I tried not to let my face sour.
“Yes. I’ll make sure her skills are on track for what the society needs from her,” Wyatt said. His voice was serious, but I caught a touchof irony in it.
“Good. Well, then, don’t let me hold you up.” Feathergrass rose, and Wyatt and I made for the door.
“I’ll expect regular reports,” Feathergrass said.
Wyatt nodded.
When we were outside the office, Wyatt walked casually down the stairs. I followed, wondering what on earth he had planned. Once outside, we walked to the edge of the forest, and Wyatt put up a wind sound barrier around us like I had witnessed Callan create.
“So,” I said, ready to find out what Wyatt was doing here. “Are you going to try to tell me it’s a coincidence you’re my new field studies advisor?”
A smile pulled at the corners of Wyatt’s mouth, making him resemble his brother even more than usual. He quickly wiped it away. “Not a coincidence. I volunteered.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why? I’m sure the DBI has more important things to worry about than my field studies.”
“As I told you before, the academy is a top priority for the DBI. If the students here aren’t happy, they lose their motivation to do work that matters after they leave. The principles of the DBI align with those of the academy. We don’t want to see any major shifts here. Having an agent in place will give us direct access to the academy, should the need arise.”
I recalled how Alex had been the agent dispatched before and tried not to get upset. At least Wyatt wasn’t trying to hide the DBI’s involvement this time.
“This gives me an excuse to be in the area and on campus more regularly,” Wyatt continued. “It will also provide opportunities to interact with you and Callan without raising suspicion. I can help make sure everything is in place and monitorthe situation on the spring equinox. Have you planned how you will get access to the charging ring?”
I hesitated. Wyatt didn’t know that I had won Capture the Roses, which was going to grant me access to the charging circle and use of the Dandelion of Desire, which would boost my powers. But it was the final ace up our sleeve. I wasn’t sure if I should share it.
As if reading my thoughts, Wyatt asked, “Still don’t trust me?”
“It’s just better if as few people as possible know what we have planned.”
To my surprise, Wyatt nodded approvingly. “Good. You’re thinking like a DBI agent.”
I laughed. “Don’t get any ideas.”
Wyatt put up his hands. “Just saying. We’re always recruiting, if you’re interested.”
I raised my eyebrows. The DBI was seemingly one of the things that had driven a wedge between the two Rhodes brothers. How would Callan feel if he knew Wyatt was suggesting I work there too?
“Thanks, but I don’t think I’m built for undercover work,” I said, my mind flitting uncomfortably to Alex again.
Wyatt seemed to sense the direction of my thoughts. “We do a lot more than that. Much of intelligence work looks boring from the outside. Some of our best agents spend most of their time in the conservatory libraries, studying texts and missives and botanical evidence that isn’t available to the public. Others monitor intel from scouting vines or botanical plant smuggling checkpoints throughout the country. These agents are the backbone of our work.”
While I had to admit that spending my work hours in the conservatory libraries was a pretty enticing job description, I was not entertaining the idea at the moment. It was time to figure out how Wyatt and I were going to spend our field studies sessions together, even if it was just for show. “So, do you have a field studies assignment for me?”
“Not exactly. It’s been a long time since our society has seen a botanist with all the affinity powers. Your potential is huge but somewhat of a mystery. What is it you see yourself contributing to our society?”
I stilled, the question catching me off guard. With Callan, it was so clear that he was going to be creating lifesaving medicines that would change the world. He already had several developments in the works that would improve human lives when it reached them. But I had always intended to be an artist, and artists impacted the world in different ways.
They took little pieces of themselves and molded them into something they hoped was challenging or comforting, affirming or thought-provoking, subtle or bold, and they sent it out into the world, praying the person it was meant for would stumble across it exactly when they needed it.
I was still trying to figure out how that life goal and my new life as a magical botanist aligned. As I looked at Wyatt, I let an idea that had been forming in mind since my most recent chat with Aunt Vera come to the surface.
Evergreen Academy lived on the outskirts of Weed. The locals never experienced it, and they never could. But what if they could experience something else, something that shared a fraction of the magic we have here?
I decided to throw my petals on the table. If Wyatt wantedto use me for access to the academy, perhaps I could get something out of it in return. “I want to create a botanical garden,” I said.
Wyatt looked surprised, but he merely said, “Go on.”
“Here in Weed. Something run by the students. Nothing obviously magical but something that will allow the residents of Weed to enjoy a sample of the plants we grow here. We need these sanctuaries, these natural spaces, to remind ourselves who we are. I didn’t truly find myself until I came here. I want a version of that experience to be available to everyone.” Plus, it would fly directly in the face of everything the Board of Regents was trying to do, which was get humans out of natural spaces.
