7. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seve n
J ust a little while longer, Rika. I will find you soon enough. And when I do, I will set you free.
I don't often feel excited. Very few things excite a vampire who has lived long enough to lose interest in everything.
But when I feel a spark of excitement inside me, I delve into it.
It's been a long time since I looked into Rika's eyes and promised to rescue her. At that time, she was no longer the Rika I knew. The Rika that I promised our mother to keep safe and protect no matter what.
But I still believe she's in there, waiting for me to release her. For me to save her like always. The fact that I'm always the one who saves her brings a smile to my face. From a young age, she always put herself in situations that required my intervention. One time, she decided to prove to our mother out of rebellion that she was able to take care of herself. She slept for a whole week in a park not far from home. In the evenings, she used to go into the neighborhood grocery store and steal small items that she could stuff into her pockets.
That was until the owner caught her. He wanted to take her to the police station, but I stopped him, making her promise to work for him for free and help him with store maintenance to earn the money back.
I miss her voice. Her deep laugh. The colorful way she saw the world.
Hailey's words echo in my head all the way back to the hotel.
"Okay, I agree."
If only she knew the meaning of her words. If she knew the sacrifices I’ve made and still mean to do only to save Rika, maybe she wouldn’t have agreed.
But it's too late for that. Now, we shall begin the journey of revenge and massacre.
*
Entering the empty room, I’m thankful to find Soraya absent. Moving to the table next to the window wall, I see a note on top of a pile of books. I lift the note and read:
Found a lead. It may be nothing, so I thought I would check it by myself. Will be in touch.
So Xoxo
As soon as I finish reading, the paper goes up in flames until there is no trace of it but wisps of ashes.
"Good girl," I say, turning my attention to the books.
I’m spreading them on the table when I hear a knock on the door. Focusing on my reading, I tune out the noise coming from the open window and concentrate on the heartbeat on the other side of the door.
Her heart beats strongly. I can almost smell her fear, taste her apprehension. She is probably already debating whether she’s doing the right thing by coming.
Moving to the door, I say, "Come in."
The knob turns to the side and the door pushes forward. Hailey walks in at a slow pace.
"Come on in," I say again at her cautious steps. "We have work to do. "
Stopping in her tracks, she looks at me pointedly and asks, "First, I need to know what you get from helping me."