The air around her turned scorching hot as she held up the basin like a shield. Its water spilled onto the ground and any left over evaporated when the fire hit. She felt the once cold stone warming up in her hands. The guard's attacks were relentless, bursts of flames beating against her defenses with only a few seconds between. Each blast heated the basin more and more and, soon, it would be too hot to hold. She needed a plan. But her mind had gone blank with fear. This was it.

She ran forward until she body-slammed the guard. He fell into the hall with a yelp, back hitting the floor. Time skipped ahead a few seconds and she found herself staring down at a mess of blood and bone shards. The basin slipped from her fingers. Surely, it made a noise, but she couldn't hear it. The guard's skull had been crushed. She was responsible for it. She murdered him. Her stomach revolted and she took a moment to get sick in the washbasin.

When she finished, she crawled over to the corpse and searched it for anything she could use to escape. A set of keys and a small utility knife. As a firebender, he'd had no need for other weapons. She snatched the keys and the knife and stood up. Her legs wobbled, begging to rest. But she pushed on. Even as her head screamed at her and her body barely responded to her commands.

Everything was a blur. The thoughts of condemnation and self-loathing faded into silence as the repetitive scenery of the halls slid across her vision. She hadn't run into anyone during her sprint for freedom. Or maybe she had and she'd laid their bodies across the wooden floor like decorations. Either way, she'd kept up her pace, barreling down the corridors and staircases with little room in her mind to spare for stray thoughts. Her senses had dulled, leaving her with only her sight. It felt like she was nothing but legs racing and eyes seeing. Nothing else mattered.

She stopped by a window, glancing out as she caught her breath. Five stories up. She was so close. Just a few more floors and she'd be free. The door ahead of her opened. Her panting died abruptly as she came face to face with Feng Mian. She blinked and the rushing in her head slowed to almost nothing.

"I'm quite impressed," Feng Mian said, tone casual, arms crossed. "Now I can see why the commander chose you. Not just for your pretty face, it seems."

Lien pushed her shoulders back so she appeared taller. "Thank you."

"I suppose I have two options." She smirked as she drew out the sentence as long as possible. "I could kill you right where you stand. Or… I could recruit you to our cause. What do you think? You and me working side by side to… Oh. You'll have to excuse me. I'm getting ahead of myself."

"I'm not interested."

Feng Mian scoffed. "I don't think you understand the precariousness of your position. I'm offering you a chance to live and you're refusing me?"

"I understand perfectly," she said. "I would rather be dead than serving a cause I don't believe in. Even if our goals happen to align, I don't agree with your methods. I'll never join you."

Lien didn't know where her spark of confidence had come from. But she was glowing with the flame it incited and Feng Mian was fuming. The older woman's expression soured, lips pressed so thin, they nearly disappeared entirely.

"Die then." She kicked a wave of fire at Lien's feet.

She watched the flames licking across the floor, igniting some of the wooden panels as it went. Once it came too close, she launched herself into the air. The wave passed beneath her. Its heat singed the hem of her skirt. When she landed, she dodged several attacks, clumsy at first. But she soon recognized Feng Mian's pattern and was able to dance around her fire.

Even as frustration threatened to overwhelm her, Feng Mian lowered her fists, tried to provoke Lien. "It's really a shame I have to kill you. You're so young. Fifteen, maybe?" She giggled.

Her instinct was to correct Feng Mian but she held her tongue. The energy it would have taken to rebut was put to better use. Plotting her way out of this situation. There was the window – a fall from which would almost certainly be deadly – or back the way she'd come.

"Your parents sold you to him, didn't they?"

She nodded though her thoughts were far from Feng Mian's words. The woman was laughing again. There must have been something about the misfortune of others that she found hilarious. Lien still had the knife she'd stolen. Was there any chance she'd survive a one on one fight with a firebender? Probably not. Not when she only had the blade and not the element of surprise or that heavy water basin. And even if she could defeat Feng Mian somehow, she wouldn't be able to proceed. The fire would likely have eaten through the floorboards by then.

"He can't even protect his property," she continued when her laughter subsided. She lobbed another ball of flame at Lien. It only narrowly missed hitting the girl. "You're just a toy for him to play with. And he casts you aside when he's done, leaving you for others to damage as they please."

By then, thick black smoke began to fill the air between them. She could scarcely see Feng Mian. But it didn't matter. And neither did her words. She'd already decided. With the hilt of her dagger, she broke out the glass of the window beside her. Feng Mian's head turned. While she was distracted, Lien leapt forward. The flames wrapped around her legs as the floor caved in beneath her.

She landed on the floor below, knees bent, skin burning. Then she ran. In moments, Feng Mian would realize where she'd gone. She had to find the stairs soon. The fatigue she'd felt before vanished. Pure adrenaline coursed through her veins. Even the pain she knew she should be feeling couldn't reach her. When this was all over, whatever the outcome, she was sure her body would give out completely. And so, she pushed with everything she had.

Somewhere behind her, she could hear Feng Mian screaming and the roaring of new flames. Tears slipped down her cheeks. The air rushing by her dried the tracks they left behind. She reached the end of the corridor and threw open the door. Stairs leading down. She almost stopped to cry from sheer relief. But she had to keep going. If she paused, even for just a moment, she wouldn't be able to find the strength to continue her sprint.

When she reached the next staircase, she took a second to break off the doorknob. Hopefully, that would slow down Feng Mian a bit. Her thundering footsteps were constant companions to her own pounding feet. She slammed the door shut behind her and descended. Only two stories up now. Did she push her luck, find the final staircase? Or did she just jump? There was a window a few feet from her. She reached it in an instant and forced herself to stop. Her leaden legs shook as she peered out. Nothing soft to break her fall. But the street below was vaguely familiar to her. If she wasn't mistaken, it was near Zhao's home.

"Spirits help me," she whispered.

She couldn't make her legs move anymore. Her chest spasmed with barely suppressed sobs. The glass shattered easily when she hit it with her knife hilt. Above her, Feng Mian struggled with the door, beating the wood with her fists before seeming to remember that she could just burn it down. But that would still buy Lien some time. She took a deep breath then dove out of the window.

The wind gusted upward to greet her. It all happened so fast. She could only manage to get one leg beneath her quick enough to catch herself. Falling to one side, she lay for a moment. Shadows closed in around the edges of her vision and she fought to remain conscious. She scrambled back onto her feet. Her ankle ached but she limped onward. Part of her wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. But she was scared. What if everyone nearby was a part of Feng Mian's group? She didn't know how likely that was. It still terrified her.

Yet, if she didn't reach out, she knew she wouldn't make it. Her adrenaline was running low. It wouldn't carry her body much further.

"Help! Someone, please, help me!" She repeated the cry until her voice gave out.

Feng Mian materialized behind her, close enough to reach out and grab her shoulder. But she decided to walk alongside her for a minute. She needed time to gloat. "You're more of a fighter than I thought you were, but it's over now. I've caught you. I'm more powerful than you could ever hope to be. It's time for me to kill you, sweetie."

"Get away from her!"

A wall of fire struck Feng Mian, an inch away from hitting Lien too. The woman screeched in pain and fell backward. Fan Li shoved Lien behind her then aimed her fist at Feng Mian's face.

"Pick yourself up and go." The words hissed through gritted teeth. "You're pathetic, preying on the weak like a street urchin."

Feng Mian's eyes widened as she recognized Fan Li. She crawled backwards a few inches before she stood up. "Fan Li, I… I didn't expect you to…" Her fingers curled into fists. "This isn't fair. I was promised that I could-" She stopped herself. "Fine, I'll go."

The sisters watched as Feng Mian spun around and stalked away. When she was about fifteen feet away, she paused and looked over her shoulder. "Oh, but tell Zhao to put his bitch on a stronger leash. Wouldn't want her escaping again, right?" She cackled.

Fan Li punched two bursts of fire at her. She squealed and scurried off, back to the safety of her own home. Once she was gone, Fan Li turned her full attention to Lien.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be alright…" Although weary, Lien couldn't help but be suspicious of her sister. What had happened to the girl that hated her, that did anything to get her in trouble with their father? "How does she know you? And why are you even here? I thought…" She trailed off as she noticed the tears forming in Fan Li's eyes.

"Things changed at home once you and Jing Fei left." That's all she managed to choke out. She took a few deep breaths then changed the subject. "Here, lean on me. I'll take you to the commander."

Lien flinched away from Fan Li's reaching hand. "I can get there on my own. Thanks."

"You don't trust me…" She opened her bag and drew out a thick stack of papers tied together with twine. Moving slowly, she offered them to Lien. "I stole these from Father's office. Thought it might help prove I'm on your side now."

She snatched the papers like a viper striking its prey. Her fingers loosened the twine and she leafed through the stack. Letters. Dozens and dozens of them, all from Jing Fei. They were addressed to her with neat dates scrawled at the top of each page. Jing Fei had been replying to her letters this whole time, but she'd never received them. Their parents must have intercepted them. Why?

"I appreciate this," she said, linking her arm in Fan Li's. "Take me to Zhao, please."

Fan Li beamed but didn't reply. She adjusted their position so that Lien's arm was slung over her shoulder. This way, Lien could put more weight on her sister, taking pressure off her injured ankle. Fan Li held Lien securely around her waist.

"You never told me how she knew you."

"We have a few mutual acquaintances." Fan Li said with a brief wave of her free hand. "She's watched me duel before so she knows I'm stronger than her. Guess she got scared."

Lien accepted the explanation and didn't open her mouth to reply. Instead, she focused all of her attention on the road beneath her feet.

They made slow progress but Lien would have been even slower on her own. She was so exhausted, she might have just curled up in the street if Fan Li had left her alone. As it was, her eyelids threatened to slam shut with each plodding footstep. The light of the lanterns illuminated them as they passed beneath. She glanced at Fan Li, studying her face by the firelight. There was a grim set to her jaw and a hardness in her eyes. Determination, perhaps. Or maybe it was the cold anger that would inspire her eventual revenge against Feng Mian.

Just as the sun began to brighten the horizon, they arrived at Zhao's home. All was dark aside from one window which glowed with the dull light of a candle. Fan Li leaned Lien against the wall beside the front door. She knocked on the door with increasing urgency as the seconds ticked by. Finally, it swung open. Zhao stood in the entryway, shirtless, hair undone. He scowled at Fan Li until he noticed Lien.

"What happened?" He wanted nothing more than to cradle his fiancée in his arms and kiss her everywhere. But he restrained himself. With Fan Li there, he couldn't show that vulnerable side of him that he'd always been so ashamed of.

"I decided to keep looking for her even though you told me to get some sleep." Fan Li smiled like a child who'd just been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. "Then I heard someone screaming for help. It could've been her but I wasn't sure so I ran. And I just stumbled on her with Feng Mian. I heard her say she was going to kill Lien. Then I fought her off and here we are."

Zhao nodded to himself but didn't say anything. Lien didn't know if he recognized the name of her kidnapper. Maybe he did and he had the full puzzle, already mostly assembled. Would he enlighten her? Or would she be left in the dark again? She had no proof that he knew what was going on. It was just a feeling she had, deep down.

"I'll… leave you two alone," Fan Li said, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks. Then, by the force of her will, the color disappeared. She fixed Zhao with a sardonic stare. "Take care of her this time."

"She's safe with me, I assure you." The tone of his voice made Lien shiver.

Fan Li gave her sister a quick, somewhat awkward hug. Then she glided out into the early dawn as if she'd been nothing more than a hallucination. Lien swallowed, watching the figure retreat until it turned a corner and was gone completely.

"Come in," Zhao said. He stepped aside, gave her ample space to walk by him. "I can have the spare room prepared."

She shuffled into the house, closing the door behind her. After the day – or possibly days – she'd had, all she wanted was to curl up in bed with her fiancé. He'd quickly become a constant in her life, someone she knew she could count on. It was too soon for her to feel this way. But honestly, after years of feeling like her life would never go anywhere, she was ready to rush into things.

"That won't be necessary." She flinched internally at the stiffness in her voice. It was so cold, emotionless. But adding artificial warmth didn't appeal to her at the moment. "We'll sleep together. I'm to be your wife, after all."

He stood by the entryway, eyebrow raised as she limped towards his bedroom. She glanced over her shoulder and caught him observing her.

"What?"

"Nothing." A smile snuck onto his face. Once he realized it, he masked the expression with his usual nonchalance. He followed her into his room and shut the door.

Lien turned her back to him then gingerly removed her bloodstained dress. Before then, she hadn't realized how much of the guard's blood had soaked into it. The red of the fabric had disguised it well when it had been wet. Now that it was dry, it had darkened by several shades and turned crusty. She nearly gagged at the thought. Even the tight shift she wore underneath felt tainted, yet it was still as pure white as the day she'd put it on.

She wanted to rip it off her body and burn it. Burn the gown too. Whoever that person was, she never wanted to be her again. The person who killed without batting an eye… In her desperation, she committed an unforgiveable crime. That man had a family that would never see him alive again and it was her fault. How could she not hate herself for it?

With a sigh, she crawled into bed. The sheets were cool but so soft, she immediately found it difficult to keep her eyes open. Zhao slid in beside her. She sensed his hesitation so she rolled over to face him. Their eyes met.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I…" He seemed to think about it for a moment. His eyes wandered over her face, taking in every detail. The bruised cheek, frowning lips, and empty irises. "I don't know what you need from me right now. It bothers me."

"Just hold me until we fall asleep," she said, turning her back to him once more. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her body tight against his.

As her consciousness drifted, she wondered what would become of them. A man with power, money, and, more importantly, life experience. And a naïve girl who couldn't keep herself out of trouble. Perhaps they just didn't fit together. But right then, with him pressed up against her, she felt like they were going to be okay.

A/N: Hello, everyone! Thank you all for favoriting, following, and reviewing. It means so much to me. I've really been eating up the positive feedback haha. But in all seriousness, it's helped me stay motivated to update relatively on time.

I do have a question for you guys, though. I'm thinking it's about time for Zhao and Lien to get married. Do you want a detailed ceremony/reception full of family drama? Or would you prefer it be quick so we can move on with the plot? Thanks for weighing in!