The Fourth Ceremony: The Sacrifice Trilogy Read Free Page A

sure of that, she could still reach at least a third of the way before coming up for air. Staying under the surface had become a game for her at one point. She remembered having contests with her father on who could hold their breath the longest. She had always won, because he had always let her. Even when she accused him of such, he still let her win. It became amusingly infuriating.
    Arm, arm, arm, breathe, an d… . Arm, arm, arm, breathe, an d… .
    She kept her rhythm, clearing her mind of the celebration this afternoon.
    Arm, arm, arm, breathe, an d… . Arm, arm, arm, breathe, an d …
    She forgot about the argument with her mother. She made an effort to forget about her mother completely. She ignored the sting of her mothe r’ s indifference and the power of her cool shoulder.
    Arm, arm, arm, breathe, an d… . Arm, arm, arm, breathe, an d …
    She erased the approach of the Fourth Ceremony and its implications. Willed herself to forget that the water, that was now her sanctuary, would soon be her grave. Reminded herself that she had an entire year, that so much can happen in a year. Who was she kidding? The sacrifice had been successfully completed forever, and the people believe it made them prosperous. They would n’ t call it off. They could n’ t call it off. No matter how scared she was. No matter how badly she did n’ t want to be The Sacrifice anymore. She knew that she would give it all back, all of the presents, all of the adoration, for just a little more time.
    She came up gasping. Usually, she could empty her mind completely with a good hard swim, but today it had been too much. Today, she could n’ t even use the water to quell the anxiety. How could she? The water was her enemy. It was exactly the thing that was going to kill her. She felt panic mixed with bile rise in her throat. She had to get out of here. She needed to get away from the water. She looked around at where she had stopped. Of course, she still had at least a quarter of the pool to get to the edge. She began to swim above water, unable to put her face in it even though she knew she could go faster if she did. She was breathing heavy and her heart was pounding in her head. It was as if she could feel the water swallowing her whole. Finally, as if by a miracle, her hand touched the wall of the pool. She leapt out as quickly as she could and began to shake. She sank to the floor, unable to walk around the pool to her awaiting towel by the door. She drew her knees up to her chest and rocked while the panic swept through her body.
    After what seemed like an eternity, her body began to feel like her own again. She stood slowly, noticing the jelly-like feeling in her legs that had nothing to do with her swim, and began to walk carefully around the pool as close to the wall as she could walk. She reached her towel and wrapped it around herself allowing its warmth to chase away the coldness at her core. She would n’ t think about it. Like Khi had said, she could not let the strain overwhelm her in this year. If she ever needed her inner strength, it was now. She finished drying herself off and covered herself in a plush robe hanging by the door. She threw a wary glance over her shoulder at the pool before she slammed the door behind her and proceeded to her room. Upon entering her room, she walked into a horde of stylists waiting for her.
    Damn, she thought, I forgot about the stupid dinner.
    She could barely stand on her own two feet, let alone spend a half hour being primped by stylists followed by a two to three hour dinner event in her honor. But in a move that would have made her mother proud she straightened her spine, anchored her feet, and erased the emotion from her face. She could put on a good face for a few more hours. She could set aside her own needs to serve a purpose for the Government. After all, she was The Sacrifice.
     
    Alessa gazed at the girl in the mirror. The stylists had outdone themselves, as usual. She wore a