The Third Kingdom

She released their hands and wiped the tears from her eyes, then wiped her palms on her hips. “It will be light soon. Get an early start. I want both of you to get back to the palace so you can be healed.” She smiled. “Maybe I will see you again. You never know.”

“Your home is with us,” Richard said. “It will always be waiting for you.”

“Thank you,” she said with a nod, and turned away.

Kahlan leaned against Richard as they watched her walk away.

“I love her too much to keep her from leaving,” Richard whispered, half to Kahlan and half to himself, his heart breaking as he watched her melting into the night.

There were a thousand things he wanted to say to Cara. He loved her too much to say any of them.

“I know,” Kahlan said, choked with tears. “Me too. Do you think she’ll be back?”

“Anything is possible,” Richard said as he put his arm around Kahlan’s shoulders.

“Do you think she’ll be safe by herself?”

Richard had seen that Cara had a steel knife on one hip and the Shun-tuk stone knife for putting down the dead on the other.

“Oh, I don’t think Cara is the one who needs to be worried.”

Richard sighed and gazed down at Kahlan.

“Well, it’s going to be light soon. I think we should get all of our gear collected, the horses saddled, and be on our way. The sooner we get to the palace, the sooner Zedd and Nicci will be done meddling with us.”

He saw a smile overcome her in spite of herself.

“I would have to agree with that, Lord Rahl.” She hugged him then. “It will be good to get home.”

“Cara will come home, too. I know she will.”

Her beautiful green eyes turned to look up at him.

“Promise?”

Richard could only smile in answer.

ALSO BY TERRY GOODKIND

Wizard’s First Rule

Stone of Tears

Blood of the Fold

Temple of the Winds

Soul of the Fire

Faith of the Fallen

The Pillars of Creation

Naked Empire

Debt of Bones

Chainfire

Phantom

Confessor

The Law of Nines

The Omen Machine

The First Confessor

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

THE THIRD KINGDOM

Copyright © 2013 by Terry Goodkind

All rights reserved.

Cover art and design by Rob Anderson at Revel Studios

A Tor Book

Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

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Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Goodkind, Terry.

    The Third Kingdom / Terry Goodkind.

           p. cm.

    ISBN 978-0-7653-3599-9 (hardcover)

    ISBN 978-1-4668-2627-4 (e-book)

  1.  Wizards—Fiction.   2.  Magic—Fiction.   3.  Fantasy fiction.—Fiction.   I.  Title.

    PS3557.O5826T48 2013

    813'.54—dc23

2013021461

e-ISBN 9781466826274

First Edition: August 2013