The Mistress of Spices

Before her date with Raven, Tilo uses a paste made from powdered neem leaf to smooth her wrinkled skin. It doesn’t work, and she considers using the magic of the spices to make herself truly younger before going out with Raven. The spices speak to her, granting her permission, but she realizes that they are trying to tempt her into committing an unforgivable transgression. When he arrives, he gives her a beautiful dress to wear, and she admits that she feels too old and ugly to wear it. He tells her that he knows this body is not the real her, and he promises to reveal more at the right time.

They stop first at Haroun’s apartment, but he has already left, and Tilo feels deeply guilty for having wasted time changing into the beautiful dress. Raven promises to take her back to the house before sundown so she can try again to find him. Driving through San Francisco, Raven shares more about his past. His mother took him to see his dying great-grandfather, who gave him a vision of his Indigenous community as they were before colonization. He offered him a magical raven.