The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (21 page)

           
"Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us." Iliana quickly said.

           
"It is my absolute pleasure my dear girl... I feel like it was my destiny to have gone
through all that I have experienced in my life so I could share with you what I have seen
and heard in the hope that it will help you through your
own destiny!" Cardinal Philippe
exclaimed, then he placed a hand over his heart and added. "I am truly blessed to have met
you even though it was only through a plastic screen."

Iliana smiled then the screen went black. Father Benjamin stretched his arm past Iliana and
closed the screen. Silence took over a few minutes as everyone took a moment to let
everything sink in.

           
"That still does not explain why Lord Baddesley is forming an army." Father
Benjamin said after awhile.

           
"Oh... that reminds me... I need to tell all of you of the dream that I had last night."
Iliana stated. "I have to say, after what Cardinal Philippe said, part of it kind of makes
sense now."

After listening to Iliana quite intently, Father Benjamin sat down next to Kazuki while
Caitlyn stood up from Jung’s lap and Jung swore under his breath.

           
"Oh great... so Lord Baddesley is working for someone else and he has plans already
in the making for finding the other Miracles, and also gathering a new army. It just keeps
getting better." Jung said sarcastically and slumping back on his chair like a child being
told off.

           
"And also... there is someone on this Earth whom they are afraid of." Caitlyn added.

           
"Oh yeah!... And that..." Jung said in a huff. "If they are afraid of whoever it is...
then so should we?"

           
"I cannot be certain that my dream is true!" Iliana remarked trying to calm the tense
atmosphere that she had just created.

           
"Even so, it is something we cannot ignore." Father Benjamin proclaimed, resting
his head on the palm of his hand with his eyes on Iliana. "However... it does concern me of
how vivid your dreams are Iliana. I feel as if it was more than a dream."

           
"That feeling is mutual. I must admit... my dreams have gotten worse these past few
weeks." Iliana confessed sighing a little. "I do not quite know what is happening to me."

           
"I believe... this is just the beginning." Father Benjamin stated.

He sat up straight and looked round at everyone in the room before adding in a serious and
quite a somber tone.

           
"I hope you are all ready for whatever is coming."

*** Chapter 9 ***

           
Iliana spent most of the day sitting by the side of Mother’s bed at the hospital. Father
was quite confounded to why Mother has still not awoken after almost two days.

           
"I know the dog gnawed at her ankle quite profoundly but she should have at least
stirred a little by now!" He said to Iliana when she arrived at the hospital earlier that
morning.

           
"Father... you worry too much... Your sounding like your own patient’s relatives."
Iliana stated relieved that Father actually believed Jung’s story about the thugs and their
dog, which in truth it was Yuki who bit Mother, and when Iliana told the others yesterday
before she left the cathedral Jung burst out laughing.

           
"See... it is not all lies, there is a bit of truth in my story." He said after laughing for
a good five minutes. "I honestly thought it was a demon who chewed at her leg, but it was
Yuki all along... I love that dog."

Iliana held her Mother’s hand as she watched her sleeping peacefully. Iliana’s thoughts
then drifted back to what Cardinal Philippe said the day before about Miracles.

           
‘
Father Benjamin is right
.’ Iliana thought to herself. ‘
This is just the beginning, and
I feel like it is going to get whole lot worse. I hope I am strong enough.
’

The room door opened and Father stepped in holding two plastic cups.

           
"Hey... I had a feeling that you would still be here." He said closing the door behind
him. "So I thought I would bring you a little pick me up."

He handed the other plastic cup to Iliana before pulling up another chair and sitting down
on the other side of Mother. Iliana took the lid off the cup and smiled.

           
"Hot chocolate." She gasped with a snigger of delight.

           
"I thought you would like it. But do not tell the nurses... they do not know that I
know
where they hide the hot chocolate powder." Father whispered as if afraid they were
listening.

           
Iliana took a little sip and almost immediately she felt at ease. It also brought good
memories when they used to live in the cottage outside London. The three of them used to
always have hot chocolate in the evening when they watched a movie on the television. But
since they moved to Primrose Bay it was hard enough as it was to even be together at the
same time due to Mother and Father’s work.

           
"You look tired!" Iliana remarked looking up at Father worriedly. "I thought they
had rules on how much sleep doctors and surgeons are supposed to get a day."

           
"There is... but... I have
slept..."

           
"In your office?..." Iliana interrupted raising her eyebrows.

           
"Well... yes, but I have to say... I much prefer sleeping in my own bed instead of the
sofa chair in my office." Father chuckled. "I suppose I cannot have it all. I mean... they
have a shower here and I think that is the main thing."

           
"Will you not come home?" Iliana asked already knowing what the answer would be
but just had to ask anyway.

           
"I cannot... I want to be nearby when she does awake."

           
"So do I!"

           
"I know Blossom... but you are young and you should be out with your friends
instead of sitting here all day... You should also be with Yuki who has been sitting and
waiting for you out at the entrance all this time."

Even though Iliana checked on Yuki every hour or so, she did feel very guilty for leaving
her outside.

           
"Anyway... how is it living with the Williams?" Father questioned after gulping
down his hot drink like it was a cool water.

Iliana’s eyes quickly lowered down to her cup. Kazuki immediately flashed into her mind
but after what Cardinal Philippe had said the day before, made Iliana avoid him as much as
she could. Iliana was adamant to lock away the growing feelings she has for him, afraid of
her heart being broken. In fact, Iliana felt more frightened of the future now more than
ever.

           
"It... is okay, Mr. and Mrs. Williams are most kind and fun to talk to." Iliana
answered after a moment of silence. "I do however question why you decided for me to
stay with them?"

           
"That police agent... umm... what was his name again?..."

           
"Jung." Iliana finished off.

           
"Yes... Jung, he suggested it, and I thought because you invited their son whose
name escapes me, you two were... you know... close." Father explained raising an eyebrow
and looking at Iliana with one sided smile creeping across his face.

           
"His name is Kazuki and we are not
close... not in that
way." Iliana proclaimed
blushing a little. "And what would Mother say when she wakes up and finds out that I have
been staying at the Williams’s household for the past few days?... You know how much she
dislikes them... you were there when she made that
crystal clear."

Father looked a little uneasy in his chair and before replying he cautiously gave a nervous
glance at Mother’s direction as if making sure she had not woken up in the midst of their
conversation.

           
"That did not cross my mind at the time. We-we will get to that when the time
comes."

Iliana decided to do as Father suggested and take Yuki for a long and well deserved walk
with a nice treat afterwards. But before she did Iliana handed Father the bag of spare
clothes that she together with Mrs. Williams prepared the night before.

           
"I am starting to like that woman more and more." He said taking the bag from her.

           
"She is not the kind of woman that people think she is. I feel for her... everyone
judges her before they have even met her." Iliana stated hoisting her bag onto her shoulder.

           
"You always see the good in people, don’t you? And I love you for it... anyway,
have fun and I promise you, I will call you as soon as Mother opens her eyes." Father said
opening the door.

Iliana kissed Mother on her forehead before stepping out the room.

           
"Thanks Father."

                      
Making her way to the exit of the hospital building Iliana recognised a young
man with ash blond hair walking into a room further down one of the corridors.

           
‘Lucas.’
Iliana whispered to herself.

Firstly looking around her as if she was being spied on Iliana started to walk down the same
quiet corridor. She stood by the door to the room that Lucas walked into and pressed her ear
against it. Iliana could hear muffled sounds of people talking inside but could not make out
what they were saying. There was a sudden loud growl which made Iliana jolt, then silence.
Curious to what just happened Iliana slowly peeked her head round to the long strip of
window on the door. Inside the room was dim but the slit from the closed curtains brought
a little light within the room. She could see Lucas towering over a familiar looking woman
with a mass of brown ringlets.

           
‘Mrs. Rawlins.’
Iliana muttered quietly recognising that hairdo from anywhere.

Lucas moved closer to Mrs. Rawlins trapping her against the end of the hospital bed. She
cowered as he placed his hands either side of her head and over her ears. But he stopped
and turned his head to the door window, his eyes found Iliana’s. Almost in a flash Iliana got
away from the window and legged it up the corridor as fast as she could without turning
back.

With her heart still racing and her mind swelling with questions Iliana made her way out of
the hospital building. As she turned right at the exit door and looked up her heart stopped
for a second.

           
Standing with his back against the wall and his hands in his cream coloured trouser
pockets and his ash blond hair blowing in the light breeze was Lucas.

Frowning with confusion Iliana looked behind her then back at Lucas again.

           
"H-how... did you...?" Iliana started but too shocked to finish her sentence.

What she was trying to say was, how on earth could he be standing there
when he was just
inside a private hospital room with Mrs. Rawlins where Iliana dashed away from.

Lucas studied the perplexed look on her face and a smirk twitched at the corner of his
mouth.

           
"You know... spying on people can be considered as a crime as well as being rude."
He said, his fiery eyes buried into Iliana’s.

           
"It is only a crime if the victim has been spied on frequently in private and especially
if they have solid evidence supporting that fact." Iliana retaliated, remembering Mother
using a similar phrase when she was practising for a court hearing a few years back.

           
"Like Mother, like daughter." He hissed as if he had read her mind.

           
"However... harassing an English teacher whilst in her private hospital room can be
considered a crime." Iliana said now really
sounding like Mother.

           
"Looks like you got the wrong end of the stick!" Lucas retorted. "Your accusations
will get you nowhere."

           
"Oh... really? And even if that is true... I still have doubts about you Lucas
Baddesley." Iliana said in a scornful tone. "And I am curious to know what your role is in
all this."

Lucas laughed showing his set of brilliant white teeth which Iliana had not noticed in the
past.

           
"Why do you assume that I am the bad guy?"

           
"You have not
exactly given me much choice to think otherwise. Do not tell me you
have already forgotten our first meeting when you almost strangled me to death!" Iliana
said fiercely but in a low voice as a group of people looked over their direction.