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Chapter Twenty-Nine

A t lunch the next Monday, Professor East pulled me aside into a quiet corner of the teahouse. “I’ve been in contact with your field studies advisor. We’ll meet her at the park in Mount Shasta after dinner. Let’s drive separately since I won’t be joining you the whole time.”

I was surprised that we were getting such a late start but didn’t question it. One of the many things I had learned from being around magical botanists was that, with plants, timing was important. If my advisor wanted to meet in the evening, there was likely a reason for it.

“Thanks, I’ll be there.”

I hurried off to class, where some of my fellow second-years were already getting to work with their microscopes. Throughout the class period, I cast a few looks across the room at Callan.

He returned them about half the time, giving a slight smile and gentle tilt of his head when he caught my eye. I was remembering how we had danced at the wedding, and the memory sent goose bumps arching on my arms.

“Would you two stop ogling each other? It’s making me blush,” Coral said, carefully slicing a stalk of aloe vera open with a scalpel.

I jumped and refocused on the plants on our table. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, how was the hot date at the wedding?” Yasmin asked.

“Yasmin!” I gasped. “It was not a ‘hot date.’ Well, it didn’t start off that way. We may have shared a slow dance or two, though.”

“So you’re not in denial that he’s into you anymore?” Coral asked.

I considered what I wanted to share carefully. At last, I settled on, “It’s complicated.”

“What’s making it complicated?” Coral pressed.

I spoke quietly. “He has concerns about his parents and the other founders’ descendants groups. He thinks they’re all sort of… competing for my interest. And his mom is at the top of that list.”

“Fronds,” Yasmin murmured.

“I knew that woman seemed scary,” Aurielle said.

“Well, if Romeo and Juliet can manage it, so can you two,” Coral said as she upped the magnification on the microscope.

The three of us turned to her, our faces variations of amused, confused, and shocked.

“Coral, you do know how that story ended, right?” Aurielle asked.

Coral waved a hand. “Such theatrics. You two obviously aren’t going to die . But there is something romantic about fighting for love against the odds.”

“Someone has been watching too many rom-coms,” I said, hoping to turn the conversation away from Callan and me.

“All I’m saying is, you’re powerful, B. You have every single plant affinity. And strong affinities, at that. Power like yours hasn’t been seen in generations. If anyone can hang in the society of stuffy founders’ descendants, it’s you.”

“Ahh, thanks for the ego boost, Coral,” I teased, though I truly appreciated her belief in me .

“Look, you do you,” Coral continued. “But if Waylon looked at me like Mr. Founder’s Descendant looks at you, he and I would be making out in a treehouse right now.”

“Coral!” Yasmin, Aurielle, and I all gasped at our friend then collapsed into giggles. Professor Variegata shot us a look from the front of the room.

Once I composed myself, I chanced one more glance at Callan and saw that his eyes were already on me.