Terry Goodkind - Blood of the Fold

She clutched his robes in a fist. “Zedd, we have to do this.”

He turned his worried eyes to her. “I know. But the ones who wove this web had Subtractive Magic. I have only Additive. I’ve tried everything I know. The web around this place is stable beyond my ability to breach. It can’t be done. I’m sorry.”

“I’ve woven a light web in the palace. It can be done.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t weave one, I said I can’t get it to ignite. Not down here in the node, anyway.”

“You tried to ignite it! Are you crazy?”

He shrugged. “Act of desperation, remember? I had my suspicious about it working, so I had to test it. Good thing I did, or we would have thought it would work. It won’t. It will ignite only for life. It won’t expand and consume the spell.”

Ann sagged. “At least if anyone goes in there, hopefully Jagang, it will kill them. Until they discover it, anyway, and then they will drain the shield and have the vaults to do with as they will.”

“It will cost them dearly. I’ve left a few ‘tricks’ of my own in their. The place is a death trap.”

“Is there nothing else we can do?”

“It’s big enough to take down the entire palace, but I can’t set it off. If these Sisters of the Dark really can wield Subtractive Magic, as you say, we could ask one of them if they would try to ignite the light web for us.”

Ann nodded. “That’s all we can do, then. We have to hope the things you left in there will kill them. Even if we can’t destroy the palace, maybe that will be enough.” She took Holly’s hand. “We had better get out of here. Nathan will be waiting. We must escape before Jagang arrives, or the Sisters discover us.”

When she saw the flash of steel in the moonlight, Verna ducked behind a stone bench. The sounds of battle rolled up the lawns toward her from lower down on the palace grounds. Some of the others had told her that the crimson-caped soldiers had arrived not long ago to join with the Imperial Order, but they now seemed bent on killing everyone in sight.

Two men in the crimson capes raced up out of the darkness. From the other direction, where she had seen the flash of steel, someone sprang out and in an instant had cut them down.

“It’s two of the Blood,” a woman’s voice whispered. The voice sounded familiar. “Come on, Adie.”

Another thin form emerged from the shadows. The woman had used a sword, and Verna had her Han to defend herself. She took a chance, and stood.

“Who is it? Show yourself.”

Moonlight glinted off the sword as it rose. “Who wants to know?”

She hoped she wasn’t taking a foolish chance, but there were friends among the women here. Still, she kept a firm grip on her dacra.

“It’s Verna.”

The shadowed figure paused. “Verna? Sister Verna?”

“Yes. Who is it,” she whispered back.

“Kahlan Amnell.”

“Kahlan! It can’t be.” Verna rushed out into the moonlight and lurched to a halt before the woman. “Dear Creator, it is.” Verna threw her arms around her. “Oh, Kahlan. I was so worried you were killed.”

“Verna, you can’t know how glad I am to see a friendly face.”

“Who is it with you?”

An old woman stepped closer. “A long time, it has been, but I still remember you well, Sister Verna.”

Verna stared, trying to place the face of the old woman, “I’m sorry, but I don’t recognise you.”

“I be Adie. I was here for a time, fifty years ago, in my youth.”

Verna’s eyebrows went up. “Adie! I remember Adie.”

Verna left unsaid that she remembered Adie as a rather young woman. She had learned long ago not to say such things aloud; those from the outside world lived by a different pace of time.

“I think you may remember my name, but not my face. It be a long time ago.” Adie embraced Verna in a warm hug. “You be one I remember. You be kind to me when I be here.”

Kahlan interrupted the brief reminiscing. “Verna, what’s going on here? We were brought here by the Blood of the Fold, and have just managed to escape. We have to get out of here, but it seems the place is erupting in battle.”

“It’s a long story, and I have no time right now to tell it all. I’m not sure I even know it all. But you’re right, we must escape at once. The Sisters of the Dark have taken the palace, and Emperor Jagang of the Imperial Order is due to arrive at any time. I have to get the Sisters of the Light away from here at once. Come with us?”

Kahlan scanned the lawns for trouble. “All right, but I have to go get Ahern. He’s been steadfast; I can’t leave him behind. He’ll be wanting to get his team and coach, if I know Ahern.”

“I still have Sisters out collecting all those loyal.” Verna said. “We’re to meet just over there, on the other side of that wall. The guard hiding on the other side, beside the gate, is loyal to Richard, as are all the rest guarding the gates in that wall. His name is Kevin. He can be trusted. When you get back, just tell him you’re a friend of Richard. It’s a code he knows. He’ll let you into the compound.”

“Loyal to Richard?”

“Yes. Hurry. I have to go inside to get a friend out. You can’t let your man bring his team through this way, though; the palace grounds are becoming a battlefield. He’ll never make it.

“The stables are at the north end. That’s the way we’re leaving. I have Sisters guarding the small bridge there. Have him head north to the first farm on the right with a stone wall around the garden. That’s our secondary meeting place, and it’s secure. For the moment, anyway.”

“I’ll hurry,” Kahlan said.

Verna caught her arm. “We can’t wait for you if you don’t get back here in time. I must get a friend and then we must escape.”

“I don’t expect you to wait. Don’t worry, I have to get away, too. I think I’m the bait to draw Richard here.”

“Richard!”

“Another long story, but I have to get away before they can use me to lure him here.”

The night suddenly lit, as if by silent lightning, except it didn’t go out like lightning. They all turned to the southeast and saw massive balls of flame boiling up into the night sky. Thick black smoke billowed into the air. It seemed the entire harbor was aflame. Huge ships were thrown into the air atop colossal columns of water.

The ground suddenly shook, and at the same time the air boomed with the rumbling sound of distant explosions.

“Dear spirits,” Kahlan said. “What’s going on?” She glanced about. “We’re running out of time. Adie, stay with the Sisters. I hope to be back soon.”

“I can get the Rada’Han off,” Verna called out, but too late. Kahlan had already dashed away into the shadows.

Verna took Adie’s arm. “Come on. I’ll take you to some of the other Sisters behind the wall. One of them will get that thing off you while I go inside.”

Verna’s heart pounded as she slipped through the halls inside the prophet’s compound after leaving Adie with the others. As she moved deeper into the dark halls, she braced herself for the possibility that Warren was dead. She didn’t know what they had done to him, or if they had decided to simply eliminate him. She didn’t think she could endure it if she were to find his body.

No. Jagang wanted a prophet to help him with the books. Ann had warned her, what seemed ages ago, to get him away at once.

The thought entered her mind that maybe Ann wanted her to get Warren away to keep the Sisters of the Dark from killing him because he knew too much. She put the troubling thoughts from her mind as she scanned the halls for any sign that a Sister of the Dark might have slipped into the building to hide from the battle.