19
LOOKING DOWN
Yeolani made a tremendously stupid decision on the walk back toward the cabin. He felt so giddy with the wonder of having this woman actually agree to marry him that he needed to give her a gift to show his love. He stopped in the middle of the morning traffic in the busiest part of the path through town and gave Rashel a long, lusty kiss to prepare her.
“I want to give you the Heart Stone,” he whispered.
“Here? Now?” Her eyes grew huge. “Won’t it…”
Yeolani knew what she was asking and stopped her. “Nothing is going to happen. No one will notice. At least it didn’t with me. It doesn’t change you. It’s a key to a door, and you have to walk inside.”
“Very well,” but the trepidation in her eyes spoke of her doubt. Loud in her thoughts rang dread of the villagers knowing
