Court of Moonlight and Shadows: A Gothic Dark Academia Fantasy Romance (Nightshade University Book 1) by Poppy Ireland

Author:Poppy Ireland [Ireland, Poppy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Romantasy Publishing
Published: 2023-10-04T16:00:00+00:00

Twelve

Sarielle Blackwood

The library was sparsely populated and silent, the perfect sanctuary for reflection. I was nestled in a corner, a leather-bound history book opened in front of me, but my thoughts were far from the pages. Instead, I found myself reliving that electrifying moment, pressed against the tree with Lysander’s breath warm on my neck. The tip of my pen danced on the paper, tapping a staccato beat as my mind replayed every detail. How close he was. How desperately I wanted to close the gap between us.

My thoughts scattered as I heard the scraping of a chair next to me. I glanced over to find my brother, his striking blue hair standing out against his white tee. The golden hue from the table lamp shone on the scar that trailed his cheek.

“Shouldn’t you be studying?” he remarked, his gaze skimming over the blank page of my notebook. The hint of admonishment in his voice made my grip tighten on the pen.

“When are you going to stop babysitting me?” I snapped, not even bothering to conceal my irritation. “It’s been a week.”

Rook’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he took a moment. “When I’m sure you won’t go running off with some Dusk Court asshole, doing gods know what.”

I rolled my eyes, leaning back in my chair. “Nothing happened, Rook.”

At least not that time.

“From what I saw, it looked like something was about to happen,” he retorted, his blue eyes hard.

Lirien smiled brightly from her seat across the table, clearly enjoying the increased attention from my brother. Rook had been following me—and by extension, her—everywhere now. And if it wasn’t annoying enough to have him hovering over me like a parent, I had to watch her send him adoring glances every few minutes.

The library’s ambiance felt oppressive all of a sudden. Each whisper from the adjacent tables, the rustling of pages, the soft thud of a book being placed back on the shelf—it all accentuated the growing tension between my brother and me.

I attempted to steer the conversation in a neutral direction. “Can we please not do this here? This isn’t the place.”

Rook’s fingers drummed on the table, his frustration evident. “Then when, Sarielle? When do we address the fact that you’re endangering yourself by getting close to someone from the Dusk Court?”

I was cornered, both by the confinements of the library and my brother’s unwavering protective stance. “I’m not a child, Rook. I can handle myself.”

He sighed, running a hand through his vivid hair. “I know you can. But as your brother, it’s my duty to protect you, even if it means from yourself.”

Oh, if he only knew the true dangers I was facing, cross-court dating would be the least of his concerns.

“Fine.” I exhaled sharply. “So I flirted a bit with Lysander, but nothing happened. I’m not a naive little Fae, Rook.” I shifted in my seat. “I might belong to Moon Court now, but never forget, I was raised in the Dawn Court. Those rules? They were drilled into me from the moment I could understand words.

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