Origins of The Iniquitous
“Many have always argued as long as there is good then there must be evil to counteract it. Some of you have been led to believe that The Iniquitous are separate magical beings from enchanters. That is not so. The Iniquitous are enchanters, they are our brothers and sisters, they are you. The Iniquitous were first formed by a Chosen One.”
Every head in the room turned to me as if I was suddenly going to sprout horns and a tail and kill them all.
Donovan cleared his throat to gain the attention of the students again.
“Powell Schwartz, the Chosen One I was referring to, craved more power and he felt the only way to gain it would be to experiment with dark magic.”
“Do you mean the devil?” Owen raised his hand. Donovan glared at him. “Uh … Donovan … Sir.”
“Yes, Owen, I am referring to the devil. Powell sold his soul to the devil for more power and immortality.”
“Immortality? Donovan, how is that possible?”
“It’s not,” he snapped. “The devil did not grant Powell immortality, but he did grant him more power. Powell was a born leader and soon many of the finest enchanters were joining him and thus The Iniquitous was born.”
“What happened to Powell, Donovan?” Meredith asked.
“He died, and a new leader took his place.”
“Who leads The Iniquitous now, Professor?”
“Thaddeus Lucero,” Donovan answered and looked right at me.
He knows.
My jaw clenched against my will and my chest tightened but I refused to give Donovan the reaction he so clearly wanted.
Luckily, our time was up. Donovan’s lessons had never passed so quickly and I was thankful.
I practically ran to the botany room. I passed Winston in the hall but ignored him. He sent me a bewildered look but I didn’t have the time to feel guilty. The botany room was a greenhouse but it was attached to the manor so we never left the building.
Being stuck inside these walls twenty-four seven wasn’t easy. I’d grown up being able to go and do what I wanted. Now, I felt trapped, in more ways than one.
I hung my messenger bag up on a hook, grabbed an apron, and pulled on some gloves. I was ready to be up to my elbows in dirt.
“What’s wrong with you?” Adelaide asked breathlessly as she entered the room. “You ran out of Donovan’s room like your ass was on fire.”
“Sorry,” I said, but my tone implied I was anything but.
I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, messing with the silly fly-aways.
She quirked a dark brow. “Sorry? You’re not going to explain your actions to me?”
Theo refused to meet my gaze but he was the only one who understood my behavior. No one else knew who my parents were except for the Committee and him.
“Nope,” I said and popped the p dramatically.
“Really, Mara?” She rolled her eyes. “You’re so strange.”
“Like I haven’t been told that before,” I snapped as Owen, Meredith, and a few others trickled in.
I hadn’t really gotten to know many of them. Most of them gave me a wide berth. I was learning my title as a Chosen One meant people feared you. I didn’t know if it was because they were afraid of what I could do, or what I might attract.
Our botany teacher came in from the outside garden and hung up her rain jacket.
“Good morning,” she said and made sure her bun was still in place. “I’m sure you’re all very excited to get your hands dirty.” She placed her hands on her hips and peered around the room. She was tiny and with her wispy hair I often found myself comparing her to a bird. Her clothes were always gray and brown from repeatedly being covered in dirt. The only color that ever seemed to adorn her was her vibrant red hair that was far too bright to be natural.
“Today,” she began, “we are going to learn about different human plants that contain healing properties. I suggest you pay close attention, many of these plants could one day save your life.”
She pointed to a few purple sprigs. “This is lavender. Although lavender is most associated with its specific aroma it also is known to have anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It can also be used to help relieve anxiety, depression, insomnia, and even migraines.”
A girl named Kasey raised her hand. “But how do you use it? Do you use the petals? Or the leaves? Or—”
“Excellent question,” Diana said, smiling brightly. “You use the oils. Also, the petals work as well if you crush them.” She looked around to see if anyone else had a question.
“Continuing on,” she said and pointed to a green prickly plant. “The clear gel that Aloe Vera oozes is most commonly known to be used for treating burns, cuts, and infections. But the inside lining can also be used to relieve heartburn. Lemon thyme—” she pointed to a tall green plant with a hint of yellow on its leaves “—can be used to relieve an upset stomach and as an antibiotic. Sunflowers are known to reduce fevers and treat colds and coughs. Peppermint—” she pointed to a spriggy green plant “—can soothe headaches, nausea, pain, and aid in digestion because it helps to calm the stomach.”
She moved to another table and pointed to yet another plant. This one was dark green with spiky, pointed, leaves. “Catnip can do far more than make a cat happy. Chewing on the leaves can reduce a toothache and it can make you sweat which could greatly reduce a spiking fever. It’s also been known to work as a mild sedative in humans.” A piece of bright hair escaped her impeccable bun and she quickly fixed it. “And, lastly, we have sweet basil.” The leaves were large, pale green, and soft looking. “Sweet basil is an excellent insect repellant and the ancient Greeks used it to counteract poisoning.”
When she finally finished speaking, she appeared a bit winded.
“Whew,” she chuckled. “I want you all to go around and study the different plants, touch them, memorize them. You need to remember them. I’d also like for you to sketch each plant and tonight I want you to pick three of these plants to write a one-page paper for each due tomorrow. In your paper, you’ll include the plant’s name, what it does, and a possible scenario in which you could use it. Get to work.” She scampered away over to another section of the greenhouse to tend to some plants.
“Ugh, homework,” Adelaide groaned. “I absolutely loathe homework.”
I laughed. “Yeah, you and the rest of the world.”
She stuck her tongue out at me.
I pulled out my sketchbook and went to work recreating the different plants. I found the motions relaxing. I shaded and blended until the drawings were exact replicas of the flowers and plants before me and then I carefully labeled each so I wouldn’t get confused later.
Adelaide punched me in the arm and pointed to my drawings. “How do you draw like that? Look at mine.” She indicated her own crude drawings.
I snorted. “Those are horrible.”