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Chapter 54
"Hold still." Amie commanded pulling tightly on the ribbons of the corset.
Sarah grunted. "You know just because I don't need to breathe, doesn't mean I wouldn't like to keep my ribs and lungs in tact."
Amie smiled and pulled the ribbons tighter, finally fixing them in place. They were standing in the carriage getting Sarah ready for the ball, while the guys changed outside.
Sarah turned around and Amie stepped back to get a better look at her in the meagre lamplight.
The gown Van Helsing had given her was beautiful; the bodice consisted of a white corset top with gold Celtic knot embroidery, weaving in and out of the centre to meet around the edge. White ribbons crossed up the back to secure the dress in place, leaving her shoulders bare but for the inch thick which straps, that hung loosely just level with her collar bone.
The skirt itself was pure white with a gold hem, rolls of fabric made it sweep out elegantly revealing a glimpse of the simple white slippers that covered her feet.
Her blonde hair had been pulled back into a braid, which hung down her back, loose strands framed her face and her usual green pentagram necklace had been replaced by one of Anna's silver pendants decorated with the Claddagh symbol, two hands grasping a heart with a crown above it for love, friendship and loyalty.
Sarah shifted uncomfortably under Amie's gaze. "So? Do I pass inspection?"
Amie grinned, "You look gorgeous."
Sarah blushed self consciously, no doubts in her mind that Amie would have looked better in the gown. As it was Amie had agreed to stay behind with Bob and the carriage, their official get away vehicle, so she was clothed in her usual peasant skirt and top.
Crossing to the door Sarah knocked on it twice. "Everybody decent?" she asked loudly.
Amie sniggered it wouldn't exactly be such a bad thing to "Accidentally" stumble upon Van Helsing less than fully clothed. Sarah grinned knowing exactly what was going through her friends mind.
"Yeh you can come out!" answered Jory almost immediately.
Sarah hesitated "What?" asked Amie concerned.
The girl grimaced sheepishly "I really don't want them to see me like this, I feel ridiculous!"
Amie rolled her eyes and gave Sarah a quick shove towards the door. "Don't be an idiot you look amazing."
Without waiting for further argument, she stepped past Sarah and pushed open the door. The guys were standing a few yards away in a group discussion, all wearing identical high collared jackets over pristine white shirts and black trousers.
They all turned towards the carriage, "About bloody time!" said Tony loudly.
Amie glared at him as she climbed down from the coach. Sarah emerged behind her into utter silence.
Her cheeks burned as she saw them all openly staring at her, "What you've never seen a girl going to a ball before?" she asked sarcastically jumping down from the carriage.
Jory looked her over dramatically "Holy crap Sarah! You're wearing a dress!" he exclaimed in shock.
Sarah and Amie laughed, "You noticed that huh?" Amie said grinning and crossing over to stand with her boyfriend.
"You look amazing." said Marston, "So what took you so long?"
Sarah grinned, "Amie decided to rearrange my internal organs with the corset, and I'd say she succeeded."
Chris winced in sympathy glancing at the back of the dress. Sarah glanced at Tony and saw him artfully gazing anywhere but at her, she grinned he was acting exactly as he would if Amie had turned up to school in a particularly revealing top. Had a paper been at hand she was certain he would have taken refuge behind it.
"So what do you think?" she asked him pleasantly.
He gave her the briefest of glances before looking a little to the left of her. "Yeah you look good." He muttered quickly.
Van Helsing cleared his throat impatiently to regain their attention.
"It's a quarter to midnight the party starts in fifteen minutes, we go in and check the layout, we get Anna and Sarah keeps away from Dracula. No heroics, if anything goes wrong get out of there and meet up back here, wait no more than an hour. If we don't come out then…we're not coming out."
A nervous glance past around the group and Sarah saw Amie grip Bob's hand tightly, meeting her friends gaze she nodded reassuringly and gained a hesitant smile in return.
Carl began digging into his weapons bag while Van Helsing adjusted the Togo blades at his wrists.
Carl walked around the group, handing them each a vial of holy water.
"Our lives are different than other peoples." Amie muttered on receiving a bottle considerably larger than the rest of the groups.
"Pocket sized." Exclaimed Carl proudly as he saw the teens staring doubtfully at the size of the vials. "For those times when a huge trench coat is out of the question." Van Helsing shot him a look of which he was completely oblivious.
The boys all slipped their vials into a hidden pocket on the inside of their jackets.
Sarah watched them a little put out.
"Er where do I keep mine?" she asked staring down at her dress in resentment.
Carl blushed "Well…you see that bottle is slimmer than the others because it needs to fit somewhere the boys …sadly don't possess." Sarah blinked and then blushed as realization dawned.
Grinning; she slipped the vial into her bodice, to rest comfortably between her breasts.
"Perfect fit."
Chris stared into his vial of water sceptically. "So this stuff is like acid to vampires?" he asked looking at Sarah who nodded. "How powerful?" he asked intrigued.
"You remember that time in chemistry when I dropped boiling Sulphuric acid on myself and it ate holes right through my clothes?"
Chris nodded and Tony began sniggering, Sarah shot him an exasperated look "Don't make me tell them the camping story." She said threateningly.
He went silent almost immediately. "You wouldn't dare!"
"Oh wouldn't I?" she grinned wickedly.
Marston cleared his throat "You were saying?"
"Oh yeah, well replace the clothes with skin and increase the acids power by about a hundred and you'd get the general idea."
Jory winced at the mental image "Ouch" he muttered.
Van Helsing had finished preparing his many hidden weapons and regarded the group seriously.
"Time to go to a party." He announced pulling a gold mask over his face and beginning to walk towards the distant lights of the palace.
Putting their own masks on, the group followed, Sarah hesitated beside the carriage where Amie and Bob stood arm in arm.
She hugged both of them quickly "We'll be back before you know it." She whispered to Amie.
"You'd better." She answered fiercely.
Sarah smiled and jogged to catch up with the rest, cold dread encasing her heart as she began to feel Dracula's presence within the magnificent castle.
"He's here." She muttered fearfully "And he knows we're coming."
Van Helsing nodded "I wouldn't expect anything less."
They approached a huge ornate palace door that was plated in gold.
"And this is the back door" Chris muttered in awe.
They all jumped as it opened slowly before them.
Van Helsing took a step back ready to attack, but relaxed when he noticed the very human servant on the other side, smiling pleasantly.
"Welcome." He said politely stepping to the side so they could enter the palace.
"Enter freely and of your own will." muttered Sarah, quoting a line from Bram Stokes novel. Jory shuddered as the doors closed ominously behind them.
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Note: just to be cruel I'm gonna leave it there for 2nite. I'm not putting up the ball chapters until I get at least three reviews so R & R people!!