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

Working for a madman in a hellhole sounds like one of the worst jobs you could find.”

“Things are different here.”

And Jane suddenly realized what Ruric felt like when he attempted to explain to her how different it was in his world. She had put up a wall and stubbornly dug in her heels, yet she did that even with her own people.

Her teeth ground hard and a muscle in her jaw ticked. There had to be a better way than this.

Just as she was about to ask her brother his opinion, she heard the sound of heels in their hallway.

Luther sat ramrod straight on his cot. His head turned to look at hers with wild eyes. Unexpected visits had not led to good interactions for them so far. Jane felt an answering jolt in her heart.

They stood together and walked to the opposite glass wall. When Jane saw Catherine’s familiar face, she rushed forward to press her fingers against the glass.

Something was happening. Jane knew that from the wild look in Catherine’s eyes and the flyaway hairs that streamed behind her as her heels struck the ground in a fast rhythm.

“Catherine. What’s happening.”

The other woman’s hands shook as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the key card for Jane’s room.

“We have to go.”

“You managed?”

The glass door slid open and Jane felt her soul sing at the freedom. Catherine moved to Luther’s door to release him.

He brushed past the tiny woman as though she wasn’t even there. Jane had little more than a heartbeat to think before she was held tightly in her brother’s arms. Both of their eyes squeezed shut as he squeezed her far too tight.

“We have to go.” Catherine’s worried voice burst through their reunion.

Luther stepped back only slightly, but his hand remained on her shoulder.

“Where are we going?”

It was the first time Jane had seen her brother appear to be so forceful. He had drawn himself up to his greatest height. Together, brother and sister stood as pillars of strength staring down at the much smaller woman.

“We’re getting out of here.”

“I don’t trust you anymore.”

Jane watched as Catherine’s eyes squeezed shut for a moment before she let out a long breath.

“You have no reason to. I’m asking that you do.”

“We’ll follow you.” Jane interjected. She held up a hand when Luther attempted to argue with her. “No. I trust her.”

“How? She got us into this mess.”

“I don’t think she did.”

Jane’s eyes watched as Catherine appeared to disappear even further into herself. The woman was so incredibly weak compared to the two of them in this moment. But Jane had already seen a strength in her.

“I trust her.” Jane met her brother’s gaze. “We need to go.”

Catherine only nodded then and skirted around her brother as though he was going to reach out and grab her. Jane thought it strange that such a small woman could show such strength and weakness at the same time.

“There are other lab techs and doctors waiting for us.”

Jane and Luther shared a look before they both started down the hallway after her.

“There’s what?”

“I couldn’t get to you without a little help.”

“But why are they waiting for us?”

“I asked, they offered. Our worlds are changing.”

“But why?”

Catherine’s shoulder pressed against the door, but she paused for a moment to glance back at the siblings following her. The fluorescent lights made her skin appear nearly paper thin. There were shadows underneath her eyes that Jane hadn’t seen before. But she pulled herself up strong and straightened her shoulders as she delivered her answer.

“Not everyone agrees with the Doctor.”

Jane suspected those words were as close to a rebellion as Catherine had ever gotten.

She flung open the door to reveal ten people in matching lab coats. They turned to stare at the released brother and sister who were both still in paper thin hospital gowns unwashed hair.

Though Jane knew she should have focused on any faces she recognized, her eyes were instantly drawn to two dark shadows standing behind and above the ground.

“Illyrin.” Her voice was a hoarse whisper before she launched herself towards the goblin who was holding Juo in his arms.

She could not clasp her hands around his large form and ended up with her hands awkwardly on each of their shoulders. She considered the tension that instantly drew Illyrin tight, and realized it was probably better than she hadn’t hugged them.

Her hand stroked the side of Juo’s head and ghosted across the jagged edge of his cheekbone. She could see that the tip of his ear had been removed.

“You’re alright then?”

Illyrin nodded in response and shifted Juo in his arms. His eyes were squinted until they were nearly closed and Jane could see that they were watering. She wondered just how much he could see. She nodded towards the smaller goblin in his arms.

“He’s not?”

A shrug was her answer.

“Has he woken yet?”

Her hand curled around the young goblin’s shoulder and she squeezed in an attempt for him to open his eyes.

When she looked back at Illyrin, the goblin shook his head.

She spun on her heel to find Catherine in the crowd of doctor’s behind her. “Why hasn’t he opened his eyes yet? What’s wrong with him?”

The entire group behind her remained silent and she noticed a few of their jaws were hanging slack.

“Why isn’t anyone answering me?”

“They can understand you?” Was the soft response from one of the men.

“Of course they can! I lived with them long enough.” Jane was insulted that after all of this, the people around her still seemed to assume that the goblins were nothing more than humanoid beasts. Though many of the goblins did not know the human language, they were capable of learning it.

The humans around her wore matching expressions of astonishment. Luther had known of course, but even he was staring in surprise at the giant goblin that stood two feet above all of them.

“Can he understand us too?” Catherine’s voice wavered as she pointed towards the goblin boy she had experimented on.

“No.” Jane shook