A/N: This bonus chapter was brought to you all by the grace of lord BR. ALl hail lord BR!
[Blood Diary Entry]
"So, Mom, what did you find out?"
"I've managed to narrow down to three possibilities. First is Lenora Winston, who lived in a quiet suburban house a few minutes away from here. She died in a car accident a week before the day her marriage was supposed to happen."
I shook my head. "This isn't what we are looking for, her death, though tragic, is nowhere near violent or traumatic enough to turn her into that spirit I saw."
She nodded and continued. "The second one is Nicole Burges, she and her husband ran a motel at the entrance of the city. She and her husband were murdered by a guest who was on the brink of an overdose; her husband was completely mutilated, and she was… Well, I don't really want to say how her body was found, but I hope that man rots in hell. This happened 5 days after they were officially married."
Rebekah's eyes gained a murderous hue, seemingly agreeing with Mother's words.
I rubbed my chin between my thumb and index fingers, repeating what my mother said again and again on my head. "That one is promising… but I want to hear the last one."
Mother sighed, and her eyes became a bit shaky. "The last one is Elizabeth Dumitru, who lived on a property a half an hour away from the city. Her fiancée owned the place, they were engaged for roughly 3 or so years, and rumor has it that the man was extremely unfaithful; he would wake up in a prostitute's bed more often than in his own. A few of the caretakers of the property gossiped about Elizabeth wailing in her room every time it happened. There are also mentions of domestic abuse, but she never came forward about it on her own, so nothing is official. She died on the exact date of her marriage."
"How did she die?"
"She hung herself."
The mood got a bit somber after that.
Analyzing the characteristics of the specter, it matched her story quite well. A veil hid all her features, fitting for a woman who was never seen by her own fiancée or by anyone else. The missing jaw for someone who never spoke of her own suffering. The empty eye sockets for a woman who had cried her eyes out. It all fitted perfectly.
My jaw clenched. A ghost born from despair and betrayal—no wonder she was so wrong, so violent.
"Yeah, that is the one…"
"I had a feeling it would be; hence I spoke of her last." Rebekah giggled at my mother's antics.
"Dramatic much?" Mother snorted.
"I put so much effort into digging these three stories up, so I got to make it worth it."
"Haaah, fine be that way…" I rubbed my temples. "What became of the property and the fiancée?"
"He died shortly after, no one understood how, but he was simply found dead, his body stiff as a statue and as cold as ice." Mother's eyes glinted with a vindictive hue, not being a fan of this man, I wagered. "The property was then inherited by the man's closest of kin and has remained untouched ever since."
"The property location?"
"Directly above where we were attacked."
"Yeah, that will do it… Rebekah and I will go there in a bit." Rebekah closed her fists slightly but didn't do much else.
"What about me?"
"Your job is mostly done, Mom… The only thing I need now is for you to tell me where she was buried and for you to be safe."
"But I-"
"But nothing, Mom, the only way Rebekah and I can go all out is for us to not need to worry about keeping you safe." Mother looked a bit downcast by my words.
"Fine…" She relented.
"Thanks, Mom."
She simply turned her head away and started sulking. Rebekah went to her and comforted her a bit, promising to keep an eye on me.
"Where was she buried?" Rebekah asked.
"In the old cemetery."
I nodded and spoke before getting up.
"Remember to draw a salt line on the door."
"I know…" She bit her nail and looked up at me. "Come back safe… Please."
I smiled and nodded.
After that, Rebekah and I left the room and took the elevator down to the floor level.
The receptionist waved amicably to us, the perfect picture of professionalism. Except for the way his gaze lingered on Rebekah.
I gritted my teeth and growled lowly, fighting against the overwhelming urge to tear the man into bloody chunks of meat.
Rebekah giggled sweetly and ruffled my hair.
I looked at her in irritation.
Ever since we took the vow, any time she treated me like a child, I became annoyed.
She just giggled louder, fully aware of the effects of her actions.
Once we left the hotel lobby, the Toyota SUV came into sight.
Rebekah walked to it with confident steps. When we got close, she opened the trunk, and I could see the result of her shopping spree.
A box with a few containers of pure salt, a lighter fluid can, a few fire pokers of pure iron, and… silver cutlery.
"Really?"
Rebekah got defensive and justified herself. "What?! For obvious reasons, I couldn't get a silver weapon on such short notice. This was the next best thing, and I figured it would be better to have it and not need it than to not have it and need it."
I sighed in agreement with her line of thought. Though it doesn't make this situation any less ridiculous.
The laughable image played in my mind: a Higher Vampire and an Original vampire marching into a haunted house armed with fire pokers and silver cutlery.
How the high and mighty have fallen…
I am of half a mind to order personalized craft for these types of situations when we get to Chicago. Though that would mean I would have to leech off Rebekah yet again.
Ah, the woes of being poor…
But in my defense, I am still a child and didn't get millennia to accumulate wealth.
Then Rebekah closed the trunk, a satisfied look on her face.
We both got into the car and drove off.