The blow came at me so quickly, I didn't have time to block it, and I was thrown backwards into the bookshelf. Whatever Dmitry threw didn't have a physical form, and he seemed to be pulling from an unlimited arsenal. So, by the time I had righted myself, he was hurling another invisible projectile, catching me full in the chest.

I had hoped the white light that came with my Isis superpowers would protect me from physical assaults. It did when Vincent and I experimented back home. But necromantic magic packed a greater punch than even my muscle-bound gollum mate.

Of course, I had a few tricks up my sleeve, but I didn't want to antagonize Dmitry any more than he already was. Not until I could talk to Terra. So, I stayed on the defensive, maneuvering around the torture box and winding through statues. Too bad the gods were made of marble and couldn't lend a hand, although I had a pair of useful hands myself.

I ducked behind a pillar to avoid another hit, but not before having the wind knocked out of me as I was thrown onto my back. Damn, him! When I had caught my breath, I summoned a ball of static. It didn't have the same damaging effects as flame, but it could cause a pretty good shock. Peeking around the pillar, I took aim and hurled it at Dmitry. But his stealth was no match for a novice like me, and he avoided my attempt with ease.

"Give up zhe fight, you silly female." He spoke in a casual manner as he pursued me like he knew exactly what a novice I was.

When I realized he was backing me into a corner, I pushed off the floor and took flight. My torn shirt flapped against my chest, exposing my breasts, which were full and painful. I thought of my son, and how much I didn't want to leave him motherless, but I also didn't want him growing up in a world that included a murderous maniac like Dmitry.

"Never! I'm going to fry your ass!" It felt good to curse, although it probably counted as antagonizing. So, I decided to try out another new skill. Gesturing with my hands, I sent a gust of air toward Christopher Walken's headless mannequin. It fell in front of Dmitry as he followed in my wake, and he merely hovered off the floor to avoid it. Fortunately, he hadn't mastered the skill of flight, or he would have caught up with me by now.

"Ah, you have learned to use zhe elements of Isis. But zhere is a big difference between using zhem and controlling zhem." Using his own hand gestures, he caused a huge, paper mache mobile to swing into my path, nicking my wing.

I groped for a handhold on the chain, swinging out of control as I tried not to collide with the wall. When I found my equilibrium again, I snatched the mobile off the chain and hurled it at Dmitry's head. He threw a fireball at it, and the damn thing burst into flames, crash-landing at the foot of the god Hades. How fitting.

We continued our game, with him tossing objects from below, and me throwing them from above. I even managed to yank one of Dmitry's precious wind chimes loose, which left the monstrosity swaying precariously over the infinity staircase. With a growl, he sprinted up the stairs to save his precious. Then he stretched for my foot as he hurled himself from the top. I barely evaded him, watching with my mouth open as he floated down to land gracefully on the floor. I couldn't help wondering how close he was to taking flight.

Vincent had changed forms and flew close enough to offer me reassurance. While I appreciated his presence, it only distracted me. But how did one tell their six-foot four gollum mate to back off when a dangerous lunatic was throwing projectiles at his wife? Still, Vincent knew what I was capable of.

The problem was, I had to hold back. There were too many innocent bystanders inside the home, most notably, my family. I didn't dare release my fiery vengeance on Dmitry and risk an inferno, and we still didn't know if Terra had done what she needed to do. I was caught in a cat and mouse game that was getting me nowhere. Without the Seal of Solomon, Dmitry had me at a severe disadvantage, and he knew it.

From my peripheral view, I caught a flash of scarlet, and I threw a quick glance at Terra. She was waving the ascot at me, barely holding up her arm to accomplish the herculean task. When she caught my gaze, she dropped her hand to the floor. That's when I noticed the red stain. At first, I thought she had started bleeding again, and I was ready to send Vincent over to help. Then I realized she had written something in blood.

I made a hard left, pulsing my wings as I swooped fast and low until my feet touched the ground. She had scrawled the word MAZE with the bloody ascot, and I sucked in a grateful breath as I nodded at her. This was Terra's one task. To find Dmitry's weakness. Now it was my job to expose it.

Vincent and Dmitry arrived on my heels, their faces red and their chests heaving. Terra tried to cover the word with her body, but her movements were too slow, and Dmitry's angry cry pierced the air as he flew into a rage.

"You back-stabbing piz'da! You vill pay for your lies and disloyalty." In a lightning fast move, Dmitry pounced on Terra, and her pitiful whimper came just ahead of a bone-chilling crack. Vincent and I never had a chance to react as we both stared helplessly at Terra's broken body.

Dmitry's cry was nothing compared to my scream that followed his murderous attack. But rather than take my fury out on the loathsome piece of scum, I took flight, forcing my wings to carry me as fast as they could. With the wrath of a thousand banshees fueling my fire, I dodged every obstacle as I set my sights on the massive window across the room.

Without taking my eyes off the prize beyond the windowpane, I smashed through the glass, using the powers of the elements to shield me. Soaring like a phoenix unafraid of the fire burning from its wings, I flew over the maze, sending a torrent of fireballs into it and watching with grim satisfaction as the hedgerows blazed up like orange tongues licking the sky.

One after the other, each section burned and collapsed like fiery dominoes. Or, more appropriately, like a funeral pyre. Soon, I was joined by others with wings. They flew in from all directions, some friends and some foes, and the battle began. While all around us, the labyrinth crackled and hissed like a living thing in the throes of death.

Vincent had followed me through the window. I heard the strength of his wings and smelled his gollum scent as he shadowed me. It wasn't long before Dmitry appeared beneath us, looking small and insignificant as he entered the maze. He was no longer wearing Ralph Lauren. Instead, he had donned his black robe, looking like the harbinger of death, and I saw the glint of gold beneath his collar.

"YOU!" His voice boomed as his form slipped in and out of view, obscured by the smoke clogging the air. I half expected him to turn into smoke, but he didn't. "You are foolish to zhink destroying my maze vill destroy me!"

"Well, it seems to have pissed you off!" I shouted back. "You called out the troops!"

Screeches, grunts, and knuckles sounded all around me, and I was taken aback at the sheer number of demons who had thrown in their talons to help with our cause. My breath caught when I saw a familiar face among the flailing wings. It was Titan. He had come all this way to help, and a painful pinch constricted my chest when I thought of Terra's lifeless body lying in the gallery.

"Reese!" Vincent warning came just before he yanked me downward by one wing, and I ducked in time to miss a fireball.

Shit. Keep your head in the game, Reese, or you'll end up losing it.

"Thanks." I nodded at Vincent as we flew over a section of the labyrinth that hadn't caught fire yet, and I searched through the smoke until I located the chamber door. "I need to get into the chamber before it's destroyed. Isis and Willem might be able to help."

Leaving Dmitry at the other end of the inferno, Vincent and I dove toward the door. When we landed, he kept his wings outstretched, assuming a protective stance. Without needing to recite anything, I pressed my hand to the door and it swung open. We both hurried inside, and I strode confidently toward the pyre, leaving a trail of smoke behind me. The moment I crossed into the protective circle, flames rose up around the gazebo and a voice crackled inside them.

"Welcome back, young one. I felt your presence close by. You have returned to fulfill your purpose."

"Yes, and I need your help." My words came out in a rush, and I hoped I hadn't just her cut off. "The necromancer will be here any minute and I need a way to destroy him. He's wearing an amulet that gives him eternal life, so he's going to be impossible to kill."

"I see. That does pose a problem, but there is still a way to win this. First, you must find a worthy demon to destroy the cube. Zenthophelius will surely use it to transfer his essence if his corporal form is destroyed. Do you know of such a demon? Can they be located swiftly?"

Glancing over my shoulder, I shared a look with Vincent, who stood just inside the doorframe keeping watch. "Actually, I do. His name is Titan. He's outside battling the necromancer's undead army."

"Good. And what about the spell book? There is a chapter on curse removals. Can you access it?"

"Yes," said Vincent from the door.

"Very well. You may not be aware of this, but the destruction of a supernatural object can be fatal to the one who attempts it. If you have close ties to your Titan, you need to prepare for a less than pleasant outcome."

I tugged at my lip. I didn't need an ancient goddess to tell me that. "What if the demon was wearing an amulet that gave him eternal life?"

"That is an excellent idea. Your cleverness is as powerful as your spirit. I suggest your mate make haste to find this demon and bring him to the chamber. I sense the necromancer's presence growing stronger. Once he arrives, we must find a way to remove the amulet."

Vincent stood like a stone pillar as I turned again to stare at him. "I can't leave you, Reese. What if something happens to you. I'll never forgive myself. I couldn't go on without..."

"Do not worry about your mate," Isis told him firmly. "She will come to no harm as long as she remains inside the circle with me. Go now. There is no time to lose if we are to succeed."

With his lips pinched tight, Vincent strode toward the circle and stood just shy of the mark that had sent him flying. I leaned into his mouth and held his face in my hands. Our kiss exploded with the passion of two people sending their loved one off to war; harsh, desperate, and much too short. Then with the haste of someone not wanting to lose their composure, he turned and disappeared through the open door.

"Now we must hurry if we are to defeat the necromancer together," Isis said.

"Is Willem there with you? Is he going to help us?"

"I am afraid your grandfather's spirit was too weak to remain past the first dark moon. But he was a fine companion."

"Oh." I stared at the floor as the memory of Willem's traumatic death surfaced, but Isis gave me no time to dwell there.

"Child! We are nearly out of time. Listen to me carefully. To have any hope of destroying our enemy, you must first destroy the pyre."

"But won't that destroy you?"

"The pyre is what gives Zenthophelius his necromantic power, so it is the only way. But the pyre cannot be destroyed as long as I inhabit it. It is the tether than holds me to this location. Which means, if I am to stay and assist, I will need a host powerful enough to support my godly essence."

"Like a statue?" I glanced around the room, which stood as bare as an empty crypt. "I'm not sure you realize this, but the chamber is empty apart from the pyre."

"I am not speaking of an object. Have you not noticed something different about yourself since our last meeting? A mark, perhaps?"

Oh, hell. What was this delusional goddess suggesting? "Yes. There have been physical changes."

"Excellent. I was hoping for such a blessing. It is settled then."

I swallowed hard. "What is settled?"

"You will be my host."