Faith of the Fallen

Richard could hear Cara's angry breath behind him. She was a coiled spring ready to strike. Fearing she might do something of irredeemable harm, he lifted his hand just to be sure she knew he meant for her to stay behind him.

"Oh, and one additional matter, should you think to resort to some plot or treachery, or, for that matter, refuse to do the simple things I ask of you: through the spell that joins us, I can at any time end Kahlan's life. I have but to will it. It is not necessary for me to die. She lives every day from now on only by my grace, and thus yours.

"I wish her no harm, and have no feelings one way or the other about her life. In fact, if anything, I wish it to be long. She has brought you a measure of happiness, and in return for that, I hope she will not have to forfeit her life. But then, you have some influence over that by your behavior."

Nicci cast a deliberate glare over Richard's shoulder, to Cara. She then reached out and with her fingers gently wiped blood from his mouth. She finished cleaning his chin with her thumb. "Your MordSith has hurt you. I can help you if you wish."

"No."

"Very well." She wiped her bloody fingers clean on the skirt of her black dress. "Unless you want to risk other people causing Kahlan's death without your intending it, I suggest you insure that others don't act without your consent. Mord-Sith are resourceful and determined women. I respect their devotion to duty. However, if your Mord-Sith follows us-and my magic will tell me if she does-Kahlan will die."

"And just how will I know Kahlan is all right? We could get a mile away from here, and you could use that magic link to kill her. I would never know."

Nicci's brow creased together. She looked genuinely puzzled.

"Why would I do that?"

A storm of rage and panic pushed his emotions first one way, and then the other. "Why are you doing any of this!"

She regarded him in silent curiosity for a moment. "I have my reasons.

I'm sorry, Richard, that you must suffer in this. Making you suffer is not my purpose. I give you my word that I will not harm Kahlan without informing you."

"You expect me to believe your word?"

"I've told you the truth. I have no reason to lie to you. In time, you will come to understand everything better. Kahlan will come to no harm from me as long as I am safe, and you come with me."

For reasons he couldn't fathom, Richard found himself believing her.

She seemed dead honest and completely sure of herself, as if she had reasoned it all out a thousand times.

He didn't believe that Nicci was telling him everything. She was making it simple so that he could grasp the important elements and have an easier time deciding what to do. Whatever the rest of it was, it couldn't be as devastating as this much of it. The thought of being taken from Kahlan was agony, but he would do almost anything to save her life. Nicci knew that.

The enigma resurfaced. It was somehow linked to this.

"The spell that protects a person's mind from the dream walker works only for those loyal to me. You can't expect to be safe from Jagang if you do this. It's an act of treachery."

"Jagang does not frighten me. Don't fear for my mind, Richard. I'm quite safe from His Excellency. In time, perhaps you will come to see how wrong you have been in so many things."

"You're deceiving yourself, Nicci."

"You only see part of it, Richard." She lifted an eyebrow in a cryptic manner. "At heart, your cause is the cause of the Order. You are too noble a person for it to be otherwise."

"I may die at your hands, but I will die hating everything you and the Order stand for." Richard's fists tightened. "You'll not get what you want, Nicci. Whatever it is, you'll not get it."

She regarded him with great compassion. "This is all for the best, Richard."

Nothing he said seemed to hold any sway with her, and he could make no sense of the things she said. The fury inside boiled up. The magic of the sword fought him for control. He could barely contain it. "Do you really expect me to ever come to believe that?"

Nicci's blue eyes seemed to be focused somewhere beyond him.

"Possibly not."

Her gaze fixed on him once more. She put two fingers between her lips as she turned and whistled. In the distance, a horse whinnied and trotted out of the woods.

"I have another horse for you, waiting up on the other side of the pass."

Terror clawed at his bones. Kahlan's fingers tightened on his arm.

Cara's hand touched his back. Memories of being captured before and all it meant, all the things he had endured, made his pulse race and his breath come in rapid pulls. He felt trapped. Everything was slipping through his fingers and there didn't seem to be anything he could do about it.

He wanted more than anything to fight, but he couldn't figure how. He wished it were as simple as striking down his adversary. He reminded himself that reason, not wishing, was his only chance. He seized the calm center within, and used it to quell the rising storm of panic.