Leaning forward, closer to her face, Damien pressed his lips on her forehead, feeling the slight amount of heat that was still in her body. Penny closed her eyes, feeling Damien’s soft lips on her face making her feel safe and loved.
“I wish I could stop these memories sometimes. Or if I could just finish looking and going through all the memories were I wouldn’t have to feel it prick one after another,” Penny said in his arms, her head snuggling in his chest while he held her, “It isn’t that I care about her or the non-existent relationship that we never had. But every time I am taken back in time, I pity the young girl there for experiencing things all alone,” it made her wonder if this was why God had brought Damien in her life. Filling that void while taking the pain one after another.
Damien pulled her closer, giving her the needed time to move from the feelings she had just experienced, “Feel better, mouse,” he whispered while placing his chin rested on the top of her forehead. After some time, he could sense her emotions that had calmed down and he said,
“The girl who was lonely, the girl who felt unloved, the same girl turned strong. To turn out to be a beautiful strong woman to hold her ground and I think it is quite admirable. To carry oneself even with the melancholy and pass through everything you have done, the same girl now is loved by the people who are important to her.Though your mother wasn’t there, I am sure your father had loved and taken care of you when he was still alive.”
Feeling her soft breath and her heart beating in her chest, Damien pulled away to look down to notice she had fallen asleep.
Kissing the top of her head gently, he let her sleep and he took himself to sleep along with her.
Two more weeks passed and Penny was now in the church where she had come to meet Sister Jeera who was still recovering from her injuries as her bones had been broken.
“I brought you some food to eat,” said Penny, placing the food on the desk and opening them one after another to have the smell of the food to waft in the entire room.
“You didn’t have to do it, Lady Penelope,” said Sister Jera even though her stomach was growling again after one meal she had eaten an hour ago.
“You don’t have to be shy,” Penny brought the food to Jera, handing it to the girl whose hands were uninjured, “I asked the cook to prepare a few things that could help you heal faster.”
“That is very kind of you,” said the young white witch, she moved the spoon around the container before taking it into her mouth, “This is good.”
Penny smiled, glad that the girl liked it, “Have you been doing well?” she asked the girl to see her nod as she was eating.
It had been a while since Penny had come to visit the church. After the council exam, Damien had told her to give it some time as there were some witch hunters who had caught the wind about witches taking part in the exam while also receiving news that those witches were from this very church.
Sister Jera placed the bowl on her lap when she had taken a few more bites, “Father Antonio said that we will need to dispatch after a week to another church.”
“Why?” Penny frowned, “What do you mean dispatch?”
The girl looked down at the food, opening her lips to say, “It seems some of the council raised eyebrows on why the white witches had taken part in the exam when it has been clear that witches are not to take part in the council activities. Father Antonio received the news last night that there have been some issues when it came to what they found believing it was some of the white witches’ work.”
“But we all know that those are black witches’ work,” stated Penny. Were some of the council people stirring trouble for no reason?
Jera shook her head, “I don’t know much about it.”
Penny wondered what was going on in the council for the past few days since the time they had returned back from the exams. Lord Nicholas and Damien along with some of the important figures had made sure to cover Penny and Jera up that they had been the victims while still not letting Penny’s identity of being a white witch out in the open.
It was a world that didn’t welcome any of the witches, not the white not the black, no witch had ever been welcomed. And one such setting example was Lady Isabell’s case.
“Has he told where you will be getting dispatched?” She would miss the place once it would shut close.
“Somewhere up in Wovile. Frankly, I didn’t want to go but Father Antonio said we don’t have a choice. Because, if the council sticks around to probe more into this place, it would put the rest of the people in danger of being killed,” Sister Jera took another two bites.
“I think it is understandable. I heard that they are setting up options for white witches to work in the church there,” on Penny’s words, the girl nodded.
“I will miss you, Lady Penelope,” said Sister Jera.
“I will miss you too. It’s not like we won’t be seeing each other again,” Penny gave the girl a smile.
Once Jera was done eating and went back to rest, Penny let the girl sleep while going out to see Father Antonio who was giving two of the white witches instructions on the equipment they had.
“Good morning, Father Antonio,” Penny bowed her head in greetings, offering the fellow witches a bow and a smile who greeter her back to leave the two of them alone.
“Good morning, Lady Penelope. It is good to see you here,” he offered her a soft smile. His silver hair was combed to the side as usual and the coif on his head, “Good that you came here. I believe you heard from Jera that we will be closing this place.”
Penny gave him a nod, “Will it never be reopened again?”
“For now I don’t think so…” he then said, “I have a few things to give you, come with me.”