Ash [Prince Zuko - Book Two]

❃Chapter Fifteen❃

Asake gasped, sitting up in bed drenched in cool sweat. Her chest heaved up and down as a bout of anxiety coursed through her veins, constricting her breathing. The nightmare she had been having melted into the real world, deep, dark shadows hanging low in the room Zuko and Iroh put her into late last night.

One particular shadow seemed as if it moved, shifting into the general form of a broad-shouldered man. Even though she couldn't see his face, she knew he wore a smug expression, his lips curled up menacingly, his eyes dark holes of torture. Asake whimpered, frozen in the soft and comfortable bed, holding her blanket in front of her as if it would protect her from the monster in her room.

The shadow peeled off of the wall, stalking forward. His face came into focus, sharp and pointed. Zhao had come back for her, vengeance written on his face. There was nothing she could do about it, nothing she could say to stop the man who destroyed her life.

She screwed her eyes shut, blood rushing into her ears. Her breath came quicker, more intense, as sweat ran down her back, her face, her arms. It was always the waiting game with Zhao; when he kidnaped her, he would always keep her waiting, asking her questions that didn't pertain to Zuko's search for the Avatar while slowly violating her. When she didn't say anything, becoming mute in his presence, he would hurt her, go further, violate her until she couldn't feel anything at all.

Asake's fingers started tingling. The sensation spread all over her body quickly. Her body craved more and more oxygen, so she sucked in shallow breaths. Even though her eyes were closed, she knew the world was tilting out of control all around her, tears leaking through her eyelids. She couldn't breathe, couldn't get enough air, her chest hurt, the world felt as if it were ending –

Her door slid open, slamming against the wall. Asake's eyes snapped open, and the shadows slowly dissipated as the soft morning sunlight floated into the room. Zuko stood there, his face devoid of any emotion. He said, "Uncle wants to know if you're awake."

He broke her out of her stupor, her panicked state, so she whispered, "Yes, I'm awake."

"He has tea ready for you."

"Thank you," she said, catching his wandering gaze. He held it for a moment, confusion and concern floating to the amber surface. She knew that Zuko wanted to ask her about what was going on before he opened the door, but he didn't. "I'll be out in a moment."

Zuko stared at her for a moment longer, his face softening ever so slightly. Asake wanted to get out of bed and run into his arms, sheltered away from her bad dreams, but she stayed where she was. He slowly pulled the door shut, never breaking eye contact until the door clicked shut.

Asake blew out a breath, her heart still thudding against her chest. She laid back down in the comfortable bed, sprawled out as far as she could, not wanting to get up and face the day. She was embarrassed that her bad dream and her anxiety got to her that quickly, and she was a little paranoid after her close encounter last night. But, she needed to go to work because Pen Feho was expecting her to get there early to rearrange the front part of the pet shop. She wasn't sure if she could make it, though. Her left arm throbbed, and she was exhausted after her panic attack. It seemed like today wasn't going to be a good day.

She slid out of the bed, stood up, and limped over to the dresser that came with the room she was given. Sometime after she returned to the house, Iroh had come into the room the night before with extra clothes for her, which was amazing. She was so thankful for that man, more than she had realized when she was alone on her journey. When she was alone, she was the one providing for herself. She did everything to make sure she was safe and healthy. It was much harder to accept Iroh's help again, but it was a welcome relief to know that someone else cared for her and wanted her safe, too.