The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (25 page)

           
"But I cannot walk properly... my leg is still..."

           
"I know... that is why I am going to carry you."

Kazuki stood by Mother ready and prepared to help her up when Mother snapped.

           
"No!... I am not having you carrying me!"

           
"Why?... Because I am commoner to the rich people?"

Mother gaped at Kazuki’s blunt comment. Iliana’s eyes darted between Mother and Kazuki
not knowing how to react or even know what to say.

           
"No... not because of that... because... I am heavy!"

A smile crept at the corners of Iliana’s lips relieved that Mother had began to turn over a
new leaf with Kazuki.

           
"I will be fine, I have carried heavier... now put your arm round behind my neck."
Kazuki requested.

           
Reading the signposts Iliana led the way to the chapel room. In the distance she
could hear Caitlyn’s beautiful voice singing graciously in the air. The nurses were bustling
around the corridors and tending to those who have collapsed to the floor. Iliana bent down
to an elderly man slumped on one of the chairs that lined one side of the corridor. His head
was tipped back on the wall. His face was pale and his eyes were vacant. Iliana tentatively
stroked his frail cheeks only to feel a prickly burning sensation on her fingertips. Kazuki let
out a deep sigh next to her.

           
"You really
need to stop doing that." He said his eyes now fixed down the stretch of
corridor in front of them.

Iliana looked up and tutted in annoyance. At the end of the corridor behind the flurry of
nurses and patients stood six demons. Everyone except Iliana, Kazuki and Mother was
completely oblivious to the presence of demons that towered over the hustle and bustle in
the corridor.

           
"Can no-one else see those demons standing there?" Mother questioned sitting
comfortably in Kazuki’s strong arms.

           
"No... humans excluding those who have been invited... like yourself, cannot see the
Unknown World." Kazuki replied gently lowering Mother down onto the empty chair next
to the old man.

           
"So... how can you fight those demons with your weapons without the humans
seeing you?" Mother asked sounding a little confused.

           
"Our Holy weapon once drawn allows us to pass the invisible fine barrier between
our world and the Unknown."

           
"So you... become invisible to the human eye once your weapons are drawn?"

           
"Something like that!"

Whilst Kazuki took off his silver chain Iliana gave her messenger handbag to Mother then
faced the demons. Her hands tingled with the presence of water nearby which she
commanded to abide with her. Within moments jets of water flew out from the rooms either
side of the corridors.

           
"Whoa!..." Mother gasped in awe as the water swirled around Iliana’s body.

Iliana turned round to smile at Mother when she saw six more demons standing regimental
behind them.

           
"Uh!..." Was all Iliana could muster at the sight of them.

Kazuki turned to her and followed her gaze.

           
"If only you did not touch that man we would be at the chapel room by now...
instead of facing these demons."

Iliana narrowed her eyes.

           
"You did not exactly
stop me from doing so."

           
"I cannot keep my eyes on you all
the time... I do not know if you realised... but I
was busy carrying your Mother!"

           
"What happened to the... ‘
I do not mind being your babysitter
’... which you
said to
me after the events at Lord Baddesley’s mansion?" Iliana questioned getting fired up all of
a sudden.

Kazuki glared at her, firstly looking a little baffled then gave a sarcastic chuckle.

           
"I never
said that!"

           
"Maybe not
to those exact words." Iliana confessed in a mutter. "But it was along
those lines."

           
"I did not say anything near such lines... How did you even get?..."

"I hate to interrupt your little bickering here!" Mother cried out loudly. "But those demons
are coming at us."

Iliana and Kazuki swivelled round to their left. Both facing one end of the corridor. The
demons rushed through the crowd like a ghost passing through humans. Iliana stretched out
her arm in front of her commanding the jet of water to fly ahead. The water zigzag passed
the people as fast as a lightening bolt. With a swift flick of her hand the twister of water
opened up and engulfed two demons. Calling in another jet of water Iliana forced it towards
the other four but they all leapt out of the way of the incoming tentacle like gush of water.
Iliana headed towards the forthcoming demons as they simultaneously flew up into the air
above the crowd. Conveniently a group of people moved out of the way into a room near
them giving Iliana a free gangway. She sped up a little before falling to her knees and
skidded underneath the flying demons. Bending as far back as she could, her long straight
hair swept the floor behind her like a carpet of black satin floating in the light breeze.

           
And as if in slow motion the demons looked down at Iliana sliding on her knees
below them. It was the perfect move to distract them. With a wave of her arms and hands
Iliana commanded the twisters of water to strike the demons from behind them. The four
demons were then trapped inside the water globe. Their gurgled screams sounded as if they
were suffering from excruciating pain. Like a soaking wet towel being rinsed, the ball of
water twisted and turned along with the immersed demons inside. The water dissipated in
the air just as Iliana stood up from her knees then turned round.

           
On the other end of the corridor Kazuki was casually leaning on the wall loosely
holding his sword in his hand. Not a demon in sight. A smile stretched across his face when
their eyes met. Trying to ignore the plucking at her heartstrings Iliana walked to his
direction.

           
"How long have you been watching?"

           
"Long enough."

           
"You took out those demons that quickly?" Iliana asked in shock.

           
"What can I say... I am good at what I do!" He replied quite arrogantly.

           
"You were astonishingly amazing Iliana!" Mother stated enthusiastically. "You are
like... the Lady of the water."

           
"Hmm... that does sound catching. ‘
Lady of the water
’..." Iliana agreed with a hint of
amusement in her voice.

           
"I would not call you a ‘
Lady
’!..." Kazuki remarked in mockery.

Iliana threw him a deathly glare which soon quite unintentionally shaped into a flirtatious
smile when Kazuki grinned at her before turning to Mother and picking her up again into
his arms.

           
"
What am I doing
?" Iliana asked herself as they made another attempt to get to the
chapel room without having to face any other demons.

Kazuki walked in front of Iliana holding Mother without a flinch of a struggle as if she was
as light as a feather.

           
‘I am supposed to turn my back on these feelings yet....’
Iliana gazed at the back of
Kazuki’s head. ‘
....Yet I cannot keep my eyes off him, let alone stop these growing feelings I
have for him.’

           
They eventually made it to the door of the chapel room without meeting another
demon. As Iliana opened the door her name was called out. Father hurriedly came down the
corridor squeezing past the cluster of people on his way. His white coat was left undone
and fluttering behind him showing his dark trousers and pale blue shirt that now hung over
it. His matching coloured tie loosely hung round his neck. A look Father does not often let
people see, he always liked to be smartly dressed and not look like he had just thrown on
his clothes blind.

           
"I have been looking for you both everywhere... When I went back to the room the
door was smashed from its hinges and laid shattered on other end of the room... You were
all gone! I was worried sick!" He panted loudly sounding out of breath.

           
"I am sorry to have worried you Leslie, but we had to get away. Some of the patients
got a little... wild back there." Mother apologised choosing her words carefully.

She flitted a quick glance at Iliana, a smile flickered at the corner of her mouth.

           
‘Quick thinking Mother.’
Iliana thought to herself, pleased at Mother’s good cover
up.

           
"Just as long as you are both safe." Father forgave, then added. "I have no idea what
is going on with these patients of ours. This is like a deja vu from a few weeks ago... Back
then the police told us to keep this
‘special behavioural incidents’
quiet... but I do not think
we can keep this quiet any longer... it is getting worse!"

Mother requested Kazuki to put her down. She stood on one leg whilst lifting the other
slightly off the floor. Father slipped an arm round her waist holding her up for support.

Jung and Caitlyn appeared from behind the bundle of people. Both of them breathing
heavily as they made their way to them. Sweat dripped from the side of Jung’s face.
Caitlyn’s usual tidy blonde locks which Iliana envied now looked a little unruly.

           
"Hey!... We thought you might be here!" Jung said standing by Father.

           
"Oh my goodness!" Iliana gasped looking down at Caitlyn’s blood stained trousers.

Her beige tailored trousers had a claw torn ripped right across her right thigh.

           
"What happened?"

           
"It is just a scratch." Caitlyn reassured. "Apparently from the gorgeous Italian
Doctor whom we bumped into on the way here said I will survive."

Jung rolled his eyes when Caitlyn giggled at his dull expression.

           
"He is not
as gorgeous as me!" Jung remarked though with a hint of jealously in his
voice.

           
"Of course... no-one can be as gorgeous as you... my little Korean bear!" Caitlyn
cooed pouting her lips at him.

           
"This is really not time or place for that." Kazuki stated with a distasteful look.

           
"Like your one to talk... You and Iliana always seem to bicker at the most
inconvenient of times." Jung retaliated firmly.

           
"Oh wait... do they do that often?" Mother asked sounding intrigued.

           
"Don’t tell me... you have seen them bicker already?" Jung questioned in such an
amused and surprised tone.

Mother nodded smiling from ear to ear.

           
"It is so adorable is it not?" Caitlyn added turning to Iliana who was completely lost
to where this conversation was going.

           
"What are we talking about here?" Father inquired also utterly oblivious to what
they were all talking about.

Kazuki threw Jung a glare that could rot a fresh fruit in seconds. Jung cleared his throat
then quickly changed the subject.

           
"Anyway... to the more important matters. We need to hurry... they have scooted
away from the hospital. All of them heading for the same direction."

           
"And you decided to tell us now!" Kazuki remarked with sarcasm and frustration
entwined in his tone of voice.

Jung chuckled nervously ushering Caitlyn to start moving.

           
"Time to get going then."

Kazuki shook his head and rolled his eyes as Jung tottered behind Caitlyn.

           
"It might be best for you to stay in the chapel room. It is one place they cannot
tolerate." Kazuki suggested turning to Mother.

           
"When did you start to get religious?" Father asked her when Mother nodded.

           
"Today I guess..."

           
"Let’s go!" Kazuki said to Iliana before following Jung and Caitlyn.

           
"Wait!... Kazuki!" Mother called out.

Kazuki quickly spun back round. A sprinkle of uneasiness brushed over Mother’s face
before she took a deep breath and said...