Eye of the Ocean Book 3 Ji'jin Station

Eye of the Ocean – Book 3: Ji’Jin Station
“Might.” He smiled as he reached inside his vest pocket. “Why didn't you say
something before?” He handed her a flat paper wrapped package to her.
Her mouth was watering at the spicy scent. Ginger cake, the baker's mark
pressed on the surface. At the Winter Turning, she'd bought one still warm from
the oven, and with six almonds halves in a sasi rose design on top. Even cold,
this was better, from one of the expensive shops. “I saw you in the High market,”
she said through a full mouth.
“Why wouldn't you?”
She licked buttery crumbs from her fingers. Away from the backdrop of stars,
his face had a dim light like the full moon through a curtain. “You were with Lin.”
He grunted. “And you never did have any taste in men.”
“Why didn't you say something that day?”
“You in a rush?”
She bit back a laugh at the tone of his voice, refusing to be amused. “Does Lin
know who you people are?”
“No. All he saw was a pretty girl giving him the eye.”
“I was looking at you.”
“Tried to tell him but he didn't believe me.”
She did laugh. “You're the one who didn't believe.” She stood, draping the
blanket around her like a shawl. He would know who Lin was, she thought, but
didn't ask. She didn't ask for more food either, even though it felt like the cake
had woken up her stomach rather than filled it.
“How long are we staying here?” she asked. Dark shapes of rocks, a few trees
- more sound than sight for them, the leaves of the closest blew in the wind to
make a noise like rain falling. Alicia, she was sure the white blur must be her
face, the others she wasn't sure where they were. Someone was snoring, Rit, she
thought. After relieving herself of some of that tea, she'd found herself reluctant
to go back, but she didn't leave either.
He did have another cake. Stubby fingers peeled back the paper seeming to
take forever, but the cake was gone in two bites. “We're here until we leave,” he
said, brushing crumbs from his vest.
“Good idea. You know, my house isn't far, maybe twenty minutes running.”
She could leave now. She took a step in that direction. Then another step. Net
prickled against her skin and a buzz started in back of her ears. A placement
scan? She supposed so, but nobody came out to stop her.
A path, a road soon if she wasn't totally turned around. A few more steps and
she was free from the protection of the large rocks. More sky was visible and she
had the low blue star of the Wellwater constellation in front of her and the
occasional light showing from Intil to her left. She knew where she was now.
She looked back after walking several more steps. “Rit said you wouldn't stop
me from leaving.”
Laurel Hickey www.2morrow.bc.ca