"True prosperity is the result of well-placed confidence in ourselves and our fellow man."
Burt
Confession Quotes
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CHAPTER 1
Rachel clutched her doll tighter to her chest and stared at the dark thing
watching her from the bushes. At least she thought it was watching her. It was
hard to tell because the eyes were as dark as the rest of it, except when the
light caught them just right; then they gleamed a golden color.
She had seen animals in the woods before, rabbits and raccoons and squirrels and
such, but this was bigger. It was as big as her, maybe bigger. Bears were dark.
She wondered if it could be a bear.
But this wasn't exactly the woods, since it was indoors. She had never been in
an indoor woods before. She wondered if indoor woods had animals like the
outdoor woods did.
She might have been afraid if Chase wasn't there with her. She knew she was safe
with him. Chase was the bravest man she ever saw. Still, she was a little
afraid. Chase had told her she was the bravest little girl he knew. She didn't
want him to think she was afraid of some big rabbit.
Maybe that's all it was, some big rabbit, sitting on a rock or something. But
rabbits had long ears. Maybe it really was a bear. She put her doll's foot in
her mouth.
She turned and looked down the path, across the pretty flowers and short walls
covered with vines, and across the grass to where Chase was talking to Zedd, the
wizard. They were standing by a stone table, looking at the boxes, and talking
about what to do with them. Rachel was glad that that mean Darken Rahl didn't
get them and that he wasn't lever going to be able to hurt anyone again. Rachel
turned back to make sure the dark thing wasn't coming any closer to her. It was
gone. She looked around, but didn't see it anywhere.
'Sara, where do you think it could have gone?' she whispered.
Her doll didn't have an answer. Rachel bit down on Sara's foot and started
walking toward Chase. Her feet wanted to run, but she didn't want Chase to think
she wasn't brave. He had said she was brave, and that made her feel good. She
looked over her shoulder as she walked, checking, but she didn't see the dark
thing anywhere. Maybe it lived in a hole, and it had gone there. Her feet still
wanted to run, but she didn't let them.
When Rachel got to Chase, she pushed up against him and hugged his leg. He and
Zedd were talking, and she knew it was impolite to interrupt, so she sucked on
Sara's foot while she waited.
'So what could happen if you just shut the lid?' Chase was asking the wizard.
'Anything!' Zedd stuck his skinny arms up in the air. His wavy white hair was
smoothed down but it still stuck out in places. 'How should I know? Just because
I know what the boxes of Orden are doesn't mean I know what to do with them now
that Darken Rahl has opened one. The Magic of Orden killed him for opening it.
It could have destroyed the world. It could kill me for closing it. Or worse.'
Chase sighed. 'Well, we can't just leave them sitting around, can we? Don't we
have to do something?'
The wizard frowned and looked at the boxes while he was thinking. After more
than a minute of quiet, Rachel tugged on Chase's sleeve. He looked down at her.
'Chase...'
'"Chase"? I told you the rules.' He put his hands on his hips and twisted his
face up, trying to make it look mean, until she giggled and hugged his leg
tighter. 'You've only been my daughter for a few weeks, and already you're
breaking the rules. I told you before, you are to call me "Father." None of my
children are allowed to call me Chase. Understand?'
Rachel grinned and nodded. 'Yes, Ch ... Father.'
He rolled his eyes and shook his head. Then he mussed her hair. 'What is it?'
There's some big animal in the trees. I think it might be a bear, or worse. I
think you might need to take out your sword and go have a look.'
He laughed. A bear! In here?' He laughed again. 'This is an indoor garden,
Rachel. There aren't any bears in an indoor garden. Maybe it was a shadow. The
light does odd things in here.'
She shook her head. 'I don't think so, Ch ... Father. It was watching me.'
He smiled and mussed her hair again and put his big hand on the side of her face
and hugged her head to his leg. 'Then you just stay by me and it won't bother
you.'
She sucked Sara's foot and nodded as he held her head to his leg. She didn't
feel so afraid now that his hand was on her, and so looked over to the trees
again.
The dark thing, mostly hidden by one of the vine-covered walls, darted closer.
Rachel bit down harder on Sara's foot and let out a little whimper as she looked
up at Chase. He was pointing at the boxes.
'And just what is that thing, that stone, or jewel or whatever it is? Did it
come out of the box?'
Zedd nodded. 'It did. But I don't want to say what I think it is until I'm sure.
At least not out loud.'
'Father,' Rachel whined, 'it's coming closer.'
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