Chapter 192 - I'm the Food!

Alexa felt a hand as cold as snow, gripping her wrist tightly, and even before she managed to turn her body completely, someone threw herself on her, knocking the princess to the ground.

Counting only with herself, Alexa tried to roll and squeeze her way out, feeling that the body on top of hers, although strong, was not heavy. She tried to turn to escape, but was hit in the face with a powerful punch, which left her blind with pain and completely confused for a moment.

At least trying to fix her vision, she saw double images of the Sagnac knight ... No. It was a girl, definitely a girl, not much bigger than she, apparently. But someone who had an inhuman strength, and whose face resembled that of the owner of that cottage.

'Emmeline ?!'

Alexa brought her knees to her chest and used them as a lever to push the girl, who was definitely not a shade! But her face hurt so much that her body seemed to have lost its strength. The Princess stood up again, leaning on a piece of furniture to get up. Looking up, Alexa could look directly at Emmeline for the first time ... or rather, what Emmeline had become.

Emmeline was a beautiful girl with long dark hair and the face of an angel, even younger than she, and she seemed the most innocent creature in the world ... Something Alexa understood, she was not. The Princess already knew, and could see with a closer look, that Emmeline was dead.

There was a bit of life in what, she knew, wasn't a living body. And it was what confused Alexa the most. Her latest experiences were useful in that regard.

She didn't have time to look at Emmeline further, because the angry creature's face contorted in a frightening and predatory frown, and again advanced towards Alexa.

The princess tried to defend herself with her arms, but Emmeline's strength was too much for the Lightbearer. Emmeline acted like a rabid animal, and barely seemed to reason. This was even more frightening for Alexa, who had no idea how to deal with Emmeline!

The dead sister of Sagnac, the Knight, grabbed her skull with one hand, while squeezing Alexa's arm so painfully that it looked like Emmeline was going to burst the veins under her skin. Alexa understood what she intended to do: hit Alexa's head against the wall as if it were a chestnut!

Her gaze slid to a strange necklace that Emmeline wore, which was shaped like a small scythe, and looked just as sharp! She tried to grab that scythe and use it against Emmeline, but the creature easily twisted her wrist and Alexa felt tears of pain involuntarily come out of her eyes, and she didn't even suppress the cry that came from her lips.

Alexa could no longer resist and was being cornered, pressed against the wall ... Until she heard a crash against the door, at the same time the creature howled and pushed the princess against the wall so that Alexa heard a crack and a second wave of pain starting at the back of the skull and coming quickly to the face.

Emmeline grabbed her, while Alexa saw everything blur around her again. Her nose started to drip blood, and she tried to take her arms to the area where it hurt the most, but her limbs did not obey. The world has turned upside down. She heard the screams of Magnus and the other men, but everything was blasting loud and confused, and her vision oscillated between light and dark.

She just realized that Emmeline had grabbed her awkwardly, and was dragging her around by the neck ... Then she felt herself floating in the air and falling awkwardly into the bushes. Semi-conscious, the Lightbearer thought she should invoke the light, but she was grabbed again in an abrupt and c.u.mbersome way.

Why did she feel like a mouse being dragged around by a cat?

"EMMELINE!!!" she heard Allamand Sagnac scream for his sister.

"RELEASE HER!!!" she also heard Magnus scream, in pure fury.

"CAUTION! OR ELSE THE PRINCESS MIGHT DIE! WE MUST NOT CORNER THE CREATURE! "

'Was that Captain Dubois?!' Alexa regained some strength, but as soon as she tried to react, she took another punch in the face, and was thrown on top of something ... A horse?!

"SHE'S NOT A CREATURE! SHE'S MY SISTER! MY SISTER IS ALIVE!"

"NO, SAGNAC! SHE'S NOT ALIVE! YOUR SISTER IS DEAD AND 'THAT' WANTS TO EAT THE PRINCESS!"

"ALEXA!" Magnus cried, his voice coming closer!

Alexa tried to throw herself off the horse, before the animal rode away, when it would be even more risky to do so.

Her hands slipped through the animal's fur, and the princess realized, horrified, that the animal was also not a living being!

None of that made sense, but her leg was grabbed by the calf and she was thrown across the legs of her captive, who started running away from Sagnac's home!

The Princess admitted to herself that she was scared, terrified in fact.

Bleeding, dizzy and weakened from finding an undead with a strong, very strong corporeal body!

She barely heard Magnus' voice, screaming as he ran after them, she just knew that the monster and its undead horse were quickly moving away from the house, and no matter how fast Magnus ran, they would gain distance from the house, and he would stay behind.

All she could do now was try not to fall, build up some stamina and, if possible, a good plan for when that undead horse stopped.

But, how could she fight with clean hands?

'Think, idiot, think!'

After a few minutes, bouncing like a sack and always on the verge of falling, were it not for her own interest in holding on to the saddle, Emmeline went up a hill, and walked away from the road. She rode hard, and Alexa could sense all the nervous and bestial excitement of the creature with a disturbed mind.

What was she, anyway? An upir? Without a doubt, she differed greatly from Mildred, and more like Florian.

When Emmeline finally stopped the demonic horse, she dragged her prey carelessly to the ground, crouching in front of her, wide-eyed and curious. Her entire posture resembled that of an animal. Alexa was sure Emmeline would kill her at any moment. Like… right now.

The Princess crouched quickly, putting her hands together to summon her light, and possibly get rid of the undead girl! Emmeline didn't give her time for that, however, throwing herself over Alexa, and licking her face, her nose, her bloody chin!

"AGHHH! GET OFF!" she pushed, struggled and did her best to escape, even though her pulse was weak and throbbing in pain, as was the back of her head. Everything was useless. Then the beautiful and frightening creature reached for the scythe necklace and pulled it out, with a maddened and victorious look, her lips stained with the blood of Alexa's face.

WOOPHSHH!

A whip cracked, close to Alexa's ear. The scythe flew, and Emmeline let out a cry of pain and surprise, leaping away from Alexa, all in one movement.

"AHHHH! MASTER ..." Emmeline sobbed, terrified.

"SHUT UP! HOW DARE YOU! ESCAPE AND HUNT ALONE, WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! ARE YOU GOING TO FEAST ON A PREY… WITHOUT US?!"

Alexa leaned on her sore hands to get up, but felt the heavy boot press on her neck, forcing her to lie down. The male figure towered imperatively over her, but it was impossible to see even have a glimpse of his face. Not only did the angle prevent from it, but Alexa's face and eyes were swelling quickly, making vision difficult.

There was someone else there too, possibly another undead, out of her sight.

Wisely, she froze, knowing it was her only chance to stay alive. Alexa would have his neck crushed before she could even raise her hands.

"WHERE DID YOU FIND THIS?!" the grave and harsh voice boomed.

"M-MASTER ... HOME ... MY HOME ..." the undead girl stuttered.

Alexa's heart was pounding in her chest, and she just hoped that whoever the 'master' was, would be questioning Emmeline as long as it took for Magnus to find them.

She couldn't possibly know how far they had gone. Her mind was trying to understand what was going on, trying to formulate a strategy, but Alexa knew her chances were slim. Was her only value to them serving dinner?

Were they ghouls, upirs, lamias… What?

Alexa only knew they were undead that fed on humans. Unlike wraiths, they could only draw energy from humans by consuming their flesh or blood.

The whip cracked a few more times,

"YOU SHOULD NOT GO BACK THERE! ARGH! STUBBLE AND STUPID CURSE! THERE'S NOTHING THERE FOR YOU!"

"MASTER… A-ACCEPT…!"

The princess noticed a substantial difference between the speech patterns of the two undead. Master and 'slave', perhaps?

The man spoke like an ordinary human.

But Emmeline expressed herself with difficulty, pronouncing the words as if it were difficult to articulate or think. Almost like a child.

"You!! See, she's even trying to deceive me! Bribe me to avoid punishment! It's not because of stupidity, but because she is being cunning! Why don't you educate as I taught you? Shall I really destroy her?"

"Emmeline has not adapted, master. I appreciate the gift, but she's impossible to deal with ... Besides, I don't like her! She's very stupid," the other voice spoke softly, coming closer.

"Arghhh! I hate you too! Monster!" the girl snarled.

"AH! CAN'T YOU MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL, EMMELINE?!" the man with the boot on Alexa's neck made the whip crack a few more times, and Emmeline sobbed and screamed.

Alexa trembled, knowing that eventually their attention would turn to her and her fate.

And that moment came earlier than she wished. The other voice proposed:

"Master… Give me this one. She has a petite body as I like it. As for her face ... I'll know later. If I like it, give me a new partner, instead of Emmeline."

"Hmmm ..." the undead suffocating Alexa with his boot seemed to ponder for a moment.