"Think that they were married? There are polar opposites," he competed and agreed to what she said. 

"What about your mother? Was she overprotective?" Damien took his turn to know more about the woman who was trying to kill her. 

Penny looked at the front, the spiky looking tree which branched out in a different direction symmetrically, "She appeared to be normal at that time," she said with an awkward smile, "She didn't mind me going out, bringing the nickels back home that the house used to run. She was alright," she didn't know how she had failed to see the facade all those years she lived with her mother. 

Seventeen years and not a crack in the way she appeared in front of her, Penny wasn't sure if she was supposed to be worried that she had acquired her acting skills from her mother. Somewhere it was haunting to think that she had lived with a woman who wasn't who she had presumed to be. 

"She was like any other mother out there in the village. Kind and sweet. Maybe kinder than the rest," but then Penny thought if it was because the rest of the villagers were unkind to her, therefore, the little amount of kindness her mother showered on her felt a lot, "I don't know sometimes on what to a.s.sume and think."

"It's alright," she heard Damien say, his eyes s.h.i.+fting to look from the scenery that was in front of to look at her, "You don't have to think too much on it. Maybe somewhere I do resonate with what Maggie said."

"What is that?" asked Penny curious about what his sister said. 

"She is happy for how things are. Not that she wanted our mother dead but happy nonetheless for us. Now that I think about it, it is one less mother to deal with," he said for her to smile. That was somehow true, "Do you want me to take the necklace for you?" he asked remembering how uncomfortable she had been when she had walked down the stairs. 

Penelope had forgotten about it. Now that Damien reminded her of it, she paused her steps, her hands rising up ready to take it off.

"Allow me," Damien turned his body towards her, taking one step to close the distance between them, his hands reached the hook of the necklace. He leaned over, his hands working on it. 

As she had worn an off-shoulder dress, Damien's breath fell on her skin that tingled down and thrummed her body. Once he was done removing it, he stepped back. She felt as if a weight had been lifted from her neck where she could not move her neck freely that she had forgotten about. 

"Better?" he asked to see her nod and see her sigh.

"I hope Maggie won't mind it," she murmured, not wanting Lady Maggie to think that she didn't appreciate the gift. 

Before they could continue to walk forward, Damien suddenly whisked his hand around her waist to bring her close to him. Her body fit into his snuggly and she could feel the cold temperature slowly starting to s.h.i.+ft to a much warmer one. 

Penny stared right into Damien's eyes, a freckle of black dust that was swirling in his eyes which made her worry, "Is your corruption acting up again?" she asked him as he stared back at her. His arm around her was tight and firm just as the corset that she wore inside her dress. 

"Why do you ask?" his words came out huskier than usual. She could tell that her guess was right. 

"When was the last time you drank blood?" she questioned him when his face came close to her, his lips drawing closer to her but instead of kissing her where her lips parted and awaited for the touch, he moved his face away and kissed below her ear. His lips pressing on her skin which felt warm and undeniably nice. 

"In the morning," he responded back, his words vibrating against her skin and he dropped another kiss. 

She gulped. Her breathing turned shallow with one kiss of his. She forced the words out of her mouth that came out in s.h.i.+ver, "How many gla.s.ses did you drink?" his lips trailed up to her ear lobes.

"Seven of them," he whispered the words back into her sh.e.l.l of the ear. He pulled back and this time Penny saw one of Damien's eyes turn black while the other had red and black swirls in it. 

"Damien...The corruption is acting…" she said her eyes moving back and forth between his eyes.

"I know," he chuckled as if the corruption was not a big deal where he was being affected now. 

"You know," she nodded her head, letting it sink in, "Do you need to drink blood?" she asked him when the red eyes started to fill up with blackness, "I think you should," she said to have him let go of her waist. 

With one more blink and both his eyes returned back to the color of deep red. 

"It isn't unusual," he a.s.sured catching her troubled expression, "My heart sometimes can't contain things in it and starts to activate the corruption. It comes and goes."

Penny wanted to help but until now she was just a mere white witch who was trying to get around with the potions and the life of the witches to be able to cure the corruption in his heart. Damien had told her that until now no one had been spared from corruption it was part of the process of living and no one could do anything about it. One had to go through it but it appeared that Damien was stuck in the starting stage of it.