Chapter 5

"What makes you think your neighbors killed the tree?" I asked Rane as we left the greenhouse through the side entrance.

"They've been ranting about the Emerald Elm for months, ever since they opened their shop next door. The tree is right at the border, and it does drop an awful lot of leaves and branches on their side of the fence."

I gripped the fence, using it to pull myself up just high enough to take a peek over the other side. "I can see that. Wow, the tree likes to shed."

"Even more so now that it's dead," Rane sighed.

I moved closer to the enormous tree, running my hands down its glossy trunk. The light brown bark was peeling—and it smelled strongly of rot.

"How do you think they killed it?" I asked Rane.

"With poison," she replied. "They're Alchemists."

"Well, then, let's have a chat with them."

She frowned. "Just like that?"

"Just like that," I confirmed. "You can learn a lot by talking to people."

I latched on to the fence and peeked over it again. A woman with a tight bun—and an even tighter face—stood on the other side, glaring back at me.

"Get down at once, or I'll report you for trespassing!" she snapped at me.

What a pleasant woman.

"How am I trespassing if I'm standing on this side of the fence?" I asked her calmly.

"Your fingernails are trespassing."

I retracted my fingers just far enough so they were on Rane's side of the fence. "Happy?"

The woman scowled at me.

"What do you know about this tree?" I asked her, keeping my tone pleasant, like I was just making small talk.

"Is this some kind of joke?" she growled. "Do you think you're being cute?"

"Well, I always try to be cute?—"

"That tree was a menace when it was alive, and it's even more of a menace now that it's dead. Do you know how inconvenient it is to remove all of those leaves? And they're useless! I can't even use them in potions."

Rane popped her head over the top of the fence. "I'm sorry that the tragic, terrible death of our beloved tree is an inconvenience to you," she hissed.

The woman met Rane's eyes, and there was nothing but contempt in hers. "Apology not accepted."

Wow. I was really glad this woman wasn't my neighbor.

"When are your parents going to remove that dead tree?" the woman demanded. "It had better be before it falls on my shop."

The woman shot us one final, menacing glare, then turned and stormed off.

"See what I mean?" Rane said after we jumped back down to the ground. "She's awful."

"She really is," I agreed. I broke off a piece of bark, then scooped up a handful of soil from the base of the tree.

Rane watched me. "What are you doing?"

"Gathering evidence." I stood up. "Could you show me to your supply cabinet?"

"There's one in the greenhouse."

So I followed her there. I grabbed a few vials from the closet.

"What are you doing?" Rane watched with great interest as I set the vials and the dirt down on a work table.

"Testing the soil around the tree for signs of poison."

"How do you even know how to do this stuff? Did the Knights teach you?"

I snorted. "So far, they haven't really taught us anything. They've just been testing us. And putting us to work setting up for the Summit."

"So where did you learn Alchemy?"

"It's chemistry, actually. And I learned it from my mom. She's a chemist." I frowned. "Hmm. I don't see any sign of poison in either the bark or the soil. Are you sure poison killed the tree?"

"What else would it be?" replied Rane.

"I'm not sure. Is there anyone else who would have any reason to kill your tree?"

"I don't think so?" Her shoulders lifted. "Most people in the Emporium like my family."

"Ok, maybe we need to think about this differently."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you said your parents are threatening to kick you out, disown you. All because of what happened to the tree."

Rane went a deathly shade of pale. "You think my parents killed the tree?" She shook her head. "No, they wouldn't do that!"

"Actually, I don't think your parents would kill their own tree just to have an excuse to send you away. That would cost them too much and damage their business's reputation. But maybe there's someone else who wants you to leave?"

"I don't know who would."

"Don't you? What about the boy you were talking to outside earlier?"

Rane's body went very stiff, but she didn't say a thing.

"He's a Nymph too, isn't he?" I asked her.

She flinched. "The wrong kind of Nymph, according to my parents."

"What do you mean?"

"Storm is an animal charmer. He speaks to animals, can ask them to help him," Rane explained. "Whereas we're plant charmers. My parents consider Storm and other animal charmers to be the dark sheep of the Nymph race. They really don't like his kind."

"I overheard Storm asking you to run away with him," I said quietly.

Rane's cheeks went bright red. "He often asks that."

"And if your parents sent you away, they wouldn't be watching you. That would be your chance to get away and run off with him."

Rane blinked. "Wait, you think Storm wants my parents to kick me out? And so he killed our tree? No!" She kicked the ground with the toe of her boot. "Storm wouldn't do that. He's not like that. He's a good person."

"We should speak to him anyway, just in case," I told her. "People aren't always what they appear to be."