Page 119 of Haunted Spurs

"Go to him. And root for us," Carolina whispers to her, hugging her tight before letting her walk toward the exit, escorted by two crew members.

When the front door shuts with a dull thud behind Indya's back, the focus of the room shifts.

Aunt Tina clears her throat, repositioning herself under the spotlight. Her diabolical smile stretches across her lips again.

"As the rules demand," she declares, raising the microphone again, "when one member of a pair withdraws, their partner is automatically disqualified."

Carolina straightens up. She swallows hard, disappointment clouding her gaze, ready to accept defeat.

The Grim Reaper raises a lethal, bejeweled finger.

"However..." Tina drops her voice. The red light of a camera blinks on, zooming in on the ex-princess's face. "Production has evaluated the impact of this loss. And, after a long, heated discussion in the control room, we have chosen to do what is best for the show."

Tina pauses, savoring the power. "Carolina, you are not eliminated."

Carolina's eyes go wide, her hand flying to her chest.

"We have decided to place your fate in the hands of those who truly rule this house," Tina continues, spreading her arms. "The sovereign audience! We launched a flash poll on the official app. The viewers at home will choose your new partner!"

As television adrenaline pumps through the living room, my gaze slides distractedly toward the dark alcove near the hallway.

Lucien and Melusine.

They're standing slightly apart from the others, in a shadow. He is standing behind her. It doesn't look like they are touching, but then I notice Lucien's massive hand sliding down Melusine's waist. He hooks his thumb through the back belt loop of her jeans, pulling her back against his pelvis.

Melusine flinches, arching her back just a fraction. She doesn't pull away. She turns her head halfway, glaring at him with a look that oozes pure hatred, but her parted lips and hitched breath tell an entirely different story. Lucien leans down, brushing her ear with his lips to whisper something to her.

"The poll is closed!" Aunt Tina thunders, brutally yanking my attention back to the center of the room.

She pulls a red wax-sealed envelope from her black tunic. The hum of the cameras seems deafening.

"The audience has voted," Tina murmurs, tearing the envelope open with theatrical care. She pulls out a black card. She reads it in silence. Her eyebrows shoot upward, a smile of pure, intoxicating disbelief warping her face.

"Well..." she chuckles into the megaphone. "It seems the audience of Haunted Spurs is very, very demanding. And decidedly irreverent."

Carolina furrows her brow. "What does that mean?"

Tina locks her eyes on her, vibrating with sadistic joy. "It means, Your Highness, that the audience petitioned en masse. They decided that a princess should never have to settle for just one knight."

The silence in the living room is so absolute I can hear Ron's heartbeat against my back.

"For the first time in the history of Elm Hollow reality TV," Aunt Tina yells, throwing her arms wide. "The audience has decided to join forces! Carolina... you will officially compete as a trio. Your partners are Cade and Cole!"

The living room erupts.

Cade and Cole make their entrance, swaggering out and taking their places on either side of Carolina.

"Apparently, Princess..." Cole murmurs, his voice cutting through the chaos, "the audience really wants to see us go for a ride."

Carolina is petrified for a nanosecond. Then, her face breaks into a smile that is the quintessential embodiment of sin. She bites her lower lip, staring at the twins with a look that raises the temperature of the room by at least ten degrees.

I let out an incredulous laugh, shaking my head, as Ron squeezes my leg, leaning down to whisper in my ear: "I told you this place was insane."

35

An Interesting Challenge

Ron