Chainfire: Chainfire Trilogy Part 1

"You and the woman were the only two in rooms up there. The rooms were line when you look them. Now they are a mess. It will cost a lot to fix them. I didn't cause the damage-why should I have to pay? The damage is your fault so you must pay-including for the loss of rent while they an being repaired."

She had demanded he pay for fixing the rooms without first asking how Cara was, or even expressing concern for her.

"I will give Ishaq my permission to deduct the cost from what he owe me." Richard glared at the woman. "Now, if you will excuse me."

With the back of his hand he pushed her aside as he stepped past her into the dark hall. She huffed at him before turning back to her sweeping Not knowing where else to go, he paced slowly up and down the hall Jamila finally finished collecting the debris from the first floor and trim died off to other business as he continued to pace. He finally sat with his back against the wall opposite the door to Nicci's room. He didn't know what else to do, where else to go. He wanted to see Cara.

Richard drew his knees up and locked his fingers over them. He rested his chin on the back of his hands as he thought about what Jamila had said.

In a way, she was right. The thing had been coming for him. Had he not been there it wouldn't have happened. If anyone else had been hurt or killed he would really be to blame for bringing danger near them. If not for him, Cara wouldn't be hurt.

He cautioned himself to put the blame on the guilty. That was Jagang and those working toward his goals. It was Jagang who had ordered the creation of the beast that was coming after Richard. Cara had simply been in the way. Cara had been trying to protect him from what Jagang and the Sisters of the Dark had created.

As Richard thought about Victor's men who had been killed a few days back, probably by that same beast, he couldn't help but to feel the awful weight of guilt.

And yet, the thing that had come into the inn had not harmed him. Richard had no doubt that it would have, but then it had simply vanished before its sinister work was finished. He couldn't imagine why it would do such a thing. Or why it had come through the walls the way it had. After all, if it went out the window, why didn't it just break in through the window in the first place? Whatever it was had demonstrated awareness by heading right for his room. Had it come in the window it would likely have had him before he knew what was happening. The thing that had killed Victor's men had behaved differently. Cara had not been ripped to shreds in the way they had, although it was clear that she had been seriously hurt.

He began to question that it really had been the same creature that had killed Victor's men. What if Jagang had created more than one beast, more then one weapon to come after him? What if the Sisters of the Dark had spawned an army of creatures to hunt him? All the questions seemed to swirl around in his mind, unable to form into answers.

Richard jumped when Nicci shook his shoulder. He realized that he must have fallen asleep.

"What?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it? How long has it been.»

"It's been a few hours," Nicci said in a quiet, tired voice. "It's the middle of the night."

Richard rose expectantly to his feet. "Cara's all right, then? You healed her?"

Nicci stared at him for what seemed an eternity. It felt to Richard, as he looked into Nicci's timeless eyes, as if his heart were coming up in his throat.

"Richard," she finally said in a voice so soft and compassionate that it made his breathing stop, "Cara isn't going to make it."

Richard blinked at the words, trying to be certain that he understood what Nicci was really saying.

"I don't understand." He cleared his throat. "What do you mean?"

Nicci gently laid a hand on his arm. "I think you should come in and see her while she is still with us."

Richard seized her shoulders. "What are you talking about?"

"Richard.» Nicci's gaze sank to the floor. "Cara isn't going to make it. She is dying. She won't live the night."

Richard tried to retreat from the sorceress, but his back met the wall. "From what? What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know, exactly. She's been touched by something that has — has brought death into her. I don't know how to explain it because I don't really know exactly what she is dying from. All I know is that it has overwhelmed her body's defenses and moment by moment she is slipping away."

"But Cara is strong. She'll fight it. She'll make it."

Nicci was shaking her head. "No, Richard, she won't. I don't want to give you false hope. She is dying. I think she may even want to die."

Richard came forward off the wall. "What? That's crazy. She has no reason to want to die."

"You can't say that, Richard. You don't know what she is going through. You don't know her reasons. Maybe the suffering is too much for her. Maybe she can't endure the pain and she only wants it to end."

"If not for herself, Cara would do anything to stay alive in order to protect me."