Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy Part 3

"The Sisters of the Dark have already put Orden in play. I hardly need to tell you what their goal is. That makes this the final battle-the battle for life itself. Richard is the one who must lead us. If he is to succeed he must have the ability to fight them. You gave him a mere book. I gave him the power, the weapon, that he needs to win."

Nathan laid a big hand on Ann's shoulder. "Perhaps Nicci has a point."

Ann glanced up at the prophet. She visibly cooled as she considered his words. Back when she'd lived at the Palace of the Prophets, Nicci would never have expected the prophet, of all people, to be able to bring the prelate to see reason. There had been few at the palace who thought that Nathan had the ability to reason.

"Well, done is done," Ann said, her voice considerably calmer. "We'll have to give some thought to what we must do next."

"What about Zedd?" Nathan asked. "Does he have any ideas to help Richard?"

Nicci tried to keep her voice, as well as her expression, from betraying her level of concern. "Since Zedd believes that spells cast in the sacred caves in Tamarang are responsible for blocking Richard from the use of his gift, he, Tom, and Rikka are on their way there now. They hope to be able to help Richard by finding a way to eliminate whatever spell is barring him from his gift."

"You make it sound simple," Nathan said as he considered the problem. "Such a thing will be far from simple."

Nicci lifted an eyebrow. "I doubt that standing around wishing for a solution will work better."

Nathan grunted his agreement. "What about the Keep?"

Nicci turned and started down the hall, talking back over her shoulder.

"'After Cara and I left in the sliph, and before he started out for Tamarang, Zedd was going to use a spell to close down the Keep."

"What about the others-Chase, Rachel, and Jebra?" Nathan asked.

"Jebra vanished a while back. Zedd thinks it's possible that she regained consciousness and because of everything she's been through, she simply ran away."

"Or the witch woman has been influencing her mind yet again," Nathan suggested.

Nicci opened her hands. "That's possible too. We just don't know. Rachel vanished as well, just the other night, the night before Six arrived. Chase went looking for her."

Nathan shook his head in frustration. "I hate being stuck here when so much is going on."

"Zedd wanted you two to know about the trouble with the magic of the Keep," Nicci said. "He said that there are defenses protecting the People's Palace that may be similar to those at the Keep, so he wants you to be aware of the problem. There's no telling how the contamination from the chimes will affect magic, whether it will hamper all similar power, or whether it's a function of location-if the contamination might be confined to a specific area."

"After we're finished here," Cara put in, "Nicci and I are going to travel in the sliph down to the Tamarang area to help Zedd get Lord Rahl's power back. Then we're going after Lord Rahl."

Nathan didn't object that he presently held the title of Lord Rahl. He, of all people, knew that Richard was the one that prophecy had named to lead them. Nathan was the one, after all, who had originally revealed that prophecy said they stood a chance against the coming storm only if Richard led them.

Cara's plan that they were "going after Lord Rahl" was news to Nicci. If they knew where Richard was, Nicci would already be headed there.

As Nicci continued to answer Ann's steady barrage of questions, Nathan led them through several rather simple passageways until they finally came to one with a heavy oak door at the end. As Nathan pulled the door open for them, cold air rushed in.

A bloodred sky greeted Nicci as she stepped out onto a platform high above the rampart of the outer wall. "Dear spirits," she whispered to herself. "Every time I see them it's a terrible shock."

Nathan squeezed out beside her. There was room for only two people on what was apparently an observation platform. Ann and Cara watched from just inside the doorway.

The height was dizzying. Nicci gripped the waist-high iron railing as she leaned out a little, peering over the side. She could see over the edge of the outer wall, and the plateau itself, all the way down to the Azrith Plain.

The ground immediately around the plateau was deserted. The Imperial Order had camped some distance back, apparently not wanting to chance drawing any unpleasant attention from the gifted up in the palace before absolutely necessary. While the Imperial Order had Sisters and even several young wizards who could shield them from any conjuring from above, Jagang would want to keep them in reserve, keep them healthy, strong, and alive until he began his final attack.