All Hollows Eve Ball Event

[Eisoji]

Lerina stood from her seat and smoothed her dress before following Xander. At a bit of a distance though. She wasn't sure if she trusted this man just yet.  

[-xander-prescot-]

Xander swept up the stairs, drawing the others in his wake.  

[[Barbarella]]

Bella followed, wondering. Her shoes sank into the plush carpet and she lifted herself a bit, walking lightly enough that her steps left no impression. She sensed something dangerous was ahead but was too curious to leave. Rain rattled outside and a cold draft blew through the space.

It seemed a good atmosphere for a killing.  

[-kalonice-van-tassel-]

Kalonice gritted her teeth and clenched the lump in her pocket. She'd show them. She hated this house and everyone in it, and she was drunk besides. The surroundings, instead of wavering, stood out sharp and clear. Who to make an example of?  

[Triltsch]

Faaiz bit his lip hesitantly. He was overwhelmingly curious by this point. Reluctantly, he stood and took up the tail end of the group, almost stumbling on the stairs in his anxiousness. He made sure to keep a good distance from the others, staying to the other side of the stairs and trying to keep steady, keeping one hand on the railing..  

[-xander-prescot-]

Xander stopped before an imposing pair of shut, heavy wooden doors.
"Behind these doors lies an enchanted room."  

[[Barbarella]]

Bella squealed involuntarily. An enchanted room! "I want it!" she blurted.  

[-xander-prescot-]

Xander snarled, "Not that kind of room, you nitwit," and glared at the girl vampire.

"This room has been enchanted by demonic forces," he boomed, striving to reclaim the mood. "It originally trapped its victims by showing them their darkest fears, entangling them until madness or death occurred. I have been able to alter it to reflect the room that Black Bess died in. I have not seen this room, but somewhere in there is a clue to the identity of her murderer."

A chill wind blew through the room and a noise of hounds baying rose. A wail emerged from the baying. "Give us the killer or we will take you, Xander Prescot."

"I'm getting to it," he said, gritting his teeth. "I want each one of you to look into that room and tell me privately what you see."  

[Eisoji]

Lerina looked towards the door with a frown. "Why not just let them take Xander? He doesn't seem too well-liked at the moment."  

[-xander-prescot-]

Xander threw open the doors and held them open for a brief moment, then they swung shut again. He listened to the shouts coming from the vampires describing what they saw.

"YOU!" he shouted at one person in the group. "It was you all along!"  

[-kalonice-van-tassel-]

Kalonice gasped and pulled the object out of her pocket, her fist tight around it. "You have no proof!" she shouted back. "An illusion in a room doesn't mean anything!"  

[-xander-prescot-]

"You knew about the jewel that controls vampires...you knew I was going to visit Black Bess. And you just can't leave ballpark food in your past, for pity's sake! Of course it was you!"

Quicker than thought, he leapt for her closed fist.  

[-kalonice-van-tassel-]

She leaned back just before he moved, and opened her hand. Light flashed from the gem, knocking him to one side.

"It was an accident," she said. "I didn't mean to. I came in to talk to her, she smelled the meat on my breath and thought I was human, she attacked me and I am, I was a slayer, so I fought her off and - what does it matter? I have the jewel now!" She raised it high and a light shone from it, paralyzing the vampires.  

[Triltsch]

Faaiz took a sharp breath, crying out at the power of the gem. Everything had just happened too fast for him to process, and now he slid to his knees on the floor, unable to bear the energy that Kalonice was forcing upon him and the others. "Nngh… It hurts…!" The pain of moving kept him from advancing, and he fell forward helplessly. "Why…?"  

[-xander-prescot-]

Xander struggled to reach Kalonice but could not move. "Traitor," he croaked. "You can't get away with this!"