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Chapter Twenty-Five

W hen I woke the next morning, memories of the previous night came rushing back in a flood. The corpse flower opening before me. The envelope of green leaves waiting for me. The mysterious field studies assignment. Had I dreamed it all?

My eyes shifted to my nightstand, and I grabbed my notebook as I sat up. The green leaf-composed envelope was tucked securely inside. I let out a deep breath. Not a dream .

Yasmin was still asleep—the sun was just starting to creep over the horizon—so I bundled up in a coat and scarf and decided to take my books and art supplies out to one of the gazebos by the lake.

The field studies assignment claimed to be classified and mentioned Professor East. It was best if I didn’t tell anyone else about it until after I had a chance to meet with him. So I would use my tried-and-true distraction—art—while I waited to speak with him.

Once at the gazebo, I settled onto a bench and spread my notebook on the table.

Dragonflies flitted by then zoomed low to skim across the water.

The morning air was cool, but the sun was beginning to deliver a touch of warmth.

Morning glories bloomed in a circle around the gazebo, this variety emitting a sweet jasmine smell into the air.

For a late-fall day, it was going to be a beautiful one. By eight o’clock, I was deep in an annotated sketch that could function as colorful notes for the biodiversity section of my Advanced Ecological Studies class.

“Someone’s an early riser.”

I jumped slightly in my seat at the unexpected voice breaking the relative quiet of the morning but calmed immediately when I realized who it was. Callan was wearing a backpack and had a thermos in his hand, as if he was about to go on an expedition.

Hollis was with him, standing a few feet back, similarly outfitted.

“Look who’s talking, Lewis and Clark.” I nodded toward their attire.

Callan shrugged off the backpack and took a seat on the bench next to me, and I was immediately charmed by the ease of the movement. It was the way we’d sat for so many nights last year during my tutoring sessions.

“Did you see a bat last night?” he asked.

I had to hustle to remember what he was talking about. The discovery of the field studies invitation had almost made me forget the reason I had been in the forest at night in the first place. “I did. It was all over in seconds, but it was worth the wait.”

“The best things usually are.” He was quiet for a moment, then he nodded toward the gazebo. “I saw you sitting out here and thought I would tell you I’m leaving for a research mission for a few days.”

Hollis busied himself with organizing something in his backpack, but he was watching us out of the corner of his eye.

He was certainly roguishly handsome, his deep-brown skin catching the morning sun, but to me, he couldn’t hold a candle to the level of attraction I felt toward the guy on the stool right next to me. And I smelled that cologne again.

I realized I’d been silent a moment too long and asked, “An actual research mission? Not Sacramento?”

Callan nodded. “Yes, it’s a continuation of the medicinal research project I started last year.

Someone may have inspired me.” He bumped his knee into mine.

“You told me to make my own opportunities, so that’s what I’m trying to do.

I reached out to my advisor from last year, and he was eager to have me back when I can squeeze it in.

It’s not technically sanctioned, but we’re keeping it under wraps. ”

“I’m so glad you’re doing that!” I exclaimed, feeling lighter by the simple fact that he was finally pursuing something he wanted.

“Me too. We’re headed to a post on the mountain to evaluate the research site. We’ll be camping out there.”

That explained the outfits.

“That’s great news.” I caught Callan’s eye for a moment, trying to silently convey that I was proud of him for making this opportunity. He met my gaze, expression soft.

The moment was broken when Hollis cleared his throat, and I immediately turned my head to look at Callan’s friend. “And Hollis, you’re going too? I thought you had a fern affinity.”

Hollis eyed the ferns that were hanging from the gazebo, and they began to spin. “You are correct.”

I startled, shocked at seeing the ferns do more than their usual shimmy.

“Hollis is doing his own extracurricular under the same researcher,” Callan said.

“Are you interested in medicine then too?” I asked Hollis.

“Didn’t Rhodes tell you? I’m a jack-of-all-trades. Plus, someone’s got to keep an eye on this guy.” Hollis winked.

I couldn’t help but smile at the charm that came through when he spoke. No wonder Coral was suspicious. This man was as confident as they came.

“You’re telling me.” I leaned forward. “He might go around outshining everyone with his legendary powers.”

Hollis raised his eyebrows, and his mouth opened in delight. “The wind will start blowing, and everyone will be?—”

He was silenced by a loud groan from Callan. “Are you two ganging up on me now?”

I shrugged and made eye contact with Hollis. We both tried to suppress our laughter at the exasperated look on Callan’s face. I saw a tug at the corner of Callan’s mouth for a second, though.

“Maybe a little. Consider it initiation,” I said. I thought of my own top secret field studies invite with my still unknown mentor, task, or location. My hands brushed across my notebook, where the invitation envelope was firmly tucked.

Something must have flashed across my face because Callan narrowed his eyes. “What is it?”

I didn’t say anything but crossed my arms, as if warding off his inquiries.

Then his eyes widened, and he broke into a curious smile. “You got your field study invitation, didn’t you?”

“How do you do that?” I asked, flummoxed. He could have so many secrets, but I couldn’t even keep one.

“Do what?” His tone was innocent, but there was a devilish grin on his face. “So what is it? Which affinity group did you end up getting an assignment with?”

I squirmed on the bench, swiveling slightly to break our eye contact.

Callan positioned himself right back in my sightline, dark eyelashes framing steadily focused eyes. “Why so mysterious today, local?”

“I can’t tell anyone about it until I talk to Professor East,” I said finally. I cast an eye toward Hollis, who was pretending not to listen again.

Callan’s eyes were still trained on me, and we sat locked in a staring contest for two heartbeats. Finally, he pulled back ever so slightly and said, “Interesting.”

And, to my amazement, he rose. He wasn’t going to try to get any more information out of me?

“That’s it? You’re not going to ask again?”

“No, because you would have told me. And I get the feeling you’re not supposed to.”

I pursed my lips. The man knew how I would respond to him better than I did. I shook my head, mildly vexed that he was right.

If he had asked me again, I would have told him. I didn’t have that reaction to anyone else. For a year now, I had been able to keep being a magical botanist from my aunt and from Maci, and I regularly held off on telling things to Yasmin until I got the green light.

But with Callan, I wanted to share everything. I wanted his opinion. His approval. His support. I wanted the feeling I got when his attention was focused solely on me.

“When will you be back?” I asked, trying to tuck those thoughts away. They didn’t lead anywhere good when we apparently had Callan’s mom hanging over our heads.

Callan slipped his hiking backpack over his shoulders. “Two days, if everything goes well.”

“Stay safe out there.” I threw the words in Hollis’s direction, too, and he nodded.

“I’ll try to keep him out of trouble,” Hollis said, voice full of humor.

“More like the other way around,” Callan murmured.

Then he eyed my notebook, where the envelope was stashed.

“Good luck.” He flashed me a grin that nearly knocked me off the bench, then he left the gazebo and began to stride across the field with Hollis, the grasses swaying out of the way as he walked.

There was no hope of studying or even of finishing my sketch after that interaction, and I headed to Professor East’s office to meet him as soon as he arrived on campus. I was waiting outside his door when he crested the stairs .

“Hello, Ms. Whelan.”

“Hi, professor. Do you have a few minutes?”

“Sure, sure.” Professor East ushered me inside the spacious office, and we took our usual places. “What’s on your mind?”

“I received my field studies invitation last night.”

He nodded almost imperceptibly, and I removed the envelope from my bag. “The instructions say to talk to you.”

Professor East took the offered note and read it over, expression unreadable. “I see. Nice work in finding this. I don’t imagine its delivery was conventional.”

I snorted, remembering the corpse plant and the way it had unfurled itself dramatically in the middle of the night. “Not exactly, no.”

“So I take it you accept the invitation?”

“I’d like to, yes.”

“Very well. This position is… unique. The botanist who extended the invitation has never taken a field studies student before.”

I sat up straighter, waiting.

“She’d like to meet us in the park in Mount Shasta and continue to where you’ll be studying from there. I will introduce the two of you for this first meeting.”

My brain was working quickly, trying to piece together the information. If we were meeting in Mount Shasta, did that mean I’d be discovering another local botanist I didn’t know about? Or was this person working in the area just for the duration of the field studies project?

“When do we get started?”

“I’ll inform her of your acceptance and let you know when we are to meet. I’m guessing she will want to begin as soon as next week.”

“Great,” I said eagerly. Given that my friends had already begun their field studies, I was anxious to get mine underway. Plus, I was itching to meet whoever this botanist was who had never taken a field studies student. “Is there anything I should do to prepare?”

Professor East smiled softly. “Just be yourself, Ms. Whelan. That is more than enough.”

“Oh, one other thing. The invitation said that the study is classified? What does that mean, exactly?”

“Aw, yes. You won’t be able to share the work you’re doing there with anyone else. But you can tell your friends that you’ve been assigned a field study related to defensive plants.”

“Got it, thanks.” My shoulders relaxed as my mind buzzed.

This was confirmation that the field study was one for defensives.

I had assumed as much, based on the mention of counterpoison development, but hadn’t been sure until that moment.

I was grateful I could tell my friends I had an assignment.

Before the meeting, I worried I would have to keep the whole thing secret.

Professor East nodded, and a tendril from a trailing plant tugged the office door open. “Enjoy your week. I have a feeling that once you get started, your field studies advisor is going to keep you quite busy.”