Hope you enjoy the update, but just a warning! Demos is really wicked at the end.
Chapter 9
Richard woke to the sound of someone knocking, his brain clouded with sleep, his left side held down by the beautiful woman sleeping beside him. With a confused frown, he carefully slid out from under Kahlan, trying his best not to wake her. He reached for her green blanket, gently covering her before grabbing his breeches and slipping them on.
He quickly went to the door, opening it to find Zedd standing there. Richard squinted as he stepped out into the bright sunlight, closing the door behind him as he tried to make his sleep-deprived mind work. "Zedd?" Richard groggily muttered. "What is it?"
"I thought you wanted to leave for Aydindril today?" he reminded him.
"I do," he agreed. "Why?"
"Well, it's almost lunchtime," he informed him. "If you want to get a good start, we should probably be leaving soon don't you think?"
Richard scrubbed his face with his hands in an effort to banish the fatigue. "I didn't realize it was so late."
Zedd frowned as he studied his grandson. "Are you alright, my boy?"
"Kahlan had more nightmares again last night," he revealed.
"What about?"
"Wizard Giller," Richard ground out. The memory and the fury that accompanied the incident was still fresh in his own mind. Being forced to watch as Giller had tortured Kahlan had been next to unbearable. "Except instead of remembering him driving those needles into her, he was also trying to rape her."
"That part never happened," Zedd murmured as he considered it. "Did it?"
"No, it didn't," he sighed heavily as he leaned against the wooden door frame of the Spirit House. "She must be remembering Darken Rahl attacking her in the Underworld when she died."
The wizard could see the rage burning hotly in the Seeker's eyes with the reminder of losing Kahlan, of what she had been forced to endure at the hands of Darken Rahl before they'd been able to save her. "I'm sorry, Richard," he finally said. "I'm afraid that my attempts to unlock her memories have only caused a backlash of sorts."
"It's not your fault, Zedd," Richard reassured him. "You were only trying to help. Besides, you had no way of knowing this was going to happen."
"I know, but this is worse for Kahlan than if she never got her memories back," Zedd grumbled. "It's no way to suddenly remember parts of her life through nightmares without having them twisted and warped like that."
"I just wish we could stop the nightmares," he admitted. "She's not only exhausted, but she's afraid to go to sleep now."
"Poor thing," Zedd murmured. "Let me talk to Odo and see if there's something we can come up with to help her."
"I'd appreciate anything you can think of," Richard replied, turning at the sudden sound of Kahlan crying.
Richard and Zedd quickly entered to find Kahlan sitting up with her blanket wrapped around her, her knees drawn up and her arms embracing her legs. She was trembling uncontrollably, tears like a waterfall down her face.
Richard immediately went to her, kneeling down and pulling her into his arms. "It's alright," he told her.
"I'm going to go talk to Odo now," Zedd announced as he turned to leave to allow them some privacy.
Richard held her as she struggled to regain control, her breathing erratic as she clung to him. "What was it this time?"
"Demos Rahl," she choked out, pressing her face further into the crook of his neck, her tears trickling down his bare chest. "He was trying to take you away from me."
Richard could feel her tighten her hold on him as if afraid that he'd just disappear into thin air. "It's alright, Kahlan," he attempted to reassure her. "I promise I'm not going anywhere."
"Please don't go after him," she pleaded with him as she pulled away to look into his face. "We need to stay as far away from him as possible."
Her eyes were wild with panic, her chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath. He took her face in his hands. "Kahlan, you need to calm down," he sternly told her. "Nothing is going to happen to me"
"You…you don't know that," she insisted, shaking her head as her tears feel faster. "Demos is powerful and he wants you, Richard. He's not going to give up until he finally has you."
"Kahlan, we will deal with Demos later," he firmly stated. "Right now, I'm more worried about you and getting your memories back. You can't keep going on like this with these nightmares every night. They're just twisting events and making things worse."
"Stop worrying about me all the time and worry about yourself for once," she snapped, her frustration spiraling out of control. "I'm fine, Richard, but I won't be if I end up losing you."
Richard pressed his lips to hers, kissing her deeply. "Do you trust me, Kahlan?" he asked, breathless from the kiss.
"Of course I trust you, Richard, but…"
"Then trust me in this, Kahlan," he said. "Trust me to get us through this and to handle Demos."
Kahlan's shoulders sank as she stared into warm brown eyes filled with such love it overwhelmed her sometimes. "Alright," she finally whispered, allowing him to pull her into his embrace again. "I'm sorry."
Richard tilted his head to kiss the top of her hair as he tightened his arms around her. "You never have to apologize to me."
"But you haven't gotten much sleep the last two nights because of me," she pointed out. "Why don't you stay here and sleep while I go down to the hot springs to get cleaned up?"
Richard sat up straighter, suddenly feeling more awake. "No, I think I had better accompany you to get cleaned up. It might be dangerous."
Kahlan pulled back, her lips quirking into a smile as she stood to her feet and began searching for her clothes that Richard had removed last night. "I'm pretty sure I can find it myself. You really should get some sleep especially if we're still planning on leaving today."
"Kahlan," Richard said, grabbing his pack and slinging it onto his shoulder. "If I have to choose between making love to you in the hot spring or sleep, I'll choose you every single time."
Kahlan paused at the door, a frown on her lips. "Who said I was going to let you make love to me in the springs?"
The Seeker's face fell in disappointment as he came to an abrupt stop. "You really don't want me to?"
She attempted to school her features into an impassive expression. Unfortunately, Richard was too handsome to resist, a mischeivious grin cracking through. "Always, Richard," she replied. "I love the way that you make me feel when we make love. I feel so safe, so loved when I'm with you. It's the most amazing pleasure that I think I've ever experienced."
His hands reached for her hips as he roughly pulled her against his hard body. "Maybe I should just take you right here…right now," he threatened, his lips hovering dangerously close to hers. "You have no idea what you do to me, how deeply I truly love you, Kahlan."
"I have a pretty good idea," she teased with a soft gasp as he bucked his hips hard against hers. "I don't know what you see in me or why you chose to love me. From what I remember and what has happened to us so far, it seems to me that I've done nothing but cause you heartache and trouble."
"No, Kahlan," he adamantly insisted. "Yes, it hurts me to see you hurting and struggling, but knowing and love you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. Nothing could ever change that."
His special smile graced her lips as she pressed them to his. "I'm pretty sure you're the best part of me. I don't want to remember the parts of my life that don't include you."
Richard suddenly kissed her with a ferocity that surprised them both, stealing her breath. Kahlan pulled back, her hands continuing to roam over his perfectly sculpted chest. "Race you to the hot springs," she breathlessly challenged him before playfully pushing him back to give herself a head start.
He watched as she darted out of the Spirit House like a gazelle, taking him by surprise, leaving him fully aroused and desperate for more. It was definitely hard to worry about Demos Rahl when she kept putting a smile on his face and bringing him unspeakable pleasure, but he knew that he was going to have to face him sooner or later.
Unfortunately, he had a dreadful feeling it was going to be sooner than he'd like.
XXX
"Richard," Zedd said, laying a hand on his grandson's shoulder. "I think it's worth a shot."
The Seeker frowned as he considered what his grandfather and Odo had suggested. It caused sick dread to churn in the pit of his stomach as he remembered the last time they had tried it. "I don't know, Zedd," he replied, his reticence obvious. "The last time they tried contracting their ancestor's spirits it didn't go well at all."
"What happened?" Zedd asked.
"Darken Rahl showed up," he informed him. "You can imagine how well that went. It was because of him that we found out about the marking spell that Demos had put on Kahlan."
"And it turned out to be far more than just a simple marking spell," Zedd said with disgust in his voice. "I can see why you'd be reluctant to try it again, but Odo seems to think that consulting their spirit ancestors might be able to provide some answers for Kahlan."
"How are Aku spirits ancestors going to be able to help?" Richard asked, exasperated.
"Odo is only trying to help, Richard," he calmly replied. "He's hoping that their tribe's spirits might be able to tell us how to unlock her memories and stop the nightmares."
"I know," he agreed, raking his fingers back through his brown hair in frustration. "I'm just scared if we try anything else we could end up making things even worse for Kahlan. Not to mention, we risk Darken Rahl showing up again."
"I have a feeling there's going to be a risk no matter what we try from here on out for Kahlan," the wizard informed him. "She can't go on living like this reliving her life through her nightmares."
Richard's jaw was clenched tightly, his hands balled into fists as he leaned forward, attempting to weigh their options. He wished he could just snap his fingers and be back in Aydindril searching for what they needed to remove Demos's spell, but it wasn't that easy. It never was.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting back a headache that he could feel coming on. "We'll have to let Kahlan make the decision," he finally decided.
"What decision do I have to make?" Kahlan asked as she sat down beside Richard, handing him a plate of food.
"Odo thinks that calling a gathering to meet with the Aku ancestors' spirits might be able to provide some answers to help you," Zedd told her.
"And you're against it?" she asked as she looked at Richard, noticing the scowl on his face. "Why? Are you worried that something bad is going to happen?"
"It's not that I'm totally against it," he admitted. "It's just that we tried something like this before and Demos's twin brother Darken Rahl showed up from the Underworld."
"He didn't hurt us did he?"
"No, he was in spirit form, but it upset you and I don't want to put you through that again," Richard revealed.
"Darken Rahl did something terrible to me, didn't he?" she questioned him with a frown.
"You died for a short period of time and were trapped in the Underworld with him," he informed her. "He attacked you and tried to rape you, but we brought you back to life before he could finish."
Kahlan visibly trembled with the revelation as she stared down at the plate of food on her lap. "Oh…I see," she murmured, pulling a raven lock behind her ear. "So that nightmare I had last night was Darken Rahl trying to rape me not this Wizard Giller."
Zedd came to sit on the other side of Kahlan, his hand coming to rest on her knee. "He can't touch you here, my dear. There's nothing to fear."
Kahlan drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "Why do your brothers want me so bad?" she asked, turning to Richard. "I'm not anyone special."
"Kahlan, you're absolutely beautiful for starters," he told her like it was more than obvious. "They know that I love you more than anything so they want you so they can hurt me."
"And you're the most powerful Mother Confessor who has ever lived since the first Magda Searus," Zedd added.
"I don't even remember what a Confessor is," she snapped. "How am I supposed to lead the Midlands when I don't remember anything about it or myself? That is why I need to try this no matter the outcome."
"I don't like this," the Seeker coldly stated as he stood to his feet. "I think we're asking for more trouble by doing it. I'd rather get you to Aydindril and see what Zedd can do."
"And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to break this spell Demos has on me that is keeping my memories locked away," she angrily shot back as she leapt to her feet as well. "As long as Demos has this hold on me, we'll never truly be rid of him. He'll always be there with us and I will not live like that."
She turned and walked away leaving her untouched lunch behind. Richard sat down in heated frustration, his stomach as well as his heart in his boots. There was going to be no talking her out of it. Once her mind was made up that was almost always the end of the argument.
"Well, I guess I'll tell Odo that we're going to go ahead with the gathering this afternoon," Zedd finally said, his voice cutting through the thick tension that lingered in the air. "I know you're worried about her, Richard, but it is ultimately her decision. If we can discover something through this then I think it's worth trying. There's no guarantee that the Wizard's Keep will hold the answers we need."
Richard slowly nodded his head unable to make his voice work at that moment as he picked at his plate of food. He suddenly had no appetite as he thought about having to see Darken Rahl again, leering at Kahlan and making threats and not being able to do a damn thing about it.
He just hoped it would be worth it in the end, giving them some sort of solution to this horrible spell that refused to be broken.
XXX
Cara made her way through the village with a resolute mission in mind – trying to gather as many supplies as she could so they could leave soon. They should have been gone with the rising of the sun this morning, but that obviously hadn't happened as of yet.
It still amazed her to no end that no one else seemed to be the least bit worried about getting to Aydindril or what Demos could be up to at this very moment. It was already lunch and they still hadn't made any effort to gather their things or say their goodbyes to anyone.
With a huffing curse under her breath and a scowl on her lips, she stalked through the Aku village searching for the Seeker so they could leave. Coming around one of the Aku huts, she noticed Kahlan coming towards her.
The Mord'Sith's insides instantly tightened at the sight of her. Since she had woken, things had been rather tense and uncomfortable between them. She had given Kahlan space as she tried to adjust to things, fighting to recover what had been stolen from her.
She had hoped that with time the Confessor would come to remember her more, recalling the more honorable moments that they had shared and not the horrible things that Cara had done. She feared that Kahlan had remembered something about her, remembered how she had taken her sister Dennee's life and that was why she always looked at her with fear and uncertainty in her eyes.
She also didn't want her friend to relieve that pain all over again, have to deal with the sorrow and heartache that her actions had inflicted upon her. She knew she was being selfish, but at the same time she finally had a real family, one that truly cared about her. She hadn't had something like that since she'd been taken from her real family.
While the Mord'Sith had been Sisters, it had been a bond forged through terror and torture, an allegiance that could turn in a heartbeat. And it had, her Sisters of the Agiel turning on her, beating her and leaving her for dead.
Right now, though, the Mother Confessor looked extremely upset. Even with her head down, Kahlan looked furious, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. Cara knew she needed to see what was wrong or they were never going to get out of here.
Drawing a deep breath, Cara made her way to her, almost certain that Richard had been the one who had said or done something to upset her. "Kahlan, what's wrong?" she asked as she approached.
Looking up, Kahlan came to an abrupt stop, startled by the Mord'Sith's unexpected appearance. "It's just Richard," she said with a huff of annoyance.
The Mord'Sith folded her arms against her chest, keeping a little distance between them in order to not scare her off. "What did he do now?"
"He's always trying to coddle and protect me," she groused. "He doesn't want me to do this spirit gathering that Odo said we should try to help me get my memories back."
"Why doesn't he want to do it?"
"I guess we did something like this before when we first arrived here and Darken Rahl showed up," she told her. "I guess it upset me because he tried to rape me when I was in the Underworld, but I don't remember any of it so it shouldn't matter now."
Cara thought about it for a long moment, annoyed that they were trying to do a spirit gathering now when they were trying to get out of here and back to Aydindril. As much as she wanted Kahlan to get her memories back, she still held a measure of fear of how she would react to her if she knew what she had done. Would she still forgive her?
"It's only because Richard loves you so much, Kahlan," Cara finally said. "He doesn't want to see you hurt again. None of us do."
"But Darken Rahl can't hurt me anymore," Kahlan replied with a shake of her head. "Richard and Zedd both said that if he does show up again, he's in spirit form. He can't hurt me or anyone else."
"Richard's probably afraid that if you see him again, it will bring back more bad memories for you," Cara offered.
"Isn't that better than to not remember anything at all or these nightmares that won't let me sleep?"
Cara pursed her lips, her heart heavy. "Sometimes there are things that are better not to remember."
Kahlan studied her, her blue eyes narrowing. The Mord'Sith suddenly looked somewhat sad, apprehensive. It was so unlike the brusque, confident façade that usually exuded from her, the fearsome exterior that she frequently wore.
"Is there something that you three don't want me to remember?" she tentatively asked, her forehead creased with worry.
Cara drew a deep breath before finally responding. "There were some things that have happened to you in your life, Kahlan, things that you will probably wish you hadn't remembered when we get your memories back for you. As a Confessor, you've been forced to endure and face many difficulties so far, a life filled with more than your fair share of strife and heartache. None of us want to watch you have to relive that pain."
It suddenly felt like ice water trickling through her veins as she listened to Cara, the solemnity in her green eyes telling her that the Mord'Sith was being very honest with her. Although it scared her to think of what she could be referring to, she found that she appreciated her truthfulness.
Although she felt that Richard had never lied to her since all of this began, she felt at times as though he was trying to shield her from the truth of her life, attempting to protect her from what had happened to her. She knew he was only doing it because he loved her so much, but as difficult as it was going to be, she wanted to know everything about herself, her life.
"What happened to me?" she softly pleaded, desperate for answers.
Cara felt her throat constrict as tears began to shine brightly in Kahlan's eyes, the fear and confusion in her almost whispered plea enough to break the Mord'Sith's heart. Her friend had been through so very much, suffering in life in some ways as much as Cara herself had. It was a common bond that they shared and that Cara secretly treasured.
They had both endured so much throughout their lives and yet they had both overcome it all, fought for a better way and had come out even stronger for it.
"Your life hasn't been one long nightmare," Cara told her, hoping to ease her anxiety some. "There have been some very good times too, especially with Richard."
"I want to remember so badly," Kahlan softly confessed, averting her eyes as the tears began to escape. "Even though I know some things will hurt, I want to know what happened to me, Cara. Everything that has happened throughout my life has shaped me, had helped to make me who I am today. I'm so tired of not knowing who I am."
"I know exactly who you are," Cara firmly said, taking a step closer and grabbing hold of the Confessor's upper arms. "You are Kahlan Amnell, the Mother Confessor...the last of the Confessors. You are a smart, strong, confident woman who can handle anything that comes at her…and you're my friend.
"Go ahead with this spirit gathering because you want to and don't worry about Richard. You know he'll be there by your side the whole way. He's like a pathetic lovesick little puppy following you around anyway."
Kahlan threw herself into the Mord'Sith's arms, hugging her tightly and taking Cara by surprise. "Thank you, Cara," she whispered. "You're a good friend, aren't you?"
Cara swallowed hard, her arms slowly sliding around the Confessor and returning the embrace. If Kahlan only knew the truth, she wouldn't be hugging her right now and definitely wouldn't be calling her a friend.
XXX
Demos gasped in rapture as he buried himself deep within Mistress Sabina in one vicious stroke, fully sheathing himself to the hilt and nearly coming apart right there. Sabina cried out at the sudden violent intrusion, her fingers curling around the edge of the wooden desk that he had her bent over.
He gritted his teeth, a long sharp hiss escaping with how tight she was around him. He reached forward to grip her long black braid, yanking hard and wrenching her neck back. Her body bowed with the sudden fierce movement, her breasts thrusting out as his teeth sunk deep into her shoulder.
She cried out again at the painful angle he had her body locked in, her breaths coming in hot exerted gasps for air as he began to ruthlessly take her. Her fingernails dug even deeper into the desk, leaving groves in the wood as tears filled her throat and blurred her vision.
Demos pulled harder on her thick braid, winding it around his hand, her neck near breaking as he continued to thrust into her. "You're mine, Kahlan," he breathlessly growled in her ear. "Mine…only mine. Richard…is nothing…and I'm going…to prove it to you."
"Yes…my lord," Sabrina choked out, fighting back the tears that came harder and faster as he inched her and the desk across the floor with his brutal assault.
He had grown more and more violent with every punishing session together; making her wonder if she would even survive the next time. He had unfortunately become more than fascinated with her, probably because she resembled the Mother Confessor more than the other Sisters of the Agiel.
There was a part of her that actually felt pity for the Mother Confessor, knowing firsthand what lay in store for her once she was finally captured. If she knew what lay in store for her, Kahlan would take her own life now before Demos could get his perverse hands on her.
"I…will…break…you…Kahlan…Amnell…" he breathlessly punctuated each word with a ruthless thrust as he lustfully grunted and growled with the perverted pleasure that roared through his veins. He didn't know how much longer he could wait until Kahlan was finally here…until she was fully his in every way imaginable. "Beg me…for more…"
"More…please…my lord…I…I want…mo…more…of you…" she managed to utter between each spearing thrust that she swore was going to rip her body in two.
"As…you…wish…" he grunted with pleasure.
Her screams could be heard echoing outside of the throne room and down the corridor, the guards internally cringing at the sounds. After all of this time, they should have become more than accustomed to the horrifying sounds that they heard coming from behind the Lord Rahl's closed doors, but his cruelty still never ceased to astound even them.
