Entrapment (Thor's Dragon Rider #3) - Katrina Cope Page 0,24

my teeth, I scream up to it, “Hey, you! I need your help.”

The shadow remains fixed over the hole.

“Lava monster. Or whatever you call yourself. I need your help.”

It takes a moment, but the monster starts to move, and the shadow pulls away from the hole, replacing it with the lava-filled pits that act as eyes, peering down at me.

“What do you want?” Its voice is obscured just as before, as if it’s drowning in lava.

“My leg’s broken. I need you to hold my foot so I can straighten it.”

The lava-pit eyes narrow. “I'm not helping you. You are a prisoner.”

“I get that, but you want information, don't you? Or at least Surt does.” I pause, trying to read the monster’s expression, then continue, “I can't think, I'm in so much pain like this. Perhaps if you help me straighten my leg to help the healing process, I’ll be able to focus more and give you the answers you need.”

I’m not sure if my bluffing will work. Unlike the frost giants, this giant has remained silent as it guarded us. Without much interaction, I’m not sure how intelligent it is.

The glowing eyes stare down at me for a while longer, sending shivers down my spine. Eventually, it huffs, filling the cave with breath hotter than the air already in here. “I guess you might be telling the truth. I will hold your foot.” The enormous hand weaves through the hole, and the glowing eyes peer down over the edge of the lava-river opening, staring into the cave.

“What do you need me to do?” His voice sounds more gargled, probably from the different position.

“If you can hold my foot steady, that would be good.”

He braces my foot between his forefinger and thumb. The squeeze of his fingers on my foot is uncomfortable but is nothing compared to the pain of the broken leg.

Briefly, I inject some magic to clamp the blood from flowing freely through the open wound. “Hang on tight and don’t let go.” I clamp my teeth together, knowing this will be excruciating, and brace my hands on the warm ground after wiping my sweaty palms on the leather at my waist. “Okay.”

With a rapid push of my arms, I fling my body backward, ripping the protruding bone back into my skin and slamming the broken ends together in a straight line. My vision goes black, and my head spins as the pain drags me into unconsciousness.

Sweat trickles over one closed eyelid, welling in the cavity. The numbness blocking my thoughts is slowly edged away by rough stones sticking into my side. Slowly, I pry an eye open, my eyelid fighting against the invasion of the salty sweat as I attempt to focus on the cave dimly lit by the orange lava glow. I don't know how long I was out for, but the stiffness in my body tells me a while has passed.

When my brain starts to piece things together, I pull myself up into a sitting position, careful not to move my leg, the action accompanied by the clatter of my remaining arrows in my quiver.

Gently, I press my fingers over my thigh, feeling for the result of my backyard medical practice. The hole in my skin is mending. From what I can feel of the bone through my thin thigh, the straightening has been successful. Tenderness still surrounds the area, yet it seemed to be subsiding thanks to my Valkyrie healing abilities. It appears to have gone well.

In the dim light, I assess the amount of blood pooled around the leg. The collection is small and coated in a thin crust because of the length of time. A small smile of pleasure crosses my face. The magic to stem the blood flow worked well.

Even though the wound and bone are healing well, I look for something to secure the bone and keep it straight. Being on the safe side is best, in case it hasn’t mended enough to handle a little pressure. Finally, I settle on my sword and yank it from its sheath between my back and quiver. I use the tip to cut two strips off my leather uniform around my waist then strap the sword against my thigh. It's an awkward fit, with the blade being too long against my thigh, yet that is needed to stop the bones from moving. My Valkyrie healing ability shouldn’t take long to mend it enough that the splint will no longer be needed.

With my leg secure,