The Goblin Bride (Beneath Sands Book 1)

but rumors travelled very quickly through Silnarra.
Surprising really. She hadn’t thought any of the rumors were true.
“Oh.” She muttered, looking down at the fish and wondering where she was going to do with this information. She couldn’t learn how to speak their language, she couldn’t even hear some of what they were saying. At least he was being forthcoming with her questions.
“What was the ceremony Micah mentioned, Ruric?”
This time he ignored her, his head dropping back down to the carving in his lap. Obviously he wasn’t any more inclined to answer that question than he had before.
The silence between them grew, until she begrudgingly said, “Thank you for answering my questions.”
He looked up and nodded at her.
“What would you like me to do with the rest of this?”
A clawed hand was raised towards her and it only seemed natural to pass him the fish. What seemed unnatural was that he started to eat what she had left over. Of course she hadn’t expected him to let it go to waste, they wouldn’t have done that Above either. However, this seemed different than him finishing off what was left.
“Ruric?”
He looked back at her. If he had been human she would have expected a raised eyebrow in question. Instead it just seemed as though he was waiting.
“Were you waiting for me to finish eating?” She asked quietly.
He nodded.
“Why?”
Another piece of the fish was slid in between those deadly teeth.
“Female.”
“Yes I understand that I’m female Ruric. That doesn’t explain why you waited until I was finished until you started eating.”
“Protect.”
She had to stop for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a few slow breaths in through her nose. This had to be the most frustrating conversation anyone in existence had ever had.
“I understand you protect me. That also does not answer my question.”
She slowly opened her eyes, knowing that looking at those giant black eyes would only make her more angry. She couldn’t help but feel as though they were insipid pools that didn’t understand a word she was saying.
He was looking at her. She found herself unnerved at how she couldn’t tell if he was looking at her or beyond her.
“Female first. Protect. Provide.”
In short, he was saying that their species took care of the women first. She was stunned to silence. Above they did not do that. Everyone broke their backs, but the women were the ones that always seemed to be on the sidelines. They couldn’t work, so they took care of everyone else. It was expected. It was what they did.
Now he was taking that away from her. Jane was suddenly floundering and had no idea what was expected from her. If she was not meant to take care of anyone, then what was she supposed to do? Sit and stare at the wall?
Instead she stared at him, her brows raised high and fists clenched at her sides. There was nothing she could say to that.
He seemed to sense that, turning back towards her for a moment.
“Sleep. Jane.”
A shiver slid up her spine, as though something cold and wet had touched her. It was with that feeling that she picked up a globe and rushed back into the room with the hammock. It took a little longer than she was proud of, but she managed to get herself into it safely. The globed was tucked underneath her chin once more as she fell asleep.
They seemed to settle into a routine after that. He would wake her up at whatever time it was and together they would go to the bath. She started to take her time there, enjoying the water as it lapped at her sides and the heat that reminded her of home.
Every day she would tell him to take her back. Every day she would order, not ask, because it was important that he know she wasn’t happy. She wasn’t going to stay down here without a fight. Jane needed to go home. Her siblings likely thought she was dead and she had no way of knowing how long she had been down here. Without the sun, there was simply no way for her to tell time.
He put some kind of strange algae on her back every time she got out of the bath. He would then bring her back to eat. Every now and then he would bring her something to do. Pieces of reeds could be woven into patterns. Necklaces that needed to be fixed. She had a feeling he was bringing her objects that were meant to keep her busy. Whatever it was, Jane was slowly losing her mind here in the darkness.
She needed to do something. Her legs itched to move. Her arms ached to lift. Her entire body wanted to do something productive and instead she was pampered and treated as though she was made of glass. She could see Ruric getting frustrated at points. His jaw would clench, the muscle jumping when she became too loud.
What else was she supposed to do? He expected her to sleep more than anything else. Just yesterday she had spent an entire hour shaking the globe back and forth to watch the swirls of light. And she knew it had been an hour because she had counted every second that passed.
Now she was back in the pool and she knew exactly what was going to happen next. She was going to waste time here until she had to get out. He would treat her delicately, wipe her wound, bring her back to the cave, and once again she would go mad with boredom in the dark.
Perhaps she had already lost her mind.
“Ruric. I have to go home. Now.”
She didn’t know why this time was different, but it was. Jane was done with this game that he was playing. Home was where her family was. She had to go.
“No.”
“I have to go. Ruric, I’m not doing this anymore. If you won’t take me home, I’ll find someone that will.”
He didn’t seem to care. Nor