Panic rippled through the defenders as their supposedly impenetrable barrier failed. From his position on the rooftop, Roam signaled desperately to Miles Montgomery, who scrambled to activate the backup light crystals.
"The barrier's failing!" Gloria cried out, clutching her anti-vampire powder sachets uselessly. "They're getting through!"
Maisie, seeing their primary defense collapsing, closed her eyes and reached deeper into her connection with the falls. Unlike her previous controlled channeling, she now opened herself completely to the water's magic, becoming a conduit for its raw power.
"Maisie, wait!" Honey called, recognizing what her sister was attempting. "That's too much---you could hurt yourself!"
But Maisie was already immersed in the water's consciousness, her body beginning to shimmer with blue light as the falls responded to her desperation. Water suddenly erupted from every fountain, hydrant, and well in the square---not in the controlled streams they had planned, but in powerful jets that shot toward the vampires from all directions.
Ronald, mid-gloat about his imminent victory, was struck directly in the face by a particularly forceful water spout. His spray tan began to dissolve in orange rivulets down his face and neck.
"My tan!" Ronald shrieked, "Do you have any idea how long the application process takes?"
The vampires who had breached the barrier found themselves being pushed back by walls of water that seemed to target them individually. One particularly unfortunate vampire was lifted completely off his feet by an upward-shooting fountain and deposited, sputtering and humiliated, back in the center of the circle.
Ronald was further compromised when his hair situation finally detached completely from his mostly bald head. The heavily lacquered hair piece flopped onto his shoulder like a dead animal, revealing a pale, shiny scalp, and two wisps of white hair.
A collective gasp rose from the assembled vampires and townsfolk. Even Vlad seemed momentarily stunned by the sight.
"That's..." he began, struggling to find words.
"Horrifying," Bartie supplied, having flown down to perch on Maisie's shoulder as she joined Honey at the edge of the square.
Ronald, realizing his carefully constructed image was literally falling apart, made a desperate grab for his hair piece, attempting to reattach it while simultaneously trying to maintain his threatening vampire demeanor.
"This changes nothing!" he declared, his voice rising to an undignified squeak. "I am still Ronald Bitterhump, future ruler of the most exclusive vampire resort in North America!"
But his credibility, like his comb-over, had irreparably slipped. The newly turned vampires looked uncertain, their faith in their leader visibly shaking as water continued to pummel them from all directions.
Meanwhile, the captured Shifters took advantage of the confusion to break free, transforming into their animal forms---a mountain lion and a wolf---and bounding to safety through the chaos of spraying water and disoriented vampires.
Vlad, who had been positioned to deploy his specialized vampire-hunting equipment if needed, lowered his crossbow and simply watched the spectacle with amused appreciation.
"Sometimes," he remarked to Roam as they observed from the rooftop, "the best vampire defense is just good old-fashioned humiliation."
Below them, Ronald was having a complete meltdown, alternately trying to reattach his sodden hairpiece and wipe the streaming orange from his face and neck.
"This is impossible!" he wailed, holding his dripping toupee like a dead animal. "This was supposed to be my triumphant moment!"
As the water's assault continued, the vampires found themselves being herded back together in the center of the square, effectively contained once more. Maisie, still glowing with blue light, guided the water to reform the barrier around them, this time creating a dome that completely enclosed the vampires from above as well.
"This is bad for my hair and my brand!" Ronald moaned, looking utterly defeated as his coven huddled miserably in the center of the water dome, all of them soaked and several sporting orange spray tan stains transferred from their leader during the chaos.
With the immediate threat contained, Miles finally activated his light crystals, which exploded in blinding flashes around the square. The trapped vampires howled in pain, covering their eyes.
Vlad descended from the rooftop, landing gracefully in front of the contained vampires. "Ronald Bitterhump, for crimes against magical communities and crimes against fashion, you are hereby under arrest."
Ronald's desperation grew as he watched his followers' fear and his plans disintegrating. "This isn't over, Marcum!"
"It is for your resort schemes," Vlad replied cheerfully. "Though I do hope we meet again. You're my favorite vampire to thwart."
As the Shifters began escorting the vampire coven and their leader out of town, Tandy made one last desperate attempt to salvage something from the disaster.
"Ronald! What about our agreement? The exclusive selling rights?"
Ronald turned back, his expression a mixture of disdain and embarrassment. "Selling rights to what, exactly? There is no resort, Tandy. There never will be. And your commissions exist only in your imagination---just like my hair."
With that devastating parting shot, Ronald was led away. His vampire resort dreams permanently shattered, leaving Tandy standing alone in the square, surrounded by the community she had betrayed.
