Finally, after several moments of bliss, Callan pulled back. The leaves floated for a half a second more before falling slowly to the ground. Callan rested his forehead against mine, his hand still cradling the back of my neck. “Leaves, local.”
“Want to do that again?” I asked hazily.
Callan caressed the side of my neck before stepping backward. “You know I do. But let’s finish this. Then we can do that whenever you want.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Whenever?”
He smiled playfully but directed me back to the game. “Which roses are still in play?”
“I think florals are. Aquatics and harvesters were battling each other. Meadow’s group was going after the grasses, and the ferns were going after the herbs.”
“One of my scouting vines reported the aquatics took the harvester’s rose just before you got here. Then they got the florals.”
“So the aquatics have two. If they beat our friends to either the herbs or the grasses and manage to hold on to their rose, we’re tied.” I stuffed the tree rose into my backpack with the others, preparing to move.
“I’ll get their rose while you go back to defend yours. Everyone who lost their rose already is going to be coming for you.”
“Right,” I said, having nearly forgotten my defense in all the offense I’d been doing. Well, faux offense.
“Whatever you do, hold on to your rose. I’ll join you when I can.” And with that, Callan Rhodes was climbing back into the trees, disappearing into the forest.
Chapter Forty-Eight
After watching Callan depart, I hurried back toward the Perilous Grove, my heart rate increasing as I got closer.
Sure enough, some of the defeated affinities were coming for me, hoping to reclaim a portion of their points. While the trees, ferns, and mosses were nowhere to be seen, several herbs, grasses, harvesters, florals, and aquatics were making their way toward the grove.
“Fronds,” I murmured, debating how I was going to fight them all off at once.
Just as I was clearing my brain to strategize, I heard a whistle to my right, from the forest floor.
“Hollis!” I shouted. “Did you get the herbs’ rose?”
“Of course. And mosses are on their way back from taking the grasses’ rose. What’s the plan?”
“I have to hold them off until Callan gets the aquatics’ rose. It’s the last one in play.” When Hollis nodded, I headed straightfor the center of the Perilous Grove. A few students were inside, sporting a mix of rashes and swollen skin.
“Looking for my rose?” I asked, stepping into the grove.
A floral student tossed a packet onto the ground, and wildflowers sprang up around my feet. I gently sidestepped them.
“Are you sure you want to fight me in here?” I asked the group as my defensive plants continued to reach out and irritate the students who were searching them for the rose.
One girl pulled back her finger with a hiss of pain.
“We didn’t know you had access to your powers,” a first-year harvester student said.
“Surprise,” I replied before stretching out my arms and calling a few of the plants toward me, forcing the students closer together in the grove.
“My team captain sent me out here, but I didn’t know it was going to be like this,” a grasses student said, jumping sideways when a thorny nettle nearly scratched his foot.
“It’s not too late to turn back.” I moved to reveal a clear passage out of the grove behind me.
The botanists looked at one another, and after one last poke to each of them from the nettle, they ran past me and out of the grove. Well, that had been easier than expected. There were perks to being the only defensive botanist on campus.
“Thank you,” I said to the plants.
When I had the place to myself, I spun around, connecting to the plants around me and focusing on what it felt like to be using all my powers, fully unleashed.
