The hours in the collapsed house was still fresh with what Mrs. Artemis had confessed to her in the room.
People were not bad but they turned bad over little or big things which often blew up out of proportion. The woman lost her twins. To give birth to something that had been taken care of and to lose it in front of their eyes and arms, she felt sorry for the woman. Maybe the woman would have forgiven her sister, made peace that the person she loved had loved someone else but the pain must have been too much over her children.
Penny wasn’t sure if she was sympathizing with the dead witch but she felt sorry for her. She felt sorry for her grandparents too who died over what Mrs. Artemis felt.
“What about you, Caitlin? You don’t plan to find someone and marry?” Penny asked her aunt, curiosity in her green eyes.
“I don’t think so. I was actually planning to join the church as my identity has been revealed. It would be difficult for me to live by myself.”
Penny pursed her lips before asking, “Why don’t you come with us?”
“Maybe some other time. I have a few things to look at,” Caitlin replied back, pushing her hair behind that had moved towards her face due to the wind of Valeria, “Before she died, she spoke about my fiance. I will need to find him.”
“Come with us and we’ll help you. I don’t have a family apart from Damien,” Penny turned herself to face the woman, her eyebrows drawn together as she said, “I would be very happy to have you with us. Please.”
The older white witch looked slightly conflicted. She had planned to scout Valeria and other lands one by one to make sure the man was not hunting her still. For someone to hunt her after almost two decades, she couldn’t tell how jobless her fiance was, that was if he was still trying to track her down.
She looked at her niece who gave her a hopeful look, waiting for an obvious positive response from her. She heard Penny say, “There was a woman who was working in the church in Bonelake and she has disappeared. You could always fill her spot or any other white witch. It isn’t that bad.”
“Okay,” Caitlin answered to have Penny look at her in pure joy.
“Yes!” Penny immediately hugged her aunt making the woman laugh. Who knew her answer would make her this happy, “I am so happy you will be living with me.”
“I am looking forward to it,” Caitlin patted her niece’s back.
With the case of Artemis finally closed, new magistrates were appointed who were screened and exorcised before they took up their job. The body of one of the male magistrates who Penny had killed was found behind the house who was being taken to the council along with the found bag in the river so that one of the council members named Murkh could experiment and test on what the man was along with the bag. The villages had turned back to normal who needed assurance of Lord Alexander.
Everyone returned back to the Delcrov’s mansion after everything calmed down. With Isaiah gone, there wasn’t much difference in the mansion as he was here for only a limited duration of time. And if there was anyone who was taken aback by the news it was Penny as she had spent time with him making potions. There was a blurry memory in the back of her mind which made her question what it was.
He had appeared to be a good man to turn the tables to finally reveal his intentions of how he was taking part with the black witches on unbinding the magic.
Penny didn’t give much thought to it and continued to pack her clothes along with Damien that they had shopped the first week they had arrived here. A lot of food was packed which was a rare delicacy in the land of Bonelake. With all their bags packed and placed in the carriage, Sylvia hugged Penny,
“Do come to visit us again when you find the time,” Sylvia had enjoyed Penny’s company as much as the white witch. To have someone of her own age to talk to.
“Yes,” Penny responded back to the woman as she withdrew from the hug. Turning to look at Elliot who was standing there with a smile, she shook hands with him.
“Send my best wishes to my brother if you can, milady,” Elliot conveyed his regards to his older brother.
“I will. It was good to meet and know Elliot,” Penny replied to the vampire who tipped his nonexistent hat at her.
“Likewise,” said Elliot before he excused himself when he was called by the butler.
With Elliot gone and only Sylvia and Penny standing there, Penny asked the woman, “Are things alright between you and him?”
Sylvia smiled, nodding her head, “It will be alright. I hope you have a safe trip,” Penny wanted to stay longer in Valeria. With the sunshine in the sky and the land that made it bright, she knew she would miss it once they would go back to Bonelake.
With everything set and the coachman who stood to wait outside to close the carriage after everyone would be seated, Penelope went to Alexander who was standing there where Damien gave her the space she needed to speak to his cousin.
“We did end up as long distanced cousins,” she said looking up at Alexander who gave her a nod.
“Feel free to visit us. We don’t have many relatives,” Alexander said to her, “I am sure Damien wouldn’t mind bringing you here along with him,” the man then looked at Penny who fished for something in her pocket. Pulling a black thread she handed it to him, “What is this?”
“This is for you. Take it,” she moved her hand forward.
Alexander took the black thread to find a blue stone that was fixed along with it. It was a charm stone. The color that matched the rose that grew in the garden of the Delcrov’s mansion.
Penny beamed in happiness when Alexander looked down at his hand and the stone that he held right now, “It is a charm stone that I made it from the rose petal that belongs to your mother.”
“Thank you,” Alexander said before saying, “I already have one charm stone that my mother made for me,” he pointed out and she nodded in understanding.
“It isn’t exactly for you,” she smiled when Alexander’s brows furrowed, “I would have made any charm stone and given it to you but this one is special for more than one reason that it has Lady Isabelle in it as a memory. One day might come where you will come to care for someone out of the circle you have right now. Someone, you will fall in love much more than your mother who you will come to care for, give it to that person at that time. It will protect her, it will come to her aid when she needs you the most,” saying this Penny went to the carriage to have Damien who was waiting for her. With his hand already outstretched for her to take, she placed her hand in his and got in.
Damien tipped his chin up when Alexander and his eyes met, raising his hand before the carriage started to move out of the Delcrov’s mansion.
