The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (20 page)

           
"Forgive me... that was harsh and I did not mean it in that way... In actual fact I have
always believed that social status should never come in between love and friendship."

           
"I know." He whispered staring up ahead as he slowed his pace.

           
"You know what?" Iliana asked, confused with what he meant.

           
"Nothing... anyway... Yuki... is that not a Japanese name too?"

           
"Yes it is." Iliana replied, relieved Kazuki forgave her after such a comment. "Yuki
means ‘snow’ in Japanese. My Mother and Father bought her for me one Christmas. I
wanted to call her ‘snow’ but in a different language. After a little research in the internet, I
found the word ‘yuki’... and it just seemed perfect."

           
"You just had to be different."

           
"Of course... I like to be different!" Iliana responded smiling.

           
"You do not even have to try and you stand out like a sore thumb." Kazuki said in
mockery.

           
"Ha-ha-ha... very funny Mr. Comedian."

           
Walking into the school gates a voice called out her name behind them. Iliana turned
round to find Chloe running to them.

           
"Chloe... Good Morning!" Iliana said cheerfully, when Chloe stood in front of them
catching her breath.

           
"Good Morning Iliana... Williams." Chloe said nodding at Kazuki before looking at
Iliana in a funny way.

           
"Good Morning... Smithers." Kazuki said nodding back at her.

           
"Where is Victoria and Claire?" Iliana asked looking behind Chloe. Thinking they
were lagging behind.

           
"They did not call you?" Chloe asked and when Iliana shook her head she carried
on. "Well... this sick bug that has been going round had finally caught up with them both
and they are in bed, whilst vomiting in between."

           
"Is it the same bug that Claire’s little brother had?" Iliana questioned.

           
"I think so... Actually... I think he still has it!" Claire replied.

           
"Our family chauffeur Andrew has been off sick for quite some time now... I wonder
if he has the same sickness." Iliana said then added. "I hope they all get well soon."

           
Thinking about it for a moment Iliana had not seen Andrew for about two weeks,
and had not even heard anything of his recovery from him or
his wife.

Walking towards the school building Chloe continuously gave Iliana strange glances and
nodding to Kazuki’s direction, who walked a few steps in front of them.

           
"It is not what you think." Iliana whispered, understanding her funny looks.

           
"You keep saying that, but the more I see you two together the more my
imaginations goes wild." Chloe whispered back.

Unable to tell Chloe the true meaning behind their frequent get together’s Iliana just gave
Chloe an awkward smile before looking away. But the growing feelings Iliana has for
Kazuki, still befuddled her. Yet no matter how hard she tried to forget about it with just
one glance in his direction those feelings come flooding back inside her heart.

           
After having to tear herself from Chloe’s non-stop chattering at the end of the school
day Iliana rushed to the Cathedral. A priest guided Iliana to Father Benjamin’s private room
where Jung, Caitlyn, Kazuki and Father Benjamin were already sitting round the table with
their backs to her. As Iliana walked in and closed the door behind her everyone turned
round. Father Benjamin was the first to push his chair back and rushed to her, he looked as
if he had not slept for days.

           
"Iliana!... You have no idea how relieved I am to see you!" He said laying both
hands on her shoulders. "I was and... still am most distraught that I was not there for you."

           
"Do not beat yourself up... I had help from the others and I am fine now... honestly."
Iliana said hoping those words would make him feel better.

Father Benjamin smiled wearily and patted his hands on her shoulders before lowering his
arms down by his sides.

           
"Now... after our discussion the other day, I thought we needed a little reinforcement
especially as at present we seem to be swimming in the deep end." Father Benjamin
informed. "So I called my old friend Cardinal Philippe, but he was feeling unwell at the
time. However, he called me back yesterday and he has information that I never knew... in
fact it is well beyond me. I have him on a video call, he specifically wanted to see you. Be
patient with him, he is a little frail."

Father Benjamin led Iliana towards the table, Jung and Caitlyn had got up from their chairs
then gave Iliana a hug.

           
"How are you?" Caitlyn asked after they broke away from their little group hug.

           
"I am fine, thank you... What about you two?"

           
"After a good night sleep... we are a lot better." Jung replied. "We are just happy
that you are okay. Oh... I checked on your Mother this morning before work... she is still in
a deep sleep."

           
"Thank you for watching over her." Iliana said. "I am dying to see her."

When Iliana sat down on the wooden chair, her eyes flitted to Kazuki next to her. He was
sitting back in his chair with his arms folded in front of him, looking back at her. Iliana
blushed as a topless image of him from this morning splashed into her mind. Jung sat the
other side of Iliana and Caitlyn sat on his lap. On the table in front of them laid a wide
screen Apple laptop with it’s face completely black. After Father Benjamin pressed the
cursor within the black screen a clear image appeared of a plump old man sitting back in
his chair and sipping water from a glass.

           
The old man looked in his late eighties with fine strands of white hair poking out
from his red cap. He wore a black cassock with a row of red buttons down the front and
Iliana could just about see a red sash across his waist. His pellegrina on top revealed his
golden crucifix that he wore round his neck. Behind his thin round spectacles were eyes of
a very pale blue colour.

           
"Cardinal Philippe!" Father Benjamin called out making the old man jump and spill
the water over himself which brought a smile to everyone’s faces.

A male figure quickly appeared next to Cardinal Philippe and patted him dry with a cloth,
then disappeared when Cardinal Philippe thanked him and waved him away.

           
"Father Benjamin... you should not speak out so suddenly, you nearly gave me a
heart attack!" Cardinal Philippe exclaimed, his voice a little quivery with an essence of an
Italian accent.

           
"Forgive me." Father Benjamin apologised with a titter.

           
"I am glad you find it amusing." Cardinal Philippe said with tone of sarcasm but
then laughed too.

His laugh faded when Father Benjamin stood back and Iliana was in view on his screen, he
leaned closer to the screen and a gasp slipped from his lips.

           
"So you must be the Purifier that Father Benjamin has been talking about. It is a
pleasure to meet you my dear girl."

           
"The pleasure is all mine." Iliana said politely.

           
"And she has manners along with a pretty face... a combination you do not always
get in this day and age!" Cardinal Philippe exclaimed, tittering before he started to cough.

           
"Are you well?" Iliana asked as Cardinal Philippe sipped from a newly filled glass
of water and cleared his throat.

           
"It is just old age my dear girl, a word of advice... do not grow old, it is not fun." He
replied jokingly. "Anyway... to the more important matters, Father Benjamin has told me all
of your problems over there. Although I am not acquaint to the enemies you are dealing
with, but I do know of something that will interest you and maybe clear a few missing
details. I have studied assiduously on all matters of the Heavenly order ever since I was a
young teenager. In my studies, I have been lucky enough to travel around the world... and I
have heard and seen things that no average man on Earth will ever know. In my travels, I
also met many Purifiers and Chanters who all echoed the same rumours which have rippled
down from thousands of years ago. Miracles walk on our Earth."

Iliana leaned closer to the laptop screen.

           
"Miracles?" She repeated.

           
"Yes... but not the kind of Miracles you see or hear about on the news... oh no, no,
no!" Cardinal explained waving his index finger side to side and shaking his head. "These
Miracles are Holy and have existed since the dawn of time. When Jesus walked on our
Earth, he performed many
miracles... uncountable miracles. After assigning all those
miracles into categories... are as follows. Miracles of healing, feeding, nature, raising the
dead and the miracles of water
.
"

Cardinal Philippe pointed at Iliana when he said word ‘water’, making her sit up a little.

           
"Iliana is a... Miracle?" Jung said looking at Iliana who had the same perplexed
expression on her face.

           
"So... I am not a Purifier but a Miracle?... W-what is a Miracle?" Iliana asked,
frowning.

           
"That is where it gets a little confusing... A Miracle is
a Purifier. However, like your
friends there, a Purifier’s power come from their Holy weapon that is chosen for them by
God. A Miracle’s power is appendant to one’s soul... and when their powers are used for
good against evil, the world is at peace." Cardinal Philippe confirmed. "You could say... the
Miracles are like pillars, they keep our world balanced with the undying darkness within."

           
"That is why Lord Baddesley is after Iliana, he wants to Taint her soul and have her
as his own weapon." Caitlyn said.

           
"Oh... Tainting... about that!" Cardinal Philippe added, stroking his chin with a
worried look on his face.

           
"What about it?" Kazuki asked leaning onto the table.

           
"Well... you see, if a Miracle’s soul is Tainted, their powers will obviously be used
for evil. That could unbalance the world. Also another pointer, a Tainted soul of a Miracle
is hard enough to Purify but one with a broken heart is... well even harder." Cardinal
Philippe explained.

           
"A broken heart?" Iliana repeated again.

           
"I heard a long
time ago in Jerusalem, a Miracle was Tainted by his own demon
because his beloved cheated on him with his brother. Unfortunately the only way to Purify
the Miracle was to kill him." Cardinal Philippe said sorrowfully. "It caused havoc on the
Earth but it was the only safest thing that could have been done."

Iliana’s eyes lowered to the table, her heart suddenly felt heavy.

           
"Demons especially, the more powerful ones tend to target those who are dearest to
you. But you must still keep your loved ones close, because pushing them away will also
darken one’s heart." Cardinal Philippe warned. "My dear girl... look at me."

Iliana quickly looked back up at the screen, Cardinal Philippe was even closer to the screen
and was sliding his glasses over the bridge of his nose.

           
"Love is a powerful emotion, it can sometimes cause pain and other times joy. Do
not let that emotion escape from your heart no matter how dark it gets." Cardinal Philippe
said in a serious tone.

Those familiar words reminded Iliana of what the female voice said to her before she
Purified Mother.

           
"They have already targeted Iliana’s Mother whom Iliana has Purified." Father
Benjamin pointed out.

           
"There are many forms of Love, Father Benjamin." Cardinal Philippe said with a
small smile.

At the corner of her eye Iliana saw Kazuki sat back in his chair and folded his arms in front
of him again. Struggling to keep her heartbeat at a normal rate Iliana cleared her throat and
gulped in awkwardness. Caitlyn wrapped an arm round Jung’s neck and both exchanged
worried looks.

Cardinal Philippe started to cough again before he sipped the rest of the water in his glass.

           
"Are you alright Cardinal Philippe?" Father Benjamin asked leaning forward from
behind Iliana.

           
"I think I need to rest again. This old body of mine cannot stand all this excitement
like it used to." Cardinal Philippe croaked after his constant coughing. "One last thing... if
matters worsen on your side of the continent, do not hesitate to contact me or my right hand
man Bishop Francis and help will be yours. Darkness seems to be brewing on our Earth so
we all need to work together."