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“Yes, you certainly are,” I commented, looking up at the enormous beast of a man. He was so large, we almost got lost in his shadow. “Ok, big fellow, what do you say we just callthe whole fight-for-the-amusement-of-the-princes thing off? We have no quarrel with you.”

“But I have a quarrel with you.” He moved toward us. With every step, the ground shook like someone was setting off explosives underground.

“How can you possibly have a quarrel with us?” I asked. “We’ve never even met you before.”

“But you have met my friends.” He peeled off his jacket and tossed it aside, revealing a black tank top and arms as thick as tree trunks, corded with muscle, pulsing with thick veins. “Andshekilled them.” His gaze fell upon Bella.

Bella slouched over.

I pulled her behind me. This was no time to let guilt get in the way of survival.

“They tried to kill us first,” I calmly told the Vampire King.

“Of course they did. You’re food.” His tongue darted out, slicking across his lips. “And we’re always hungry.” Silver flashed in his eyes.

“That sounds like a you-problem,” I countered.

He wiped his hand over his shiny bald head. It was completely covered in tattoos. “So you’re one of those.”

“One ofwhat?” I demanded.

“Someone who doesn’t know when to shut up, roll over, and just let me kill you. It would be better for everyone, you know.”

“No, it definitely would not be better formeif I’m dead,” I shot back.

He shrugged his huge, heavy shoulders. “Suit yourself.”

He moved as fast as lightning, surging forward like a lion pouncing on its prey. But he wasn’t aiming for me. He went straight for Bella, like a bloodhound tracking her scent.

We retreated, but he just kept coming, throwing wagons aside, toppling whatever was in his path. Vengeance burned in his dark eyes.

“Maybe we should stay out of his way until he calms down,” I suggested.

The vampire grabbed one of the wooden barrels and hurled it at Bella. I tackled her, shoving us both behind an overturned wagon. The barrel smashed against the ground and burst open, sprinkling beer everywhere.

“I don’t think he’ll be calming down anytime soon, Leda,” Bella said quietly.

I feared she was right. That vampire looked mad.

“Any ideas on how to get us out of here?” Bella asked.

“I’m working on it.”

I looked around to see if there was anything within reach that I could use. I found only fruit. It was all around us, littering the ground. Thanks to the Vampire King’s temper tantrum with the wagons, the road looked like the inside of a ball pit. Except instead of balls, it was covered in apples.

I grabbed an apple and pitched it at him hard. It hit him square in the forehead and exploded. He wiped the fruit flesh off his face, then turned his angry glare on me.

“I think you just made him madder,” Bella told me.

“Yeah, I seem to be really good at that.”

The vampire grabbed another wooden barrel and threw it at the overturned wagon we’d taken refuge behind. The barrel burst on contact, drenching us and everything around us in alcohol. I wasn’t sure what kind of liquor it was, but it smelled worse than the moonshine they used to serve at the Witch’s Watering Hole in Purgatory.

“Ha, missed us!” I shouted out.

In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have taunted him.

Because the next thing he did was peel the enormous bow off his back, notch a flaming arrow, and shoot it at us. I grabbed Bella’s hand and ran like hell. The arrow hit the alcohol-soakedwagon we’d been hiding behind a moment ago, setting off a mega explosion that threw us into one of the houses.