Samosa could feel the chilliness roll off Stone again. He was aggravated. What did this ceremony entail? What would her mother say? As a religious woman, she would say no to whatever dark ceremony Samosa will put herself through. Even now as she sat at the nicely decorated dinner table adorned with a three lotus flowers: one pink, the others on either side, blue. They floated in water in shallow ruby bowls. Samosa asked about the beautiful arrangement of the flowers and their significance. Korin, with those swirling eyes: now a sea green stared at her before answering.
“The pink one,” he pointed to the center, “Is grown in India. The blue ones grew along the East African Nile. They all have special meaning though.” Korin touched a lotus petal and it bobbed beneath his touch.
“Lotus flowers have a special meaning to each person and culture but the true meaning-” he zeroed in on Samosa’s lips and chin. “Is associated with the human soul and its purity and enlightenment.”
“Beautiful,” Samosa said and inhaled the scent of the flowers and the food. “The food looks good too.”
“I made the chicken based off a cooking channel I watched last night. It seemed beautiful to make. Try it and let me know what you think. Sorry Stone.” Korin said, sympathetic to the fact Stone couldn’t eat or imbibe in his condition.
“Don’t.”
Samosa dug her fork into the oh -so -tender chicken with the blueberries rolling off in steaming, succulent juices. She popped it into her mouth and immediately her tongue sang. She forked more into her mouth as well as the nice tasting mashed potatoes made with Marsala seasoning, Korin said? His cooking was on par with Stone’s.
“There will be shedding of blood from seven jinn transferred over to you and then finally Stone-
Samosa chocked on her green beans. “Say what? Blood? Seven? No. I can’t. Stone say something!”
“I think I heard of this ritual he speaks of,” Stone said solemnly. “You will not approve, Sam. And you know I don’t either. Seven males swapping tongue spit with you…absurd.”
“Of course it is absurd! How would that even work?”
Korin continued speaking as if he were giving the weather news. “You will enter into the Consuming Room and each jinni will pierce his tongue and place it upon yours, transferring their blood to you.”
“Uh, what?” Samosa said angry.
“You will be pricked on the tongue too. Never had a piercing, have you?” Korin raised his eyebrow, gave a knowing smile. “You really are a good one.”
“I never wanted piercings. But please, go on.”
“So, each one will “kiss”- Korin did the air quotes for kiss-“you and then after the final one, you will kiss Stone by placing your tongue upon his pierced tongue. There will be a pronouncement of your joining and hopefully Stone will be restored and you will no longer have these cravings.”
Something did not seem right.
“Earlier you said you were not fond of this ritual,” Samosa prodded. “Why?”
Korin sighed and sagged against his chair. Samosa realized again how beautiful he was with a chiseled face a Ken doll would envy.
“There is only a 60 percent chance you will be restored. Jinn are not in the business of restoration, initially. Stone however, may get his visible self back and there’s a small chance of that.”
“So failure would mean…?”
“Something bad or nothing at all”
She finished her food while Korin scooped extra helpings of the poultry onto her plate. She thanked him.
“I can set up the ceremony myself. Speak with some jinn and get the ball rolling.”
“No, I – I have to think about it a little.” Samosa said. Korin nodded his head.
“Of course.”
When Samosa finished, they rose and Korin saw them to the door. She hadn’t realized how long they were inside the house until she saw part of Stone’s hand shimmer as glitter then become flesh against her hand, his body rapidly appeared as the sun’s orange stain left the sky and the silver moon, a gift of respite ascended.