Shields Lady (15 page)

            Belatedly she recognized the leather of his weapon kit beneath her palm. Then she was touching the cool prisma of the lock. Gryph was holding her hand flat against the crystal now. A part of her wanted to question the strange action, but the rest of her was too caught up in the gathering storm that was about to break.

            Rainbow gems glittered in the swirling heart of the whirlwind. Gryph was going to run with her into the center of the storm and catch Sashing prisma jewels with her.

"Now," Gryph said against her mouth.

            "Yes, now, please." Sariana clutched him more tightly with her free hand. His muscles bunched, strong and powerful, under her palm. He was rigid with desire.

            Gryph gathered himself and then, without any further warning, thrust deeply into her. Prisma crystal shattered into a million jagged jewels. Hot, sharp, glittering rain showered down over

Sariana. She gave a choked cry as the sensation poured through her. She heard an answering, guttural shout as Gryph sank himself to'the hilt within her small, velvet channel. Sariana's body convulsed around him. Small, delicate muscles clenched in a resistance that was too little, too late.

            Some discomfort, Sariana remembered Gryph had said. I have heard there is some discomfort. She nearly screamed in rage and pain.

He had lied to her. All the books she had ever read on the subject had lied. Everyone had lied.

            This was not the small, momentary discomfort she had been expecting. This was agony. Something was wildly, incredibly wrong. Her whole body was in chaos.

            The pain came not just from the soft, tender, bruised flesh between her thighs, though that was bad enough, it also came from her shoulder.

            Her shoulder. No. It was impossible. Sariana was stunned by the dull, throbbing ache that was suddenly and inexplicably occupying that portion of her anatomy. But that wasn't the worst of it.

            The worst part was the white, burning sensation in her hand where Gryph held her fingers to the prisma lock of his weapon kit.

            But even that was not the end of it. On top of everything else, her body felt hot and feverish. Sariana's eyes flashed open in bewildered accusation. Her body stiffened in reaction to the trauma.

She found Gryph staring down at her, the lines of his hard face drawn taut in an agony that clearly matched her own.

"Gryph, stop. Something's wrong. Something is wrong."

            "Hang onto me, Sariana. It will pass. Just hold on to me."

            She heard the words, but she could have sworn he hadn't spoken aloud. She couldn't be sure of that, however. Everything seemed to be spinning chaotically around her. Nothing was real or stable or solid except Gryph. He was the source of all this pain and agony, but she sensed he was also her only salvation.

            And then, in a blinding flash of intuition, she knew beyond a doubt that he was feeling everything she was feeling, including the pain he had caused her by his sensual intrusion into her body. Sariana wondered dazedly how such a distinctly feminine anguish was being translated by his own masculine nerve endings.

            Perhaps in the same way her uninjured shoulder was throbbing with the ache of an unclosed blade wound.

            Perhaps in the same way both of them felt the prisma burning an invisible brand into their palms. Perhaps, just perhaps, in the same way she was painfully, violently aware of his blazing masculine

need. None of that fierce desire was diminished by the accompanying pain. Her senses were shocked by the depths of that masculine need. She felt it as intensely as if it were her own.

"You are my Shield Lady. We are bound together until death."

            The words vibrated inside her head. Sariana closed her eyes, unable to question this new, strange manner of hearing. She understood nothing in this moment except the feeling of being completely and totally possessed. Even that sensation seemed to be working the same way as the shared pain, she realized. It reverberated between herself and Gryph. They were like mirrors for each other. Sensation bounced back and forth, growing more intense with each reflection. The light from that mirror scattered into countless rays.

            Sariana not only felt herself possessed, she was some-"how also the possessor. She held Gryph just as he held her.

Time hung still for an endless moment in the darkened bed chamber.

            Then, with agonizing slowness, the savagely disorienting sensations calmed. The unnatural pain faded and took on more normal dimensions, as if she and Gryph were each reclaiming that which was legitimately their own discomfort and freeing the other of the added burden. Even the branding sensation in Sariana's palm began to disappear.

            "It's going to be all right, Shield Lady. The worst is over." Gryph pulled her hand away from the weapon kit and folded her throbbing palm within his. Then he kissed her trembling fingers. "I swear to you, Sariana, I had no idea it would be that violent. The link between us must be very, very strong. I've never beard of a mating such as this one."

            "Gryph, I don't understand any of this." Sariana's mouth was so dry she could hardly get the words out. The initial, painful sensations that had gripped her were almost gone, but the sense of disorientation was taking longer to fade. And one particular focus of discomfort had not yet returned to normal. Gryph was still sheathed deeply within her body and she was intensely aware of every centimeter of his invading shaft. Her body felt unbearably tight and stretched as it sought to accommodate his.

            "I know, my sweet." Gryph was trying to speak soothingly, but his voice was still tight from his unreleased sexual tension. "I know. It's over now. I'll explain everything to you in the morning. But now you and I have some unfinished business."

            Sariana winced as he began to move within her. The pain had diminished, but she still felt overly sensitized.

"Gryph, I don't want - "

            "Hush, Sariana. No more words. Not now." He continued to stroke gently in and out of her warmth. "Let yourself relax and respond. There is so much passion waiting to be released within you. I think the linking was all the more painful partly because of that passion. We are going to be very good together, you and I. Damn good."

            Sariana was not so certain of that, but her body seemed to be accepting him now, albeit somewhat unwillingly. She still felt stretched far too tightly, but the sensation was not as uncomfortable as it had been. In fact, it was oddly exciting. She tightened her hold on Gryph, preparing to let herself explore this new, more pleasant feeling. Her legs wrapped around his waist in an unconscious need to get closer to him.

Her sensual movements had a totally unexpected effect on him. Gryph lost his control.

            "Sariana."

            He arched forward, surging deeply into her as his whole body went taut. Gryph stifled a shout of triumphant release and then he shuddered and collapsed on top of Sariana.

            Minutes passed and Gryph did not move. Sariana stroked his warm back slowly, not certain what to do next. He seemed to be in a deep sleep. Then she became aware once more of the heat in him. He was still feverish.

            Slowly, carefully she wriggled out from under Gryph's heavy body. He didn't stir. She slid toward the edge of the bed. Her hand brushed the weapon kit as she did so. She jerked her fingers back reflexively and then realized there was no longer any burning sensation coming from the prisma lock.

            Sariana got to her feet and nearly fell over. She was weak and dizzy and every muscle in her body seemed to have turned to liquid. Turning, she glanced down at the bed. Gryph would be cold by morning. She fumbled with the quilt and managed to cover him with it. Then she checked his wound to make certain it had not started bleeding. The bandages appeared clean.

            Sariana quietly picked up her clothes and pulled them on. It was fortunate that the hallway outside would probably be empty. She could make it to her own suite without being seen. She opened the door and let herself out of the room. A moment later she was safely in her own chambers.

            As she closed the door behind her a small, slithering sound made her look down. The scarlet-toe was making its way toward her across the floor.

            Sariana laughed shakily and bent down to scoop it up. "I don't know why I bother to keep you in a cage, Lucky. It's obvious you're too smart to stay trapped in one. Are you sure you wouldn't like to be free?"

            The scarlet-toe leaped from her hand to her shoulder and curled happily into her warmth. Sariana looked at her bedraggled reflection in the mirror. Her gown was drooping, her hair was tangled and her eyes were huge and shadowed. The lizard looked like a brilliant scarlet jewel on her shoulder.

            "Maybe it's too late for you to be free, just as Gryph said," Sariana whispered. But it was her own reflection she was studying as she spoke, not the lizard's.

            For better or worse, she seemed to have embarked on an affair with the Shield lord. She wondered if it might be better to limit the event to a one-night stand.

Sariana wasn't sure she could survive another night in Gryph's arms.

Chapter 7

            The vivid dawn light awakened Gryph the next morning. He lay still for a moment absorbing the knowledge that he was alone in his bed. Then he sat up slowly, wincing at the ache in his shoulder.

All things considered, he was not particularly surprised to find Sariana gone.

            As a wedding night, last night had bordered on being a complete disaster. The groom had been clumsy from be-.ginning to end and had fallen asleep immediately after the main event. The bride had undoubtedly been traumatized by the pain for which she had been totally unprepared. She certainly had not gotten any satisfaction from the encounter. On top of everything else, Gryph suspected Sariana didn't even realize she was married. He'd been too groggy from the medic's painkiller to explain the law of the First Generation Pact to her.

            He made his way into the antechamber that held a huge sunken tub, a sink and other assorted necessities. He needed several of those necessities this morning.

            The tub in Gryph's chamber was fashioned to resemble a grotto, complete with its own waterfall and a collection of vivid green plants. He turned the bird-headed spigot that set the waterfall in action and then stepped underneath the hot water. Deep in the basement of the Avylyn household vapor heaters kept plenty oЈ hot water available at all times.

            As he stood there contemplating the imitation rock wall in front of him Gryph tried to decide how best to approach Sariana this morning. It was not an easy decision. When all was said and done, he did not know a lot about women. No man did. The fact that this particular female was from the eastern provinces further complicated the matter.

            She had lived in Serendipity for a year, but it was clear she did not yet know all the local customs and laws. If she had known them, she would have stayed in Gryph's bed last night. Any western woman would have recognized the full significance of what had happened.

            Gryph was faced with the task of explaining everything to Sariana this morning. He turned off the waterfall and reached for a thick towel. He did not look forward to the coming encounter. Something told him his new bride was not going to enjoy learning of her status. He had really botched this business of wooing a Shieldmate. Gryph damned the medic's painkiller and damned his own impatience.

            There was nothing to do but go forward and finish the business. He tossed aside the towel and went back into the main chamber to dress.

            He did so carefully, pulling on a clean shirt, trousers that had recently been pressed by one of the household attendants and his best jacket. Then he spent several minutes cleaning mud off his boots.

            When he was finished he critically examined his image in the gilded mirror. He looked reasonably neat and clean, but that was about all that could be said for him. Nothing he did was going to make himself look handsome by city standards. It was difficult to turn a warrior into a man of fashion.

            Gryph turned away from the mirror, his mouth hardening into a determined line. Sariana had started all this, whether she realized it or not. She would have to take the consequences. Gryph just wished he had a little more time in which to ease her into a willing acceptance of the situation.

            Gryph stood thinking for a moment, remembering what had happened the night before in that filthy alley. Because of those events he knew he could not grant Sariana any time at all. Everything had changed now. There were more dangerous matters to be handled than a wife who did not yet realize she was a wife.

            Gryph walked out of the chamber and down the hall to Sariana's room. There was no point in postponing the inevitable. The sooner he got this part over the better, as far as he was concerned. He was a Shield, the only son of a proud family, raised on the frontier, a man trained to hunt other men, but he was, in the end, only a man. When it came to dealing with a woman he was as easily baffled and as thoroughly cautious as the next man.

            He halted in front of Sariana's door and pulled the cord that rang the soft chimes inside her room. As he waited for a response he glanced down and saw that he'd missed a scuff mark on the toe of one boot. Irritated, he quickly nibbed it against his trouser leg. The door opened just as he was checking to be sure he'd removed the mark.

            Gryph's head snapped up, his senses leaping in anticipation even though he knew a difficult time lay ahead.

            For a few seconds he just stared at Sariana. She was smiling hesitantly at him. The morning light poured into the room behind her, highlighting the gold in her sleekly coiffed brown hair. Her eyes were