Awaken His Eyes | The Awakened Book One

Chapter 18

The screams echoed down the hallway and Lemus felt his nerves cringe. He didn't have the patience to sit and wait for the birth of his son. It was driving him mad to do nothing but stare at the floor. He decided, instead, to get some work done. Walking down the hall, he stopped at the door to his study. He wasn't eager to deal with his responsibilities either, but under the circumstances, he had no choice.

He entered the room and sat down at his desk. Charts, lists, and maps of various sizes filled his vision. He slowly began to organize the mess that had been building for a week. He tried to clear his mind of everything but the problem at hand—a shipment of armor and weapons from Orud would be arriving in three days, and he had to make sure that it arrived safely. He had come across several bits of information that led him to believe the shipment would be attacked.

He had already rescheduled the ships to arrive at midnight, which was unusual. Hopefully, it would disrupt the would-be attackers. Although the city of Bastul never seemed to sleep, the population on the streets would be considerably less at that time of evening, making it easier to spot anything out of the ordinary. Still, there was the problem of extra reinforcements. There was no good place from which to pull guards. Lemus buried his face in his hands and massaged his temples. He was having trouble concentrating. Suddenly a knock sounded at the door.

"Yes?"

The door opened slowly, and the face of a female slave peeked through.

"What is it?"

"Sir, the baby is coming."

Lemus raised an eyebrow. "Is he here yet?"

"No," she answered timidly.

"Come back when my son is born!"

The woman nodded and pulled her head back from the room.

"Make sure he is cleaned up before you come again," he yelled at the retreating footsteps.

Now, back to work. Where was I? Oh yes, reinforcements. Lemus scanned a map of the city, letting his vision pause at the major defense points. Each had only the minimum number of soldiers necessary. Finally he stopped at the armory. Thirty guards. He thought it seemed a bit excessive. I'll leave two guards there and move the rest to the docks for just a few hours. He looked back to the docks lining the bay. Twenty-eight extra men should be plenty. He would have them dress in plain clothes, not their uniforms, and hide them in the dark alleys near the docks. They would be quick to join the fight if the attack came from the bay. If it came from the streets he would be able to cut them off before they could reach the ships.

Another knock interrupted his thoughts.

"YES?!"

"The baby is here," came the voice from the other side of the door.

Lemus jumped to his feet and walked briskly to the door. As he opened it, the slave girl flinched. He ignored her and strode quickly down the hall. His heart was racing. He couldn't think of a time when he had been more excited. The thought of having a son who would follow in his footsteps gave him such joy that he finally realized what all the fuss was about. He had never thought of himself as the type to be married and have a family, but over the recent months the idea had grown on him. Finally, there would be someone whom he could train, instruct, and guide through life, steering him past difficulties while teaching him how to lead people. It was an opportunity that Lemus' own father had neglected completely. The excitement was almost too much to bear.

Halfway down the hall he found the spare room where he had chosen for the baby to be born. Maeryn had wanted to be in the bedroom, but Lemus insisted that the mess be kept to a room that was rarely used. Three of the servant women were gathered around the bed and Maeryn was sitting up, propped by pillows. She was holding what looked to Lemus like a bundle of cloths. As he got closer he could see the pink face of the baby protruding from the bundle.