Page 28 of Deadmen's Captive

"Let's wrap this up for you," he said with a smile, setting the camera down. "You'll be the talk of the ball."

I followed Kate to the counter, watching as he wrapped up the costumes in tissue paper. Kate grinned at me. "Look at you, all excited now," she teased, nudging me with her elbow.

A hesitant smile tugged at my lips. "Maybe a little."

"Good! Because you're going to slay at this ball."

"Here we are," the shop owner said, passing us our costumes. "All set for a night of mystery and allure."

"Thank you," I said, more genuine this time.

"Goodbye, ladies. Do enjoy your evening," he waved as we stepped out into the late afternoon sunlight.

The cool autumn wind brushed against my skin. I clutched the costume tighter, excitement mingling with a hint of apprehension. Kate could be right, and all this could be a stupid prank, or some secret admirer thinking he was being romantic, but my fear still lingered underneath. Either way, with my gorgeous costume, I was determined to go out and have fun tonight, maybe even do as Kate said and push my boundaries a little. Maybe with Tristan. We’d had coffee a couple of times since the afternoon he’d kissed me, and he always drove me home. He’d never once asked to come in though, kissing me goodbye like a gentleman, and while I’d liked that about him, maybe I was ready for more. For some reason, my mind wandered back to the club a couple of weeks ago and my tattooed rescuer. Nate Carver. Even the memory of his arms around me had my heart skipping a beat and I found myself wondering if, and maybe even hoping, that he would be at the ball tonight.

Stop it, Paige, I reprimanded myself. You shouldn’t be thinking about Nate when you’re dating his housemate. What the hell was wrong with me?

"Let's grab some coffee," Kate suggested, and I nodded. Blackvellyn wasn’t a big town really, but it was big enough, and on a Saturday afternoon, the streets were busy. We wove through the crowd towards the cafe Tristan always took me to, but after a couple of minutes, I froze. Kate noticed I wasn’t next to her, and turned back around.

"Paige, you okay?"

I turned around, looking through the crowd, scanning the faces for the skull mask, I suddenly felt sure would be there. I was being stupid, wasn’t i? Even the Reapers wouldn’t be so brazen as to wear their stupid costumes around the actual town.

“Paige?'' Kate was standing next to me again, her hand slipping through my arm.

"Feels like we're being watched," I murmured, scanning the faces that swirled around us.

"Probably just your nerves after everything that's happened." She tried to sound reassuring, but the tension in her frame betrayed her.

"Maybe." I couldn't shake the feeling.

"Look, let's just get to the coffee shop. We’ll be ok there," she coaxed.

"Okay." But as we continued toward the coffee shop, I couldn't ignore the prickling sensation on the back of my neck. Someone was following us—I was sure of it. My heart raced, the steady thump-thump echoing in my ears.

We made our way down the street. Kate chattered about lattes and pumpkin spice, but I was too preoccupied to listen, scanning every shadow, every alleyway for a glint of bone.

"Seriously, Paige, you're freaking me out with all this looking over your shoulder," Kate said.

"Sorry. it’s just… it feels like he's here, just out of sight." I glanced behind us again, but the faces were just normal shoppers.

"Who?" She frowned, following my gaze to the empty spaces behind us.

"The guy in the skull mask," I admitted, feeling ridiculous even as the words left my lips.

"Paige, there's nobody—" Her reassurance cut short as I turned back around and collided with a hard body.

"Sorry, sorry!" A familiar voice washed over me.

"David?"

"Hey," he said, steadying me with a gentle touch. "You alright?"

"Y-yeah," I managed. "Just... didn't see you."

"Clearly." David chuckled, though his eyes held a hint of concern. "Headed to the coffee shop?"

"Trying to," Kate interjected.

---