Elrick kind in attempting to console his Lady. In the time that the guards were established as the security for Lady Kolyana, she had come to know the men and women very well. With each death is was painful. Elrick would be no exception. He had been especially comforting in her father's absence. Soft lips parted to thank the man that watched over her, but the sound of the door shutting and the light of the candle simultaneously blew out lodged her very heart into the confines of her gullet. It was happening. Someone was going to die. At least one person was doing to die.<br/><br/>That back was flush against the wall and while luscious lips remained parted and the daughter of the Burgomaster tried to scream but no noise sounded. Even bathed in the moonlight the frightening countenance held a ghostly allure to it. The swirl of darkness circled the room and now she screamed. Head ducked with hands behind her head and eyes closed as that elusive scream rang forth and nearly lost the sound of Elrick yelling her name to warn her. Gold-colored eyes looked up just in time to watch Elrick's final living moments.<br/><br/>It felt as though all the air had been sucked out of the room and the malevolent creature before her left her to stare into those wicked eyes that vied for attention. Ireena wanted to shout to Andrei to stay away. Silently a hot stream of tears flowed down from the corners of eyes that unknowingly got her deeper into this dilemma than she knew. Why did she not grab the rapier as it fell? Why did petite feet feel as though they bore the weight of the world? These questions would haunt her, but those eyes...<br/><br/><i>That voice.</i><br/><br/>The hot stream of tears seemed ever flowing and that veil of tendrils shook, along with her head in denial as the lifeless corpse of the man that had tried to console her mere moments ago was dropped to the floor like a useless ragdoll. "This is not happening..." Despite such words, those eyes looked directly into the blood red sinful pools that were<i>this monster's</i>eyes. The sound of the wolves howling resembled a lullaby in her mind as it proved difficult to look away.<br/><br/>That voice was a symphony and sent a crescendo of warmth to bloom from the depths of the cold-blooded fear. The tears ceased and there was a tunnel vision that had warm eyes seeing nothing but the dark and regal looking being before her. Seconds felt like an eternity. An overwhelming cocktail of feelings washed over her mind; empathy, trust, and an overwhelming thirst for knowledge. Primal instinct to defend or run were numbed and disoriented to a hazy feeling that had her wanting to actually join this being who had just murdered a dear companion of hers, without a second thought.<br/><br/>Lengthy lashes grew laden and cloudy eyes were hidden by lids as the lovely curve of her neck was exposed without a seen force. It was a silent surrender, though not one of her own free will. "Strahd."<i>His </i>name uttered in an almost pleading manner. Pleading for what? His love? Her death? For a means to end this hellish nightmare? Who knew?<br/><br/><i>Andrei... please...</i>