Page 42 of The Shade of Things
The golem’s cane was extended, and Eli clutched the end with the bridge hanging slackly a good three feet beneath his feet.
I dropped down beside Emmett, stretching my arm out as far as I could. “Give me your other hand.”
Eli looked up at me, fear clouding his brown eyes. “I can’t swing up that high.” His hand slid downward off the cane and he slammed his other on top of it.
The golem grunted, straining to keep hold of the silver dragon’s head on his end of the cane.
“Okay,” I said with a steadiness I didn’t feel. “Just hang on.” I grabbed the cane under Emmett’s double-handed grip, and the two of us pulled as hard as we could.
The rope broke with a loud snap. The bridge crashed against the side we’d come from and shattered.
I yelped. We were going to lose him.
Eli’s pack weighed him down and sweat rolled into his eyes.
My heart hammered inside my chest, but he gritted his teeth as inch by inch we pulled him up, and the three of us collapsed on the grass, safe.
For now.
