the woods.”
Something flashed in her dark eyes, making me pry when I probably shouldn’t. “That sounds like there’s a story there.”
“Oh, there is.” She moved closer, our dresses blending as we walked over manicured grass. “A very juicy story. One that involved me naked in a tree and Jethro chasing me on horseback.”
“That does sound juicy.”
She licked her lips. “Can...can I ask you a question?”
“Okay.”
“Is it true that Sullivan created a drug that enables countless orgasms?”
I stiffened. “Where did you hear that?”
“Rumours have a tendency of trickling through all societies.” She rubbed her lips. “Is it true?”
“Well, he’s a pharmaceutical owner. He’s created a great many things.”
Nila nodded with a smirk. “How many orgasms does it give?”
My tension faded a little, sensing her curiosity and not judgment. I felt at ease with her as I did with Jess. Seemed even ladies in castles liked to talk about sex.
I quirked an eyebrow. “How many do you think you could handle in one night?”
She bit her lip, playfulness on her face. “Oh, I don’t know. Six? Seven?”
“Try twenty. Thirty.”
“Holy shit.” She stopped walking. “You’d die.”
“You’re definitely catatonic afterward.”
“Is it safe?”
“No.” I gathered up a handful of my dress. “That’s why he destroyed the vials he had left.”
“Oh.” Disappointment clouded her face. “Did it work on men?”
I flushed, thinking about Sully the morning I’d fed him elixir and the explosive sex we’d shared. The lust of it. The obsession of it. The danger of it. “Oh, yes. Yes, it definitely worked on men.”
It worked so well, Sully almost died.
I almost died.
Jess almost died.
Elixir was poison hiding behind promises.
“Have you and your husband taken it?” Nila asked.
I nodded. I was sure the heated memories in my eyes gave her all the information she needed to know.
“I can imagine it was something.”
“It was something alright.” I stepped toward the glowing hall again.
“It’s a shame it doesn’t exist anymore. It would’ve been fun to have a night of debauchery. Jethro and I have a very active nightlife, but...I’d like to see just how wild he could become if he only had one thing to focus on and not hear so many things.”
“Hear?”
“Oh.” She waved her gloved hand. “Hear isn’t the right word. He feels more than he hears. Senses, really. He’s much, much better these days, but sometimes, I know he struggles. I’d like one night when he could just switch off and only have one desire. One thought. One need. It would be such a novel experience for him.”
The way she said it made my heart squeeze. She loved her husband. She loved him as much as I loved Sully. It made me want to help, even if I didn’t fully understand how. “Elixir was destroyed because it was far too potent, but...Sully made something in its place.” I kept my voice low even though we were alone. “It’s called cinta. Indonesian for love. It’s nowhere near as dangerous, but it does amplify the lust already between you and your partner, and grants stamina to enjoy each other for longer than usual.”
“What’s it like?”
“It’s like...” I paused, doing my best to describe it. “If a couple who had no lust for one another took it, they might get a small burn to be together. But if a couple already wants each other—if there is that undeniable crackle of chemistry that links your blood to his...it’s incredible. It takes your natural lust and amplifies it. It becomes everything. Every touch is foreplay. Every kiss is...well—” I blushed. “Let’s just say, if you want your husband as much as I want mine, a kiss can be orgasmic. Unlike elixir, cinta doesn’t overload your system with fake desire but magnifies your own to the point where it’s impossible to ignore.”
I smiled, remembering the first time Sully had given us a dose on our wedding night. Still healing from broken bones and muscles weak from his coma, cinta had ensured we’d consummated our marriage extremely thoroughly.
We didn’t use it every time we had sex—Sully was walking elixir to me without needing other stimulants—but on those nights when it was just us, and we fancied stepping into a world of myth with a VR fantasy—where any place and any time could be experienced—we’d dabble.
We’d share a drop of cinta and lose ourselves to nothing but love and lust.
I thought about what I’d packed in our suitcase. What I’d brought, just in case Sully and I needed a break from England before we were able to go home.
“Wow, sounds great.” Nila