Page 28 of Sanctuary and Spices (Tales of the Ardent Veil #1)

JANI

T he 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-”

“Don’t.” She spun me to face the mirror. “Look at yourself.”

I did. The traditional Devaali wedding clothes draped perfectly - layers of silver and deep blue that shifted like captured starlight. My dark curls had been tamed into an intricate style, woven with tiny Jhyra that glowed softly.

“You’re beautiful,” Erynn said. “And you’re glowing. Literally.”

I laughed, but my nerves bubbled up again. “What if I mess this up? What if I’m not enough for him?”

“.” She gripped my shoulders, meeting my eyes in the mirror. “That man looks at you like you hung the stars. Trust me, you’re more than enough.”

A knock at the door made us both jump.

“Five minutes!” Barou called.

My heart thundered. “Already?”

“Deep breath.” Erynn adjusted my sash one last time. “You’ve got this.”

Music filtered through the door - a blend of traditional Devaali melodies and the station’s ever-present hum. I closed my eyes, reaching for the bond. Ronhar’s presence wrapped around me like a warm embrace.

“Ready?” Erynn asked.

I nodded, unable to speak.

She opened the door, and my breath caught. The café had transformed completely. Floating lights danced through the air, casting rainbow shadows through crystal formations. The garden plants swayed gently, their leaves glowing with inner light.

And there, beneath an arch of Jhrya vines, stood Ronhar.

His traditional robes matched mine - silver and deep blue, shot through with patterns that echoed his glowing markings. His hair had been braided intricately, woven with the same tiny flowers that decorated mine.

But it was his expression that stopped my heart. Pure love and wonder filled his face as he watched me approach.

Each step felt like floating. The bond hummed between us, growing stronger as I drew closer. Around us, the crowd murmured:

“Look at the plants-”

“They’re dancing-”

“I’ve never seen markings glow like that-”

Then I reached him, and nothing else mattered.

“Hi,” I whispered.

His markings flared brighter as he took my hands. “You’re incredible.”

Malik stepped forward, datapad in hand. “Friends and honored guests,” he began. “We gather today to witness the bonding of two souls...”

But I barely heard him. All I could focus on was Ronhar’s hands in mine, the way his touch burned through me.

“The couple has chosen to include both Devaali and station traditions,” Malik continued. “They will now plant the bonding vine.”

Ronhar led me to a small table where a ceremonial pot waited. Together, we pressed the delicate Jhrya cutting into rich soil. The moment our fingers touched the vine, it burst into life - roots spreading, stem unfurling, petals opening in a shower of gold and silver light.

“Beautiful,” someone whispered. “Just like the ones in the garden after they bonded.”

Heat crept up my cheeks at the reminder of that first time. Ronhar’s markings pulsed, and I knew he was remembering too.

“Your vows,” Malik prompted.

I turned back to Ronhar, my voice steady despite my racing heart. “I promise to stand beside you, in joy and in struggle. To share your burdens and celebrate your triumphs. To build something extraordinary together, one day at a time.”

His hands tightened on mine. “I vow to protect you, to cherish you, to honor the gift of your love. To nurture the bond we share and help it grow stronger each day.” His markings blazed. “You are my heart, my home, my mate.”

“Then by the power vested in me by the station council,” Malik said, “I pronounce you bonded for life. You may-”

But Ronhar was already pulling me close, his lips finding mine in a kiss that sent sparks through every nerve. The bond surged between us, and the room erupted in light and sound.

The garden plants swayed as if dancing. Crystal formations sang out in perfect harmony. And through it all, I felt nothing but joy and love and the absolute certainty that I was exactly where I belonged.

When we finally broke apart, the crowd cheered. I looked around at our transformed café - at the friends who had become family, at the life we’d built together.

“Thank you,” I whispered against Ronhar’s chest.

He pressed a kiss to my hair. “For what?”

“For finding me. For choosing me. For everything.”

He pulled back just enough to meet my eyes. “Always,” he promised.

The celebration swirled around us - music and laughter, the chime of crystals, the soft glow of transformed plants. But in that moment, wrapped in Ronhar’s arms with our bond humming between us, nothing existed except us.

And that was exactly how it should be.