Chapter 48
Chapter Forty-Eight
After watching Callan depart, I hurried back toward the Perilous Grove, my heart rate increasing as I got closer.
Sure enough, some of the defeated affinities were coming for me, hoping to reclaim a portion of their points. While the trees, ferns, and mosses were nowhere to be seen, several herbs, grasses, harvesters, florals, and aquatics were making their way toward the grove.
“Fronds,” I murmured, debating how I was going to fight them all off at once.
Just as I was clearing my brain to strategize, I heard a whistle to my right, from the forest floor.
“Hollis!” I shouted. “Did you get the herbs’ rose?”
“Of course. And mosses are on their way back from taking the grasses’ rose. What’s the plan?”
“I have to hold them off until Callan gets the aquatics’ rose. It’s the last one in play.” When Hollis nodded, I headed straight for the center of the Perilous Grove. A few students were inside, sporting a mix of rashes and swollen skin.
“Looking for my rose?” I asked, stepping into the grove.
A floral student tossed a packet onto the ground, and wildflowers sprang up around my feet. I gently sidestepped them.
“Are you sure you want to fight me in here?” I asked the group as my defensive plants continued to reach out and irritate the students who were searching them for the rose.
One girl pulled back her finger with a hiss of pain.
“We didn’t know you had access to your powers,” a first-year harvester student said.
“Surprise,” I replied before stretching out my arms and calling a few of the plants toward me, forcing the students closer together in the grove.
“My team captain sent me out here, but I didn’t know it was going to be like this,” a grasses student said, jumping sideways when a thorny nettle nearly scratched his foot.
“It’s not too late to turn back.” I moved to reveal a clear passage out of the grove behind me.
The botanists looked at one another, and after one last poke to each of them from the nettle, they ran past me and out of the grove. Well, that had been easier than expected. There were perks to being the only defensive botanist on campus.
“Thank you,” I said to the plants.
When I had the place to myself, I spun around, connecting to the plants around me and focusing on what it felt like to be using all my powers, fully unleashed.
In that moment, I had confidence that maybe I could create a Floracantus to reset the verdant shield.
I had been practicing every day, and so far, I had created four new Floracantus, all of which were recorded in the journal I was using as the conduit.
And while it still felt like a miracle each time I created a new Floracantus, the feeling was also becoming familiar and comfortable.
I tried out the Floracantus I had made on the lily of the valley flowers in the grove. “Petale candenti.” They began to glow, and I smiled. It was reassuring to know that the new Floracantus were still working.
When I heard footsteps, I quickly whispered, “Petale neutrus,” reciting another Floracantus I’d created, which undid the effects of the first. The lily of the valley’s white petals returned to their normal state.
“Briar!” Aurielle called. “Callan got the aquatics’ rose. The game is over. You won!”
I smiled with relief. She hugged me then asked, “Where is your rose?”
I led her to the corpse flower and beckoned it to unfurl. Once it had opened, I lifted my rose out.
“Genius hiding spot,” she said. “I know I sure as spores wouldn’t be sticking my hand in there.”
“That’s what I was banking on.” I thanked the corpse flower then turned back to Aurielle. “Time to claim the win.”