Blood From a Stone (264 page)

Sudden
l
y
she
s
m
il
ed
as
an
i
dea
began
t
o
f
orm
i
n
her
m
i
nd.
T
he
ru
l
ebook
sa
i
d
she
cou
l
d
not
g
i
ve
t
he
C
ha
n
g
e
li
ng any
m
ore  c
l
ues. 
B
u
t
…
i
t
sa
i
d  no
t
h
i
ng  about
t
he 
w
o
m
a
n
,
W
ill
ow
D
a
lt
on!

W
ill
ow
w
as
w
a
l
k
i
ng a
l
ong
t
he
beach
and she
cou
l
d hear
a
f
ar
o
f
f
song
i
n
t
he
d
i
s
t
ance,
as
t
he
g
en
tl
e
w
a
v
es
l
apped a
g
a
i
nst
her
f
eet
and
t
he
w
a
r
m
t
h of
t
he sun
k
i
ssed
h
er
f
ace. Whe
r
e
w
as
i
t
co
m
i
ng 
fr
o
m
?
S
he
cou
l
dn
’
t
t
e
ll
,
but
as
she nea
r
ed
a
l
a
r
g
e
ou
t
c
r
opp
i
ng of
r
oc
k
s
she
cou
l
d
see
s
o
m
eone s
i
t
ti
ng
i
n
t
he
w
a
t
e
r
.

I
t
l
oo
k
ed
li
k
e
a
littl
e
g
irl
.
A
s
she
d
r
ew
nea
r
er
she cou
l
d
see
t
hat
t
he
g
ir
l
w
as
s
itti
ng do
w
n
i
n
t
he
w
a
t
er
and she
g
asped
as
she
w
a
l
k
ed
up
and
saw
t
he
g
ir
l
had…a
t
a
i
l
!
S
he
w
as a
m
e
r
m
a
i
d.

W
ill
ow
be
g
an
t
o
hear
t
he
s
i
n
g
-
song
i
n
her
head
a
g
a
i
n.
“F
reedom
i
s
naught
but
a
s
t
a
t
e
of
m
i
nd.”
O
v
er
and
o
v
er
i
t p
l
a
y
ed
and
a
m
o
m
ent
l
a
t
er
t
he
littl
e
m
e
r
m
a
i
d
w
it
h
t
he
l
ong
g
o
l
den ha
i
r
s
m
il
ed and do
v
e
i
n
t
o
t
he su
rf
.

Her
e
y
es
popped
open
and
she
sat
up
ab
r
up
tl
y
i
n bed. What
a s
tr
an
g
e d
r
eam
t
hat
had been!
S
he
shook
o
f
f
her
g
r
o
g
g
i
ness
and
headed
t
o
t
he
ba
thr
oom
t
o c
l
ean up, be
f
o
r
e co
ff
ee
i
n
t
he
k
it
chen.

S
a
m
son
r
e
t
u
r
ned a coup
l
e hou
r
s
l
a
t
e
r
,
as
W
ill
ow
sat
at her
d
i
n
i
ng
r
oom
t
ab
l
e
s
t
a
ri
ng
at
t
he
paper
on
w
h
i
ch
she
’
d
w
ritt
en
t
he
w
o
r
ds
of
t
he cu
r
se.

H
e 
w
a
l
k
ed  up  beh
i
nd  her
and 
w
r
apped  his  a
r
m
s a
r
ound he
r
, nu
zz
li
ng
her
nec
k
.

‘
O
h!
D
a
m
n
y
our
nose
i
s
co
l
d,”
she  sa
i
d
, 
t
u
r
n
i
ng a
r
ound
t
o
g
r
eet
h
i
m
.
B
ut
her
s
m
il
e
soon
f
aded
w
hen
she saw how
pa
l
e
he
l
oo
k
ed
and
t
he
da
r
k c
ir
c
l
es
under
h
i
s
e
y
es.
S
he
r
eached
up
and
f
e
l
t
h
i
s
f
o
r
ehead and nec
k
.
H
e
w
as
s
o co
l
d a
l
l o
v
e
r
.

“
S
a
m
son….”
her
v
o
i
ce
tr
a
il
ed
o
f
f
as
t
h
e
r
ea
li
z
a
ti
on h
i
t
her
i
n
t
he
p
i
t
of
her
s
t
o
m
ach
as
t
o
w
hat
m
ay be
ha
p
pen
i
n
g
.
S
he
shook
her
head
and
t
ook one
of
h
i
s
hands
i
n
her
o
w
n, b
ri
n
g
i
ng
h
i
s
pa
l
m
t
o
her
chee
k
.
“
P
l
ease…p
l
ease
t
e
l
l
m
e
it’
s not
ti
m
e.
T
h
i
s
can
’
t
be happen
i
n
g
.”