“Tell that to the founders’ descendants who think they and their affinities rule the world.”
“Good point. Want to swing by my aunt’s apartment with me before we head back to the academy? I need to pick up a few more art supplies. I might have some things we can use to start working on these props.”
When Yasmin agreed, we drove from SCC to my aunt’s apartment. “Looks like she’s working down in the café. We’ll say hello on our way out.” I headed straight for my room and let Yasmin give herself a tour of the apartment.
“Is your aunt planning to rent this place out after she gets married?” Yasmin called from the hallway.
“That’s the plan. She’s already started moving a bunch of things to Bryce’s house, but I have a feeling she’ll go slowly on getting this place completely cleared out.”
I heard the door to the balcony open.
“Wow, your aunt has a green thumb,” Yasmin said once I found my art supplies and joined her on the balcony.
“She’s always kept a nice little garden out here.” Since the first frost of the year hadn’t come yet, many of my aunt’s flowers were still in bloom. And Rosie—our trailing rose plant—was putting on a dazzling pink display as it scaled the building on a large trellis. “I have no idea how my aunt is going to move this plant to Bryce’s house. It’s been on this trellis for years. I’m not sure how she moved it before.”
Yasmin stepped closer to look at Rosie. “That’s an interesting variety of rose. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like it before.” She peered at the petals.
“It’s been in our family for generations.”
“I don’t even see any thorns on it.” Yasmin was leaning in, examining the plant with a practiced botanist’s eye.
“Really?” I studied Rosie more closely. I had never looked beyond the green leaves and the ultra-vibrant flowers she gave off most of the year.
“Are you sure it’s a rose?”
“That’s what I’ve always been told. Hold on.” I took out my phone and scanned Rosie with a plant identification app.
“It’s bringing up a similar rose, but I don’t think it’s the exact variety.”
“Roses can be hard to pin down, with all the selection and crossbreeding that’s been done over the years,” Yasmin said.
“And the app’s ability is only as good as the data it includes. Maybe I’ll bring one of the roses to the academy at some point and use one of their advanced taxonomy books to place it. Should we go grab some of Aunt Vera’s famous lavender scones on the way back to the academy?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.”
Chapter Sixteen
The next week at Evergreen Academy, Professor East called all the second-year students into the tearoom.
“Do you know what this is about?” I whispered to Yasmin.
“My guess is field studies.”
We filed into the tearoom, where sunlight was streaming from the glass panels along the wall. My breath caught in my chest as my eyes immediately gravitated to dark-chestnut hair and an olive complexion across the room, tattooed arms crossed as he leaned casually against a wall.
Callan.
My pulse sped up infinitesimally. So he was back.
His eyes met mine, and he nodded then seemed to turn pointedly to the front of the room.
I followed his gaze and saw Professor East, then swallowed as I recognized who was standing beside him. Wendy Rhodes, Callan’s mother, was at our instructor’s side, her own olive skin smooth and silky, her dark hair swept into an elegant chignon.
My heart rate kicked up—this time unpleasantly—as I remembered the words she’d spoken to me at the end of the spring semester: “We look forward to seeing you again soon, Briar.”
Innocent words, but there had been a bite behind them that had felt like a threat in the moment. I hadn’t had a chance to bring it up with Callan since and wasn’t sure if I even should. That was hismomwe were talking about.
Wendy Rhodes’s eyes found mine, gaze assessing, and after a few moments of scrutiny, she turned her attention to Professor East.
