The Cardinal Code
Avery Sterling
Publication date: August 4th 2025
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Vampires are real. Powerful, organized, and nearly untouchable, they move through society under the governance of the Cardinalis Order—an ancient system built to protect their kind and punish those who defy its laws.
Michael Chamberlain is one of them. A successful entrepreneur with a carefully buried past, he returns to The Hamptons to take over his father’s elite nightclub—and to secure a contracted blood source. Cold, controlled, and emotionally detached, Michael has long accepted the rules of his world. That is, until he meets Paislee Sullivan.
A determined college student working to fund her future, Paislee doesn’t know the truth about the Order—or that her presence at the nightclub is more dangerous than she realizes. When her path collides with Michael’s, she’s pulled into the shadows of a world built on power, secrecy, and blood.
As their attraction deepens, Paislee must navigate a society where consent is contractual, love is forbidden, and ignorance offers the only safety. But some connections can’t be denied—and breaking the rules could mean losing everything.
The Cardinal Code is a seductive and high-stakes romance set in a world where the elite don’t just run society—they feed on it.
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EXCERPT:
As they pulled into her uncle’s driveway, the house was shrouded in darkness.
Michael killed the engine and was out of the car in an instant. She fumbled for her keys and was surprised when he opened her door.
“Thanks,” she murmured, taking his outstretched hand as she stepped onto the driveway.
“How’s your ankle?”
She tested it. “Actually, it’s not that bad. Thanks for the ride.”
“Let me walk you in,” he offered.
Her heart thudded in her chest. “That’s…really not necessary.”
His lips quirked. “You have to let me finish redeeming myself, Paislee.”
With a dramatic sigh, she dangled her keys in front of him. “Very well, Sir Knightly. Here.”
Michael unlocked the front door, and they stepped into the house. His gaze swept over the modest furnishings as she turned on the lights.
“How long have you been working at Allusion?” he asked, pausing in the living room.
“A couple of weeks.” She slid her bag off her shoulder and set it on a nearby chair. “I came here for school. Allusion helps pay the bills.”
He stepped further into the room.
She busied herself with slipping off her sneakers, but the silence stretched long enough that she turned around.
He was inches away, his eyes dark and unreadable.
Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly changed the subject. “So, am I safe? No danger lurking in the shadows of my house?”
Michael reached for the strap on her skirt, and his fingers traced it slowly before he hooked it and tugged her forward.
“Why do you look so frightened?” he murmured, his brow furrowing.
“I’m not frightened,” she shot back, though her trembling hands betrayed her.
He arched a brow. “You’re shaking.”
Her cheeks burned. “Because I know you’re going to kiss me,” she admitted.
His lips curved into a slow, wicked smile. “Last night, you didn’t seem so afraid of me.”
Her resolve ebbed as his face inched closer. “That was impulsive,” she whispered. “Now I’m just…questioning what I’ve gotten myself into.”
He laughed softly, and the sound was rich and unguarded. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into, ducizza,” he breathed.
Author Bio:
Avery Sterling's love for the romance genre began in her teen years when she picked up her first novel. She was captivated by the sweeping scale of emotions brought about by the words. The experience catapulted her towards learning the art of wielding a breathtaking adventure, with a love that felt authentic. Wanting to inspire people with her own thoughts and words, she finished her first novel at sixteen. It was a step towards understanding the essence of what she wished to create.
Most of her youth was spent traveling, searching out the romance and beauty in her everchanging world. From the waves that crashed against the rocky shores of Downeast, Maine, to the warm breezes of the Caribbean, she discovered that love was universal, apparent in its grandest and simplest of forms. Her goal is to write novels an audience can relate to, one that conveys the truth and nature of love… with all that steamy romance.
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