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

arms once again. He didn’t care that he was crying. He didn’t care that his shoulders were visibly shaking or that his knees had turned to liquid underneath him.

His older sister, the strength of his family, held him with ease.

“Shh.” She said quietly, her hands stroking his hair and spine. “I’m back. I’m so sorry.”

Tears trickled down her face as well, but she did not stop their trail. Her heart was fairly breaking to know that her death had caused so much heartbreak.

“I’m sorry, Luther.” She couldn’t stop saying it. “I’m not dead, sweetheart. I’m sorry you had to think that.”

He tried to speak, but another sob stole his words.

“Oh honey. I didn’t die. I’m fine and you did good. You brought yourself and your sister here. You made a life.”

His hands clutched at her spine harder. He had done well. He had done what they had always wanted to do. Somehow, Luther had pulled through for their entire family.

But he was so tired of having to do her job.

“Come here.” She said quietly while leading him to a seat. “Sit down.”

He sat down hard on the cold chair. It took everything within him to let go of the edge of her cloak when she moved away. His fingers clenched hard at the fabric before he forced them to release her.

She wasn’t going anywhere. Not again. Jane was only walking a few feet away from her, yet he was certain she was going to disappear in front of eyes.

“I’m not going to disappear.” She said wryly as she sank to her haunches in front of him. She held out a glass of water, courtesy of the guard who was trying very hard not to stare.

He took a gulp before clearing his throat. “You’re dead.”

“I’m not.” She wiped at the tears on her cheeks. “I never was.”

“They said you were.”

“I know.”

He let the words linger in the air before he asked the question.

“Why?”

Jane shrugged. “I didn’t have much of a choice. I was lost in a cave system and I couldn’t get out to tell you that I was okay.”

“How did you get out?” His voice didn’t sound like his own. Emotions had caused his voice to crack at every other word.

“I can’t tell you.” She wanted to. Jane wanted to tell him everything but she trusted no one in this place. “I wish I could. Is Willow here with you?”

He nodded, tears welling up once again when he thought about what his little sister would say.

“You’ll stay with us then.” He said firmly. “Our apartment is small but you can come with us.”

“I can’t.”

Luther froze. The words seemed to cut through him.

“You can’t?”

She shook her head.

“Why?” That word seemed to keep coming up in this conversation. He wanted to know why she had disappeared. He thought that he should likely be angry at her for disappearing on them. But she was home, she was back with them. Luther didn’t want to let her go. He would be angry at her later.

“I’m not allowed to.” She gestured towards the guard. “I haven’t been given sanctuary. You and Willow were given that.”

“I’ll get them to let you stay then.”

“I don’t think that’s possible Luther. I have one day. I’ll visit again.”

He was shaking his head when she leaned forward to hug him again. What Luther didn’t expect, was for his sister to press her lips against his ear and speak so softly he barely heard her.

“I need you to help me.”

She leaned back again, this time with a small shake of her head and wide eyes.

Luther’s brows furrowed. What trouble had she gotten herself into now? Jane had always avoided making waves because she wanted to take care of them. He didn’t know what she would need his help with though.

“Okay.” He said while nodding his head slowly. “Okay. You’ll visit us for one day then.”

He looked towards the guard for confirmation.

The man was ignoring them completely now. Perhaps he had forgotten them, or was likely listening intently without trying to make it obviously. Luther was going to be the talk of the town after this onslaught of emotion.

He wiped at his cheeks again.

“I’ll bring you home with me. We’ll get you fed and washed and then you can tell me your stories.”

Jane nodded, a smile on her face that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Of course.”

She linked her arms with Luther’s and they both nodded towards the guard as they left the room.

He expected her to marvel at the gleaming City once they walked through the door. The awe he had felt when he had first seen this place had made him stop breathing for almost an entire minute. He watched her face and waited for the sense of pride that would come when she felt the same.

But Jane cast only a small glance around before she was yanking him down an alleyway and pressing him against the wall.

“I need you to tell me something right now, Luther.”

Confused, he tried to push at his sister. She held him firmly against the wall with her body. One of her arms raised to press against his throat.

“Can you keep silent about what I’m going to tell you?”

“Of course!” He said angrily, still shoving at her.

She pushed back at him. “You listen to me Luther Penderghast, and you listen good. If you breathe a word about what I’m going to tell you, I will never speak to you again.”

He was confused, angry, and more than a little hurt that this was the greeting his sister was giving them.

“What is wrong with you? Let go of me!”

She stepped back enough so that he could breathe, but she held onto his shirt with both hands.

“Luther listen to me. Someone has come or is coming to this City with a person that cannot be found.”

“We don’t deal in bodies here. That was the mines.”

“Not human bodies. But this is not human.”

His eyes searched through hers. He wondered what had gotten into her head. Jane had never spoken