The innkeeper looked at the couple with his narrowed eyes at the couple who stood as if they were caught red-handed, "Are you?" he asked them.

Penny, who was ready to refuse the claim that was made by the man, heard Damien speak first, "You are right, Sir," he placed a sullen look on his face.

"Ha! I was right!" said the man.

Penny was sure that the man would be ready now to throw and kick their luggage out of the room and inn so that they would go search for another inn. A lot of humans and vampires who belonged to the lower society didn't like a boy and a girl or a man or a woman eloping. Giving shelter in their homes or inn's often brought the people trouble due to which the folks preferred to keep eloped couples away from their place to avoid any trouble.

Then suddenly the man said, "Why didn't you tell me before? You can stay here as long as you need and want."

Eh? Penny blinked at the man who didn't react the way she had expected him to react.

Damien in the meantime continued with his antics and drama, "Thank you, Mister. You are such a kind man to let us stay here."

The man shook his head before thumping his chest with his hand, "I know how difficult it is for couples to be able to leave home and run away," he then lowered his voice to say, "Truth is I had a very similar situation when I was a young man with my wife. I understand your predicament. Feel at ease and I will keep myself," he placed his finger on his lips, giving them a smile. The man then turned around hearing footsteps and he moved his hand, "Sybil," he called a person.

A woman came to stand next to his side, asking him, "What is it?"

"I told you about the couple who eloped last night? These are the ones," the man turned to the young couple and he got jabbed by his wife's elbow who gave Damien and Penny an apologetic smile, "Sybil, do you remember the time when we ran away?"

Penny could tell the man was reminiscing his past while seeing Damien and Penny. Before the innkeeper could tell anything, his wife said, "I am sure they would want to spend their time alone. Let's not bother them."

"Of course! If you need anything let us know," the man said and they left the room.

Seeing them gone and the door close, Penny crossed her hand against her chest to ask, "Eloped?" One side of Damien's lips pulled up to smile.

"I don't think we'll ever be able to do it so playing the part sounds really fun," he said to her.

"They seem like really nice people. Better than what we had in Wovile," she commented remembering the time she had last met her mother while the inn was being managed by a corrupt white witch. She hadn't seen her mother after that.

She could still the feet radiating around her surrounding reminding her of the time when the building was set on fire with her and Damien in it. The helplessness she had felt along with the anxiety where Damien was unconscious, there were times when she dreamed of it to be consoled and whispered to sleep back again by Damien.

She felt Damien's hand on her cheek as if breaking her from the trance-like memories she had been going through again.

"You okay?" he asked her. Penny nodded, smiling at me.

"I am okay," she responded back to him.

"Now that we have befriended the innkeeper and his wife, I think getting your food shouldn't be a problem. At least you will have a decent meal," said Damien as he pulled the revolver from his back to put it on the bed.

The couple who had shown up at their door right now appear to be normal with no traces of witch or any other activity. At least they wouldn't have to constantly keep watching their backs to look for any suspicion. Damien's hand then reached Penny's arm to push the sleeve and look at the patch that had been formed.

The way he was observing it right now, Penny wondered if he was angry for not letting him know right away. He surprised her by asking, "Does it hurt?"

"No. There has been no change apart from detecting the black witch and white witches and the skin here," she answered him, gauging his reaction to hear him hum.

"Come to bed with me," Damien said, pulling her to the small bed which somehow gave an intimate allure with the room as she was close to his reach.

Penny felt him tug her hand and she willingly followed him where he made her sit on the bed. Bending down on the floor, he unbuckled her shoes one after another and then hovered over her to kiss her lips. She welcomed him and his emotions openly while opening her own heart to him.

She could feel the fervor of his hand as he touched her. Pulling him to the bed too where he removed his own shoes, Damien held her face as he kissed her. The touch that night had been tender and sweet. Cheris.h.i.+ng each other as they discarded their clothes, one piece coming off after another that fell into a messy pile on the floor of the room.

Damien didn't know he would ever come to fall in love with someone this much that he wanted to keep her safe in his arms without letting her go away from him or letting his gaze leave her. They were both the same. While one had the corruption of heart, the other was slowly getting infected by the forbidden magic that was not to be touched.

He kissed her like it was their last night together. Touching her in ways that had her lips parting and calling out his name the entire night. Penny, on the other hand, had managed to learn how to please him, not wanting her to be the only one on the receiving end.

The couple tried to keep their voices low not wanting to disturb their neighbors and Penny had to bite into the pillow when Damien took her from behind with the bed creaking softly with their movement. With the inn that was cheap and the weather here hotter than Bonelake, Penny felt the drops of perspiration trickle down her back as she moved her body along with him.

She sighed with her fingernails digging in his shoulders before she brought herself to wound her hands around his neck.

Falling back on the bed with the sheets covering them, Damien pulled her body close to him so that he could hold her.

Damien kissed her neck and snuggled closer to her with Penny having a faint smile on her lips. Life might have been unfair in a few things for her but there were certain things like the existence of Damien that made her happy. Life with him felt full and enough.

Holding his hand close to her, she closed her eyes to fall asleep.