Page 250 of The Seven Rings
He passed the cat to Trey, then took out the knife Dobbs had used to kill Astrid.
“This is mine!” Dobbs swept out a hand. Outside the circle, wind swirled. Inside, Owen felt a sting across his cheek.
“Need to do better than that,” he said, and earned a hiss from Cleo. Shrugging, he held his hand over the pot and scored his palm with the knife.
“Blood of the innocent, blood of a Poole.”
“Poole. A Poole. You thought to hang me! I take what is mine. You have no sway over my life, my death. I bring death!”
Lifting her hands, Dobbs curled her fingers. “I bring death toPooles but first the pain. And in the manor I will remain. Mistress here for all time. Bride after bride their lives I’ll take, and with one twist your neck I break.”
“Tickles some.” Owen wiped his bloody hand on the bandanna in his back pocket.
“I’ll say.” Sonya rubbed at her throat.
Dobbs screamed, by the seawall, inside the house. As she charged the circle, Trey shoved Sonya behind him.
But filled with fury, and more, Sonya pushed back. And held up her hands. Moonlight flooded on the rings.
“I’m mistress here, and so are the seven before me.”
“Mine!” As if mesmerized, Dobbs rounded the circle of salt. “You. You I know. How do I know? In the glass, in the cauldron. In the blood. Give me what’s mine!”
As she started to strike out, Trey grabbed Sonya, prepared to take whatever blow got through. And Jones charged.
Lightning bolted out of the manor, lanced into the ground even as Jones snapped.
As before he tore the black dress.
“Jones!”
At Owen’s shouted order, Jones, all but steaming with reluctance, went back.
And Dobbs struck out with fire.
“Going out weakened the circle, but good boy anyway. Let me have that.” Cleo took the swatch of black cloth, folded it with the first. “One from each of them. One from then, one from now.”
“The fire’s eating at the salt,” Sonya warned.
“Blood you spilled, blood we took, and blood given free.”
The clock struck three.
Dobbs stopped, smiled. “Blood. My blood to seal the curse. There will be no hangman’s noose for Hester Dobbs.”
“Speed it up, Lafayette.”
“I blend them here with water from the sea.”
Before Dobbs could climb onto the seawall, Sonya ran out of the circle.
“Come and get them!” she shouted as Trey cursed and rushed after her.
Behind them, from the manor, thunder roared. With one hand on the seawall, Dobbs turned. Sonya wiggled the fingers of her lifted hands.
“You killed for these. Now I have them.”
“Eight, eight. Seven, eight. Where was the whore’s? Astrid Grandville. She had no ring. But a bride, still a bride.”
