The Arcane Rebellion- The Arcane Series #1

Chapter 50

Layla

Xavi, Uriah and Amir have been acting off these last few days. I don't even know how to explain it. After my breakdown with Xavi following the fight with Andy, it was like he made a point to stay silent during any arguments between Andy and I.

For some reason, we all stopped spending as much time together, which was weird, too. The days felt like endless loops and maybe that was because I had nothing proper to do, or just because I felt like I was going crazy.

I was in the dining hall, eating breakfast and talking to Cecelia and Zach, a newly wed couple that lived in the Sanctuary. "So, we were talking and we came to the conclusion that we wanna move away, get a home somewhere in the city now that it's safe again.", Cecelia said and I smiled.

"I think it's a wonderful idea. You're not the first ones to come up with it, either.", I said sincerely.

"And you'd be okay with that?", Zach asked hopefully.

"Of course I'd be okay with it. It's not like you guys need my permission or anything.", I replied.

"Layla, you are a saint!", Cecelia said, clinging to Zach's arm.

"Far from it.", I smiled with a chuckle.

"We are still Horsemen, Layla and we'll always be at your service.", Zach said and the two got up.

"That's much appreciated.", I said, bowing my head slightly.

"Thanks, Layla.", Cecelia said with a soft smile as the two left. I was left alone again and I didn't know what to do. I got up and slowly made my way to the common room. It was empty. Again.

With a sigh, I sat down on one of the couches, looking around the room, trying to think of something to do. When nothing came to mind, I decided to do paperwork. I'll be damned.

I sat down at the desk and pulled out the paperwork that was already sitting on it, getting into it.

I didn't even realize that I had fallen asleep. The only reason I knew that happened was because I woke up disoriented, my face pressed to the parchment and my hair messy. I was still alone, but I had a bad feeling about something. I didn't even know what. I got up and stretched, going upstairs to Xavi's room, shocked to see it was empty.

I thought that maybe he was in his work room, so I started making my way down to the Sanctuary. It was completely empty, which was reasonable considering it was the middle of the night now. I knocked on the door of his work room softly and when I got no answer, I creaked the door open and peeked through. It was empty and dark.

I wondered where everyone was. Just when I was about to close the door, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I jumped up in surprise and turned around to see Andy. Definitely not who I wanted to see. "Snooping around, are we?", he questioned and I rolled my eyes at him.

"None of your business what I'm doing.", I replied.

"No need to be rude.", he said and I almost burst into laughter.

"What do you want, Andy?", I asked him with a sigh, wanting to get away from him as fast as possible.

"I want to talk to you about something.", he said and my eyes widened in surprise.

"And what exactly is that?", I asked.

"Why don't you step down as leader? Give the position to me?", he said sweetly, but he wasn't fooling anyone.

"Why would I? You haven't been here for two years. Things have changed.", I said to him and he shook his head.

"But, Layla, you weren't made to be leader. You were just made to be a wife for some other Horseman, to bear their children and continue the bloodline. You being a leader was purely coincidental.", he said so calmly that I wanted to laugh. He's treating me like I'm just some common whore.