Blake, The Vampire King

Ace had tracked down the warlock. As always, his hacking techniques came in handy. Blake couldn't help but think that although he might be the weakest of his progeny, he might very well be the smartest. His daughter was lucky to have him as a mate.

"Carrywell!" Blake shouted at the top of his lungs, in front of the house that sheltered the little sneaky bastard. "Come here! Face me if you're man enough!"

"I'm more than man enough," came the punk's answer as he appeared at the doorway a moment later. "The history shall know me as the hero who put an end to Blake the Troublemaker's tyranny!" "Tyranny!" Jessica growled while Blake scoffed out the word.

I cannot believe just how delusional this kid is. How delirious can he be? Blake mused grimly.

"Bitch please, you have yet to see tyranny!" Jessica hissed at him.

"I'm going to have your head," Blake said flatly.

"I accept my fate," came the slightly resigned answer.

"Well, you've started a war by going after Maria," Blake shrugged.

"You're the one starting a war seeing as she is not yet dead," the warlock retorted.

Judith made an appearance at that moment. "I cannot let you kill my grandson. I'm sorry Blake."

He eyed her warily. He knew she had been the one to break down the palace's protection shield momentarily so her grandson could teleport out of there in the nick of time.

The weariness showed on her old wrinkled face.

"Don't interfere more than you did, Judith," Blake told her in warning.

"Your time shall come, old lady," Jessica told her ominously.

"Do NOT speak to my grandmother like that!" Kyle bellowed.

"I will speak to her however I see fit, considering she aided you in escaping the palace two days ago."

"You're such a bastard."

"And you're such a backstabbing asshole."

"Backstabbing?" Kyle scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, you are. I welcomed you as a guest in my home. And what pray tell was my reward? You cursed my mate." Blake's eyes turned involuntarily black, out of anger for the first time in over a decade and half. "I needed to put an end to your era."

"And who might you be to end The Devil's Pact era? It was beneficial to all those involved! It brought peace among the species." Andreas growled, losing his cool when facing a foe for the first time in centuries. "So you say, leech. So you say."

"You have not lived the 20s," Blake said as he eyed the young impudent warlock. "It was the most gruesome vampire-witch war to date... to this specific date that shall be the start of yet another gruesome all-out war." And with that, Kyle's body slammed against the front door of his place, and the hostilities began.

*************

"This is only the beginning" were the punk's parting words before his last breath left him.

"Whatever makes you rest in peace," was Blake's sarcastic reply as he plunged his hand in the chest of his opponent, squeezed his still beating heart and then wrung it out.

The expression is whatever makes you sleep at night, but considering only an endless sleep awaited the warlock, he thought it fitting to remind him of his fate.

"I'm sorry," were Judith's parting words. Those words coupled with her tear strained face were going to haunt Blake's dreams, he was sure of that.

There was no forgetting the faces of those he killed in cold-blood.

Those he had killed in rage in The Seven Days From Hell, he never remembered their faces. It was all but a blur to him.

Sometimes, he wished it would be the same for all that had followed. But he was plagued with a good -albeit damned- elephant's memory.

And thus, as he strolled back into the palace, his shoulders were heavy with the burden he carried, and his chest was constricted.