JК
Faith of the Fallen :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 64 из 617Once again, his nature had stayedher hand.
The other Sisters of the Dark had plans of their own. Richard's gift, as far as Nicci was concerned, was probably the least remarkable and by far the least important thing about him, yet Liliana, one of his other teachers, a woman of boundless greed and limited insight, thought to steal the innate ability of his Han for herself. It sparked a lethal confrontation which Liliana lost. The six of them, their leader, Ulicia, and Richard's five remaining teachers-having been discovered, escaped with their lives and little else, only to end up in Jagang's clutches.
In the end, Nicci understood that quality in his eyes no better than the first moment she had seen it.
It had all slipped through her fingers.
The girl ran for her mother when Nicci released her grip on the studded strap around her neck.
"Well?" Commander Kardeef shrieked. He planted his fists on his hips.
"Are you through with your games? It's time these people learned the true meaning of ruthless!"
Nicci stared into the depths of his dark eyes. They were defiant, angry, and determined-yet they were nothing at all like Richard's eyes.
Nicci turned to the soldiers.
She gestured. "You two. Seize the commander."
The men blinked dumbly. Commander Kardeef's face went red with rage.
"That's it! You've finally gone too far!" He wheeled to his men, a whole field of them-two thousand of them. He pointed a thumb back over his shoulder at Nicci. "Grab this lunatic witch!"
Half a dozen men nearest to her drew weapons as they rushed her. Like all Order field troops, they were big, strong, and quick. They were also experienced.
Nicci thrust a fist out in the direction of the closest as he lifted his whip to lash out and entangle her. With the speed of thought, both Additive Magic and Subtractive twined together in a lethal mix as she unleashed a focused bolt of power. It produced a burst of light so hot and so white that for an instant it made the sunlight seem dim and cold by comparison.
The blast blew a mellon-sized hole through the center of the soldier's chest. For an instant, before the internal pressure forced his organs to fill the sudden void, she could see men behind through the gaping hole in his chest.
The afterimage of the flare lingered in her mind's eye like lightning's arc. The acrid smell of scorched air stung her eyes. The clap of her power's thunder rumbled out across the surrounding green fields of wheat.
The other Sisters of the Dark had plans of their own. Richard's gift, as far as Nicci was concerned, was probably the least remarkable and by far the least important thing about him, yet Liliana, one of his other teachers, a woman of boundless greed and limited insight, thought to steal the innate ability of his Han for herself. It sparked a lethal confrontation which Liliana lost. The six of them, their leader, Ulicia, and Richard's five remaining teachers-having been discovered, escaped with their lives and little else, only to end up in Jagang's clutches.
In the end, Nicci understood that quality in his eyes no better than the first moment she had seen it.
It had all slipped through her fingers.
The girl ran for her mother when Nicci released her grip on the studded strap around her neck.
"Well?" Commander Kardeef shrieked. He planted his fists on his hips.
"Are you through with your games? It's time these people learned the true meaning of ruthless!"
Nicci stared into the depths of his dark eyes. They were defiant, angry, and determined-yet they were nothing at all like Richard's eyes.
Nicci turned to the soldiers.
She gestured. "You two. Seize the commander."
The men blinked dumbly. Commander Kardeef's face went red with rage.
"That's it! You've finally gone too far!" He wheeled to his men, a whole field of them-two thousand of them. He pointed a thumb back over his shoulder at Nicci. "Grab this lunatic witch!"
Half a dozen men nearest to her drew weapons as they rushed her. Like all Order field troops, they were big, strong, and quick. They were also experienced.
Nicci thrust a fist out in the direction of the closest as he lifted his whip to lash out and entangle her. With the speed of thought, both Additive Magic and Subtractive twined together in a lethal mix as she unleashed a focused bolt of power. It produced a burst of light so hot and so white that for an instant it made the sunlight seem dim and cold by comparison.
The blast blew a mellon-sized hole through the center of the soldier's chest. For an instant, before the internal pressure forced his organs to fill the sudden void, she could see men behind through the gaping hole in his chest.
The afterimage of the flare lingered in her mind's eye like lightning's arc. The acrid smell of scorched air stung her eyes. The clap of her power's thunder rumbled out across the surrounding green fields of wheat.