The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (5 page)

           
"Whoa!... I was not expecting you to answer so suddenly!"

           
"I have ignored those who needed my help for too long. I cannot run away from this
any longer. I was given these powers for a reason and so I will use it." Iliana felt a surge of
determination shooting through her veins as she said it.

           
"It is not always going to be as easy as it was earlier." Kazuki warned still sitting on
the window sill.

           
"I am aware of that!" Iliana snapped without turning round to face him. "I will do
my very best to not drag the team down."

The priest smiled.

           
"I am sure you will not. Also to inform you... the Unknown World is invisible to the
humans. That fine barrier between our World and the Unknown prevents the humans to see
the demons, feel their touch or even feel their presence. If the human is invited to the
Unknown World, they will see the true nature of the world we live in. So it is best to keep it
silent unless it is unavoidable." He warned then changing the subject he added
lightheartedly. "You know... I do not think we have properly introduced each other yet."

           
"Oh..." Iliana stood up from her chair and put her hand out. "My name is Iliana
D’Coye."

The priest instantly took her hand and shook it but his eyes wandered over to Kazuki,
looking slightly awkward.

           
"Does my name bother you in some way?" Iliana asked frowning.

           
"Not at all!" The priest answered shaking his head. "Anyway... I am Father
Benjamin, a priest from St. Mary’s cathedral... just down the road from here."

           
"Well, now that we are acquainted, may I be dismissed?" Kazuki said getting up
from the window sill and making his way to the front of the classroom.

           
"Of course Kazuki... Thank you for your help today." Father Benjamin praised
patting a hand on his broad shoulder. "Oh actually Kazuki, I am going to need you to keep
an eye on Iliana."

           
"What?" Both Iliana and Kazuki shouted out in unison.

Iliana threw Kazuki a mean look.

           
"I do not
need him to babysit me... I can look after myself!" She exclaimed.

           
"And I have far
better things to do with my life than waste it by just watching over
her!" Kazuki responded coldly.
 

           
"Look you two... obviously you are not friends."

           
"Whatever
gave you that
idea!" Iliana interrupted.

           
"But... I am going to need you both to get along to some degree... It will not be long
until whatever or whoever will find out about Iliana’s unique gift and who knows what they
will do... So Iliana, you are going to need as much protection as possible. Kazuki here
wields the sword like a Samurai. He will protect you... won’t you Kazuki?" Father
Benjamin proclaimed staring at Kazuki with a look as if he did not have a choice in the
matter.

Kazuki sighed knowing that he could not say no.

           
Sitting down outside a coffee shop with Yuki lying down on the ground by her feet,
Iliana watched the people bustling by under the warm sunny day and thought of how most
of these people had no idea of the Unknown World that they live in, and the darkness that
sleeps within them. It has been over three weeks since she revealed her powers to Kazuki
and Father Benjamin. Even though Kazuki was told to keep an eye on her and both of them
were in the same English and Science classes, neither of them even tried to make eye
contact. Father Benjamin spent most of the time at the church and his lessons were covered
by a different teacher.

           
Chloe, Claire and Victoria finally came out the coffee shop giggling as they made
their way to Iliana who smiled at them. Seeing Chloe back to her cheery self made Iliana
even more determined and eager to help others fight against their own demon than ever.
Instead of always cowering away as she has been for the last two years just because she was
scared.

           
"The cutest guy just served Victoria and she got so tongue tied and flushed." Chloe
teased and giggling.

           
"No I did not!" Victoria denied but her cheeks matched her candy floss pink dress.

Chloe and Claire giggled hysterically as they took the mickey of her flustered face, even as
they made their way to Beach Cove they were still teasing her.

           
"You two are being mean." Iliana said.

Pushing past Claire, Victoria grabbed Iliana’s arm and hugged it tightly.

           
"See... Iliana is my friend and so is Yuki."

As if she understood what was just said Yuki barked happily, her bushy white tail wagging
as she walked the other side of Iliana.

           
"Well... I do not think your Mother would approve of you going out with a shop boy
anyway!" Claire remarked.

           
"Too true... she would have a fit!"

           
"Why?" Iliana asked.

           
"My Mother wants me to marry into a very
wealthy family from above our own rank
in the rich list, like most of our Mother’s do." Victoria answered still tugging at Iliana’s
arm.

           
"What about marrying for love?"

           
"Now that is a luxury that some of us girls can only dream of. I am sure your Mother
Iliana would want you to marry a wealthy man." Claire said skipping ahead then walked
backwards and faced the three of them walking in a line before her.

           
"Most probably... but I want to marry who I love and who will love me back. I do
not care what anyone says, even my Mother!" Iliana exclaimed keeping an eye behind
Claire incase she was going to walk into something or someone.

           
"I wish I had your courage." Chloe said sliding her Gucci sunglasses up on top of
her head. "What about you and Kazuki?"

           
"Kazuki?" Claire and Victoria chorused loudly.

They all stopped walking and stared at Iliana in shock.

           
"Yeah... Iliana talked to Kazuki a few weeks ago." Chloe informed raising her
eyebrows.

           
"It was nothing." Iliana reported as Victoria finally let go of Iliana’s arm and giggled
excitedly. "In fact he actually irritated me with his ungentlemanly manner."

           
"Ooh... do you girls remember Lilith Hale?" Claire asked chuckling as they
continued their walk.

Chloe and Victoria nodded as they squealed with laughter but Iliana frowned and shook her
head.

           
"Well, you would not actually know about it Iliana because it was a couple of years
ago. A girl named Lilith Hale tried to ask him out but she fainted before she could even say
anything. He had to carry her to the hospital wing which was over the other side of the
school building. She was so embarrassed she left the week after." Claire reported.

           
"He carried her?" Iliana repeated in shock, thinking he would have just stepped over
the girl and left her there. "Are we talking about the same Kazuki?"
 

           
"He is so dreamy and mysterious. He is like a modern Mr. Darcy." Victoria said
holding her hands in front of her in a daze.

           
"But not as rich, his family is way
down at the bottom ranks of the rich list." Chloe
informed.

           
"Still... he is handsome no matter what his rank is. My parents would definitely
make an exception of his rank because of his gorgeous face." Victoria responded dreamily
as if her head was in the clouds, but she then frowned as if she just remembered something.
"Actually thinking about it... these past few weeks I have noticed him looking at you
Iliana."

           
"Ooh... Iliana, maybe he likes you!" Claire wooed, her eyebrows going up and
down.

           
"I highly doubt it... he clearly dislikes me just as much I dislike him." Iliana said
now realising that he had been following Father Benjamin’s orders after all.

           
"You know... I have noticed that Oliver Godson, Jason Casten and Martyn Lucker in
my Maths and art classes keep giving me strange looks. As if I have done something
wrong!" Chloe pointed out.

Iliana quickly looked away. The day after Purifying Chloe she had told the three boys to
keep quiet about Chloe and the drugs.

           
"And why should we do that for you?" Oliver questioned that afternoon.

           
"Because if you do not accept my request, then I might just have to involve my
Mother." Iliana threatened raising her eyebrows.

           
"You said your Mother had nothing to do with this." Jason quickly responded with a
hint of concern in his voice.

           
"I did say that and it will remain that way if you promise to not breathe a word to
anyone... especially Chloe about her and the drugs."

The boys exchanged looks before replying in unison.

           
"Fine."

‘I love my Mother.’
Iliana thought to herself.

They had finally reached Beach Cove when Claire responded to Chloe’s comment.

           
"Well, ever since you found out that your Mother and Father might be getting a
divorce, you had
been acting rather strangely and it got a whole
lot weirder. It was kind of,
creepy."

           
"Everybody keeps saying that, but I honestly do not remember any of it!" Chloe
exclaimed as she cowered her eyebrows.

           
"Maybe that is a good thing... How is your Mother and Father doing?" Victoria
asked.

           
"I do not know... They still shout and rant at each other every time they are in the
same room. But I have decided that whatever happens between them, I will support them as
much as I can."

           
"Good for you Chloe!" Iliana said proudly.

Sniffing the air Yuki barked and started to run towards the yacht harbour. The crowds of
people had to launch themselves out of the way as she zigzag her way through.

           
"Yuki!" Iliana shouted instantly running after her.

           
"Iliana!" Chloe cried out not knowing whether they should follow her too.

           
"I will find you girls later!" Iliana yelled back.

Beach Cove was extremely busy at the weekends. Even though it was the end of the
summer it was still unusually hot. The beach was swarming with people and even though
the sea was calm, the lifeguards patrolled the area. Iliana was glad she had worn her high
waist burgundy coloured shorts along with her puffed short sleeved white shirt and her
trusted white plimsolls.

Keeping up with Yuki was like a workout on the running machine, she was a fast runner.
For a big dog with thick fur, she was still very active even under the hot sun.

Iliana could just see Yuki’s white bushy tail disappearing behind the light blue wooden
building attached to the yacht harbour, where it was quieter than the beach side.

A bark came from inside a small area which was fenced round with six foot wooden white
panels behind the building. There was a gate which was already open where Iliana walked
through and saw Yuki sitting down and munching on something with...

           
"You!" Iliana said as the boy crouched in front of Yuki looked up.

           
"Nice to see you too!" Kazuki responded sarcastically.

Two silver trays with a pile of barbecued sausages were laid on the ground next to him with
large industrial bins behind him.

           
"Come on Yuki... let’s go!... Come on girl!" Iliana commanded clapping her hands
on her thighs.

But Yuki ignored her as Kazuki dangled a sausage above her head which she grabbed by
her teeth and started to chew it.

           
"I do not think she wants to go yet." Kazuki declared picking up another sausage
ready to give her.

           
"I would be immensely surprised if she did." Iliana said kneeling down next to Yuki.
"Especially when there are trays of sausages in her view... she can smell them from a mile
away... It is her one weakness."

Then looking at the bins behind Kazuki she asked.

           
"You were not going to throw them away, were you?"