“The shield has been reset,” Callan said.
“What are you talking about? You did the recharging without me?” Feathergrass asked, stepping forward as if getting ready to take charge of the situation. He was rubbing one of his forearms, which must have been where the jewelweed had made contact with his skin.
“Not recharged.Reset.With a new Floracantus.” Callan paused to let the words sink in. The space around us went silent. “By a magical botanist with all the affinity powers.”
For the first time since I had known her, Wendy Rhodes looked stricken. She put a hand to her mouth, and her eyes flitted between her two sons.
Feathergrass was staring in the direction of the charging circle, his mouth slightly open with disbelief.
“That’s impossible,” Wendy said. “No one but founders’ descendants could do that. Briar tried to recharge it last year. It rejected her.”
“You’re not hearing me,” Callan said. “Briar created anewFloracantus. She has the ability to create them from her Renaissance botanist ancestry. We thought that ability was long lost, but we were wrong. And with the new Floracantus she used, the shield is in place as long as all the plant groups exist here on campus.”
Feathergrass recovered more quickly than Wendy. “But there are so few defensives. And the fern population is shrinking. What if there are no students attending from those affinities? What happens to the shield?”
“It’s not about the students. It’s about the plants. As it always should have been. As long as all nine plant groups grow in this soil, the shield is in place. And if anyone ever tries to sabotage that,” he added, glaring at his mother, “they’ll be cut off from their powers here.”
Murmurs rippled through the group of collected botanists.
“Magical botanists have always been stronger together,” Callan continued. “Not separated into founders’ descendants or affinity groups. Do plants live in isolation in nature? Hardly ever. Sure, they compete for resources. But they all have their niche. This world wouldn’t be what it is withoutallof them.”
Callan nodded to me, and I stepped forward.
“Go ahead,” he whispered.
“Outside these grounds,” I called, “we can’t treat humans like the enemy. Our population of magical botanists is shrinking. The answer to that isn’t to further separate humans from plants, to kick them out of natural spaces. Instead, like with the botanical garden we’re creating in Weed, we need to invite them into nature even more.”
When I saw a few nods of encouragement from the crowd, I continued. “Humans need good food. They need medicine, clothing, building materials. They need temperate climates and beautiful, natural spaces to relax in. They need clean water and air. None of that would be possible without plants. So instead of trying to shield the plants from them, we need to remind them of the role plants play in their lives. Education. Experiences. These are the things that take root. This is what botanists should be dedicating our lives to.”
I looked pointedly at Feathergrass. “If some of us here get patents and hold positions of influence, there’s nothing wrong with that. But that path isn’t for everyone, and there is space in this world for all of us. Each of our unique gifts and dreams is going to make our world a better place.”
A chorus of “Hear! Hear!” came from the crowd.
“Evergreen Academy was built on a noble idea,” I continued, not trying to cover the emotion in my voice. “That idea was for magical botanists to come together to study, so that we could take what we learn, go out into the world, and bloom in whatever way we were meant to. And that is what Evergreen Academy will continue to be as long as the students here have anything to say about it.”
Cheers rang out even more loudly, andflowers rose into the air on invisible spokes of wind once more. A shadow moved at the tree line, and I knew it was time to hand over my platform.
“Now, I would like to introduce someone we’ve all been missing. Botanists, please give a warm welcome back to Professor East!”
When I said the name, Feathergrass’s eyes widened, and for the first time, he looked truly nervous. Wendy Rhodes was squeezing her hands against the back of the chair in front of her.
Professor East stepped out of the woods and came to stand in front of the students and faculty of Evergreen Academy.
Chapter Sixty-Three
The arrival of Professor East was like a summer rain to a thirsty flower bed, seeping into the cracks and providing instant relief to the soil and roots within. Students who had been huddled around the tables, still concerned after the minor earthquake, straightened and stepped forward, murmuring excitedly.
“It’s wonderful to see you all,” Professor East said, sweeping his eyes around the field and acknowledging everyone present. “It looks like this has been quite an eventful equinox.”
“Are you going to fight me, East?” Feathergrass asked, drawing everyone’s attention back to himself.
Professor East simply picked up a glass bottle from the nearby table and raised it in the air. The cork was out of it, and empty bottles littered the table. Nearly every botanist in the clearing seemed to have had a glass.
“Not all disagreements need to be settled by violence,” Professor East said loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Iplaced a special elixir in each of your glasses after dinner. An elixir of ingredients all grown here on the academy’s grounds. It will determine whether your intentions toward the academy are in line with the original goals here. I think we should let the plants decide whether you stay or go.”
Callan and I exchanged glances. We hadn’t known about that part of the plan, but we should have guessed Professor East would put his legendary harvester affinity to use. I briefly wondered how he had managed to do it unnoticed.
“No such elixir exists,” Feathergrass said.
