The Arcane Rebellion- The Arcane Series #1

Chapter 35

Layla

I felt a light peck on my chest. Then another. Then another. I finally opened my eyes with a groan, blinking away the burning sensation that came with the light hitting my eyes.

I looked down at Xavi who was groggily smiling at me making my heart flutter. I smiled back at him, placing a soft kiss on the top of his head.

"Good morning.", I whispered, my voice still raspy from sleep and my throat burning as I spoke.

"Morning. Sleep well?", he asked.

"Never better.", I smirked. I didn't know what else to say so I just looked deep into his eyes with a soft smile on my lips. His eyes were moving over my neck and chest, making me look at him in wonder.

"What are you going to do about that?", he asked with a pleased smile on his face, nodding to my chest. I looked down, noticing the purple bruises which I knew also decorated my neck.

"You had to do that, didn't you?", I accused and he chuckled. At least the majority of his neck was purple too, making me feel pleased with myself.

"Of course.", he replied, a soft smile on his lips.

I got up from the bed, knowing we had to get dressed since Uriah and Amir would wonder where we were. I felt his eyes on my nude body as I picked my clothes up from the floor. I put my clothes on, throwing Xavi his.

"Meet me in the common room in twenty. Tell Uriah and Amir.", I told him, going over go him and giving him a light peck on the lips before leaving and going to my own room to get some clean clothes.

***

"We need a date, gentlemen.", I told them when we all gathered in the common room.

"And we need to make a scene.", Uriah said theatrically as he handed us all drinks.

"Not necessarily a scene, just something to get the people's attention to us.", I replied and he frowned, obviously upset at the lack of scene-making that's going to go on.

"I, for one, have the perfect date for it.", Amir said, placing some letter down onto the table before us. We all looked at it in wonder, shock even. It was an invitation to the annual King's Ball- the celebration of the king's birthday. The whole kingdom, at least more noble people, were invited.

"Where'd you get that?", I asked him, confused as to how he had an invitation for that.

"Found it on the street. Seems that the noble Lord Reginald of Marfont-", he said in a posh voice, "has lost his invitation."

"I bet I could get at least a dozen more. Or at least enough for the four of us.", Uriah mumbled, more to himself than to us but we heard him regardless.

"Could you?", Xavi hopefully asked and Uriah proudly nodded.

"You know what to do, Uriah.", I told him with a smile. The men cheered, knowing that I just approved of the whole thing, and I chuckled at their excitement.

We all looked at the common room doors as they burst open, revealing a distressed Hans. "There's knights down in the tavern that want to talk to the four of you.", he said, trying to catch his breath. The four of us immediately got up but we didn't move.

"Why?", we all questioned in unison, as if rehearsed.

"Don't know. Just said they didn't to talk to the owners.", he explained and left the room, leaving us wondering as to why the knights, who know they're never welcome here, wanted to talk to us.

We headed downstairs, hiding our weapons in our belts and under our shirts. The tavern was dead-silent as we entered it and everyone was staring at the four Knights that stood in the middle of the room.