Page 93 of Good Vampires Go to Heaven

“Beltane, are you sorry for your sins?”

“I am, I am.”

“Do you promise to go henceforth and sin no more?”

Beltane’s eyes went wide at that. Zeb could tell he wanted to ask him to define sin. But, instead, he wisely answered, “I do.”

“Come then,” Zeb motioned, and before Beltane knew what he was about, Zeb sank his fangs in the boy’s neck. He sucked out some of the vile blood, spit it on the floor, then fanged him again, this time infusing him with some of his own purer blood.

After the fanging was over, Beltane just gaped at him. “Is that all?”

Zeb nodded. He had no idea if his actions would help Beltane. “Go with a pure heart,” he said, which seemed like a good thing to say. “Now hide again until this is over.”

He left and made his way toward the roof. On the way, he removed his AK-47 from the inside of his cloak, unfolded it and rechecked the magazine. Half full. Good enough! He had extra clips stored in his chest rig. In addition, he carried an old short sword he’d picked up on his way here; that had been his weapon of choice back when he’d served in the Roman Army. Having made those last-minute checks, he tossed his cloak aside, for ease of movement. And opened the door slowly onto the roof.

At first, Jasper and the others didn’t see him. In humanoid form, in full military gear, they were all leaning over the gaps in the stone crenellations of the roof. From this viewpoint they could see for many miles around. The snowy tundra was dotted with the dark shapes of the cloaked vangels engaged in swordplay with escaping demons and Lucipires. Blood and wet patches that must be slime splotched the white ground.

Without giving any warning, Zeb propped his sword against the wall and raised his right arm, bracing his assault weapon on his shoulder. The deep, popping sound of the AK-47 echoed as all the Lucipires except Jasper fell to the ground. Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat! Over and over, Zeb shot until he was sure he’d gotten them all, not just deadly wounds, but through the hearts with the specially treated bullets. Occasionally, with an efficiency usually reserved for the military, he had to pop out a used mag and insert a new one with up to thirty bullets.

Jasper, who wore what must be an Army general’s camo uniform, just stared at him, his fangs elongated, the only sign of his vampirism. Same as the vangels. Well, except for all the wispy almost-wings he was seeing today. Jasper, too, carried an assault rifle and a sword. He had to know that this would be a one-on-one fight, but that Zeb had something to say first. He also must be sensing that he had lost this final fight and that he would soon be facing his maker . . . Satan.

In fact, Jasper was probably up here awaiting the opening of the teletransport shield so that he could leave voluntarily. Zeb couldn’t allow that because, sure as sin, Jasper would be back on earth sometime in the near future putting together another army of Lucipires.

But first, he had other issues to settle.

“Spit it out, traitor. What have you to say, Zebulan?”

“Back then, before I ever joined the Roman Army, did you have me in your crosshairs, even then?”

“Of course.”

“And you primed me on a path of evil so you could eventually pick me off?”

Jasper shrugged. “You know the routine of a Lucipire. Get the scent of a sinner, or someone contemplating some great sin, and prod them on. Offer temptations. Encourage evil deeds. You, with your greed, were already prime pickings.”

In other words, the devil was on his doorstep even before he went outside. So to speak. Oh, Zeb knew his great sin had been his own fault, but he’d just wondered if there had been some kind of push.

“And my wife and children?” he choked out.

Jasper smiled. “The side benefits of being a demon. Being able to view the destruction humans can do to themselves. Your downfall would not have been half so satisfying if I hadn’t been able to steer your loved ones toward a pitiful death. Your little Rachel was especially sweet as she took her last breaths. And your wife, did you know she cursed you in the end for having abandoned them to such a fate?”

Zeb felt wet tears on his face. The agony of his guilt was almost more than he could bear.

“I came to love you, Zebulan. Like a son.”

“Pfff! What father forces his son to do the things you’ve had me do over the centuries?”

Jasper shrugged. “It is what demons do.”

“Do you never regret what you gave up? Being one of God’s favored angels?”

“Only every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every year of every century,” Jasper admitted. “But I love sin more, and that is a fact. You cannot really kill me, you know. Yes, you can destroy my Lucipire self, but I will still be one of Satan’s disciples.”

“I know,” Zeb said and realized that Beltane had come up and stood beside him.

Jasper’s eyes went wide. “Et tu, Brute?”

Beltane had both hands on a pistol which he had aimed at Jasper.