The Fourth Ceremony: The Sacrifice Trilogy

by K. M. Ashling

  “Can we go somewhere else?”Alessa asked quietly.

  “Of course we can,”Camden answered, pulling back from her,“just go back to where your bag is, I need to collect some things.”

  “No, I don’t want to separate, I’m fine, I’ll help,”Alessa said numbly. The truth was, she wasn’t sure what was waiting around each tree and she felt certain she didn’t want to be more than an arm’s reach away from Camden now. Camden paused and looked into her eyes for a long moment.

  “I’m sorry Alessa, but we need food and they have excellent supplies,”Camden said plainly.

  “I get it. I’ve done it. That’s how I got the knife,”Alessa replied with sarcasm.

  Camden stroked her arm and set about gathering things from the different bodies. Then, he put out the fire the men had started and cast them into darkness. Once he finished, he took Alessa’s hand and guided her away from the camp. He used a flashlight he took off of one of the men to lead their way.

  Alessa followed woodenly. She felt numb and empty. She had taken lives that day. She never dreamed that she would be capable of such a thing. She tried to remind herself that she had done it to save her own life and Camden’s, but she couldn’t shake the guilt that penetrated deep in her soul.

  Camden

  While they walked to find a new camping site, Camden kicked himself mentally. He should have told Alessa to free him and leave. He should have told her to wait by the tree. He shouldn’t have made her do that. She would never forgive him. But he knew it had to be done. He couldn’t have stopped them by himself, they would have both been caught and killed. The truth was, he needed her help. And she had preformed admirably.

  He was worried for her. She was in shock. That much he was sure of. He wasn’t sure what he could do for her. First of all, he knew he had to get her settled down and fed. He was sure that they wouldn’t encounter any other search parties. They were quickly getting out of Capitol friendly territory. Frankly, he was surprised they encountered this crew so far out.

  After walking far enough that they couldn’t see the smoke or smell the fire of the other camp, Camden stopped.

  “We’ll camp here. We’ll spend the night, I don’t think we’ll get interrupted this time.”Camden set about starting their own fire. After it was going and Alessa was settled in front of it, he sat down beside her and pulled out some of the dried meat from the men’s stash.

  “Take this, you have to eat,”Camden said. He watched as Alessa ate the meat. She stared into the fire.“Please talk to me,”Camden said, her silence worrying him.

  “Shouldn’t you be eating, too?”Alessa asked.

  “That’s what you thought I meant by talk to me?”Camden replied while pulling out a piece of meat for himself.

  “I don’t know what to say, Cam. I don’t really know what to think. I’m so torn. On one hand, I’m so glad you’re okay. I thought that things were going to go really bad and I wasn’t even sure that they didn’t just kill you on the spot. The thought of that, it just tore through me. On the other hand, I can’t get his face out of my head.”

  “Which one?”Camden asked quietly.

  “The one I killed before I found you. The one I killed completely on my own. He was so angry and hateful. I knew if I didn’t kill him, he was going to kill me. That was the clearest moment in my life. But, as he died, he didn’t look angry and murderous, he just looked scared.”

  Camden moved closer to Alessa and hugged her close. Tears streamed down her face. He didn’t know what to do. He wished he could fix it all, but he knew he couldn’t.

  “I guess in the end, it’s all just fear,”he said,“but it’s what we do in the other times that matter. You did what you had to do to survive. You didn’t go out looking for a fight, they did. You just answered. I know I’ve said this before, but you are so brave and so amazing. You have to know that. You have been through more in the last day than most people go through in a lifetime. You’re still standing, still moving, and still pushing. That’s incredible. I am in awe of you, Alessa.”

  Alessa sat quietly for a long moment, looking into the fire. Camden was afraid that he had said something wrong or made it worse. Then, she turned her head and laid it on his shoulder. He sighed with relief. She wasn’t mad at him. Miraculously, she didn’t blame him for all of this. He turned towards her, gathering her into his chest and bringing her as close to him as she could get.

  “I’m going to fix this Alessa. I am going to make this worth it. I am going to make you happy and carefree again, I swear I will. I would do anything for you. I love you, Alessa.”The words were out of his mouth before he thought them through. He wasn’t sure if he should regret them or not. He did love her. He guessed he had loved her for a long time, but he wasn’t sure that this was the right moment to spring it on her.

  Alessa pulled away from him slightly. Resisting the urge to tighten his grip and refuse to let her go, he let his arms slack. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck.

  “Cam, I love you too,”she said, as soft as a breath. A warmth spread through his chest. He couldn’t believe that, through all of this, she loved him. It was more than he could hope. He held her close, not wanting to let go of the moment. But, the truth of their situation struck him and he had to be practical.

  “Alessa, we need to rest, especially you. Let’s lay down and try to get some sleep,”he said, reluctantly pulling himself away from her.

  “Alright, as long as you promise not to go anywhere,”Alessa replied. Camden looked deeply into her eyes. They were a beautiful blue and shone in the firelight like something out of a story. He pulled her towards him and kissed her deeply. He ran his hands along her arms and cupped her face. She settled her hands on his shoulders. As much as it pained him, he broke away.

  “I’d have to be crazy,”he said gruffly. He kissed her once more and pulled blankets out of the packs he’d taken.

  Camden settled down in front of the fire. He pulled Alessa to lay in front of him, closer to the warmth, and wrapped his arms around her. He smiled when he heard her sigh contentedly and felt her lean into him. He was sure that he could stay just like this, in the dark cold woods, forever if only he had her in his arms.

  Camden was shocked to find that they had both slept soundly through the night. He awoke to the subtle light of morning. His body was stiff from not moving all night, but Alessa still slept and he didn’t want to disturb her so he stayed still. Ever so slowly, he lifted his head and propped it on his hand so that he could see her face. He had meant it when he told her that he was in awe of her. She was mesmerizing in the soft light and he still could not believe how brave and resilient she had been. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek.

  “Alessa,”he whispered softly,“it’s time to get up.”Alessa gasped and sat up straight, terror filling her eyes.

  “Hey, hey,”Camden said as he grabbed her shoulders and turned her to look at him,“Alessa, what’s wrong? Are you okay? It’s me, you’re fine. What is it?”

  Alessa looked around frantically for a moment and then leaned her head against his chest.

  “It was just a dream,”she said finally. Camden felt himself deflate. Of course she had nightmares, how could she not with everything that had happened the past two days. He wrapped her in his arms and tried to sooth her.

  “You’re okay, Alessa, you’re safe,”he tried for a soft, soothing tone. After a moment of coddling, she pulled back from him.

  “I’m fine, really, let’s get going. The faster we move, the sooner we can get there.”Camden stared at her for a long minute. Then, he stood and began gathering their things. He handed her one of the packs from the search party.

  “There’s a new gun in there, fully loaded. There’s also some food, a blanket, and your change of clothes.”

  Together, they set off to finish their trek through the woods. Camden tried to distract her from the serious look on her face by telling stories about his childhood both inside the
SDL headquarters and after he had moved closer to the Capitol with his Aunt Sable. He told her how his Uncle Mars had explained that he was a very accomplished orphan from the SDL that they were trying to raise right to the Government and they had let him enter training to be a guard. He told her how everything about her escape was carefully planned and how Jayna was key to the whole thing.

  “She was like Mars’second set of eyes. She caught things he didn’t. Plus, she had been inside longer than any of us. No one notices a servant, she knew more than all of us put together.”

  “I hope she gets away,”Alessa replied,“I hope they all do.”

  “We’ll figure out a way. We don’t leave people behind, everyone matters in the SDL,”Camden replied.

  It was true. In the SDL, things were vastly different than the rest of the Empire. They could trust one another and were valued by each other. That’s why he was sure that the SDL could set up a governmental system that would make the Empire better and stronger.

  The next two days passed with little event. Camden told Alessa as much as he could about life in the SDL, but he was sure that she was in for some surprises. It was just so different than she was used to. He was sure she could adapt, though. She had proven to be so brave and strong this far, he didn’t think there was much that she couldn’t do.

  Finally, after both of them had faded into exhausted silence, Camden spotted the tops of the barriers.

  “Alessa, look, that’s the barrier, we’re almost there,”Camden pointed excitedly over the trees. He couldn’t wait to be home again. And he couldn’t wait to show Alessa all of the things he loved. He also knew that she deserved a few good days’of rest and relaxation. He was determined to do everything in his power to make that happen.

  “It’s so tall,”Alessa said back.

  “The gates are nearly impenetrable. The SDL has been prepared for war from its inception. The barrier is fully staffed with guards twenty-four hours a day. And we have watch towers that can spot airborne and land attacks,”he stopped and turned towards her,“Alessa, this is the safest place in the Empire you could possibly be. You are going to be safe and protected and as comfortable as we can make you, I promise.”

  Alessa beamed a smile at him that struck his heart. He pulled her into a quick kiss, wrapped her hand in his, and they started off towards the gate. They had to walk along the barrier for several hundred feet before they came to the first gate. At the entrance, they were met with several armed guards.

  “Camden Levitt and Alessa Stone here to see Lennox,”Camden said to the guards in his most official voice. They certainly knew who he was, but everyone here must be announced. The gates began to open. Camden saw Lennox, the current president of the SDL, slip out and walk towards them.

  “Camden, we are glad you made it. Hello Alessa,”Lennox said in his typical business fashion,“there’s no time for pleasantries right now, I need you to come with me. There’s something you both must see.”

  Camden looked at Alessa, she looked slightly worried. He squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her. However, he felt fairly unsettled himself. Lennox was all business, but he didn’t get serious without a good reason. Something must be wrong.

  Camden knew for sure something was wrong when Lennox took them into the meeting hall with the television that showed the Government announcements.

  “Lennox, is this necessary right now?”Camden was sure they were going to watch the inauguration of the new Sacrifice. He wasn’t sure Alessa could handle it.

  “It is, Camden, you’ll both see why.”Lennox stepped over to the control panel and pressed some buttons. The SDL always recorded and archived the announcements.

  Camden felt Alessa stiffen as the Minister filled up the screen. He pulled her closer to him and put an arm around her shoulders.

  “Hello to all,”the Minister began,“I would like to extend my sincerest comfort to the Empire during this horrifying time. I know we have all been devastated to lose our dear Sacrifice in such a deceptive and shameful way.”

  Camden glanced at Alessa. Her face was as white as snow. He squeezed her shoulders, trying to comfort her.

  “It’s all for show,”he whispered,“he has to make you look bad, you made him look bad.”

  “However,”the Minister continued,“I must assure you all that we are at a time for celebration. We are close to catching our errant Sacrifice and will certainly make clear to her the error of her ways. Furthermore, we have arrested several accomplices and will ensure that they pay publically for their crimes.”

  Alessa sucked in a breath. Camden felt his own chest tighten. He wondered if they had gotten the right people. He wondered if they could, or would even try to, save them. The Minister’s voice droned on.

  “As our final announcement, we would like to introduce our newest Sacrifice.”A picture of a tiny baby wrapped in a soft pink blanket shown on the screen.“This is Mariah. She was born on the Sacred Day of the Sacrifice and will be our next Sacrificial Savior.”The Minister paused, presumably so that the people could cheer. After a moment, he continued,“Our religious experts have been consulted about the unfortunate situation that we have found ourselves in. It has been decided, in order to sustain our favor in the eyes of the Gods, we must continue our tradition in a slightly different fashion. Dear Mariah, our lovely new Sacrifice, will give herself to the Sacred Ocean on her First Ceremony. We revere her and thank her for her Sacrifice.”

  The screen went blank. Camden was stunned. They were going to kill a four-year-old girl. They were going to drop a baby into the Ocean and let her drown. It was impossible. Certainly they wouldn’t stoop so low. But the minister had said it in front of the entire Empire, it had to be true.

  “We have to stop this,”Camden said quietly. He held close to Alessa, he felt her begin to tremble.“We will stop this Alessa, we will do what we have to, we can stop this.”He turned to Lennox.

  “Yes, plans have begun. We knew we would be fighting, we didn’t know that we would have a time limit. But this has been in the works for several years. We are almost ready. We only need to prepare Alessa for her role in the war.”Lennox turned an inquisitive eye on Alessa.

  Camden squirmed. He was hoping to save Alessa from this for a few days, perhaps even a few weeks. He wasn’t sure she was ready to hear that she was to play a key role in the SDL’s war on the Government, but circumstances would not allow her to rest. Camden and Lennox looked at Alessa.

  “So, what is it we need to do,”Alessa said defiantly with her chin raised high,”what do I need to do to save whoever they have arrested? What do I need to do to save that poor little girl? What do I need to do to stop this ridiculousness? I’m tired of being a bystander, I’m ready to get involved. I’m ready to do my part, to make a stand for something. I’m ready to fight.”

  Epilogue

  Alessa

  Alessa stood in the center of the SDL headquarters on the raised platform. He hand was firmly tucked into Camden’s, but her mind was miles away. Lennox stood at the edge of the platform, making a rousing speech to the crowd. Alessa heard little of it. She knew what he was saying, they had gone over it several times before calling the meeting.

  Alessa was surprised at how quickly everyone came to the center of this little town when called. Within an hour of calling for a meeting, the platform was erected and the people were gathered. Lennox was a motivating speaker, Alessa could understand why he was a leader. He seemed to exude confidence and calm.

  Lennox was telling the group about the fight to come. He was telling them how things were going to change and change forever, but were going to change for the better. The crowd cheered and applauded at the proper places. When Lennox introduced her to the crowd, they cheers were near deafening. Alessa smiled as brightly as she could manage. She was exhausted, hungry, and sore. But she knew that these people needed her to be a symbol of strength and if she knew nothing else, she knew how to straighten her spine, settle her face in politeness, and convey strength. She sup
posed this wouldn’t be terribly different from her previous role in that aspect.

  Thankfully, the speech was over soon and the crowd dispersed. Lennox approached her on the platform before she and Camden could leave.

  “This is going to be difficult, Alessa, both physically and mentally. You are going to have to be stronger and fight harder than you ever have before. We can’t afford for you to waiver. Are you ready to do this?”

  “Lennox,”Alessa started,“I have spent my entire life following blindly in a law that now realize that I don’t believe in. I don’t know how much I have done to perpetuate this belief in others, but I am happy to do what I can to stop people from following down the same blind path I was on. And I will certainly do anything I can to stop that precious little girl from being lowered into that Ocean. You can rely on me, I’m ready to do this. I’m ready to do what needs to be done to make people realize that this practice is barbaric and wrong. I’m ready to help make things change.”

  Satisfied, Lennox left the platform. Camden led her down the platform stairs and to an alley between two buildings.

  “Have I told you lately that I am in awe of you, Alessa,”Camden said to her. Alessa smiled at him. Through her fatigue and pain, she was happy to be with him in this place. He made her feel safe and loved.

  “I’m glad I’m here, Cam, and I am so very glad I’m here with you.”

  “Come on, let’s go see Aunt Sable. I am sure you could sleep for days, I know I could. And tomorrow we start the beginning of the rest of your new life adventure.”

  Camden kissed her lightly and guided her down the road. Together they moved towards whatever waited down their path.