My brow furrowed. “NewFloracantus?” The idea went against everything I had learned about magical botany.
“The botanists who wrote the originalCompendium Floracantusmust have made them somehow. It would make sense that they would want to preserve that process and hide it more securely than the other book. Someone with the power to discover and make new Floracantus could change the world.”
“And you think they wrote those instructions in riddles so they couldn’t easily be copied if the book were discovered by the wrong person?”
“That could very well be the case,” Petra said.
“I wish I had more time to review this with you,” I said, my heart sinking at the thought of leaving. But Nevah was out there in the boat, likely worried something had happened to me. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it felt like more than an hour.
“Didn’t you say you were here for a few more days? Go reassure your friends you’re all right then come back tomorrow. We still need to work on unblocking your powers using the Rosierecipe, and this may be the perfect place to do it.” She closed the book and pressed it into my hands.
“It is yours now,” Petra said, and I felt a twist of discomfort at the words. The book didn’t belong to me. It belonged to all of us, just like the originalCompendium Floracantus. If only we could figure out how to use it.
Chapter Twenty-Five
When I broke free of the maze that led to the defensives conservatory and returned to the water hemlock-covered portion of the coastline, my backpack began to rustle. Startled, I slid it off my shoulders and checked theVanished Compendiumfor signs of movement. The book was still and calm, exactly as a book should be.
I frowned and felt around my bag until my hand landed on the rustling leaf wrapped in twine.Of course. A message from Callan.I removed the twine and unrolled the leaf to read the hand-written words upon it.
Got the feeling I should write to you. Still up?
My chest squeezed at the thought that Callan was thinking about me from across the country. Maybe he somehow sensed that I hadn’t gone to bed and had set off to find the book instead.
I thrust my hand around in my bag until it landed on a pen then scrawled a response below Callan’s message.
Still up. Lots to tell you. Nevah said there’s a satellite phone, so I’ll call you in the morning to explain.
A few moments after I had written it, my message dissolved and another appeared.
You really know how to keep a man in suspense. Talk to you tomorrow.
I waved my arms at Nevah and Kai, and they began to maneuver the boat in my direction.
“Thank water lilies. I was getting ready to go after you.” Nevah reached out a hand and pulled me into the boat. “So, what happened? Were there people there? Did you find the book?”
I filled her, Kai, and Nalin in on all that had occurred inside the defensives conservatory as we made our way back toward the aquatics conservatory, the ocean rippling underneath us in gentle, rocking waves.
“I can’t believe you found theVanished Compendium,” Nevah said, a quiet awe in her voice as we reached the spot where we would leave the boat.
“I’m not sure what to make of it, though. What if we can’tsolve the riddles? Or what if the instructions aren’t what we think they are?” I gazed at the dark water, barely seeing it.
“Think about it, B. Why would they go to this much work to protect this book if the contents weren’t extremely valuable? I think Petra’s theory is strong. We should focus on the fact that each Renaissance botanist seemed to have their own method for creating Floracantus. Did that mean they could only use the method they developed? If so, the only riddle we need to worry about in that book is the one for your ancestor, da Vinci. If we can figure it out, you might be able to use it.”
I considered Nevah’s words and hoped she was right. We secured the book in a dry bag, and Nevah enhanced it with aquatic protection charms, though I could sense that there were plenty of protective enchantments on the old book already. We swam back to the aquatic conservatory and went to our separate rooms.
I headed straight for the shower, which was filled with plants and fragrant herbs. The shampoo smelled of rosemary and ginseng. If the spa-like shower experience didn’t make my hair as smooth and shiny as Nevah’s, nothing would. I breathed in the dried lavender that hung in the bathroom while I dried off and felt my eyes grow heavy.
After I lay down in bed, I watched the sway of the seagrass on the ocean floor, which was lit by the dim yellow lights embedded around the conservatory dome. The leaf on my nightstand rustled, and I rolled over to look at it. When the message appeared, it immediately put a smile on my face.
Sweet dreams, tourist.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Nevah had been right—the ocean woke up early. The coral reef that had been calm when I went to bed was full of movement as the various creatures that called the reef home went about their daily tasks. The eels and groupers I had spotted the night before were gone, and more brightly colored creatures had taken their places. Butterfly fish skimmed the water, searching for breakfast, and blue tang added a shock of electric azure to the scene.
As I prepared for the day, I wanted nothing more than to share the results of the previous night’s adventure with Callan.
The common area of the conservatory was much busier, too. Botanists dressed in wetland working attire were drinking coffee and tea and loading dry bags with gear for their studies. I spotted Nalin in the corner, following instructions from a woman with silver hair. He must have been preparing to go on his research assignment already.
