Free The Fourth Ceremony: The Sacrifice Trilogy by K.M. Ashling

the breakfast room to find Khi sitting at his usual spot waiting for her.
    “ Hello, sleepyhead .” Khi said with a smile. For an instant Alessa wondered if he knew. Then she reminded herself of the thick regret on Camde n’ s voice as he left her and knew that he would not be the one to share about their evening.
    “I’ m sorry. I was especially exhausted after the Carnival .” Alessa offered Khi a sweet smile.
    Khi rewarded her with a laugh ,“ And how was the Carnival that I risked my neck to let you attend ? ”
    Alessa retorted ,“ Well worth your neck, thank you very much . ”
    “ Ah, well thank you for putting so little importance on my neck . ”
    “ Not little importance. Oh, Khi it was the most wonderful time. I have never had an experience like it !” She flew through the speech with exuberance.
    “ Well, I am sad I missed it. Did Camden behave himself ? ”
    Alessa felt a slight blush creep into her cheeks and started into her plate as she answered ,“ He was a gentlemen and a fun companion. I may have judged him too quickly. He is n’ t too bad . ”
    She heard Khi laugh, but did not risk looking up to see his reaction .“ As long as you had a good time, tha t’ s all that matters to me. I must go. I have things to do. Sacrifices to protect . ”
    “ You know, for someone charged with keeping me safe you sure do spend a lot of time away from me lately .” Alessa pouted with mock petulance.
    “I’ ll always be there when it matters, Less, promise .” Khi said seriously. Alessa was taken aback by his sudden turn.
    “ I know that Khi and I love you for it .” She looked into his face now. He gave her half of his best smile and kissed her on top of the head. She saw him shaking his head as he left the room.
    Kh i’ s behavior at breakfast confused her, but she wrote if off. As the Fourth Ceremony drew nearer, she suspected that everyon e’ s behavior would become more and more odd. She briefly wondered if Camden would distance himself from her or cling to her as the event came upon them. She then shook the thought from her mind. She was n’ t even sure what Camden felt towards her. The regret she heard in his voice after the close of the evening made her wonder if he wished he had n’ t been so romantic towards her. Perhaps he was always flirtatious and did not mean for her to become so enamored with him. He could n’ t possibly know that she had never been romantically involved with anyone before. She laughed at the thought. Too many people expected far too much of a romantic relationship. The Sacrifice was ordered to be a virgin on the day of her Fourth Ceremony. She also believed that romance took work she was not willing to put forth for such a limited amount of time. She had watched how much work her parent s’ relationship took and was convinced the fruit was not worth the labor. She briefly allowed herself to wonder if she would still feel the same way if she were presented the opportunity with Camden. 
    “ He is not interested, Less .” She said out loud. She hoped the audible message would sink in where the mental one had not.
     
     
    Alessa was too restless to stay inside so she skipped her tuto r’ s lessons and wandered about the Manor grounds. She realized after about an hour of roaming the grounds that she was hoping to see Cam about, but was disappointed to find that she did not. Again, she lectured herself. She was setting herself up for a vast fall if she did not reign in this infatuation she had gotten herself into.
    Alessa continued to wander. She made her way off the Manor Property and approaching the Great Cliff over the Sacred Ocean. Alessa used to love to come to the Great Cliff and look out over the Ocean. This had been her solitude, her place to think when she wanted stillness within herself instead of the labor of the pool. Alessa realized that she had not been out to the Ocean since her panic attack in the pool. She also realized that the Ocean did not