First Light: A Military Sci-Fi Series (Resonance Book 1) by Casey E. Berger

Author:Casey E. Berger [Berger, Casey E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2021-09-13T16:00:00+00:00

20

Back in her apartment, Jaya changed out of her service uniform and into civilian clothes. She splashed water on her face in the small bathroom, and then headed for the elevators.

When she arrived at the shop, it was late, and the sign read CLOSED. She raised a hand to knock, then lowered it, suddenly unsure. Why did she feel so entitled to barge in on his time? Surely he had things to do, and letting her use his store as her own personal practice studio was likely not high on his list. She turned away and headed back down the hall.

Behind her, the door opened.

“You’re back already?” Luka called.

She turned around. He was leaning out the door of his shop, his dark hair falling to the side.

“Yeah, but I saw that you were closed, so I thought—“

He waved that away: “That sign is for paying customers, not friends.” He flashed her a grin, the expression earnest and even hopeful. That smile washed the nerves out of her and she walked back toward him.

“Are you hungry?” he asked. “I was about to order dinner.”

“Starving.”

He closed the door behind them. “How do you feel about szacante fusion?”

“I’ll eat anything,” she replied. “But ask for extra hot sauce.”

She played a few pieces on the piano as he placed the order on his palm drive and cleaned up the display case, relishing the stretch in her hands and the release in her heart. Here, surrounded by warm lighting and beautiful old furniture, playing with her entire body, the music familiar and joyful in her ears, she was able to cast off that uneasy feeling that was always with her. Here, she felt freedom like she had not in ages. As she transitioned into another piece, Luka came and stood beside the piano, touching the lid lightly, watching her hands dance across the keys. His closeness added a hum to her mind, and Jaya leaned into the music.

When the food arrived, they sat cross-legged on the floor and shared noodles made from a nutty grain and cooked in a sauce of hot peppers.

“I’ve never seen anyone play like you,” Luka said. “It’s like you’ve tuned into something invisible to the rest of us.”

“A good piano is…” She stopped, searching for the words. “It’s like it can read my mind. I’m not tuning into something else: it is. It knows my thoughts before I do, and it expresses them like I never could.”

She met his eyes. He was already looking at her with that expression that seemed to read her like one of the books on the shelf behind him. The light from the antique lamps flickered, casting shadows on the strong lines of his face, reflecting from the waves of his hair like streaks of liquid gold. She looked back down at her dinner.

“Where did you learn how to play?” Luka asked.

“My mother taught me,” Jaya said. “Her parents had a music school on New Sheffield before the nareian cotton embargo crashed the economy. She

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