Whatever the ring of dust was made of was magic that took decades to improvise and create the final product before being used. Unfortunately, with her passing away no one else could use the stardust on any other place to safe proof it from letting the witches entering it.
Getting back to the switcher in front of him he looked at the minute details of how perfectly the impersonation was done of Penny. But the switcher wasn't a good actor and Damien knew Penny well enough to identify her actions.
Whoever the witch was, she had sent a switcher into the building of councils which meant now there was an imposter in there.
"Who is it?"
"I don't know," to his quick answer, Damien stared at the man with an utterly bored look, "I don't know who he has switched into."
"Guess you are only this much useful. Not a good enough information," Damien pointed the gun at her.
"You cannot kill me. Clearly you like this girl, the body of impersonation I have done," the girl said,looking at him the way Penny looked at him and using the very same voice she had, "Don't you want to keep me safe," she said changing her demeanor to one of being docile, "I will make sure-" a quick bullet was shot right into her left eye where the blood started to bleed profusely and then the right eye before shooting one more on her forehead making the switcher fall back and down on the dusty ground.
"Disgusting," he muttered under his breath. To even dare to pick Penelope's persona, he didn't like it. Things and people who belonged to him were not to be touched and played around with.
Looking at the bodies that laid on the ground, piles of them with some where the flesh could be seen and houseflies that kept hovering around them and some bones as they were old, he walked out of the building.
Once he would leave from here and put Penny back home, he would have to let the lord know about this little party. With a switcher in the council which the council would hear, there was no telling who it could be. It wasn't as if he had placed a bond on every and any person to know who was who.
But first thing first he had to find Penny. Walking in the way they had come previously, he stopped to see where the smoke had taken place while also wondering if there was any more witches in the vicinity. At the moment, he could feel nothing but tranquility from Penny. Finally reaching the place where the smoke was thrown, he noticed a dull blue painted door that looked broken and half-open.
He jaw slightly tightened at the thought of how he had missed it in the beginning. In the need to keep her safe, he hadn't realized that he had caught hold of a switcher's hand. Pushing the door open he found Penny who laid unconscious on the floor.
Damien exhaled, his shoulders relaxing further at the sight of her lying asleep as he could hear her breathing. There was a cut on her forehead like she had been beaten right across her head with something hard. Enough to have her fall unconscious for the moment. There was discoloration on her forehead at the same area and in hours it would only increase before starting to fade away along with the little cut.
He shook her shoulder but seeing her not wake up, he picked her up. Putting her over her shoulder before heading towards the carriage that was left at the outside corners of the village. One hand held her securely while the other held the gun. His eyes and ears picking on the slightest sounds.
Pulling the door open, he laid her inside before locking it up. Walking around he saw his coachman whose body laid sprawled on the muddy ground. Leaving him here would only add him to be part of the village. Touching his neck to check his pulse, he could feel the weakened heart rate. Lucky bugger, thought Damien to himself. Picking the coachman he put him in the luggage section.
Before his subconscious could poke him he rolled his eyes to himself. The coachman would feel privileged to have himself rode behind the carriage than leave him lying here before another witch would come to pick the alive humans for their sacrifices.
Reaching the mansion which took a while to reach, he stopped it in the shed where the butler came to greet him with hurried footsteps. Falcon looked at Damien with a troubled expression as his eyes fell on the slave girl.
"Have the doctor come to fix the man behind the carriage," he said walking around the mansion. Falcon walked behind the carriage to find the coachman with an arrow on his shoulder. His first thought was that the man was dead but his master had told him to get a doctor which meant he was alive. And whoever died with an arrow to the shoulder. Maybe the pain and shock had made the coachman faint.
By the time he could ask his master if he needed any help, the pureblooded vampire had disappeared inside the mansion.
Damien didn't wait to use the stairs and had vanished right after he was away from Falcon's sight. Carrying Penny to the bed, he laid her down. Walking to the foot of the bed, he unbuckled the shoe after another before placing them below the bed neatly.
Walking to the bathroom, he took the smaller towel. Wetting it in the water before getting back to Penny who continued to lay unconscious. Her head had been hit hard enough for her to knock out. Sitting on the empty space of the bed next to her, he brought the wet cloth to her head before dabbing it gently to remove the dried bloodstains.
He was glad that she was alright.