Chapter 10

"A solar eclipse? Exactly when today?" I asked, trying not to panic.

"Two hours and three minutes past noon."

Twenty-two minutes. Damn.

"Princess! There's been a breach at the prison's entrance," a guard called out. I turned to look out the viewer to see a half dozen of them running toward the cells.

Opening the door of Katara's cell, I asked him, "What happened?"

"Three benders—two earth, one water—took out the guards stationed out front. They're making their way up, but we'll only be able to hold them off for so long. They are master benders."

I could kick myself for not having at least some Dai Li here at the prison tower. It never made sense before now—there were always more useful and efficient ways to use their talents besides simply looking after prisoners.

There was no way out of the tower other than through the front entrance. I would have to go through the trespassers. While I was a master firebender in my own right, to take on three master benders, especially with the fast approaching eclipse, was more than a little daunting.

Leaving Katara's cell, I resigned myself to fighting them before the eclipse came. Then maybe I would have a chance to get out of this alive.

"Azula, wait! I can help you fight!"

"No way, Katara," I shook my head with a slight smile. "You may have been telling me the truth about the eclipse, but I still don't trust you. You're staying right where you are."

"Eclipse, highness?" a soldier nervously asked.

"Yes. We have twenty minutes before we lose our bending. Let's get rid of these pests before that time comes," I said confidently before taking off into a run, with the guards following close behind.

I certainly could have used Mai and Ty Lee right about then.

As I reached the landing of the second floor, I saw a dozen guards—only half of them with firebending ability—tussling with three men. One of them noticed my arrival and raising one eyebrow, smiled at me before striking the ground with his feet, sending a fissure in my direction. I easily avoided it by jumping up in the air before propelling myself off the wall, shooting streams of blue fire at him from my fists. He threw up a rock shield, deflecting my flames.

The other earthbender effectively took out guard after guard, skillfully blocking all firebending attacks thrown his way. My bender began launching a rapid succession of earth blocks at me, and it took all my effort to either dodge or break them with fireballs. Unfortunately, in the process of defending his attack, I ended up in a corner. I cursed myself for having so much of this prison made out of rock instead of metal.

"Now, Sangok! While I've got the princess occupied!" the man I fought called out to the waterbender.

"I'm on it, Boulder," he replied as he took off in the direction of the stairs, knocking down guards with water whips as he went.

At such a close range, it was more difficult to generate my most powerful attacks, which involved spinning my body to maximize the damage I could deliver. But I could still be effective and hopefully create some space to fight in. Drawing in a deep breath, I countered Boulder's attack with a steady stream of fire bombs. He then wrapped his entire body in rock and charged at me.

I jumped up to avoid him, and as I came down, swept my legs out, sending an arc of fire toward the back of his head. The force of the impact sent him forward and he smashed into the wall, his earth armor falling away.

The eclipse was minutes away, and I needed to finish this fight now. I charged up for a lightning attack.

Before I could get it off, two slabs of rock crashed into me from either side. I felt and heard the cracking of ribs before two more slabs come in from the front and back, knocking the wind out of me. I was trapped.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the other earthbender—the one who had encased me in rock.

I could see the look of triumph on his face as he walked around to my front side. My breath was coming in short gasps, but slowly began to deepen as I recovered from the impact. It hurt my ribs to breathe, but it was all I had left now.

Inhaling, I gathered all my energy to my core, preparing for breath of fire. As I went to exhale, the flame came out a weak red, and I felt my bending sapped from me. The eclipse had begun.

"Not so tough without your bending, are you, Princess?" he taunted me.

"Seeing as you need an eclipse to defeat me, you aren't so tough with your bending," I shot back. I had no idea how long this particular eclipse would last, but I hoped somehow I could distract him from landing a killing blow during that time.

"Today is my lucky day," he said, his smile growing as he ignored my comment.

Boulder began to stir and slowly shook the rock off himself before coming to stand next to his friend.

"And why is today your lucky day?" I asked them, pretending to be oblivious to my predicament.

"Tell her, Hippo," Boulder said to him smugly.

"We weren't expecting you to be here too. Too bad for Sokka. I know he was looking forward to taking you down himself," Hippo replied. "I'll make sure to send him your regards," he finished, crouching into his stance as he raised his arms to crush the rock surrounding me.

I stared him down, preparing for the inevitable.

Before he could get his move off, a water jet blasted him in the side, knocking him into Boulder, as they both fell to the floor. The water began to quickly creep along the ground before covering them both up to their necks in an ice prison. They struggled against it, trying to break free.

I looked over to the source of the waterbending.

"Katara?"

Her eyes met mine, and for the first time since the ambush, I actually entertained the idea that she was sincere about caring about me.

"I can free you from that rock, but on one condition—promise not to hurt them."

I wasn't exactly in a position to refuse her help, but I didn't want to agree to her condition.

"I promise," I said with a nod, fully intending to go back on my word.

Compressing the water in her hands, she formed a water knife. With a swift series of arm movements, the knife effortlessly cut through the rock.

"Katara, what are you doing?" Boulder asked.

She didn't answer him. Within seconds, the rock slab to my left had been dismantled. Just one more slab to go, and I would be free of my bonds.

"Katara!" Hippo shouted. "How could you?"

There were unshed tears in her eyes as she tried to ignore the words of her friends. The slab behind me crumbled down and I gingerly stepped away from the rock and closer to Katara.

I winced. My ribs were killing me with every breath I took. The floor was littered with the bodies of fallen guards.

"Are you okay?" she asked me, her voice cracking and barely above a whisper, as she moved next to me. She placed a hand on my arm, and I felt a shiver go through me.

"I'm fine…" The sound of footsteps running up the stairs stopped my train of thought. I tensed, bracing myself for whoever was about to come through the door.

To my relief, it was a troop of Dai Li.

"Are you alright, Princess?" one of them asked.

"Fine." Pointing at Hippo and Boulder, I ordered, "Arrest them immediately."

Katara began to sob quietly. I looked at her then. She knew I had every intention of going back on my promise. "Where's the waterbender who was with them?" I asked her.

"He's upstairs in the cell you had me in," she regretfully explained.

"Make sure he's secured," I commanded the Dai Li closest to the floor landing.

"And the girl?"

Common sense told me to have her locked up again, but once again, my common sense was muddied by emotion—my desire. "Fine," I thought to myself with a smirk.

I nodded subtly at the agent, who knew the command all too well. Metal cuffs shot out from his sleeve and captured Katara's wrists.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed, clearly surprised.

"You're coming back to the palace with me. For interrogation," I finished with a dark smile.

Seconds later, I felt a surge of heat and power course through my body. My firebending had returned.