If anything, Nicci looked surprised, as if such a thought had never occurred to her, and she found it abhorrent. "No, none of that. I intend him no harm. For now, anyway. Eventually, of course, I will most likely have to kill him."

Richard glared. "Of course."

When Kahlan made a move forward, he caught her arm and restrained her.

He knew what she intended. He didn't know exactly what would happen if Kahlan unleased her Confessor's power on Nicci while they were both linked by the spell, but he had no intention of finding out, since he was sure it could come to no good end. Kahlan was far too ready, as far as he was concerned, to forfeit her life to save his.

"Just hold on for now," he whispered to her.

Kahlan threw her arm out, pointing. "She just admitted she intends to kill you!"

Nicci smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about that for now. If it comes to that, it will not likely be for a long time. Perhaps even a lifetime."

"And in the meantime?" Kahlan asked. "What plans do you have for him before you discard his life as if it were insignificant?"

"Insignificant. .?" Nicci opened her hands in an innocent gesture.

"I have no plans. I expect only to take him away."

Richard had thought he understood what was going on, but he was less and less sure with everything Nicci said. "You mean, you want to take me away so that 1 can't fight against the Imperial Order?"

Her brow twitched. "If you wish to think of it in those terms, I admit it is true that your time as the leader of the D'Haran Empire is over. But that is not the point. The point is that everything about your life up until now"-Nicci glanced pointedly at Kahlan-"is over."

Her words seemed to chill the air. They surely chilled Richard.

"What's the rest of it?" He knew there had to be more, something that would make sense of it all. "What other terms are there if I want to keep Kahlan alive?"

"Well, no one is to follow us, of course."

"And if we do?" Kahlan snapped. "I might follow you and kill you myself, even if it means the end of my own life." Kahlan's green eyes shone with icy resolve as she cast a threatening glare on the woman.

Nicci lifted her brows deliberately as she leaned ever so slightly toward Kahlan, the way a mother would in cautioning a child. "Then that will be the end of it unless Richard stops you from doing such a thing. That is all part of what he must decide to do. But you make a miscalculation if you think I care one way or the other. 1 don't, you see. Not at all."

"What is it you intend me to do?" Richard said, pulling Nicci, s unsettlingly calm gaze from Kahlan. "What if I get where you're taking me, and I don't do as you wish?"

"You misunderstand, Richard, if you believe that I have some preconceived notion of what it is I wish you to do. I don't. You will do as you wish, I imagine."

"As I wish?"

"Well, naturally you won't be allowed to return to your people." She tossed her head, flicking back strands of her long blond hair that the wind had pulled across in front of her blue eyes. Her gaze never left his. "And I suppose if you were to be in some way impossibly and defiantly contrary, then in that case, such would obviously be an answer in and of itself. It would be a shame, of course, but I would then have no use for you. I would kill you."

"You would have no further use? You mean Jagang would have no further use."

"No." Once again, Nicci looked surprised. "I do not act on behalf of His Excellency." She tapped her lower lip. "You see? I removed the ring he put through my lip marking me as his slave. I do this on behalf of myself."

A yet more disturbing thought surfaced. "How is it that he can't enter your mind? That he can't control you?"

"You don't need me to answer that question, Richard Rahl."

It made no sense to him; the bond to the Lord Rahl worked for those loyal to him. He could see no way that this could be construed as an act of loyalty. This was unequivocally an act of aggression and against his will; the bond shouldn't work for her. He reasoned that perhaps Jagang was in her mind and she unaware of it. The thought occurred to him that maybe Jagang was in her mind, and it had driven her insane.

"Look," Richard said, feeling like they weren't even speaking the same language, "I don't know what you think-"

"Enough talk. We are leaving."

Her blue eyes watched him without anger. It almost seemed to Richard that for Nicci, Kahlan anal Cara were not there.

"This doesn't make any sense. You want me to go with you, but you aren't acting on behalf of Jagang. If that's true, then-"

"I believe I've made it as clear as possible and quite simple, besides.

If you wish to be free, you may kill me at any opportunity. If you do, Kahlan will also die. Those are your only two choices. Although I believe I know what you will do, I am in no way certain. Two paths now lie before you.

You must take one."

Richard could hear Cara's angry breath behind him. She was a coiled spring ready to strike. Fearing she might do something of irredeemable harm, he lifted his hand just to be sure she knew he meant for her to stay behind him.

"Oh, and one additional matter, should you think to resort to some plot or treachery, or, for that matter, refuse to do the simple things I ask of you: through the spell that joins us, I can at any time end Kahlan's life. I have but to will it. It is not necessary for me to die. She lives every day from now on only by my grace, and thus yours.

"I wish her no harm, and have no feelings one way or the other about her life. In fact, if anything, I wish it to be long. She has brought you a measure of happiness, and in return for that, I hope she will not have to forfeit her life. But then, you have some influence over that by your behavior."

Nicci cast a deliberate glare over Richard's shoulder, to Cara. She then reached out and with her fingers gently wiped blood from his mouth. She finished cleaning his chin with her thumb. "Your MordSith has hurt you. I can help you if you wish."

"No."

"Very well." She wiped her bloody fingers clean on the skirt of her black dress. "Unless you want to risk other people causing Kahlan's death without your intending it, I suggest you insure that others don't act without your consent. Mord-Sith are resourceful and determined women. I respect their devotion to duty. However, if your Mord-Sith follows us-and my magic will tell me if she does-Kahlan will die."

"And just how will I know Kahlan is all right? We could get a mile away from here, and you could use that magic link to kill her. I would never know."

Nicci's brow creased together. She looked genuinely puzzled.

"Why would I do that?"

A storm of rage and panic pushed his emotions first one way, and then the other. "Why are you doing any of this!"

She regarded him in silent curiosity for a moment. "I have my reasons.

I'm sorry, Richard, that you must suffer in this. Making you suffer is not my purpose. I give you my word that I will not harm Kahlan without informing you."

"You expect me to believe your word?"

"I've told you the truth. I have no reason to lie to you. In time, you will come to understand everything better. Kahlan will come to no harm from me as long as I am safe, and you come with me."

For reasons he couldn't fathom, Richard found himself believing her.

She seemed dead honest and completely sure of herself, as if she had reasoned it all out a thousand times.

He didn't believe that Nicci was telling him everything. She was making it simple so that he could grasp the important elements and have an easier time deciding what to do. Whatever the rest of it was, it couldn't be as devastating as this much of it. The thought of being taken from Kahlan was agony, but he would do almost anything to save her life. Nicci knew that.