Page 34 of Sanctuary and Spices
“And yet.” He gestured at the still-glowing plants, the stabilized crystals, my markings painting light across her skin where we touched. “The evidence suggests otherwise.”
The morning became a delicate dance of focus and impossible-to-ignore awareness.
“The fourth test chamber is ready,” Jani announced, measuring ingredients with studied concentration. When she reached past me for more dried herbs, her scent wrapped around me like a physical touch. My markings flared before I could control them, drawing a soft gasp from her.
“The resonance frequency should match the base harmonics of...” My words trailed off as her hand brushed mine. Light bloomed between us.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t be.” I kissed the tips of her fingers. “I’m not.”
The station hummed around us, crystal formations singing in harmony with whatever this was between us. I had so many questions. But watching Jani work, seeing how naturallyshe moved through the garden’s energy fields... Maybe some answers couldn’t be found in old stories and technical readings. Maybe they had to be discovered one touch at a time.
Another tremor whispered through the walls, fainter than before. Jani’s hand found mine instinctively. The vibration smoothed away at our combined touch, and the look we exchanged held volumes of unspoken promises.
“Well.” Lyrian’s knowing smile held too many secrets. “This should be an interesting festival.”
I couldn’t argue with that. Not when everything I thought I understood about the station’s energy was shifting, realigning around the woman beside me.
The woman whose touch made my markings blaze like starlight.
The woman who somehow felt like home.
JANI
Emerald light and crystal songs filled my dreams, Ronhar’s touch lingering like a ghost on my skin. I woke reaching for him, fingers closing on empty air.
The boarding house hummed quietly around me. A glance at my wrist unit showed 0400 - too early even for most of the market vendors to start their day. But sleep felt impossible now.
I pulled on clothes and padded down to the communal kitchen, following the scent of fresh coffee. To my surprise, Pix sat at the worn wooden table, staring into a steaming mug.
“You’re actually sitting still,” I said. “Should I be worried?”
They looked up with a tired smile. “Festival’s in two days. Too excited to sleep, too wired to tinker.”
“That might be a first.” I poured myself coffee, breathed in the rich aroma. “Want to help me with some early prep?”
“Really?” They perked up. “No lectures about explosions or safety protocols?”
“Not if you promise to follow my instructions exactly.”
“Deal!”
I pulled ingredients from the storage unit - flour, sweetener, dried fruit. The familiar motions of measuring and mixingcentered me, even as memories of yesterday’s kiss tried to distract me.
“Your cheeks are pink,” Pix observed. “Thinking about anything special?”
“The recipe,” I lied, kneading the dough with perhaps more force than necessary. “Here, chop these berries. Small pieces, even sizes.”
Mai and Jun drifted in as sunrise approached, drawn by the smell of baking bread.
“Something smells amazing,” Jun said, stealing a warm roll.
Mai smirked. “Almost as amazing as that light show in the garden yesterday.”
I concentrated very hard on shaping another loaf. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Really?” Jun’s grin widened. “Because we could see the glow from three levels up.”
