Sandstorm [ACOTOR series side story]

Thirty-eight

"How much longer until it's ready Nashira, I'm hungry!" Madu whined from the dining table.

"Shut it Madu, you're getting none of this if you don't stop pestering me. Masterpieces take time" Nashira yelled back from the kitchen.

Kaimuzu's mother had no reservations when Nashira had asked her to teach her how to make her famous recipes since she was her son's mate. And to seal the deal they'd decided to make their acceptance party center around the food Nashira would make with Latifah, Kaimuzu's mother. They'd finally found a time that fit for everyone's schedule a few months after Under the Mountain.

"Males, they always think with their stomach. Can you believe Ammon want to marry me first for my food then because I was his mate?" Latifah said in exasperation.

Nashira smiled as she chopped up various herbs up for the sauce that went with the Falafel, "Kaimuzu is more like his father. I saw his version of food and thank the Mother that you were the one feeding him."

"Why do you think I finally relented about teaching you my secrets? When he'd told me that he wanted to live the rest of his life with you, I knew there had to be someone to make his favourite foods for him." Nashira stilled in shock at her words.

"Kamuzu said that you would teach me even before we went Under the Mountain," she breathed.

Latifah gave her a smile that had her wrinkles crinkling and made her beauty stand out even when she had mainly grey hair.

"He knew before then how special you were to him and I know my boy. When he'd dragged you the first time for dinner even though you didn't wish to intrude, I knew you were a keeper."

"So why didn't you let me have your secret recipes before?"

"I had to have some leverage to make you visit, or he'd hog you to himself."

Nashira laughed.

They finished the rest of the food and with a magic assisted wind of Nashira's they brought out the food to the people waiting in the dining hall. The room was big, but they chose it only because there were so many people they had to fit in it. Asim and her uncles, Kaimuzu's parents and his little sister as well as Samila as well as the guests of honour Nashira and Kaimuzu. Everyone dished out plates of their own but Nashira and Kaimuzu shared one big plate together.

"This looks great if I didn't know I would have thought my mom made it all herself" Kaimuzu joked.

"Oh, she was there, she was like a drill sergeant instructing on how to make every dish and she talked my ear off enough when I even made the smallest mistake."

"You did very well, I'd say it's your military upbringing that developed your observational and knife skills. Even I didn't know the quickest way to disjoint a lamb" Latifah retorted.

"Enough with the stalling girl, let's get the night's entertainment over with," Asim's sarcastic voice mocked.

Nashira stuck her tongue out at him but picked up a piece of Falafel and dipped it in the yogurt-based sauce before holding it up to Kaimuzu's mouth.

"Aww, my favourite, you didn't have to."

Nashira shoved it into his mouth as a response and there was laughter from the whole room at her unceremonious acceptance of the mate bond. And the rest of the evening held much more laughter and a few tears of joy from the parents, but Latifah denied the existence of even a single tear in her eyes. The party wore on late into the night and it took forcefully prying Kaimuzu's sister from Nashira and Kaimuzu before they could leave his parents' house.

They walked through the rebuilding city in comfortable silence before Nashira grabbed Kaimuzu's hand and giving him a secret smile. She winnowed them into the middle of the desert where an oasis was with a sprawling stone house alongside its shores.

"I bought it when we were first building the college because I realized how nice it is to have a place to retreat to when I wanted a little alone time. Especially when your smiles and flirting drove me insane to the point where I had to leave or I'd give in way too soon."

"Nice to know I wasn't the only one going insane with how slow it was going" he mumbled.

Nashira just smirked and lead him down the sand dune towards her house, now their home.

"I guess in the middle of the desert even with the house being made out of stone, we'll have to weather through sandstorms?"

She gave him a chaste kiss before murmuring, "you'll always have a sandstorm with me around."

He gave her a cheeky smile before picking her up and twirling her around and carrying her in his arms bridal style. Nashira just shrugged and let him do as he pleased.

"I guess you're right. Then when we have mini us' running around the place there will be even more storms to deal with if they have their mother's temperament."

"You're no better, remember when I stopped that bar fight you got into over dissection methods of unknown tumours?"

"The idiot was going to hurt someone with his incomplete knowledge, I don't understand how he passed the level of novice within the faction," he shook his head as he passed the threshold stones and into the evenly cut and polished stones of the interior. 

Nashira directed him to the master suite before speaking again.

"Well, I was a bit surprised at the fact you lifted the man off the ground with that punch you'd landed on his jaw."

"Ira dear, just because I don't train as you do doesn't mean I don't do my own form of physical exertion. Actually, all healers in the faction are required to maintain their health in all aspects so we're always in our best condition to-"

"Kai I've heard this like a million times before and the fact that you're not even tired from carrying me this far proves your strength."

"I'll show you strength" he growled as he kicked open the door and shut it behind them.