Page 46 of Theirs to Rule

Camille

The night of the Halloween party arrived, and the campus buzzed with an energy that was both exciting and a little eerie. The full moon hung high, its light casting shadows across the winding pathways leading to the old main hall. The building, decked out in full Halloween glory, had become a maze of themed rooms, each promising its own brand of thrills.

Simone was rocking her modern-day witch costume, her black hat glittering like it had been sprinkled with magic. Bianca had gone full vampire mode, her fangs catching the light whenever she smiled, which wasn’t often but always looked fierce. I’d decided on the Raven Queen. The dark feathers and flowing fabrics of my costume were dramatic and bold, but practical enough to let me move fast—because, let’s be honest, with my luck,alwaysbe ready to run.

When we stepped inside, I couldn’t help but gape. The hall had been completely transformed. Every room seemed to transport us somewhere new. There were haunted forests filled with mist, graveyards that smelled like freshly dug earth, and even a creepy doll room that Simone waswaytoo eager tocheck out. The attention to detail was insane. Every sound, every flicker of light, every decoration—it was like stepping into someone’s over-the-top Halloween fantasy.

Simone, leading the way with her usual confidence, turned to grin at me. “Hope you’re ready to lose, Cami. My room is going to blow yours out of the water.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop my grin. “Sure, keep dreaming. Just don’t cry too hard when I win and make you wear that unicorn onesie in public.”

“Game on.” She nudged me, her laughter echoing down the hallway.

Bianca, linking her arms with ours, raised a brow. “What’s this about?”

“Just a little friendly competition,” I said. “Winner gets to humiliate the losers.”

“Oh, you’re goingdown, Simone,” Bianca said with a smirk.

Her confidence was contagious, and for the first time in a while, I felt a little lighter. This whole night, this whole ridiculous competition, was exactly the kind of distraction I needed.

We passed through several rooms, each more creative than the last. There were fairy lights, fog machines, creepy soundtracks, and snacks that ranged from adorably spooky to straight-up bizarre. One room had a punch bowl that looked like it was filled with eyeballs. Another had realistic spiderwebs that kept getting caught in Bianca’s hair, much to Simone’s amusement.

When we stepped into the enchanted forest room, Simone threw her arms out like she’d just arrived at her kingdom. “Ta-da! My masterpiece.”

The room was incredible, I had to admit. Fairy lights sparkled above, casting a soft glow over faux trees and dangling vines. A makeshift bar sat in the corner, manned by studentsdressed as witches and magical creatures, mixing drinks that bubbled and shimmered.

“This is more like it,” Bianca said, making a beeline for the bar. She grabbed a bubbling green drink, downed it in one gulp, and grinned. “That’s the spirit—literally.”

I hesitated for a moment, remembering what had happened to me at The Roost, but the party’s energy was infectious. “Okay, hit me with your best potion,” I told the bartender, who handed me a drink that sparkled like liquid stardust. I took a sip, and it was sweet, tangy, and deceptively smooth. “Damn, this is good.”

Simone, sipping on a plain soda, raised a brow at me. “Don’t go too hard, lightweight. There’s a whole night ahead.”

“Relax,” Bianca said, handing me another drink. “This one’s even better. Raspberry something. Just try it.”

I took a sip and couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, fine, you were right. This is amazing.”

Bianca twirled around to the music, dragging me with her. “See? We’re finally having fun.”

* * *

When we finally reached my room—the Literary Haunt—Simone gasped. The dim lighting cast long shadows over the towering bookshelves. Typewriters sat on antique desks, their keys unmoving but ominous, while flickering candelabras and velvet drapes added to the eerie atmosphere. The soundtrack I’d chosen—a mix of soft whispers, the scratch of a pen, and low, mournful wails—filled the space.

“This is amazing,” Simone said, spinning in a slow circle. “It’s like stepping into a haunted novel.”

Bianca nodded, her expression impressed. “Creepy as hell. I love it.”

They wandered around, taking in the details. Simone traced her fingers over an open leather-bound book on a desk, the pages yellowed and worn. “Wait a second.” She looked at me, her eyes narrowing. “Raven. Queen. This is your room, isn’t it?”

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. “Maybe.”

Simone laughed. “You’re going to win this. It’s so perfect.”

Bianca motioned to a corner where a quill floated above an open diary, writing quotes from famous horror novels in an invisible hand. “This was my idea,” she said, smirking. “You’re welcome.”

A loud crash from the back of the room made us all jump. A group of guys had knocked over one of the props and they were scrambling to fix it, laughing at their own chaos.

“The books are fighting back,” I quipped, earning a laugh from Simone and a high-five from Bianca.

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