Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy Part 3

Whatever Adie was doing for Nicci didn't look to be helping. Richard didn't think that Nicci could last much longer unless they found a way to get the collar off her neck. Nathan was the closest hope.

"Adie," Richard said, pointing with his chin back to where he had been on the ground when the Sister had first appeared. "That man over there, with the red paint on him. Can you help him?"

Adie peered over at the man on the ground. "Perhaps."

Adie hurried to Bruce and knelt beside him. He was only partially conscious, the same as all the other men the Sister had blasted down. Adie's straight gray and black hair hung down around her face as she bent forward, pressing her fingers to the red symbols painted across the man's temples. Bruce gasped. His eyes opened wide. He pulled a few more deep breaths as Adie removed her hand from one side.

In a moment Bruce sat up. twisting his head, trying to stretch cramped and obviously sore muscles in his neck. "What's going on?"

"Bruce, hurry up," Richard said. "We need to get out of here."

Richard's left wing man peered around at the men on the ground, at Benjamin, holding Jillian and dressed as one of Jagang's royal guards, at Adie, and finally at Richard standing a few paces away with Nicci draped in his arms.

Bruce snatched up a sword. "Ruben, what's going on?"

"It's a long story. You came to help me. You saved my life. It's time for you to decide whose side you're on."

Bruce frowned at the question. "I'm your wing man. I'm with you. Don't you know that?"

Richard looked the man in the eye. "My name's Richard."

"Well, I knew it wasn't Ruben. That's a silly name for a point man."

"Richard Rahl," Richard said.

"Lord Rahl," General Meiffert corrected, looking ready for trouble even as he held Jillian in his arms.

Bruce glanced from face to face. "Well, if you all want to die, then you can stand around here until these fellows wake up. If that's the case, then I'm not with you. If you're of a mind to live, then I'm with you."

"Ramp," Nicci said in a gasp.

Richard pulled her a little tighter. "Are you sure, Nicci? We could try for the road up the plateau." He was reluctant to trade a way he knew for the vague possibility of another route. "I know it's heavily guarded but maybe we could fight our way through. Adie could help some. We might be able to make it."

Nicci clutched his neck, pulling his head down toward her. Her blue eyes focused intently on his face. "Ramp," she whispered with all her strength.

That look in her eyes was all he needed.

"Let's go," he said to the others. "We have to get to the ramp."

"How are we going to get through all the men still fighting?" Bruce asked as they started off into the night. "It's a long way to the ramp."

With all the guards down, the area they were in was relatively calm. Out beyond, though, it was still chaos.

The general shifted Jillian's weight a little and pointed with his sword. "There's a small supply wagon just over there. We can hide Jillian and Nicci inside. With that paint on you two, you're not going to make it far before a few hundred thousand of these men decide to cut you down. No slight intended, Lord Rahl, but those odds are pretty poor. I want the two of you to hide inside with Jillian and Nicci. Adie and I will lead the wagon. Anyone will think that I'm one of the emperor's guards and Adie is a Sister. We can say that we're on urgent business for the emperor."

Richard was nodding. "Good. I like the idea. Let's hurry."

"Who is this fellow?" Bruce asked as he leaned toward Richard.

"He's my top general," Richard said.

"Benjamin Meiffert," the general said with a quick smile as they all started for the wagon. "You've earned the gratitude of a lot of good people for stepping into the teeth of death to fight beside Lord Rahl like you did."

"Never knew a general before," Bruce muttered as he hurried after the others.

CHAPTER 39

Verna clasped her hands loosely in front of her and sighed quietly as she watched Cara plant her fists on her red-leather-clad hips. The gaggle of men and women in white robes shuffled farther down the hall, gazing at the white marble walls, trailing their fingers across it, stopping here and there to peer closely at it as if they were searching for a message from the world of the dead.

"Well?" Cara asked.

An older man, Dario Daraya, laid a finger lightly across his lips. He frowned thoughtfully for another long moment as he watched the cluster of people bobbing and swaying down the corridor like corks in a river, then swiveled toward the Mord-Sith. He ran his fingers down the sky blue silk edging running down the front of his crisp white robes. He frowned at Cara, his features twisting a little as he scratched the fringe of white hair encircling his bald head.

"I'm not sure, Mistress."

"Not sure about what? Not sure that I'm right, or not sure of what they think about it?"

"No, no, Mistress Cara. I agree with you. Something is wrong down here."

Verna stepped forward. "You agree with her?"