Chapter 50
Chapter Fifty
The day after the game of Capture the Roses had revealed my renewed access to my powers to the entire school, I decided it was time I attempted to make the Floracantus that all my practice Floracantus were building to.
I needed to create a verdant shield that would replace the one currently protecting the academy. It was a much larger task than anything I had done so far, and my palms were slightly sweaty as I arrived at the caves of the Evergreen Conservatory.
Only Callan, Meadow, and I were there. Since Meadow had scoured the book about the founders, we hoped she might have some insights into the shield’s creation that would help me.
“I have no idea how to start,” I admitted once the three of us had gathered with my conduit notebook and my cutting of activated Rosie.
“How have you started with the other Floracantus you’ve made?” Meadow asked.
“I connect with a plant and think about what I want to make it do. But this is different. Do I connect with the soil? The plants? Do I need to connect with all the plants I want to protect?” I didn’t say it aloud, but the task seemed impossible.
“The original verdant shield is tied to the soil,” Meadow said.
“When the founders placed their hands in the charging circle, each imbued a tiny bit of their own power. I don’t think this Floracantus is going to be like the others.
Instead of concentrating on a plant, you need to tap into each of your powers and direct them into the soil. ”
I nodded, grasping onto the sureness in her words. “Any other tips?”
“The original Floracantus was invented by the tree founder, so you may need to use a little more tree affinity power compared to the others. I imagine the defensive founder instilled a good deal of power, too, since the shield keeps humans from seeing the truth.”
“Got it,” I said, sounding surer than I felt.
I knelt and touched my right hand to the ground.
Callan had created a stone circle to imitate what the experience at the charging circle would be like.
My left hand held Rosie over the notebook.
With so many moving parts, it was difficult to focus on any one thing, but I closed my eyes and tried to push out thoughts of anything but creating a new Floracantus.
I dug inside myself, as Petra had taught me to do, and felt for each of my powers.
One by one, I pushed them into the soil.
Floral affinity… harvester affinity… grasses affinity…
aquatic affinity… tree affinity. There, I paused and took extra time, making sure to incorporate the network component of trees.
Moss affinity… herbs affinity… fern affinity…
and finally, defensives affinity. I focused on the protective traits of defensive plants, trying to imagine them forming a shield around the Evergreen Conservatory.
Once I felt I had done all I could do, I whispered the words I had planned for the Floracantus. “Terram protege.”
A few of Rosie’s petals fell from my hands, and when I opened my eyes, there was a small, shimmering clear shield—nearly invisible—around the stone circle and my notebook.
I experienced a strange mixture of thrill and disappointment. Some kind of shield had been created, but it was tiny. I had been hoping to create one around the entire conservatory. Instead, it was only a few feet in diameter.
“Are either of you seeing that?” I asked.
“Seeing what?” Callan looked around.
“There’s a shimmering—” The shield dissolved. “Never mind. It’s gone.”
“What did you see?” Meadow asked, and I explained.
“So it seems like it only lasted a few seconds,” I said, trying not to let my disappointment ring too loudly in my voice.
“But you did create something,” Callan said. “Maybe it requires some practice.”
I frowned, unsettled by that answer. “None of the other Floracantus I created required practice.”
Meadow was sending moss up and down her arm, as if using that to help her sort her thoughts. “It is strange. It seems the components are there, but it’s not quite strong enough.”
“Maybe Callan’s right. I’ll just have to keep practicing.”
We cleaned up and headed back to the academy.
As we went through the flower garden, Yasmin rushed up to us. “Feathergrass is looking for you, B.”
“What is it this time?” I wasn’t in the mood for another interrogation. Then dread pooled in my stomach. “You don’t think he knows what we were up to, do you?”
Yasmin’s brow furrowed. “We’ve been careful.”
“Want me to listen in through the scouting vines in his office?” Callan asked.
“Yes, please,” I said, relaxing at the thought that I wouldn’t have to try to relay back whatever Feathergrass said word for word.
“Can I come?” Yasmin asked him. “I’ve always wanted to see how the listening side of those worked.”
“Sure,” Callan said.
They both wished me luck, and I walked up the stairs to meet Feathergrass.
When I was admitted to Feathergrass’s office, he picked up the conversation as if we had never left off. “I’ve found you a new field studies assignment. You were lucky that someone in a very prestigious position recently became available and volunteered to take you on.”
I relaxed slightly. He wasn’t on to us. “What kind of study is it?” I asked, equal parts cautious and curious.
“Like your previous one in defensives, it is classified. Your new advisor has a trailing affinity for defensives, but they have a broad variety of experiences that we hope will complement your skill set.”
I glanced out the window, which was cracked open, inhaling the sweet spring air and the fragrance from the flower gardens below, letting it calm my nervous system as I wondered what Feathergrass had planned for me.
I told myself it was only for two weeks, then I could get out of it if I wanted to.
Feathergrass signaled toward the door. When it opened and I saw who stepped inside, I had to sit on my hands to hide my surprise—and recognition.
“Briar, this is Wyatt Rhodes. He works with the Department of Botanical Intelligence.”