Sandstorm [ACOTOR series side story]

Thirty-four

Nashira inspected her clothes and her appearance in the mirror before strutting out the door of her chamber in Sunburst Palace where most of the court would meet before mass winnowing to Under the Mountain. She had decided to wear a robe Samila had gifted her the year before for the Summer Solstice that was a very pale rose color and was a held together by a thick belt that secretly held many knives along the whole circumference. It matched the gold choker with rose stones in it, the armbands she wore, her dangling earrings and a headband inlaid with stones of varying pinks. It was a flowy fabric as well and when she walked you could see the slit that went up to mid-thigh on either side. That and her hair that hung to the back of her knees and make-up, she looked better than she usually did.

She met Samila out in the hall to the grand staircase in the stone palace and Samila wolf whistled at her. 

"I chose wisely that color is made for you and I know who won't be able to take his eyes off of you tonight."

Nashira shook her head and ignored that last bit as she went to go find that said male before they left.

She'd need all the help she could get to keep from killing someone tonight.

~~~~~~~~

"Aww, I don't see the trio anywhere near, poor Rhysie, nor do I see the Amren."

Nashira scoffed at his obvious disappointment and was lucky that Helion respected Asim and herself not to even try to get her into his bed. And if Samila hadn't also been his cousin, he'd no doubt want them both to join him, along with Kaimuzu if he could. Honestly, her High Lord was insatiable.

"She really had to sit up there didn't she and where did she even get that chair," she grumbled glancing to Amaranthe seated on a throne atop a dais at the far side of the room.

Nashira was already wanting to go back to her bed, but only the promise that she made with Kaimuzu kept her there. And the fact that he was beside her helped seal the deal.

"I can tell you that half of the scars on the males here could be healed within half a day if they didn't want the boost it gives their ego," Kaimuzu mumbled to her. She cut off her laugh with a smile, but it didn't last long.

"I've had a bad feeling this whole evening, but nothing has happened and it's almost over."

"I'm sure it's just because the last time you saw her was on a battlefield and you've learned to keep your guard up around her."

"She had a bounty on my head for stabbing her in the back but look at her she's alive isn't she."

"Nashira you stabbed her multiple times."

"I guess it wasn't enough. Can I try again now?" she asked innocently.

Helion sent her a sharp look from where he was a few feet away that warned her not to try anything and she grabbed a drink from a passing servant while shrugging at him. It seemed a toast was about to happen and Nashira wasn't at all interested to hear a speech from the red witch. Huh, she like that name, she'd keep using it until the red witch wore itself out or died by Nashira's sword, whichever one but she preferred the later.

And Amaranthe's speech went by in a flash and they all drank to it, but as soon as she drank the wine, she knew it was wrong. The gasps she heard from the High Lords proved there was something wrong and she quickly went beside Helion while Asim did.

"What is it?" Asim hissed, not knowing what was the threat that he had to protect his nephew from.

"She put a spell on the wine, she took my power," he said in a hollow voice.

Nashira's blood drained from her face and it was reflected in Helion's when he turned his face to Nashira's.

"Run. Protect all those that you can and hide the Thousandth books from her as well as my library. Now and don't return!"

She couldn't say anything as she slipped into the mirror realm and memorized the faces of her loved ones for what could be the last time.

She was sobbing as she went to the Ortus library, personal library of the High Lords and hide it in the mirror realm. Then she travelled to each library in the Day court no matter if some fae saw her, she placed the master book of each library in the same spot just in the mirror realm. Each book had the most dangerous or secret information from its respective library and only a Bookman or the High Lord could use them and only in an emergency.

Then she had gathered all those close to Esmae-Antar, the female college which could support many people for years under a siege not to mention it was all self-sustainable. She didn't hide the tear stains on her face or the mud on her robe as she finally sealed the college's gates from the outside.

"Lady Nashira what are you doing? Get in the college before the shield is enacted by the staff" Su cried from the other side of the gate, sensing the lack of Nashira's presence.

Nashira just gave her a small smile, "Hold the fort down Su, I trust you with this place, these people, so I want you helping the teachers and the guards to keep this place in order."

"No, what are you going to do, Amaranthe will hunt you down!" Su yelled in fear.

"I have to," Nashira said as she pushed away from the gate as the shield rapidly came down and sealed all those inside and kept everyone else out. In the last seconds before the invisibility shield came into effect, she saw the students crying and screaming for her, but she couldn't-wouldn't come back.

She had a High Lord to save.