Ash [Prince Zuko - Book Two]

❃Chapter Fourteen❃

Asake's heart thudded against her chest as she finished her shift for the evening, the sun setting in the distance. Her meeting with Zuko earlier shook her to the core, and she was afraid that he would find her in this big city. Pen Feho grumbled behind her as she stuck her head out the door, hoping Zuko didn't follow her earlier.

She took a step outside, her right hand curling around the handle of her sword. Pen Feho wasn't a fan of swords, but she kept them away when she was working. She couldn't part from the things that made her feel safer.

Birds chirped and bugs buzzed in the distance as she continued down the stone path, heading toward the place she had been staying. For once, there weren't that many people around, and she found herself relaxing ever so slightly. She threatened Zuko, so there was no way he'd come after her. Hopefully.

Asake blew out a breath, shaking her head. She was being ridiculous; this city was too large and too crowded for Zuko to find her. He had only seen her once, and then she ran away. There was no way he'd be able to follow her, to track her movements, and to find her. She smiled softly to herself, snickering. He wasn't the greatest at tracking people, anyway. He could hardly keep track of the Avatar.

She took a quick right into the alleyway, a shortcut to the place she had been staying. A rock crunched underneath her foot, and she cursed under her breath. She didn't want anyone to hear her coming, but it didn't matter. Someone heard her.

She was shoved against the brick wall by an invisible person, their arm pressing firmly against her throat. She cried out in pain, her right hand desperately reaching for her swords. The person must have known she was carrying them because they pulled the swords out of her makeshift sheath, throwing them against the ground. Air wasn't entering her lungs, and dark spots danced in her vision, but the person didn't let up. Instead, they leaned in close, and her eyes widened in shock.

A young boy, younger than Asake, glared up at her, pressing harder against her throat. Anger shone in his dark eyes as he grimaced, holding Asake down. Asake tried to push the boy away, tried to grab at something vulnerable, tried to call for help, but nothing worked. She was going to die in this dark alleyway because a random boy jumped her.

And then the boy was tackled, hitting the ground hard. The person who took him down stood above him, putting their boot on his chest. The boy stared up at the person with a scared look on his face, and the person said, "Stay away from her."

Asake knew that voice, but she couldn't process it as she bent over, sucking in deep breaths. Her lungs worked overtime, trying to get back the precious air she lost, and her head spun in circles. She heard the boy run away from her before the other person appeared in front of her. They reached out but dropped their hand to their side.

She glanced up, tears pricking her eyes. No matter how much she didn't want to see him, Asake was glad that Zuko saved her. He bent down and picked up her swords, holding them in his hands as if testing them out.

"What . . . what are you doing here?" she asked, struggling to speak. Her throat burned with unshed tears and pain. "I didn't need help."

"Right," he said, facing her. His amber eyes blazed in the darkness that settled around them, a bright fire against the nighttime. "And you had it under control. Asake, you couldn't do anything because your other arm is hidden." He tapped her left shoulder with the edge of the sword, and she grimaced in pain. "What happened?"

Asake wanted to snap at him, to yell at him to leave her alone, but exhaustion rolled through her body. She didn't have it in her to fight and argue with Zuko. "I fell on it one too many times," she said, sliding down the brick wall so that she was sitting. Her head fell into her hands. "It should be fine soon, though."