Into Darkness

41

Kahlan instantly recognized that this was her last chance, and despite her paralyzing fear of the snakes slithering all over her and the sleepiness incrementally tightening its grip on her, she had to take it. She didn’t know if Shota would let her snakes bite Kahlan, but she had no other choice but to act.

The white snake turned its big head to look at her, its red tongue flicking out. It was frightening seeing such a deadly creature up close.

Before it was too late, quick as a crack of lightning, Kahlan ignored her revulsion and snatched the white snake right behind its head. As she turned it and thrust it out, its mouth opened wide, exposing long fangs as sharp as needles.

Kahlan slammed the snake against Shota’s neck before she had time to react. The fangs instantly sank in deep, hitting the main vein. Even though it already had its fangs in, Kahlan held it there, pressing the head against the witch’s neck. She felt the snake’s powerful muscles flex as it worked its mouth to pump venom into the jugular vein.

The witch woman stumbled back with a shriek of shock and fear. The white snake had its fangs fastened in her neck and was pulled away from Kahlan’s grip as Shota staggered back. She grabbed at her throat, weakly trying to claw the snake away. As she did, it whipped coils of its white body around her arm and neck, preventing her from pulling it away from her.

There was no faster way for the venom to get to Shota’s heart than the vein in her neck. Because that was where the venom entered her bloodstream, it acted all that much faster than it otherwise would have. Her heart would circulate it quickly to her brain and through the rest of her.

Niska gasped in shock at seeing what had just happened. She stopped chanting and quickly stepped out of the way as Shota stumbled back, both hands fighting the thrashing white snake that had her by the throat. Without the chanted words, the circle of mist began to evaporate, losing its grip of sleepiness on Kahlan.

Shota collapsed with the snake’s fangs still sunk deep into her throat. She mumbled something in the delirium of the lethal venom pumping through her body. Her hands fell away from the snake even as it continued to flex and pump venom into her.

Shota gasped once, deep and desperate, and then the breath left her lungs with a sickening rattle. After that breath had gurgled out, she lay still and breathed no more.

Kahlan realized that the snakes that had been crawling all over her were gone. They had died out with the witch woman who had conjured them.

She stood stunned at how fast it had all happened. Grasping the relevance of the white snake, the near-instant crystallization of a plan, and the execution of that plan had all happened in a flash.

She blinked in surprise as Shale raced up and threw her arms around her.

“Mother Confessor! You understood! I was so hoping that you would realize that the white snake was mine.”

In gratitude and relief, Kahlan embraced her tightly for a moment.

“I remembered the white snakes from when you used them before, on the Glee.”

Shale pushed back and grinned at Kahlan. “That’s right. I was hoping you would remember. Shota’s power prevented me from using my gift against her—any magic used against her would only have reflected back to me. This was the only chance I could see to help you, so I had to take that chance while Shota was so focused on the snakes she had conjured. I knew she would have to watch what Niska was doing as well as make sure her snakes didn’t recklessly bite you, or the babies would die as well. I knew she wouldn’t want that to happen.”

Niska came close and put a hand on Kahlan’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Mother Confessor. I never wanted to be part of this. I would never have wanted to hurt you. Shota forced me to be part of her coven and do her bidding.”

Kahlan nodded, tears in her eyes with happiness for her twins. “I know.”

Kahlan circled an arm around Niska’s thin shoulders and pulled her tight in a quick hug to let her know that she understood and didn’t blame her.