Blood From a Stone (222 page)

“
L
a
t
er
t
hat
n
i
g
ht
her
m
o
t
her
p
l
aced
a
cu
r
se
on
m
e o
v
er
a
bo
ili
ng cau
l
d
r
on
as
t
he
fir
es
bu
r
ned
b
ri
g
h
t
l
y on
t
hat
h
il
l up
t
he
r
e
w
he
r
e
t
hey
li
v
ed.
S
o
m
e
t
h
i
ng
             
about
b
l
ood
con
g
ea
li
n
g
, and
ti
m
e s
t
and
i
ng s
til
l
and
m
an
and
s
t
one
be
i
ng one
and
t
he
sa
m
e.
B
y
t
hat
e
v
en
i
ng
m
y
body
w
as
t
u
r
n
i
ng
co
l
d
and
m
y b
l
ood
f
e
l
t
li
k
e
i
ce.
I
tri
ed
t
o
g
et
her
t
o
lif
t
t
he
spe
ll
…but
she
r
e
f
used.
A
nd
so I
beca
m
e
w
hat
I
a
m
.”

“
A
nd
w
hat
i
s
t
ha
t
?” as
k
ed W
ill
o
w
. “Wh
a
t
a
r
e
y
ou?”

H
i
s
exp
r
ess
i
on
r
e
m
a
i
ned
s
t
ead
y
.
“I
sp
e
nd
fift
y
y
ea
r
s
at
a
ti
m
e
fr
o
z
en….a
so
li
d
b
l
ock of stone, waiting p
a
tiently for the day when I will Awaken from my sleep
.”

H
e
t
u
r
ned
a
w
ay
fr
om
he
r
,
not
w
an
ti
ng
t
o
l
ook her
i
n
t
he
e
y
e.
“
I
’
m not
co
m
p
l
e
t
e
l
y
hu
m
an.
I am pa
r
t
m
an,
and pa
rt
….
g
a
r
g
o
y
l
e. ”

W
ill
o
w
’
s
sha
r
p
i
n
t
a
k
e
of
b
r
ea
t
h
t
o
l
d
h
i
m he
’
d
fi
na
ll
y sa
i
d so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
t
hat
sca
r
ed
t
he sh
i
t
out
of
he
r
.

S
he
pu
ll
ed
her
hand
fr
ee
of
h
i
s
and
s
h
e
s
t
a
r
ed at
h
i
m
f
or
a
l
ong
m
o
m
en
t
,
s
tr
u
gg
li
ng
w
it
h
w
hat
t
o
say or
d
o.
Was
he so
m
e
k
i
nd
of
escaped
m
en
t
al
pa
ti
en
t
?
D
an
g
e
r
ous?
S
he shu
d
de
r
ed
t
o
t
h
i
nk  of
w
hat
cou
l
d
ha
v
e
happened 
t
o 
h
er
i
n
v
iti
ng
h
i
m
i
n
t
o
her
house
and
her
bed
i
f
t
hat
w
e
r
e
t
he
case.

             
B
ut
she
cou
l
d
a
l
so
not
deny
a
l
l
t
hat
she
had
seen
i
n
t
he
past
f
ew
da
y
s.
H
i
s
b
l
ood had
t
he
po
w
er
t
o hea
l
,
littl
e
D
a
v
i
d see
i
ng
t
he
an
g
el
i
n
h
i
s
r
oo
m
…
t
h
r
ou
g
h
i
t
a
l
l
she
’
d
been
s
t
r
u
g
g
li
ng
f
or so
m
e
r
a
ti
onal
exp
l
ana
ti
on.

A
nd
d
iffi
cu
l
t
as
i
t
w
as
she
w
as
be
g
i
n
n
i
ng
t
o
f
ace
he
f
act
t
hat
t
he
r
e
m
ay be
t
h
i
n
g
s
i
n
t
he
w
o
rl
d
t
hat
de
f
i
ed
w
hat
w
e see
a
r
ound
us.
T
he
pa
r
ano
r
m
a
l
…
f
o
r
ces
of
na
t
u
r
e and
m
a
g
i
c.
T
he
s
t
u
f
f
f
a
ir
y
t
a
l
es
w
e
r
e
m
ade
o
f
.
P
e
r
haps
t
hey
w
er
e
r
eal a
ft
er
a
ll
.

When
her
hea
r
t
fi
na
ll
y s
t
opped
pound
i
n
g
i
n
her
chest and
t
he
i
n
iti
al
shock and
f
ear
subs
i
ded,
her
exp
r
ess
i
on
fi
na
ll
y so
ft
ened
and
she
s
li
d
t
o
w
a
r
d
h
i
m
t
en
t
a
ti
v
e
l
y
. “
S
o…
i
s
t
h
i
s
w
hy
y
our
b
l
ood can heal
peop
l
e and an
i
m
a
l
s?”