Page 16 of Sanctuary and Spices (Tales of the Ardent Veil #1)

RONHAR

L ight filtered through the garden’s crystal formations, casting shifting patterns across the soil. I knelt beside a patch of Jhyra, carefully examining their roots for any signs of stress. The scent of damp earth and blooming herbs wrapped around me, grounding me in this quiet ritual.

But the plants weren’t the only ones unsettled. They reached toward me, their faint glow brighter than usual, almost eager. It wasn’t the first time I’d noticed it. Ever since Jani arrived, the garden had been... different. Vibrant. Restless. Alive in a way that almost felt personal.

I brushed my fingers over a trembling blossom, and it pulsed faintly in response. My chest tightened. I couldn’t stop thinking about her—about the way she had smiled up at me yesterday in the archives, about the way her lips had felt against mine in the hidden market passage. I’d kissed her on impulse, but the memory had rooted itself deep, blooming in ways I couldn’t ignore.

The Jhyra seemed to hum, almost like they were laughing at me. “You’re not helping,” I muttered, adjusting their supports. My own markings betrayed me, glowing faintly brighter as the memory of our kiss played again in my mind. I’d crossed so many lines already. Professional distance was long gone. And yet...

“You’re up early,” Soryn’s voice cut through the quiet, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I didn’t turn around. “The plants needed attention.”

“Or maybe the gardener did,” he said, his tone carrying just enough amusement to make me glare over my shoulder. His bronze scales caught the light as he crouched beside me, his clawed fingers brushing the soil. “They’re thriving, . But that’s not why you’re out here before dawn.”

I stayed silent, focusing on the Jhyra. Soryn’s amber eyes gleamed faintly as he stood. “Just... be careful. For both your sakes.”

His footsteps faded, leaving me alone with the plants and the memory of Jani’s touch. The Jhyra swayed toward me again, their glow pulsing softly in rhythm with something I didn’t quite understand. I exhaled, letting the steady hum of the garden settle over me.

But no matter how hard I tried to focus, one thought lingered, impossible to shake: I wanted to kiss her again.

I gathered fresh herbs with unsteady hands, trying to focus on the familiar motions. But my mind kept circling back to Jani - the curve of her smile, the way her eyes lit up when discussing recipes, how perfectly she fit against me...

The back door opened onto a wave of cooking aromas that made my markings pulse. Jani stood at the prep counter, directing morning setup with easy confidence.

“The pastries need another five minutes,” she told one of the kitchen staff. “And make sure the—” She broke off mid-sentence as she spotted me, color rising in her cheeks.

“Morning,” I managed.

Before she could respond, Pix bounded over. “! Perfect timing! I’ve upgraded the herb storage unit!”

Horror crept through me as I took in the tangle of wires and crystals now festooning the previously simple storage cabinet. “What did you do?”

“Improved the resonance frequencies! Watch!” They reached for a control panel.

“Wait—”

Too late. The cabinet hummed ominously, crystal formations flickering wildly. The delicate herbs inside began to wilt.

Jani moved faster than I’d expected, slipping past me to grab an armful of endangered plants. I caught the rest just before the cabinet’s resonance went critical.

We ended up pressed together in the narrow space, trying to rescue the herbs while avoiding Pix’s enthusiastic attempts to “fix” the malfunction. Her fingers brushed mine as we worked, sending sparks along my skin.

“Thank you,” she whispered when we’d gotten the last of the herbs to safety. She was close enough that I could feel her breath against my neck. All I had to do was lean down...

“Are you joining us for the festival setup?” A regular customer called from the dining room. “We heard the Wanderer’s Rest was going to have a special menu!”

I tried to step back, give us both space to breathe. But Jani’s hand caught my wrist, held me in place for just a moment longer.

“Soon,” she answered the customer, never taking her eyes from mine. “We’re still experimenting with some new techniques.”

My markings pulsed at the memory of our kiss. At how much I wanted to kiss her again.

I retreated to the garden before I could act on that desire. But I couldn’t escape awareness of her presence on the other side of the wall, or the way the plants stretched toward her energy.

Later, we cleared space in the garden workroom for our crystal resonance tests. I selected formations carefully, looking for frequencies that might match the partial recipe we’d found.

“These need to align precisely,” I explained, positioning a particularly temperamental crystal. “The resonance has to harmonize with both the ingredients and the surrounding energy patterns.”

Jani absorbed the information quickly, asking intelligent questions that made me forget my usual reserve. Her enthusiasm drew me out, had me sharing details I rarely discussed with outsiders.

“Can I help with anything?” Pix bounced excitedly nearby.

Before I could object, Jani smoothly redirected them. “Actually, could you check the kitchen’s power readings? We’ll need baseline data for comparison.”

“On it!” They zipped away, trailing cables.

“That was well handled,” I admitted.

She smiled. “Years of practice managing eager but accident-prone staff.”

I watched her organize ingredients with precise movements, fascinated by the efficiency in every gesture. She handled the delicate herbs like old friends, seemed to know instinctively which combinations might work best with different crystal frequencies.

“Ready to try?” she asked, measuring spices with careful hands.

I adjusted the final crystal formation. “Start with a small amount. The resonance can be unpredictable.”

She added a pinch of dried drelka root to the testing chamber. I showed her how to feel the crystal frequencies, while she explained the principles behind the spice blend.

The first attempt... didn’t go well. The spices reacted violently to the resonance, nearly overloading the containment field. But we moved together without discussion - her adjusting ingredients while I modified crystal alignment until...

“Look!” She pointed to the faintly glowing liquid in the chamber. “It’s working!”

The success made me reckless. I found myself sharing stories about different plants’ properties, drawn out by her genuine interest and quick understanding.

My markings flared brighter with each question, each shared discovery. The nearby plants leaned in, responding to our combined energy.

Then everything aligned perfectly. The test chamber filled with softly glowing liquid, crystals harmonizing beautifully with the enhanced ingredients.

We both leaned in to examine the results. Jani laughed in triumph, turned to me with shining eyes. Her hands fisted in my shirt front as she pulled me down.

This kiss was different from our first - no hesitation, no uncertainty. Just heat and want and need. I backed her against the workbench, deepening the kiss as her hands slid under my shirt to trace my markings.

The touch sent fire through my veins. My fingers tangled in her hair, trailed down her neck. She made a soft sound against my mouth that nearly undid me.

The plants around us grew brighter, crystal resonance increasing with our emotions. My markings blazed, painting patterns across her skin as I...

A crash from the next room shattered the moment. We jumped apart, breathing hard.

“Everything okay in there?” Pix called.

“Fine!” Jani’s voice came out breathless. She wouldn’t quite meet my eyes as she straightened her clothes.

I tried to dim my markings, but they refused to cooperate. Every accidental brush of hands as we attempted to return to work sent fresh pulses of light across my skin.

Professional distance was definitely beyond recovery. But watching Jani bite her lip as she studiously avoided looking at me, I couldn’t bring myself to regret it.