Chapter 8

Having slept blissfully in Richard' arms, Kahlan awoke to the feel of his soft kiss along her back. A smile he couldn't see spread across her face. He felt her stir and pulled her closer. Kahlan wished it could stay this way forever. The actuality of what lay before them was too unbearable, neither dared think about it. Richard continued kissing her as he gently rolled her to face him. "Well, if it isn't the Seeker" she said, giving him a smile she gave no other but him. "You were expecting someone else"? he teased. He returned a smile and leaned close, until his nose rested against hers, content to just be near her. They lay like this for quite some time, lost in thoughts of each other.

Richard's fingers touched the collar around her neck. "So how does this work anyway? Does is somehow 'negate' your power, render it harmless?"

"No, it suppresses it my power. It's as if I have no magic".

A quizzical look came over his face. "But you did release your power, Kahlan. I felt it".

She looked at him as though she thought he'd been hit on the head. "Richard, that's impossible. I would know if I released my power I would have felt it. I didn't."

He insisted, "Kahlan, yes you did. I felt it pass thru me".

She stared at him. She knew if she had released her power, they wouldn't be having this conversation. He'd be on his knees, pleading for her command.

She asked as if demanding proof, "When? What was happening"?

He raised his eyebrows as if asking did he really need to answer that question.

Kahlan blushed slightly. "You mean…we were...?"

"Well, no…not exactly. It happened early on." With a boyish smile he added, "I believe I was somewhere near your bellybutton". She pushed at his shoulder with the back of her hand, but she smiled too.

Trying to prove him wrong she asked, "If you felt my power, why didn't you stop, why didn't you say something"?

He shook his head slightly. "Kahlan, at that point, a team of war horses couldn't have gotten me to stop".

She suppressed a smile at the declaration of his desire, trying to remain focused.

Still not believing, she continued "Richard, it's just not…it's… impossible. What did you feel"?

He paused as he thought how to explain it. "Well, I guess the best way to describe it is like…wind. A powerful, warm wind rushing through me, lifting me, pushing me back. It felt like it would drag me away and take me under. I wasn't about to let anything take me from you. So, I just held tighter to you and kept kissing you.

Kahlan knew it was impossible for him to remain unaffected if she had released her power. But right now, she didn't want to spend what little time they had left discussing how her confessor's power worked. "Richard, Zedd's going to be back soon, he might already be at camp. There's something I was hoping to show you before we head back. Don't you think it's possible that perhaps you were just 'caught up in the moment' and that's what you felt?"

"Perhaps." He wasn't convinced, but he could see she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Kahlan rolled to face him, the length of her against him. Richard's mind was fully on the woman before him. "What is it you want to show me?" he asked. She put her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his, pulling him to her. She brought her lips seductively close to his so they brushed the corner of his mouth as she whispered "I want to show you just how much I love you, Richard". Her lips took his in a passionate kiss as she rolled him under her…

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