Codename: Aconite Chapter Sixty-Two

Codename: Aconite Chapter Sixty-Two
Silas takes my hand and starts guiding me through the kitchen and then…outside? We walk slowly as he guides me across a gravel path helping me down small steps or ridges every now and then as I resist the urge to open my eyes.

“I’m dying to know where you got your fashion sense from.”

“That’s random,” he says in amusement.

“Come on, you dress like a deadly fashion model, and your parents – while both very attractive – dress casual, like they spend their time gardening, not killing people. Unless they bury the bodies in the garden, which would make more sense.”

Silas chuckles, “Dad has always preferred that rugged, lumberjack kind of look. Mum is very simple and doesn’t like overstated clothes. She’s never been a fan of dresses, but she wears them for special occasions just because she loves seeing my dad’s face when she puts them on.”

“They seem so cute together, and so nice. Like really nice. Not what I expected at all.”

“I told you my mother was a sweet lady,” he says proudly.

“Yeah, but some people are blinded when it comes to family. I thought they’d be more abrasive.”

“Like your mother?” he teases.

“Actually, yes. You may have noticed the women in my family are hard asses.”

“And I like that about them, and I love that about you,” he says, planting a kiss on my cheek.

After we walk a little further, we come to a stop. I try to listen for anything to give me a hint as to what is going on, but there’s nothing except the sound of bugs doing their thing and leaves rustling in the breeze.

“Can I open my eyes now?”

“Okay, you can open them,” he says with a nervous exhale.

I open my eyes and keep opening them wider and wider when I take in the breathtaking sight before me. I look from the structure to Silas, impressed his family owns one of this size considering he’s never mentioned it before.

“It’s for you. I asked my parents to have it built before we arrived. I wanted it to be a surprise,” he says tentatively. “Do you like it?”

I look from him to the structure in disbelief. “You…built me a greenhouse?”

“I don’t want to presume anything, but I hope one day you can see this as your home too, at least some of the time, and I want you to feel welcome and know how serious I am. So this is my gift to you.”

I stare up at the incredible-sized, glass structure supported by aesthetically pleasing black framework. The whole thing is large enough to be used as a second house…and it’s mine. I walk forward, open the door and step inside, my breath catching in my throat as I take in the layout. Going around the entire perimeter of the greenhouse and filling the entire space are stunning garden beds of light sandstone, just waiting to be filled. Fans have been built into several glass panels for better air filtration and every piece of framework is lined with rows of sprinklers. There’s a large workstation at the far end, with two laboratory refrigerators and even a gorgeous little sitting area made from wicker chairs and tables with cushions. The perfect spot to sit and relax with a cup of tea. It’s absolutely perfect in every way. It’s my dream greenhouse!

I turn to look at Silas, standing in the doorway watching me with anxious eyes.

“Please say something before I have a heart attack.”

I run over, jumping up and wrapping my arms and legs around him as I crash my lips on his, capturing his lips in a consuming kiss, pouring every ounce of love and appreciation I have for this man into it. He wraps his arms around me, returning my kiss as he holds me close.

When we finally come up for air we are both all smiles as I lay my forehead against his. “It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, and the most wonderful gift anyone has ever given me.”

He tucks my hair behind my ear, looking into my eyes with unfathomable love and devotion that makes my heart want to soar out of my chest.

“I love you, Dasha. I vow to always love you. Whatever insanity comes our way, we’ll fight it together. No matter what, I will always be there for you. Nothing will ever take me away from you, not even poisons or bullets,” he says with a cheeky smile.

I chuckle, setting myself back on my feet as I hold his perfect face in my hands, brushing my thumbs tenderly across his cheeks. “I love you, Silas. I think I loved you the first moment I saw you, and no matter how dangerous things got, it only made me love you more. I can’t see me living a day without you.”

“And you’ll never have to. If we go, we go together,” he vows, not a drop of hesitation in his voice.

“Only if we get to go out in a blaze of glory,” I grin mischievously.

“Is there any other kind?” he asks as he places his lips on mine once more, his arms engulfing me as I surrender to his kisses.

From the moment we met, Silas turned my world upside down and I haven’t regretted it for a single moment. As I stand here in the embrace of the man I’ve come to love, one thing is clear: Silas is neither my destruction nor my salvation. He is as much a vampire of his own heart as I am of mine. Whatever happens next, we will not save each other, but walk through hell hand in hand, and laugh as we are welcomed by the devil himself.

If we are going to hell, then we will dance in the flames of our sins.
.
\[The following chapters are book 3 in the Codename Trilogy\]

CODENAME: HELLFIRE

We all wear masks… for some, those masks are worn to keep us from seeing who the real monsters are. But what defines a monster?

Elisabetta Bressett has always seen the world through cold, callous eyes that she hides behind a veil of normalcy. Growing up under the tutelage of generations of assassins who came before her, she always knew she was different to all of them.

Morals and feelings hold little to no value for Elisabetta, but loyalty is paramount. To those who have earned her loyalty, there is nothing she won’t do…and she’s about to prove how true that is.

For decades, The Tournament has acted as judge, jury and executioner in the world of hired killers, endangering the lives of her family on more than one occasion. With the blood and scars of her foremothers and forefathers blazing like an inferno in her mind, she will seek out to do what no one has done before.

Empires rise and fall, and Elisabetta will incinerate this one in the flames of her vengeance and burn anyone who stands in her way. 

\[Codename: Hellfire will begin serialising exclusively on Ream in the coming months and will later be added to platforms such as this. Codename: Blackheart is currently available in paperback, and Aconite will be available in paperback by the end of the year.\]