Page 65 of Evergreen Academy (Society of Magical Botanists #1)

Chapter Sixty-Three

N evah pulled me into a hug. “I’m going to miss you, Briar. Sorry I couldn’t be more help this spring. But I know you’ll do great next year.” It was her last day on campus.

“Thanks, Nevah. I owe you a ton. So, where are you headed? Back to Michigan?”

Nevah’s eyes brightened, and she gave me a sheepish smile. “Actually, I was selected for an internship at the aquatic conservatory in Florida, so my plans for the Great Lakes are going to have to wait.”

“Nevah! That’s amazing! Congratulations.” It wasn’t at all shocking that she’d been selected—she was one of the best in her year and a founder’s descendant to boot—but the official announcement was thrilling.

She beamed. “Thanks. I’m excited. Hey, maybe you’ll get invited there eventually. You do have an aquatic affinity, after all. ”

I startled at the idea. Aurielle had told us about visiting the fern conservatory in Alaska, but aside from that, the conservatories had pretty much fallen off my radar.

I’d had too many other things to focus on this year, and next year wasn’t shaping up to be much different.

Nevah didn’t know about my newfound heritage—Professor East had kept an even tighter lid on that piece of information.

“Maybe. It’d definitely be fun to visit you,” I said.

Nevah gave me one more hug, and then she was gone. Coral and Aurielle said their goodbyes next. We all had one final breakfast together in the teahouse.

“You all are welcome to visit me in Louisiana this summer, if you want to brave the heat and humidity,” Coral offered.

Aurielle wrinkled her nose. “I’ll be perfectly content in Connecticut, thank you very much.”

“San Antonio isn’t going to be much better, heat wise,” Yasmin sighed. “But Jordan will be there, so that’s all that matters.”

“A whole summer with your love. Poor you,” Coral teased.

“We’re not official yet. It doesn’t really make sense for us to date while I’m still in school. But he’s hoping I end up working at a botanical field office in Texas when I’m done at Evergreen.”

“Y’all are thinking way too far ahead.” Coral pursed her lips. “We’re young. Let’s focus on one season at a time. I’m not even thinking about next school year, let alone what happens after that.”

“Sure, you aren’t, Miss International Plant Relations,” Aurielle said, raising her eyebrows at Coral.

“That’s a loose career goal, not wedding plans.” Coral elbowed Yasmin, who rolled her eyes .

“Wedding plans? Now who’s the one thinking too far ahead? What are your plans for the summer, B?” Yasmin turned to me, obviously trying to change the subject.

“I’ll be working at the café, taking a large summer course load at SCC. You know, normal human things.”

“And you’ll be practicing your Floracantus, since you’ll be off the academy grounds, right?” She said this part more quietly.

“Right,” I agreed, excited at the thought. I’d already brought home all my textbooks, including my copy of the Compendium Floracantus , and carefully stashed them in my closet.

We helped Coral and Aurielle to the vans that were taking students to the small local airport, where some of their parents had chartered flights home. Our friends waved at us one last time as they climbed in the van.

After the vans drove away, I sighed. “It’s just you and me, Yasmin. I’m glad you’re sticking around for the SCC art gala.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. Though why anyone would want to see my work is beyond me.”

“Do you mind if I break off here?” I eyed the tree houses, and Yasmin smiled.

“It’s not truly summer until you wrap things up with your tutor, right?” she teased.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes, but there was truth to what she had said. I knew there was one more person I needed to say goodbye to before leaving Evergreen Academy for the summer.

Callan was boxing up supplies in the tree house when I found him.

I’d had to climb the tree the old-fashioned way—using the rungs—since my tree affinity magic didn’t work on campus.

When I was with Callan, I mourned the loss of it more than any other time.

I missed walking through the trees with him, practicing Floracantus in that unique, intuitive way of his.

“Were you planning to leave without saying goodbye?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow at the boxes he was filling.

“Hello to you too.” He raised a hand and murmured words I didn’t catch, sending the boxes drifting out the hole in the tree. They nestled softly on the ground below.

“Are you packing up the entire tree house?”

“Just my favorite bits,” Callan said, but the spark of humor that I was used to expecting in his voice was gone. I studied him more closely then, stomach dropping at how tired he looked. His hair was slightly disheveled, and there were faint circles under his eyes.

“When are you leaving?” I tried to keep my voice even, implying that the question was neutral, even though it wasn’t. It had already been hard to say goodbye to Coral and Aurielle, and I was glad I had a few more days with Yasmin, but soon she’d be leaving too.

Once Yasmin and Callan left, all my friends from Evergreen Academy would be gone, and I’d be surrounded by people who only knew one side of me.

I wouldn’t be able to talk about magical botany, Floracantus, being descended from Leonardo da Vinci, or any of the other amazing discoveries I’d made this year. The idea made my stomach twist.

“This weekend. My parents have already planned networking activities for me over the summer.”

“I’m sorry. Did you say networking ?” I barked out a laugh, but Callan’s face remained impassive .

“Their specialty. If I had it my way, I’d stay here all summer, continuing my research on the tree medicinals. But it is what it is.” He rubbed at his jaw.

“So I guess I won’t see you until August, then?”

“I thought I’d be back on the summer solstice to recharge the shields, but after what happened to me at the vernal equinox, I’m not sure if plans are going to change.”

My heart leapt at the thought of seeing him again at the end of June—of being a part of this world again, even if briefly—instead of having to wait all the way until August. But then I remembered how injured he’d been after putting too much of himself into the recharge, and I told myself not to be selfish.

Professor East would do what was right for the school and for his students.

That included Callan just as it included me.

“Well, you have my number if you need to get ahold of me. Unless I should only expect messages to come through the leaves?” I was baiting him, since I’d given him my number but still didn’t have his. We communicated only at school or during those few times he’d sent me leaf messages.

Callan smiled mischievously then, and I felt a tug of happiness that I’d momentarily drawn him out of whatever unpleasant place he’d been in his mind.

“Let’s make a deal. If you initiate a message in the leaves, and it makes it to me, I’ll text you once I receive it.”

“But that’s super-advanced magical botany! You know I don’t know how to do that.” My return messages had reached him only due to the complexity of his own magic. I’d had nothing to do with it.

He was leaning back against the interior of the tree, forearms folded over his chest, tattoos on display. His head casually rested on the wall. It was a stance I’d seen him take so many times, and yet it felt charged in that moment, like we were standing face-to-face.

Just then, a breeze whipped up, and a few soft green leaves rushed up and tenderly grazed the sides of my neck before falling to the floor. Callan grinned, and the sight melted my heart.

“Then I guess you’ll need to practice, local.”