Shield's Lady

had once explained to a newly arrived and thoroughly bewildered Sariana, one had to adapt in order to survive. For Etion, Sariana knew, there was no hope of going home. He had to make it here in Serendipity. He had adapted. Perhaps a little too much so judging by the way he had gone through the punch the night before.
    But then, she was in no position to make accusations in that regard, she reminded herself grimly. Just see where the indulgence in punch had landed her.
    She pushed her way through the mix of fashionably dressed people, her attention focused on reaching Etion’s office at the far end of the hall. He saw her through the glass windows that separated him from the activity on the floor and rose to greet her as Sariana walked purposefully past the receptionist.
    “Sariana. This is certainly a surprise. The luck of the day to you.” He examined her with a concerned frown. “Am I late for an appointment? If so, I sincerely apologize. I’ve been fighting the most nagging headache this morning.”
    Sariana stripped off her gloves and flung herself down into the nearest chair. “No, you have not missed an appointment. And don’t bother wishing me the luck of the day. This is very definitely not my lucky day.”
    Etion sat down slowly, as if he were afraid to move too quickly for fear of breaking some portion of his anatomy. He stared at her shoulder. “I see. Something is wrong, I gather? More trouble with the wild Avylyns?”
    “More trouble than I could ever have imagined,” Sariana said bitterly. “Etion, I need help and advice and I need both quickly.”
    “Of course. But Sariana, what have you got on your shoulder? It looks like a lizard.”
    Sariana glanced at the scarlet-toe. “It is. I forgot all about Lucky. Poor thing. It’s a wonder it didn’t fall off my shoulder while I was running through the streets. Never mind the lizard, Etion. It’s just a pet. Believe me, it’s the least of my problems.”
    Etion smiled gamely as he leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “Calm down. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so agitated, Sariana.”
    She flushed with embarrassment and made another bid for self-possession. “Please forgive me. I’ve just been through a very harrowing experience.”
    “Obviously. Suppose you tell me everything in slow, graphic sentences.”
    “It’s not funny, Etion. In fact, it could be a major disaster for me. It could ruin everything, including my future.” Unable to sit still, Sariana jumped to her feet and paced to the window. She stared unseeingly at the street outside. “Tell me something, Etion.”
    “Anything.”
    “What do you know about the Shield class?”
    He was silent for so long that Sariana finally glanced over her shoulder. Etion was staring at her in astonishment.
    “Well?” she prompted uneasily.
    He drew a breath and shrugged. “Not much, I’m afraid. It’s my understanding that there aren’t many Shields and that most of them live in the frontier provinces.”
    “What else do you know?”
    “I told you. Not much. The locals seem somewhat in awe of them. Very respectful. But they don’t discuss them very much. And Shields tend to keep to themselves for the most part. They’re not what you’d call gossipy. All I know is that they form a unique social class. One that operates under its own rules in certain regards. The other social classes appear willing to respect those rules. Something to do with a pact made during the First Generation. It’s all mixed up with a crazy western legend, I believe.”
    Sariana realized she was chewing on her lower lip, ready to burst into tears. Stay in control, she admonished herself. If she wasn’t very careful she would humiliate herself in front of Etion. She paced across the room and stared out the other window.
    “What do you know about this pact?”
    Etion sighed. “Again, not much. The locals don’t talk about it very much, but they seem to take it for granted. For a long time after I first heard about it I thought it was probably just another of their precious First Generation legends. You know how fond they are of them.”
    “I know,” Sariana said tightly. “Go on, Etion. Do you still think this business with the First Generation Pact is only a legend?”
    “If it is, it has the weight of law,” he said simply.
    “Law.” Sariana closed her eyes, fighting back panic. All her life she had been a law abiding citizen.
    “Sariana,” Etion said gently, “what