Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
After night had fallen and most of the academy students were tucked away in their rooms, Callan led me and my friends to a discreet place along the wall at the top of the stairs.
Upon my request, he was taking us to the secret attic room he had shown me just a week before.
It was an old hideaway of the tree founders, and Callan had shown me the room after our unexpected visit from his brother, when we had needed somewhere private to talk.
We confirmed no one was around, then Callan touched his peridot gemstone to the recess below the wall lantern.
The hidden door swung inward—to gasps from Yasmin, Aurielle, and Coral—then Callan led us up the narrow staircase.
Hollis and Meadow both sat in the room, casually snacking on roasted chestnuts that filled a beautiful acacia wood bowl.
“Is this the new meeting spot?” Meadow asked, eyeing my friends. “I figured it was only a matter of time before she read you three in.”
“Meeting spot for… what exactly?” Yasmin asked, clearly mystified about everything that was happening.
“We’ve decided to fill them in. On everything,” Callan said pointedly. “We need allies, and these three will have Briar’s back.”
Hollis shrugged. “They’re all ferns. They get my vote.”
Next to me, Coral raised her eyebrows, but she didn’t have a chance to respond before Callan said, “Glad you’re both on board. We’ll introduce them to the rest of the group as the opportunity presents itself. With Feathergrass here, we’re going to have to tread more carefully.”
“That name,” Hollis said with a snort. “Won’t be forgetting which affinity he has anytime soon.”
Coral stifled a laugh, and Hollis shot her a rueful smile.
“He and my mom are old friends,” Callan said. “He owns more plant-related patents than any person alive. His involvement here means the changes the board wants to make are about to accelerate.”
“Which means our countermeasures are going to have to accelerate,” Meadow said.
“Countermeasures? I’m sorry. Can someone fill us in?” Aurielle asked.
So I did. I told my friends about the Root and Vine Society, about the quill and our mission to the tree conservatory to retrieve it, about where the quill had pointed, and about my plans to visit the aquatics conservatory.
Finally, I told them about how Professor East had covered for Callan and me with the DBI.
He was the reason we weren’t in trouble for stealing the quill.
The only thing I left out was Alex. That secret was between Callan, me, and Professor East, at least for the moment.
“Spores and rhizomes, B. You’ve been busy this year,” Coral said then took a handful of nuts and popped them into her mouth one by one, as if the saltiness would calm her down.
“This actually explains a lot,” Yasmin said slowly. “So, how can we help?”
“You already have, in some ways,” I replied.
“Especially you, Aurielle. Your cartography club found us two new petal portals. Those could be useful if we ever need to get on or off campus without detection. Do you think you could continue to search to see if there are any more?” The petal portals allowed us to cross over the wall at designated areas of the invisible verdant shield if we were wearing a Shasta lily pendant.
“Of course.” Aurielle’s words came without hesitation. “We’ll prioritize mapping along the wall. I haven’t heard whether our club was approved to continue by the board yet, but we’ll press forward either way.”
I smiled and nodded, unsurprised that my friends were willing to help us so readily.
“So, Professor East is really gone. Do we think it’s permanent?” Meadow asked.
“I hope not,” Yasmin said. “Do we think he’s still teaching at SCC this spring?”
“Good question. We’ll have to check once classes start. I’d really like to talk to him.” And apologize.
“Do you think they fired him? Did he go voluntarily? I have so many questions,” Aurielle said. She was repeatedly tucking her blond curls behind her ears, a nervous habit I had noticed when she was working on a particularly tough botany problem.
I turned to Callan. “You said Feathergrass is friends with your mom. They’re both on the Board of Regents. Do you think the board voted him out?”
“Those two have always had an outsize influence on the board. If there was a vote, I’m sure they swayed it,” Callan said, his voice sour.
“Professor East will be reinstated eventually, right?” Aurielle asked.
“Not without the status quo changing,” Hollis answered.
“It’s all the more reason we need to get our hands on the Vanished Compendium. Whoever has it has power,” Meadow said.
Yasmin, Coral, and Aurielle looked like they were all still processing the idea that the long-lost book actually existed and that we had a quill compass leading us toward it.
“In the meantime, I have something I need a few of us to do tonight,” Callan said, switching gears.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“The scouting vine seedlings I’ve been keeping have grown enough to be of use. I think we should plant some in Feathergrass’s office. Now that we’re one step ahead when it comes to the book, I’d like to make sure it stays that way.”
All eyes whipped to Callan.
“You have scouting vines?” Coral asked, clearly shocked. “Those need congressional approval. I thought they were only used at certain conservatories.”
“These aren’t sanctioned,” Hollis said, smirking at her.
Coral pursed her lips, but there was a little twist of mirth in them.
“Count me in. You know I already have experience sneaking into that office,” Meadow said.
“Good, because I’m going to need your moss skills,” Callan replied.
We all bent our heads together and got to work.