“I’ve always suspected so,” Oren replied. “Where else would they have come from?”
“Should we try the quill now?” I asked the group, suddenly eager to see if our efforts had truly worked.
Callan glanced at Oren, and the man shook his head. “My involvement here is done. Wherever your next adventure takes you, I wish you good luck.” Before he climbed into the tree to return to his tree house, he spoke softly to me. “Your mom would have been proud of you, kiddo.”
A tingle of warmth filled me at his words. “Thanks for your help, Oren. I’ll see you around?”
“These trees aren’t going to tend themselves.” Oren winked, then he climbed the tree and was gone.
Callan shrugged off his backpack, removed the quill, and handed it to me.
“Are we ready for this?” I asked, placing my hand on the shaft of the quill.
In answer, Callan used his wind manipulating powers to draw the fern frond rain cover closer around us.
Barely daring to breathe, I knelt and removed the quill from the cloth underneath the protective ferns. It seemed to tremble in my hand, as if ready to be used. I took that as a good sign. With a deep breath, I drew on all nine plant affinities and said in a low, clear voice, “Simul simus.”
The quill began to rotate slowly in my palm. It made three full circles, and my heart sank. Nonstop spinning was ahallmark of the quill being blocked. We had witnessed it on the occasions we had tested it.
But then the spinning slowed, and the quill came to a quivering stop, pointing southeast.
I forgot how to breathe.
Callan took a step back, and I could see that the gears were already turning in his brain. “Southeast. That could be a lot of places. I wonder how far?—”
My gasp cut him off. The quill was vibrating gently, and scratches formed on its shaft. “Something’s happening,” I said.
Callan leaned in.
As we watched the quill,3200 milesmaterialized, engraved in tiny indentations along the shaft.
“It’s in English. This part of the magic must have been added later. Maybe one hundred years ago, by whoever last hid the book,” Callan said. “Thirty-two hundred miles.”
“This means the book is thirty-two hundred miles from here?” I asked, flipping the quill over and searching for signs of more guidance.
But Callan smiled. “I know something that is almost exactly thirty-two hundred miles from here.”
“What?” I asked, meeting his eyes.
Callan’s grin split his face. “The aquatics conservatory.”
Chapter Four
The plants in Vera’s Café seemed to spring to life as the little coffee shop and bakery filled with magical botanists.
The fern hanging from the corner shimmied in acknowledgement of Hollis, a fern founders’ descendant. The flowers that filled vases on each table stretched forward, as if wanting to get a better glimpse of Heath, the lead floral affinity in our group. And the tea that Laurus, an herbs affinity student, had brewed for us from a unique combination of loose-leaf canisters on Vera’s counter had a divine fragrance filling the room.
“This place is charming,” Nalin, the aquatics affinity student, said as his eyes scanned the café. “You said this is your aunt’s shop?”
“Yes.” I smiled. “We close at four, and I asked her if we could use it for a ‘study session’ this evening.” My eyes drifted to the front door as I double-checked that it was locked and thatthe Closed sign faced outward. Vera’s Café was sure to be clear of scouting vines and a safe place for us to talk. We typically met at the Evergreen Conservatory just off campus, but the freezing temperatures meant an indoor meeting was welcomed by all.
Hollis was standing by the wall, his hands clasped behind his back, studying the two paintings that hung there, their frames perfectly matched. My heart skittered every time I looked at the frame Callan had painstakingly tracked down, all to find one that matched my mom’s for my art.
“Are we ready to get this party started?” The dry comment came from Meadow, the moss founders’ descendant, who hadn’t carpooled with the other magical botanists into town. I glanced outside for another car but didn’t see one. Knowing Meadow, I figured she had casually treewalked into town, even though she only had a trailing affinity for trees and the practice was dangerous for her.
Callan turned from where he had been filling his teacup at the counter, and his eyes found mine.
I tried to remain focused, but when he looked at me like that… full of trust, pride, and a touch of something else… let’s just say there was a lot to make my mind wander.
