the lord and the alleycat [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twelve

I was in the process of deciding whether breathing through my mouth or nose was better for the smell when the door was heaved open. I furrowed my eyebrows at the cloaked figure when a slender hand gestured for me to follow it. I stood cautiously before the figure grasped my wrist and began to pull. I didn't have a reason to not follow, so I allowed the hand to drag me behind it. Once it shoved me against a wall as a Guardian walked passed, but otherwise it led me through the twists and turns of the underground tunnels. I stayed silent until we approached the end of the tunnel and quirked an eyebrow when the figure began touching the wall in various places.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, but it echoed through the tunnel. I clamped a hand over my own mouth as the figure inaudibly sighed. It finally found what it was looking for because it pulled me close and the wall spun around, revealing a small study, similar to Bennet's. The wall returned to its original position and the figure pulled down its hood. A girl revealed herself and she smiled at me.

"You look familiar," I said, scrutinizing her face.

She giggled, "I should; I look very similar to my brother."

My face morphed into one of recognition and I curtsied, "My apologies, Princess."

Martha waved me up, telling me any friend of Bennet's was a friend of hers. "Do you want to see your sister?"

I glanced back at the turning door, "Won't they be looking for me? I don't want to cause any trouble or get my sister hurt."

"Don't you worry a pretty hair on your pretty head," she said, taking my hand. My warning bells ran off in my head, but I thought I'd play along.

"I would love to see Hailey," I answered brightly and Martha giggled again. She pulled me out the door and into an ornate hallway. I barely had any time to look around before Martha pushed me into a bedroom. All the furniture was white with yellow decorations. I saw the back of Hailey who was sitting on the floor with her back to me, clutching the doll Bennet had given her.

"Hailey?" I called out to her, a big smile on my face. She flinched, but ultimately ignored me. "Hailey, it's me, Amara."

"You always say that, and you're never here," she answered, her voice laced with hurt. I hurried over to her, collapsing down beside her and shaking her shoulder. She slowly raised her eyes to meet mine and she looks exhausted. Large purple circles were under her eyes, and it contrasted greatly with the green gown she was wearing. She cocked her head after giving me a look over, "You never show up dirty though."

"Hailey, I'm really here," I pleaded, pulling her into a hug. She stiffened before wrapping her arms around me.

"Amara?" She whispered, her voice shaking. "Amara, why haven't you come?" I shifted so I could hold her closer.

"What do you mean?" I whispered back, stroking her hair.

"You said you'd protect me, Amara," she began to cry. "Why did you send me away?"

I risked a glance over my shoulder, to see Martha had left the room, but the door was still cracked open. "What happened?"

"He found out within the first day," Hailey was able to choke out. "He found me, Amara."

"Tell me what happened, Hailey," I said seriously. She sniffed and wiped her nose with her hand, before gesturing to her back. She turned around and I unbuttoned the first few buttons on her gown. Large red whip welts appeared and I gasped. I lightly brushed the uppermost one, and Hailey flinched from my touch.

"Cover them back up," she said, her tone much harder than I had ever heard. "I trusted you, Amara. You let Bennet send me here." She turned around the glare that she held tore at my heart, but it soon returned to one of sadness. "Why couldn't I just stay with you?"

"I thought you'd be safe here," I said, reaching for her. She jumped out of my reach, before reaching down and grabbing her doll.

"This was Martha's, right?" She asked coldly, and I nodded. She walked to the open window and dropped the doll out of it. "She is as awful as he is."

At that moment, the door was slammed open and in walked Martha, two Guardians behind her. Her sweet smile had turned into a wicked one, "That's her. She escaped to try and kidnap Olivia again." Hailey's face contorted into one of fear as she tried to stop the guards. They just pushed her out of the way and grabbed on to me.

"Any last words?" Martha spit out.

I looked toward Hailey, who was now cowering in the corner, "I am sorry I trusted Bennet. I will figure a way out of this for you, alright?" She nodded, but her eyes told me the truth. She had begun to doubt me, and there wasn't much I could do to change her mind.

Other than striking a deal to set her free.

?;o[4~