Chapter 212 - Commitments

But Lex felt like something was tearing up inside her, and before she saw it, she screamed, raising her hands in despair, trying to use the Light to ward off Iacintho's upir!

"NO!"

That wasn't enough for the upir to interrupt the movement with the sword, even though he turned briefly to see it.

BOOOMMM!

The flash that followed didn't come from his hands, but from the mouth of Captain Dubois' hand cannon. It reverberated and blasted like a clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning, too close.

Alexa saw her brother being thrown backwards, before the rain of blood, and the dark, smelly smoke blocked her vision.

"IACINTHO!"

Without thinking of herself, the princess ran to the gates and through the smoke, unable to even see around her. Pulling the collar of her dress to cover her nose, she crouched down and felt for her brother on the floor.

Her hand brushed disgusting things, but another hand grabbed her arm, causing Alexa to cry out in terror.

Turning, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was her brother, lying on the floor with a pitiful expression,

"Alexa…" Alexa saw his lips move, but didn't really listen to any sound.

With his other hand, Iacintho groped his own chest, and took something out of his clothes, which he held out to his sister.

Not quite understanding, shocked, and hoping he would survive, she cupped her hands to take what he offered.

The hot, fuzzy little thing was trembling and hooting, only Alexa couldn't hear the poor bird,

"ROMEO!"

'He had thought of Romeo!' She kept the pet bird carefully in her chest.

'How did I think to let Iacintho go?! He deserves to live longer than me, who hesitated to save him when he never hesitated for me. And he didn't even forget a little bird! ' Alexa wanted to whip herself if she could. She helped Iacintho to get up. He suffered pain just like any other living thing!

"Is the ... Chevalier Sagnac's house on fire?" she asked as she looked up at the top floor of the cottage. There was a lot of smoke on the roof, and Alexa could see the glow of the fire through the windows.

"ALEXIS1!" they heard a distant voice call. She knew that voice. The same plaintive voice that called her the day she arrived at that house. At first it sounded like it was calling 'Alexa!' But know she was sure, it wasn't her name!

Iacintho turned, as did she, and they both spoke at the same time,

"Emmeline!"

As soon as Iacintho spoke the name of the tragic maiden transformed into an upir, they saw her silhouette in one of the windows of the second floor.

Iacintho started to head towards the house, but Alexa grabbed his wrist,

"No! No! Don't go there!"

But Allamand Sagnac had also turned to the house in horror.

Alexa saw a person running out of the cottage as if running out of hell. But only when she got closer did the princess recognize the housekeeper Mirna. The woman caught some breath first before telling to Sagnac,

"Master! I had to do this, they were up there ...! Bloodsucker Monsters!"

Allamand looked bewildered at the woman in front of him, then at the house. And ignoring any attempt by his servants to stop him, he ran towards the burning house!

Magnus had just arrived at Alexa's side, quite hurt this time.

Astonished, the princess hugged him, grateful to see him by her side, drawing a loud m.o.a.n from the Prince,

"Where's Alexis?

"Alexis?"

"Allamand! I meant Allamand!" he shook his head shrugging off his flawed act.

"Is he Alexis or Allamand?!" she questioned, dumbfounded.

"Long story? Where is he?!" he repeated, and Alexa understood in the worst moment they were making a prank on the chevalier all along. His real name was Alexis!

"He is trying to save his sister! replied Alexa. "He needs help!"

Magnus and Dubois looked at each other, ready for that. But Iacintho stepped in front of them,

"Volos is coming! I feel it! He wants me to…"

Alexa didn't see it coming.

Dubois used his hand cannon to hit Iacintho in the head. It was so unexpected that no one had any reaction but to see it. Iacintho collapsed. A hand cannon was basically a hollow tube of iron heavy enough to kill a man with such concussion in the head.

The Princess suppressed a cry, before the violence right before her eyes. And against her brother, nonetheless!

Dubois himself parried the fall of Iacintho, who was struggling to remain conscious.

Using this moment, Magnus grabbed Alexa by the shoulders, and made her look at him,

"Alexa, please listen to me! You must get your brother out of here!" Turning a bit, he addressed the housekeeper lady by their side, "Missy, help us! Get the Princess and her brother out of here! Take them to the city or another safe place! The captain and I will go back there and we will get Allamand!"

Alexa looked at the burning house, with a bad feeling,

"No, Magnus, please, no!" her eyes were already shedding tears of apprehension as she tried to grab him. But he easily held her arms to prevent it, ignoring Alexa's pleas.

"Alexa, it's an order! You wanted us to kill the lich, and free your brother! Then please, go!"

"No, Magnus! This is impossible! It can't be done like that!" she tried to free herself from Mirna's arms, who was pulling her away from Magnus to take her away.

"You don't know what he might be capable of, Magnus! Please, you have something important to finish! You said you can't leave me behind! You have a commitment to me and Alexander, above everything else!"

Only these words seemed to have an effect on Magnus' determination to face the sorcerer.

Taking a deep breath, he lifted her off the floor, ignoring his own injuries.

Dubois, carrying Iacintho, and housekeeper Mirna ran after them to the cart.

For a moment, when they reached the steeds and released them, they looked at the house, which was burning with fire.

Alexa took pity on Allamand and his sister Emmeline, who had a very tragic fate, and said a quick prayer so they could leave in peace.

Mirna stepped in front of them, not at all intimidated by her position as a servant at a time like those,

"Come with me!" French male name, pronounced Aleksi.