Snod didn’t know if it was the strong line of his jaw that he found so appealing or the broad shape of
his body, but he felt a stab of guilt immediately when he recognized the feeling as physical desire. It
was wrong. Not just because the vampire was an unholy abomination, but he was a man.
The temptation of the same sex was not unknown to Snod and it was one he had fought against all of
his life. He couldn’t help but steal another peek at the vampire, glancing over his full lips longingly.
The vampire caught him staring and Snod quickly averted his gaze upward once more, counting as
many of the rivets as he could see. When he ran out of ones to count, he started over again.
“Been with the Order long?” the vampire asked after a while, fidgeting with his glasses. They had
been broken, perhaps during the chase.
“My family is one of the original seven that founded the Order,” Snod replied with a faint hint of
pride.
“That makes you... a Rosario? Or a Snod?”
“You know us?”
“Yeah, I always make it a habit to learn about the crazy people that might show up trying to kill me
someday,” the vampire dryly replied.
“My name is Obadiah Penuel Snod, and I am not crazy. I am here to absolve you of your unholy
curse,” Snod recited dutifully. “It’s my mission from God to cleanse the earth of your sin, to free your
soul of its impure taint.”
“So you’re a virgin?” the vampire pressed with a sly smile.
Snod felt his cheeks burning, refusing to answer such a ridiculous question. He couldn’t explain why
his pulse was continuing to race and his thoughts were suddenly swarmed with all sorts of lewd
thoughts.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” the vampire soothed.
“Fuck off.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t help but notice you’re not wearing a ring,” the vampire explained. “The Order
requires pretty strict celibacy, right? Until marriage?”
“To hunt the impure, we remain pure,” Snod grumbled. “The Order teaches us that sins of the flesh
cloud our minds. Hunters can only marry after they retire.”
“You know, you’re not really selling me on the whole Order thing. Doesn’t sound like a very fun club
to be in,” the vampire laughed. “Like, at all. I mean, some cults at least have orgies.”
