No. I shook my head at my racing thoughts. There was no need to panic prematurely. I took a deep breath and returned to the teahouse to brew a chamomile-and-ashwagandha blend.
While the warm drink soothed my stomach and gave me something to do with my hands, I was still anxious during myafternoon classes, and Coral waved a fern in front of my face when it was my turn to diagnose and heal one of the sick plants on our lab table.
“Earth to Briar. Everything okay?” she asked.
Nodding, I tried to focus on the plant in front of me, which was a wild sweet potato. I studied the fuzzy white substance that covered the underside of its leaves. I skimmed a textbook to search for the name. “White rust,” I said.
My friends scribbled the name in their notebooks.
“Clearance methods…” I tried a few different techniques with my magic until I landed on one that worked best. “Internal oil production then sweep.”
We finished our pathogen analysis, then I said goodbye to my friends. When I reached the tree house, Callan was also just arriving.
“What’s going on?” I asked, searching his face for any clues about why we were meeting.
“Everything’s on track. I thought maybe you could use a little time to relax before the big day tomorrow. And there’s something I’ve been wanting to show you.”
My nervous system settled at his words, and I let out a soft breath. “Good, because I thought you were going to say our entire plan had fallen apart.”
“If that happens, I won’t wait until after class to tell you.”
I prepared to climb into the tree house, but Callan took my hand and led me deeper into the forest. “We’re going somewhere new today.”
“Oh?” I asked, intrigued. The Evergreen Academy grounds were huge, and there were plenty of places I had yet to explore.
“Nothing secretive like the Evergreen Conservatory or anew petal portal, in case that’s where your mind was going.” A hint of humor filled Callan’s voice.
“You mean this academy doesn’t havemoresecrets to reveal to me?” I teased back.
“I don’t know about the academy, but nature does.”
We reached an area full of lodgepole pine trees, and Callan stopped. He used his wind powers to make a cushion of pine needles, then he lay on his back, linking his arms behind his neck.
“Um, everything okay down there?” I asked, confused.
“Just come lie down. You’ll see.” A touch of wind gave me a little nudge, and I lay on my back beside him.
“Look up at the canopy,” Callan directed.
I did, and I observed the trees and the cracks of sky between them, wondering what I was supposed to be noticing.
“See how none of the crowns touch? It’s called crown shyness. Sometimes, I like to come and look for interesting shapes. It reminds me of the pattern on a giraffe’s body, with all the patches.”
I let my eyes relax and take in what he was talking about. Once I did, I smiled. “Crown shyness, huh? Like the trees don’t want to touch each other? Is this a tree affinity thing?”
“No magic here, local. Just nature. A few tree species do it.”
“They look like puzzle pieces right before you fit them together,” I said.
“It’s commonly caused by wind abrasion, though there can be other factors.”
“Leaves, I like it when you talk botany to me.”
A leaf flew up and playfully touched my cheek.
“Usually, I leave them alone and just watch, but I thought we could have a little fun today.” Callan reached out with his wind powers, and the tree canopies began to sway.
I grinned when one of the gaps between them formed the shape of a B.
