Free Blood From a Stone by Cynthia Lucas Page A

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.
    S a m son l oo k ed ou t s i de and nodded i n a g r ee m en t . T he t hou g ht of spend i ng  t he n i g ht on  a w a r m couch  w a t c hi ng t e l e v i s i on at t he cabb i e ’ s