It was obvious to me that my skills had improved dramatically since he’d started working with me, and Algebra and Biostatistics for Botanists were not as miserable as they’d once been. The truth was, I was starting to remember why I’d liked the patterns and logic involved in math as a kid, and my scientific skills were rapidly progressing under Callan’s careful direction. My Latin was eking along at an infant level, but I was making progress.
“Sure, if tutoring entails being holed up in a cozy tree house together every night,” Coral teased.
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help feeling a little glow at my friends’ words. I glanced at Callan as he worked at the other end of the log, his hair a perfectly mussed chestnut brown as he carefully lifted a piece of moss, muscles flexing under his tattooed forearms. I blew out a sharp breath and refocused on my notebook.
It’s just tutoring.
“I can’t believe the winter solstice is next week,” Yasmin said. “There are so many preparations to do. And we’ll be switching classes after the solstice, so we need to wrap up all our projects. How are you doing with all this, B?”
“Not bad, actually,” I admitted. And it was surprisingly true. Between Callan’s tutoring and all the extra time I was putting in on my own on Fridays while the others were doing their affinity studies, I was at least able to keep up in classes. I still felt behind in Latin, but Professor Bowellia was happy withmy progress. And we would take Latin all year, so I had more time to continue learning.
“I’m just glad finals are over at SCC so I can fully enjoy the solstice celebrations,” Yasmin said. Grades had been posted the previous day. I’d managed to pull a high B average. But I’d signed up for three winter intersession classes—abbreviated courses in which you squeezed in a semester’s worth of work in four weeks. I wanted to get as ahead on credits at SCC as I possibly could, since my regular semesters were so crunched with my Evergreen Academy studies.
“You’re all going home for winter break, right?” I asked.
“Yep, I can’t wait. As much as I love the food here at the academy, there’s nothing like my mom’s cooking, especially over the holidays,” Coral said.
“My family is taking a trip to the fern conservatory for Christmas this year,” Aurielle said.
Coral’s eyebrows rose. “You’re going to Alaska in the winter? That’s brave.”
Aurielle shrugged. “My parents are adventurous.”
“I’m jealous,” Yasmin said. “I’ve always wanted to go. Maybe I’ll get the opportunity to intern there.”
I’d been trying to track the conversation, but I needed clarification now. “Did you say ‘fern conservatory’? What is that?”
“It’s like the hub for all fern affinities. There’s a conservatory for each of the nine affinities. They were set up by the founders and are hubs for each affinity’s research and community. The one for the ferns is in Alaska,” Yasmin explained. “Most botanists try to visit their lead affinity conservatory at some point in their lives. We’re not allowed to visit the other conservatories unless by special invitation.”
My brain snagged on that point. Without having a lead affinity—or any affinity at all—this was another part of the magical botanist world that I was never going to be able to experience.
“Please bring me back a souvenir from the fern conservatory, Aurielle. I’ve been dying to have something from there,” Yasmin said.
“Me too!” I said, perking back up at the thought of the holiday season. Even with the SCC coursework I would need to crank out each day, between finals being over and thoughts of the winter solstice celebrations and Christmas, the end of the year was shaping up to be magical.
Nothing, not even a lack of affinity powers, could ruin it.
Chapter Thirty-Four
When I arrived at Evergreen Academy during the week leading up to the winter solstice, I could immediately sense that the mood in the air was different.
I entered the central vein to see students carrying large boughs of greenery. A few of the evergreen boughs were being floated through the air by the tree affinities.
Yasmin looped an arm through mine when she spotted me. “Want to make a wreath?”
“Absolutely.” We gathered supplies and got to work at one of the tables in the teahouse.
Yasmin, Coral, and Aurielle all selected fern leaves so that they could magically enhance their wreaths, but I chose the local ingredients of spruce, fir, juniper berries, and holly. I threw in some ribbons to weave through the wreath and a dainty red bow for good measure.
“Drinks, anyone?” A first-year student who was currentlyon Kitchen Botany rotation stopped at our table, balancing a silver platter on one hand. Glass mugs of steaming cocoa and cider emitted an enticing smell.
“Both, please,” I said, unable to decide. Yasmin laughed, and my friends each took turns selecting a drink.
“So, what all happens on the solstice?” I asked as we got to work braiding our wreaths.
“I only know what my sisters have told me,” Yasmin said. “Lots of food, of course. A speech from Professor East. Then a few other activities that shall remain a surprise for our newest magical botanist.”
“Fine,” I said, fake grumbling. “And what about the charging of the verdant shield?”
