"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," he commented. 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 glad to have you place 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 eventually come to heal, fading what you know now by replacing what is going to come." 

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 relax in each other's company. 

"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 village, what the villagers said had mattered. Their rude words were directed to them which were unwelcoming 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 place. 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. 

s.h.i.+fting the conversation, Penny asked, "Did you find anything about Bathsheba?"

"Nothing so far. She must have left Bonelake. I usually am able to track the black witches but she has gone out of the lands. 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 black witch. Maybe that is why she is a little saner compared 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 black witches on these lands. The more black witches, the more difficult it would be to keep the law 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 black witch." 

"I see. Is this the same reason why the white witches are kept under observation and surveillance 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 black 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."