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

flexed his fingers, willing blood back into the limb that was starting to tingle now.

“Below.”

It was what they called the larger cave. There had been many months spent carving this space. The walls were decorated with large spirals that swirled around the stones that were embedded in it. He thought it beautiful. His eyes strayed towards her to see whether she thought the same.

“My people would kill for these stones.” She whispered.

He nodded in response. “We have seen.”

She looked up at him. The tone of his voice was different than she had heard before. If it was possible for her to see some kind of emotion, some kind of thought in those bottomless eyes, it was sadness that lingered in them now.

“I am sorry for the one you lost.”

He glanced down at her with an unreadable expression before inclining his head.

It was not an acceptance of her apology, even she could see that. But perhaps it was an acceptance that it had to happen. Or even that it wasn’t her fault. Jane had never spoken to him about the accident, nor had she ever admitted that she had nothing to do with it.

For some strange reason she hoped he did not blame her for it.

The queen was helped to the throne. This time when she spoke, the lyrical words flowed through the cave with a strength that echoed around them. Whatever she said took longer than the ceremony had and the goblins cheered much louder. The fanfare for their queen was obvious, as was their love and respect for her.

The cave continued to fill as she spoke until Jane’s back was pressed against Ruric’s chest and her front pressed against two other goblins backs. It was unnerving to be so close to so many flashing teeth and clicking claws. But she found she was not as nervous as before. Perhaps the walk down here had done something to calm her, their acceptance of her making her realize that these people now saw her as one of their own. She was no longer the outsider.

The drum beats started again as the queen stopped talking. The sound rocked through the goblins around her, some swaying to the music others disappearing out of the cave once more.

“What did she say?” She asked Ruric, craning her neck to see the large creature behind her.

It was odd that in only a few weeks she was slowly getting used to the goblins. She thought it likely that she would never see them as human. But she no longer flinched from them when they stood behind her, nor did she mind the feel of them against her skin.

“Feast. Dance. Celebrate.” He said with a smile.

“Sounds like good rules to live by.”

“They are. You must be hungry.” A hand was held out for her once more, the usual gesture she was coming to expect from him.

However when she turned with a frown, she was surprised by his action. Lifting his hand, he softly drew his thumb up the creases between her eyebrows. It eased the line, forcing her forehead to relax and her thoughts to soothe.

He pulled her forward, leaving her tangled thoughts to be unwoven later. The movement had been so familiar, as though he understood her confusion at her sudden comfort here. The warrior she would never have expected to understand feelings at all seemed to understand them a great deal. Perhaps it was simply these people and their way of life. They all seemed much more intune to emotions, more caring to others.

Food was set up for the goblins to pick at. Most of it was draped across makeshift tables. There were a few stragglers that were still placing food on their plates. She recognized the fish Ruric seemed to like, as well as a few oddly shaped lumps of breads and lumps of what looked like weeds.

It wasn’t much, but it was clear that they all had worked very hard to gather it.

Jane didn’t feel like eating, not with all the strange things going through her head. But she could feel the expectant eyes against the back of her neck. The entire grouping of goblins hoped that she would like what they had done.

She watched out of the corner of her eye as the queen was guided to the table. She was propped up against another goblin, though she made her choices on her own. It seemed as though the females always ate first, the males eating after.

At a feast this large it seemed needless to her. But she quickly grabbed one of the thin slate slabs they seemed to use to carry food around and piled on what she could.

If her instincts were right, whatever she grabbed now was what Ruric was going to be eating. The man was twice her size and built like a sandcat that used to prey on the horses they had outside the mines. He needed a lot more food than she did.

Much of what she had seen was less than appetizing. The green looking weeds seemed the safest, even if they were glistening with a bit of slime. She took one bite, smiled and nodded even though she was trying desperately to not spit the mouthful back onto the plate.

It was salty, chewy, and slimey. The combination was not enjoyable. It appeared that one bite was enough in this instance; hopefully Ruric would like it as well. The rest of the goblin horde descended upon the food with speed.

Thank goodness they at least had bread. It was doughy and not fully cooked, but it was something that she recognized and knew she could eat.

“Humans cooked that.”

The rumble from behind her was familiar.

She turned to look at Ruric, raising a brow at his words.

“Humans?”

“Workers. They cook sometimes.”

“I had wondered where you were keeping the others.” She shook her head. “Somehow I doubt you gathered humans from the tunnels just to kill them. What do you do with them?”

She was whispering in her head over and over, please don’t