Chapter 22

The witch removed a crescent moon she had fashioned of lead from the folds of her robe. With it, she cautiously probed the vulnerable spot of the barrier. She smiled. She received no shock. The lead worked as an insulator, absorbing the charges emanating from the barrier. But she was forced to withdraw the crescent when it began to grow hot and turn black.

The black robe eyed the barrier as she would a nemesis. Then she carefully aimed and swung the crescent moon at the vulnerable spot, the point of the moon piercing the barrier. She was barely able to stop her momentum before the entire moon and her hand entered the barrier. The lightning immediately converged around the area attacking the alien object that had entered its domain.

The assault from the lightning was melting the end of the moon that was inside the barrier. The witch quickly withdrew the moon and the fabric of the barrier sealed itself shut. But not before a flash of lightning escaped. The bolt shot past the black robe, coming close enough that the force of it knocked her to the ground. The lightning ricocheted dangerously off the walls and floor of the Sanctum, narrowly missing both her and Qenthyeffe on several occasions. Then the image of Satarsmyt enlarged, growing to monstrous proportions before it seemed to simply absorb the wild streak of lightning.

Still sprawled on the ground, the black robe assessed the damage. The left pillar had been destroyed, evidenced by the large fragments of black marble that lay strewn across the adytum. The floor was littered with smaller shards of black and white marble while the wall bore charcoal scorched steaks indicating where the lightning had struck. Then she raised her eyes to the image of Satarsmyt. Although the specter of the demon had returned to its normal size, it was glowing now, the face betraying some cruel satisfaction it had derived from the experience.