Gift of a Miracle

Chapter 16

"It keeps going straight to answer phone!" Caitlyn declared. She grasped the car's handle with her other hand for dear life when Jung swerved hard into another road. "Father Benjamin is obviously busy."

"Then we have to do this without him... we haven't the time to wait or go back to the Cathedral." Kazuki decided, also gripping on the handle bar when Jung approached the end of the road at an alarming speed, then swerved sharply into another.

"Jung... I know we have to get to Lord Baddesley's mansion fast, but it'd be great if we arrived there alive!"

His sarcastic remark fell on deaf ears, Jung's full concentration was on the road ahead of him... thank god. Kazuki's gaze shifted back to Iliana next to him. She appeared to have a strong demeanour, but it was evident she'd been crying. Seeing the souls of strangers become Tainted was of course disconcerting, but it was habitual to undertake the duty of a Purifier without a second thought. However, to have someone close and dear to be affected must be distressing and a much heavier burden to bear. No matter her attempts to hide the smears of what looked like blood on her fingers, it was more noticeable without the swirling water around her forearms.

"Are you hurt?" He asked.

The girl's eyes met his briefly before awkwardly lowering them to her hands. She balled them together tightly.

"Not physically."

"Then whose blood—"

"—my dog's." She interrupted as if she'd foreseen such a question to arise. "She... she tried to help me... at the cost of her own life!"

Kazuki opened his mouth in an attempt to offer some sort of consolation, but he couldn't find felicitous words that could assuage her grief... instead of offering words that'd be of no value to her, he bit his lower lip. The girl cleared her throat before swallowing hard.

"My mother is dwelling a Fallen Angel... named Xaphan, the Flame Whistler of the Second... something of the Fallen—"

"The Second Sphere of the Fallen." Kazuki corrected.

Angels of the Fallen followed a similar hierarchy to those of the Heavenly order... although the Angels from the Second Sphere 'apparently' acted as Governors, they too had powers of their own as well as inventive minds.

"From what I'd gathered... that Fallen Angel wasn't alone in my mother's body." Iliana continued in a firmer tone with her eyes fixated on her hands. "It also knew about Miracles and it was certain I was one."

"Was anything else said or done?"

The girl's hands fidgeted. "Only that I tried to use my Gift and wrecked the house down."

"We'll have to deal with that later." He responded.

When Iliana's gaze shifted back on him in surprise along with a questioning look on her face, he asked.

"What...?"

She shook her head and turned away to the window.

"Tell me... how exactly are we going to get into Lord Baddesley's mansion without setting off all the alarms that man had ever made?" Jung asked loudly, pelting down another long road like a bat out of hell.

Before anyone could even attempt to conjure up an answer to his question, Jung slammed his foot on the brakes.

"Now that's something I wasn't expecting to see!" He remarked, staring out at the front window.

Massaging his neck from the almost whiplash, Kazuki peered his head around to the front window. The tall iron wrought gate leading to Lord Baddesley's mansion was wide open. The camera above the 'White Mansion' sign faced downwards instead of looking upon the entrance of the gate.