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Ritika eased into the Tempest’s so-called galley. There was little room to maneuver around Liam and Cora by the stove, but the Pathfinder prided herself on fitting into small spaces. Besides, something smelled delicious.
“What’s shakin’, bacon?” she asked the duo.
Cora met her smile with pressed lips. “I swear; you and those outdated sayings.”
“I’ll have you know, old is the new cool. Right, Liam?”
“You know it,” Liam answered, his smile lopsided.
“Uh-huh.” Cora returned to whatever she was cooking. “I won’t take advice about what’s ‘cool’ from the two who watch Hanar romances.”
“Woah, woah,” Liam started. “You never even gave it a chance.”
“Yeah,” Riti added. “Sheen of the Dawn happens to be a profound epic about the many kinds of love that exist in the universe. Had you watched the subtitled bootleg—“
“Uncut,” Liam interjected.
“Uncut. You’d know that, you Hanar hater.”
Cora spun, hair slapping Riti in the face. “What? I’m not—the Hanar— “ The blonde blanched under her teammates’ grins.
“Oh, she was totally about to give a defensive speech on the Hanar,” Liam said.
Ritika sniggered. “Always prepared, huh, Cora?”
“You two idiots shouldn’t be allowed near each other.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Liam and Rita asked in unison.
Cora rolled her hazel eyes. Still, the corner of her mouth twitched upwards, so the Pathfinder felt comfortable in snatching a round, brown blob from a pan on the stovetop.
“That’s not done,” Cora told her.
“Can’t be any worse than Sivu licking Heleus rocks, right?” Ritika didn’t wait for an answer. She threw the warm treat in her mouth and chewed. “What is it?”
“A recipe my Mum used to make,” answered Liam.
“You’re teaching Cora and not me?” asked Riti with a full, slow-moving mouth. “Wow, this is chewy.”
Liam chuckled. “Like toffee, yeah? When I was little, Mum would make this whenever I moved up a grade or had a bad day at school.”
“How’d you get the ingredients?”
“Nexus stock. Plus a little extra stored in places that Vetra has access too. I was never fond of the recipe, honestly, but it seemed right that I make it at least once in Andromeda.”
“And again”—Riti fought to separate her tongue from her teeth—“I wasn’t invited?”
“Why would I share something prematurely? Cora was helping me figure out ratios and possible substitutes if I have to make another batch.”
“Really?” Ritika faced Cora. “An Asari Commando, gardener, and baker? Do you ever tire of overachieving?”
The blonde smirked as her brows furrowed. “You okay, Ryder? You’re looking a little…red.”
“And starting to sound like the Godfather,” added Liam.
“Chewing is a chore, is all,” Riti said. She gathered what she could with her tongue, but couldn’t swallow; her entire throat felt tight. “There’s something in this. Something with a smoky flavor. Like—”
“Ah. That’d be the peanuts. What a treat, right?”
Hold it. Did he say peanuts? Ritika stiffened—suddenly overcome by the nutty taste—and spit the dessert out like one of those old-school Westerns.
“Ryder!” Liam cried. Guess he got hit with the food wad. “What the fuck?”
Too bad so sad for him; Riti bolted from the room. She needed to find Lexi before anaphylactic shock settled in.