Wizard's First Rule

In front of the boxes, with his back to them, stood Darken Rahl. Zedd raged at seeing the one who had harmed Richard. The sunlight coming straight down from the glass roof lit the white robes and long blond hair, making them glow. Rahl stood gazing at the boxes, his prizes.

Zedd felt his face heat. How had Rahl found the last box? How had he gotten it? He dismissed the questions; they were irrelevant. The question was what to do now. With all three, Rahl could open one. Zedd watched Kahlan as she stared across at Darken Rahl. If she could in fact touch Rahl with her power, they would be saved, but he doubted that she had the necessary power. In this palace, especially in this room, Zedd could feel that-his own power was virtually useless. The whole place was one giant spell against any wizard but a Rahl. If Darken Rahl was to be stopped, only Kahlan could do it. He felt the Blood Rage emanating from her, the seething fury.

Kahlan started across the grass. Zedd and Chase followed, but when they had almost reached the sand opposite Rahl, she turned and placed a hand on the wizard's chest.

"Both of you will wait here."

Zedd felt the wrath in her eyes, and understood it because he shared it. He, too, felt the pain of losing Richard.

When Zedd's head came up, he was staring into the blue eyes of Darken Rahl. They held each other's gaze a moment. Rahl's eyes shifted to Kahlan as she walked around the circle of sand, her countenance dead calm.

Chase leaned closer and whispered, "What are we going to do if this doesn't work?"

"We are going to die."

Zedd's hopes lifted when he saw the look of alarm on Darken Rahl's face. Alarm, and fear, at seeing Kahlan painted with the twin lightning bolts of the Con Dar. Zedd smiled. Darken Rahl hadn't counted on that, and appeared to be frightened by it.

The alarm turned to action. As Kahlan approached, Darken Rahl suddenly drew the Sword of Truth. It hissed coming out, and it came out white. He held it out, stopping Kahlan at its point

They were too close to be stopped now. Zedd had to help her, help her use the only thing that could save them. The wizard used every bit of strength he had, which wasn't as much as he wished, and threw a bolt of lightning across the white sorcerer's sand. He drained all his power into it. The blue lightning hit the sword, knocking it from Rahl's hands. It flew through the air, landing a good distance away. Darken Rahl screamed something to Zedd, then turned to Kahlan, speaking to her, but neither could understand him.

Darken Rahl backed away as Kahlan advanced. He bumped into the altar, able to back away no farther. He ran his fingers through his hair as Kahlan stopped in front of him.

Zedd's smile faded. Something was wrong. The way Rahl ran his fingers through his hair sparked his memory.

The Mother Confessor reached out and seized Darken Rahl by the throat. "This is for Richard."

Zedd's eyes went wide. Ice flashed through him. He understood what was wrong. He gasped in recognition.

That wasn't Darken Rahl.

Zedd screamed. "Kahlan, no! Stop! That's…"

There was an impact to the air, thunder with no sound. The leaves on the trees about shuddered. The grass shook in a wave, radiating outward.

… Richard!" Too late, the wizard realized the truth. Pain gripped him.

"Mistress," he whispered, falling to his knees before her.

Zedd stood frozen. Despair crushed the elation of Richard being alive. A vine-covered door in a wall to the side opened. The real Darken Rahl emerged, followed by Michael and two big guards. Kahlan blinked in confusion.

The enemy web wavered, and in a shimmer of light the one who had been Darken Rahl was returned to who he really was. Richard.

Kahlan's eyes went wide in horror as she backed away. The power of the Con Dar faltered, and extinguished. She screamed in anguish at what she had done.

The two guards stepped behind her. Chase reached up for his sword. He was frozen in place before his hand reached it. Zedd brought his hands up, but there was no power left. Nothing happened. He ran for — them, but before he could take two steps, he hit an invisible wall. He was encased in it, held like a prisoner in a stone cell. He railed in rage at his own stupidity.

At seeing what she had done, Kahlan yanked a knife from the belt of a guard. With a cry of anguish, she held it up in both hands to plunge it into herself.

Michael grabbed her from behind, twisted the knife from her hands, and held it to her throat. Richard launched himself in a fury at his brother but crashed into an invisible wall and was knocked back. Kahlan had expended all her energy in the Con Dar, and was too weak to fight back; she collapsed in tears. One of the guards tied a gag to her mouth, preventing her from even mumbling Richard's name.

Richard, on his knees, fell against Darken Rahl, gripping his robes, pleading up to him. "Don't hurt her! Please. Don't hurt her."