Ash [Prince Zuko - Book Two]

❃Chapter Eighteen❃

Asake didn't know why she bothered to get dressed today. She hadn't left her room in a day. Or maybe it was longer than a day. She wasn't really sure anymore. All she knew was that the crumpled-up posters underneath her bed made her not be able to sleep. The sun kept rising and falling, and all she could do was watch as the shadows increased in her mind, taking her over for good this time.

She had no one she could trust anymore. Not Jet, not Zuko, not herself. Jet was only exploiting her fragile mind to get closer to Zuko and Iroh. Zuko hadn't even looked at her in so long that she wondered if he forgot she was still alive. And she knew that her mind lied to her all the time about anything and everything.

A knock on the door pulled Asake away from her bed that caused her so much anxiety and toward the door. She cracked it open to see Iroh looking at her with a worried face. He gestured for her to come out, so she stepped into the room, wrapping her arms around her stomach as a deep chill settled in her bones.

"This city is a prison," Zuko said bitterly. It sounded strange hearing his voice after going a few days without hearing it. It was strange seeing him in front of her. "I don't want to make a life here."

"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not," Iroh said, glancing at Asake. She knew he was trying to tell her something. She specifically ignored it. "Now, come on, I found us some new jobs, and we start this afternoon."

"I'm not going with you guys," Asake said, shaking her head. She took a step toward her room again, wanting to be alone in the darkness.

Iroh faced her with a gentle smile on his face. However, it didn't reach his eyes at all. "Asake, I'm not leaving you here alone."

"Why?" Asake snapped. "I'm fine. I'll be fine here."

"Asake, you're coming with us," Zuko said angrily. He was actually talking to her. He actually said her name. Asake thought the world was going to end because he was actually interacting with her instead of ignoring her. "We're worried about you." 

That last sentence was uttered so quiet, but she could still hear it. Her anger dissipated at the tender words as the bridge between them suddenly rose up out of the dust. Zuko still cared about her. He was worried about her. That thought alone could make her smile. But she didn't. She didn't have enough energy to smile at them, to thank them for caring for her. She could barely stand there without wanting to crawl back into the darkness. Yet the light was staring at her, and she could feel it corrupting her, pulling her into his gaze.

Her arms hung at her side as she said, "Fine. I'll come with you."

She turned toward her room, but Zuko grabbed hold of her right hand, startling her more than she cared to admit. He pulled her close to him. His hand reached out and brushed a lock of hair out of her face gently before cupping her cheek with his hand. If any other boy had done this to her, she would have killed them. But this boy was different. He was safe. He was home. 

"Don't act like we don't know," he whispered.

"Don't know what?"

"That you're going down hard. That you are barely even talking anymore."

"It's not like you've spoken to me."

He looked away from her for a split second like he regretted everything he had done to her. He bit his lip as his eyes searched her face. "Did that push you over the edge?"

She stared at him, relishing in the feeling of his hand on her cheek. This touch -- this spark -- was the false hope rushing through her. She couldn't help but believe it as she stared into his warm eyes. "No," she finally whispered. And that was the complete truth. She wasn't lying. She couldn't lie to him. Not anymore. "No, it's other things."