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

“You don’t like anything, Willow. We have to trust them.”

“No I don’t.”

Luther rolled his eyes at his sister and started dragging her away from the crevice by the back of her shirt. “Come on, you. You don’t trust anyone but I do.”

“I don’t!”

She would continue to argue until her brother’s ears bled, but Willow didn’t like any of the goings on. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and was determined to listen to that bad feeling. Someone had to.

Jane’s hands stroked the cool walls as they entered the Underground. She had never thought she would miss the slimy feel of algae on her palms or the sound of dripping water.

The caves were darker than she remembered. But then again, they had appeared this dark to her the first time she had traveled down these long tunnels. She was experiencing this world again. This time, she would feel no fear.

There were no blue globes waiting for them and Jane had to rely entirely on the guidance of the goblins in front of her. Illyrin led the group to catch anyone if they started to slip. He still had most of the strength that they had come to expect from him. The goblin was more reliable as a bodyguard than anyone else Jane had ever met.

Juo was finally walking on his own and his spirit had returned as soon as they stepped foot inside the caves. Though he could not see, he visibly relaxed as his feet touched the rough surface of stone. Finally he was home. Finally he was safe again.

They walked in a line through the tight walls and crevices that were numerous along the line. Jane was glad that the goblins remembered their way home. She would have gotten lost in the hundreds of tunnels that led nowhere.

She remembered what it was like working in the mines. There were so many men who had gotten lost and died even the short time she was there. The memory felt as though it was someone else’s. So much had changed since that time that Jane was disconnected from it all. She was a completely different person than she had been so long ago.

The darkness swallowed the group whole, and Jane found that something inside of her loosened. She had been so tense these many weeks and now she was finally in a place where she didn’t have to worry about anyone other than herself.

Her palm pressed against the slight swell of her belly. There was so much to be happy about now. The child inside of her was the start of something wonderful and good for both species. She could only hope that the others would be just as pleased as she and Ruric were.

Catherine had said the child was growing far slower than she had expected. Jane wasn’t sure what the normal amount of time was for goblins, but it made her worry. Complications could happen, she was certain of that.

Life could be created between goblin and human, but she worried that life could not be sustained. What would happen if she lost the child? Jane wasn’t certain she could live through that. She already felt such love for the tiny thing that existed within her.

Thoughts like this were so easy to swell in the darkness around her. Worry, doubt, fear, all of it seemed to overwhelm her.

Just as her breathing started to pick up, there was a flare of light in front of her. Ruric stood before her with a globe of bioluminescence held in his hand.

The blue light banished the fear from her mind, although it didn’t manage to reach her heart. She held out her hand for the light and saw in Ruric’s expression that he understood what had been going through her head.

“Where did you find this?”

“We leave stashes in certain tunnels. I remembered this one.”

He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and to gently follow the line of her jaw.

“Thank you.” She whispered.

“We’re home.”

“I know.” She shivered in the cold air of the cave. “I’m afraid of what kind of reaction we’ll get once we return.”

“They will be thankful and grateful.”

“To you perhaps.”

“In doing this, Jane, you will be welcomed back with open arms.”

“You can’t be sure of that.” She responded. And he couldn’t be sure of that. The goblins didn’t seem like the kind of creatures that held grudges. But she understood why they were angry with her. Jane was simply tired of all of it. She wanted to start a family and live her life. Yet there always seemed to be one more obstacle for her to climb.

“I can.”

“You’re always so sure of yourself.” She said with a wry grin.

“I have to be.” He answered her with a smile. “I’m a warrior. And I know my people.”

His hand dropped to follow the curve of her shoulder and down her arm until he reached her hand. He pulled it to his face and pressed it against the angry scar that had taken his eye.

“Oh Ruric.” She murmured as her fingers splayed against his skin.

“We are home, wife.”

She could feel his lips moving against the sensitive flesh of her wrist. It was not the first time he had called her wife, but the words held more meaning as they seemed to echo in the caves.

A trilled word from the other goblins broke the spell that held Ruric and Jane tethered together.

Ruric chuckled against her but reluctantly let go of her hand.

“What did he say?”

“Shusar said there was no time to waste.” He winked his working eye at her. “I think he’s in a rush to get home.”

Jane burst out laughing. “To what?”

“His bed and sweet dreams I expect.”

They could hear grumbling from the front of the group as Shusar pushed Illyrin to move faster so that he could get away from the two that had become the bane of his existence.

But he was happy that they were together once more. Shusar liked to