by Mika B. Coit
Then almost skipping up the steps in her stiletto shoes and the shopping bags swinging in her hands, Mother disappeared into the house.
"Wow!... Never seen Mother this excited before." Iliana said to herself.
Then smiling to herself she tucked the big box under her arm and grabbed some bags. It was when she lifted the bags out when another paper bag fell over inside the boot of the car and a black material half slipped out. Iliana placed the box and bags that she had in her hands on the ground so she could put the piece of material back in. Even though it was a thick material at touch it was soft. And as Iliana held it in her hand she noticed she was holding the hood of a piece of garment. With curiosity simmering to it’s limit in Iliana’s state of mind she lifted the cloth out of it’s bag. It was a long black cloak with a large pointed hood and long wide sleeves. Scarlet coloured trimmings ran along the edges of the cloak and on one side where it would show on the chest was a crest. It was stitched in red and black thread and was the same image the man dressed in black had tattooed on his hand.
As Iliana stood staring at the crest on the hooded cloak with her eyes wide and many questions swimming in her mind, Mother re-appeared from inside the house. And when she saw what Iliana was holding in her hands, she rushed down and small flight of steps then snatched the cloak from her before pushing Iliana to the ground. Iliana landed hard on her bottom.
"Never touch this again... you impertinent child!" Mother yelled in a very deep gravelly voice after shoving the cloak back in it’s bag.
Iliana stared at Mother in shock, her heart pounding in her chest and feeling slightly scared. Mother had never spoke in such a manner before, not in front of Iliana anyway. But in a split second after Mother coughed, she looked down at Iliana and frowned.
"Iliana!... What on earth are you doing on the ground?" She asked in a soft but confused tone.
Mother helped Iliana to her feet.
"Come on, let us make haste otherwise we will never get to bed... Your Father might even come home and wonder what we are doing.... still up in the early hours of the morning!"
Iliana’s heart still raced inside her chest as she stared at Mother gathering more bags into her hands. She knew this split personality change was only the beginning of something Iliana had always dreaded would happen to her parents.
‘Something big is brewing...’ Iliana thought to herself as she gazed up to the starry sky. ‘But what?’
*** Chapter 4 ***
Walking towards the school gates after waving goodbye to Andrew all Iliana could hear was the other students babbling on about Lord Baddesley’s big party and who was invited and who was not.
But Mother’s deep snapping voice and her reaction the other night was still swirling in Iliana’s mind.
‘Never touch this again, you impertinent child!... I have never heard Mother talk like that before!’... Iliana thought passing through the gates of the school. And then the cloak with the same crest that was tattooed on the hand of the man’s dressed in black, fluttered in her mind.
‘ERGH!... What do I do?’ Iliana grumbled pulling her hair in frustration which of course she got funny looks from other students around her.
"Iliana!..."
Iliana looked around her to see where the familiar voice came from. Chloe, Victoria and Claire were all standing under the big tree which now seemed to be their meeting place in the mornings and lunch breaks. Iliana made her way to the girls.
"Good morning!" She greeted with a distressed sigh.
"Good morning to you too Miss cheerful... What is wrong with you this morning?" Victoria asked.
"Nothing really... just a lot of things in my mind. Anyway, how is everyone?"
"Ecstatic!..." Victoria answered jumping up and down.
"Same here!..." Claire squealed.
Chloe sighed out of boredom.
"These two have been invited to Lord Baddesley’s party... well, their parents have." She explained to Iliana in a monotone voice.
Victoria and Claire squealed again in excitement but Chloe rolled her eyes.
"Has your parents not been invited?" Iliana asked.
"Nope."
Chloe crossed her arms in front of her with a face like thunder.
"Do not be such a dark cloud Chloe... would it make you happy if I invite you as my friend?" Victoria asked smiling.
Chloe quickly uncrossed her arms with her eyes lit up.
"Really?... You are inviting me?"
"Of course!... Claire was going to invite you but her little brother desperately wanted to go, so she had to bring him... So obviously I have to invite you!" Victoria replied.
Chloe jumped up and down clapping her hands in excitement, then as if she just remembered Iliana standing there stopped and looked at her.
"Iliana... what about you? Your parents have been invited... right?"
"Of course!... Mother even bought me a new dress to wear for the night... Not that I have not got enough in my wardrobe already!" Iliana answered sarcastically but then adding. "However, it is a beautiful dress."
"Thank God... I was wondering what we were going to do if you were not. Although I would be surprised if you were not going since your Mother has worked alongside Lord Baddesley for a few years." Chloe said in relief.
"Who are you going to invite with you?" Claire asked.
Before Iliana could answer ‘no-one’, loud squealing screams came from the entrance of the school. Everyone turned round to see what was going on. Groups of mainly girls and some boys gathered round the school main gates and the pathway that led to the main building to the school, some girls were even crying as they were squealing with joy.
"Come on... let us go and see what is going on." Victoria ordered grabbing Iliana’s arm and dragging her along behind her.
Chloe and Claire tagged behind them as if they were not left with much choice in the matter. They found a gap which they squeezed themselves through so they could stand in the front row on the pathway. But even then they could not see anything other than more people gathered in a circle.
"Hey!... What is going on?" Claire asked the boy standing next to her.
"Apparently it is Lucas Baddesley... but I cannot see with all those people gathered around him." He replied whilst straining his neck up.
Victoria and Claire gasped and cried out loudly in unison.
"Lucas Baddesley!"
Chloe turned to Iliana who just watched Victoria and Claire giggling hysterically.
"You can obviously figure out who Lucas Baddesley is related to, right?" She said loudly over everyone’s screaming.
"Of course... Lord Baddesley’s son, the one who transferred to London Academy."
"Wow!... You do know about him."
"Only a little... someone I know told me a bit about him." Iliana answered remembering Jung and Father Benjamin telling her their tragic story the other night.
"Did they tell you how absurdly popular he is in this school?" Chloe questioned.
"They did not."
"Oh my God... there he is!" Victoria yelled pointing out in front of her.
The crowd that had formed a circle were moved away by the two well built men that always guarded the front school gates. Behind them was a tall broad shouldered young man who had a strong but slim physique. He combed his hand through his mass of ash blond hair which slithered back over his high forehead and just touched his perfectly shaped eyebrows. Even though a cool smile stretched across his good looking face, his brown eyes seemed dull and lifeless. And Iliana could not quite figure out where she had seen eyes like that before. She studied him as he made his way down the pathway waving at the crowd as if he was a movie star. But when his eyes met Iliana’s his smile faded and he stopped in his tracks. Although it was only for second his eyes pierced through Iliana’s and it felt as if he was searching into the depths of her soul with those soulless eyes. It gave Iliana cold shivers which rippled down her back like blocks of cold ice.
It was only when he
looked away as two boys approached him Iliana recognised that same look that he expressed in his eyes. And it was when he stretched out his hand to shake the hands of his fellow students that Iliana saw the same tattoo painted between his thumb and index finger. Iliana had to cover her mouth with her hand to stop her from gasping so loudly, not that anyone would hear through the deafening noises from the crowd around her. As Lucas and his fellow students walked passed Iliana she managed to glimpse a small smirk that crept up the corner of Lucas’s lips with his eyes still fixed on her.
"Oh my God!... Iliana... he looked at you!" Victoria commented enthusiastically.
Iliana quickly moved her hand away from her mouth as if nothing happened.
"I-I did not n-notice."
During the day Iliana did everything she could to avoid Lucas. When she saw him down a corridor she would hide behind the girls until he disappeared. Iliana found it strange how Lucas just happened to return from London the same time when they found those people at the warehouse last night. Desperately wanting to see Father Benjamin Iliana did all she could to sneak away from Chloe, Victoria and Claire. But never seemed to get very far before one of them notices her and drags her away. At least one of the girls shared the same classes as Iliana and would not leave her side. Iliana did not want to drag any of them anywhere near the Unknown World especially not after what happened to Chloe. It just left Iliana to try and find Kazuki, although she had not seen him all day. Looking through her class planner at lunchtime the English lesson they shared was not until the last lesson of the day.
‘That is just typical.’ Iliana said to herself. ‘When you want to see him you cannot find him anywhere. But when you do not want to see him, he always seems to pop up everywhere you turn.’
"What was that Iliana?" Chloe asked after gulping down a piece of BLT sandwich.
"N-nothing!... Just mumbling to myself." Iliana answered back unaware she had said that out loud.
"I still cannot believe Lucas is back." Claire squealed excitedly after slurping her apple juice.
"I know right... he seems more darker and broodier than before the coma. It makes him so much more hotter than ever!" Chloe giggled blushing as she said it.
"What was he like before the coma?" Iliana questioned, the thought of finding Kazuki slipped from her mind for a moment.
"Hmm... he always liked to party a lot and never seems to take life seriously... I mean, he is the son of the richest man in England, who would not, right?... But anyway... before he left for London he kind of seemed..."
"Distant!..." Claire interrupted Victoria who struggled to find the right word.
"Yes... like in a world of his own. But he is sooo... gorgeous." Victoria agreed.
"I thought you liked Kazuki." Chloe said nudging Victoria’s arm with her elbow.
"I do... ooh... I cannot decide between them." Victoria groaned slapping her hands on her cheeks.
Iliana sniggered at Victoria’s moans and groans before looking back down at her planner then quickly asked the girls.
"Actually... what is your last lesson today?"
"Mine is Music." Chloe said unenthusiastically. "With Mr. Gregory... that means I will be helping out with the tidying of the instruments... again as always."
"Tough luck... Victoria and I have double Physical Ed, our favourite lesson." Claire replied, then turned to Victoria. "Cannot wait to practise our dance routine again."
"Neither can I.... I hope we are able to finish in time for our dance test." Victoria said.
The English lesson could not have come any sooner, she could not believe how desperate she was to see Kazuki. With her friends in a different class she could inform Kazuki all she knew before she ends up having a panic attack if she kept it quiet any longer.
Iliana sat on her chair waiting for Kazuki to enter the classroom. She waited and waited but there was no sign of him. The lesson seemed to have dragged on and all what Mrs. Rawlins explained about the English project went in one ear and out the other.
"D’coye... are you all right today?" Asked Mrs. Rawlins as Iliana made her way out of the English Lesson a few minutes after the end of school bell rang with her head down.
Iliana looked up at her, firstly seeing her mass of brown ringlets that surrounded her head. Her light brown eyes looked over the rim of her round glasses that rested on the tip of her small nose.
"I am okay... thank you." Iliana replied.
"Hmm... I hope so... I want all my students to be on top notch condition in my lessons." She warned raising her fine lined eyebrows.
Iliana slipped past Mrs. Rawlins avoiding eye contact. She quickly headed towards Father Benjamin’s classroom hoping and praying Chloe, Victoria or Claire would not see and stop her. Iliana turned into a deserted corridor that led to Father Benjamin’s classroom when she suddenly felt the room temperature dropped and goose bumps ran up and down her body, like a high voltage electric shock.
Feeling as if something or someone was behind her Iliana attempted to turn round but was instantly pushed back with great force. Her back slammed against the wall making her grunt in pain, and when she looked up the first thing she saw was those soulless eyes that she had been avoiding all day.
"Lucas!...."
A smirk stretched across his face as he placed a hand on the wall she was pinned to and leaned closer to her. The smell of his faded woody cologne filled Iliana’s nose just like the other night.
"You have been avoiding me all day today." Lucas said in a soft yet eerie tone.
"Do not tell me... you are offended that I do not flutter around you like the rest of the school does!" Iliana remarked sarcastically trying to sound confident when in actual fact her legs were shaking, luckily she was against the wall otherwise she would have collapsed already.
"I do like those who have spirit." Lucas said the smirk on his face getting bigger.
"Why?... Because you do not have one?"
Lucas punched his fist on the wall irritated by her comment and making Iliana jumped, but she carried on talking.
"I know it was you the other night dressed in black, I recognise those eyes anywhere. It is somehow different from a human’s!"
"You really have no idea about anything?" He replied back in a dark and serious way.
"I know you were there at the warehouse, but I just do not know your reasons behind those possessions." Iliana said.
Lucas looked at her for a moment as if he did not know what she meant. But then he threw his head back and laughed out quite loudly. Clueless to why he was laughing so much Iliana just watched him until he stopped.
"You think I was behind that?" He questioned. "Do you not know where I was for the past two years?"
"I know..." Iliana replied knowing her accusation did not quite fit the facts. "I am still figuring it out but for some reason, I feel that you have something to do with it."
Lucas pierced his eyes into Iliana’s as if again he was searching inside her mind.
"You still do not remember anything?" Lucas said leaning even closer to Iliana that their noses were just inches from touching.
Iliana tilted her head back and tried to look away, but Lucas grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. Iliana was positively sure she could see fire in his eyes as he asked her in a deep husky voice.
"Iliana D’coye... do you really not know who I am?"
Iliana frowned not knowing exactly what he meant by that question, but he asked her again in the same tone.
"Do you know who I am?"
Before Iliana could say anything a clear plastic folder slipped in between her and Lucas, making them both a little cross eyed. Iliana turned to where the folder was coming from and felt her heart alleviate with relief. Kazuki stood there with the folder in one hand and the other in his trouser pocket.
"Mrs. Rawlins was not happy when I stopped by her classroom to pick up my English Project folder... because you left your Project folder on your desk. And I am not happy because she forced me to find you
and give it to you, otherwise we both get detention!" Kazuki announced in a vexed tone.
"Ooh..." Was all Iliana could muster as she took the folder.
Lucas stepped back away from Iliana and placed his hands in his trouser pockets.
"You need to sort out your timing skills Kazuki Jacob Williams!" Lucas said sighing.
Kazuki did not say anything back to Lucas but just glared at him. The awkward and intense atmosphere was broken when a group of boys down the end of the corridor appeared and called out.
"Hey Lucas!..."
Before making his way to them Lucas gave Iliana one last glance with a smug look on his face.
"See you around... Iliana D’coye!..."
Watching Lucas meet the group of boys and then disappearing round the corner Iliana let out a sigh as if she had held her breath for so long. I wonder what he meant when he said...
‘You still do not remember anything?’ Iliana thought before turning to Kazuki. But Kazuki was already heading up the other end of the corridor towards Father Benjamin’s classroom.
"Hey!... Wait a minute, Kazuki!" Iliana cried out. "I need to tell you and Father Benjamin something."
"WHAT?..."
Iliana had just told Kazuki and Father Benjamin everything she knew, from her Mother and the cloak to Lucas at the warehouse. It took her almost fifteen minutes to explain and when she finished Kazuki yelled at her.
"And you tell us all this now!... What were you waiting for?... Until half the city is possessed and the other half wrapped round his fingers?... That vexing man has been planning something for the past two years... and that information could be crucial to us!"
Iliana winced at Kazuki’s shouting but then as if all he had just said clicked into sense, she looked at Kazuki.
"Wait a minute... you suspected Lucas Baddesley was behind it all... all this time?"
Kazuki bit his lower lip and looked away as if he should not have said something. So Iliana turned to Father Benjamin who sighed and replied.
