Shields Lady (17 page)

sinuous body into a more comfortable position on the boy's arm. The small creature eyed Lucky with surreptitious interest, but apparently decided hunting would not be permitted at the breakfast table. The cat went back to dozing.

            "Give yourself a few more years, Luri. You'll change your mind," his brother said. Luri opened his mouth to respond, but his attention was distracted by the lizard on Sariana's shoulder.

"Hey, you really like the scarlet-toe, huh, Sariana? I knew you would once you got to know it better. I told you they make great pets."

            "Lucky seems to have adopted me," Sariana said, examining the contents of the serving dishes. "I feel guilty leaving it in the cage now. The poor thing always looks so forlorn when I leave it behind." She helped herself to a cup of tea and a breakfast muffin and politely ignored Gryph when he sat down across from her.

            "Did you have a good time last night, Sariana?" Mara asked with a direct look. "I saw you earlier in the evening but lost track of you later."

            "You know I tend to keep earlier hours man the rest of you," Sariana said. She sipped tea with careful restraint, aware that Gryph was helping himself to large portions from each of the bowls.

            "Sariana!" Lady Avylyn gave her a scolding glance. "You don't mean to tell me you went to bed early last night? What about your friend Etion Rakken? He was looking forward to dancing with you again."

            "I doubt that Rakken knew what he was missing," Jasso said with a knowing smirk. "The banker was as drunk as a keenshee bird in a gullberry patch by the time the ball ended."

            "As it happens I had business to attend to last night," Sariana said. "Business I think we should discuss right after breakfast. If you would all be so kind as to come to my office as soon as we finish here, I would appreciate it."

            "Business," Mara repeated with a groan. "Who wants to talk about business this morning? I want to talk about the ball."

            Lord Avylyn gave his business manager a sharp look. "Does this concern the cutter?" Gryph answered before Sariana could speak. "The prisma cutter has become Shield business." Everyone turned to stare at him, including Sariana who didn't have the least idea of what he was

talking about. It was obvious his words meant something to the Avylyns. They looked distinctly startled.

            "Shield business?" Jasso exclaimed. "But how? Why? I don't understand. That cutter has always belonged to the Avylyns. Our family has held it since the first crystal was sold to us."

            "Calm yourself, Lord Avylyn," Gryph said. "When the cutter is found, it will be returned to your family. I meant only that locating the cutter is now a Shield matter. I will pursue it for Shield purposes and when I find it, I will give it to you. I just want it clear that there is no longer any question of my working for anyone else in this matter."

Jasso was stunned. "You're going to look for it for free?" he finally got out.

            Gryph glanced at Sariana and then gave his attention to his food. "Let's just say that my fee has been paid in full."

            Sariana suddenly realized that everyone in the room except Gryph was now staring at her. She sat tensely in her chair and stared back in bewilderment.

"Is something wrong?" she finally asked in irritation.

            "Nothing is wrong," Gryph stated. "Eat your breakfast. You wanted a conference in your office after the meal? All right, you'll have your conference."

            Sariana bristled. "There is no need to take that tone with me. You may have decided for some obscure reason that you are no longer working for the Avylyns, but - "

            "I never was working for the Avylyns, remember? I was working for you. And you have paid me well."

            Across the table Gryph's eyes clashed with hers and Sariana felt herself turning pink. She was suddenly aware of the conclusions the Avylyns must be rapidly drawing from this small scene. Gryph was as good as implying that she had paid his fee last night while everyone else had been noticing Sariana's absence from the ballroom. The implication was obvious. A flare of temper pulled her to her feet.

            "If you will excuse me," Sariana said through her teeth, "I will go to work. When you are finished, please join me in my office."

            She was halfway to the door, her attention riveted on escape, when she struck something with the toe of her slipper. Automatically she glanced down and saw that the object on the floor was Gryph's weapon kit.

            "You appear to have dropped something, Gryph," she remarked icily as she bent over to pick it up. "Thank you," he said with unexpected tenderness. He stayed where he was and gave her a curious

smile. "I'm glad you found it. I hadn't noticed it was missing from my belt."

            "That's hard to believe," she retorted, remembering how he had awakened from unconsciousness the night she had detached the kit from his belt. "Here, you'd better take it. I certainly don't want to be responsible for it."

            Gryph started to hold out his arm but then he winced painfully and lowered it again. "Oh, your shoulder. I almost forgot." Sariana was flooded with remorse as she recalled vividly just

how much his shoulder had pained him the night before. For all she knew he was in much greater pain now that the light anesthetic had worn off. "Are you all right? You shouldn't stretch it that way. You should take it easy."

"What's wrong with his shoulder?" Luri asked with great interest.

            "Nothing that won't heal in time," Gryph explained. His gaze was still on Sariana. "If you would bring the kit over to me, I would appreciate it."

            "Of course." She moved toward him, aware of the cool prtsma lock under her fingers. Last night that lock had burned itself into her palm, or so she had imagined. The punch served at the ball had certainly had a strange effect on her senses. Everything had seemed so incredibly intense. It was amazing what tricks the night could play on a woman's senses. Wordlessly she held the kit out to Gryph.

            "Would you open it for me, Sariana?" he asked quietly.

            The silence in the room was almost overpowering. Sariana was aware that the Avylyns seemed frozen in their seats. Their attention was focused completely on the small scene being played out in front of them. In fact, they all appeared mesmerized by it.

            Sariana glanced down at the weapon kit and frowned. "Open it? But why?" "I need something inside and I would appreciate it if you would open the kit for me," Gryph said, still

speaking in that unnaturally soft voice.

"Can't you open it?"

            "My shoulder," he said half-apologetically. "The pain seems to be radiating down into my hand." "Maybe you should see another medic," Sariana said quickly. "The wound might have become infected

during the night. What about the fever? Has it gone completely?"

            "Hush, Sariana. I swear I'll be fine. In the meantime, if you would just open the kit for me, I would appreciate it more than I can say."

She looked at the lock. "I don't know how to open it."

            "Just touch it, Sariana. Touch it the way you did last night and think of it as being open." Sariana was suddenly overcome with the compelling urge to do as he asked. She had been curious

about this strange pouch since the night she had taken it from his unconscious body. Now was her

chance to see just what was inside. She was actually being invited to do so. She couldn't wait.

            Eagerly she explored the lock with her fingers, finding no obvious mechanism. She looked up. "I don't see how it works, Gryph."

            "I told you how it works. Just touch it and think of the kit as being open." He was speaking the words, Sariana realized, but his soft, dark voice seemed to be coming from

somewhere inside her head, just as it had at times last night. She wondered if she was still suffering from the effects of the punch.

"Open it, Sariana."

            Instinctively Sariana obeyed. She touched the lock and pictured the weapon kit as being open. An instant later it was open. She stared down into the dark interior of the pouch, trying to see what lay

inside. But before she could investigate further, Gryph reached out easily with his injured aim and plucked the kit out of her grasp.

"My thanks, Shield Lady," he said.

            Sariana frowned and started to ask him why he called her that, but she got no chance to do so. All five of the Avylyns, as well as two attendants who had entered the room to refill the teapots, were on their feet, talking and exclaiming at once.

            "Sariana," Lady Avylyn said in loud accents that managed to float above the other voices in the room, "why didn't you tell me, my dear? Last night when we talked you implied you were merely thinking of having an affair. You said nothing about marriage. I distinctly asked you if marriage had been mentioned."

            Sariana swung around, her mouth open with astonishment. "Marriage? What are you talking about, Lady Avylyn?"

            "You opened his weapon kit," Mara said in awed tones. "You opened a Shield's weapon kit. He has chosen you for his bride."

            Luri was bouncing up and down with excitement. "He told me only his Shieldmate would be able to open the kit. And you did it, Sariana. You really did it."

            "Who would have guessed our little business manager would make a suitable bride for a Shield?" Bryer asked with a quick grin.

            Lord Avylyn waved his hand for silence and then inclined his head very formally toward Sariana. "On behalf of my clan I extend our best wishes and congratulations."

            "By the Lightstorm," Bryer said, "this is sure a surprise. Wait until your folks hear about this, huh, Sariana? I bet they'll be stunned. They don't even know about Shields, do they?"

            "What's in the kit?" Luri demanded eagerly. "Did you get a chance to see what's inside? I've always wanted to get a good look inside a Shield's weapon kit."

            Sariana turned her appalled gaze back to Gryph. He was calmly sipping tea. His eyes met hers over the edge of his cup but he said nothing. She scanned the faces of the Avylyns. "Have you all gone crazy? What is this nonsense about marriage?"

            Jasso's brows came together. "You must know that under the laws set down in the First Generation Pact you have allowed this Shield to claim you for his bride."

            "I know nothing of the kind!" Sariana heard her voice rising to a shriek and frantically worked to control it. She never shrieked. "What are you talking about?"

            Lady Avylyn glanced doubtfully at her. Then she narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "The Pact was made between the First Generation social classes of The Serendipity and the Shields. A Shield is entitled to search for a mate in any social class he wishes. But he cannot take you by force, Sariana. It is clearly stated in the Pact that the woman must be willing. Did Gryph rape you last night?"

            The beautiful little tea cup cracked and disintegrated between Gryph's fingers. He didn't move from his chair bat his eyes were suddenly dangerous.

            "By the Lightstorm, I have done nothing against the Pact. I am a Shield. By definition that means I have obeyed the laws governing my marriage rights. Ask her."

            "Ask me what?" Sariana was tense with a strange panic. "Will somebody please tell me what is going on here?"

"Ask her," Gryph ordered.

            Lord Avylyn turned to Sariana. "Sariana, you must tell me the truth. Did you give yourself willingly to this man?"

            Sariana was mortified. "How dare you ask such things in public or even in private. I know you westerners are far more liberal about - this sort of thing than those of us from the east, but surely you have some respect for a woman's privacy."

            Lord Jasso waved that aside. "This is no time for false modesty. Sariana, you are living in my household. As a member of it you are entitled to my protection." He shot a defiant glance at Gryph who ignored it. "But if no law has been broken, then I must assume that you are, indeed, married to this Shield. Did you go with him willingly last night or did he take you by force?"

            Sariana wanted to scream. She felt as if she were caught in a nightmare. She jerked her gaze from Jasso's concerned expression to Gryph's implacable face.

            "Answer him, Sariana. But see to it that you answer him honestly," Gryph said calmly. "Because if you try to lie, I will force the truth out of you. Believe me, I can do it."

            Sariana took a step back toward the door. "You have all gone out of your minds. I don't understand any of this."

            Lady Avylyn looked at her with compassion. "Just tell us the truth, Sariana. It is very important." "He did not rape me, if that's what you want to know." Sariana put a hand to her throat, wondering if

she was losing her voice. It sounded so faint. "But I never agreed to marry him."

            Lord Avylyn shook his head helplessly. "Don't you see, Sariana? You already are married to him. You proved it a few moments ago when you opened his weapon kit. Everyone knows that only a true Shieldmate can open her lord's weapon kit. The prisma locks are sealed to everyone else. A Shield gives the secret to his wife on their wedding night. It is the proof of their bond when she opens the kit the next morning in front of witnesses. Under Pact law, you are married."

            "No," Sariana said, feeling as though the walls were closing in around her. "This Pact law, whatever it is, is a western law. I am an easterner. Do you understand? I am an easterner."

            Lord Avylyn looked at her sorrowfully. "I am sorry, my dear. But as long as you are living with us, you are subject to our laws and ways. You know that."

Sariana whirled around and fled as if all the terrors of the western frontiers were at her heels.