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  　Samuel laid his long-fingered hand on the latch to the spirit house. ‘Pretty lady waits here. With me. Mistress wants only Seeker.’

  　‘Richard, I’m going in too,’ Kahlan said firmly.

  　He gave her a sidelong glance and then looked at Samuel. ‘Open the door.’

  　One powerful arm drew the door back, as shining yellow eyes glowered at him. Richard held his sword out, indicating that he wanted her to go in. The door squeaked closed behind them, with a sour-faced Samuel on the other side.

  　In the center of the room sat a tall, elegant throne. Torchlight danced and flared on the carved, gold-leaf vines, snakes, cats, and other beasts that covered every inch of the stately structure. A canopy draped with heavy red brocade and trimmed with gold tassels jutted out overhead. The throne itself sat atop three square, white marble platforms that served as steps. The whole thing was massive and imposing. Tufted red velvet covered the seat, the back, and the tops of the arms. Kahlan couldn’t imagine how it could have possibly fit through the door. Or how many men it must have taken to carry it.

  　Shota sat regally, her impassive almond eyes watching Richard. She reclined slightly, against the red velvet, one leg crossed over the other, her arms resting on the chair’s high, wide-spaced arms, with hands draped haughtily over gold gargoyles. The gargoyles licked her wrists while she clicked one long, lacquered fingernail against a thumbnail. Luxuriant auburn hair cascaded over her shoulders.

  　Shota redirected her ageless eyes to Kahlan. The long, rock-solid gaze felt as if it paralyzed her, penetrated her. A red, white, and black banded snake slumped down, hanging from the canopy. It flicked its tongue at Kahlan, hissing, and then dropped into Shota’s lap, coiling up like a contented cat.

  　It was a message to say that she had not been invited, and was now warned of what would happen if Shota became displeased. Kahlan swallowed, trying not to let it show. After what seemed an eternity, and after the witch woman seemed satisfied that the message was understood, she turned her unblinking eyes back to Richard.

  　‘Put your sword away, Richard.’ Shota’s voice was like 【创建和谐家园】ooth velvet rubbed the right way. Kahlan didn’t think it was fair that anyone that beautiful should also be graced with a voice that could melt butter, or a man’s heart.

  　‘From the impression you left when we parted, I fear you might try to kill me.’ His voice, also, was annoyingly 【创建和谐家园】ooth.

  　‘If I decide to kill you, my dear boy, and I may, your sword will not help you.’ Richard suddenly yelped and dropped the sword as if it was a hot coal. He stared down at the sword as he comforted his hand. ‘Now, put it away.’ That time the quality of her voice was more of velvet rubbed the wrong way.

  　From under his eyebrows, Richard looked up at Shota on her throne, before bending to retrieve his sword and slide it back into its scabbard.

  　A self-satisfied 【创建和谐家园】ile spread across Shota’s full lips. She lifted the snake from her lap and set it aside. Shota watched Richard a moment longer and then stood, leaning forward enough in the process to offer her breasts the opportunity to fall out of her wispy, low-cut, variegated gray dress. How they managed not to, Kahlan didn’t know. A little stoppered bottle tumbled from its snug place between her breasts and swung on a fine silver chain.

  　Kahlan’s face heated as Shota gracefully descended the three platforms, never taking her eyes from Richard. The loose points of the dress floated gently, as if in a light breeze. But there was no breeze inside the spirit house.

  　That fabric, Kahlan decided, was definitely too thin for a dress. She wondered what she would look like in it, and blushed at the mental image.

  　Once standing on the ground, Shota turned and pulled the stopper from the little bottle. The entire throne wavered, like something seen through heat waves. Abruptly it turned to gray 【创建和谐家园】oke and swirled in a circle, diminishing all the time in size, and sucked itself into a fine line that went into the little bottle. Shota replaced the stopper, tucked the bottle back between her breasts, and with a finger, pushed it so far down it could no longer be seen. Kahlan took a deep, noisy breath.

  　Shota’s gaze glided from Richard’s eyes and took in his open shirt with what might have been amusement. Or satisfaction. Richard’s face reddened.

  　Shota’s 【创建和谐家园】ile widened. ‘How delightfully indecent.’ She ran one of her long, red nails all the way down his chest to his navel, and then she gently patted his stomach. ‘Button your shirt, Richard, or I may forget why I’m here.’

  　His face turned a deeper red. Kahlan moved deliberately closer to his side as he began redoing the buttons.

  　‘Shota,’ he said as he tucked the tails in his pants, ‘I have to thank you. You may not know it, but you really helped me before. Helped me to figure it out.’

  　‘It was my intention to help you.’

  　‘You don’t understand. I mean you helped me figure out how to be with Kahlan. You helped me figure out how we could be together. How to love her.’ He 【创建和谐家园】iled. ‘We’re going to be married.’

  　There was a moment of icy silence.

  　That’s right,’ Kahlan said, holding her chin up, ‘we love each other ... and can be together now ... Forever.’ She hated the way Shota made her feel explanations were necessary, and the way she fumbled with them.

  　Shota’s intense gaze slid to her and her 【创建和谐家园】ile slowly evaporated, making Kahlan have to swallow again. ‘You ignorant children,’ Shota whispered as she slowly shook her head. ‘You foolish, ignorant children.’

  　Richard’s expression was becoming heated. ‘We may be ignorant, but we are not children, and we love each other. And we are going to be married. I was hoping you would be happy for us, Shota, since you played a 【创建和谐家园】all part in it.’

  　‘What I told you, dear boy, was that you needed to kill her.’

  　‘But that’s all over,’ Kahlan protested. The problem has been solved. It’s all right for us now. Everything is all right.’

  　Kahlan gasped as she felt her feet lift off the ground. Both she and Richard were flung across the room and up against the wall. The impact knocked the wind from her lungs. Little points of light floated and danced before her eyes. She looked down, trying to clear her vision.

  　She and Richard were flattened against the mud-brick wall, a good three feet off the ground. She could hardly breathe. The only thing she could move was her head. Even her clothes were flattened. Her cloak lay against the wall as if it were the floor. Richard was as helpless as she. They both struggled, twisting their heads, but it was useless; they were stuck tight.

  　Shota glided across the room toward them, her eyes hot and dangerous. She stopped in front of Kahlan. ‘He didn’t need to kill you? And it’s all right now, is it, Mother Confessor?’

  　‘Yes,’ Kahlan managed, trying to sound confident as she hung helpless.

  　‘Did it ever occur to you, Mother Confessor, that perhaps there are reasons behind what I say?’

  　‘Yes, but that has all...’

  　‘Did it ever occur to you, Mother Confessor, that there is a reason why Confessors are not supposed to love their mates? And perhaps another reason he should have killed you?’

  　Kahlan couldn’t answer. Her mind raced with frantic thoughts.

  　‘What are you talking about?’ Richard demanded.

  　Shota ignored him. ‘Did it, Mother Confessor?’

  　Kahlan’s throat was so dry, she had to swallow twice before she could speak. ‘What do you mean? What reason?’

  　‘Have you lain with this man you love? Have you done that yet, Mother Confessor?’

  　It was Kahlan’s turn to blush. ‘What kind of question is that to ask someone!’

  　‘Answer the question, Mother Confessor,’ Shota hissed, ‘or I will skin you right now and use your hide to make myself something pretty. I am of a mind to do it anyway. You had better not even think of lying to me.’

  　‘I ... We ... No! And what business is it of yours anyway!’

  　Shota stepped closer. Her eyes sent a silent shriek through Kahlan. ‘Maybe you’d better think twice before you do, Mother Confessor.’

  　‘What do you mean?’ she breathed, wide-eyed.

  　Shota folded her arms across her breasts. Her voice became more menacing. ‘Confessors are not supposed to love their mates, because if they bear a male child, she has to ask the hu【创建和谐家园】and to kill the baby. The hu【创建和谐家园】and is supposed to have been taken by the Confessor’s power, so that he will do whatever she asks. Without question.’

  　‘But ...’

  　Shota stepped even closer, her eyes filled with fury. ‘If you love him, how could you ask that of him! How could you ask Richard to kill his son? Do you think he would? Would you? Would you kill the son of the man you love? Would you, Mother Confessor?’

  　Shota’s words knifed into Kahlan’s heart and soul, leaving her barely able to whisper the answer. ‘No.’

  　She felt her hopes and happiness collapsing. In the joy of finding she could be with Richard, she hadn’t given any thought to the future. To the consequences. To children. She had thought only of Richard and her being together.

  　Shota was screaming at her. ‘And then what, Mother Confessor! You will raise him? And you will visit upon the world a male Confessor? A male Confessor!’ She unfolded her arms, her white-knuckled fists dropping to her sides. ‘You will bring the world to the dark times again! The dark times! Because of you! Because you love this man! Did you ever think of that, you ignorant child?’