Sandstorm [ACOTOR series side story]

Thirty-seven

[Third person POV]

They all knew that the safest place to bring Nashira was Esmae-Antar and they winnowed straight there. Samila was already waiting for them at the front gate with dried tear stains on her cheeks and new fresh tears spilling as she saw her friend lying limp in Kaimuzu's arms.

"Come on, I'll take you to her chambers," she chocked out from her tears.

Asim hesitated to go in knowing he had responsibilities to attend to after the mess that Amaranthe caused them, but he didn't want to leave Nashira.

"Go, we'll take care of the army just tell us when she awakes," Ma'at spoke.

They all clapped Asim on the back before winnowing to the camps.

"Will she be okay?" Samila asked. She'd never seen Nashira like this and it caused her great worry as well as sadness. The students and residents of the college also were worried often bursting into tears the second they saw her. It was when Su came barreling down the hallway to see them that they knew the full extent of how much they cared.

"Will Lady Nashira be all right?" she cried. She couldn't see Nashira, had only heard the news of her return while being unconscious in Kaimuzu's arms.

"Whatever power kept her alive also made sure she didn't starve to death, so it's only her mental health that I'm concerned about" Kaimuzu whispered. He continued to walk down the hall since he knew the rest of the way to Nashira's chambers.

He gently laid her down on her bed with had been kept clean and fresh like the rest of her room. And then he unleashed his power that he'd kept in check all these years and through the bond and through memories, he slowly repaired whatever damage had been done to her mind. When he was finished, there was nothing else to do but wait for her to wake up and only then would he know if his magic had worked.

If she was still Nashira.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nashira felt groggy as she slowly woke up by the light shining in her eyes. She opened her eyes to see she was in her chambers at the college and it was noon with the sun's position in the sky. She was confused for a second to why she was there until everything came rushing back to her.

Backstabber, mate, pain.

She inhaled sharply as she remembered all the pain that she had suffered at the arms of the beast but she couldn't remember how she got there. Weight on her hand made her look to her right where Kaimuzu was holding her hand while looking out the window with a far-off look. Her slight movement had him whipping his head to her and freezing when he saw that she was awake. His eyes were almost like a rainbow from how the light hit them and it overshadowed the dark circles he had and how messy his hair was. He wore no shirt and only light pants that sent a brief warmth through her but it was his eyes that she stared into. The tears fell of their own accord on both their faces and Nashira reached over to cup his face and lean their foreheads against each other.

"Kaimuzu," she breathed and then she sobbed for all she was worth. He held her through her tears as he cried as well.

"When I heard you scream, all I thought was how I wanted to heal your wounds and shield you from whatever could cause you harm. When she had you there kneeling like as her prisoner, I felt fear that I had never felt before. I've felt the fear and pain of losing patients, but you were my friend and when I looked into your eyes for what I thought would be the last time, I knew you were more than that. I hated seeing your pain and not being there for you, to heal it, I felt sick to even call myself a healer when I couldn't even heal my mate" he heaved a breath and shuddered. Nashira held him closer and pressed his head against her shoulder as she ran her hand lightly through his messy curls.

"I have always hated feeling like things were out of my control and being chained up, I didn't even have the option to run. I thought I would go insane with how the sun was my only reminder of you all and the night held more fear for me than I'd ever felt before. Only the very few times that she had opened that window to taunt me did I see you, and feel that I could hold on a little longer, only a little longer. Then as no more windows opened and the longer I didn't see you, the deeper into insanity I went. But even in that insanity did I recognize your eyes and I knew that those eyes belonged to my only hope, my heart, so I let you in and this is where it leads me."

Nashira once again stared into his crystal eyes as he leaned forward for a kiss that was long, long overdue. Kaimuzu leaned back only after they were breathing heavily, but there was a new light in his eyes as there was in Nashira's.

"I guess you're a Stone Princess no more seeing how you've become a Stone warrior who holds my soul," he joked.

"I guess you're not a pretty boy anymore as well, seeing how you've become the light of my life," she joked back. Kaimuzu laughed a laugh full of relief and happiness and the light shone on him bringing up the fact that he was shirtless to Nashira once more.

"Where's your shirt?" she demanded as she hid a blush. He smirked full of male satisfaction as he pointed to her own shirt. 

"Oh," was all Nashira could say. He chuckled.

"With us being unmated and you unconscious, the mate bond drew me crazy when other males were in the room, so I took matters into my own hands."

Nashira grumbled, but grabbed his hand and tugged him to lay onto the bed with her, snuggled in the sheets.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"A day."

Nashira's laugh filled the room in unending peels of joy that she finally had her mate and that she'd never let them be separated again.