Blood From a Stone (76 page)

A
t
t
he
sa
m
e
m
o
m
ent
S
a
m
son
s
w
o
r
e
he
f
e
l
t
a
strange electric-like chill
on
t
he
back of
h
i
s
nec
k
.
A
ga
i
n.
T
h
i
s
w
as
de
f
i
n
it
e
l
y d
iff
e
r
ent
t
han
t
he
f
ee
li
ng
he
’
d
f
e
l
t
w
hen
t
he
dog b
i
t
h
i
m
.
H
e
t
u
r
ned a
r
ound
i
n
t
he
boo
t
h
na
rr
o
w
i
ng h
i
s
e
y
es.
W
hat
w
as
t
ha
t
?
A coup
l
e
had
w
a
l
k
ed out
a
f
ew
m
i
nu
t
es
ea
r
li
e
r
. Ma
y
be
i
t
w
as
t
he
w
i
nd
li
n
g
e
ri
ng
fr
om
t
he
doo
r
.
I
t
w
as,
a
ft
er
a
ll
,
a
l
m
ost
fr
ee
z
i
ng ou
t
s
i
de.

B
ut
T
he
W
a
t
cher
A
dr
i
e
ll
e
knew be
tt
er
a
s
her
s
l
eeve brushed
Sa
m
son
’
s
co
ll
ar
w
hen she
had sh
i
mm
ered
by.
She c
l
oaked
t
he
w
o
m
an
w
it
h
her
energy
and
cou
l
d
f
eel
t
he good heart
t
hat
d
w
e
ll
ed
t
here.
She
w
as
sure
t
h
i
s
w
o
m
an
he
had been
dra
w
n
t
o
and
t
he
ac
ti
on
he
‘
d
t
aken
w
it
h
t
he
an
i
m
a
l
,
w
ou
l
d
he
l
p
h
i
m
t
o
so
l
ve
h
i
s
o
w
n
puzz
l
e.
A
dr
i
e
ll
e
d
rift
ed
by and
so
m
ehow
t
he
C
hange
li
ng had perce
i
ved her
be
f
ore
she sh
i
mm
ered
ou
t
.
H
i
s
senses
w
ere
ge
tti
ng s
t
ronger.
T
h
i
s
w
as
a good s
i
gn as
w
e
ll
.

S
a
m
son
t
u
r
ned back
t
o W
ill
o
w
. “
D
i
d
y
ou
f
eel
t
ha
t
?”
W
ill
ow
b
l
ushed
e
v
en
m
o
r
e,
a
fr
a
i
d
t
hat
he
s
o
m
e
how
cou
l
d
f
eel
t
he
heat
i
n
her
f
ace
and
t
he
w
ay
he
m
ade
her
hea
r
t pound
w
hen he s
m
il
ed.

“
F
eel
w
ha
t
?” she ans
w
e
r
ed
i
nnocen
tl
y
.

“
T
hat
ch
ill
.
D
a
m
n….I s
w
ear
e
v
e
r
y
ha
i
r
on
t
he
back
of
m
y
neck
i
s
s
t
and
i
ng
on end.”
H
i
s
e
y
es bo
r
ed
i
n
t
o he
r
s.

“
O
h,
so
I
g
i
v
e
y
ou
t
he
ch
ill
s
no
w
?
T
h
a
t’
s
a
l
a
m
e
p
i
ck up
li
ne.”
S
he s
m
ir
k
ed.

“
N
o
o
ff
ense
but
i
t
w
asn
’
t
y
ou.
I
m
ean
t
h
i
s
w
as….so
m
e
t
h
i
ng e
l
se.
Ma
y
be
i
t
w
as
t
he
w
i
nd
or
so
m
e
th
i
n
g
.”
H
e se
ttl
ed back
i
n
t
o h
i
s
sea
t
.

“
J
ee
z
.
T
han
k
s.
I
ha
v
e
t
hat
e
ff
ect
on
m
en,”
she
sa
i
d
d
r
y
l
y
.

             
“
D
on
’
t
e
v
er
unde
r
es
ti
m
a
t
e
t
he
e
ff
ect
y
ou
ha
v
e
on
m
en….on
m
e
.
A
nd
I
don
‘
t
j
ust
m
ean
ph
y
s
i
ca
l
.
T
he
r
e
’
s
j
ust

so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
about
y
ou.”

S
he
s
m
ir
k
ed.
“We
l
l
at
l
east
t
hat
one
w
as a
l
ot
m
o
r
e co
m
p
li
m
en
t
a
r
y
but
on
l
y
s
li
g
h
tl
y
l
ess
l
a
m
e.”