The Fourth Ceremony: The Sacrifice Trilogy (23 page)

“
He has plans with his family and yo
u’
re available. Sorry, man
,”
Khi replied
,“
you do
n’
t have to be in the middle of it,
I’
ll take care of inside, you just have to stand at the door
.
”

“
Fine, as long as I do
n’
t have to go in I guess I can stand it
.”
Camden rolled his eyes.

“
Yo
u’
re such a trooper
,”
Khi answered sarcastically and set off down the hall.

Camden set off to the Guard break room where his formal Guard uniform was stored and changed. He guessed standing at the door for the event would
n’
t be too bad. He could probably sneak off if it got too boring. After all, he really did
n’
t care about the security of the Governmen
t’
s event. All he cared about was Aless
a’
s safety and he knew that Khilyn would be by her side for the entire evening.

Two hours later, Camden stood by the door as the guests of the Sacrifice entered the event hall. He stood solemnly, playing up the Guard role so as to not have to interact with anyone. These people made his stomach turn. They gathered to celebrate and came out in droves because it was the final Solstice before the Sacrifice. The tickets to the event were worth a small fortune, enough for a family to survive on for many months. If these people really wanted the Empire to be prosperous, they could make it happen on their own without killing someone.

Camden had to think of something else. He was liable to make a stand with someone if he kept thinking like that. He searched the room for Alessa. He found her towards the front, standing next to a tall cocktail table and talking to Khilyn. She looked radiant in her dark blue flowing dress that flared out until it barely brushed the floor. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders and her eyes sparked as she laughed as something Khilyn had said. She turned to face her parents as they approached her. Camden watched Khilyn watch Alessa. His eyes followed everything she did and he touched her wherever possible. Every time she looked at him, his eyes widened and brightened. Khilyn laughed at everything she said and stood closer to her than was necessary. Camden did
n’
t know if Alessa knew it or not, he suspected that she did
n’
t, but Khilyn was certainly in love with her.

Camden was worried that would complicate things. If Khilyn professed his love for her, she might feel conflicted. She may refuse the mission out of guilt or confusion. Camden had to talk to Khilyn. He had to make him see that she could
n’
t know. Camden pushed down his own guilt. He was going to do this for the sake of the mission, not for his own sake. He tried to tell himself that it was
n’
t jealousy that pushed him. It was just a desire for the mission to go on uncomplicated. He tried to convince himself that Alessa would never pick Khilyn if the decision came down to the two of them and she was forced to choose.

“
Hey, Khilyn, can we talk
?”
Camden had been avoiding this conversation for days, but it was time to lay out the cards and make sure they were on the same page. They stood in the briefing room after the morning brief was over and Alec had left to begin his shift.

“
Yeah, wha
t’
s going on
?”
Khilyn answered.

“
So, this is a little uncomfortable, but I need to make sure we are level on something
,”
Camden stammered on
,“
look, I know you care about Alessa. I mean, really care about her, like, more than a friend or a sister
.”
Khilyn started to protest, but Camden cut him off
,“
you just need to keep the endgame in mind. This is only going to work if she has her head on straight. If you love her like you say you do, you ca
n’
t confuse her
.”
Camden looked away as he allowed Khilyn to process what he had said.

“
Look, I get that you do
n’
t want me stepping on your turf or anything
,”
Khilyn started
,“
but you have to know that
I’
m not going to do anything to jeopardize Alessa
.
”

“
I
t’
s not my turf, yo
u’
ve been around way longer than I have. I just want her to be okay
.”
Camden replied.

“
We both want the same thing
,”
Khilyn let out a puff of air
,“
look,
I’
m not even sure that is the deal. I care about her, w
e’
ve always treated each other like family, i
t’
s just tha
t
…
”
He stopped and looked at Camden. They stared at each other for a long moment, neither speaking, sizing each other up.

“
I
t’
s just that since you two have been, whatever you two have been,
I’
ve wondered what it would be like
,”
Khilyn spat out in a rush
,“
sh
e’
s a great girl, she deserves more than this. Just make it work. Do
n’
t screw it up, make it work, and you wo
n’
t have anything to worry about from me
.”
He turned on his heel and began walking out of the room.

“
Hey, wait
,”
Camden did
n’
t want to leave it like this
,“
Khilyn, sh
e’
s never going to leave you behind. She cares about you more than you know. I watched you two during the Solstice Dinner, you guys are something else
.
”

“
In a different world, maybe so
,”
Khilyn said sadly
,“
but I ca
n’
t do for her what you can. I ca
n’
t stop this. I never was able to. She deserves what I ca
n’
t do. Besides, I never thought of her that way until you came around, so i
t’
s really all just jealousy anyway
.”
Khilyn smiled unconvincingly.

“
I
t’
s going to work, Khilyn. She can do it, sh
e’
s incredible
.
”

“
That she is
,”
Khilyn stated.

“I’
ll let it go, man,
I’
m sorry
,”
Camden felt embarrassed
,“
look, the New Yea
r’
s Ball falls on my day, I was thinking that I would take her. Unless you want to. I would totally understand
.
”

“
No, man, yo
u’
ve got a job to do. Plus, I know you care about her. I
t’
s not like yo
u’
re just playing around with her.
I’
ve watched you with her too, you know
.”
Khilyn looked everywhere in the room but at Camden
.“
You take her. Work your little spell and get her where she needs to be. This is all on you from now on. You do what you need to do and
I’
ll back you up a hundred percent
.
”

“
I
t’
s going to work, Khi. I
t’
s going to
.”
Camden said vehemently and walked out of the room.

It was the day of the New Yea
r’
s Ball and Camden had yet to tell Alessa that he was going to take her. He decided to surprise her with it. He hoped that she would be happy and not sad that Khilyn was
n’
t going. He was going to make her enjoy the night. He was going to make her enjoy being alive. If he had his way, tonight was going to be the best night of Aless
a’
s life. He would do anything to make sure that she was happy, not just because he cared and she deserved it, but also because if she enjoyed being alive, she would be more likely to agree to the mission.

Camden pulled out the tuxedo he had bought for the occasion. He rolled his eyes at it. He could
n’
t believe the he was going to put so much effort into a Government function, but it could
n’
t be avoided. He dressed himself in his apartment, not wanting to run into Alessa until he went to take her from her room to the event hall.

At seven
o’
clock, he left his placed and walked to the Manor. He knew that Alessa would be expected Khi at eight, they had already discussed it. He arrived at the Manor and stood outside of her room while he waited for her stylists to finish getting her ready. He could
n’
t understand why he was so nervous, likely because of his great disdain for Government events.

Camden knocked quietly on the door a few minutes after the stylists shuffled out of the room. He was sure he would be mesmerized as the stylists exclaimed their excitement as they left. Alessa opened the door and her eyes widened in surprise.

“
Cam, what are you doing here
?”
She asked with a puzzled look on her face.

Camden could
n’
t speak. Alessa stood before him looking ethereal. Her hair was pulled back in a high knot. Long earing dangled from her ears and her iridescent pearl colored dress cut a straight line from collar bone to collar bone and hugged her closely all the way into a small train at the floor. He cursed inwardly at their use of the Sacrific
e’
s color in the dress, but she was otherwise a vision of perfection. He noticed her high heeled matching shoes peeking out at him from a cut in the dress that reached up to her thigh.

“
Hello, Cam, can you hear me
?”
Alessa waved her hand in front of his face. He pulled himself together.

“
You look incredible, Alessa
,”
he could
n’
t stop himself from walking around her into the room. Before she could turn to face him, he noticed that the back of the dress scooped low to reveal her entire back. His heart pounded
.“
Wo
w”
.

“
Well,
I’
m glad you appreciate my stylist
s’
hard work
,”
Alessa smiled flirtatiously and lowered her eyelids to peer up at him through her lashes. He took the bait.

“
The stylists have very little to do with it, Sweetheart
,”
he stated plainly as he closed the distance between them and kissed her softly. He laid his hands on her bare lower back. He smiled to himself when he felt her shiver under his touch.

“
We better get going
,”
Alessa said after a moment
,“
we do
n’
t want to be late
.
”

“
I could
n’
t care less about the Ball, but yes, I suppose we should go
,”
Camden replied.

Camden opened the bedroom door and held it for her, taking the opportunity to examine the back of her dress more closely as she walked by. Two tiny straps traveled the length of her back to hold up the fabric that gathered all the way at the bottom of her spine.

“
How do you keep your butt from showing
?”
Camden blurted out. He felt his face flush from accidentally speaking out loud. Alessa laughed.

“
Tape
!”
She said while laughing. Camden walked up to her and pulled on the fabric at her back. Sure enough, it stuck to her skin high enough to not reveal anything she would
n’
t want seen.

“
Hmm, too bad
,”
he shook his head at her solemnly. Alessa laughed merrily and swatted at his hand. He grabbed her hand, laced his arm with hers, and escorted her to the Ball.