Page 17

Chapter Seventeen

W hen I climbed into the treehouse, Callan was already there, leaves rustling through his fingers like a game of cat’s cradle as he leaned against the inside hollow of the tree.

“You called?” I asked, finding a stool and planting myself on it firmly.

“Thanks, I wanted to see you after…”

I studied him. His posture was relaxed, but there was that underlying tension that I so often noticed. He was good at hiding it, but once you knew him, you could spot it. The way I had learned to notice it was because of the times it hadn’t been there. Times when we’d been having fun.

“Yeah, what was that back there?” I tried to keep my voice gentle rather than accusatory.

Callan let out a breath. “It’s better if my mom doesn’t know how close… friends we are.”

My stomach flipped. What had that little pause meant?

“Bad news. I think she already does. When I met Kale Brightmoor at the autumn equinox, he made it sound like it was common knowledge that I was friendly with the trees. ”

His jaw ticked. “Did he?”

“I tried to brush it off and explain I’m friends with a lot of students of different affinities, but I don’t know if he bought it.”

“I was worried about this. I wonder if someone saw me escorting you out on midsummer.”

“So do we just act like we’re strangers when anyone from the board is around?” I asked, thinking that seemed like a simple-enough idea.

Callan sighed and shook his head then ran a hand through his hair. “I’m afraid there’s a little more to it than that. The board has extra eyes and ears at the school this year.”

“What do you mean? Will your mom be sticking around?”

“Not human eyes and ears.”

When I must have looked terribly confused, Callan explained. “I doubt they have permission from Professor East, but I’ve sensed scouting plants since returning to campus. I don’t know who is keeping an eye on who, but it’s safest to assume we’re being reported on.”

“Scouting plants?” That particular bit of botanical magic was new to me.

“They’re unsanctioned without approval. But, again, I think we’re beyond that now. We just have to be… cautious. I want you to fly under the radar as much as possible through all this.”

“Okay. And speaking of all this… how are you feeling about the whole senator thing?” I said the last part softly, leaving an opening for him to share how he felt.

Callan released the leaves he was flipping through his fingers, and they flew out of the tree on a silent breeze. “Please don’t tell anyone about that. If I have anything to do with it, it will never happen. But for now, I have to go along with it…” His voice trailed off, and he sighed.

“But why? I mean, you’re an adult. You can choose your path, right? Professor East wouldn’t force you into a field studies assignment you didn’t want.”

Callan sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I’m afraid the decision has already been made.” He glanced out the hole that formed a window in the treehouse.

“I see,” I said, though I didn’t see at all.

I had to cool my temper on his behalf and not judge his reactions.

I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have such an adversarial relationship with your family.

My aunt was my greatest cheerleader in the world.

She would never try to control me like Callan’s parents did him.

I decided to shift gears. “Since you seem to have some inside intel, any idea what my field studies assignment will be?”

“I think yours is going to come as a surprise to everyone.”

“Wonderful nonanswer,” I teased. An idea occurred to me then, and my face fell once more. “Wait. Since my powers are blocked on campus, will that impact my ability to find an envelope?”

Callan shook his head. “I don’t think so. The envelopes are set up with the professor’s plant powers, not yours.”

I let out a breath. “I hope you’re right. If I can’t get a field studies assignment, I’m officially screwed this year.”

“You’ll get one.”

I was taken aback by the sureness in his voice.

Callan’s face relaxed, and he gave my shoe a gentle nudge with his. “It’s really good to see you again, local.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “I thought you might be a college dropout with how long it took you to come back.”

“What? And leave you here to have all the fun without me?” He spun on his stool so that he was facing me directly. We were sitting so close that our knees brushed and that scarily attractive cologne he was wearing momentarily distracted me.

“Well, you already know Meadow and I can get ourselves into some good trouble. We need you here to bail us out.”

Callan let out a breath. “I don’t know. Keeping an eye on both of you would be a full-time job. I might need some scouting plants of my own. So, fill me in on what I’ve missed. How many new tree affinity first-years are there?”

“A bunch,” I said and embarked on filling him in on the first few weeks of class. I soaked in the time with him like this, where he was lighthearted and his passion for science and plant life broke through all his other burdens. For this one evening, at least, life felt just as it should.

Before I knew it, I checked my watch and was shocked to see how late it was. Coral’s words rang in my mind. Sneaking out at midnight to meet your lover, Juliet?

I was loath to end the time with him, but I needed to get back to my dorm before even Yasmin was tempted to speculate. We began to clean up the notes and sketches we’d made all over the table, and our hands briefly touched. I felt a spark of warmth shoot all the way through me.

I pooled my courage and broke the silence in a quiet voice. “So, there are no scouting plants here in the treehouse, correct?”

Callan paused what he was doing and leaned a hip against the table, crossing his arms. “Why? Have some secrets to spill?”

“Just wondering if we always have to watch our backs or if we can be… friends when no one is watching.”

Callan was so silent and still for a moment that I worried he’d turned into a tree.

“Callan?”

“You’re trouble, local.”

I made an innocent face. “What? It was just a question.”

Callan stepped closer, so close that the sandalwood and peach fragrance felt like it nestled into my hair. “No, there are no scouting plants in here. But if we become… better friends here , I’ll have a very difficult time faking it out there .” He nodded his head toward the window.

From the way his intense expression was turning me into a puddle, I had to admit he had a point.

But I wanted a little more. After an entire summer and the first weeks of school spent eagerly waiting to see him, I needed to know where we stood.

“Fair. But hypothetically speaking, what if we were both the world’s greatest actors? ”

Callan’s mouth twitched at the corner. “We aren’t. And with the way things are going this year, I don’t want there to be a whiff of something for the board to pick up on between us.”

“ Is there something to pick up on between us?” I pressed, putting all my chips on the table.

Callan looked me straight in the eyes. “You know there is.”

I sucked in a breath but tried to play it cool.

“But as far as anyone else is concerned… we have been and still are tutor and tutee?” I suggested, relieved that his words confirmed how I thought we both felt but wanting to confirm how things had to be.

Callan took a step back and leaned his head back against the wall, a little smile touching his lips. “Still think you need tutoring?”

“I can’t tap into my powers on campus. So, yeah, I think I could still benefit from a little extra support.”

“Then yes. I’m still your tutor, hypothetically speaking.” His voice was low and playful.

I didn’t know what to do with myself after all the revelations and partial commitments in this conversation. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the treehouse. So I did what seemed easiest and bought myself some time.

“Well, I better go before my roommate wonders if I got lost in the woods.”

“Your roommate?” Callan raised an eyebrow.

“Right.” I’d forgotten that he didn’t know yet. “I moved onto campus.”

“Why?”

“My aunt’s wedding is next month. I wanted her and her fiancé to be able to start their life together without feeling like they’re waiting for me to move out. ”

Callan pushed off the wall, and my eyes were briefly drawn to the tattoos on his arms as he tucked his hands into his pockets. He leaned in and whispered, “Then I guess I’ll be seeing you around much more, local. Try to stay out of trouble.”

I smiled, suppressing a shiver at his proximity. The cologne that I had been savoring all night lingered in the air, and I didn’t want him to step away.

“Worried I’ll sleepwalk into your room at night?” Whoa . That had slipped out, and I had not meant it the way it sounded.

Callan’s eyes flashed, and he gave me a delighted little smile that set my heart thundering.

“My treehouse is your treehouse. If you can get past the protective Floracantus, that is.” He turned and hopped down to the ground then, leaving my cheeks flushed and the delicious sandalwood and peach scent lingering in the air.