Page 91 of Gothikana

And Verenmore was in a 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 Halltower’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 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 realise 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 toward 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 by what he meant, and froze.

A deep burgundy, almost dark purple dress hung from a hanger on one of the open windowpanes, a colour so deep it shimmered with purple and black, its sleeves full and made of some kind of lace, its neckline a plunging V that went almost to the waistline, a slit up the side of the skirt that went 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 pinned to the cuff of the dress caught her eye. She went to it on jittery legs, extending a careful hand to the note, half afraid to take it out in case she ruined the dress. Thankfully, she didn’t. She unfolded the paper and found his bold scrawl, her heart fluttering like a hummingbird’s wings at even the slightest contact with him.

Mylittle witch,

I went to Tenebrae at the weekend for a legal meeting and found this. The colour 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 recognise 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 it 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 memorised.

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 stunning silver half-mask, one made with silver glitter and crystals, shimmering in the light and sending little rainbows in reflection, curving into the shape of a cat-eye at the tips. It would cover her face from forehead to nose, leaving the lower half exposed.

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.

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