"The Artemis must have claimed 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 villages," Damien noted. 

"Yes, I don't think they are servants."

"How are you sure about it? If people did come 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 villagers can be free and the people who are in here. Yes, coming 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 elaboration on it please," he asked her to further explain 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 what component 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 blank 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 be coming. 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 up late 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 the late lady 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 similar to this which was abandoned.