The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (30 page)

           
"They are not... my friend Chloe however told everyone Yuki was a special guide
dog." Iliana replied, smiling as she said it.

           
"How are you?" Jung asked, slumping on the chair next to Iliana.

           
"I am okay... I think, how about you?"

           
"Once I get a good sleep... I think I will be fine."

           
"And Caitlyn?"

           
"She woke up earlier... apart from her whole body aching like mad and her head
pounding with pain, she is fine. I also checked on Kazuki... he is asleep. I am not surprised
though... you should have seen the amount of drugs those doctors gave him. I think he will
be asleep for weeks!" Jung sighed as he looked up at the ceiling of the large waiting room
they were sitting in. "What a night we had."

Iliana stared down at the bird brooch which she had held in her hands since Lord Baddesley
gave it to her.

           
"Tell me about it."

           
"Where is Father Benjamin?" Jung asked, looking around the almost deserted
waiting room.

           
"He is still in the chapel room. He has been there for quite some time now. He has
barely said a word since we got here and there are so many questions I want to ask him."

           
"I think we all have questions to ask him, but it might be best if we give him some
time to answer his own questions, before we bombard him with ours. Anyway... I will tell
him and the others later what I am going to tell you now."

Iliana looked up at Jung with intrigue and anticipation written on her face.

           
"Tell me what?"

           
"I asked some nurses who visited Samael yesterday. They said it was the new
doctor... Doctor Elpidio Pavoni with nurse Rayford and two other trainees. I believe he was
the same doctor that Caitlyn and I bumped into before we went to the County Hall
yesterday evening. I don’t know why, but I think he might be the Miracle. I always go with
my own instincts and my instincts point to him."

           
"Why did you not say sooner?... Is he still here?"

           
"No... no-one has seen him since last night. I called my office to find out his home
address, but he has none on record."

           
"But we have
to find him before Samael does first." Iliana said standing up quickly
and making Yuki jolt up to her feet too.

Jung grabbed her arm.

           
"Hey!... Wait... you need to rest first."

           
"Mother and Father has been telling me to rest all morning... and I have been sitting
here for hours while Samael is out there looking for him and the others." Iliana retaliated.

           
"We do not even know where this Elpidio Pavoni is or even if he is the Miracle...
His colleagues don’t even know where he lives... We cannot go around the City aimlessly
trying to find a man who seems to be under the radar. And besides... Lord Baddesley even
said that Samael does not even know which one could be the Miracle."

           
"We need to be out there searching for him so we could be one step ahead of
Samael." Iliana cried out, sounding impatient. "We are wasting time just standing here."

She pulled her arm back from Jung’s grip and began to storm out of the waiting room.

           
"Hey!" Jung said firmly running after her.

He stood in front of her and gripped her shoulders, he looked sincere as he gazed at Iliana.
She looked back at him knowing he was right, but she hated just standing around doing
nothing. Iliana lowered her eyes as she sighed heavily.

           
"I... I do not want a repeat of what happened to Lord Baddesley."

           
"I know... neither of us do... we will find him but we cannot be rash and we cannot
protect him if we are all mentally and physically worn as we are now. I will keep digging
for information of this guy the moment I get back to work, and you will be the first to know
if I find anything. But for now... go home and sleep... you look as dreadful as I am."

Iliana narrowed her eyes then smiled before retaliating in mockery.

           
"Thanks... but no-one can look as dreadful as you."

           
"Did someone say ‘home’?"

Mother stood at the entrance of the waiting room with crutches either side of her. She wore
an over the knee plain green dress revealing her well bandaged leg. Iliana’s smile stretched
bigger across her face.

           
"Iliana!..."

           
"Iliana!..."

           
"Help us!..."

           
Iliana looked around her, she was engulfed in wisps of black smoke. She walked
blindly forwards, the sounds of her name ringing in her ear. Cold shivers ran up and down
her spine. When Iliana looked down she noticed she was walking bare footed on water. The
water was calm and cool. She ran her fingers down the simple long white dress she was
clothed in which only had a blue thin string tied loosely round her waist. The wisps of black
smoke began to clear but Iliana’s vision was sickeningly blurred. An image of a tall female
figure appeared with long fiery hair. When Iliana moved closer to the figure, a high pitched
laugh echoed making her wince at the shrill sound of it. Then a tall male figure stood next
to the female and they both embraced.

           
Iliana’s heart suddenly went stone cold as the wisps of black smoke gathered again.
Iliana quickly spun round but to only find more tall silhouetted figures in the distant,
holding something that was on fire. A cold grip wrapped round Iliana’s ankles. When she
looked down Iliana gasped in shock. Dark shrieking creatures with deformed faces
appeared from below the water. Their icy, cold hands entwined round her ankles and were
trying to pull her down with them. Iliana closed her eyes shut and screamed at the top of her
voice.

           
Iliana quickly opened her eyes to find Mother kneeling before her with her hands
gripped on her upper arms and shaking her. Fear and worry struck across Mother’s pale
face. Iliana’s breathing was heavy, her heart was racing and cold sweat moistened her face.

           
"Iliana... it is okay... I am here!" Mother cried out, reassuringly. "I am here."

Iliana wrapped her arms round Mother’s warm body as tears of fear rolled down her face.

           
"What is happening to you?" Mother asked Iliana the next morning after Father
rushed early for work.

Both of them were sitting by the table in the conservatory, picking the toast on the plate in
front of her Iliana shrugged.

           
"Iliana... you keep having these dreams. You are worrying your Father and me... for
that matter. Is it the same dream every night?"

           
"It is the same dream that I have dreamt for over two years, but recently it has
become so much more detailed. Now I see a female figure with long red fiery hair
embracing someone. There are other figures there too... and those dark creatures in the
water below me..." Iliana sighed deeply unable to continue.

She dropped the piece of toast she was playing with onto the plate. For the first time she did
not have the appetite to eat.

           
"I know there is not a lot I can do, but I am
here for you." Mother said softly placing
a hand on Iliana’s.

Iliana smiled at Mother thinking how great it was to now be able to talk to her about
matters such as these, it was most comforting.

           
"Now... you had better get yourself to school otherwise you will be late. I still do not
understand why you want to walk to school even though Andrew is back."

           
"I like walking... it keeps me fit and it clears my mind." Iliana replied getting up
from her chair and then stroked Yuki’s back who sat by her.

Iliana swung her school bag over her shoulder and was just about to head out of
conservatory when Mother called out.

           
"You know... I bumped into Lucas the other day and he asked me if I could arrange
the funeral for his Father."

Iliana forgot the step that stretched between the conservatory and the connecting lounge
causing her to kick it hard and trip over it. Iliana managed to grab the open door to prevent
herself from falling flat on her face.

           
"Ow!... Ow!... Ow!" She moaned feeling her big toe burning in pain.

           
"Are you alright?"

           
"I am fine... anyway... what was your answer to his request?"

           
"After what you told me about Lord Baddesley and what he went through... I said I
would love to."

                      
It was a little over a week since the death of Lord Baddesley. It was still very
much the talk of the town and still left a tender spot in Iliana’s heart. As she closed the
house gates behind her Iliana took out the Wagtail brooch from her skirt pocket.

           
‘Look after her for me...’

Always echoed in her mind every time Iliana held the brooch in her hand. Iliana turned and
gazed down at the street a block away from her house. She could just see the grey rooftop
of the Williams’s house whom Iliana had not seen for awhile. She had not even seen
Kazuki. Iliana was sure he had been ignoring and avoiding her. When Caitlyn called Iliana
the other evening, she told her he would be returning to school today.

           
Iliana had not seen Father Benjamin either. He had given in his letter of resignation
to the school a few days ago and when Iliana visited him at church, the priests told her they
have not seen him. Jung and Caitlyn suggested to give him more time until he was ready to
talk. Iliana felt they were both hiding something but neither of them would enlighten her
with what they knew.

           
Finally reaching the school gates Iliana was welcomed by Chloe, Victoria and
Claire. All three of them looked so well. Chloe constantly teased Victoria and Claire about
them kissing random people on the streets from that night. However, nothing serious came
out from it and the topic was soon overridden by other gossip, just like how the rest of the
City dealt with it.

           
The girls headed down the path towards the school building when Iliana noticed
Lucas standing alone by the path, his cold eyes penetrated into Iliana’s. A smirk lifted from
the corner of his stiff lips just as a flurry of murmurs rippled in the air behind them. Iliana
and the girls twisted round to see what the fuss was about, and all of them gasped in awe.

           
A beautiful slim model like girl strode elegantly down the path as if she was on a
catwalk. Her long wavy vibrant hair flowed behind her like a stream of red lava running
down her back and stopping just above her waist. Her skin was flawless and was as white
as snow. As she strutted herself past the open mouthed students, her emerald eyes fleeted to
Lucas’s direction. Iliana could not help but stare at her, not only because of her beauty but
Iliana felt as if she had seen her from somewhere before.

           
"Oh My God!" Victoria said in shock.

           
"It cannot be?" Claire gasped, her eyes unable to stare anywhere else but the girl.

           
"It is!..." Chloe mumbled. "Lilith Hale!"

The girl stopped walking and her cat like eyes met Iliana’s. But Iliana’s gaze was soon
distracted by the figure that appeared a few metres behind the girl. Iliana felt her heart skip
a few beats when Kazuki’s blue sapphire eyes found hers.

           
A smile curled up from the girl’s glossed lips, she turned round and walked towards
Kazuki making him tear his gaze away from Iliana. The girl stood up close to Kazuki and
did something that made every student that was watching gasp loudly with their eyes
popping out in shock. It made Iliana’s heart fall like a ton of bricks inside her chest, her
mind went blurred and her stomach sickened. The girl slid her hand behind Kazuki’s neck
and planted her full lips on his.

                                                       
*** THE END ***