Nocticadia
A dark, atmospheric tale of deadly secrets and forbidden love.
Mortui vivos docent.
The dead teach the living.
After watching my mother succumb to a mysterious illness, I promised myself two things. I’d find the cure for what ravaged her. And leave the godforsaken city where she abandoned me.
Four years later, I receive an acceptance letter from Dracadia University, one of the oldest, most prestigious schools in the country. Nestled on a secluded island off the coast of Maine, it’s rumored to be haunted by the souls of the mental patients exiled there centuries before. Those whose bones are said to make up the island’s white sandy shores.
And restless ghosts aren’t even its most daunting peculiarity.
Devryck Bramwell, known on campus as Doctor Death, is a brilliant pathologist in charge of the midnight lab. He’s also my devastatingly handsome professor, who seems to loathe tenacious first-years, like me. Except, his dark and enigmatic gaze tells me all the ways he’d devour me if given the chance, and his stolen kisses burn my lips with forbidden jealousy.
I crave his authority.
He aches for redemption.
Together, we’re toxic. Delicious fodder for the prying eyes hellbent on exhuming the rotted skeletons of our pasts.
For the dead have much to teach, and it’s only a matter of time before Dracadia’s most depraved secret is resurrected.
TRIGGER WARNINGS - May contain spoilers
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Praise for Nocticadia
“Nocticadia gets under your skin taking its time to wriggle in deep while strangling your senses without permission or apologies. A tale of dangerous academia where temptation and death lurk in every dark corner. ”
“Every inch of this baby is brimming with atmosphere, tension, yearning, passion, and mystery. The twists are excellent, the pacing fantastic. It’s the slow-burn, dark academia, forbidden gothic romance of my dreams. Nocticadia is simply exquisite.”
“Keri Lake does it again. I am in awe of her writing skills. The worlds she paints are so detailed, the gothic vibes immaculate, plot always unique and surprising. Mix that with characters that are relatable as well as lovable, and some MEAN spice?! I am obsessed, once again.”
“The beautiful world Keri created in this book was captivating, how I wish I could go visit Dracadia. I don’t want to spoil anything but I will just say that the ending was perfect & left me with a BIG smile! Go and read this book as soon as you can!”
PHOBIA: A NOCTICADIA BONUS NOVELLA
Phobia is an 18,000 word novella set after the events in Nocticadia. The setting and tone of this short story is a complete departure from Nocticadia, and echoes my gritty contemporary books. I did not intend to write a second book, as Nocticadia was meant to remain a standalone, so please know before diving in that this will not be a full story. It’s merely a glimpse of these two characters and nothing more.