The Lightborn: A Why Choose Academy Romance (Verdant Hills Academy)

By: Tuesday Dube

Being a cosmic target is exhausting. For a decade, my mother and I played hide-and-seek with the universe's most powerful stalkers: the Council, the Awakened, and even the gods themselves (because apparently, deities have too much free time). I mastered the art of being no one, lying, disappearing, and suppressing the powers that made me public enemy number one.But fate's a petty drama queen that won't take no for an answer. One Soul-Eater attack later, and KA-BOOM, my powers throw a rave in front of the very people I've spent years avoiding. Enter the Elite Squad, a dysfunctional superhero team straight out of a soap opera casting call:

Xan: broody, controlling, and probably has a PhD in 'I'm Always Right.'

Jaxon: sweet as poison, hiding enough power to level a city behind that 'nice guy' smile.

Lucky: fiery chaos with abs, thinks rules are just suggestions.

Tobias: rockstar playboy charming, and crazy wrapped in a grin.

Vincent: dark, mysterious, and suspicious. Holds a grudge like a pitbull.

And Lennox: lurking in shadows like a ninja with a trust fund, always three steps ahead of everyone's drama.

They're the heirs to the Council, the men who turned my family tree into kindling. So naturally, we're stuck together like glue on a kindergarten craft project.Now I'm enrolled at Verdant Hills Academy, a "safe haven" that's really just a cage with better lighting. Here, bloodlines beat truth, the Council pulls strings like cosmic puppeteers, and everyone knows who I am, The Oracle heir, a traitor's daughter, the Fate's favorite chew toy.I tried keeping a low profile. Tried not to matter. Tried really hard not to accidentally end the world. The Council wants to leash me, the soul eaters want to eat me, and the Fates want their prophecy fulfilled, no matter what. And the Squad? The closer they get, the harder it is to decide what's more dangerous, the prophecy slowly strangling me, or these idiots standing close enough to break my heart before destiny gets its turn.Because the gods don't care if I survive. They just want their prophecy fulfilled, no matter how many bodies pile up along the way."Saving humanity? Hard.Surviving Verdant Hills Academy? Harder.Trying not to fall for the six walking red flags destined to ruin my life?Yeah. That's probably the part that'll kill me.THE LIGHTBORN is the first book in the Verdant Hills Academy series, a full-length paranormal fantasy romance featuring dangerous magic, academy politics, found family, morally gray heirs, monster attacks, slow-burn tension, and why choose romance. Don't expect a neat little chosen-one story; Rocky's destiny is bloody, complicated, wildly inconvenient, and full of people she absolutely should not want.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H1JP76T2
• ISBN13: 9798995979807
• Release Date: June 2026
• Publisher: Purple Ink Publishing
• Length: 370 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.8" x 6.0"