The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (12 page)

           
"I am going to do what we have come here to do." He said after a while before
storming off into the crowd.

"Aah... wait Kazuki..." Iliana started about to follow him but was stopped when a hand
grabbed her arm.

           
"Iliana..."

Iliana turned round quickly. It was Chloe, Claire and Victoria.

           
"Ooh... hey!" Iliana said. "Whoa!... You girls look amazing!"

           
All three of them wore full length gowns. Claire wore a dark purple strapless
mermaid dress, her bodice was covered in sequences and her diamond collar necklace just
made her sparkle under the lights that flooded the room. Victoria wore an off the shoulder
fitted laced black dress accompanied with three quarter length laced sleeves. A thin sparkly
black belt wrapped round her small waist and in one hand held a small laced black clutch
bag. Chloe wore a maroon halter neck dress, a thick laced belt wrapped round her waist and
formed a huge bow behind her. The chiffon skirt waved delicately when she moved like a
satin cloth being blown in the light breeze.

           
"So do you... you look gorgeous!" Chloe said still holding her hand and raising it for
a better look at her dress.

           
"Thanks."

           
"I cannot believe you were talking to Lord Baddesley and Lucas. When I shook Lord
Baddesley’s hand earlier I thought I was going to faint. They are like the top A-listers in the
City and so very cool, do you not agree?" Victoria said excitedly. "What were you lot
talking about?"

           
"Umm... just... er... introducing each other, that was all." Iliana stuttered then
realised that no one apart from the Purifiers knows the other side of Lucas and Lord
Baddesley.

           
"It looked rather serious but anyway, I cannot believe you invited Kazuki." Claire
said. "No wonder why you did not tell us who you were going with... So are you starting to
like him now? Oh wait... are you two dating?"

           
"It is not
like that at all... no way!" Iliana quickly replied trying to come up with a
good reason. As it was Father Benjamin’s great idea to bring him. "I had to bring
someone!" Was all Iliana could come up with.

           
"Yeah, I heard a few girls asked Kazuki to be their invitee but he refused. We now
know why." Victoria added. "He looks drop dead gorgeous... and so is Lucas."

           
"If you girls had invited Kazuki would your parents disapprove?" Iliana asked
wondering if the girl’s parents would have acted the same way Mother did.

           
"Most definitely... but he is still on the rich list even though he is way
down the
bottom and plus totally hot, so they might give in after a while." Victoria replied. "But for
those at the top of the rich list hate him because his Father married a scullery maid from
Lord Baddesley’s mansion some years ago. That still left a bad taste in people’s mouths!
Apparently, Lord Baddesley has no memory of it... strange though... I swear I heard from
somewhere that the Williams’s and the Baddesley’s were acquainted somehow."

           
"Really?..."

           
"Goodness Victoria... I did not even know that!" Claire said. "Where on earth do
you get these information from?... You are like a walking book of gossiping knowledge!"

           
"Well... you know... I do
have my sources." Victoria jokingly replied.

Iliana looked around the room trying to see whether Kazuki was nearby. After hearing what
Victoria said made her feel sorry for him.

           
"Anyway... changing the subject, shall we go and have a drink? I am gasping here."
Claire said looking a little flustered.

           
"Sure!... Where is your little brother anyway?" Chloe asked.

           
"Who cares... probably chatting up some girls."

           
"Is he not only twelve years of age?" Victoria questioned.

           
"Yes... he likes to ogle girls, it was the only reason why he came... Such an
embarrassing creep of a brother."

The girls laughed as they made their way to the drink table. Being with her friends made
Iliana feel so much calmer and more like a normal teenaged girl. Her worries drifted to the
back of her head and she began to enjoy herself, a smile stretched across her face. But her
smile soon faded when she saw Mother walking towards them with a face like thunder.

           
"Uh-oh... looks like you are going to have a thrashing from your Mother!" Chloe
whispered before taking a quick swig at her lemonade.

           
"Great!..." Iliana said sarcastically under her breath.

           
"I hope you do not mind if I steal Iliana away from you for a while." Mother said
politely though as if through gritted teeth.

The girls nodded and as Mother led Iliana away, they gave her an encouraging smile.
Mother took her to the opposite end of the hall from the entrance where it was much quieter
and Mother forced Iliana to lean back against the white pillar. Mother stood in front of her
with her hands on her hips. Looking into her fiery eyes Iliana knew the Mother that laid a
hand on her cheek with so much love and kindness from earlier this evening was gone.

           
"You have embarrassed me tonight in front of Lord Baddesley by bringing that
commoner with you!" Mother hissed.

           
"He is not a commoner Mother..." Iliana started.

           
"He is within the rich side... did you think because he is good-looking you might get
away with it?" Mother interrupted pointing her finger at Iliana.

           
"For goodness sake Mother!... I do not care whether he is the poorest man in the city
I would have still invited him... And I do not care about these ranks that you keep going on
about!" Iliana said firmly not really knowing why she was defending Kazuki but for some
unknown reason she could not stop herself.

           
"Do not use such tone with me young lady!" Mother snarled. "From now on you
shall do what I say and stay away from commoners like him. Those girls that you hang
around with... will do for now, but I will find better ones for you to gather with!"

Iliana looked at her Mother in shock, her heart aching with anger. Already knowing that
Mother’s inner demon was controlling her mind and quickly taking over her soul Iliana
could not help herself from what she was going to say next, and knew that it would only
make things worse.

           
"I will do no such things... because the kind and thoughtful Mother I once knew and
loved would never say such resentful things. I do not know who you are anymore!" Iliana
said to her.

Mother’s eyes darkened completely for a moment, but before Mother could say or do
anything Iliana turned her back, lifted the bottom part of her dress up to stop herself from
tripping and stormed off towards the open doors near to them. Mother growled under her
breath before striding the opposite direction. Neither of them were aware of the presence
that stood behind the pillar which Iliana had her back against and heard their full
conversation.

           
After rushing down the long corridor for a good five minutes Iliana stopped. She let
go of her dress and rested her back against the wall then sighed deeply. Iliana started to feel
a little guilty for what she said to Mother, she had never spoken to her like that before.
Even though it was the inner demon that was doing all the talking, Iliana felt as if she
should chosen her words better. As Iliana tried to decide whether she should go back and
make it up with Mother or not she suddenly heard voices coming from somewhere nearby.

           
Looking around Iliana saw an opening which led to another corridor. She poked her
head round and saw two figures, one was slightly more rounder and shorter while the other
was taller and slimmer. They had their backs to her and were making their way down the
other end of the corridor. They were wearing the same long black cloaks with a pointed
hood that she found in Mother’s bag. The figures turned the corner and disappeared,
gathering the bottom of her dress Iliana followed.

           
After following them for awhile through which seemed like a labyrinth of corridors,
the two figures stopped in front of large double doors. Hiding behind the opening of the
corridor Iliana watched them open the doors by turning the two big door knobs. Once they
disappeared inside and closed the doors behind them Iliana rushed as fast as she could with
the heeled evening shoes she was wearing and stood by the doors. Hoping and praying the
two figures had moved away from the door Iliana twisted the door knob slowly and pushed
one of doors open. Poking her head through first, she looked around but the two figures
were not to be seen, in fact no one was around.

           
Suddenly someone stood behind her and a hand covered her mouth and nose. With
her heart racing inside her chest she was pushed hurriedly inside the room and the door was
closed gently without a sound. Squirming around and trying to pull away from whoever
was behind her was forced to stop by a tighter grip round her mouth and a ‘shhh’ in her ear.
The sound of shuffling and muttering passing by from the other side of the door made
Iliana quieten down. After awhile the hand that gripped round her mouth loosened, which
gave Iliana the chance to grab the hand, duck and throw the arm over her head. Then
quickly turned round, twisting the arm.

           
"Kazuki?.." Iliana whispered realising who it was then released his arm quickly.

Kazuki stood up wincing from the pain in his arm but then after hearing footsteps nearby he
grabbed Iliana close to him. Standing against one of the black marble pillars which stood
either sides of the door, Kazuki hid with Iliana’s back to him and his hand over her mouth
again. The two hooded figures entered the large marbled room.

           
"What are you doing?" Asked a deep male voice.

           
"I was sure I heard something." Another male voice answered in a slight husky tone.

After a few seconds of silence the one with a deep voice said.

           
"There is nothing there you idiot... you are wasting time. We need to get the room
ready, come on!"

           
"I am sure I heard something!" The other voice said.

           
"Yeah, yeah..."

Their footsteps faded and in the near distance, the sound of a door closing echoed. Iliana
then whipped Kazuki’s hand away from her mouth.

           
"How long were you following me for?" She questioned after turning and facing
him.

           
"Since I saw you storming out of the lounge. I thought something was wrong as you
were in such a hurry!" Kazuki replied stretching his arm where Iliana had twisted it.

           
"Oh, I... had to get away from there for a bit." Iliana said, she had for a moment
forgotten about that incident. "Err... sorry about your arm."

           
"Yeah... I forgot you learned how to defend yourself."

           
"What is this place anyway?" Iliana asked looking around.

           
"Beats me!" Kazuki answered.

Both of them surveyed the room. It was completely made out of black marble and apart
from the fire lit lanterns that hung in a line on either side of the walls there were no
furnishings. One end of the room was a dead end while the other end had an opening which
lead into a long corridor.

           
"Those two men must have went down here!" Iliana said poking her head round the
corner of the opening.

           
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious... for a moment there I thought they went
through the wall!" Kazuki exclaimed sarcastically standing behind her.

Iliana whipped round to face him.

           
"Really?... What made you think that?... Did you find some secret opening or
something?" Iliana asked then slapping her hand on the walls around her, expecting a secret
door to open.

Kazuki looked at her as if she was the village idiot.

           
"You are either seriously gullible or really thick... or both!" He muttered passing
Iliana and making his way down the corridor.

Iliana tilted her head to one side slightly confused.

           
"I do not understand... err... hey wait!"

Ignoring Iliana’s confusion Kazuki led the way down the black marbled corridor and
passed several empty rooms with the doors wide open. Looking side to side as she followed
Kazuki, something inside a room caught Iliana’s eye. She stopped and stepped back until
she was standing in front of the opening to the large room.