Shields Lady (12 page)

            But Gryph was grimly certain that it was Brinton who lay in a crumpled heap at the base of the brick wall. And there was no getting around the fact that he probably wouldn't have been there if he hadn't been working for Gryph. Brinton might have been lying in some other dark alley, waiting for some other customer, if he hadn't taken this particular job, but that was beside the point. With a last glance up and down the path to ensure he was alone, Gryph entered the alley.

            A few seconds later he crouched beside the fallen man, reached out to touch him and knew there was no hope.

"Brinton?"

            The man didn't move, but there was another low groan. Brinton was barely breathing. The tiny vapor lamp revealed a dark, widening stain on the man's shirt.

            "Hang on, pal. I'll get you out of here." Gryph knew from the size of the stain and the feel of Brinton's skin that there wasn't much point in trying to get him to a medic, but there was little else that could be done. There were better places to die than in an alley.

            "Shield." The single word was little more than a breath between Brinton's bloodied lips. "Yes," Gryph said, as he pushed a hand under Brinton's shirt to see if he could slow the bleeding

before he tried to move the man. "It's me. By the Lightstorm, I'm sorry, Brinton. I swear I had no way of knowing things were this serious."

            "No! Not you. Another Shield." Brinton's eyes opened slightly and he tried to focus on Gryph's face. His words were thick and heavy in his mouth. "I didn't find out who has the cutter."

            "It doesn't matter, Brinton. Take it easy, man. I'm going to get you to a medic." Gryph felt blood and torn flesh beneath his hand. Quickly he worked to tighten Brinton's shirt into a makeshift bandage. Brinton slapped restlessly at his hand.

"No time. Get away, Chassyn. Get away."

            "I'm going to put you over my shoulder," Gryph said, bracing himself to lift the smaller man. "No… point. Listen to me. You always paid on time. Good client. Reliable. I owe you for… you

helped me a few years back."

"You don't owe me anything."

            Brinton shook his head and blood trickled down his chin. "Not true. I owe you. Going to pay you back. Tonight. Only way I can. Information. Didn't find the cutter, but something more important. There's another Shield out there who doesn't want it found. You hear me, Chassyn? Another Shield. I don't

know who… he's responsible for the missing cutter."

            Gryph went still. "A Shield did this to you?"

            "No. I'm not worth a Shield's time. But he probably sent the ones who got me. I heard…" Brinton coughed again. "I heard something about the thieves taking the cutter to Little Chance. You paid for this information. Take it and use it. But be careful. The cutter's not worth your life." Brinton began to gasp painfully.

            Gryph waited no longer. He had done the best he could for the bleeding. He leaned down and maneuvered Brinton over his shoulder. The man was unconscious now. It was just as well.

            Gryph started toward the alley entrance, balancing the dying man's weight with one hand and holding the small vapor lamp with the other.

            He was only half out of the walled trap when the caped figure with the blade bow in his hand stepped into the alley. The vapor lamp's slender ray picked him out just as he raised his arm to fire the bow.

            Gryph's reaction was reflexive. He shut his eyes and nicked a second switch on the small hand lamp. The narrow beam became a short-lived, blinding flare of light that filled the alley. An instant later it vanished completely leaving everything in utter darkness. The capped figure shouted in anger as he was temporarily blinded. The bow zinged softly.

            Gryph was already throwing himself to one side and groping for a throwing blade, but the weight of Brinton's body made the maneuver uncharacteristically and dangerously awkward. He felt the impact of the stranger's blade as it sliced through his jacket and across his shoulder. Then he felt the pain.

            He staggered and opened his eyes as Brinton's body slid to the bricks beside him. There was no sound from the informer. Gryph thought he was probably already dead.

            The man with the blade bow was gone. Gryph knew from experience that it would take a couple of minutes for the effects of the brilliant flash of vapor light to wear off. His assailant was probably reeling blindly down the street, searching for a place to hide until he regained his sight.

            Gryph leaped for the alley entrance. His vapor lamp was useless now. It could only be used once in such a maneuver and then it had to be recharged with vapor. Gryph's eyes were functioning normally because he'd closed them during the burst of flaring vapor. There was enough illumination from scattered starlight to search the street outside the alley.

            But even as he reached the street he heard the sound of dragonpony hooves on pavement. Not one pony, but two. The man with the blade bow had brought a backup. In the dim light Gryph watched in frustrated fury as two dragon-ponies galloped out of sight around a comer. The man on the first pony was leading the second animal. The slumped figure on the second pony was undoubtedly the man with the bow.

            "Damn it to the heart of the Lightstorm," Gryph hissed, swearing futilely at his own stupidity, slowness and bad timing.

            He turned back into the alley and felt for Brinton's pulse. The man was dead. Gryph clamped a hand around his bleeding shoulder and started back toward the Avylyns' section of

town. On the way he thought he'd better stop at the home of a medic he happened to know. A man who could keep his mouth shut.

            The Avylyns' annual ball was an enormous success. Sariana stood in the shelter of a bay window and sipped a glass of wine-spiked punch while she watched the dancers. She was glad to find herself alone for a few minutes. The ballroom was vibrant with color and laughter and music. The room was a showcase for the most fantastic fashions tonight. Each costume was more outrageous and overdone than the last.

Her own gown was simple and quite plain in comparison to those around her, although it was certainly dramatic by her personal standards. When she had dressed earlier that evening Sariana had been mildly shocked by the low, off-the-shoulder neckline, the tight bodice and the frothy, side-split skirts. The gown

was a shimmering emerald green trimmed with gold. When she walked or danced it revealed a great deal of her legs. It was supposed to represent the costume of a farmer's daughter, but Sariana seriously doubted any fanner's daughter had swept out a stable while wearing such a daringly cut dress.

            Lady Avylyn and her daughter had selected the gown for Sariana; having decided on their own that she could not be trusted to come up with something suitable.

            They were right, Sariana reflected in amusement as she glanced down at her outfit. Never in a million years would she have chosen anything such as this.

            But there was no denying the fact that the moment she had put it on she had begun wondering if it would appeal to Gryph.

            She could stop wondering about that. Gryph was nowhere around. She hadn't seen him since the afternoon. Perhaps he was taking seriously his cover job of guarding the Avylyn jewelry collection.

            If that were the case, however, he should be somewhere in the room. Most of the best Avylyn pieces were being worn by members of the family tonight. The others were on display in locked cases.

            "There you are, Sariana. I've been looking for you. Whatever are you doing in here? I hope you are enjoying yourself. Everything has turned out just splendidly, hasn't it?" Lady Avylyn spoke excitedly as she swept into Sariana's small hiding place. As she entered the alcove the enormous skirts of her golden velvet gown took up most of the available room. A magnificent assortment of jewelry was draped on every portion of her figure revealed by the dress. Pendant earrings, acres of bracelets and a necklace that could have sunk a ship glittered in the light.

"I was just taking a break," Sariana explained. "I'm afraid I'm not accustomed to this much exercise." Lady Avylyn beamed, fluttering her gilded fan. "I saw you dancing earlier with Etion Rakken. Such a nice man. Where is he?"

"Dancing with Lady Tarlana. A duty dance, he said."

            "Ah, yes. Lady Tarlana's clan does business with Etion's bank, too, I believe. I do hope Etion will continue to be discreet."

            "Believe me, the last thing Etion would ever do is discuss one client's finances with another. Not a word of the Avylyn financial situation has leaked out for the past few months, has it? All the gossip that was starting to grow when I arrived on the scene has been squelched. You can have complete faith in Etion's discretion."

            Lady Avylyn smiled brightly, too pleased with tine success of the evening to spend much time worrying about anything as mundane as the Avylyns' financial situation. "Yes, of course we can. It appears we are going to survive our unfortunate situation and as Jasso was saying just the other day, we owe it all to you, my dear. Without you I dread to think where we would be by now. If only we could conclude this nasty business with the prisma cutter."

"I think you can trust Gryph to get it back for you."

            "I hope so." Lady Avylyn cocked a gilded brow in a sly expression. "Do you know, I believe the Shield is quite fascinated by you, Sariana."

            Sariana felt oddly flustered. "Not at all. Lady Avylyn. I'm sure you're wrong." "Trust me. I am more familiar with the many interesting manifestations of romantic attraction than you

are, Sariana. I hate to say this, but in some areas your education has been lamentably weak."

            Sariana grinned. "You needn't name the areas of concern, my lady."

            "Very well, I won't. But I still think you should be made aware of the fact that the Shield is attracted to you." The older woman's dark eyes grew momentarily more serious. "If all he wants is an affair, that is one thing. It would probably be good for you to engage in a wild, passionate fling with a man, any man. We have all been hoping that you and Etion might - "

"Lady Avylyn!"

            "Never mind," Lady Avylyn said hastily. "I just wanted to warn you that if you should decide to become involved with the Shield, you ought to know that they are - well, different. I think I said something to that effect once before. They have their own rules and customs, as I've tried to explain."

            "They conduct their love affairs differently than other men?" Sariana asked dryly. "Well, no, not their love affairs. In that regard, they are quite, uh, normal, I imagine. That is, I have

never heard anything to the contrary."

            "Lady Avylyn," Sariana finally said, amused and exasperated, "what exactly are you trying to warn me about?"

            The older woman drew herself up to her most noble height. "Marriage," she said darkly. "Marriage!" Sariana felt herself flushing furiously. The knowledge was maddening. "I assure you,

marriage is the very last thing on my mind at the moment. And I would certainly have little interest in forming an alliance with a Shield, of all people. Why, Gryph isn't even of the same social class as myself. We have absolutely nothing in common. The whole notion is quite out of the question." Sariana knew her own clan would be shocked at the idea.

            Lady Avylyn brightened, obviously relieved. "Just as well. Just as well. Shield marriages are, well, never mind. It's difficult to explain and I'm not sure anybody except a Shield and his mate really understand the relationship, anyway. It's just that since you weren't raised here, you don't know much about Shields and I felt it my duty to warn you that… Never mind. No warnings are necessary as long as you are quite certain that both of you are only interested in having a fling."

"I'll tell you a secret, madam. I don't know what I want."

            "Then my advice is to throw yourself into an affair." Lady Avylyn tapped Sariana's wrist with her folded fan. "Indulge yourself in some fun, my dear. It would do you a great deal of good, I'm sure. See you at the buffet."

            Lady Avylyn swung around in a whirl of golden skirts and sailed out of the alcove. Sariana stared after her. Lady Avylyn was right. The only sort of relationship Sariana could possibly

have with Gryph was an affair, and she had been toying with the mildly scandalous, wholly fascinating idea since the night he had found her in the conservatory.

            Things were different in the western provinces. One could be a bit reckless and daring and no one would think twice about it. One could even have an affair that crossed class lines and the most anyone would do was smile.

            For the past three days Sariana had been mulling the matter over. She had deliberately evaded Gryph while she tried to sort out her own confused feelings on the subject. In the end, she had sat down at her desk and resorted to the management tool of composing a neat little matrix of positives and negatives.