Temple of the Winds

Richard freed a pristine flow of Subtractive Magic, uncontaminated by so much as a scintilla of the Additive. It was the force of the void unleashed. Total oblivion of Light engulfed the spirit of Darken Rahl. A wail came from that deep forever as Darken Rahl was plunged into the unmitigated shadow of the Keeper of the Underworld, where not the slightest trace of Light from the Creator shone.

It was the pain of denial of that Light that was the true torture of the Keeper's dark eternity.

When he was gone, Richard turned once more to the passageway back to the world of life.

"I am sorry, Richard," came Denna's tender voice. "None but he would have demanded this of you."

"I know," Richard whispered as he called the lightning to take him back. "Dear spirit, I know."

CHAPTER 64

Drefan hooked his hand under her arm and pulled her shoulder against him. At the white ruffles of his shirt hung two red Agiel.

"Isn't it about time you ended this pretense, my wife? Isn't it about time you gave in to your desires, and admitted your hunger for me?"

Kahlan glared into his blue. Darken Rahl eyes. "Are you really mad, Drefan, or do you just pretend it? I agreed to wed you to save lives, not because I wanted it. When will you ever admit it to yourself? I do not love you, nor will I ever." "Love? When have I ever mentioned love? I speak of passion." "You are delusional if you think I will ever-" "You already have. You want it again."

It cut her to the heart that he had so easily deduced what had happened with Richard. He pointed it out constantly. He taunted her for it. It was her eternal punishment for what she had done, a stain she couldn't annul.

Distant thunder rumbled through the mountains as the spring storm that had come so suddenly moved on, away from the city. The wild lightning had reminded Kahlan of Richard. She had stood at the window, watching the violent flashes, remembering. "Never."

"You are my wife. You have sworn an oath."

"Yes, Drefan, I have sworn an oath, and I am your wife. I will live by my words, but the spirits are satisfied with what I have given. They demand no more, or the plague would not be gone." She pulled her arm away. "If you want me, then you will have to rape me, for that is what it will be. I will not go to your bed willingly, nor easily."

His smile was maddening. "I can wait until you finally give in to your lust. I want you to enjoy it. I long for you finally to admit it, to ask for it." He stalked away, but turned back when she called his name. "What are you doing with Cara and Berdine's Agiel?"

Touching an Agiel was painful only if it was one that had been used against you in the past-if you had been the prisoner of a Mord-Sith. Agiel were weapons only in the hands of the Mord-Sith to whom they belonged, but without the bond to a true Lord Rahl they no longer functioned. For Drefan, they were nothing more than obscene decoration.

He lifted the red rods away from his chest to have a look at them. "Well, I thought that since I am the Lord Rahl now, I should wear these, as a symbol of my authority. After all, Richard wore one. You wear one."

"The Agiel we wear are not symbols of authority. They are symbols of our respect for the women to whom they belonged." He shrugged as he let them drop back down. "The army seems quite intimidated to see me wearing them. That will do. Good night, my dear. Sleep well." His sly smile returned. "Call out if you have need of anything."

Muttering a curse under her breath, Kahlan shouldered open the door to her rooms. She was exhausted, and wanted only to fall into bed. but she knew that her racing mind would deny her sleep. Berdine was waiting for her.

"Is he gone to bed?" she asked, referring to Drefan. "Yes," Kahlan said, "as I am about to do." "No. you can't. You have to come with me."

Kahlan frowned at the serious look on Berdine's face. "Where do you want me to go?"

"We have to go up to the Keep."

"What's wrong? Is it the sliph? Has someone tried to come through the sliph?" Berdine waved dismissively as she stepped closer. "No, no, it's not the sliph." "Then what is it?"

"I just want you to come up there with me, that's all. I want some company." Kahlan stroked her hand down the woman's shoulder. "Berdine, I know how lonely you are, but it's late, I have a headache, and I'm tired. All afternoon and evening I've been in meetings with Drefan, General Kerson, and a number of officers. Drefan wants to move the troops back to D'Hara-for us all to go to D'Hara. He wants to abandon the Midlands to the Order and concentrate on defending D'Hara. I've been arguing myself blue.

"I need to go to bed and get some rest so I can get up in the morning and try again to convince them of the folly of Drefan's plan. The general isn't so sure that Drefan isn't right. I am."

"Sleep later. You are coming up to the Keep with me."