Oh G.o.d thought Penny to herself. Forget about getting killed by a vampire or a black 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, coming 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," she commented 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 and come 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 play 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 black animal, its fur midnight black 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 the late lady 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 even completed it, had got her black 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't comment 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 accompanied the rest of them, going to the cemetery and watching the children who were decomposing at a rapid rate that turned the body only to a dull green as they were placed 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 and coming 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 black 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 would complete 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 black 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 acc.u.mulated right here. He touched his son's forehead. 

"They said he was safe. That he would be returned!" the magistrate exclaimed 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.