Berdine's Agiel spun up into her fist. "What did you do with her?"

"Who did this to you, Berdine?" he said in a gentle voice.

She stepped closer. "What did you do with her!"

Richard, his mind now clear, could feel the spell around her as she put herself close to him. He could feel the distinctive tingle of magic, its uncomfortable, prickling sensation in his gut. This was not benevolent magic.

In her eyes, he could see more than magic; he could see the fury of a Mord-Sith unleashed.

"She died trying to kill me."

"I knew I should have done it myself." She shook her head in disgust. "Kneel," she commanded through gritted teeth.

"Berdine, I'm not — "

She lashed out with her Agiel, striking him across the shoulder, knocking him back. "Don't you dare address me by my name!"

She had been faster than he had expected. He gasped with the pain as he clutched his shoulder. Every memory of an Agiel being used against him came stunningly fresh to his mind.

He was abruptly flushed with doubt. He didn't know if he could do this. But his only alternative was to kill her, and he had sworn he wouldn't do that. The bone-burning torture searing through his shoulder made his resolve falter.

Berdine stalked closer. "Pick up your sword."

He stiffened his will as he regained his feet. Berdine laid the Agiel on his shoulder, forcing him to his knees. He struggled to maintain his focus. Denna had taught him to endure this. He must now. He picked up the sword and staggered to his feet again.

"Try to use it on me," she commanded.

Richard looked to her cold blue eyes, fighting the tug of panic within his soul. "No." He tossed the sword on the bed. "I am the Lord Rahl. You are bonded to me."

She screamed in fury as she drove the Agiel into his gut. The room spun as he realized he was on his back. Breathless, he again struggled to his feet when she commanded it.

"Use your knife! Fight me!"

With shaking fingers, Richard pulled his knife from the sheath at his belt and held it hilt first to her. "No. Kill me, if that's what you really want."

She snatched the knife from his hand. "You make this easy for me. I intended to make you suffer, but your death is all that is required."

Richard, his insides in an agony of lingering, burning pain, used all his strength to put his chest out. He pointed. "Here is my heart, Berdine. The Lord Rahl's heart.

The Lord Rahl you are bonded to." He tapped his chest again. "Stab me here if you wish to kill me."

She gave him a gruesome smile. "Fine. You shall have your wish."

"No, not my wish — yours. I don't want you to kill me."

She faltered. Her brow twitched. "Protect yourself."

"No, Berdine. If this is what you wish, then you must choose it for yourself."

"Fight me!" She struck him across the face with the Agiel.

It felt like his jaw shattered and all his teeth were knocked out. The pain stabbed into his ear, nearly blinding him with hurt. Panting, in a cold sweat, he straightened.

"Berdine, you have two magics in you. One is your bond to me, the other is what was put there when they took your nipple. You cannot continue to carry both. One has to be broken. I'm your Lord Rahl. You are bonded to me. The only way you can kill me is to break that bond. My life is in your hands."

She lunged at him. He felt the back of his head smack against the floor. Berdine was atop him, screaming in fury.

"Fight me, you bastard!" She pounded his chest with one fist as she held the knife up in the other. Tears streamed from her eyes. "Fight me! Fight me! Fight me!"

"No. If you want to kill me, then you have to do it on your own."

"Fight me!" She struck his face. "I can't kill you if you don't fight me! Defend yourself!"

Richard enfolded her in his arms and pulled her to his chest, He pushed his heels against the carpet and slid himself back, taking her with him as he sat up against the bed.

"Berdine, just as you are bonded to me, I protect you. I won't let you die like this. I want you alive. I want you as my protector."

"No!" she screamed. "I must kill you! You must fight me so I can! I can't do it unless you try to kill me! You must!"

Weeping in angry exasperation, she pressed the knife against his throat. Richard did nothing to stop her.

He drew his hand down her wavy brown hair. "Berdine, I've sworn to fight to protect those who want to live free. That's my bond to you. I won't do anything to harm you. I know you don't want to kill me; you've sworn on your life to protect me."

"I'll kill you! I will! I'll kill you!"

"I believe in you, Berdine, in your oath to me. I put my life in your word and your bond."

She gasped in racking sobs as she looked into his eyes. She shook as she wept uncontrollably. Richard didn't move against the sharp blade at his throat.

"Then you must kill me," she cried. "Please… I can stand it no longer. Please. . kill me."

"I will never do anything to harm you, Berdine. I've given you your freedom. You are answerable to yourself."

Berdine let out a long wait of misery and then threw the knife across the floor. She collapsed against him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Oh, Lord Rahl," she sobbed, "forgive me. Forgive me. Oh, dear spirits, what have I done."

"You have proven your bond," he whispered as he held her.

"They hurt me," she wept, "they hurt me so much. Nothing ever hun. likf thai before. It hurts so to fight it now."

He held her tight. "I know, but you must fight it."

She put a hand to his chest and pushed back. "I can't." Richard didn't think he had ever seen anyone in such misery. "Please, Lord Rahl — kill me. I can't stand the pain. I beg you, please, kill me."

Richard, in an agony of empathy for her suffering, drew her back to his chest and hugged her, stroking her head, trying to comfort her. It did no good; she only cried harder.

He set her back against the bed as she shook and wept. Without thinking about what he was doing, or even understanding the reason, he cupped his hand over her left breast.

Richard sought the calm center, the place without thought, the fount of peace within, and cloaked himself in instinct. He felt the searing pain seep through him. Her pain. He felt what had been done to her, and what the lingering magic was doing to her now. As he had done with the pain of the Agiel, he endured it.

In his empathy, he felt the torment of her life, the torture of what it meant to become a Mord-Sith, and the anguish of her former self lost. His eyes closed, he took it unto himself. Though he didn't see the events involved, he understood the trail of scars they left through her soul. He hardened his will in order to endure the suffering of it. He stood, a rock, in a torrent of hurt rushing into his own soul.

He was that rock for her. He let his loving regard for this innocent, this fellow victim of suffering, flow into her. Without fully understanding the feelings he was having, he let his instinct guide him. He felt himself soaking up her suffering so that she wouldn't have to endure it, so he could help her, and at the same time he felt an inner warmth flowing outward through his hand on her flesh. Through that hand it seemed he was connected to her spark of life, to her soul.

Berdine's crying slowed, her breathing evened out, and her muscles went slack as she sank back against the bed.

Richard felt the pain that had come into him from her begin to dissipate. Only then did he realize he was holding his breath with the agony of it, and let the breath go-

The warmth flowing from within him began to fade, too, and at last was gone. Richard removed his hand, and brushed her wavy hair back from her face. Her eyes came open, her dazed, blue-eyed gaze meeting his.

They both looked down. She was whole again.