Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“So, you found the long-lost book and the long-hidden defensives conservatory. Remind me never to underestimate you, local,” Callan said when he picked me up from the airport. He pulled me into a hug that went on so long that I wondered if the night sky was going to blush.
“I’m as surprised as anyone.”
He released me from the hug then helped me carry my bag to his truck. We said goodbye to Nalin then got on the road.
“How was everything at the academy while we were gone?” I asked.
“All the students are sour on Feathergrass, which is no surprise. He manages to suck the fun out of everything.” Callan paused before speaking again, easing the truck onto the freeway that would take us into Weed before we exited for the forest and back to Evergreen Academy.
“I stopped at Professor East’s SCC office yesterday. ”
I sat up straight and whipped my head toward him. “Was he there? What did he say? How is he?”
Callan shook his head. “He wasn’t there, and the door was locked. But he keeps enough trailing plants inside that I was able to summon one through the door to unlock it.”
“You broke into Professor East’s office at SCC?” I was equal parts surprised and impressed.
“Desperate times. Plus, I think he’d approve.”
I nodded. We agreed on that. “So, did you find anything? Any evidence of where he went?”
“Nothing on Professor East, but I found a folder in his desk. It was concealed well, tucked inside his biology planning papers from last year. There was the student roster, which included your name—that’s what tipped me off that maybe he had left it for us—then a nondescript folder.
When I pulled it out, it contained Alex’s file. ”
“By the leaves!” I exclaimed. With all the excitement of the Florida trip, Alex had taken a back seat in my mind. “What was in it?”
“The SCC records were pretty uninteresting. They contained the address in San Diego he enrolled under, presumably a fake. There was a copy of his grades. He was keeping them up enough to stay enrolled but was obviously not putting in more than a passing effort. But one thing of note was that he didn’t enroll in any classes for this spring. ”
I frowned. “He’s not coming back to SCC? Why? Do you think he knows we saw him at the tree conservatory?” Even as I asked it, I knew that didn’t fit with the timeline. Alex would have needed to enroll in spring classes before the winter break.
“My guess is that he completed what he was sent here to do.”
I frowned, my stomach sinking as I remembered. “Activating Aunt Vera’s powers.”
Callan nodded then reached over and squeezed my hand.
I chewed my lower lip. “Who do you think sent him?”
Callan took a deep breath, and when his words came out, they were quiet. “I’m beginning to wonder if it was my parents.”
I kept my mouth shut, not surprised by the revelation but heartbroken that Callan had to come to such a conclusion.
“He’s a tree affinity, so he must have been working for someone there.
Who would have been motivated to poison the shield?
Who benefits from its being compromised?
” He ran a hand through his hair. “The faulty shield was the springboard for getting more power at the academy. It’s one of the reasons Feathergrass was able to replace Professor East. My mom is the tree representative on the Board of Regents.
She and Feathergrass have been friends since their days at Evergreen Academy. It all fits.”
I nodded and looked out the window, barely seeing the familiar trees of the forest leading to the academy. Everything he said had been piecing itself together in my mind as well.
“The timing works. Feathergrass is successfully installed at the academy, so Alex is no longer needed here to do their dirty work,” I said. “Do you think they’ll still try to use my aunt?”
“I think we had a bit of luck there. Wyatt got his hands on the quill—the real one, as far as any of them know—before the board could. While I don’t agree with the DBI on everything, I don’t think their intentions for the quill or the book are as self-serving as those of the influential members of the board. ”
“So if our assumptions are correct and they activated my aunt’s powers so that she could use the quill, and now they no longer have access to the quill, they should leave her alone?” The idea made me hopeful, though I still felt unsettled.
“It seems like it. I can’t see what else they would use her for. If they manage to get the quill back from the DBI, which is unlikely, they could try to have her use it. Obviously, they would learn that it wasn’t the real quill then. But hopefully, we’ll have made our move long before then.”
I nodded, strumming my fingers against my thigh. The best way to protect my aunt was to act first. Once we revealed our hand, the board would have no use for her.
Callan cleared his throat. “The most important things now are that you returned safely, we have a new lead, and the Root and Vine Society is ready to fight.”
“Well, then, I think you’re going to like my next bit of news,” I said, my lips twisting into a smile.
“More news?” Callan asked, raising an eyebrow. “You were only in Florida for a week.”
“In my field studies last term, Petra and I were working on a way to unblock my powers.”
The truck slowed as Callan let his foot off the gas.
“When I was at the defensives conservatory, she had the idea to have nine defensive botanists work on undoing the bonds on my magic.”
“And?” Callan glanced at me, and at the twinkle of hope I saw in his eyes, I couldn’t drag it out any longer.
“It worked. They undid the bonds of the poison on my powers. We tested it at both conservatories, and I had access to my magic in each after the procedure. Going back to Evergreen Academy will be the final test.”
Callan tapped his palm against the horn in excitement, and birds flew out of a nearby tree. “Are you serious?”
“As serious as cedar,” I said, grinning.
Callan’s face was pure joy, and his smile was one of roguish delight as he said, “Feathergrass is never going to see you coming.”