They walked down the streets which got busier as the time started to move from morning to noon, the sun which had come out now had started to go back and behind the clouds, turning the temperature back to one which was cold. Penny felt Damien's hand held onto her hand firmly, not letting it go which made her feel like a child as it moved back and forth as they walked. A smile on her lips at the peaceful time they were having right now.
"Valeria is nice," she commented seeing the children on the streets play with no care in the world.
"Better than Bonelake and Wovile?" Damien looked at Penny before his eyes tracked to where she was looking at, "Is it the weather or the people?" he asked.
"Both I guess. I grew up in Bonelake, under the thick clouds without feeling much sunlight on my skin and even if it did, I was always in the house with my mother. Never out playing with others."
"Do you hate it?" Damien kept his questions short without wanting to interrupt much. He saw her smile as she breathed deeply.
"I might have back then. I was young with a child's heart. I think it is only obvious that I would have craved for people more than me. I remember there was this girl who was very scared of me. People in Bonelake are much resistant but here, it looks much more peaceful."
"It wasn't the same before," Damien's voice chimed in, "Life here has turned around with strict rules. Can you see the spot there? The two buildings away from the tower bell," he jerked his head in the direction without pointing his hand, "It was the place Aunt Isabelle was burnt."
Penny couldn't believe this was the same town that Lord Alexander's mother had been killed. The man had appeared to be serious, a man of few words but spoke only when needed in the beginning. His appearance was darker than Damien where Damien used his mouth to be sarcastic with others and poking annoyance, the Lord mostly glared.
Nonetheless, he had accompanied them today with them before leaving for work. To step back where the gore had taken place where his mother had died. It was hard to face things that hurt. The man was brave to do that.
"Do witches get burned down still?" Penny asked him, her lips falling to a thin line as she thought about the previous lady of Valeria.
"There are some incidents. Not everything can be controlled but fear helps," Damien smirked, "You scare the village and townsfolk enough they will fall in line sooner or later. The black witches are not spared but if a white witch is spotted by the guards, it is necessary here that they report it directly to the Lord. After what happened to his mother, he doesn't want other white witches to have the same fate. I think it is different like that when compared to Wovile where white witches are not welcome at all by the humans and vampire but then it is also because of the circ.u.mstances."
She nodded her head. She knew that. It was as if no one was at fault but at the same time, they were at fault. People who were going to protect had turned their backs and no one trusted anyone.
"I guess no place is safe," she sighed, her fingers being pressed by Damien.
"If there isn't a safe place, I will be your safe haven. You can always come to me and I will be there," he assured her.
Damien had turned to a sweet man, she doubted he changed as he still handled people the same way he did as before but it was his affections for her that had changed. Making it evident and more open where he didn't bother to hide what he wanted to do, say or show.
"I will be your safe haven too," Penny stated. Damien's lips only stretched.
"You wouldn't mind if I killed people?"
"I am sure you have the best interest in me or people you care about when you do it," she turned to meet his eyes where he was looking at her already.
"So much trust," he murmured before saying, "You wouldn't mind if I killed your mother?" he stared back at her, gauging her expression.
Damien didn't judge Penny if she still held some sort of attachment to her mother. She had grown dependent on her mother all those years. Her mind being erased and brainwashed over and over again where she had turned docile while she had to be resentful for what her mother did. He had seen the pain and dejection before they had left Wovile. She was scared to let it go previously, to break away things but the pain had reduced after her mother had tried to set her up to be part of the massacre.
"You should already know," her lashes touched her cheeks as she looked down and then looked up back at him, "I don't mind if you ripped her head off her body," she nodded her head in confirmation.
"Consider it to be done," Damien was glad to hear that from her. This way there would be fewer mishaps.
It was only a matter of time before she would get back all the lost and erased memories. After being fixed then they figure out why her mother was intent on killing her. He would help Penny with anything she wanted. His sweet mother-in-law was hiding something that she was scared and yet to not kill Penny on the spot she must have grown some kind of attachment as well.
Attachment or not, in the end, she would kill her and it was only right to kill her.
"Say, how come the black witches haven't set up Lord Alexander for his witch blood?" she asked in wonderment.
"You have seen that cross that he wears, it suppresses the presence of the witch. The charm stone was made by his mother. And he's some kind of mixed creature of the witch and the vampire," with what Penny knew, making a red charm stone was impossible. There were many different colors but until now the existing white witches weren't able to acquire the red stone.