War of Change | Book 3

22: Savage Seductress

Art: Artist Not Found

My legs ached as I dragged myself through the halls of the Fire Nation building. I tried to keep my head low, not wanting to face the uninviting walls. It was hard to forget to whom this house belonged. Ozai, the man I could now envision with uncanny accuracy, once walked these halls when he and his family were so-called "happy." It was difficult to believe such emotion was possible for the man without an untold disaster happening to many innocent people.

It also felt like a pointless building. Vacation didn't seem as though it could be in the Fire Lord's dictionary. Every move he made always seemed to have some sort of cruel purpose. He was not the type of man to relax for a holiday. Nor was he the type to leave loose ends.

Perhaps there was something in me that feared we'd be discovered by him. We hadn't been safe at the Air Temple. Who was to say that our luck was not still running dry?

If we were attacked, I wouldn't be able to do much. Not only was my aim with my bow about as consistent as a novice who got a few lucky shots, but my hand-eye coordination was still off. Even Suki had been reluctant to take a day off. It was only after I promised her that I'd train on my own that she finally left.

I would have been pleased to hold her back from some fun, but my brother deserved to have a little time away. At the very least, he deserved a break from me.

I could still see him tense up every time Suki and I returned. He was scared I'd give up again, and it was for this reason I tried to avoid looking at him. I didn't want him to see that his fears had some validity.

Every single day I was ready to give up. All I wanted to do was go back to sleep. I was so damn tired. Tired of being the adult. Tired of being responsible. Tired of being strong. Nevertheless, I stood up each day and let Suki guide me.

I had made it to the end of the hall and was only a step away from my bedroom door when a particular sight stopped me dead in my tracks.

Zuko paused as well, pulling his damp head from the towel he had been tossing his hair with. To my dismay, my eyes seemed to have a mind of their own and traveled down, taking in the whole scope of his form. A loose set of pants hung off his hips. The rest of his skin was bare, droplets of water slipping over his pale muscles. Even from several paces away, I could feel the heat coming off of his body. He had just taken a shower.

"I thought-" I swallowed hard, forcing my eyes to return to his face. "I thought you were still out training with Aang."

He pulled himself up straight, dropping the towel around his shoulders. I noticed the whiteness of his fists as he gripped the ends of the cloth. "We finished up early." I didn't realize that my eyes were falling down again until I noticed him turn his head away from me, bright pink blossoming over his cheeks. "Uh, Sokka had this ridiculous idea about going to a play in town."

I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth, biting down until I could nearly taste blood. I had forgotten what it was like pulling my punches when it came to Zuko. It was hard to believe there ever was a time I hid my attraction to him. It was hard to believe there was a time that I tried to deny my attraction to him.