Gothikana: A Dark Academia Gothic Romance

by RuNyx .

  To a tiny degree, she was excited. She’d never seen anything like the Ball these guys talked about in her life. Good food, good music, good clothes, and masks, it all sounded like such a perfect night. As long as no one disappeared this time, that is.

  She shrugged. “A bit, yeah.”

  Jade looked down at her nails that she’d finally painted pink again for the first time since Troy. Just thinking of him sent a pang through Corvina’s heart. She missed his presence and his trademark grin every single day, so she couldn’t even imagine how much harder it must be for her roommate. She imagined sometimes how she would feel if she lost Vad the way Jade had lost Troy, and just the fact that Jade could get up from bed and resume life was a marvel to her.

  “Ethan asked me if I’d go with him,” Jade told her, still looking at her nails. “Not romantically or anything. We both just loved Troy, and he thought it’d be a good idea for us to go together.”

  Corvina felt her eyebrows go up slightly before she schooled her expression. She was pretty sure Ethan liked Jade, but like the good friend he was, he’d never looked at her twice while Troy had been there. “I think it’s a good idea,” Corvina agreed, hoping it would bring her friends some joy.

  Jade picked up her discarded pen and began to doodle. “Who are you going with?”

  The silver-eyed devil of Verenmore. Secretly. But of course, she couldn’t say that.

  “No one,” she shrugged. “I’ll be fine on my own.”

  “I think Jax wants to ask you.”

  “I hope he doesn’t,” Corvina bit her lip. Vad was not a fan of Jax trying to get under Corvina’s skirts as he said, and if the roles were reversed, she probably wouldn’t have been either.

  “It’s a gorgeous day outside,” Jade stood up, grabbing Corvina’s hand. “C’mon. Let’s get you some sun. You spend too much time in this dungeon anyways.”

  Most of it screwing her hot teacher, but again, Jade didn’t need to know that.

  They went up and exited into the back lawn gardens, the sun shining beautifully over the entire mountain, the heart refreshing after weeks of cold. Students were sitting on the grass everywhere, soaking the sun in groups. Jade led them to the side of the Main Hall where the cobblestoned path to the Faculty Wing ran, and sat down in an empty spot.

  Corvina put her bag there, spying a bush of red roses next to the Main Hall window. She went and plucked two, careful of the thorns, and brought one to her friend, loving the smile that lit up her face. “This castle is such a beauty during the day.”

  Corvina leaned back on her hands, tilting her neck up to the blue sky dotted with clouds, a smile on her face.

  “What the hell is that?”

  Immediately looking down at the distress in her friend’s tone, Corvina found her green eyes on her shoulder where her sweater had drooped to the side. The perpetual hickey, that’s what Jade was looking at. Vad loved having that mark on her in a place usually covered, just for the two of them to know, a mark of ownership and tenderness so deep it felt bottomless.

  Was it messed up? Probably. Did she care? Not really.

  She loved it, thrilled in it, knowing that she was so utterly and completely his.

  But she hadn’t wanted anyone else to see it.

  Playing it off, she rubbed the spot on her shoulder and shrugged. “Oh this? I just knocked myself into a shelf the other day.”

  Jade gave her a look that screamed ‘really?’

  “Girl, I know a hickey when I see one, and that, Cor, is the boss of hickeys. If hickeys could be sport, this one would qualify for the Olympics. Are you seeing someone?”

  Corvina bit her lip, not wanting to lie to her friend but not wanting to share it either.

  “Look,” Jade went on. “I know I haven’t been in the best headspace lately and you probably felt like you couldn’t tell me, but I’m here for you okay? And I want to know when you’re seeing a guy seriously enough to let him leave that kind of a mark on you.”

  God, she felt like such a bad friend when Jade put it like that. But she knew she couldn’t share about Vad, not given the complexity of the situation. So she settled in the middle ground.

  “It’s recent,” Corvina confirmed. “But we’re keeping it low-key until we’re sure it’s serious.”

  Which was a lie because she already knew how serious they were.

  “Oh god, he’s a senior, isn’t he?” Jade grinned, her eyes glinting. “Tell me the sex is good at least.”

  Corvina just smiled and Jade whistled. “He must be a god to put that kind of smile on your face. Damn girl. I’m happy for you.”

  Corvina took her friend's hand, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you, Jade.”

  Jade looked at her bag. “You have your cards with you?”

  Corvina looked at her puzzled. “Yes, why?”

  “I’m confused if I should go with Ethan,” she picked on some grass. “Do a reading for me please.”

  Corvina chuckled, opening her bag and taking the deck out. She made some space in the grass between them, took some water from her bottle, and sprinkled it around the deck like her mother had taught her. Taking the cards out, she began to shuffle them into her hands, feeling the familiar weight settle her mind and thoughts.

  “Should you go with Ethan to the Ball?” she asked as one card fell down.

  Corvina stopped shuffling, turned the card, and grinned. Ace of Cups. “That’s a most definite yes.”

  “Dude, you read tarot?” Erica came from the side, plopping down by Jade, looking excited. “Will you pull a card for me please?”

  Corvina laughed. “Sure. Ask me a question.”

  Erica thought for a second, before grinning. “Will Mr. Deverell say yes to my advances?”

  Corvina’s stomach tightened, the urge to punch Erica’s smile acute. She schooled her face, surprised by her own violent reaction to a girl coming on to him, surprised at the intensity of her possessiveness.

  Jade gasped. “He’s a teacher!” she hissed.

  “So?” Erica wiggled her brows. “A one-time thing. No one will know. He’s hot, okay?”

  Corvina shuffled her cards harder, biting the inside of her cheek, lest she truly did something. A card fell out. Three of Swords. Satisfaction zinged through her.

  “That would be a no, I’m afraid, Erica.” Gleeful. She was gleeful. The universe had her back.

  A few other students wandered to them, asking Corvina to pull a card, and Corvina was happy for the distraction, especially with something she loved and missed doing. Within an hour, a small crowd had gathered around her as clouds covered the sky, all of them either wanting to get a question answered or seeing the readings for others, including a few teachers.

  It was such an odd moment for her – the odd girl from the woods with the odd eyes and the odd mother – to have people accept her in her natural form, just as she was. She realized she had actually stopped caring so much for social acceptance as of late, feeling less lonely and more whole, and it probably had to do with the way Vad accepted her. He was empowering her through their connection, making her realize she was lovable as she was, that she wasn’t an outcast, that she belonged somewhere precious. He was the catalyst for her acceptance of herself, of her understanding that she was different and that was worthy of everything.

  The Corvina from a few months ago who had shied even telling her roommate about her love for tarot was so vastly different from the Corvina right then, sitting in a garden surrounded by people, doing what she loved without feeling an iota of discomfort.

  It made the warmth in her heart expand tenfold and put a smile on her lips.

  And as though she’d summoned him, the crowd parted and he strode into the circle, his silver eyes on her, watching her do her thing. The pride in his eyes at seeing her in her element made something inside her burst with joy, straightening her spine a little more, tilting her chin a little higher, making her smile a little brighter.

  She wanted him to be proud of her as she was o
f him, wanted him to look at her and see a talented, passionate girl and not the hot mess she mostly was. She shuffled with an extra flair, admittedly showing off a little for him, and from the little twitch on his lips, he knew.

  A card fell down, and she looked at Dr. Kari, who was waiting worriedly for her answer. It was almost comical. She turned his card. Nine of Cups.

  “I think you definitely should put an offer on the house, Dr. Kari,” she said and saw the relief on his face.

  “I’m glad. My wife has been hoping for it. Thank you, Miss Clemm.”

  “My pleasure, professor.”

  Dr. Kari went on his way and Corvina kept shuffling as the skies darkened more.

  “I have a question, Miss Clemm,” the deep gravel voice made her insides clench as she looked up into his eyes. “If you’d be so kind to pull a card for me?”

  “Of course, Mr. Deverell,” she gave him a deliberate smile, one that he knew, one he’d seen on her face many times in bed. “What is it about?”

  He pushed his hands in his pockets, tilting his head to the side. “A woman I’m in love with.”

  Her heart stopped.

  So did her hands.

  She heard the gasps of the students around her, shocked that he of all people would say something like that, feel something like that.

  Corvina felt the eyes swing to her and barely controlled her face, shuffling the cards again in hands that trembled slightly, her insides breaking apart and fusing together as he watched her with all the ferocity on his face.

  “What about her?” Corvina swallowed, her voice thankfully steady even as her insides were a riot.

  “I’d like to know if she feels the same,” he declared, never taking his eyes off her. Had they been alone, Corvina would have pushed him to the ground and ripped his clothes off. The intense concoction of arousal, emotion, and something so inexplicable pulsed inside her veins, her eyes wanting to tear up and her lips wanting to grin, her chest heaving with breathlessness and her heart pounding with overstimulation. A hush fell on the crowd as they waited for the card.

  Corvina shuffled, knowing the card would be her response, would be everything she felt but couldn’t say at the time. She needed him to know it, with the sky and the sun and the soil as their witness.

  A card fell out.

  With shaking hands, she picked it up, her lips trembling, and turned it towards him.

  Two of Cups.

  The card of love exchanged, connected, deepened.

  “She feels the same, Mr. Deverell,” Corvina caught his blazing eyes. “She feels exactly the same.”

  He would have kissed her then.

  She saw it in his eyes, that fierce look he wore right before he tipped her chin and tasted her mouth. But he stilled, staying rooted to the spot, his hands clenching and unclenching in his pockets she could see.

  It was one of the most profound, intense moments of her life, shared just between the two of them in the middle of a crowd.

  “That’s relieving,” he remarked, before giving her another heated look and walking off.

  Corvina sat there in the grass, her world tilting yet again on its axis at his casual declaration, a smile on her face, she watched him go.

  Chapter 24

  Corvina

  He never brought up their declaration, neither did she.

  He left Verenmore for two days immediately after for some work while Corvina got into her studies, but god she missed him.

  On the third day, he left her a note asking her to meet him in the tower room after midnight.

  Corvina snuck out of her room in her black lace nightgown, one of the special ones that she’d put on just for him, and walked down the corridor with her candles lighting the way. The entire floor was asleep as she made her way quietly up the stone stairs, coming to the spiral staircase and climbing it.

  She got to the highest landing and paused, remembering the first time she’d seen him months ago right from the same spot, remembering how enthralled she had been, how enthralled she still was.

  A small smile on her lips, she pushed open the heavy door just a bit, wincing at the loud creak of its hinges, and slipped in, going straight to the big arched window with an ornate pattern on the border. She put the candlestick to the side and looked out.

  It was a surprisingly clear night. From this high in the tower, she could see the twinkling lights of the town far away in the valley, the endless mountain surrounded by velvety black forest, the half-moon so close she could reach out her hand and touch it. She wondered how the wind would feel on her face at this height. The windows were boarded up with glass, possibly to keep the elements from making their way into the room.

  She wondered for a split second how Troy must have felt that high on the roof, sadness making her shake the thought away. Down below, she watched the empty cobblestoned path, lost in her thoughts of Troy and Alissa’s deaths and their uncanny similarities.

  It took her a minute to feel eyes on her.

  She looked in the reflection on the glass as Vad leaned against the door, his hands in his pockets, his gaze on her. The door from where she’d entered was shut, somehow not having made a sound. Did he know a trick?

  “You’re staring,” she told him without turning, just seeing his reflection, her pulse fluttering in her neck.

  He tilted his head to the side in a move that was so him, considering her. “I like watching you.”

  She shifted to the side and wondered how he could even see her in the sparse moonlight. “You’re the one keeping an eye on me, Mr. Deverell. And yet, I see you better.”

  “Do you now?” he inquired, taking a step closer to her. “And what do you see?”

  “An enigma,” she told him, playing with him as he played with her, knowing this game would only end in one way and delighting in it. “My enigma. Your eyes have danger in them.”

  “And your eyes still have hunger,” his deep, gravel voice cut through the space between them harshly. “Tell me, do you need me to satisfy you more?”

  Corvina felt the echo of his words vibrate somewhere deep inside her. He saw her, truly saw her, her ravenous being laid bare in front of him. Chest heaving, she pressed her hand to the window and stared out at the moon, her other hand fisting her skirt. She felt his body heat behind her, felt him stop at her back, and her breathing got loud.

  He stayed at her back, not entirely pressing into her but so very there her back felt on fire. His arms came to the window on either side of her, caging her in, and her nipples hardened. She saw his fingers, long, beautiful fingers tapered in neat nails, his hands large and capable, a light dusting of dark hair on the back, knowing what those felt cupping her breasts when they felt heavy, plucking her nipples, twisting them, giving her a bite of pain before soothing them. She swayed slightly, the headiness of the images and his warm, musky scent enveloping her in a cocoon where only the two of them existed.

  “Did you enjoy the crowd that day?” he asked, his voice like smoke that thickened the air between them. “Did it give you a thrill knowing they didn’t know?”

  He knew her too well.

  “Answer me,” he commanded.

  “Yes,” she replied honestly, her ribs expanding with each breath.

  “And does it give you a thrill knowing that anyone could look up from the path and see you pressed into the glass?” she heard his whisper into her right ear, his hot breath warming her skin.

  “I-” she started to speak and felt his nose touch her lobe, her words turning into a moan.

  “Pressed into the glass, being fucked by the devil at your back?” he breathed again. “Does it thrill you?”

  She nodded.

  “Good girl,” he praised her. “Did you wear this for me?” he asked, toying with the strap of her lace gown.

  “I like wearing these to sleep,” she whimpered as his tongue licked her hickey, taking the strap down her shoulder, exposing one breast to the glass.

  She’d never been so turned on in h
er life as she was right then.

  He took her hair in one hand, pulling it, making that delicious tingle scatter through her scalp, down her neck, right to her nipples, pebbling them against the cold glass, the sensation making her moan.

  “Quiet,” he ordered. “My mouth or my cock?”

  Her head fell back. “Both.”

  “Greedy girl,” he sounded amused, his fingers finding her drenched folds. “So wet for me. Choose one, mouth or cock?”

  A flush crept up her neck at knowing she had to verbally use a dirty word. She’d never used them before, even with him, and it felt weird even though she loved hearing him say it. “You.”

  “Me what?”

  “Option B.”

  He chuckled. “You have to say it, little crow.”

  God, he was frustrating. She inhaled. “Your… cock.”

  “And where do you want it?”

  “Inside me.”

  “Where, Corvina?” he crooned, kissing the side of her neck. “Your mouth, your pussy, your ass? Where do you want it?”

  The blush on her face was a riot.

  “My pussy.”

  He pushed a finger inside her as a reward and Corvina sucked it in, so needy and so wet she was dripping down her thighs.

  She felt him line up behind her, so familiar yet so new every time and gasped as she felt him push in, the fullness at the angle between excruciating and ecstatic. Her head fell back on his shoulder, her palms pressing into the glass as he kissed her shoulder and her neck, his hands caging her between the glass and his body.

  “My beautiful, sexy little witch,” he pushed inside her slowly, going so deep she could feel the pulsing of his cock against every inner wall. “Telling me she feels the same. Fucking made for me. My madness.”

  His words, breathed in her ear, so soft, so tender, contrasted with the thrill of their rendezvous, sending delicious bursts of fire and joy through her bloodstream.

  “Your universe made you for me, didn’t it?” he asked tenderly, one of his hands falling to cup her breast. “And it made me the man I am for you. So I could give you what you need. Do I give you what you need?”