Ash [Prince Zuko - Book Two]

❃Chapter One❃

Memories always popped up when Asake slept. She couldn't escape her past, a dizzying maze of remembrance and false remembrance, and it seemed like she couldn't get out. She nearly prayed to the Spirits to give her a restful night, but then her prayer fell short. Her faith had waned significantly since everything that happened. She blew out a breath, wondering which memories she'd go through next.

The darkness crowded in front of her, and an earthen door grew up from the ground. Asake swallowed hard, knowing deep down that she had to go through it to get out of this dream world. Above the door, a flicker of fire licked at the earth, and she shivered at the sight. Fire was never a good sign. She reached out, her hand brushing against the metal knob, crying out when it stuck and burned against the soft flesh of her palm.

Her pain subsided when a room appeared. This room was a familiar place; she knew she had been there before. It was dark, the shadows stretching across her body, taking hold of her and dragging her down. A deep sense of cold seeped into her bones, and she shivered against the frigid chains around her wrists. A dank smell filled up her nose, making her turn her head toward one of the walls. A sconce lit up the dark room, and she struggled against the chains holding her back. She had been trying to get out of this prison for what felt like forever, but nothing was working. She was trapped there.

"Oh, Asake." That voice sent shivers down her spine. She hadn't thought she would ever hear it again. Her heart hammered against her chest when he – the monster that haunted her dreams and nightmares – stepped into her line of sight. The light from the torch on the wall flashed across his eager eyes, making her whimper in fear. "You look so pathetic."

He reached out and brushed his fingers across her jaw. Those hands had done horrible things to her, and she didn't want them to touch her ever again. She jerked out of the way from him; tears pricked her eyes at the feeling of his nasty fingers touching her skin. Bile rose in her throat at the thought of him being near her, of him violating her yet again.

"If you want to hurt me, go ahead," she spat. Her voice sounded so strange to her like she was someone else. Maybe she was; this sort of trauma changed people for the worse. She knew that for a fact. "I won't tell you anything."

His teeth glinted in the soft firelight as he gave her a wolfish grin. "Fine by me."

His hand slipped lower on her body. Asake squirmed under his touch; the tears that had been in her eyes fell down her cheeks. Why was she allowing this to happen to her? Why couldn't she fight back? She was weak, that was why. More than that, though, she felt disgusting. She was disgusting.

He lit a fire in the palm of his hand as he continued to caress her body with his other one. The fire grew larger and larger, wrapping around her. It didn't hurt, though. The fire didn't even touch her skin. No, it created a safe barrier between her and him. Glancing up, she noticed that the fire created a red sky. And out of the red sky rose some sort of bird, rising from the ashes.

With a sudden rush of air, Asake sat up as quickly as she could. Her clothes clung to her small frame, completely drenched in sweat. The sun barely peaked through the window of the small house that she shared with Prince Zuko and Iroh, the two people she had been traveling and living with for about three years now. She glanced around and saw Iroh making tea in the corner of the room, near the window allowing the warm sunshine in. She didn't want him to know that she was awake, so she quietly laid back down, folding her arms beneath her head. The nightmare was still fresh in her mind, but there was no way she'd go back to sleep now.

In the last couple of days, Asake hadn't moved from her spot on the floor of the small cabin where they had been staying. Her mind played tricks on her every time she slept, and shadows taunted her when she was awake. The small burn on her leg throbbed when she kicked at the simple cover that was draped over her thin body. Her mind had given her these memories, these real-life nightmares, and left her reeling for days.