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“No.” My jaw clenched. “I haven’t seen anyone else. I’ll explain everything inside.”

Cass tugged my arm and made a tsking sound with her tongue. “You were smart to come to me first. Don’t think I didn’t notice your hands. I have some salve that will help with those cuts.”

I pressed my palms into the fabric around my waist. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing! You’re bruised all over. And you look dead on your feet.” Cass sucked in a breath. “Sorry. That came out weird. You don't look dead. You look— ”

I shrugged. “I’ve looked worse.”

Cass flattened her lips, probably afraid to say anything else, and led me into the conservatory through an iron door.

It creaked on its hinges, then settled heavily back into place.

The scent of flowers and earth assailed my senses, and humidity thickened the air.

I followed her into a cooler section of the building where a giant stone fountain spilled water from the mouth of a cherub statue perched on a lily pad.

A mountain of cushions and blankets was nestled in a shadowy corner where the sunlight was blocked by dense foliage pressed against the glass walls.

“Have a seat. Do you want tea?” Cass wrung her hands and let out a pained laugh. “Listen to me, offering you tea when a few minutes ago, I thought you were dead.” She paused for a breath. “But seriously, do you want tea?”

“Do you have anything stronger?”

“Absolutely!” she said, appearing grateful I’d asked. “I make my own wine. It’s infused with elderberries. You’ll love it… I think.” Her eyebrows drew together as if she wasn’t certain she knew anything anymore.

I offered her a strained smile. “I’ll love it.”

She hurried toward a sideboard that was set with glasses and a pitcher of burgundy liquid.

“I didn't expect to find you here,” I said as she poured us each a glass. “You’re supposed to be traveling the kingdoms, not living at your brother’s estate.”

Cass dropped a handful of fresh berries into our glasses, then tipped her head back with a sigh.

“A lot’s happened since… well, since you died.

But I like it here. I have my own space where I never cross paths with my degenerate brother.

And this place is completely self-sufficient.

I grow my own fo od, sell exotic flowers to collectors, and I get to work on my mixtures. ”

I accepted the glass she handed me and gently sniffed the fragrant wine. “They say you’re a witch.”

Cass collapsed onto a cushion, holding her wine up so it wouldn’t spill. “A budding witch! Pun intended. It’s because of my botanical potions.”

She gestured to the swaths of ivy draped along the walls. A few of the vines even hung by our cushions, creeping and crawling across the floor.

“This is still a secret project, but I’ve developed an infusion that allows plants to absorb and store natural elements for later use.

Take sunlight, for example, when my mixture is poured into the soil, it seals the light inside the leaves.

After dark, if you run your fingers over the ivy, the leaves glow with the captured sunlight. ”

“That’s amazing, Cass. I'm so proud of you.”

Cass flushed and sipped her wine. “I’ve had a lot of time on my hands. But enough about me.” Her tone sharpened. “We thought you were dead, Marin. We mourned you. Where have you been?”

I took a deep drink from my glass, stalling another moment. Closing my eyes, I savored the burst of flavor on my tongue, sweet and tangy. I hadn't tasted anything beyond bitter seaweed in years.

“It’s a long story, and it doesn’t start on the ship or after I fell, but years ago, before I met any of you. It began with a witch, the evil kind, not the budding kind.”

Cass stifled a smile and let me tell my story. Three full glasses of wine later, she deflated against the cushions and made a shocked noise inside her throat .

“An underwater prison? Mermaids? I can't believe it. And you think Gavin betrayed you?”

”I know he did. I saw his note. It was in his handwriting, Cass. He was the only other person who knew about the comb, and he conspired with the witch. We all know he spent the evening with her, and probably the night too. He stumbled back to the inn the next morning, covered in that map.”

Cass chewed the corner of her lip, the lines in her forehead deepening. “I remember. But he paid her for the map. We all pooled our money together, so we had enough for her fee.”

I scoffed. “And in the end, the witch got her money’s worth and then some.”

She rolled onto her side, tipsy from the wine.

“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, and to be honest, I haven’t seen anyone from our crew in years.

After that last hunt…” She laughed bitterly.

“Things were said—stuff we couldn't take back.

We all walked away. Bowen went full recluse, Gavin dropped off the map, and the only one I know about is Reid.

And that's because he writes for the Gazette now, and I steal the paper from my brother.”

Her gaze softened. “But Marin, even though we all drifted apart, Gavin—he never would have—”

“It doesn’t matter! What’s done is done, and I’m not interested in playing detective where Gavin is concerned. I only have a few weeks to find the shard and break my curse. I’ll die if I don’t, and I won’t go back.” A breath shuddered in my lungs. “I can’t.”

Cass reached for my hand, but I jerked it away. Red liquid sloshed from my glass and spilled onto the floor. Sympathy pooled in her eyes, and I dropped my gaze.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to stain your cushions. ”

“It’s okay, Marin. I shouldn’t have pressed you.

We won’t mention what happened in the past. We’ll only focus on the future.

I promise.” Cass crawled out of the mound of pillows and stumbled to her feet.

“You said you’re looking for magical seeds?

Well, you came to the right greenhouse.” She flung her arms out to encompass the vast array of plants.

“You have them here?” I breathed, excitement threading my tone.

“Oh.” Cass frowned. “No, I don’t. I can see how you thought that, though. We should have gone easier on the wine. Paired with your sudden arrival, it’s really messing with my head.”

She wasn’t wrong. I’d only had my legs back for a few hours, and I could hardly use them. My eyelids felt heavy, and while the wine had helped with the throbbing aches in my muscles, it made my mind groggy.

“But you know where I can find some?” I asked, letting my head drop against a cushion. The softness of the pillow felt like heaven, and I snuggled deeper against it.

“Yes. There's a wealthy collector who has a few. His name is Atticus Stonebridge. I sold him some of the glowing fungi I found in that cavern on our last hunt. We’re well acquainted. The seeds are privileged information, though. They’re also locked inside a vault with the rest of his collection, and he won't part with them.”

“So, we have to sneak in and steal them?”

“Yes, and switch them with a decoy so he doesn't notice they're missing.

He'll ask questions if he hears rumors of a giant stalk shooting out of the ground.” Cass drummed her fingers on her glass.

“But stealing them won't be as simple as finding the vault and picking the lock. The door is sealed with an enchantment that requires identification. Atticus keeps a monocle hidden in the pocket of his jacket, embedded with a magical eye, which serves as the key. However, it can only be activated when he breathes onto the glass.”

“That’s kind of creepy,” I said, my voice slurring from exhaustion and wine.

Cass plucked the glass from my hand before I dropped it in my lap. “It’s very creepy. Even if we swipe the monocle, we have no way of using it.”

“I’m sure we can think of something.”

“Maybe with lots of time. But we have to act fast. Atticus hosts themed parties at his estate every other weekend. The next one is in three days. I always get an invitation, but I never go. Being elusive adds to my mystique.”

“I think you’re cultivating those rumors on purpose. You enjoy being mysterious, don’t you?”

Cass winked. “Guilty as charged.”

She disappeared into the shadows of the conservatory, then reappeared holding an invitation and a tin of salve.

“The next theme is based around an incredibly rare rose called the Noctis Pearl. They’re stunning.

The petals are pearly white and rimmed with black.

It's a masquerade ball, so we’ll need masks.

” Her nose wrinkled at the kelp still binding my chest. “And gowns. Until then, you can borrow some of my clothes and whatever else you need.”

Cass knelt by my side and dipped her fingers into the tin. I was too tired to protest as she rubbed the soothing cream over my hands.

“Don’t worry, Marin. Everything is going to be all right. You’re not alone anymore.”

It was a nice sentiment, but I wasn’t sure I believed her. Cass’s calming words drifted over me. Three weeks was all I had, and now that I was home, I wanted to succeed more than ever.

Steal the seeds, then steal the shard.

My life depended on it.

The salve made my fingers tingle, and I let my eyes drift shut. When I opened them again, hours had passed, and the conservatory was bathed in darkness except for a few strings of glowing ivy hanging near Cass’s workbench.

Deep in concentration, she was hunched over a glass tube, mixing the opaque contents with a metal stirrer. The ivy lit her workspace, and when the glow dimmed, she reached up to rub a leaf between her fingers. The glow brightened back to life, and she dipped her head, continuing to work.

The organic lights reminded me of the twinkling anemones clinging to the ceiling of my cell. I rolled onto my side, spying a change of clothes Cass had folded by the foot of the cushions. There was also a pair of worn boots next to a basin of water.

A vine tickled my temple, and I brushed it away before deciding to try her light trick for myself.

I rubbed my thumb and forefinger over one of the smooth, waxy leaves.

A glimmer of light burst from the leaf, but I frowned in surprise when my fingers came away wet.

Droplets of red liquid beaded on the surface of the vine where I’d touched it.

Unbelievable.

It was the remnants of the wine I’d spilled earlier. The potion worked on light and liquid. My breath stalled as an idea hit me.

I propped myself up on my elbow. “Cass, about your plant infusion, do you think it would work on a puff of air? Like a breath? ”

Cass paused stirring her vial, and her head popped up. “I don’t know. I haven’t experimented with anything else besides light. But it should, in theory.”

She left her workbench and joined me by the cushions. I showed her the wet leaves, and her eyes went wide.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I asked.

She nodded.

“If we use your potion to capture a breath from Atticus at the ball, we can apply it to the monocle.”

“That’s brilliant! All I have to do is bring him an exotic flower and have him smell it. I could pretend it’s a rare strain for sale. He’d never suspect otherwise.”

“And I’ll steal the monocle from his pocket.”

Cass grinned. “And then the vault is ours.”