Penny clutched the gla.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 manipulate 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 gla.s.s she placed 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 black witches who are trying to get the white witches to stand against others and with them."

"Will they be allowed to breathe in later?" if there was one creature out of all the creatures like humans, black 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 will come to accept the way Bonelake 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 black 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 blanket that was at the foot, readying himself to get comfortable 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 been compa.s.sionate and empathetic when he was young, enough that had inked his red heart black. 

When the next week arrived at the time morning in the council, a notice was placed 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 had come to sit in the chairs that were placed 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 plan 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 plans of what they had been doing so far. 

Rueben smiled at the elder councilmen, "As you all are aware, the threat of the black witches has been gaining momentum and there have been deaths across the four lands. 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 unethical work that has been circling outside the council and we would like to address the issue of hiccups." 

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.