TITLE: Marked

AUTHOR: LOTSlove®

CHARACTERS: Richard / Kahlan / Cara / Zedd / Original Characters

RATING: PG-16 / R later

WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings

TIMELINE: Anything up through S2

DISCLAIMER: I'm completely obsessed with the show Legend of the Seeker and all things Richard and Kahlan. I love to write about them even though they cancelled my show and now I'm fighting to get it back!

SUMMARY: Sequel to my fic Revenge, Richard finally has Kahlan safely back with him, but does he really?

Chapter 25

"I think we should make camp for the night," Cara suddenly announced, casting a glance at the Wizard walking beside her.

"There's still some light left," he replied, his white wiry eyebrows knitting together as he glanced up at the sky. "We could probably get more travel in yet."

"I think we need to stop," she pressed. "You aren't looking so good."

"It's nothing," he brushed it off with a wave of his hand.

Cara grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. "You hit your head falling into that rift and you haven't been yourself since," she told him.

"I'm perfectly fine," he frowned. "Just a little headache."

"It's much more than that," she spouted off. "For starters, you've barely talked all day when you usually can't keep your mouth shut for barely a moment, you haven't wanted to eat when that's all you ever want to do. You look pale and your pace keeps getting slower and slower."

Zedd released a heavy sigh as he stared at her. "Alright, so I'm not exactly up to my usually self, but I'm sure I can make it a little father."

"You shouldn't push yourself if you have a head injury," she shook her head. "I'm going to need you if we get attacked by the Aku. I may be Mord'Sith, but I'm not going to be able to fight them off by myself."

"I may be a little off, but I promise you that I'm still fully capable of defending myself in a fight," he replied. "I am a Wizard of the First Order you know."

"Well, Wizard, that title won't help either one of us any if you're unconscious," she spat out.

"Fine, we'll stop for the night," he groused as he bent over to gather some branches for a campfire. "I don't know why you're so worried about that tribe. We haven't seen any Aku all day. I'm sure Richard and Kahlan are just fine. They're probably on the other side of the valley by now wondering what's taking us so long and how we're doing."

"Not very well," she scowled, dropping her pack on the ground beneath a large tree with a huff.

"What?" Zedd straightened up to look at her. "I think you and have fared very well by ourselves."

"I was shot with an arrow, we were attacked by banelings, you fell into a rift and now have a head injury," she reminded him, her hands finding her hips. "I'd say we've had more than our fair share of troubles."

"Look at the bright side," he sighed as he settled on the ground with a grunt. "We're still alive."

"For the moment," she huffed. "No telling when the Aku will show up and slit our throats."

"Why are you so certain that they are going to attack us?"

"Because years ago, Darken Rahl ordered us to invade their valley to try and force them into service," she began. "The Aku are known for their deadly skill in battle, their lethal resolve to protect their land as well as their tribe. Darken Rahl wanted them for himself."

"What happened?"

"The Aku slaughtered nearly fifty Mord'Sith," she softly replied. "I lost many Sisters that day. The rest of us were lucky to escape with our lives."

"And the Aku?"

Cara stared off into space, remembering the events of that day as if it had just happened yesterday. "They didn't lose nearly as many men as we had lost Mord'Sith that day."

"That's unusual for the Mord'Sith to fail like that," Zedd scratched his head.

"I told you the Aku are lethal, will stop at nothing to keep outsiders away from their village. They somehow knew that we were coming. They took us by surprise."

"That's not something that normally happens to Mord'Sith," he frowned.

"It wasn't one of our finer moments," she shook her head. "It went down as the worst slaughter in the history of the Mord'Sith. We changed a lot of things about how we attack after that."

"Maybe things have changed since then with the Aku as well," he suggested.

"Battle tactics change…people don't," she snapped, anger dripping from every word.

"You have," he gently pointed out.

Cara sat stone still for several long moments, weighing the Wizard's words and finding herself at a loss for a response. "I'll see what I can find to eat," she finally softly said, her voice losing the heat that it had just possessed.

"Cara, you are not the same person that you were back then," he reminded her, knowing what she was thinking. "You have come so far, my dear."

"Not far enough yet," she murmured before disappearing into the quiet sanctuary of the woods.

Zedd watched the spot where she had escaped into the trees, his heart heavy for her. She had truly come so far. Being here in this valley again should be a reminder to her of just how far she'd come, but instead it only seemed to remind her of how much further she still needed to go.

XXX

Demos Rahl stood in the center of the room with his eyes closed, meditating on the link to the Mother Confessor. He could feel it growing stronger with every passing day. It wouldn't be long now before she would be here and she would finally be his.

He could hardly wait. The girl he'd had in his bed last night had brought a small measure of satisfaction, helping ease his lust for the moment, but she was not Kahlan Amnell. Soon, he'd have the real thing in his bed.

Soon, though, could not come nearly soon enough.

He forced himself to relax, to shove aside the dark lust that pumped through his veins for her, knowing he needed to focus on the marking spell he'd placed. His heart began to slow to a faint steady beat as he entered the trance-like state he needed to maintain a connection with her now. After she had fully changed, he would no longer need to do this. Their thoughts would be forever linked.

His breathing grew measured and shallow, his body frozen in a state somewhere between awareness and unconsciousness. He need not worry about being in such a vulnerable state like this, though. His most trusted Mord'Sith Mistress Lucinda was there in the room keeping watch over him just in case.

"Kahlan…" he called out to her with his mind like a gentle breeze. "You will soon be all mine forever."

A small smile suddenly graced his face as he began to feel her, sense her. She was sleeping at that moment, completely unaware of his presence in her mind, but she would know very soon.

"Come to me, Kahlan…"

He could feel his mind brushing against hers as sure as if it was his fingers caressing her skin, his heart beginning to thump just a little harder in excitement. He could feel her fear there slumbering deep within her, the terror that was slowly eating away at her.

She feared hurting her Seeker, feared losing control of her magic and confessing someone. She was scared of not being in control, of what Demos would force her to do against her will. She was terrified of Demos touching her, raping her.

It thrilled him to his core to know the horror that he had already instilled within her, the fear that she already held towards him. He wanted to play on her fears, paralyze her with the things that he would do to her once she finally came to him.

"I will have you, Kahlan…" he continued to caress her thoughts. "You will be mine to rule over, to please me in every way."

He also found her anger there mingling with her terror. It was right there, so close to the surface, growing easier and easier to let go of. He wondered what his brother had noticed so far. Had she tried to confess him yet? Lost her temper for no reason?

Demos couldn't hide the soft chuckle that escaped of its own volition. If Richard only knew that it was only the beginning of the end for the both of them. Her little explosions of anger were nothing compared to what would be coming next, the abrupt change in her that he would be unable to stop.

"I'm going to make Richard watch as you ride me, make him listen to your screams of pleasure as I take you over and over again."

He could feel her fear rising, gripping her and making her heart race. He could sense her anger as it flooded her veins. He was getting to her, his thoughts affecting her now more than ever.

"Once you're mine, I'm going to make sure you are the one who tortures your Seeker for me. You will cause him unimaginable never-ending pain."

Demos could practically feel the rage erupt within the Mother Confessor, her body trembling with the intensity of it. It excited him to feel her response to him, to know that he was already having an effect on her.

He released a sudden sharp gasp, the connection with Kahlan abruptly breaking. He panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. Sweat trickled down his neck, back and chest as he fought to calm the hammering of his heart.

He had been able to sustain the contact with her longer this time, the connection to her stronger than before. He suddenly felt so empty, though, now. He didn't like not being linked with her, not knowing what she was feeling or doing at every moment.

Soon, though, they would be linked forever as one. Then, she'd never be free from him.

XXX

Richard could feel Kahlan begin to tremble in his arms, her breathing growing erratic. He quickly sat up, terrified that it was finally happening, that he was finally losing her. She'd only been asleep for a couple of hours or so when it came on so suddenly.

"Kahlan," he called out to her, grabbing hold of her arms as he leaned over her. "Kahlan, wake up!"

"No!" she began to cry, her head rolling from side to side. "No! I won't…no!"

"Kahlan!" he yelled, pulling her up and quickly taking her face in his hands. "Kahlan, open your eyes! Look at me, Kahlan!"

With a sudden cry, her eyes flew open, wild panic permeating the blue depths that stared blankly back at him, confusion clouding her gaze. She threw herself into his arms, sobbing hysterically as he held her tightly against him.

"Shhh…it's alright," he gently comforted her. "I'm right here, Kahlan. You're safe."

Richard held her for several long minutes, doing his best to soothe her, but she only seemed to become more upset. Whatever had happened to her in her sleep had rattled her to the very core of her being.

"Was it Darken Rahl again?" he finally asked. "Are the nightmares back again?"

"No…Demos," she whispered, pressing her face against his chest, squeezing her eyes shut against the images he had created in her mind, vision of things to come for her and her Seeker.

"Demos spoke to you?" he questioned her, his panic rising. "What did he say?"

"He…he said that…that I would soon belong to him," she wept. "He's going to make me hurt you…going to make you watch…as I…as he…"

Kahlan could barely catch her breath as she broke down again in heartrending sobs. Richard immediately pulled her back to him, needing no further explanation. He already had a pretty good idea of what Demos wanted, what he planned to do to Kahlan. He had seen it in his dark eyes when he had brought Kahlan back from the dead. It awakened his rage once more.

"Kahlan, it'll be alright," he gently tried to soothe her despite struggling to keep a tight grip on his growing fury. He knew he should have killed Demos when he'd had the chance. Because he hadn't, Kahlan was paying the price now. "I promise I will…"

"Richard, you can't fix this," she suddenly cried, pulling away from him. "No one can. You heard what Darken Rahl said. Only Demos can remove the spell and we both know that he never will."

"Kahlan, there has to be a way and I will not stop until I find it," he heatedly replied. "I refuse to just give up on you."

"Demos is going to force me to torture you, Richard," she yelled. "I saw it in my head. I can't live with that. I'd sooner take my life than to bring you pain."

"Don't worry about me," he told her. "I can handle anything as long as I know I have you. I just want you to worry about fighting this spell."

"But you won't have me!" she cried as she got to her feet and moved away from him, fighting the urge to run away and never look back. "Demos will have me and I won't be able to break free!"

"Kahlan, no matter what happens, you will always and forever be mine," he adamantly declared as he stood to his feet as well. "No one or nothing will keep us apart."

"You need to stay here and wait for Zedd and Cara while I go to Aydindril," she stated, wrapping her arms tightly around herself and keeping her distance from him.

"Kahlan, I'm not…"

"You have to Richard," she angrily growled. "It's too dangerous for you to be near me now. I won't allow you to risk your life for me."

"It's my life to risk and I'm willingly choosing to stay with you no matter the cost," he firmly replied as he came to a stand before her.

Before she could respond, Richard's hands were suddenly on her, his mouth crushing hers as he unleashed his desire as well as his anger over what was happening to her…to them. Despite herself, she gave herself over to him, to the passion he was igniting within her.

Her head was telling her to push him away, to run as far away from him as possible before she hurt him. Her heart, her body wanted him closer, inside of her, begged for him to make love to her again.

Richard swallowed her moan, his heart hammering with a need so fierce, so demanding that he could barely breathe. He couldn't kiss her enough, touch enough of her. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that he was probably being rougher with her than he should be, but he couldn't stop himself.

He needed her to be alright, needed her to be his Kahlan forever. The thought of Demos touching her created such a blinding rage within him that he could barely think straight.

Kahlan gasped as he blazed a fiery trail of kisses down her neck, her head falling back in ecstasy as she gripped his shoulders. Her knees suddenly felt weak, the intensity and force behind his kisses driving her wild.

He kept telling her over and over again that she was his, his voice husky and insistent and full of desire for her, causing gooseflesh to ripple over her arms. He was like a drug to her system. She could never get enough of him as he began to pull at her clothes, his hands so rough and demanding.

She quickly pulled at the laces of his pants, needing to feel him so hot and buried deep within her. He never paused his kisses as he quickly lifted her, carrying her to their blankets waiting for them by the fire.

Removing the rest of their clothes, he swiftly settled over her, her fingernails sliding over the nape of his neck and into his hair as she greeted him with an open-mouthed kiss. Tongues clashed as she rolled him onto his back, each fighting for control and neither willing to give into each other just yet.

Their emotions were running high, their fears and anger, their heated passion for one another all combining into a firestorm set to erupt. Kahlan rolled her hips against him as she straddled him, eliciting a throaty growl from her lover. She peppered his chest with nips and kisses that had him gripping at the blanket beneath him, fisting it tightly in his hands as he arched his back.

"You are all mine too," she purred low in his ear, causing him to moan. "Never forget that."

Panting heavily, Richard leaned up, his hands finding the back of her head as his lips crashed into hers. He pulled her flush against him, swiftly rolling her onto her back and taking control once more.

Finding herself gazing up into his dark eyes, Kahlan found that she loved the feel of him above her like this, his body pinning her to the ground. The way he was dominating her now was creating a heated frenzy deep within her, her body demanding he complete her.

"Richard…please…" she breathlessly pleaded with him.

She raised her hips, begging him for what she wanted most as he teased her breast, his teeth and lips making her writhe beneath him. He gripped at her waist, forcing her still as he continued to drive her pleasure higher before finally slipping inside of her.

They both gasped with the sudden intimate connection, Richard pausing to gather himself again. The feel of being with her again like this nearly brought tears to his eyes. He quickly tilted his head and kissed her deeply, his tongue slipping inside to caress the roof of her mouth.

"My Kahlan…" he softly panted against her lips. "My beautiful…perfect love…"

Kahlan reached up to cup his face in her hands, tears stinging her eyes. "My Richard…" she breathlessly replied. "Forever."

Smiling softly, he kissed her hard again as he began to move, knowing deep in his heart that nothing could ever come between them or tear them apart….not even Demos and his magic.