Nocticadia

Nocticadia Keri Lake NOCTICADIA Published by KERI LAKE www.KeriLake.com Copyright © 2023 Keri Lake All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, events, locations, or any other element is entirely coincidental. Cover art by Okay Creations Editing: Julie Belfield Warning: This book contains explicit sexual content, and violent scenes that some readers may find disturbing. Contents Playlist Author’s Note & Triggers GLOSSARY & TRANSLATIONS PROLOGUE CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 CHAPTER 20 CHAPTER 21 CHAPTER 22 CHAPTER 23 CHAPTER 24 CHAPTER 25 CHAPTER 26 CHAPTER 27 CHAPTER 28 CHAPTER 29 CHAPTER 30 CHAPTER 31 CHAPTER 32 CHAPTER 33 CHAPTER 34 CHAPTER 35 CHAPTER 36 CHAPTER 37 CHAPTER 38 CHAPTER 39 CHAPTER 40 CHAPTER 41 CHAPTER 42 CHAPTER 43 CHAPTER 44 CHAPTER 45 CHAPTER 46 CHAPTER 47 CHAPTER 48 CHAPTER 49 CHAPTER 50 CHAPTER 51 CHAPTER 52 CHAPTER 53 CHAPTER 54 CHAPTER 55 CHAPTER 56 CHAPTER 57 CHAPTER 58 CHAPTER 59 CHAPTER 60 CHAPTER 61 CHAPTER 62 CHAPTER 63 CHAPTER 64 CHAPTER 65 CHAPTER 66 CHAPTER 67 CHAPTER 68 CHAPTER 69 Epilogue Acknowledgments THE GOTHIC COLLECTION Other Books By Keri Lake About the Author Playlist You’re All I Want - Cigarettes After Sex Liar - Paramore Memento Mori - Nathaniel Drew X Tom Fox Goodnight Baby - Tarune Achilles Come Down - Gang of Youths Please - Omido, Ex Habit You, The Ocean and Me - Thalles Without You - Lana Del Rey Glass In The Park - Alex Turner Sleepwalk - MOTHICA bad idea! - girl in red Feel Real - Deptford Goth The Secret History - The Chamber Orchestra of London Two Evils - Bastille Bloodstream - Stateless The French Library - Franz Gordon She’s Thunderstorms - Arctic Monkeys Crave You - Robinson Crush - Sebastian Paul Misery - Michigander October - Broken Bells Sextape - Deftones I Would - Coin Romantic Homicide - d4vd nostalgia - Teodor Wolgers we fell in love in october - girl in red Melancholia - Daniel Paterok, Roman Richter Cinnamon Girl - Lana Del Rey Make Me Feel - Elvis Drew Old Letter - Imaginary Poet Run - Coin Without You - Omido, Bibi Silvja Reflections - Toshifumi Hinata Shakespeare - Fink Tell Me The Truth - Two Feet RU Mine - Arctic Monkeys Fuck Em Only We Know - Banks Knee Socks - Arctic Monkeys Not Just A Girl - She Wants Revenge Author’s Note & Triggers Welcome Fellow Nocticadian, Thank you so much for taking a chance on my book 🖤 I hope you enjoy Professor Bramwell and Lilia’s story. Before you slip into this world, I just want to mention that a number of elements featured throughout the book are completely fictional, including the organism, Professor Bramwell’s medical condition, and the species of moth. In order to remain consistent with the pathology, the medical conditions/symptomatology described are also fictional. I’ve included a glossary, for quick reference. In addition, I took liberties with Professor Bramwell’s background and profession as well as the laboratory in order to fit the story I wanted to tell. I fully acknowledge his lab would never pass the accreditation process. This is a dark gothic academia romance. Therefore, you can expect subtle supernatural elements, a dark and atmospheric setting, a slow burn romance, a moody and Byronic/morally gray male lead, and sprinkling of mystery. Like most of my gothic romances, this is a standalone, and since I’m not planning to write additional books for this couple, I decided to hold you captive in this world a little longer. A word of caution … This book contains a number of potentially triggering situations. You can find the full list of trigger warnings-with spoilers-on my website: https://www.kerilake.com/nocticadia-full-trigger-list GLOSSARY & TRANSLATIONS *Casteyon – An element found in the black rock caves on Dracadia island *Jestwood Plant - A plant native to Dracadia which is considered poisonous in high doses *Nocticadia – The name given to the Midnight Lab that studies Noctisoma, specifically *Noctisoma – Long, black worms Dracadia Island October 12, 1753 Lord Adderly had seen plenty of death in his lifetime. As commodore for the Royal Navy, its cloying scent had clogged the back of his throat more times than he could recall. He’d felt its cold vaporous breath skim across his flesh, with a