Ash [Prince Zuko - Book Two]

❃Chapter Twenty❃

The only sound that echoed around was the sound of her footsteps on the earthen ground below her. Asake ran through the dark streets of Ba Sing Se without even paying attention to where she was going. She knew Zuko and Iroh were going to be looking for her, but she left them in that apartment that had begun to feel like a prison.

Another pair of footsteps had been following her for a while now. It must have been that Dai Li agent who had been waiting outside of their apartment. She glanced to her right and gasped when she saw the dark clothes of the agent, a bright orange light glowing near his hand. He must have a lantern to help see her better.

She picked up her pace, setting her sights on a bright glow ahead of her. Wonderful smells permeated through the area, and laughter fell on her ears. If she could just get inside the crowd and hide away from everyone, she would be okay.

The other footsteps grew louder, so she pushed on harder, hopping over a few boxes left on the side of the road. Her lungs screamed for air, and her legs burned with overexertion, but she couldn't stop running. She would never stop running, never, not until she was able to.

She shot through an opening in the alleyway and nearly ran over a child. She skidded to a stop, scanning the crowd around her. People of all ages strolled around the decorated square, chatting amongst themselves as they ate wonderful food. She ducked into a large group of people, her chest rising and falling quickly. The group parted, and she noticed a guy who looked out of place. He stood at the edge of the square, his hand resting on a familiar sword.

Her breath caught in her throat. That man had her sword! She took a step toward him and watched as he slipped out of the square, heading away. She hurried after him, her heart thudding against her rib cage. If she could get her sword back, she would be able to get on with her life. Everything depended on that sword, a picture of her past that wasn't so bad after all.

She exited the bustling square and came upon a crossroads. At one end stood the man with her sword, staring intently at her. She looked to her right and stumbled when she saw Jet walking away, his head bowed as if he didn't want anyone to see him. And then she looked left and saw a young girl hurrying toward the party, a wide grin on her face. This time, Asake had to hold onto the wall to keep herself standing. She found Lisha again!

Dread settled over Asake. The ground shuddered beneath her feet as she looked between the three pathways, three different choices she could make. There was always the way back, as well, and when she glanced that way, her heart dropped in her chest. The Dai Li agent slowly walked toward her, his face hidden in shadows.

Asake had to make a decision. She didn't think about it and just took off. The girl looked surprised that Asake was running toward her, and she quickly latched onto her right arm. "Lisha," she said, her voice cracking, "Lisha, it's me, Mo. I need your help."

"I don't know who you are," the girl said, shaking her off. Asake searched her face and swore that this was the same girl she traveled with on the way into the city, but those eyes . . . they were entirely different. They held no recognition in them at all. "Get away from me."

Lisha ran into the throng of people, and Asake stood there, tears pricking her eyes. The path that led to Jet was suddenly clear, and she knew he was gone. This time, the ground gave way beneath her feet, and she collapsed to the cobblestone ground, crying out. She covered her face with her hands, confusion spiraling through her chest.

Why didn't Lisha recognize her? They had spent a good few days together, and the girl was by her side the whole time. So, what happened?

Asake didn't have time to worry about this, though, because someone grabbed her by her shoulders, lifting her off of the ground. She gasped in pain, stars dotting her eyesight. She couldn't see who was behind her, but she knew it was the Dai Li agent. She was found, and now she was going to die.

Fire sputtered to life along her fingertips, and another man grabbed ahold of them, putting the fire out. Her sword rested at his hip, and she tried getting her hands out of his grip, but she just couldn't. How did she let herself get kidnapped? Both men got closer to her, and she wildly kicked out, connecting with something. The man behind her let go, and she fell shakily to her feet, wrenching her grip out of the other man's hands.

Asake took off down the pathway, fear driving her. She didn't get very far when one of the men tackled her to the ground, landing on top of her. She froze where she was, horrible memories washing over her. Zhao was back, holding her hostage, getting ready to hurt her for not talking. She would never talk again, no matter what happened.

"You're going to have to knock her out," one of the men's voices said. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't figure out who it was in her panic. "Do it now!"

One of the men flipped her over, and she held her hands up in front of her face, her breath coming quicker and quicker as panic overtook her whole body. Every part of her went numb, her heart beating so erratically that she didn't even realize that they placed a soaking wet rag beneath her hands. With the addition of the sleeping potion and her panic, everything went dark around her. The last thing she could hear was, "We have to get her out of here. She's not safe anywhere."