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

Ruric grabbed the table behind him as Shusar started to lean sideways. “This is why we need females. Because they give us a reason to live.”

Shusar had a moment to think about that when Frank’s noises finally stopped and the goblins both turned to look at him. He blanched at the scowls on both goblins’ faces.

“I’ll make short work of this then.”

Frank appeared in front of them. In his hand was a white sheet. Ruric could see the slight shadow of Frank shrug before the man spoke again.

“It’s not a suit and tie, but it’ll have to do.” He leaned forward and made short work of knotting the fabric around Ruric’s waist. It was going to keep him any warmer, but at least he wasn’t going to be wandering around in nothing but his bruised skin.

Frank took a step back and looked at the sight of the creature’s before him.

They were both strangely ugly. Their yellow skin, strange eyes, clawed hands, and outlandish dress were only part of the problem. They were so tall and their muscles bulged underneath their skin when they did something so menial as breathing.

Yet for the first time in his life, Frank felt as though he were making an important choice. These creatures had shown him an odd sort of kindness, and he felt responsible for upholding that. After all, one should strive to make a good impression when meeting a new species.

So as the smaller goblin’s knees started to shake under Ruric’s weight, Frank stepped forward and slipped underneath his free arm.

Ruric instantly grumbled, “Where is Jane?”

“With the others.” Shusar replied.

“What?”

“There are others helping. We’re going to meet them.“

Ruric obviously didn’t believe him.

“If you’re lying to me old man…”

Shusar jostled his shoulder against Ruric’s side, enjoying the answering groan far too much for the circumstance.

“You’re not in much of a position to argue with me. You’ll see your female soon enough. Now keep your mouth shut.”

Frank had been waiting for the warbles to stop, but as soon as there was a pause he managed to interject.

“Come on then, we’ll need to be going to the tunnels.”

“You know how to get out?” Ruric said over Shusar’s angry growl.

“Not really, but I know the tunnel is where they receive shipments of animals. It leads outside and will be a fair bit easier to get you through than the front door.”

Shusar grumbled again, but Ruric was surprised when he agreed with the human.

“That’s where the little one said to go.”

As they started moving in a slow shuffle forward, Ruric found himself asking Shusar, “Little one?”

“Said she was Jane’s sister. Looked enough like her, except her hair was curly.”

They continued down the hallway as Ruric’s mind raced. Jane’s family was alive and here. They had helped in the escape. He couldn’t help but wonder what that meant for his own future. Her entire life was here including her own people.

Perhaps it was the drugs in his system, but Ruric felt a bloom of panic in his chest. He couldn’t ask her to stay with him. Not if she wanted to remain here where she was comfortable.

Once more the differences between their two peoples were shoved in front of them. Now that he had been subjected to the treatment of her people, he understood what she meant when she said they couldn’t be together. Her words made sense.

If this was the treatment he could expect from her kind, then Ruric could not allow any goblins to be near the humans.

They stumbled down brightly lit hallways, but no one came upon them. Even when Frank would slip out from under his arm to peer down areas where they should have been people, no one appeared to stop them.

This made both of the goblins wary.

Their bodies were tense and they strained their ears to hear what the human couldn’t. But the building seemed to be nearly deserted other than noises that were too far away to worry about.

“Why is it so quiet?”

“I don’t know.” Frank answered Ruric’s question. “It’s unnatural. There’s usually people everywhere.”

“Bad.” This time Shusar managed the word in the human language, although his voice mangled what the sound should be.

Frank flinched underneath Ruric’s arm, but he nodded. “That would be an accurate description. Yes.”

They rounded a corner and paused at Frank’s command.

“That’s the door.” He was breathing hard. They were all breathing hard under the combined struggle of moving the giant goblin.

The door in front of them looked innocent enough. The metal edges were slightly rusted and Ruric could hear a whistle of a breeze from underneath it. But behind those doors lay an unknown life in front of him.

He’d grown accustomed to her, he realized now. He enjoyed even the angry times because she was at least there. He still saw the bright sparks of her eyes and the way she would bite her lower lip in anger. He got to see the delicate arch of the small of her back and enjoy the defiant way she would stand up to him.

She wasn’t a weak thing, his Jane. She wasn’t delicate or soft in any way. But that was what made her so endearing to him. Her strength, her loyalty, even her foolishness were all part of what made her so important to him.

And now that could all vanish before him.

He could not ask her to give up her family. Not when he knew how she had struggled to find them. Not when he knew how far she had come.

He didn’t even consider the thought that she had travelled so far to actually help the goblins. His strong bride always had her own thoughts in her mind. She was here for them. The brother and sister she had talked about in her sleep for months.

The awkward trio walked forward and shouldered the door open to step into a large tunnel line with metal paneling.

A group of people were waiting for them. With his eyes already incapable of seeing, Ruric instinctively flinched backwards. Shusar and