Page 34 of Deadmen's Captive

“My other housemate,” Tristan said. “Posh, privileged and boring. You’ll hate him. But his car has a back seat and mine, not so much. See you both then.”

“Thank you Tristan,” I said. “See you soon.”

He hung up, and I set off for the dorm, smiling the whole way back.

Chapter Sixteen

PAIGE

The doors to the grand hall stood open and a blur of masks and costumes swirled inside Blackvellyn Hall. I hesitated, already studying faces for glimpses of skull masks. Weirdly, despite it being Halloween, there wasn’t a single skull mask in sight. Maybe only the Reapers had exclusive rights to skull masks in Blackvellyn. It wouldn't surprise me. Most students seemed to react with either derision or suspicion when I brought them up in conversation, but each time, they all reacted with an element of fear. This society truly seemed to rule over the student body here, and if some of the rumours I’d heard were true, they controlled most of the faculty members too.

Kate, looped her arm through mine, pulling me towards the open doors. A shiver travelled down my spine as we stepped into the grand hall. The chandeliers hung low, casting an eerie glow over the crowd of laughing students, their faces hidden behind an array of masks. My eyes continued to dart around, searching for the skull masks amidst the sea of colours and feathers.

"Look at this place," Kate said, eyes wide.

"Insane," I replied, drinking in the sight of Greek columns and marble tiles. The air hummed with energy and decadence. A band, dressed as vampires, were belting out a rock tune at the far end of the room. Students danced wildly, their bodies moving as one, their laughs and screams blending with the rhythm.

"So is Tristan meeting you here soon?" asked Kate.

"Yeah, apparently his housemate had already taken his car, and when Tristan went to get his, it wouldn't start. That's why he sent the uber. He said he'll be here really soon though."

"Well, at least I've got you to myself for a little while," Kate said, tugging me deeper into the crowd. She stood out starkly against the opulence of the room, her torn black dress and leather jacket an act of defiance in a sea of silk and velvet. Heads turned, whispers followed us as we made our way through the crowd of masked elites towards the bar.

Despite how busy it was, the bar was well stocked and well staffed. Kate managed to get served pretty quickly, and I stared at her when she handed me two shot glasses with a clear liquid inside. She grabbed two more glasses off the bar for herself.

“What is this?” I asked loudly, eyeing the shot glasses with trepidation.

“Sambuca,” answered Kate. “It would be better with coffee beans, but I asked and they don’t have any. Ready?”

“I’m not sure…”

"Paige, live a little," she shouted in my ear. "What happened to pushing boundaries? Forget the rules, forget everything. Tonight, we're whoever we want to be."

"I know, but shots?" I hesitated.

"Exactly what you need." Her grin was sharp. "A little liquid courage."

My heart raced. The old Paige would've said no. But Kate was right. Tonight was about pushing limits. Plus, my mother would never have allowed me to do shots. I grinned.

"Okay."

"Brave girl," she praised, and lifted one of the glasses to her lips. I did the same, knocking it back in one as she did. The burning spirit flowed down my throat, and I coughed and spluttered at the strength of it.

Kate laughed and raised her second glass. I shook my head at her grin.

“I hate you.”

She laughed. “You think you hate me now, wait till tomorrow morning. Now drink!”

I tossed the second shot down my throat, and being more prepared this time, found I actually enjoyed the aniseed taste and the growing warmth in my stomach.

Two more shots later and the warmth had spread over my entire body. With the liquid courage coursing through my veins, I noticed that the idea of the Reapers no longer seemed to bother me. Fuck them, I thought to myself. Let them follow me all they like. I'm going to have a good time for once. Kate was right, tonight was about change, about freedom. I looked around, a new wave of excitement rippling through me at the sight of swirling dancers and masked secrets.

"Let's dance," I announced.

Kate's expression lit up. "That's more like it!"

She didn't waste a second, dragging me to the front of the crowd where the music blasted at its loudest. The rhythm took over and I surrendered to it, dancing wildly with Kate.

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