“Maybe someone is getting in trouble for sealing Feathergrass’s office door closed with moss last night,” Yasmin said.
I shot a glance at Meadow. I had seen her do that move before and fully endorsed its use on Feathergrass. However, I didn’t want her—or any other student—getting caught.
My classmates outside the Root and Vine Society seemed to have been emboldened by my open defiance of Feathergrass at the Floral Fete. In the few weeks since, acts of resistance to his meddling in the curriculum had popped up everywhere.
When he went to review an affinity studies session at the pond, the aquatics created waves lapping nonstop against the shore, effectively keeping him away from the studies they were conducting underwater.
The herbs put something in his food that caused him to sneeze for a full minute every hour. The man seemed to have several allergies, and the herb affinities students had learned how to sneak them into his food in small doses. He must not have caught on that food was the source yet, since he was still eating the provided meals.
The most courageous group had to be the grasses, who were standing up to a man with their own lead affinity. The previous week, they’d introduced a reversible but dramatic disease to a strain of ornamental grasses, which kept Feathergrass busy trying to undo it all the way until the previous day.
Members of the Root and Vine Society had spotted Feathergrass trying to remove da Vinci’s book from beneath the phytoglass multiple times, but my defenses were holding. Beyond that, the members were keeping our heads down. We were attending classes and trying to give the appearance of normalcy so that Feathergrass wouldn’t have a reason to suspect us more than any other student.
“Today, I’m announcing the arrival of a special plant,” Feathergrass said, his words effectively quieting the room. “The Dandelion of Desire is on loan from the grasses conservatory.”
Coral gave a soft gasp then rubbed her hands together.Based on the similar reactions around the room, most of the other magical botanists knew what Feathergrass was referring to.
“Any student who catches another conducting any level of sabotage of my curriculum reviews and reports it to me will get to use the Dandelion of Desire.”
A nervous silence spread across the room. It was the first time Feathergrass had publicly acknowledged that any sabotage was occurring.
Coral immediately quit rubbing her hands together, her face turning sour. “He wants us to turn on one another.”
“Guess he doesn’t know our student body very well,” Yasmin whispered firmly.
“All reports will be kept in confidence, so you may share what you uncover with me without fear of revenge from your classmates,” Feathergrass said. “The Dandelion of Desire will be stored by the charging circle, under the protection of modified giant hogweed. Anyone who thinks of accessing it without my supervision will walk away with a nasty noticeable rash. For those who would like to notify me of anything for their chance to use the Dandelion, I’ve added a letter slot to my office door. Place a note through there, and I will seek you out. That is all. Enjoy your evening.”
Coral pointed a finger at her tongue and made a gagging expression.
“It’s too bad he couldn’t have brought the Dandelion of Desire to use as a reward for something actually important, not ratting one another out,” Aurielle said.
“What is the Dandelion of Desire?” I asked. “And why do people want to use it?”
“Have you heard the stories about blowing on a dandelion to grant a wish?” Yasmin asked.
I nodded. “Sure. I did that all the time as a kid.”
“Well, the Dandelion of Desire is where that myth came from,” Yasmin said.
My eyes widened. “It grants a wish?”
Yasmin shook her head. “Well, it doesn’t exactly do that. That’s how humans have twisted the legend. Or maybe how we intentionally twisted it for them. Instead of granting a wish, it magnifies your magical power on the next Floracantus you use. So for magical botanists, that’s like being able to grant a wish, as long as your wish has something to do with using your powers.”
“Wow,” I said, startled. “It’s like an energy drink for botanists?”
Yasmin laughed. “Something like that. But most will never get to use it in their lifetime. They’re super rare and tightly controlled by the grasses.”
“Why the grasses?” I asked.
“Humans consider the dandelions an herb, but in our society, the dandelions fall under the purview of the grasses. We assume it’s because of their root systems and ability to add nitrogen and minerals to the soil,” Aurielle explained.
I had experienced the magical botanist classification system differing from that of humans before. Considering what Yasmin had said, I wondered what I would do with increased power if I ever had the chance to use a Dandelion of Desire. I certainly wouldn’t be using the one at the school.
“Do we think anyone is going to take Feathergrass up on his offer?” Aurielle asked as we shuffled out of the teahouse to head to the library.
“I sure hope the students here are better than that,” Yasmin said. “But I guess we’re going to find out.”
Chapter Forty
