The first time Kahlan touched her, it had been a threat. The Mother Confessor had no reason to trust Cara, a Mord-Sith who had served Darken Rahl for most of her life. The touch of a Confessor was deadly to a Mord-Sith, and they both knew it. All it would take was one mistake, a single hint that Cara intended Richard harm, and Kahlan would release her power, destroying Cara's life in the most painful way possible.
Cara wasn't looking for a friend. She wasn't looking for forgiveness. She never expected Kahlan to forgive her for what she had done. She never would have admitted it, but she didn't want to be forgiven. When Richard left for the Old World with the Sisters of the Light, he had ordered her to stay behind, to protect the Mother Confessor. And whether he would lay claim to the title or not, he was her Lord Rahl. She had no intention of failing him. It was her duty to protect Kahlan, to keep her safe until Richard returned. She never expected it could be anything more than that.
Protect the Mother Confessor. Protect Kahlan. Not because the Lord Rahl ordered it, but because Cara wanted to. Because, in spite of everything, the Mord-Sith and the Confessor had moved beyond hate to a place where maybe, someday, they could forgive.
The touch of a Confessor may have been deadly, but the touch of a friend had the power to heal.