The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (16 page)

           
"I feel nauseated." Caitlyn grumbled holding a hand over her mouth in case she
throw up.

           
"I think Yuki is going to pee herself!" Iliana exclaimed opening the door and getting
out so Yuki could release herself away from the car.

           
"And I am going to hit you!" Kazuki said angrily also opening his door and getting
out.

           
"Whoa!... Hold on a minute!... You know you cannot do that. I will file a case
against you for-for assaulting a police officer!" Jung stuttered fumbling round to release his
seatbelt and then scrambled out of the car as Kazuki stormed round.

           
"Hey guys!..." Iliana called out before Kazuki could lay a finger on him.

Iliana pointed to the gates of the white mansion. Once everyone gathered round behind her
Iliana asked.

           
"Are Lord Baddesley’s front gates always wide open like that?"

           
"Never... not unless it is heavily guarded with security!" Jung answered. "It is way
too quiet."

"Almost like they are expecting us!" Kazuki added, then turned to Caitlyn and
asked. "Still cannot get through to Father Benjamin?"

           
"No... it keeps going through to answer phone. I have left him a ton of messages!"
She replied slipping the phone into the pocket of her high waist blue jeans.

           
"We might need you to do the Chant if it comes to it... will you be alright?... I know
you have only just arrived back!" Kazuki said sounding benignant.

Caitlyn smiled then showed off her beautiful silver bracelet that she wore which had a
string of white leather laced round it and was tied into a small bow.

           
"I am a Purifier too... I can do both, no matter what state of mind I am in." She said
then winking at him making Kazuki grin.

Iliana had not seen this sociable side to Kazuki before and watching the rapport between
him and Caitlyn suddenly made her heart twitch. A feeling she had not felt before. Jung
watched Iliana try and shake the feeling away by shaking her head. He smiled to himself yet
said nothing.

           
Something further up ahead at the end of the driveway caught the corner of Iliana’s
eye. She rushed to the open gates for a better look. Parked crookedly on the foot of the
flight of the steps to the front door was a black Jaguar car.

           
"That is Mother’s company car." Iliana reported out loud. "I knew she would come
here."

           
"Then we must hurry!" Kazuki ordered now standing next to Iliana. "If Father
Benjamin’s hunch is correct, they may be doing a ritual as we speak. We need to get there
before a more powerful demon rises fresh from hell into another body of a human!"

           
They all hastily made their way through the open gates, but Iliana vaguely heard a
whining noise from behind. She stopped and turned round to find Yuki pacing up and down
the entrance of the gates. Everyone else also turned round as Iliana walked in a brisk pace
back to her.

           
"Hey... Yuki, what is wrong?" Iliana asked kneeling down trying to calm her.

Yuki stopped pacing then stood in front of Iliana and started to bark as if telling her
something.

           
"I know... it is scary... and I will not force you to come with us." Iliana said tickling
Yuki under her chin. "Do not worry... I have people to help me now, I will not be alone in
there."

Iliana then remembered how Yuki used to always be at her side when she Purified the
human’s demon alone, over four years ago now. It was when the demon Arose from the
human body on it’s own accord were Yuki would disappear out of fear. But she would
always be waiting for her in a distance and greeted Iliana when she had finished. Leaving
Yuki to sit by Jung’s car everyone else made their way to Lord Baddesley’s mansion.

           
"I love your dog." Caitlyn said to Iliana climbing up the steps to the house. "She is
so well behaved and very beautiful."

           
"I know... I am lucky to have her." Iliana agreed beaming.

The front door of the mansion was closed but when Jung pushed the gold coloured door
handle bar down and shoved the heavy door slightly, it opened.

           
"Okay... was not expecting that to open!" Jung remarked now pulling out a gun from
behind him which was again tucked into his trousers. "This is really
starting to look like a
trap."

           
"Come on... let’s go!" Kazuki ordered ignoring Jung’s last comment but then took
out his silver chain from under his school shirt and left it to hang over his collar with the
silver cross dangling from it.

It was lucky Kazuki remembered where to go as Iliana had completely forgotten how to get
to the room where the sacrificial table stood. Kazuki led the group down the desolate
corridors until he stopped outside a room with closed double doors.

           
"I honestly do not know how you still
remember where this room was... after all
those winding corridors." Iliana whispered standing next to him before he attempted to
open the door.

           
"It was good thing I was there that night, otherwise we would have spent a week or
two trying to find the room with your memory!" Kazuki sarcastically commented in a low
voice.

           
"Well... if it were not for me we would not have known about the room!" Iliana
quickly snapped back.

           
"You only found it out by pot luck!" Kazuki retorted, his eyes piercing into hers.

           
"Yes... that maybe true... but I instinctively and quite bravely followed those two
figures all the way up here. I could have just ignored them and turned back!" Iliana
returned her cheeks flustering with rage.

           
"And if were not for me we would..." Kazuki began, his voice sounding a little
agitated.

           
"Woo-woo!..." Jung interrupted waving his hands out in front of them both. "You
two really
need to sort out the timing of your little squabbles."

Then after a sulking sigh Jung added in a mutter.

           
"And I thought you both were getting along... Maybe not."

           
"I thought you two sounded like an old married couple." Caitlyn innocently added
smiling from ear to ear. "It was kind of cute."

Kazuki rolled his eyes then turned the door knob and pushed the door opened in a slight
huff.

           
"Something I said?" Caitlyn asked a little baffled by Kazuki’s reaction.

           
"You know Kazuki... he always turns his backs on little chit chats!" Jung answered
walking into the room.

Caitlyn followed Jung inside but Iliana stood at the entrance feeling disheartened.

           
‘Why I am starting to grow such feelings for someone who still hates me?
’ Iliana
thought to herself then shook her head.
‘I need to focus on saving Mother, I must ignore
these feelings that I have.’

           
"Iliana... are you alright?" Caitlyn asked quietly appearing in front of Iliana.

           
Iliana nodded then after taking a deep breath followed Caitlyn into the marbled
room. Moving closer to the room where the sacrificial table existed sobbing noises echoed
down the corridor. Everybody gave a nervous glance to one another before entering the
room. Kazuki led the party inside gripping the cross hanging from his silver chain and Jung
was behind him with his gun out in front of him. Caitlyn was in front of Iliana with one
hand over the silver bracelet that she wore round her wrist on the other. Iliana however
could not sense water, the marble walls were too thick and Iliana could not concentrate.

Like the rest of the whole house the room seemed empty.

           
"Over there!" Jung whispered nodding his head to the direction of the table.

A figure was curled up on top of the table, it was shrouded in a black cloth and the sobbing
was coming from it. All four of them made their way to the table and stood by the high
back chairs. Jung nervously glanced to Kazuki who nodded back to him. Jung outstretched
his arm with his gun pointing to the direction of the figure.

           
"Show yourself!" Kazuki then said out loud, his voice echoed round the room.

The figure instantly got up into a sitting position and turned round with a shocked
expression on it’s face.

           
"Mother!..." Iliana gasped, just about to step forward.

Kazuki stretched his arm out stopping Iliana.

           
"Don’t... we do not know if it is your real Mother." He said in a low voice.

           
"Iliana... it is me... your Mother." She sobbed tears running down her face. "What is
going on?... Where am I?... What am I doing here?... Why will you not come
to me?"

           
Her heart and her head divided, Iliana did not know what to do. It looked like
Mother although the whites of her eyes were red due to her constant crying, the warm
brown eyes were there. She was still wearing the black suit and trousers she wore when
Iliana saw her at home. The black cloak was hanging off her shoulders and her hair fell
untidily over her face.

           
"Mother!... What-what happened?" Iliana managed to ask.

           
"I-I do not know... but I... but I cannot get out of here. I was trapped!" Mother
answered in between her crying, her eyes then darted to Jung. "Why is that man holding a
gun at me?... Is he going to kill me?"

           
"No... he is not!" Iliana said looking at Jung desperately to lower his gun.

But Jung did not move, his eyes fixed on Mother.

           
"Something it is not right... my gut feeling is telling me not
to lower my gun, and I
always
follow my gut feelings!" Jung said firmly.

           
"Jung... please!" Iliana pleaded quite desperately.

           
"I am sorry Iliana... but this... this is not right... I said this before... this is a trap, I
know it!" Jung remarked.

Before Iliana could do or say anything Mother’s whole body started to shake.

           
"W-what is h-happening?" Mother cried out before suddenly throwing her head back
and screaming so loudly, it made everybody wince by the shrill noise ringing in their ears.

Without thinking of the consequences Iliana made a dash towards Mother.

           
"Oi!..." Kazuki shouted attempting to follow her.

But as soon as Iliana jumped into the circle that was carved on the marble floor, fire ignited
behind her and Kazuki was forced back. The fire encircled the table forming a barrier
between her and the others trapping Iliana inside the ring of fire. The flames rose up nearly
to Iliana’s height of five foot three. Mother’s screaming turned into an hysterical laugh.
Iliana turned to face her. She slowly tilted her head forwards. Her eyes were now as black
as coal. Mother got up on to her bare feet and stood tall on the table. Iliana noticed the tear
on her trousers where Yuki had bit her and gnawed her leg. The blood was still dripping
down her feet and leaving a small puddle on the table. The remaining flesh hung loosely
from the ankle revealing part of the bone.

           
"M-Mother?" Iliana stuttered, beginning to feel a little frightened.

           
"I have told you already Purifier... your Mother is no longer here!" Mother hissed
with a twisted smile on her face.

           
"Well, well, well... we finally meet again!" Said a familiar cold male voice loudly.

           
Everybody turned round to where the voice had come from but instantly Kazuki,
Jung and Caitlyn were tied up in black chains with their arms behind them. Jung’s gun fell
to the ground and was kicked to one side by one of the twelve hooded figures that poured
into the room. All twelve were shrouded in the same cloak, their faces were covered by the
big and wide hood. Their hands were fitted with black leather gloves. A twisted red cloth
was placed tightly in between Caitlyn’s teeth like a gag.

           
"Just for you Chanter!" Snarled one of the hooded figures who then tied the ends of
the cloth in a knot behind her head.

           
Lord Baddesley emerged from the huddle of tall hooded figures, an uncanny smile
stretched across his face. He was not wearing a cloak like the others, but instead wore a
black velvet suit with red linings stitched on the edges. A small gold brooch was pinned on
the chest of his suit. It was the same long tailed bird that was tattooed on Lucas’s hand and
stitched on the cloaks the hooded figures wore. For a short man in his late forties, he had a
quite trim figure. A blood red cravat sat nicely round his small neck and was tucked into his
white silk shirt under his suit, he too wore black fitted leather gloves.