Seeing both the council members leave the dungeon where father Antonio led them out politely, Penny went back to look at the flask while everyone was still murmuring on what just happened.
This time she had been saved by her words but doubt had been placed in Evelyn’s mind and Penny knew that the vampiress would not let it go anytime soon. She would have to be even more careful than before. If word got out that she was a white witch, the council and the witch hunters would turn their eyes on her and she wouldn’t be able to move freely.
Wishing bye to sister Jera and Father Antonio with a nod, Penny stepped out of the church to see that Damien had not arrived yet. Was he perhaps stuck with work? He was usually here at this time, deciding to head back home by herself so she let one of the white witches who worked in the council know about it.
Leaving the church behind her, she continued to walk in the path which headed back to Quinn’s mansion. The mud was soft on her feet, sliding at times due to the continuous rain that had been pouring over and over again since the time they had returned back from Valeria. The weather of Bonelake had turned back to its usual rainy self.
The sky had started to turn dark and the colors which were trying to peek out were long gone. When Penny and Jera had returned back to the church, the time had headed towards evening. Damien would know if she were walking in the path of the road. The more time passed the more worried Penny turned on why Damien had not come to find her yet. She wondered if there was another case that had been keeping him busy.
Walking on the side, she felt soft drops of water starting to fall from the sky. Oh, no! The more the water drops started to fall on her, the faster she started to walk while also trying to not fall on her bottom on the ground. What started as a drizzle of rain soon started to pick up speed leaving Penny turning wet with the clothes that she had worn.
She heard the clouds thunder and crash against each other up in the sky. The lightning falling on some faraway lands that shook the place along with her. She had hoped to catch a moving carriage on her way to drop her to the nearest location so that she could make her way but not a single carriage had come to pass by her. The only carriage that did pass by was her was one which was going in the opposite direction as she was.
Penny was utterly drenched from head to toe and her shirt stuck to her body. Thankfully she had a jacket but it was soaked too, turning her shoulders heavy as she made her way to the mansion.
How far was the mansion from the church? Asked Penny to herself. With what she remembered it wasn’t too far, maybe twenty to thirty minutes by carriage? By walking it would be too much, she sighed in the rain as her feet continued to move forward one after another.
After a few minutes, over the sound of the rain, Penny heard a distant sound of a carriage that was coming behind her and she stopped walking. Turning around to see it was indeed a carriage, she waved her hand hoping it would stop after looking at her.
The carriage didn’t stop at first and went on to continue driving which made her huff. Where was chivalry by people these days? The sky had turned dark and so did the path that somewhere deep down, Penny was slightly worried that she had lost path right now. She was surrounded by trees and more trees with only the path to be seen. There were deviations to different towns and villages, and though she wasn’t new when it came to walking back home, she was worried she had lost her way and would worry Damien.
When she readied again to walk, she caught sight of the carriage on how it had stopped.
Penny quickly ran towards the carriage, ready to thank the coachman who had stepped out from his seat. The coachman had drenched in the rain like her.
When the man opened the door to the carriage, Penny looked up ready to thank the person who had been kind enough to give another thought of stopping the carriage for her.
It was Mr.Varreran.
Out of all the people, it was the blond vampire with the glasses whom this carriage belonged to. The man had already moved away to make space for her to sit.
He gave her his hand and she took hold of it to step inside the carriage. As she wasn’t wearing a dress, she didn’t have to worry about pulling her dress away from the door.
“Apologies for your seat,” she said knowing how wet she was because of the rain and as the seat was placed in only one direction, they were sitting on the same one.
“It’s okay. I hope everything is well because you were…” he trailed his words letting her continue as the man looked at her.
Penny pushed her wet hair away from her face while also removing the water droplets that were on her face,
“I had been out in the town and thought to take a small walk and got lost,” she gave him a queasy smile to have the man nodding at her. She didn’t want to tell him that she was in the church all alone as it would only bring suspiciously or maybe it wouldn’t but with what was dealt today in the church, she found it best to be that ditzy girl who was only spending Damien’s money.
The man gave her a soft smile. He pulled out his kerchief and brought it forward to her.
“Ah, no I am okay,” she said but the man didn’t drop his hand.
“Please, I insist.”
It wasn’t enough but it was something, thought Penny to herself. With the man still holding out his kerchief which was white in color, Penny finally took it from him.
“Thank you,” she said.
Mr.Varreran responded back with, “Don’t mention it.”
