Page 55 of Sanctuary and Spices
“A human-Devaali wedding?”
“Has that ever happened before?”
“Look how the plants respond to them...”
I tensed at the attention, but Jani squeezed my hand. Through our new bond, I felt her happiness, her certainty. This was right.
Jani laughed, the sound warming me from inside out. “A wedding,” she said softly, testing the word. She looked up at me. “What do you think?”
The plants leaned closer, as if waiting for my answer. My markings pulsed in time with my heart as I studied her face - this woman who had changed everything, who fit so perfectly into my arms and my life.
“If it’s with you,” I said, “I’ll celebrate however you want.”
The vines swayed as if in approval. The station’s hum aligned perfectly with the steady beat of our bond. And Jani’s smile outshone every crystal in the garden.
JANI
The Wanderer’s Rest overflowed with sparkling lights and trailing vines. I balanced on a ladder, trying to hook another garland over a beam while Mai and Pix argued below.
“Just a tiny plasma burst,” Pix begged. “For ambiance!”
“No explosions at my wedding.” I tied off the garland, letting Jhyra trail down in a silvery cascade. “Not even small ones.”
“But-”
“Remember the communal kitchen?” Mai cut in. “It took three days to get the scorch marks off the ceiling.”
Pix’s antennae drooped. “That was an accident.”
“Exactly.” I climbed down, brushing flower petals from my hands. The café had transformed over the last few hours - garlands draped every beam, floating lights pulsed in time with the station’s hum, and the air smelled of fresh bread and spiced tea.
My stomach fluttered. In a few hours, I’d walk down that aisle to Ronhar. To forever.
“There you are!” Erynn burst through the door, arms full of shimmering fabric. “Time to get you ready.”
“I need to finish the-”
“Nope.” She shoved her bundle at Pix. “They can handle it. You’re coming with me.”
I let her drag me toward the back room, passing Soryn as he arranged crystal formations into intricate patterns. The stones chimed softly as we walked by.
“Looking good!” someone called from the kitchen. “Those new resonance frequencies are incredible.”
“The environmental controls haven’t been this stable in years,” another voice added.
I smiled, remembering how our bond had aligned the station’s systems. Even now, I could feel Ronhar’s presence through it - a warm certainty in the back of my mind.
Erynn pulled me into the small office we’d converted into a dressing room. “Strip,” she ordered, already shaking out lengths of silver and blue fabric.
“Bossy.” But I complied, stepping out of my work clothes.
“Someone has to be.” She held up the sash Ronhar had given me - woven starlight caught in cloth. “Besides, you’d still be in the kitchen if I let you.”
“There’s so much to do-”
“There’s always so much to do.” She wrapped the sash around my waist, adjusting its fall. “But today is about you and Ronhar.”
My hands shook as I smoothed the fabric. “What if-”
