Page 90 of Autumn L.A.W

“Only small animals.”

A bug landed on the lip of the plant. They watched it disappear.

Victoria blinked. “No. Hate it. Hate everything about it.”

They managed to harvest the plant without becoming part of the food chain.

“I’m adding ‘almost eaten by a decorative vase’ to my journal,” she muttered.

After getting it back to the library, Victoria left it on the steps and ran inside to wash off sweat and bug spray.

A short time later, Duke carried in the plant. “We nearly lost the Nepenthes when a goat decided it might be tasty.”

Victoria gasped.

“Don’t worry. I bribed the goat away with a granola bar.”

She let out a relieved chuckle. “Where is the goat now? I want to name it Professor Snackbeard.”

He snorted. “I think we should go. There’s only so much sunburn and so many mosquito bites I can handle without hazard pay.”

Africa was quieter. Older. The Welwitschia sat in the desert like it had been there since the beginning of time and had no intention of leaving.

Victoria approached slowly. “This thing feels… important.”

“It’s one of the oldest living plants on Earth,” Duke said.

The air felt heavy, reverent.

Victoria knelt. “We’re not here to hurt you,” she murmured. “Just to borrow a little.”

The plant didn’t react, but the wind shifted, warm and approving.

Duke raised a brow. “Did it just agree?”

“Obviously. It likes me.” Under her breath, she mumbled, “Thank goodness something does.”

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing.” She collected the sample and placed it in the tote bag.

Socotra was something else entirely. The Dragon’s Blood Tree stood like an umbrella from another world, its red sap glistening like it had hemophilia and wasn’t as lucky as Ezra, the Mage who helped Sahara—carefully.

Victoria stared. “It’s bleeding.”

“It’s resin,” Duke said.

“It’s bleeding resin.”

They collected it carefully.

The red liquid stained her fingers.

Victoria held them up. “If I start craving villagers, you’re responsible.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

That night, back at camp, every ingredient they’d gathered so far was laid out between them. Victoria leaned back and stared at the sky.