Page 33 of Sanctuary and Spices
I shuddered at her touch. “Never responded like this. To anyone.”
The plants around us blazed with reflected energy, reaching toward our combined warmth. Crystal formations shifted and chimed as Jani’s fingers mapped my markings.
“Is that normal?” She glanced at the glowing herbs.
“Nothing about this is normal.” I caught her hands, pressed them flat against my chest where the markings burned brightest. “You make everything different.”
She pulled me down for another kiss, fierce and demanding. My hands slid into her hair as she pressed closer, fitting perfectly against me. Her fingers traced fire along my markings, each touch sending sparks of pleasure through my entire body.
“Ronhar,” she gasped as I found that sensitive spot beneath her ear. Her hands tightened on my shoulders, nails digging in slightly.
I groaned against her neck, markings blazing brighter. “The things you do to me...”
She arched into me as I nipped gently at her pulse point. One of my hands found the bare skin at her waist, drawing patterns there that made her shiver. Her leg hooked around mine, pulling me closer still.
“Your markings,” she breathed, “they’re everywhere now...”
She was right - the light had spread beyond their usual paths, painting both of us in swirling patterns. I captured her mouth again, drinking in her soft sounds as my hands explored...
“Ahem.”
Soryn’s deliberate cough shattered the moment. I stepped back quickly, markings still pulsing with embarrassing brightness. Jani smoothed her clothes, cheeks flushed.
“The festival preparations,” Soryn said mildly, “might benefit from your attention.”
I tried to focus on the work at hand, but my markings refused to dim. She pulled out her notebook with slightly shaky hands, then moved to the testing station.
“The purple starbloom should pair well with night-sage,” I suggested, gathering ingredients to mask my own unsteadiness. “Especially for the valthorn preserves you’re planning.”
She nodded, measuring dried starbloom with careful precision. The familiar motions seemed to center her, though I noticed her glancing my way when she thought I wasn’t looking. She added a pinch of crystallized honey and stirred, releasing a complex bloom of scent that made my mouth water. Or maybe that was just watching her work, the way she moved with such unconscious grace.
“Here, taste this.” She held out a testing spoon. Our fingers brushed during the exchange, my markings flickering in response. The flavor burst across my tongue - sweet and sharp and somehow familiar.
“It tastes like...”
“Starlight,” she finished with me. Our eyes met, held.
“Though it seems you’ve already achieved some interesting resonance effects,” Soryn commented, examining a suspiciously bright patch of Jhyra.
I reached for a testing chamber, trying to ignore how the plants around us still glowed with unusual brightness, reaching toward our combined energy.
“These readings are odd.” Jani frowned at the crystal formations. “They’ve shifted position.”
“That’s not possible.” I moved closer to look. “The anchoring matrix...”
“We’re seeing some unusual patterns in the crystal matrices.” Lyrian’s arrival made us all turn. “And we’ve had a few reports of navigation irregularities from incoming ships. Minor course corrections needed, some odd instrument readings.”
“The festival opens in three days,” Soryn noted.
“Which is why I wanted to mention it now, while it’s still just a curiosity.” Lyrian’s perfect posture somehow becameeven more rigid. “Three ships have reported their instruments showing unexpected energy signatures. Nothing dangerous, but worth monitoring.”
A tremor rippled through the station walls. Jani stumbled, catching herself against the garden’s crystal matrix. The vibration smoothed instantly at her touch.
My markings flared in response, synchronizing with whatever energy she’d unconsciously tapped. The plants leaned toward us like flowers tracking sunlight.
“Fascinating.” Lyrian watched us with unsettling intensity. “The old stories mention something similar. About humans with natural resonance abilities. Though most dismissed them as legends.”
“I don’t have any special abilities,” Jani protested. “I just cook.”
