Wild Ember was one of the oldest aphrodisiac compounds ever brewed. Illegal in all major kingdoms. Once used by noblewomen to seduce warlords—or by warlords to ruin noblewomen.
It didn’t merely arouse. It unraveled.
It lowered inhibition, distorted power dynamics, and heightened need to the point of madness. In small doses, it could be masked. In high doses, it could reduce even the most composed mind to primal instinct.
It wasn’t designed to please.
It was designed to strip control.
Sophia broke the dried root between her fingers, and breathed its smoky fragrance.
“It smells like cinnamon and venom,” she noted.
“Because it is venom,” Remi muttered. “One whiff too deep and you’ll forget your own name.”
The powder was carefully measured off, and added to the hot extract, after which
