Stone knew his mouth was hanging open too long. His throat began to itch and then dry. He wanted to touch her so badly. This heart symbol drawn to perfection over her entire back was an inky black mark.
The mark extended past her back, down her lower back to beginning of her hips and derriere. That’s when he reached out to touch it, with just one finger. He heard her quick intake of breath.
Her skin was very warm and satin soft. “You’ve had this since birth.” He whispered.
“Yes. My birth mom, Rosa thought I was strange when she saw it. That’s why she always had me wear long shirts even to the beach. Eventually the church got to her mind and told her to give me away. They also say that is why my real father is dead.”
Stone’s head and heart ached for Samosa right then. This was a woman with a broken soul.
“I have something to show you then,” He got up and watched her roll her shirt down quickly. He pushed up his t-shirt to reveal the exact same pattern over his chest. He saw her lick her lips and caught her blushing a few times but she looked astounded when she saw the symbol drawn over him.
“I don’t understand.” She said.
“We were meant to help one another.”
“Oh.” She said. Then shook her head again. He wanted to yank that red bow from her hair and let it swing free so he could twine of his fingers in those curls. “I still don’t get it.”
“What is it you want, Samosa. Right now? What do you want, right at this moment?”
She bristled and patted her shirt down in the front. “There is something I want more than anything, but with it I would want more and then I would be unable to keep it.”
Stone was not following the riddle, but if it made sense to her, and then it was her truth. She wanted something she thought she couldn’t obtain. That was fine. He has been there.
Maybe he should slowly weave her into his world. This could get nasty real fast.
“Do you believe in those things which you can’t see?”
“Right now the only thing I can believe and trust is myself. I see myself every day. I know my weaknesses and capabilities. Right now I don’t trust myself or you since we have the same mark.”
Stone wanted to tell her quickly why she bears his mark. Not now. She has endured enough all her life. Why explain it now to her?
“When a person is born, they are given special marks. No person can really decipher these marks and doctors quickly call them a birthmark.
“However, what you and I have are marks clearly and darkly imprinted since birth. It is a mark of fortune.”
Samosa blinked. “Can I have some water?” She scooted uncomfortably on the chair. Stone went into his massive chrome finish kitchen, filled a tall glass with purified water from tap and handed it to her. She commented how ice cold the water was.
“I have clean, cool water pumped throughout the house. The Jacuzzi upstairs clearly is untouched by the coolness.” He winked.
Samosa touched the glass to her lips and drank in a few sips. “I don’t think I’m fortunate. That theory is bunk.”
Stone was about to tell her the truth when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. “Excuse me.” He walked into the foyer to answer it.
“I take it you found your mark, Stone of the Ice Rings.” The Grand Marid, head of their kind spoke eloquently into Stone’s ear. It scared him how diplomatic the Grand Marid sounded to people on the phone and yet he had the power to kill at the snap of his fingers.
“Yes, I think I found her.”
“Her.” A statement. Not a question.
Stone thought this one through. “I found her. In my class of all places. She was there all this time and today I picked up the psychic waves, her scent. She definitely bears the mark.”
“Good, good. So do what you have to until the next moon and I will hand over the rest of your powers and extend your life. This should be easy for you.” The Grand Marid paused. “If you want to move from a degenerate to almost as great as I.”
“I’ll do it. Just give me some ti-.”
“Are you demanding me?” The Grand Marid let out a hearty laugh that was a cross between nails scraping on the board and crashing waves against the rocks.
The Grand Marid hung up on that note. Stone hit the END button and came back to where Samosa sat sipping her water, looking lost.
He only had this moment, this time to get her to speak his language which was the most sensual of strokes to humans.
He pushed a few buttons on his touch screen phone and held it out to her.
“Can you pronounce these words?” The screen glowed, reflected in those beautiful eyes of hers.
She squinted. “Bring it closer.”
He did and he saw her silently pronouncing the long string of letters and words. Finally she pronounced the words aloud and the sound was like a sensual melody to him, played on a harp, tickled on a piano.
Her breathing become erratic, her chest moving up and down in waves, her face flushed a deep red and her hands ran down the length of her jeans.
“Wh-what just happened?” She shook as a leaf; he came over and put his hands on her shoulders.
“Do you trust me?” He asked. She shook her head no. He didn’t blame her, yet it didn’t prevent him from scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to the top floor where the bubbly hot tub and the dome which overlook the city and into the sky, lay waiting for them.
“What are you doing,” her words dragged, sounding drunk.
“You are about to receive everything you ever wanted.” He peeled off her sneakers and socks before he placed her on his bed. He had an idea. “Want to go change? I have some swimsuits in the bathroom.”
“No.” Samosa rubbed her temples. “Just tell me why I’m here.”
“I’m a jinni.”
“A what?” Samosa asked distracted by Stone rubbing the pad of her feet in a circular motion. Her feet were so soft- like wet baby skin.
“Sorry. Ever heard of genies? Well, it is what I am.” He slid his thumb firmly up the underside of her feet.
“I really think you’re on drugs.”
“It’s true. I know more about you than you think I know.” He moved to the other foot while Samosa looked ready to pass out. “All I have to do is touch you for a long period of time.”
“What a cheap way to try and bed me, Stone.”
He was prepared for that one. Pulling her head toward him and layingit on his shoulder, stroking her hair. He made sure his skin made contact with hers. Her cheek. His cheek.“Okay, how about this,” he kissed her forehead. “You stole Barbies from your best friend’s house one year. Then felt so guilty about it, you snuck them in your huge coat and brought them back the next year.”
“I never!”
“Oh yes you did. You may have been their friend but when you visit you took things from them when you thought no one was looking.”
Samosa’s mouth formed a perfect O as it began to dawn on her that Stone was not normal. “You’re a psychic.”
“I’m a jinni. And no, we do not pop out of a lamp when you stroke it. It is more complicated than that.”
“So why am I chosen? Why am I chosen by you? What did I do to deserve this?”
“You don’t have to do anything. A human is assigned an angel from birth, however sometimes crap still happens to you. I’m sure you agree.”
“Yeah.”
“So. Very long story short, jinn are different. We grant requests. Perfectly and immediately I am here for you. You bear the mark that so perfectly resembles mine for some odd reason- so whatever you want you can now have and I am at your service.”
“Just like that?” She sounded more awake this time.
“You’ve spoken the hidden words to unlock my power and now I have to obey,” Stone bowed low and kissed her big toe.
“Do you woo all your subjects like this?” Samosa shyly placed her feet behind her on the bed, away from Stone’s lips.
“Not really. I
had a few people who were men- but they did not bear the mark. Only one bears the mark for everlasting fortune and not just three standard wishes.”
“It’s awkward because you feel this connection with them and it’s like a drug and the person is so drawn to you. It’s as if you are in love,” Stone smiled at her. “Nothing romantic comes of it though. I have a different preference…”
Samosa nodded. Stone realized she was beginning to understand.