I wasn’t sure I trusted him, even if he was a counselor. Professor Fallon was a professor, but she didn’t act like one.
“Maybe,” I muttered. “But I’m not sure. Herbology is easy for me, at least.”
“Too easy,” Thorn corrected. “You are too advanced for that class, and Fallon picks on you like a turtlehead.”
“Turtlehead,” Lachlan huffed out a chuckle. “I can’t get over your cuss words, dude. We have to convert you.”
“Sheisa turtle head,” he defended himself with a scowl, and I giggled.
It was another one of Thorn’s charms.
“Did you know that turtlehead flowers were once used as a gentle laxative and it was used to expel worms?”
Lachlan’s laughter bubbled out of him as he bent over while Kian patted his back with a red face. Thorn just shook his head with a small grin at me, and I furrowed my eyebrows.
“What?”
“Like we said.” Thorn chuckled. “You’re too good for that class.”
NINETEEN
Wren
Thewindwhistledthroughthe trees as I roamed the Bestial Forest an hour before Human Studies.
I had to get away and recharge myself because I wasn’t used to spending time with so many people.
It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy being around everyone; I did. But I needed to step back and breathe. I hadn’t had time to process what had happened the past few days or the increasingly confusing emotions I’ve been having around these men on campus.
A stick crunched under my shoe, and I resisted the urge to take them off and shift. I didn’t have time for a full run, and being in my fox form in unfamiliar territory made me nervous. Tons of students came to the forest, and with the unknown threat on campus...
The hair stood up on the back of my neck.
A flash of white and yellow caught my eye, and I changed direction until I stood in front of the few spots of chamomile flowers still standing but bending under the weight of the wind.
I’d been meaning to make a sleep tincture for myself and Damien. I’d noticed he had trouble sleeping at night since he constantly woke me up by coming into my room to watch me sleep.
Bending at the knee, I picked the flowers mid-way down the stem until I had a decent bouquet then carefully placed them into my bag, thanking Thorn’s enchantment once again.
I made sure to gather all of them in the area because with it being autumn, they would die soon—and I didn’t want them to go to waste.
Chamomile has so many benefits, especially when paired with magical essence.
I got to my feet and dusted off the dirt from my palms on my skirt, scanning the forest floor for any more pleasant herbal surprises.
The Bestial Forest was supposed to be home to a lot of rare herbs. I’d heard that no matter where a plant is native in Kalista, the Bestial Forest has it. Even plants only found in human territory could be found here.
The entire forest had apparently been blessed by witches to grow every plant in all of Kalista. It made my nerves buzz in excitement to think of all the salves, balms, tinctures, and medicines I could make by just searching one place. The herbalist inside me was buzzing with a high only herbs could give.
The forest by the village barely had any herbs due to the arctic climate. The village traded with the Polar Bear Village for herbs and other goods who traded with another village. Good herbs were few and far between in Briesia.
I’d have to keep an eye out for lavender blossoms while I was out here.
Letting out a sigh, I pulled my hair up into a ponytail. Hopefully, Alice and the shop were doing okay back at the village without me there to help.
Who would Alice get to help her now that I was gone? Surely, she wouldn’t try to take everything on by herself.
Inhaling the crisp air, I came across a small clearing littered with dead leaves and made my way over to sit against a nearby tree.
