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Chapter Thirty-Eight

A t my revelation about the petal portal, there were a few murmured gasps and plenty of eager faces as the questions rained down.

“A second one?” Nalin asked. “Does that mean there could be more?”

“How do you know? Did you go over it?” Laurus asked.

I answered each of their questions until Callan reeled the conversation in.

“That was an excellent find, Briar. I take it you didn’t stumble upon the portal by accident?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Aurielle, one of the fern affinities, has been leading a cartography club this year. They are the ones who found it.”

“Will she update you if she finds any others?” Callan asked.

“Yes,” I said, certain that wouldn’t be a problem.

“Okay, a successful initiation all around. Each of you produced items that could help our cause in some way. Very nice work.” He nodded to Kaito.

Kaito surveyed the cave. “Congratulations, you are all officially members of the Root and Vine Society. We will work as a team to determine how to use the materials we have gathered as well as to share intelligence. We will also each be expected to research the Vanished Compendium .” Kaito paced around the cavern, looking from face to face.

“In this society, we consider it part of our mission to protect the academy from corruption and undue influence. If signs continue to point in that direction, we may up our efforts to support the school.”

“I’m all for that, but do you really think the nine of us, and the items we gathered, can do anything against the Board of Regents?” Ravenna asked.

“Never underestimate the power of a small but dedicated coalition,” Callan said, standing with his arms behind his back like a soldier at parade rest. “Each of us has unique gifts and influence that might be exactly what this group needs, if we’re willing to use them when the time comes.”

The fragrance of the floral varieties hanging overhead was the only thing keeping me slightly calm.

The school’s protective force was forming right in front of my eyes.

And with Callan leading it, how could we fail?

I still didn’t know how deep the threat to our school truly ran, but I wasn’t going to let grass grow under my feet if things got worse.

“Now, for the ritual that all members have taken part in since the dawn of the Root and Vine Society.” Kaito waved to the abundant plant life around us. “Add your plant signature to the Evergreen Conservatory.”

I studied the walls more closely, as Hollis had been doing before, seeing the plants dangling from them in a whole new light. While the flashier plants like wisteria dominated the scene, there were hundreds of species embedded into the walls of the cave, creating a tapestry of life.

“You can leave the cave to get your plant of choice,” Kaito said. “Make sure your signature is embedded before you return to the academy for the night. ”

The botanists began to disperse, exiting the cave to choose a plant of their lead affinity.

I turned to Callan. “Where’s your signature?”

“Take a closer look. Can you tell?”

I scanned the area again. There were tree bits grafted onto the cave all over the place. How to know which was Callan’s?

I opened up my senses and searched the tree’s cells. When my attention caught on a tiny tree growing out of the cave wall, there was a familiar sensation in the magic that tied it to the stone.

Callan had demonstrated his magic to me many times since we’d met. I knew it almost as well as I knew my own. That graft was his signature style. So simple. So clever. And unlike the other tree bits that were only a branch or two, he had managed to include the whole miniature tree there.

“That one,” I said, pointing to it.

He nodded, a slow smile creeping across his lips. “Very good.” Callan’s voice dropped even lower, his eyes never leaving mine as he leaned in closer and said, “As much as I liked your plant lady costume, I think the fairy gave it a run for its money.”

I startled, heat flushing my neck. I hadn’t known Callan had seen my costume, but apparently, he had noticed me from some secret vantage point during the evening.

“Yeah, well, I hadn’t intended on traipsing through the entire forest and scaling a wall in it. I’m surprised I didn’t leave a trail of glitter from the scene of the crime straight to my room.”

Callan’s lips twitched, then he nodded toward the mouth of the cave, urging me to start my task.

I swam out of the cave, noting a little tug of pleasure deep in my belly. Each slow smile from Callan was like the first bloom of a dormant plant in spring. Sweet, assuring, and with the promise of something to come.

Once I was back on campus, I headed straight for the Perilous Grove.

While I could have chosen from any of the plant affinities, I was starting to identify with the defensive plants much more since my training with Petra.

Plus, I was the only one in the group with a defensive plant affinity.

It seemed fitting to make that my contribution.

I scanned my plant options, wanting to choose something that would add to the beauty of the space despite its deadly qualities. Before long, I landed on lily of the valley. The delicate white bells drew the eye immediately.

By the time I collected a bunch of the flowers and returned to the cave, other botanists were already in the midst of attaching their plants to the damp floor or walls.

Studying the area, I noticed a spot that was typically dark but where a sliver of moonlight was beginning to shine through, illuminating the pool of water below. Perhaps it was where the name Moonlit Falls had come from. I got to work grafting my flowers to the wall.

I glanced at Callan, thinking of when he had me practice grafting on our rock climbing outing. Callan was watching Laurus attach a bundle of sage to an already overfull portion of the wall.

Once my lilies of the valley were grafted, I took a step back and admired them. They were shining in the moonlight, like little moons themselves.

“Interesting choice,” Callan whispered in my ear, and I shivered, not realizing he had joined me.

“Exactly. It’s unassuming. Only the people who know its power will ever see it coming.”