Page 33 of Evergreen Conservatory
“Let’s get this party started,” a wonderfully familiar voice said, and Callan stepped out from a dark area of the cave.
Callan.Of coursehe was part of this.
“And what isthis party?” I asked.
Meadow was grinning broadly, as if she already knew.
Callan’s eyes snapped to mine with a twinkle of amusement before roving over the rest of the group. “We’re called the Root and Vine Society. And you are our newest recruits.”
Chapter Twenty
“The what and what society?” Laurus asked, clearly skeptical about what was going on.
I couldn’t blame him. We were in a cave, after midnight, under circumstances cloaked in mystery. It was captivating, and I was brimming with excitement.
I waited for an answer with bated breath, glad someone else had asked.
“The Root and Vine Society. A tradition of Evergreen Academy that has been dormant for some time. We decided it was time to revive it,” Kaito said.
“What does this society do?” Laurus pressed. I could see the wheels in his brain spinning, trying to process a new facet of the academy he hadn’t been aware of.
“We hope that you all will be able to help us determine that. Our primary motivation is to protect the integrity and beauty of Evergreen Academy,” Kaito said.
“Is this about the changes happening with the school and the board?” This time, it was Meadow who spoke. Her face was bored, but there was a sharpness to her posture that betrayed her. She was interested.
Kaito nodded. “We know there are students here that feel… less than satisfied with the changes that are occurring. We would like to help give the original purpose of the school the upper hand.”
“How will we do that?” Laurus asked.
Callan stepped forward. “By acquiring something that the board has long sought but so far has been unsuccessful in getting.”
“Such as?” Meadow asked. I noticed that Hollis was watching quietly and I wondered if, as Callan’s best friend and a founder’s descendant, he already knew where this was headed.
Callan spoke again. “The Root and Vine Society was originally founded to track down an object of great value. They were unsuccessful, and eventually the group disbanded. The object we seek is a book. We do not believe that theCompendium Floracantuswe study here is the only book of Floracantus in existence. In fact, we believe another was penned at nearly the same time.”
Beside me, one of the other students gasped, though I didn’t fully grasp the significance of his words.
“You’re not talking about”—Laurus’s eyes widened—“theVanished Compendium?”
“I am,” Callan said.
“That’s just a fairy tale,” Ravenna, the grasses affinity student, said.
“Or maybe the fairy tale was invented to keep the truth alive,” Callan countered.
“But how long has the society been looking for this…Vanished Compendium?” I asked. “TheCompendium Floracantusis hundreds of years old, right? If this other book exists, why hasn’t anyone found it by now?”
Kaito spoke first. “There is reason to believe the bookhasbeen found a few times throughout history, but information about it was tightly controlled. Historical documents, and lore”—he nodded toward Ravenna—“indicate it disappeared again for good about one hundred years ago. Various groups have been searching for it nearly ever since.”
“What historical documents?” Ravenna asked.
“There’s a top-secret letter, copies of which are stored in the vaulted areas of some of the libraries at the magical botanical conservatories, which reference the book. Scholars of the Root and Vine Society have authenticated the document,” Kaito explained.
“Can we see a copy of this letter?” Laurus asked.
“Perhaps in time. There are no copies here,” Kaito said.
“So, you invited us here to… what? You think we can help find theVanished Compendium?” Laurus asked.
