Page 51 of Sanctuary and Spices

Energy surged between us, different from before—no longer chaotic but focused, harmonized. The garden exploded with light and life, Jhyra unfurling, vines reaching toward us. The crystal formations sang clear and true, their resonance filling the air like music.

And beneath it all, the station’s hum aligned into perfect harmony.

“Thank you,” he breathed against my hair. “Thank you for choosing us.”

I pressed closer. Everything felt right in a way I couldn’t explain but didn’t need to. This was where I belonged.

The bond hummed between us, new but unshakable. Like coming home to a place I never knew I was missing.

A child’s voice drifted over from the edge of the garden: “Look! The flowers are dancing again!”

I smiled against Ronhar’s chest, feeling his answering chuckle rumble through me. The garden swayed around us, celebrating in its own way.

“So, what happens now?” I asked softly.

His answer was a kiss that left me clutching him again, the bond weaving tighter between us.

JANI

The garden wrapped around us in a living cocoon, vines weaving together to create walls of green and silver. Jhrya petals drifted down like stars, catching in my hair as Ronhar pulled back just enough to study my face.

“You have no idea what this means to me,” he whispered, his thumb brushing my cheek.

Heat bloomed under my skin at his touch. “Show me.”

The kiss started soft, questioning, but deepened quickly. Every point of contact sent sparks through my nerves.

The garden responded, more vines curling up to shield us from view. Crystal formations chimed in perfect harmony with our heartbeats.

The festival sounds faded away as the vines wove tighter, creating a sanctuary of silence broken only by our breathing and the soft chime of crystals. The walls of green shimmed with an inner light, Ronhar’s markings reflecting off each leaf and petal.

My fingertips traced the glowing patterns on his skin, marveling at how they pulsed in time with my touch. The quiet wrapped around us like a blanket, intimate and complete. Here, sheltered by living walls, we existed in our own private world where even our whispers seemed sacred.

Ronhar’s hands slid down my back, pulling me flush against him. The borrowed Devaali clothes whispered against my skin as he traced the patterns they created.

“These look good on you,” he murmured against my neck. “But they’d look better-”

“If you finish that sentence, I swear-” I broke off as his teeth grazed my pulse point.

His hands grazed my hips. “You’ll what?”

I twisted my fingers in his hair, using the leverage to pull him back into a proper kiss. His markings flared hot against my palms.

“That works,” he breathed when we finally broke apart.

Somewhere beyond our shelter, the festival continued. Music and laughter drifted past, mixed with the constant hum of the station. But, in here, wrapped in living walls of green and silver, nothing existed except us.

I traced one glowing marking up his arm. “Tell me about these. About the bond.”

“They’re part of us.” He caught my hand, pressing it flat against his chest. Beneath my palm, his heart raced. “They show our connections - to the plants, to the station’s energy. To each other.”

“Is that why they glow when you touch me?”

He nodded. “The markings respond to strong emotion. To intention.” His fingers slid under the edge of my borrowed shirt. “To desire.”

The touch sent electricity down my spine. The plants around us rustled, responding to the surge of energy between us.

“And the bond?” I asked, trying to focus as his hands mapped new patterns across my skin.

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