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

“Straight, straight, and then four rights.” She muttered as she counted her steps. Thankfully there was no one who crossed her path.

The further she went into the hospital, the more abandoned it appeared to be. The white walls started to appear dimmer as gray bled into the pristine white. The sounds of people muttering behind doors disappeared entirely and silence seemed to ring louder than the murmurs. Finally she rounded the last bend and stood before a single door at the end of the hallway.

Now was certainly not the time to hesitate. Jane busted through the door while whispering, “Willow?”

For a second, Jane heard nothing other than her own heart beating loudly against her ribs. Then came the answering whisper, a soft sound from inside yet another door.

“Jane! In here!”

She let out a sigh of relief. Her shoulders slowly slumped as she pressed her palm against the door. The outline of her spread fingers were dark against the light that spilled through the glass. This was the last barrier between her and the goblin boy.

The last thing that was holding her back from her own future. The stress of traveling through the desert had been enough to keep her from dwelling on the simple fact that she had a choice to make. She could return to her old life and be with her own kind. Or she could remain underground with the goblins who viewed her as questionable at best.

Jane found she couldn’t push on the door. Her hand was nearly shaking as the added factor of a child weighed upon her shoulders. What would the child be? She wasn’t prepared to take care of another life.

The door behind her palm slid open to reveal Willow’s curious face. Willow gestured behind her and arched an eyebrow.

“You coming in?”

Letting out a slow breath, Jane nodded.

She walked into the sterile white room as Willow closed the door behind her with a soft snick. As Willow turned, she walked up to Jane and slid a hand into hers.

Jane was standing frozen in the middle of the room as she looked down upon the goblin boy who was already as tall as she was. He was strapped down to the table, horribly thin and breathing shallowly. But it was the neatly stitched gashes along his thighs, stomach, and arms that made her want to vomit.

Slowly, the goblin boy’s head turned on the table and his eyes opened to stare at hers.

Only then did she flinch forward while a choked sound erupted from her mouth. Her hands found his head and stroked the hair that had grown above his ears. Juo’s blind eyes were not staring at the right place, but she could see the tension ease from him as her hands touched him.

Like the goblins below, Jane did not greet him with a nod and a hug that might last for a few seconds at best. Her hands hovered over his shoulders and down his arms. She leaned forward to press her forehead against his and breathed in deeply.

The goblins had always been more comfortable with touch than the humans. The close contact had always made Jane unsettled and she had avoided acting in the same manner. But her heart was breaking as she saw what had been done to this goblin boy. Suddenly she realized why the goblins touched when they saw each other again.

“Juo, I’m so sorry.” She whispered.

A tear dripped from her nose and landed onto his face.

“Willow.”

Her little sister quietly walked to her side but remained a few steps away. The distance between them only seemed to grow.

“Help me get him out of these.”

Willow’s small hands were faster on the leather straps. Between the sisters, they were able to untie Juo in a matter of minutes.

Jane’s brow wrinkled as the goblin remained lying down on the table they had him strapped to. Her hands curved underneath his shoulders and pushed.

“Come on Juo, you have to move.”

But when she finally managed to prop him up, she could see the muscles along his back and arms shaking.

“They haven’t let you move.” Fury bubbled through her veins as her face flushed a bright red.

“He’s been here for a while.” Willow said.

Jane watched in fascination as Juo’s head turned at her sister’s voice. A shaking hand was reached out to be placed directly on top of her head.

His fingers were clumsy, but he had managed to grasp a blonde curl. The soft texture was comforting though he didn’t understand why. He followed the length of the curves until his wrist was resting against Willow’s shoulder and his fingers could continue to rub the hair he had captured.

“He recognizes you.”

Willow nodded. “I’ve visited a couple times.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Nah.” Willow shrugged. “No one’s found me yet. Plus, I’m just a kid. No one’s going to get mad for exploring.”

“Thank you.”

The whisper was released from a breath that Jane had been holding. At least someone here had shown him kindness.

“I’m so proud of you.”

Willow blushed bright red before she cleared her throat and nodded at the goblin boy. “So how are we moving him? He can’t even stand up.”

“I don’t know.” She wished she did. Jane wasn’t familiar enough with the City, nor was there anyway to sneak out someone who looked like an entirely different species.

“He can’t fit in the vents.” Willow pointed up at her usual escape route. “I thought maybe but I forget how big he is.”

Jane’s hand squeezed Juo’s shoulder, realizing the goblin’s eyes had closed once more. He was concentrating on staying upright. “He’s just a child.”

“That ain’t a child.” Willow shook her head. “You think Luther?”

The words trailed off as both sisters stared at each other.

“I don’t know.” Jane said.

She didn’t know much of anything lately, and the frustration was creeping up on her. She had worked so hard to get here and now… Now there was nothing but an uncertain future.

Just as she was moving to see if she could lift Juo