Terry Goodkind returns to the lives of Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell--in The Third Kingdom, the direct sequel to his #1 New York Times bestseller The Omen Machine.

Richard saw the point of a sword blade sticking out from between the man's shoulder blades. He spun back toward Richard after throwing the woman out the opening, ready to attack. It seemed impossible, but the man looked unaffected by the blade that had impaled him through the chest.

That was when he realized the true horror of the situation, and the reason for the unbearable stench of death.