Belly of the Beast

Chapter 50

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.