he had returned just a little past four and found her raging with fever and incoherent . it kept banging against the house like a fist against a locked door . `` i love the taste of your skin , '' he whispered in her ear . i tapped streak 's shoulder , then pointed toward the clearing - i wanted to get closer . he did yell this time and rose from his chair . nicholas could not help but wonder about those two rare things . 