Seeing Gianette is the nail in the coffin for you. The dream the vampires promised doesn't always come true. In fact, you imagine it rarely does considering how often vampires massacre each other during in-fighting. You won't judge someone for choosing that life, but you do think it should be a choice.

Despite feeling a deep and painful sadness for Gianette, you aren't about to trade the rule of a vampire for the rule of a pack. Vampires may have their in-fighting, but werewolves come with their own set of problems, including strict adherence to the alpha's orders. If that's what Gianette wants, then you wish her the best, but for you, you want freedom. And the one who promises that is Ferris.

So you reach into your wardrobe and draw out the elegant robe that Ferris gifted you a few years ago when you acquiesced to his persistent requests to give magic a try. You agreed because it seemed like a fun game to you. What trouble could learning a few wards and charms from an old school friend do? Now, however, you realize that this robe was your acceptance into his coven and the rebellion. By putting this on, you're turning your back on the life you've always known for a very uncertain future.

You take a deep breath and slip the robe over your head. You then take your new silver pin and clasp it to the front of your robe. You spent the money on it, you might as well still wear it, even if a vamp won't be seeing it. You then head out the door and towards the tavern without looking back.

You find little need to slink through town on the way. Everyone is too excited about the ball to notice you as you slip into the alley and head for the cellar. There you see a figure dressed in a robe very similar to your own. Surprise bounces through the thin body before the guard rushes over to greet you.

"You came!" says Ferris in an excited whisper. "Good, good, good. I need you, Micah. We all need you. You've done the right thing. Come, come!" He pulls you along and opens the creaking cellar door for you to slide through. Once you reach the floor, you hear a heavy bolt being locked and the rustle of Ferris's robes as he follows down behind you.

In the cellar you see several familiar faces, though you had never realized they were training with Ferris as well. In fact, you never saw anyone else perform magic except Ferris. He always talked of others, but never used names. You wonder how long your old classmate has been planning this insurrection in secret. However, the moment you think of the question, you realize the answer. You imagine, it's been exactly three years since he started collecting apprentices around town. After all, that's how long it's been since Kinley was taken.

"You should get ready," says Ferris with a pat on your shoulder. He smiles at you and you smile back, but he doesn't give you a chance to ask how exactly you're supposed to be getting ready.

You look around the cellar and find everyone is sorting through the various items stored on the shelves and in barrels. You aren't sure what good can come from cured meats, bottled ales, and mushroom clusters, but everyone else is seeing enough value in them to snatch them up. You suppose it comes down to one of the basics that Ferris taught — any item can be used to channel magic, it's all about selecting the right item for the job.

Still, if you get to choose between foodstuffs or an actual weapon, you'll go for a weapon any day. Not that there was much in a tavern cellar that could qualify as a weapon. The closest thing you can find is a long coil of rope. You tie it around your waist and then look to where the others gather at the center of the room.

"Attention everyone!" Ferris draws order as everyone forms a circle around him. "It's time. The ball has officially started. Now we must strike while everyone is still in the hall. Some vamps are quick with their selections and we can't afford to let a single one slip away."

With that the coven cheers and hollers, the energy building as the moment draws near. You also try to get in the spirit by offering some applause. However, your nerves begin to eat at you as you realize you aren't at all certain what exactly this attack will entail. Ferris only ever asked you to join him in the cellar, he never mentioned anything beyond that.

As if he heard your inner thoughts, your friend pulls back a large rag hanging on the wall to reveal a hole just big enough to allow a person to crawl through.

"What's that?" you ask, though you already have some idea of what Ferris' answer will be.

"It's a tunnel that we've been slowly digging for the past year. It leads to an ash pit for one of the fireplaces in the great hall."

A few of the coven turns to look at you, proud smiles on their faces, eager to see your amazement at their hard work. However, they only find disbelief in your gaping mouth and raised brow. Some even begin to mimic that sentiment and they shift uneasily in the quiet dark of the cellar.

"We're going into the great hall?" you ask.

"Just to the lounge this tunnel leads to." Ferris smiles, but it is clear that he's noticed the shift in attitude spreading through the crowd.

"But what if the vampires sense us? Surely they'll notice a room full of chanting people. There may already be someone in there...lounging. Then what are we to do?" You think these are all reasonable concerns, ones that could have been addressed earlier on had Ferris not kept you so much in the dark. However, the whispering now floating through the coven leads you to believe that you weren't the only one who was not privy to this sort of information. Apparently nobody really questioned Ferris's plan before you.

As the mumbling grows and takes on a panicked energy, Ferris hops down from the crate he had taken for a pedestal and asks if he can have a word with you.

"What's the matter, Micah?" he asks with an astounding level of ignorance that you wonder if Ferris even grasps what he's asking of people.

"You don't think waltzing right into the lion's den is madness?"

"Proximity is key. We need to be close or the spell won't be able to get all the vamps in the hall. We do it from here, we're likely not to get anyone."

You sigh and look to the tunnel. You trust that Ferris tried to come up with the safest solution possible to pull off this rebellion, but that doesn't mean it isn't asking far more of his coven than you expected.

"Look, I understand if you don't want to go through with this," he says, grabbing your hands so that you return your attention to him. "But, I cannot back down now. I've come too far to surrender. And let's face it, I have nothing to lose." At this he drops your hands and his own fall limp to his sides.

"Kinley," you say with a sigh.

"I tried to play by the vamp's rules and now Kinley is gone. No one deserves to suffer like that. Not when we were promised something better."

Kinley was a few years older than you and Ferris. However, she took a liking to the young and energetic Ferris who seemed far too mature for his age. Ferris didn't become eligible for the ball until this very year, like you and Ailisa. Kinley, though, had reached harvest age three years ago. At that time, however, the two were in love and couldn't bear being separated by the Harvest. So, Kinley submitted a breeder request form, which, if accepted, would allow her to pass over the balls and, instead, serve the town as a mother. Ferris, who was out of his schooling years but not old enough for the Harvest, could then join with her as her primary partner. To them that was the dream, not a life of immortality. But, Kinley's request was ignored and she was summoned to the ball where she was then claimed by a vamp. Ferris hasn't seen her since.

You understand Ferris's dedication and you understand that this may be the best chance that the rebellion will have. That, however, does not change the fact that you aren't quite as emotionally committed to this as Ferris is. You plan to see tomorrow morning and that's not necessarily guaranteed if you follow Ferris through that hole.

Your friend looks at you with expectant eyes that shift every now and then to the restless coven. He needs your answer and he needs to know now. Time is wasting while your indecision disorients the others. Ferris needs your confidence, he needs everyone's confidence. The question is, can you agree to this plan completely or is there room for improvement? You wonder if Ferris is aware of a werewolf pack on the outskirts of town. There's no way the wolves won't take advantage of so many vamps being in one spot. Surely you can work with them and with your forces combined, both sides can come out unscathed and victorious. Still, werewolves are known for their unpredictable temperament. It won't necessarily be easier or even safer, and it will come with its own set of problems. Maybe you should just retreat now, while you still have the chance.

What should you do?

- Follow Ferris' Plan: go to ch 5

- Suggest the Werewolves' Help: go to ch 6

- Drop Out of the Rebellion: go to ch 7