Grove Captain: Scythe Grove Academy, #0.5

By Laura Greenwood

A competition to become Grove Captain brings Juliet closer to her rival.

Juliet has five days to get as many reaper bounty points as possible if she wants to become Sakura Grove's Captain. 

When Juliet and Tobias find a ghost with unfinished business on the moors, they know it's their duty to help him, even if it means losing the competition. 

Can they find a way to save the ghost and become Grove Captains?


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Grove Captain is a prequel to Scythe Grove Academy, an urban fantasy paranormal academy series featuring reapers, competitive school houses, and a sweet m/f romantic subplot.

If you like heroines who can talk to ghosts, university-age paranormal academy settings, slow-burn friends-to-lovers, and coming-of-age plots, then start the Scythe Grove Academy series today with Shadow Seer.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Drowlgon Press
• Release date: May 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201673970

Laura Greenwood

Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and fantasy romance. When she's not writing, she drinks a lot of tea, tries to resist French macarons, and works towards a diploma in Egyptology. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set. Laura specialises in quick reads, with healthy relationships and consent positive moments regardless of if she's writing light-hearted romance, mythology-heavy urban fantasy, or anything in between. You can find a full book list and more information on her website, or in The Paranormal Council Facebook Group. Happy Reading!

Book preview

Chapter One

The night is surprisingly still, and I have to wonder where all of the other students are. Normally, Scythe Grove is alive with all the hustle and bustle which comes from so many students and no curfews.

I step into the grove at the heart of the academy. I assume it's where the name came from in the first place. The moonlight is causing creepy looking shadows across the ground, but I don't pay them any attention. There's no reason to be uncomfortable here. The grove is full of magic, I can feel it in every part of me. The wood in the grove calls to me, like it does to all the other reapers. I'm not sure what they do to the trees here, but the wood here is tuned to make perfect scythes.

The power makes me miss mine, but I don't need to carry it around unless I'm on an assignment.

Tobias? You there? I call out, looking around for my classmate.

Here. He steps out from between two of the trees with a suspicious amount of dramatic flair.

I roll my eyes. Why does he do this?

Are you ready to tell me why you wanted to meet me at midnight? I ask, crossing my arms and leaning against one of the trees.

Tobias chuckles, a sound which goes right through me. He steps closer, the moonlight illuminating his handsome features. Don't you want a midnight rendezvous, Juliet? he asks.

I'd rather have them with someone who will follow through, I quip.

Who says I won't? His voice is low, almost as if he's interested in being more than just friends.

I lean in, leaving our faces only inches apart. Past experience. I push away from the tree and begin to pace up and down. So, what do you want?

To ask you to join my team for Grove Captain.

The words stop me in my tracks, and I turn to face him. I'm sure my expression betrays my shock, as he shrugs it off. What?

Grove Captain is normally held by final years.

Yes. But there are no rules about it. I checked.

That doesn't mean we're qualified to do it.

"Really? You're going to try that excuse? You're the best in our class."

I'm not sure that makes me suitable to be Sakura's Grove Captain. Though now I'm saying it, that does sound like the kind of thing I'd be good at. And it would look great on my CV when I apply for jobs once I'm done here at Scythe Grove. I want a position in the Reaper Guard, and to get that, I need to have everything I can in my corner. Being one of the youngest Grove Captains in the history of the academy would definitely be that.

You'd be the best Captain Sakura has ever seen. No one would do a better job.

Careful, I might start thinking you like me, I joke.

"I do like you, he points out. Or I wouldn't be asking you to do something so important with me. You know how it works."

I nod. No one can compete for Grove Captain on their own, and the rules state that each person of the two-man team has to be from a different Grove. I think it's to stop there being any true splits between the Groves, just healthy competition.

Have you told Mathias about your plan? I ask, curious as to why he isn't asking his twin to be his partner for this crazy plan. Mathias may not be able to beat me in tests, but he's still a good Porter.

Yes. He thought it was a great idea.

I raise an eyebrow. Surprising. I begin pacing again to cover up my racing thoughts. A big part of me wants to say yes to him. It's just competing. If we're successful, then we become the Grove Captains for Sakura and Ilex for the year. If we lose, then we can try again next year, or the one after.

Mathias doesn't want responsibility, he points out.

It would make him a girl magnet.

Tobias snorts. "He likes the attention, but