Ash [Prince Zuko - Book Two]

❃Chapter Twenty Two❃

Asake hung her head over the edge of the canoe, ready to vomit into the clear blue water because of her sea sickness that came rushing back to her as soon as she got back on the water. Her dark eyes stared back at her; there was a haunting look in them, like she could never get back to who she was before everything that happened to her battered soul. The sun scorched her back with the dark clothes that hung loosely off her shriveled body. She didn't care, though. Not right now. All she cared about was figuring out how to stop vomiting every few minutes even though she had nothing left in her stomach.

"Asake," Daza said quietly, his voice washing over her like a blast of fire, "we're docking in a couple of minutes."

Her throat was raw from all the bile and vomit, but she managed to get out, "Are we already there?" Wherever there was, she had no idea. She wanted to get off this wretched canoe, though, so she honestly didn't care that they were kidnapping her right now.

"No." Daza paused. It sounded like Zasai was whispering something to him, but Asake couldn't hear it over the sound of her heart thudding in her ears. "We need to stop to get some things for the island. You are welcome to come with us."

Asake nodded as quickly as possible. That made her head spin, though, so she took a couple of deep breaths before she vomited again. "I am not staying on this death trap by myself," she muttered. Using all the strength she could muster, she sat up from the edge of the boat, blinking multiple times as the bright sun shone in her eyes. Her head spun even more. Asake felt horrific, but she had to get off of the boat or else she would go crazy. "Do I look decent enough to walk around the market?"

Zasai's eyes took in her whole body, scanning her up and down. If it were any other guy, she probably would have blushed like a little schoolgirl who just found out about those weird feelings that made her want to do strange things. But this man only made her angry. He had been there when the body he was looking at was disrespected. 

"I don't know," Daza said like he couldn't see the vile words rising up in Asake's throat. He didn't notice the anger she had for Zasai. "I don't think it really matters, though."

Asake didn't answer him. She turned her gaze back toward Zasai and found him glaring at the land they were getting closer and closer to. The past couple of days, he had been in a really bad mood. She wasn't that surprised, though. She hoped the guilt was eating him up, making him decay from the inside out. 

As she was looking at him, a glare hit her eye from the intense sunlight shining down on something metal next to Zasai. Hope filled her heart at the sight of her sword. That was the whole reason she followed Daza and Zasai, and she totally forgot about it. If only she had said that she'd stay on the ship by herself. That way, she could've gotten her sword and ran away from them. But then again, she knew that Zasai was much smarter than that to leave her sword on the ship with her.

Daza paddled the three of them to the dock closest to them. It didn't seem like he was breaking a sweat at all or even struggling to paddle them to shore. If it were up to her, she probably would not be able to get them to shore by herself. Not now, at least. She had lost a lot of her strength in vomiting everything up for the past day, and her left arm could barely move without her dying a little on the inside. 

The canoe finally slowed to a stop next to the dock, and Zasai tied it to the pole next to him. Asake hurriedly climbed out of the boat and onto the dock, sighing. Finally, her stomach stopped rolling around her body, which made her feel so much better now. Even though she was actively being kidnapped, she was glad to be on solid ground again. Daza was the next to scramble out of the boat, her sword sheathed around his waist. It was just out of her reach, but she knew that she would somehow get to it and grab it before running from them.