Wasteland

22

Richard lifted his arm out to the side to keep Kahlan and Shale back. He could tell by the route they had taken that they were near the heart of the spell-form. They all felt the increased sense of danger.

He wanted to carefully peek around the corner to see what lay ahead, and he didn’t want either Shale or Kahlan showing themselves. Not that they were going to be able to sneak up on the witch man. He obviously knew they were coming after him. Besides whatever gifted ability he might have, their mere presence made the light spheres begin to glow. Even with their faint green glow off down the halls, it was hard to see, because the stone walls of the passages in the complication were so dark it seemed to suck up the light.

While the lights beginning to illuminate made it possible to see, it would also alert anyone to their presence, which made stealth impossible.

Even before looking, Richard felt something. He couldn’t quite determine what it was he felt, but it gave him a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He decided that the feeling had to be from the continual state of heightened tension. His grandfather would have told him to fear what he knew, not what he was afraid of. But Zedd hadn’t ever given him any advice on complication spells or witch men.

Richard slowly moved his head out just enough so that he could see down the dark passageway with one eye.

In the faint green glow, he saw something down low far off down the dark stone hallway. He couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

As he squinted, he suddenly realized what it was he was looking at.

Richard let out a curse under his breath. He held up a finger without looking back to prevent Kahlan asking what would have made him use that kind of language.

As slowly and quietly as possible, Richard drew his sword. The gleaming black blade hissed with lethal fury as it came out of the scabbard, its power joining with his own rising anger, eager to be unleashed on the enemy. It was a contest as to what lusted to kill Michec more, Richard’s rage or the sword’s.

Kahlan leaned in close behind him. “What is it?” she whispered.

He looked back over his shoulder. “I think I see the Mord-Sith.”

“You think?” Shale asked.

“What about Michec?” Kahlan whispered. “Do you see him?”

Richard peered into the distance, then looked back over his shoulder. “No. There is a broad opening of some kind. It’s a lot wider than a doorway or an intersection with a hall. There is light coming from inside—light from light spheres. That means there has to be someone inside. I’ll give you one guess as to who that would be.”

“No need to guess,” Shale said. “Not only can I smell him, I can sense him with my gift. I can sense how powerful he is. Let me tell you, it’s an uncomfortable feeling.”

“I know,” Richard said. “I feel it too. Stay behind, and out of the way of my sword. If I can get close enough, I intend to separate Michec’s head from the rest of him.”

“Do you think it’s a good idea to simply go in there?” Kahlan asked.

“Not really, but I doubt he is going to come out and surrender. I don’t know how else we will have any chance of eliminating him other than going in there after him. Since he conjured fire, that means he can defend against it, so I can’t burn him out.”

With Kahlan and Shale following close on his heels, Richard came out from around the corner and moved carefully but swiftly down the hallway. He looked back from time to time, as did the other two, checking for any threat from the rear. He didn’t see the witch man anywhere, but he couldn’t yet see into the room. It was likely he was hiding inside.

As they reached the broad opening of the vast room, lit from within, they found what Richard feared he had seen.

The five Mord-Sith were lined up on their knees just in front of the broad entrance, each with both hands held out, their Agiel resting in their upturned palms.

Keeping an eye on the room beyond, Richard touched Berdine’s shoulder, the first of the five kneeling side by side in a row. She didn’t react. He urgently whispered her name as he waved his hand in front of her eyes. She didn’t so much as blink. He shook her shoulder; she didn’t react.

“Any idea what he’s done to them?” he asked Shale.

Shale knelt in front of Berdine and placed her hands to either side of her head. Berdine stared ahead without seeing, without blinking, without moving. After bowing her head a moment, Shale finally stood and let out a troubled sigh.

“Nothing. I sense nothing. They might as well be statues.”

“How is that even possible?” Richard frowned at her. “What does it mean?”

Shale regretfully shook her head. “He has somehow blanked them out. That’s the only way I can explain it. Berdine doesn’t give off any sign of life. I can see that they are alive, but I can feel no sign of life in her. Despite their eyes being open, they are not conscious.”

Kahlan gently shook Berdine’s shoulder. There was no reaction from the Mord-Sith.

“The only way you are going to get them back is if you can get Michec to release them,” Shale told them. “They are captives of his power.”

“What if I simply kill him?”

Shale shrugged. “That would work.”

Richard couldn’t imagine what the witch man could have done to make the five Mord-Sith kneel and offer their Agiel.

He really didn’t want Kahlan coming with him, but there was little choice—he judged it more dangerous to leave her behind. Michec would probably love to catch her alone and capture her. That would give him even more power over Richard.

“Can you do anything to block what he can do?” he asked Shale.

Her hopeless look told him all there was to know.

“If I can get close enough, I can use my Confessor’s power on him,” Kahlan said. “That would render him harmless.”

“With his ability, he’d likely incapacitate you the way he did the Mord-Sith,” Shale told her. “I don’t know if it would even work on him, but you would never get the chance to try.”

“Just stay clear of my sword,” Richard said as he made his way past the five unmoving, kneeling Mord-Sith. “Shale, if you can do anything to slow him or hinder his ability, please do.”