Chapter 26

Her dismal surroundings swiftly whisked past her as she raced through the falling rain, her destination her sole focus at that moment. Water ran in tiny rivulets down her face and neck, sneaking beneath her cloak and dress, her skirt whipping as she ran.

She was exhausted and cold, wet strands of blond hair stuck to her face, but she cared little. There were too many lives depending on them right now to think of her personal comforts or needs. The sands of time were running out for all of them if she and Richard didn't succeed tonight.

Nicci knew that there would be no consoling the Seeker if he did not find Kahlan in time. The thought of witnessing him fall apart over losing her nearly made her nauseous with grief. She wouldn't be able to bear seeing him suffer like that. He would no doubt blame himself for being unable to reach her in time, bearing the weight of both of their anguish over every wretched thing that Rahl would do to her, internalizing it as it devoured him whole.

Nicci refused to add to his sorrow by not fulfilling her part of their plan. She knew how much Cara meant to Richard, how she was so much more than just a protector to them.

Cara was only one of a very small handful of people that the Seeker completely trusted in and who were allowed such close contact with him. Nicci was more than anxious to be included in Richard's tight circle of friends. She hoped that after tonight, she just might be.

The thought brought a renewed purpose in her step as she turned the corner, the storage barn now in view along with at least a dozen or more of Darken Rahl's men standing guard. She rolled her eyes at the stupidity that the former leader of D'Hara displayed with such a feeble garrison waiting to prevent entry.

The information that she had been able to gather from Darken Rahl's soldier had proved very helpful, but she needed to see to Cara before she could find Richard and save him. And these soldiers were just an annoyance standing in her way.

The very idea of what Darken Rahl was planning to do only added fuel to her already seething ire. She had taken great pleasure in sucking all of the life out of that man after obtaining the information that she had needed from him.

Tugging the sleeve of her cloak further over her hand, she held the parcel protectively against her chest, hiding it from the rain. They couldn't afford having it damaged when they were so close to finally bringing this whole epidemic to its necessary end.

Focusing in on the guards pacing in the distance before the storage barn, Nicci began to think through the countless ways she could make them suffer, the numerous ways available to her to eliminate their impediment in her mission to save Cara.

Having both sides of magic infused in her core gave her unimaginable possibilities, but Nicci knew that she didn't have time to really do to them what she desperately wanted. She needed to remove them as quickly and as quietly as possible.

Drawing nearer, Nicci felt a sudden prickling sweep over her skin, alerting her to a threat that was pressing ever closer behind her. It was more of a feeling, like a very subtle shift in the breeze that would have normally gone unnoticed except for the fact that her senses were on guard against any threat that would keep her from doing what Richard had requested.

Her emerald eyes darted cautiously about, narrowing with suspicion for what could be lurking in the dark gray shadows and the falling rain. Her boots sloshed through the puddles of rain mixed with partially melted snow, the hem of her dress heavy with the rain that had soaked into the material.

Her fingers in her empty hand twitched in anticipation, sensing that the source of her wariness was silently drawing closer. Whoever it was kept their distance, their position well-hidden as he followed her, but she knew he was there, watching her every movement, her every step. She wanted to spin around, catching him off guard, but the majority of her concern still lay outside of the storage barn with the guards that stood between her and Cara.

Her breath came out in huffs of growing frustration as she quickened her pace, determined to make it to the storage barn before anything tried to stop her. She suddenly turned to her left, darting between several rows of large wooden storage crates that towered high above her that were lined outside one of the supply buildings.

She hoped to evade her predator and yet at the same time was anxious to put this little bit of nonsense to an end once and for all. Time was too precious to waste on this silly little cat and mouse chase.

Did her predator truly understand who he was dealing with?

He obviously didn't if he continued to follow her, every step drawing him that much closer to meeting the Keeper. But he would find out soon enough. And by then it would be too late.

Turning down another row, Nicci suddenly stopped, pressing her back up against a wooden crate. Holding her breath, she listened. Time seemed to come to a standstill and yet was flying by too quickly.

The sound of the rain as it fell from the darkening sky was anything but calming as her heart beat loudly in anxious anticipation. She relaxed her hold on the package in her hand, fearful that her apprehension would cause her to crush the fragile plants. She ignored the rain that trickled over her face, clinging to her eyelashes and soaking her clothes, her attention solely on the confrontation to come.

Hearing the soft footfall of boots in the mud puddles, Nicci could feel her powerful magic begin to awaken in obedience to her subconscious thoughts, gaining strength and becoming more potent with every moment that passed. The power that was coalescing in her core created a flood of warmth to swarm in the pit of her stomach before sweeping throughout her system.

She slowly slid one boot sideways through the thick mud and then the other as she silently shifted closer to the end of the row, wanting to catch a glimpse of who was determined to stop her. Pulling wet strands of hair away from her face, she peered around the corner, warily scanning the narrow rows for any sign.

Her fingertips tingled with a fiery heat of the magic that simmered in her blood despite how cold she was, pleading for her to release her control for just a brief moment. The sound of her exerted exhales filled her ears, her heart pounding beneath her breast.

It was not fear that she felt for she feared no one and no one thing. The only thing that terrified her more than words could possible express was losing Richard or failing him. Death was suddenly preferable to having to cope with a look of disappointment filling his warm brown eyes as he looked at her if she failed him now.

With deadly instinct, Nicci suddenly spun on her heel, her skirt whipping around her legs as her hand stretched out before her and shooting a fiery blast of magic. A brilliant shower of fiery sparks and smoke filled the chilly air as her magic connected with one of the wooden crates, missing its intended mark.

Cursing to herself, she stood watching and waiting, her chest heaving as her angry gaze swept over the area. A sneer twisted her red tinted lips as she kept her hand outstretched before her in anticipation of the confrontation that she knew was still coming.

"Show yourself!" Nicci yelled as she waited.

The sound of a derisive laugh floated on the wind as the smoke slowly began to dissipate. The smell of smoldering wood from where her fiery blast had struck a crate filled her nostrils as rain continued its steady fall. Wet blond locks of hair stuck to her face, obscuring some of her view, but she was too consumed with the encounter to care right now.

Coming around the corner where the wood still burned from Nicci's attack, a man in a flowing dark red robe emerged through the curling wisps of smoke, a malicious smile spread across his face. His black hair hung down past his shoulders, his blue eyes sharp like a razor, but not nearly as deadly as his touch.

"Hello, Nicci," he pleasantly greeted, placing his hands in opposite sleeves as he stopped, keeping his distance from her.

"Callas," she spat out with contempt. "What are you doing here?"

"What? You don't seem at all pleased to see me, Nicci," he pouted, his eyes darkening with lust as his gaze roamed over her. "I thought we had something at one time."

"You were almost beneath my notice. If Sister Greta hadn't asked me to teach you about qualitative spells, I would have never even known that you existed," she bit out with a slight tilt of her head.

Nicci watched with pleasure as Callas' stance became rigid, his expression losing some of the smugness that had been there. She knew that the wizard's magic was very powerful, but it was still not as deadly as hers. Only she and Richard possessed both additive and subtractive magic, making them the most deadly forces to be reckoned with in all three territories.

Callas should have remembered that. There had to be another reason that he chose to face off against her like this. The thought made the fine hairs on her arms prickle with the suspicion of what he had up his sleeve. He may not be as powerful as she, but he was nonetheless very clever and devious. Associating himself with Darken Rahl just proved that theory even more.

"And yet you still remember my name after all this time," he gloated. "It seems to me that I left some sort of an impression on you."

"I never forget an enemy, especially one who is standing in my way."

"Then remove me," he urged her, his eyes shining with boldness.

"You really don't want me to do that," she smirked, her muscles tensing as she casually slipped the package into the pocket of her cloak. "It will only end very badly for you and I'll still get what I want."

Nicci didn't like the idea of not keeping the plant in the safety of her grasp, but she had no choice now with Callas attempting to provoke her. She needed to be prepared for whatever he had in mind.

Despite the exhaustion that had settled over her, she was more than prepared to fight her way out of this. She needed to prove her loyalty to the others before they would trust her. It meant the world to her to be forgiven and fully accepted by Richard. It would mean that much more to her to have his wife and friends accept her as well.

Taking a step towards him, Nicci made it fully clear that she was not about to back down. Callas smiled wickedly at her, delighted with the opportunity to demonstrate his power to his former teacher, looking forward to teaching his tutor a lesson of his own.

"I think you'll be surprised at how far I've come since you last saw me, before you became known as Death's Mistress."

Callas watched as Nicci bristled with the use of her former title. He had known about her sudden turn away from her dark sordid past, her unexpected allegiance to Richard Rahl. It had been surprising to say the least, but he guessed not completely unexpected. Sister Nicci had never been predictable.

"I'm no longer the woman that you once knew."

"And I'm no longer that naïve young wizard that you once taught," he suddenly growled, raising his arms towards her.

His hands immediately glowed brightly as magic shot forth from his fingers, a ring of fire quickly circling around the sorceress. The flames of the wizard's fire danced high, blocking her view of Callas. His abilities truly had matured since she had last seen him, but he was still no match for the former Sister of the Dark.

With a sweep of her hand, the flames were quickly extinguished, smoke rising from the scorched ring of black dirt that encircled her. She quickly shot a bolt of fire at one of the wooden crates on the ground next to the wizard, causing the side of it to explode upon contact.

The wood splintered, sending pieces flying through the air. Callas arrogantly laughed at the presumed direct attack on him, brushing off the remnants of wood off of his robe.

"It that the best you can do? I really expected so much more from you, Nicci," he shook his head in disbelief.

Nicci smiled wickedly at him, her eyes shifting to take in the sway of the crates that had been balancing upon the bottom one. She watched as the crates began to crash down towards him, amused by the look of surprise on the wizard's face.

Callas immediately turned towards the falling crates, creating a shield to keep himself from being crushed by the weight of the containers. He never had time to react when a blast of wizard's fire devoured him, reducing him to ash.

Retrieving the package from her pocket, Nicci quickly made her way past the debris and what little was left of the wizard. Looking down at the ash where Callas once had been, she shook her head in disbelief.

"Arrogant fool," she triumphantly muttered as she escaped from the crates.

The soldiers standing guard outside of the storage barn ran towards her, but didn't stand a chance as Nicci unleashed her magic on them as well, giving them the same ending as Callas. There was no more time to waste by taking them out one by one.

The guard didn't know what hit them as they immediately burst into flames, a line of brightly burning fire outside of the barn.

Racing inside, Nicci released the barrier, almost faltering in her steps as she took in the scene before her. Teutorigos had ravaged those left behind the magical shield while they had been gone in search of the cure. Garren still sat faithfully by Cara's bedside, but many of the other beds lay empty while others were filled with new faces.

Startled, Garren looked up as Nicci came to a stop on the other side of Cara's bed. A look of sheer relief passed over his face, tears glistening in his eyes. She was taken aback by the sight of the man that had been strong and intimidating when she had last seen him. He looked as if he had wrestled with the Keeper himself, losing badly.

"Nicci," he choked out, unable to muster anything more at that moment.

"It's alright, Garren," she gently began, her heart breaking for the man before her, for the heartrending pain that he'd had to endure while they were gone. "I've got the cure."

XXX

Stepping inside the doorway of the Mord'Sith training temple, Richard felt as though his heart was in his throat, blocking his ability to breath. Every muscle, every tendon was drawn taut with fear of what he might find here, of finding Kahlan here.

While desperate to reach her, this was the last place he wanted to ever find her in. This was a place of brutal merciless torture, the very picture of domination and death – either emotional and mental or physical if unable to withstand the rigors of breaking one's soul.

He felt an icy chill of remembrance shiver down his spine as memories thought long buried resurfaced from his subconscious. Denna's face appeared in his mind, the feel of her fingers gliding along his sweat-slicked skin as she coaxed him back to consciousness, her taunting voice filling his ears.

Warily passing from one corridor to the next, Richard swore that he could still feel the brush of her warm breath against his face as she stroked his cheek, filling his mind with things that twisted his senses and muddled his thoughts until everything seemed to morph into only one thing – Denna.

Denna.

It was all that seemed to have mattered to him during that wretched time in that Mord'Sith temple. It made him sick to think how she had corrupted his thoughts, had taken such control over him in her depraved attempt to turn him against the woman that he loved above all else.

She had forced him to pick up Kahlan's dagger, ordering him to kill her with her own weapon. It still terrified him even now how incredibly close he had come to obeying her command. He had been so heartbroken, so hurt that Kahlan had not told him about her magic, how it kept them from being together. Hearing it from Denna only increased his torment.

It all felt like such a cruel trick had been played on his heart.

He had believed that Kahlan felt nothing for him, that their first kiss so beautiful and so passionate had meant nothing to her…he meant nothing to her. All he had wanted to do was die after learning the truth about his Confessor's magic.

His Confessor had come for him then, was standing there in the temple to save him. And deep down somewhere hidden in his subconscious was that lingering hope that maybe, just maybe she did love him too.

But then before he knew it he was holding Kahlan's dagger, pointing it at her heart - the heart that he loved with his whole being, the heart that he so desperately wanted to love him in return.

He had tried to fight against it, but Denna's hold on him had been so powerful that he could not disobey his Mistress. His body ached, his heart hurt, his mind a bewildered fog with each step he took towards the woman who had captured his heart from the moment that he saw her.

And then he had looked into those beautiful eyes, those brilliant blue eyes of hers and he knew. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he knew.

Kahlan loved him too.

Denna's hold on him had been broken because of their love for one another. It was how they had been able to defeat Darken Rahl the first time. It was how they how been able to seal the rift and defeat the Keeper. It was how they were going to defeat Darken Rahl again now.

Richard's eyes dark with mounting rage scanned each corridor, every room entrance searching for Kahlan. His boots striking the stone floor echoed softly through the empty halls, his sword clutched tightly in his hands. The temple was dimly lit and eerily quiet, unnervingly empty.

Richard thought that he would have been met with more opposition than just Rahl's men standing guard outside of the temple. They had posed little threat to the enraged Seeker bent on finding his wife. One soldier had gotten a lucky swing in, slicing through his left shoulder.

Looking down at it now, he noticed the bleeding had stopped for the moment, but it would start up again as soon as he started using it. Ignoring the throbbing ache, he pushed on, his panic rising with every step he took, his breathing ragged with the intense heat of his fury.

Some distant noise unexpectedly tickled his senses, alerting him to trouble. Hurrying his pace, Richard ran towards the source of the noise, his stomach sinking further and further with every powerful strike of his boots against the floor.

Just then, a scream suddenly tore through the air and right through his heart.

It was Kahlan…