Page 27 of Deadmen's Captive

"Better," Kate said, appraising me with a nod. "But we'll keep looking until we find the one that makes you feel powerful. Untouchable."

"Untouchable," I echoed. “I like the sound of that.”

She smiled at me. "Good. And don’t worry about tonight. We'll stick together. And hey, maybe Tristan will prove to be your knight in shining armour."

"Or the grim reaper in a skull mask."

“Or a handsome prince who’ll whisk you away on the dancefloor and romance you till you swoon, and then give you the best sex you’ll ever have.”

I laughed. “If only,” I said, reaching out to flip through another rail.

A shadow fell across my face and I gasped, jerking my hand back, my heart racing, but it was only the shop owner.

“I’m awfully sorry if I scared you,” he said. “It was just, you’ve been in here a while and I thought you might be struggling. I had a couple of new things come in this morning and I’ve just got round to unpacking them. Might I suggest this?" He held up a white ancient Greek style dress, the gold accessories shimmering under the store's fluorescent lights. "No one else has worn it before."

My breath caught as I ran my fingers over the smooth fabric. It was elegant yet simple, soft and yielding. The gold mask, with intricate detailing, promised anonymity. I loved it.

"Paige, you have to try this on," Kate insisted.

"Yes," I said, more to the dress than to the owner or to Kate. I took the outfit from the shop owner, and headed toward the changing rooms. I slipped out of my clothes and into the dress. The fabric flowed over my body, and it fit as if it had been made for me. The gold accessories—a belt, a bracelet, and the mask—added the final luxurious touch.

"Wow," Kate breathed when I stepped out. "You look...like a goddess."

A blush warmed my cheeks beneath the golden mask. Despite myself, a flicker of excitement ignited deep within me, a spark threatening to grow into a flame.

"Really?" I asked tentatively, turning to catch my reflection in the mirror. For a moment, I didn't recognize the woman staring back at me. She seemed strong, untouchable, her eyes alight with something I thought I'd lost. Untouchable.

"Definitely. Tristan is going to be speechless." Kate's smile was infectious, and I found myself returning it genuinely.

"Thank you," I murmured, more to the stranger in the reflection than to anyone else.

"Stunning," the shop owner agreed. "Absolutely stunning."

"Thank you," I said.

"Tell you what," he started. "There's no charge for the dress."

I frowned. “Oh, I couldn’t-”

“No charge,” he said, shaking his head.

"Really?" Kate raised an eyebrow, echoing my scepticism.

"No rental charge," he affirmed. "But I would appreciate something small in return."

"What's that?" I asked, my guard inching up.

"Would you mind if I took a quick picture of you in it? For promotional purposes." He gestured towards a camera perched on the counter. “You can keep the mask on, so no one will know who you are.”

I hesitated, the familiar unease creeping back in, but he was right. With the mask on, no one would know it was me. I nodded, and he beamed at me.

"Okay," I relented, "just a quick one."

"Excellent!" he grabbed the camera. “If you could just stand there, perfect.”

I posed by the mirror, the gold mask hiding my face, but not the rapid beat of my heart. Kate gave me a thumbs-up from behind the shop owner.

"Beautiful," he murmured, snapping a few photos. "That's all we need."

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