Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy Part 3

Richard could only stare.

"That was a few days back," Chase said. "We've been waiting for you. The Mud People had to prepare for the gathering. I brought you three fast horses. We have food packed up for you. They're ready to go."

"Ready to go?"

Chase nodded. "As much as I'd like to visit, and believe me, I think we have some things to talk about, my . . . mother said that you would be in a hurry to get to Tamarang."

"Tamarang," Richard repeated. "Zedd was going to Tamarang."

That wasn't all that was there. The book that Baraccus had written for Richard and then hidden for him three thousand years before was in Tamarang. Richard had found the book but then been captured by Six. The book, Secrets of a War Wizard's Power, was hidden in a stone cell in Tamarang.

He needed that book now more than ever. Baraccus had already provided invaluable help. If Richard was to open the boxes of Orden, though, that book might well provide the things he needed.

"Tamarang," Richard said again in thought. "There was a spell there that cut me off from my gift."

Rachel nodded. "I fixed it."

Richard stared down at her. "You fixed it?"

Chase gave Richard a look. "Like I said, there are some things we need to talk about, but now is not the time. As I hear it told, you're in a big hurry. You only have until the new moon."

With a feeling of sinking dread, Richard glanced at the sliver of a moon. "I can't get back to the People's Palace by the new moon. It's too far away."

"You aren't going to the Peoples' Palace," Chase reminded him. "You're going to Tamarang."

Richard grasped Chase by the arm. "Take me to the horses. I'm running out of time."

Chase nodded. "So my mother told me."

CHAPTER 55

Zedd winced in pain. He heard someone calling his name again. The voice sounded like it was drifting into him from some distant world. He didn't want to answer the call, didn't want to open his eyes, didn't want to be fully conscious and have to feel the full brunt of awareness.

"Zedd," the voice called again.

A big hand shook him, gently rocking his body back and forth. Zedd forced his eyes open just a little, squinting with the full dread of consciousness. Rikka and Tom, hunched over him, were both looking down with intent worry. Zedd saw that the side of Tom's blond hair was matted with blood.

"Zedd, are you all right?"

It was Rikka's voice, he realized. He blinked, trying to tell if every bone in his body was broken or if it only felt that way. Fear lurking in the shadows of his mind whispered that this might be the end of everything.

His middle hurt. That was where Six's spell had caught him.

He felt like a fool. Having taken the measure of her before, he had been prepared. He had been sure that he could counter the woman's ability- and he would have been able to, except that she had caught him off guard with a form of constructed spell, a little surprise that she'd had drawn in the caves, patiently waiting for his arrival should he ever enter her domain. Even though it was the type of thing he'd never known a witch woman to do, he should have considered that possibility. He should have been ready for a trick.

She was a witch woman, not a sorceress or wizard, and she knew that, while she had considerable talents of her own, she was vulnerable to certain things Zedd could do. He had revealed some of those things back at the Wizard's Keep by preventing her from killing him and the others when she tried. She had learned from that experience and found a way to construct a counter-something that was simply out of character for a witch woman. It was quite brilliant, actually, but right then he wasn't exactly in the mood to marvel at her accomplishment.

"Zedd," Rikka said, "are you all right?"

"I think so," he managed. "You?"

Rikka grunted with a note of displeasure. "They were certainly ready for us. Whatever she did kept me from being able to stop her."

"Well, don't feel bad, she did the same to me."

"With you unconscious all those soldiers were more than I could handle," Tom added. "Sorry, Zedd, but I let you down when you needed me the most. I should have been the steel against steel for you."

Zedd squinted up at the man. "Don't be silly. Steel has its limits. It was I who shouldn't have allowed us to be taken in such a way. I should have known better and been prepared for it."

"I guess we all failed," Rikka said.

"Worse, we failed Richard. We didn't even make it into the cave to help him. We need to get into the cave to break that spell keeping him from his gift."

"Not much hope of that, now," Rikka said.

"We'll see about that," Zedd grumbled. "At least it appears we're safe for the moment."

"Unless Six returns to finish us."

Zedd peered up at the man. "You're a comfort."

With the help of both of them pulling on his arms, Zedd sat up. "Where are we, anyway?" he asked as he looked around in the dim light.

"Some sort of prison room," Tom said. "The walls are entirely stone, except for the door. The hallway outside is filled with guards."