The Lost Bride Trilogy, #3
The Seven Rings
by Nora Roberts
Contents
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Overview
Sonya discovers Astrid’s portrait—painted by Collin and her father—and hangs it with the other six brides. The brides’ rings sequentially glint in the paintings, revealing the order: last-to-first. The group finalizes a Samhain plan for Sonya and Owen to retrieve the rings through the mirror while Trey and Cleo weaken Dobbs. Trey proposes; Sonya accepts, but Dobbs invades Sonya’s dreams, raising the stakes.
Summary
Seeking normalcy after recent attacks, Sonya leads the group in decorating the manor for Halloween, stirring Trey and Owen’s childhood memories of Collin’s elaborate displays. After sending a video to her mother, Sonya feels drawn upstairs and discovers Astrid’s portrait hidden in Cleo’s studio closet—painted jointly by Collin and Sonya’s father. Overwhelmed, she brings it down.
They hang Astrid first, completing the wall of seven brides. As Cleo’s painting is placed opposite, the rings in each bride’s portrait begin to sparkle in sequence—from Johanna back to Astrid—repeating seven times. The group interprets this as clear instruction: recover the rings in reverse order.
They shift to the dining room to plan. Sonya resolves to retrieve each ring by going through the mirror to the brides’ death moments, with Owen insisting on accompanying her. They agree to act on Samhain, starting just after midnight and finishing before the 3 a.m. loop. Trey and Owen will bait and drain Dobbs’s power in the now; Cleo will consult her grand-mère for protective charms for Trey and Owen. They acknowledge time distortions, the need for speed between crossings, and the emotional cost of taking rings from dying brides.
Later, Sonya updates only part of the news to her mother and reflects with Trey at the window. Trey affirms his faith in her, then proposes a June wedding at the manor. Sonya joyfully accepts, envisioning a simply beautiful celebration.
That night, Sonya dreams of Dobbs flaunting the seven rings, tearing Sonya’s wedding band away, and forcing her to leap like the brides. Sonya jolts awake near five a.m., shaken but safe, and keeps the nightmare to herself, underscoring Dobbs’s lingering threat despite their newfound plan.
Who Appears
- SonyaFinds Astrid’s portrait, leads interpretation of the ring signal, plans mirror crossings, accepts Trey’s proposal, endures a chilling Dobbs nightmare.
- TreySupports Sonya, helps hang portraits, strategizes to bait Dobbs, proposes a June wedding; reassures Sonya afterward.
- CleoHelps arrange the portraits, confirms the ring sequence, insists on protections, plans to consult her grand-mère.
- OwenInsists on accompanying Sonya through the mirror, helps plan tactics to distract Dobbs, provides practical support.
- Hester DobbsAbsent in the house but invades Sonya’s nightmare, threatening her ring and life, reinforcing the urgency.
- AstridHer newly found portrait, painted by Collin and Sonya’s father, completes the seven and triggers the ring signal.
- CollinRevealed as co-artist of Astrid’s portrait; his past traditions and art deepen family ties and clues.
- CloverHer song cues affirm safe strategy talk; one of the seven brides whose ring glints in sequence.