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Chapter Twenty-Two

A n hour later, after Callan had shown me how to belay him and we had taken turns climbing up and down a few walls, my arms and fingers were aching. “Can we take a break? My forearms are on fire.”

We stretched out our legs on a flat expanse of rocks, and Callan pulled some snacks out of his backpack. The sun on our backs and the exercise had warmed me significantly, but my hands still wrapped themselves around the warm thermos.

“So, about the society ,” I put a whispered emphasis on the last word even though no one else was around, and Callan shook his head in amusement. “Do you really think we have a shot at finding the Vanished Compendium after all this time? And what’s the backup plan if we don’t?”

Callan gazed at the view that was stretched out before us, endless forest extending for miles, with the snow-capped Mount Shasta in the distance.

“I’ll start with your second question. The backup plan is smaller acts of resistance.

We can decide on those as a group, and we’ll do them whether we get a lead on the book or not.

If the board tries for a full-fledged takeover of the school, they won’t find it easy.

As for the book, you are correct that thinking we can find the book feels like a big swing.

But sometimes, it’s in times of greatest need that artifacts make themselves known again.

Records indicate it’s shown up a few times since it went missing.

Perhaps, since the Root and Vine Society was on pause for a while, we will all come in with fresh eyes and see something that was missed before. ”

He spoke slowly, as if mulling over what to say.

“I don’t think we have any choice but to be bold in going after what we want.

If certain other groups find the book, they will have even more control.

And you can bet that they won’t be sharing what they find with rest of the magical botanists in the world.

If we find the book, we can stop that consolidation of power.

A few elites already have enough. This knowledge belongs to all of us. ”

“Well, I’m with you on that one. The founders already put a nice little block on my powers at the academy. I can’t imagine what people with that mindset would do if they controlled a whole new book of Floracantus.”

Callan looked away, and I turned my head. “What are you thinking about?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed, as if he didn’t want to share what he was about to say.

“It’s not just the academy that the founders weaved their magic into, Briar.

There are other places for magical botanists around the country, including the nine magical botanical conservatories.

All of those were safeguarded by the founders.

When the founders cut you off from your powers on campus, they cut you off from it in those places too. ”

The reality of it hit me like a widow-maker falling from a tree during a storm. Callan and Professor East had been shielding me from this information, letting me think that my actions on the spring equinox last year had only impacted my magic at Evergreen Academy.

But it was so much more. There was a broader world of magical botany that I had never explored, and now, it sounded like I might not get a chance to.

“That’s… a lot to process.” I tried not to let my face fall, but my heart was sinking to my feet.

Callan put a hand underneath my chin and tilted my face so that we were looking at one another, and the intensity I saw in his eyes caught me off guard.

“We don’t know that the magic that blocked your powers was irreversible.

We know virtually nothing about the power that gave you all of the affinities.

I’ve been thinking about this since last spring.

Perhaps there’s a way, if you get control of all your affinities and learn all the intricacies of them, that you could undo the hold. ”

His words sparked something within my subconscious that I couldn’t place, and I bit my lip. “You really think so? Professor East hasn’t said anything about it, and I haven’t come across it in the research I’ve done.”

He dropped his finger, gently releasing my chin. “Yeah, well, the founders wouldn’t have wanted that information to be easy to access, would they? Besides, powers like yours were already rare at the time the academy was founded. Maybe they never anticipated someone like you.”

I propped my hands on the harness at my hips. “It’s a nice thought, but without knowing where to start… do you really think it’s possible?”

This time he took my entire face in his hands as we stood, feet firmly planted at the base of the rock wall.

His presence was so steady, his touch so reassuring, that I doubted even a hurricane could blow us away in that moment.

“Your power is yours , Briar. No one gets to put limits on it but you. I won’t rest until you have access to every ounce of what is yours.

If there is a way to restore access to your power, we’ll find it.

And then no one will ever threaten to control you again. ”

Holy leaves.

We faced each other like that for a moment until a cloud passed in front of the sun, and Callan took a step back. “One more climb?”

I nodded, unable to speak.

Callan scaled the wall, and I belayed him, watching his every move closely, trying to determine how he decided where to place his hands and feet for the most grip. Concentrating on his technique helped keep my mind off the bomb he’d just dropped.

Callan was willing to turn over every leaf, scour every page, exploit every loophole in order to help me . And I had never even had to ask for it.