Chapter Nineteen

Lucianne sprang back to her feet, rushing from the body towards the main doors of Ravenspire. She flew up the winding staircase as quickly as she could, and her limbs did not have the time to register that they were in rigorous exercise yet. She was right at the end of the hallway when her breathing finally took a hit and she stopped at the end of the place she used to be at.

She panted from the exercise, her legs stinging with the aftermath of her running. Harper was nowhere to be found. The two sets of windows in that area were tightly shut and bolted, as if they had never been opened.

Walking over to the window Harper was at, she unbolted it and pushed it wide open, then stared down. The body was now still and as she stepped back slightly to observe the ledge, she could definitely see how he fell from it and ended up where he did.

But how could Harper, a lithe girl, lift a boy over the window ledge and push him over it? It didn't make any sense. The students glared up at her as they shielded their eyes from the sun. Their expressions told her that whatever she was doing was unwelcome, and they wanted her to stop. Well, they could go fuck themselves.

Just then, a shrill cry enveloped every part of Ravenspire.

"STUDENTS OF RAVENSPIRE. STUDENTS OF RAVENSPIRE. THERE HAS BEEN ANOTHER DEATH. RETURN TO YOUR DORMITORIES AT ONCE. ALL CLASSES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. I REPEAT, ALL CLASSES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED."

The message over the public system was replaced by the grating siren. Students ran down the hallways past her and back to their dormitory halls. Lucianne only scoffed, and picked up her bag by the other set of windows. Putting it on her shoulder, she returned to the winding staircase and left the main doors of Ravenspire, heading to the gates of the school.

When she was at the gates, they were closed and locked. The security office was void of any humans and Lucianne shook the chains around the lock, trying to get them off. She thought for a while when they remained strong and saw that there was a door towards the side of the gates that was slightly ajar. She left the main gates for it and pushed the door slightly. It gave way, and she left Ravenspire for the village nearby.

Whistling a tune she heard her mother singing to her since she was a baby, she strolled down the path back into town. She needed to get the film developed somewhere at a shop. She was definitely looking forward to seeing the pictures she had taken of Gabriel. At this point, he was the only person she trusted.

When she reached town, the signs of every store she passed by struck her instantly. They were all prefixed or affixed by the name "Blacken". Gabriel not only owned Ravenspire and came from the founding royal family of the town, he also owned many thriving businesses in town. Well, that was expected.

Without much searching, she found a photography shop and handed the film to the people there, who didn't take so much as a look at her before telling her to come back when they contacted her to. She nodded and returned to the main streets, searching for a nice restaurant to spend her day at or perhaps a theatre she could spend her time at.

Eventually, she found herself back at the quaint bookstore she visited that Benny and Gertrude owned. They invited her to a back room where they ran a small cafe for special visitors and they chatted until the sun began to set. When it came time for her to leave, they handed her some empty camera film.

When she finally returned to Ravenspire, she was glad when she found the side door still unlocked. She entered through it and took her time walking back to her tower. As she neared, she saw a figure at the bottom of her tower. She approached it and an old, frail woman with a severe hunch formed better in the moonlight.

"Lucianne, dear," the old woman said.

"Can I help you with anything?"

The old woman only stretched out a wrinkly hand with a folded note in it. Lucianne took it from her and the old lady hobbled off back to the main buildings. Lucianne shrugged and unfolded the paper.

Come to the classroom, Lucianne.

And at the bottom of the note…

Gabriel Blacken.

A smile broke out on her face and she made her way to the classroom, a lightness settling onto her emotions. She still remembered the kiss they shared before it was rudely interrupted by a student. She wanted to continue where they left off.

When she was finally in the classroom, Gabriel was nowhere to be found. She walked up to his table, where another drawing of her laid on the table. A cup of coffee sat towards the edge, steam rising from it. He must be somewhere near. She picked up the drawing, admiring how expertly he had drawn her.

A gasp left her as rough hands suddenly reached from behind her to collect the hair that was hanging down her chest. He took it past her shoulders, passing them over to her right shoulder. Pressing his lips on her shoulder, her eyes closed in pleasure as he sucked on her soft skin.

His hands found themselves at her waist, and he squeezed her lightly there before he dropped his fingers further down, all the way to the area below her navel. They inched down and down, until his hands grazed fleetingly against her pleated skirt, his index finger pressed against her clit.

"Wait…"

His lips parted on her collarbone, his tongue dragging hazily up bare shoulder to the side of her neck, before he trapped her earlobe between his teeth. He exhaled hot air into her ears, and her body shivered in response.

She moaned.

His fingertip dug into her clit through her clothes, circling it and nudging it teasingly. She arched her back and he pulled her skirt up before he dipped his hand down at her core again, this time rubbing against her clit through her thin panties.

Her wetness grew and a growl left him as his pace on her clit quickened. Her body shook in desire as he pushed his lower body into her ass, his hardness rubbing against her.

"Gabriel!"

He put one foot between her feet, pushing his right feet outwards. She gasped in pleasure as his hand clutched onto her shoulder roughly, his fingers digging into her skin.

Then, he bent her over the table.