The Fourth Ceremony: The Sacrifice Trilogy

by K. M. Ashling

"Well, thankfully it isn't you," Khi said disdainfully, "Alec is in charge, I have meetings to attend, and you are on your own."

  "Sounds good." Camden strode from the table without a backwards look. He didn't care that Khi and Alec were most certainly talking about him. Camden reminded himself what he was there for and recommitted to the task at hand. He proceeded to the track where Alessa was sure to be training with Evan, and where he could continue his breakfast tactic.

  Once he started a slow jog that would certainly have Alessa caught up with him quickly, Camden set a pace and waited. Alessa and Evan were by his side shortly.

  "What exactly are you doing here?" Alessa's voice was confused and slightly agitated. Camden thought carefully, wanting to keep her piqued but not make her completely angry.

  "I needed a bit of exercise and couldn't think of a more convenient place than a track. That is the point here, right?" He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. He heard her huff loudly as she started to run faster. Evan hung back to his pace.

  "What's going on, Cam?" Evan asked quietly.

  "Nothing to concern yourself with. I need thirty minutes." Camden's tone was clipped, but not rude. Evan knew the hierarchy and would understand that what Camden needed trumped all else. Evan’s eye roll couldn’t escape Camden’s notice.

  "Alessa," Evan called out. She turned backwards to look at him and slowed her jog without stopping. "I have a quick meeting to attend. Thirty minutes on the track and by the time you get inside, I will be finished and ready to proceed. Camden will ensure that you continue your jog for the whole half hour." Evan left his instructions and jogged inside. Camden admired his quick explanation of both his own absence and Camden's presence. Camden hurried his pace to catch up with Alessa.

  "What are you doing here, Cam?" Alessa sounded tired so he decided to ease up on the teasing for a while.

  "I told you, exercise. Alec is on duty, Khi is in meetings, and I needed something to occupy my time. I thought it would be nice to spend it with you," Camden stated sincerely.

  "And Evan's convenient disappearing act?"

  "What can I say? I am unendingly lucky," Camden added a wink to punctuate his endearment.

  "Well I am here to run, to train, not to flirt or otherwise be bothered," Alessa's admonishment was half-hearted and he knew that he had won.

  "Me, too! Exercise only going on around here," he flashed her a winning smile. He caught her eyes roll and was sure that he heard a soft laugh as she set off to a faster pace.

  Without trying to explain the warmth that flowed through his chest at her laugh, he matched her speed and settled into an easy trot with her by his side. He told himself he did not enjoy the occasional bump of their arms as they ran side by side around the track. He reminded himself that he allowed it to happen because it would continue to encourage her to be comfortable with him. And he was not disappointed when Evan reappeared at the door to the training gym since it gave him the chance to recollect himself and gave Alessa the chance to miss him. Camden turned without a word after they spotted Evan and ran off back to the courtyard.

  Throughout the next weeks, Camden played his cards much the same way. He made himself absent from Alessa, taunted her mercilessly until he was certain she was about to become angry, and then threw compliments her way until a smile lit up her face again. He was exhausted. Not only did he notice that she was beginning to avoid him, they had not had a meal together in days, but he also saw that it was getting harder and harder to replace the smile once he had taken it away. The guilt was starting to nag at him and Alessa was spending more and more time alone with Khi, which was working his patience as well. He eventually decided that he needed to get away, and he knew that it was time for him to make a trip along the route anyway. The Ceremony was looming closer and he needed at least two more trips to ensure that he knew it properly. He was dreading approaching Khi about his absence. His disapproval for Camden's behavior was becoming more and more evident.

  "Hey, Khi, I need to ask you something" Camden started as he approached Khi in the meeting room.

  "No, actually I need to ask you something," Khi started vehemently, "what do you think you're doing? You know that you are driving her crazy? I am about two seconds from having you removed from your position. I don't know what power trip you are on, but I will not let you make the last months of her life miserable because you think it's funny. She means more than that." Camden lowered his gaze to the floor. He didn't even have a sarcastic retort to Khi's rant. He felt guilty enough before Khi's words, but now his chest ached with his disdain for himself.

  "Look, we need to talk privately," Camden responded. He held Khi's eyes as he made his decision. He was going to read Khi in. Khi cared about Alessa deeply. He would agree with the plan, he had to agree with it. "Can you come with me to the Great Cliff?"

  "Excuse me? You want me to come out to the Great Cliff after I just insulted you? I think not." Khi's voice was incredulous.

  "Are you afraid of me?" Camden forced himself to laugh. He didn't want to taunt Khi, but he could think of no other quick way to get him out of the Manor.

  "Whatever, make it fast, I have a job to do." Khi brushed past him and walked to Alec, "You're in charge until I get back, I won't be long." He shot acid at Camden as he looked him over and stalked out of the room.

  Once they were both standing at the Great Cliff looking out into the Sacred Ocean, Camden couldn't help but take a moment to think about the magnitude of what he was going to do. He felt heavy with the weight of it all. He was happy to share his burden with Khi, regardless of how he took it.

  "Alright I'm here, what do you want?" Khi's tone was clipped.

  "Man, sit down. This is going to take a minute." Camden said wearily, and he began his tale.

  "You really think you can pull this off?" Khi was less suspicious than Camden thought he would be. It made Camden uneasy.

  "I do," Camden's voice was surer than his head was.

  "I guessed that you were involved with something like this. Look, just the fact that you're here means that you people have some pretty serious resources and you have serious courage, or a death wish, I'm really not sure which," Khi was pacing as he spoke through his thought process, "the truth of it is, I'm pretty desperate and this seems like the best idea there could be, but let me tell you something and I hope I make myself perfectly clear." Khi walked straight up to Camden with menace in his eyes.

  "Alright, what is it?" Camden was clearly being challenged and he refused to back up. The tension between the guards was palpable as the sun beat down on them from the summer sky.

  "If you do this, if she agrees to this and you convince her that this will work and it doesn't, I don't care whose fault it is or why it goes wrong, if this goes wrong, I will find you. I will find you and I will kill you. Understood?" Camden paused for a moment. There was no doubt in his mind that Khi meant his threat and Camden could not be sure that the plan would work.

  "You really care about her don't you?" Camden watched Khi run his hands over his face and through his hair in frustration.

  "She's special, Cam. She matters. And she doesn't deserve this." Khi turned to walk away. "Make this work. And stop being a jerk to her. I'll see you in a week."

  Camden arrived back in the Capital District six days later tired and dirty but with a clear head. He had spent the last six days in the woods deciding that it was time to get real with Alessa. Khi was right, she didn't deserve the way that he was treating her and it wasn't going to win her trust. When he examined his recent strategy, Camden really wasn't sure why he acted as he had been.

  Camden stood on the threshold of his apartment, located his key on a nail behind a loose piece of the door frame, and let himself in. He looked longingly at his couch, but knew that a shower was the first order of business.

  Later in the evening, after he had showered and eaten as much as his stomach could hold, Camden sat on his couch trying to read his book. He realized, however, that the words on the page
became meaningless as his mind raced about. He threw the book down in frustration and decided to go for a walk.

  As he walked through the darkened streets, Camden decided that he needed to pay his contact and mentor a visit. Mars would know what to do and was always able to settle Camden's nerves when he was anxious.

  Camden was a block from Mars' house when he heard what sounded like a scuffle in the next alley. He knew that he was not going to get involved in some street brawl, he had more important things to do with his combat training, but curiosity got the best of him and he peered around the corner of the building that masked him from view.

  Camden crouched to get a better look. What he saw made his stomach turn. Three men were pinning down a girl and she looked as if she were hurt. Camden's mind raced ahead. He knew that he would be in deep trouble if he wound up hurt. He was supposed to be Alessa's guard and that took priority over any other person in the Empire, but he knew that he could not sit by and watch this poor girl be abused or worse. Camden analyzed the men. Two of them were small and of little threat. One of the smaller ones looked like he didn't even want to be there as he held the girl's left arm to the ground. The man on the other arm looked excited, but weak. The girl had almost gotten her right arm loose a couple of times. The man sitting on top of the girl posed the biggest threat. Camden saw his strength in the way he pinned the girl with little effort. Camden was also sickened to notice how much the beefy punk was enjoying this assault. Camden turned his attention to the girl. He wasn't sure if she'd be of any help once freed. She would run, see him as a threat as well and try to fight him, or fight with him against the assailants. Victims could be wildly unpredictable and Camden didn’t like unpredictable situations. He was banking on the skittish smaller man to run away and was fairly certain he could handle to other two men, but if the girl tried to fight him the sales might tip against him and he’d be subject to Khi's already short fuse. Camden saw the man sitting on the girl run his hand down her face and onto her chest. The girl let out a frustrated shout and managed to kick him in the back of the head with a bent leg. The man cried out and Camden stifled a laugh. Surely the girl would fight with him once freed. Then, the man drew back his hand and punched the girl in the face. Her head whipped to the side from the impact and Camden sat frozen in horror. It couldn't be real. This was not happening. It was her.

  White hot fire burned through Camden as rage fueled him into impulsive action. In an instant, he had tackled the gang leader and had pinned him to the ground himself. Camden began to unleash his fury by pounding his fist into the face of the man who had hurt Alessa. With the crack of skin and the grunts of pain, Camden continued his assault. Then, he remembered Alessa and turned to look for her. He saw her just in time to watch her foot connect with the nose of the weaker man who had held her arm. Camden turned back to his victim as the other man grabbed his face and ran from Alessa. The leader of the group was unconscious, but Camden knew he would soon wake. Camden stood and stomped repeatedly on his right hand, the one he had used to punch Alessa. The man would either lose the use of his hand or would have to seek medical care, which would enable Camden to find him later.

  After he was sure the threat was over, Camden ran to Alessa's side. He arrived there just as she began to sink to the ground. He guided her down and knelt in front of her.

  "What in the Gods' name are you doing here?" Camden was barely keeping his fury and worry in check.

  "I, um, I went for a walk, and, um, I wanted to see Uncle Marston, and um, they just came out of nowhere." Camden could see that Alessa was disoriented. His concern grew. He wasn't sure what had happened to her before he came along.

  "Alessa, look at me," her eyes looked glassy. He needed to assess her before he could move her. Then, a thought came to his mind. Evan should have trained her for this. "Alessa, injuries. inventory, begin." He used a gentle commanding voice. For a moment she blinked at him questioningly. Then, her eyes took on a look of recognition and she began to speak mechanically.

  “Hit head on the ground, blows to the face, twisted shoulder, injured ribs.”Her concise list reassured Camden slightly. She was coherent and aware. She would be fine. Camden remained concerned about a concussion or broken bones he couldn’t see.

  "You listed nothing with your legs, can you walk?" Camden maintained his command. It always helped him keep a level head in difficult situations.

  "Yes, sort of. Wait, I can't go back to the manor. Not like this, not now, please don't make me go back." Alessa's eyes were more focused now and they pierced straight into his. He couldn't stand to see the weakness shimmering with tears in her eyes.

  "Alright, look, I have an apartment not far from here. Can you make it two blocks?"

  "Apartment? Why do you have a separate apartment?"

  "Why does everyone keep asking me that? Come on, let's get you out of here." Camden stood and reached his hands down to help Alessa up. She ignored his hands and instead used her good right arm to cradle her injured left from movement.

  "That bad, huh?" He asked quietly.

  "Only when it moves." She smiled tightly at him.

  "Alessa, what happened?" Camden couldn't understand how she had wound up alone. He wasn't sure if she was abducted because of who she was or if it was a crime of opportunity.

  "I told you, I needed to get out of the manor. I decided to go to Uncle Marston's house and I heard someone behind me. By the time I turned around to see what the noise was, the other two were in front of me and I was trapped. I tried to fight them off, but they over-powered me. When I tried to twist out of their grip, my shoulder popped and was basically useless, which left me almost defenseless." Camden's hands were shaking with anger. "They didn't know who I was, they thought I was just some girl. Then, the littlest one realized who I am. I think he thought that telling them that would make them leave me alone, but it just excited the big one. He said-" Alessa stopped speaking and turned her face away from his. Camden moved to face her and saw that she had tears in her eyes.

  "He said what Alessa?" Camden spoke softly, but the menace in his voice was thinly veiled. Alessa flinched. He tried to calm himself. He didn't want to frighten Alessa more. "My apartment is right here. Let's get you warmed up and then we'll continue the story, okay?" She nodded and allowed him to steer her inside.

  Camden busied himself turning on lamps and lighting a fire for Alessa to warm herself. When he was done, he sat back on his heels in front of the fire and turned to Alessa. She still stood just inside the door, her right arm supporting her left, and an uncomfortable stiffness to her body. Camden stood immediately, pulled a blanket off of the back of the sofa, and approached Alessa slowly. Camden knew that Alessa had been uncomfortable around him recently, but he hoped that she knew that he would be there for her now, that this changed things.

  "Alessa," Camden almost whispered her name as he walked to stand in front of her, "are you sure that you're okay?" He took the blanket and slowly draped it around her shoulders. As he did so, he rested his hands lightly on the tops of her arms and looked intently into her eyes.

  Alessa opened her mouth as if to answer but closed it again without a word. Then, she sighed deeply and leaned into him. Camden's breath caught in his throat as she pressed against him. After she turned her head to lie against his chest and nestled against him, he wrapped his arms around her carefully so as not to bother her injuries, and let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding since she crossed the threshold of his home.

  "Do you want to sit down?" Camden cleared his throat trying to put power back into his voice.

  "Yes, I think I do," Alessa's voice was as quiet as a shy child's.

  Camden guided Alessa to the sofa keeping a steadying arm around her back as she walked. He felt an uncontrollable urge to maintain contact with her. They sat side by side on the couch and he was undeniably satisfied when she leaned into him again after they were seated. Camden hugged her close, tucked her head under his chin, and stroked her hair. He wasn't
sure how long they sat like that. He thought he could have stayed with his arms around her forever, and that thought disturbed him deeply. When did he decide that anything close to forever was in his and Alessa's future? She was supposed to die in a few months. He tensed at the thought, and that move broke the magic between them. Alessa straightened and he let the contact severe but for the hand he left on the small of her back.

  "Cam, where have you been?" He realized as she asked that was the source of some of her discomfort.

  "I had to go out for some training. I told Khi I would be gone. Didn't he tell you?"

  "I thought you would have told me, but of course I don't know what to expect from you anymore. You're all over the place." She looked at him accusingly.

  "I know, I know," Camden sighed deeply. He knew that it was time to try to make it right with her, "I know that I've been a class-act jerk lately and I'm sorry."

  "Why?" Alessa asked that single word question and it resonated with him in an unexpected way. He decided to go with honesty. As much honesty as he could risk at this juncture.

  "I think I was confused by my feelings for you and I decided on the childish way out. I'm sorry, Alessa." He looked into the fire burning in front of them.

  "Feelings for me?" Alessa prodded on.

  "You're making this really hard," Camden complained as he ran a hand through his hair.

  "Good, you deserve it." Camden laughed softly and turned to look at Alessa. She held mirth in her eyes and he knew he was forgiven, at least for that moment. He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

  "Let me make something to secure your arm so that you don't have to hold it like that. Then I'll get you some tea. Do you want anything to eat?"

  "I don't think I could eat, thank you though," Alessa replied politely.

  "I'll be right back," Camden rubbed a small circle on her back before leaving the sofa to walk to his bedroom. At the dresser, he pulled an old shirt out and found a pair of scissors in the kitchen. As he sat back beside Alessa, he cut the shirt into a makeshift sling and tied it around her neck. He adjusted the length until it allowed Alessa's arm to hang in a comfortable position, tying and retying until it was just right for her.