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Chapter Thirty-Nine

N ovember rolled along, and I met Petra each week in the lantern-lit cabin on Mount Shasta to continue our development of counterpoisons. Tonight was our last meeting of the month, and I could tell we were both itching to make some progress.

“Okay, the yarrow- and comfrey-based concoctions didn’t go anywhere, but maybe this sweet clover will give us something.” Petra stirred a pot that was simmering on a camp stove. “Once this cools, you can test it out. Let me get the shield up.”

Petra stepped outside, and I knew she was touching the earth, imbuing it with a shield that we hoped slightly imitated the one at Evergreen Academy.

The only way to truly test if any of our antidotes worked would occur when I went back on campus, but we were both hopeful of some kind of breakthrough here under similar conditions.

A few minutes later, I felt access to my powers cut off. It wasn’t as stark as it was at the academy. I could feel that they were there, but it was like they were resting behind a thin wall. Petra stepped back inside and closed the door. “It’s ready. How’s the antidote looking? ”

I held up the drinking glass I had poured a portion into. “It doesn’t smell great.”

“Well, at least you’ve got the honey for taste. Okay, go ahead.”

I lifted the cup to my lips and swallowed a tablespoon-size serving. The concoction was lukewarm and syrupy. Then as practiced, I began to test my magic at five-minute intervals.

“ Petale expandere ,” I said, aiming the Floracantus at the wilted flowers on the table. After our previous tests, I wasn’t expecting anything to happen, but Petra was rigorous with the scientific method.

Then I thought I saw a few of the petals twitch, and I jumped up excitedly. “I think something happened!”

“Try it again,” Petra said, locking her eyes on the flowers.

“ Petale expandere ,” I said, more heartily this time. Now, though, I didn’t notice any twitching.

“Hmm, I didn’t see anything. Did you feel a connection to the plant, like you would when your powers are unblocked?”

I thought about it then shook my head. “I don’t think so. I might have imagined the twitching.”

Petra nodded and recorded something on her data sheet. “Let’s keep testing every five minutes for the next hour, just in case.”

We finished out our testing, but I didn’t see any further evidence of gains. I was trying not to get discouraged as we were still in the early stages of our research, but I couldn’t help wondering how many more antidotes we would have to test. Would we ever find one that truly worked?

An hour later, as we cleaned up, my mind was on the Vanished Compendium . Could it have the solutions that we were looking for? Or was the issue of magical botanists poisoning each other’s power a newer nuisance?

Members of the Root and Vine Society—and many others—had been searching for the book for centuries. I wondered, not for the first time, why no one had found it yet. I glanced at my field studies instructor, one of the most knowledgeable magical botanists I knew.

“Petra, what do you do when you’re trying to find information but it’s being elusive?”

Petra’s forehead rippled. “Elusive?”

“You know, when you’re doing research and combing through all kinds of books that are related to the topic but you aren’t landing on exactly what you’re looking for.”

“Ahhh.” She seemed to catch the meaning of the English word.

“I get as close to the primary source material as possible. For example, if I were wanting to learn about how magical botanists used nightshade in the eighteenth century”—she nodded toward the nightshade in the basket of deadly plants—“I would try to find journals of defensive plant botanists of the era.”

I mulled over her words. There were plenty of primary sources in the Evergreen Academy library, and various members of our group had been reading through them. But were we looking in the right place?

The Root and Vine Society had been seeking information on the Vanished Compendium , but if both books were created around the same time, maybe learning more about the known book would be helpful.

“Have you ever seen the original edition of the Compendium Floracantus ?” I asked, keeping my voice casual even though I was sure my question felt out-of-the-blue to Petra.

“I have, in fact, on a trip to the Louvre. It’s stored behind thick phytoglass and masked as an example of an old healer’s grimoire. But even through the phytoglass, I could feel the power of the botanists who created it radiating from the pages.”

I paused my work. “Really? You could feel it? How close were you?”

“I think I sensed it as soon as I stepped in the Louvre, but it got stronger the closer I went. Why? Thinking about making a trip? ”

“Something like that,” I murmured. I thought about Callan’s ability to sense powers. “You don’t have a special ability to sense when power is being used, do you?”

Petra shook her head. “No, that is a very rare gift indeed. What I experienced with the book is more like a magical signature. The book is a powerful artifact, and any magical botanist would be able to feel the magic coming from it if they got close enough.”

So the original Compendium Floracantus emitted traces of magic. That shouldn’t have come as a surprise. If there was a second volume, would it also put off a magical beacon? Would botanists be able to sense it if they got close enough?

This only made it seem more likely that the other book had been destroyed. If the Vanished Compendium was as powerful as its sister, some magical botanists throughout history would had to have sensed it.

I tucked the information away. Even if it wouldn’t be helpful in the mission of the Root and Vine Society, every little detail helped inform my understanding of the society of magical botanists. And the more I learned, the more I wanted to know.