Page 73 of Wild Flame

Malik nodded. “There are too many similarities to dismiss. It is part of why I asked you all here. You were each present during the attack on Three Points. I thought perhaps you might have picked up on something I might have overlooked.”

“What similarities?” I asked, not wanting to interrupt but feeling like if I was going to contribute anything to this conversation, I needed to at least understand why Malik thought the two incidents were connected. Helene had told me some things about the incident, after all, but not everything.

I was grateful no one seemed annoyed at my confusion.

It was Rin who answered me. “The riders that were forced to bond and attack the mountain were only partially aware of what they were doing. They were in a drugged, semiconscious state, almost as if they were being controlled.”

“I’ve personally questioned the alchemist who aided Mercedes, and all the children and adults who were kidnapped and forced to bond,” Rakim said. “Each was given many variations of a potion before one actually worked. And many of the ones that failed caused people and dragons to sicken and die. Thankfully, all the rogue riders have now lost their bonds to the dragons completely, and the dragons have been set free. So far, there do not seem to be any lasting effects.”

“If this is something similar,” Taj said, “then perhaps Ramin was being controlled by a potion of some kind?”

“Mercedes called it an elixir,” Rin clarified. “She even admitted that she and her mysterious partner had been working on several. When I woke up on the mountain after she kidnapped me and Skye, I had several cuts on my arms and found out later I had been experimented on while I was unconscious. The alchemist she was working with said they hadeven tried pouring it directly into my blood, but it didn’t affect me because I was already bonded.”

“Mysterious partner?” I asked.

Rin grimaced. “When I discovered Mercedes was behind the attack, she mentioned having a partner, and she wasn’t talking about the alchemist. All we know about him is that he’s male. We also assume he is a dragon rider since she would not have been able to find Three Points without a rider’s help in the first place.”

“But Mercedes’ goal was to forge a false bond. Not to control people’s minds,” Helene pointed out. “Can we really assume the two attacks are connected?”

“It might not have been the goal, but it was a side effect,” Rin said. “It wasn’t controlling them completely, but they became suggestible. Whoever was helping Mercedes probably realized that and abandoned the goal of creating more dragon riders in favor of something even more heinous.”

“What were the symptoms of those who were given the elixirs?” Taj asked. “The ones that failed.”

Rin’s expression turned contemplative. “Dry, peeling skin, unnaturally red bloodshot eyes, sweating and uncharacteristic strength—”

“Red eyes?” I blurted.

Everyone looked at me.

Rin’s eyebrows rose. “Yes . . . why?”

My cheeks warmed. “It’s nothing, well . . . maybe not nothing.” My mind was suddenly whirling as I tried to organize my thoughts. But something had clicked into place for me when Rin said that.

“What is it, Leida?” Malik asked.

“Fleshfire,” I finally explained. “The Fleshfire addict that ran into me in the street that night. He looked unwell. He was sweating, and he had unnaturally red eyes . . . and you told me that Fleshfire addicts experience blackouts as well. They havevery similar symptoms.” I looked to Rin. “Close to what you are describing.”

Malik’s eyes flicked between us, considering. “It could be a coincidence, but I never thought to compare the two.”

“There have been no unusual reports surrounding Fleshfire—either the drug itself or those taking it. At least, no more than any other substance,” Taj argued. “Nothing to suggest people are being controlled or manipulated while using it. Except the blackouts, and if you have too much, itcankill you. The only unusual thing is how suddenly it appeared on the market and how rapidly it has taken hold.”

“Still, it’s worth looking into,” Malik stated. “I don’t believe in coincidences.” He looked at me, a glint of pride in his eyes, and my chest warmed. “Fleshfire is the best theory we have, even if it’s just speculation. We will have to start investigating it more thoroughly. I want to know where it’s coming from, who the suppliers are, and what’s in it. Maybe then we can find out if it was in fact used on Ramin and who is behind the attack.”

“Did you notice anything odd about Ramin’s eyes when you first spoke to him after the attack?” Taj asked Malik.

Malik shook his head. “No, but that was some time afterward when he was himself again and it had likely worn off.”

I suddenly thought of something else— “Astrid!” I blurted.

Everyone looked at me.

“Astrid?” Malik repeated, looking slightly confused. “Your maid?”

I nodded. “Remember when we found her in the corridor with Salim and thought she was drunk or might have been drugged? Her eyes were unnaturally red and bloodshot, and then she dealt with a fever and chills the next day, so much so that she had to stay in bed. And she couldn’t remember what had happened to her . . . her memory was spotty.”

“You believe she was drugged with Fleshfire?”

“It seems likely.”

---