The Arcane Rebellion- The Arcane Series #1

Chapter 48

Xavi

Layla was still asleep when I woke up, which was very early in the morning. I didn't want to wake her, but I desperately needed to take a walk and stretch my limbs and I needed to get something for the raging headache that came with the hangover from yesterday's drinking.

I moved her hand from my waist and I put it down on the bed next to her, gently as to not wake her. I slipped out of bed and put on some clean and comfortable clothes, making my way down to the common room. No one was awake this early in the morning, so the common room was empty. Seems like Uriah and Amir managed to get themselves to their beds.

I made my way down, through the Tavern and through the Sanctuary, going to my work room. I stopped before the door, reaching for the key in my pocket but stopping when I heard voices inside. I pressed my ear to the door, listening intently.

"How is she not dead yet?!", a voice whisper-yelled, one that I immediately recognized as Andy's. "The place is packed with ill wishes and bad tokens. We framed her, we sent people to kill her, we sent her to a cult, we even kidnapped those two stooges so she would go out looking for them so we could jump her! And she's still alive!", Andy spoke angrily and I scoffed.

"That probably means she has some good omen or a luck charm, or a counterpart to an ill wish or token. They're much more powerful than bad omens or ill wishes and they cancel them out as well as add good luck.", a voice replied and I was shocked to hear it was Kara. "Does she have any ring, or some jewelry that she always wears? I mean, that could be a luck charm?", Kara suggested.

"No. The girl wears no jewelry.", Andy replied angrily. "What about weapons? Can a weapon be a charm?", Andy asked.

"No. Weapons are inherently bad. Not bad omens, just bad so they can't be luck charms.", Kara explained.

"What else can be a luck charm?", Andy urged.

Kara stayed silent for a moment. "I- I can't remember, I'm sorry.", she said quietly.

"Then try to fucking remember!", Andy whisper-yelled. As much as I didn't like Kara, I wasn't going to let him talk to her this way, so I pretended to try to unlock the door, acting surprised when the door was unlocked and entering the room looking confused.

"What are you guys doing here?", I questioned.

"Oh, morning, man. I was just asking Kara for some pain relief, my...", he thought of a lie. "...my head hurts, so, you know.", he said. I hummed in response. Kara ran around the room and got him a vial of some weak pain relief. "Also, I have a question for you...", he started and I looked at him in shock.

"Is that so?", I asked, arching my brow and he nodded.

"Yeah, I've been having some trouble sleeping recently and I was just wondering if you had anything with belladonna, because I heard it's great-", he lied swiftly without batting an eye but I interrupted him.

"Where'd you hear that bullshit? I don't mess with belladonna, Andy, and even if I did, I wouldn't put it in a sleeping potion.", I replied, having a good idea on why he wanted it.

"Oh. How so?", he questioned, trying to seem innocent.

"Belladonna is poisonous to humans.", I curtly said. He stared at me in fake shock. Layla was right- he is planning something. I think he wants to poison Layla.

"I didn't know that. Good thing you told me.", he said with a smile I recognized as fake. Shit, I should have trusted Layla when she said she thought something was wrong.

"Why do you actually need belladonna? Maybe I could... acquire it for you.", I said, not looking at him as I washed my hands in one of the sinks. I needed to get on his good and trusted side so I could find out what he was really planning.