Spark [Prince Zuko - Book One]

❃Chapter Eighteen❃

Asake strained against the chains that bound her to the tall pillars on either side of her. They rose up above her head into the ceiling, farther than what she could see in the total darkness that pervaded around her. The handcuffs dug into her wrists with each tug, but she didn't care anymore. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to get away from this place before something terrible happened to her. She wanted to go home. Though, she wasn't sure what home was. Was it the Fire Nation? Or was it Prince Zuko's ship?

Now that she was thinking about it, Zuko's ship felt like home more than her father's house did. She had friends on the ship, unlike back home. Her father didn't allow her to make any friends from the Royal Fire Academy, so the only person back at the Fire Nation that truly cared for her was her father and her governess. Asake didn't know how to feel about her father, though. He was a good man when she was growing up, but when Zuko spoke out of turn, he had turned into a . . . a monster. That man scared her, so she didn't want to go back to him again.

From what she knew of her mother, she wouldn't go for a man like that. Father had told her stories of her mother about how she was an amazing woman who was so independent and outspoken. Then, how could she have stood Father? He couldn't have kept that side of him hidden away for as long as he knew her mom. Unless her mother loved him unconditionally that she put up with him . . . Asake didn't think she would've done that. If she was anything like her, she would've fought for herself over a silly man.

No wonder her older brother ran away. Maybe Father had turned into the monster one too many times, and her brother had enough of it. She didn't blame him if that was his reason for running away. She didn't really know. Her father never spoke of her brother, and rarely spoke of her mother besides having the offering table dedicated to the memory of her mother. But if her brother did run away, where did he go? Was he where she was at? Did he keep watch over her and she didn't even know it? Did she ever cross paths with him while on Zuko's ship? She had no idea, and Lady Taiku didn't help her when she questioned her on it two years ago.

The door squealed as it opened slightly, drawing her out of her thoughts. Shadows covered the door, but the glint of steel from the torches hit her eyes. She held her breath, building the fire in her stomach just in case. She would do anything to fight her way out of here, no matter what.

"Don't worry," the gravelly voice said, startling her. "It's me."

The man stepped into the light of the single torch that hung to her left. The light barely reached his face, but she knew who it was based on the way he was smiling at her. It was Zasai, the man who brought her to the ship. He had an easy smile on his face as he held a delicious-looking tray of food in his hands. Her stomach wrenched at the sight. She hadn't eaten anything since she left the ship. Zhao had used hunger as a punishment against her for hurting him.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, stepping closer to her.

The sweet scent of the food traveled into her nose. A curl of steam rose up from the bowl on the tray. It was still hot food, too! All at once, her mouth started watering, and her stomach growled at the sight of the wondrous food. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew it would be the best meal she had ever eaten before.

"Yes," she breathed out. The handcuffs dug into her wrists as she tried to reach out for the food, and she winced in pain. "I'm starving."

He held the food up to her until he realized she had chains on her arms. She would have told him that she couldn't feed herself, but she didn't have the strength to just yet. "Sorry," he said with a laugh. It wasn't funny to her. "Here, let me help you."

He pressed dumplings into her mouth, and she chewed as fast as she could. By the third dumpling, she had started swallowing each bite whole instead of chewing anything. She couldn't get enough of the delicious meal that he had brought her. But, against her wishes, he pulled away from her, saying, "You better slow down. I don't want to clean up your mess."