Page 87 of The Seven Rings
The window of the Gold Room shot up, and the huge black vulture streamed out.
Dobbs had been practicing, Sonya remembered, and run like hell seemed like good advice. She dropped the phone, the basket, grabbed Yoda in one arm, snatched the cat off the wall with the other.
As she prepared to run, they both leaped out of her arms.
“No! Don’t!”
When they ran toward the swooping bird, instinct gave her no choice. She ran after them.
To her horror, the thing shot downward.
With wild barks, Yoda leaped. Pyewacket leaped higher.
Those talons gleamed; the keen-edged beak opened.
The cat swiped. Still running, Sonya heard Pyewacket’s quick cry of pain, and over it the scream of Dobbs’s creature.
Smelled the sulfur as it dissolved into smoke.
“God, oh God, oh God.”
Yoda nuzzled at the cat, who’d landed on all fours before she’d sprawled on the lawn.
Sonya expected blood, open wounds, or worse as she dropped down.
“Let me see. Yoda, get back and let me see.”
She found no blood, no open wounds, but saw the pain in the cat’s green eyes, heard it in her whines.
Internal injuries? Poison?
As Pye wiggled, tried to lick her paw, she saw it. The ice burns on both front paws.
“Okay. Oh, I know it hurts. I can fix it. You have to let me fix it.”
As gently as she could, she picked up the cat, and looked up at the window with both hate and fury.
“You bitch. Going after a little cat.”
Sonya heard an ugly laugh before the window slammed shut.
As she carried the cat, murmured to her, Cleo drove up.
She was out of the car like a bullet from a gun.
“What happened? She’s hurt? What happened?”
“Ice burns, front paws. That vicious, bullying bitch. I know what to do, Cleo. I know how to help her. We have to keep her calm.”
“I’ll take her. I’ve got her. Go. Oh, Pye, I’m so sorry.”
Sonya ran into the house, straight to the kitchen to put a bowl of water in the microwave, to get two soft, clean cloths.
“I know, I know, shh now.” Cleo stroked Pye, cradling her as they came into the kitchen. “We’re going to make it all better. Maybe I should take her to the vet.”
“Let’s try this first, it’s nearly ready.”
“It’s hurting her. I can see it.”
