Devil's Game

iii

III

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"they call me devil,

my heart is empty." 

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"WAIT, HE WHAT?" Luci shouted in disbelief as we sat around our kitchen table, music blaring from her battered blue UE Boom speaker. The kitchen lights were been turned off, and the room was bordered by cheap Primark fairy lights, the yellow studding the white plaster like shards of diamond. My cousin's jaw had fallen open, and she took another sip of her rum and coke just to let the words sink in. "He went to your lecture?"

I nodded.

"Right, not gonna lie, but he can go in the bin. That's just creepy," Luci commented and sat back in her chair.

"Isn't it?" Nora added as she took a card from the Ring of Fire circle. She pulled out the six of hearts and flashed it proudly. "Six is d***s! Drink up Aiden."

As the only boy, Aiden smiled and silently took a huge sip of his beer.

The five of us had comfortably managed to fit into our kitchen for pre-drinks, and an hour in, we were all just about able to think rationally. But as I stood up to grab another cider from the fridge, the world before me began to spin like a merry-go-round.

I sat back down as soon as I had the cold drink, and cracked it open before throwing Luci a smile. Red lipstick painted my lips, and I had gone big on the eyeliner. I had left my black curls loose, and chosen a black dress that hugged every curve of my body. If I saw Zane tonight, I wanted to make an impression.

Nora leaned towards Aiden. "What do you think, Aiden?"

Aiden exhaled, "I think he must like you a lot."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I have that effect on people," I joked, knowing that I had the complete opposite effect on men. They found me attractive, but no matter how many guys I had been with, they had all treated me like s**t. "Apparently."

"Yeah, some stalkery creepy guy magnet effect," Luci retorted whilst taking a card. "Drink up, buttercup," Luci smiled as she flashed the number two at me. I hastily downed the sweet apple cider, the alcohol sliding down my throat with too much ease.

"But the real question is, would you shag him?" Nora intervened.

Evie kicked back her feet from across the table. Tonight, she had chosen a sparkly purple bandeau and black culottes, matched with mauve eye make-up that made her blue eyes luminous.

I didn't say anything, keeping my lips sealed tight.

Evangeline folded her arms over her chest. Even from a few meters away, I could smell her perfume. That was one of Evie's addictions - perfumes. She had a collection of over twenty bottles back home, but had managed to whittle it down to only three for university. She always smelt good, even after spending hours in a club smoking area.

"That's basically a yes."

"Who wouldn't, did you see him?" Luci agreed.

Nora looked down towards the ground, "I wish I'd actually seen this guy so I could agree with you."

"He looked like an angel, Nora. Literally looked like he fell from the sky."

I laughed. "Guys, can we not talk about Zane, ok? It's not like I'm going to see him again."

"Well none of us have anyone else, except Eve, so I think we're allowed to be excited," Luci uttered, and then signalled at me to take a card. Using the slim fingers I had inherited from my mother, I skimmed my hands over the deck and selected one of the intricately decorated red and black cards. I turned over the sticky plastic and cursed when I saw that it was a King.

"That's the last king," Aiden nodded towards the card in my hand.

"f**k's sake," I laughed, and took hold of the glass in the middle of the cards. It was filled to the brim with a concoction of drinks, and I hesitantly brought the liquid up to my lips and too a sip. First it was sweet, then bitter, and then just pure, burning alcohol. The others counted down from eight as I gulped the disgusting drink, and I placed the empty cup on top of my head when I finished. "That tasted worse than Luci's cooking."

An offended look crossed Luci's face. "Hey!" Luci's beautiful face was stern for a moment, but she began to smile as I laughed at her serious demeanour. We had been in each other's lives for as long as I could remember. We were both born and raised in Liverpool, and lived a five minute away from each other. After all, Abuela had lived with my family since Grandpa died twenty two years ago, and Luci always came to visit.

The game finished quickly after that, and we swiftly gathered our belongings before heading out into the inky black. It was Friday, and the streets of Edinburgh were bursting at the seams with University students and people alike. For one o'clock in the morning, it was busier than usual, with Halloween decorations from the night before still hanging in shop windows and decorating the streets. A multitude of coloured lights flashed across the city in a whirlpool, all merging into one as we continued to drink too much alcohol. The night was bitterly cold, November taking its toll on the Scottish city. If it wasn't for the alcohol coursing through my veins and numbing my limbs, I would've been shivering.

We finally reached Holo, the neon blue sign stinging my eyes as we got out our IDs and made our way inside. The club was already packed to the brim with teenagers, jumping collectively to a song I had never heard before. Lights flickered across the huge, high-ceiling room and across the dancers in an unknown pattern; blue, green, purple. The room was sweltering, my head becoming beaded with sweat as we headed to the bar.

After waiting ten minutes to get served, I got my double vodka-lemonade and wrapped my arm around Evie, whose smile was so wide it must've hurt her cheeks. She loved clubbing as much as I did, and never did she get bored. We had managed to stay up all night and get the first bus home at seven o'clock numerous times, and kept repeating it despite knowing it would eventually destroy our bodies.

The song changed to Happier by Bastille, and I let out an excited shriek. "Oh my God, I f*****g love this song!" I screamed above the thundering music and grabbed Evie's hand. I pulled her through the crowd to the middle of the dance floor, the others in tow.

I began to jump to the beat, and smiled at Luci as she mocked my dancing. I was fully aware that I was the clumsiest person alive, but that didn't stop me from having a good time. My drink splashed over the side of the glass as I swayed to the beat, dancing with my friends until my legs grew tired. The room stank of body odour and Evie's heavy perfume, but my senses were too numb for me to care. The world before me merged into one, and soon I couldn't tell each individual person apart.

I was about to go to the toilet when Evie sauntered up to me. "Smoke?"

I nodded, my head too dizzy to do much else. I hadn't realised I'd had this much to drink, but I had been much worse in the past.

We wove our way through the dancers with relative ease and followed the path to the smoking area. I relished the cold air as it entered my lungs and woke me up. Evie handed me a cigarette and lit it for me before tending to her own nicotine addiction.

"You alright, Nad?" Evie enquired as I stared at the brick wall straight ahead. The smoking area was huge, with fake grass beneath our feet, and a wrought iron roof above us. It wasn't the prettiest of places, but the club itself made up for that.

"Just a little bit drunk," I smiled.

"A little?"

I took a puff from my cigarette. "I'm fine, just having a good time," I uttered with a wink, Evie's face showing a look of disbelief. She worried about me whenever we went out clubbing, but if she was ever too drunk, so did I. We looked out for each other, no matter what. "Is Em here tonight?"

Eve perked up at the mention of the girl's name. "She said she was coming."

I chucked my cigarette but on the ground and stomped out the embers. "Then let's go find her."

"Nad, wait," Evie said softly and stopped me from exiting the outdoor space. I turned to face her, my generic brown eyes staring into her beautiful blue ones. "How do you feel about the whole Zane situation, honestly?"

I scratched my arm. Usually, I witheld the truth from everyone except my cousin, and this time I hadn't even told Luci about the moving tattoo on Zane's back.

"I don't really know what to make of it. I don't think he's creepy, and he is cute, but- it's weird. There's something off about him."

"And you want to find out what."

"Not what, I'm just curious. He's different. I like that."

Evie bowed her head and smiled. "Is my girl finally seeing a potential future with someone?"

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. I hated the idea of having a relationship, and Eve knew that. I didn't need a boyfriend, nor did I want one. "f**k no."

We made our way back inside after a minute, and started to make our way back to the others when Evie grabbed my arm and pulled me in the opposite direction. I folded my brows together confused.

"Eve?"

The girl leaned in, her wavy blonde hair tickling my face. "He's over there."

I didn't need to ask twice to know who she meant. "Where?"

Evie raised a slender finger and pointed out the three boys who had been in my lecture earlier, except this time they were accompanied by the most beautiful Asian woman I had seen in my life.

A newfound confidence overcame me from the alcohol and I straightened my crop top, pushing my small boobs into place, and ruffled my ebony curls.

"What're you doing?" Eve gasped in disbelief. "Please do not go over there. That guy will f**k you over."

"I know," I commented. "But I'm drunk, so I don't care."

"You're going to regret this."

I smiled at the tall girl. "I regret everything."

Evie laughed at the statement and began to dance along to the song vibrating through the club. She looked as elegant as ever, her past of dance and ballet giving her an edge among the other students. "I love you, but you're crazy."

I beamed at the girl before making my way over to the bar where the group was standing. Evie hesitated to follow before running after me, still shouting out the lyrics of the song. I tripped over a girl halfway towards the boys, but managed to regain my composure as I reached the bar and ordered another drink.

"Two double vodka lemonades, please," I asked the bartender and he nodded.

"Make that six," A mellow tone from beside me corrected, filling my eardrums and vibrating for what felt like an eternity. "Thought I might see you here."

I waited a moment, collecting my poured drink and slurping from the paper straw before giving Zane my undivided attention. He, as always, was looking very good. For a boy who looked like he had rolled out of bed this morning, he had scrubbed up well. His black curls had been tamed, and he had switched out worn white top for a crisp new one. The ring on the right side of his nose glinted blue in the light, matching my own piercing, which I had on the left side of my nose, instead. His eyes were bright, like melted chocolate, but I couldn't help but shiver as he stood beside me. They glazed over me from head to toe, as though he was trying to read me like a book.

Zane reached and grabbed the other drinks from the bartender and passed them to his friends. As he leaned forwards, I caught the aroma of his musky deodorant. He smelled of pine trees and fresh rain.

"Thanks for the drinks," I stated, and signalled to Eve who was standing silently at my side. "Zane, this is Evie."

Zane, who was clearly intoxicated, beamed at Evangeline and beckoned his friends over. His crooked grin reappeared on his face whilst he pointed to each of his friends individually. His finger landed on the tall blonde boy first. "This is Isarius," The boy introduced, before moving to the shorter boy, "Cassian," he then pointed to the girl, "and this is Menace, but we all her Ace."

I bowed my head, perplexed by the strange names. I knew mine was unusual in Britain, but I had never heard of the names Isarius or Menace before in my life.

"So this is the girl," Ace pouted, bringing the drink up to her lips and sipping slowly. She held her composure as she walked over, studying me like I was a textbook. My skin crawled, and I held my breath until she decided to look away.

"Excuse me?" I slurred, dumbfounded.

Zane shook his head. "Ignore her." He raised his glass above his head, crooked smile teetering on his face like the Leaning Tower of Piza. "Bottoms up."

Our eyes met as we began to down our drinks, and I smiled to myself as I beat him and slammed the plastic cup back down on the counter.

"Let's go dance!" Evie shouted and grabbed my hand, pulling us away from the slightly awkward situation. I knew what I wanted, and I was almost certain that Zane wanted the same thing, too. I glanced back as we merged into the crowd, my cheeks heating up as I noticed his eyes lingering on me for longer than they should. I didn't get crushes, but Zane was too handsome to let slip through my fingers. The s****l chemistry was electrifying, the lightning pulsing through my veins and wanting more than to just look at him.

The six of us pushed our way to the centre of the dancefloor, earning many harsh stares from other students, but I was too drunk to give a s**t. I turned my full attention to Evie, and began to dance in a manner that meant I wouldn't fall over in front of Zane. Despite being a confident person without alcohol, with a few shots of vodka and two ciders in my system, I was overly confident. I swayed my hips and even dropped to the ground, daring a few times to glance back at Zane who was watching me intently.

The group of four joined and jumped to the beat. After two songs, my head was drenched in a fresh coat of sweat, and I exhaled I began to grow drowsy, accidentally tripping into Zane. He caught me with ease, and I blushed in embarrassment, his hands resting on my waist.

I was about to apologise for being so clumsy, but the word caught in my mouth as I gazed up at the man, studying the short stubble lining his jaw. Despite being between the ages of twenty and twenty-one, he appeared timeless, like something that never aged. His mesmerising brown eyes bore into mine, gold flecks like glitter among the mocha. I pursed my lips, wondering whether to lean in and make the first move, but the boy pulled away before I had the chance.

"We have to go, Azaziel," Ace muttered as she tore us apart, our eye contact suddenly breaking. "They're here."

My brows furrowed as Zane pulled away and ran a hand through his hair, shattering the moment we had shared. His jaw pulsed as he gave me a concerned side glance.

"Ok," He addressed Ace before speaking to me, the look on his face distraught as though he was wanted by the police. "See you round, Nadia."

My mouth fell open as the group disappeared into the crowd within the second before completely disappearing. I spun around to face Evie, who also appeared just as confused as I did.

"Did he just..."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know."

Evie's face was a mask of confusion for a second more before her famously huge smile reappeared, showing off her perfect white teeth.

"Screw him, let's go find the others. That boy's not worth it." Evie took my arm with her petite hands and started to bounce along to the quick beats of the DnB song.

A million emotions rushed through my head, but I squashed my anger and smiled back. Overthinking was one of my many talents, and I had thought way too far ahead for a boy I barely knew. I was still itching to know the truth about his monumental tattoo, but I knew I had to forget about it. Zane was one of those boys that would forever remain a mystery. I guessed that was what drew me to him. Like a moth to a flame, I was ensnared.

We found the others with surprising ease. Nora was dancing with an attractive boy I had seen around in freshers week, and Aiden and Luci were shouting at the top of their lungs with full glasses of vodka-coke.

"Ada, oh my god! Where the hell were you? Nora got with Jake! And Aiden dropped his drink all over Jake and- wait did you see that Zane guy? He literally just walked past us, looked pissed," Luci said so quickly I could barely tell the words apart.

I ran a hand through my curls. "Yeah."

"And?"

"Not happening."

"That lasted long," Luci sighed.

"I'm not going to get with every guy I meet, Luce."

Luci pouted. "I know, I just had hope. You haven't had a guy back for two weeks."

"Needed a break," I laughed, and my cousin joined.

"Too right, I was beginning to lose count."

I rolled my eyes and wrapped my arm around Luci's waist before beginning my awkward dancing once again. I moved my hips in time with every resounding base drop, a smile plastered on my face for the entire time. The lights blurred into a mirage as the alcohol took its toll, and ten minutes later, I had to exit the ground and make my way to the nearest wall. I bent over, my stomach feeling as though it was being churned by an electric whisk. I had gone far beyond my limits, and if I didn't leave soon, I was going to throw up.

I jumped as a hand placed itself on my back, and a shroud of golden locks cascaded around my face.

"Let's get you home," Evie murmured sympathetically and helped me out of the club to the freezing streets of Edinburgh. Although it was not yet winter, it felt cold enough to snow. Ice shards patterned the tiles beneath my Reebok Classics, glistening azure under the flickering Holo light.

"No, no, Evie, I got this. You go enjoy yourself," I panted as I bent down beside the pavement, wanting nothing more than to throw up and get back to my warm bed.

Evie pulled my hair back from my eyes and tied the tresses into a bun. After a minute, the contents of my stomach emptied themselves on the pavement and I staggered away, disgusted at myself for throwing up in a public place. My body shook, every part of me suddenly feeling heavy. The only thing keeping me sane was Evie and the crisp air.

I stood up and spun around, feeling better to have the alcohol out of my system. "See, I'm fine. You go back, please. Don't let me ruin your night."

"You're a state, Nad," Evie exhaled and wrapped an arm around my waist before leading us away from the club and down the street. I hated feeling like a burden, but at least I hadn't been in this position for a few weeks. "You can stay at mine tonight."

I nodded, trying my best to stand up straight. The sick feeling at the back of my throat still lingered, and I could taste bile on my tongue, but I ignored it. My head was already beginning to feel better, and a wave of euphoria from the alcohol washed over me.

Evie's halls were a ten minute walk away, so we decided to save money and not order an Uber. We exited the busy streets of the centre of Edinburgh and took a shortcut through the lanes. We had been walking for less than two minutes when a thud echoed from the next right, followed by the shattering of glass. As we neared, the noises almost sounded like skin on skin, and a light began to glow from the street like a blazing wildfire. More glass smashed, and we stopped, looking at each other as we wondered how to treat the situation.

A yell reverberated across the midnight street, and I didn't hesitate to run towards the source of the noise. I turned the corner tentatively, my hands rising to cover my mouth at the sight before me. The road opened out onto a row of houses, before leading to a dead end. Yellow light from the streetlamps shrouded the street, illuminating every nook and cranny. The windows from a house halfway down the street were completely smashed, shards of glass lining the pavement like transparent glitter.

But the most sinister part of the scene before me was the crumpled figure lying on the pavement, his shirt torn to shreds, exposing the beautiful tattoo covering his whole back.