Blood of the Fold

Vafdora turned back. She laid the knife against Ann's cheek, under her eye, "Should I gouge out your eyes, first?"

Ann closed her eyes, unable to witness the terror any longer.

"No!" Valdora jabbed the point under her chin. "Don't close your eyes! You will watch! If you don't open them, I will gouge them out then."

Ann opened her eyes. She held her lower lip between her teeth as she watched Valdora put the point to her chest and lift the handle straight up.

"At last," Valdora whispered. "Vengeance."

She lifted the knife. It paused in midair as she pulled a deep breath.

Valdora's body twitched as a sword blade erupted from the center of her chest.

Her eyes widened, and she let out a gurgling squeal as the knife dropped to the floor.

Nathan put a foot to Valdora's back and drew the sword out of the woman. She went down hard to the stone floor.

Ann let out a wail of relief. Tears streamed from her eyes as the bonds holding her wrists and ankles broke.

Nathan, tall and grim, gazed down at her lying on the table. "You foolish woman," he whispered, "what have you let be done to you?"

He bent and took her up in his arms as she wept like a child. His arms felt as sweet as the Creator's as he held her to his breast.

As her crying slowed, he parted from her, and she saw that the front of him was soaked with blood. Her blood.

"Remove the block, and then lie back and let me see if I can possibly heal this mess."

Ann pushed his hand away. "No. First I must do what I came to do." She pointed. "It is he. The wizard we've come for,"

"Can't it wait?"

She wiped blood and tears from her eyes. "Nathan, I have gone through this dreadful prophecy this far. Let me finish. Please?"

With a disgusted sigh, he reached in a pouch beside his scabbard at his belt and pulled out a Rada'Han- He handed it over as she slid off the table. When her feet touched the floor, the pain crumpled her. Nathan caught her with a big arm and helped her to kneel before the unconscious wizard.

"Help me, Nathan. Open it for me. She broke most of my fingers."

With trembling hands, she placed the collar around the wizard's neck. Pushing with her palms, she at last managed to snap it shut, locking on not only the collar, but its magic. The prophecy was fulfilled.

Holly stood in the doorway. "Is Grandmamma dead?"

Ann sagged back on her heels. "Yes, my dear child. I'm sorry." She held out a hand. "How would you like to watch a healing, instead of a hurting?"

Holly gently took the hand. She glanced to the wizard on the Moor. "And him? Will you heal him, too?"

"Yes, Holly, him too."

"That was why I brought him in: to be helped. Not to be killed. Grandmamma helped people sometimes. She wasn't always mean."

"I know," Ann said.

A tear rolled down the girl's cheek. "What is to become of me, now?" she whispered.

Ann smiled through the tears. "I am Annalina Aldurren, Prelate of the Sisters of the Light, and have been for a good long time. I've taken in many young women with the gift, like you, and have taught them to be wonderful women who heal and help people. I would be most happy if you would come with us."

Holly nodded, a smile coming to her tearstained face. "Grandmamma took care of me, but she was mean to other people, sometimes. Mostly those who would try to hurt us, or cheat us, but you never did. It was wrong for her to hurt you. I'm sorry she wasn't nicer. I'm sorry she had to be mean, and die."

Ann kissed the girl's hand. "Me, too. Me, too."

"I have the gift." She looked up with big, doleful eyes. "Can you teach me to heal with it?"

"It would be my honor."

Nathan picked up his sword and, with a dramatic flourish, slid it back into its scabbard, "You want to be healed, now? Or would you prefer to bleed to death so I can try my hand at resurrection?"

Ann winced as she came to her feet. "Heal me, my savior."

He squinted. "Then allow me access to my power, woman. I can't heal with my sword."

Ann closed her eyes as she lifted a hand, focusing her inner sense on his Rada'Han removing the block in the flow of his Han. "It is done."

Nathan grunted. "I know it's done; I can feel it back, you know."

"Help me onto the table, Nathan." Holly held her hand as she was lifted up.

Nathan peered down at the wizard on the floor. "Well, you've finally got him. Far as I know, one such as he has never been collared before." His penetrating blue eyes turned to her. "Now that you've got a wizard of the First Order, the true madness of this whole plan of yours begins."

Ann sighed as his healing hands at last caressed her. "I know. Hopefully, Verna has her end of matters well in hand by now."

CHAPTER 41

Zedd gasped as his eyes popped opened. He sat bolt upright, A big hand on his chest pushed him back down.

"Take it easy, old man," a deep voice said.

Zedd goggled up at the square-jawed face. His shoulder-length white hair fell forward as he leaned over, putting both hands to the sides of Zedd's head.

"Who are you calling 'old, old man?"