The horrific cries of the damned filled the cavern.

Xenia’s grip tightened on my hand. “What happens if you fail?”

“I die.”

“That’s not going to happen. Females do the impossible all the time,” Xenia stated firmly.

The Thunder God manifested as a large entity wearing a skull mask, flowing black robe and a necklace of eyeballs. In one hand he held a ceremonial obsidian blade.“Remove your clothing and lay on the sacrificial stone.”His words echoed in my head.

I gave him the one-fingered salute.“Go fuck yourself.”

“You will obey me,”The Thunder God bellowed.

“Not a chance,”Xenia said.“Your puny mental powers have no effect on us.”

The shock in his eyes was almost comical.“I am a God. You cannot defy me.”

“Hell, yeah, we can. We arewomen! We are strong! We are invincible. Hear us roar!”

Xenia stared at me like I had lost my mind.

“Think of it as my battle cry.”

“We are women! We are invincible. Hear us roar! Adversity only makes us stronger. Deprive us of chocolate and feel our wrath,”Xenia yelled.

A giggle escaped me.

Whoosh!The Thunder God was in front of us. He touched the energy field.Zap!The scary entity vanished and in its place was an elderly man wearing a diaper.

I let out a breath of relief. He couldn’t breach my shield.

Xenia gagged. “I think the Thunder God needs his diaper changed.”

Granny appeared in the cavern.“That depraved priest used the last of his power to erect a barrier. Your men are trapped on the other side.”

“Who’s that?” Xenia whispered.

“That’s my grandmother, Annabel Dragos, and yes, she’s very dead.”

“An esteemed relative?”

“More like a pain-in-the-butt relative,” I replied.

Xenia gave a slight bow.“It is an honor to meet you Annabel Dragos.”

“At last a child with manners.”

Whoosh!Thousands of bones shot toward the priest. He chanted something and the bones froze mid-air.

“We need to strip him of his remaining powers. Repeat after me. Tempore. Cuidamn. Monstrata. Desopsuit de cruce!”Granny commanded.

I shouted,“Tempore. Cuidamn. Monstrata. Desopsuit de cruce!”

“Tempore. Cuidamn. Monstrata. Desopsuit de cruce!”Xenia yelled.

Incandescent red bolts arced and pulsed around the priest. His energy field failed, and the deadly projectiles impaled him. With an unearthly howl the Thunder God disintegrated into dust.

“Free us. Free us. Free us. Free us,”the trapped souls shrieked.