Page 53 of Evergreen Academy (Society of Magical Botanists #1)

Chapter Fifty-One

“ T hat was epic,” Coral said, scooping a heaping portion of fresh sorbet from her bowl. “I got to distract a bunch of harvesters who were trying to create a storm around us with the whispering of the ferns. It totally blew their concentration.”

“Yasmin and I were preparing a bunch of herb bombs that we could toss at people as they approached the tree house, but Briar and Rhodes managed to avoid us by creeping up the freakin’ river.” Aurielle glared half-heartedly at me.

“Hey, you had aquatics on your team too. One of them managed to temporarily sideline Moira.”

“But not our B. She’s a queen,” Coral said, thrusting her cider glass into the air.

As soon as I lifted my glass to clink with hers, all the sconce lights that normally lit the teahouse in the evening went out. I felt a tug from my emerald ring. The lively chatter that had filled the room a moment before came to a halt .

Professor Sage rushed out of the kitchen, maneuvering his wheelchair faster than I’d ever seen. It was now too dark to make out exactly what he was doing, though. The only light in the room came from the moon and the stars that could be made out through the glass ceiling.

“The verdant shield went down again,” I whispered, alarmed that the lights hadn’t immediately come back on like they had in the previous flickers.

“Why haven’t the lights come back on yet?” Aurielle asked, voicing my concerns.

“Have you seen Callan?” I asked. If the verdant shield was experiencing more than a flicker this time, Professor East might need him.

“I think the tree affinities went out to the tree houses after the game,” Yasmin said, an anxious pull drawing her eyebrows together.

Just then, Professor East stepped into the teahouse, holding a large black flashlight. He spotted Nevah and beckoned her toward him.

“He’s looking for the founders’ descendants,” I murmured, and Yasmin nodded.

“Great whispering vines,” she breathed. “The verdant shield must still be down.”

Professor Sage whistled and got the attention of everyone in the room.

“Botanists, we’re going to have to ask you all to stay inside for the rest of the evening.

Here in the teahouse, your rooms, or the other common areas are fine.

No one should leave the building. Professor Bowellia will alert any students who are currently in the tree houses to come in. ”

“How long are we going to be without lights?” Coral asked .

“As long as the shield is down, I’d imagine,” Yasmin said.

“But how are they going to get the shield back up? I thought it could only be charged on the equinoxes and solstices,” I asked, deep concern beginning to fill me.

It had been minutes, and the lights were still off.

This was nothing like the previous flickers.

What did it mean for the integrity of the shield?

“I’m not sure,” Yasmin admitted, worrying her bottom lip.

We waited in the teahouse, talking quietly, until Professor Sage flagged down the four of us about fifteen minutes later. Since we were all on Kitchen Botany rotation this session, he was calling us up for duty.

“There are chamomile citrus pies fresh out of the oven in the kitchen. Please pass them around. They’ll help everyone to calm down.” We filed to the kitchen, collected a tray of pies, and distributed them to the students in the area.

Just as the four of us sat down with pies of our own, the wall sconces flickered once then came back on. The students who remained in the teahouse cheered, and the volume in the room rose dramatically, as if the presence of light broke some unspoken rule of whispered voices in darkness.

A few minutes later, a frazzled-looking Professor East entered the room and climbed atop a small platform.

All attention in the room turned toward him.

After clearing his voice, he spoke. “I’m sure that was concerning to everyone.

We will need to investigate this more closely, but it appears that the verdant shield temporarily fell.

It has been restored. At this time, there is nothing to be worried about.

We will proceed with classes on Monday morning as scheduled. ”

An abundance of chatter broke out once Professor East left the room.

“Well, that was enlightening.” Aurielle snorted.

“Why did the outage last longer this time?” I asked, trying to keep the alarm out of my voice. “And how did they get the shield back up?”

“I’m not sure. And I don’t think Professor East is going to share what he knows until things are more… stable,” Yasmin said.

“So what do we do in the meantime?” I asked.

“Nothing. You heard the man. School as usual. This one’s beyond our magical grade,” Coral said, the relaxing properties of the pie apparently settling in.

“But what about the founders’ descendants?” I pressed.

“Professor East is probably having a meeting with them right now.”

I desperately wanted to see Callan. I knew this wasn’t my issue, but I didn’t feel as cavalier about it as Coral was acting. Everything about this felt… wrong. Another thought crossed my mind, and I straightened.

“What if someone had been walking by outside when the shield went down? Would they have seen the academy? What it really looks like, I mean?”

“That’s why we have the brick wall surrounding the property,” Yasmin replied.

“They would have had to have been looking right through the gate when it happened. That’s probably why we were all required to stay inside as well, in case our voices drifted out.

Plus, it’s dark out, and the academy is set really far back. I think we’re safe in that regard.”

I toyed with the emerald ring on my finger, wondering if it was useless without a verdant shield. Just another gem, although a beautiful one.

As I walked back to my car after finally leaving the teahouse for the night, I felt a swirl of leaves grace my calves. I stooped to pick up the note that was mixed with it.

Congrats on the win tonight. Sorry the celebrations were interrupted.

I hurriedly reached in my bag for a pen and scribbled a response on the back.

Are you okay? What happened to the shield?

I sent off the message and by the time I’d started my car, the leaves were back, this time pooling on my windshield.

Feel like ditching class on Monday?

An excited tremor ran through me at the words. Callan wasn’t usually one to recommend skipping academic studies. But I was dying to know whatever he had to share.

Since when are you the bad influence? I’m in.

I sent the response into the wind and, a minute later, received a reply.

Meet you at the tree house. 8 a.m.