Into Darkness

38

As Nea shot past, Kahlan turned to see all the rest of the witch women, including Shota, getting to their feet, most of them groaning in pain from being so close when Kahlan had unleashed her power.

Nea, screaming in single-minded, lethal fury, raced through some and leaped over others as she bolted toward Shota.

Unlike the others, who were slowly struggling up, Shota, who had also been knocked from her feet, swiftly swirled around as she rose with the grace of silk billowing in a breeze. The flaps and folds of her variegated gray dress whirled with her like trails of smoke behind the flames of a torch as she advanced in a blur with otherworldly speed.

Kahlan blinked and there was Shota abruptly standing before the advancing Nea. Nea was still screaming, intent only on carrying out Kahlan’s command.

She lifted her fist with the knife to drive it into her former leader.

Before the knife made it to Shota, Shota calmly tapped Nea’s forehead once with a finger.

Nea instantly stopped dead in her tracks. At the same time, all of her blackened and cracked the way a log in a fire turns black and checkers into pieces before it falls apart. All of those black chunks one moment made a very odd-looking Nea, and the next moment crumbled like coals collapsing in a blaze. In mere seconds, all that was left of a totally committed Nea was a heap of glowing embers.

Kahlan could hardly believe that just that quick, Nea was no more. She supposed she was actually no more the instant Kahlan’s power had taken her mind, but still, this was a disturbing development. One second there was about to be a battle, and then the next second it was over. Of course, Kahlan hadn’t thought that killing Shota would be as easy as simply ordering Nea to kill her, but she had hoped that it would result in a longer battle that would allow her to escape.

That was not to be.

Beyond Shota and the blackened, crumbled remains of Nea spilled all over the ground, Kahlan saw all the rest of the wide-eyed witch women, including Shale, standing close together, shrinking back in horror at having seen both Shota’s power and Kahlan’s used in such horrifying fashion, to say nothing of having also just seen four of their sister witches die violently in a matter of seconds.

The four dead witches had been vicious and seemed to enjoy their roles in Shota’s scheme and as Kahlan’s captors, glad to inflict whatever pain that control required or was commanded by Shota. It was apparent from the way the rest of them in the background stared that they were not nearly so eager for battle. Faced with such savage power unleashed so swiftly, and with such devastating results, they all had to fear that any of them might be next.

Kahlan knew that Shale, at least, was not there by her own wishes, but by Shota’s command. She wondered if it was the same for any of the others.

Shota gracefully stepped around the smoldering remains of her former second-in-command and came to a halt in front of Kahlan.

“Well, well, Mother Confessor, it seems you have managed to break the coven.” She tipped her head close and spoke in a low, deadly voice. “But in so doing, you have lost the ability to use your power again until you recover your strength, and we both know that will take a while. In the meantime, you have left yourself defenseless against my abilities.” She gestured back at the smoldering ashes. “Abilities which, I believe you now realize, need no coven.”

“Wars are rarely won in a single battle, or a single victory,” Kahlan said. “It may take a while before my power recovers, but that power will soon enough return. On the other hand, you have lost the power of coven for good.” Kahlan arched an eyebrow. “Unless you have four more witches hiding in your pocket?”

A slow smile came to Shota’s full lips. “Nea was a very, very good witch, but she made the mistake of underestimating you. I don’t make those kinds of foolish mistakes.”

Kahlan didn’t try to outsmile the witch woman. “Then you had best let me go, before I regain the ability to call on my Confessor power again.”

Shota glared. “That isn’t going to happen.”

Kahlan shrugged. “Then you will have to kill me before my power recovers and I have you on your knees at my feet, begging for me to command you. So go ahead and turn me to a pile of smoldering coals as you did your trusted right-hand witch. I wouldn’t delay long, were I you. I was named Mother Confessor in part because my ability recovers quickly.”

Shota’s smile returned and widened. Kahlan thought it looked almost like a smile of admiration.

“Kill you? I told you before, my dear, I don’t intend to kill you. You are far too valuable to the world. No, you will come with me down into Agaden Reach, where you will rest in comfort and security until you deliver your two children. After that, you will be allowed to go off on your way.”

“And how do you think you could possibly accomplish such a feat before I am able to use my power again and I kill you?”

Shota dismissed the notion with a gesture. “It took a great deal of time and trouble to assemble the witches needed to form a coven, and you may have broken that gathering, but you make a serious mistake thinking that weakens me to the point of being helpless against you and your power. I have not only my own power, but the power of the witch women behind me that I can link should I need to.”

“Then you best do it soon,” Kahlan warned.

The witch woman’s smile changed from admonishment to amusement. “You are correct, Mother Confessor. Wars aren’t usually won in a single victory, and although you don’t seem yet to grasp it, you are destined to lose this war.”

“I don’t believe in destiny.”

Shota sighed, weary of the game. She ran the tip of her finger along Kahlan’s jaw.

“Maybe you are right, Mother Confessor, but I have made plans enough to predetermine that the outcome will be as I wish it.”

Kahlan felt something abruptly tighten around her ankles. Without looking down, she tried, but couldn’t move her feet. She was too angry to let herself panic.

“Clever trick, Shota. But I will soon end this war with you once and for all.”

Shota arched an eyebrow. “I’m afraid you will never get that chance. You see, before you can recover your ability to use your power, you will be spelled into a deep and peaceful sleep and then taken the rest of the way down to my home, where you will not awaken before you give birth. Once you do, then I will kill those two children, as I have told you I would.

“I have given you enough chances to be reasonable for the greater good. For my own safety, since you have now vowed to kill me with your power once it recovers, after you give birth and your children have been killed, you will have to be put down for good. You will never recover from that peaceful sleep.”

“You’re a liar,” Kahlan said.

“Do tell,” Shota said, indulgently.

“You may indeed plan to kill me after I give birth—as you have actually planned all along—but you have no intention of killing my two children. None.”