Selena

Only about half of the group was present. The abandoned storeroom felt unusually empty as I looked around at the familiar faces.

The crude lantern hanging from the cracked beam above cast wavering shadows across the dusty floor, making the room seem even larger than it truly was.

Wooden crates lined the walls, and the stale scent of old grain mixed with damp timber lingered in the air. It was nothing like the excitement of our first gathering.

For a brief moment, disappointment threatened to settle inside me but I slowly pushed myself to my feet, intending to begin anyway.

The moment I stood, the soreness from today’s training rushed through every part of my body. My legs trembled beneath me, my shoulders burned from carrying logs, and my back protested every movement. Even breathing deeply reminded me of the countless laps Kieren had made me run.

Niamh immediately reached for my arm. "Selena, You don’t look well."

I looked at her before answering. "I’m fine."

"No, you’re not." She said and before I could protest, she gently tugged me back onto the wooden crate I had been sitting on. "Sit."

"I can stand." I argued.

"You can barely stand." She said and a few members glanced at us with concern. "You look exhausted."

"But I’m still okay." I said again.

"We know," Niamh replied softly. "That doesn’t mean you have to collapse while giving a speech."

She pulled a small leather flask from her pocket and uncorked it. "Drink."

"What is it?"

"Ale."

I wrinkled my nose. "You expect me to drink before a meeting?"

She rolled her eyes. "I expect you not to faint."

A few quiet chuckles spread through the room as I accepted the flask.

The ale was slightly warm and bitter, but after a few mouthfuls, warmth settled in my chest and eased some of the heaviness weighing down my limbs.

"There," Niamh said with satisfaction.

"You sound like an old healer." I said while rolling my eyes.

"I’d rather sound like one than watch our leader pass out."

That earned another round of laughter. I smiled despite myself before handing the flask back. "Thank you."

She nodded, then I looked around. "Where’s Sally?"

One of the women answered first."The headmaid sent several maids to the market today."

Another nodded. "Sally went with them. She said she’d return before nightfall if she could."

I sighed. "I was hoping she’d be here."

I let them enjoy the brief moment before clearing my throat.

"Before anything else..." Everyone looked at me. "I want to confirm something."

Several nodded as I asked, "The headmaid returned your wages?"

Almost every head nodded immediately. "Yes."

"We got them."

"I thought she’d never change her mind."

"I checked twice before believing it."

One young servant grinned. "I even counted the coins three times."

Another woman leaned forward. "But... how?" She looked directly at me. "How did you convince the headmaid?"

The rest of them became equally curious. "Yes."

"What happened?"

"Did you beg her?"

"Did someone speak on our behalf?"

"So what did you do?" Dozens of questioning eyes settled on me.

I hesitated as there was no way I could tell them Alpha Kael had quietly lifted the punishment after granting me a favor. That secret would remain mine.

"I..." Before I could think of a believable answer, Ryuiji suddenly spoke.

"I think we’re asking the wrong question." Everyone turned toward him as he folded his arms. "Selena didn’t gather us here to celebrate a small victory."

Silence followed as He continued calmly. "Getting our wages back is good but that wasn’t our goal."

He looked directly at me. "You called this meeting for something else."

Several members slowly nodded.

"So..." I straightened my posture despite the ache in my muscles. "I have a question."

Everyone became attentive as I asked. "How many prospects has each of you managed to speak with?"

The room became noticeably quieter when one young servant scratched the back of his neck. "I spoke with one, he said he’d think about it."

A woman beside him sighed. "I managed to talk to my cousin but she was too frightened."

Another servant spoke. "I convinced my roommate to listen."

Another voice came from the corner. "I spoke to two people, they both said fighting the vampires was impossible."

Someone else raised a hand. "I’ve been trying with one of the stable boys. He hasn’t refused... But he hasn’t accepted either."

Gradually everyone shared nearly identical answers. Some had conversations. Some had hopeful prospects but none had secured a new member.

The realization settled over us like heavy fog but finally I broke the silence. "I don’t blame any of you. In fact..."

I smiled weakly. "I should probably blame myself first."

Confused looks met my words as I continued."I haven’t converted anyone either."

I looked around the room. "I can’t ask more from you than I’m willing to do myself."

The room relaxed slightly then one older servant quietly spoke. "I think I know why they’re being reluctant."

I turned toward him. "Why?"

He sighed. "People who haven’t suffered under the vampires themselves don’t truly understand."

Several people nodded immediately.

"They think we’re exaggerating because they’ve never watched their loved ones disappear. They haven’t watched their daughters being dragged away."

The room fell silent once more as their words lingered in the air and I slowly nodded.

"You’re right." Everyone looked at me. "If people haven’t witnessed the cruelty... They won’t feel the urgency."

I lowered my gaze thoughtfully. How could we make people understand? How could we awaken those who had never experienced the pain firsthand?

The answer came to me so suddenly that I stood before realizing it.

"What we need..." I said slowly. "...is to move."

Blank expressions greeted me as I continued. "We need to move our operations beyond the castle."

The room stirred immediately. "Into Blackbourne City’s streets."

Several people stared at me in shock. "The city?"

I nodded. "There are families there. Grieving mothers, fathers, people who have actually lost daughters, people who have suffered, people already carrying the anger we need and they’re simply waiting for someone to bring justice."

One servant shook his head. "That’s impossible."

Another agreed immediately. "We’re castle servants... We can’t simply leave whenever we want."

Someone else added, "The only time we’re allowed outside is during recess and most of us work through recess because we need the extra coins."

Murmurs spread quickly. "They’ll dock our wages."

"We’ll starve."

"We have families."

"We can’t just abandon our jobs."

I listened carefully as every objection was reasonable. Every fear was real.

Then I took a deep breath. "Some of us..." The words tasted heavy. "...may have to leave our jobs inside the castle for the sake of the cause."

The room froze as no one moved. The dreadful silence that followed was louder than any argument.

Faces filled with uncertainty stared back at me. I understood exactly what I had asked. For many of them, these castle jobs were the only thing standing between survival and starvation.

Asking them to walk away was asking them to gamble everything.

My heart tightened. "I know." My voice softened. "I know how much I’m asking. I know many of you don’t have another source of income, I know your wages feed families."

"So..." I forced myself to smile. "We won’t make that decision tonight. We’ll find another way... we always have."

I looked around at each of them. "For now... Our focus remains the same. Bring more members, and keep speaking to people."

"The bigger we become...the stronger our options will be."

Slowly, heads began to nod again and the meeting concluded soon afterward.

By the time I returned to our chamber, my entire body felt like stone.

I washed quickly, changed into fresh clothes and had barely finished drying my hair when the door opened and Sally walked in carrying a basket.

She dropped it onto the table with an exhausted groan. "I swear those market trips get longer every week."

"Yet, you made it back." I said with a smirk.

She laughed then sat opposite me. "I tried slipping away from the other maids to meet with my friend but they kept counting us so I couldn’t risk disappearing."

"It’s alright." I said.

She frowned. "You sure?"

I nodded. "We’ll have another chance."

I leaned back thoughtfully. "You know... If we could convince someone wealthy to join us...they could pay the shrine’s rent."

She stared for a second before a grin spread across her face. "Now that’s the first good financial idea I’ve heard all week and we wouldn’t have to squeeze coins out of servants."

"Exactly." I said.

She tapped the table thoughtfully. "I’ll keep my eyes open."

Before either of us could continue, the chamber door opened again as Marqee entered but she barely acknowledged either of us.

She walked straight past, as though we didn’t exist while I watched her quietly.

This was enough. I couldn’t keep pretending nothing was wrong.

I stood and crossed the room. "Marqee." She stopped without turning around to face me.

I took another step. "If you don’t believe in what I’m doing... That’s alright. You don’t have to ignore me and you don’t have to feel like you’ve betrayed me."

She turned at last then she let out a short and sharp laughter. "One thing I dislike about you, Selena..." She folded her arms. "...is your belief that everything is always about you."

I blinked in surprise. "What?"

She looked directly into my eyes. "Have you ever once tried asking why I don’t want anything to do with your revolution?"

I frowned before speaking. "Then tell me what happened."

For several long seconds she simply stared then all at once, every emotion she’d been holding back burst free.

"I don’t want what happened the last time..." Her voice broke into a scream. "...to happen again!"

The room fell silent as neither Sally nor I moved.

I opened my mouth to ask what she meant but Marqee didn’t say another word as she burst out of the chamber.

Sally and I shared an astonished look.