Page 29 of Evergreen Conservatory
“I can’t tap into my powers on campus. So, yeah, I think I could still benefit from a little extra support.”
“Then yes. I’m still your tutor, hypothetically speaking.” His voice was low and playful.
I didn’t know what to do with myself after all the revelations and partial commitments in this conversation. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the treehouse. So I did what seemed easiest and bought myself some time.
“Well, I better go before my roommate wonders if I got lost in the woods.”
“Your roommate?” Callan raised an eyebrow.
“Right.” I’d forgotten that he didn’t know yet. “I moved onto campus.”
“Why?”
“My aunt’s wedding is next month. I wanted her and her fiancé to be able to start their life together without feeling like they’re waiting for me to move out.”
Callan pushed off the wall, and my eyes were briefly drawn to the tattoos on his arms as he tucked his hands into his pockets. He leaned in and whispered, “Then I guess I’ll be seeing you around much more, local. Try to stay out of trouble.”
I smiled, suppressing a shiver at his proximity. The cologne that I had been savoring all night lingered in the air, and I didn’t want him to step away.
“Worried I’ll sleepwalk into your room at night?”Whoa. That had slipped out, and I hadnotmeant it the way it sounded.
Callan’s eyes flashed, and he gave me a delighted little smile that set my heart thundering.
“My treehouse is your treehouse. If you can get past the protective Floracantus, that is.” He turned and hopped down to the ground then, leaving my cheeks flushed and the delicious sandalwood and peach scent lingering in the air.
Chapter Eighteen
When I entered the teahouse a few days later, there was fevered conversation happening among the second-years. I made myself a coffee then joined my friends at our usual table.
“What’s all the excitement about?” I asked.
“The first field studies envelope was found this morning by an aquatic affinity. Conway went out for an early morning swim and found an envelope made of seaweed waiting on the shore when he surfaced,” Aurielle explained.
“His assignment is something to do with developing aquatic plant-based antibiotics,” Coral added.
“Well, that assignment doesn’t sound too different from before, right?” I asked.
“A sample size of one isn’t very big, but you’re right, that isn’t a major departure from previous years,” Yasmin said.
“Am I the only one who’s a bit nervous? What if I get an assignment I don’t want?” Aurielle asked.
“Professor East said you can turn it down. Just leave theenvelope where it is,” I said.
“But what if I don’t find another one?” Aurielle frowned.
“Is that possible? Don’t all second-years do field studies?” I asked.
“I can only speak for how it’s been done in previous years. If you passed on too many, they might stick you on a weed removal project or something,” Yasmin said.
We all groaned at that idea, and I vowed not to pass on the first decent assignment I found. I was up for a lot of things, but an academic year of weed removal was not one of them.
After breakfast, we split to get ready for class in our rooms then met up outside. Aside from the fact that I couldn’t tap into my magic, I loved our Advanced Ecological Studies class. We were learning research techniques that would likely be useful once we started our field studies, and I enjoyed spending the time outside while it wasn’t too cold yet.
Today, we were conducting population studies with Professor Sato. I made detailed sketches and notes in my Anno Duo notebook as we examined a bed of seaside succulents on a makeshift coastline by the pond.
My eyes flicked to Callan a couple of times during class. He was working a few yards away in the forest with the other tree affinities, studying a different population. Every time I looked over, he was working at full speed, barely glancing away from his notebook.
I couldn’t help replaying what he had said in the treehouse. There was something between us even if we couldn’t act on it right now. I wasn’t sure how long the warring emotions of elation and disappointment those confirmations brought on could exist in me, but I was going to do my best to act natural in front of our classmates.
