That stopped him, but his stony expression didn’t change. “What?”

I shuffled back a little more, feeling the cold snow against my bare hands. “Vampire hunters are evil,

homicidal bastards who kill for the fun of it. They’re the bad guys. Vampires are completely harmless.

Like adorable, pointy-toothed bunnies.”

He laughed a little at that and stepped closer. “Yeah, right.”

I held a hand up in front of me to stop him from getting any nearer and slowly and shakily rose to my feet.

Keep him talking, I told myself.

I tried to smile and felt my cheeks twitch nervously. “Let’s talk big picture here,Chad . Do you know what you’d be doing if you murder me?”

“Slay, you mean.”

I shook my head. “Don’t try to make it sound all Hollywood . You’d bemurdering me. Just because you think I’m a monster. But I’m not a monster. I’m just a little dentally different than you.”

He studied me for a moment, his expression growing uncertain. “You drink blood, don’t you?”

I made a face. It sounded so gross. “This is true. But it’s provided by willing donors. There’s kegs of the stuff, hopefully sanitized and homogenized or whatever they do to make it clean and disease-free.”

“You’re an undead creature of the night.” He frowned and jabbed the stake in my general direction.

I looked up and pointed at the sky. “Sun’s still up, isn’t it? And I’m breathing. Heart’s going all pitty-pat.

Seriously, you need to read up a little on the topic. Take some notes.”

Chadsighed heavily. “You’re saying that everything I’ve been told all my life—everything I’ve ever believed—has all been a lie. That I haven’t been doing my job as a protector of mankind by ridding it of bloodsucking monsters, I’ve actually been killing innocent people.”

I nodded enthusiastically. “Bingo!”

He stared at me for a moment and then snorted. “You’re funny. That’s almost enough for me to let you live, but you know what? Not going to happen.”