Nevermore: The Raven Brothers, #1

Contents

Trigger & Content Warnings

Author's Note

Blurb

Chapter

Chapter

Chapter

1. Ofelia

2. Fabián

3. Ofelia

4. Fabián

5. Ofelia

6. Ofelia

7. Fabián

8. Ofelia

9. Fabián

10. Ofelia

11. Ofelia

12. Fabián

13. Ofelia

14. Ofelia

15. Fabián

16. Ofelia

17. Fabián

18. Ofelia

19. Ofelia

Acknowledgements

About Jade Hernández

Follow Jade

Also by Jade Hernández

Trigger & Content Warnings

Nevermore is a Dark Academia Latinx Romance short story and contains content that may be triggering to some readers. Some of this content includes: Drinking, smoking, the mention of drug usage, colorism, racism, descriptive sex scenes, abusive and controlling parents, corrupt politicians, attempted murder, criminal organizations, sexual assault, faked death, and violence.

Some of the consensual themes and tropes you'll find within are: good girl/bad boy pairing, family rivals, the ballerina and the criminal pairing, forbidden romance/lovers, insta love, insta lust, car sex, light choking, and dirty talk in English and Spanish.

Author's Note

Nevermore is a dark Romeo & Juliet retelling in a modern day Academia setting. This novella depicts the main characters as college-aged adult students living at a private university in Mexico. The story is set in Mexico and features Mexican and Indigenous Mexican characters. This story is meant to be fast-paced and maybe even a little cheesy and romantic. There are dark themes surrounding the main couple however their relationship is 100% consensual and quite sappy. The main female character in this book is a ballerina. I am not, therefore there may be mistakes or inaccuracies surrounding her profession, so please forgive me.

In the event that you read this book and find any representation problematic, please note it is done without intent. I am human and know that I will make mistakes and while it is not the reader’s job to inform me of them, I would appreciate it if you did. If you’d like to contact me, please don’t hesitate to do so, so that I may rectify any mistakes. Thank you.

Blurb

When the ballerina and the gangster fall in love... chaos will follow.

Ofelia Reyes has had two goals in life: to be the best dancer at her academy and to be the politician’s perfect daughter.

A sheltered life is one of the only things she’s ever known, and all the perfectly curated plans change the day she first lays eyes on Fabián Cuervo, an heir to the notorious Raven Brothers gang.

Sucked into a world of drugs, crime, and seduction puts her entire future in jeopardy, but Ofelia is willing to risk it all for love–even a war between families.

Fabián Cuervo has always been his father’s perfect soldier. He’s dedicated his whole life to the Raven Brothers and their criminal empire, but his loyalty wavers the day he sets eyes on Ofelia Reyes.

Their families are enemies, and when his father orders him to use her for their own gain, the two are forced to make a decision that could plunge those around them into a dangerous war that could very well cost them their lives.

Nevermore is a Romeo & Juliet reimagining with dark academia elements and a happily ever after. This novella is an intro into the world of The Raven Brothers and this series interconnects with Los Diablos Motorcycle Club and El Rancho Los Corazones, but can be read as a standalone.

I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched.-Edgar Allan Poe 

My bounty is as boundless as the sea,My love as deep; the more I give to thee,The more I have, for both are infinite.-Romeo and Juliet 

Quoth the raven, Nevermore.-Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven 

1

Ofelia

We shouldn’t be here. My words were tired, soft, and yet could be heard over the thumping reverberations of reggaeton blasting through the speakers.

At my side, my best friend rolled her eyes. You need to live a little, Ofe. Her gaze settled on my outfit and she scoffed. "And for the love of God, if you insist on wearing the school uniform, at least make it look sexy."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. I didn’t bother commenting on the fact that if I was dressed this way, it was entirely her fault. After a long day of school, homework, and grueling rehearsals for the upcoming recital, she'd sprung this outing on me just as I was coming out of the dressing room. There had been no time to think about what a bad idea leaving campus grounds was, let alone finding a suitable outfit.

As it was, I happened to like our school uniform. Forest green, black, and white stripes made up the knee-length skirt, a dark sweater with the academy's logo on the breast, and a white collar shirt completed my ensemble. My oxford shoes clicked on the ground as I walked, and one of my knee length socks had already started sliding down my calf.

Let your hair down. Paola reached behind my head, trying to pull my top knot down.

I swatted her away. Will you leave me alone?

Yeah, let her be. Dani wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me to his side.

He’d just come from rehearsals as well, and yet he’d gotten a change of clothes from the trunk of his car.

Dani was always very well prepared. He was the type to carry several outfit changes for several different occasions. ‘Just in case,’ he always said.

Let’s just go have some fun.

Fun.

Their idea of fun was getting drunk at this party, but I didn’t find gratification in it the same way they did. Not when there were rehearsals tomorrow. I didn’t want to twirl on stage with a pounding headache or an upset stomach.

Fine, I conceded. But we should leave early.

They ignored me as they pulled me through the doors of the party.

Things were overwhelming inside, filled to the brim with bodies, music, and booze. While I enjoyed the occasional party, nerves pricked beneath the skin of my palms, making them sweat. I’d never particularly enjoyed big crowds, though I’d grown up with a spotlight shining on almost every move I made, I could never really find comfort drifting through a sea of bodies.

Maybe I could contribute the lack of wanting to party to my sheltered upbringing. My papá, while lenient, was also very strict. He had to be as he wanted his and our family’s image protected. I understood the importance of this. It was why I never fell out of line; I didn’t want to incur his anger. Not that I’d ever earned it. I was good and I did what I was told. Even though I was off at college and he wasn’t here to spy on me, the rules always remained the same, no exceptions, no matter where I found myself on the map. Old habits died hard.

As it was, my mind was far too preoccupied with thoughts of our current ballet assignment.

Maestra Rosalba had been very clear in her instructions to me.

"This is your one opportunity to shine as the lead dancer, Ofelia. Do not mess it up, and don’t make me regret this."

I’d been vying after the lead position for years and she’d finally given me that chance. I didn’t plan on wasting it for anything or anybody, which meant I had to be at the top of my game. I had to dance like never before in our academy’s next ballet. I had to be worthy of the Maestra’s attention. I had to be emotional, heartbreaking, and groundbreaking to finally be seen.

Doing so would change the course of my future forever.

Unfortunately, my friends did not see it that way. I was hauled around the party, way past my bedtime, lost in my own thoughts.

At some point, a drink was shoved into my hand, though it remained full, and bodies grinded up against mine, though I remained still. Conversation went on around me, and I didn’t contribute to any of it.

Until Paola’s elbow in my side jolted me back to reality.

That guy is staring at you, she whisper-screamed in my ear.

Putting the rim of the cup to my lips, I took the smallest of sips, swallowing down the bitter beer. I don’t care, I replied with disinterest.

You should, she whispered back excitedly, because he’s walking this way now.

No sooner had the words left her lips when I felt a presence at my back that made every single hair on the back of my neck stand on end. A shiver coursed through me when he spoke a single word.

Hey. The voice was smooth like silk and deep, rumbly. It was unexpected and surprisingly very pleasant, but it caught me off guard.

Awareness spread through every nerve and every cell inside my body. I’d never heard a voice so deep. Never before heard a voice that could affect me like his did. That voice was a song. It was made to seduce a body like mine into dancing. That much I could tell from listening to it alone. My breath caught in my throat and it felt like time was suspended before me as I slowly turned around to face the man who’d approached.

It was a reality that some people were as bright as the sun and looking at them hurt. Some people emitted sunlight like it lived and breathed through their very veins. Like it was a part of them and radiated out of every single pore.

Then there were men like the one before me.

Men who exuded darkness.

Men who had shadows flicking over their form, crawling around them.

There was a void that surrounded this man, that lived in the darkness of his eyes, and I was sure lived within the very depths of his soul. He was a consuming force. Nothing but obscure danger. I knew innately that this man could possess me. And never before had I so badly wanted to be consumed.

Dark lashes framed even darker eyes. The kind that glowed with malice and bad intentions. His hair was far too long for what was deemed appropriate in my social circles. Long and straight, the ends curled a little bit just past his shoulders. Tiny strips of leather braided through smaller strands, the ends connected to bright beads and dark feathers. His skin was dark, like he spent a lot of time beneath the rays of