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Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Allie stepped into the attic and peered through the darkness. The attic was always quiet but just now it was silent--far too silent. The family had gone away on their trip and Allie was thankful because it meant she could finally see to Michael...she simply prayed she wasn't too late. The last couple of hours had been the longest of her life as she had chewed her fingernails to nubs waiting on them to leave.

"Don't step in that blood," Amelia warned, snapping Allie from her thoughts. Her eyes widened when she saw the dark puddle of it on the floor beside their feet. Allie swallowed hard and felt her fists clench with the desire to hurt someone badly and avenge this wrong.

"He was in his bed," Amelia added in a whisper.

Allie nodded and headed that way. She hadn't brought a light along because she had known that she and Amelia would need both their hands in order to carry Michael out of here.

Allie came to the bed and instantly she dropped to her knees. Tears filled her eyes as she took in the sight of Michael's blood covered face in the darkness. Pain gripped her heart so tightly that she thought for a moment she might collapse from the intensity of it.

"I told you it was bad," Amelia whispered, "How could anyone do this to him?"

Allie had no answer and so she simply squeezed her sister's hand. She reached down and moved a bit of blood stiffened hair from Michael's face, "He's going to be okay now, Amelia. I won't let a single person lay hands on him again."

Allie stood up, "We're going to have to try to carry him the best we can to our bedroom. I won't have him recovering up here in this dark, dirty attic."

"But won't he be scared when he wakes up and he's not in the attic anymore?" Amelia questioned.

"It's better he be a little scared while warm, safe and alive, than be secure but dead," Allie stated. "This has to end. I would have liked to have given him time to make this step on his own but we have to take the opportunity that's been presented us. Now we can't talk about this anymore. We have to get him out of here, clean him up and figure out just how badly he's hurt."

Amelia nodded and the sisters positioned themselves on either end of Michael. Allie looped her arms under his arms and hoisted him up while Amelia lifted his legs. Michael groaned with pain and Allie swore she could feel the pain herself. She kissed his brow tenderly in an attempt to soothe him before starting toward the attic door.

It was a complicated and difficult process to maneuver his body through the mess and down the stairs. Several times Allie was certain they were going to drop him or fall themselves. They were covered in sweat and both of them were panting by the time they reached their bedroom and laid Michael gently upon the bed.

He looked so out of place covered in blood, dirt and dust with his worn and tattered clothes lying upon the immaculate floral bedspread with so much wealth and fanciness surrounding him.

Allie went about removing his cloak and let out a slow breath. "Amelia, I need to check his injuries. I need you to go down to the kitchen and put a bucket of water on the stove to heat. It doesn't need to be boiling but I need it warm and bring up several rags and towels as well."

Without a word, Amelia ran from the room. Allie knew the only person that might question her would be Tessa but Allie wasn't worried about what she would think. Clearly she had known about Michael but had chosen to do nothing. In Allie's eyes that made the other maid a monster just like the other Treadwell's.