" she finally felt the panicking rising in her body after she saw the guardse to get her. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest while not knowing what she did wrong that had her put her in such a fix in front of the whole council. Being part of the elder council where she had been respected all these years, she couldn''t believe that she was being shamed right now. She could see the look in everyone''s eyes, the way they looked at her in contempt and some in disgust. Like any other human, she stumbled to say, "Even Krane was involved in it!" another human tendency which was to bring another person down when they were drowning in the boat. "I don''t think we need to screen through Councilman Krane as we have enough for him to be put directly in the cell room. Have both of them taken to the cell room and the further interrogation will be done there," Damien ordered and the guardsmen took both the elders away from the room as the room broke into a loud chatter. Damien turned around to share a look with Reuben who finally addressed the people in the room, "We would like everyone to not take this discussion out of this room and not breathe a word about it until we find out who else needs to be nabbed," the murmur slightly reduced but never stopped the people from talking in surprise on what just happened and how shocking they found that a woman who was as respectable as her had done something ill, "The meeting is dismissed." People began to leave the room, leaving only Rueben and Damien back and Damien said, "You wouldn''t mind if I spoke to the woman do you?" "Do anything you want apart from killing her. Well done, Damien. The interrogation went smoother than I thought," saying this, Reuben walked out of the room. Kreme who had been waiting for Damien outside the room saw the head council step out and he quickly made his way back to where his senior was, "Will they be getting punished?" Kreme asked in curiosity. "Yes. We need to get the answers out from them. We already know the ck witches are stringing all these things and the humans are merely puppets. We need the information and the list. A search will be done in their rooms to find anything important," Damien had started to walk and Kreme soon followed him. "When might we be searching the witch hunters?" he asked and his question suddenly changed to, "Did you tell Lord Nichs about what I saw?" "The man happened to know without any of us telling him," Damien muttered under his breath, "Anyways. I have some paperwork waiting for you in the room. I will be heading to the cell room." Damien made his way from one building to another building. Stepping inside, he walked up the stairs and then saw the guards who had pushed the humans into the cell room. When the guards walked past him, he walked towards the cell room to look at the human female who stood against the wall. "How does it feel to be on the other side of the cell?" he asked her. The woman red at him, "It is just a matter of time that you will be here and I will be out mocking you the way you are doing." "You should question if you will still be alive to watch it, Ava." She gave him a scornful look, "In less than a few days the ck magic will be avable and you will be surprised to see who rises up in the hierarchy and who falls down." "You are very positive about it," hemented, looking at her through the gaps of the iron bars. Chapter 703 The Wait- Part 1 Damien stood in front of the cell, surrounded in the smell of the iron bars and blood that was rotten causing a pungent smell in the air around them right now. Hearing what the human had to say about the ck witches now that they were alone, he stared at her with his dark red eyes while the woman smiled. "You think you are smart just because you caught and framed me catching me off guard?" she asked him. He, in turn, said, "Don''t you think it was brilliant? I thought you would be better than this but who knew that you were this easy to be caught and put behind in the cell in here. I don''t know why but I feel this strange feeling as if I achieved something that the others couldn''t," one side of his lips pulled up into a smile. "Don''t get ahead of yourself boy. Just because of one mistake-" Damien tched at her, "One? Give me some credit, councilwoman Ava. You forgot to pick up your perfumed handkerchief but you also killed a white witch thinking n.o.body would have caught you in the act? We are no more ying with the p.a.w.ns of chess because it is a checkmate to you. You do know you will be executed by the end of today. For the sins and rules you have broken do you think you have the time to be speaking instead of saying thest few words before you die." "You won''t kill me. None of you will. You need me to find the witches or anyone else who is involved. What you discovered in Valeria was by chance." Damien shook his head at her words, "Nothing happens just like that. Don''t you think the universe has some part to y in it?" "The universe does nothing." "Is that so?" Damien questioned her. He looked at the walls that covered the cell, swiping his finger to feel the dust that had .u.mted without being cleaned for G.o.d only knows how long. The cells were never cleaned that often and it being located in a ce that rained day and night, it was a surprise how fungus had not formed on the walls. Not bothering to lean against the wall, he said, "If you really didn''t believe in the universe you wouldn''t have harbored ns on bringing the switchers in thesends to corrupt some of our families. Am I wrong?" The woman didn''t respond to any of his statements. "Staying quiet is a good option but I don''t need to know from your own mouth what you have been doing over the past years. Though let''s speak about the year back from today. Do you want me to jog your memory? I will be happy to do that," he said to her, "Initially I thought how Creed would be the only one doing all these things. From the council exam to the switchers, not to forget about the corruption. The man didn''t have much contact when it came to the witches unless it came through from someone and that someone being you." "You have no proof over me," Councilwoman Ava replied to him. "Sometimes the proof is not needed. Let me tell you a short story that is popr amongst humans. There was a king who was arrogant and prideful. He was considered to be stupid and cruel, taking in everything and anything from his subjects. One day the subjects got tired and they killed him. Now the question was raised as to who murdered the king but no one came forth because everyone was responsible for the King''s death. Do you get what I am saying? I wonder if your old rusted brain can understand it," he taunted her. The woman folded her hands, "You''re telling me the council people together are trying to throw me off." Damien shook his head, "In your case we have proof. I don''t have to go too far to question why because I am barely interested in it. You were the one who has been pulling the strings in the council. Though it was the ck witches who found the alignment of stars who would hinder your ns, you were the one who located the families and decided to kill them off." "The alignment of stars doesn''t exist anymore. The corruption killed them," there was arrogance in the way the old woman replied back to him. So that was what it was, thought Damien to himself. After they had sent the people to poison the ones in the house they hade to believe that the stars had changed when in truth it didn''t. He wondered what made them think it to be so. "The people have been killed and they don''t exist anymore," by her words, he questioned what the ck witches had seen and deciphered to think they had died when in reality they were very much alive. At least Penelope was still there right in front of his eyes since this morning. It was probable that after the first attack, the ck witches had taken that the alignment of stars had been disturbed. "Who knew your butler would have turned out to be an alignment of stars," shemented. Giving her the benefit of doubt, he asked her, "Why was it important to kill the alignment of stars?" Ava didn''t bother herself in keeping the information anymore within herself because all in good time the ck witches would prevail on thesends they were standing on along with the othernds and she would be out and free, "The stars were told to create a domino effect in stopping the unbinding of the magic. It was a prophecy which was drawn years ago and the ck witches have been checking it but then they stopped believing the people didn''t exist but when they ran the ritual for it against year after a break they found that the people existed. So we got them killed." It seemed like the information the ck witches had were all wrong. Penny was alive and so was Belle, he wasn''t sure about Vivian Carmichael who was a former councilwoman here because he had someone find more information about the couple as they had disappeared suddenly to go on their vacation. "Interesting," Damienmented, scratching the back of his neck he asked, "What about the witch hunters?" "What about them?" the woman stared back at him. Damien couldn''t hear the spike in her heart rate because the woman had attained a level of being able to control her heart rate without letting a vampire hear the jerk and give doubt to them. "You weren''t with just the ck witch but you have a witch hunter. Not to forget, that the girl who Creed took in, what was her name again," Damien gave out a thoughtful look, "You must be knowing her." "M," the woman gave him the name even though he already knew what the witch hunter''s name was. "Yes, her. You were the one who was in charge of the witch hunters list, weren''t you. I heard you sent her and some of the witch hunters to Mythweald. There were too many migrations." "Why do you think?" "You shouldn''t be hiding anymore, Ava. Soon you will be leaving this ce and it would be right for you to share your thoughts on it. I mean a woman carries so much of burden, especially a woman like you who had been killing and getting people killed. I think it is time to confess." Chapter 704 The Wait- Part 2 Damien didn''t wait for long and snapped his fingers to get the guard''s attention who stood on the other end of the narrow dark corridor. When the two guards walked to where he was, he said, "Give her the level L treatment. I will be right here talking to my next prisoner while you deal with her," when he gave out the order, the woman snapped her head with her eyes widened and her expression that had finally changed one to be of horror. "You cannot do that to me!" she said on hearing what treatment she would be getting. Damien, who was about to walk away from there, turned around with a quizzical expression on his face, "What do you mean I cannot? I am the councilman here and you, mdy are someone who has been stripped from the powers of being an elder councilwoman. I am sure you can enjoy the pain as much as you enjoyed inflicting it on the others," he then let out a smile where his fangs came in appearance and his eyes appeared darker, "Have fun. Don''t miss me too much, I will be right in the next cell," he informed her. With that, Damien Quinn made his way to the other cell room where councilman Krane was present. The man appeared to look as if he was on the verge of copsing and the little shred of courage that he had evaporated in thin air when he heard the councilwoman scream from the other side. "She is enjoying her time. Would you like to share the same sentiment as her by having your toes clipped away or would you rather spill what''s going on, hmm?" Damien asked him politely. The man started to stutter incoherent words, "I-I will tell you¡­" this had the pureblooded vampire beam in glee. "What a good man you are. I knew I liked you for a reason. Now tell me," and Damien picked up all the information that was known to Councilman Krane who had been working beside Ava as they plotted with the ck witches. While Damien was receiving the information about the n of the witches, Penelope was trying to learn to manage her ability or rather start her ability as she had been unsessful. When she was about to leave the mansion to meet the ck witch who was imprisoned not too far away from the bridge, Caitlin stopped her, "Where are you going?" asked the red-headed woman. Penny looked around them to make sure no one was around and she said, "To meet Piers." "Let mee with you," Caitlin offered to apany her to the ce. Since the time Penny had turned the butler to a toad, Damien had asked her to make sure Penny didn''t do anything she wasn''t supposed to do. As funny andical the situation had turned to be, both Damien and Caitlin knew how Penny was at times when it came to jumping into things to find and learn more about herself. Penny gave her a nod not minding if her aunt was going toe with her. She knew that Damien had asked her aunt to keep an eye on her but it wasn''t like she was reckless all the time. It had been a good lesson to check before running a spell in the future. G.o.d only knew in what state Durik was in right now. If she weren''t wrong he would have cursed himself or had pa.s.sed out from exhaustion now. Going to the underground dungeon in the forest, they saw Piers who was staring at the ceiling. "Another toad prospect?" Piers asked looking at Caitlin to see the woman roll her eyes. "Do you want to turn into one?" Caitlin shot back at him. "I have a question to ask you," Penny spoke to the witcher. The ck witcher wondered what it was and asked her, "What is it?" Penny asked him, "Does voodoo doll work on the ck witches?" "It should work fine. You need to have a belonging to the person who you want to turn into a doll," he replied. Penny wondered why the pureblooded vampires were blessed in a way where the voodoo magic, as well as other magic like transformation, didn''t work on them, "Do you know any spell that can let one know where a person is at a point of time?" Piers stared at her, "Who do you want to find?" "Does it work?" Penny wanted to know the answer for it as it had been weighing in her mind for an hour now. "You need to have their blood but you cannot do it, mdy," Penny was aware of it. The white witches didn''t have the spell locator but the ck witches, some of them knew how to find a person, on whichnd they were on and the possible closest distance. She was a white witch and even though she had ck blood in her, she couldn''t do it. The ck witches often used sacrificial things to attain their goals. Having already killed some of the people in the past few days, Penny was slightly worried where her ck witch trait woulde to the surface and make things difficult for her, "But I can do it for you," he offered it to her. "Just like that?" Caitlin questioned the boy as she looked at him with one of her eyebrows raised at him. "What are the drawbacks of it? Anything you need to tell me that I need to know before we do it," Penny didn''t fall into a trap again where things would onlyplicate more from here. "I need an animal to kill and something that belongs to the person," Piers answered her burning question. "What kind of animal? Will chicken do the job?" She asked him. She still remembered the time when she had killed the rabbit for Damien''s sake but that had not sufficed which had turned her to be the potential meal of the day. "Chicken, hen, duck," the witcher nodded his head, "They all should be fine but it is important that you bring or have the person''s belongings with you when we start the ritual." "Okay," Penny agreed and said, "Thank you," this brought a surprised expression on the witcher''s face as he had never been thanked before. Not only because he was a ck witch but also because he was the lowest of the low who was not respected by his own kind but then respect never existed in the ck witches and if it was, it was only because of the fear they had for the other. When they went out and started to walk away and towards the bridge, Cailtin asked her, "Is it for the butler?" "Yes. I don''t know why but I have this feeling in my chest which is hard to get rid of. I feel like he''s in trouble and if something were to happen to him, it would be because of me. I need to make sure he is alright." Caitlin gave her a look of understanding, "The most that will happen to the toad is being eaten by a snake or a bird. If he hasn''t been attacked so far, she should be doing good." Penny could only hope and pray that he was doing alright. Chapter 705 The Wait- Part 3 On their way back to the mansion, the air that was gusting around them, moving in a quick speed had their clothes fly and move in different directions every few seconds. Caitlin asked her, "Were you able to charge control to your elements?" "Nothing at all. I feel like they don''t react or respond. I have tried my best but it seems like I am running in circles without any direction," Penny gave a queasy smile over the fact that she wasn''t able to control them. "You know, sometimes books don''t help. You need practical demonstration." "But I have no one to teach me. I checked with the people in the church and the only person who had the elemental ability now resides in Wovile." Penny wondered if she should call the water element but knowing the woman, she would re and snap at her. Caitlin gave some thought on it and then she said, "Though I didn''t take an interest when it came to finding out about the elements or with the white magic, it didn''t stop your father from learning it." "He had the elements?" Penny was happy hearing this. To think that out of the few rare people in the world of white witches, her father had acquired the ability. "Mhmm, he had the wind element. Like you, he didn''t summon but was the ability was gifted to him without needing to call the wind bearer," her aunt said and continued to tell what she knew, "And like you and many other wind witches, he had trouble understanding and learning it." "How did he learn it then?" she asked her curiously. "Would youugh if I said he jumped off the cliff several times into the water until he learned it?" Penny didn''t know what to think about this, "Of course, it is another matter that he kept getting hurt. This was when he was around your age." Her father was young then, thought Penny to herself, "When was he able to control it?" "Probably a year after he was gifted," hearing this, Penny''s shoulders slumped. One year was too far. Even a month was long and she didn''t know if she would be able to find it. "Don''t give up, Penelope. What worked for him might work for you or it might not work for you. How about you meet me at the time of one at night. We will see how to fix it." "Thank you, Caitlin," Penny was d to have Caitlin with her who was trying to encourage her while also trying to cheer her up. When the time of evening arrived, Damien was yet toe back home and Penny continued to put her efforts with a piece of paper as well as a .s.s of water that didn''t bother to move. Penny was ring at the .s.s of water and broke her concentration when Damien suddenly appeared in the room with the help of his transporting skills. Damien walked towards her to leave a kiss on her cheek, "What a hard working mouse I have," he praised her knowing she had been staring at the .s.s of water for some days now. If she said she was having the dream of .s.ses of water he wouldn''t be surprised. "Damien, I went to meet Piers today," she informed him. "What was it about?" he asked her. "There''s a locator spell though it isn''t that effective, it still works and we should be able to find the butler by that." "If it is going to work, sure, go ahead with it," Damien replied in a nonchnt voice, "Poot Durik," he chuckled at the thought of how the butler was living his life as a toad, "You know if people are disobeying you can always swish your hand turn them to a toad and turn them back. If they threaten you, you turn them to a toad again." The things Damien was teaching her, thought Penny to herself, "I will keep that in mind," she replied to him before remembering what he saidst night about the council, "How did things go? Did you find anything?" "They are in the cell rooms right now. There will be some more interrogation before they will be silenced. Ava isn''t speaking about the witches but she must have made a list and we were waiting for the list toe up so that we could find them one by one. But how will the names help? Have you met the witch hunters before?" she asked him. "Not all of them but we will have Kreme and the others draw on how they look. It will be easier that way. Once we find the list some of us will be going there." "I want toe too," Penny quickly said, not wanting to be left behind. Damien came to her, cing his hand on the top of her head, "Wouldn''t have it any other way," letting go of her head he then said, "ording to what Ava said, the ck witches are going to act soon and there might be another ma.s.s killing that will unlock the ck magic on all thends for all the ck witches. I need you there to close the magic back to its ce." Penny nodded her head. She already had the spell. The only thing was to wait for the right time so that she would cast the spell to send the ck magic to where it had been hidden and ced out of reach. "We don''t know when we''ll have the list but it shouldn''t be too long," said Damien to her. "How was she?" For a person who had never seen the court meeting or the woman, she couldn''t help but ask more. "Stubborn. She believes the ck witches will prevail in their ritual this time but there''s nothing a toe extraction can''t do. There are some who feel guilty and while there are others who don''t acknowledge the guilt that they have done wrong. It is difficult to punish thetter. The ck witches, they have brainwashed the humans some of the night creatures for so many years that it is difficult to make people listen right now. She will be executed along with another man, it would set an example of what can happen to the people who stray too far away from the path. The council is not forgiving when ites to the witches in general." Two nights ago when Damien had returned backte home, he had told her that he had been to Evelyn''s home as she was also a person who was being used by the elder council. If everything had gone well, it meant the vampiress had sided with Damien and truth. She didn''t go to ask about her and she dropped the conversation there. "Caitlin mentioned about my father having the wind element," she said to him, "It seems he was having simr problems." "Was he able to acquire it?" she gave him a nod to his question, "How?" "By falling off the cliff." Damien who had turned his back on her while going through his clothes turned the upper half of himself to look at her, "I am intrigued. Tell me more about it." Chapter 706 Reason- Part 1 When the time of night arrived where the clouds had made way to the moon for a rare moment before they hid it behind them with the wind breezing through and the tide of the water that had increased because of nature''s pull, Caitlin sat in front of the fire staring at it. The clock had struck twelve and this was an hour where everyone had gone to sleep or were already sleeping. Hearing the knock on the door, she stood up and walked towards the door to open it. When she pulled the door open, she saw Penny who stood at the front of the door and behind her stood Damien. The woman couldn''t stop herself from internally smiling and she let them inside the room. "Good midnight, Caitlin," Damien wished the woman. "Good midnight, Damien," Caitlin closed the door once the couple were in, "Good that you are here. If Penny is not able to swim once she gets in the water then you can be her living saving boat." "Why night though?" Damien asked, his eyes moving around the room, "There are other cliffs if she needs to jump." "Night because there''s the moon that has beening and going. It will help her kickstart the abilitypared to the time of the morning," Caitlin answered her. "I think this is the safest water right now because the others I am not sure if they are contaminated," the older witch was speaking about the time when they had found one of vige contaminated that was under the spell of the witches. In the end, it was Elliot and Slyvia who had made use of potions to stop the air from polluting the sense. Damien feeling satisfied with the answer said, "Alright. I am the spectator and lifeboat. You women can carry on," he let them start. Caitlin turned to her niece to say, "Okay. We are going to do this only once because the water is way too cold right now. Also, we don''t know if it''s going to rain now orter," the sound of the thunder could be hearding from outside. Penny gave her a nod while keeping her as awake as she could to hear Caitlin say, "Your father kept jumping one after another, and I would like to say that it was something he could do not because he gave up but because he didn''t stop believing in himself. Use the spells that were there in the book. Sometimes the body needs to feel the pressure of being under threat for it show up." Who knew that harnessing the elemental ability was going to be this difficult. As cooly and easily the wind bearer had used his ability in front of her, it had appeared to be a walk in the meadow but it wasn''t so. Penny walked near the patio that was left open for her. Caitlin and Damien followed right behind her. Truthfully no one knew what exactly to do and this was more like testing if it would work. The wind was high in the atmosphere and the water below, she could hear the constant slos.h.i.+ng sound of it hitting the walls of the mansion from outside. She had braided her hair tight enough so that her hair wouldn''t be all over the ce but because of the constant movement of the wind, some of her hair dide out. "All the best," Caitlin wished her. Penny wondered how effective this would be. Caitlin had told her that it had taken her father nearly a year to harness the energy to be able to make use of it and she was only on her first try. With that thought, she moved forward. Her bare feet walked and made its way near to the railings and she ced her hands on it. Taking a deep breath, she gulped before climbing up on the tform. She was more than nervous right now. Penelope stood tall, bncing her feet on the thin top edges of the rail that was built with a t surface. She looked at the sea that looked quite energetic at the moment. Turning around, her eyes met Caitlin''s at first, and then it met Damien''s who stared back at her. She could feel her heart beating and when she turned back to look at what was in front of her, Penny could feel the chill water that was below her. She calmed herself at first. Taking in deep breaths in and out. The wind bearer had told her to believe in herself. She knew she had already been gifted with the elements. All she had to do was to make use of what was there. "Don''t help her for a few seconds, Damien. She will need to learn," Caitlin informed Damien in a soft voice that Penny didn''t hear. The fear was slowly creeping into her legs and she could barely keep it still. Before she could feel she couldn''t do it, in the split-second, Penny took a step forward that had no ground below her to support. She let the weight pull her and she started to fall down from the patio towards the sea. Penny closed her eyes, not thinking about falling into water or not thinking about the cold water that was going to be ice cold. She could feel the wind but apart from it, there was some kind of tremor that she could feel all over her body as if the air was circting her. And soon she fell into the water. The water pulled her down and her eyes opened to see the water that appeared slightly dark but she could still see things around her with a bit of blur because of the water that stung her eyes. Penny sshed her hands around her that moved slowly as she moved in the water. She moved her hand until she tried to calm her mind still but keeping still was hard as the water level was too high for her toe out from and she didn''t know how long she would be able to sustain in here. She moved her hands before stopping herself as the more she tried, the more difficult it was to see anything clearly. Instead of moving anymore, she let herself sink to the bottom of the sea. Damien and Caitlin had moved towards the edge of the rails to look at Penny who had fallen into the water. Clearly the wind element didn''t work and they hadn''t expected it to work but they were hoping for Penny to be able to feel something out of it, at least a spark so that she would be able to know how to proceed after this. Damien saw Penny struggling in the water at first and he could feel the agitation that was noting just from Penny but also from his very own mind seeing her in there as she moved her hands and legs but he waited for her while keeping his mind in tune with her emotions. And then she stopped. "She needs to calm down and let the ability take over, letting it into her body. To believe is to live with it," said Caitlin with her hands clutching on to the railings. "Let''s hope she doesn''t pa.s.s out," Damienmented. Chapter 707 Reason- Part 2 Penny calmed her mind, closing her eyes and feeling the water that had coc.o.o.ned her in every single direction she was surrounded in right now. She knew before something could happen to her, Damien would be there to save her which was why she had to stay calm. After taking swimming lessons in the water, Penny was much more confident than before. The level of the sea had risen and the surface of the water was never still as it kept ripping with waves one after another. And this time, she didn''t have the difficulty anymore to breathe in the water. It was as if the water was air to her. Damien''s eyes looked in surprise when the water around her had stopped moving and had suddenly turned still. It was as if there was nothing to move it. "Looks like she is able to harness some of the ability," he said, his eyes still stuck on the girl who had fallen in the sea. "She is a fast learner. My brother was something simr to that but his ability never pushed through until the very end of when he had almost given up," Caitlin said with her own eyes trained in looking down at the still water. Penny, who was in the water, moved her hands, creating motion as she chanted the spells that she had been reading for days now. She could finally breathe in here which meant her ability was working. She moved her hands in the way she had seen the wind bearer had done, staying there for so long as she could finally make a movement in there. She raised herself in the water without needing to swim right now. She looked up at Damien, smiling at him and he smiled back. Penny wondered if she could raise herself without having to walk all the way up the mansion or without Damien''s help. When she moved her hands along with her mind, she felt the wind touching her skin. Her body was being pulled by the element. Moving up inch by inch before she ced herself back on the t railings with water that dripped down her body turning the ce wet. "Congrattions on the activation of your elements, Penelope. Now that you have opened the doors to it. You should be able to use it with ease," Caitlin smiled, helping her step down from the railings. "Thank you for helping me," Penny said looking at her aunt. If it weren''t for her she would have still been stuck trying to understand how the elements worked. "You must be tired," the woman said and Penny shook her head. "I am not ti¡­" before Penny couldplete her sentence, she fell unconscious. "What happened?" Damien asked, holding the girl in his arms in time. "She opened her body and soul to make use of the ability. It is just the first time. She will be fine with a goodnight rest." "Will it happen every time she makes use of her ability?" Damien asked the white witch. Caitlin could see how much the man cared for her niece, "No, this would be the only time." Damien gave her a nod and just when Caitlin was about to open the door by going inside the room, she saw Damien disappear along with Penny that had the woman blink at the empty s.p.a.ce before looking around to see the couple gone from her room. Who knew that Damien Quinn was gifted too, thought the white witch before she closed the doors of the patio getting ready to sleep. When the time of morning arrived, Penny woke up to looking at the ceiling slightly confused with her head feeling slightly mushed up. She looked down at her clothes to notice Damien had changed her clothes. It felt as if she had been so tired suddenly and her eyes that dimmed down to put her to sleep. She could hear the sound in the bathroom to indicate Damien was in there. "Good morning. How do you feel?" Damien greeted her bying out of the bath where he was already wearing fresh clothes. "My muscles feel sore but the rest is alright," she replied, watching him walk around the room to pick up his coat. Coming to her, he leaned forward and Penny reached for him to share a kiss, "Your aunt said that the body exhaustion ismon when you open the ability for the first time. How was it yesterday?" he asked her, his eyes curiously looking at her as he sat down next to her. "It was amazing. I don''t think I have ever felt like that ever before." "I don''t think I have seen anyone fly with a surface of the water beneath their feet," he said, that had Penny smiling, "You did look coolst night. Like a G.o.ddess. Do you want to try it again?" he asked her to see her quickly nod. Standing up, Damien went to the table to pour a .s.s of water from the jug, "Here you go, mdy." Penny ced the water on herp and all she had to do was swish her hand that raised the water up from the .s.s as if it were conflicting with the theory of gravitation. She had to stretch her hand to have the water being pulled up in the air before letting her hand down slowly to see the water go back into the .s.s. "A little more practice and you will have nothing to worry about. I did end up with an amazing woman as I thought," he leaned again this time to kiss her cheek that had Penny blush over hispliment. "I am going to the council to speak to our favorite person to see how she is doing and if she''s willing to speak today. Stay here," Damien said before adding, "Wait for me if you''re leaving the mansion, okay?" Penny knew he meant she couldn''t go searching for Durik all alone, "Promise me," she heard him say, his eyes slightly narrowed as they looked at her bright green eyes. "I promise." "Good girl," he praised her, making her feel like a child. Why was it so good to hear him praise her? Especially when he used the phrase like ''good girl''? There were times where his scoldings sounded very endearing to her ears. The man was always insulting others without being rude that made Penny smile over it. "Why do you call people peasants?" she asked him. "Because I am superior to them?" what a simple answer thought Penny to herself. "Why do you call me mouse?" "Because after we officially met, you were trying to run away from me even with the shackles that connect on both sides of your legs," Penny smiled awkwardly over those days. She wondered if Damien found it to be stupid, "I thought it was quite. Made it look like you were a duck." Remembering about the same day, sheined, "You didn''t feed me food when you knew I was hungry." "Ah, about that. There had been rumors that the town there had been serving something in their food which was affecting humans. As you know, pureblooded vampires are immune to almost a lot of things. I didn''t want you falling sick or dying on me the very first day," he answered before standing up from the bed and pulling her along with him. Frowning at him,?she asked, "Why didn''t you tell me about it?" "I thought it was cute to see you torture like that," he grinned before saying, "Get ready. I would like to spend some more time with you at breakfast." Chapter 708 Beginning Of Death- Part 1 Damien and Penny shared breakfast together with all the other family members, Damien was the first to leave the table. Kissing Penny''s cheek he left for the council in the carriage with his father who apanied him as the man had work to do too. With the fivedies at the table, Lady Fleurance finally brought up, "Let''s go out to Isle Valley. Grace has been looking forward to having time with everyone," even thedy herself didn''t know why her daughter wanted to spend time with the poor girl and her friend who were still worthless in her eyes. Lady Fleurance didn''t approve of the girl to be her daughter-inw, she not only was a human but she came from the ve establishment that made it difficult and hard for her to see eye to eye with the young human, Penelope. Grace hearing her mother bring the topic up where her mouth had been full, she continued to chew her food before saying, "I am busy. I have other things to do." "Weren''t you throwing a tantrum two weeks ago about wanting to spend time with all of them. Gracie?" her mother questioned her. "I have other ns, mother. You cannot keep bringing things up without letting me know. I am not going to change my schedule that has already been fixed," Grace said taking another bite and continuing to chew, "I thought I would spend some time but then I realized how worthless it would be." she threw a look at Penny who had been listening and watching the conversation. Penny wasn''t surprised by Grace''s behavior. For a person like her to have a sudden change of behavior meant the world was going to end. The young vampiress was a jealous little girl who was not only happy with the things around her but also wished ill to her own siblings. Wanting to share her own sentiments, Penny voiced her thoughts, "I hope you utilize your day and time well without having to badmouth at every single person you are unhappy with. Maybe discussing out in the open with your own family might give you what you need," she offered the young vampiress a smile. Grace hadn''t expected Penny to speak. The girl had been used to and had it been introduced to Penny with the mindset that she was a ve girl. A girl, lower than any other status that was present in the world where people spat on the ves and servants. For a person with Grace''s pride, she couldn''t digest the fact that the girl was talking back to her openly without any regard to the fact that her mother was at the table too. "It seems like someone forgot their ce," Gracemented at Penny''s words for her. "I think someone forgot manners and how to respect people," Penny retorted back with the same ferocity. "You think you are safe just because you think you are going to marry Damien? You must be dreaming to think that you can fill the position of this house," said Grace, her red eyes ring down at the human across the table. "Grace, haven''t we already established the fact that Penelope is going to marry Damien," Maggie interrupted them not liking the way her sister was on it again. It seemed like her younger sister enjoyed dragging people in for no reason but for her very own joy, "Drop it." "Please," Grace rolled her eyes at her sister, "Stop telling me what to do when you yourself cannot do anything right. Going out with a lowly vampire who is of no proper status. Don''t you think you are going too far with it yourself? Mother seemed to have not told anything because of our father but you should have had your mind in the right ce. Do you think your mother would be happy about it if she were to be alive?" This struck a chord in Maggie, "Stop bringing mother in here for no reason. All you want to do is create unnecessary scenes in the house. I guess you aren''t able to fall asleep unless you create a mess or try to jeopardise someone''s happiness." "There''s nothing wrong in what Grace said, Maggie," said Lady Fleurance, "Your mother would be truly disappointed if she were to know what you have done. Wasn''t she the one who didn''t want you working for others. Not only that, but you go far as to meet a man who isn''t of our very own .s.s." Maggie ced her spoon down that left a loud clutter, "Is that all you can think about?" Silence filled the room because of the sound that echoed in the hollow dining room they sat in. The older daughter of Quinn spoke, "Every time something doesn''t go your way you bring up my mother. Do you think you know my mother better than I did?" she questioned both Grace as well as her step-mother. "You were a young girl what would you know what yo-" Lady Fleurance was interrupted by Maggie, "I am her daughter while in truth you are an outsider in this matter. I was young but I wasn''t so small that I wouldn''t know what she wanted and she wanted her children to be happy. I gave it some thought because every time all you both do is bring her up when you have no right to talk about her. She was my mother and she wished both Damien and me well. She lived in a way to protect us, to keep us safe and happy." "Watch your tone, Maggie," Lady Fleurance warned her, "Aren''t you crossing your lines?" "There is no line to cross. Maybe you''re the only one who thought there were lines because the parents I know didn''t draw lines over us to stay in a ce. We are the pureblooded vampires," turning to her step-mother, she said, "It was you who coaxed and asked me to meet Sven and look what happened. Your choice was the worst and if my mother were to be alive she wouldn''t have ever set me up with that man." Lady Fleurance chuckled softly, "Are you being serious? You were the one who fell in love and didn''t mind going to meet him when he was introduced. If you didn''t want to meet him you should have refused it in the beginning thanin now." Maggie stared at the woman in disbelief. She couldn''t believe that Fleurance was throwing the me on her right now. She had tried her best to ept the woman with all of her heart and she had taken her as her mother, and right now this woman was speaking to her and putting the me on to her when it was her who had persistently pushed her for marriage. "You are unbelievable," Maggie whispered, her voice then turned louder, "I cannot believe you would say something like that to me." "You were the one to cross your line, sister. You expect not to receive the same treatment when you are speaking to back mother-" "Wow, the double standards in this room is amazing. I speak my mind out and it''s taken to be speaking back to her while you diss and shun people around you as if your life is pathetic, do you know how pathetic you look right now saying that?" Chapter 709 Beginning Of Death- Part 2 Penny could tell that Maggie had reached her limit and she didn''t want to be dealing with the mother-daughter anymore. The vampiress was on fire who didn''t want to disregard herself. "Stop seeing the man, Maggie. I would never approve of it," Lady Fleurance crossed her hands across her chest, leaning back against her chair as she sat there with a disapproving look on her face. "I am not looking for your approval," Maggie shut the woman down, "You know what happened to me but I doubt you ever bothered to understand what I would have gone through at that time. I don''t know why father married you. Truthfully, I have been trying to understand what he saw in you. He must have taken pity at you to marry someone so uncouth," hearing this, Lady Fleurance''s eyes red in rage. "How dare you speak to me in such a tone. Let your fathere-" "Yes, let hime. I think this charade has run for far too long and needs to be stopped," Maggie moved back from the chair she had been sitting with a loud screech and she walked out of the room. With Maggie gone from the room, Penny looked at both the mother and daughter who shared a look as if they couldn''t believe that the girl who had been obedient all these days had spoken back to them and they were finding it hard to digest. It was amon mentality where people felt that way when it came to snubbing a person over weeks, months, and years of doing it. The sudden retaliation was hard to take in as if their ego was hurt. "Are you done eating?" Penny asked Caitlin who gave her a nod. "Let''s go out before there''s another scene created by them," Caitlin was in no way being subtle about how she felt when it came to Lady Fleurance as well as Grace. Even though she had been here for very little time in this mansion, she had seen her fair share of how things went over the time of meals. She would have called it entertaining but the drama was just too much which wasn''t her cup of tea. They left the room together. Grace who watched and heard it held the edge of the table tightly in anger. This was her house and her family, and the people who walked by were nothing but strangers who were like parasites who had to be removed from here. "Where are you going, Grace?" her mother asked, seeing the way the young vampiress pushed her chair ready to leave. "I think it is time we teach them what it means to be living in the pureblooded vampires household rather than disrespect us at every point of time." "What are you going to do?" Lady Fleurance''s eyes turned to a look of suspicion. "Just around the mansion," saying this, Grace came to her mother''s side and kissed her cheek, "Don''t worry, mama. Soon we will have the respect we deserve while cing these women in their rightful ce where they belong and came from," saying this, the young vampiress then left the mansion just like Maggie had left in the carriage out of anger. Grace was furious and in anger, people did things they were not supposed to do, without taking into ount the danger that lurked ahead of them. The carriage she had used to travel was Quinn''s carriage, she stopped and stepped down by sending it back so that no one would know where she was headed. Taking another carriage, the girl traveled to the house of the man she had a recent spat with. Once the carriage reached the mansion which was a local one, she had the man wait for her as she had no other means to travel back home and her pride would not allow her to ask the owner of the mansion for a carriage to take her back home. Walking towards the mansion''s door that had no fencing around it, she raised her hand, knocking on the door. Grace waited for the door to open and a minute pa.s.sed to two and then three making her wonder if there was no one at home. How strange, thought Grace to herself. Usually, the butler would have opened the door at the second knock on the door but here she was waiting at the Varraren''s mansion. Tapping her feet on the ground impatiently, she decided to take a look around to see if the window or the backdoor was open. Walking around the mansion, she saw how all the windows were closed and curtains had been pulled from the other side of the mansion. The mansion was always guarded by butlers in the absence of their master or mistress'' presence. When she finally reached the back of the mansion, she noticed how the door was slightly ajar opened for her to be able to see the furniture that was inside the building. Grace was a pureblooded vampire and because of this, she had never felt the fear to creep in her mind. The young vampiress was either courageous or stupid for thinking there wasn''t anything stronger to hurt her. Using her hand, she stepped inside the mansion. At the same time, the movement of the door creaked like any other old house that caught the sibling ck witches'' attention who were in the above room creating potions. "What was the sound?" Laurae asked her brother. To them, the mansion showed its true appearance, one that was old and broke. The house appeared more than decayed like a dead body that was ced in the coffin. Robarte who was in the room, walked towards one of the windows to notice a carriage that had been parked at the front of the mansion, "Looks like we have a visitor. Let me go greet them." Saying this, the ck witcher walked down and moved towards the door to notice the door locked. His butler wouldn''t be able to open the door because the man was a corpse, a dead corpse who was working just by the help of spells that he had ced on him. It was one of the safest ways to have someone help me here than to be caught. Robarte, like his sister, he preferred to work alone and didn''t believe in involving anyone else in his ns as it would only put him in danger of being exposed to who he truly was. If the door wasn''t opened and he had heard the sound of the door creak with the carriage still waiting outside the house, it meant someone had entered the house from the back door. A stand stood near the door that had umbre''s being ced in it and in them was a metal rod that he pulled out before going in search of who the intruder was. It didn''t take Robarte too long to catch the person who had entered the supposedly drawing-room. Grace stood there looking at the portrait frames that were ced at the stands as she looked at them one after another. The girl didn''t notice him, as she moved to look at the frames with her eyebrows furrowed. Chapter 710 Beginning Of Death- Part 3 Grace stood there looking at the pictures where she didn''t hear the person who wasing towards her to stand right behind her without a single noise. When her eyes darted to the next frame did she notice a person who stood right behind her. The vampiress turned around with a small gasp to see the man standing in front of her. "Y-you¡­" she stuttered as she tried to process words out of her mouth that appeared to be stuck right now. The man, he was no more handsome to look at because of the darky murky like skin that covered every inch of his body. There were scales on his face that looked rough and hard, "You''re a ck witch," said Grace and as the truth was revealed, the house started to transform in her eyes. The fresh and clean furniture that looked as if they were cleaned spotless along with the floor, now appeared to be broken and covered in dirt. There were cobwebs in every corner as her red eyes took in around her surroundings. And even though his features indicated it to be of a ck witch, his eyes were still red like vampires. "I didn''t know you were going to visit me. If I knew it, I would have turned the ce less messy and cleaner, Lady Grace," Robarte spoke to her in a calm voice, holding a metal like a bat in his hand. Grace was stillprehending what was going on in here. One minute she was in a fully furnished house and the next moment she was right here where the house looked broken and abandoned. This wasn''t the house she hade into yet here she was. Her eyes darted all over the ce while keeping an eye on the man who stood near her. "What is this ce?" she questioned him, "You were a ck witch, how do you have red eyes?" there were so many questions running in her head right now. "Don''t look so surprised, mdy. Why don''t you take a seat?" he asked her, as if wanting her to move forward and in front of him so that he could strike her with the bat that was in his hand. But Grace didn''t agree to it, instead, she stared at the man. "I thought you weren''t going to speak to me. What happened? Didn''t we part ways?" he asked her, "Did youe here after remembering how much of a help I can be for you?" "I need to get rid of them," Grace said, with her body too shocked to move right now. Robarte smiled at her, "Okay. I will help you," he replied to her and then turned around walking towards the broken couch and Grace who started to follow him didn''t expect the man to turn around and hit her head with the metal bat that had her fall down on the ground in pain, "Helpless vampiress. Did you think I would forget and forgive you for pping in public? Do you know what damage it has caused my reputation?" He raised his hand to beat her again, making her cry again, "What are you doing?!" she screamed at him but the man didn''t stop, "STOP!" With another hit on her head and face, Grace spat blood out of her mouth, "We could have done this easily. You could have what you wanted and I could have the girl without any problem but now...now things have changed and I have a better way to acquire her." The end of the metal mat had traces of blood and he tapped it against the ground. The metal clinked one tap after another that sounded harsh on her ear. Though Grace was a pureblooded vampire the man who was dealing with her was a hybrid of a ck witch and vampire that she had nevere across. Most of the people who hade across the mixed breed like this had turned out dead. "What were you thinking? You will bring your ugly self in front of my doorstep and I would agree to it?" Robarte asked her. "Why are you doing this? I wouldn''t tell a soul-AHH!" she screamed when Robarte held her ankle and squeezed it to the point that she couldn''t feel her toes anymore. "I don''t believe people. You know trust doesn''te that well, it was something I learned from my sister. We don''t believe each other but we make sure to keep deals but then at the same time we don''t know if the deal will be fulfilled. I totally forgot about something, stay here. I will be back quickly." When Robarte left her alone in the room, Grace tried to stand up to look at her leg where it was bleeding profusely. The man had pulled feet the point that after the ankle the below part of her feet appeared to be loosely hanging. Dragging herself from there, she moved by catching hold of the walls, limping as she tried to make her way to get out of this mansion as quickly as she could. She looked outside the mansion through the broken window hoping to let the coachman know that she was in danger and to possibly help her or get help. Just when she was about to shout for help, she saw the coachman looking in the other way while a woman approached who was another ck witch. "RUN!" she screamed at the coachman. Hearing thedy scream from inside the house, he wondered what was wrong and by the time he realized it was toote as the woman ripped his head from his body. The same woman then turned to look at Grace with a smile. Grace now didn''t know what to do. Panic started to rise while she tried to move and she didn''t go too far as Robarte had arrived back in her vision. "Where are you going?" he asked her, "With that leg of yours I doubt you can go anywhere right now. Look who I have here," he said raising the toad he carried in his hand. "Get away from me," she said, moving back by limping with one of her legs. "I don''t think you remember him. He was in your bag," said Robarte to have the toad struggle in his hand, "Stop moving unless you want me to kill you this instant." Durik who had finallye out of the house noticed Lady Grace who was in here. She looked beaten as blood dripped down her beige colored dress. She was limping, moving away from them with her leg that appeared...Durik couldn''t look at it. It was b.l.o.o.d.y and oozing with blood. He had been nning to somehow escape and now that he was outside the locked room, he wanted to jump out of the window to get through the forest but he was scared to do it! This witch had killed one of the toads in the room and he didn''t want to be the next on the list. Another witch appeared where he was handed to her. Robarte took the metal bat along with him again, walking towards Grace before raising his hand to beat her to death. Chapter 711 Preparation- Part 1 In the cold, quiet mansion, Durik who was being held firmly by the hands of the ck witch stared at the b.l.o.o.d.y trail of blood in front of him. He couldn''t breathe well with the b.l.o.o.d.y murder that had taken ce in the mansion not knowing how many more deaths had urred under the roof he now was in. The toad continued to watch and the young vampiress body was being dragged from the hallways to another room. It was the first for Durik to witness something so cold and cruel in his life. The most he had seen was animals being killed but to see something like this, even he wasn''t able to let the information sink into his brain. It was like everything stood still. He had known the young vampiress, Lady Grace since he had joined Quinn''s mansion. It had been a few months since he had started his work there while also trying to get out of it and during that period of time, the butler hade to know some of the family habits. Grace had the personality to create trouble and even though she had been rude as she looked down upon others giving them a demeaning look, the butler would have never thought she would die in such fas.h.i.+on. He didn''t believe anyone deserved to be killed by being beaten to death. The gore had been too much for him to handle and he had to look away from it. The girl needed to be punished for being stupid and taunting but death was too extreme to be considered for a spoilt vampiress. "What are you going to do with her? Don''t you think her family members will find her missing?" asked the witch who was still holding him. "Do you know who she is?" asked Robarte while dragging the girl by her hand. The dead girl''s hand and leg was bleeding that left a trail of blood on the floor, "She is Grace Quinn. Damien Quinn''s sister." Laurae raised her brows hearing this, "This should be interesting then." "n.o.body knows she has beening here to visit me. That she was talking to me, so they will never be able to find out what happened to her. Put the toad back in the room and fix the body that is outside." Durik wanted to escape but he didn''t know how and when to escape. The witch was taking him back to the room and all he wanted to do was run away and escape but he had seen the two witches throwing spells on a man who had tried to escape after he had transformed back from being a toad. One spell and he would be dead. Like a good toad, Durik stayed quiet without croaking even once before he was put into the room along with his fellow croakers where the door shut close before being locked. Durik flopped back close to the door, staring at the handle. If he were back to his usual self, there wouldn''t have been any problem in unlocking the door and running far far away from thisnd but right now, he couldn''t just leave. With the death of Lady Grace, he felt as if it were his obligation to let the family of Quinn know what had happened to her. He ced his slimy webbed hand on the door that looked like a giant hill right now. Durik hit his toad head on the door. Smacking it one after another. He had to leave this ce else he would forever continue to be a prisoner of the witches. It wasn''t anything new to know about the ck witches who enjoyed taking in people and keeping them for years unless they needed to be sacrificed. Going far back, he tried to jump. One jump after another as his height increased to reach the handle but it was never enough. The other toads didn''t bother. It was as if they had gone through what he had felt and they were tired, given up on the idea to escape as there was no way out but Durik who had been locked for days here and now that he had stepped out of the room, the freedom felt too sweet and near which was right outside this door. A wall away yet it was not possible to leave this ce. He had to find a way to get out of here. It was either he was going to be stuck here forever or he was going to be killed, or he could risk himself by trying to escape which would either turn him dead or would lead in his escaping from here. When the next day arrived, the door opened again and Durik hade up with the n. In came the ck witch to feed the toads that were held captive while Durik stood behind the door and when she entered the room, he quickly stepped out of the room as fast he could. Sticking to the corners he started to flop himself away from the room and just when he heard the reverberation on the floor, he took himself in hiding himself behind the statues without making a sound before he would by mistake croak in front of the ck witcher who had captured him. Watching the man walk past him, Durk quickly continued to flop until he reached the door that appeared to be open. Jumping as quickly as he could, he made his way to only hit his head as if there was an invisible wall in here. He didn''t understand what happened but when he moved closer, he touched the invisibleyer of the wall that was ced on the door. He quickly moved around hoping to find something or some way to get out of here but every time he tried to jump he hit his toad head. At the same time, he heard the ck witcher yell at the woman, "Where is the other toad?!" "Which one? Weren''t there only so many?" asked Laurae her brother who didn''t know that every time she came to feed the toads, Durik had been hiding behind the door where she had failed to count the number of toads. Durik who could hear themotion taking ce in this broken house realized soon they would start to look for him, after all, he was a witness to the two death''s that had taken ce as well as he was the one who knew they were ck witches. "Where did the toad go? It should be somewhere here in the house," said Robarte with his angry footsteps walking around the mansion. The butler started to treat carefully, going up the stairs with great difficulty until he came upon one of the rooms in the mansion. Getting inside it while hoping the ck witches wouldn''t find, Durik took the corner of the room and decided to rest for some time before thinking what to do. One of the ck witches entered the room but he was still not found as he had camouged himself with the rest of the surroundings before leaving the room. He could hear the sounds of the two people trying to spot him and he could only hope that he would be able to leave this haunted witch house alive. Chapter 712 Preparation- Part 2 Later that evening, Penny was spending her time with Maggie and Caitlin in Maggie''s room who had only returned back to the mansion after two hours of time when Damien appeared suddenly in the room. "Damien," Maggie spoke the name that had Penny turned around to see him standing there with a list of parchments in his hand. It took a second more for Penny to realize what was in his hands and she quickly got up from her seat to go to him. "You found the list..." Taking the parchments from his hand, Penny went through the list of the people who had been drawn. These were the witch hunters pictures and there were names written at the bottom of it. "Did Ava finally speak?" she asked and he shook his head. "The woman is too tight-lipped to open her mouth to speak about it. One of the a.s.sociates had been sent with the list on the witch hunters who had been a.s.signed with new cases in Mythweald," but that meant they didn''t have everyone''s name in here, "The rest we''ll need to find out when we go there. Some of the councilmen will be joining uster because of the travel but we''ll be going there now. I met Piers on my way here." Penny''s eyebrows drew together when she asked him, "Why?" "He was part of the witches. Even if he didn''t meet anyone, he should have picked up some information which was important," Penny waited for Damien toplete his words, "The witcher heard about a small meeting that is going to take ce by the witches. I don''t think he knows that in words of witches, it means a ritual." "When is that?" she asked him. "In two days. We need to leave now," he said, his expression serious. Penny''s eyes s.h.i.+fted from him to the two women who had only stood up seeing their conversation being short and serious. "We need things," Penny said to have the man nod. Making their way to their own bedroom, Penny changed the clothes that she wore to her newly tailored pants and s.h.i.+rt with a jacket over her s.h.i.+rt. Penny was used to putting everything around her coat or at the rim of the pants that she didn''t know how to carry everything right now. Damien went to one of the cupboards which she had not seen him open until now. He pulled out two t trunk-like cases and ced them on the bed. "Use this to put your things in," he said, helping in opening the trunks she saw there were many sections where one could put many weapons in it. It was made to ce weapons, "Use both of them." "What about you?" Penny asked him. "I will have another case out. You will need as many weapons as you can fit in there. It isn''t going to be one or two witch hunters or ck witches. But more than a dozen of them," he warned her beforehand. Nodding her head, she took the ones she had stocked. She saw Damien pull out a bigger box for himself than what he had given to her. Right now Penny wasn''t any mere human but she was a witch who had spells and had the ability of the elements that made her stronger. And at the same time, they didn''t know if the ck witches would have ced magic to stop her from making use of the spells. And then the question arose, "What if the spell doesn''t work? The one the butler gave me. We already know using spells is not possible when ites to spilled magic." "We''ll have to see where there is no spilled magic for you to be able to use it," Damien answered her instantly as he threw the guns and other items which she didn''t know existed in the room she had been sleeping all this time. This meant they would have to watch and test everynd they walked on once they would reach thend of Mythweald. Not having many items stocked, Penny said, "We need to go to the church," seeing him close his trunk where he had been moving quickly. She saw him locked the case and he said, "Give me a minute," and he suddenly vanished from the room. A minute pa.s.sed by and Damien reappeared in front of her as he licked his lips and threw the blood bags in another trunk, "Can''t take risks." "Will that be enough?" She wanted to make sure his corruption wouldn''t act up likest time. "Should be sufficient for now. I have the blood pills and if it does turn bad, I have the witch hunters to feast on," he grinned looking at her, "Catch hold of the trunks," She did as she was told and he grabbed his own luggage before cing his hand on her shoulder to have both of them apparate inside the church. As the church has been closed for some days now, there was no light and they were surrounded in nothing but darkness. The ce has somewhat turned colder as if there was nothing to warm it and the way it had been abandoned. Penny raised her hand and the ball of fire like light appeared in front of them. The light was used to guide them as they walked towards the familiar room where the white witches used to work in the creation of the weapons. Taking antern, she lit it with fire before taking a second one while pa.s.sing the first one to Damien. Looking up and in front of her, she noticed the number of weapons that were left as it is withoutpleting or throwing it away. Penny who had been working with the white witches who used to work here previously started to pick the weapons which she knew would be effective, cing them in the trunk which was notpletely filled and Damien did the same. "It is good that everything has been left here and hasn''t been taken in by the council after the lockdown of the church," said Damien, his voice slightly echoing around them. Chapter 713 Full House- Part 1 Penny went on to add everything she would need. With the possibility of thend falling into and where they would end up with spilled magic, there was no telling that the magic she had learned would work. The ck witches were tricky when cing traps in a way where the white witches who were under the transformation of turning to ck witches were able to use spells but the same could not be used by the pure white witches. She would need a lot of weapons, weapons that could eradicate a number of witches in one shot or immobilize them and she knew the white witches in here were working on it. After losing a bunch of white witches in the second council exam, the people who were still alive and were part of the church had started to create weapons that were concentrated on ck witches. The day Evelyn had arrived at the church with another council member to raid to see what hical and unsupervised activities were going on in here, most of them were worried. It was true they had been working on something. An order that didn''te from the council but something they were doing on their own. Only difference was that the information that was provided was wrong. The potions and weapons were being made for the ck witches and not for the pureblooded vampires. "Do you know how to operate this?" Damien asked her, fiddling with a rod that appeared to not do anything or hold any special value in his eyes at the moment. "That''s a capturer," Penny informed him, "Let me show you," she said walking to where he was and picking up another rod. She looked at it keenly at first to make sure these were thepleted sets that were ced in here, "You need to swing it at your opponent." There was a mannequin ced at the front and she threw the weapon and on the touch of the weapon, multiple ropes made of wire came out to encircle the doll in front of them, "Hmm, not bad. What else do you rmend, Lady Penelope," he asked her as she knew the functions of the weapons in here better than he did. Penny gave him a smile and she walked to the other table to bend and pull out a fairly big sized weapon. It was the Colt Gatling gun that had several nozzles on the other side which was very effective and it had been customized enough to let a pureblooded vampire carry its weight around, "It shouldn''t be heavy for you. They have silver bullets and inside the bullets, we have ced potion that will help in dissolving the witches sooner. I got the sample from the councilboratory which was sent by Murkh. We got the potion made that will affect the modified witches. When we were in Valeria, the normal silver bullets didn''t work like they were supposed to. This one," she picked up the bullet that looked like the silver bullets. cing it on the table she picked up the hammer by her hand and burst the bullet enough to crack and ooze the liquid out of it. The wood beneath it sizzled creating a hole in?it because of the liquid that spilled on the surface. "Alright, what''s next," Damien picked the Colt Gatling gun along with him before stuffing all the bullets that were in there without leaving a single bullet behind. "There are the other revolvers which you might find handy. We made sure for the bullets to be the same size and be able to ustom it for the ease of carrying it," Penny stated, going to the cupboard, she pulled out the two crossbows. One for him and one for her, "This is very quick which you already know. Here are the arrows for it," she said, grabbing the arrows from the cupboard and cing them on the table. Both Damien and Penny made a quick round around the dungeon room to get everything they needed before packing the stuff they hade here for. "Do you need any potion?" he asked her. Penny shook her head over it, "No, it will need time to mix and then work on it. Oh, wait!" she said as if she had forgotten about something. She quickly ran out of the room and after some time came back with something in her hand, "Give me the chain and ne you are wearing," she said to him. Damien didn''t know what Penny wanted to do, nheless, he unlocked the chain that was around his neck and he gave it to her, "What are you doing?" he asked her when she removed the pendant he had been wearing to rece it with a simr, identical pendant. "The red stone symbolizes strength. An increase in strength but it also carries the properties of luck and longevity. It is why it is called charm stone. It will keep you safe." "Then shouldn''t you be wearing it?" he asked her. "I am the alignment of stars. I will be absolutely fine," she said waving her hand and then raised her height by standing on her toes so that she could help him wear it. Damien leaned forward, bending to his head so that she would be able to put the chain back in ce with ease, "It''s done." At the same time, they heard a sound in the church that came from above as if someone or some people had arrived at the church and were making their way down here. "I guess it''s time to leave," Damien said, grabbing the things they hade with along with what they had picked up, "Apologies for your shoe," he said that made Penny raise her eyebrows and she looked down to see him stamp her shoe with his and they quickly transported out of the church. They didn''t care who had arrived at the church but with Damien''s ability, the couple had traveled from thend of Bonke to thend of Mythweald. Carrying the luggage that looked like simple trunks of bags, they walked into the vige which looked rather filled. Mythweald, was known for holding the highest poption when it came to the humans who resided in herepared to the other creatures while Bonke was the one to be known to have the highest vampires on theirnds and Wovile was considered to be a mix of humans and witches, witches who hid as humans. The people were loud and crowded enough to have their way blocked every once in a while where they had to push away and through to head forward. They went to the inn that looked shabby and if Penny didn''t know Damien as she did now, she would have thought that the man entered ces that were only posh and not a ce that would belong to peasants. Penny and Damien stepped inside the inn where they had to wait as the owner, the man was fighting with another person outside the building before he came in. The owner of the inn gave the couple a look, "How can I help you?" he asked them. Chapter 714 Full House- Part 2 The man was small in stature as he looked at them, "We would like a room. The cheapest room avable here," Damien answered the man''s question, "Do you have food service?" he asked to see the man shake his head. "This is only for staying. The expensive room has a bath," stated the owner when his eyes fell on the girl, "You both aren''t eloping from your houses, are you?" he asked, leaning forward from the ce he stood near the desk with a suspicious look on his face. Damien chuckled, "Why would you think we are eloping?" he humored the man. "Big luggage, pretty couple. Two humans," he said and Penny turned to look at Damien who had changed the color of his eyes to ck. Penny wondered if that is how they looked right now. "Do you have the money to pay?" the owner asked, his narrowing down to look at them. Damien pulled out a couple of nickels from his pocket and ced it on top of the counter. Penny was surprised by the number of coins he had, not because he couldn''t acquire it but for a pureblooded vampire to have nickels was something very hard to think as that set of creatures was rich with money. "Will this be enough?" asked Damien to the man who nodded his head before taking all the coins in his hand. Once the man had taken all the coins in his hand and ced it in his pocket with a jingle, the man turned around to take a key and said, "It is the one in the first right of the corridor." Damien and Penny made their way towards the narrow pa.s.sage of the inn, unlocking the room, then set their luggage to the side. It was the time of night now. They had left Quinn''s mansion at the time of evening and had spent some time in the church beforeing here. With no food being provided in the inn, they headed out of the room carrying some of the weapons in their clothes and around their belt that was covered by their coats. Locking the room, they headed out of the inn to find a ce to eat, and the streets of the vige inparison to the time they had arrived here looked less dense as the vigers had started to return back to their houses. Finding a ce finally, Penny followed Damien when she caught sight of the people in here who wereughing and chatting with each other while some who sat quietly eating their food. It wasn''t that the people were here but more on who was here. Damien who heard the hitch in Penelope''s heart gave her a nce where her eyes appeared to be dted. "You picked a wonderful ce to eat," Pennymented. "Seems like the right one," Damien replied back, making their way to a table where there were empty spots. Taking the seat opposite to each other, Penny continued to look at the people around them. When a woman came to ask them for their food, "What would you like to eat?" "Anything of not much value and digestibility. Vegetables if possible without any meat," Damien replied, giving her the politest smile Penny had ever seen until the time she had known the man. He then pulled out his handkerchief from his pocket and wrote something down before pa.s.sing it to her. There were four other customers who were on either side of them in close proximity, "Do you think eloping was a good idea?" he asked Penny as if wanting to make conversation to avoid any suspicion on them. Penny took hold of the kerchief in her hand, opening to read what he had written down in it with the help of muddy stone, "I hope you can earn enough to be able to get food and roof," she answered to his question. ''How many?'' read the question in the handkerchief in which Damien had written. Taking hold of the stone that he had ced on the table, she wrote down her answer before giving it back to him, "What will you work as?" "I was thinking you would be able to sew the cloth," Damien responded back and took the cloth to have thedy arrive with their food with vegetables in it. Damien had ordered vegetables because the food on other tes looked rather strange and he didn''t want to risk him and Penny eating something they were not supposed to eat. As if listening in to their short conversation, the woman who was serving asked, "Are you looking for work?" she asked them. The couple turned around to face the woman with questionable looks on their face, "You do?" Penny asked, cing a hopeful expression on her face. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at thedy. The woman gave them a nod, "There''s a church thates after this vige. You need to look for a woman named Judith. She said she has been waiting for some people as there has been an order of having to finish st.i.tching up dresses." Penny gave the woman a nod, "We will be sure to go check it out. Thank you for your help," she thanked the woman and when the woman left with Penny who held the muddy stone still in her hand, Damien read what Penny had replied back to his question. ''All of them.'' His gaze s.h.i.+fted from the kerchief to look up and meet Penny''s eyes. In a ce where humans resided, it appeared that they had stepped into air where the ck witches were enjoying themselves whilst they had their meat that was mostly raw. Penny didn''t know how to perceive this right now as she kept a calm facade on her face while staring back at Damien. They could leave but that would have only raised suspicion and didn''t look like these were modified witches. Penny didn''t know or understand why she could at times pick the ck witches'' ident.i.ty while most of the time she was unable to track or understand who was who. She looked down at her food. Her appet.i.te was lost the moment they had arrived and stepped inside this ce. If it was a ck witch''s shop to eat, there was no telling what was added into their food but that didn''t stop Damien from picking the vegetable and eating it and before he could eat, his eyes met Penny''s that appeared to look worried. Though there were a lot of things that didn''t affect a pureblood, there were still elements that the ck witches could use on a vampire. Right now in people''s eyes, Damien was a human as he had turned the color of his eyes ck. If they knew earlier that they would be walking into the ck witches right away, Penny would have asked for a n beforehand but this was out of no ce. Instead of eating the vegetable, Damien''s fingers slipped to have the vegetable drop down the table, "My bad," he murmured and bent down the table to notice the witches and witchers carrying their own weapons that peaked out from their clothes. Chapter 715 Full House- Part 3 Penny leaned forward on the table with her elbows that were ced on the surface of the wood. She wanted to speak to Damien but it seemed like her presence had attracted the customer''s attention in here. She didn''t know if it was her eyes this time or if it was her clothes that had got people from stopping to talk too loudly that had now turned to whispers. The room turned quieter and quieter by this and she wasn''t liking the attention. Damien, being the shameless man he was, found a man staring at Penny and he asked, "My lover is beautiful, isn''t she?" The ck witch who had been staring at her, snapped his eyes away from Penny to look at the man who hade with her. People didn''t know why but they found the girl to be quite alluring looking like a delicious meal that was waiting to be torn and eaten. Penny didn''t miss the way the people looked at her and it was making her skin crawl with every pa.s.sing second. The man didn''t know how to respond with this sudden question and he turned away his head but that didn''t mean his concentration had been moved from the girl. Damien then asked the woman who was serving at the nearest table, "Where is the bathroom?" Penny''s eyes widened at this. He wasn''t nning on leaving her here, was he? "It is right there in the corner," the woman smiled at the man and then went back to taking the order when Penny could see the woman''s nails that were ck in color. She gave Damien a look that showed no expression at all and was rather pa.s.sive looking as he said to her, "I will be back soon, honey." And Damien left to use the bathroom. Penny went back to looking at her vegetables that were ced in front of her in the bowl for her to eat. Then came the question, "You haven''t eaten your food. Do you want to serve you something else?" asked the woman who turned back as if she was not going to give out the order that the customer at the other side of the table had just given her. The expression on the woman''s face spoke volumes as if wanting to know why she wasn''t touching the food that was given to her. It was as if she and the rest of the people were waiting to see her eat the food that was served to her. Penny looked up at the woman, giving her a queasy smile, "Pardon me, I am not that hungry." The server gave her a look, a smile that was constant like a statue before her expression turned, "Let me ask the kitchen cook if he can prepare something light for you. I am sorry but I heard part of your conversation about you both. You look very pale at the moment, have you been sleeping?" Penny gave a tight smile, "Yes," she had slept more than well. "You must be very stressed," the woman gave out a concerned look and Penny felt like the clock was ticking faster and faster along with her heart beating loud enough for her to be able to hear it. Damien had only left and the woman had approached her right away, "I am fine but thank you for worrying," Penny wondered how life would have been if Damien and Penny did elope but then why would they elope? Asked Penny to herself. As if one person was not enough, the man who had been sitting on the other side of the table next to Damien came forward to almost ce his hand on her when Penny moved it away to the other side, "If you want I can help you take to the workce," maybe if Penny didn''t have the vision she was currently having, she would have given a thought that the man was trying to be helpful while wanting to take advantage but right now, the way she looked at him, his intentions seemed cruel and nothing ethical that she was looking forward to. "Let''s wait for my man to arrive," she said to the man''s words and as if he didn''t hear what she just said, the man tried toe closer around the table and just when he went to ce his hand again on hers, Penny pulled out the needle from her pocket and jabbed it into his hand, making him wince in pain. "AH!" the man cried at the main as the tip of the needle stung along with the poison that it was made with. This brought other people''s attention even more. "How hard is it for you to understand what I am speaking?" asked Penny to the man but she didn''t pull it out. In less than five seconds, the man turned to dust in front of everyone that had everyone look at them in shock. The ck witches suddenly turned alert at the thought that the woman and man who had stepped in here were witch hunters who hade to hunt them. The woman server who had served them was the next person to attack Penny and she threw the needle right at her neck turning her to dust. Damien had only stepped out of the bathroom to see the little chaos that had only begun. He pulled out his revolver without wasting another second, he continued to shoot the people one after another who got closer to him and Penny who was using the chair to stop the witches froming closer to her. Using her hand, she swirled it around to have the alcohole out of the .s.s and ssh it on the ck witcher''s face before throwing the little capsule that sted in the witcher''s face with fire. Both Damien and Penny fought and killed the ck witches whilst a few of the ck witches came to realize that the witch hunters who had arrived were strong and they escaped from the ce. "Will you be able to handle it alone?" Damien asked Penny when he saw some of them flee from here. "Go ahead. I will be fine," Penny a.s.sured to see him quickly step out of the store. She was already in the advantage of the ability therefore she used all the possible liquids that were in here to sting and burn the witch''s eyes while also lighting them on fire. For one she felt the satisfaction of killing them as Penny was not only doing it alone but she was able to handle it without any backup. Damien hurried outside to catch up with the ck witches, shooting and killing them one after another. The vige wasn''t a medium-sized one due to which many of the witches had fled into the forest. When Penny had mentioned the witches being present, he had made sure to count the number of people so that they could be sure to have nailed every single witcher down. Returning back to the inn, Damien caught Penny who was sitting on the floor as she huffed for air. He gave her his hand and she took it to stand up and hear him say, "Those looked like normal ck witches." Penny nodded at him, "No transformed ck witches so far." Chapter 716 Witch Hunters- Part 1 Seeing the heap of dust around them that left the entire shop empty, Penny wondered why there were ck witches who were openly seated in here without a care in the world as if they wouldn''t be caught. "It thought ck witches weren''t this concentrated in thend of South," said Penny to Damien as they made a check inside the kitchen to catch any suspicious activities there and if they could find any potions. "It wasn''t before. At least not thest time I visited here. The witches who are running the ritual and nning, they must be making it easy for the ck witches to turn thesends into a hub. "Are they here?" she asked him, "The witches who are going to perform the ritual and unlock the ck magic." "That is what Piers said. He said something about thend that has been the most tainted and when he meant tainted it was death the witches were speaking about. The most unholy ce. Though this is and of humans, the death rate is equal to the number of deaths that have taken ce in the other threends of the empire," they started to walk away from there, seeing the humans who hade out of their houses over the sound of the gunshots and screams, "Are you hurt?" he asked her. "I am fine," said Penny as she had been pulling and stretching her arm after being thrown and pushed into a corner earlier during the breakdown of a fight, "Did you get every single one of them?" she asked him. "Yeah, we can''t leave anyone alive because we don''t know when they will tattletale it to the boss witch. We still need to get your food. Worse case, we can go back to Bonke and return here," Damien suggested seeing her shake her head right away. "No that would not be necessary. I am sure we''ll find something on our way back to the room. Or maybe in the forest," Penny suggested. "Forest is much saferpared to the viges here. You never know what they are going to feed you." Once they had found the fruits in the forest, Damien took Penny directly to the room without having to wake up the owner of the inn and they headed to bed. Penny''s mind was active and she was finding it hard to fall asleep even though her body was exhausted right now. Damien ran his fingers over her forehead and head, hoping she would be able to fall asleep as the morning that was toe was going to be busy. "What''s keeping you awake?" he asked her, lying next to her. "I don''t know," Penny whispered back. She gulped the little ball of anxiety that was forming in her chest and had bubbled up. He continued to gently move his fingers over her forehead that trailed the side of her face and her before pulling her close to him, "Just two days and it should settle in. If it is your mother you are worried about crossing paths with, thest I heard she wasn''t here but in Bonke." "I wonder if it is because it is the first time I am taking part in something big," Penny said, calming her mind whileying down in his arms. Damien could tell that the weight of being the one to lock the ck magic was weighing Penny''s mind right now. "You will do fine. Don''t forget that you are rted to Aunt Isabell. She did great things, you are bound to do it too. Who knows, this might be your ticket in keeping up the names of the white witches," hearing this from him, Penny pulled away to look into his eyes. "I know the people we met today were lower-.s.s ck witches and the ones we are going to meet tomorrow and day after tomorrow, the level of fighting people through is only going to get difficult in time¡­" Damien kissed the top of her nose, "You have me. There''s nothing to worry about. Don''t be a scared mouse. If you look back and see, you will see how far you havee from where you started. If it is the strength you seek you already have it with you and if it is encouragement that you seek, then I am here to cheer you." "I will make sure nothing happens to you," Penny promised to see him grin. "I am sure my mouse would be there with her upgraded weapons ready to beat the s.h.i.+t out of the ck witches. Don''t forget though, don''t trust anyone but your instincts. We don''t know what the ck witches have prepared. With Ava out of the picture, there is no one to ry information to the witch hunters or ck witches who are involved." Penny pursed her lips, "They must already know that the council had caught on to it. What if there are other council members who are involved?" "For now everyone is being closely monitored," said Damien to her, "Even if the council members were taking part in the ns of Creed as well as Ava''s work with the council, I doubt they will make a move right now and would instead hibernate knowing well what fate awaits them. And speaking about the same, the woman should be executed by now." "Damien," Penny spoke his name, her green eyes peering up at him. "Hm?" She craned her neck to kiss his lips, and then say, "I love you." "I love me too," he joked before kissing her back, "I love you too."?Smiling, Penny snuggled in his chest to close her eyes while trying to get the sleep she would need. Back in Quinn''s mansion in thend of Bonke, Lady Fluerance stood outside the patio watching the stone made bridge. It was midnight and her daughter had not returned back home. It was unlike her to stay outside this long as she often returned home by the hour of supper. She stood there waiting for an hour more before her husband, Gerald came to bring her in, "She must be upset over what happened. Give her some time. If she doesn''t return by tomorrow afternoon," he had heard about it from his wife on what happened in the morning, "She needs to know to perceive on what is right and wrong as she she no more a child and you need to stop supporting her actions, Fleur." "But-" the woman frowned to be shushed by her husband, "The world is changing and as elders, we need to change too. Damien has marked the girl and you cannot force him, knowing how he is. Anding to Maggie, she deserves a second chance of having a partner who fits her and without us seeing if the person fits our society. She has already been through enough of it, is it so hard for you to ept her happiness?" "You''re telling me to leave the values we grew up with." "I am asking you to change it in time.?When I took you to be my wife, you promised to keep the children happy and it is time you proved your words," saying this he took a step away from her, "Get some sleep. No matter how angry she is, he should be back by tomorrow." Chapter 717 Witch Hunter- Part 2 Though Lady Fleurance had got into the bed to sleep, the vampiress couldn''t fall asleep as her only child who she had given birth to hadn''t arrived back home. She was worried. There had been several times that Grace had left home abruptly but she always returned back home the very same day and because this hadn''t happened before, she was worried. The banter in the family was amon one and it wasn''t anything new. When the time of morning arrived, Lady Fleurance woke up in haste and went down to the hall when she heard the sound of the carriage that arrived at the mansion. Quickly making her way, she saw the servant girl take something from the man. It was a small package. "Grace?" Lady Fleurance said hoping it was her daughter and her shoulder slumped with her lips set in a thin line in disappointment that it was her daughter, "Did Grace return back home?" asked the woman. The servant girl bowed her head, "No, mdy. Lady Grace hasn''t returned yet." Fleurance wasn''t happy and she gave a look at the door. Grace was her daughter, her only child who was precious to her as much as her husband. It wasn''t that thedy didn''t take Damien and Maggie as her children but they were her step-children which made a difference to thedy. "Go prepare blood tea," she ordered the servant who gave her a nod. Before she could go back to her room, Lady Fleurance saw another servant bring the newsletter inside and handed it to her. The vampiress unrolled the paper to look at the heading of the paper that read, ''Councilwoman executed for treason along with another council member.'' Far away from thends of Bonke after which Mythweald appeared if one moved to the south, in one of the cheapest inns of a vige, both Penny and Damien were loading each other''s trunk for the day. As they wouldn''t be able to carry everything while they were out, both of them carried one trunk of a bag that made them look like a pair of a musician. With both of them headed out and away into the forest, they started to look for either a witch hunter or a ck witch right now. Having already memorized some of the faces, they made their way into the dry forest with the sun that was s.h.i.+ning up in the sky. Unlike the weather of Bonke that was constantly wet and muddy with rain falling from the sky, thend of Mythweald was nothing but full of suns.h.i.+ne, the rays pa.s.sing through the leaves of the trees that stood tall. "Do you think it is going to work?" Penny asked him, her eyes searching for any possible movement while her ears were trying to pick a sound where they were walking. They were currently in search of the witches and if they found the witches it would lead them to the other witches who were in their. "Trust me, mouse. It should work," said Damien who didn''t bother to hide the crossbow he carried with his hand that rested on his shoulder right now, "Why don''t you try if the spells work in the meantime?" nodding her head Penny decided to use the simple spell which was the light. As the atmosphere was already bright enough, she knew no one would be able to notice it. When the light appeared near the shadow, she said, "It works here," when something clicked she said, "Don''t you think the magic is spilled only where the witches reside." "We cannot be sure about it. It is not like the ck witches know we are taking a white witch''s help. The council is too prideful, or was to take the help of the witches though indirectly they do take because of the weapons and other elements," Damien replied back to her. "The council is filled with petty people," she muttered, making him grin. "That is so true." While they were still walking Damien stopped her from walking further when he found something glitter in front of him. For a moment he had thought it was the sun rays but when the thread-like s.h.i.+ned again, he said, "We havee to the right ce." "There are ck witches in here?" Penny questioned him while her head moved left and right, turning around to not see anyone around them. Damien''s eyes fell on the dried leaves that covered the ground right now, "Do you want to test?" he asked her, "Throw something there." Penny didn''t know what it was and she thought about throwing something in there until she stopped and raised her hand, "Let me test," her eyes sharpened at the empty s.p.a.ce in front of them and she swirled her hand that moved the leaves from the ground to show a hollow pit that was buried in front of them with loose soil as if, if one were to step into it, they would be buried instantly without being able toe out of it. "It is a trap," Penny muttered. She saw Damien pick up the stone and throw it ahead of them and they heard the string of wire make a sound and the next moment a series of knives and arrows started to pa.s.s through them that had both running in the opposite direction where they hade. "Much of a deadly automated trap. We need to find the witches," Damien shouted while they dodged the weapons. Penny, who was trying to move her head along with her limbs, noticed a ck witch who was sitting at the top of the tree in the distance. She pulled the capsule from her pocket and threw at the tree to have it st and drop-down not just one but two ck witches. Damien used his crossbow while Penny used the ability of wind to push the ck witches away from them but using the ability exhausted her quickly as if it were using the energy from her very soul. Dropping the trunk they had been carrying when the knives stopped attacking them, both Damien and Penny started to arrow the witches down. But there were a lot more in this forest and they pinned down every single one of them without needing to keep any alive. Penny leaned her back against the tree, "When are the council membersing here?" "They should be here by tomorrow evening," Damien was still searching for any other witches and he said, "Come we need to keep moving." She gave him a nod before pus.h.i.+ng herself from the tree and walking next to him. When they moved to the next vige which was through this very forest, both Penny and Damien knew that what was set as a trap previously was only to block people from pa.s.sing through the forest which only meant the roads were not safe to take either. Reaching the vige they noticed how quiet it was even during the time of day. "Why does it remind me that we have gone through this before," asked Damien when he noticed a man walking down one of the streets looking like a moving mannequin... Chapter 718 Witch Hunter- Part 3 "They are under spell. I don''t see any guards around," Penny said before catching sight of a man, "Look there," she pointed her hand. It was a man who got into the small building. "It is always the magistrates," walking to the building, they entered the building but when Penny saw who was there, a familiar face that was drawn on the poster out of reflex she pulled her crossbow andunched the arrow right at the witch hunter. The magistrate appeared to look shocked at who was a human. "My! Mouse, you need to ask a question," Damien stated to have her reply, "But look at his hands. I mean they are ck," Penny had thought he was a witch hunter at first nce but when she looked closer she realized it was a ck witch. She didn''t remember when was the first time she had started to identify the ck witches as it came and went quickly and sometimes showing it to be useless as her eyes couldn''t spot a ck witch. "D-don''t kill me!" the human magistrate cowered away from the witch who disappeared in thin air turning to dust while he stepped behind moving towards the wall. "What is your rtions.h.i.+p with the witch?" Damien ced the crossbow down at the table and pulled his revolver outside to point at the man. Penny made a quick round to the table to check any possible information that was stacked in the desk but she didn''t find anything in there. "I d-didn''t know he was a witch! Please spare me!" said the magistrate with his hands raised, "I thought he was a witch hunter." "What did hee here for? Does he work in this vicinity?" Damien started to interrogate. The human quickly nodded his head in fear. A sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead. "Speak!" Damien stated not wanting to waste time as they still had to track all the witch hunters who had changed and turned to work for the ck witches, "I have no time to y mime with you, peasant." The magistrate gulped the tension down before opening his mouth to speak, "He-uh, he has been working here for a year now. He came here to ask if there were any visits from the Lord or officials." "What else?" Damien moved his revolver as if it were asking questions. The man tried to remember but under the pressure of the revolver in front of him, he was worried for his dear life and scared right now, "Are you witch hunters?" the man asked in a whisper, and Damien gave a deadpanned look at the man. A gunshot echoed through the room as Damien had pulled the trigger to hit the wall. "Was I asking you a question or you?" Damien raised his brow. Penny seeing how tense the man was tried to push the revolver away from being pointed at the man. "Sir, we need to know what''s going on in the vige. We don''t see anyone outside unless you are saying it is an extremely quiet vige who doesn''t like to be outside." The human tried to speak but his face started to turn strange as if he were suffocating and unable to breathe, "Mister?" Damien held Penny''s arm so that she would go close to him and the man started to change his appearance and fall down on the ground to have his body look as if it were roasted under the sun. "What the h.e.l.l just happened?" Damien asked, staring down at the unmoving man. Penny finally moved closer to the person and moved his hair behind his neck. There were st.i.tches in there, "He was under the ck witches'' spell and work." "We need to check the people in the house," said Damien and they left the man in the building, heading out and going to the nearest house. Breaking into the house by kicking the door open. As expected they all looked terrified. She couldn''t believe that the ck witches had turned the vige like this in the time of daylight as if no one would ever find out. "I think this is part of the ritual,?? Penny said looking at the people who didn''t move. "It was easier to manage in thend of Valeria but this is Mythweald and the Lord here is an idiot who would be useless. It is possible that what happened in Valeria was only a test case scenario where they were trying to see if it would work. The trance-like state they have put the humans in. We don''t know how many trances like viges we have and going to search each and every one of them would be difficult," said Damien stepping out of the house before pus.h.i.+ng Penny back into the house. Penny wondered what happened and she leaned to her side to catch sight of two witch hunters who were walking past the house without noticing that the house they pa.s.sed had the door opened. When they walked away, Damien said, "We need to follow them and see where we can find the other witch hunters. The only way we can find out and stop is killing the main ones who are trying to puppet these people." "Why not lure them here? Kill everyone whoes here who we are sure from the drawings that we already had. The ritual won''t take ce until tomorrow night under the moon," Penny proposed the idea to him. "And what if the witch hunters don''te here? We are yet to find where this ritual is going to ce," Penny brought her hand up to see the ball of light. "Doesn''t look like it is here. Do you remember what the witch in the inn said?" "About offering you and me work?" Penny quickly nodded her head, "What about it?" "She spoke about an abandoned church. To go there. What if it is the witch''sir? And what if that is where the ritual of unbinding magic is going to take ce?" "We are early here. Sparing three hours should be fine but if no one follows, we head out from here," he said to her. Both of them crept up behind the witch hunters and when they turned around, neither of them showed mercy and pulled their crossbows, releasing the arrow that struck into their heads. They dragged the body into the house and Penny apologized to the family members, "Please bear with it for some more time," she said, not receiving anything in response and headed out of the house to take a patrol in the vige. Like many had suggested, the witch hunters had appeared in search of the previous ones and they killed every one of them before dragging them into hiding so that the new witch hunters wouldn''t know. Almost five hours had pa.s.sed and they had killed most of the witch hunters that they knew of along with some ck witches. "We have one witch hunter left. A woman," Penny said looking at the picture, "Is she the one who was raised by the councilman?" she asked Damien. "Hm. Her name is M. I am guessing she is with the ck witches right now." Chapter 719 Eloped Couple- Part 1 After killing the bunch of witch hunters, Damien and Penny made another round around the vige before they came to the conclusion that these very people who were in their petrified state right now would be used as sacrificial people for the ritual that was going to take ce tomorrow night. Time was scarce and they still had to find people in the list so that there would be less trouble being caused when the time came to stop the ck witches from running the ritual to unlock the bound magic. "We need to catch the next witch hunter to get some answers from them. We don''t know where the binding is taking ce until now only that this vige is under the spell," said Damien to her while sitting on the tree while scouting the vige from a distance to make sure they didn''t miss any new visitor. By the looks of it, so far the vige appeared to be isted that made it an easier subject to be attacked by the ck witches. "What if there are other viges?" it worried Penny that there was more than one vige in thend of Mythweald, "Why does it feel like somewhere in and around, there are officials who are helping the ck witches." "That is because they are," Damien said, moving his leg back and forth on the branch. Penny had taken herself to sit on the tree that reminded her of the time she had climbed the tree of Damien''s order, "Creed was a councilman like any of us but he was a pureblooded vampire who had pretty good and decent connections around thends so it wouldn''t be surprising if you others being involved in this act." "But why? I understand the woman who got executed. Humans always felt they were mistreated and were looked and frowned upon by the others," said Penny to him, "Why would a pureblooded vampire want to take part in it?" It was because if the ck witches found power, they woulde up in the hierarchy but they would also punish the pureblooded vampires along with the rest of the creatures who walked on thesends. She saw Damien looking at a distance, his face facing the vige whilst he stared at the little houses and a medium-sized tower, "When the previous head council was killed by the witches and humans, they needed someone to rece and fill the position. The council members being eligible put their names and during that time, Councilman Creed was in a high standing position with enough credibility that could have given him an easy free pa.s.s to be the head council. It is many people''s dream to be the head council, to be at the top, and to change things the way they want it to be." "But he didn''t get the position," Penny said, making the man smile. If he did, he would have been the head council now but he wasn''t and not to forget he was dead, "What happened?" she asked Damien. "Aunt Isabell happened," Damien chuckled, "It had been many years since Aunt Isabell and Uncle had been married, and Rueben who was her friend, and his name was rmended for the position." It was obvious that Rueben was given the position as he was still doing a fairly decent job. "Even though the man had credibility, it wasn''t enough to secure his position in the council. I am guessing he turned spiteful over the matter, the rest is history as you know. Aunt Isabell''s death and the rest of the events that followed through¡­" Damien''s words trailed and he sighed, "People don''t care at times on how their actions are going to impact in the future. They care about the momentary happiness and to finish and take what they can get. It is obvious he was going to be attacked by the ck witches and maybe he had a n or maybe he didn''t but he is no more in the game. People you think who are important in the game as main yers, in the end, turn out to be p.a.w.ns who were only being used." That was true, thought Penny to herself. For a man who was a councilman had been taken out of this whole act while the ck witches were still running the show wanting to end it on their terms. She was looking around the vige when something caught her eye and she pulled Damien''s sleeve, "Look there. We have another visitor," she saw a woman who had walked into the vige with the weapons that clearly shone under the sunlight right now. "Time to get some information," said Damien jumping down from the tree graciously like he was used to doing this and helping Penny down. They followed the witch hunter who was walking ahead of them as they followed her when she took a turn and followed her footsteps, they noticed the woman had suddenly disappeared. The witch hunter suddenly crept from behind and ced her crossbow on Damien''s back. "You think you can sneak up on me that easily?" she asked him and Penny turned around to meet the woman''s eyes to see the slit eyes and her skin that had been turned. Under the rays of light, her skin shone in a particr way that reminded her of a snake. The woman had been either turned from a human to a ck witch or the other way round, the bottom line being she was a ck witch who was not on their side. Damien raised both of his hands, "Drop your weapons," she said and he dropped it and on Damien''s expression, Penny dropped her own crossbow that she had been carrying with her on the ground, "I didn''t know we were going to havepany, witch hunters," this meant she was a ck witch. "What happened to the vige?" Damien asked her and when he tried to move, the witch pushed the sharp edge of the arrow at his back. "Wouldn''t you like to know. Where is the magistrate? I can''t smell him," the ck witch demanded, while she inhaled the air. "Oh, him...apologies but the girl here killed him," Damien ced the me on Penny that had her look at him in rm. Just before the ck witch could pull and dislodge the arrow into Damien''s back, he quickly turned around and pulled the crossbow breaking it into two halves and giving it back to the ck witch, "What an impatient ck witch, there you can use it now." The ck witch appeared surprised. Seeing the strength of the man, the ck witch quickly jumped away and ran in the opposite direction in a haphazard fas.h.i.+on. She ran in haste throwing everything in her way at them before jumping on to her broom that she had parked against one of the walls. "She''s running away," Penny shouted while keeping up with Damien''s speed as well as the ck witch who had started to fly up in the air. Unlike them, Penny''s stamina was still progressing and she would need months of training before she would be able to run that fast. Chapter 720 Eloped Couple- Part 2 While Damien continued to chase her by attacking the ck witch with a series of arrows shooting at her, Penny stopped running. "I need air," Penny muttered under her ragged breath. Air, that was right, thought Penny to herself and looked at the ck witch, her green eyes trained on the creature before she raised both her arms, opening her palms to create a wind that started to blow from the other direction that made it difficult for the ck witch from moving fast and further away. Damien who had caught up to the woman threw the rod thatunched to tie the ck witch in the air with barbed wires and bring her down. Penny ced her hands on her knees, she felt less useless now. Feeling a little proud and happy for her thinking and ability, she caught up to Damien who was looking down at the ck witch who hadpletely turned and was struggling to get away from the iron binds. The more the ck witch tried to move the more the iron bit into the creature''s body to cause more pain. Damien with no tact used his shoe to poke the ck witch''s back, "I wasn''t done talking to you for you to run away like cindere. What''s your name?" he asked to only receive incoherent voicesing out from her. To make sure they wouldn''t be attacked by another ck witch or by a witch hunter, the ck witch was pulled into another house. The ck witch appeared to look like a fish who was trying to get back in the water and that meant away from them. Damien used the electric rod on the ck witch which gave jolts of electric shocks simr to mini thunderbolts. "Willing to talk yet? I can do this all day long," Damien said, poking the rod to see the electric sparke out of the rod that shook the ck witch''s body turning her angrier with every touch of the rod. This wasn''t working, thought Penny to herself. Instead of making her talk, the ck witch was getting angry and angry as if she would burst out and rage any moment, "Hold on," Penny said, stopping Damien from having his little time of enjoyment. Walking to the trunk that had been ced in this house, Penny unlocked it and pulled out a small bottle that had a pink liquid in it. Going back to the ck witch, she opened the k.n.o.b and startle to sprinkle it all around the ck witch''s face so that the creature would take in the air. "What''s that? Beauty product on how to make ck witch pretty?" Damien asked he closed the rod that was generating sparks. "Father Antonio was working on a truth potion and we found out when Evelyn arrived that day to find out what was potions where being created along with the weapons," Penny replied to it whilst waiting for the potion to take effect on the ck witch, "Though his potions were being done wrong it took me a while to understand what and why he was creating it. Jera had once told me that a year ago, ck witches had stepped into the church in the name of being white witches and had killed two of the church witches. Father Antonio didn''t want people who didn''t belong there enter and therefore he sprinkled this on the visitors in the name of G.o.d but it wasn''t perfected." "Father Antonio wascking the spells?" Penny gave him a nod, "Yes, but also, the spell didn''t belong to the white witches or ck witches, it came under the forbidden magic. The truth potion is not supposed to be created for the chaos that might ur in this world. The price is much higher to pay than a lone magic," saying this, she pulled her sleeve up to show her skin that had changed, "I didn''t know it was going to push me in that direction." Damien''s eyes narrowed at what she was saying. The skin had changed its color as well as texture to show the signs of a ck witch, "You must be joking with me," he said unhappily to know and he then asked, "I didn''t see it a week ago," he was talking about the time they had made love to each other. "It didn''t show up at that time because the signs came to show upte," she sighed softly. Damien stared at Penny''s hand for a second more before saying, "We''ll get it checked once we go back to Bonke," Penny smiled looking at him, she could see the gears in the back of his head move and twist at what he just saw. To have the woman he loved to turn to a ck witch wasn''t something that worried him but it would make her already hard life harder. Life for a white witch was difficult and for a ck witch, it was worse because it was a.s.sured that the ck witches never meant anything to be good and were the ones to harm people around them. No matter if they were previously white witches, people didn''t care about it. The bottom line was the white witches turned corrupted like pureblooded vampires, turning them to something vile as darkness took over their mind. He could now understand that what had taken ce on her skin wasn''t something that had urred due to the potion but the effect had taken ce and impacted when they were in Valeria. The potion she had created had given her body the push that was needed in pus.h.i.+ng forth the signs forward. Damien understood why she could now tell who the ck witches were, she could see them unlike before and though it wasn''t a constant ability she had acquired, the reason was that her body was changing and he was worried. "I am fine," Penny a.s.sured him but the ck witch who had been tied around the barbed wire started to cackle. "You are turning to one of us. How interesting. It will feel wonderful when the hunter bes hunted," the ck witchughed to show her dirty teeth that were ck and brown in color. "I was partly one of you but someone once told me," Penny said looking in the eye of the ck witch, "What people say doesn''t define you. It is the path that you chose to walk on is what you be and what you are. You picked the path of darkness while I will still choose the light," she said smiling down at the woman who againughed. "White witches and their self-righteousness that brings them to their graves." "What is your name?" Penny questioned wanting to see if the potion had taken effect on the ck witch. "Circe," the witch struggled to speak the words as if it were being forced by the potion. "She is all yours to ask," Penny said, moving away from the ck witch and letting Damien take over her ce. Walking towards the wall, she leaned her back before letting her body slide and she sat down on the ground watching Damien look at the ck witch. Chapter 721 Eloped Couple- Part 3 "ck witch, Circe, let''s not beat around the bush because time is scarce and we are running out of it. What''s going on in this vige?" Damien asked her. The ck witch bared her ugly looking teeth that didn''t deter the man and he stared at her, "You need some brus.h.i.+ng to do, mdy," he joked that had the creature thrash again in agitation for what he just said. If there was one thing the ck witches were sensitive about, it was about the way they looked. Almost all the ck witches were born to look hideous and it was only because of the spell that they used did theye to hone human-like appearance to appeal to their audience or people they preyed on. "What is with the vige?" he asked her again. "It is under a spell that is done by our mistress," said Circe, her slit eyes looking at Damien while the tongue slithered in and out of her mouth creating a hiss like sound. Penny, wanting to know more asked her, "Who is your mistress?" "Lowly creatures like us don''t utter her name." This got both Damien and Penelope''s attention as they stared at the ck witch who was trying to free herself, "What is her name?" Damien questioned her but the woman opened her mouth and no words came out from her mouth, "Seems like a restrictive truth potion." "I think she is being ced under another spell that is not letting her tell the name." "Whoever is trying to unbind the magic must be a powerful witch, isn''t it. Where is the ritual taking ce?" "I don''t know." "Which other viges or towns are under the spell?" he asked her. The ck witch started tough before replying to his question, "Four more apart from this. One in every corner to create the lines. You won''t be able to do anything. We will finally be free and we will finally reign and have hope to be able to throw you, people, where you belong for treating our kind the way all of them did." "You guys do things this way, what do you expect? A pat on the back?" Penny after some thought said, "It is the star-like shape," she remembered reading the images in one of the books in the church, "It is used to pull out the souls of the people as an offering. Not just death. Somewhere in the book, it spoke how powerful soul sacrifices were. At the moment people don''t have what they need. They don''t know they need another kind of witch, the moon signs are all wrong and the book that was given to my mother is back in someone''s hand. This might be another option," she ryed the information to him. "Soul sacrifices don''t sound nice," Damien murmured and he s.h.i.+fted his gaze back at the witch, "How many of you are there? How many witches and how many witch hunters?" The ck witch started to smile again, Damien pulled out the revolver and ced it on the woman''s back, "There are many. Many havee to join the ritual who believe in the mistress'' words." "What about the abandoned church? Where can we find it?" Penny asked her. "Travel two viges in the west and you will find the next one being isted with ruins." "Thanks for the information," Damien pulled the trigger the next moment for the gunshot to echo in the house and the nearby houses. The ck witch turned to dust with only her clothes left behind her, "We now know where to go," standing up and dusting his pants, both Damien and Penny left the vige after cing all the white witches who they had killed in a house to avoid any direct suspicion. Noon had pa.s.sed and the time of evening was approaching when Damien and Penny caught sight of the abandoned church. Before they could move anywhere close to the building, the went to hide behind the wall when they caught sight of the brooms flying along with the ck witches. "We found treasure," Damien said in a low voice. "The ck witch''sir¡­" Penny whispered. Penny who peeked out of the wall as she leaned forward caught sight of the people who walked in and out of the building. The ce looked less like a church and more like a ruined ce where the buildings were broken. It was hard to say if anyone lived around this particr..nd. The abandoned church looked like the top half of the building was broken and removed while keeping only the walls in ce. There were some parts that were broken that let them catch sight of stairs where people were sitting idle doing nothing in particr. "We found our dear witch hunter," Damien said, catching sight of the woman with ck short hair that was chopped in a way to let the front sides of her hair long and the back short. She wore clothes simr to Penny only that they werepletely ck. The woman appeared to be in herte twenties. A human who had been raised by the councilman Creed for his own use. He had taken in people, sheltered them so that they coulde to be useful one day with their brain being washed over by his words but his n had failed and the witch hunters were now working for the ck witches instead of him. "Come on," Damien tugged at her, and Penny followed him as they hunched their backs, bending their bodies so that they wouldn''t be spotted by anyone in here. The people were mixed in here. Humans, witches of both kinds, vampires, and thankfully there were no pureblooded vampires. They observed the people who were there, trying to find the boss woman as the ck witch earlier had referred to the person as ''mistress'' but they couldn''t find anyone who stood out here to be the bossdy. Before anyone could spot them, Damien and Penny apparated from there to go back to the inn and also taking the trunk they had carried earlier with them. "The church doesn''t have any markings yet," she said dropping the trunk down on the ground and headed to the jug of water that was at the table. Purifying it with her hand, she took the sips and sat down on the chair. "They still have time until tomorrow night," Damien tore the bag of blood and started to drink it. Both Damien and Penny had seen the design and it wouldn''t take long for them to make the markings, "The councilmen will being to thend of Mythweald and there''s a high possibility that they will scatter around to make sure there are no other rituals taking ce at that point of time," slurping the entire blood bag that was left dry, he put it to the side. They were still talking when they heard someone knocking on the door. They shared a look at each other and Damien took hold of the revolver by cing it behind his back and Penny quickly went to close the trunk. Kicking the blood bag to the corner, she saw Damien turn the k.n.o.b and open the door to see it was the owner of the inn. "I heard something..." said the man in a serious look. His eyes taking a quick look at the room. Damien, ever so slightly moved his brows in question, "What is it?" "You both...you both did elope, didn''t you?" Chapter 722 Ride- Part 1 The innkeeper looked at the couple with his narrowed eyes at the couple who stood as if they were caught red-handed, "Are you?" he asked them. Penny, who was ready to refuse the im that was made by the man, heard Damien speak first, "You are right, Sir," he ced a sullen look on his face. "Ha! I was right!" said the man. Penny was sure that the man would be ready now to throw and kick their luggage out of the room and inn so that they would go search for another inn. A lot of humans and vampires who belonged to the lower society didn''t like a boy and a girl or a man or a woman eloping. Giving shelter in their homes or inn''s often brought the people trouble due to which the folks preferred to keep eloped couples away from their ce to avoid any trouble. Then suddenly the man said, "Why didn''t you tell me before? You can stay here as long as you need and want." Eh? Penny blinked at the man who didn''t react the way she had expected him to react. Damien in the meantime continued with his antics and drama, "Thank you, Mister. You are such a kind man to let us stay here." The man shook his head before thumping his chest with his hand, "I know how difficult it is for couples to be able to leave home and run away," he then lowered his voice to say, "Truth is I had a very simr situation when I was a young man with my wife. I understand your predicament. Feel at ease and I will keep myself," he ced his finger on his lips, giving them a smile. The man then turned around hearing footsteps and he moved his hand, "Sybil," he called a person. A woman came to stand next to his side, asking him, "What is it?" "I told you about the couple who elopedst night? These are the ones," the man turned to the young couple and he got jabbed by his wife''s elbow who gave Damien and Penny an apologetic smile, "Sybil, do you remember the time when we ran away?" Penny could tell the man was reminiscing his past while seeing Damien and Penny. Before the innkeeper could tell anything, his wife said, "I am sure they would want to spend their time alone. Let''s not bother them." "Of course! If you need anything let us know," the man said and they left the room. Seeing them gone and the door close, Penny crossed her hand against her chest to ask, "Eloped?" One side of Damien''s lips pulled up to smile. "I don''t think we''ll ever be able to do it so ying the part sounds really fun," he said to her. "They seem like really nice people. Better than what we had in Wovile," shemented remembering the time she hadst met her mother while the inn was being managed by a corrupt white witch. She hadn''t seen her mother after that. She could still the feet radiating around her surrounding reminding her of the time when the building was set on fire with her and Damien in it. The helplessness she had felt along with the anxiety where Damien was unconscious, there were times when she dreamed of it to be consoled and whispered to sleep back again by Damien. She felt Damien''s hand on her cheek as if breaking her from the trance-like memories she had been going through again. "You okay?" he asked her. Penny nodded, smiling at me. "I am okay," she responded back to him. "Now that we have befriended the innkeeper and his wife, I think getting your food shouldn''t be a problem. At least you will have a decent meal," said Damien as he pulled the revolver from his back to put it on the bed. The couple who had shown up at their door right now appear to be normal with no traces of witch or any other activity. At least they wouldn''t have to constantly keep watching their backs to look for any suspicion. Damien''s hand then reached Penny''s arm to push the sleeve and look at the patch that had been formed. The way he was observing it right now, Penny wondered if he was angry for not letting him know right away. He surprised her by asking, "Does it hurt?" "No. There has been no change apart from detecting the ck witch and white witches and the skin here," she answered him, gauging his reaction to hear him hum. "Come to bed with me," Damien said, pulling her to the small bed which somehow gave an intimate allure with the room as she was close to his reach. Penny felt him tug her hand and she willingly followed him where he made her sit on the bed. Bending down on the floor, he unbuckled her shoes one after another and then hovered over her to kiss her lips. She weed him and his emotions openly while opening her own heart to him. She could feel the fervor of his hand as he touched her. Pulling him to the bed too where he removed his own shoes, Damien held her face as he kissed her. The touch that night had been tender and sweet. Cheris.h.i.+ng each other as they discarded their clothes, one pieceing off after another that fell into a messy pile on the floor of the room. Damien didn''t know he would evere to fall in love with someone this much that he wanted to keep her safe in his arms without letting her go away from him or letting his gaze leave her. They were both the same. While one had the corruption of heart, the other was slowly getting infected by the forbidden magic that was not to be touched. He kissed her like it was theirst night together. Touching her in ways that had her lips parting and calling out his name the entire night. Penny, on the other hand, had managed to learn how to please him, not wanting her to be the only one on the receiving end. The couple tried to keep their voices low not wanting to disturb their neighbors and Penny had to bite into the pillow when Damien took her from behind with the bed creaking softly with their movement. With the inn that was cheap and the weather here hotter than Bonke, Penny felt the drops of perspiration trickle down her back as she moved her body along with him. She sighed with her fingernails digging in his shoulders before she brought herself to wound her hands around his neck. Falling back on the bed with the sheets covering them, Damien pulled her body close to him so that he could hold her. Damien kissed her neck and snuggled closer to her with Penny having a faint smile on her lips. Life might have been unfair in a few things for her but there were certain things like the existence of Damien that made her happy. Life with him felt full and enough. Holding his hand close to her, she closed her eyes to fall asleep. Chapter 723 Ride- Part 2 Morning arrived with the birds singing their morning songs without knowing what day it was and was going toe in the next few hours. Penny had washed and had got read to start putting every possible weapon she could think of. Yesterday, before leaving the abandoned church there was something that she had tested. One, her elemental ability, and two the spells that she could use as a white witch. And even though the markings hadn''t been ced, the abandoned church didn''t allow her to use the spells. If the ritual was going to take ce there, her spells were going to be utterly useless and all she would have to rely on was on her elemental ability and the weapons that she had brought along with her. To say she wasn''t nervous and anxious would be an underestimation. She had met the kinds of witches who would be there in the evening during the ritual''s time. ck witches who were modified and having their own strange powers that came from the locked ck magic that had oozed out. And this was an advantage. If Penny had not taken part in the council exam, she would have nevere to know that there were witches who looked like monsters that they dreamt about. She picked only the weapons that coulde in use. Thankfully it wouldn''t be just Damien and her but there were other council members who would be fighting next to them. It was only time they would be arriving by the time of noon orte noon. Having eaten the food which was given by the innkeeper''s wife, they politely ate it and excused themselves back into the room before apparating out and away from the inn. Damien, who was walking next to her, asked, "How do you feel today, mouse?" "I cannot wait for the day to end," she responded back, her green eyes looking around the forest they had stepped into, "Where are we heading now? The church?" Penny asked him. "Rueben said to meet in the town of Grims.h.i.+re. Said he would be sending the men there, just some fine people who are good at fighting," suddenly a thought urred in Penny''s mind that she hadn''te to realize earlier. As if already knowing what her thoughts were, he said, "Yes, the people whoe here today and who will continue to live will know you are a white witch. But that''s not something you have to worry about right now. Rueben will send only the ones who can seal their mouth about it." "What is happening today is not known to all the people and is a secret that needs to be eaten and swallowed without letting anyone else know about it. There are some ethics that need to be followed by the council members when the order is sent by the head council," Damien turned his eyes to her, "You will be safe." She knew that. She knew she would be safe, she was much stronger than where she had first started. When Damien tried to apparate again, he couldn''t from the forest. "Spilled magic," Penny muttered under breath now knowing when the magic had started and till where it stretched. She tried to cast a spell but that didn''t work. "Guess we''ll be walking to the town. We still have decent hours left with us. We shouldn''t bete," said Damien to her. Holding her hand tightly in his hand, they continued to walk through the try forest that looked more orange than green. The sun had finally reached up and high, the heat getting into her skin as she wasn''t used to the weather of Mythweald. It took them more than an hour just to step out of the forest and find the road and on their way, they found a carriage that was riding on their way. Seeing ite into view, Penny raised her hand as if wanting a drop to the next vige. Penny quickly tied the coat around her body to not let anyone know what she wore underneath it as there were too many weapons that had been ced in there while she carried the trunk in her hand. Before they had left the inn, Penny had ced a charm on the trunks to make them look like actual luggage so that they would look less suspicious to a stranger. The coachman appeared to give them a skeptical look but that didn''t stop him from pulling the reins of the horses to a pause. "Is the carriage headed to the town of Grims.h.i.+re?" Penny asked the man. The coachman looked at her and then the man who stood next to her. As if the person inside the carriage said something, he said, "We are headed in that direction," saying this, he jumped down from his seat and opened the door of the carriage. "Thank you so much," Penny uttered the words of thanks. When she got inside the carriage, she noticed a young girl who sat with another little girl. The young girl smiled who appeared to be around the age of fifteen or sixteen years old. Her bright blue eyes looking at them. "Sorry for imposing so suddenly out carriage broke in the middle and we decided to take help from the next moving carriage," Penny apologized to the young girls. "That''s alright. We are d to be able to aid you. n.o.body ever walks in here, therefore, there aren''t many carriages that move in this direction. Do you live in Mythweald?" asked the older girl out of the two while the smaller girl sat quietly without a word staring at them with her focus more on Damien. The girl stared at him because she felt she had seen him somewhere but she wasn''t sure where she had seen him. "Wee from the North of Mythweald," Damien answered in a very serene and gentle demeanor. In the end, he coughed as if he had caught a cold, "Pardon me, I have been having a very dry throat because of the heat." "I hope it gets better," said the older girl with a small smile on her lips, "I am Lucile and this is my younger sister, Chloe." Penny bowed her head in greeting to introduce, "I am Marion," Penny used her aunt''s name, "And this is my husband Peter," she used simple names The young girls who were riding the carriage had used part of the ck magic to disguise themselvespletely from letting anyone identify them as ck witches, making them look like young harmless-looking girls. Another reason being it was a spilled ck magic that was present all around the forest they were in. And on the other hand, the couple had never crossed each other''s path with the witches to let the witches know who they were. When the town arrived, they stepped down and thanked the girls, "Thank you for helping us. I hope you can one daye and have tea with us when you visit the Northside of Mythweald," Penny said with a sweet smile. Damien put his arm around Penny''s shoulder to say, "Yes, please do visit us. We would like to repay you," he bowed his head. The blue-eyed girl smiled saying, "We were d to help you. We must be going on," saying this, the carriage left the road and Penny said staring at the back of the carriage, "Holy c.r.a.p." "I don''t think c.r.a.p is ever...well never mind," Damien said to ask her, "What happened?" Penny appeared shocked. Penny quickly looked left and right and said, "Cover me," when he did, she moved her hand between them to see light reappear in her hand, "I think we were riding the carriage with ck witches." Chapter 724 Unbinding Magic- Part 1 She stared at the carriage that went farther and farther away before disappearing behind the houses and trees. "Are you sure about it?" Damien asked staring in the same direction Penny was looking in right now. "This ce doesn''t have magic being spilled here," but then there were othernds they hade across in the past where she didn''t find it hard to spot the ck witches, the closest memory being the forest during the council exam, "There''s a possibility of bad news that the ck witches have advanced in thest few days since we have known them." "More loosened ck magic from the bound one?" he asked her and she gave him a nod. "I don''t know how else to exin it. Their rituals must be going sessful one after another that it has been trying to remove the binds where some of the ck witches are essible to them again," Penny exined to him. "Unfortunately, we don''t know what those rituals were. Strangely there haven''t been too many deaths and the sheep were only being gathered for this evening," Damien was speaking about the viges that were under a trance. "Maybe it is something simr to what happened to father and aunt Caitlin," she pointed out as the ritual which her father and her aunt had with her mother and her mother''s brother, it was only physical consummation which didn''t lead to any death, "Who do you think the witches are? They look so young but I doubt they were young. ck witches can change their age to suit their interest that makes it difficult to know who or what it is." "Considering they were using the carriage, I would guess they are probably trying to mesh and gel with the other human society to not let anyone know who they are. It makes me wonder why they gave us a lift. ck witches are never kind and are selfish unless they had nned to kill us. It didn''t look like they found out about us." "Do you think they are involved in tonight''s ritual?" Penny asked, giving one more look at the road where the carriage had disappeared, they started to head towards the building where the other councilmen had been told toe to. "We will find out about it tonight." She was d that she had ced a protective charm on the luggage. She wondered if it was because she was turning to a ck witch that the witches hadn''t noticed who she really was and maybe not everyone knew about her existence unless they stepped into thend of Bonke and spoke to her mother. "I have never met a small looking ck witch," Damien said making their way inside the building and Penny who walked in front of his said, "Now you have." Damien had changed the color of his eyes once he had entered the building. The building was quite old and ragged. They walked to the counter and Damien ced the ck card on the desk, "I am here to have lunch," he smiled looking at the man who stood behind the desk. The man gave a nce at the card. "Your party has arrived and you will find them in the dining room." Damien pulled the card back to say, "Wonderful." They walked through the hallways to have the door opened by the man who stood outside. When Penny entered the room with Damien, she caught sight of eight people who sat at the rectangle looking table. Seeing a familiar face which was Lord Nichs, Penny offered him a smile and he returned it back. "What is a human doing here? She isn''t even a councilwoman," spoke one of the men who looked at Penelope with curious eyes. Undoubtedly, every single person in this room right now was a vampire with not a single human to be seen. She could feel all the red eyes staring at her and she bowed her head in greeting, "I am Penelope, a white witch," she introduced herself. "My future wife," Damien added to her words. For a few seconds, the councilmen appeared to be staring and Penny could only guess that they were confused why a white witch was here and they would have retaliated with more questions or words of resistance to having her here if Damien had not mentioned about her being his future wife. Nichs could only smile before he said, "The woman Rueben spoke about who is going to help us in today''s ritual is going to be Penny. She is the woman who killed the ck witches during the council exam that took ys a few weeks ago." Murmurs erupted in the room and then it paused when another councilman asked, "How do we know we can trust her? Witches tend to change ces immediately without any notice," his concern was genuine that resonated with the other councilman''s sentiments. "We havee here to put a stop to the witches who are creating a ruckus. I am not sure how I feel bringing a witch to where the ritual is going to take ce," said another. "You don''t have to feel anything," Damien rolled his eyes, "Penelope is rted to Lady Isabell who was the wife ofte Lord Zachary Delcrov. She is the descendant of the white witch family Genevieve." The eyes that were on her turned less hostile and now looked at her with intrigue. "She is the only one who can cast back the spell when the ck magic that has been locked all these decades will be released again tonight." "How sure are you that it will work?" asked another man. On that question, the door behind them suddenly opened and in came the woman who was part of the elder council and also the woman who had been pinning on Damien''s feelings until a few days ago. Evelyn. Both the woman''s eyes met each other''s and the vampiress said, "Penelope." "Evelyn," Penny replied back to see the woman make her towards an empty seat and sit down. "Well," Damien drawled on the question that had been asked and he said, "We all are vampires here and I don''t think anyone knows how to cast a spell. Unless you do, then don''t question why she is here." "It is good that we have a white witch on our side," Nichs chimed in, looking at everyone in the room, "With the recent activities that we have been hearing, we at least know we can depend on and rely on one of them," he smiled to ease any tension that could arise with further questions. "Does she know how to fight?" another councilman asked, "There aren''t enough of us and we''ll need to keep an eye to keep her alive." This time it was Penny who spoke, "You don''t have to be concerned about my safety, Sir. I can keep myself alive without any help." "Let''s hope it is so," Evelyn said without looking at her as the woman had been staring at the wall, "We havee here to kill the witches, we don''t have time to chaperone," Though some had epted her being part of this operation, there were two or three people who were hostile and waiting to see how useful she would be today. "If you are done with your questions, shall we head to the more important talk?" Damien asked to have everyone agree and they started discussing what they were going to do. Chapter 725 Unbinding Magic- Part 2 While the councilmen finally reached thend of Mythweald to deal with the ck witches, the ck witches, on the other hand, were busy cing the markings around the abandoned church. The blue-eyed girl stood looking at the witches and the witch hunters working together. Her eyes were calm and her stance delicate with the flowing dress that she wore that reached the ground. "Isn''t this great, Mistress? The only time we will find the witches and the humans working together," the little girl who was smallpared to the height of the other girl had a big smile on her face. For a stranger the smile would have looked as if the little girl had received early presents but in truth, this little girl who was a ck witch in disguise was eager for the next hours that were toe, "Pitty how most of them will die in the ritual," she giggled. "You need to keep your excitement down, Judith," the blue-eyed girl responded back without looking down at the little to have Judith close her mouth immediately. "Pardon me, Mistress." "The sacrifices are for the greater good. I am sure they will be able to understand without us having to tell them specifically," said Sabbi when her eyes fell on a part of the ground that had been marked, "Did you hear anything on the status of the witch hunters who have been guarding the viges?" "I received the report yesterday morning but am yet to receive it after that. The recently recruited witch hunters appear to be useless." "Most are useless which is why we need to make use of them," she answered the little girl who smiled again. "It is good that we didn''t give them much information, it would be troublesome if they get caught, not that we will be as this is thend of humans that is far away from the witches or the vampires." The older girl didn''t respond to the chattering words of the little girl. Sabbi stared at the abandoned church which she had visited four decades ago. But it had been more than four decades since she had started to gather people, recruiting them for today''s ritual which would finally unleash the ck magic that rightfully belonged to the ck witches and she couldn''t wait for it. Many years had pa.s.sed that were lonely. Waiting for this day toe and she had made sure to n it well so that it wouldn''t fail and it wouldn''t. For the pain she had gone through and what her family had been put through, she would not rest until she would destroy the council and the race of humans as well as vampires. Though she was young, she could still hear her poor mother crying and screaming at the man who had a.s.saulted and killed her in front of her. The pain had harbored to revenge and that is what she wanted. Wiping out was unnecessary when the creatures could be turned to ves. "Mistress, did you see the man before?" asked the little girl to her. Sabbi turned to look at Judith, her eyes still like water that had not been moved, "The one in the carriage?" "I keep having this feeling that I have seen him before. I wonder if it is because of his handsome face," Judith ced her index finger on her cheek, "But I don''t remember where exactly." "You can think about the human some other time and I would rather have you concentrate on what we are doing today. I wouldn''t like you messing with what we have been working on for years now," said Sabbi, not being lenient, "It took us time to break the one hundred and three rituals to be able to reach the ck magic." "Yes, mistress," the little girl bowed her head and gave her a wide smile without showcasing her teeth, "What are we going to do about the book? The witch hunters said they haven''t been able to track the book and also Laurae has gone missing. Though I did hear she left a trail of dead bodies before disappearing." The book had the spells and information on how to lock the white magic along with the ck magic. After unbinding the magic today, she wanted to lock the white witch magic along with the other powers that existed to different creatures. The book of Garlic. It was the book that she had been looking for and the dumb witch had lost it. Her hand clenched tightly in anger and her face showed no expression on it. It was alright though as Sabbi believed they had sessfully broken the alignment of stars. They were dead and no destiny could fix it as she had changed fate. But the ck witch had never been able to find who the actual stars were due to which, she didn''t know all of them were very much alive. One who was in thend of Bonke, another who had been moved to the alternate world while the third one was not too far away from the abandoned church where she was. "If she''s been killing people it is only time for the council members to catch and kill her. We will let them do the deed. Once this is done, we will need to find where the book is." "Yes, mistress!" When the time of evening arrived where the sun started to set down, the ck witches started to gather in the ruins of the church along with many others who surrounded the area to make sure no one would evere to disturb the ritual they would be doing. At the center of the ritual where the markings had been done, they ced a pile of wood which was lit with fire, and next to it stood a young girl who was tied to a pole that had been fixed tight enough for her to not be able to move. Tears fell from the girl''s eyes and onto her cheeks. She looked at the witches who had changed their form and some who still looked human without heeding to any of her pleas. "Such a shame for the virgin to not be touched," one of the witchers who stood near her pa.s.sed ament. "Please let me go! I didn''t do anything! Please!" she cried over and over again. After twenty minutes she finally stopped realizing no one here was going to help her and she was going to be sacrificed tonight. On the other side of the marking, a witch brewed something dark in the pot which was supposed to be drunk by everyone who was inside the markings. Sabbi stood outside the marking, watching the people do their work. There were more people in the circle and they were positioned not to chant the spells but to sacrifice their own selves which they were not aware of. Soon the ritual started and the witches started to chant the spells around the burning fire. The witch hunters who stood far away who had spread themselves around the church in the forest heard a whistling sound when a knife suddenly pa.s.sed the witch hunter''s head. Chapter 726 Unbinding Magic- Part 3 The hunter''s face snapped around to see a man who stood at a distance who used crossbows at him and he dodged. Taking a whistle from his pocket, he blew it to let the other hunters know about this intrusion. The council members had spread themselves and started to fight the witch hunters who were in the outside line behaving as security to the ritual that was taking ce in the center. Without making use of their guns, or gas fires, they dragged the witch hunters one after another so that the others would not know of their arrival. Penny moved in the forest, her crossbow in her hand as she aimed to kill the witch hunters who had sided with the ck witches in an effort to bring chaos to the world. There were only eleven people who were fighting against them while there were more than fifty people who were attacking them at the moment. That included the ck witches as well as witch hunters. Like others, Penny was fighting when a ck witch suddenly dropped down from the tree she had been sitting on to have her lose the crossbow she had been holding in her hands to fall on the ground. When Penny tried to get hold of it, the ck witch kicked her body to have it crash against the tree with an oomph. Penny didn''t know how the ck witches were this strong when the creature came right at her and Penny tried to deflect her punches and kicks and she unexpectedly got hold of her arm and threw her against another tree. There was no time to y and they had to do it quickly. The moon had appeared in the sky to show its golden yellow self and if the ritual was going to be short then they would have very little time to stop anything. The problem was that they didn''t know when the ritual would be over. And if it did, they would be getting ate notice when the ck witches would have acquired full power. Pulling out the revolver she pointed at the ck witch and pulled the trigger and just before the bullet could hit the ck witch, the creature raised her hand that stopped the bullet and fell down on the ground. Penny could tell that the council members were in a lot more trouble than they had expected to meet. The ck witches had turned much more powerful with the little bit if ck magic they had acquired and Penny could tell h.e.l.l would unleash once it would bepletely attainable by them. No wonder the first generation of white witches had sealed their magic. Her crossbow was far away from her but the revolver wasn''t working but that didn''t stop her from fetching the weapon that had fallen down from her hands. She moved her wrist and fingers to have the crossbow move towards her that had the ck witch raise her eyebrows momentarily before she used her own ability to push the crossbow towards her and broke the weapon. "Hey!" Penny shouted, not happy that the witch had broken it, "You are able to use the elements," she muttered. She could tell that the creature who she was facing right now was a ck witch and with what she knew, ck witches didn''t have the ability to use the elemental ability. "Don''t you know yet? I thought you would have figured out by now," and the ck witch swished her hand that had Penny smack her head against the wall. That hurt! The ck witch had more experience when it came to the elemental ability which Penny found to be shocking. Penny then said, "You stole it..." all this while they had thought the ck witches were making use of only humans and vampires, she didn''t know why she had not considered the ck witches making use of the white witches organs. The ck witch grinned, her tongue slithering out of her mouth, "Sso ssmart. Are you the one who killed my sisters in Bonke?" she took Penny''s silence to be a yes, "Hmm, I thought you looked very familiar now I know why. Your mother is quite a b.i.t.c.h." "I think we both can agree to that," Pennymented on the ck witch''s thoughts. Sparring with a wind elemental seemed like it would be a never-ending or a fight where Penny would be losing as she was a novice in its usage. She had hoped it would be her ace card but who knew that there would be another ck witch to share the same ability. Not wanting to rely on another councilman for help Penny tried to wonder what to do next. She had to move towards the ritual to be able to see what was going on while the rest would be trying to stop it from happening. Almost all parts of the forest they were in were right now spilled with magic that restricted her and also Damien from using his ability. She knew there were certain ces near the ruins that would not be having spilled magic, at least that is what they had seen and tested yesterday but if the ck witches had tried to be more meticulous, there was no way they would be able to close the binding back in time. Going back and forth would take time. A quick arrow shot right towards her and Penny dodged it, running in the other direction where the ck witch followed. This woman was really intent on killing her as Penny had to keep deflecting the knives and other sharp objects that came at her using her wind ability. She ran while trying to throw the firey pills that were good enough to surprise the ck witch but in return, it also made the person mad. Finally, when it came toward the small swamp, it didn''t matter to Penny as it was liquid and she moved the water to ssh it right on the ck witches'' body. While the ck witch was trying to get rid of the dirty water on her along with the nts, Penny pulled out her revolver again, this time the bullet went straight to hit the woman''s face and the ck witch turned to dust. While returning back, Penny was apanied by many more ck witches who started to attack her. "Looks like you got a whole party with you," it was the Lord of Bonke who was in the mood of humor and Penny gave him a queasy smile. "They are very persistent," sheined, taking another shot that she missed. It wasn''t helping that some of the ck witches were moving around in their brooms while they were on the ground. "I think you are doing very well. The ck witches are too desperate to open the magic box. Why don''t you go ahead and I will take care of them," he gave her a polite smile. Penny was utterly thankful for his help and she quickly bowed and ran deeper into the forest in the direction of the church. She wondered if they would be able to keep each and every one of them as that was the intention while wanting to stop and close the door to the magic they would be opening. Penny ran, bending her head often and her legs taking her haphazardly as the knives, bullets, and other weapons were directed at her. Damien reced the bullets before they were used on the witch hunters with ack of any remorse. He moved both his arms that had the revolvers, shooting one witch hunter after another. Having fought many times before, the pureblooded vampire was much stronger than the recruited people from the council. The other council members who were trying to kill the ck witches suddenly found their bullets weren''t strong enough as one of the witches started to morph herself with six tentacles making her look like an octopus'' sibling. "Is this what she was talking about?!" one of the councilmen shouted,ughing at the end that the ck he was handling had not turned to an octopus. When the meeting was held, Penny had given the details about the ck witches and their improvised versions. The next second-most of the ck witches started to transform and the councilman who hadughed at first. One move of the tentacle and thend shook when it hit the ground. Maybe it was too soon tough, thought the councilman before escaping away from the tentacles that started to move towards him. Chapter 727 Chaos- Part 1 Penny who had already met the octopus tentacles of the ck witch. She was least surprised out of the group, her face much calmer than the rest who appeared to look surprised as well as shocked. None of them had ever encountered something like this before and it was as if they were looking at a new species. She pulled out her gun knowing well it would only slow down the tentacles for a brief moment before it would starts.h.i.+ng out at them. There were at least five witches who appeared to have been transformed. The councilman fought the witches as well as the witch hunters who were attacking them, but it appeared that during the tentacles that were attacking the council members, they weren''t the only ones to receive the bacsh as the witch hunters were being attacked by the witches too. Both Damien and Penny fought next to each other being the ally and supporter when it came to fighting. When one of the tentacles came close to her, she used the ability of wind to push it away from her so that it would reach her while flicking the witch hunters like they were a piece of paper being blown in the forest. Taking out the needles which she had created the poison by making use of her own blood, she ced it in the gun and pulled the trigger but that didn''t stop the ck witches. One of the councilmen ended up being trapped as the tentacle circled the man around his lower body to squeeze him until blood sttered across the trees and ground, leaving an echo of painful scream in the forest. All of them knew the ck witches were gaining powers not just by modifying and transforming their bodies but also from the locked magic and the worry started to trickle down the vampire''s mind and Penelope noticed how the bullets and other weapons were not working on them. They appeared to be almost invisible. Penny tried to think of what to do. The normal approach wasn''t working and they lost one council member right in front of their eyes. Everyone was fighting while trying not to get killed. If it weren''t for her elemental ability she would have been the next possible victim right now. The ck witches were not ying but were intent on killing as they had toplete the ritual under the glow of the moon. "Damien," Penny shouted at him, "I''m going ahead," she said without waiting up for him and dodging the tentacles who started to follow her, and Damien took it as a cue where the ck witch''s attention had been s.h.i.+fted. Unfortunately, they couldn''t cut the tentacle off as it kept regrowing over and over again. This reminded Damien of what he had encountered in the deserted town when he had taken Kreme along with him. "Cut off the head," he yelled to the other council members who had been cutting the tentacles bit by bit that had been useless. Being the good listener, Evelyn went for the head but her foot was pulled by another tentacle that looked like a creeper, hanging her upside down which she chopped using the knife in her hand to fall down on the ground. The council members were some of the most trusted resources of the council that had been picked depending on their skills and capability. But at the moment, they were struggling when it came to the advanced ck witches who were doing everything in their power when it came to stop them from getting anywhere further in. In the abandoned ruins of the church, the human girl who had been tied at the pole looked at the witches continuously chanting the spells and the fire that was already zing burnt in a much higher volume, bringing light to the darkened s.p.a.ce around them. And during all this time, Sabbi and the little girl didn''t get close to the marking of the circle. She watched one of the fellow sister witch drag a goat towards the center before the knife was plunged deep into its chest. The ck witch then pulled the sheep''s heart out and went towards the fire to squeeze the blood of the heart with her bare hand with blood dripping down her hands. In the meantime, Penny and Damien had somehow killed the ck witch by beheading her and they ran towards the ruins as the ability of apparition did not work unless the magic that had been spilled would be removed. Killing every single person who came in their way and when the time came where they finally reached near the church, they caught sight of the fire that was zing bright at the center. Unfortunately, they were toote because the witch who had sacrificed the sheep now slit the throat of the girls before setting her on fire as thest standing sacrifice. "NO!" Penny screamed but her voice was covered by the sudden wind that started to increase around them and the people all around had to hold on to something so that they wouldn''t fly and drift away in the wind that had begun to blow in the forest and around ruins of thend. The girl who had been sacrificed was dead and the fire that had been burning brightly previously now had been extinguished due to the intensity of the wind. Penny held on to one of the ruins of the broken fall to stop herself from being flown away. Though she was a wind element, she had not mastered the ability and had only learned the bare minimum to be able to defend herself. A lot of them stood stunned as they looked around them to see what was going on while wondering if the ck witches had received their lost magic until Penny caught sight of a ck hole as if it were sucking the beings around it into it. At the same time, she caught sight of the two witches they had met this morning. The girl raised her hand and in an instant, the wind increased even higher and Penny had to use her ability to lower the wind around her as she was sure she would any second be flying up and away in the sky. Some of the witch hunters screamed as they were pulled into the unknown hole. She guessed this is where the magic was hidden. Penny''s heart dropped as the ck hold turned wider and the young girl they had met raised her hand towards it. This was going to happen as they weren''t able to handle all the ck witches and things were only going to turn dire right now. A screeching sound could be heard and everyone covered their ears as the screeching sound was too shrill that gave a very ufortable feeling. The air started to turn heavy and the wind started to reduce where the ck hole continued to stay open. It was when she caught the nearest standing ck witch who raised her hand to see the mesing from her fingers did everyone finally understand that the ck magic had been sessfully unbound and was now in use by the ck witches. Chapter 728 Chaos- Part 2 The council members stared at a distance while covering their ears from the shrill screeching sound that was echoing throughout the forest. The ck witches who were in their natural appearance of scale-like beings turned even much more scalier than what they were. Their body structure change made them look anywhere close to a human or vampire as Penny saw how their bodies hunched like their bones were breaking and forming into apletely different creature. They looked like...dried up wolves because of how their legs looked like hind legs and their hands still being somewhat near to how they were before this new transformation. Their faces looked different and strange, unlike anything anyone had seen before. When one of the ck witches turned to look at them, Damien yelled at her, "Run!" The ck witch moved her hand and thend that was beneath their feet started to crack and break as if it were dissolving right now. Penny ran with all her might, using the ability of the wind to make way for them as the wind moved in the opposite direction trying to stop them. "I think the ck witches have almost simr abilities when ites to elements," Penny said whilst she ran with Damien who was much faster but he didn''t let go of her from her sight, keeping her close to him. "How sweet. I think they are much more powerful than the white witches," Damien said and just when Penny was still running, the ground turned loose, making her miss her step and fall. The trees were being swallowed by the ground and everyone ran away from the forest, "Come on!" he urged her. At the moment, the entire forest and the ruins appeared to be chaotic. One was with the elemental ability and then was the ck octopus looking ck witches who had not given up on killing them. As if the previous version wasn''t enough, the witches were breathing fire through their mouths. Right now Penny was having doubts when it came to the chances of survival. "How much time do you think we have?" Damien asked her, pulling her to the right as he saw the left side of the forest floor crumbling down. "They have only opened the portal, they need to close it back for it to take full effect." "What do you mean full effect?" Damien gave her a look not liking how things were proceeding right now. Penny who was huffing for air, said in between her breaths, "Right now the ck witches are only in their half potential." "Then we should run faster, mouse," Damien encouraged her. Penny was already exhausted and her body wasn''t used to yet when it came to managing the wind and water element. Hoping to make it work, Penny used her wind element by raising both of them from the ground and away from, taking them away from it but that didn''t go long as both of them fell t on the forest bed. She had to find out where thend had no spilled magic. "Wait, the ck witch used the girl for sacrifice. What are the other vigers for?" Her eyes moved around when she said, "As easy as it is to close the gates to retrieve the ck magic back, to close it, the sacrifice is necessary but thew doesn''t hold the same when ites to the white witches." They continued to run away far enough when Penny caught sight of Damien''s features turning. The corrupted side of the pureblooded vampire was showing up and when she looked down at her hands as they moved back and forth, Penny found the skin there turning to scales. Why was this happening?! She wasn''t a ck witch yet but the gate or portal being opened was affecting her as she was in the transformation of a ck witch and the process was moving quickly and it was bad news. If Penny''s bodypleted the transformation sessfully from being a white witch to a ck witch, then she would never be able to bind the ck magic again because the spell worked only when it was cast by a white witch. If she wasn''t panicking before, she was panicking now. The weight of responsibility on her shoulders felt heavy that was weighing on her right now. "You''re turning," Pennymented looking at Damien as his eyes had turned pitch ck and his fangs turned thicker and much more animalistic with his face changing features along with hers. This was something they had not signed up for, "Opening the portal must have allowed other things inside thisnd which is blowing our current on hold appearances. If we don''t close it on time, the air is only going to spread and pollute further," Damien shot right at the witch hunter''s head who had started to head towards them. She continued to run as fast as her legs could take, not caring about her legs that felt like they were going to give up any time and they would if she were to stop but this wasn''t the time to stop. She wanted to curse for falling into the line of chosen alignment of stars. When the ground stopped moving considerably, Penny raised her hand to find the light appearing right above her palm. Letting go of it, she said, "This part isn''t affected," and her knees finally gave out and she fell on the ground. Huffing, she pulled out the knife from her pocket but when she positioned it on her hand, she wasn''t able to do it. Her hands were trembling because of the rushed adrenaline coursing through her blood and body that made it difficult for her to cut. Noticing this, Damien stepped down close to her and took the knife that she had been holding, "Breath, Penny. The spell won''t work if you aren''t calm," he knew as easy it was to advise her right now, she was slightly swaying, her body almost reaching the limit where she was trying to hold her consciousness without giving it up. Penny took in a deep breath, in and out and in and out again when Damien asked, "How much blood?" "More than twenty drops," she replied, she met his pitch-ck eyes and as time was ticking away both Penny and Damien were struggling to keep their former selves in the present as they fought the transformation that was taking ce. Damien tore her sleeve and then found the area which hadn''t been scaled yet. Not waiting to see if she was ready, he ran the knife deep enough to have blood drops drip down her hand to fall on the ground. "Go," Penny whispered to him as his corruption was moving in rapid time. The man struggled to keep his senses sane in the presence of the rich blood he saw dripping down her hands and the smell that felt like it was going to be hisst meal. His fangs were itching to take a bite.?With great difficulty, Damien tore himself from there and ran far away from her but also close to make sure she would be alright. Chapter 729 Chaos- Part 3 Penny looked at the trees that caught fire. Soon not only Mythweald but the other threends would end up like this if she didn''t move quickly. She huffed for air and ced her open palms on the ground. Closing her vibrant green eyes, she recollected the spell. Trying to still her hammering heart to normal she finally whispered the spell that had been given to her. She wasn''t sure how far the spell would work as they were only relying on each other for help and she had stumbled on to this. Some of the council members who hade far away from the ruins of the church and ck witches, they saw Penny sitting down on the ground with her hands down. A good thirty seconds pa.s.sed by and they saw no change. The other ck witches and witch hunters who were still alive were headed in their direction in thirst to kill them all. Sabbi was already in the process of closing the portal that had been opened, the ck hold turning smaller in size as she used the spells until she noticed it widening again that made her frown. A soft glow started to surround Penny in an invisible dome-like structure. The light that started a little started to glow brighter and brighter now. The cold air of the forest that had slowed down started to move quickly around Penny on the dome-shaped protection of spell Penny had put herself in because of the incantation. The more she continued to chant the more it turned radiant as if the sun had descended down at this hour of the night around them making everyone around who were witnessing this raise their hands and protect themselves from the light that was turning bright. Penny continued to whisper the spell, putting her heart into it as she had to get it right and when she finally opened her eyes, she saw herself to be around a thin almost transparentyer around her. She looked in the direction they had run from. Taking in a deep breath, she moved her hand away from the ground and the next moment she ced her hand again with a small thud on the gra.s.sy and mud that was there, the impact caused a ripple-like effect on the ground that started from her that moved across thends where the abandoned church of ruins was. The ck witches who were happy about receiving their powers and enjoying it right now started to frown as their bodies started to turn back to what they were. The tentacles started to evaporate as their octopus body was taking them back to how the ck witches initially looked like with their ck scales and straight body that wasn''t bent. Sabbi''s eyes widened as she didn''t know what was going wrong. They had done everything right until the ritual but the powers they had received after years were now going back in the portal. "Repeat the spell again!" shemanded to the other witch who was standing outside and the ck witch quickly went forward to start the spell but the hole was pulling every single thing inside and the powers they were left with, all of them were being pulled and stripped away from them that was leaving them in a far worse condition than the previous time the white witches had bound the ck magic. Sabbi couldn''t believe this was happening. She had made sure to get all the initial ritualspleted beforeing here today and she had been waiting for years for this to take ce. The ck witches continuously lost their remaining powers and the portal that had been opened was closed before it disappeared from sight. The wind that had been blowing with full force finally stopped to turn the atmosphere calm but Sabbi wasn''t happy about it. She clutched her hands tightly and pulled the witch hunter who had been near to her, taking the knife without a moment of hesitation, she ran it across the witch hunter''s neck and started to cast the spell to open the portal but it didn''t work. It was as if the code of spells had been changed and wouldn''t open itself. The ck witches who were powerless in the forest started to get attacked by the vampires who used their weapons on them and without the previous magic the ck witches were finding it hard to sustain and got killed one after another where they were being hunted. "Mistress we need to leave!" the little girl cried out to Sabbi who stood still staring at the portal that had disappeared in front of her. Sabbi gritted her teeth before turning her face away from the scene and started to run away from the scene before they would be caught and killed. "Should I send a sign for everyone to disperse?" asked the little girl to Sabbi as they made their way out of there. "Leave it be. We need a distraction to get out of here," said the blue-eyed girl, and when they were far away. The two young girls stared at the forest where a part of it was zing and they could hear the voices of people shouting and killing each other. "What happened there, mistress? Should we bring more people?" asked the little girl to the older looking girl. The blue-eyed girl stared at the forest, the reflection of the fire in her eyes, "Something went badly wrong. I am unable to open the portal again with the same spell. Something went wrong," she repeated the words. "What are we going to do now? They have seen us," Judith turned to the girl, craning her neck to look up when she heard the mistress speak, "To figure out about the ritual again, we will need to gather information. Until then we need to go underground and disappear," if a mere ck witch-like Laurae''s face was being stered across thends, there was no telling how many would be hunting them down, "Sabbi is dead from now. Only the name Ester will live," saying this, she turned around and left the view to be followed by the little girl closely and both the ck witches escaped. In the forest, the witch hunter named M was still fighting the councilmen and when she was about to escape from there to follow the ck witch, Nichs appeared right in front of her. "Going somewhere?" he asked her with a polite greeting. M tried to get past him but Nichs brought her back, to throw her across the floor, "Why did you switch sides? I thought you were going to help the council the way you said when we first met." The woman smiled at him, "We all get into work for our own benefit, don''t we, Lord Nichs?" she questioned him. "That is true but I wished it didn''t involve harming others and would have less damage," he stopped her attacks by the gun he had in his hand. He pushed her away and ced the gun right at her head when she came to attack him. Without another word, the pureblooded vampire pulled the trigger of the gun for the gunshot to echo in the forest. Chapter 730 Missing Person- Part 1 The dome that was around Penny suddenly broke into fragmented crystals before they started moving up in the air and disappeared. Penny wheezed for air as the sudden overexertion of magic and exhaustion hit her body. She could hear some more gunshots but apart from it, the chaos that had been going on started to dim down while leaving the forest deserted. Penny turned to look at Damien whose body leaned against the tree and when his eyes opened this time to look at her, they were red in color. Pus.h.i.+ng herself up, she made her way towards Damien and she saw him cough out blood that was ck in color. It spilled out from his mouth and she quickly turned worried. "Damien?" she called his name anxiously. He puked out some more blood on the ground and wiped his lips with the back of his sleeves, "I think my chest feels lighter right now." Penny moving closer to him, she ced her hands on either side of his face to take a look at him. When she saw no change in there, she b.u.mped her forehead to his without pulling away and closing her eyes with a sigh of relief. "Your hands are back to normal," she heard himment and Penny opened her eyes to see he was right. She had hoped it would turn to normal, "The portal is locked again with the ck magic in there. Congrattions, Penny." She put her arms around his neck and hugged him. She was tired and she wanted to stay like this forever without moving her limbs, "I am tired," she whispered to him. Damien hugged her closer and he said, "Let''s get back home," after a while they finally gathered everyone except for one of the council members who lost his life against the ck witch. With their missionplete to what they hade here for, everyone headed back to the vige. The next day, everyone had started to pack their bags ready to leave and head back to Bonke in their carriage or sharing a carriage with each other. Damien and Penny, like others, left the town to go back to where they were lodging since they had arrived in thend of South. The towns and viges that were under spells were finally free and more council members were being a.s.signed to handle things there for now. Reaching the inn, Damien and Penny wished the innkeepers goodbye as it was time for them to head back. Of course, the innkeepers were still under the impression that the couple had eloped. The woman who was speaking to Penny said, "If ever you need a ce to stay you can alwayse here. I wish you could stay here. I won''t make you work," hearing this Penny smiled. The woman had weed both Penny and Damien warmly after thinking they had run away from their houses. "Thank you for looking after us," she hugged the woman and pulled back to say, "I hope we can meet again," and the woman nodded. "Good luck on both of your endeavors. I am sure you will be able to build a better-looking inn than me," the man patted Damien''s back. "That I will," Damien replied back with a quick smile. When the young couple left the inn by foot, the innkeepers returned back inside the building to get back to their daily life. It was when the couple was cleaning rooms did they find a small pouch that appeared to be sitting on the bed. "Dear, I think they left something behind," said the man going to the bed and picking up the bag that slightly jingled. The wife came around to see with a hunch and when they opened the small pouch, they found it filled with gold coins. A note was ced that was held by the pouch and they picked it up, which read ''Thank you for your hospitality.'' They looked at each other in surprise at what was going on. Penelope and Damien after walking far away from the vige had disappeared from thend of Mythweald and was back in Bonke, in the mansion of Quinn''s. Back in their rooms, Penny and Damien took the needed rest without letting anyone know so that they wouldn''t be disturbed. "You did great back there, mouse. I am proud of you," Damien said to her, "I am sure a lot of the council members would agree to it." "We lost a person though," she said, exhaling the air out from her lips. "Nichs will give the report directly to Reuben," she nodded at this, "How are you doing?" he asked her. Last Night things had gone out of control and in a direction they hadn''t expected when it came to each other. Damien''s corruption had hit high along with Penny who was showing the signs of a ck witch. Penny had been so scared when she had seen her hands changing at a speed she didn''t know it excited but in the end, she had managed it in a nick of a time. "The portal enhanced what we already had. While closing the portal, I sent some of them away," she said, noticing him listen to her, "I tried separating the ck witch which is second nature as I am a white witch. I sent it away in the portal hole when I closed it. I also tried taking away your corruption but I think it was taking quite a lot of timepared to me," she ced her hand on his chest, trying to feel his heartbeat beneath her palm. "The corruption will affect you less," she let him know to see a grin on his lips. "You did so many things. How did you know it would work?" he asked her curiously. Penny shook her head, "I didn''t know if it would but it felt like the portal was trying to hold in things which we receive here. Elemental ability, magic, corruption I thought there was a way to put it back in that window of time," and she had taken the jump, hoping it would work and it did. She was back to being a white witch again without a hint that showed that she had used the forbidden magic. Who knew she would have been able to do it. She heard Damien say, "I think you surpa.s.sed Aunt Isabell with what you did yesterday," Penny couldn''t help but smile over it. To be at the same level as thedy she looked up to, she felt rather privileged and if it weren''t for thedy''s books and the help she had received from the mysterious butler, she wouldn''t have been able toe this far. "I am happy that everything hase to an end. What are we going to do about the other two witches?" She was speaking about the young girls who they had met and spoken to. "They might try to attempt to run another ritual soon," Damien murmured and Penny shook her head. "I don''t think they will be able to do it. Compared to the rituals and locks that were ced by the first generation witches I changed them a bit when I closed the portal. They will need to figure it out," she informed him. Damien gave it a thought and then said, "Then they will note out and will hide for some months or maybe years before they resurface. Right now the council will issue the drawings of their faces and send out a high bounty. If they are smart, they won''t be stepping out of the light for a very long time." Chapter 731 Missing Person- Part 2 Though Penny and Damien hadpleted the mission in thend of Mythweald, the trouble that had brewed before they had left had only turned bigger. The people in Quinn''s mansion were troubled by the fact that the youngest daughter of Quinn had not returned back home for almost three days now. Penny hadn''t expected they would be returning to the mansion with the news of Grace going missing. "I told you, she must be in some sort of trouble! Why aren''t the officials doing anything?" asked Lady Fleurance to her husband. Gerald tried to calm his wife when he replied with, "The matter has been informed to the council and I have asked them to send out order about her being missing and to let people know if they have seen her." The vampiress shook her head, "It has been two days and there has been no report. Nothing!" Damien who was seated in the room along with the rest of the family members asked, "What time did she leave? Did she take the carriage?" Lady Fleurance for once had decided to cope up with Damien as the matter concerned her daughter, "She left three days ago. It was early in the morning when you and your father left for work. We women were speaking...and she left out in anger." He narrowed his eyes at her when he asked, "What was the talk about?" Penny was the one to answer his question as she didn''t know how much more Lady Fleurance would try to twist her words, "It was the topic about marrying a lower status person. We had some disagreement about it." Damien turned to look at the servant who was waiting on them at that hour, "Go fetch the coachman. All of them and bring them here," the servant bowed her head and quickly bolted out of the room as the tension in the room was only rising with every minute. His half-sister was a naive and spoilt vampiress. No matter how many tantrums she threw at everyone, he was sure that Grace had some sense when it came to not worrying about her family. Fleurance''s eyes had turned red as she hadn''t been sleeping and kept waiting for her daughter to return back. Fights between them were verymon therefore he didn''t heed to the matter. It was a daily routine under the house of Quinn''s where they kept jabbing at each other. When the three coachmen came with the servant, they stood in line with their heads bowed down. "Who took Grace out three days ago?" Damien asked looking at the men who were all humans. He heard the one on the right gulp who lifted his head to say, "I took her out, Master Damien." "Tell me what happened?" Damien knew that his family must have already enquired it but he wanted to do it again. "Lady Grace, she wanted to head near the town of Isle Valley that day but when we reached two towns before we could reach, she made me stop," said the coachman. "Why? Did she tell anything on why she was stopping?" The man shook his head, "No. She didn''t say anything. She asked me to pull over at the vige and then said to go back to the mansion as she wouldn''t be needing the ride." It would be only right on his part to follow the words of thedy than the question on why and what, "I returned back to the mansion after dropping her." "Did you go check in the town where she got down if anyone knows about her whereabouts?" This time Damien looked at his father and the vampiress who was sitting next to him. Gerald replied to him, "We did. We got the posters drawn and we have ced it all over the towns and viges but we have received no news from anyone about her. We asked the people she often talks to but we found nothing from them either." "You can leave," Damien waved his hand at the coachman who left the room, "I don''t think the coachman has anything to do with the disappearance." "No, we don''t think either," Maggie responded to this before saying, "I asked them earlier and also the servants. He was out for only twenty minutes. We had a background check made with the people he knows and talks but he''s clean." Damien leaned his back against the chair he sat in, "Do you think she went on a vacation?" Lady Fleurance would have red if the matters right now were not serious but she had to bring her daughter back home. Something told her that her daughter was in grave danger, "She wouldn''t go without her clothes or shoes. Everything is untouched. I looked at the money and she hasn''t taken them either." After discussing it, Penny and Damien sat back in the room when he saw his father take his wife out of the room. Lady Maggie excused herself as well and Damien asked, "Did any of the council members visit in thest three days?" "None," Caitlin replied to him as she was the one who was living here. "You think it is a councilman who has taken Grace away?" Penny asked him. He sighed, running his hand through his hair, "It is good to not rule them out. I wouldn''t be surprised if one of them enticed her with sweet words and asked her to revolt against the family. People can be condescending and vengeful by having family members stand against each other but then I doubt Grace would do something so childish." Penny wondered where Grace went without letting one know where she would be. The Quinn''s family were worried about her whereabouts. Three days was a lot and one could only think that something bad had urred. Though Damien and Maggie fought with their half-sister, she could tell that they were worried about her. Their banter had been something that was verymon, she wondered if the girl had taken Maggie or Penny''s words in anger that had her leave home. "We''ll find her. If she''s run away from the mansion, she wille back. The posters are often effective and finding people gets less hard," spoke Damien, standing up from the chair, he left the room so that he could go meet his parents while leaving the twodies alone in the room. "How have you been doing, Penelope?" Caitlin asked, noticing the light bruises on one side of Penny''s face. They hadn''t got to speak to each other because of Grace''s disappearance which Penny and Damien had found out two hours ago. "I am doing okay," she nodded her head, "Sorry for leaving you alone here," she apologized as she had disappeared out from the mansion with little to no words. "Don''t worry about it. I know there were important things to do. Good to see you back home," Caitlin spoke softly to her niece. If both Damien and Penny were not running to the council and were here, it meant all had gone well and her mind was at ease with this. But at the same time, the people in this house had been anxious, "Let''s hope someonees here with the information about Grace." "Yes," Penny breathed the words. Chapter 732 Missing Person- Part 3 A case had been set out from the council on ord of Grace Quinn going missing suddenly who was a pureblooded vampire. Her pictures were sent out and posted with the heading that read ''Missing'' and below the picture had writing that spoke about giving out coins if they were to know about her or any information that coulde to be useful. With the matter of ck witches being dealt, the people who belonged to the council could finally take a sigh of relief from their overloaded work and start looking into other matters. As much as the ck witch''s poster had brought out errant strands to have the woman flee away for protection, there was no way Grace Quinn could be traced. When Grace had gone to Robarte''s house, she had a.s.sumed that she would take the favor from him and then set a trap for Penelope so that she could get the girl kicked out of the house but the young vampiress had poor knowledge when it came to the man she had befriended. Who knew that while digging the grave for someone, she would have been so deep that getting out of it was not possible. Her insecurities and naive pride had cost her, her life where she now sat lifeless in a dark room in the house of the Varreran. The room was a dark one that was attached to Robarte''s bedroom where he slept and it was the room which he used to lock up the ves he brought home. Right now, the man was in his room, humming softly a song as he folded his clothes. The servants he had been using all these years were dead corpses where he had ced spells on them but their bodies had started to rot and he had to discard them one after another leaving him only with the butler who was another piece of a corpse he had picked up from a far town so that the butler would not be recognized by anyone. He took a bath, the water falling down on his feet as spots of blood fell from his body. He ran his fingers across his skin and back, reaching for the nape of his neck where the skin had been st.i.tched. It was the first cut and st.i.tch he had made after a month of the ritual he was partaking in. Robarte washed his hair that had turned greasy in this house that was dusty. After turning off the tap and getting out of the bath, he wiped his body that had many more st.i.tches that ran down behind his back. The wounds looked fresh as they had been cut open to have the new organs of the vampire being reced in there from the old ones. Wearing his clothes he went to the mirror that was broken. To a human who would enter this house, the house would appear to be perfect. Clean, poised, the butler waiting at the front where lights were lit in the hall and the rooms of the entire mansion. But if one saw from his eyes, the mansion was broken and dark. There was no light, and the smell of the wood felt like it was decaying. The butler was a dead corpse who had no eyes of his own and his body was crooked. The mirror he stood in front of was broken leaving only part and pieces of the .s.s being fixed on the wall. Nheless, hebed his hair with ab that was old and some of the tooth missing from it. He looked at himself. Eyes that were bright red like a vampire and when he opened his mouth, the fangs came out that made him stare at it for some time before he closed his mouth. His appearance had always been kind and gentle, his speech polite that could win ady if he tried it and he had always had anydy he wanted in the past. For Robarte, it had started to turn difficult when it came to mingling with people. Not because he was bad at it, but because his organs had started to give outtely that was bringing the skin of the ck witch. But now he would be able to go out again. Pick the women he wanted and if needed, he would drag them to hisir. But he wanted something fresh, he wanted to scar a girl''s body and for that, he started to get ready to head out to the ck market. It had been many years since the ritual had been made and he had decided to look for the woman he hadpleted the ritual with. Caitlin Artemis. He recollected the memory of the time they had met. It was the time of Summer in Valeria and the girl and her brother lived with their uncle and aunt. Mrs. Artemis had spoken to him and his sister before Caitlin had arrived, "Make sure you speak to her well. She had sharp eyes. One lie and you will be caught." "You don''t have to worry about that," said the young ck witch, Robarte who hade to see the girl. He had dressed just like Caitlin had wanted, neatlybed hair, a gentle demeanor and thought to protect her. When Caitlin had arrived outside, the man had bowed his head down and then looked up and into her eyes before taking her hand, "It is good to meet you finally, Miss Caitlin." At that time, the white witch wasn''t ready and it was his sister who had coaxed her along with Mrs. Artemis for an engagement after which things had proceeded smoothly. Robarte smiled as he looked at his reflection. He had got her in bed but things had not gone all well. He turned around and took the coat that had been hanging on the stand. Wearing it, his mind went back again over thest day he had seen her. That day, a witch hunter had been following him and Robarte had to kill the man. He had taken him to the forest and he had dug him before going back to meet Caitlin as if nothing had happened. To be that perfect gentleman but who knew that Caitlin was sharper than what her aunt thought her to be. During the time of night when he hade to meet her, she moved a couple of steps away from him without letting him touch her. "What is going on?" Robarte asked with a soft smile on his face at the sudden distance she had created between them. When he tried to step close, she suddenly pulled the knife to point it towards him. "Don''t even think about it," she warned him. She hade to meet him at his home which was isted and away from the rest of the houses in the vige. He gave her a quizzical look, "Are you trying to kill me, Caitlin? Drop the knife and we can talk about what is going on," saying this, he reached out to her with his hand reaching and Caitlin had swung the knife to cut the palm of his hand where ck blood oozed out and she gasped. Chapter 733 Missing Person- Part 4 She took a few more steps away from him to see him shake his head in disappointment, "Why would you do that, Caitlin? I am your finance, your love, and you-" "You are a liar," Caitlin stated, "You lied to my family. You are not human. You are a ck witch." The man gave her a smile, "ck witch? I think you need some sleep. You must be stressed with the wedding that is going to be held in the next few days," she moved again when he made his move ofing closer to her. He then sighed, a tired one before he said, "I lied? What about you? You said you were a human, yet you are a white witch." Caitlin didn''t know how this had happened. If it weren''t for her aunt and her...her sister-inw...the blood in her face drained and lost all possible color in it. Her brother didn''t know he was married to a ck witch...she had to let him know. "I never asked to be married," she hissed at him, "Wait until my brother and my aunt and uncle find out about it." "You naive witch. How do you think my sister got married and I got engaged to you? It was your rtives who wanted it to happen," Caitlin looked at him with a look of disbelief. "You are lying." "You should go ask them. I am sure they would be happy to let you know that they sold you for a deal with the ck witches. You see, my dear. We had a ritual to bepleted and it''s been done. I thought to spend my life with you...yet here you are trying to hurt me," he gave her a sad look that made the woman grit her teeth. "I didn''t know who you were then," Caitlin didn''t put her hand down and continued to have the knife face him. "What does it matter? I love you and you love me," his words were dripping with lies and Caitlin could finally see it. Things she had failed to notice earlier she was able to see it now, "Though I do have a question. I have been meticulous when ites to you. How did you even know?" The woman wondered if she should answer it, "Your shoes," he tilted his head and then looked down to see the mud in there. His shoes were covered in mud, "You killed the witch hunter." Robarte stared at the woman, "I don''t think you were there when I did the deed." "Why did you kill him?" she demanded answers, "Why me? Why us?" She knew ck witches were cruel but who knew that the person she had thought was to be good would do this to her. How would she have known that it was a ck witch who her aunt and uncle had set her up with? "Always so questioning," he stared at her, "We needed a sibling who would consume the rtions.h.i.+p physically. You were the perfect candidate for it." Caitlin wished it were lies but she had gone back, tracing his footsteps in the evening out of doubt as his replies had appeared to be dodgy. Who knew that she would end up in the forest to find a man being buried not properly as the hand stuck out from the ground. When Robarte went to grab her, the woman had slipped away and had started to run in an effort to let her brother know about it but that never came as his sister had joined the chase to kill the woman. And then the white witch had disappeared in thin air. He had tried searching for her, for a good six years before giving up that she had died somewhere. Going down the broken house, his sister Laurae appeared in front of him. "Where are you going?" she asked him. "To bring some amus.e.m.e.nt home," he answered her before asking, "Did you find the toad?" Laurae rolled her eyes, "I don''t even understand what you are doing keeping them alive when you can kill them, instead of worrying about the toads running away," she stated, "I didn''t find it anywhere." "The toad should be here in the mansion. It can''t leave the mansion as the spell still holds. Watch the house for me," Robarte said, unlocking the door, he stepped out of the house. The ck witch walked away from the door uncaringly. Durik who had been hiding hade out in search of food as he was hungry, flopping one jump after another where he saw the hideous looking witcher step out of the house. He had hoped to step out of the house finally but by the words of the witcher, it seemed that he was stuck here for now but what if the witcher had said it just to keep him in the house so that he wouldn''t try running away? He wanted to test but just when he went to the door, he saw how the window was broken. Thest time he had tried to cross over an open door, it hadn''t worked. He had jumped to only bonk his head at an invisible wall. He flopped himself, one jump after another when he noticed the woman walking towards the room where the toads were ced. Not moving from where he sat, he saw the woman bring out a toad in her hand and she took it to another room. Durik was no cat but a frog right now but the curiosity had him tail her. All the while he made sure to not let the witch find out that he was right behind her. He saw the witch hold the toad in her hand and she ran a spell, a green smoke surrounding the frog before it turned to a naked man. Durik had no time to process as the witch slit the man''s throat to see him fall dead on the ground. His already big eyes turned bigger and he quickly escaped from the spot. ording to the ck witch, he should have turned to a human by now but he was still stuck as a toad. Right now he preferred to be a toad until he would be rescued from here. Lady Grace was in here too! The Quinn''s family must have noticed the absence of her and would have begun the search. It had been more than three days but no one visited this mansion. He doubted anyone would evere here. Escaping from here was almost impossible but Durik didn''t want to live here forever eating insects. In the beginning, he wanted to go far far away but after seeing Lady Grace die, he wanted to let the Quinn''s know what happened. He was sure someone would get to know about it but would he be alive until then was the real question. The house reeked of a foul smell with death lingering in the air. In the past few days, he had alsoe to find out that this ck witch was Lady Penelope''s mother. All the information made his head spin. "There froggy froggy. Where are you?" called the ck witch making Durik gulp, "I know you are here. Come out unless you want to die like this." Chapter 734 Missing Person- Part 5 With the rest of the family, Penny waited for a news toe up when it came to Grace who yet toe back home. Another day pa.s.sed by and she hade to a conclusion that something did happen to the young vampiress but the question was who or what happened. The council had done their best when it came to spreading their word on Grace going missing, they had even ced money to make sure people woulde forth after all, no one cared if they didn''t receive something in return. It was how the world worked. And even with the girl''s picture which was covering most part of Bonke, no one hade to meet them with any news. Penny who had been watching over the family often found Lady Fleurance deep in thoughts which made her wonder if there was something more to the missing case of Grace. People often got lost in thends of Bonke. Most of the time they were kidnapped and sent to the ve establishment that had been checked and then there were times where they were killed. Not wanting to jump to any conclusion, when Lady Fleurance was out in the garden to get some air, Penny went to talk to her. "Lady Fleurance," she approached the vampiress whose eyes moved to the corner but went to look at the front of the garden without any word, "Before Grace left the mansion. What were thest few words you both spoke about?" she asked the woman. The woman didn''t bother to answer her and ignored her. After all, in the vampiress'' eyes, Penny was nothing but a useless looking human who was only trying to behave as if she was concerned. "If you could let me know, I could try to look for her-" "That won''t be necessary," Lady Fleurance cut her off not wanting to hear her speak. If it weren''t for this girl, her daughter Grace would have not been so irked and neither would Maggie speak back to her, "Stay put and doll yourself up to sit next to Damien. That is the most you can do right now." Penny truly wanted to help in finding the girl and the att.i.tude Lady Fleurance was throwing at her right now was not helping her. She knew the woman was troubled as she was Grace''s mother but Penny was only trying to offer her her help. "Stop bothering me and do something which won''t annoy me right now," Lady Fleurance said before walking away from her not wanting to hear what she had to say. Penny pursed her lips and realised it was like talking to a mule and trying to get it to listen for its own benefit. Sighing, she turned around and walked inside the mansion. Things in Quinn''s mansion were dire as the family had turned quiet with the matter of Grace who had not been found. Both Damien and his father had gone out, trying to find from Grace''s friends on who she had been talking to. Damien had gone to each and every friend or acquaintance who Grace a.s.sociated herself with but they had found nothing in there. It was a dead end that made it difficult to know where she was. When they returned back home, Penny asked Damien, "Did you find anything?" she knew Grace didn''t like her and Penny didn''t like the vampiress either but that didn''t mean she didn''t understand that the young spoiled vampiress was part of Quinn''s family. "They don''t," he answered, giving away his coat to the servant and walking along with her. They headed up to the room, "The people she often had tea with, they told us she has not been hanging out with them so much since thest three weeks. She has been rejecting their invitations." "But Grace left and returned back homete," Penny pointed to see Damien nod. "Yes, I am aware of it. Maggie told me that Grace had been going out continuously and returning back homete. But we did find something else." Penny''s eyes snapped at him and she asked, "What is it?" "There was a local coachman who travels between the four towns. He said he did see her. It was because she had a feud with him for not taking her where she wanted to go. But the problem is, he doesn''t know where she wanted to go. As he is a local coachman, they don''t change paths therefore he never heard where she wanted to go." "She must have caught another carriage then," Penny stated, "We can have all the coachman''s at a ce so that they can answer who was the one who took Grace with them." She saw Damien shake his head, "No. Whichever coachman took Penny, he hasn''t returned back to his home." "He''s missing too?" Penny frowned. But who would dare to kidnap a Quinn''s family member? Most of the people knew who Damien Quinn was along with his entric character. "Right now we can only think that someone had kidnapped both of them, or killed them for revenge," his voice was grave and his expression unmoving as he said it, "It will be hard to find which one of my enemies has done the deed." Penny would have pointed her finger on the ck witches they had met but there was no way they would have kidnapped Grace when they were in thend of Mythweald. Their ritual had failed after Grace went missing which meant the people who were involved in the ritual would not be involved in it. "Frankly, if she''s dead, I would not be surprised," his words surprised Penny, "She often keeps doing things she is not supposed to do. Her habit of sneaking around and trying to put others in trouble¡­" he trailed with a sigh. Penny wondered how far it was true that this was how Damien felt. The three children of Quinn''s had grown up together and even though they threw dirt against each other, there would still be an attachment in there after all they were still a family. Damien was searching for her or for the sake of his family. Chapter 735 Pain- Part 1 Music rmendation for this and next chapter: Keosz - Forlorn . Two more days pa.s.sed and one of the noon''s Penny fell asleep with a book in her hand which belonged to Damien. And during this time, her mind that was calm started to drift and reveal another memory of hers that belonged to her past. Penny was a little girl and she stood near the bank of the river with her parents who stood in front of each other. Her father said, "Go from here, right now! I can feel the othersing right now and they won''t be happy when they see us here." "I cannot leave you here by yourself," her mother responded back to her father. The woman had tears in her eyes as she looked at her husband. Gabriel stepped forward to hug the woman, rubbing her back gently. "I know it is hard but you will need to trust me. We have already left the vige safely without anyone knowing but somehow, somehow I heard someone speaking about us being here. We are being followed right now. If we go together it will be difficult. Splitting is the only option so that you can take Penny to a safer ce," he pulled back and ced his hands on her shoulders, "I promised to meet you again. I just need to tip them off to another ce and it is only a matter of time." The little girl had tears in her eyes too. She didn''t understand fully what was going on right now as it seemed like her father was sending her mother and her somewhere without apanying them. "If the people know we are here then it wouldn''t be easy to run. They will hunt both of us down! Let us go together," she tried to persuade him. "Laurae, please," the man spoke his wife''s name, "We have no time. You need to leave now!" his head turned to look at the forest and then back to the woman, "Please." The woman stared at him for a good few seconds. As if she were being torn from inside and she nodded her head, "Okay." Before Penny could be taken away by the woman for protection, Gabriel sat down on his heel so that he could meet the girl''s eyes without her having to crane her neck up to look at them, "My daughter," he pulled the girl in his arms. The man didn''t let go of his daughter. She was the most precious thing in this world to him, "Take care of yourself. Make sure you listen to your mother and stay happy always. Just the way you have been," pulling away, he kissed his daughter''s forehead. The little girl had tears in her eyes as her father''s words appeared to be like a goodbye, "Why won''t youe with us?" she asked softly, her green eyes staring into his eyes that were of simr color like hers. "I will join you as soon as I can. Papa just needs to deal with a few things, once we are done, we will go to Mythweald. To show you the bright sun where you can feel the sun rays." The girl bit her lips and she asked, "Together?" Her father looked torn right now. He didn''t know what the future held and he didn''t want to promise empty words to his daughter. He had never done it before and he didn''t want to do it but at the same time, the man wanted to make sure his daughter was at ease. "Yes, together. As you know, we have been traveling for some time now. Once all this is done, let''s go there together and enjoy the sun. Your mama will take you there for now and I will join soon. And if I am unable toe there on time, you will still find me when the rays of the sun touches you, I will be right there standing next to you." "I will wait," said the little girl. Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead and hugged her again hoping for this to go as he had nned. All he had to do was wade the witch hunters away from his wife and daughter, and then him. He didn''t know how they had found out about him and his family being here. Obviously they would be at the ends of the forest, waiting for the family to arrive so that the hunters would be able to kill them which he wouldn''t allow. Having the family being split, it would lower the suspension on them. He had cast a spell on his daughter the moment he had first held her in his arms. He had made sure to hide her very ident.i.ty so that she would be able to pursue a normal life without having to run away from people and hide. Getting up and looking at his daughter and wife, Gabriel said, "Go now!" his wife nodded and she quickly took her daughter away from him, walking as quickly as they could. When they parted ways, the little girl had to keep up with her mother''s footsteps as they walked back into the forest. They took the right direction for a while. Walking for almost two hours and the girl couldn''t move anymore. Stopping for rest, the girl slid down on the dirty ground and fell asleep with her mother sitting next to each other. She didn''t know how much time had pa.s.sed but when the little girl opened her eyes, she was all alone. She searched for her mother, her heart a little frantic for being the only person and she went in search of her mother. She started to look all around and when she heard some soundsing near the flowing water which must be connected to the same river they had walked by earlier, her footsteps went to the direction she heard the sounds of metal s.h.i.+ng before it stopped. Once she stepped out of the edge of the forest, a bright smile came to form on her lips. She saw her father there with a few men and her mother there with him. Chapter 736 Pain- Part 2 She saw her father who appeared shocked who didn''t react to what her mother was saying. In a moment, she saw her own mother raise her hand and slit her father''s throat who had a surprised look on his face with a few fresh wounds. Penny seeing her father fall on his knees screamed, "Papa!" she ran towards him, moving past the people and getting down on her knees to push her father over and over again, "Papa!" though the girl was small, she knew what she saw. She had seen animals being killed in the butcher shop. "Is this your daughter?" asked one of the men who was surrounding her. "She doesn''t look like a witch. She''s a human,"mented another. "Do you think we need to kill her, M?" asked another witch hunter to the one who was running this group of witch hunters. Laurae then said, "I need her as an alibi for being a human." The woman with short ck hair stared at the little girl who was crying and her gaze then s.h.i.+fted to look at the ck witch, "We cannot let her live. If she goes running about telling what you and we did-" "You don''t have to worry about that," the ck witch a.s.sured the witch hunter, "Penny," she called her daughter who didn''t listen to her and when she reached to touch her, the little girlshed out. "MURDERER! You killed papa!" she screamed at the woman. Laurae stared at the girl, a smile on her face, "Papa is only sleeping, honey," but the girl wasn''t willing to listen to her. She shook her head and pulled her arm away from her mother. The little girl''s eyes were filled up in tears, the tears rolling down on her cheeks one after another, "You killed him. Why...why did you kill him," she stared at her dead father who was not moving right now. Blood continued to surround his body and her own dress that was absorbing the liquid. "This is the problem I was speaking about," said the witch hunter, "We cannot leave things like these behind. Find yourself another alibi to live with," the witch hunter pulled out her gun but before that Laurae picked up a nearby rock and smacked it right across the little girl''s head. The witch hunters looked at the ck witch who had used a rock to put the girl in an unconscious state, "I told you I would fix it," she said, her dull eyes looking at them. "There''s nothing a ck witch cannot fix, though don''t you love her? I mean she is your daughter," chuckled a witch hunter who put the gun he had been carrying back to where it belonged that was at the side of his belt. Laurae smiled looking down at her daughter and she pushed her away from the dead man, "ck witches don''t get too deep into emotions. We don''t believe in it and I think you already know about it." "How scary," Mmented with little to no expression on her face, "Fix this problem. We don''t want any other mistakes in the future. Neither Creed nor the mistress is forgiving. You kept him for far too long." "My bad," said the ck witch and saw the witch hunters leave the ground. It was Laurae herself who had tipped the humans about the existence of witches in their vige without Gabriel''s knowledge due to which they had to flee but she had done it so that she could kill him off. Like the witch hunter had said, she had kept him around for far too long. Completing the other tasks and jobs given for the ritual had turned out to be very difficult to do with him being around andtely the man had started to question her. Seeing there was no one around, she took the man towards the river and pulled her knife to stab him right where his heart was to make sure he would nevere alive again by mistake. She ran her hand over his face, "I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed seeing the shock of disbelief on your face. The pain must have been too much for you but what can I do," she pursed her lips with a smile, "You were turning to a burden where I wasn''t able to do anything. Have a good sleep, dear." She pushed him into the river that was flowing and stood up. Walking towards her unconscious daughter, she picked her up and walked back into the forest. The image ended up being blurry but when Penny opened her eyes, there were tears in her eyes and some that had slid down her face. More tears filled up her eyes. Her head was muddled but that didn''t erase what she just saw and experienced. Her throat felt clogged and she sat up on the bed, putting the book down she had been holding. Caitlin knocked on the door as she hade up to call her down when she saw tears that were falling one after another on her niece''s face. Going quickly to Penelope''s side, she sat down on the bed to ask with a frown, "Penelope? Is everything alright?" The question only brought more tears in her eyes. She shook her head without speaking a word, "Come here, dear," the woman opened her arms, and Penny went to hug thedy as she cried even more.?Caitlin didn''t know what happened but she held the girl, rubbing her back. She broke into a fit of tears which she couldn''t stop, mourning for her father and what happened to him. Penny didn''t know what to say and she was too numb as the memory started to turn vivid as she ran it in her mind over and over again. She knew her mother had killed her father but seeing it y out in front of her eyes hurt her more than she had expected. Chapter 737 Pain- Part 3 When Damien arrived at the room, he saw Caitlin holding Penny. He caught sight of Penny staring into s.p.a.ce, her expression dull and extremely quiet. The rim of her eyes had turned red which he guessed was because of excessive crying. Caitlin, who noticed Damien''s presence, let go of Penny''s shoulder and she stood up. Offering the man a small smile, she left the room. Penny''s eyes moved rather slow before falling on Damien who stood a couple of steps away from her. He walked towards her and sat down on the bed. Her green eyes looked much more radiant and he asked her, "What happened, mouse?" he ced his hand on the side of her cheek. She was unable to keep her eyes at him and she broke her gaze away. Damien saw the drops fall down on her palm that was on herp. He could sense something was hurting her deep in her chest which she was unable to move from. He didn''t ask her, and without asking her weed and took her in his arms so that she could find the sce she needed right now. A shoulder or chest to cry on. She clutched the front of his s.h.i.+rt, her body feeling small as it appeared to look withered. "What''s got you this shattered?" he asked, his hand petting her head to keep her quivering heart calm. Penny sniffed and then shook her head. At first Damien had taken that she didn''t want to talk about it and though he wanted to give her s.p.a.ce, he was curious about what had got her in this state. She took a moment though before he heard her speak, "I received a part of my memory. It was about thest time I saw my father," she took a pause before saying, "My mother killed him. She killed him just like that." They knew this was going toe sooner orter and Damien held her in his arms so that she wouldn''t fall apart. Her memories had beening to her in much more speed than whenpared in the beginning. Though Damien felt bad about her at one side, he was d that Penny would finally find that closure she needed from where everything had started. "I saw her kill him with the other witch hunters. They were the same as the ones we met in the forest," her voice and the speed of her speech was slow as she spoke, "My father wanted us to run. He wanted us to flee and had decided to stay back so that he could stop the people who were going to track him. He loved us both. He loved her, how could she do that to him," Penny felt her tears reappear again. "Some are despicable people and creatures. We cannot fix them," Damien said to her. "But they were married. She could have let him go after the ritual was done," Penny closed her eyes to blink away the tears and some that fell on his s.h.i.+rt. "Marriage doesn''t bind a soul, Penny. It is just by mere words and you know how your mother is...for a woman who is ready to kill her own child, she can kill anything." When she pulled away, tears were smeared all over her cheeks and she used her sleeve to wipe her tears. "You can cry as much as you want. Until your chest feels it is alright," Damien patted her head, "It is only a matter of time when someone either kills her or we hunt her down. Yeah?" he asked to see her nod. Penny couldn''t get rid of the shocked expression she kept seeing her father when her mother was speaking to him before she killed him. "Can we go back to that ce where we wentst time?" she asked him, "The one where my family used to live¡­" she saw him nod right away without any question. "Wear your shoes and coat." Time didn''t matter as both Penny and Damien vanished in thin air from the room and mansion back to the riverside where Penny hade here with Damien before. She could hear of the water rus.h.i.+ng through in the direction and thend which was on either side of the river before the forest started again. She looked back and forth. Bringing up her hand she used her water ability to move the water around but there was nothing in there. "She pushed him to the river," Penny said slightly frantically with the thought that she could still find her father if she looked at the river but the path was too long and wide. It would take months of time to search and there was no telling if the floods had pushed and taken the skeleton somewhere far away. Damien followed her without a question. "Are you sure this is where she pushed him?" he asked her without discouraging with the thought that the body might not be here anymore. Penny tried to remember as it appeared that the skeleton wasn''t here. Unlike the ck witches, most of the white witches didn''t lose their bodies to turn to dust. She walked around thend, her face moving left and right and then back to make sure this is where it was. "No..." she whispered, "We walked for two or three hours I think from here taking right, and then we took a stop and then..." and as she said it, it felt like it was going to a difficult thing to do. "Come on. Let''s walk and find the spot if it is possible," Damien slipped his hand in hers and he took her for a long walk. They walked until Penny finally stopped him. With the light burning in front of them by Penny''s help, she bent down and picked up a small toy that once used to belong to her. She started to lead the way and they finally reached the same river but which was on the other side. Her footsteps slowed down seeing the water. Walking towards the edge of the water, she sat down and her hand reached for the cold gus.h.i.+ng water that was running at a moderate speed. The water started to slow down and it started to move away, making way for the skeleton that was beneath the river for thest few years. Bringing the skeleton up and on the ground before the water sshed back into the hollow s.p.a.ce. For a moment, Penny had stopped breathing. She had finally found her father and even though this is not how she wished to have met him again, it was the only remains of his along with her memories. As the bones had been there for many years now, the surface of it looked dull and green in color because of the moss and algae that had been formed on it. Moving closer to it, a single drop of tear fell and rolled down her cheek. She felt Damien''s hands on either side of her shoulders and he said, "You finally found him," and she nodded her head. Finally. Finally she was able to meet her father again. Chapter 738 Pain- Part 4 Both Penny and Damien took the skeleton that belonged to her father back to the mansion''s forest that came after the bridge. Taking the shovels from the mansion, Penny helped along with Damien in digging out the grave. Deep enough so that the rain and wind would never disturb the body they were going to bury right now. Little drops of rain started to fall from the sky and they ced the skeleton in the hollow ground. The skeleton could have been buried elsewhere, in a proper graveyard but it was Penny''s wish to keep him close to her where she would be able to meet him without spendings hours in the cemetery. Penny sat down on the ground, one of her hands touching the wet mud which she didn''t mind. At this point in time, Penny could only hope that her remaining memories with her father woulde back to her. Standing up again, she looked at Damien who had been looking at her. Giving her the time she needed to spend with her father. "I am ready," she stated. The rain wasn''t pouring down yet and was only drizzling, giving the pair the time they needed in the forest.?They started pus.h.i.+ng the mud, covering the skeleton, and filling up the hollow. Penny was thest one to even the ground and she made sure it waspact and firm. "I will have Kreme ce a headstone tomorrow so that no onees to move it. The entire plot that starts from here until the next two towns belong to Quinn''s," he said to her, walking to her side, he ced his hand around her shoulder. They didn''t speak another word but stood there in silence before the rain could start pouring, Damien and Penny had left the forest to get back to their rooms.?Penny didn''t stay copped in the room for supper and instead she went down along with Damien to eat with everyone. The family was already under the difficult time of Grace missing and she didn''t want to add her own feelings to pile it up. The room was quiet, everyone had their meal in silence and left one after another to go back to their own rooms. At the time of night, Penny unable to sleep as the scene kept flooding over and over again in front of her eyes. She walked towards the patio, not scared or worried anymore about her falling down because she knew if she would fall she would be back up again. She clutched on to the railings, a sigh escaping from her lips. It seemed like everything was trying to fall back into ce in her life. There had been days and nights where she had wondered to herself if she would ever be able to meet her father again so that she could have a grave for him so that she could visit him. It was a bittersweet moment. To have him near yet not alive was something that pierced her heart. She hadn''t felt this much pain when she didn''t know much about her father whilst when she was living together with her mother but at that point in time, she believed she had not met her and when she did, she cherished the moments she had created with him. Damien hadn''t slept. He hadid next to her on the bed with his eyes close, giving her thepany she needed to sleep but he knew her mind was disturbed. To see the parent who was loving to die right in front of her eyes, it was hurting her. Moving the sheets, he stepped out of the bed and walked towards the patio. He didn''t go to her wanting to give her the s.p.a.ce she needed right now to mourn for her father. Penny knew he would be right next to her if she needed him and he would never let go of her. She hade very far from being a normal human who was working in the theater to earn money to closing the portal of the ck witches to stop the oing chaos. And to see her grow to what she had be today, Damien was proud to say that she was the woman who he loved and had given his heart too. Penny looked at the clouds that had taken a pause from raining. The wind was cold that touched her skin. Instinctively, she turned around to meet Damien who stood right behind her. "Don''t you ever question how things might turn out?" she asked him, "I am a witch...I don''t think you ever imagined yourself to live your life with a witch." There was a part of her that was scared. She wasn''t just part of her father but also part of her mother, the ck witch in her had started to transform when the portal had been opened by the ck witches. Damien was leaning against the side of the door with his hands in his pockets when he responded back to her question, "I don''t think I ever imagined myself to live with anyone, considering the kind of person I am I would find every single person as a peasant in my eyes." A small smile made to Penny''s lips. "When you fall in love, nothing matters Penelope. I think it''s like that for many people who share such intense feelings that the kind of creature or the kind of person you are, you will learn to look past it and love the person. Didn''t you love me despite all my amazing characteristics?" he asked her, "It doesn''t matter who your parents were, they don''t define you Penny." "I feel very fortunate to have met you, Damien." "I know. I have that effect on people. What can I say? People meet me and I change their lives," he grinned to see the smile on her face broadened. Penny stepped away from the patio and walked towards him, "You are doing wonderful," Damien raised both his hands and shrugged his shoulders. Chapter 739 Locator Spell- Part 1 Penny got back inside the room with Damien, the night was colder than the other days and Damien closed the doors of the patio and then the windows so that the air would not get inside the room. Penny on the other hand, went to add more woods to the already burning firece and she ced her hands in front of the fire with her palms open. She was happy right now, yet sad for the way she had found her father. Her mother, she didn''t know if she could call the woman her mother anymore. The woman had crossed all the lines when it came to being pure evil. To kill the person who loved her so much with his very heart, putting his life in front of her to protect her, that kind of woman was not worth protecting. It made her wonder if her father had still continued to love the woman he thought she was even after the revtion. Her aunt Caitlin had told her that her father had the elemental ability of wind yet he had not used it on her. His trust had been broken and Penny herself couldn''t fathom how much shock he must have gone through to realize that the person never loved him and that everything was a charade. Getting up from there, she went back to walk to the bed. Climbing she sat down, sitting in a very awkward style that reminded Damien of a frog and remembering the frog, he realized the current butler was missing. "Are you sure the spell is going to work?" he asked her. Penny furrowed her brows wondering which spell he was speaking about, "What?" "The one you wanted help from Piers, the ck witch down in the dungeon. We don''t know how effective the spell is and if it has any drawbacks." Yes, the locator spell, thought Penny to herself, "I did make sure to check it with him. I didn''t want another mishap taking ce. He said there was no negative side of the spell but he would need items and belongings of the person," Penny said to make him think. "How sure are you that it will work?" he asked her. "I am not sure. The spellbook spoke about it but a lot of magic has not been written down on it. I think the ones that backfire or the one they weren''t sure about," she replied before saying, "Shall we go there?" Penny knew that Damien wasn''t asking for the butler but to find his half-sister Grace, "Let me go get something that belongs to her." Right when Penny took a step away from him, Damien ced a hand on her shoulder and they quickly apparated to Grace''s room in a blink of an eye. Penny looked around when Damien went to the cupboard and pulled a dress that belonged to his sister. "This should be alright?" he asked Penny who gave him a nod. They then went to meet the ck witch who had not been freed. On hearing the footsteps, the ck witcher woke up from his sleep and he stood up as he had been sitting on the ground. "You forgot about me," Piersined and then hemented, "Did everything work out well? If you are safe and sound, it means you must have defeated the witches," he continued to say. Penny picked up thentern from the corner of the dungeon and lit it up while Damien unlocked the door of the cell the witcher was in, "There''s good and bad news. Which one would you like to hear?" Damien humored the boy. Piers wet his lips, wis.h.i.+ng he could get a .s.s of water right now, "Good news?" he asked the pureblooded vampire doubtfully. "The good news is we were able to close the gate where the ck magic is being locked," Piers nodded his head. Though he was a ck witch, he preferred things the way they were and he was somewhere close to how the woman Bathsheba was who both Damien and Penny had not been able to hear or reach out too. "Bad news¡­?" "Well, the bad news. The witches who started the ritual that day, they escaped," Damien gave the witcher a smile when the boy pa.s.sed a look of horror. "What do you mean escaped? They wille back and kill everyone now," the ck witch whispered. "You seem to be very scared of them. I thought you never met them," Damien tutted him. Piers shook his head, "I haven''t but I did hear stories about the main person who was running the whole scene." "Do you remember what her name was? What was she called?" Damien inquired. The witcher furrowed his brows, trying to remember but he couldn''t recollect if the man who had hired him had ever given the witch''s name away. "It isn''t ringing any bell," Piers said before adding, "If I remember I will tell." Penny came inside the cell where the witcher and Damien were, "We need you to run the locator spell right now." "The butler must be very precious," Piers muttered under his breath. "No, it isn''t the butler. It is someone else," Penny cleared his question, "Can you do it now?" the boy nodded his head. "But...I will need a table," on the witcher''s demand, Damien took them back to the mansion and into a spare empty room that had chairs and a table. Piers looked legitimately scared right now. He stared at the s.p.a.ce around him and then at both Damien and Penny as they had moved from one ce to another. Damien would have taken the man by walk but he didn''t have the time for it. They had spent more than four days when it came to searching Grace and by now he could guess something bad had happened to her. "What else do you need?" Damien asked the witcher who continued to look stunned. "A candle?" When everything was provided and set to the requirements of the locator spell, Penny asked the witcher, "Have you cast this spell before?" she had asked this question before but she wanted to confirm again. "I did cast it once. I had to find a boy''s mother as he was separated in the vige fair," when Piers replied with this, Penny could tell that this witcher even though he wasn''t a turned one from white to ck, he still had some part of emotion that had morals. No matter what kind of creature a person belonged to it was never certain that they could be good or bad. There were good people and there were bad people in every kind. Her very own rtives, the Artemis were white witches yet they had turned bad while here was a man with a good heart. Piers started to cast the spell once the candle was lit and was ced at the center of the table where he cast spells. Taking the dress that belonged to Grace, he held it in his hands which went up in mes once the casting of the spell had been done. A single drop of blood had been spilled on the table where the map of Bonke had been spread out. Damien was sure that Grace wouldn''t have gone too far and was still in Bonke. Chapter 740 Locator Spell- Part 2 The candle started to flicker and Penny saw the blood start to move from the center, the blood dragging from the middle to the right like an invisible snake until it stopped in a certain part of thend which neither Damien or Penny knew about. Though Damien had lived all his life in Bonke and had traveled to almost every part of it, he couldn''t recognize where exactly this ce was. "Do you know where thises?" Penny turned to Damien and asked him with a questionable look as she wasn''t well versed when it came to Bonke. "I don''t think I remember visiting this part of thend. It is mostly covered by forest, at least three to four decades," he answered, "This is the new map which we are using here. I will probably have to verify with the older maps if there was anyone living here before." Piers was curious and he asked, "Whom are you searching for?" "My half-sister," Damien answered the witcher and then looked at Penny to ask, "Did you bring any belonging with you that belongs to the butler." "Yes, this. I think this is his uniform," Penny said grabbing the ck dress that had been worn by the man. Handing it to Piers, Penny waited for the man to cast a spell again. When the drop of blood fell on the map, the thick liquid started to move again but it ended back in the same spot where the spell of identification had been spotted. Damien''s red eyes narrowed and he stared at Piers, "Does this even work?" "It works," Piers asked but there was doubt in his voice as he answered the question, "Thest time I used this spell I was able to find the parents of the boy." "Okay," Penny said exhaling air out of her mouth, "How does finding a rtive work?" "They have two casting spells. One spell that belongs to the main person and another spell that is specific to who you want to locate when ites to the person''s family," exined Piers, "We can test it out with either of you for that." "Let''s test where I am right now," Penny raised her hand in front of the witcher, waiting for Piers to cut her skin so that they could draw a drop of blood right now. She turned to look at Damien who stared at her as if knowing what she wanted to know. She wanted to know her mother''s location and she wanted to close the chapter that had begun a few years ago. The witcher stared at the white witcher for a second before he picked up the knife that was ced on the table. Running the knife on her palm, he drew blood out of it where she turned her hand down for the drop to fall on the map. The candle which was already lit started to flicker again. Moving back and forth as Piers started to cast the locator''s spell to see the blood starting to move before it reached the little block of a house that was named as Quinn''s. This confirmed that the spell was working and Penny then said, "I want to find my mother," Piers gave her a quick nod. He used the very same blood of hers that was there and after a while the three of them stared at the map where the third line went to meet the same point in the forest where Grace and the butler had been discovered. "All three of them are there," Penny muttered under her breath as she stared at the red lines made of blood on the map. "Hold on a minute," Damien said, stepping away from the room, he crossed the halls and went to the study room to find the old map which he knew was there. He opened the drawers and went to look at the shelves when he found therge thinned parchment scroll that was rolled. At the back there was marking to let one know that it was the map of Bonke. Returning back to the room, he unrolled the scroll. When the old thin parchment was ced on top of the new one where both of them had markings. The caught sight of a house in ce of the intersection. "Looks like it did belong to someone," Damienmented looking down at the map. "How old is this map?" Penny asked, craning her neck to the side so that she could take a better look at it. "Possibly five to six decades old," Damien''s eyes fell on the corner of the map where the date was written down, "The house says ''Charton''s''," Damien couldn''t remember anyone with that name or family he had met. "We''ll have to go there to know whether the house still exists or if it has been demolished." They would know only after going there. Penny wondered if Grace had been kidnapped by her mother but then how did Durik end up there? Durik had turned to a frog who had been chased from the mansion but how did they all end up in the same ce? Her mother had been targeting her but now she had picked up on Grace. The young vampiress was sure pompous and prideful but she doubted she would be stupid enough to go with her mother. "We should go there," Penny insisted. "I wille too," Piers added when Damien and Penny were ready to leave. Thest time they had left a ck witcher behind it had ended up with him turning around and being part of the Artemis'' y. They didn''t know how far they could trust this witcher.?They could leave the person here but Penny frankly didn''t if it would be easy to bring down her mother. Not to forget, if her mother''s brother was in Bonke after chasing Caitlin, there were chances that he was there with her too. Damien asked him, "Do you know how to use a gun?" Chapter 741 Locator Spell- Part 3 Penny who was already used to fighting some of the witches, and who had won a battle by closing the portal of the unknown world, she knew what would work and what didn''t. Penny would have let Caitlin know about her mother''s whereabouts while also letting her aunt know that there was a possibility that her mother was with her ex-fiance who was her uncle but she didn''t ry the message and the three of them- a white witch, a ck witch and pureblooded vampire headed in the direction of the map. They cut a portion of the two maps that led to the hidden mansion that was not in the new map of Bonke. Halfway, they used the carriage to go in but the other half where the map started to change which Damien wasn''t aware of, they started to travel on foot. The forest they had stepped on to was somewhat dry which was strange as thend of Bonke had abundant amounts of rain. "The forest looks dead," Pennymented, looking around where there were some trees that had somehow sustained with the leaves but a lot of them were bare without any leaves on them, empty and almost giving out an eerie feeling. While one side of the forest appeared to be in drought, the further they moved, the trees started to turn full with luscious looking leaves that were green. "I feel like I have turned deaf," Piers muttered under his breath when he heard nothing around them except for their footsteps as they made their way in the forest, pus.h.i.+ng the branches and stems away from them as the path was thick. "It is the forest that has turned quiet," Damien said without pausing his footsteps and continuing to walk to wherever thepa.s.s was pointing to, "The crickets have long stopped cricketing and the owls...I don''t think there are any. It is one of the quietest forests I have ever stepped onto," it had been more than twenty minutes since he had stopped hearing them. Penny then said, "I read in the books that there were times where ck witches derived their power from the living breathing things around them," she said and then continued to say, "But it also said that the ce ck witches mostly perched themselves for long years, it often turned the things in and around the dead. Somewhere in the simr lines like the Artemis." Piers, who heard this, snapped his head to look at Penny, "You know the Artemis?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice. Penny only gave him a nod of yes, "Wow. I heard so much about them. They were one of the closest to whoever was running the show. Ah! I now remember her name. They mostly referred to her with the word ''mistress''?but I believe the man calling her Sabbi." "Sabbi?" Penny uttered the name. "Yes, that''s her name." Damien shook his head, "I am definitely sure this name has never surfaced up any time before. I will have the council dig in more into this name so that they can see if they find her origin. So the Artemis was close to this ck witch?" Piers nodded his head many times, bobbing his head up and down, "Some of the orders came by them while most came from this mistress. I don''t think many of them met them either." "They used to live in Valeria," Damien said and Penny added, "They are my long lost rtives," the ck witcher gave a look at Penelope. "Pardon me but you have an interesting set of family," when Piers said this, Penny''s lips twisted. "Only the fortunate ones get them." When they slowly reached a road which they hadn''t found earlier, they started to take it. It was as if the road existed from the inside where a path ran to go outside and reach outernds of Bonke but the way to from outside to inside, one wouldn''t find it. The more they walked, the more Penny came to feel she had seen these trees the colors of them which were red in color, she had seen them before and when she finally remembered, "I came to this ce," she said, her footsteps gradually stopping as she tried to piece out things in her mind. Damien, who heard this, turned around to see Penny who stood behind in thoughts. "I know where these leads too...there haven''t been many red trees I have been able toe across in thend of Bonke. Robarte Varreran. That''s the person who resides in the path that leads to the mansion unless there''s a diversion." Damien had met the man. He had met the man previously and he remembered the time when Penny had been taken to one of his acquaintance''s parties, the man hade to talk to Penny. When one domino fell on the other with realization settling in with actual facts of what happened until now, Penny could feel her mind running so fast that she had to take a moment to ease it down as everything started to fall in ce. It wasn''t out of mistake and not because he wanted to hit on her but because...the man knew he was rted to her. He knew she was his sister''s daughter, a ck witch. Dread started to fill her mind. He knew she was a white witch. "Robarte is my uncle?" Penny herself couldn''t believe it as she said this. No no, thought Penny to herself. She was jumping quickly to conclusions. just because the man''s mansion was here and her mother and the rest of the party were in the same location. "Are you sure about it?" Damien asked her. Penny looked away from his gaze to see if she could find anything else in her memory or the short time she had spent in thepany of the man. She bit the bottom of her lips, trying to understand until her eyes stopped darting left and right. Chapter 742 Locator Spell- Part 4 "Compared to the first time I had seen him, the way he looked, there was some difference in his features. I didn''t know then what it was but it kept clicking in my mind because I couldn''t point it out at that time. He is a modified ck witch who has been turned to a vampire." Her hands had turned cold at the thought of him being rted to her. He knew who she was and he had taken her to his mansion instead of taking her to Quinn''s mansion. It was out of purpose but why? She didn''t get it. Right now, all four people were in one ce but she didn''t understand the connection. Had the siblings kidnapped Grace to bait her? And even if they did, what was Durik, their butler doing there? Her family was truly messed up and to think she had met the man before on several asions, she couldn''t believe that she had failed to recognize him. Damien said, "Funny how he has been a.s.sociating himself with high society for some years without letting know who he really was. Most of the maps that are being used are the old ones but it was only some decades ago did the council decided to change it. It was done by one of the members who belonged to the elder council and we don''t have to guess too far who did it." Councilwoman Ava. Everywhere, there was someone or the other who was helping the ck witches. Obviously, the maps were changed so that they could remove some of the spots that the council or the other people knew about turning it to a blind spot. "Robarte must be one of the few ck witches who was first operated. We''ll be having a family get together today," Damien said trying to brighten the atmosphere, "Let''s go see what the ck witchers are up to." Following the road, they walked through the path while keeping themselves alert to make sure they wouldn''t be meeting anything unknown before reaching the mansion. When they finally came to stand not too far away from the mansion, one could see it standing tall withnterns that were fixed around the walls. Inside as well as outside. There was arge garden that surrounded the mansion and a round fountain stood at the front of it with water that fell from the bird''s mouth. They were still contemting how to get in, if they were going through the main door or if they were going to break into the mansion without any invitation. Penny''s green eyes stared at the mansion and she got down on the ground that had Piers pa.s.s her a quizzical look. He saw her ce both her hands on the ground and like a carpet that was waved for the dust toe out from it, thend dusted out and in a blink of an eye, the mansion that looked beautiful and grand now suddenly turned to dull and dark. "What the h.e.l.l just happened?" Piersmented with a look of disbelief on his face. Did they travel to another ce? "Wee to reality, witcher," Damienmented, his own eyes looking at the actual mansion where the spell was broken in their eyes. There were no lights in thenterns, there was no garden around the mansion and instead the building was surrounded by dried up nts and stems without any leaves that had spiraled itself covering some part of thend. Penny had learned after she had visited the Artemis'' house. She was a quick learner and she knew the ck witches would have simr spells they shared when it came to hiding. With both her mother and Artemis being close, it was a given fact that they would have simr behavior when it came to casting the spells. The fountain that had previously been flowing with water now looked dry and covered in dirt. There was not a single drop of water in there and this was how the actual house looked like. Dull, dark, somewhere smelly making her worried about how she had walked into this very house before without knowing who now resided in here. "It is dark in there. How are we going to walk and search for people?" Piers questioned them. At least before there was light inside where one could see where to go but if they were to carry antern right now, the witches in there would know that people had broken into their house. "We aren''t going to make use of lights. There is no telling when you will be hit by my reality if we didn''t remove the spell out," Damien said to Piers before turning to the man, "It is why you have the gun. We are happy for your a.s.sistance and support," there was a bright smile on his face. "They don''t know we are here yet, but once they know we don''t know what is going to happen after that," Penny said, her eyes moving across the dark broken windows. This mansion had something very eerie in it that somewhere brought a sliver of fear in her bond. Like a dark atmosphere that hindered around like a shadow. "There are four people and two hostages. My sister Grace and another who is the butler who you turned to a toad," Damien started to instruct Penny at first, "Stay away from Robarte because we don''t know how much modification has been done on him and to what level he is on whenpared to the other ck witches. Tackle your mother at first. I will go to the man instead." Piers looked at the mansion and then Damien back and forth before he asked, "What about me?" "You look for our butler. He''s somewhere in there and needs help." "In the dark?" Piers raised his eyebrows. A toad was already dark in color and small, it would be difficult to find him. Damien took out his gun from his back, saying, "If you are able to find antern to light up, feel free to use it." Chapter 743 Family Reunion- Part 1 Now that the charm spell had been broken on the house, they looked at the dark silhouette of the house that stood lonely when there were people in there. Penny had heard and read of how there were some houses that were told to have a soul of their own. As if they were breathing and alive and were only using the people and the living things around them to survive like reaching for its food. It made Penny wonder if that was why some of the trees they had pa.s.sed by half an hour ago were leafless and bare, looking as if it was going to die. It wasn''t all houses but a house that had many stories to tell, secrets that had been stuffed over and over again without anywhere to spill, it was those houses that turned out to be like that. "Ready?" Penny asked them. She raised her hand and smiled when she looked at the ball of fire. The ck witches had not used spilled magic. How rare, she thought to herself. "Let''s go," Damien started to walk and she along with Piers started to walk behind him before they split themselves up. Going together would not only be time-consuming but if a trap was waiting, all three of them would end up being trapped and killed. Damien took to the first floor while Piers took the back door. Penny in the meanwhile headed straight to the door. She pulled out the pocket watch she had in her pocket. The time wasn''tte and she could still use any excuse to be here somehow. Coming to stand in front of the door, she raised her hand to knock on it. Using the metal to hit the wooden door that echoed louder than it should. The mansion was empty therefore it was taken that any sound in there woulde to echo. To Penny and the other two, the spell had been broken but the person or people who were living here didn''t have to know about it. The door opened and it wasn''t the butler who opened it but Robarte. He gave her a quizzical look, a smile on his face, "Lady Penelope, what a surprise to see you here." "I hope I haven''tete in front of your door. I thought to give you a visit," Penny gave him a look as if she needed his help and she didn''t know where to go. Penny looked into the man''s eyes, his eyes appearing much brighterpared to thest time she had met him. Even his face looked younger, his features handsome that made Penny think that his body had been modified again. A person couldn''t operate on his back without help and she could tell it was her dead mother who had helped in operating him. "You can visit me anytime. Pleasee in," he stepped away from the door so that she coulde in. To Penny, right now, the s.p.a.ce behind him looked dark and she only hoped she would be able to walk without tripping on something in the dark. "How did youe?" he asked her. He looked outside the mansion through the window to see no carriage standing outside. She ced her foot in the dark hallways and saw him close the door. Keeping her heart as calm as she could she started to follow him while keeping a decent distance between them. Penny wondered what Robarte was seeing right now. Was it the charm that he had ced or if he was seeing the same house as she was. Penny felt rather eerie at the thought that she had walked by this very pa.s.sage to find the painted walls which now were covered in moss. There was a bad pungent smell that drifted to her nose which made her stomach flip and she had to try hard not to let her senses overtake her body. "I came on foot. I used the carriage halfway before sending it back." "That must have been quite a long walk. You must be tired," he said, looking at her shoes which were covered in mud, "Would you like to drink something?" he asked her. "Uh, yes. A .s.s of water, please. I feel thirsty," she added the words. "Why don''t you take a seat in here and make yourselffortable. My butler hasn''t been keeping well, let me check on him and get you water. Please take a seat," Robarte insisted. Penny offered him a small smile and she sat down on the torn couch which had cobwebs in the corner of the seats. Though Penny knew how to break the spell, she didn''t know how to put the charm spell back in ce which meant she would have to walk the path in the darkness. She didn''t bother to look at the hall now because her job was to keep one of the ck witches upied. Damien was going to search for Grace and if he did meet her mother he would have to take her down. When Robarte appeared back in the room, a .s.s of water in his hand, Penny asked him, "Is your butler alright?" "Yes, it''s just the change in the weather for him. He''s grown quite old making his body susceptible to catch an illness," he pa.s.sed the .s.s to her and she took it. The water that was given to her looked like water but no matter what it was, Penny had the habit of purifying anything she drank. She took the water to her lips and gulped all of it. She was truly thirsty after walking for so long as they had been searching for the location. She could feel the eyes of the ck witch when she finished the .s.s of water until the veryst sip. His demeanor appeared satisfied but Penny didn''t care about it. If he thought he was smart, Penny was a step ahead of him and she smiled. Chapter 744 Family Reunion- Part 2 Robarte took a seat in front of her, the smile that looked kind could have fooled any person who met him for the first time. Pus.h.i.+ng his .s.ses up his nose, he asked, "You told you wanted to talk to me," he said diving into the topic. Penny nodded her head, cing the .s.s next to her on the stand, she said, "I wanted to ask if you have seen or heard anything from Grace," she didn''t know why she didn''t remember it before stepping into this house but now that she thought about it, she came to remember Grace speaking about him of how she was going to make her and Robarte meet each other the day she had dragged her by a cor to the Isle Valley. "Grace Quinn?" a questionable look pa.s.sed the man''s face as if he had no clue about her at all, "I don''t know. I don''t think I have heard from her for a very long time now. Is everything alright?" he asked her with a concerned look. She could tell that her acting skills came from her mother''s side now. "She hasn''t returned home for almost four days now and all of us are getting worried about where she went. We went to meet people who she was acquainted with but so far we haven''t heard anything from anyone. I recollected this evening when I was pa.s.sing by that she had once mentioned about you, of how handsome of a person you are and that she had tea with you." Even with the scarce light where Penny''s eyes had finally adjusted in the darkness, she could tell that Robarte was surprised that it was what Grace had told her which in reality didn''t happen. All Penny knew was that Grace knew Robarte. She couldn''t believe that little detail had slipped past her mind. Maybe it was because of what she had gone through that day, the shame with humiliation along with the pain of being beaten and dragged on the streets had made her forget this piece of information from her mind. If she wasn''t wrong, Grace had decided to give her away to Robarte. Robarte chuckled, trying to be humble he said, "Well, we did have tea together and often met up in soirees. I invited her here and we have had the time to talk but I don''t think I entertained the girl after that." "Why not?" "I think she wasing too strong on me. No offense but sometimes she wouldin a lot. I know I shouldn''t tell this but she used toin about you to me and her brother and the rest of the family all the time. Families are supposed to stick together," Robarte said to her. What a hypocrite, thought Penny to herself. "Yes, a family should stick to each other. A shame that some people don''t follow it and decide to stab their very own blood, isn''t it?" Penny said to see him nod, but she could tell his eyes were calcting her and the words she just spoke. A fight between them was inevitable and it would happen before the time of dawn, she was merely buying time but his presence was making her skin crawl. ???Indeed you are right. I mean I know you are a good girl. She must have been very hard on you by bad-mouthing you." "Not at all," she denied, not needing his pity, "My father taught me to fight back and not to bow down if I am not wrong." "Your father?" Robarte questioned. She gave him a nod, "We all have fathers, don''t we?" he didn''t respond to this, and Penny s.h.i.+fted the conversation back, "Do you know where she might be?" "I wish I could help you but unfortunately, I don''t know," he replied without cracking the facade that he wore. "I am sure you must know where my mother is," this had him quickly chuckle. "Why do you think so?" his red eyes peered at her through his clean .s.ses, he continued to chuckle before it came to an abrupt halt, "It seems like Miss Penelope knows more than she intended to know," he then sighed, "Well I am d that we have cleared the air, we can finally have some family reunion." "I cannot say I am excited and looking forward to it," Penny responded back to his words and saw him smile to showcase the fangs. "Don''t worry, you will enjoy it as much we do." Out of nowhere, a knife flew at her and she had to jump and roll away from the ground when another two knives followed the first one, "You are quite fast. Was it that pureblooded vampire who taught you?" Penny pulled out her own gun, and she didn''t hold back in pulling the trigger while aiming at him to see him dodge it, "Why do you care?" she asked him. "I actually do. When I received the information about you being sold in the market, I was there but unfortunately the pureblooded vampire raised the bar of money high enough that I couldn''t buy you." "Must be very difficult to be living in the line of poverty while trying to show off that you are a normal vampire to blend in. Pitty," she stated taking another shot at him and he continued to pull one knife after another that whistled in the air before it fell or got stuck on the walls. Suddenly out of nowhere, Penny felt her legs being pulled by the emerging creepers that started to circle her legs and also going to her hands. "I heard from your mother that she turned you to an obedient child but you have your mouth of your own," he started to walk towards her while Penny tried to get away from the creepers. "Because it belongs to me and you should know. Your sister does nothing but lies," when she smiled, Robarte gave her a confused look and his head snapped to look behind where Piers stood with the gun and the ck witcher started to shoot Robarte who dodged all around the room and jumped out of the window. Chapter 745 Family Reunion- Part 3 Music rmendation: Keosz - Be Left to Oneself . The creepers around her legs and hands didn''t stop but tightened that was squeezing her limbs right now making her flinch in pain. Piers saw the ck witch jump out of the broken window and he quickly made his way towards thedy. Putting the gun down, he pulled out the knife he was given before leaving the mansion and started to cut the creepers to release Penny from it. Penny herself took out the knife from her shoe and let her herself free from the creepers, "Thanks," she said looking at the young man who gave her a nod. "Why did he go out of the window?" Piers muttered looking towards the window without going to look at where the man had gone. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to go searching for the toad," Penny said. "The house feels like a maze because of no light. Lady, it is hard to find the toad." Getting away from the creepers and they left the room before she cast another spell, this time the spell wasn''t to bring one ball of light but everyntern that had been unused for many years which in truth had not been used even by Robarte by his charm spell now lit up with a me in each one of them that brightened the entire mansion. Though there were some parts of the mansion that were still dark, this would be enough to make sure they wouldn''t fall for any trap. "This should be better?" Penny asked, looking at the man whose eyes were wide. "It must be really true then. That you are a descendant of the great white witch. Unfortunately, the Artemis never walked through the path of being white witches," Piers said as he had only found out that thisdy was rted to them, "Let me go find the toad again." "Don''t get killed. I will look for the toad and Grace too," Penny said and at the same time both of them heard a series of gunshot rain on the above floor. It looked like Damien had met either her mother or her uncle. Penny and Piers who were going to deviate path from that point suddenly heard a creaking sound apart from the gunshots which at first was very subtle but then it turned the volume high enough and suddenly the floor started to move behind them where the floor was opening up to leave a death trap at the bottom. She caught sight of the sharp jagged wheel that was moving in speed. "Run!" Penny said as she started to sprint from there. Piers was slow inparison to Penny who was still trying to catch the whirring sound by leaning his head towards the walls and when he finally realized, noticing the floor, he started to run following Penny. "What is this ce?" The mansion they were in started to s.h.i.+ft around its architecture and decor, each corner having death traps. At one point they had to dodge the sharp moving metal tes that moved alternatively making them take one step at a time without missing the empty s.p.a.ce unless they wanted to be killed by it. "I don''t know," Penny said with her heart beating in her chest, "I think the previous owner of the house designed it and the ck witchers just happened to know about it?" The house didn''t look like anything before and it looked more poised and st.u.r.dypared to the earlier house they had witnessed that looked as if it was going to crumble down in one strong blow of the wind. While Penny and Piers were together trying to not get killed by the house, Damien was on the top floor with Penny''s mother. "Do you feel stupid for not being able to identify who I was?" the ck witch asked, one side of her lips was pulled up in mockery as she carried a gun of her own, "I thought you would be sharper but for a pureblooded vampire you are too slow." "Apologies for not meeting your expectations which I don''t care about," Damien said, throwing the small capsule towards her which she caught and as if in realization she threw it just in time for the capsule to st, "How was your day thest few weeks?" he dodged the gunshot and responded back with one of his own to see the ck witch disappear behind the furniture. "So it was you who put up my pictures," the ck witch asked, annoyance in her tone when she found out who had made it difficult for her to move. "Did you like it?" Damien was amused, "Were you waiting for councilman Ava to life the bounty from your head? Maybe she would have if you didn''t lose the book and make your mistress angry." Laurae red at the mention of the mishap that had taken ce weeks ago while she was still trying to decipher the book, "Looks like you met her and have solved the problem with her which only makes it easy for me." "Oh? My bad, but we didn''t kill them. They have escaped from our rights so there''s no telling when you will be hunted down. Heard the book was very important, how could you be so reckless, Laurae?" Damien tched with a disappointed look. He could see the anger bubbling in her eyes but she didn''t bring it on her tongue. "You know even if I don''t kill you there''s someone who wants your head. How exciting is that?" he asked the woman. Laurae didn''t wait to hear what else this pureblooded vampire wanted to say and she continued to fire at him without a pause. Therge room they were in started to change and Damien had to move back until the movement stopped. "Do you know what is exciting?" Laurae asked him with a smile on her face and she said, "Killing your sister. She begged and cried not to kill her. Should have seen the blood all around her. It was beautiful." Chapter 746 Family Reunion- Part 4 icklesDamien didn''t care what Grace did unless it had something to do with the family. He often ignored her tantrums and dramas, ying along but to hear the girl was dead was going to be difficult when it came to breaking the news to his family. He wondered what she had been doing all this time to get her here and get killed. He c.o.c.ked his head to his side, "Why did you kill her?" Laurae appeared slightly taken aback at theck of emotion that she had expected to see from this person. "What is this? Are you not supposed to be sad for the loss of one of your family members?" asked Laurae. "Sadly, I am not sad. I think she got on my nerves so much that I don''t feel the loss for what happened to her but then at the same time she was still my family and I will have to avenge her death." The woman chuckled from afar, loading bullets into the gun as she took shelter behind arge wooden cupboard that had been pulled away from the wall to give her enough s.p.a.ce to stand, "Seems like we both are the same when ites to that." "Please," Damien exhaled with a tired sigh, "Don''t add me up in the same box as you. I don''t remember abandoning my own child and trying to set the child on sacrifice," he pulled the lock on the ground as the bullets were loaded into it. "Hmm, I see my daughter has been hung up on it. She should understand how a life of a witch works," the woman shook her head, "She was always like that though. Like her father. Too attached." "But that didn''t stop you from killing him," Damien''s words came more like a sarcasticpliment. "Of course, it didn''t. When you don''t love the person from the very beginning, I don''t know what kind of expectation of love they are expecting me to give." Laurae pushed the cupboard away and she started to shoot the pureblooded vampire while taking shelter at every ce she moved, cornering the man one step after another. When Damien did get a chance to shoot the ck witch, he shot her shoulder and her leg to immobilize her movements but that didn''t work. She kept on moving unaffected. Walking towards Damien, she picked up the vampire, appearing to be much stronger than him and she threw him across the room. He pulled himself up from the ground, dusting the dirt that was picked by his clothes. The ck witches had lost their powers, which was why he didn''t understand how she was stronger than him right now. After Penny had sealed the portal by pus.h.i.+ng back the ck magic into the ck hole, the magic had been sealed which was not usable by the ck witches yet here this woman was stronger and she cast a spell on him, whispering something in the air but thankfully it didn''t work on him. Laurae gave Damien a look, "My magic doesn''t work on you...Why?" "You should thank your daughter for that," Damien didn''t bother to tell what was blocking the ck magic from being cast on him. Picking one of the chairs, he broke it into pieces, "Laurae, what is your thought on getting pierced?" he threw a piece right at her making her miss when she moved to the side and used her own hands to scratch his face. Even though Laurae now appeared to be strong for a ck witch, Damien was still a pureblooded vampire who was a second-generation vampire. When Laurae decided to w his face, trying to peel and pull the skin from his face, Damien caught hold of her hand and twisted it as hard as he could to hear the woman scream. "My half-sister did something like this to your daughter," Damien said, a serious expression on his face as he remembered the time Grace had been nothing less to a b.i.t.c.hy little sister of his. "Penny has that effect on people, wanting people to hurt her because of her disobedience, but then I see her arms are pretty fine," Laurae said, twisting her arm back to get away from the man before kicking his stomach. Damien coughed slightly when Laurae blew a powder from her hand in the air. The dust was ash-green in the color that gave a herb like smell that was being roasted in the fire. He had smelled this before and he couldn''t believe that this woman was carrying it in her pocket when all of them hade to believe that they had burned every single sprigra.s.s that was in the fournds of the empire. He could feel his heart rate increasing and his pulse beating quickly and his eyes turning slightly blur before his vision turned normal again, "You weren''t expecting that, were you?" "No, I wasn''t but shouldn''t expect anything less from a ck witch like you," Damien stated, trying to get rid of the smoke he had inhaled. This wasn''t good, thought Damien to himself. Before he could go too far, his body had started to react to the spitgra.s.s that she had blown in the room. "Don''t worry that is all that I have with me. I saved it just for you knowing you woulde here with my beloved daughter." "How sweet of you to do that," Damien coughed even more and wheezed as his body had started to hurt. The corruption which Penny had got reduced during the closing of the portal, he could feel thee back twice harder than before. "Like I said it was thest pack of spitgra.s.s that I had with me. I made it as strong and packed as possible. So that once you would breathe, even a little amount would feel as if you have taken three shots of it," Laurae moved her arm that had turned crooked as it had been twisted earlier. She moved her arm as if fixing it back in position and walked to stand in front of him when he slid against the wall and sat down to ease the pain that he was feeling. No one would have ever thought of the possibility that the dangerous poison still existed. His vision was blurring back and forth. Bringing his hand up, he coughed and when he pulled it away he saw blood on his fingers and palm of his hand. "Sooner orter, you will lose sense and you will start killing people. How amazing is that?" Laurae took the gun that belonged to him that had fallen down across the floor. She pulled the slider and took a shot right at this leg, "This is for insurance so that you don''t move around too much. Early congrattions on being converted to a corrupted vampire that you hunt. Let us see how long you sustain," smiling the woman walked out of the room leaving Damien in pain. With the dust that came to settle down on the dirty floor, Damien had already inhaled a lot of it which had entered his body and now was in his blood, and he could feel it. It was suffocating his body. He wanted and needed blood to quench his thirst. His ws scratched the wooden flooring, screeching as it sc.r.a.ped the surface. Chapter 747 Family Reunion- Part 5 Penny and Piers finally stopped running when they crossed over the hallways which they supposed it was as it was longer than they had expected it to be. With their heart hammering in their chest, Penny turned around to see where they were. Finding a door in front, she walked near it and pulled the lock to find a dark room. When she flicked her fingers,rger light appeared. Piers leaned from behind her and gasped, "There are too many¡­" "All of the transformed toads," Pennypleted his thoughts, "We need to get everyone out of here. When her eyes looked around the walls, she found the broken window and said, "Quick, get the toads and put them out of the house," at least this way, the toads wouldn''t be in danger. With that thought, Penny and Piers decided to pick two toads each in their hands, walking towards the windows. When she went to push the toad out of the broken window, the toad couldn''t go through which made her frown. "What happened?" Piers asked her. "I think...this house has more than one charm being ced on it. Once you step inside the house-" "You cannot step out," Robarte was back to sharing the same s.p.a.ce as them. Where did hee from?! They started to walk back and away from Robarte, "Once you step inside, there''s no way out and you are trapped here for life. What do you think about that?" "It''s s.h.i.+t," Penny uttered the words that brought a smile on his lips. And just like that, Robarte''s eyes feel on Piers, "Who is this ck witch you have found?" Robarte looked different right now, a mixed creature between being a ck witch and a vampire. They took a couple more steps away and at this time, her mother finally made her appearance in the room. "My dear daughter, it is so good to see you," the ck witch took a step forward and Penny raised the fun that was in her hand, pointing it at her mother. "Don''t even think about it," Penny spoke in a low voice. "What''s the matter? Don''t you want to hug your mother?" asked Laurae with a soft smile she was used to giving her daughter. Thest time they had met, Penny was still heartbroken by the way her mother had treated her. After all, the memories of burying her under the ground and cing the headstone had really torn her but this time it was different. Penny had seen and felt in her very own eyes what the woman she had been calling as her mother had done to her, to the people around her and how she had killed her husband without any hint of hesitation. She wasn''t going to fall for it, no more would that be happening. "Seems like your spell faded away, Laurae. You said she was a good little girl," spoke Robarte looking at Penny and then his sister with a malicious smile, "She''s been shooting me. How rude for you to be greeting your blood rtive in this fas.h.i.+on." "You are no rtive of mine. The one person who is alive and who I consider my rtive is Caitlin," both the ck witch siblings raised their eyebrows at this. "That c.u.n.t is alive?" there was a glimmer of evilness that appeared in Robarte''s eyes, "I thought someone would have killed her with the years that went by. If I knew she was alive I would havee to meet her personally. Why don''t you drop your weapons down and we can have a peaceful chat, just family," Robarte moved his hand to point his gun at Piers. "Don''t bother," Penny said to Robarte while Piers looked slightly worried right now even though he had a gun of his own which was pointed at the ck witcher, "I don''t think that is required. Especially considering her not wanting to meet you," Penny responded back to him. The evil smile on Robarte''s face didn''t wash away and he said, "Now that I think about it, it was her who tipped you about the Artemis and here I was wondering which ck witch outed them at that time. You know," Robarte said, his eyes looking at Penny that had been turned to red slits, "I knew who you were the moment you went on the stage and was getting sold. I tried to find opportunities. Got your wheel broken so that you would ride with me in the carriage but another ditzy vampire came in between." It was him. It was him who had broken the wheel of the carriage when she had been to one of the parties and Damien had left early. The very same day Damien had cut Mr. Reverale''s fingers. "So I got the naive little vampiress into the n. She seemed very desperate to get married and as I said, she used to love bad-mouthing you. But every time seemed like a failed n and in the end, we are here as you see," he moved his other free hand to move it up and down. "Where is she?" Penny asked, her hand clutching the gun tighter than before. "She''s somewhere here. Safe and quiet," when Robarte said this, Penny gulped down the worry that was bubbling up. Did they really kill her? Her mother was the one who cleared it out by saying, "We had to kill her, she was a really noisy one," Though Penny disliked Grace for her actions and behavior, her death didn''t sit well with her, "Don''t look so sad. Will you be sad if I said that she was here to make a deal with Robarte. To keep you here forever as his ve?" Penny didn''t know how to reply to this. For now she would keep her feelings aside with Grace. She had to use her calm consciousness to deal with this pair of ck witches because they were cunning and maniptive in nature. If she was right, her mother was fighting with Damien. Where was he? Chapter 748 Toad Leads The Way- Part 1 Far away from the room, the toad flopped around after smacking his head on the wall and falling unconscious for a few spare moments when the house had started to s.h.i.+ft around. He looked around him to see that there was no one in sight but where was he? The house he had been moving around had suddenly turned to something else. He didn''t know what was going on but he did hear the sound of gunshots that were still ringing in his ears. The sound was too high for him. Hearing soundsing from the other side of the house, he decided to go up this time. One hop at a time on the stairs, moving continuously and reaching the rooms to see one of them which was open. Durik had not seen this part of the room open and he decided to hop and flop himself on the ground, not liking that every time he moved, dust moved up in the air because of the impact his webbed feet left on the ground. Oh, wait, he dide here! Thought Durik to himself. It was because of the change in the house architecture that he had lost his way. When he went inside the room, he looked at the cupboard that had opened themselves along with drawers. He didn''t know why but he felt as if something wasn''t right in here. There was almost a scary feeling in his chest that he could feel when he stayed still there. Surely there were no ghosts in here but there were much more scary creatures like the ck witches who could turn a person into a toad. It had been quite a number of hours since he had escaped the toad room and yet no spell had been cast, his body had not returned to normal. He was still stuck as a toad! Durik wondered how sad life was. He flopped closer to the broken window now even though it was open, he wouldn''t be able to pa.s.s through it to go outside. He wondered how his thoughts had led to this current situation. First, was when he had let Lady Penelope cast a spell by the ck witch''s hand. He had then ended up in the ck market. Second, he should have gone back to Quinn''s mansion, but the need for freedom had made him go near the carriages and he had been kidnapped! Or was it frognapped? His nose then suddenly caught in smell, a bad smell that came behind him. Turning around, Durik started to follow the smell even though he didn''t like it toe and stand in front of a parted door. He wondered what was in there. Taking his small frog body, he started to push the door with a great effort which thankfully because the wind moved right now for Durik to look in horror at what was present in this little secret room. There were several girls who were sitting one after another in line and they were all dead. Some who were old and decayed and some that looked badly badgered on the face leaving the face unrecognizable. And one among them was someone he knew. Grace Quinn. Half of her face was badgered by the rod which the ck witcher had used to hit her over and over again. Durik was horrified to see her in such a state. The smell of blood was potent in the air and he couldn''t look away from her. One half of her face was enough to recognize her while the other half was aplete mess. He remembered the sound of the metal hitting the head that made his crawl. Durik couldn''t believe she was dead yet. It felt unreal with the amount of blood that was finally drying around her face. Just when he was still trying to let the thoughts sink in he saw Lady Grace take in a breath. She was still alive! While Durik was scared to go near the corpses by which the young vampiress was surrounded, he tried to walk towards her. Trying to get closer to her. "Lady Grace!" he called that turned out as a croak. The frog continued to croak over and over again in an effort to wake thedy up. She was breathing but she was losing blood from behind her head and he quickly jumped away when he realized he was on the sticky wet blood when he had gone near. He had to wake her and get out of here. Durik couldn''t do much but croak so he did the best he could to be a loud croaker so that she would get up and chase him at least. He didn''t know who hade into the house but whoever it was hade to get killed or to turn to toads by the hands of the ck witches. Lady Grace was alive but her consciousness had been lost. He knew there was no way a second-generation vampire could be killed so easily! Right now thedy wasn''t moving and if she didn''t move quickly, both she and him would end up digging their graves in here which he doubted he would get a burial for. "Lady Grace, wake up! We need to get out of here!" Thest time, Durik had tried to run away without nning to let Quinn''s know when he first had gone to the ck market as a toad but this time, he wouldn''t do it. It was because of his selfishness that things had taken such a steep turn. He had to get help from whoever had intruded the house. "I will be back again," said Durik and he left the room in search of help. Durik continued to flop around until his eyes fell on a hand that was lying on the ground. Wondering who it was, the toad went towards the person and his eyes widened again, "Master Damien!" he could feel tears of joying from his eyes. He couldn''t tell how happy he was to see him here, but why was the pureblooded vampire sleeping? Chapter 749 Toad Leads The Way- Part 2 Damien was losing consciousness and he had a ckout every now and then that he had decided to take some rest as his body refused to move at the moment. He had only closed his eyes when he heard an annoying croaking sound that came next to him. He cursed under his breath and opened his eyes to look at a toad that was looking at him. "Look who we have here. Durik," he spoke in a dull voice to see the toad look excited at being recognized, "What the h.e.l.l are you doing here?" he heard more croaksing from the toad and he waved his hand away, "Never mind the question." "Master Damien, Lady Grace is in there. In the other room! We need to help her!" Durik continued to croak. "Shut up, already. I don''t understand or speak thenguages of croaking toads and frogs. You going on and on makes me want to squash you to death," Damien was having a splitting headache that had only risen in time. If he knew that the spitgra.s.s still existed, he would have taken an antidote but who would have thought. It had been sheer luck of destiny that Laurae still had her hands on the poisonous nt. Penny was the one who had created it over the time along with the white witches in the church, the antidote which had turned to be precious before they had lit up thends that consisted of spitgra.s.s. The charmstone which she had created only protected him through the spells that were cast by either ck or a white witch. It was a charm of luck and strength. He touched the stone on the pendant. With the amount of dust that was the spitgra.s.s he had inhaled he thought he would have gone berserk by now but he hadn''t. He wondered if it was because of the stone or because Penny had pulled most of his corruption in that little time which was there before the portal had been closed. "Durik," Damien called the butler''s name, "Have you seen Penny?" Lady Penelope was in here too? Durik questioned to himself and he shook his head hoping it would be an action that represented to be no. "How about Grace?" Damien asked and Durik quickly nodded his head, croaking to make Damien nod, "Alright. Penny should be able to hold herself for some time," he again started to cough out blood, the blood falling on his hands and his eyes had turned ck, the corruption of his heart taking into effect. "Master Damien are you doing alright?" Durik had never seen the man like this, in this state before. If he didn''t know better, he would have thought he was going through some sort of sickness but that didn''t mean the butler wasn''t aware of what was happening. His heart was corrupted. Damien paid no heed to the croaking that came from the ground. His vision was going anding back, the pitch darkness turning him blind before he could see what was in front of him. He started to hear the gunshotsing again and he turned to look at the toad. "Take me to where Grace is," said Damien and the toad was quick to hop and take him to the room on the very floor. He noticed a secret room inside the room and when he opened and pushed it, he saw the number of dead bodies that were present in here and in that, one of them was his sister but she was still breathing but the breathing out scarce as if she was breathing herst final moments. Seeing there was no other body in here, he picked up his half-sister, and in a blink of an eye, he was outside the house with her. Though the house had been ced under charm where Penny or Durik wasn''t able to get out of it, the same didn''t hold when it came to Damien. It was the effect of the red stone which she had made for him and his body that belonged to the second generation of pureblooded vampires which went against all thews of the witches. He ced his sister and the toad he had picked up away from the house. He then said to Durik, "Stay right here with her,?? the toad quickly croaked and Damien went back to the house. Penny and Piers on the other hand had started to pull their guns and knives, doing everything to attack them. Piers was a weaker ck witch and Robarte took less than five minutes to throw his right against the hard wall. Penny was fighting her mother who cast spells one after another, and Penny deflected them before she cast her very own spells which had been integrated into her mind and skin. Penny had her own tricks up her sleeve and she used the wind element to deflect any object that was thrown at her. When Damien entered the room to push Robarte away from Piers before he could kill him, Laurae appeared more than shocked at how the man was still functioning when she had made the spitgra.s.s strong enough to affect the core of his heart. Penny took this opportunity to use the needle which she hadn''t used, throwing it right at her mother''s leg that made the woman fall down on the ground as her leg appeared to be weak suddenly. Her mother appeared more than angry, in rage when she pulled out the needle. "Why is the corruption not working on you?" Laurae asked looking at Damien. Robarte had moved away from Piers on the arrival of Damien in the room. Even Robarte looked at Damien with a?suspicious and curious look in his eyes. On hearing the word corruption, Penny''s head snapped to look at Damien. His eyes had turned ck like before. What just happened? She had removed the corruption from him by turning it to a minimum and now it hade back again. "Don''t worry, mouse. I am fine," Damien said to Penelope so that she wouldn''t worry about him right now. "You probably didn''t use enough dosage, Laurae. It is what happens when you try to save most of it," Robarte chuckled softly looking at his sister with little to no mirth in his eyes. "I blew everything I had. It is not possible for you to be standing like this," Laurae''s eyes narrowed down. She pulled herself up, her leg which was previously immobilized was now working again. This time it was Penny who looked confused. Her mother shouldn''t have been able to move her leg but in less than a minute she was back again, looking unaffected. Without any hesitation, her mother started to aim at her again. The bullets went one after another which Penny continued to dodge and deflect. Penny took an escape route by going to the other room and her mother followed her leaving Damien and Robarte in the room with an unconscious ck witch who was on the ground right now. "Even though it is taking time, it only a matter of time before you die and get killed, Mr. Quinn," Robarte smiled looking at Damien as they kept a distance and while keeping their weapons close to them. "Are you sure about that?" On Damien''s question, the ck witch who gave him a quizzical look. Chapter 750 Toad Leads The Way- Part 3 Robarte stared at Damien, his red slit eyes observing the person who was standing in front of him, "Are you saying it because you are a higher form of pureblooded vampire?" Damienughed hearing this, "Is that all you know about me? What a shame." The constant smile on Damien''s face annoyed the ck witcher. His facade had fallen down and he had a scornful looking expression on his face. When it came to the art of annoyance, Damien not only pa.s.sed it but he excelled it with flying colors. "Don''t look so confused, I don''t think if you even use the rest of your brain you will be able to find an answer for it but me being a good man will spare those brain cells of yours which has already been exhausted I believe,"?he said, and at the same time, both the men pulled out their guns by sliding the top part of the metal as if they were ready to fire the bullets any second, "Did you think a flimsy little thing like the spit gra.s.s could damage and corrupt me? I don''t know how many times I have told this but¡­ you cannot corrupt something that is already corrupted. You add the color ck to ck, it will still remain ck." Robarte then huffed through his nose, "Are you saying you have already been corrupted? That''s interesting. If I knew it I would have made sure the council knew about it." Damien nodded his head, "Such a child. I guess you didn''t have your parents with you to go tattle tale on what your sister or others did that you have the need to do it. But by all means, please go ahead." Something struck in the witcher''s mind and he clutched on to the cold gun, "You have the habit of running your mouth pompously. I wonder how you will feel when you finally die here." "I don''t know about me but you will surely be burning in a pile of ashes before the end of it," Damien let the man know, "By the way, what was going on with Grace and you? My head was very heavy when you were speaking." Robarte stared at Damien. He had heard quite a few things about this pureblooded vampire. A lot from the society and some from his very own half-sister on how vexing he could be. The man was considered to be shameless who had no filter when it came to speaking his mind out. Right now it was hard to tell if he was sorry about his sister. "She was helping me get your ve, unfortunately, she couldn''t fill in the terms and came to visit me at the wrong timing," Robarte tched, "How do you feel about it? Happy that she''s gone?" "What do you think?" Damien questioned back, ying the game which he enjoyed the most without giving away anything to the other person. "The girl usually came to b.i.t.c.h about you and how things were in the family. Quite a whiny little thing if you ask me, but it felt really good once I started to beat her. You know¡­" Robarte paused and then said, "The human ves which I bought from the market, it is hard to break and test them because they are really fragile. One twist and they are broken but your sister, my," the witcher smiled, "I enjoyed beating her. The sound of the metal on her head, I can''t help but remember it back again and again and it gives me this peace hearing her beg for her life." Damien wasn''t fl.u.s.tered. He had already picked Grace from the dead room to put her out of the house where she was still breathing. He didn''t know how long she would sustain but she would have to fight for her life if she wanted to live. He wasn''t bothered by the ck witch''s words because part of him wanted Grace to be punished. Who knew that she was nning to push Penelope out of his sight and into this man''s life who was her blood rtive. It served her right that she had to go through it because breaking her fangs had apparently been not enough of a punishment to make her realize what wrong she had done. But there was another part, being a pureblooded vampire where the family was important. Grace might not be Maggie but she was still rted and his half-sister as they shared the same father and with that thought, he couldn''t let this man live. He was not only a threat to his family but also the people around that involved Penelope. "It is good to hear that you enjoyed it," Damien cheered the man with a smile, "I am sure she would have deserved it." Robarte stared at Damien for a few seconds, gauging the man''s reaction and said, "It is good that you are here. We can finally end it. With you gone, I can get the girl''s memory erased." "Good luck with that," Damien challenged him back. A fight broke between them with both the men thras.h.i.+ng against each other using their fists, elbows, and legs. Putting them down or cras.h.i.+ng against the wall before lifting themselves up and fighting back. When the ck witcher had pinned Damien down during one of his ckouts because the powder of spitgra.s.s was still circting in his body, Robarteughed, "You pureblooded vampires are so full of s.h.i.+t. Always yapping about how great you people are," he ced the nozzle of the gun on Damien''s back where his heart was still beating, the red core in his heart turning from ck to red and then ck again as it was moving up and down. Damien''s head was pressed against the floor, his fangsing out bare and the skin around his eyes raising the little roots like nerves on his face, "Is that why you got yourself operated to be a vampire? To be full of s.h.i.+t?" the pureblooded vampire couldn''t stop himself fromughing, "What a hypocrite you are. You feel useless being a ck witch and are trying to be a vampire by taking a vampire''s organs. I don''t know if I should pity you or feel how pathetic you are." "Consider whatever you may. A dying man will speak bulls.h.i.+t. Once the bullets gets into your very own skin, I would like to see what you would like to say at that time," a smile crept up on Robarte''s face that showcased the madness he had been containing behind that gentle and kind facade in front of everyone. The smile continued to extend whilst he pushed Damien''s face further into the floor, "Time to say bye," and he pulled the trigger of the gun. When Robarte pulled the trigger, the sound of the gunshot was heard in the room but he had shot at the empty s.p.a.ce. His hand staggered forward where he lost his bnce to see no one beneath him and before he could turn, he felt something being ced on the back of his head. "So much of haste," Damien spoke standing behind the ck witcher with his revolver being ced on the back of Robarte''s head. Chapter 751 Death- Part 1 Robarte''s eyes went wide as saucers, the slit in his eyes turning even narrower than before as he didn''t know what just happened right now. One moment the pureblooded vampire was right in his reach and ready to be shot and he had pulled the trigger. The next moment he had disappeared in less than a blink of an eye and now stood behind him. "You are a witch too¡­" on Robarte''s words, Damien lips twisted into a smile. "No, thanks. Did you think I was a spoiled pompous man? That, that was all I had in me?" Damien pulled out the cork that creaked slowly as he purposely took his time. Feeding on fear like men and women like these was something Damien enjoyed the most. He loved and when the fear was slowly reeking out of the witcher though he tried to hide it, Damien couldn''t help himself but bask in it. "How did you disappear? Was it the girl who helped you?" Robarte questioned, wanting to find out answers. "Didn''t make a background check on me? I must say you did quite a poor job. Why don''t you think about what happened in your afterlife?" and the next moment, Damien had pulled the trigger for the bullet tounch into the witcher''s head. But Damien didn''t stop there. He continued to load the bullet into the man''s head one after another without a stop until all the bullets had turned empty in his revolver. Feeling the wet blood on his hand as he had been holding the witcher''s head before he let go of the man who fell sideways on the ground. Damien stared at the man for long minutes, pulling out the kerchief from his pocket to clean his b.l.o.o.d.y hand before throwing the used kerchief on the ground which was soaked in ck blood. There were rules that ran in the family and though some could be overlooked, this was one of the things he couldn''t. If anyone ever thought about harming his family or people who belonged to him, then no one was supposed to be spared. They would all need to die. To either set an example or to remove them along with their thoughts. He had acquired this quality from histe mother. Robarte was dead as heid there with his heart that had stopped beating when Damien had put the second bullet into his head. The man had killed too many women and G.o.d only knew how many more he had killed apart from the ones that were up in the room. Most of the ck witches were born psychotic but this man and his sister...they were a piece of art. Leaving the dead witch behind, he went in search of where Penelope and her mother were in the house. Penny had been running away from her mother as she had started to throw double-sided knives at such speed that she was finding it hard to find an opening to attack her. The room was big with a long looking table which she a.s.sumed that they were in the dining room of this mansion. "You have learned quite some new tricks since west met, dear. Who taught you those?" her mother asked while she dodged around the room by going behind the chairs and throwing it at her mother. "Why do you want to know? So that you can erase them too?" Penny shot back for the woman to smile. "You must be really hurt after finding out about your memories. Don''t worry, you will get over it," her mother spoke nonchntly. "I don''t have to worry about anything. Everythinges back around, mother. Did you know that?" she asked while turning her body away and right at that moment, the knife pa.s.sed through her arm making her flinch because it opened the skin up. "I will need you to be clearer, dead. And stop mumbling," her mother walked around taking a short break so that she could y with the girl a little more, "I was thinking of taking you away with me once I was back from the dead, but who knew that you would have been sold. One way it was good that Marion did sell you, at least I didn''t have the responsibility but there were times I thought I will take you with me." "What made you think I woulde with you?" Penny spoke back to the woman, "I will never live with you. You aren''t my mother not by rtion at least." "Hard truth, Penny but I am the one who gave birth to you. I know you wouldn''t. You would have got ratherfortable living as one of the young pureblooded vampire ves. Have you forgotten about the mind spell? One flick and you will forget everything." "That is all you know. A woman who cannot love because you don''t deserve to be loved. You killed the man who loved and protected you since he knew you." Her mother tilted her head, a smile on her lips, "What can I say about ck witches-" "No," Penny interrupted her, shaking her head she said, "Don''t me it on you being a ck witch. Even a ck witch haspa.s.sion and feelings. You are nothing but a hollow, selfish woman. Like an object who doesn''t breathe because you are already dead." The smile that Laurae had been giving her daughter, faltered on her lips, "It seems like you have forgotten the good times we had together." "Things you did for yourself? I feel sorry for you. I don''t feel like calling you as my mother, or the woman who was married to my father. You don''t deserve either of it," Penny''s words came out to be emotionless because she was done crying over it. For what she had done to her father... the look on his face was something that broke her heart. The pain he would have felt when her mother had raised her hand before slitting his throat, Penny was not going to forgive the woman. Chapter 752 Death- Part 2 Laurae started tough hearing this. She looked at Penny as if she were an insolent stupid child who didn''t know how the world worked, "What are you nning to do? I watched your little stunts but do you think it will work on me? Do you think the elements will work on me? Your lover tried to kill me but I put him right where he belongs. Let me show you," Laurae said, moving her hands towards her chest, she pulled a bullet out and threw it on the table, "Silver bullets made of holy water and potions. They won''t work on me, dear. You are missing one important thing." "I know¡­" Penny trailed with her words, a sigh leaving her lips, "I might not be experienced but there is someone who was eager to let us know on something." The ck witch''s eyes narrowed and turned small, her lips twisting, "Caitlin." Penny nodded her head, "I didn''t know I had an aunt until I went to Valeria and she told me what happened. What you did to her along with your brother." "Your uncle you mean," Laurae corrected her, and Penny chuckled. "I don''t want to be a.s.sociated with you or the Artemis. I thought I would let you know, I will be getting married," the ck witch raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Congrattions. Won''t you call, mommy?" Penny shook her head, "I don''t think you will be alive to attend it." "So much confidence, I should apud. You were always like this even when you were small, trying to poke your nose and being curious about things. If you weren''t so, I wouldn''t have had to erase your mind at all, Penny. Leaving you alive anymore is not a good option and I need to kill you. You understand that right?" Penny looked at her mother. She looked the same, her memory having a constant image which made her wonder if it was because she had grown up next to her which she hadn''t noticed that the woman didn''t look old at all. She instead looked quite young to have a daughter of Penny''s page. There were a few times, Penny had wished and hoped that it was untrue that this woman was her mother but the reality was harsh. Penny then smiled, "We got sidetracked. I know what is missing and why the bullet is not working on you." "You do?" her mother pulled the chair and sat down at the table. "It is because this is another body of yours. Your original body is ced in the same cemetery under another name. It would be hard to find out but there are only two graves there that share the same date. One which was empty, the one I dug your grave that leaves the next one with the remains of you. Am I right?" "Brilliant," her mother pped her hands for her, "But you are here. You were fast in thinking the answer but you won''t be able to leave the mansion alive." Laurae saw her daughter nod once again, "You are right but unlike you I am not alone. There are people who I can trust." Before Penny and others hade here searching for this ce, Penny had gone outside their room to bring Caitlin and Maggie as they needed their help. They were now in the cemetery, the same cemetery that belonged to the vige where Penny and her mother used to leave together. Maggie held thentern in one of her hands and in another she held a can as they walked inside the lonely cemetery where no one was around. Caitlin on the other hand held the two shovels as they started to search for the grave that belonged to Laurae. Before they had left the mansion, Penny had told, ''I read in the book that it is possible for a ck witch toe back to life after performing some of the rituals while still keeping the body alive, without being burnt. You both need to go search in the cemetery. If I am not wrong, there was another grave that shared the same date. And when you find it, you need to burn the body.'' Searching for the two graves sharing the same death date, the two women started to move around when they found the first grave that was written with the headstone of Laurae. Finding the second one, both the women took a shovel each and started to dig the ground until they found the metal hitting the wooden box. Removing it quickly, they found the remains of a dead person. "Are you sure this is the one?" Maggie asked with her eyes looking down at the skeleton. "This is the only date that is shared here," Caitlin herself was staring at the remains and she then took hold of the kerosene they had brought along with them. She started to pour all over the grave. Finally when there was an ample amount of liquid poured on to the open casket, Caitlin pulled out the matchbox from her coat, pulling out the stick. Flicking the little stick that caught fire, she threw at the grave for the remains to ze in the fire. Back in the mansion, the ck witch suddenly started to feel hot and a sliver of pain that ran down her spine. She gave a confused look as to what just happened. Penny could only hope that right now, the wound that would be caused would mean to say that her remains in the grave had been burned down. She pulled the trigger, and the bullet went to hit her mother''s chest making the woman stagger and take a step back with the impact that had been caused by the bullet. Laurae looked down at her chest, bringing her hands and touching it she saw blood oozing out of her chest. Penny could see her mother''s final moments pa.s.sing through her face as her expression started to crumble down. "That was just the normal bullet," Penny said to her, she pulled out the bullet that she had saved to put it in the gun. "Daughter, don''t do it," Laurae smiled at her daughter. Penny raised her hand up in the air, holding the weapon in her hand and she pulled the trigger for the bullet to be hit right at the woman''s head that threw her head back and in a matter of seconds, the ck witch started to crumble and evaporate as her body started to turn to dust. When she finally was gone to leave only the clothes behind on the floor, Penny felt as if a sudden weight on her shoulders had been lifted up and she could finally breathe. She didn''t want to hear anything from her mother. The empathetic feelings and the emotions she had towards her mother had long washed away, with only the thought of how she had lied to her. She was tired with the lies and she had pulled the trigger at her mother to end everything. Damien who entered the room caught sight of the clothes and then Penny who dropped both her hands down. Walking towards her, he hugged her and she hugged him back. Chapter 753 Death- Part 3 With her mother gone in front of her eyes as she had turned to dust, both Penny and Damien went to the room where Robarte''s bodyid dead. When they hade here, standing outside the mansion, Penny had been hoping to finish this up as soon as she could, and now that it was over, there was a part of emptiness as she had erased the bad people who had been trying to hurt her. Penny didn''t know Robarte that well but it seemed that the man knew her well enough of where she was and how he had been trying to trap her the time they had met each other while also trying to use Grace in trapping her. She s.h.i.+fted her gaze from the dead ck witcher to meet Damien''s eyes, "Were you able to find grace?" she asked him and saw him nod. "I got her outside. Durik is with her," upon his reply, Penny didn''t go to question more on it. "We need to kill himpletely," Penny said looking at Robarte again. Though he was dead and lying on the ground, he was a ck witcher who needed to be burned down until the very dust. "Take the lead," Damien said, letting herplete the work and she bent down. Taking the needle, she pierced it into his body and it took more than a minute before the body started to crumble down, each cell turning to dust until there was nothing remaining of him. And with this everything was done. She exhaled the cold air, the house softly creaking as whatever spell the ck witch had ced for many decades now had finally been lifted. When they stepped out of the mansion, Penny caught sight of Grace who wasid down on the ground. The vampiress looked badgered. Her face...one side of her face had turned out to be unrecognizable. Walking to her, Penny sat down to check if she was still breathing and she was. It was faint, like a lit candle that burned its tips before it would extinguish itself. "We''ll need to take her to Murkh. He can figure out something," Damien stated and she nodded her head. When she heard a croake near the body, Penny almost felt her heart slip down her chest, "Carry Durik. We''ll be going right away." Penny did what was asked, and she caught Durik who looked slightly fl.u.s.tered for being picked. In a blink of an eye, Damien had transported them in the council''s building. Carrying Grace in his arms, he kicked the door open. Murkh was doing something at his desk when he caught Damien entering the room whose front was covered in blood and the girl in his arms. "She has lost a lot of blood. I need you to operate on her right away," Damien ced Grace on the cadaver table so that the vampire doctor could take a look at her. "Who is this?" Murkh asked, making his way with the scalpel and other tools with him. "My half-sister," Damien replied back, "Will she survive?" "Let me see," the vampire doctor replied back. Murkh didn''t bother to get the rest of the details and he instead started to operate on the vampiress. While Damien stood next to Grace''s body, Penny turned around not able to see the blood gus.h.i.+ng out and the way Grace''s face had turned to the current state. Instead, she found Durik and used the reversal spell to have the man turn back to his vampire self. Durik who was naked didn''t know what to do, therefore he wore the doctor''s coat so that he wouldn''t be walking around naked in front of people. Sitting in a corner, he fell asleep leaving Penny and Damien standing next to each other. "Are you alright?" Penny asked Damien knowing how his corruption had gone back to increase in his heart. Not waiting for an answer, she said, "Can you take a seat please," she said looking at the chair and he sat down. Stepping closer to him, she ced her hands on either side of his face to look into his eyes. His eyes were still dted which meant the corruption was back. She closed her eyes wondering what to do this time. With difficulty she had lowered the corruption around his heart and her mother had raised it again. She could tell it was acting up when she stepped close to him and he was trying to put a leash around it. This time, the corruption was not something innate and it had been caused because of her mother. An external factor, "Open your mouth," she said and leaned forward to attach her own lips. Inhaling the air and circting it back to him. She could feel the taste in her mouth, the air which Damien had inhaled back in the abandoned mansion. She pulled away, coughing and spitting out the dust in the basin which was dark green in color. Turning around, she saw Damien''s eyes that had gone back to normal and she sighed. Closing her eyes. Finally. Finally, she could rx. Damien had followed her and he took her hands in his, "Thank you." "Anything for you," Penny smiled looking up at him. She then moved closer so that she could lean against him. She didn''t like Grace and she had ill intentions against her but Grace''s family was worried about her. She could only hope the girl woulde around one day. Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow, but somewhere in the future. They then heard Murkh say, "The face will take its time to heal. Being a pureblooded vampire it might heal faster and take back its shape but in time. She''s lost a lot of blood but I have attached the blood bag for restoration. Give it a few hours." Damien and Penny didn''t leave theboratory and stayed behind. If it was a stranger, it would have been easy to leave ande back but with Grace looking pitiful in this state, it didn''t feel right to leave. When a few hours pa.s.sed, Murkh who had been sleeping at his desk looked up to see the monitor he had attached beeping loud enough to wake everyone. It was a red light that blinked. "Thedy is back," Murkh informed them. Penny who had been sleeping woke up and walked towards the table to see the doctor who had cleaned the blood and the wound that had been given to her by the ck witch which looked cleaner. "Murkh, I will be taking her home," Damien said to have the doctor nod. "Let me know if you need anything." By the time they had returned back home, Lady Fleurance''s rage knew no bounds and she questioned what happened to her daughter whilst she cried. Even Gerald, Damien''s father was angry with what happened. After Maggie and Caitlin had returned,?everyone was waiting for them to know what happened. Damien sat everyone down before exining everything in detail and not missing to tell how Grace had been talking to Robarte so that the man could have Penelope. . #5 Belle Adams'' Butler - has been updated with chapters now. Chapter 754 Death- Part 4 At first, Fleurance pointed out how it was because of Penelope that her daughter was in this state but after some more heated discussion, Gerald said, "What has happened has turned to the past. Mistakes has been done and sadly, there''s nothing we can do right now. Grace should have known better than to behave like that," he didn''t want to rub salt against his wife''s wound but that was the truth. Maggi had no problem with Penelope and it was Grace''s action that had put her where she was today. "Let''s look at the positive side that Grace is still breathing," he rubbed Fleurance''s shoulder who broke down in tears. Penny and Damien walked out of the room after a while, giving the elders the room with their daughter. Walking back to their room, Penny went to the patio to look at the sky that had turned blue. Clutching her hands on the rails, she looked down at the water below her that constantly kept moving. Damien came to stand next to her, watching the horizon, he said, "Don''t heed to her words, she''s just feeling helpless seeing Grace in that condition." Penny shook her head, "I didn''t," Fleurance loved her daughter and anyone could tell that. Her actions were justified out of worry, "How long does it take for a pureblooded to heal from a wound like that?" "Two weeks I guess. Grace''s body is stronger than the average vampire. Maybe just a few marks but she will be fine," he then asked her, "How are you feeling?" "I am okay¡­ It was a really long day. Everything came to an end." "It did." "Do you think we can visit the forestter?" Penny asked him to see him nod. Penny and Damien stayed in the room for a while where Penelope fell asleep out of exhaustion as she had been up the whole night. Seeing Penny asleep, Damien stepped out of the room and went to meet his parents who were still in Grace''s room. Lady Fleurance, sat next to her daughter, holding one of Grace''s hands with a sullen look on her face. "Murkh said if needed he woulde visit Grace to make sure she was progressing when ites to the healing," he let his father know. Gerald gave his son a nod, "That''s good. Bring him over tomorrow so that we can make sure there are noplications." "I will be going to the council. There are a few things that need to be reported," he then left the mansion to go to the council. Walking up the wide stairs and corridors, Damien made his way to the council room and knocked on the door. "Come in," he heard the head council''s voice from the other side of the door, "Damien," Rueben looked surprised to see him there. "Good morning, I hope I am not disturbing you," Damien said to see Rueben move his hand in the direction of the chair for Damien to take a seat. "Just the usuals, waiting for the doc.u.ments to be sent by Councilman Mathias. What can I do for you?" Rueben asked knowing the pureblooded vampire hade to the office this early because he had something important to say. "Do you know a man who went by the name Robarte? A vampire," Damien started to see Rueben shake his head. It was taken that Robarte didn''t catch the higher officials eyes as he had beenying low by just enjoying his time as a converted vampire in the society while using his small status to satisfy his needs, "There used to be a mansion near to the East coast of Bonke which was removed from the map when the new map was made and the new map was recreated by Councilwoman Ava who was trying to house some of the ck witches." Damien ced the two maps on the table which he had brought along with him, "You will need to ask the councilmen to go through the missing houses to see how many other ck witches reside in them." Rueben took hold of the scrolls and pulled it open to look at the markings of cities and viges across thend of Bonke that had been drawn, "I a.s.sume you have killed one of them?" the head council asked him. "He''s dead but that is not what I came here for. There are some girls in there, in the mansion where the ck witch used to live. All dead, and I am a.s.suming them to be ves that were bought from the ck market." "How many of them? Are all dead?" Rueben''s face turned to a frown. Damien gave him a curt nod, "All dead. Maybe it''s time for the council to ce a new edict that could save lives rather than being killed one after another," he proposed to the head council. Too many ves had died and there was no count to it. Though the council couldn''t get rid of the establishment because it would end up with riots and more illegal ways of trafficking people which would be difficult to get a hold on, the least they could do is provide some sort of health insurance that could guarantee them to live longer. "I am not sure how that will go but I will propose it in the meeting." "I hope you do, Reuben. Most of them are in an unrecognizable condition. Once you have picked up the bodies, burn the house down. There is still some magic in there which would be better to be burnt than just cleaning up." "How did you end up there?" Rueben asked curiously as there was no case being run and Damien wasn''t given one as he had onlye back from Mythweald with the rest of the other council members. "My butler and sister went missing. The witcher held them captive," Reuben raised his brows hearing this, and Damien had to give a short recap on what happened so that Penelope wouldn''te to be questioned. The councilmen and councilwoman who had been part of the job to close the portal that was opened by the ck witches were sworn to keep the event secret which also included what Penelope was so that she could continue living her life like a human in the other''s eyes ??I am d to hear they are alright but have you thought about the other witches who escaped the night of the ritual? Don''t you think they wille for you?" Rueben asked Damien out of concern knowing how vengeful the ck witches were. Hearing this Damien shook his head, "They won''t surface for a good few years. Penelope made sure to lock most of their magic away and even if they want to run the ritual it is not going to be any time soon." "That sounds better." Once he was done talking to the head council, Damien went to Murkh to get medicines for Grace and got back to the mansion. During the time of the evening, which was when Penny had woken up the pair went to the forest where Penny spent her time in front of her father''s grave. Her mother was gone, her so-called uncle was dead with her and the only family member who lived along her was her aunt, Caitlin. She didn''t move her lips but sat down on the forest ground with the green leaves looking greener and bright under the evening light of the sky that fell on the forest where she was right now. Though now all memories were good, she was thankful for a few things and she had decided to keep them close to her heart. Cheris.h.i.+ng them as they were meant to be taken care of. Now with her mother gone, the spell that had been ced on her when it came to her memories started to flood like water that was unable to keep in her mind anymore. Most of them were sad but at the same time, there were even good ones. Her mother had erased all her memories when it came to her father making it appear as if he didn''t exist but he existed more than her mother did even if they had spent less time with each other. They were beautiful and warm. To know her father, even more, she felt fortunate about it. If there was something she was regretful about, she wished she could have remembered him sooner so that she could rest him somewhere safe and also wis.h.i.+ng how things could have been different if he had found out about Laurae''s intentions before she had killed him. Damien stood right behind her, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against therge tree while looking at the girl who was trying to transcend her thoughts and feelings to her father. Penny hade a long way, her journey had been hard but finally she would be able to breathe. Her mother was dead. The ck witches who had been wanting to open the portal and unbind the magic had gone to hiding. She had found her father, and though he was long gone, this was the ce she coulde to return too. Seeing her stand up, and turn around to look at him, he looked at her. The mouse had turned somewhat to a fierce cat in his eyes. "Finished talking?" he asked her, pus.h.i.+ng himself against the wall and walking to her. "Hmm," she nodded her head. Damien took hold of her hand but he didn''t apparate from there with her, instead, they started to walk so that they could spend some quiet time together walking towards the bridge that connected the mansion. Chapter 755 You And Me- Part 1 PLEASE USE Music Rmendation for this and next chapter: Before You Exit - Clouds OR Novo Amor - Anchor . The Quinn''s mansion was decorated as if it were the time of Christmas. The servants looked extremely busy as they walked around hastily to set up everything that was needed as guests started to pour in with their carriages that were asked to be parked before the bridge once the guests would get down in front of the entrance of the mansion to go back and station them. Guests who came held the invitation cards in their hands which were distributed two weeks ago. It was the day where the son of Quinn''s family was marrying a human who was a former ve girl. At least that was what many of them thought who didn''t know Penelope personally. "Was she really a ve girl?" asked a woman to the person who stood next to her in full curiosity. "I am surprised myself. I heard she was brought from the ck market," replied the other woman as they looked at the mansion that looked nothing less to a castle. It was very rare for a pureblooded vampire to marry a ve as it was considered to be appalling in high society but it seemed as the Quinn''s were rich who belonged to the first two generations, things like this could be overlooked. "I wonder how the parents agreed. I mean if I am not wrong, I heard Lady Fleurance telling in one of the soirees we met of how she was nning to marry Evelyn who is almost of the same social standing." "Something must have happened," whispered the first woman, "I mean Damien is a little out of character, the poor family." "You don''t say," both the women were pureblooded vampires who stood there gossiping whilst they admired the mansion. They didn''t know someone was standing right behind them and that person who spoke, "Coming to the wedding and bad-mouthing about the couple as well as family," it was a woman who wore bright lipstick on her lips and her blonde short hairbed to sit straight like needles, "Don''t you think it is rude?" asked Evelyn, giving them a pointed look. The two women who had turned around looked a little surprised that the vampiress stood there, "We were only speaking, dear," spoke one of the women. "You should consider what words you speak here unless you want to be thrown in the sea," Evelyn said, her dark red eyes still staring at them. The other woman chuckled, "Don''t feel bad, Evelyn. We know you must be hurting inside for not being able to catch his heart." "Damien doesn''t know what he is doing-" "Who told you, I want to catch his heart? He is a psychotic pureblooded vampire. I would prefer a saner one. Now, unless the words came out of my very own mouth, I would ask you to zip it," Eveyln warned not wanting to hear what people had to say about her. The women huffed, leaving her to stand alone and her brother joined. "You turned out to be quite popr today," said her brother to receive a re from her, "Why didn''t you fight for him though? I thought Damien was the ideal man." "He was but no man is worth fighting for if the person is not willing to stay beside you," Evelyn had at first decided not to go to the wedding. She rather found it to be as if Damien was rubbing salt on her wounds which would still take time to heal. She had been pinning on the man for a very long time but after he had made it clear to her with a single underlying threat, she was not going to chase him anymore. But it wasn''t just that. During their time in Mythweald, she had seen the girl who many people called her as ''ve'', she was nothing of that sort. She was stronger, smart, and had fought the ck witches along their side. The reason there was going to be temporary peace was because she was the white witch who was rted to the first generation white witches who were responsible for closing and binding the magic for the first time. The girl had her own tricks but it didn''t intimidate Evelyn but she wasn''t going to fall low and turn desperate after the humiliation and stunt Damien had put her through. And she saw the love the pureblooded vampire had for the white witch. The way he cared for Penelope, he had never cared about anyone and she knew she had no chance. Taking a deep breath, she said, "What time is it? The wedding is yet to start and there are gossipers. Let''s get a drink," she said, pulling her brother along with her. Inside the mansion and in one of the rooms, Penelope had been dressed in a white gown. Her blonde hairs tied up while letting loose some of the strands in the front. Maggie had helped in dressing her up and doing her hair. "Did we run out of pins??" Maggie asked seeing there weren''t many on the dressing table. "Let me go get some," Caitlin said, getting up from the bed, she walked out of the room. When she was finally dressed with the veil pinned at the back of her hair, she finally looked at the mirror, a smile breaking on her lips. Penny saw how good Maggie was when it came to doing her hair and it reminded that Damien was good when it came to making different hairstyles. Penelope didn''t dare in touching her hair as she feared in spoiling it. She could feel her heart begin to beat nervously when she heard the music start to y outside the mansion. With how big the mansion was including outside the building, the family had set up the altar and seats ready for the guests. The smile on her face didn''t lower down. She was happy today, happy that her day had finallye along with Damien where they would be getting married to each other in presence of everyone. When she had started her teenage years, Penny had hoped for a wedding. It didn''t matter if it was in the church just the groom, his parents and her mother but this was much more that she could have asked for and she wasn''tining. To marry someone she loved and who loved her back, there was nothing she could have asked for. Caitlin arrived back with the pins and Maggie put two more of them in her hair to make sure Penny''s hair wouldn''t loosen up while she would walk around. "There! You are all set. Oh! Your shoes." "I have them," came the voice at the door. It was grace who stood at the door who was dressed in a bridesmaid''s dress. Her strides were somewhat awkward but she made her way to them and pulled out the box to hand over the shoes. "I thought it was different thest time I checked," Maggie looked at the shoes that looked better than the ones she had seen. "Damien designed it from his shop," Grace answered before she walked to the wall and stood looking at Penelope, "You look pretty," sheplimented, her words less but enough right now. Penelope knew the girl was making an effort and therefore she smiled, "Thank you." Chapter 756 You And Me- Part 2 After what happened in Robarte''s mansion and after she gained back consciousness, Grace had turned quiet and dull. Worse than the time when Damien had broken her fangs which was understandable as she had nearly died. If it weren''t for Penny and Damien, she would have been dead and it had hit the vampiress hard. Grace didn''t know if she was supposed to be thankful but she was definitely embarra.s.sed for the mistakes she had made. Her father wasn''t speaking to her, she knew he cared but at the same time for what she had done, it would take a long time before her family members would forgive her. Half of her face was scared and it was a constant reminder which she would have to live with. Her confidence had fallen low but her family was giving her a chance to fix what she had messed up. It was only two days ago that Penny had knocked on Grace''s door, asking her to be a bridesmaid at the wedding. What Grace had done was inexcusable but she was trying to make amends and that was something Penny was looking forward to. "Let''s leave the bride alone for some time," Maggie pped her hands and the females in the room stepped out of the room, giving Penny the needed s.p.a.ce before she would have to go outside. Penny sat on the bed, fluffing her dress before walking towards the window where she could see the bridge and the number of people who had gathered below outside the garden. The music in the atmosphere was soothing. People wearing high-end clothes that showed the high society life the humans and vampires were part of. "Penelope," her aunt came to fetch, "Ready?" Caitlin asked her. When Penny stepped outside, she could feel the tension rise in her bones. Before Penny could walk down the aisle and towards the altar, Damien''s father Gerald stood waiting for her. "Nervous?" asked Gerald and his presence of waiting to walk her to the altar made her happy. "I little bit," Penny replied as she ced her hand around his hand, letting it rest and the other hand held the bouquet of flowers. The music had started which was soft, drifting in the wind. "You will feel better once you are up at the altar," he said, and as they walked down. She pursed her lips, taking in a deep breath as she made her way, walking slowly while many eyes were on her. Out of sheer curiosity, her eyes moved to look at the crowd that had gathered and she spotted some of the known faces who gave her an encouraging smile. There was Lord Nichs, Sister Jera, Lord Alexander who was a groomsman for his cousin, some of the council members who she had got to meet which included Evelyn. Piers, the ck witch was here too along with some of the known faces. Penny finally caught Damien who was waiting for her. He wore a ck suit with a white s.h.i.+rt, waiting for her and he watched her. Her chest felt full right now and if she could she would have cried but today was not the day to cry. It was because she was sad but because she was happy. The happiness she had not known had opened its doors for her. There was a grin on his lips that was infectious enough to make her smile back at him. Walking up to him, Gerald finally let go of her as Damien had raised his hands for her to take and she ced her hand in his. Standing at the altar in front of him, Caitlin and Maggie quickly stepped forward to straighten her dress that was errant. Taking her bouquet away, Penny ced the other hand in Damien''s hands, her green eyes staring into his eyes and he did the same. Throughout the ceremony, if Penny was asked what the priest said, she wouldn''t have remembered as her eyes concentrated on looking at Damien. From the time of officially meeting each other, the first time when Penny had seen Damien walk towards her through the crowd before jumping on the stage where she was being sold, their journey had been exhrating. Their little banters, the emotions she had gone through in thepany of his it was unexinable like the air around her where she could only feel it. Days, weeks, and months had pa.s.sed and finally, here they were together, ready to take their vows and waiting for the priest who was none other than Father Antonio who was performing the ceremony for them. "Penelope, do you ept Damien to be your husband?" asked Father Antonio looking at Penny. "I do," Penny replied to him. "Damien, do you ept Penelope to be your wife?" Damien grinned, "I do," and the priest finally said, "I now announce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," Damien stepped forward, leaning forward to kiss Penny''s lips, it was a sweet kiss on her lips and she wished it could be longer and as if hearing her thoughts, Damien put his arm around her and kissed her for a few seconds more before both of them smiled looking into each other''s eyes. To Damien, Penny had turned to be his world. She was the girl who stole his heart and since the first time he had seen her, he had been intrigued by her presence. He loved her with all his heart and he wanted to protect her, wanting to spend the next endless years with her. A few yearster... [The year 1848] "We are going to bete," Penny said, looking at the clock as the minute hand continued to move where Damien was busy doing her hair, "The previous one was alright." "Shush now," he said moving his hands quickly around and in ten minutes he was done, "I am sure the ceremony will still be going on when we reach there. And the ceremony is usually held close to noon. How are you feeling?" he asked her, helping her stand up with her round stomach and she slowly got up from the seat. "You know I am perfectly capable of walking and moving by myself. It has only been four months." "Plenty enough to be careful," Damien said, taking her hand he made sure she was alright and in another, he ced on her stomach before leaning forward to talk to the baby, "Papa, cannot wait for you," and he nted a kiss on her stomach, "Let me know by kicking if you have something to tell me." Penny''s eyes narrowed looking at Damien, "I am slightly worried." "Don''t worry, mouse, he or she will turn as amazing as their father. Your husband has all those redeeming qualities one is looking for," Penny shook her head with a smile, narcist Damien and she received a kiss on the tip of her nose, "Did I tell you how cute your nose is?" "A few times," Penny replied to him. Grabbing her coat she looked at him and when they were ready, both Damien and Penny had apparated from their house to thend of Valeria where Damien''s cousin was getting married. Chapter 757 Epilogue *Few weeks before the wedding* Penny and Damien walked into the forest, their shoes stepping on to the gra.s.s of thend, and their hands intertwined together. The weather today was perfect where there were lesser grey clouds that were reced to lighter ones which were white in color. As if the weather itself was turning around for a few days giving thend of Bonke a momentary break from all the rain. Sunlight peered through the gaps of the trees above them. "Did all the people from the old mansion go back to their families?" Penny asked in wonderment as Durik had said how there were other toads like him who were trapped. She had met the people to dispel the spell but she didn''t know what happened after that. "Some of them got back to their family. Some don''t have a family so the council is going to fund the money and food until their life stabilizes," he answered her. "What did Murkh say?" Penny asked Damien, looking to her side where he was walking beside her. "She should be alright. Grace will recover but the wounds on her face, that he isn''t sure if it will heal. Though technically it should as she is a pureblooded vampire but that might take time." "I see¡­" her words trailed. A week pa.s.sed since they had brought Grace home. A week where her mother and her uncle had died. A week since they finally had peace where she didn''t have to keep watching over her shoulders for any possible threat, "She lost too much blood." "Hmm, it is why Grace was lucky that she still survived. If it were a vampire, maybe she wouldn''t have survived. Fleurance might take some time." Penny nodded her head. Everything was so calm around them that it felt surreal. Damien and Penny had started to take walks together from the mansion and into the forest. "Say Damien...why didn''t you approach me the first time you saw me?" she asked him, a serene expression spread around her face. "I don''t remember why. I wish I knew what stopped me froming and talking to you. I am sure you wouldn''t have refused such a handsome face," Damien praised himself. Penny chuckled, looking down at the green gra.s.s and then to wherever they were walking to, "What makes you think that? I think I would have chased you for being a pushy strange vampire." "I find it hard to believe that, that would be your first impression of me." "Well that was if you met me outside the theater. I guess my actual impression was horror. I remember you s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g the auction man''s hand," Penny said recollecting the memory that looked like it took ce a week ago, "But I think when I first saw you. When you jumped on the stage after raising the gold so high, I hoped you were a good man so that I could run away easily." Damien grinned at that, "Always ready to run away. Just like a little mouse." "Can you me me? You made me walk bare feet on the ground, didn''t give me food, didn''t give me nket one night-" "It was funny the way you kept moving away in the bed. I couldn''t help but tease you that night. In my defense, I added more logs of wood that night so that you wouldn''t catch a cold," Damien said, squeezing her fingers that he was holding. "Yes, also making me pull out weeds in the rain. If I could I would have thrown you in the sea but then I was worried you would throw me in there before I would know it," Penny said, "But you sat down with me that night. Pulling weeds in the garden," sheughed. He had given her the work and instead he was doing itter. They stopped walking and Damien pulled her close to him, "What else?" he asked, wanting to hear more from her lips. He had always enjoyed listening to her talk. Penny ced her hands on his chest and then shoulders, "But Iter found out that not everything you did was to hurt me. And it wasn''t you being cruel to me and you did it for a reason," she knew Damien enjoyed tormenting her and maybe if he had told her why he did it, she would have understood it sooner but he hadn''t let her, leaving her in suspense whilst she wondered how a man like him could exist, "I might continue telling you this forever, but I am happy to be here with you. With the way things went..." For once Damien didn''t bring out his narcissist side and he said, "I know. I wouldn''t have wished life to turn any other way with you," he then stepped back making her confused and he sat down on the ground holding Penny''s hand, "We told everyone we were engaged but we didn''t get the time to do it. The weather looks good, the birds are singing." Penny could feel her heart thud in her chest. She gulped the nervous bundle of knots which she felt in her stomach. "Breathe Penny," Damien said looking at her, "I won''t say I fell in love with you the moment I saw you but I think I might have fallen in love with you the second time I saw you. You stood there in the rain with an umbre in your hand. I was going for council work when I saw you for the second time," It was urgent matters with regards to the recent ma.s.sacre that had taken ce at that time, "I had the coachman turn around again so that I could take a look at you again. Love at second sight, that is what I would like to believe. I would have you in any form. Now or in future. Any day, any time. I am happier to have met you, Penelope. Somewhere happy that there were rumors that didn''t allow a man to approach you. I love you and will continue to love to have you next to me. To spend the remaining years of ours together." Damien then pulled out a ring in his hand, "Marry me, mouse. I promise to cherish you for so long as I can and will live." Penny blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall down from her eyes and she breathed with a smile breaking on her lips. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you, Damien," hearing her words, Damien pushed the ring on to her ring finger and he stood up to kiss her lips. When they pulled away, Penny said, "You do know Ie with a crazy set of long lost rtives right?" "Mhmm," he hugged her, "I know. I have decided to increase the cell room in the dungeon so that we could amodate them all in there," Penny giggled hearing this. "Sounds like a wonderful idea." "What did you think about your master? Ie up with brilliant ideas," he said, lifting up her hand, he kissed the back of her hand. "Thank you, for being so thoughtful," Penny said to him. They spent some more time in the forest before getting back to their room by apparition as Damien made love to Penny like it was their very first time. . Scroll to read?the chapter ''Exclusive interview with Damien and others'' Chapter 758 Exclusive Interview With Damien And Others I didn''t break the chapter and decided to do it one single chapter as a whole. . The room was filled with noise, people moving quickly to the backstage as they shuffled around to take seats and looked at the stage where beautiful women and handsome looking men sat leisurely talking to each other as if they were catching up with each other. The man who had yed Father Antonio wore a cap on his head instead of a coif and picked up the mic to say, "We''ll be starting the interview in thirty seconds on the clock. Is Jera ready?" he asked to hear one of the a.s.sociates of the crew answer, "Yes, she''s on stage!" They looked at the clock that moved back from ten and when it hit zero, everyone pped their hands and the video started to run live. Sister Jera who had taken up the interviewing job said, "Wee to b.l.o.o.d.y Fangs that is sponsored by Vampbucks, b.l.o.o.d.y Tea, Chopped finger fries which is funded by our very Damien Quinn. Please wee all our guests for today," she cheered along with everyone, "Before we go to the main characters of the story of ''Young Master Damien''s Pet'', let''s go to one of the characters who was called sunflower. One and only Durik." *People in the audience cheer for him with posters of toads and hearts* Durik: *awkwardly waves hands* Interviewer: Mr. Durik, how has your life been since you started working for Quinn''s family? If I am not wrong you are still working there as a butler, right? Durik: *nods* Yes, I am still posted there as the butler. Though I was promised that I would get to leave, after seeing what was out there and the possibility of turning a toad *his eyes widen taking a deep breath* I think I am good as a butler for now. Interviewer: It must have been really hard for you as you turned to a toad but I believe it is after you turned to a toad did you have an increase in the fanbase. ording to our statistics, you are one of the top two sides loved side characters. The readers must have really loved you. Durik: I don''t know about that *leans closer to the interviewer* Once I returned to my usual self I went to Instagram and saw the readersughing at my toadself. Frankly, I don''t know how to feel about it *dabs his kerchief on his forehead* Sometimes I worry that the author might turn me to toad just for fun. Interviewer: We are very sorry to hear that but I am sure a lot of loved and supported you. Could you tell me how your experience was when you were turned to a toad? Durik: There is nothing good about it. Your body is sticky, your hands and feet stick to the ground and pick up all this mud and dust on it. Worse case is if your eyes catches a fly or an insect your tongue will automatically go to catch even if you don''t. Interviewer: That''s really sad. I am sure Penelope wouldn''t do it to you again. Mr. Piers *turns to the man who is sitting on the other end* You were one of the ck witches readers were hoping you wouldn''t turn bad and were worried where you were as when Damien traveled to the council you weren''t there. Piers: Yes, I fell unconscious in the middle of the fight. I don''t even remember what happened and didn''t wake up until Master Damien came to fetch me until the next day. Interviewer: Oh, that''s good. Let''s go to Penelope Quinn now. Most of the readers have apuded for the bravery you have shown throughout the entire book. You must be truly feeling blessed that it was Damien who bought you from the ve market and not Robarte. Penelope: There are days I think back about what happened and feel fortunate for it. I think it was a life-changing moment after I met Damien. Damien: I am an amazing man, what can I say. Interviewer: Of course, Master Damien. I am your biggest fan *Sister Jera fans herself* Damien: Peasant *Sister Jera interviewing blushes from thepliment* Interviewer: *coughs* Penelope, we are d that your mother and the crazy family is gone and you have a better life now. If your father was still alive, what would you both like to do as father and daughter together? Penelope: Fis.h.i.+ng! We used to do that a lot. I got to know it when my memories returned back to me. We used to even go hunting for mushrooms together in the hills. Those are some of my fondest memories. He was very proud to have me as his daughter. Interviewer: Do you ever think that you wanted another sibling? Of course, not the same mother who is insane as you had. Penelope: *chuckles along with the audience* I don''t know. I don''t think I thought about that before. Maybe it would be nice to have a sibling to share things but I share with Caitlin. She has been very supportive when ites to me. She kind of fills the role of a mother too so... Interviewer: You and Damien have spent your lives together and havee to be this power couple, not that others haven''t but you had quite some skills there when ites to spells or elemental abilities unlike any other. It must make you very special. Author, oh, you are here, *mutters something about Damien''s presence outs.h.i.+ning everyone else* Can you tell us what made you create Penny''s character? Author: I think Damien has such an entric, narcissist personality, only a fierce person like her would be able to match his personality. Interviewer:?Penelope, what are the things you hate or love about Damien? Damien: She loves everything about me obviously *rolls eyes* and hates that you think she can hate something abo- Penelope: I hate the fact that he made me climb a tree instead of using the dust powder. Damien: Oh, honey, are we still on that? Penelope: I mean why would you ask me to climb a tree when I have already hurt my feet? *shakes head in disbelief* He can be overbearing at times when things don''t go his way. Very s.a.d.i.s.t. Interviewer: We saw all that in the initial book. I mean I go back and look at thements *smh* a lot of them ran away worried that this man was a psychotic pureblooded vampire who had lost a lot of screws- Damien: Looks like someone is going to die tonight *gives a smile to Sister Jera* Interviewer: NO NO! I wasn''t done! Damien: Speak quickly then peasant! Interviewer: People thought quite badly about you but then they read the book and found out you have moreyers. Like Onions. But a lot of your fans were worried about you initially. They, ahem, they felt you need to go take sessions for vampire therapy. Damien: Ridiculous! The ones who thought that need therapy and I shall be the one to examine those peasant *looks at the audience* Tell me which were the ones who needed therapy? Interviewer: *almost raises hand* Damien: I will have them thrown in the sea next to my mansion. I am sure it will clean that brain of yours. Interviewer: What is the stupidest thing you and Alexander have done during your childhood other than killing witches which we already are aware of. Damien: Hmm, let me think. I might have pushed one of the magistrates in the pond which I now don''t remember *Looks at Alexander* Do you remember it? Alexander: Yes, it was because he told the fair wasn''t for vampires or pureblooded vampires. Damien felt offended and pushed him but also pulled the magistrate out of water because he worried he was drowning in the water. Interviewer: Wow that sounds like a very adorable memory. A lot of us came to see your softer sideter. How do you feel about the ability you received when it came to teleportation? You must feel very lucky that the author has bestowed you with such wonderful ability. Damien: Yeah, and to bnce it out she gave me a corrupted heart. Do you know how many of my fans protested day in and day out to not kill me? She is a killer. Author: And you are still alive. Maybe I should continue your book and then push you off the cliff. Damien: You started with the next couple of the LDG series, I don''t think you will be writing our story anytime soon. Interviewer: We have heard what a spectacr person you are when ites to being a councilman *Damien shrugs his shoulders* Do you think your mother would be happier if you got promoted in the council? Damien: I don''t think it matters much. I didn''t have any ns to work in the council when I grew up and it was only for the sake of fun I took the council exam and ended up being an apprentice of the head council, Rueben and the rest is history. Interviewer: Could you enlighten us with the difference what is the difference between corrupted vampires and deranged vampires? I think some of us don''t know the difference. Damien: Corrupted vampires are vampires whose core gets corrupted and this is only applied to the pureblooded vampires because we are the only ones who have a red stone inside our hearts. Deranged vampires are the ones who get their hearts corrupted during their transition from being a human to a vampire. Interviewer: That is interesting. Do you think you would have grown any different if your mother wasn''t strict? As she is someone who holds being a pureblooded vampire very close to her heart than the rest of the family. Damien: I might have spent most of my time with Alexander, or breaking things around. She was who she was, our mother who loved her family dearly. Interviewer: *Turns to Penelope* Are there times you worry that Damien''s corruption wille back ten folds forwards even though you have helped him as much as you can when ites to healing him? Penelope: The worry will always be there but what I can do is stay beside him and use the purification technique so that it doesn''t affect him by lowering it down. Interviewer: We are so happy and will continue to cheer on your love and your babies. Do you mind if I get to babysit and be the nanny for your children? *Sister Jera looks with hopeful eyes* Penelope: *looks at Damien and then looks back* I think we can work it out together. Yes *gives her the white a smile* Interviewer: The readers are very intrigued by how you know so many s.e.xual positions so well. Is there possibly a book or did you learn from somewhere? Damien: Master Damien is a master in a lot of things. You should not underestimate me when ites to pleasing my woman. Interviewer: Here some rapid-fire questions from the readers. Are you ready? How did you know about the pic date spot you took Penny to? Damien: My mother took us there once. Interviewer: if you had a chance in the past, would you change anything of your life? Damien: I would have spared Penelope from going through what she did and might have possibly saved her father too. Interviewer: Damien what is your favorite thing about Penelope? Damien: Her green eyes. Interviewer: How did you feel when Penny''s memories started surfacing and she started crying. Damien: Broke my heart of course. No one likes to see their woman crying. Interviewer: Did you have any strong feelings for Penny before you bought her from the ve market? Damien: I was intrigued by her presence on the stage of the theater. Interviewer: Will there be any chance in the future to set up a Witch School for young white witches in order to strictly take lessons on how to properly use magic and of course, avoid turning themselves ck witches and not always put them in churches by the Council eyes? Damien: Right now no as things are dire but maybe in the future. Interviewer: Thank you for answering them, Damien. I have some questions for you Penelope. Penelope: Okay Interviewer: Do you prefer dresses ordy''s trousers? Penelope: Lady trousers. They are much easier to carry around when I am with Damien. Interviewer: Have you tried to search for the spell to resurface the memory which has been hidden or erased? Penelope: Sadly no, there is no spell for it and one will need to find their lost memories by themselves. Interviewer: One of the readers wanted to ask how it feels to be meeting your family members at every point of time with only people who disappointed and betrayed you? Penelope: It surely wasn''t a nice feeling. I don''t know it feels like the universe decided that I should get the most horrible family, like rtives. Interviewer: Thank you, Penelope, let''s now move to the creator of the books to get to know more about the entire ovey of the LDG series as well as about the person. We have already spoken about the gist in the previous interviews so let me dive straight to the questions. Author: *nods* Interviewer: We see that you have started writing for the next installment of the series ''Belle Adams'' Butler''. Could you tell us something about it? Author: The book is something I have been very eager to write since I decided to write in the second half of YMDP. It will be more in the background of the existing world that we know. I think by the cover it is quite obvious that the butler is not a vampire. Interviewer: You just finished YMDP, are you not taking any vacation break? Author: I thought it would be right to ease the readers before YMDP gets over so that they don''t feel that emptiness when the book is done. There will be something to look forward to and as many know Damien, Penny and the rest of the characters would be making an appearance because the story plot intertwines everywhere which is the best part. That way you don''t miss them but readers will look forward to seeing the same scenes but from a different perspective. Interviewer: From thest interview in BAD, there were ns about the future generations set in the 1900s. However, it had been changed and pushed back aside so that you could work on the 5th book, Adams. Will you be writing it in the future? Author: Yes, the n is still open to writing about their children. Josie and Vincent got a very good response so I will be writing about them along with the other pairings for the future. Interviewer: How about Rhys and Lettice? Also, Jerome and Maggie? Author: Their stories will be written in respective books Hu0026L and YMDP, hopefully, the readers will continue to keep the books in their library so that they get the update once I spot them. Interviewer: Ever think to have a family LDG photo? All Female Leads photo? Male Leads as well all together.?Also, you''ve been receiving somements from readers about LDGics, tv adaptations, etcetera, though more importantly need a physical copy published. Could you give us a confirmation to let everyone know if there is a possibility or not? Author: I did consider it but maybe only if the books turn out to be famous. Unfortunately, the site doesn''t allow physical copies so the next thing to look forward to would be aic of their own or movies which is very far for now. I have gone through sites on how to submit movie idea too *coughs* Interviewer: Of course, we all look forward to that day. Will you be covering things that weren''t spoken in this book in the 5th book? Author: Yes, that is the idea for now. Though the first two books were mostly in a romantic sense with glimpses of the next books. BAD spoke about the council, YMDP spoke about witches and Belle Adams'' Butler will be about other intricate things which I am hoping readers will like. Interviewer: A reader asked if you are proud of your characters, especially Damien. Did he make you feel like you wanted to throw him in the sea? Author: Initially yes. I used to have a bad headache while writing about me but it got bearableter. Interviewer: All the covers for these stories are beautiful! Which one is your favorite? Look at Alex''s abs, d.a.m.n author, is Alex giving a fan service? Author: I would pick Belle Adams'' Butler. I had to revise the art around seven to eight times before my artist said he would charge me. I love Lucas'' hand and I had to make sure it came right along with his face. I also have it as my wallpaper on myptop screen¡­ About Alex, well, I don''t there was some riot going on with readers going with #justiceforAlex because he didn''t get screen time in the 3rd book. So I had to well...the abs look good. Interviewer: So that was what happened *Sister Jera was part of the protest* Now for the quick rapid-fire questions. Do you think you can be your own character in the series? Author: The possibility of me killing the character is high. Interviewer: Whichnd would you love to live in the series? Author: Valeria or Wovile. I am a person who loves suns.h.i.+ne and sun rays. Interviewer: Which scene do you find to be the most difficult when you write? Author: Umm, I would have to say romance and s.e.xual scenes because I need to make sure ites out pure and neat and nothing vulgar. Therefore it takes up a lot of time. Interviewer: Did Everest revive Vivi and Leo on his own ord? Just because he cared for them? Was he alone or someone was helping him? Author: Yes, it was all his doing. He was the one who kept lurking around the Delcorv mansion by taking potions which Penny had made. Interviewer: If Vivi was also an alignment of stars...Why did she have to die before partic.i.p.ating in the war? We know shees back to life again. Author: The alignment of stars exists to run the course of events. Events that are subtle. It''s not necessary that they have to take part in the war. It was Vivian''s ability that pulled out some secret which went on to pa.s.s to Nichs, council and then helping Damien and Penny. If the alignment of stars did die, maybe the witches would eventually move forward unless someone came forward and defeated them. Interviewer: Thank you for answering the questions. Is there something you would like to say? Author: Please continue to read my books and support me the way you have so far u003e.u003c Interviewer: We have a couple more questions which the readers have asked. Penelope, was Liam your first crush? Penelope: Yes. Yes, he was. Interviewer: Did some people get suspicious of Penny not being normal as a human after noticing that she didn''t age? Penelope: We made up a lie telling I got converted to a vampire. Interviewer: And they didn''t doubt? What about the family? Quinn''s. Penelope: *shakes head* I think they know about it. It''s more like an unspoken secret which we don''t speak about but they know. Interviewer: Well, that''s good to hear that you have been getting along with everyone. And to Alexander, would you have actually killed Penny if she had turned out to be a ck witch? Alexander: I wouldn''t. It would be too much of a ha.s.sle dealing with Damien. Also, Penelope is my distant cousin so I would have to take that into ount. Interviewer: What''s the dumbest thing Damien has done "off screen"? (Like something he''s done, that ash didn''t write down in the books?) you both can have separate answers. Damien: *stares at the interviewer* Interviewer: This is not me asking but your fans. They want to know more about you. Alexander: I heard he went to Nichs'' book and gave a low rating to his book so that his book could continue to have a higher star rating on the book. It was really stupid and childish. Damien: I so did not do that *rolls eyes* there''s an imposter who goes by my name. Author, do something about it! Author: *stares at interviewer* *knows it is Sister Jera who is handling the ount with the name Damien Quinn* Interviewer: *gives sheepish smile* There''s another question, Damien does Jerome ask you for any rtions.h.i.+p advice? Damien: He is a private man. Interviewer: This question is for Alexander. What happens if you mix: Pureblood + White Witch. Is it Dark Witch or Pureblood. What is the true blood if you mix Dark witch/Pureblooded Vampie + Human? Alexander: Do a course in Vampilogy. You will find the answer. Interviewer: Some of the characters couldn''t make it here but we have one of them on air, perks on having inte now. Lord Nichs *waves hand on the screen in front of them that has Nichs smiling in it who waves* Nichs: It is good to see everyone. Interviewer: What''s with you appearing in so many books? Do you really want "A Nichs Rune Series" to happen? Nichs: *turns to his ghoul* Silence that woman Narcissus. Interviewer: *quickly says* Thank you everyone for your wonderful time. Thank you for tuning into ''b.l.o.o.d.y Fangs'' and we will see more of our beloved characters soon in the next book- Belle Adams'' Butler. Chapter 759 Damien in Council extra scene "Why don''t you go through the ck market if you need help?" asked the young man who sat in front of the head council who had been signing some of the papers and making ns for the next case as they weren''t able to get the needed information to solve the case. Rueben looked up at the young pureblooded vampire, "You are suggesting to ask the thieves where and how they are attacking to steal?" "Why not? Some of the thieves will be more willing if you offer them a price. Give them insurance, a deal, or a treaty that the council won''t break as an assurance," Damien who had picked up the crystal ball that was used to hold the papers down had been ying with it. With his head leaned back, he tried to look on the other side through it. The head council stared at the young man who had joined the council very recently after passing the council exams. He had met Damien before, the pureblooded vampire who often caused trouble but didn''t get caught in the scene. If it weren''t for his cousin Alexander who was the current Lord of Valeria, he would have not taken him in but then there was also a part where Damien showed a lot of potentials. If he wanted, the boy could one day turn to a head council or could be part of the elder council but it was a waste because he showed no interest. After the results of the examinee had been announced, Damien had decided to not work for the council but it was on Alexander''s insistence did he continue here. Rueben could tell that Damien was barely interested in getting a promotion due to this, he did what he pleased. Sometimes falling asleep in this very room, or his mouth would have caused trouble by uttering words that didn''t sit well with the other councilman. He enjoyed pressing people''s buttons. "We don''t know how effective it would be," Rueben said, going back to his papers and trying to write down the next team who will have to look into the case, "The ck market is filled with nothing but distrust. Going there for help is equal to jumping into a well for suicide that has no water." "You won''t know until you try. Some are good, some are bad, and some...they are just neutral," Damien pulled himself back to ce the crystal stone back on the desk, "How about this. I will get you the information but in return, I will work alone. No teams, no superiors. I will work directly for you," his blood-red eyes looked into the councilman''s eyes. Damien didn''t like the council members. He could tell that this ce was where different creatures thrived to be at the top of the status and they were ready to sling mud at each other. Truthfully he had no interest in climbing the status. Because Damien Quinn was already at the top. A pureblooded vampire who belonged to the second generation with good bloodline and money. "Everybody gets screwed over, Rueben," one side of Damien''s lips pulled up where Rueben didn''t smile, "I will get you the information that you want." "Alright. If something happens, you start at the lowest by cleaning the floors of the council," Rueben liked a good challenge and he had been grooming this pureblooded vampire for some days now. If Damien did seed, he could be turned to a crucial asset of the council. There weren''t many who got information when it came to the witches or vampires who were involved in illegal rule-breaking matters that went in the fournds. A lot of the council members who worked in teams often died before they could reach the information they had found to the council. If Damien did not seed, it would be a lesson for him. Damien grinned, his eyes twinkling, "Deal," he then looked at the time, "Oh, look at that, it''s time for a break," he said getting up from the chair. "This is your second break in the first one hour," Rueben pointed out to him. "I know," Damien replied back and walked out of the room, the door clicking softly behind him. He walked on the white marble floor of the council. His shoes clicked on it as he made his way towards the food eatery ce in this building. Passing by some of the councilmen he came across, he didn''t bother to talk to them. Walking into the room full of people, he walked towards the counter before taking his food and picking up the table that had a seat. Though Damien came from a family of high status, there were a few things he enjoyed doing like the peasants. Not minding sharing the table, or eating the food that was offered to the council members. Far away from him, some of the other new joiners of the council of one or two years old looked at him, "Is it me, or is that one always here when wee down here?" the man was a vampire. Another man, who was a human who had been following the vampire turned to look at Damien who was eating his food as he hummed something under his breath. "You are right. He is always here. Heard he doesn''t work but takes the favors from the superiors," answered the human, "He doesn''t bow to his seniors." In the group, there was another vampire who drank the blood tea that had been given at the counter. Taking a sip, he said,?"People like him sure think that others will bow down to him. Maybe we should teach him a lesson," the vampire smiled. Finishing his blood tea, he went back to the counter to order another one. Taking it along with him, the vampire started to walk to where Damien was seated. Going to him, he dropped the blood tea on Damien''s shoulders that started to soak in blood. The vampires in here only considered Damien to be arrogant but didn''t know how his brain worked. At the same time, the person who had been sitting next to Damien looked at this and got up from his seat so that he could get back to work. The one who had dropped the blood tea ced his hand on the table with a small thud, "You should learn to respect your elders here. The councilmen have an experience unlike you who are new," Damien had not reacted except his hands had stopped moving to eat, "Are you listening to me? Oh, you must be scared," he chuckled and right at that moment, Damien, who had been holding his fork and knife, dropped the fork to catch hold of the man''s wrist that was on the table and used his other hand to chop away the vampires fingers that had the man screaming as blood gushed out. "Ruining my shirt, peasant," he said looking at the vampire who was in pain. After an hour had passed with the vampire who lost his fingers, Damien and Rueben in the room, Rueben finally waved the vampire to go get the medical treatment from Murkh. Rueben was going to lose his mind with this one. Technically Damien was right to retaliate but chopping the councilman''s fingers was too far. He would have kicked Damien out but something said the young pureblood would dly step out. Damien stared at Rueben who was thinking very deeply and the man sighed, "Please refrain yourself from doing something like this again." "It will set a good example of what I am capable of," Damien reasoned that had Reuben rub his temples. "You know what, just go finish the case right now. These are the documents," having Damien in the council building was like a walking knife. . Chapter 760 Penelope extra scene Penny stood in front of a small mirror, taking a peek of herself to see how she looked even though she wasn''t the star of the y today like many other days she had been working in the theater. She took a step away and suddenly she was pushed from where she was standing by the girl named Kylene so that the girl could look at herself in the mirror. She wore better clothes, no the issue should have been she was wearing proper clothes while Penny wore a bark of a tree around herself because she was the tree today. That was right, all she had to do was stand in a corner and do nothing with no dialogues or no movement. But that was alright, thought Penny to herself. It wasn''t like she wanted to be an actress since she was small. She was here because she needed the money and this ce gave her the little money which was a lot in her eyes. With the fellow vigers who treated her and her mother like an outcast, finding a job had been difficult, which was why she had to travel this far away from home. "How is the bark doing, tree girl?" Kylene asked her with a smirk on her face. Penny knew that the girl enjoyed looking at her, wearing strange costumes to be a tree or rock or any other animal so that she wouldn''t outshine Kylene herself. "Strong and itchy at times, do you want to try it out?" Penny asked her innocently, making the girl roll her eyes. "You wish. Unlike you I am experienced and I''m a better actress," said Kyelen before turning around and walking away from the mirror. Penny didn''t go to say anything because a word could cause a spark of fire all across the forest. She only stared at Kylene and when the girl was bossing around another person, she twisted her ankle as she ced her foot on the step to fall down. "AH! My ankle!" she cried. "What happened?!" came the owner hearing the main actress'' cry and he bent down to check it, "What did you do?" Kylene gave him a small re and then said, "I was only stepping on the stairs to go on the stage but I don''t know what happened," she started to cry, "I won''t be able to get on top of it." The owner of the theater gave it some thought as a lot of boys and girls who often worked in the theater surrounded them, "Lucy, take Kylene''s part today." "WHAT?!" Kylene screeched in disbelief, "You want to rece me by giving my part to her?" she cried, her eyes wide as she questioned the owner. As she had been the main actress for months now, Kylene didn''t want anyone to rece or take lead. She was the star of all the ys. The man who owned this ce had to close his eyes and he stepped away before he would turn deaf with the girl screaming and crying, "We have customers who have already bought the ticket. Sending them would not look nice and the collection today is heavy," it was? Asked Penny to herself. "You have twisted your ankle, Kylene. I can''t have you hopping around," on the man''s words, Kylene stood up and when she tried to walk, she leaned towards the wall grumbling and mumbling something under her breath. The owner gave one look at her and then looked at Lucy, "Go get yourself changed. We will need someone to fill Lucy''s spot," sadly the actress'' hadn''t bothered to remember the side character''s dialogues which were Penny stepped in to say, "I can take Tabitha''s role." The other girls hearing this snickered as if this bark looking girl knew nothing and was now bbering but the owner was in a tight spot and he asked, "Are you sure about her dialogues? If you don''t do it right, I will cut it from your wage," Penny nodded her head, "Get yourself changed," and Penny hurried from there. When the y did start, first the main character went up, the leads where they started their part. Penny looked down at herself with what she wore. For the very first time, she wore better clothing even though it was rented she didn''t mind. Somewhere she was giddy that she was finally getting a part to y. Out of curiosity, she took a peek at the crowd and the owner was right. For some reason, the room was full today and there were many people who were seated. Not the local men but there were other men who wore good clothes which they didn''t find often here. When Penny''s part finally came, she wiped her palms on the dress and stepped on to the stage to y the side character''s part which she very much enjoyed. Compared to the ditzy female lead, she liked this. "I thought I would find you here," said the actor who was ying along with her. "Of course, you did. You must have heard that I aming here from Mr. Barns," Penny said cheerfully when she turned to look at the audience, she saw a haze of people but there was someone very peculiar who was seated in there. The man had ck hair and a subtle smile on his face as he looked right into her eyes. Penny then turned around and went on to speak about her dialogues to finally step down from the stage as the show had turned out to be sessful. "Penelope acted really well, didn''t she?" spoke one girl behind the stage and another said, "Yes. Who knew she could be this good?" Kylene who heard this red at Penny. Penny on the other hand didn''t respond to it. Changing her clothes she went on her way to her home by taking the local carriage. Chapter 761 Jerome and Maggie- Part 1 extra scene Stepping out of the mansion, Maggie walked forward towards the carriage and in the same intensity, she turned around to stop her feet when she saw Jerome following right behind her. "What was that in there?" she demanded, her eyebrows knitted together. Jerome could tell that Maggie was not angry but she was embarrassed for what he had spoken inside the mansion with Mr. Quinn, "I was asking your hand in marriage. Isn''t that how it goes?" he questioned her. Maggie pursed her lips. This vampire really was ahead when it came to his thoughts, "I never agreed to marry you, Mr. Wells," though her father had approved of the man, the vampiress wasn''t ready for it. In the past, she had been hurt and she could still feel it stinging every time she remembered it. "I know, Lady Maggie. I am aware of it but you cannot deny the possible attraction you feel for me." "I never said anything like that," Maggie rolled her eyes, "You must be in your fantasynd." Jerome chuckled hearing this. He had been watching the vampiress for weeks now, seeing here to one of his acquaintance''s mansion to teach the children. As much as she appeared to be stern outside, he had found out that she was actually a very mellow person from the inside who only put up a hard exterior in front of the strangers to protect her heart. Maggie Quinn, she was a beautiful vampiress who came off to be aloof at times because she didn''t bother to mingle around unless someone approached her. Jerome himself had not gone looking for a woman to love as he already had passed through that feeling when it came to a woman named Vivian. Their first encounter was an interesting one. Curious he wanted to know more about her. And he had asked Mrs. Jillian about her as Maggie was going to her mansion to teach the children there. He was curious why a pureblooded vampiress who belonged to one of the highest holdings of the pureblooded vampires was going out to teach when she could spend her time like the rest of the women in her society by attending tea parties or going out to shop or meet her friends. There weren''t many women who actually spent their time on actual things. When he had asked, Mrs. Jillian had said to him, "Maggie had a heartbreak some time ago. She is a good girl." Jerome hadter found out from different sources of what happened with Maggie Quinn.?He gave her a smile, "You stopped visiting Mrs. Jillian''s house. Did my presence intimidate you?" he asked her in good humor. It had been a while since a man had tried approaching her. Maggie was not like her mother. She didn''t want to be her mother and there had been times in the past where she questioned herself if what the people spoke was true. And here was this man who was showing interest in her which she didn''t understand. Didn''t he hear about the rumors? "I don''t think there''s anything to be scared about when ites to you." "If that is so, allow me to take you out. I promise to be on my best behavior," Jerome gave her a tranquil smile she was not used to receiving. "I don''t know you enough to go out, Mr. Wells," Maggie tried to tiptoe away from it. Feeling Maggie''s resistance, he didn''t want to push her and instead said, "There''s soiree taking ce in Mrs. Jillian''s mansion. You must have received the invitation to it. Do you think you could make time for me, Lady Maggie? I know I don''t know you and you don''t know me but I would truly like to get to know you better." "Why?" came the question from Maggie. "Because I like you," Jerome was a straightforward man who didn''t beat around the bush, and Maggie was not used to this. "Like will turn to hate, Mr. Wells and you won''t even know about it," there was an underlying pain in the words she spoke. "One failed person doesn''t mean that the next ones are going to be the same," when Jerome said this, Maggie who had her eyes looking at the statues in the mansion turned to look at him. A hint of suspicion that made her ufortable at the thought that this man had heard about what she had done too which was why he spoke those words. "I don''t know what you are speaking about," she said, her dark red eyes staring into his lighter ones. Jerome gave her a reassuring smile before saying, "I did what I came here to do. I look forward to meeting you at Mrs. Jillian''s soiree. Have a good day, mdy," he offered her a bow and she lightly bent her head to see him get in the carriage he hade in before the carriage headed out through the gates of the mansion. Maggie let out a sigh of breath which she hadn''t realized she had been holding back. She didn''t understand why he had taken an interest in her. There were plenty of women out there she was sure who was attracted to him. Thest time she had fallen in love, it had turned her heartbroken and she didn''t know if she was ready for love. Chapter 762 Jerome and Maggie- Part 2 extra scene Read Part 1 by scrolling back~ . Maggie spent quite some time staring at the letter she had in her hand. She had been staring at it for more than two hours now wondering if she should go to the soiree or stay back here in the mansion. She didn''t mind going to the soiree but it was the rumors and the eyes that judged her that made her feel aware of what people knew of what she had done. Unlike her younger brother, Damien, Maggie didn''t grow with a thick skin and she was easily hurt by words that belonged to the people whom she cared for. After another two hours had passed, Maggie sat in the carriage which was headed to Mrs. Jillians'' mansion. When she did reach the mansion, she noticed the man who had broken her trust. Sven was here. Her ex-fiance. "What is wrong with Mrs. Jillian calling people who aren''t worth anyone''s time," she heard Sven speak to the woman who was apanying him today. "Who are you speaking about?" asked the woman. When the woman''s eyes fell on Maggie, the woman giggled, "Now I know who you are speaking about." Her pride didn''t let her leave from there. Sven''s eyes met hers and he looked away as if she didn''t exist, ignoring her very presence and it was done by the man who once had whispered words of promises filled with love. This was the reason why she didn''te to believe in the concept of love. If there was something she had learned, it was that emotions never stayed the same and it would always fleet and change. Even the weather didn''t stay still, what was the guarantee about a mere mortal or immortal''s soul? Not heeding their words and ignoring them, Maggie stepped inside the mansion she was used to as she came here to teach little children. She loved children and in the past, she had hoped she would be able to love the child who she would bore but right now it was too far. "Maggie dear!" Mrs. Jillian warmly weed her, "It is so good to see you back here. I was worried about you until I finally received a word from you through the letter." "Apologies for thete notice. I wished I could have let you know about it sooner," Maggie didn''t want to go into details of how her sister Grace had tattle taled about her working in here. "No worries, Maggie. I had the children''s parents know that you were caught up with something personal to do. They are already very impressed and happy that you take your time for their children. Surely, they would be able to understand," said Mrs. Jillian as they walked through the halls to see the guests who had arrived, "Looks like Mr. Greg is having trouble with the servant. Let me go check that," excusing herself the woman left Maggie who looked at the guests she knew. "It would be rude to refuse the invitation sent by Mrs. Jillian as she was the one who set up the time and ce for the children so that I could work here." Jerome gave her a knowing smile, "Yes, it would be rude. Did you take something to drink?" he asked her and he picked up the ss from the maid who was carrying a tray full of sses that had blood in it. "Thank you," Maggie thanked him. She held the ss in her hands, her eyes darting around to fall on the man she disliked who appeared to be approaching where she stood with Jerome next to her. "Good afternoon, Lady Maggie," Sven greeted her with a sarcastic smile on his face. The man then turned to look at Jerome, "I think I forgot your name." "Jerome Wells," Jerome reminded the man. "Yes! You were the one who helped in the building designs," said Sven, "Are you trying to woo Lady Maggie, Mr. Wells? You should be wary if you''re doing that. You don''t know if you will be the next one in line after what she did to me." Maggie had no interest in being humiliated in front of the guests in here and she said, "What did I do to you? Mr. Wells is unaware of it." Jerome looked at the man whom he had worked for and then at Maggie to understand this was the man who had broken her heart. The woman who hade with Sven came up to his side to tell, "Why are you getting in a discussion with her? She isn''t worth your time." Maggie didn''t want to waste her breath one someone she didn''t know. "If I were you, I would be careful, Mr. Wells," Sven smirked looking at Maggie, "She killed the woman I loved, tearing her into pieces." She who had been trying to get away from this discussion every time it was brought up she finally decided to say in a stone-cold voice, "Yes, I did. I killed her and you know what, Sven?" she asked looking straight into his eyes, "I enjoyed every second when I tore her as she screamed in agony." Sven hadn''t expected this from her and his blood boiled hearing this. He raised his hand ready to p the vampiress that only got held back by Jerome, "It is rather rude to p a woman, don''t you think, Sir?" asked Jerome to push away the man, "For a man who cheats on another woman when he''s engaged, you should feel ashamed about it. Just because a pureblooded vampire who is a male does it, it doesn''t mean it is right. I am sure many in this room would agree to me." The man gritted his teeth, ring at Maggie when he left, Maggie said,?"You didn''t have to do that." "Not used to being sided?" he asked her, and then said, "I know you must have been hurt in the past and what you did was caused because of the pain you felt. The man deserved it." "I know that," Maggie knit her eyebrows together. He didn''t have to tell her that. With a smile on his lips, he said, "I thought you needed to hear it apart from your own self." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!