Cara stood stock-still as she stared at her Agiel. "It was not long after he arrived at the People's Palace. Richard doesn't remember-I don't think he even knew his own name at the time because Denna had him in a fog of delirium, in a state of madness from the things she had done to him — but he spent a day with me."

This, Nicci hadn't known. She stood frozen, afraid to say anything. She had no idea what she could say.

"Denna took Richard as her mate," Cara said. "I don't think she understood love any better than Jagang or Darken Rahl. At the end, though, she came to have a deep and genuine love for Richard. I saw the change coming over her. As you described it, she came to value him as an individual. She came to have sincere passion for him. She loved him so much that in the end she let him kill her so that he could escape.

"But before then, when Denna was still torturing him, I saw him there more than once, hanging helpless, covered in blood and begging for the release of death." A tear ran down Cara's cheek. "Dear spirits, I too made him beg for death as I stood over him."

Cara seemed to suddenly realize what she had just said aloud. Panic flooded her eyes. "Please don't say anything to him. It was so long ago-it's over and everything has changed, now. I don't want him to know — about me there with him like that." Tears ran down her face. "Please.»

Nicci took up one of Cara's hands in both of hers. "Of course I wouldn't say anything about it. I, of all people, understand the way you feel; I too, once did terrible things to him, only for a great deal longer than anyone else. As you say, that's over." Nicci let out a deep sigh. "I guess we all three know a little about what love is, and what it isn't."

Cara nodded not just her relief, but her sincere appreciation that Nicci understood. "We'd better catch up with Lord Rahl."

Nicci gestured casually toward the stables. "Richard is talking to the relatives of Victor's men who were killed." She tapped the side of her forehead. "I can just barely hear him with my gift." She reached out and gently wiped a tear from Cara's cheek. "We have the time to gather our senses before we get there."

As they started slowly walking toward the stable, Cara said, "Nicci, could I tell you something, then — something personal?"

On a night of such surprises, this was yet another. "Of course."

"Well.» Cara began as she frowned, trying to find the words, "when Lord Rahl came to me-to heal me-he was close to me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he was lying there with me, in the bed with me, with his arms around me-you know, protecting me and keeping me warm." She rubbed her arms as if the memory had brought the chill back. "I was so cold." Cara stole a quick glance over at Nicci. "I guess that, well, I guess that in my condition, and all, I was kind of holding on to him, too."

Nicci lifted an eyebrow. "I see."

"And the thing is, I felt things when he came into me-and if you tell him this I'll kill you, I swear I will."

Nicci smiled as she nodded her assurance. "We both care a great deal about him. I assume that what you're telling me is only because you are concerned for him."

"That's right." She rubbed her arms again as she went on. "When he came to — to pull me back, or whatever it is he did, it was like he was inside me, inside my head, I mean. It was a kind of intimacy unlike any other.

"Lord Rahl healed me once before when I was seriously hurt, but this was different. Parts were the same, some of the feelings were the same, the sincere caring and such that I felt from him, but this was different, somehow-really different. That time he was healing my physical injury." Cara leaned closer in an effort to try to get her point across. "This time it was more; this time the touch of that evil thing was inside me, like it was poisoning me, poisoning my existence, my will to live."

She straightened, then, seemingly frustrated and unable to think of how to explain it better.

"I know the difference you're trying to define," Nicci offered. "This time it was a more personal connection between the two of you."

Cara nodded as if relieved that Nicci seemed to understand.

"Yes, that's right, it was more personal. A lot more personal," she added under her breath. "It was like my soul was laid bare to him. It was kind of like — well, never mind."

Cara went silent. Nicci wondered if the woman had said all she had really wanted to say and would decide to stop there, but then she went on.

"The point is that he felt so much of me, of my inner thoughts and all. No one has ever.»

Cara again went silent, but this time in apparent frustration at trying to find the words to explain what she meant.

"I understand, Cara," Nicci assured her. "I really do. I've healed people so I know the sensations you experienced, if not as deeply. I've never been able to succeed to the extent that Richard did with you, but I've experienced more or less the same kinds of conditions when I heal people, especially when I healed Richard."

"That's good to hear-that you know what I'm talking about." Cara casually kicked a rock as she walked along. "Well, I don't think Lord Rahl is aware of it, but when we were together like that he didn't just — experience me, experience my inner feelings and thoughts, so to speak; I experienced him as well." She growled to herself. "I shouldn't be saying this." She waved a hand. "Forget I said anything."

Nicci wasn't sure what the woman was getting at. "Cara, if you aren't comfortable telling me, then don't. You know how much I care for Richard, but still, if you don't think you shouldn't say anything, or that you are stepping out of bounds in your relationship with him, then perhaps you should trust that instinct."

Cara sighed. "Maybe you're right."

Nicci couldn't ever recall Cara appearing so flustered. If there was one thing enduring about the woman it was her resolute confidence. She was always decisive about precisely what she should do in any given circumstance. Nicci didn't always think that Cara was right, and she knew that Richard didn't either, but they could always count on Cara being determined to do the best thing for Richard no matter how it might endanger Cara herself-or anger them. If she felt her actions were necessary to protect him, she simply went ahead, dismissing the consequences to herself, including his disapproval.

As they walked in silence through the dark alleyway, Nicci, with the help of her gift, could hear people in the distance speaking in low voices. She didn't try to pick out the words; she did no more than note the general nature of the conversation. It was men and women gathered at the stables, some speaking in turn. Nicci could distinguish Richard speaking gently to them, answering questions. She could hear people weeping.

At the corner of the inn where the road to the right lead down a few doors to the stables, Cara abruptly caught Nicci's arm and brought her to a halt while they were still in the deep shadows.

"Look, you and I, well, we both started out in all this determined to kill Lord Rahl."

Somewhat taken aback, Nicci didn't think that this was the time to split hairs. "I guess you're right."

"Maybe more than anyone else, you and I have a unique perspective on Lord Rahl. I think that when you start out wanting to do someone harm and they make you see how wrong you've been and how your own life means more than that, well, it kind of makes you care all that much more for them."

"I think I would have to agree with you."

Cara gestured back the way they had come, toward the grounds of the palace that was now Liberty Square. "Back there, when the revolt started, when Lord Rahl was wounded and near death, people didn't want to let you try to heal him. They were afraid that you would instead do him harm. I'm the one who told them to trust you. I understood the awakening you had gone through because I had gone through much the same thing. I was the only one who knew what you had come to feel about him. I told them to let you do it. They feared you might use the opportunity to take his life. I knew you wouldn't. I knew you would save him."