Gothicana

Chapter 25

Corvina

The Black Ball was a week away.

And Verenmore was in delightful chaos. 

While a huge part of her was scared shitless, both anxious about what the voice had said and history repeating itself, especially with someone she knew, another part of her was excited for something so novel. Especially since exams were over and assignments were submitted, classes were on pause for a month before they resumed again with a new semester. During the month, students could go visit family if they had any or choose to stay at the castle. From what she had gathered, most kids stayed back which was both sad and not.

The wonderful thing about the Ball though was all the new faces around campus. The Board went all out for the Ball. The Main Hall Tower’s first level which had stayed locked was opened for the occasion. Extra crew and staff were hired for the week, from chefs to waiting staff to electricians and musicians. Instruments, furniture and cutlery from storage were brought down and put in place.

Residents from every tower were called to the Admin Wing at different hours, to meet a team of shoppers and tailors who took measurements and notes and fitted everyone for their outfits that would be ready a day before the Ball.

The only downside of the chaos was the lack of any time she could spend with Vad. With all the people roaming on campus and no classes, there was no way and no place she could sneak to meet him, not even in his own building, without getting caught. And this close to the Ball, they really didn’t want to risk it.

The four days of separation made her realize how much she missed him. She was enjoying her time with her friends and her books and enjoying the entire atmosphere of the castle, but she would have enjoyed it more with him. He was important to her mind, and she settled herself with glimpses of him across the grounds, his tall, dark form making her heart ache with the need to touch him.

She equally hated and loved the time.

Standing in the Administration Wing for her own fitting along with the girls from her tower, feeling giddy because she’d never had anything like this happen before, she was surprised when the spectacled guy called her over to one of the back offices.

“What does he want?” Jade asked her, curiously looking towards the back.

Corvina shrugged. She had no clue. She made her way to the office and raised her eyebrows at the guy who had never been helpful to her.

“Your dress is there,” he told her and walked out.

Corvina frowned and entered the office, confused at what he meant, and froze.

A deep burgundy, almost dark purple dress hung from a hanger on one of the open windowpanes, a color so deep it shimmered with purple and black, its sleeves full and made of some kind of a lace, its neckline a plunging V that almost went to the waistline, a slit up the side of the skirt that to the upper thigh area.

She had never seen something so exquisite.

It was her in a gown.

And there was only one person who could have chosen this absolutely perfect dress for her.  

A note pi

My little witch,

I went to Tenebrae on the weekend for a legal meeting and found this. The color reminded me of your eyes right after you come. It was a dress made for you to wear and for me to take off.

You’ll find your mask in the box by the shoes. (Yes, I know your size).

I won’t tell you what I’ll be wearing. Instead, I want you to recognize me from a sea of masked people. I need you to find me in the sea.

Leave everything in the office for now. It will be safe. Collect in on the day before the Ball to avoid questions.

I hope you miss me. Your pussy is going to be sore as fuck once I get my hands on you after this.

And be careful on the night of the ball, little crow. Every time, wicked things happen.

Your devil

Corvina clutched the note to her chest, a squeal of happiness bursting from her lips before she controlled herself, rereading his words, again and again and again until they were memorized.

She looked down at the box below the dress, squatting down to see the shoes he’d picked for her, hoping he’d picked something with heels. She had one pair of heels and she loved them, but it hadn’t been smart to wear them around the castle.

The footwear was indeed a pair of heels, block heels in silver with straps that laced around her ankle up to her calves. So very sexy but also practical for the cobblestoned paths.

Something wrapped in the same bag, covered in paper tissue, had her intrigued. She picked it up, pulling out a stu

Corvina put everything back and absorbed the vision of the dress in again, etching it into her memory. It was beautiful but what truly moved her beyond words was the fact that he had gone for a meeting and thought of her, that he had come back with a gift that would make her first night like this better, that even though he couldn’t meet her, he had found a way to get it to her, leaving her a note that made her all warm and fluttery on the inside.

It was the little things behind the big thing that touched her.

God, she loved him, so, so much.

She didn’t know when she fell, when her lust transformed into this deep-seated need, or if she even fell in one moment or gradually. It didn’t matter. The end result was that she did.

Leaving it all behind just as she found it, Corvina tucked the note inside her top and walked out of the office to see the girls giving their measurements.

She must have been wearing some kind of a look on her face because Roy raised her eyebrows at her. “Yo freaky eyes, did you smoke something in the office or what?”

Corvina mentally shook herself, schooling her face. “If there was anything worth smoking here, I’m sure you’d be the first to know Roy,” Corvina ribbed back, comfortable enough with the girl and her brash but well-meaning ways by now.

Roy rolled her eyes and stepped up to get measured.

“So, what was in the office?” Jade asked her as they waited at the side.

“A letter,” Corvina gave her the truth. “From someone important.”

Their turn to give measurements came and Corvina complied, well aware that people would question it if she didn’t. The tailor however knew she already had a gown, probably Vad getting things set up, and simply pretended to take Corvina’s measurements.

Within a few minutes, they were done and walking out of the building under the beautiful, sunlit day, when the wind carried the scent of sandalwood to her, and immediately after she heard Mo’s voice.

‘That house, Vivi.’

Corvina froze.

What house?

The creepy shack in the woods?

“What’s wrong?” Jade paused at her side, looking at her with worried eyes. “You just froze, Cor.”