defies me. You must remain vigilant! Do not listen to his lies! He’s been weakened by his association
with Brother Snod! Obviously, he has been bewitched by that foul vampire just as Snod has been!”
“Liar!” Ephraim yelled, taking a step back when he realized his own brethren were ready to turn on
him. “Did any of you actually hear anything he said? He’s just confessed to the entire council using
vampire blood! Polluting their own bodies! For centuries!”
“Take him,” Sanguis commanded, slamming his fist into the table. “Bind him! He will suffer a
thousand lashes before he dies!”
“Run!” Snod shouted suddenly. “Ephraim, for the love of all that is holy,fucking run!”
Ephraim turned and gave Snod a pleading look, his eyes sad and pained.
In that moment. Snod knew they understood each other. Ephraim knew Snod had been right and
regretted not hearing his friend out now. Ephraim bolted, and a few of the other hunters gave chase
after him.
Snod heard doors slamming and a flurry of gunshots. He closed his eyes, hoping to God that Ephraim
was able to get away.
“Now,” Sanguis said, sighing deeply and looking back to Snod with an unfriendly smile. “Where
were we? Ah, yes. You were going to give us the name.”
“The name of the vampire whose blood you’ve been guzzling for the last two hundred years?” Snod
retorted dryly.
“Yes, I was hunting him,” Sanguis chuckled fondly, as if remembering an old friend. “I’d never seen a
vampire that could move like him, like a ghost... He offered us the blood of his heart in exchange to
never be hunted again. For the good of the Order, we accepted his bargain.”
“To extend your own wretched lives,” Snod bit out angrily, receiving a fist upside his head in
response. He shook it off, scoffing, “And what’s wrong now? Huh? Tank’s running on empty?”
“We have need of the blood, yes,” Sanguis growled softly. “For the future of the Order, for the lives
of all our brothers and sisters... now, give me that name.”
“You’ve run out, haven’t you?” Snod cackled. “That’s why you’re so desperate. You’re used up all
that precious heart blood, and now you’re all finally dying.”
“The name,” Sanguis demanded.
“No,” Snod said, plastering a big smile on his face.
Waving at one of the hunters, Sanguis instructed him, “Bring me the whip. Perhaps if we cleanse
