TITLE: Deception

AUTHOR: LOTSlove®

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

RATING: R / M

WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings

TIMELINE: Anything up through S2 season finale (Tears)

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 me fic Revelation, Richard and Kahlan fight to solidify the D'Haran Empire when a new threat rises threatening to destroy all that they have worked for.

Chapter 23

Helpless panic threatened to rob the Seeker of his sanity with every moment that slipped by without knowing what had become of his family, with all the horrifying things that he imagined had happened to them at that very moment.

Every beat of his heart was a chilling reminder to him that he was still alive, but his wife and children might not be. They could be dying at that very moment, calling out for him to help him and he had no idea where they were.

They could already be lost to him forever.

An enraged sob rose from deep in his throat as he squeezed his eyes tightly closed, trying desperately to reach deep within himself to touch his Han. He needed his powerful magic now more than ever, to embrace it and call upon it at will. He needed it to find his family, to protect them from the monsters that had created this devastation.

Why had they done this? What did they want? Kahlan? His daughters?

Casting a glance over her shoulder, Nicci saw Richard standing at the edge of the fissure that divided the courtyard in two, keeping him from getting to his family. His entire body was rigid, his fists clenched tightly at his side, his head lowered in overwhelming anguish.

She knew him, loved him. She feared that he would do something irrational in order to get to them. She knew she needed to talk some sense into him before he got himself killed, before he tried to hurtle himself across that gaping abyss.

"Cara, I have to talk to Richard right now," Nicci told her, giving her knee a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be right back. Hang on."

"I don't have…much of a choice…" Cara panted, her head falling back as a sudden cry slipped free.

Garren tightened his hold on her, doing his best to help her through the contraction. "Our child is going to be here soon," he told her as he kissed her temple again, doing his best to keep his fear from finding his voice. "We're finally going to be able to hold our baby."

"I know…this baby is trying to rip me apart…just to get out…" she growled, instinctively lurching forward to grasp her knees again.

Cara couldn't believe this was happening…here…now. She needed to help Lord Rahl find Kahlan and the twins, but she was helpless to do anything at that moment. She couldn't be in labor, the baby coming so soon. It was too early. She still had three more weeks to go. She couldn't lose her baby…their baby.

"Garren…" she panted. "I…I'm scared…"

"Don't be scared, Cara," he gently said, taking her hand in his larger one. "I'm right here. You're the strongest, bravest woman I have ever known and I love you more than anything in this world."

"I love you too…" she admitted, tears filling her green eyes. "I don't want to lose…our baby…"

"We're not going to lose our child," he forcefully said, his fingers suddenly beneath her chin forcing her to look into his eyes. "We made this baby and it's going to be strong and perfect just like their mother."

Cara leaned in kissing him slowly, sweetly. She had never known what it was like to have to rely on another for strength and support, to need someone in her life, but she knew she had found it in Garren.

Blood oozed from the gash on Richard's forehead, his face one of twisted anguish as he focused on his magic. A warm tingle began to seep from his core, drifting through him and mingling with the wild rage that seared through his veins.

Without even thinking, he raised his hands out before him. He squeezed his eyes even tighter; perspiration beginning to bead on his forehead as his eyebrows knitted into one. Despite the sheer torment that enveloped him whole, he felt a sudden strange sense of peace in the depths of his soul.

Drawing near, Nicci watched as his fingers began to tingle and glow. She could feel the incredible strength of his magic rolling off of him in turbulent waves. She came to a stop beside him, afraid to touch him or even utter a single word as she watched in complete awe of his innate abilities.

She felt the ground beneath her boots begin to softly tremble again, but not to the violent extent that it had when Sabinus and that woman had used their magic to destroy the courtyard. She braced herself, watching in amazement as Richard slowly began to pull the earth back together again, mending what had been so brutally broken.

The extent of his magic shocked her. She knew that he was powerful, the first war wizard born in over three thousand years, but seeing it on display like this was something altogether different.

Richard's arms suddenly fell limp at his sides, his shoulders slumping in exhaustion. He panted softly, his heart thumping wildly in his chest as he fought to remain on his feet.

Nicci placed a tentative hand on his shoulder, lending him her strength. "Richard," she softly said, stunned. "That…that was…incredible."

"I have to get to Kahlan and my children," he heatedly replied, his intense raptor gaze boring straight through her as if seeing her and yet not.

Nicci couldn't stop the violent shiver that rippled through her as she stared into his brown eyes so dark with fury. This was powerful magic fully awakened, mingling with his righteous wrath. She knew that he would stop at nothing until he had found his wife and twins, would go to any lengths to save them. It caused an icy chill to race up her spine.

"Richard, please be careful," she warned him, her fingers sliding down his arm to find his hand and squeezing it tightly. "We can't bear to lose you either."

"I have to find them," he stated, ignoring her fear for him. "Just stay with Cara and Garren. Save their baby."

"I'll do everything I can," she replied, fighting back her own sense of dread that was welling up inside of her, afraid that she was might never see him again.

Richard shared a knowing look with the sorceress before racing off to find his family. Nicci watched with worry for him and Kahlan as he disappeared into the clouds of smoke and dirt that was just now beginning to dissipate some. She prayed that he would be alright, that Kahlan and the twins were still alive.

Nicci shuddered to think what would become of Richard if they weren't.

Richard forced himself to slowly pick his way through the debris and stone, gripped with overwhelming panic that wanted to just race through the broken courtyard until he found Kahlan and his daughters, but he couldn't. Rubble littered the ground, smoke filling the air and burning his nose and throat causing him to cough. Smaller fissures still caused gaps in the earth, ready and waiting to trip him up.

"Kahlan!" Richard screamed above the cries of the people also calling out for their loved ones, looking for the missing. His heart went out to them, feeling as though this had all been his fault when in reality it was far from it.

But reality was not something that made sense to him at that moment, something that could be grasped. Not when his family was missing, his heart being cleaved with every step that he took without finding them.

Injured bodies laid here and there, causing an icy chill to slice like daggers through him. Tears filled his eyes and shrouded his vision in a blurry wash of grief. He drew a shuddering breath in an effort to calm his hammering heart, but it was futile.

He should have listened to Kahlan's fears, sending Paige and Priya back to their suite instead of letting them stay here in the heart of danger. If he had listened to her, then they wouldn't be in danger right now. If he lost any of them, it would be his fault.

He brushed away the tear that had escaped as he called for his beloved again, but again he was met with nothing. He felt numb confusion swarming in his soul, unable to process what had happened or the devastation that surrounded him.

His legs felt weak as he climbed over piles of rocks, his stomach churning with dread at the site of limbs sticking out beneath the rubble, fearing that one of them could be his wife or his daughters.

Spirits, where was Kahlan? Paige and Priya?

"Lord Rahl!"

The sudden cry of his name momentarily broke through the terror that had seized hold of his mind, the violent anger that thundered through his veins. Turning, he noticed Commander Holland pinned beneath some rocks. He raced over to him, desperate to find out where his girls were.

"Holland!" Richard yelled. "Where is Kahlan?"

"She's gone, Lord Rahl," Holland replied through gritted teeth as he tried to help Richard lift the rocks that had his leg pinned.

"Gone?" Richard growled, suddenly wanting to vomit at the thought of losing his whole world. "Gone where? Where are my daughters?"

Overwhelming anguish filled the Seeker's eyes, causing his voice to crack with the weight of his tormented emotions. His body threatened to give out on him, betraying him under the weight of his grief as he worked to free Commander Holland.

"Ambassador Dorst and that woman…they have the twins," Holland ground out, pain shooting through his leg, the rocks shifting as they worked to free him. "The Representatives escaped with them. They're all working together."

"What?" Richard hissed, his chest heaving at the thought of his daughters being taken by them and yet relieved they were still alive.

"We tried to stop them, but they used magic…kept us all held back including Lady Kahlan," Holland tried to explain through gritted teeth as his leg began to slip free from the rocks. "That's when they destroyed the courtyard."

"Where is Kahlan?" Richard heatedly demanded, rage causing his blood to pound violently in his ears.

"When they took the twins, Lady Kahlan began to shake violently, her eyes suddenly glowing dark red," the Commander informed him as the Seeker helped him to his feet. "She somehow managed to break free from their magic. She went after them to get your girls back."

"ConDar," Richard murmured in horror, knowing how dangerous she was right now. He had to get to her. "I have to find her…now."

"I sent Mistress Rachel to follow her, to keep an eye on her," Holland informed him. "I told her to stay back and not let the Mother Confessor see her or she'll be confessed."

"Good," Richard nodded. "Stay here and help get everyone evacuated from the area. We need to get the healers in here right away. Nicci is with Cara and Garren on the other side of the courtyard. Cara went into labor. Check on them and make sure they have what they need."

"Dear Spirits," Holland shook his head, shocked by all that had happened in such a short period of time.

"Get the city locked down immediately," Richard ordered. "No one enters, no one leaves."

"Aye, Lord Rahl," Holland saluted with a quick fist to his heart.

Without another word, Richard drew his sword, the familiar ring of its release filling the air before he disappeared into the dissipating smoky shield that Sabinus and the mysterious woman had erected to help disguise their escape. So many unanswered questions raced through his mind as he raced around piles of debris that threatened to keep him from getting to his wife and children.

While relieved to know that Kahlan and his daughters were still alive, it did nothing to alleviate the almost paralyzing fear that tore through him or diminish his fury in any way. The magical rage of his sword seared through his body, mingling with his own. It served to solidify his intent, clearing his mind of outside distractions as his focus narrowed to one thing and one thing only – saving Kahlan and his girls.

Everything else paled mightily in comparison to finding the ones that were his very life. He would not rest, would not sleep until they were safely back with him where they belonged. He would not stop until the ones who took his family were dead, his sword bathed in their blood.

XXX

Kahlan ran through the market place completely unaware of her surroundings or the people who quickly leapt out of her way. She paid no attention to the stares or the murmured gasps that filled the air as people recognized who she was.

The only thought in the Mother Confessor's dark mind at that moment was her girls. The sound of her daughters' screams as they called out for her echoed painfully through her heart and mind. She'd had to watch helplessly as the representatives had snatched them up, carrying them away from her.

In her mind's eye, Kahlan could still see the fear in their eyes, the tears that had rolled down their frightened little faces, the way that they had frantically stretched out their arms towards her to save them.

She growled fiercely under her breath as she searched for Paige and Priya, the throes of the blood rage locking her in its powerful grasp. She couldn't have broken free from its hold on her even if she had wanted to or knew how. Her daughters had been taken away from them. In her core, she knew they needed her to come find them, to rescue them from the ones who could harm them.

Kahlan clenched her fists tightly, her heart like rolling thunder in her chest, her eyes dancing flames of blazing fire. She could feel the heated power that inundated her, bathing her in a resolve so intense it nearly stole her breath.

In the back of her mind, thoughts and fears about Richard fought to break through the thick fog of fury that tightly gripped her. Unshed tears almost choked her as she suddenly thought of him, of not knowing what had happened to him or if he was even still alive.

Conflicted turmoil erupted violently inside of her core, causing her to come to an abrupt stop. She suddenly turned towards the direction that she'd just come from, the need to save Richard warring with the desperation to save her daughters.

Her chest heaving, Kahlan took a tentative step back towards the courtyard only to stop suddenly at the distant sounds of her daughters' cries. They were near.

Her head fell back, her raven hair like an inky liquid waterfall down her spine. An anguish-filled cry escaped her lips as her heart was torn in two, her love for them pulling her in opposite directions.

The sound of her girls' cries suddenly rang in her ears again, stinging her heart and causing another growl to stir deep in her chest. She took off in the direction of Paige and Priya's panic-filled screams, frantic to get to them in time before they escaped from her.

Her magic roared inside of her, seeking a soul to take, demanding justice for those who had taken her daughters away from her. It inundated her, rolling through her in endless tidal waves of storming wrath the likes of which were only seen when the ones that she loved were threatened or in danger.

There was still a sense of deadly calmness to her, a graceful fluidity in her every movement as she searched for her girls and yet her body was a chaotic storm of vengeful rage. Her every muscle was coiled tight with focused need for revenge, her sole purpose saving her family.

The Blood Rage had transformed her into an angel of death, a walking breathing visage of lethal retribution. She instilled fear into everyone who crossed her path, confusion flooding the entire city now with the chaos that had erupted in the courtyard.

The terrified shrieks of her daughters only further ignited the inferno in her soul. She quickened her pace as she tore down another street. She clenched her fists tightly, the magic that pumped through her settling into her fingers begging for release.

She would find her daughters and when she did, the ones who had taken them would pay dearly, their souls belonging to her.

Keeping to the safety of the shadows, Mistress Rachel kept her eyes locked on the Mother Confessor as she followed her through the city. She feared for Paige and Priya's safety, wanting to find them as soon as possible. She couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to the little ones, of what it would do to Lord and Lady Rahl if they couldn't save them in time.

Gripping her agiel tightly in her fist, she stepped back further into the shadows as Lady Kahlan came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the street. The Confessor was obviously conflicted about something as she looked back in the direction that she had just come from. Rachel could only assume she was thinking of Lord Rahl.

She wished herself that she knew what had become of him, of what had happened to Cara as well as the others. She took great comfort in the fact that she could still feel her deep connection to Lord Rahl, the power of the agiel in her hand.

When Sabinus and that woman had attacked, it had caused unnerving panic to grip the city. The shockwaves of magic that had ripped through the courtyard had killed some of her Sisters of the Agiel before they could even react.

But she couldn't think about the loss of her friends when Lord and Lady Rahl were in trouble, their daughters missing. She would grieve later, after the twins had been found.

Watching as the Mother Confessor turned at the sound of her daughters' cries, Rachel stealthy slipped out from behind a stack of crates. Keeping her distance, she followed her, doing her best to get people back and out of Lady Kahlan's path.

Having witnessed it when Kahlan had been possessed by Scai, Rachel knew firsthand how dangerous the ConDar was, how deadly things could turn if the Mother Confessor chose to unleash her powerful magic. Everyone who was caught in her path would be confessed.

The distant terrified cries of the twins filled the air causing the Mord'Sith to grind her teeth, tightening her hold on her agiel. She wanted more than anything to find the twins and make the ones who had taken them pay dearly over and over again.

But she knew that she couldn't. She needed to keep an eye on Kahlan, make sure that she was safe. She couldn't let anything happen to her; couldn't allow her to inadvertently confess anyone. She knew how devastated she would be if she accidently confessed someone while locked in the grip of the Blood Rage.

Kahlan had been so upset to later learn that she had confessed Commander Holland and some of his men when she had escaped the city to free Scai from his prison. Even though they had been released from her power of confession when she had died, Kahlan still felt guilty for having stolen their souls like that.

She knew how Lady Kahlan feared the lack of control, the loss of rational thought that possessed her. Following her now, Rachel swore to herself that she wouldn't allow her friend down now, not when she needed help the most.