The Awakened: Book One Read Online Free PDF Page B

didn’t recognize him.
    “No…” the man mumbled and then flinched as if dodging something.
    Suddenly, a memory sprang into Adair’s mind.  He had dealt with this man before on the matter of neglecting to pay a shipping tax.  Usually, any crime against the Empire, no matter how small, was punishable by death under Orudan law.  Adair had shown mercy on the man and let him live.  After that, the man tried to repay Adair’s kindness by sending word of any criminal happenings around the city, as he became aware of them.  Adair had to admit that this man had proven to be a useful informant on several occasions, but he hadn’t heard anything from him in almost a year.
    As the man’s name came back to his memory, Adair said it aloud.  “Bahari.”
    “Do you know him, my lord?” the old woman asked.
    “Yes,” Adair answered, wondering why Bahari would be moaning his name.  “You said he was found on the western shore?”
    “Yes, my lord.  That’s what the soldier told me.  I’ve…” she started, but then trailed off.
    Adair turned to her.  “What is it, woman?  If you know something, tell me at once!”
    “I’ve seen this type of thing before,” she answered, her body language more timid than before.  “A man gets in a drunken fight and finds himself washed up on the beach.  I thought this was another such occurrence,” she said, her voice lowering to a whisper.  “But when I cleaned the wound on his leg I pulled this out.”
    Reaching into the pocket of her apron, she produced what appeared to be the dangerous half of an arrow.  She handed it to Adair and he took it carefully.
    The craftsmanship was better than what the Orud military used, but he couldn’t place it.
    “How was it positioned in his leg?”
    “May I…?” the woman asked, motioning for the arrow.
    “Please,” Adair said, handing it back to her.
    “It entered from the back,” she said, holding it up to Bahari’s leg.  “But it wouldn’t come out so I had to take it out from the front.  It wasn’t easy, but he didn’t even seem to notice.”
    Adair looked back at Bahari and shook his head.  What did you get yourself into this time?   “I am leaving for a while, but I will be back,” he said to the woman.  “While I am gone, keep his door locked and let no one else see him.”
    “Yes, my lord,” she said with a nod.
    Adair strode out of the room with the guards following closely.  When he reached the front door, he called over his shoulder to the old woman who was struggling to keep up.  “If he wakes up, try to find out what happened.”
     
    * * * *
     
    The sun had just peeked over the mountains to the east and the Bay of Bastul glittered with the first rays of the morning sunlight.  Maeryn stood on the balcony of her bedroom with her hands on the stone railing.  Her night clothes and long blonde tresses swayed in the light breeze as she took a deep breath of the salty air and exhaled.  Adair wasn’t in bed when she woke and the sheets were cold.  He had obviously left sometime during the night and it was bothering her.  It wasn’t as if this was the first time.  Actually, it was a regular occurrence for someone of Adair’s position.  But Maeryn was finding it harder and harder to deal with his absences.  When you’re the governor of Bastul , everyone needs something from you.   She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned, walking back into the bedroom.
    The house was already alive with activity.  The slaves had been awake for a couple hours and were scurrying around the house, busy with their duties.  Maeryn pulled a fresh white tunic from her closet and slipped it over her head.  The purple thread sewn into the hem dragged on the floor until she gathered the tunic at her waist and fastened it with a matching purple silk belt.  She walked barefoot to her mirror set against the wall and sat down in the chair which faced it.  Voices drifted to her from different parts of the house as