Smoke curling.
Bodies burning on a pyre while I watched from a window above.
I blinked, and my hand began to tremble.
What? No. Don’t think about that. We’ve been doing good.
I blinked again to ground myself.
The pounding of the Infernal Dance swelled around me.
Unfortunately, I could still see the pyre in my head. The flames licking upward. The way the smoke had twisted toward the sky.
The smell of flesh. . .
No.
I shook my head.
Focus. Stay here.
The young chef stirred the peppers in slow, careful circles, completely unaware of where my mind had gone.
The cayenne had deepened now—the slices blackening at the edges, shriveling into glowing oil. "See how they change? When the skins blister like that and the oil turns this color—that's when you know it's ready. The heat's unlocked now."
My voice came out steadier than I expected. "It's beautiful,"
He smiled. "I'll strain out the peppers and fold the oil into the glaze. The karaage will be perfect now."
“I can’t wait to try it.”
The music pounded on.
Relentless.
Savage.
I stepped back from his station, letting the sharp smell of the charred cayenne follow me.
My hands had stopped shaking.
The memory of the pyre was fading, pushed back by the warmth of this kitchen, and the rhythm of creation all around me.
Now to check on the oxtails, I went over to the stove, lifted the lid, and let the steam kiss my face.
The woman at the pastry station looked up. "Nyomi, should I start plating the tart samples? I think we've got the cream ratio right."
"Yes, please. And maybe a little less sugar in the crust next time? With the first samples, it was competing with the sweet potato."
She nodded, making a note on the pad beside her.
I checked the oxtail, lifting the lid to peer inside. The sauce was reducing nicely, but maybe a little slowly. We still had a lot of dishes to test before the day was done.
I'll just turn up the heat a bit. Speed things along.
I reached for the knob on the gas stove and twisted it higher.
The blue flame beneath the pot surged, licking up the sides of the cast iron.
