Shields Lady (28 page)

her an education on the history of Shields and colonists."

Delek roared with laughter and slapped his thigh. "I'll just bet there wasn't time. Did she open your kit

the next morning?"

            "Easily." Gryph smiled with pride. "As easily as if she were a Shield trained in working prisma and had her own kit. It was amazing."

"What does she think of this whole affair?"

            Gryph shrugged and picked up his glass. "As I said, she refuses to concede that she's even married, let alone that anything unusual happened the night I linked with her. She insists she had a littie too much to drink that evening."

"But she is with you now?"

            Gryph opened one hand in a gesture. "Naturally. And she'll stay with me whether she likes it or not. I think someone has figured out she can be used to control me."

            Delek met his gaze knowingly. "Another Shield would know that. But so would any westerner who is reasonably well-versed in Shield history. It's no secret that a Shield-mate is a very valuable commodity to a Shield, even if he would like to throttle her at times."

            Gryph eyed Delek in surprise. "There have been one or two times already when I could willingly have taken my belt to Sariana's backside. She is willful, independent and smart. I'm learning that that is a dangerous combination in a woman."

Delek was amused. "True. What else is she?"

            Gryph smiled. "She's also warm and gentle underneath her thorns, rather like one of your prize flowers, Delek. She has pride and strength. She's brave and gutsy, too. Back in Serendipity she nearly killed a man who was trying to assault her. Getting her to follow even the most reasonable of orders is proving to be a challenge, however."

            Delek's grin broadened as he listened to the growing list of attributes. "A true Shieidmate for you, Gryph. You need a woman you can't intimidate."

"Intimidate! I don't intimidate women."

            Delek laughed. "Your instinct is to dominate any situation in which you find yourself. It sounds as though you've found a woman who can deal with that aspect of your nature. You are indeed a lucky man. But I think you are also going to be a very busy man. You'll have your hands full trying to hold onto her unless she makes up her mind that she is married to you."

            "Don't worry," Gryph stated. "She can kick and scream all she wants. I'm not going to let her get away." There was a short pause and then he said slowly, "Delek, I want to ask you something about linking."

            Delek chuckled. "By now you already know the basics. Why would you need advice from an old hunter like me?"

            Gryph forced back the mild embarrassment that threatened to redden his high cheekbones. "It's about the first time."

"What about it?"

            "I want to know if there is really supposed to be so much pain," Gryph said quietly. Delek appeared to realize just how serious Gryph was. "Pain? Well, there's the slight burning sensation

both people get from the prisma, and there's the feeling of disorien-tation that occurs when each picks up on the other's emotions. If a woman has had little or no previous sexual experience, she might have some additional discomfort. The Shield might or might not feel some of that discomfort, depending on the strength of the link. But I wouldn't describe any of it as painful."

            Gryph nodded. "That's what I thought, what I expected. Delek, it wasn't like that between Sariana and myself. The lock burned like a white-hot torch. We didn't get a sense of mild disorientation, we got a full load of each other's sensations. I had been wounded that night and she felt the pain of the wound as if she had taken the blade herself. I could feel everything she experienced when I took her. Her shock, her pain, her anger. I was running a fever and she also felt that. And the crossover seemed to magnify and reflect back. My wound hurt more than it had before the link. My fever felt several degrees hotter." He shook his head. "I can't explain it. I just know it was much more intense than I had been led to believe. I actually wondered if I had been told a few minor lies all these years."

"No, young Shields are not fed a pack of lies about linking or anything else. My first time with Penela

wasn't anything like what you're describing. There was a lot of passion on both our parts and I was well aware of her excitement just as she was aware of mine, but that was about it. It sounds like you went through a very unusual unking, but I have no explanation for it."

            Gryph sat back in his chair. "I was afraid of that. Do you miss Penela, Delek?" Delek raised his eyebrows. "Penela was sexy as hell when we were linked. That woman could drive

me out of my mind with lust. The rest of the time she was a complete pain in the ass. You're old enough to know that linking doesn't always mean loving. It doesn't even always imply a good friendship. You want the truth? The day I heard she had broken her fool neck on a wild dragonpony, I felt as if a part of me had been torn out. But there was also a sense of relief. I was free. Alana has more than filled up whatever emptiness my Shieldmate left behind in me."

            "I understand." Gryph wondered if any woman, Shield-mate or lower, could fill up the empty place inside him that Sariana would create if she were to leave him now. It startled him to realize just how much a part of him she had become in such a short time.

            A half hour later, their plans made, Gryph said good-bye to his friend and started back toward the windrigger.

            He had passed the fairgrounds on his way to Delek's house. Now he found himself stopping on a whim. He really shouldn't waste any more time. There was much that had to be done by nightfall.

            But it would only take a moment to choose a trinket for Sariana. She wasn't going to appreciate having been cooped up on the ship all day. Maybe he could win a smile or two from her. He browsed the craft aisles, searching for something that would suit her, something refined and simple in design.

            He had just paid for an elegant cloak pin and was wondering if Sariana would give him one of her dazzling smiles when he presented it to her when his whole body tensed.

Sariana was nearby and she was in danger.

The sensation was so overpowering that Gryph didn't

            stop to question it. She was somewhere in the vicinity. Prowling like a hunting cat through the crowds, Gryph

homed in slowly on his goal.

            He found himself standing in front of a large, eye-dazzling structure that he recognized as a familiar fair attraction, a House of Reflections. It appeared to be closed, but a small boy was standing at the entrance, trying to get the attention of a nearby adult.

            "She's inside, I tell you. She didn't come out with the others. There's a lady still inside. You have to open the door," the boy wailed.

            The attendant brushed aside the boy's clutching hand. "There's no one in there. Now get out of here. The House of Reflections is closed for repairs for the next hour or so. Go on, kid, get out of here."

            Gryph stepped forward, his attention on the youngster. "Who's inside, boy? What does she look like?" "I tell you there's no one in there." The attendant was reddening with rage.

            "You're a Shield, aren't you?" the youngster said suddenly. "You're wearing a weapon kit. A real one." Gryph crouched in front of the youngster. "I'm a Shield," he said softly. "Now tell me who's inside."

            "Her name is Sariana. Are you going to get her out?"

            "That's exactly what I'm going to do." Gryph rose and turned to confront the attendant only to find himself facing a fleeing back. He turned back to the boy. "It looks like we'll have to get her out by ourselves."

            "You want me to help you rescue Sariana?" the youngster demanded, fascinated at the prospect. "If you do, I will be in your debt," Gryph said gravely.

            The boy's eyes widened. "In my debt? A real Shield would be in my debt?" "Yes," said Gryph. "Who knows? Someday you may want me to return the favor you're doing me

today. By my lock, I swear I will repay you." Gryph touched the prisma lock of his weapon kit as he swore the formal oath.

"Wow."

            "What's your name, son?" "Keri."

            "I'll bet you've been inside this House of Reflections before, haven't you?" "Yes, sir, lots of times, but this time it was different just inside the entrance. I got separated from

Sariana and then the man who runs the house said everyone had to get out. But Sariana didn't come outside with the rest of us. She's still in there, but no one believes me."

            "I believe you," Gryph said as another jolt of Sariana's fear went through him. Deliberately he shut it out so he could think more clearly. "Let's go find her."

            He opened the weapon kit and withdrew a small metal instrument. The door to the House of Reflections shattered into a thousand glittering pieces when he slammed the tool into the glassy surface.

            Keri led the way inside, but Gryph discovered he didn't need the boy's guidance. Already his awareness of Sariana was focusing in a certain direction. He moved down a kaleidoscopic hallway and found himself in a room that reflected his own image endlessly. Keri was on his heels.

            Screams echoed from another hall that emptied into the same room. An instant later three teenage boys tumbled into the room, clearly in a panic. Sariana was right behind them.

            " Gryph!" she shouted.

            And then she was running straight into his arms. As he reached out to catch her he decided this was not the moment to point out how easily she had picked out the real Gryph Chassyn from among a thousand reflected images.

"What's going on here?" Gryph asked icily, his gaze on the cowering boys.

            "These three young idiots were having a great time try ing to terrorize me. To tell you the truth, they did a pretty good job."

            "Wait outside with Keri," Gryph ordered. He put Sariana's hand in that of the boy's. "He knows the way out."

"But what about you?" she breathed.

"I'll be along shortly. First I'm going to have a talk with these three."

            "Now, Gryph," she began dubiously.

            "Sariana, once in a while you will do me the favor of following my orders," he stated flatly. "I will?"

"Yes, you will. And this is one of those times. Go.

            Sariana went.

Chapter 13

            WHAT did you do to those three boys?" Sariana demanded a short time later as Gryph steered her through the streets of Little Chance. He had emerged from the House of Reflections looking grim and thoughtful. That wasn't a particularly strange expression for Gryph, but she hadn't liked the grim expression in his eyes. He had said good-bye to Ken and thanked the boy in a surprisingly formal manner, and then he had taken Sariana's arm in a firm grip.

"I asked them a few questions."

"Gryph, that's not what I mean. What did you do to them?" Sariana demanded anxiously.

            "Not as much as I had planned."

            "What's that supposed to mean? What had you intended to do?" Sariana had to take occasional skips in order to keep up with Gryph as he towed her back to the windrigger.

            "After I got the answers to my questions I decided to give them a taste of fear. I thought they ought to know how it felt to be on the receiving end." Gryph's eyes gleamed through his lashes as he glanced down into Sariana's face. "But I discovered that wasn't necessary. You and the scarlet-toe had already done a good job of terrorizing all three of them. That was an oversized image of Lucky they saw in one of the reflecting chambers, wasn't it?"

Sariana nodded, her spirits reviving rapidly. "I found the distortion chamber and hid Lucky under my cloak on the floor. When the boys stormed into the room I yanked the cover off and there Lucky was with a mouth big enough to swallow all three kids arid enough teeth to do the job. The boys panicked."

Sariana grinned in self-satisfaction. "Clever of Lucky and me, if I do say so myself."

            "Not nearly as clever as staying on board the windrigger would have been. We'll get to your reasons for disobeying orders later. I'm sure they'll be intricate, detailed and fascinating. In the meantime, we've got things to do."

            "You didn't tell me what questions you asked the boys or what answers you got," Sariana pointed out. "I asked them who had paid them to comer you in the House of Reflections." "Someone paid them to do that?" Sariana dug in her heels with sufficient force to slow Gryph

momentarily. He paused long enough to yank her back into motion and then he nodded abruptly.

            "That's right. Did you think it was all a coincidence that you got stranded in the fun house with three teenage monsters?"

            "Well, I did wonder where everyone else had gone. I even lost track of little Keri." "Someone bribed the attendant to close the place for a while, leaving you alone inside. Then that same

someone sent those three kids in after you."

Sariana stared at Gryph in bewilderment. "But why?"

            "The kids said they were told it was all a joke. That some man paid them to frighten you into the southwest comer of the House of Reflections."

            "What was supposed to happen there?" Sariana groped for logic in an illogical situation. "The boys said that the man who had paid them wanted to play hero. Something about wanting to

impress you. He was supposed to appear at the last minute and grab you from their clutches."

            "It doesn't make any sense."

            "Yes it does," Gryph countered roughly. "It makes a lot of sense if you figure that what was really going on was another kidnapping attempt."

            Sanana could have screamed with frustrated anger. She recalled the two men who had stalked her in Serendipity. "But why would anyone want me?"