The Fourth Ceremony: The Sacrifice Trilogy

by K. M. Ashling

  Alessa

  Alessa sat in her room curled up on the couch. She didn’t know what to think. The Sacrifice was two short weeks away and it looked like she would never see Camden again. She reminded herself that she didn’t want to see him again, but she had a hard time believing it. As much as she was afraid of his organization, she had never been afraid of him and had a hard time believing he had anything but good intention. Of course, she was nervous about him in the beginning, but he had quickly dispelled that. He always seemed so attentive and thoughtful. She didn’t know what to think.

  She wasn’t sure what to think about Evan either. She had always really liked Evan. How could he betray Camden like that? It had seemed all along that they had known each other, now that was certain. Evan had confessed and had implicated Camden with him, but why? Did he think that they would get caught and wanted to save himself? Alessa wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure about anything. All she knew is that thinking about it made her head hurt. Alessa heard a knock at the door. She was tired of people knocking. That never used to happen. Not before Camden.

  Alessa walked over and opened the door to find Khilyn looking back at her. Without a word he wrapped her in his arms. She melted into him, thankful for the comfort that she had refused for days.

  “Less, you look like hell,”Khilyn stated plainly. Alessa snorted.

  “Thanks,”she answered.

  “Less, I just talked to Camden,”Khilyn watched her closely.

  “You did what?”Alessa pulled back from him in surprise. She was shocked that Camden would take time from being on the run to talk to Khilyn, unless….“Wait a minute.”

  “Yeah, I know what he asked you,”Khilyn said,“he filled me in on it, a long time ago actually.”

  “So was everyone working behind my back?”Alessa was angry. Not her best friend, not Khilyn, he couldn’t be in on it, too.

  “It’s not like that Alessa. If he had told you from the moment you met him, would you even have listened to him?”Khilyn asked. Alessa faltered.

  “No, probably not. But once he told you then you should have told me.”

  “You may be right, Less, and I’m sorry for that. But what’s done is done now. We need to talk about this. As much as I know you’d like to avoid it, you’ve got a huge decision to make in not that much time.”Khilyn grabbed Alessa’s hand and pulled her to the couch.

  “I don’t even know what you want me to do, run away? It seems so childish,”Alessa said,“I have a duty to fulfill. Even if I wanted to run away, I owe this to the Empire.”

  “Less, you don’t owe this Empire or Government anything. They have made a spectacle of you since you were born. You need to do what you want, what you think is important and right, but you should have all of the information first,”Khilyn started. They were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.

  “What now? People need to stop knocking all the time, it’s seriously annoying!”Alessa proclaimed as she walked to the door. She flung it open with an annoyed expression on her face and there stood the Minister. Alessa’s mouth dropped open. She had never seen the Minister outside of his office or at an Event.

  “Dear Sacrifice, we need to talk,”he said smoothly,“Khilyn, son, if you’ll excuse us.”

  “Umm, err, sure, yeah of course,”Khilyn seemed as baffled as Alessa. He stood and rubbed a hand over Alessa’s arm before he left the room.

  “Sacrifice, darling, may I sit?”The Minister motioned towards the small table in the room.

  “Of course, Soren,”Alessa replied politely,“and please call me Alessa.”

  “You’ve been trying that for years, dear, surely you realize by now that I’m never going to call you that.”Alessa was taken aback by the Minister’s clipped tone. He was usually dripping with sugar.

  “Oh, well, yes I guess so,”Alessa answered.

  “So, my Sacrifice, I need to know everything you know about this silly little plan to thwart our Fourth Ceremony,”the Minister said plainly. Alessa felt her face redden.

  “I don’t know anything about it, I only just heard when Evan said something,”Alessa tried to sound casual. She wasn’t sure why she wanted to protect Camden, but she didn’t want to expose him, particularly to the Minister.

  “Now listen here,”the Minister slammed his fist on the table and made Alessa startle,“I know about how much time you have been spending with that guard. I’ve watched you canoodle. Ever since that stupid Carnival, oh yes, I certainly know about that, you have been spending more and more time with him. I know that you know something. I know that you were in on the plan, and you are going to tell me right now what it was or so help me-“The Minister was practically shouting, his face red, and his eyes burning with anger. Alessa had never seen him like this. He was always so controlled and annoyingly sweet. Of course, Alessa had always seen him in front of other people.

  Alessa’s mind was reeling. How did he know about the Carnival? Why hadn’t he stopped them? How did he know how much time they had spent together? And if he knew so much, why didn’t he know about the plan? Alessa guessed that answer, she realized that was why Camden hadn’t talked to her until recently, why no one else seemed to know exactly what was going on. Camden had been very careful. He probably knew that they were being closely watched. Camden was right again, Alessa’s heart pounded.

  “Minister,”Alessa began, attempting to sound regal,“let me assure you that I do not know anything about any plan to‘thwart the Fourth Ceremony’”Alessa looked away from his enraged face.

  “You’re a pathetic little liar,”the Minister stood and pointed a finger in Alessa’s face,“let me tell you something, you are going to be under lock and key for the next two weeks. You will not leave this room unless it is with me, do you understand that? Do you know what happens to Ministers who don’t have a perfect Fourth Ceremony? They are disgraced! You should have heard what I heard about the Sacrifice that got herself kidnapped. Her Minister couldn’t show his face in politics again! You are already a liability for me. What with your cancelling appearances and running about all over the place. You nearly got yourself killed with one of your stupid outings! The Ceremony is two weeks away and I haven’t sold half the tickets I should have by now. You will not ruin my career, you little brat. It won’t happen.”He enunciated his final word by poking a finger into Alessa’s shoulder.

  Alessa stepped back from the Minister. Shock and disgust coursed through her body. She couldn’t believe this was true. She couldn’t believe the Minister had told her all of it. And he had threatened her.

  “Minister, I don’t know what you think I have or haven’t done, but I assure you that I am not involved in any plot. I always thought that the Sacrifice was a duty to the people I was to perform,”Alessa said quietly.

  “As it is, and you will continue on as such or I swear to you, I will make you rue it. Do not double cross me, girl,”the Minister stood another moment in Alessa’s face. Then he turned and stalked out of her room, slamming the door behind him.

  Alessa stumbled to the couch in a stunned haze. Camden was right. That phrase rang through her mind like a bell and reverberated throughout her fingers and toes. Camden was right and was trying to save her, and she had refused. She didn’t only refuse, she was angry at him. And now, now she sat here, two weeks before she was scheduled to die and she couldn’t even fix anything.

  Alessa ran to the door and flung it open to find Alec standing on the other side, blocking her way.

  “Move, Alec, I need to go somewhere,”Alessa said, annoyed.

  “I’m sorry, Less, I’m not allowed to let you go anywhere,”Alec’s ears were red, presumably from embarrassment.

  “Excuse me?”Alessa demanded.

  “I’ve been instructed that you are to stay in your room. I’m really sorry, Less,”Alec said again.

  “Whatever,”Alessa said, attempting nonchalance but inwardly feeling sick that she was a prisoner,“and don’t call me that.”

  “Umm, err, right, okay,”Ale
c stammered.

  Alessa slammed the door and walked back into her room. Panic filled her throat. Camden was gone and she was trapped. She would be locked up in her room until the moment of the Ceremony. Would Camden come save her? How could he? Security at the Manor was impenetrable. She didn’t want to die, especially not for the evil Minister’s political gain. Her head spun. How could so much of her world turn upside down in just a few moments? Alessa sunk into her favorite couch by the closet, imagining none of this had ever happened, and fell into a fitful and nightmare filled sleep.

  The Minister stayed true to his hate filled words. Alessa was not allowed to leave her room. Every time she opened the door, Alec or a strange guard stood post. Khilyn was nowhere to be found. She asked for him repeatedly, along with her parents. She was granted no visitors. She did not even see Jayna, which made her suspicious and worried.

  Alessa felt alone, abandoned, and terrified. Most days, she paced her room like a caged animal until the fear caused sobs to break forth. Once she had cried herself dry, she fell into an uneasy sleep on the floor or couch. She didn’t bathe or eat for days.

  Then, Alessa decided that she couldn’t do this. She couldn’t starve herself and would not fall apart. Long ago, her mother had said to her that she couldn’t have her dignity taken, that how she approached the Ceremony was her choice. Sure, the Minister may have perverted the point of it, but there were still the citizens of the Empire who believed in the Ceremony. And there were still her parents and Khilyn. She would go forward with grace, for them and herself. The Minister would not make her lose her sense of who she was.

  Alessa began to eat and bathe herself properly. She dressed daily and sat reading quietly during her incarceration. Inside, her nerves were shot. She had bags under her eyes because she couldn’t mask her fears in her sleep, but her hair was groomed and her clothes were neat. Alessa felt like a robot, a robot that would crack soon under the strain.

  One more day, Less, one more day and you will be done with all of this. One more day and they can’t get to you anymore. Alessa reminded herself regularly. Alessa nearly jumped out of her skin when the door to her room burst open.

  “Less!”Khilyn’s voice bounded through the room and he ran to where she sat and pulled her into a tight hug.

  “Khilyn! What are you doing here? Where have you been? What’s happening?”Alessa’s voice broke on tears she couldn’t hold back. Here he was, her very best friend, just hours before the Ceremony.

  “Less, I’m so very sorry,”Khilyn spoke as he held her in his arms,“no one was allowed in this part of the Manor. Me, Jay, your parents, anyone who was spending time with you before has been banned as a precaution. They only just let me down here since I guess they think that there’s nothing that can be done this close to the Ceremony. Are you okay?”Khilyn finally pulled back from her and looked into her eyes with his hands on her shoulders. Alessa took a deep breath.

  “I am. I can do this. I had a rough time for a few days, but I know what I have to do now and I’ve accepted my fate. I’m just sorry I can’t apologize to Camden. I was hoping that you could do that for me.”Alessa’s voice shook but she held her chin high.

  “Less, there’s so much to tell you, but I don’t have a lot of time. Even though they think I can’t do anything, they’ve limited my time. I just need you to listen very closely. Can you do that?”Khilyn’s voice was soft but urgent. He led Alessa over to sit on the couch as he spoke.

  “Ok, sure, go ahead,”Alessa’s heart was pounding.

  “Less, the plan isn’t ruined. It’s been in place for over a year. They just needed Camden to come in a finalize it. This isn’t over, you can still stop this,”Khilyn looked at Alessa as she soaked in his words. Alessa could hardly breathe.

  “What do you mean I can still stop this?”was her only question.

  “Less, you have to go in the Box, you have to make them all think that you’ve done it. But the Box is fixed. You can get out of the Box, Alessa. You can get out and you can swim to safety,”Khilyn answered, as soft as a whisper of wind.

  “I don’t understand,”Alessa’s head was spinning.

  “Less, this has been in place for a very, very long time. You were always the one, the Sacrifice that was going to end it. Marston is SDL. He was planted a long time ago to begin grooming you for it. I’ve talked to him a lot lately. He says that he knew it would work from your First Ceremony. He insisted you learn to swim because you were always supposed to get away that way. You’re going to stop this, you can stop this, you’ve always been able to stop it.”

  “You’re telling me that I have to get in that Box and somehow get out of it and swim for my life? And then what, I just keep swimming?!”Alessa’s panic had returned. Even if she could control herself enough to get out of the Box, what was she swimming to? And for how long?

  “Alessa, listen closely. There’s a tiny button, it’s the size of a pinhead in the very top right corner of the Box. Jayna built it. It has to be tiny so the Box will pass inspection. The most difficult part of this will be finding that button, but you can do it. It’s exactly in the corner. Once you push it, the wall of the Box over your head will spring open. The Box is underwater for sixteen hours. You will have sixteen hours to disappear. Sixteen hours to get out of the Capitol and get as far away as you can. It’s plenty of time, Less. They won’t even start looking for you for almost the whole day,”Khilyn’s excitement lit up his face. Alessa could see that he believed in this plan. Alessa felt hollow.

  “Where do I go? Once I’m out, what do I do? I don’t want to escape the Box just to run away alone, Khi.”

  “You go to Camden,”Khi said plainly, no emotion showing on his face.

  “What?”Alessa was sure she had heard wrong.

  “You stay underwater as much as possible, swim along the shoreline as far away as you can with still seeing it. Camden is going to be waiting for you under Pier 394. It’s about three miles,”Khilyn eyed her closely. There was a challenge and a worry in his eyes.

  “Three miles. Three miles and…Camden?”Alessa was lost in her mind. Three miles was far, but she believed that she could do it. She knew she could if it meant living, surviving, and seeing Camden again.

  “Less,”Khilyn cupped her cheek in his hand to guide her eyes back to his face,“you can do this. Please do this. I love you so much and I need to know that you are going to do this and be okay.”

  “Wait, but what about you?”Alessa sat back as the thought hit her.

  “I’ve already been questioned and found to not know anything. We all have. No one else is in danger, Alessa. Things might be sticky for a little while, but it will blow over and we will be fine. This is about you, Less. It’s always been you, it always will be.”

  “Khi,”Alessa said weakly,“can I do this?”

  “Less, you’ve always been just stubborn enough to do anything you decide to do. You just have to make the decision. So the question is, what’s your decision?”Khilyn drew close to her as he spoke softly. Alessa was out of words. She didn’t know what to say. She launched herself into Khilyn’s arms. He caught her easily and held her close to his chest as she reeled from everything. She could escape, but it was going to have to be under her own power.

  After a few minutes, Alessa heard her door open again. She raised her head from Khilyn’s chest to see her parents walk into the room and stop at the threshold. Khilyn pulled her back to him quickly.

  “I won’t see you again, Less,”he said, his voice rough,“you can do this, I know it. I love you.”Alessa’s throat swelled.

  “I love you too, Khi,”was all she replied before he got up from the couch and walked out of the room, stopping to nod at her parents as he left.

  Once the door shut behind Khi, Alessa’s mother ran to her and wrapped her in a hug. Her father wasn’t far behind. For several minutes, they sat there together simply holding each other.

  “Lessie, baby,”her father spoke first,“I’m sorry that things have turned
out this way. We never dreamed that you’d have to spend your last few days cooped up in your room, but security comes first.”Alessa blinked up at him before remembering that they didn’t know anything.

  “I-,“Alessa started,“I struggled at first, but really, I’ve had a lot of freedom my entire life and it was nice to spend some time thinking by myself here these last few days,”Alessa detested the lie, but didn’t want to upset her parents further. There was nothing to be gained from that.

  “That’s my girl,”Alessa’s father said proudly. Alessa’s chest hurt.

  “What have you guys been up to?”She tried to make casual conversation. She hated herself for wishing that her parents’time would pass so that she could be left alone to think.

  “Nothing really, much the same as you,”Alessa’s father replied. She wondered if they had been locked in their room as well. A knock sounded three times on the door.

  “That’s it, Lessie, that’s all we get,”her father said, his voice shaking,“you’re so wonderful, baby. Be strong, I love you.”He wrapped her in a strong hug and her resolved broke. The tears she was saving for later leaked down her cheeks. Her father pulled away to leave space for her mother, tears in his own eyes. Alessa’s mother grabbed her in a fierce hug.

  “Whatever it is, Alessa,”her mother whispered closely in her ear,“you do it. I know it’s not ruined, they can’t stop the SDL. Don’t be afraid, just go with it. I love you.”She said the last part out loudly as she pulled away and walked quickly out of the room, arm in arm with Alessa’s father.

  The closing door seemed to echo in the room behind them. Alessa had a lot of information to sift through in a very short amount of time. The Ceremony was scheduled to take place at 8:00am. That meant that she had ten hours to make several decisions and to get a good night’s sleep if she planned to swim for three miles in the morning. She stumbled to her closet and dressed for bed. What would the citizens think? Would they just think that she was afraid and ran away? It would be quite the magic trick to sneak out of the Box after it was in the water. Alessa let a smirk sneak onto her face at the thought of the Minister’s anger when an empty Box was found. Then, she thought of Camden. He would wait for her at the Pier. How long would he wait? Would he get caught? Was he waiting because it was his mission, or because he cared about her? She still had so many questions to ask and things to say to him.