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

who need not feel guilt for causing her harm or her death.

Luther’s shouts echoed in the hallway as a sharp contrast to the muffled sounds of the cell.

She was led into the Doctor’s office which was as pristine white as the rest of the building. Jane shivered even though the room was warm. No matter what she did, she always felt cold while surrounded by white. She missed the blue bubbles of light that had guided her Below.

The Doctor was seated at his desk. His hands were steepled in front of him and his elbows were delicately pressed against the clear glass surface. He was staring at her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.

As the guard released her arm, she muttered under her breath, “More white.”

Laughter burst from the Doctor’s mouth. Once again, Jane marveled at the red slash. She realized that his smile and his laugh were so disconcerting because the inside of his mouth was the only thing colorful about him.

She would have thought him albino if not for his dark. They were black as the darkest shadows she had seen underground.

Jane was nearly brought to her knees as a longing for black eyes with streaks of color made her weak. Ruric was in pain now. He could be damaged beyond repair and she was seating herself in the office of the man who had ordered it.

“I like white.” The Doctor said. “It’s clean.”

“Everything here is clean.” She said.

“As it should be.” He nodded firmly and then pressed his lips firmly together. “Now, I’m very curious to hear your story.”

“I have no story.”

“Everyone does.”

“I am a nobody who grew up in a mining town. There are very little stories that come from the sands.”

He leaned back in his chair. “No I expect not. I’ve never found your people to have much to say. But you have a story. You were the first to find these creatures after all.”

“Miners have known of them for many years.”

“Is that so?”

“There have been legends of goblins as long as I’ve been alive. Perhaps longer.” Jane shrugged. “They are the stories we tell our children so that they will behave.

“And yet you are the only person who has made a connection with them. Why is that?”

“Why do you think I have a connection with them?”

Jane was quickly realizing that she was going to lose this battle of wits. His words were already making her sore head ache, and she could only dodge so many questions before she was going to slip up. He knew more than he was letting on.

The Doctor leaned forward then, as though he could see the thoughts that were in her mind.

“Because when I tied that goblin we found outside to the table, he shouted your name.”

Of course he did. Jane curled her hands into fists and pressed the sharp nails of her fingers deeply into her palms.

“I have no answer for why.”

“I do.” A few buttons were pressed on his desk and Jane watched as another screen across the room flickered to life. An image of her baby was there. It was a crude scan but she could clearly see the outline of a small life form inside of her.

The Doctor’s blunt finger stabbed towards the image.

“That’s why. That’s why he was shouting your name.”

Her jaw clenched hard but Jane refused to say anything else.

“You have a child inside of you. A hybrid.” He held up a finger as she began to speak. “No don’t interrupt. You can’t tell me that it’s not a hybrid because I can see it in the scan. That’s not a human child. Not in the slightest. Now you’re going to tell me everything I want to know.”

Her bargaining chips were slowly disappearing like sand trickling through her open fingers.

“Not until you show me him.”

“Him?” The Doctor’s eyebrow arched.

“You know who I’m talking about.”

“I’m afraid I cannot show you that, my dear.”

“Then the other.”

“The little one you were trying to spirit away? I’m afraid he’s currently undergoing trials at the moment. I wouldn’t want to offend your delicate mind.”

Her fingers bit deeper into her palms. He made no mention of other goblins. Only that there were two here.

Illyrin and Shusar were alive. They were not in the City, or they hadn’t been caught. Suddenly the game changed once more, and her mind started to spin.

The Doctor hadn’t gotten to his position of power without noticing fine details. He saw her expression change and his eyes narrowed in response.

“What is it that you are thinking.” It wasn’t a question. Instead, it felt as though he was trying to crawl inside her mind.

But in this moment, Jade knew more than he.

She leaned firmly back into her chair, crossing one of her legs over the other. “I don’t have anything for you. I’m sorry, I can’t provide any further information.”

“You’ll tell me whatever I want you to tell me. Otherwise, your family will pay the price.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You doubt me?”

“I don’t doubt you’ll do your best to harm us. But I consider my information to be worth that cost.”

He rose from his chair in a surge of anger. She watched as he raised his hand and brought it down hard upon her cheek. Though she shifted as he slapped her, Jane refused to move farther than necessary.

She did not hold a hand to her stinging cheek. Instead, she slowly looked through the ragged tendrils of her hair that had fallen across her vision.

“You will not do that again.”

“Oh I think I will.” He replied as he raised his hand again.

“You wouldn’t want to hurt the precious experiment you have brewing inside me, would you?”

Only then did he pause. She could see the gears turning in his mind as the Doctor slowly sat back down onto his chair. His fingers steepled in front of him once more and he folded into the exact position he had been in when she first saw him.

“Interesting.”

That was the only word he said. Jane stared at him with wide