________
She showered with her new milk and roses scented gel and shampooed her hair all at once. Took the time to shave-even though it was too cold to bare skin. All in all, Samosa felt refreshed and ready to- to…to what?
She was in the middle of pulling on her shoes when she heard a gentle tapping on her bedroom window.
Raising the blinds she was shocked to see Stone in his solid form standing in the middle of the lawn, about to toss another gray rock. Her body began to sing in anticipation despite what he tried to do to her recently. Did she really think she could let him go just like that? What was she on? Drugs? Her tendency to want him in spite of what he was kept her adrenaline up and dopamine pumping her full.
She raced downstairs past the kitchen where her mom usually is but she was probably in her study.
When Samosa hit the threshold, strong arms pulled her up and whirled her around. She did not need a coat, hat, or scarf. Stone’s warmth and his scent was all she needed. She felt like they were in a real life story of Romeo Juliet, people keeping them apart because of their differences. Well, because of violence, but whatever. She hugged his hard body with tenderness. He gave back the warmth too.
Samosa was caught off guard when his hot mouth claimed hers in a most possessive way. His tongue snaked around her tongue and nearly tapped her throat. She squeezed in closer to him and tried matching him with her own kiss, absorbing him- all of him into her being.
He was first to break contact but only to lick the rim of her ear-her most sensitive spot. “Stone! How’d you break free? Does Korin know?”
His grip around her waist tightened. “No and I intend to keep it that way. You are mine. Mine! And no amount of spells and prayers can keep me from you, Samosa. I needed to see you to have you.”
She thrust out her hands to his chest, kept him at bay. “What about…you know? Are you still hungry for my soul?”
Stone took her hands in his and kissed each knuckle. “You are not like most women. You fail to make even simple wishes. The only time you dared was to try to wish me out of my hell hole. I live off of human greed, Samosa.”
“I know.”
“But I can’t lose you either. I want all of you but not in a way to claim your beautiful soul.”
She nodded. Such confliction! She was sure he saw her confusion for he grabbed her up in another hug. “Come with me. I have our entire day, er evening planned.” He winked at her.
Alright. She will go along this time, but he better behave or she will call Korin.
__________
They stopped by the Dairy Queen in Hampton where there stood a small library and a tiny daycare center squished between a donut shop and hair salon. They sat outside under the red and white patio umbrellas, enjoying the sunshine beaming on them, causing Stone’s chocolate ice cream blizzard to melt fast. Samosa grinned and scooped more of the cookie dough cream onto her tall, plastic fork. Amazing how in Virginia it can be cold and blazing hot at the same time.
“I like you like this,” Stone admitted and reached out to brush a curl from her face.
“I like being with you.” She brushed her hand along the side of his cheek. His face was hard and soft at the same time. “I need to ask something. You’re a demon- right?”
Stone sighed heavily and tossed his remaining ice cream in the nearby trash can. “I guess.”
“Sorry. I am only asking because you are more than that. You are flesh and bone born of smoke and fire. You are not repelled by water. You don’t seem completely evil. I think there is more to your kind than I realized.”
Stone took what she said at face value and agreed. He lived for what seemed like eons but always questioned what he was. He and his “brothers” were not born from human mothers, yet they were made in the same hellfire cauldron. The Womb.
“That’s something we’ll need to figure out together, won’t we?”
“Uh huh. And how did you escape?”
Samosa was becoming an irritating worm but at least she looked good and smelled great.
“I asked a favor of a friend.”
She dropped her spoon to the hard table. “Who? Who is powerful enough to bypass a barrier like that?”
“You give Korin way too much credit. I’m jealous.” Stone pouted like a five year old and Samosa kicked his shin from beneath the table, enjoying the reddening of his face.
“You know I love only you. Now answer me- who set you free?”
“Someone whom I can’t name…for safety purposes. Only I have been given such a privilege. I will put it to you this way.” He came around and sat next to Samosa, their knees, hips, and arms touching. She shivered and not from the chilly wind.
“I should not have called upon him but my love for you made me do it. Maybe one day you will meet him. I don’t know.” He played in her arm, ran a finger up and down the limb. She felt the heat sizzle even though she wore a thin sweater.
“Oh.”
“Ready to leave, my Queen?” Stone took her empty ice cream cup and dumped it in the receptacle, helped her to her feet.
For eternity they stared at each other. Samosa looked deep into Stone’s eyes and she was trapped in there with him. Suddenly she was falling hard into the past with him, she saw a little boy with a ebony braid being whipped with awful chains that snagged pieces of skin away like torn sheets of papyrus.
Jewels of ruby blood pricked the little boy’s back and his anguish became hers.
“Samosa!”
“Huh? What?”
Stone’s eyes were large with concern. “Come with me. Are you okay?”
They walked back to his car. “I was just seeing things for a second there.”
“What things?” Stone buckled up and they drove at a smooth pace.
“Were you ever abused? Like, really bad?”
She watched Stone for a sign.
And she got one.
His hands tightened on the steering wheel and he drew his lips into a thin pale line.
“Korin warned me that you will have more of me in you each time we Bond. Forever tied. I guess some of my memories slipped into your mind. I hope you discard them,” he said softly.
Samosa reached out to stroke his lustrous hair. Hair had never been her attraction in a man before. Good hygiene and being somewhat cute, mattered. As well as brains but Stone’s shiny tresses were something to gawk at. That is why the cashier at DQ kept an eye on him and slipped him her number when she thought Samosa wasn’t watching. Stone threw the young chick’s number away though. He was loyal.
“I was abused a very long time ago. Although the word ‘abuse’ may not have been used. More like trained and enslaved.” He did air quotes.
“Abuse,” Samosa repeated anyway. “Oh God! Who did it to you?” She remembered the deep gray welts on his back when he would undress. To an untrained eye, it was not noticeable but Samosa’s new keen vision detected them and she would ask him where’d it come from and he would shrug and say, “War”. At least he opened up a little tonight.
When they pulled up into a small playground where lights and streamers still snaked around the swing poles, shiny and kind of sad because Christmas was over- Samosa inhaled and smelled…hot cocoa.
“They’re grilling over by the library.” They were back in Newport News near Mainport Library’s playground.
Her nose wrinkled at the scent of juicy grilled burgers and hotdogs. Someone had onion and shrimp pasta salad somewhere and there were ribs simmering by the entrance to the library. She barely realized they were not alone.
A gentle tug on her coat forced her to look down. A little girl with a cherubic face, rosy cheeks and startling blue eyes pointed at Samosa. “Where’s your child?” Her small voice tinkled like wind chimes.
“Um, I don’t have children hon’.”
The little girl’s face scrunched up. “Mommy said lots of kids would be here today.” She stamped her red shoed feet and Samosa laughed and pat the girl’s Shirley Temple curls. Stone tightened
his hand around Samosa’s.
His jaw was clenched tight. “Your stomach’s growling. Want to try the ribs first?”
“Is something wrong?” Samosa asked while Stone pulled her to the sizzling red meat.
“I’m looking out for you. You looked…hungry- and that girl…”
He did not need to say more. But Samosa would never eat a human, let alone a child! She would let his words stew in her brain but the food was so delectable she put a sample of everything on her plate. The grill masters knew their stuff and looked like the typical beer gutted chef apron wearing guys and a tall, thin black woman took care of the salads and passed out bagged treats for the kids.
They settled in on a pair of swings and listened to someone’s digital player croon melodies from the eighties and nineties. When it was time for them to go it had grown even darker, it had to be well past nine. Stone had arrived at the first hint of evening, shimmering gold and blue and materializing on her mother’s porch.
As they made their way back to the car, Samosa wondered what he had planned next.
“Wouldn’t Korin find you?”
“Don’t care.” He put his arm around her shoulder and they got inside the car. “I want to spend as much time as I can with you and-” He pulled out a bag with a tiny white square box in it. Samosa took it from him tentatively.
Before she could pull the bag off and open the box, Stone kissed her full on the lips. She returned it and cracked open the box.
“Oh my God!” Samosa said, forgetting the hard flinch and admired the diamonds encrusted in a pink heart. The gold band was shining on her left ring finger. “How-why?” She sputtered and saw a grin spread like oil over his face.
“Even though I’m not a traditional man. You are a conservative woman and I know you’d still want the band. Like we’re getting married for real.”
Samosa pecked him on the lips, then hugged him squeezing her arms around his neck, languishing in the feel of his hands running along her ribcage and backside. “I am not that conservative, Mr. Genie.” She whispered.
“Let’s get a room.” He breathed. “I have to have you.”
Samosa felt goosebumps run along her arms, especially since Stone was looking at her as if he was salivating for his last prison meal.
_______
On the way back from their luxury hotel, Stone opened the door for Samosa and walked her up the front steps of her mom’s house. Thought better of it and walked around back, just under her bedroom window.
She inhaled the scent of him and fisted the opening of his jacket and pulled him closer. She felt extreme hunger pains and wished she could wish them away. But it did not work like that. They were both under a curse that will take demon blood and ceremonies to clear up. Should she even go through with it?
“You’re thinking.”
“Yeah I am.” Samosa remained glued to him. “If you are a genie, I should be wishing many things right now and we can have the perfect life.”
His arms encircled her waist and rested his chin atop her head. “It does work like that. Since being with you, you’ve wished for many things that have come to pass by my powers and because of how much I love you, the Grand Marid is punishing me. He can do whatever he wants. Wishes are just one part of our job description anyway. Slave first.”
“I guess movies and cartoons really screwed us over huh?”
“Yep.”
“One question I am dying to know though. I never thought to ask considering all the other, um, anatomical structures you have.”
Stone gave a half wicked smile, revealing his left fang. “Go on.” He encouraged.
“You are flesh and blood but spirit too. But if you are jinn and are wholly spirit, who gave you male parts? I mean are there male and female spirits?”
“Funny you should ask.” Stone pressed forward until her back was pressed against the house. Looming over her he said. “It takes a wish.”
“What?”
“Many jinn don’t have anatomical parts and are thought of as male in terms of gender. But one of their masters must have wished sex parts for them.”
“Whoa.” Samosa rubbed her temples. “So if not for some horny girl-”
“Or guy.”
“Or guy wishing for you to have genitals, you would not have it?”
Stone gently caressed the side of her face with his hot hand. “Certainly. However, I suspect that one day, someone will wish for a girl.”
“A female genie.”
“But physiologically, and psychologically we are created male so that would be kind of odd. I also suspect the Grand Marid would have us all be males anyway so he would just eradicate any female part of us to begin with. I heard that it happened before and he obliterated the jinni.”
“Oh.” It was much for Samosa to take in. The GM wanted all male slaves? Why?
“You should go inside.” Stone kissed her hand as she unlocked the back entrance door. Her mother would be more than likely praying or sleeping. She leaned in and kissed Stone longer than she anticipated and saw the longing in his gorgeous black eyes.
Another week before their unholy nuptials.
Great.