Page 66 of The Seven Rings
It all stopped.
Outside the studio, the floor, the walls remained pristine. The interior storm halted even as the one outside turned to a quiet rain.
“Holy shit! Holy shit! What did you throw?”
“I don’t know, whatever was handy. I—God—I kept telling myself it wasn’t real.”
“But it felt real,” Cleo finished. “We’re shaking. All four of us.”
Before she risked setting the cat down, Cleo moved to the doorway, peeked out.
“Nothing. No glass, no fire, no smoke or bleeding walls. And her door’s closed again. You hurt her, Sonya.”
“I did. I saw it.”
Setting Pye down, Cleo picked up the stone from the floor of the hallway, gave a shaky laugh. “A hag stone. That’s apt. Also known as a witch stone. It guards against evil, which is why I have a couple in here.”
“I—I thought it was bigger when I grabbed it.”
“Small but mighty, and obviously big enough. We were afraid, and Jesus, who could blame us? So she fed on that, came out to add more, and you let her have it. Wow. Her face.”
Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” played on Sonya’s phone.
“Yeah, she’s got plenty of that.” Then Sonya narrowed her eyes. “Do you think she can bleed? That I made her bleed?”
“Damn solid hit from where I was standing, so I say yes. Jones tore a piece off her dress, so that means yes to me. I think…”
Frowning, Cleo turned the stone over in her hand. “I think there might be a trace of blood on here.”
“It went through her. It hit, and went through her.”
“Yes, it did.”
Cleo put the stone in a small bowl, and from another, took a second hag stone.
“A fresh one,” she said, handing it to Sonya. “In case. And, Son, I have to admit, I want—hell, need—a really, really big glass of wine.”
“Me, too. Let’s go get one.”
“One other thing? She didn’t come in here, neither did any of her nasty illusions.”
“Hag stones?”
“And more. I like knowing she has limits.”
“Again, me, too.” As they started out, Sonya glanced back, and saw a canvas covered on an easel.
“You never cover your paintings.”
“This time. Something I’m working on now and then, and not ready for anybody but me.”
They both stopped at the closet. Sonya opened it and found only art supplies.
“I check it a few times a day,” Cleo said.
“When it’s time, Catherine will be there. Let’s go get that wine.”
Chapter Nine
