Blood From a Stone (190 page)

H
e
padded
back
out
t
o
t
he
bed
r
oom
w
here
W
i
l
l
ow
w
as
s
til
l
do
z
i
ng b
li
ss
f
u
ll
y
.
H
e
s
m
il
ed.
S
he
w
as so beau
tif
u
l
,
l
y
i
ng
t
he
r
e
i
n
t
he
pa
l
e
m
oon
li
g
h
t
,
li
k
e
a
g
o
l
den
g
oddess
fr
om so
m
e
f
a
ir
y
t
a
l
e.
H
e sat
do
w
n so
ftl
y
and
l
eaned
f
o
r
w
a
r
d, h
i
s
li
ps a
m
e
r
e
ha
l
f
an
i
nch
fr
om he
r
s.
H
i
s
scent
s
til
l
li
n
g
e
r
ed
on
her s
k
i
n…and
i
n
a
p
ri
m
iti
v
e
w
ay he
w
i
shed
she
cou
l
d
j
u
s
t
l
ea
v
e
i
t
t
he
r
e as
a
w
a
r
n
i
ng
t
o a
l
l
o
t
he
r
s
t
hat
she be
l
on
g
ed
t
o h
i
m
.

A
nd
y
e
t
,
he
k
new
t
hat
un
l
ess
he
so
l
v
ed
t
h
i
s
ri
dd
l
e of h
i
s
cu
r
se,
her
l
o
v
e
and
her
hea
r
t
ne
v
er
cou
l
d
be
l
o
n
g
t
o
h
i
m
.
A
nd
y
e
t
, bo
t
h h
i
s
hea
r
t
and
l
o
v
e now
be
l
on
g
ed
t
o h
er
.

H
e s
t
a
r
ed
at
her
l
y
i
ng 
t
he
r
e
b
r
ea
t
h
i
ng  s
l
ow
and sha
ll
ow
i
n her
s
l
u
m
be
r
, and
m
a
r
v
e
l
ed
t
hat
he
’
d
k
no
w
n her
l
ess
t
han
a
w
ee
k
,
and
y
e
t
…
i
t
f
e
l
t
li
k
e
an
e
t
e
r
n
it
y
.
What
w
as
i
t about
he
r
?
T
ha
t
,
he
cou
l
dn
’
t
ans
w
er
i
n
a
s
i
m
p
l
e
f
ew
w
o
r
ds, but
i
t
w
as
i
ndeed
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng as
po
w
e
rf
u
ll
y
m
a
g
i
cal
a
s
any spe
ll
…or
cu
r
se
t
hat
d
r
ew
peop
l
e
t
o
one
ano
t
h
er
and
m
ade
t
hem
k
now
w
it
hout
a
shadow of
a
doubt
w
hen
so
m
eone
ca
m
e a
l
ong
t
hat
had cap
t
u
r
ed
t
he
i
r
hea
r
t
and sou
l
.

I
t
ca
m
e
w
it
hout
r
h
y
m
e or
r
eason.
I
t
c
o
u
l
d happen a
n
y
w
he
r
e…
i
n
w
ee
k
s
or
m
on
t
hs…or
e
v
en
m
e
r
e
da
y
s.
O
f
t
hat he
w
as
now
ce
rt
a
i
n.
J
ust
as
he
w
as
ce
rt
a
i
n
t
hat
an
y
t
h
i
ng he
’
d
f
e
l
t
be
f
o
r
e
now
t
hat
he
’
d
m
i
s
t
a
k
en
f
or
l
o
v
e
w
asn
’t
.
N
ot
f
or
D
an
i
a,
and
not
f
or
t
he
f
ew
o
t
he
r
s
he
’
d
f
a
ll
en
f
or
du
ri
ng
t
he sho
r
t
r
e
p
ri
e
v
es
fr
om
h
i
s
co
l
d s
l
u
m
be
r
.

H
e
l
ay
do
w
n
next
t
o
he
r
,
pu
lli
ng
a
w
a
r
m qu
il
t
up
o
v
er
t
hem
bo
t
h
as
he
w
r
apped
h
i
s
a
r
m
s
a
r
ound
he
r
.
S
he
s
i
g
hed
i
n her
s
l
eep,
snu
gg
l
ed
i
n
next
t
o
h
i
s
body and
he
d
r
ank
i
n
t
he s
w
eet
scent
of
her
ha
ir
,
be
f
o
r
e
he
c
l
osed
h
i
s
e
y
es,
hop
i
ng
t
hat s
l
eep
w
ou
l
d
co
m
e
t
h
i
s
n
i
g
h
t
,
as
i
t
had
f
or
t
he
past
f
e
w
,
but a
ft
er
t
he
f
a
ti
g
ue
w
o
r
e
o
ff
,
he
f
e
l
t
so
a
li
v
e
and
ful
l
of
ene
r
g
y
i
t
w
as
ha
r
d
t
o shut
h
i
s
m
i
nd o
ff
.