The Goblin Warrior (Beneath Sands Book 2) by Emma Hamm (100 books to read txt) 📕

at her left made her hunch as he poked his head through the skylight. “You aren’t supposed to be up here.”

“What’s it to you?” She replied angrily. “You ain’t here anyways. It’s dark. No one can see me.”

Luther sighed but pulled himself through the small skylight. His shoulders barely fit now.

“It’s not safe for you to be up here, Willow.” The chiding tone was the one that she always hated. She wasn’t a baby. Or at least, she wasn’t a child as much as the other kids that lived here. They were all so doll-like that sometimes they frightened her.

She felt as though she had to point that out to him. “I ain’t City born, Luther. I can sit up ‘ere and not fall.”

“You know we don’t speak like that anymore.” He always pointed out the accent that she only seemed to have when they were alone together. “You’re holding onto the past, Will. You have to let that go.”

“I ain’t letting go of where we came from.” One of her thin arms raised and she jabbed a finger towards the wall. “That’s where our past is. That’s where our future is supposed to be. I don’t like it here, Luther. This place ain’t... “ She shrugged. “It ain’t right.”

He gingerly settled beside her on the tin roof and slid an arm around her. “There wasn’t a life there for us. Mines and sand sickness and an early death. At least here we’re managing.”

When she didn’t reply, he leaned down to hook a finger under her chin. “We’re managing, right Will?”

Willow knew better than to disappoint him. Luther was so happy here. He had finally found a place where he could talk to people and they would listen. They knew what he was saying and would correct him when he was wrong. This place was perfect for everything that he wanted to do.

It just wasn’t perfect for her.

“Yeah we’re managing.” She said quietly, though she pulled her chin from his grasp. “I’m just missing Janie is all.”

“Me too.” His words were just as soft as hers and his eyes followed the thin line of light that marked the wall. “I think about her every day you know. And how we got here.”

Willow hated when she cried, but those words made her eyes well up near to dripping. Jane was never far from her thoughts. Her sister had been more like a mother to her, and Willow was finding herself lost without the steady support of Jane. Her family wasn’t whole anymore.

“I don’t think she’s dead Luther.”

“Willow…” He drew the word out as though she had said something that cut him to the core. “There were no survivors. I know you don’t want to believe it but it’s been months now. She’s dead and we have to accept that.”

As she started to struggle to get away from him, Luther grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him again.

“I’m not saying you have to forget her Willow. I’m not saying you have to be okay that she’s gone. But we have to admit that she is gone. She’s never coming back and we’re all that each other has now.” His hand stroked her blonde hair away from her face. “It’s okay to be sad. I’m sad. I miss her too. But she’s not coming back.”

Both siblings mirrored each other’s expression as his words seemed to echo around them. She wasn’t coming back. She wasn’t okay. They weren’t okay.

And weren’t those the words that she had said to them once before? They weren’t okay. So Jane had picked up the pieces of their family and made them the money they needed. She had gotten them to this City so that they were able to be safe.

“She would have wanted us to be happy.” Willow whispered.

“We are happy.” Luther’s words were perhaps too forceful. It was the first time since arriving that Willow wondered if Luther wasn’t being honest with himself about that fact. “And we’ll keep being happy for her. That’s what she would have wanted.”

He pulled away from her and smoothed the lapel of his button down shirt. “I’m going inside. Are you staying up here for a little while longer?”

“Do you mind?”

“No, sandcat.” His hand affectionately ruffled her hair. The blonde strands had started to curl since she was having regular baths. “Just don’t let anyone see you.”

“Okay.” Willow watched as he disappeared through the skylight once more before her eyes turned back towards the black sky that was empty of stars.

“We miss you Janie.” She whispered so that Luther wouldn’t overhear her. “I don’t know if we’re really happy though. Luther said he is, and I pretend to be. But this place just don’t feel right. I miss our old life. I miss you.”

She sniffed hard once, then smeared the snot on the sleeve of her shirt. Willow would remain on the roof until Luther poked his head up once more.

He gathered his sleeping sister into his arms and tucked her into bed.

“Jane!”

The word was hissed in her direction. Jane did not pause, nor did she acknowledge the sound. Her feet wanted to keep moving. She was in the sands, she was home, and she knew what direction she had to go.

“Jane!”

“I know, slow down, we don’t know where we’re going.” She mimed talking with both her hands. “I know where we are going Ruric. I grew up in this place, I know how to follow the moons.”

The goblins were trailing behind her like long shadows. They were each covered from head to toe in cloaks. Every time their skin was revealed by a gust of wind, she could see the sweat streaking their skin.

Their eyes were constantly searching around them for signs of trouble. She had tried to explain that sound travelled easily here, but they refused to let their guards down.

“We should stop and check to make certain we are in the right place. Micah gave us-”

“A map?” She interrupted him. “And what landmarks are we