21. Camille

Chapter 21

Camille

T he 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, always be 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 was way too eager to check 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 going down , 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 students dressed 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.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t worrying about Kage or Ty or the mess that was my life. I was just Camille, a girl at a Halloween party, having fun with her friends. And for one night, that was enough.

We left my room and headed to the next. Tarot cards lay scattered on velvet cloths, crystal balls glowed dimly on tables, and the air was thick with the scent of incense. Then, three figures emerged from the shadows, their costumes so elaborate they momentarily stole the show. Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, and a werewolf. It took me a second, but my eyes widened when beneath their make-up, I recognized Kage and Ty. The Werewolf was hidden behind layers of fur and prosthetics but his size…

Seriously, was that Dante?

Kage walked his monster self up to me. “Happy Halloween, Rebel.”

I blinked, still not sure what was happening. “What…Why?”

Kage’s expression grew serious. “I’ve been giving you space, but I can’t take it anymore. I figured if I did something big, something to show you how fucking crazy I am about you, you’d finally talk to me.”

I shook my head. “You dressed up in a Halloween costume, Kage. Not quite enough to make me forgive you for lying to me about being engaged.”

“Maybe, but I got Ty and Dante to dress up too. That must count for something.”

I glanced at the others. Ty’s expression was impassive.

"And exactly what did you have to offer Ty to get him on board?"

"Let's just say he made me an offer I couldn't refuse," Ty said, his voice bored. I raised an eyebrow but decided not to press. The less I knew about their deals, the better.

The werewolf remained silent, his head tilting slightly, but as I peered closer, I confirmed the man in the costume was Dante. His bright blue eyes winked at me through the mask’s eye holes.

Just then, a tarot reader, draped in flowing robes that made her look like she stepped right out of a fantasy novel, approached our group. "Care for a collective reading?" she offered.

I was still speechless from seeing the guys in their costumes. Bianca nudged me. "Why the hell not? Let's see what the cards have in store for us. You willing to leave your fate with Camille to the cards, Kage?”

“I don’t leave my fate up to anyone or anything other than myself,” he said. “But sure, let’s see what the cards say.”

“Forget it. I don’t want to be around you, Kage.”

I went to turn but he caught me by the arm. He bent down to murmur in my ear. “Remember what I told you back at Dante's house? You run, I chase. You really want me to prove I’m a man of my word right now?”

I glared at him and looked around, but it didn’t look like anyone was going to intervene or come to my rescue. “Fine,” I said. “One reading and then leave me the hell alone.”

“Never, Rebel, but you can take your reprieve while you can.”

We all sat down in a semi-circle around the tarot reader, the air heavy with anticipation and the incense that seemed to permeate the room. The reader shuffled the deck with practiced ease, then spread the cards out in front of us with a flourish.

"Who wants to cut the deck?" she asked, looking at each of us in turn.

"I'll do it," Simone volunteered, reaching out to split the deck. She handed the stacks back, and the reader combined them again before laying out the cards in a complex spread.

"The first card," she said, flipping over the card at the center of the spread, "represents the present situation." It was The Fool, and she looked at us with a knowing smile. "A journey begins, but with it comes the risk of folly and new experiences. You're all embarking on something new, something that will test your bonds."

We all exchanged uneasy glances.

“Interesting,” the reader murmured, studying the card she had just flipped over. Her eyes fell on Kage, and she looked at him thoughtfully. “There is trouble brewing in your family. Something unsettling will be happening that you need to prepare for.”

I bit my lip. It was silly, but I couldn’t help but think of Daniella. Was the reader talking about their wedding? Anxiety pooled inside me. I couldn’t even think about Kage marrying someone else without getting all worked up. I took a deep breath and did my best not to think about it, but it was damn near impossible. Maybe I needed to go back and down a few more of those elixirs.

Kage just rolled his eyes, obviously not a believer. “Yeah, I’ll do that,” he said.

Unaffected by Kage’s attitude, the reader flipped over another card. “More than one of you has lost someone close to you. You feel responsible because they died much too young.”

I glanced from Kage to Ty. She could be talking about either of them. Both lost family way too young, and in a way, both probably felt responsible for not protecting them. My gaze fell on Dante, just in time to catch the flicker of pain pass through his eyes. Had he lost someone close to him too?

Hell, were the cards talking to me, acknowledging that I’d lost my mother when she still had so much life to experience yet?

Kage abruptly stood. “Fuck this shit. I’m going to get some air.” He strode out, leaving me watching after him. Despite finding out Silas had killed Ava, despite getting that closure, Kage was still grieving his sister. He’d gotten some modicum of comfort from being able to talk about her to me in the past, but since our separation, was the grief building inside him, with no outlet to give him comfort?

How was it he had wronged me and here I was feeling guilty for abandoning him?

Just then, a phone rang out. Dante pulled his phone from his pocket.

“Werewolves have pockets?” I said lamely, trying to ease the tension in the air because of Kage’s abrupt departure. “Good to know.”

Dante gave me an apologetic look. “Sorry, Peaches, but I have to go. Something urgent has come up. I’ll call you later though, okay?”

“Sure,” I muttered.

“I’m out too,” Ty announced, moving to follow Dante. “Later.”

I watched him go. One by one, they'd left me. I told myself it was a sight I had to get used to.

I sat there silently until Bianca and Simone’s voices cut through the noise, pulling me back to the moment. "Come on, the next room sounds wild," Bianca said. “It’s the BDSM room.”

Right, I'd heard about that. I remembered the books Kage had shown me in the library, the ones that depicted acts of pleasure and pain, an experience Kage had said I wasn’t yet ready for. Well, Kage wasn’t making decisions for me anymore. I should check out the BDSM room.

But honestly, it didn’t hold any appeal.

"I heard there's a Dark Arts room," someone mentioned as they passed by, their voice tinged with both awe and a hint of fear. "Different art mediums. The artists are twisted, but damn, they're talented."

Ty immediately sprang to mind, with his complex layers and equally complicated art, including the tattoos hiding beneath his clothes "You guys go ahead to the BDSM room," I told Bianca and Simone. "I want to check out the Dark Arts room first. I'll catch up with you."

Bianca raised an eyebrow but didn't protest. "Alright, but don't take too long. You'll miss the good stuff."

“Sure.” I made my way to the Dark Arts room, curiosity leading me down a dimly lit corridor. The air grew colder as I approached, the sounds from the rest of the party fading until all that was left was the pounding of my own heart in my ears.