Page 105 of Evergreen Conservatory
“Oh, Mr. Rhodes, you didn’t think I let your brother walk off with therealquill, did you?” I could barely contain my mirth now.
“But he tested it out. He said it was real.”
I pulled the eagle feather out of my bag and gently ran a finger along its edge. “Is he sure about that?”
Callan eyed the eagle feather, cocking his head. “That’s not the quill from the tree conservatory.”
“It doesn’tlooklike it is,” I conceded.
A smile spread across his face so slowly that it was like watching the sun rise over Mount Shasta. Glorious.
“You didn’t,” he said.
“I did.”
“Then what quill does my brother have?”
“I made more than one fake quill in prop class. When you warned me to run off with the real one, I snagged the second fake instead. It was sitting in a box in my room, waiting for its time to shine. I wasn’t sure if it would fool Wyatt indefinitely, but it buys us a little time to try to get the block off of this one.”
“I should know better than to underestimate you by now, local.”
“You really should.” I pursed my lips.
“I had no idea your defensive skills had grown to this level. You managed to push the properties of the camouflage beyond the plant-based ink and into the rest of the feather.” He twisted the base of the feather in a slow circle. “Your power… it’s astounding.”
“So you don’t think I’m in need of protection anymore?” I asked, pushing my luck. Our conversation at the moss conservatory’s gala was still fresh in my mind.
Callan hesitated. “My concerns have nothing to do with what I think of your abilities and everything to do with not trusting others. It comes from experience. And I think things are about to get a whole lot worse.”
My stomach clenched at his predictions, but I wanted to hold on to this moment between us a little longer. “Well, you’ve never experienced my full power, have you?”
“No,” he said slowly, a touch of delight in his voice. “I don’t think I have.”
We stood there, locked in eye contact that was as intense as the rays of sun on the hottest day of summer until I finally broke the spell.
“I know one thing I want to do with my power,” I said, stepping back and reaching out to try to catch one of the rainbow beams that had cast itself in my direction.
Callan raised an eyebrow and cocked a half smile. “What’s that?”
“Find theVanished Compendium.”
Callan’s grin widened. “Well, then local, you and I have that in common.”
I met his eyes. “And if we can figure out how to unblock the quill and it leads us to the book?”
His eyes were locked on mine, and they crinkled at the corners. “If we find it, then the power balance shifts.”
“Exactly.” We had a brief moment of staring blissfully at each other until Callan cleared his throat.
“About that,” he said. “I think I know what’s blocking the quill from working as a compass. I was getting ready to tell you my theory when Wyatt showed up.”
There was a reluctant note in his voice, and I tried not to sound wary as I asked, “What is it?”
Callan swallowed. “I’m not sure you’re going to like the solution.”
“Just lay it out there, Callan.”
“I think we’re going to have to kill Frank.”
