Hide your face, so the world will never find you (INVITE ONLY)

Lena damn near shrieked when she felt someone tap her back and turned around when she saw who she never would have thought to ever see in such a ball: Jaelyn Morozov. A surprised smirk crept across her face, making her eyes twinkle just that little bit.

"Morozov. How pleasant it is to see you here," she said in a monotone, turning around slowly to face her companion. She could only recognize her with her blue-green eyes. She must admit, if she was a guy, she would have looked pretty cute.

Damn.

"What are you doing here? I would have never expected to see someone like you in an event like this," she asked, dusting off her dress and adjusting her mask to its correct position. In the time she had been staring at the vodka and the heap of food (was she that hungry?), she must have moved her mask so that her peephole was at the bridge of her nose. Well, wasn't that just embarassing?

Jaelyn tilted her head to one side and her hand flew to above her heart, as if she were wounded by Lena's tone.

"You don't sound all too thrilled, Vorstenbach." she smiled slyly. "And here I was thinking you'd be over the moon." she strolled to the table close to them and poured herself a vodka as she spoke-

"Oh come now Lena, you must know that I love a good party...and perhaps a chance to cause some mischief." her eyes glimmered dangerously in the soft, golden lighting of the ball.

"And you?" the girl turned back to the other, and stepped back with one foot onto her cream heels. "You seem to have put in quite the effort, Vorstenbach." she smirked. That was the closest anyone would get to a compliment tonight.

Lena snorted loudly at Jaelyn. "Oh," she replied, quietly, but as she spoke on her voice got louder with every word. "No offense, but why would I want you around? I mean, we are not friends." Her lips managed to curl as she thought of the party she ambushed in the Hissing Snake. She followed Jaelyn's lead and too poured herself a cup of vodka, steering clear of the punch bowl.

"Oh, sure you do," Lena retorted, taking a sip of her cup. At least the vodka was decent; she was going to need to distract herself tonight if she was going to make it through tonight with her sanity - or what was left of it - intact.

"Thank you," she replied, looking at Jaelyn's dress. It was rather unusual for someone of her style, or so Lena thought, but what did she know? "You seem to have made a rather good effort as well."

Lora entered the room, feeling excited yet so out of place. She had just attended a couple of formal functions before this, all with her sister and just didn't want to go anymore. Yet, she couldn't refuse an invitation to a masquerade ball, especially since it was her first. She smoothed her dress and adjusted her mask before walking over to the table of drinks and poured some Butterbeer. No way I'm drinking alcohol after what happened, she thought.

She suddenly thought of Dylan and wish he had come. Maybe he didn't come because of her. She briefly wondered how many more people were going to make an appearance.

Dress!

Mask!

It was about time Abraxas had shown up to a public event. He knew that his sister might not appreciate his presence, but eh - who cares? He didn't even bother with a suit or a mask; he looked like quite the oddball compared to everyone else. He waltzed into the ball, not bothering to care as he bumped into the punch.

"Do you really want me to list reasons as to why one would enjoy my company, Lena?" she raised an eyebrow, voice suddenly the same volume as Lena's, but her tone remained unchanged and calm.

"Indeed I do." she confirmed, smiling slyly. She sipped her vodka and nodded approvingly at the taste. "Cheers." she raised her glass briefly before taking another sip.

"Hardly any effort, really." she shrugged, and chuckled quietly.

Tonight was the night. His first kill! But first he needed to make a pulic appearence and make it believeable. He stood in the doorway with Nia on his arm. His suit pristine just as his hair was and a mask concealing the top have of his face. He held his head high and lead Nia into the crowd, stopping to see his brother.

"Don't stay with this one, shes not fully human." He said giving Karma a look of disgust. Their mother would kill them for even considering assosiating themselves with her kind.

Ksenia's hand rested gently on Lucifer's arm as he lead her into the Mansion. The witch's long black gown swished against the stone floor as she took in the occupants of the room. It had been quite some time since she had been to one of these parties. Tonight was the night Abraxas was going to die. The feeling of excitement, adrenaline and elation were making it hard to think of anything else, but the task at hand. She took her time to make herself beautiful tonight to attract Abraxas's attention, to lead him to his own death.

A cool mask resided on her face as she looked at the guests from behind her mask. It took some effort to control her disgust at seeing her husband behaving like a common muggle. Did he not have any class?

Then there were Jaelyn and Lena in the crowd. Her eyes merely swept over the two, they did not matter at the moment.

Lucifer lead her further in and they came to stand beside a group that contained Sergius and a girl she had met over the winter holidays. "Iva?" she asked coolly, raising an eyebrow behind her mask.

Karma had returned to the two boys she'd left, relatively calmer. That is, until the older one appeared. Fantastic. More assassins. She muttered something underneath her breath, wrinkling her nose. "Don't you have something better to do than stand here? Murder someone, perhaps?" She rolled her eyes, showing she had no idea what she was actually saying and snarled. "I'm not going to bite him! He doesn't even look that appetizing."

She noticed the girl and looked at her blankly before she recognized her from the bookstore. "Iva?" she repeated. "You must have me confused with someone else." She shrugged. "I'm not Iva. She's short, and blond. Not to mention Russian."

"No, I do not believe so. I distinctly remember a tall, dark skinned girl who couldn't speak any Russian and had a panther cub for a familiar," Ksenia stated coolly as she picked up a flute of champagne from a tray. "I guess masquerading is a way of life for you and not simply something you do at balls," she said before taking sip of her drink. She needed it, to keep her nerves under control so everything would run smoothly.

Kendera wove her way through the crowd, content to remain largely unnoticed, except for the occasional person to note her notably violet hair. Most probably thought it a spell.

Arriving at the refreshment table, she considered the selection there. She wasn't hungry, and she didn't trust open punch bowls, so the thirteen-year-old grabbed a bottle of butterbeer. Turning, she stepped away from the table again, only to run directly in to someone else. Her hair flashed red in embarrassment.

"I apologize," she muttered, lifting her head to look at whoever it was.

Lena rolled her eyes at Jaelyn's words. "One, you're a bitch," she muttered, counting it off with her fingers, "two, I fucking hate you. Three, you're a murderer - and a cold one at that. Yeah, I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to enjoy your company." She smirked, chuckling emptily.

Lena took another sip when she saw Lucifer and Ksenia enter together. Something suddenly lodged in her throat. She coughed and took another sip of her juice. No. She was not jealous. There was no effing way she was going to be jealous of Ksenia, out of all people. She turned back again towards Jaelyn and asked, "How long did it take you to get ready, huh? Three minutes?"

Sergius scowled at Karma once his brother arrived. He felt nothing but disgust for those creatures. He turned slightly picking up a bottle of butterbear. Now that Lucifer had arrived things were going to get interesting.

Karma smiled sweetly at the girl, even as Kama wanted to rip her head off. "Well, masquerading is tons of fun." She teased. "That was so poetic. You should write plays. Or monologues. You'd be great at them." She looked over at Surge, her eyes a bit hurt at his open disgust.

"I don't give out my real name when I'm out of the country on business. That's just one more person who knows where I am or where I've been." She shrugged. "As if I would just be wandering around Russia." She frowned. "Sorry for lying, if it offended you or whatever, but really, business is always before pleasure."

From the corner of his eye, Abe detected something out of the ordinary. His eyes flickered towards it, and he found what he was looking for when he tortured her: she was with someone else. And that someone else happened to be a boy. Her own age. Well, wasn't this shocking?

"Ksenia, my darling!" he said gleefully, though his face said otherwise. He was carrying a cup of the spiked punch, but he didn't know it.

"But I'm gorgeous, witty, intelligent..." she sighed, countering each of the other girl's points. "Don't you think that balances it out?" she raised an eyebrow at Lena.

Jaelyn followed Lena's gaze and turned briefly towards Lucifer and Ksenia. The Hitrost laughed loudly- the sound was half melodic and half cold, with a bitter edge.

"Jealous, Vorstenbach?" she chuckled. "How precious." she murmured into her glass as she brought it to her lips.

"Three minutes to look this marvelous? I'm rather flattered."

He ignored the murdering comment and moved on. "I know your not. You wouldn't have any fangs left to bite anyone if you did!" He said watching his brother walk off. Even on the job he had to watch out for him.

"Would you like a drink Ksenia?" He asked before narrowing his eyes on Abe. "Nevermind ill stay here." He whispered seconds before Abe arrived. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Lucifer." He said. Usually around now he'd offer his hand but he'd rather not touch this disgrace of a man.

"Why, thank you. Maybe I will," Ksenia said as she smiled at Karma, enjoying herself. She looked around the room with a smirk this time, feeling more relaxed. Until she heard Abe's voice. Her body stiffened for a few moments as he approached them. She looked at the Montague coldly as she stood beside Lucifer.

Karma sniffed, grinning at the girl before looking back at the man who came up. She blinked at him blankly. "Monsieur Montague?" She asked, automatically adopting a French accent and a wide vacant smile. "Is this your party?"

She glanced at Seni before back at him, her eyes noting every move either of the others made. So they didn't like this man, did they? It was probably the marriage... she smiled once more. Oh. That was what was going on.

"Oh," Lena replied, her tone obviously noting that she was bored, "and whose words are those?" She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know," she muttered, "what do you think? These are your words, after all."

"More like surprised, actually," spat the blonde Uchitel, fingering her hair, sighing. She took another glance at Lucifer and Ksenia and pursed her lips in thought, her thumb stroking her own chin. "Well... do you think that she put a hypnotizing potion on him or something? Or perhaps she used the Imperius Curse on him? Or did she bribe him? No sane man would take that thing to a ball and be proud of it."

Jaelyn grinned at the other girl- a proper, full out smile.

This was fun.

"You're an absolute mess, Vorstenbach." she laughed quietly. "Look at yourself." Jaelyn stepped around the girl, circling her slowly.

"Jealous of Ksenia and her new man..." Jaelyn tutted, still laughing. "Come on Lena, pull yourself together. You're still with redhead, aren't you?" the girl stopped pacing so she was face to face with the other.

"Hello," Abraxas replied, smirking towards the boy who had introduced himself as Lucifer. He nodded curtly towards all three people. He did not recognise one of them, and he merely replied a rather kind, "Well, not mine. My sister's. Ophelia, her name is. She's outside, I think." He scanned the room to prove his point, or at least in an attempt to.

He then turned towards Ksenia. "What?" he asked, "no grateful hello?"

Grateful? What was she supposed to be grateful for? The black bruises he left on her body? Ksenia's expression remained controlled as she looked at him.

A polite smile slipped onto her lips. "Thank you for inviting us to the party. Wonderful evening," she commented lightly her hand still resting on Lucifer's arm. And indeed she was grateful, grateful to Lucifer for the fact that she wouldn't have to see any more of Abraxas's ignorant, self-centered, idiotic face. She couldn't help but smirk slightly at the irony of the situation.

He turned to Nia and held out his hand. "Care to dance mi'lady?" He asked bowing slightly as he waited for her hand. Might as well rub it in Abe's face before he reached his early end. It was all only a matter of time and place now. As soon as Abe headed off alone, he'd strike and then return to the party as if nothing had happened.

Ksenia smiled brightly at Lucifer. "I would love to," she said as she placed her hand on top of his. Revenge felt so good and this was only the beginning of it.