Page 18 of Evergreen Academy (Society of Magical Botanists #1)
Chapter Seventeen
A s I walked to the woods, I tried not to worry about what the day’s affinity tests were going to throw at me.
The test for aquatics, though challenging, hadn’t been too terrible, and the one for florals and harvesters had been downright easy except for the hurricane machine, but trying to walk along tree branches had knocked the wind out of me.
I wondered if the tests were going to keep increasing in difficulty.
You’re being dramatic , I told myself. Callan had been there to catch me with his unexplained leaf-wind powers.
There had never truly been any danger, except embarrassment.
I took small comfort in the likelihood that Callan wouldn’t be present at any more of my tests.
I’d gotten the feeling that he was one of those people who were good at everything, and I didn’t need him seeing how epically I was failing all the time.
When I reached the edge of the woods, I saw a woman with a broad straw sunhat, holding a small basket.
I judged Professor Sato to be the oldest of the professors I’d met so far—probably in her late sixties—though her skin was so smooth that it was difficult to know for sure.
She was wearing earrings that appeared to have tiny sprigs of moss encased in them.
“Greetings, Briar. Yasmin has told me that you’re a local and that you share classes at SCC. She’s a wonderful pupil.” There was warmth in Professor Sato’s voice, and I tried to return the friendliness while simultaneously wondering what this test had in store for me.
She placed a piece of moss in my hand, which I held out flatly, unsure of what to do.
“We must wait a few minutes. You can relax.”
About three minutes went by, and Professor Sato examined my hand. “One of the tests for affinity toward mosses is that the moss, which has rhizoids instead of roots, will attach to the person and begin to grow across their skin.”
I must have looked alarmed because Professor Sato chuckled and said, “It’s not permanent.” She placed the moss in her hand, and I watched with amazement as the fuzzy substance quickly spread across her palm and up her arm. Then she gave a subtle shake, and the moss fell to the ground.
“The mosses also have antiseptic properties, so our healers use them in addition to herbs. It’s a wonderful thing to find a botanist who has an affinity for both mosses and herbs. Have you been tested for herbs yet?”
When I shook my head, she continued, “Okay, another test. Mosses are very unassuming, so it can take a few different trials to draw them out. We may have to test you against some of the other bryophytes as well.”
I had no idea what a bryophyte was, but I nodded.
It was clear that I needed a crash course in basic plant taxonomy.
Professor Sato walked to a clear area, away from the trees.
I saw a small stone circular wall on the ground.
She pulled a lighter from her pocket, and I watched with interest as she lit a few strands of grass on fire, allowing the small area to burn until there was nothing left but soil.
“There. The soil should be cool now. Go ahead and place your palm on the ground.” I followed her instruction, squatting to touch the soil and charred grass remains. “Hold it there for a minute.”
Much like with the first test, we sat there in a relaxed silence while the time passed. Finally, Professor Sato said, “You can stand up now.”
“I take it something would have happened if I had the affinity?”
“Mosses are one of the first living things to recolonize an area after a forest fire. It’s a major area of my research focus, with the prevalence of wildfires in the state.
” She reached down and set her hand against the soil, where mosses instantly burst through the ground and covered the entire area inside the rock circle.
“Those with moss affinities can amplify that power.”
I crouched to the ground again and reached out to touch the moss, which felt like a soft, moist carpet underneath my fingers. “That’s… amazing.”
Professor Sato nodded as I stood. “I think so too.”
She ran me through a series of other tests with mosses and some plants called liverworts and hornworts, but I tested negative for affinities to each of them.
“We’re not exclusive like some of the other groups,” Professor Sato said as we walked to the academy together. “ You’re welcome to pop in on our affinity studies classes on Fridays if you’d like to learn more about the bryophytes.”
“Thank you. I’d like that.” I had to admit that I was awed by the capabilities of the tiny plants that Professor Sato had demonstrated throughout our lesson, with the post-fire spreading powers one of the most interesting.
It felt relevant to our local area, which had been hit hard by fires in the past. I experienced a small twang of sadness that I wouldn’t share this affinity with Yasmin.
As I walked back to the academy, I tried not to dwell on the fact that I was another affinity test down and still wasn’t showing signs of aptitude for anything. But I had to have some affinity. Otherwise, Professor East never would have invited me here.
I repeated that mantra until the massive glass academy stood before me once more.