Blood From a Stone (44 page)
Read Blood From a Stone Online
Authors: Cynthia Lucas
A
l
ong
t
he
w
ay
he
’
d
l
earned
qu
it
e
a
f
ew
l
essons, a
l
w
ays
hop
i
ng
and
even
pray
i
ng
t
hat
so
m
eho
w
, so
m
e
w
ay,
m
aybe
one
of
t
hem
w
as
t
he
key,
j
ust
li
ke
i
n a
f
a
i
ry
t
a
l
e,
t
hat
w
ou
l
d
break
t
he
curse…or
spe
ll
…
w
ha
t
ever
i
t
w
as,
and
set h
i
m
f
ree.
“
Sa
f
e
f
rom
harm
i
n
s
t
one
’
s s
t
rong ar
m
,
t
hrough b
l
ood of
t
hy
w
ill
,
t
he c
l
ock sha
l
l
s
t
and s
till
...”
T
he
w
ords
s
t
range
l
y
rang
t
hrough
h
i
s
head
over and over
i
n
v
i
v
i
d
de
t
a
i
l
and
he
m
arve
l
ed
at
how he
cou
l
d re
m
e
m
ber
a
l
l
of
t
he
m
,
li
ke so
m
e haun
ti
ng song.
T
he
w
it
ch
had
m
ade
very
cer
t
a
i
n
t
hat
he
w
as
l
ocked
i
n
t
h
i
s
po
w
er
t
hrough
her
b
l
ood
of
w
il
l
as
a
h
i
gh
p
r
i
es
t
ess, and
t
hat
ti
m
e
s
t
ood
s
til
l
and
t
here
w
as
no
e
s
cape.
E
ver.
A
nd so
f
or
t
he
past
several
Aw
aken
i
ngs
he
’
d d
e
vo
t
ed h
i
s
prec
i
ous repr
i
eves
t
o
en
j
oy
i
ng
h
i
m
se
l
f
w
it
hout
cons
e
quence s
i
nce h
i
s see
m
i
ng
repen
ti
ng
h
i
s
m
i
s
t
akes
and
even
t
ry
i
ng
t
o fa
l
l
i
n
l
ove d
i
d no good
w
ha
t
soever.
A
nd
now
,
he
r
e
he
w
as,
on
t
h
i
s
co
l
d
and
w
i
n
tr
y
n
i
g
h
t
.
F
i
v
e
hund
r
ed
y
ea
r
s
l
a
t
e
r
,
t
en
Aw
a
k
en
i
n
g
s
t
he
w
i
se
r
,
s
itti
ng
i
n a
cab
w
it
h
a
g
ir
l
na
m
ed
W
ill
ow
D
a
lt
on
as
she
s
l
ept
peace
f
u
ll
y una
w
a
r
e
t
hat
such
t
h
i
n
g
s
as
m
a
g
i
c
r
ea
ll
y
ex
i
s
t
ed.
Or
t
hat
a
m
an
m
ade
of
s
t
one
and
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
m
o
r
e,
w
ho
’
d
ac
t
ua
l
l
y exp
e
ri
enced
m
any
t
h
i
n
g
s
i
n h
i
s
t
o
r
y
boo
k
s
sat
next
t
o he
r
, ho
l
d
i
ng
her
hand,
as
t
hey d
r
o
v
e
on
w
a
r
d
t
h
r
ou
g
h
t
he
b
li
nd
i
ng snow
t
o
w
a
r
d her
ho
m
e at
1201 W
i
ns
t
on
T
e
rr
ace.
C
H
AP
T
E
R
FI
V
E
T
he
s
t
o
r
m
w
o
r
sened
and
a
f
ew
m
i
nu
t
es
l
a
t
er
t
hey
t
u
r
ned
on
t
o
W
i
ns
t
on
T
e
rr
ace
and
i
n
t
o
t
he
d
ri
v
e
w
ay of W
ill
o
w
’
s
w
e
ll
-
k
ept
littl
e house.
S
a
m
son
g
en
tl
y squee
z
ed her
hand
t
o
w
a
k
e
he
r
. “
H
e
y
….
w
e
’r
e he
r
e.” W
ill
o
w
’
s
e
y
es popped open.
“
O
h.
Wo
w
.
I
g
uess
I
nodded
o
ff
.
I
’
m s
o
rr
y
.
I d
i
dn
‘
t
m
ean
t
o be so
r
ude.”
S
he s
m
il
ed sheep
i
sh
l
y
.
“
H
ey don
’
t
s
w
eat
it
,”
S
a
m
son
r
eassu
r
ed he
r
. “
I
’
v
e
h
ad
m
y
sha
r
e of
naps
on
t
he
w
ay
ho
m
e.”
T
hou
g
h
he
w
as
ha
r
d p
r
essed
t
o
r
e
m
e
m
ber
w
hat
t
hat e
v
en
f
e
l
t
li
k
e an
y
m
o
r
e s
i
nce
i
t
had been
fi
v
e cen
t
u
ri
es
a
g
o.
“
T
ha
t’l
l
be
16
buc
k
s,”
t
he
cabb
i
e
sa
i
d
i
n
h
i
s
ou
g
h
N
ew
Y
o
r
k
accen
t
.
S
a
m
son
r
eached
f
o
r
w
a
r
d
and
handed
h
i
m
a
$20 b
ill
.
“
K
eep
t
he chan
g
e.”
W
ill
ow
l
oo
k
ed
su
r
p
ri
sed
and
i
mm
ed
i
a
t
e
l
y
tri
ed
t
o s
t
op h
i
m
.
“
Y
ou
r
ea
ll
y don
’
t
ha
v
e
t
o
do
t
ha
t
!
I
m
ean
it’
s
so s
w
eet of
y
ou
t
o
o
ff
e
r
,
but
y
ou
don
’
t
ha
v
e
t
o.”
S
a
m
son pu
s
hed her hand a
w
a
y
.
“I
k
now
I
don
’t
.
B
ut
I
w
ant
t
o.”
H
e
nodded
t
o
t
he
cabb
i
e
w
ho
w
as
l
oo
k
i
ng a b
i
t
w
o
rri
ed as
t
he snow
be
g
an
t
o co
m
e do
w
n
i
n a so
li
d shee
t
.
“M
i
s
t
ah,
w
e
’r
e
g
onna
ha
v
e
t
a
h
i
t
t
he
r
oad he
r
e
p
r
e
tt
y
f
as
t
…
t
h
i
s
s
t
u
f
f
i
s
co
m
i
n’
do
w
n so ha
r
d
t
hat
I
don
’
t
k
now
i
f
w
e can
m
a
k
e
i
t
un
l
ess
a sno
w
p
l
ow
and sa
l
t
tr
uck
co
m
es a
l
ong
t
hat
w
e
can
f
o
ll
ow
beh
i
nd!
I don
’
t
e
v
en
k
now
i
f
t
ha
t’
d
h
e
l
p.
I
t’
s a
lr
eady
a
l
m
ost
a
f
oot
deep
an’
I
’
m
g
onna
t
o
be
l
uc
k
y
t
o
m
a
k
e
i
t
an
y
w
he
r
es.
D
o
y
ou
li
v
e
f
a
r
?”
S
a
m
son
had
t
o
t
h
i
nk
f
ast
on
how
t
o
ans
w
er
t
hat
one, but
be
f
o
r
e he cou
l
d
r
ep
l
y
t
he cabb
i
e spo
k
e a
g
a
i
n.
“
O
n
second
t
hou
g
h
t
,
I
g
ot
a
buddy
of
m
i
ne
w
ho
li
v
es a
coup
l
a
b
l
oc
k
s
do
w
n
and
one
ri
g
ht
t
u
r
n.
I can
s
t
ay
t
he
r
e
and he
’
d
p
r
obab
l
y
l
et
y
ou
bunk
i
n
t
oo.
I
t
j
ust
a
i
n
’
t
sa
f
e
d
ri
v
i
n’
i
n
t
h
i
s
s
t
u
ff
.”
H
e
r
a
i
sed h
i
s
e
y
eb
r
o
w
s
and
m
o
ti
oned ou
t
s
i
de.