Chapter 20

"We lost her!" Cara yelled in frustration as she searched the horizon in vain for Sarah. "She's riding alone on a war horse, we're ridding in pairs, no way we can keep up," she sighed in defeat but refused to give up and pushed the horse under her and Kahlan to gallop more.

"We'll catch her eventually," Richard yelled back, pushing his horse just has hard but always keeping a securing hand on his grandfather robes behind him. "We know where she is headed," he tried to reassure the worried woman.

"She's headed into a heavily protected city," Kahlan said, squeezing Cara's torso as much to reassure the blonde as too reassure herself with the familiar touch. "If she arrives there in that state of rage, dressed as a Mord'Sith, they'll shoot her before asking any questions," she said, feeling Cara squeeze her arm and the horse pick up its pace in a herculean effort.

"She's smart," Cara said, worrying her lip. "Maybe she'll stop to regroup and think about the best course of action," the blonde said hopefully, but with little confidence.

"She won't, Cara," Kahlan denied, molding her front to the blonde's back. "Not in the Con Dar; she won't stop at nothing until she gets what she's after," Kahlan took a shuddering breath, grateful for the blonde's comforting hand on her arm.

"Then we will stop her," Cara said, her eyes focused on the path ahead.

Alys turned away from the window she was looking out off, to face the door of the small cottage that had opened and closed behind her. At the sight of Farkas, she got up with every intention to hurt the man; but she didn't get much closer, the chains binding her to the wall, preventing her progress, and the Rada'Han around her neck keeping her confession power out of her reach, didn't let her do anything against the wizard. Despite all of this, she still could glare at the revolting man, which she did, using her best scowl.

Looking at the defying girl, the wizard just chuckled dismissively and looked straight into her eyes before speaking in a somber tone.

"I just killed your entire family," he announced, evaluating the girl's reaction to the news.

"I'm a Confessor, remember, you idiot?" Alys said, with a roll of her eyes. "I know you're lying."

"I see the effect of the potion finished then," he said, smirking deviously as the blonde girl looked at him suspiciously. "Oh well, I already knew it wouldn't last long, but it was long enough to fool the Confessor intended for," he grinned, sure that his plan of deceiving the girl's aunt had gone perfectly; now he just had to wait and let fear and suspicion do their part.

"What are you talking about, you dimwit?" Alys frowned, not liking the smirk of confidence she saw on the wizard's face.

"Magic," he simply said. "Always a trustful ally," he nodded. "The powers you can acquire with the help of a Quillion and a willing Mord'Sith," he mused, looking out the window to the tall towers of the city of Aydindril; so close to his grasp.

"You can look, but you can't touch, right?" Alys taunted, noticing the wizard's wishful gaze on the city ahead.

"I'm a lot closer to touching it than you think," Farkas said mysteriously, not even sparing one look at the girl.

"Why did you throw me in that portal?" Alys questioned after a brief pause.

"It's wasn't my initial plan, but you just had to be a nosy little brat, didn't you?" he looked sideways at Alys. "I couldn't risk you blabbering about what you had witnessed," he revealed. "And plus, it was a nice way to throw the Mother Confessor of her game," he added.

"You just didn't count on me raining on your parade and protecting her from your attack, did you?" Alys said smugly.

"I have to admit that was unexpected, seeing you there. My wizard's fire ended up not hitting the mark after all," he said slowly, turning his head to look at the blonde. "I guess I have better aim with a crossbow," he smirked insinuatingly, watching as Alys's smug expression gave way to one of shock and understanding.

"You're the one who shot my mom," Alys whispered brokenly, searching the wizard's eyes for a sign that what he was saying was false, but finding none. "You killed my mom, you monster!" she said louder, tears starting to fall from her eyes as she forced her restrains in a hopeless effort to get to the wizard.

"Yes, I did," Farkas grinned victoriously. "That arrogant woman got what she deserved," he provoked the increasingly upset girl.

"Mother won't let you win," Alys said vehemently, her chin trembling as the tears kept falling.

"Your mother won't have a choice," Farkas said. "She'll meet the same fate as that Mord'Sith pet of hers," he vowed, taking a menacing step towards the upset girl. "Not so smug now, are we?" he mocked, looking at the crying girl with disdain.

Alys recoiled from the wizard instinctively. She forced herself to keep her eyes on the wizard's in hopes that her power would let her know he was lying, that he hadn't fatally pierced her mother with arrows, that she would get to the future and Cara would be there with open arms to welcome her. But he wasn't lying; her mom was dead and had succumbed as she tried to save her from falling through that portal. She had a childish hope that her sister had misjudged what had happened and her mother was not really dead, but as she looked into Farkas's eyes, she couldn't deny the veracity of the wizard's words.

The wizard walked out the door with one last triumphant look at Alys and the girl fell to her knees, crawling slowly to the corner of the house. She sat with her back to the wall and hugged her knees to her chest, sobbing into her folded arms, trying to provide herself a small amount of comfort. But her little arms didn't compare to the strong and comforting ones she craved; with a pained whimper she realized those arms wouldn't be waiting for her at home and wouldn't hug her close anymore; those arms wouldn't comfort her ever again.

Sarah approached the gate of Aydindril without slowing down. Expertly, she took notice of the various guards on the wall, which noticing her approach shouted out for her to stop and identify herself. When she made no move to slow down, she watched as they raised their crossbows and readied themselves to shoot at her.

The furious brunette didn't even blink as she raised her arm towards the top of the wall, where the guards stood, and let the wave of fury building inside her be released. She watched unconcerned as all the men dropped their crossbows and just stared devotedly down at her. She slowed her horse just long enough to shout an order.

"Open the gate!" Sarah commanded, her eyes scanning for any danger.

At her words, the confessed guards hurried to open the gate and watched as their mistress entered Aydindril at great speed. They only teared their eyes from the black leather clad Confessor when other guards came with crossbows after witnessing what had happened, their intent of shooting the brunette evident.

Sarah swerved just in time to avoid an arrow pierce her head, but not fast enough to avoid a cut to her cheek. She looked back at the gate walls and saw as the man she had confessed lunged at the others, in an attempt to prevent them from hurting her. Watching a confessed guard kill another to protect her stirred something inside her, but as soon as she felt it the rage spiraling in her chest drowned the sensation away quickly. She turned to look at the path ahead of her but not before hearing the bells of the city sound in alarm.

Galloping through the city streets, she managed to avoid many guards in her intent to get inside the Confessor's palace. When she arrived at the tall doors, Sarah halted her exhausted horse and dismounted, looking around her at the various guards that immediately surrounded her. She smirked as she recognized the Home Guard, she knew these men would stop at nothing to prevent her from entering the palace to search for her sister.

Sarah grabbed the agiels nestled at her back and brought them together to form her trustful staff. Confidently, she engaged the guards in combat, fighting to get through the gates. She could see the fear in the man's eyes as they looked closely at her black ones. She felt the tingling of magic been conjured behind her and, reflexively, she turned around to repel it; the wizard that tried to attack her from behind been blown through the air as the blast of energy hit him instead. With a speed and strength she had never felt before, she struck blow after painful blow until a sting on her neck slowed her movements. She felt her vision blurry and her increasingly uncoordinated limbs fail her completely. The last thing she saw before hitting the ground was the face of her aunt looking down at her with cold eyes.

They slowed their horses to a stop in front of the massive gate, looking up at the guards on the wall. Judging by the multiple crossbows that immediately were aimed at them, it was safe to say the men were in a high state of alert.

"Either Aydindril had an increase of criminal activity lately," Zedd mused, surveying the guards on the wall. "Or Sarah got here already," he guessed, watching as Kahlan dismounted from behind Cara.

"Put down your weapons," she ordered with authority. "And open the gate immediately," she continued, the white dress and her regal stance not leaving any doubt about who was addressing them.

"Open the gates, right now!" the guard, that looked like he was in charge, shouted. "It's the Mother Confessor," he announced as the rest of them put the crossbows down and adopted a reverent pose.

When Kahlan was sure her order was being followed, she turned and walked back to the horse. As she approached the animal, she couldn't help but notice the way Cara was looking intensely at her. Even when she mounted the horse, the blonde turned her head back to keep following Kahlan with her eyes.

"What?" the brunette asked, a little self-consciously.

"It never ceases to amaze me how much power you command with your presence alone," Cara said, her eyes roaming down Kahlan's front. "It's incredibly hot," she revealed as her intense eyes shot up to Kahlan's.

"Get through that gate and maybe sometime I'll show you how well I can command you," Kahlan whispered hotly in the blonde's ear, noticing the Mord'Sith shiver, in what she was sure was anticipation.

"Yes, Mother Confessor," Cara readily agreed, a pleased smirk on her lips at hearing the insinuating promise.

Cara guided the horse through the streets of Aydindril, in the direction of the palace, noticing how the people came to them to greet and praise the Mother Confessor, but eyed the blonde suspiciously… certainly wondering why a Mord'Sith would be riding with the Mother Confessor.

"These people look like they're ready to shoot me with an arrow," Cara commented dryly, restraining herself from letting the horse trample everyone in her anxiousness to find Sarah.

"They won't," Kahlan said as she smiled down at her people. "Just because they wouldn't risk shooting me by mistake," she added and felt Cara chuckle in front of her.

"I see the news of your arrival travelled fast," Kahlan heard Richard say as he motioned her to look at the steps of the palace where they could see Dennee descending rapidly to meet them.

Kahlan smiled widely at the sight of her younger sister, although the features were now different than those she was familiar with all her life, she could look into the blue eyes and have no doubt it was Dennee.

"Little sister," she called happily as she dismounted and met Dennee halfway to envelope her in a tight hug. "I missed you so much," Kahlan said as she cupped her sister's cheeks to look at her happily.

"I missed you too," Dennee said with a smile, but Kahlan could see the worry behind the other woman's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Kahlan asked, dreading the answer would reveal something bad about Sarah.

"That's what I should ask you," Dennee replied, looking at Kahlan closely and then scanning the others behind her.

"What do you mean?" Kahlan asked and looked behind her, watching as her companions dismounted and approached them. She gave Cara an encouraging nod as she noticed the Mord'Sith staying a little behind on purpose.

"Let's get inside, we'll talk there," Dennee advised, receiving nods from the others. "Even you," she added coldly as she looked pointedly at Cara.

Cara sighed and followed them inside, it wasn't as if she were expecting a hug from the woman she had killed long ago, but she hopped this animosity would not be an obstacle on her relationship with Kahlan. Looking ahead she noticed Kahlan looking back at her, the smile the brunette sent her way was one that calmed her nerves and reassured her that the feelings they shared were stronger than the past. Smiling back, she wondered if Kahlan could read her mind.

Sarah woke with a start and opened her eyes. Blinking a few times to disperse the grogginess still clouding her head, she sat up and looked around her. Frowning, she noticed the stone walls, the cold and damp floor under her and the bars from ceiling to floor that replaced a door, as well as smaller ones that made a window. I'm in a cell, Sarah concluded. She stood up and groaned as pain shot through her body; whoever carried her here was not gentle in putting her down on the floor.

She tried to remember what had happened before she woke in this place, but all she remembered was Farkas taking Alys. She remembered getting really mad and something inside her snap, but details eluded her.

Walking towards the cell door to look for some clues to her whereabouts, Sarah saw the two guards standing alert outside her cell. Immediately recognizing the armor of the Home Guard, she knew she was in the dungeons of the Confessor's palace; and judging by the safe distance the guards were careful to keep from her cell door, Sarah assumed they knew she was a Confessor.

"Hey," she said, trying to engage the guards. "I want to talk to whoever put me in here," she asked, but the guards only glanced briefly at her and turned their backs once again. "I guess I'll wait, then," she sighed in defeat.

Sarah sat on the flat wooden surface that must be what passed for a bed in here. Keeping herself alert to listen for clues, she supposed she was at least still in the past, or else she wouldn't be held captive at her own home. Noticing one of the guards give another a folded paper, she guessed whoever put her in here was being informed she was awake. All she could do now was wait and take the first opportunity she had to get out.

Dennee entered the chair room, followed by the recently arrived party. The room was flanked by several members of the Home Guard, standing at attention along the walls. Next to the Confessor's chair, were three men, that by the robes they sported, were most definitely the wizards that were part of the council at Aydindril.

"Seize her," Dennee commanded, without even glancing back, as soon as she got close to the Confessor's chair, at the head of the room.

A second after the Confessor's command, Cara felt a punch to the face and two armored men grabbing her arms, as two others had crossbows pointed at her head.

"No!" Kahlan shouted as she ran back towards Cara. "What do you think you're you doing!? Release her at once," she ordered the guards, but frowned seeing as none of them flinched.

"Don't bother, Kahlan," Dennee said behind her. "If any of you tries to do something…" she warned, looking at her sister before shifting her eyes warningly to Zedd, who apparently was opting for caution. "…these men have orders to kill her where she stands," the Confessor continued, eyeing Cara with something akin to disgust and shooting Richard a warning glare until he put down the sword that he had instinctually raised to defend his friend.

"Why are you doing this?" Kahlan demanded, crossing the small distance towards her sister.

"I need to know you're safe," Dennee explained, looking at the other three wizards present in the room as if looking for some reassurance that she was doing the right thing, which she received as they nodded encouragingly. "And I'm not entirely sure she doesn't have anything to do with what's going on," she pointedly looked at Cara.

"Why wouldn't the Mother Confessor be safe with us?" Zedd questioned calmly, knowing that there were enough hot tempers in the room already, and observed his fellow wizard colleagues.

"I wasn't referring to you and you know that wizard," she clarified, looking from Zedd to Cara. "I want to know why you are here," Dennee questioned Kahlan.

"I need an ulterior motive to come home?" Kahlan asked in bewilderment, her eyes searching her sister's for some clue to this cold behavior.

"Just answer the question Kahlan," Dennee insisted, keeping her eyes on her older sister. "Please," she added, her voice weakening slightly.

Perceiving the nervousness in her sister and glancing at the other wizards that also seemed to be waiting for explanations, Kahlan sighed and decided that talking would be the best way to dissipate whatever misunderstanding this was.

"We're here looking for someone," Kahlan started. "A girl," she continued, noticing a spark of realization in her sister's eyes. "You know who I'm talking about," the brunette stated.

"A girl did enter Aydindril not too long before you arrived," Dennee revealed carefully. "She forced her way in to be more precise, by confessing and killing the guards nonetheless," she continued, watching Kahan's reaction closely.

"Her name is Sarah," Kahlan interrupted, knowing the girl was probably still under the effects of the Con Dar. "She's… It's a long story," the Mother Confessor said, turning to look back at a still captive and surprisingly patient Cara. "Release Cara, we'll explain it all to you," Kahlan said, but frowned when she noticed Dennee hesitate. "Dennee, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Dennee sarcastically asked. "A Mord'Sith in the Con Dar barges through Aydindril, kills my men and tries to force herself inside the palace before I had a poisoned dart knock her out and locked her in a cell, and you ask what's wrong?" she said. "Who in the Creator's name is this girl?" she demanded.

"She's my daughter," Kahlan answered simply as Dennee eyes widened in shock. "She's both a Confessor and a Mord'Sith," the brunette explained.

"I know this must be really confusing for you, but let us explain," Richard started to say.

"You're mistaken," Dennee interrupted him. "I think you're the ones who are confused," she turned her gaze pointedly back to her sister.

"Wrong," Cara addressed Dennee in a dry tone, her patience clearly wearing thin with the situation. "And the longer you take to get that through your skull, the longer we'll be here wasting our time instead of helping the girls," the blonde huffed, clearly not amused with the treatment she was getting. She expected a cold shoulder, but this was pushing it.

Dennee just stared at Cara with hardened eyes, the hatred she had for the blonde Mord'Sith ever alive inside her. She still couldn't forgive the blonde and wanted revenge for what had happened in Valeria; it was hard to swallow that her sister protected this monster.

"And why are you so interested in helping this girl?" Dennee asked the Mord'Sith with a false smile, noticing how the blonde said 'girls', but letting that detail slide for now. "Is it because, by any chance, you were the one to break her?" she accused, thinking that it could very well be a possibility. She always thought Cara wormed her way into the Seekers band for a twisted reason… maybe she had found it.

"I would never break my own daughter," Cara stated, sneering at Dennee and tried to free herself from the men restraining her, but one look at Kahlan's concerning eyes and another at the two crossbows aimed at her made her reconsider.

"She's your daughter now?" she chuckled and turned to Richard. "As I said Seeker, you are all very confused," she tilted her head patronizingly.

"Sarah is both mine and Cara's daughter, she travelled back from the future," Kahlan said calmly, knowing that if her sister was doubting their story before, this would not help matters. "Dennee, please, I know this sounds preposterous and unexpected, but it's nothing but the truth," Kahlan tried once more to reason with her increasingly upset sister. "Look at me, you can tell I'm telling you the truth," she pleaded.

"You think you're telling me the truth, that I can see. But this is not only ridiculous, it's fake too," Dennee said with a certainty that worried Kahlan. "Next thing you'll tell me is that you're in love with her," she chuckled humorlessly and looked at Cara with disdain, missing the knowing looks that passed between Kahlan, Richard and Zedd.

Cara knew she should just stay put and let Kahlan deal with her sister. She knew provoking Dennee would not help the situation. But she was still Cara… so she couldn't avoid the smirk and knowing raised eyebrow when Dennee looked at her, effectively removing the mocking smile from the Confessor's face.

"We're together," Kahlan confirmed calmly and simply.

"Excuse me?" Dennee said, eyeing her sister closely.

Kahlan sighed as she readied herself for what she knew would not be acceptance, but strengthened by the thought that she would never hide her relationship with Cara. The Mord'Sith made her happy and she was proud to have such an amazing woman by her side; Dennee would just have to see it too.

"We're together," Kahlan repeated, looking her sister in the eyes and watching as the blue orbs widened in shock.

"What do you mean 'together'?" Dennee asked with some hope her sister didn't mean what she dreaded.

"I'm in love with her, Dennee," Kahlan smiled softly, watching as the brunette Confessor started to pace.

"She killed me, Kahlan," Dennee shouted, having less and less doubts that her sister was indeed under a very powerful spell.

"And she regrets it," Kahlan said more forcedly, understanding her sister's reaction but not backing down. "She apologized to you," the brunette reminded. "I never heard her apologize to anyone," Kahlan pointed out.

"Oh, and that's supposed to make me feel special?" Dennee said sarcastically, walking towards Kahlan. "She's a monster Kahlan, she always will be," she stated as she stood in front of her sister.

"You couldn't be more wrong, Cara is no monster," Kahlan said firmly. "She is a woman of honor, who was once just a tool in the real monster's hand. I trust her not only with my life, but especially with my heart," the brunette said fervently. "I won't ask you to support my relationship with her, knowing how much you suffered by her hand and the other Mord'Sith, but I would ask you to respect it and try to put your hate aside," Kahlan said more gently as she grabbed Dennee's hand. "You're my sister, I love you so much, but you need to understand… Cara is my family too, one I chose," she finished, cupping her sister's cheek and wiping a tear that escaped Dennee's eyes.

"That old man was right," Dennee chuckled humorlessly and shook her head. "It must be some powerful spell you're under," she raised her brow in disbelieve.

At Kahlan's confused look, she continued.

"You are my dear sister Kahlan, I will always love you," Dennee said, looking into Kahlan's eyes. "And this is why I will help you now more than ever, when you can't even see in how much danger you are in," she said, squeezing her older sister's hand.

"What spell are you talking about?" Zedd asked, his eyes narrowing.

"We think the four of you are under a powerful illusion spell, my friend," Thoros, one of the wizards addressed Zedd in clarification.

"There must be a misunderstanding here, Dennee," Kahlan shook her head in confusion. "We are under no spell and we are not confused about anything," she explained, looking back at Cara and taking strength in the private smile they both shared.

"My feelings for Cara are true," Kahlan continued, smiling. "And apparently they will remain so, many years from now, since we have two daughters together, one being Sarah and the other, Alys, with just ten years old, is currently being held captive by a wizard named Farkas," she kept explaining, hopping her sister would stop her assumptions and just see things her way. "And I'm sorry to sprung all this on you little sister, I know this is a lot to take in, but my daughter is in danger as we speak and we can't waste any time," the brunette said, her voice trembling slightly in worry. "I need you to help me," Kahlan stressed.

"This is nonsense," Dennee said almost in a whisper, shaking her head slowly and releasing her sister's hands.

"We can agree on that one," Cara quipped dryly, looking with disdain at the guards around her.

"I would know if we were under any kind of spell," Zedd said, looking between Dennee and his colleagues.

"Like you knew when Shota spelled you with a persimmon?" Estalt, another wizard, pointed out, making Zedd look down in shame.

"Let's all calm down," Richard said pacifyingly. "Dennee, call your men off, Cara will not arm anyone, you know that," he asked.

"What I know makes me not trust your judgement right now," Dennee said, not wavering. "But nonetheless you are the victims here," she conceded. "Or most of you are," she added, still looking at Cara with suspicion, but signaling her men to step down.

As Cara shrugged off her captor's arms, she wasted no time in getting protectively closer to Kahlan.

"You mentioned an old man?" the Seeker recalled. "Is that who told you that we were under a spell?" he questioned.

"Yes, Draco was is name, he came here to warn us about a girl, a freak of nature as he put it, that would arrive in Aydindril to cease the control of the city," she explained.

"And you believed him? A stranger?" Kahlan asked with surprise. "Why would a teenage girl want to control Aydindril? That makes no sense," she shook her head.

"And why would a teenage girl attack Aydindril?" Dennee rebutted without missing a beat. "If she had good intentions, she would have walked through the gate like any other person," she said. "But she confessed and killed guards, nearly killed Bryus too," she added, pointing at the wizard next to her that instinctively reached for his head as if still feeling the force of the clash against the stone pillar, after Sarah had turned his magic against him. "Besides, I perceived no deceit in his words."

"Sarah was not herself," Richard insisted. "I've seen Kahlan in the Con Dar, reason and self-control go out the window," he explained, watching Dennee purse her lips, she knew he was right.

"That may well be, but we believe the girl is nothing but a tool," Thoros elucidated, his furrowed brow denoting the worry he felt. "A Confessor broken into a Mord'Sith to do his master's biding, to be a marionette in Rahl's hand," he elaborated, crossing his arms.

"That's ridiculous! Sarah got her powers from a spell, not by being broken," Cara scoffed, rolling her eyes at the wizard. "And what has Darken Rahl got to do with it?"

"He is the one behind the scenes," Estalt clarified. "A man powerful and mad enough to pull off something atrocious like this."

"How do you know she was not broken?" Dennee asked purposely.

"She told us," Kahlan defended the girl. "She said that by the use of a spell, an ancient spell found in Panis Rahl's documents, she was able to be born with both Confessor and Mord'Sith power; her mother's powers," she explained to her sister and the wizards, motioning to her and Cara.

"She told you…" Dennee repeated with suspicion. "And pray tell dear sister, how exactly can you be sure that she's telling you the truth? You can't read a Mord'Sith," she pointed out, watching has Kahlan's face palled slightly, knowing she indeed could not read Sarah.

"But I can read Alys," Kahlan quickly said. "And she tells the exact same thing as her sister," she nodded.

"According to you, she's just a little kid," Dennee retorted. "She probably can't even reach the full potential of her powers yet; and could very well been manipulated into believing whatever tale Darken Rahl fed her," she said.

Kahlan refused to believe all this, but then again, she couldn't totally disprove her sister's logic. She remembered how Alys had severely burnt her hands and passed out as she repelled magic to save her in the woods; it was clear that the girl didn't have full control of her Mord'Sith powers; and yes, she was still a little girl, sometimes she looked like she was just on an adventure.

"Sarah never once tried to attack us," Cara interjected, remembering that first encounter where she couldn't help but notice that Sarah was always in a defensive stance, never making an offense move.

"She would have to be suicidal to attack the Seeker, the Mother Confessor, a Mord'Sith and a Wizard of the First Order," Estalt said, with a tilt of his head. "Not to mention that the man that warned us said part of the plan was having you all help these girls, hence the illusion spell, to make you think they are someone they are not," he concluded.

"But we met Alys long before we ever crossed paths with Sarah," Kahlan reminded them, desperately trying to make the wizards and her sister change their minds. "She was just lost and needed our aid," she looked at Richard for help and saw the narrowed eyes that she was certain to be the reflection of the Seeker trying to get to the truth.

"And what a wonderful way to distract the Seeker from the quest at hand," Dennee commented. "A helpless little girl, supposedly with blood ties to you," she said looking at Kahlan. "Also, I assume the sudden change of affections between you," she said, looking from her sister to Cara and Richard. "Had some effect is destabilizing the group," she guessed, seeing the uneased looks on the others faces.

Kahlan sighed and rubbed her forehead with her hand; this was definitely getting out of hand. Her sister and the council were convinced of something that she knew in her heart wasn't true. Their reasoning seemed grounded on logic, but it couldn't be true; or could it?

"We learned that these girls are the daughters of a Confessor Darken Rahl held captive," Thoros recounted what Draco had relayed to them. "We are all very aware that Rahl had an inkling to meddle with various experiments, often appalling ones," he recalled, noticing an expression of recognition on the other's faces.

"The children," Cara whispered almost to herself, but nonetheless attracting the attention from the others.

"What children?" Dennee asked.

"An old friend of mine, that had been a prisoner of Rahl's, told us recently that Darken Rahl impregnated his Mord'Sith and then spelled them in hopes the children would be born with their mother's power, Mord'Sith power," Zedd informed reluctantly. "There's no confirmation that he ever succeeded, though," he quickly pointed out.

"If he tried that but didn't succeed, he could very well get a child from a Confessor, that would already have Confessor's powers, and then break her into his submission the ordinary way," Richard theorized, following his grandfather's line of thought. "And that way, have a Mord'Sith loyal to him with Confessor's powers," he concluded, regretfully finding that what the wizards were saying might not be so ludicrous after all.

"A Confessor with a claim to the throne of Aydindril, if for some reason me and my sister died," Dennee stressed.

"Are you all mad?" Kahlan gasped. "Listen to yourselves!" she shouted, refusing to believe any of it and looking to Cara for support; but she frowned as she saw her lover's eyes fixed on the floor pensively as she worried her lip.

"Kahlan," Richard tried to appease, reaching for the brunette's arm. "We have to ponder everything," he flinched when Kahlan ripped her arm from his comforting touch.

"Why now then? Why would Darken Rahl try to get the throne of Aydindril now?" the Mother Confessor continued, looking around at increasingly more doubtful faces. "Why not wait for the girls to get older?"

"You mean when the Mother Confessor is away from Aydindril in a never-ending quest, while the dead wreak havoc on the world and the land is divided in conflict while there is no one on the throne of D'Hara?" Dennee asked matter-of-factly, effectively silencing more arguments.

"Darken Rahl is dead, but still moves pawns in our world," Byrus said, being silent until now, the third wizard present contributed with his thoughts. "He lost his direct control and power on the land of the living, what better way to regain it than putting his puppets to work, while making sure there would be no one to stop them?" he contemplated.

Cara stood very still while she heard all the theories the others were considering. She thought about the bond she felt with the girls; it had disturbed her at first, she was never one to bond with anyone, least of all children and in such a small amount of time. Even if she tried to stop it, the thought that they could have been deceived did start nagging at her. It was all too good to be true, wasn't it? Having children of her own, having a great relationship with them… not to mention Kahlan's unconditional love. When she thought about it all, it could may well be that it was literally too good to be true; and that thought scared her more than anything in her life before.

Kahlan watched apprehensively as Cara closed her jaw tightly and her hand unconsciously went to seek the agiel at her waist. She noticed the rigid stance and how the blonde didn't look up to anyone, seeming deep in thought but also absorbing everything that was being said around her. It wasn't hard for her to guess that Cara's beliefs were swerving.

"This doesn't make any sense," Kahlan repeated, refusing to be defeated but not knowing how to refute anything the others were saying.

"And two girls being born of two women? That is more plausible?" Dennee argued, exasperated that her sister was refusing to acknowledge the truth. "A spell that could allow that makes sense to you, but a simple illusion spell, a daughter of a Confessor being broken into a Mord'Sith could never happen?!" Dennee enumerated, now more certain that what the old man warned her about was indeed true.

"Break the spell," Cara's calm voice was heard, the kind of calm that was most certainly covering for a hurricane of emotions. "If we are under some kind of spell, just break it," she presented the simple solution.

"I'm guessing it's not that simple, otherwise they would have done it by now," Zedd speculated, looking to his fellow wizards for confirmation.

"We can't sense a specific spell around you," Thoros shook his head in confirmation of Zedd's suspicions. "Besides the magic that is inherent to every one of you, we can't perceive for certain what was the exact spell cast upon you," he sighed.

"Or there is no spell to begin with," Kahlan said in victory, finally grabbing onto something that could turn their reasoning around.

"My dear," Zedd started dejectedly, knowing this was breaking the Mother Confessor's heart, but conscious that he had to analyze everything without letting emotion cloud his vision. "If we are under a spell from Panis Rahl's hidden collection, a collection Sarah herself confirmed that exists, we may very well not be able to perceive it; it's very dark and powerful magic, one that we do not fully understand," he concluded sadly.

"There has to be a way to be sure," Richard turned to Zedd. "Between all of you, surely you can figure it out," he said hopefully, looking form Zedd to the other wizards.

"Actually, we may know how to break it," Estalt confirmed, receiving astonished looks from Richard and the others. "Draco said there was one way to break the spell you are all under," he nodded.

"How?" Richard asked, impatient.

"By killing the girl," Estalt stated simply.