Blood of the Fold

In her wavering vision, she saw two figures enter the room, one short, one taller. Two? She hadn't expected two. Dear Creator, two could ruin everything.

"Well, well. Look what the night netted me."

Struggling with the effort, Ann tilted her head up. "Who… is… it?"

They stepped closer. "Don't you remember me?" The old woman in the blanket cackled. "Don't recognize me, all old and wasted? Well, you're to blame for that. I must say, you look hardly a day older. I could still have my youth, were it not for you, my dear, dear, Prelate. Then you would recognize me."

Ann gasped as the twisting pain bore down on her.

"Honey cake not setting well?"

"Who…"

The old woman put her hands to her knees and leaned down. "Why, Prelate, surely, you must remember? I promised you that you would pay for what you did to me. And you don't even remember the cruel thing you did? Did it mean that little to you?"

Ann's eyes widened in sudden recognition. She would never have recognized her after all these years, but the voice, the voice was the same. "Valdora."

The old woman cackled again. "Well, dear Prelate, I'm honored you would remember one so lowly as I." She bowed with exaggerated courtesy, "I hope you also remember what I promised you. You do remember, don't you? I promised to see you dead."

Ann felt herself hit the floor as she writhed in agony. "I thought that. . after you. . reflected on your actions. . you would see the wrong in your ways. I can see, now, that… I was right to put you, . from the palace. You.. have no right to serve as a Sister,"

"Oh, don't you concern yourself, Prelate. I've started my own palace. My granddaughter here is my student, my novice. I teach her better than your Sisters could ever teach. I teach her everything."

"You teach her… to poison people?"

Valdora laughed. "Oh, the poison won't kill you. Just a little something to incapacitate you until I could bind you up all helpless in a web. You'll not die so easily." She leaned down closer, her voice coming like venom. "You are going to be a long time dying, Prelate. You may even last all the way to morning. A person can die a thousand times over in a single night."

"How could you have, . known… I would come?"

The woman straightened. "Oh, I didn't. When I saw the Lord Rahl, and he gave me one of your coins, I thought he might end up bringing me a Sister, too. I had no idea, not in my wildest hopes, that he would bring me the Prelate herself. Delivered right into my hands. My, my, what a marvel. No, I never even dared hope. I would have been more than happy just to skin one of your Sisters, or even your student, Lord Rahl, to do you a pain. But now I can fulfill my deepest, darkest desires."

Ann tried to call her Han. Through the layer of pain, she realized the honey cake had contained more than simple poison. It had been bound up with a spell.

Dear Creator, this was not going the way it should.

The room was getting dim. She felt a jerk of pain in her scalp. She felt the stone scrape along her back. She saw the pretty, smiling face of the girl walking along at her side.

"I forgive you, child," Ann whispered.

And then, the blackness smothered her.

CHAPTER 39

Kahlan clutched Adie's arm in one hand and a sword in the other as they ran. In the darkness, they both stumbled over Orsk, falling hard. Kahlan yanked her hand back from the warm mass of his guts in the snow.

"How. . how could he be here!"

Adie panted, trying to catch her breath. "It be impossible."

"There's enough moon to see. I know we're not going in circles." She took a quick swipe against the snow, smearing the gore from her hands. She scrambled to her feet, pulling Adie up with her. There were bodies, clad in red capes, scattered all about. They had had only one fight. There couldn't be other bodies. And Orsk..

Kahlan swept her gaze along the tree line, looking for the men on horseback. "Adie, remember the vision Jebra had? She saw me going in circles."

Adie brushed the snow from her face. "But how?"

Kahlan knew Adie couldn't run much more. She had used her power to fight, and she was near dead with exhaustion. The force of her magic unleashed had been a terror to the attackers, but there were too many. Orsk must have killed twenty or thirty by himself. Kahlan hadn't seen Orsk killed, but she had come across his body three times now. He had been cut nearly in two.

"Which way do you think we must go to get away?" she asked the sorceress.

"They be back there." Adie pointed. "We must go this way."

"That's what I think, too." She pulled Adie the other way. "We've been doing what we think we should, and it's not working. We have to try something else. Come on, We must do what we think is wrong."

"It could be a spell," Adie offered. "If it is, you be right. I be too tired to feel it if there be one."