Reverence is a dark academia romantasy, a tale of all consuming love, gut-wrenching betrayal, unbreakable bonds and unspoken truths.
Nineteen year old Josephine Carmine was orphaned at five and passed around to multiple foster families, three of wh...
Josie and Corbyn strolled through the school grounds, the warm wind playfully tugging at Josie's hair. She tucked a stray strand behind her ear as they chatted. Josie had been careful not to mention her midnight escapades with Creed to the woods or about finding the key. She wasn't entirely sure why, but the need to keep those details to herself felt important. "I hope they have the enchanted butterflies at the ball, like last year," Corbyn moaned, a dreamy look in her eyes. "They were so beautiful." Josie smiled at her friend's excitement. "With or without the butterflies, I'm sure it will be lovely," she replied. Corbyn nodded, content, and the girls continued their stroll. They talked about the ball, their dresses, and their expectations for the evening. As they walked, Josie's mind wandered back to her power and the strange key she had found at Odessa's lake. She wondered how it all connected and what secrets it would unveil.
Suddenly, Josie came to a dead stop. Her smile vanished, and her blood ran cold. She took a step back, bumping into Corbyn. Without noticing Josie's actions at first, Corbyn laughed, "Woah, I'm going to need my toes for the ball." She chuckled, but then she noticed the look on Josie's face and turned quickly to see what had caused such a reaction. Corbyn gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Lying in the middle of the field was a girl from Blackmore, lifeless. Her throat had been slashed open by what appeared to be talons, and her eyes were missing. Her skin was sunken, and her veins were blackened, a horrifying sight. "Good Gods..." Corbyn whispered, retreating a few steps in horror. Josie's voice trembled as she said, "We have to get Headmistress Ashgrove." The urgency in her tone broke through her initial shock, spurring her into action. The girls turned and sprinted back to the castle, their legs moving as fast as they could manage. The serene atmosphere of the school grounds was shattered by the terror they had just witnessed. Josie's heart pounded in her chest, not just from the exertion but from the sheer dread of what they had seen.
They burst through the castle doors, breathless and frantic. Students and teachers alike turned to look at them, sensing the urgency in their demeanor. Josie didn't wait for questions; she grabbed Corbyn's hand and led her straight to Headmistress Ashgrove's office. As they reached the office, Josie banged on the door, her hand shaking. "Headmistress Ashgrove! We need you!" she called out, her voice cracking under the strain of her emotions. The door swung open, and the headmistress stood there, her eyes widening as she took in their disheveled appearances and the terror in their eyes. "What's happened?" she demanded, her voice steady but filled with concern.
"There's a girl... in the field... she's dead," Corbyn managed to say between gasps, tears welling up in her eyes. "It's horrible. You need to come right away." Headmistress Ashgrove's face tightened with resolve. She nodded sharply, already moving past them. "Show me," she commanded, and the girls turned to lead her back to the horrific scene they had stumbled upon. The tranquility of the evening was completely shattered, replaced by a sense of foreboding and fear.
After the horrific ordeals of the day, both Blackmore and Kraven students were summoned together in the great hall of Blackmore for an emergency meeting. Josie sat beside Jane, with Jasper beside her. Surprisingly, Creed was flanking Josie's right side. He had never taken a place beside her at dinners before, and she wondered why he would choose to sit next to her now. She tried to push the thought to the back of her mind, but she couldn't ignore his scent, a mix of rain and night-blooming bergamot. "It's so sad what happened to that girl yesterday. What kind of monster could have done that?" Jasper leaned in and whispered to the three of them. "I don't know," Jane replied in a hushed voice. "A death that brutal... she must have suffered a great deal." Jane's voice cracked on the last word, and she straightened herself in her chair, trying to regain her composure. Headmistress Ashgrove stood on a platform with the headmaster of Kraven. The headmaster of Kraven was a tall man, broad and silver-haired. His presence demanded respect and utmost obedience. Headmistress Ashgrove began, "Welcome, students. Headmaster Barlow and I have summoned you here today to enforce some new safety precautions." She looked solemnly at the students before continuing, "A student from Blackmore was killed yesterday. Adelaide Fennel was her name. She was a first-year and an incredible student, one of the best of Blackmore."
Her voice softened as she spoke about Adelaide, and then Headmaster Barlow took over. His voice was stern and commanding, "Let me make myself clear to you, ladies and gentlemen. Nobody shall be permitted to leave the castles or student quarters after dusk. Boys, if I catch wind of one of you stepping foot off of Kraven grounds, I shall reprimand you myself. Do I make myself clear?" Without hesitation, every student from Kraven, including Creed next to Josie, bellowed, "Yes, Sir!" The headmaster nodded, then addressed the Blackmore students, "Ladies, if you are caught out of the student quarters or the castle, you shall be moved to Kraven for some time, put on kitchen duty, and barred from magic until I see fit." The girls from Blackmore gave soft groans and gasps. Creed laughed beside Josie. "You would look sweet, bringing me my breakfast," he teased. Josie scoffed, her eyes narrowing at him. "I'm not a kitchen broad," she retorted sharply. She could feel the tension in the hall, a mix of fear and frustration bubbling under the surface of the students. As the meeting continued, Josie found it hard to focus. Her mind kept drifting back to Adelaide and the brutal way she had been killed. Who or what could have done such a thing? And why? She felt a mixture of sadness and anger welling up inside her.
When the meeting finally ended, Josie stood up, feeling the weight of the new rules pressing down on her. She glanced at Creed, who was talking quietly with some other Kraven students. Despite his usual arrogance, there was a seriousness in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. As she and her friends made their way out of the great hall, Josie couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. The school grounds, which had always felt like a safe haven, now seemed filled with unseen dangers. She knew that whatever had killed Adelaide was still out there, and they needed to find out what it was before it struck again. Josie took a deep breath and resolved to be more cautious and vigilant. She knew that she had to protect herself and her friends. The days ahead would be challenging, but she was determined to face them head-on. As they walked back to their quarters, she couldn't shake the feeling that something much larger and more sinister was at play.
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