Back in the no-space between dreams, Zahra stared hard at her own hand, still outstretched to cup Cole's cheek.
With a soft sigh, she allowed her hand to drop and turned, eyeing the nothingness around her critically. If her hunch was right... She closed her eyes and took a breath, focusing on a memory, a place, a feeling.
The oasis bloomed into being around her, the same oasis from that first shared dream with Cole, the oasis of her childhood. But it was empty.
Her shoulders slumped and she sighed, dropping her head. I guess they are just dreams...
"Zahra?"
Her head snapped up. She stared for a long, silent moment, and tears filled her eyes. "Elder Maeril?"
Her old teacher clapped her hands to her mouth, her own eyes suspiciously bright. "Oh, sweet child. It's you, it really is you."
With a choked cry Zahra ran to her, and the shaman met her halfway, wrapping her up in a tight hug. "Oh, little desert rose. My little flower, you've been gone so long. I feared you may never truly discover your gifts, I hadn't time to teach you..."
At the same time she spoke, Zahra was babbling, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for everything, I never wanted— I just—"
She was fading. Why was she fading? "No, no, not yet, please, I didn't have time—"
"Shhh." Maeril stroked her hair even as they both began to shimmer and fade around the edges. "This is not the end, dear girl. You are learning. Practice your gifts, and you will find me again..."
Zahra woke with a soft gasp, struggling to sit up. It took her a few moments to orient herself— and when she did she realized her left hand was incredibly warm. Too warm.
The hand she'd fallen asleep with resting against Cole's brow.
"Oh no." Snapping into action, she twisted and grabbed for a water skin, dampening a cloth to press against his forehead before dropping a few mouthfuls through his lips.