Shield's Lady

wharf.
    She reached the waterfront and heaved a sigh of relief. Dawn was still an hour away, but here and there vapor lamps provided enough light to see the outlines of the windriggers tied up to the docks. The sleek sailing ships creaked in the darkness and water slapped the pilings.
    Sariana saw no one as she made her way toward the nearest windrigger. She wondered how long she would have to wait before she found a captain willing to let her book passage.
    Sariana was making her way along a pier when the scarlet-toe hissed in her ear. She froze, aware that she was once more being stalked.
    Sariana whirled around, dropping the travel pouches and her cloak. A man loomed up out of the darkness. He wasn’t more than a few meters away from her. The wings of a short, hooded cape that shielded his features were pushed back over his shoulders, freeing his arms. In one hand he held an object Sariana knew must be a blade bow.
    This time there was no place to hide and she could not outrun a blade bow. She was trapped.
    “You have given us more trouble than we expected,” the man grated. “But it’s over now. You will come with me, woman, or I will put a blade through your throat. Come here.”
    Sariana darted toward the edge of the pier, seeking the dubious safety of the black water below. Anything was better than facing a blade bow. She saw the man’s hand lift higher as he swore viciously and took aim . She was never going to make it into the cold waters of the bay. She tried to scream, but no sound emerged from her tight throat.
    But in the next instant someone else started to scream. The man aiming the blade bow jerked violently and the sound was choked off. He started to turn toward the dark alley that separated two warehouses but he never made it. He was already falling. He toppled over the edge of the pier, clutching at his chest. There was a moment of horrifying silence and then a soft splash announced his entry into the water.
    Sariana swung her stunned gaze toward the alley just as Gryph stepped out into the pale glow of a vapor lamp. He was resealing the weapon kit as he strode toward her.
    A dizzying sense of relief swept through Sariana. Without a second’s hesitation she ran toward him.
    “Gryph Chassyn! By the Storm, you bastard, it’s about time you got here. This is all your fault, do you hear me? Twice I’ve nearly been robbed and murdered tonight. Twice. And it’s all your damn fault.”
    Gryph opened his arms and she flung herself against him. He absorbed the impact easily, locking her tightly into his strength.
    “I appreciate punctuality in a woman,” he grated into her hair as she buried her face against his shirt. “But you didn’t have to get to the wharf this early. We aren’t scheduled to sail for another hour.”
    In that moment Sariana gave up. She was literally shaking with relief. She buried herself in Gryph’s warmth, savoring his reassuring strength. There was no point running from him. A part of her would always be glancing back over her shoulder to see if he was following. She knew that with a deep certainty. For a long moment she clung to him and he held her without speaking, his arms hard and protective.
    “It would appear half of Serendipity was following me tonight,” Sariana finally muttered, pushing hair out of her eyes.
    “If you hadn’t convinced yourself that you had to try to escape me, you wouldn’t have gotten yourself into this mess.” Gryph took hold of her arm and started back along the pier to where she had dropped her travel pouches and cloak. “I want your word of honor you won’t pull another stunt like this, Sariana. By the time I realized you had left the villa, it was almost too late.”
    A large portion of her initial relief gave way to the more familiar sense of frustration. “Why should I promise you anything?”
    “Because I’m your husband and you owe me at least some measure of respect.”
    He picked up her travel pouches and handed her the cloak. The first tendrils of dawn lit his eyes as he looked down at her. Sariana saw his quietly implacable expression and wished she knew how to fight it. She was too tired to figure out what to do next. She had been through too much during the past few days.
    “How many times do I have to explain to you that I don’t consider myself married?” Sariana asked wearily as she put on her cloak. The scarlet-toe hopped around, adjusting itself until it was happily perched on the shoulder of the outer