Scandalous Affairs

Spoiler Notice: This page reveals major plot points from Chapter 17 of Enchantra (Wicked Games Book 2). Proceed only if you’ve read up to this point or don’t mind spoilers.

Summary

During Knox’s debauched masquerade, Rowin drags Genevieve into a shadowed alcove and nearly succumbs to passion before he stops, revealing the passion fruit they both consumed is a potent aphrodisiac. He melts into darkness to avoid losing control. Genevieve wanders the party, witnessing Rowin’s siblings in explicit acts. Sevin tells her Rowin went upstairs. Upstairs she finds a vampiric orgy and later Rowin being tied to a bedpost by a flame-haired woman named Gwen, who was helping him resist the drug. Genevieve confronts him; tension explodes. Rowin challenges her to show him how she pleasures herself, then refuses to touch her, fulfilling his promise to “make her come” without physical contact. Furious, she vanishes through a wall. Hours of dancing follow before Cedric ambushes her in a powder room. She escapes with her ghost powers just as Rowin and Sevin burst in. Rowin deals with Cedric while ordering Genevieve to wait with his family. Downstairs, Knox admits he spiked them as a “gift.” Genevieve invokes Salem’s name, terrifying the Devil. At midnight the clock chimes, her magic is suppressed, and the Hunt begins.

Key Events

Rowin halts the alcove encounter, explaining the passion fruit’s prolonged, irresistible magic.
Genevieve observes the sexual chaos among Rowin’s siblings and other guests.
She discovers Rowin with Gwen, who was restraining him so he wouldn’t seek Genevieve.
The two negotiate a no-strings, physical-only arrangement; Rowin has her demonstrate self-touch but refuses to physically join her while the drug lingers.
Genevieve turns invisible and ghosts through the wall to escape, then dances for hours to burn off the passion fruit.
Cedric corners her in the powder room, but she turns incorporeal; Rowin and Sevin arrive and threaten him.
Knox reveals the passion fruit was his wedding gift, and Genevieve drops Salem’s name, making Knox pale and offer a future bargain.
The clock strikes midnight; magic is suppressed and the Hunt commences.

Character Development

Genevieve grapples with her own desires versus the magical compulsion, learns Rowin’s limits, and wields her newfound name-dropping power with Salem. Her resourceful use of invisibility to escape Cedric and her defiance of Knox show her growing agency. Rowin demonstrates intense self-control, protecting Genevieve even while fighting his own lust. His insistence on “no strings” reveals a fear of emotional entanglement. Knox shifts from amused host to uneasy Devil when Salem is mentioned, hinting at larger infernal hierarchies. Cedric escalates from a nuisance to a violent threat, underlining the real danger behind the house’s games.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Passion Fruit as Toxic Desire: The fruit literalizes unchecked lust, stripping away consent and forcing characters to confront what they’d normally hide.
Shadows and Restraint: Rowin’s shadows both arouse and bind; here they symbolise the control that passion endangers. Gwen tying him to the bedpost mirrors that theme.
Masks and Identity: The masquerade setting exposes hidden natures—Cedric’s aggression, Knox’s manipulation, and Genevieve’s power as a Specter.
Power and Bargains: From Cedric’s bribe to Knox’s offer, the chapter reinforces that deals and debts drive this world’s conflicts.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 17 acts as a crucible for the central relationship. The passion-fruit crisis tests Rowin’s discipline and Genevieve’s boundaries, redefining their uneasy alliance with a frank negotiation of physical pleasure without emotional ties. It also escalates external threats: Cedric’s assault shows that the mansion’s dangers aren’t just magical, and Knox’s reaction to Salem’s name plants a seed for future leverage. Finally, the chapter transitions seamlessly from the party’s erotic chaos into the life-or-death stakes of the Hunt, leaving Genevieve powerless and vulnerable right as the real game begins.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Rowin refuse to touch Genevieve even after she follows him upstairs?
Rowin explains that the passion fruit would compel them to couple for hours, clouding their judgment. He holds back both to preserve her genuine consent and to avoid being trapped by the drug’s influence, ultimately proving he values control over succumbing to the magic.
How does Genevieve escape Cedric in the powder room, and what does it reveal about her abilities?
She turns invisible and passes bodily through him and the wall, using her Specter lineage. This moment reinforces that she can slip physical restraints and threats when she concentrates, a skill that will be crucial in the Hunt.
What does Knox’s reaction to Salem’s name suggest about Devil politics?
Knox instantly loses his smug composure, calling Salem “the Prince” and referring to his return from exile. This indicates Salem holds significant authority among Devils, giving Genevieve an unexpected shield in Infernal society.