Page 90 of Tamed By Her Touch

Maera smiled.

“Varell is such a good cook! He always adds just the right amount of ground flellin legs.”

“Er…legs?” Clair asked faintly, looking slightly ill.

“Of course! It gives the goosenburly its characteristic bite,” Varell said proudly.

One of the blue bulbs suddenly popped and began to ooze some strange purple slime.

Clair jumped and her face went almost green.

“Er…what is flellin exactly?” she asked.

“Oh—those little creatures you see flying all around.” Varell gestured to the tiny jewel-colored creatures darting among the blooms, making musical chirping sounds. “They’re an excellent source of protein,” he added. “I add the wings in too, sometimes but Maera says they’re too crispy.”

“I see,” Clair said faintly.

Kaelus shot her a worried look. He knew her aversion to insects. He had once killed a trillix—a kind of space roach— for her, when it had invaded the lab. The whole time he was trying to stomp the damn thing, Clair had been standing on a lab stool looking like she might faint with fear and disgust. And now it seemed that part of their breakfast contained the Titus Four version of insect parts.

He doubted this would end well.

Maera began serving. A generous portion landed on Clair’s plate, and she stared at it with wide eyes.

Then another equally generous portion landed on Kaelus’s plate. He poked it with a utensil and the goosenburly twitched—at least he thought it did.

“Is something wrong?” Maera asked. “Why are the two of you not eating? Don’t hurt Varell’s feelings now—he worked on this all morning just for you.”

Clair’s face immediately transformed into a bright smile.

“There’s nothing wrong at all! It smells…very interesting,” she said.

That was technically true, Kaelus thought. The goosenburly smelled like fermented fruit, damp earth, and something vaguely reminiscent of burnt hair.

He looked at his “wife” with concern—was she going to be able to choke it down?

He picked up his eating utensil and Clair did the same. Together, they took a bite.

It tasted like a war crime.

Kaelus had survived combat missions, emergency field medicine, several violent laboratory explosions, and one disastrous diplomatic banquet where the main course had attempted to mate with his boot.

None of those experiences had prepared him for goosenburly.

The texture was simultaneously rubbery and gelatinous, while the taste began sweet, turned violently sour, and then finished with an unexpected burst of heat that made the back of his throat burn.

Beside him, Clair made a tiny choking noise, and he could see her throat convulsing as she forced herself to swallow.

Kaelus forced himself to swallow too, but only because he knew that spitting out the bite he’d taken would offend their hosts. It really was one of the worst things he’d ever put in his mouth.

“Well?” Maera asked eagerly.

Clair smiled. Her eyes were watering.

“It’s…wonderful,” she said in a slightly choked voice. “So many tastes and textures…all in one dish.”

“Delicious,” Kaelus agreed, hoping his voice sounded believable.

Clair nudged him under the table. Apparently he had not sounded convincing enough.