Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy Part 3

What Nicci didn't know was how they had gotten in.

She expected that at any second the lightning would again ignite and she would suffer the same fate as Ann. There had been a time when she hadn't cared one way or the other if she died. Now she cared. She cared greatly. She regretted that she would not have the opportunity to fight back before the end. At least it would be swift.

Sister Armina smiled a wicked smile. "Nicci, dear. How good to see you again."

"Bad company you keep," said Sister Julia, standing close on Sister Armina's right.

A stocky Sister Greta, close on her left, glared.

All three were Sisters of the Dark. Sister Armina had been free of Jagang, along with Ulicia, Cecilia, and Tovi. On their own those four had ignited Chainfire, captured Kahlan, and put the boxes of Orden in play.

But Sisters Julia and Greta, whom Nicci also knew well, had long been captives of Jagang. Sister Armina being with the other two made no sense.

Without having the time to consider the implications of those three being together, Nicci decided that if she was to die, she would at least try to fight. She abruptly flung an arm around in an arc, casting the strongest shield she could summon, knowing how weak it would be but hoping it might hold long enough. She bolted in the opposite direction-back toward the stairs.

She hadn't gone three steps when a rope of compacted air whipped around, sweeping her feet out from under her. She smacked the floor hard. Her shield had proven useless against the power of those three linked.

She was somewhat startled that they had not used the same kind of deadly power that they had on Ann. Not waiting to contemplate why, or for what might follow, Nicci rolled to the left and then scrambled to her feet. She dove through an opening into another hallway. Behind, she could hear the three Sisters running toward her.

With simple, empty halls made of smooth marble, there was no place to hide. Nicci knew that if she ran they would simply ignite a bolt of power to take her down. She had no real chance to outrun them and escape the reach of their power. But, since they were already running after her, they would probably be expecting her to run, so Nicci instead pressed her back up against the wall just around the corner of the next intersection, on the side closest to the three coming for her.

She panted, catching her breath, trying to keep as quiet as possible. From where she waited she couldn't see Ann's body, but she could see the bright stain of blood running across the white marble floor.

It was hard to believe that Ann was dead. She had been witness to the rise and fall of kingdoms and the passing of countless generations over a vast march of time. It seemed she had been alive forever. It was numbing to try to imagine a world without Annalina Aldurren.

Although the Prelate had not been beloved by Nicci, she still felt a pang of grief for her. The woman had finally seemed to come to terms with some of her mistakes. After all this time, after such a long life, she had finally come to have real love in her life.

As Nicci heard the footsteps rushing close she gathered her wits. This was no time to grieve.

Nicci was hardly a stranger to violence and death, but she was not at all used to this manner of combat. As Death's Mistress she had been witness to thousands of deaths, and had killed more people than she could count or recall, but she had never done it with her bare hands. Now, without her power, that was her only option. She tried to think of how Richard would do such a thing.

As the three Sisters charged around the corner, Nicci used all her strength to ram her elbow into the face of the closest woman. She heard teeth snap. Her heart was pumping so fast she didn't even feel the blow in her elbow. Sister Julia was knocked sprawling on her back.

Without pause, even as Sister Julia was still sliding across the floor, Nicci sprang at Sister Armina, grabbing her by the hair. She used the women's forward momentum to propel her across the hall and slam her head into the wall. Her skull made a sickening thwack against the stone. Nicci hoped to at least knock the woman out, if not kill her. If there was only one Sister left standing she wouldn't be able to use her power any better than Nicci could.

But Sister Armina was still very conscious. She screamed curses as she struggled to get free. Nicci pulled her back, while she had the initiative, lifting her by the hair in order to get another swing to bash her face against the wall.

Before she could accomplish the task, the stout Sister Greta crashed into Nicci's middle, knocking her to the side, off Sister Armina. The flying weight of the Sister whacked Nicci against the wall with enough force to knock the wind out of her. She blindly clawed at the woman tackling her, trying to get her off.

Sister Greta, holding Nicci tightly around the middle, twisted to the side, easily throwing her face-first to the ground. Nicci flipped over to kick Sister Greta away.