The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (13 page)

           
It too was made of black marble like the corridor and the rest of the other rooms. But
with a slight difference, it was much larger. It was almost half the size of the hall where the
party was being held and contained a lot more furnishings. Fire lit lanterns that hung on the
walls flickered warm and welcoming light all around. At the centre of the room standing in
a perfect circle were solid gold coloured high back chairs which was evenly spaced out
between one another. In the middle of the circle of chairs was a solid round table
completely made out of black marble. Kazuki suddenly appeared behind Iliana making her
jump.

           
"I do wish you would stop suddenly appearing behind me like that!" She whispered
turning round.

Ignoring her comment Kazuki passed Iliana and entered the room.

           
"And I wish you would stop ignoring me!" She muttered under her breath as she
followed him.

They both passed through the gap in between the circle of chairs and stood in front of the
table. Iliana then realised the table was standing at the centre of a circle with a star in the
middle of it which was engraved on the marble floor. With other symbolic signs etched
around the outer circle.

           
"I have seen these signs from somewhere before!" Kazuki said pointing at the
engravings.

           
A sign etched on the side of the table caught Iliana’s eye as she was just about to
speak to Kazuki, she bent down and touched the open wings of the bird. But as soon as she
did sudden flashes of light appeared before her. The sound of shrill screams rung in her
ears. Flames and figures flashed in her eyes and Iliana’s body went cold. It was when a
warm touch on her arm brought her back to normal. Iliana found herself sitting on the floor,
her dress spread out untidily around her and Kazuki kneeled next to her with a hand on her
arm.

           
"What on earth is going on with you?... You were like this when Lord Baddesley
shook your hand!" He said lifting his hand off her arm.

"I-I do not know... I keep f-feeling cold... th-there was screaming in my ears... and-and
flashes of light... and fire... I!" Iliana began to explain unable to properly form her
sentences.

           
"Hey, hey, calm down!" Kazuki said laying his hand on her shoulder and forcing her
to look at him in the eye.

Just gazing into his familiar eyes for a moment Iliana felt so much calmer and after taking a
deep breath she was able to explain properly.

           
"For some reason I keep hearing blood curdling screams in my ears, just like in my
dreams I used to get. I have not heard or seen them in my dreams for awhile, but I have
experienced it twice in one night without being asleep. But not just that, I keep seeing fire
and dark figures. I also get so cold and feel like my soul is ripped from my body and thrown
into a world of darkness!" Iliana informed laying a hand on her chest. "Something is not
right as if... something is out of balance... And I am starting to believe that Lord Baddesley
and Lucas has something to do with it."

           
"Well, after seeing this room, it definitely rings a lot of warning bells... and there are
all ringing in their direction. I am going to take some pictures of this room and these signs
for Father Benjamin. I am sure he knows what they mean." Kazuki said standing up and
taking out his mobile from his trouser pocket.

           
After taking the evidence they needed Kazuki and Iliana made their way out of the
room. But just as they stepped out the corridor the door at the end opened and the two
hooded figures came out with their heads down. Kazuki pushed Iliana quickly back into the
room and slammed her back against the wall causing Iliana to squeal out in pain, but
Kazuki covered her mouth. The two figures looked up the corridor, the thinner man with
the husky voice elbowed the other.

           
"I told you... there is something or someone out there."

           
"Yeah, I heard them too... Come on, let’s get them. If it is those damn kids running
around and snogging their faces off in one of these rooms again I will throw them out!"
The plumper man said loudly that it echoed down the corridor.

After hearing that comment an idea struck in Kazuki’s mind.

           
"Do as I say!" He whispered before taking his hand off her mouth.

Kazuki leant his elbow and arm on the wall where Iliana had her back against then leaned
really close to Iliana with his head tilted to one side.

           
"W-what are you doing?" Iliana whispered as Kazuki’s face was just inches away.

           
"Trust me, this is our way out without being found out the real reasons why we are
here. Now tilt your head to your right." Kazuki replied in low whisper.

           
"Why?" Iliana asked automatically tilting her head without realising.

A smile stretched across Kazuki’s face as Iliana just noticed what she had done. His body
was so close she could smell his fresh scented cologne which made her feel as if she was in
a trance. His crystal deep blue eyes that looked down into her’s sparkled like the turquoise
lagoons in the exotic beaches of the Bora Bora island, where Iliana went on holiday once
with her parents when she was younger. Her heart raced hard in her chest and all her
worries were clouded over by different feelings that she had never felt for him before. But
strangely these feelings felt somewhat familiar. Iliana’s lips was just centimetres away from
Kazuki’s, for a second she had a mighty urge to press her lips on his but a loud and deep
voice behind Kazuki shouted, stopping her from doing so.

           
"For monkeys sakes!... How many times do I have to keep telling you kids to stop
snogging around in places where you shouldn’t be in?"

Kazuki whipped round as the man grabbed his shoulder.

           
"Seriously!... Would you just leave us alone... we were just having a moment!" He
said firmly sounding quite convincing.

           
"We will give you a moment in a minute Prince Charming if you don’t shut it!...
This is a warning... if I ever see you and Miss Beauty Queen in these rooms again I will get
Lord Baddesley to ban you from coming to this mansion in the future!"

Whilst Kazuki was arguing with the two men Iliana placed her fingers on her lips. Her heart
still pounding and her knees felt weak, she was lucky she was leaning on the wall otherwise
she would have collapsed.

           
‘What is wrong with me?... Why do I suddenly have such feelings?... Why did I want
to kiss him?’

These questions swam around in her head as the two hooded men dragged them both out of
the room and directed them back to the party.

*** Chapter 6 ***

           
The events of Lord Baddesley’s big party for Lucas’s return home was the main
gossip within the school and the rest of the city. Even well after a week had past. Chloe,
Victoria and Claire also talked a lot about it too, it was the main topic in their lunch breaks.

           
"My little brother has been feeling really rough this past few days. I said to him it is
his punishment for hitting on the girls at the party." Claire said as they made their way out
of the school building and into the field.

Even though it was a cloudy day it was still a mild and pleasant temperature for October.

           
"I still feel so sorry for you when you had to pull him away from that blonde girl."
Chloe said combing her fingers through her auburn hair.

           
"He was fondling her like there was no tomorrow... honestly, it was so embarrassing.
I felt like I was doing him a favour by dragging him out of there instead of the security
guys. Father would not have been amused!" Claire fumed.

           
"When did this happen?" Iliana asked not remembering them talking about this
before.

           
"After your Mother took you away for scolding." Victoria informed then changing
the subject. "We never asked... what did your Mother say to you anyway?"

With her eyes on the ground Iliana answered.

           
"N-nothing much... just that... I was not welcoming enough to Lord Baddesley and
Lucas."

Lying was something that Iliana was not good at or even liked doing, especially to her
friends. But it could not be helped in her situation. Talking about her Mother at the moment
was a sore topic.

           
Ever since the party Mother seems to flutter in and out of the house without
speaking a word to anyone. And when she does stay home the night, she sleeps in the spare
room. Iliana tried to make conversation with her but Mother ignores her and does not even
make eye contact. When Iliana talked it over with Father that morning when Mother left at
dusk, he quite calmly and understandingly said...

           
‘
She is going through some hardships, it comes with the line of work she is in. And I
have been there trust me, I know what she is going through... And I know she had said some
hurtful things especially to your friend at the party, but I am sure she did not mean it, and I
hope you will apologies to... umm... Kazuki was his name right? Yes... apologies to Kazuki
for us.’

Father obviously had no idea what was really going on with Mother, and Iliana had no
intentions in inviting Father to the Unknown World. But if he did know, would he still be
so supportive and positive? That was the question that Iliana had in her mind for some time.

           
After sitting in Father Benjamin’s lessons and learning about Jesus, Iliana was called
back when the bell rang.

           
"I will see you in Art." Iliana said to Victoria who was willing to wait for her before
heading to the Art department.

           
"Iliana... I need to talk to you, Kazuki and Jung after school. Can you meet me at St.
Mary’s Cathedral?" Father Benjamin asked quietly.

Iliana had been walking to school lately as Andrew’s wife called home at the beginning of
the week to say he was unwell. So Iliana had no one to wait on her which she much
preferred.

           
"Sure!" Iliana replied.

           
Kazuki showed Father Benjamin the pictures he had taken on his mobile the day
after the party. But he had not spoken about it to Iliana, Kazuki or Jung despite the strange
but worried look he had on his face when he first saw the images. Iliana was quite intrigued
and could not wait to know of his findings.

           
Standing at the entrance of the magnificent Cathedral Iliana had to take a moment
and admire its gothic like stoned structure. It was huge. The central tower and spire shot up
towards the sky. The windows around it were tall and the outer walls were embossed with
elaborate carvings of flowers and figures from the bible. A beautiful statue of Holy Mary
carrying baby Jesus stood at the entrance of the Cathedral. Walking inside Iliana was
welcomed by a font that stood at the centre of the entrance. It was full to the brim and the
holy water that overflowed smoothly from the four spouts and dropped gracefully into a
cross shaped base made out of white marble. The nave of the cathedral was impressively
high and narrow. The walls were made out of light grey Chilmark stone. Dark polished
Purbeck marble was used for the columns and the row of pillars from the high rising arcade
at either sides of the nave giving it a strong visual rhythm. The interior carried on the gothic
like look.

           
Still admiring the beauty of the cathedral Iliana did not notice Father Benjamin
standing at the end by the altar waving at her until he called out. Her name echoed down
the nave making Iliana and the other people inside jump. Whilst Father Benjamin
apologised for the interruption Iliana made her way down to him. He took her to a side door
by the impressive altar and led the way up the stone spiral stairs past the cloister into a large
private room. Shelves of books dominated every inch of the walls. Ancient looking scrolls
were gathered in wooden boxes just in front of the shelves. Wooden beams stretched from
the centre of the ceiling to the sides giving the old looking room a quirky character. Jung
was sitting on one of the wooden chairs by the round table that stood in the middle of the
room looking at his mobile. And Kazuki was standing by the multi panelled window with a
book in his hand.

           
Seeing or even thinking of Kazuki now makes Iliana blush as her thoughts kept
going back to when her lips were just centimetres away from his. When he looked up from
his book as Father Benjamin closed the door Iliana’s heart did the jive and had to quickly
look away.

A grin stretched across Jung’s face as Kazuki also looked away when Iliana approached the
round table with her cheeks as pink as a flamingo. Father Benjamin who did not notice the
awkwardness between them encouraged Iliana to sit down, and after shuffling the wads of
paper and scrolls that carpeted the table he began his talk.