Temple of the Winds

Cara's mouth twisted in annoyance. "All right. For the moment."

Kahlan turned to Nadine. "I need some answers. Tell the truth, and if you really have nothing to do with this assassin, you will have my sincere apology and I'll do what I can to make up for our inhospitality. But if you lie to me, and you intend to do harm to Lord Rahl, the guards outside have orders not to allow you to leave this room alive. Do you understand?"

Nadine, her back pressed against the wall, nodded.

"You asked to see Lord Rahl." Nadine nodded again. "Why?"

"I'm on my way to my love. He's been gone since last autumn. We're to be wed, and I'm on my way to him." She brushed a strand of hair back from her eyes. "But I don't know where he is, exactly. I was told to go see Lord Rahl and I would find my betrothed." Nadine's lower lids brimmed with tears. "That's why I wanted to speak with this Lord Rahl-to ask if he could help."

"I see," Kahlan said. "I can understand your distress over your love being missing. What is your young man's name?"

Nadine pulled her kerchief from her sleeve and dabbed it at her eyes. "Richard."

"Richard. Is there more to his name?"

Nadine nodded. "Richard Cypher."

Kahlan had to remind herself to draw a breath through her open mouth, but her mind couldn't seem to make her tongue work.

"Who?" Cara asked.

"Richard Cypher. He's a woods guide where I live, in Hartland, that's in West-land, where we live. "

"What do you mean, you're to wed him?" Kahlan finally managed in a whisper. She felt her world threatening to crush in around her as a thousand things all at once whirled chaotically in her mind. "Did he tell you that?"

Nadine twisted her damp kerchief. "Well, he was courting me… it was understood. . but then he disappeared. A woman came and told me that we're to be married. She said that the sky had spoken to her-she was a mystic of some sort. She knew all about my Richard, how kind and strong and handsome he is and all. She knew all manner of things about me, too. She said that it's my destiny to marry Richard and Richard's destiny to be my husband."

"Woman?" Kahlan could get out no more than that one word.

Nadine nodded. "Shota, she said her name was."

Kahlan's hands balled into fists. Her voice returned with venom. "Shota. Did this woman, Shota, have anyone with her?"

"Yes. A strange little. . fellow. With yellow eyes. He kind of scared me, but she said he was harmless. Shota is the one who told me to come see Lord Rahl. She said Lord Rahl could help me find my Richard."

Kahlan recognized the description of Shota's companion, Samuel. This woman's voice, calling Richard, "my Richard," kept thundering around in the storm in Kahlan's head. She worked at making her voice sound calm. "Nadine, please wait here."

"I will," Nadine said, gathering her composure. "Is everything all right? You believe me, don't you? Every word is true."

Kahlan didn't answer, but instead pulled her stunned stare from Nadine and marched from the room. Cara closed the door as she followed on Kahlan's heels.

Kahlan staggered to a halt in the outer room, everything swimming in a watery red blur.

"Mother Confessor," Cara whispered, "what's wrong? Your face is as red as my leather. Who is this Shota?"

"Shota is a witch woman."

Cara stiffened at that news. "And do you know this Richard Cypher?"

Kahlan twice swallowed past the painful lump in the back of her throat. "Richard was raised by his stepfather. Until Richard found out that Darken Rahl was his real father, his name was Richard Cypher."

CHAPTER 5

I'll kill her," Kahlan rasped in a hoarse voice as she stared off at nothing. "With my bare hands. I'll strangle the life out of her!"

Cara turned toward the bedroom. "I will take care of it. Better if you let me take care of her."

Kahlan hooked Cara's arm. "Not her. I'm talking about Shota." She gestured toward the bedroom door. "She doesn't understand any of this. She doesn't know about Shota."

"You know this witch woman, then?"

Kahlan bitterly huffed out a breath. "Oh yes. I know her. She's been trying to prevent Richard and me from being together since the first."

"Why would she do that?"

Kahlan turned away from the bedroom door. "I don't know. She gives a different reason every time, but I sometimes fear that it's because she wants Richard for herself."

Cara frowned. "How would getting Lord Rahl to marry this little strumpet gain Shota Lord Rahl?"

Kahlan flicked a hand. "I don't know. Shota is always up to something. She's caused us trouble at every turn." Her fists tightened with resolve. "But it won't work, this time. If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to end her meddling. And then Richard and I are going to be married." Her voice dropped to a whispered oath. "If I have to touch Shota with my power and send her to the underworld, I will end her meddling."

Cara folded her arms as she considered the problem. "What do you wish done with Nadine?" Her blue eyes turned toward the bedroom. "It still might be best to… get rid of her."