Chapter 1

Alexandra stood at the gateway clenching her fists in and attempt to hide her trembling. She refused to look over her shoulder at her family. Her parents were likely still trying to garner sympathy from anyone who would listen to their poor me speeches.

They had no right to act upset about any of this. They'd offered her up the second the opportunity had come up. Out of the corner of her eye Alexandra saw her older sister, Elizabeth, and couldn't help turning to look. As always she was the epitome of elegance and sophistication.

Alexandra's gaze swept over her sisters face taking in her tear streaked face. Elizabeth was also using this situation to her advantage. She was surrounded by a cluster of men. All of them were of varying levels of attractiveness and age but they did all have one thing in common. They were going out of their way to comfort her poor 'upset' sister.

Elizabeth looked away from one of the men who had just given her a hug that Alexandra assumed was meant to be comforting. But from the way he felt her sister up during it, Alex couldn't help but find it a little gross. He was well over even their parents age. Elizabeth didn't seem bothered by it at all. Alexandra knew her sister was relishing all this attention.

Alex's blue eyes slid back to her sister's face and their gazes locked. Behind Elizabeth's mask of sadness and despair Alexandra saw the triumph shining in her sister's green eyes. The side of Elizabeth's mouth curved up in a brief smile. It was only there for a moment but Alex saw it as clearly as if it had been carved in stone.

She grit her teeth and turned to face away from her sister again. She was enjoying every second of this. Alexandra swallowed refusing to let her family upset her. It wasn't exactly surprising they were acting this way. She'd never fit in with her family. Every one of them was willing to do anything to get what they wanted and would get rid of anyone who got in their way.

Which is exactly how she ended up here. On the large stone platform at the edge of town. Alexandra stood in the center of the round smooth stone directly in front of an intricate carved stone archway. The edge of the arch had runes carved into it spaced out precisely along its face.

As she stared at the gate the priest beside her began to chant in the ancient tongue. Very few could still speak the ancient language. The priests were the only ones allowed to study it. Alexandra, however, was one of the few besides the priests that could understand it. No one knew of course or she would've been sentenced to death immediately but right now that was seeming like the better option.

To everyone listening besides herself, the priests chant was unnerving. It was a language of both blessings and curses. Each sound that passed his dry cracked lips carried with it the power of life and death. The clearing around them was filled with the weight of his words.

The runes on the arch began to change. Inky black filled each carving, looking as if someone was slowly pouring blood into them. When the last rune had filled completely the empty space inside the arch was suddenly filled.

Only moments before there has been nothing in the arch. Alexandra had been able to see through it to the forest on the opposite side. Now, it was filled with a deep red silk fabric. It moved and rippled like water.

The priest paused for a moment before speaking again, this time in the common tongue.

"I welcome you, brothers and sisters, to this sacred ceremony. Today we celebrate this brave young woman as she begins her journey. Let her sacrifice bless you, her life is given to allow each of us to thrive. Now it is time for her family to come forward and say their goodbyes."

Alexandra grit her teeth and turned to face her family. Her mothers face was streaked with tear stains just like her sister's. And yet no tears were in her eyes. Most likely they used drips of water before the ceremony to mimic the look of tears. It wouldn't be the first time.

Her father stepped in front of her first and stared down at her. The silence stretched between them and eventually her father cleared his throat before speaking.

"Well, Alexandra. I'm very proud of you and your sacrifice. We will miss you."

Alex frowned at his insincere goodbye and sighed. She wasn't sure why she had let herself hope for more. She stepped forward and gave him a halfhearted hug. He moved back and her mother stepped forward.

Alex met her mothers icy gaze. Her mother turned her back on the crowd and dropped the sad look she had plastered across her face. She bent down and pulled Alexandra into a painful hug. Then whispered so no one could hear her.

"This is goodbye Alexandra. I'm glad to finally be rid of you."

Alexandra's mouth dropped open in shock and she stared at her mother's retreating back with a mix of anger and sadness. She'd always thought her mother hated her but she didn't think he mother would ever confirm it.

Elizabeth stepped up next and stared down at her younger sister. She shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably before gently pulling her into a hug and whispering in her ear.

"I'm sorry Alex, I know you probably won't believe me but I never hated you. I'm sorry for everything we did to you and I hope maybe in the next realm you can find happiness."

Alexandra found herself returning her sister's hug and felt tears prickling her eyes. Elizabeth let her go and stepped back, unlike their parents Alex saw true sadness in her sister's eyes and gave her a small smile.

Elizabeth gave her hand a small squeeze before stepping back off the platform not going back to her crowd of men. Instead, she kept her distance from the rest of the crowd and stared sadly up at her baby sister.

Alex swallowed the lump forming in the back of her throat and turned back to face the gateway once more. The priest walked up next to her and paused before facing the crowd and continuing the ceremony.

"Now it is time for this brave young woman to enter the gateway and for her time in our realm to come to an end."

Alexandra knew it was time for her to enter the portal and clenched her firsts trying to dig every last ounce of courage from every corner of her soul. Letting out a breath she clenched her jaw and stepped into the gateway.