The Goblin Bride (Beneath Sands Book 1) by Emma Hamm (good short books TXT) 📕

tried to get him out but the stones had fallen too fast. He supposedly found a gemstone. They all heard his shout. He had been trying to extract it, and as such hadn’t managed to get away from the rockslide fast enough. The rumble could be heard above ground, but they hadn’t been able to sound the alarm fast enough.

  “Next please.”

  The man behind the counter had a hawkish nose that he stared down whenever a new person walked up to the protective glass. She imagined that she caught an eye roll when he saw her. Jane did not have to imagine the heaving sigh of his shoulders however. Oh, she knew he didn’t like her, but Jane could not bring herself to care.

  “Miss Penderghast. I see you have returned.”

  “Aye I have. And I don’t plan on leaving until you give me my father’s last paycheck.” This was the seventh day in a row that she had waited in line for four hours, sat herself down in front of this same man, and argued until she was blue in the face. If he wasn’t exhausted of her by now, Jane was going to have to resort to drastic measures.

  “I can’t give ya anything, and ya know that very well.”

  Her hand slammed down on the lip of the glass panel he stood behind. “Everyone else gets the last paycheck! Why didn’t my family?”

  “Because your father’s death was unavoidable. It was not the Company’s fault, therefore he gets no pay check. Next please!”

  It had been the same story since the first time that she came here. “We can do nothing for you, next please.” If she heard those words one more time, she was going to reach through that glass panel and break his beak against it.

  “Oh come now, Ethan, give the girl her pay.”

  “Her father just died, you old bird! Give her the money.”

  Voices raised from behind her. The men that were waiting to see if they could get into the mine just one more time came to her aid. There were enough strong men behind her to get the bird man nervous. She watched his adam’s apple bounce as he leaned to the side to see the gathering number of people. He wasn’t going to have an easy time of it if he didn’t pay her. These people were already angry enough at him.

  He took the glasses off of his hawk like nose, rubbed two thin fingers against his beady little eyes, before placing the spectacles back on the bridge. “Alright, fine. The payment due.”

  She watched as he counted out only a few coins and slid them towards her. “This isn’t how much my father was paid.”

  “You take what you can, girl. Don’t push it. Next please!”

  She was already getting shoved to the side. The crowd had done what they could; she had gotten her money. The rest of them knew what it was like to have nothing in their pockets. Jane now had more than half of the people here. Clutching the coins to her chest, she skirted the crowds of people waiting in line and headed back towards town.

  Silnarra was a cursed place to live. There wasn’t enough water here for anything to grow. Even the people had to import any liquids hoping that they would have enough for their family to drink. Food was enough to worry about, but they needed to make sure that everyone was hydrated as well. The men in the mine got first choice of course. Those that were making the City money had to be taken care of before the rest.

  Makeshift tents littered the grounds around the mine. All were placed a hundred paces from the gaping maw of darkness. A “safe” distance in case the mine collapsed for good. It wasn’t the only vein they were trying to bleed dry, but this one was the most prosperous.

  Dirt covered children snuck past her, sunken eyes looking out from faces that were far too thin. No one was plump here. They certainly didn’t look like the beady eyed little man that counted out the change for them to try and live on. The few days when it rained, everyone came rushing out of their tents to clean. People stripped to their underwear and did not care that there were others who were watching.

  Jane would forever be haunted by the visions of their ribs and the hollows between hipbones.

  The place the Penderghasts called home was nothing more than a tent. Dried animal skins stretched over twigs kept them safe from the sun. It was sweltering inside but it was big enough for a few pallets to sleep upon and a table. Their father had spent so much money on that damn slab of wood, but he insisted that they have a place to eat and sit as a family. It took up more room than they could afford, but they were the only family for miles that had a table in their ugly tent.

  She pushed aside the flap, finally unclenching her fingers from the leather pouch that held their coin.

  “Didja get the money?”

  “Did you.” She automatically corrected the way her little sister said the words. Blonde like the rest of the family, Willow had the capability of being a beautiful woman when she finally grew up. Nearly nine years old, she had the wisdom of a young woman twice her age and the tongue of one as well. Jane watched as her sister perched on the table and emptied the bag so that she could start counting the coins.

  “And yes, I did.” Running her fingers through the fine blonde hair of her sister, she walked past to fold her coat gently next to the pallet she slept upon.

  “I assume he gave you trouble.”

  Jane looked up to see Luther pushing the flap of the tent aside. Her brother was the tallest of them all. He stretched so high that his head touched the top of the tent. He tried to avoid being inside if he could,