The Golden Key (Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

his
head and chest until they were almost even with the rock shelf. It was
difficult to maintain his position on the slick, wet ice as he nudged himself
to the right, toward the shelf.
    Crushing pain erupted from his shoulder as his limp arm
pressed against it, and he sagged against the shelf’s edge. He needed to
stabilize his arm if he hoped to make it back onto the shelf, and there was
only one way he could do it. He had to tuck it inside his robe and use his belt
to hold it in place. To do that, he needed to be on his back. He lifted himself
with his left arm until his chin was on the edge of the shelf, and then used
his chin to brace himself as he brought his left arm and leg under him. When
they were in place, he pushed away from the shelf with his left hand and rolled
onto his back, his right arm dragging along behind as it flopped lifelessly across
his chest.
    The pain was too much for the mantra to deflect, and he
passed out. When he woke again, he found himself a few more inches below the
rock shelf. But he was on his back, and his right arm was draped across his chest.
His left arm was free, and he used it as carefully as he could to loosen the
belt holding his robe in place and gingerly shift the position of his right arm
until he could tuck his hand and wrist into his belt. Once it was in place, he
tightened the belt as much as he dared and reached up for the shelf. It was
nearly at arm’s length, now, but it was much easier to pull himself up
into an awkward sitting position than it had been to push himself up
onto the shelf. His right arm bent awkwardly, but the strain on his shoulder
was not as fierce at it had been before—or he was becoming more accustomed to
it. His lower back protested and began to bleed again, but there was nothing he
could do about that yet. At least there wasn’t much blood, so the wound
couldn’t be severe.
    His head and left arm were above the shelf, and he looked
over at it. The wand was still lying there, and he reached over for it. He
secured it in its holders in the sleeve of his robe and then reached for the
rock that had jabbed into his back. It was much smaller than he had expected,
barely as large as a small nut, but its edges were sharp, like a rough-hewn
stone axe. Had it managed to cut through the cloth of his robe? If it had, he
would have to repair the damage, and that would take a lot of time. For now,
though; he needed to get onto the shelf before the ice beneath him melted any
more.
    He repositioned his right leg and pushed upward at the same
time that he lifted with his left hand. He bent his head to avoid the ice, and eased
back onto the edge of the shelf. After a brief rest, he squeezed between the
ice until his head leaned against the inner edge of the ice shaft leading up to
the surface. He recited the mantra for several minutes before he was able to
breathe normally, and then he looked down at his feet dangling over the edge of
the shelf. They were both there, and they both looked normal, but he still
couldn’t feel his left foot. He could move it and tap it on the surface of the
little pool of water until it splashed about, but he couldn’t feel anything
below his shin.
    He edged back onto the shelf until he could bring up his
left knee. He had to watch his left foot as he brought it up to the shelf under
him, and then leaned back against the shaft. He pushed up briefly, lifting most
of his weight from the shelf, and then sat back down again. At least his foot
hadn’t slipped out from under him, and he seemed to be able to use it despite
not being able to feel it. There hadn’t been any pain either, so he did it
again. This time, he didn’t stop until he was standing upright in the narrow
shaft. His right thigh was stiff, but the soreness was negligible compared to
the sharp ache in his back and intense, acute pain in his shoulder when he
brushed it against the wall of the shaft.
    Dislocated? he thought to himself. Pulled from the
socket like a cork