Alexander turned the pages of the book in his hand. Sitting in the study room as he marked the important facts that had been never mentioned by anyone or written anywhere. Having these right now, he felt closer to his mother. Making notes separately with points that had him spending most of his time in the study room than going out. He had appointed Sylvia and Elliot to complete the errands which were urgent while having no one bother him.
On a certain page, Alexander placed the quill down and stared at the book. The book was already coded enough for no one to take a look but the writing in here was further written around in circles which made it look like a story and nothing more than that but the truth was that these books were the treasures of the white witches. The truth of what happened and the possibility of what could happen.
Damien and Penny entered the study room when it was the time of evening.
“How is it going?” asked Damien taking a seat in front of the desk where Alexander sat with the books covering the table right now.
Penny could tell that the Lord was doing everything he could understand and piece out the information which was there in here, “I found something,” he did? She looked at him with a hopeful expression, “Not on finding how we can rectify what happened with your eyes. I am still reading on it,” Penny nodded her head understandingly.
“What is it about then?” Damien asked.
“It is written here that the witches were often married soon to preserve the kind as they believed one day the white witches would come to perish.”
“How young?” Damien asked further to receive the response from Alexander,
“Thirteen? Sometimes much younger to that age. It isn’t that far if we look at humans who get their daughters or sisters married by the age of sixteen to seventeen,” explained Lord Alexander. Pulling out the book which has the information, he turned it around and gave it for Penelope to read as Damien couldn’t read it.
Penny took a look at the two pages that were opened for her, her eyes scanning on what was written in there-
‘The first generation witches lived in peace until a few events started to cause our downfall. It is hard to move or breathe. To talk or sleep at the fear that our families are going to be ambushed like the other families up in the higher North. In the wakeful call, some of our parents have decided to get us married. I belong to the first generation for the family I come from. It might not be the same as time passes by. Among others, I have been asked to be betrothed and I hope to find a solution for it. I am sixteen and I am late. Time is passing quickly and though we aren’t aging, there is a pressure that is building up and my parents worry where I will not be able to find a rightful suitor for myself in our clan. My younger brother has already been matched with one of our second cousins. I hope something comes up for it. For this plague that has descended down from a world, we don’t want to be part of.
It is a never-ending plague that will never stop and will continue to thrive even during the times of light until the white witches continue to exist.’
Penny stopped reading there. Her eyes slowly moved up to meet Alexander’s eyes, “What age did your mother meet your father?” she asked him, trying to gauge the time of when and what happened.
“Probably when she was nineteen. The ambush took place a year after she wrote this,” answered Lord Alexander, his eyes heavy and dark over the matter of his mother and what happened to her family, “It would mean she was seventeen when she escaped from there as the white witches were being burnt by the humans and the councilmen.
“Didn’t the councilmen ever talk to them? They did take the help in the council for spilling out magic for no witch to enter.”
Alexander then remembered her speaking about going to the laboratory, “But you stepped on the grounds of the spilled magic.”
“Penny is a special case. It didn’t affect her. It was the last test I wanted to try on her but she was alright,” Damien commented, remembering the time he had tested and checked her for any signs of being a black witch. But the spilled magic which was around the council should have affected the white witches too. There were different spilled magic, one for just the black witches, different creatures that varied from what was being designed on the land.
“It looks like she is,” Alexander agreed, his eyes trained on her and Penelope looked back at him, her eyes still holding the slits in them, “Even though the white witches are transformed to black witches, they are still able to turn back their appearance back to normal. You can try it,” he pointed to the fact which hadn’t crossed his mind before.
Penny blinked at him and then looked at Damien not knowing how to go about it, “Just concentrate,” she heard Damien who sat beside her.
She was tired to concentrate with all the chasing and running she had done with Damien. At the same time, she didn’t want to be stuck with these snake eyes. She wanted her usual eyes back and she closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath and calming herself down.
The more she concentrated on her breathing, she could hear the slightest wind that passed through the open window. When she finally opened her eyes, she found Damien staring at her.
“Look at that! It’s all gone,” Damien exclaimed.
“Really?” Penny asked he smiled mischievously.
“It’s still there. Let’s try to concentrate harder this time,” he said, removing the moment of happiness that she had felt, “So gullible,” he murmured.
Penny then heard Alexander say, “It looks like it is gone for now,” What? Was it gone or not? “Damien is only playing with you.”
