Page 88 of The Seven Rings
“I know, I know.”
“Shh, shh now. Son, it looks worse than Trey’s hand did that night.”
“I know. Here, use this on her left paw. I’ll take the right.”
Pye didn’t like it, struggled, while Yoda parked his front paws against the kitchen stool and whined.
“It hurts now,” Cleo murmured, “but it’s going to get better. Let us help now.”
They’d applied the warmed cloths three times, and the redness had lessened to a painful pink, when they heard Trey shouting Sonya’s name.
“In the kitchen! We’re in the kitchen! It’s Pye.”
Two men and two dogs rushed in. Trey took one look at the setup.
“Ice burns?”
“Yes. They’re better. But—”
“Let’s have a look.” Carefully, he removed a cloth. “How many applications?”
“Two,” Sonya said, then pushed at her hair. “No, three. This is three.”
That told him they’d been severe. “We’ll do a couple more.”
“Let me have her.”
“No, I—”
“Take a break, Cleo.” Owen lifted Pye out of her arms. “I’ve got her. She’ll hold quiet for me.”
While Trey warmed the cloths again, Cleo swiped at tears. “Sorry. I’m a mess.”
“She’ll be fine,” Trey assured her.
“That’s right.” Owen cradled the cat, kept his eyes on hers. Green on green. “You’re going to be just fine. Might take me and Trey a little longer after the panic. Drive up, Cleo’s car door’s open, front door’s open, Sonya’s phone’s on the grass along with flowers scattered out of a basket.”
“It happened so fast. Clover tried to warn me, but it happened so fast. That goddamn bird. I dropped everything, grabbed Yoda off the ground, Pye off the wall, but—”
Because the men had a handle on it now, she covered her face with her hands. “They both jumped away from me, I couldn’t stop them. They ran toward it, but I wasn’t fast enough to catch them before… They both jumped at it. Yoda, those stubby legs, he didn’t get very high, but God, Pye did.”
She lowered her hands, struggled for calm. “She raked it with her front claws. It hurt her, I heard her cry, but I think she hurt it more. It screamed. It screamed, and it went to smoke.”
“That’s right, warrior cat, you hurt it more.” Owen stroked a finger between Pye’s ears. “Dobbs is no match for you.”
“I’m so sorry, Cleo. I had the stone, the hag stone, in my pocket, but I wanted to get them inside, and—”
“Stop. None of this is your fault.” Tears shimmered on Cleo’s lashes. “Is it better? Is it any better?”
“Yeah.” Trey unwrapped the cloths. “See? Another round or two. They’re going to be sore and tender for a while, but it’s easing up.”
“Doesn’t hurt as much now.” Owen gave Pye another finger stroke. “She’s starting to like the attention.”
“She is.” Cleo swiped at more tears. “Jesus, I’m a mess. It’s better, she’s better. Now I want to go up there, kick down the door to that room, and toss a bucket of water on that bitch.”
“Not sure she’d melt.”
Cleo sent Trey a fierce look. “Then I’ll find a house to drop on her ass.”
