Sacrifice (21 page)

“So when she says ‘acolyte,’ what are we thinking that means?” Royal glanced into the rearview mirror, addressing the question to Lucas in the backseat. “Like, lighting some candles? Singing some songs?”

“Hopefully we’ll find out tonight.” Lucas put a hand on my shoulder. “Is that them?”

Two figures emerged from the coffee shop, bundled up against the crisp Spring evening. One of them turned toward us quickly. Cassie.

“This is it.” I caught Lucas’s hand in mine and squeezed it briefly.

Royal started the car. “Where to?”

I closed my eyes, relying now on a different sense to track Cassie. I centered my thoughts on my friend, opening up my mind to the larger dream world. Cassie’s consciousness bobbed at the edge of my vision. It was a simple matter to direct my thoughts to follow her.

And then I was nestled snugly in the back of Cassie’s mind. I felt her smile; she knew I was with her. Carrie was walking briskly to a parked car in one of the lots on the far side of the plaza. I recognized it from Cassie’s last foray. The girls got into the car and Carrie started the engine.

“It’ll warm up in a minute,” she said, giving Cassie a small smile.

“No problem.” Cassie buckled her seat belt and tucked her hands into the crooks of her arms. “So… where are we going?”

Carrie pulled a folded piece of paper out of her coat pocket. “I’m not totally sure. The directions are kind of weird. Do you mind navigating?”

Cassie took the page. The directions indicated they’d be driving out of Puerto Escondido. I felt a little thrill of fear move through Cassie, and for a moment, I thought she might bail on the mission. But she cleared her throat. “So you’re going to start by taking the highway north out of town.

“Okay.” Carrie pulled out of the parking lot.

“North,” I murmured, dimly aware of my own body back in the Firebird. I felt the car start to move, but my attention was still with Cassie. As the girls took the north road out of town, I relayed their directions to Royal, and Lucas passed the information along to the Guard. In 15 minutes, we were leaving the lights of Puerto Escondido behind us, heading deeper into the surrounding foothills. The road carved a path through the mountains. Later, it would meet up with an interstate. But for the next 100 miles or so it was a fairly deserted rural highway.

And that made things complicated for us. We couldn’t follow too closely, as our headlights, cutting through the darkness, would announce our presence on the lonely road. And so we hung back, giving Cassie and Carrie a good 15-minute lead.

About 30 minutes outside of town, Cassie spotted an old sign for a campground. She directed Carrie to turn off the main road. Through her eyes, I recognized the sign. Dad had brought me out here for backpacking as a little kid. We’d hiked up into the mountains, spending four days by a little stream, fishing, hiking, and eating s’mores over the fire every night. We hadn’t seen another living soul the whole time we’d been up there. I guess—if you were planning a super-secret occult ya-ya session—you could pick a worse location.

Carrie steered her car down the access road, slowing considerably when the paved road gave way to gravel.

“You’re sure this is right?” She sounded skeptical, but kept her eyes fastened to the road before them.

“According to this, it should be just ahead.”

Carrie followed the bend in the road, and at the end of it she saw three other cars parked in the darkness. “I guess we’re here?” Her voice sounded unsure, but she pulled up beside the closest car and killed the engine. Cassie and Carrie exchanged a nervous glance. Carrie caught Cassie’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m glad we’re doing this together.”

Cassie nodded, but I felt her growing unease as she and Carrie got out of the car. Ahead in the distance, they could just make out a figure in white, holding a gleaming lantern and beckoning them closer.

Back in the Firebird, Royal had just spotted the turn off.

“Pull over here,” I said. “They’ll hear us if we get any closer.”

As Royal parked, I let my attention move fully to Cassie. The gravel crunched under her and Carrie’s feet with each step, sounding unnaturally loud in the still night. Yet, despite being deep in the mountains, the path was well lit; a full moon shone high in the sky overhead, casting a silvery light onto the earth.

Cassie and Carrie followed the path to the edge of a clearing and stopped.

In the center of the clearing, four women stood, all in white, with their long hair streaming in the gentle breeze. I felt Cassie’s awe; their white gowns caught the light of the moon and reflected it, giving them an almost mystical glow in the darkness.

Idris turned. Her long white hair flowed around her shoulders, blending so seamlessly with the white of her gown that she looked almost angelic.

“Welcome, daughters.”

Cassie studied the others, recognizing Emily immediately. The slender blond stood, clutching the skirt of her white dress self-consciously. She gave Carrie a warm smile, then gave Cassie a tentative wave.

Idris’s eyes softened as she beckoned Cassie and Carrie forward. “Tonight is your initiation. With this ceremony, we welcome you into the inner circle of our family.” Idris gestured, and one of the two other women moved forward, a white gown folded over each arm. She handed one to Cassie and one to Carrie. Idris approached. “The white vestments symbolize a new beginning. If you would oblige me, the dress should be the only thing worn during the ritual.”

Cassie glanced at the gown in her hands, stricken.

Emily gave her a look full of empathy. “My advice? Change quickly. It’s warmer than it looks.”

Carrie and Cassie gave each other a nervous glance. As if reassured by whatever they saw in the other’s expression, they started removing their clothes. Through Cassie’s senses, I felt the shock of the cold night air, conscious—as she was—of the full moon illuminating her nakedness. When she’d stripped to her underwear, Cassie hesitated.

Idris gave her an understanding smile. “Do not be ashamed of your body, child. It is man who has taught us to fear what nature has bestowed upon us. Let this be the first small step you take toward embracing the strength of your feminine power.”

Cassie glanced at Carrie, blushing. But then, taking a deep breath, Cassie shed her under things and slipped the dress over her body as fast as she could.

Emily had been right; shortly after Cassie had shimmied the dress around her thin frame, she started to feel warmer. The texture of the dress was slightly scratchy against Cassie’s skin, but the comfort of the warmth it provided more than made up for that.

Idris beamed as Cassie and Carrie—now barefoot—walked forward to join the others in the center of the clearing. Altogether, they were six. Idris’s attendants placed the girls in a line. The ground was cold as ice, and in moments, the bottoms of Cassie’s feet were throbbing in protest.

“We are undertaking an important mission.” Idris faced each of the acolytes in turn. “I must be sure of your commitment before we go any further. Take this moment to look within yourselves one last time. You must ask yourself if you are truly willing to devote yourself to our work. As acolytes of Lilith, you will be as crucial to our cause as the highest priestess. It is a great honor, but it is also a serious responsibility. We must be sure of each of you.”

The attendant who’d handed out their gowns brought a beautifully carved wooden box to Idris, holding it at the ready. Idris opened the lid. Inside, three small daggers gleamed in the moonlight.

Back in the Firebird I felt my body jerk in response.

“Braedyn? What is it?!” Royal grabbed my arm.

I shook my head, needing to focus on the clearing, afraid to leave Cassie’s mind. I was dimly aware of Lucas, urging Royal to wait. But I couldn’t waste any effort on them, not right now. I poured my full attention back into Cassie.

She was glancing from the daggers to Idris. The old woman’s usually gentle features were stern, almost severe. Idris took the first dagger out of the box.

“Our blood is our life.” Idris presented the first dagger to Emily, supporting the slender weapon across her open palms.

Emily took it gingerly in one hand.

“As we commit our blood to Lilith, so too, we commit our lives.” Idris pulled the second dagger out and presented it to Carrie.

Carrie took the dagger, turning it in her hands with an almost reverent expression.

“Your blood, as your life, is yours to give as you choose.” Idris presented the final dagger to Cassie. Cassie hesitated, meeting Idris’s eyes. I could feel the conflicting thoughts warring within her mind. Idris watched her. The older woman’s eyes were free of judgment or suspicion. She simply waited for Cassie to make her choice. I held my breath. But then Cassie took the dagger, her hand shaking slightly as it closed about the hilt. Idris gave her a warm smile, then stepped back to face all three acolytes. She held up her left hand. A vivid white scar travelled across her palm.

“We have all made this sacrifice.” Her eyes softened. “The pain is a small price to pay for all we receive in return.” Idris turned her face toward the moon, closing her eyes. Carrie and Emily followed suit. After a moment, feeling acutely self-conscious, Cassie joined them. Her heart was hammering loudly in her ears, but as the minutes stretched out, she found herself growing calmer. And something else happened—time seemed to fade to a dull hum in the background, muting all sensation with it. Even the ache in Cassie’s feet subsided to almost nothing.

Suddenly, Idris was beside her, whispering in her ear. “Make your choice, daughter. Now, while Lilith shields you from the pain.”

Cassie’s eyes snapped open, and she stared at her hands before her. She held her left palm out over the ground, and she’d rested the blade of the dagger across it, hilt gripped tightly in her right hand. When had she moved her hands? Cassie stared at the sight, and I felt a chill raking over my scalp. Cassie made her choice. The dagger slid across her palm, and for a moment I thought she hadn’t pushed hard enough to slice through the skin. But then blood welled up into her palm; the cut was deep.

Idris caught Cassie’s hand and tipped her palm to one side, catching the stream of bright red blood in a small bronze chalice before it could fall to the ground.

“Well done, child.” Idris’s eyes gleamed with approval.

Cassie glanced to her side. Carrie held her left hand over another chalice, her face twisted in pain. Emily had sunk to the ground, a few spots of blood dotting the hem of her white dress, a chalice on the ground beside her, full to the brim of dark liquid.

And then whatever dam was holding back the pain burst, releasing a storm of sensation back into Cassie’s body. Cassie dropped the dagger with a strangled scream of agony. Idris—ready for this—caught her arm to steady her. “It will pass.”

The second attendant bent to retrieve Cassie’s dagger. When she straightened, Cassie met her eyes.

Elyia.

For the second time, I wrenched my consciousness out of Cassie’s mind before she could sense my fear.

Royal was peering into my face. “Cassie?”

“She… she’s been initiated,” I said, forcing a neutral tone into my voice.

Behind us, Lucas relayed this news to the Guard on the other end of his phone. Royal held my eyes, sensing there was something I wasn’t telling him. I glanced quickly away.

“I think it’s almost over. Give me a minute.”

I slipped back into Cassie’s mind, acutely aware of Royal’s anxiety in the seat next to mine. When I reconnected with Cassie, all the acolytes were kneeling together before Idris.

“You are Lilith’s acolytes now,” Idris was saying. “Three young women—among all your peers—deemed worthy of this sacred duty.”

Idris took up each chalice, one by one, and emptied the contents into a larger bronze vessel, full of another liquid I couldn’t make out in the light of the moon. It gleamed with an oily sheen. Idris took the vessel in her hands. She walked a circle around the girls, trailing a thin stream of the blood-mixture into the earth until she reached her starting place.

“This ground is now consecrated with the power of our commitment. We will meet here every Friday night at dusk to meditate and prepare until the solstice dawns. Now rise, acolytes.”

The girls stood, shaking with a combination of adrenaline, pain, and the bitter cold of the evening. Idris embraced them one by one, giving each girl a kiss on the forehead. When she took Cassie into her arms, Cassie let her embrace her, then caught her arm before she could pull back.

“Prepare for what?”

Idris must have mistaken Cassie’s anxiety for anticipation, because she smiled. “For Lilith’s return.”

“Well, at least now we know what they’re planning.” Hale’s face was tight, drawn with concern.

I sank back into the Guard’s couch, exhausted. I’d just finished telling Hale, Dad, Gretchen, Matt, Thane, and Ian everything I’d witnessed, with Cassie filling in some of the sparser parts of my report. She’d wrapped a thick bandage tightly around her wounded palm, but already spots of red were starting to show through.