The Forgotten Sin (Purifiers Book 1) (27 page)

           
"Lord Baddesley."

           
He was wearing the most expensive looking black suit with the same scarlet red
cravat round his neck which he wore in their last meeting. A black cloak with red
trimmings sat neatly across his shoulders with the same brooch of the long tailed bird
which clipped the cloak together over his chest. He bent down to Iliana’s level and stared
into her eyes. Iliana was positively sure his brown eyes were much darker than when she
last saw them.

           
"It is time to get serious... Iliana D’coye!" He hissed barely moving his lips.

He waved a hand in front of her eyes, a wisp of black smoke formed from the palms of his
hand. Instantly Iliana felt drowsy. Her eyes became heavy. Her vision of Lord Baddesley
began to blur, and just after noticing an army of people and demons gathering behind him
Iliana blacked out.

           
Sounds of murmuring hummed in Iliana’s ears. Beads of sweat trickled down the
sides of her face. It was only the sound of Caitlyn’s cry which made Iliana open her eyes.
Blinking a few times to rid the blurred vision Iliana examined where she found herself. The
room she was in was huge, it looked like a large lobby. The floor was of white smooth
stone with the walls matching. Fire danced within the open black fire pits that lined each
sides of the wall. A mixture of demons and possessed humans stood around the room as if
they were waiting for something to happen. Father Benjamin, Jung and Caitlyn were
completely surrounded by demons who held black spears with a sharp point that came
dangerously close to their stomachs. It looked like their arms were tied behind them and all
of them had a twisted cloth in between their teeth like a gag. Scratches and scars covered
their face and body. Blood splashed on their clothes but they were alive.

           
Tears filled Iliana’s eyes again, so relieved to see them. But when a group of demons
on the other end of the room moved, Iliana’s heart sank like a ship’s anchor to the seabed.
It was Kazuki. His wrist was chained to the wall. He was only wearing his black jeans, the
top half of his body was exposed showing his silver chain that still hung from his neck. His
head was dipped down low and rested on the wall. Iliana attempted to dash forwards but
was violently pulled back preventing her from so. She turned round, her eyes widened. It
was Claire on one side and Victoria on the other. Both of them gripped her arm so tightly,
Iliana was sure she would soon loose her blood circulation. They both had such pale, gaunt
faces and their eyes were covered in darkness.

           
"Finally!... You are awake!" Claire grunted her voice so deep and scratchy. Unlike
the voice of the real Claire.

A large door on the other end of the room opened. Lord Baddesley strode across the floor
briskly, his cloak billowed behind him. A long thorned whip was held tightly in his hand
and trailed on the floor like a black spiky snake.

           
"You have finally come round!" He growled when his beady eyes met Iliana’s. "Just
in time!"

Lord Baddesley waved a hand and Iliana was forced to move forwards until she was
standing right by Kazuki. He lifted his head from the wall then turned to Iliana with such an
expressionless look on his face. Even his deep blue eyes were unreadable as if he was
deliberately hiding his true emotions.

           
"What are you doing?" Iliana questioned firmly tearing her gaze from Kazuki to
Lord Baddesley.

           
"I am glad you asked!" He responded with a twisted smirk. "A little payback for
ruining my house. You know... it is going to take some time to get that mess you made
cleared."

Lord Baddesley stood back behind Kazuki tugging at the lash from the handle of the whip
as if he was checking it was in good working condition.

           
"In all seriousness... you have left me no other options but to Taint your soul by
watching the ones you care about be tortured... until they are no more!" He sneered. "And I
am going to start with this young man. It is shame... he is so very handsome with such nice
muscles. No wonder why your heart flutters at the sight of him."

Iliana glared at Lord Baddesley who laughed out hysterically.

           
"I see the way you look at him... it is written all over your face, even now... you like
him!"

           
"I do not!" Iliana cried out.

Iliana knew what she was about to say would probably still not save Kazuki from being
whipped but she hoped it might give her some time to work round Lord Baddesley. She
gulped before putting on a convincing face and said...

           
"I hold no such feelings for him... My heart beats for someone else... for your son...
Lucas Baddesley."

Lord Baddesley stared at Iliana, his smile quickly faded. Iliana felt his smugness has
slipped so she carried on, now that she has got his full attention.

           
"Just like your heart had once beat for someone... someone named Lucy!"

Lord Baddesley’s eyes opened even wider, his face contorted into a confused yet slightly
intrigued look.

           
"You are talking nonse..."

           
"Have you forgotten her?..." Iliana interrupted, her confidence building slowly. "Just
like you had forgotten about your friend... the friend who is the father of the young man
standing before you?"

Iliana’s eyes flitted to Kazuki who frowned at her, oblivious to how she knew about his
own Father’s past when he knew nothing about it. Lord Baddesley then began to grumble
insanely then yelled.

           
"Shut up!... Shut up!"

But Iliana continued, her voice getting louder.

           
"What happened to you?... Why is it you do not remember?"

           
"Arrgh!... SHUT UP...!"

           
Lord Baddesley swung the whip behind him before lashing it hard against Kazuki’s
back causing him to cry out through gritted teeth. The end of the whip ripped through his
flesh like a sharp blade through a piece of tough meat, blood splashed to the once clean
floor. Iliana saw his arm muscles tense up.

           
"How could you forget about your past?... How could you forget your childhood
friend?"

Lord Baddesley screamed as he waved the whip over his head slashing it again on Kazuki’s
already raw back. The cracking sound when it hit him echoed throughout the room like the
sound of lightening crashing, followed by Kazuki’s muffled and pained whimper. Iliana
quickly closed her eyes unable to watch him suffer so harshly. When she reopened them she
carried on, sounding more desperate than ever.

           
"Why did you let your demon take control of you?... Why did you not fight it?...
WHY?..."

           
"STOP IT!... STOP IT!..."

           
With another loud crack of the whip Kazuki now yelled out in pain. His back was
red raw, bleeding profusely and another hit would probably break him.

           
"I know what you are Lord Baddesley... I know of the powers you possess!"

Lord Baddesley readied himself for another blow of the whip but Iliana screamed as she
attempted to pull herself away from the strong grip of Claire and Victoria.

           
"You are like me!... You are a... MIRACLE!..."

           
Lord Baddesley froze from his spot. His eyes were open so wide, it looked like they
were going to pop out from it’s sockets. He lowered his hand and dropped the whip which
clattered to the floor. Cradling his head in his hands, Lord Baddesley fell to his knees
whimpering like a scared kitten. Claire and Victoria suddenly released their grip from
Iliana’s arm then stepped back. Iliana tentatively walked over to Lord Baddesley and
kneeled down next to him. She could hear him muttering quickly under his breath.

           
"Lord Baddesley?" Iliana whispered softly.

The muttering stopped. Then all of a sudden Lord Baddesley grabbed Iliana’s neck and
squeezed it tightly causing her to choke. His face was distorted almost unrecognisable.

           
"I am no longer a Miracle!" He growled, his voice was dark and gravely.

           
"You are!" Iliana gasped, hardly able to breathe but gazed at him calmly. "D-do you
not remember... t-those times when you used your p-powers?"

Lord Baddesley’s face returned to normal, his beady brown eyes saddened and his voice
became soft with a quiver.

           
"I do not... want to remember anything from my past!"

           
"W-why?"

           
"It... it hurts!"

He slowly let go of Iliana’s neck, his hand shook uncontrollably as he lowered it.

           
"But you must remember it... no matter how painful it is... otherwise it will only eat
you up inside!" Iliana said.

           
"It is already too late!" Lord Baddesley remarked in a deflated tone.

Iliana stared at this weak, lonely and vulnerable man kneeling before her. So different from
the strong, arrogant business man that he always portrayed to the public.

           
"It is never too late!"

           
"Well-well-well!" Said a very deep loud voice which echoed around the room.
"What do we have here?"

           
Everyone turned round to where the voice came from. A very tall broad-shouldered
man strode across the floor bare footed. He wore a long black material which draped over
him like night gown with a simple black string which was tied round his waist. The chiffon
type material dropped to the floor and trailed behind him. He had long black hair with loose
waves which hung past his chiselled jaw bones and rested on his shoulders. His dark
almond-shaped eyes glared around the room. For a man in his mid-forties he was not bad
looking either.

           
Father Benjamin’s eyes widened at the sight of this man who walked past him with
an uncanny smile that lifted one side of his stiff lips. A look of shock and fright was clearly
painted across Father Benjamin’s face. Even Jung and Caitlyn wore a similar look.

           
"Good Evening... Benji!" The man greeted narrowing his eyes as it met Father
Benjamin’s.

Father Benjamin growled angrily through the cloth in between his mouth as he tried to push
past the demons around him. But the demons lifted their spears a little higher threatening to
thrust it into his heart.

           
"M-Master!" Lord Baddesley muttered stumbling to his feet and bowed when the
man approached him.

           
"When you said you had a plan... I was certainly
not expecting this Baddesley. You
have surprised me!" The man sneered, briefly glancing down at him before meeting his
gaze with Iliana.

Iliana quickly stood up and stepped back as he drew closer to her. He had the same aura
radiating from him like Lucas had at the hospital.

           
"We finally meet!" He hissed studying Iliana from the tip of her toes to the top of
her head, and when he glared back into her eyes, he smirked. "I cannot believe it is really
you... Long time no see."

Iliana frowned, completely confused. She had never met or even seen this man before yet
he speaks as if they have. Iliana’s perplexed look made the man laugh deeply, like an evil
Santa Claus kind of laugh.

           
"Of course!... You do not remember... He always wipes the memories. But I
instantly knew it was you when you Abided your soul with Baddesley’s that night... You
know, eavesdropping on someone’s conversation is rude!"

           
‘It was him behind the red netted curtain?’
Iliana thought as she kept stepping
backwards as the man got closer to her, but her back then found the wall and she was
pressed against it.

           
"If you
are here... then..." The man turned his head to his left and Iliana followed his
gaze.

           
"Oh... there he is!"

Kazuki was leaning on the wall, his back dripping with blood but his eyes was on the man
whose twisted smile now stretched from ear to ear.

           
"Who are you?" Iliana questioned turning back to the man.

           
"Samael is my name... The name that the two of you should remember... if both of
you are who I think you are." He hissed pointing at Kazuki then to Iliana.

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply before the same smirk returned to his lips as he re-opened those dark fierce eyes.

           
"Looks like I will have to change my plans. But first... let me test you... Baddesley!"