A group of women appeared out of every corner. Their red eyes stared intensely at us. Then one of them opened her palm and blew a black powder, which swirled like snakes into the air, circling around the room. Atith coughed and choked.

"Poison!" Ravi cried and thrust her hands outward. The poison dispersed.

"Careful, these are Chedipes, the blood-drinking undead witches!" Vorac cried out a warning.

We held our breaths. Tusita was to step into the battle when Vorac stopped her.

"Do not use your bow here or we might as well be trapped inside," she said. "Let us get Nikita out first."

But the other witches soon surrounded...