Evergreen academy, p.19
Evergreen Academy, page 19
The decision was made then and there. Yasmin had allowed me to store the painting in her room overnight, so I didn’t have to haul it back and forth to campus. On Friday morning, I dropped off the finished painting—covered by a drape—to Professor Tenella. As I did so, I saw other lead floral affinities bringing in stunning floral wreaths, glass bottles of swirling fresh perfumes, floral-infused cosmetics and healing ointments, and even a few food products.
“I tried to raid the costume closet early,” Yasmin said, entering the room with a stack of gowns over her arms. Coral and I turned from where we were swiping magically enhanced cream eye shadow across our lids in Yasmin’s mirror.
“Ohhh, let me see,” I said, moving to help her make space in the closet to hang them. I’d learned that the Floral Fete did a period theme each year, and this year was Regency-esque. I eagerly sifted through the collection of stunning embroidered gowns in various colors.
“There’s enough for us each to try on a few,” Yasmin said.
As we took turns donning the gowns, I noticed that the soft plant-based fabric tightened and trimmed itself automatically to fit each of our different body shapes. Yasmin claimed the gowns had been charmed by Professor Variegata for the day. Automatic custom tailoring? Now that was something I could get used to.
In the end, I selected a pale purple gown with a modern twist. Instead of the traditional cap sleeves of a Regency gown, it had delicate straps that tied at the top of my shoulders with a bow. The ends of the gown trailed along the floor with wisteria flowers overlaying it.
We used the flowers Aurielle had brought to weave colorful blooms into our hair. I used my floral affinities to affix them firmly in place and plump up their cells so that they wouldn’t droop throughout the night.
When we were all ready and turned to look at ourselves in the mirror, it was like we had stepped out of some kind of enchanted film set.
“It’s nice having a floral affinity friend,” Coral mused, and Aurielle gave me a high five on her way out of Yasmin’s room.
The party was held in the flower gardens, which had been made over for the day. Flowers were everywhere, trailing overhead in an impossible fashion. The place smelled like the most perfect mixture of floral essential oils, not too overwhelming but just right. Students milled around in their dresses and suits, looking whimsical and dashing all at once.
And then I spotted Callan.
He was in a perfectly tailored black suit with a deep green tie that matched that of the leaves of the trees around us. He approached us and offered me his arm. I tried to calm the rapid way my heart was suddenly beating.
“You could have warned me you’d be showing up in a suit,” I whispered.
“I’m the one who needed a warning. You look”—he let his eyes trail over my dress, my shoulders, and my hair and land on my eyes, where I’d taken special care with Yasmin’s magical makeup and Nevah’s lash serum recipe—“breathtaking.”
“Well, it’s amazing what some magic makeup and clothes that can automatically form fit to your body will do.”
“You give magic too much credit,” he said quietly, but he didn’t explain what he meant. “So, where’s this drawing I’ve been eager to see?”
“Actually, I ended up doing a painting.” We followed my friends toward the gazebo where the various creations were displayed. My eyes widened when I saw that my painting was on an artist’s gold easel trailing with flowers, right in the center of the display.
Whoever had placed my painting there had framed it with pink-and-white flowers that made the colors of my painting pop, perfectly accentuating the textured foxglove I’d painted against a dark background. With the arrangement, the bells of the foxglove seemed to jump off the page.
“Oh no,” I breathed.
“Oh no?” Callan asked, confusion lacing his voice.
“I was hoping it would just be lying down on a table or perched casually against a wall, barely noticeable.”
Callan nudged me inside the gazebo, and I saw that a few students were gathered around my painting, while others explored the various goods in the gazebo.
“Stunning,” I heard someone whisper.
“The style is like something out of the Renaissance period,” another commented.
Professor Tenella came to stand beside me then. “Absolutely lovely, Briar. Where have you been hiding that talent?”
“I usually stick to drawing, though I have to say I really enjoyed getting into painting again.”
“Well, it’s an absolute gem. Thank you for sharing it with us.”
I let out a deep breath as Professor Tenella walked away. “She actually thinks it’s good?” I breathed.
Yasmin and Coral caught up to us then.
“Oh my spores, that came out marvelous. I’d taken some peeks in my room but never saw the finished product. You’re insanely talented, B,” Yasmin said.
I flushed, unused to having such public attention on my art. Sure, it was my goal to go to art school as my mom had, but outside of my art classes at SCC, I’d never openly shown my work like this. And this was my first time doing a painting in this style. I’d been nervous to put it out here in the first place, and I wasn’t sure how to react to the praise.
Luckily, I didn’t have to be awkwardly silent for long, since my friends began to try on perfumes and ooh and aah over floral statues and cakes.
“How’d that feel?” Callan whispered into my ear, and I shivered.
“How’d what feel?”
“Putting yourself out there for the first time.”
“Terrifying,” I admitted, wondering how he’d known.
His mouth twitched. “I have a feeling this is only the start for you, local.”
Throughout the afternoon, when we went our separate ways for afternoon tea and lunch, I caught glimpses of Callan with his tree affinity friends or chatting with Nevah. A little flare of discomfort arose at that, but I pushed it down, trying to be present in the moment.
The florals had outdone themselves, and this party wasn’t one I would ever forget. We drifted to the dessert table, helping ourselves to some pastel-colored cupcakes.
A few minutes later, Callan approached and escorted me to the side of the building and under a covered trellis bursting with flowers, away from everyone else. We stood in the small space, the scent of rose and jasmine taking over nearly every other sensation. A few bees buzzed nearby but not in a bothersome way. The area was too saturated with pollen for them to notice us.
Callan tugged at his tie, straightening it. I suddenly had the strong urge to wrap my arms around him.
“How has your training been going with Nevah?”
I blinked. Nevah, of course. She was my tutor, like Callan was. That was all he was. And the two were far better suited for one another than he and I would ever be. They both had magical botanist families, lifetimes of experience. And their magic made sense. Nevah wasn’t an enigma, like me. The thoughts festered out of nowhere, and I took a step back.
“Good, I think. Why? Has she said anything about it?”
A smile formed at the corners of his eyes. “Slow down there. I was just asking.”
I let out a breath. “She’s a good teacher. I see why you two are the perfect match.” I clapped a hand over my mouth. Had I said that aloud?
Callan arched an eyebrow. “Why do you say that?”
“Well, you both look like models from a magazine. Then there’s the fact that, along with Eli, you have the strongest affinities of anyone in the school. You’re both from established magical families…” I racked my brain for more similarities to list, though there was a small feeling in the pit of my stomach questioning why I was saying all of this. Normally, I’d never voice this, but in this moment, it felt totally natural.
Callan made a confused face, then he looked at the half-eaten cupcake in my hand. His eyes widened, and he took the sweet treat from me. “So, someone spiked the cupcakes with Scopolia again. Professor East is going to lose it.”
“What?” I asked, confused by every part of what he had said.
“Scopolia carniolica. Truth serum. People with defensive plant affinities can modify and use it. You’d be able to block it, since you have those affinities, but I’m guessing Nevah hasn’t worked on how to block plant poisons that have been magically enhanced by other botanists yet.” He swore quietly. “I’m going to have her move that up the list.”
He took my hand and gently tugged me out from under the trellis. “I’ve got to find Professor East. Do you know if your friends ate any of the cupcakes?”
“Yasmin did, but Coral said she didn’t want to end up with frosting in her teeth.” Again, the response spilled out of me. Was I really under the influence of truth serum? I thought that was just the stuff of sci-fi spy-movie legends. Then again, I was at a school for magical botanists.
Callan navigated us through the crowd, where I started to overhear bits of arguments.
“You said you thought this dress looked good on me earlier today!”
“Well, I lied.”
I gasped. How many people had eaten the cupcakes and were now saying things they’d never intended to share? I spotted Coral. Callan was making a beeline for her.
“Coral, I need you to look after Briar. And probably your other friends too.”
“What’s wrong?” Coral asked sharply, her eyes roaming over me for signs of damage.
“Someone spiked the cupcakes with Scopolia,” he said quietly.
Coral gasped. “I heard that happened a few years ago.”
Callan’s face was grave. “I’m going to find Professor East. This can spiral out of control quickly.”
Coral took my hand, and Callan disappeared into the crowd.
“But I want to go with Callan,” I whined, unable to control my words.
“Come on. Let’s find Yas and Aurielle and head back upstairs.”
“Of course Coral’s into you,” Aurielle was saying to Waylon when we found her. Coral gave her a horrified look and took her hand.
“Sorry, it’s the apple wine,” Coral whispered to Waylon over her shoulder. “This is a disaster,” she said to me. “We need to find Yas.”
We spotted Yasmin a few minutes later. She was grabbing another cupcake from the garden table.
“I’ll take that,” Coral said, casually placing the cupcake back on the tray. “I should probably take all of these.” She picked up the large tray and motioned for Yasmin to follow us. I felt like I was in a daze, not sure exactly where we were going or why Coral was acting so stressed.
“I want to dance,” I said, and Coral shook her head.
“We need to go up to the room first.”
“But the party’s not over,” Yasmin whined.
Coral sighed, looking frazzled. Then her eyes widened slightly. “I’ve got a surprise for you in my room.”
We all murmured in excitement at that and followed Coral as she locked the cupcakes in a cupboard then climbed the stairs.
“What’s the surprise?” Aurielle asked, looking around the room she shared with Coral.
“I’m going to brew y’all a special tea.” Coral began to heat an electric kettle and sift through some canisters of loose herbs on her dresser.
“Ohhh, that sounds yummy,” Yasmin said.
“And let’s just hope Professor Sato is already working on brewing a batch for everyone else,” Coral mumbled.
The three of us flopped on the two beds as Coral worked. My limbs were suddenly feeling tired, and I lay back on a large pillow shaped like a fern leaf. The ceiling began to spin as I did so.
“The room is spinning!” I shouted.
“You’re fine,” Coral insisted, shoving a mug of tea into my hands. “Sit up and drink this.”
A few minutes later, my head began to clear, and I blinked at Coral in confusion.
“What the heck happened?” Aurielle asked.
“You were all drugged with enhanced Scopolia carniolica.”
“The truth serum?” Yasmin sputtered.
“Thankfully, Callan noticed and asked me to get you all out of the party before too much damage could be done.”
“Please tell me I didn’t say anything stupid,” Aurielle muttered.
“Oh, not much. You just told Waylon that I’m into him,” Coral said in exasperation.
Aurielle winced. “I’m so sorry!”
Coral waved a hand. “It’s fine. Maybe he won’t remember in all the chaos.”
“What did I say?” Yasmin asked, and I could see that she was racking her brain to remember.
“Not sure. I found you when you were about to eat another cupcake.”
A fuzzy memory started to form then, and I moaned. Everyone turned to look at me. “I think I told Callan he looked like a model from a magazine.”
Aurielle snorted with laughter, but Yasmin said, “I’m sure that’s nothing he hasn’t heard before.”
“I think I want to crawl into a hole and never come out,” I breathed.
“That’s how a ton of people are going to be feeling,” Coral said, then she walked to the window and peered outside. “I see teacups being passed around. Looks like Callan saved the day.”
I groaned. “Don’t speak his name.”
“Can you imagine what truths came to light during the party? This place is going to be a mess tomorrow. My sister said this happened once when she was in school here. Some friendships ended forever.” Yasmin’s face was solemn.
“Well, at least the four of us are still intact,” Aurielle said. “Sorry again, Coral.” My stomach unclenched slightly at her words. Despite whatever embarrassing conversation I’d had with Callan, my friend group had survived the night.
There was a knock on the door then, and Coral opened it. I stood up when I saw Callan standing there with Professor East. The instructor saw the teacups in our hands and nodded. “Looks like you already got them the antidote. Well done, Ms. Day. Now, someone said they saw you with the cupcakes. I’d like to have a look at those.”
“I took them and locked them in the spice cabinet after Callan told me they were laced.”
Professor East nodded. “Very good. We’ll make sure those are disposed of.” He turned and left us then.
Callan made eye contact with me, and I went to the door. We stepped outside and propped it closed behind us. “I wanted to see how you were. Did the detox tea work?”
“Well, I don’t feel compelled to spill my guts to you anymore, so I think so.” I hoped to make light of the situation so my embarrassment didn’t pull me under.
“Good. And just so you know… there’s nothing between Nevah and me.”
“Oh, okay. It doesn’t matter if there is…” I felt my cheeks flush and internally cursed the Scopolia that had surfaced some deep concern I hadn’t fully known I possessed.
“Yep, now I know the truth serum has worn off.”
I smacked his arm gently, and he chuckled. But then his expression tightened.
“Not that my parents wouldn’t be thrilled if there was. Trying to keep magical bloodlines powerful and all that aristocratic BS. She’d be the perfect match, in their eyes.”
“And in your eyes?” I couldn’t help asking. He was opening up more than usual, maybe to spare me some of the self-consciousness I was feeling.
“Nevah’s great, but I’ve never seen her as anything more than a friend. And the same is true for her.”
“Got it,” I said, biting my lower lip. I hoped the relief didn’t show on my face.
“I’m glad you’re safe,” Callan said softly. And then he was gone.
Chapter Forty-Six
When I got home that evening, exhausted from the aftereffects of the Scopolia poisoning, Bryce was pulling up to collect Aunt Vera for a Valentine’s Day dinner. He climbed the stairs to the apartment, arms full of two large bouquets of flowers.
“For you,” he said, giving my aunt a kiss, “and for you.” He handed the second bouquet to me, and I grinned.
“Ahhh, shucks,” I said teasingly. “You know you don’t have to keep buttering me up, Bryce. I’ve accepted that you’re not going anywhere. Don’t be afraid to keep the flowers coming, though,” I added quickly.
Aunt Vera gathered both of our bouquets and took them to the sink, then began to fill two vases with water. Bryce followed her, stopped at the poinsettia plant, and felt its velvety flowers.
“Yours is still blooming? Mine died, like, a month ago.”
Aunt Vera glanced at the plant over her shoulder. “I’ve never had one live this long. It must be happy right there.”
I swallowed. When I’d extended the longevity of the blooms, I hadn’t thought about when the blooming would end. Was this poinsettia going to bloom indefinitely? If so, I’d have to sneak it out of the house and find it a place at the academy.
“So, where are you two going for dinner?” I asked loudly, drawing their attention from the poinsettia.
“Delilah’s,” Bryce answered.
“Fancy.” I nodded approvingly, but my mind jumped to the last time I was there. It was the restaurant Callan had taken me to on Halloween, where we’d snuck in the kitchen and he’d whipped out a Michelin-star-worthy meal.
“One of you should order the Mediterranean veggie pasta. It’s delicious.”
My aunt, who had just finished arranging our flowers in the vases, raised her eyebrows at me. “When did you eat there?”
I blinked, realizing my mistake. “Oh, I went there last fall with some friends.”
“Look at you, growing up and stuff. Going to fancy restaurants without me.” She kissed my forehead and then walked past, grabbing her red leather jacket and slipping it over her black dress. She looked stunning, her dark hair curled and lips touched with a deep-red stain.
“Have fun. Feel free to stay out late,” I called after them as they left. It was our inside joke whenever they went on a real date.
“Just late enough that you’ll still be up to eat the dessert we bring back for you,” Aunt Vera said with a smile.
