The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (14 page)

           
"Okay... I am sorry I have not said anything to any of you beforehand but... I had to
do some research first." He started waving a batch of papers in his hand. "Right... after
seeing those pictures that you both took at the party made me realise what I think Lord
Baddesley is doing. The marbled table that you saw is in actual fact a sacrificial table."

           
"Sacrificial table?" Jung repeated making sure he heard right.

           
"Yes."

           
"Sacrificing what?... And for what reason?" Iliana asked.

           
"Animals or Humans... to appease a God." Kazuki answered reading from the book
he was holding.

           
"But that is where it gets complicated!" Father Benjamin said sitting down on a
wooden chair. "Historically in other religions, animal and human sacrifice is performed for
the need of blood to survive. Other religions as Kazuki read loud... do it to appease a God.
But that was in the old world and is rarely done nowadays, and if Lord Baddesley is doing
that..."

           
"I would know about it!" Jung added finishing off his sentence. "I would have a
string of death reports piled up on my desk."

           
"Exactly... although there maybe another reason. There are some humans who are
willing to do anything to serve the Dark side." Father Benjamin said.

           
"What?... Like... sell your soul?" Iliana said trying to keep up with the conversation.

           
"In a way... it is more like... inviting another demon spirit into your body. And if a
human has multiple demon spirits, they would probably push the human’s own soul out
eventually. So it is in theory, selling your body and soul for the demon’s own use."

           
"But what of the sacrificial table?... I thought a demon can possess a human
anywhere as long as that
human invites that
demon into their body." Kazuki questioned.

           
"Well... if Lord Baddesley wants a demon spirit fresh from hell to enter a willing
human, he would need to perform a special ritual. As evil spirits who are condemned to hell
cannot resurrect, and also cannot escape from hell without the permission from Lucifer."
Father Benjamin explained sitting back on his chair. "The chairs around the table are for
those who help perform the rituals. And they are also there as a barrier to prevent the
demon spirit from escaping outside the circle and to help guide the spirit into the human
body."

           
"So... what is he doing?... Forming an army of demons in a form of a human to stroll
around on Earth or something." Jung said jokingly with a hint of sarcasm.

The five second silence and the look on Father Benjamin’s face wiped the smile off Jung’s
face.

           
"Your kidding me?" Jung said loudly in disbelief.

           
"That is not possible... that would break the barrier between the worlds of Earth,
Hell, Heaven and even the other Unknown Worlds out there!... It would unbalance
everything!" Kazuki cried out, then as he said that his eyes glanced over to Iliana.

Iliana knew, he just remembered the time at the party when she told him how she felt
something was out of balance.

           
"This is just my theory... I do not know whether this is actually happening!..." Father
Benjamin started.

           
"But it could be!" Jung interrupted. "I mean... remember those people at the
warehouse behind the Noire Club? There were loads of them... and they looked as if they
were waiting for something... None of them went out of the warehouse."

           
"But since then we have not had similar cases of missing or insane people. In fact it
has been unusually quiet... do you not think so?" Kazuki pointed out.

           
"Then what the hell is going on?... I hate not knowing or understanding!" Jung cried
out slumping back into his chair in a huff.

           
"It always seems like... when I take a step forward in finding clues like this... I end
up taking twenty steps back, after hours of trying to link these findings to Lord Baddesley."
Father Benjamin said also sighing.

           
"Just a thought... if Lord Baddesley is
forming an army of demons by using the
humans, how do we Purify the soul?" Iliana asked just out of curiosity. "I mean... if the
demon spirit took control of a human’s body and who willingly invited them in, they would
not want to Arise if you did the Chant... right?"

Thinking about it for a minute, Father Benjamin nodded and replied.

           
"True... that would be difficult because drawing out a resistant demon would
damage and destroy the human body... and if the human’s soul still exists... it would go into
limbo!"

           
"Let’s hope Lord Baddesley is not
doing what we think he is doing." Jung said
rubbing his smooth chin.

           
"Let us hope so." Kazuki repeated closing the book he was holding.

           
"I am not going to say anything to the Mayor about any of this, and I want you all to
do the same." Father Benjamin ordered, his hazel eyes mainly levelling with Jung.

           
"Would he not want to know?" Jung questioned frowning as he leant forward.

           
"Not for now." Father Benjamin replied quickly and firmly, that is almost sounded
as if he snapped.

           
"Where is this Mayor?" Iliana asked as she had not heard of him from anyone apart
from the boys. "I have never seen him before... Is he a Purifier too?"

           
"No, he is not a Purifier or even a Chanter. He... he knows of the Unknown World
and presently, he is house bound. He lost feelings in his legs and apparently the doctors
said... it is incurable." Father Benjamin explained avoiding eye contact with everyone.

           
"Oh... I am sorry to hear that." Iliana said her eyes darting from Father Benjamin to
Jung.

An awkward atmosphere suddenly swamped between them. Kazuki also flitted suspicious
glances towards Father Benjamin and Jung but said nothing.

           
"Anyway... changing the subject. I am going to need to end this discussion for now
until we find any more information. The English teacher Mrs. Rawlins called in sick this
morning and I have to substitute some of her lessons. I need to prepare for tomorrows
classes." Father Benjamin announced. "It might do me some good after all this
researching."

           
"Oh guess what?... My Caitlyn is coming home tomorrow." Jung said excitedly.

           
"Great... it is about time we have her back and good timing too!" Father Benjamin
exclaimed forcing a smile.

           
"Is Caitlyn your girlfriend?" Iliana asked remembering Jung mentioned that name
once before.

           
"She is... she went out to America to do a few gigs for a few months. She called me
to pick her up tomorrow late afternoon. I cannot wait to introduce you to her, and I know
she will love you and vice versa." Jung said beaming from ear to ear.

           
"Caitlyn is also a Purifier and a Chanter, like me." Father Benjamin explained to
Iliana.

           
"A Purifier and a Chanter?" Iliana repeated not realising one could be both.

           
"Yep... she has the voice of an angel and has the precision like Robin Hood with her
bow and arrow." Jung responded proudly.

           
"Her holy weapon is a bow and arrow?"

           
"Yep... a Cherub’s bow."

           
"I cannot wait to meet her."

           
"I will come round to your house tomorrow and introduce you to her, I will be in the
neighbourhood anyway. I’m picking up Kazuki from school after picking up Caitlyn."

Looking over to Kazuki Iliana asked.

           
"Why are you staying at school so late?"

           
"You sound like my Mother." Kazuki said with a sprinkle of sarcasm. "I have after
school club."

           
"You are part of an after school club?" Iliana repeated in a slight disbelieved tone
and then going through all the clubs that the school had in her head and trying to pick one
that suited him.

           
"What is wrong with that?" Kazuki asked raising an eyebrow.

           
"Nothing!"

                      
The next morning running down the stairs in a rush again, Iliana dashed into
the conservatory. On the dining table was a cup of coffee and a freshly made omelette on a
plate. Father then walked into the conservatory from the kitchen with a toast in his mouth
whilst putting on his blazer and Yuki following him.

           
"Good morning blossom!" He chirped after taking out the toast from his mouth.

           
"Good morning Father... morning Yuki." Iliana said tickling Yuki under her chin
then pointing at the laid out table for one. "Is that for me?"

           
"Of course, got to look after my little piggy." Father replied chuckling.

Iliana smiled but it soon faded. Mother did not come home again last night. Father knew
exactly what was going through Iliana’s mind, but he put on a brave face.

           
"Your Mother will be back home soon, I know she will. Iliana... look at me."

Iliana looked up at her Father, she had a sad yet annoyed look splashed on her face.

           
"I know your Mother maybe ignoring you, saying hurtful things and making you feel
unloved... I am going through it too... But it does not mean that you turn your back on her.
You may not know it but this is the time when she needs you the most. Do not lose faith in
her... okay?" Father said in a soft yet serious tone and patting Iliana’s shoulder, then sighed
as he looked at his watch. "Ooh... now I really
need to get to work. There is a bug going
around and people keep going to the hospital when they should be going to their local
doctor, it does tick me off sometimes. And
I have a new doctor starting today, he will be
shadowing me around... what a day it shall be today. Anyway... have a good day at school
blossom... bye Yuki."

           
Later that afternoon Iliana decided to give Yuki a walk earlier before Jung and
Caitlyn arrived.

           
"Hang on Yuki... I am sure I put the house keys on the table earlier." Iliana cried out
seeing Yuki patiently and quietly waiting for her by the front door as she dashed from the
conservatory into the open lounge.

Iliana searched high and low and as she found the keys which were on the coffee table Yuki
began to bark loudly, nonstop.

           
"Okay, okay, I found them... I am coming!" Iliana said rattling the keys.

Iliana turned into the hallway where Yuki was walking back growling and barking with her
eyes fixed on the front door, Iliana sat down next to her.

           
"Hey... what is wrong with you?... I know I kept you waiting but there is really
no
need to get angry!" Iliana exclaimed tickling her under her chin which usually calms her
down.

But Yuki kept barking and walked back as if she was scared of something. Iliana followed
her gazed, as she did a shadow appeared behind the frosted glass of the front door.

           
The door unlocked and opened, it was Mother. Her usual warm brown eyes was
smothered in darkness. On top of her black suit and trousers she wore the black cloak with
the hood down. Without looking at Iliana Mother walked to the small shelves next to the
coat stand and picked up her phone and some sealed envelopes where she left it there the
other day which Father did not dare to touch. Whilst patting Yuki to stop her barking so
loudly Iliana watched Mother as she made her way back to the front door. As she reached
the door Mother turned to Yuki and glared at her making Yuki whimper in silence as she
laid on the floor. Iliana stood up quickly with clenched fist, her head pounding with so
many emotions. Iliana could not describe how she was feeling.

           
"Mother!... Stop this!... Please!..." Iliana cried out, her eyes filling up with tears.

Mother’s eyes quickly changed from as dark as night to the eyes Iliana recognised, but had
not seen for awhile.

           
"I-Iliana..." Mother muttered in a soft yet anxious tone, stepping forward and
dropping her phone and the envelopes onto the floor.

Iliana stepped back a little confused.
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