Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy Part 3

As much as she loved Chase, this was something that felt so special that she knew it was unfair to compare it to anything else. She loved Chase fiercely. This was wonderful in its own way. It was like two halves that made a whole.

Rachel only realized that she'd been asleep because when she opened her eyes it was just first light. Dark purple clouds looked as if they were trying to hide the approaching light in the eastern sky.

She sat up abruptly.

All that was left of the fire was cold ashes.

She was alone.

Before she could think of anything else, before she had time to be sad. she knew that she had to hurry.

With frantic effort she quickly gathered up her few things-the blanket, the flint and steel, the waterskin-stuffing them into the saddlebags. She saw the horse not far away, watching her.

She had to make sure not to run the horse too hard. If she ran the horse and it died, then Rachel would be on foot.

And then the ghostie gobblies would get her.

CHAPTER 25

Kahlan tenderly closed both of her hands around Nicci's trembling, loose fist. She hoped that through that connection, that simple act, the woman covered in blood, lying in Jagang's bed, could at least take a small measure of solace. As much as Kahlan ached with empathy, she could offer little help.

It had been a frightening, dreadful night. Jagang often brought women captives to his bed. He frequently hurt them, either simply by not taking into account his own strength, or because he intended them harm when they failed to cooperate.

This was different. With Nicci, he was venting hot jealousy.

He had never hurt any of those other women the way he hurt Nicci. In his own mind, Kahlan knew, he was getting even, settling a score, making Nicci pay the price of being unfaithful to him.

But, in some ways, Jagang was also showing Kahlan what kind of treatment she could look forward to once her memory was finally restored. Kahlan tried to shut the things she'd seen and heard from her mind lest she be sick. She focused instead on the present, and the future.

She let go with one hand and turned to retrieve a waterskin lying on the floor nearby. Nicci lightly caught the remaining hand, apparently fearful of losing the human compassion in that connection.

"Here," Kahlan said in little more than a whisper as she lifted the waterskin to Nicci's lips. Splatters of dried blood masked her face and hair.

Other than loosely holding on to Kahlan's hand, Nicci didn't respond.

"Drink," Kahlan urged. "It's water."

Nicci didn't make any effort to drink, so Kahlan let a little of the water trickle across the woman's cracked lips and into her mouth. She swallowed, then turned her head away from the waterskin with a cry of pain.

"Shh," Kahlan urged. "I know it hurts, but try to stay quiet. You need to try to take a drink. You need water. When you're hurt your body needs water so you can get better."

As much as he had choked her while he railed in fury, it was a miracle that Jagang hadn't crushed Nicci's windpipe. His powerful hands had left behind lurid bruises, though, and not just on her neck.

Nicci's blue eyes slowly opened, focusing on Kahlan's face. Kahlan was down low, sitting on the floor beside the bed. She was leaning in close to Nicci, trying to keep her voice low so that it wouldn't carry to those outside the bedchamber. She didn't want anyone to hear her talking to Nicci. Nicci hadn't wanted Jagang to know that she could see Kahlan. Kahlan thought it wise to never let an enemy know anything more than was absolutely necessary. Apparently, Nicci thought much the same thing.

As awkward as it was leaning over the edge of the bed, Kahlan didn't dare get up off the carpet. She knew the consequences of getting up when Jagang had told her to stay on the floor.

A jagged gash at Nicci's scalp line on the right side of her forehead was still bleeding. A glancing blow from Jagang's ringed fist had ripped up a flap of scalp. Kahlan snatched up a small cloth, folded it, and gently pressed it against the wound on Nicci's forehead, fitting the loose chunk of flesh in place as she applied pressure to stop the bleeding. In mere moments the cloth soaked through with blood. As much as she ached to help, there was little more she could think to do other than try to stop some of the bleeding and offer a drink of water.

The wound from the gold ring pierced through Nicci's lower lip still oozed, leaving a trail of blood down her jaw and the side of her neck, but it wasn't serious, like the wound on her forehead, so Kahlan didn't try to do anything for it.

She carefully pulled a lock of blond hair back off Nicci's face. "I'm so sorry for what he did to you."

Nicci nodded slightly, her jaw trembling slightly as she held back tears.

"I wanted so much to stop him," Kahlan said.

With the back of a finger Nicci caught the tear running down Kahlan's cheek.

"There was nothing you could do," the woman managed. "Nothing."