Mina looked at the shelf of books they were pretending to organize. They were in a shadowed corner of the Library's second floor.
"You're going." she said. It wasn't a question.
"I don't have a choice." Elias muttered, removing a book from its slot and putting it back.
"He made it clear that if I didn't show up, the Auditors would come for me. A 'Zero' doesn't have the right to refuse a Prince. So he said."
Mina finally turned, her pink eyes narrowed.
"Zayne isn't like Cassian. Cassian is like a wall of ice, you know where you stand with him. But Zayne... Zayne is like a swamp. You think you're walking on solid ground until you're waist-deep in the muck."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, dried flower—a Star-Lily, its petals shriveled and gray.
"Take this. Keep it in your pocket." she whispered. "If Zayne tries to use a truth-glamour or a subtle compulsion on your mind, the petals will turn black. If they start to smoke, run. Don't think about being polite. Just run."
Elias took the flower, feeling the faint prickle of Mina's protection magic
"Mina. You could get flagged for this."
Mina gave him a small smile. "Because you're the only person in this school who still smells like dirt. The rest are full of ambitions and jealousy. Don't let anybody change that. You are the closest thing I have to a brother."
Elias tucked the flower into his tunic.
'Dirt.' he thought.
The King said botany is for commoners who tend dirt. But dirt is where things are buried. And dirt is where things grow.
Zayne's private garden was definitely not a place for growing things.
It was located at the other side royal wing, the garden was filled with Flora Relia—plants that had been magically altered to stay in permanent, red bloom. They didn't sway in the wind making garden feel artificial and stiff.
Zayne was already there, seated at a table with white table cloth. He had changed his royal robes to a simple shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal tan, unblemished arms. He looked relaxed, almost soft, but the way his eyes tracked Elias's approach was anything but casual.
"You're exactly on time." Zayne said, gesturing to the chair opposite him.
Elias bowed—low enough to be respectful, but not so low that he looked like a servant. "Your Highness."
"Sit, Elias. Please."
Elias sat.
A servant appeared, pouring tea that smelled like jasmine.
Elias didn't touch his cup.
"I find it fascinating." Zayne began, leaning back. "My brother is... difficult. His coldness has been a constant in this family for years. And yet, I see you standing near him in the halls."
"He is demanding. But I am used to difficult climates." Elias said, his voice flat and neutral. Keeping to himself as much as possible.
Zayne chuckled. It was a pleasant, musical sound.
"Difficult climates. I like that. But let's be honest, Elias. You aren't just a gardener. You're a Thornbloom. Your parents were the best stabilizers the kingdom ever had—until they weren't."
Elias felt the Star-Lily in his pocket hum.
"My parents are dead, Your Highness. Whatever talent they had died with them. The Auditors confirmed my output today."
"The Auditors see what you show them," Zayne stated. He leaned forward, his red eyes locking onto Elias's silver ones. "I see the way Cassian looks when he thinks no one is watching him. He looks... relieved. And that is a very new look for my brother."
'He's just suspicious.'
Elias realized. 'He doesn't have proof. He just has a hunch.'
"I don't know anything about the Prince's expressions." Elias said with his face blank.
"I only know that the Moon-Vines in the Greenhouse require a specific nitrate balance. That is the only relief I provide."
Zayne's smile didn't reach his eyes. He picked up his tea, his fingers long and elegant. "You're very good, Elias. You don't talk back enough to be rude, but you don't give an inch either. It's a shame. I was hoping we could be... allies."
"Allies, Your Highness?"
"My father is a man of 'Efficiency,' as you heard today. He doesn't believe in second chances. If my brother cannot take on what the crown requires then someone must. I could protect you, Elias. A boy with less ability is a boy who disappears without people noticing." He paused to let it sink.
"But a boy under my protection? He could have his own estate. His own orchards."
Zayne wasn't just offering safety; he was offering the one thing Elias wanted most: his family's legacy back.
Elias understood then. The trap and who it was meant for.
He wants me to admit Cassian is dying so he can move in for the kill. By threatening and trying to buy me.
"I am honored by the offer." Elias said, his voice steady even as his heart hammered. "But I have no secrets to trade for such a high price. I am exactly what people say I am."
Zayne set his cup down with a loud clink. His mask slipped for a second.
"We shall see. I didn't want it to come to this.. you are a good person Elias."
Elias remained silent.
"The Mid-Winter Gala is in three days. My father will be watching everyone."
Zayne stood up, the meeting clearly over.
"Enjoy the tea. It would be a waste to leave it full."
Elias didn't drink the tea.
He walked out of the garden. Led by one of Zayne's personal guards, Elias felt the man's gaze burn between his shoulders.
Only when he reached the privacy of the Library's main hall did he stop.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Star-Lily.
The petals were a deep, bruised purple—not black, but close. Zayne had been using a subtle charming aura meant to make Elias trust him.
Elias crushed the flower in his fist.
Zayne's desperation presented itself as an opportunity. If Zayne was this desperate for information, it meant the King was getting impatient.
The window of time to save Cassian—and himself—was closing.
Which also meant he had to move faster with his plan.
He needed Cassian to not just rely on him for magic, but to trust him with his life. If Cassian became the crown then the crown wouldn't be able to take him away.
And as Elias looked toward the Royal Wing, he knew the next session wouldn't just be about soothing a hungry cursed plant.