Darlene and Sandi's Adventures in Bridgeport: Epilogue

Vladimir Schlick was not where he expected to be when he opened his eyes. He had expected to be in Merrick’s little hideaway under the graveyard. Instead, he was sitting in a chair in an unfamiliar room.

“You are awake, good.”

He jumped a little, or at least he would have if he had been able to. Someone was mentally keeping him on the chair, and he had a good idea who it was. “Slayer, what have I done to anger you? I thought I had your trust.”

“You know perfectly well what you have done to anger me. You broke one of our laws.”

“What do you mean? We’ve all broken laws, that’s why we’re in Bridgeport and not Forgotten Hollow with the rest of the rule-followers.”

“Perhaps you are right, but I will not tolerate kidnapping in my colony.”

His face darkened. “I followed you here because I thought you followed the old ways. The humans are beneath us. Why should we have to answer to their whims?”

“You have forgotten that you were human once. We may be more powerful, but they still outnumber us. And you should know as well as I do the power of willing consent.”

His face twisted further. “Do you even influence your prey?”

“Never. These days I rarely drink from humans at all. The hospital is very accommodating with access to their blood bank.”

“And you dare to call yourself our queen. You don’t even deserve to call yourself a vampire!”

“Now, that is blatantly false. I am far more of a vampire than you are. And fairly soon you will no longer be able to call yourself anything at all.”

“You wouldn’t dare. I am your enforcer. You can’t kill me! Your entire power structure would fall apart! They’re all loyal to me, not you! They’ll turn on you in an instant!”

“Who, exactly, will turn on me, Vladimir? Florence? As long as Merrick has her sister, she would never dare. Fangmann? He has been fanatically loyal to me ever since I saved him all those years ago. The Hemlocks? They all despise you. I think we both know Merrick would never turn on me, and Talon has disdained you since the very beginning. So who, exactly, is so loyal to you?”

“Please… please don’t hurt me… who will replace me? You need an enforcer. You can’t do it yourself.”

“I believe Merrick will make an excellent enforcer. Talon agrees with me. He will never believe himself to be above me, as you have. After all, what is it the humans say? Blood is thicker than water. And he is of my bloodline twice over.”

“You want that upstart wannabe Casanova to replace me?”

“I believe he will do a much better job. After all, you have been sabotaging me for years.”

Vladimir was ashen. He had no more arguments. “What are you waiting for? Do it already. At least I’ll know I was killed by a worthy adversary.”

The Slayer laughed. “Do you really think I would give you that pleasure? No, I will not be the one to kill you. That will be the pleasure of my new enforcer. What was it you called him? An upstart wannabe Casanova? I think he will enjoy it. Am I correct, Merrick?” She looked at something above his head.

The stake slid in before he could turn around.

As he slipped away, the Slayer spoke. “You should never have crossed me, Vladimir. The Slayer always takes care of her own.”

--------

As the Slayer brushed the dust that had once been Vladimir off her dress, a voice spoke from the shadows. “I have had a vision, Slayer.”

The Slayer looked up sharply. “A vision of what, Talon?”

The woman stepped into the light, her bare feet soundless on the concrete floor. “Your next visitor will change your life - all of our lives - forever.”

The Slayer examined Talon carefully. “Is that so?” She seemed to think for a moment. “How should I approach the meeting, then?”

“Grant the visitor any boon they desire, but…”

“But?”

“You must ask for their life in exchange.”

The Slayer frowned slightly. Talon elaborated. “It is necessary in order to secure the future of the clan.”

The Slayer nodded. “Then I will do whatever it takes.”

Author's Note: First, as you are reading this, the heir poll has been taken down. The next consecutive post will announce the winner.

Second, when the Slayer says that Merrick "is of her bloodline twice over", she means that he is both her descendant and a vampire that she turned. I realized that might be kind of confusing, but I couldn't figure out a good place to write it in.

I've had a lot of fun with these characters. I'm looking forward to doing more with them later, but for now, it's time to get back to your regularly scheduled legacy. Don't worry, though - you will definitely be seeing these guys again.