You can vote for the 5th book completely 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~

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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 clarity 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 gla.s.s of water, downing it completely before putting the empty gla.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 you come out of here. You can have a better life than being a slave," Penny offered and suddenly Caitlin became irritated. 

"I don't wish to leave this place. 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 the lady had no intention to leave this place. If she truly did she would have written her name along with hers when the time of the weekly black 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," Caitlin commented over Penny's thoughts. 

Penny turned behind her to see the locked door and then leaned forward to move closer to Caitlin, "I did plan but Damien is against it."

"Such a protective man," Caitlin commented to see Penny smile. The woman turned to the empty and blank 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 villagers 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 relatives had actually got for me. The man wasn't a human nor was he a white witch, he was a black witch. He wanted to sacrifice me and I ran to only run into my sister-in-law, to later find out that she was a black 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 black witches. Only a witch who has been constantly tapping into the forbidden magic and who is turning to a black witch has those kinds of connections," the woman sighed, "The slave establishment was really close by and I decided to turn into a slave. 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 place 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 Bonelake 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."