Page 46 of Evergreen Academy (Society of Magical Botanists #1)

Chapter Forty-Five

I spent every spare moment during the final days of the week painting. Drawing had always been my forte, but I felt that a painting might be perceived as showing more effort at the Floral Fete.

After going back and forth about which flower to paint as I’d been sitting in the flower garden, a stunning pink foxglove at least four feet tall seemed to call out to me. The soft bells of its petals fluttered open, their fragrance drifting on the air to my nose.

The decision was made then and there. Yasmin had allowed me to store the painting in her room overnight, so I didn’t have to haul it back and forth to campus.

On Friday morning, I dropped off the finished painting—covered by a drape—to Professor Tenella.

As I did so, I saw other lead floral affinities bringing in stunning floral wreaths, glass bottles of swirling fresh perfumes, floral-infused cosmetics and healing ointments, and even a few food products .

“I tried to raid the costume closet early,” Yasmin said, entering the room with a stack of gowns over her arms. Coral and I turned from where we were swiping magically enhanced cream eye shadow across our lids in Yasmin’s mirror.

“Ohhh, let me see,” I said, moving to help her make space in the closet to hang them. I’d learned that the Floral Fete did a period theme each year, and this year was Regency-esque. I eagerly sifted through the collection of stunning embroidered gowns in various colors.

“There’s enough for us each to try on a few,” Yasmin said.

As we took turns donning the gowns, I noticed that the soft plant-based fabric tightened and trimmed itself automatically to fit each of our different body shapes.

Yasmin claimed the gowns had been charmed by Professor Variegata for the day.

Automatic custom tailoring? Now that was something I could get used to.

In the end, I selected a pale purple gown with a modern twist. Instead of the traditional cap sleeves of a Regency gown, it had delicate straps that tied at the top of my shoulders with a bow. The ends of the gown trailed along the floor with wisteria flowers overlaying it.

We used the flowers Aurielle had brought to weave colorful blooms into our hair. I used my floral affinities to affix them firmly in place and plump up their cells so that they wouldn’t droop throughout the night.

When we were all ready and turned to look at ourselves in the mirror, it was like we had stepped out of some kind of enchanted film set.

“It’s nice having a floral affinity friend,” Coral mused, and Aurielle gave me a high five on her way out of Yasmin’s room .

The party was held in the flower gardens, which had been made over for the day.

Flowers were everywhere , trailing overhead in an impossible fashion.

The place smelled like the most perfect mixture of floral essential oils, not too overwhelming but just right.

Students milled around in their dresses and suits, looking whimsical and dashing all at once.

And then I spotted Callan.

He was in a perfectly tailored black suit with a deep green tie that matched that of the leaves of the trees around us. He approached us and offered me his arm. I tried to calm the rapid way my heart was suddenly beating.

“You could have warned me you’d be showing up in a suit,” I whispered.

“I’m the one who needed a warning. You look”—he let his eyes trail over my dress, my shoulders, and my hair and land on my eyes, where I’d taken special care with Yasmin’s magical makeup and Nevah’s lash serum recipe—“breathtaking.”

“Well, it’s amazing what some magic makeup and clothes that can automatically form fit to your body will do.”

“You give magic too much credit,” he said quietly, but he didn’t explain what he meant. “So, where’s this drawing I’ve been eager to see?”

“Actually, I ended up doing a painting.” We followed my friends toward the gazebo where the various creations were displayed. My eyes widened when I saw that my painting was on an artist’s gold easel trailing with flowers, right in the center of the display.

Whoever had placed my painting there had framed it with pink-and-white flowers that made the colors of my painting pop, perfectly accentuating the textured foxglove I’d painted against a dark background. With the arrangement, the bells of the foxglove seemed to jump off the page.

“Oh no,” I breathed.

“Oh no?” Callan asked, confusion lacing his voice.

“I was hoping it would just be lying down on a table or perched casually against a wall, barely noticeable.”

Callan nudged me inside the gazebo, and I saw that a few students were gathered around my painting, while others explored the various goods in the gazebo.

“Stunning,” I heard someone whisper.

“The style is like something out of the Renaissance period,” another commented.

Professor Tenella came to stand beside me then. “Absolutely lovely, Briar. Where have you been hiding that talent?”

“I usually stick to drawing, though I have to say I really enjoyed getting into painting again.”

“Well, it’s an absolute gem. Thank you for sharing it with us.”

I let out a deep breath as Professor Tenella walked away. “She actually thinks it’s good?” I breathed.

Yasmin and Coral caught up to us then.

“Oh my spores, that came out marvelous. I’d taken some peeks in my room but never saw the finished product. You’re insanely talented, B,” Yasmin said.

I flushed, unused to having such public attention on my art.

Sure, it was my goal to go to art school as my mom had, but outside of my art classes at SCC, I’d never openly shown my work like this.

And this was my first time doing a painting in this style.

I’d been nervous to put it out here in the first place, and I wasn’t sure how to react to the praise .

Luckily, I didn’t have to be awkwardly silent for long, since my friends began to try on perfumes and ooh and aah over floral statues and cakes.

“How’d that feel?” Callan whispered into my ear, and I shivered.

“How’d what feel?”

“Putting yourself out there for the first time.”

“Terrifying,” I admitted, wondering how he’d known.

His mouth twitched. “I have a feeling this is only the start for you, local.”

Throughout the afternoon, when we went our separate ways for afternoon tea and lunch, I caught glimpses of Callan with his tree affinity friends or chatting with Nevah. A little flare of discomfort arose at that, but I pushed it down, trying to be present in the moment.

The florals had outdone themselves, and this party wasn’t one I would ever forget. We drifted to the dessert table, helping ourselves to some pastel-colored cupcakes.

A few minutes later, Callan approached and escorted me to the side of the building and under a covered trellis bursting with flowers, away from everyone else.

We stood in the small space, the scent of rose and jasmine taking over nearly every other sensation.

A few bees buzzed nearby but not in a bothersome way.

The area was too saturated with pollen for them to notice us.

Callan tugged at his tie, straightening it. I suddenly had the strong urge to wrap my arms around him.

“How has your training been going with Nevah?”

I blinked. Nevah, of course. She was my tutor, like Callan was.

That was all he was. And the two were far better suited for one another than he and I would ever be.

They both had magical botanist families, lifetimes of experience.

And their magic made sense. Nevah wasn’t an enigma, like me.

The thoughts festered out of nowhere, and I took a step back.

“Good, I think. Why? Has she said anything about it?”

A smile formed at the corners of his eyes. “Slow down there. I was just asking.”

I let out a breath. “She’s a good teacher. I see why you two are the perfect match.” I clapped a hand over my mouth. Had I said that aloud?

Callan arched an eyebrow. “Why do you say that?”

“Well, you both look like models from a magazine. Then there’s the fact that, along with Eli, you have the strongest affinities of anyone in the school.

You’re both from established magical families…

” I racked my brain for more similarities to list, though there was a small feeling in the pit of my stomach questioning why I was saying all of this.

Normally, I’d never voice this, but in this moment, it felt totally natural.

Callan made a confused face, then he looked at the half-eaten cupcake in my hand. His eyes widened, and he took the sweet treat from me. “So, someone spiked the cupcakes with Scopolia again. Professor East is going to lose it.”

“What?” I asked, confused by every part of what he had said.

“ Scopolia carniolica . Truth serum. People with defensive plant affinities can modify and use it. You’d be able to block it, since you have those affinities, but I’m guessing Nevah hasn’t worked on how to block plant poisons that have been magically enhanced by other botanists yet.

” He swore quietly. “I’m going to have her move that up the list. ”

He took my hand and gently tugged me out from under the trellis. “I’ve got to find Professor East. Do you know if your friends ate any of the cupcakes?”

“Yasmin did, but Coral said she didn’t want to end up with frosting in her teeth.” Again, the response spilled out of me. Was I really under the influence of truth serum ? I thought that was just the stuff of sci-fi spy-movie legends. Then again, I was at a school for magical botanists.

Callan navigated us through the crowd, where I started to overhear bits of arguments.

“You said you thought this dress looked good on me earlier today!”

“Well, I lied.”

I gasped. How many people had eaten the cupcakes and were now saying things they’d never intended to share? I spotted Coral. Callan was making a beeline for her.

“Coral, I need you to look after Briar. And probably your other friends too.”

“What’s wrong?” Coral asked sharply, her eyes roaming over me for signs of damage.