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He lifted an eyebrow。 ‘Really？ Well then； since we set you back to right； we will just have to do the same for me； too。’
Richard drew his hand down his jaw； again pulling the power from the calm center。
Kahlan gasped in astonishment。 ‘Richard！ It’s gone！ Your beard is gone！ You made it vanish！ How did you do that！’
‘I have the gift for both sides of the magic。’
She blinked in surprise。 ‘Subtractive Magic？ Richard； is any of this real； or am I just dreaming it？’
And then he kissed her； long and deep。
‘Feels real to me；’ he said breathlessly。
‘Richard； I’m afraid。 You’re with the Sisters。 I will never again be able to be with you。 I can’t go on if you are going to be taken from 。。。’
‘I’m not with the Sisters。 I’m in Aydindril。’
‘Aydindril！’
He nodded。 ‘I left the Palace of the Prophets。 Sister Verna helped me。 Then I had to go to D’Hara。’
Richard told her everything that had happened since he had left her； and she told him all she had been through。 Richard could hardly believe the things she had done。
‘I’m so proud of you；’ he said。 ‘You truly are the Mother Confessor。 You are the greatest Mother Confessor that ever lived。’
‘Go back to the hall before the council chambers； and you will see big paintings of Confessors who were greater than I will ever be。’
‘That； my love； I doubt。’
He kissed her again。 A hot； passionate kiss。 She kissed him back； desperately； as if she needed nothing so much from life as to be in his arms kissing him。 He kissed her cheek； her ears and her neck。 She moaned against him。
‘Richard； is the scar； Darken Rahl’s mark； really gone？’
He pulled his shirt open to show her。
Her hand stroked his chest。 ‘It’s really true；’ she whispered。
Tenderly； she kissed his chest。 She ran her hand over him； kissing where it had been。 She gave a sucking kiss to his nipple。
‘Not fair；’ he said breathlessly。 ‘I get to kiss anything on you that you kiss on me。’
Kahlan looked him in the eye as she unbuttoned her shirt。 ‘Bargain struck。’
She started pulling at his clothes as he trailed wet kisses down her soft flesh。 Her breathing quickened with each。
‘Kahlan；’ he managed to say as he pulled away； ‘the good spirits may be watching us。’
She pushed him onto his back and kissed him。 ‘If they truly are good spirits； they will turn their backs。’
The feel of her warm flesh made his head spin。 The feel of the shape of her made him moan with need。 Around them； the mellow glow pulsed with their breathing。 It seemed to be an extension of their heat。
Richard rolled over on top of her。 He gazed down into her green eyes。 ‘I love you； Kahlan Amnell。 Now； and always。’
‘And I you； my Richard。’
As they pressed their lips together； she wrapped her arms around his neck； and her soft legs around his。
In the void between worlds； in the soft glow of a timeless place； they were one。
CHAPTER 71
Kahlan strolled back into the inn。 She stood in the shadows at the end of the hall leading into the dining room。 She still felt the glow； the warmth； the mind…numbing joy and fulfillment。 Everyone looked up when they heard her footsteps。
Zedd shot to his feet。 ‘Kahlan！ Bags； girl； where have you been all night！ It’s just turning to dawn！ You’ve been missing since dusk！ We’ve been searching the town all night for you！ Where did you go？’
She turned and held her hand out。 ‘To the little garden； out back。’
Zedd stormed across the room。 ‘You were not in the garden！’
She smiled dreamily。 ‘Well； that was where I went； but I left that place。 I went to be with Richard。 Zedd； he escaped from the Sisters。 He is in Aydindril。’
Zedd slowed to a stop。 ‘Kahlan； I know you have had a hard time of it； but you have simply had a vision of something you wished。’
‘No Zedd。 I prayed to the good spirits。 She came and took me to Richard。 To be with him in a place between the worlds。’
‘Kahlan； that is simply not 。。。’
Kahlan stepped out of the shadows； into the firelight。 Zedd’s eyes went wide。
‘What 。。。 what happened to your hair？’ the wizard whispered。 ‘It’s long again。’
Kahlan grinned。 ‘Richard made it right。 He has the gift； you know。’ She held out the Agiel hanging from her neck。 ‘He gave me this。 He said he doesn’t need it anymore。’
‘But 。。。 there has to be some other explanation。 。。。’
‘He gave me a message to give to you。 He said to thank you for not closing the opened box of Orden。 He said he was glad his grandfather was wise enough not to violate the Wizard’s Second Rule。’
‘His grandfather 。。。’ Tears ran down his wrinkled face。 ‘You saw him！ You really saw him！ Richard is safe！’
She threw her arms around him。 ‘Yes； Zedd。 Everything is going to be all right； now。 He restored the Stone of Tears to where it belongs； and closed the box of Orden。 He called it the gateway。 He said it takes both Additive and Subtractive Magic to do it or it would have destroyed all life。’
He gripped her shoulders and held her out。 ‘Richard has Subtractive Magic？ Impossible。’
‘He had a beard； and made it vanish。 He said to remind you of the lesson you gave him； that only Subtractive could do that。’
‘Wonder of wonders。’ His sharp features came closer。 ‘You’re all in a lather； girl。’ He put a sticklike hand to her forehead。 ‘You don’t have a fever。 Why are you sweating？’
‘It was 。。。 hot； in that other world。 Quite hot。’
He peered at her hair。 ‘You hair is all tangled。 What kind of wizard would grow hair back all tangled？ I would have grown it back straight。 That boy has a lot to learn。 He didn’t do it right。’
Kahlan’s eyes went out of focus。 ‘Believe me； he did it right。’
He turned his head； appraising her with one eye。 ‘What were you doing all night？ You’ve been gone the whole night。 What have you two been doing？’
Kahlan could feel her ears heat。 She was glad she had long hair again。 ‘Well； I don’t know。 What do you and Adie do when you are alone together all night？’
Zedd straightened。 ‘Well 。。。’ He cleared his throat。 ‘Well； we 。。。’ He lifted his chin and pointed a finger skyward。 ‘We talk。 That’s what we do； we talk。’
Kahlan shrugged。 That’s what we did； too。 Just like you and Adie do all night。 We talked。’
A sly grin stole onto his face。 He hugged her tightly in his thin arms； patting her back。 ‘I’m so happy for you； dear one。’
Zedd took her hands in his and danced around the room。 Ahern smiled and pulled out a little flute； playing a bouncy tune。 ‘My grandson is a wizard！ My grandson will be a great wizard！ Just like his grandfather！’
The celebration went on for a few minutes； with everyone joining in the laughing。 They all clapped in time with the tune as Zedd danced with her around the room。
Kahlan saw one person not joining in。 Adie sat in a rocking chair in the corner。 She had a small； sad smile on her face as she turned her ear to follow them。
She went to the old woman and knelt before her。 Kahlan took up her frail hands。
‘I be happy for you； child；’ Adie said。
Adie；’ Kahlan said in a soft voice； ‘the spirits sent a message for you。’
She shook her head regretfully。 ‘I be sorry； child； but it would mean nothing to me。 I not remember being this woman Adie。’
‘I promised to deliver the message。 It’s important to one beyond that you have it。 Will you hear the message？’
Tell me then； though I be sorry I won’t know its meaning。’
‘It’s a message from one named Pell。’
The room was silent behind her。 Adie’s rocking came to a halt。 She straightened the littlest bit。 Her eyes filled with tears。
Adie’s hands tightened around Kahlan’s。 ‘From Pell？ A message from my Pell？’
‘Yes； Adie。 He wants you to know that he loves you； and that he is in a place of peace。 He said to tell you that he knows you never betrayed him。 He knows how much you love him； and he is sorry you have had to su