The Party's Over

"You fool!" Xander snapped as those in the ballroom awoke from their slumber. "No one should touch the pearl but me!" A murmur of confusion rose in the room. Pirates were blocking the exits, and the guests did not have a way to defend themselves.

Regaining consciousness, Aurora grabbed her arm and cried out in pain. She tried to move from the platform, but Xander had already caught her by the waist and held a knife at her neck. Nurlan, who had been mid-lunge when he froze, sprawled out on the platform as he fell. "Do not move," Xander warned those around him. Zan and Gandr also had to stop charging the stage when they saw the predicament.

On the balcony, the sudden release of tension in Brinn's body threw her forward. She barely missed falling over the balustrade. "Brinn, watch out!" Since the Princess's feet were melded with the floor, the pirate decided that the elf was the bigger threat. He attempted to push her over the edge. Rolling to one side, Brinn avoided him,