Page 37 of Sanctuary and Spices
I closed the cookbook and set it back on the shelf, a quiet resolve settling over me. Tomorrow, I’d try the recipe with a new twist—maybe add some of the crystal-enhanced spices Mai had given me. For now, I let myself rest, my grandmother’s voice a gentle reminder in the back of my mind.
The boarding housedinner that night was a study in meaningful glances and whispers. Pix bounced between tables, spilling gossip about crystal resonance and strange energy readings. Mai and Jun traded knowing looks while Barou radiated quiet satisfaction. Even Ven’ra seemed more cryptic than usual, muttering about “patterns aligning” and “cycles returning.”
I escaped to my room as soon as I could manage it politely. But sleep proved elusive again. The station’s hum had changed subtly, or maybe I was just hearing it differently now. It sang of crystal corridors and belonging, of connections deeper than physics could explain.
Of home.
I touched my lips, still feeling the phantom press of Ronhar’s kiss. My skin tingled with remembered light.
The festival was in two days. In two days we’d face crowds and expectations and obligations.
But tonight... tonight I dreamed of emerald markings and crystal songs, and the way everything changed when he touched me.
The station hummed its lullaby, and I finally drifted off to thoughts of hidden passages and the man who made them glow.
RONHAR
The package was lighter than I expected, but its contents had been marked “perishable” and “fragile” in bold letters. The delivery tag had my name on it—but the destination listed Barou’s boarding house, not the Wanderer’s Rest. Exactly as I’d arranged. Still, I hesitated before picking it up. If Jani suspected it came from me, she might refuse it out of sheer stubbornness. Better to let the mix-up speak for itself.
The early morning corridors of Barou’s boarding house were quiet, the hum of the station a low backdrop to my footsteps. A faint scent of spice clung to the sealed box, teasing my curiosity even though I already knew what was inside.
A crash from the communal kitchen made me quicken my steps. Pix’s unmistakable, excited voice rang out through the door.
“But if we just adjust the resonance matrix?—”
“No more adjustments!” Jani’s voice cut through, firm but patient. “Help me with these pastries instead.”
I pushed open the door with my shoulder. The scene inside hit me with a wave of warmth—flour dusted the air, the scent of something sweet baking lingered, and Jani stood at the counter,her sleeves pushed up, shaping dough with the practiced ease of someone who belonged in a kitchen.
She looked up at my entrance, and the smile that spread across her face made my markings flare faintly. “Ronhar? What are you doing here?”
“Just bringing a little something.” I held up the package. “Figured I’d save some poor delivery bot the trouble.”
“Hmm.” She wiped her hands on her apron, leaving white streaks across the fabric. “Anything good?”
“No idea. Isn’t mine to open.” A partial truth.
Pix darted over, their antennae twitching with interest. “Ooh, let’s see! Maybe it’s something exciting!”
“Or dangerous,” came a dry comment from the corner. Mai and Jun were already seated at the kitchen table, sipping tea and observing the chaos with faint amusement.
“Definitely not dangerous,” Jun added, though her feathers rippled with curiosity. “Probably just some lost herbs. Happens all the time with these station systems.”
Jani gestured for me to set the package on the counter. “Let’s take a look, then.”
I placed it down, stepping back as she carefully broke the seal. Inside were bundles of fresh herbs and a few small vials of rare spices, all neatly labeled with elegant script. Jun leaned forward, her eyes narrowing.
“Wait a minute,” she said, plucking one of the vials from the box. “This is from our shop.”
Mai’s brow furrowed. “We didn’t send anything to the Rest this week.”
Jani let out a low whistle as she lifted a bundle of delicate stems, inhaling deeply. “Oh! This is amazing. Orven Thyx and fresh drelka root? These are impossible to get off-world fresh.”
My markings warmed at the appreciation lighting up her face. “Looks like fate wanted you to have it,” I said lightly.
“It does seem like a strange coincidence,” Jani mused, her fingers grazing the sealed vials. “Someone must have meant for this to end up here.”
“Maybe you have a secret admirer,” Pix suggested, eyes bright with mischief.
