Shield's Lady

strength and willpower just to stay on his feet. He hoped the Dayne woman didn’t notice the effort it cost him.
    “Gryph Chassyn,” Sariana repeated thoughtfully, as if tasting the name. “Well, Gryph, let me tell you about the business deal we would like to present to you.”
    Gryph winced as pain shot through his head. He made his way slowly over to the center of the curving stone table so that he was directly opposite Sariana. Then he braced himself with one hand on the polished surface. He tried to make the movement nonchalant, but the truth was he was afraid he would wind up back on the floor if he didn’t use the table for support. He looked steadily at Sariana who was sitting just out of reach. His weapon kit was sitting just out of reach, also.
    “First tell me what you put in my ale.”
    Before Sariana could open her mouth to answer, another voice spoke up. A small, miserable, infinitely contrite little voice.
    “It was a mistake,” the young Avylyn female cried. “It wasn’t my idea. I certainly didn’t mean to hurt you. Aunt Perla’s concoction was only supposed to, uh, relax you slightly.”
    Slowly Gryph turned his head and glanced at the young woman. For the first time he focused on the other people at the table. His eyes narrowed with lazy menace as he recognized the beautiful blond who was gazing at him with such a stricken expression.
    “Ah, yes,” he said blandly, “the tavern wench. I seem to recall your name was Mara. I owe this headache to you?”
    “It was all her idea,” Mara blurted, pointing the tip of her jeweled fan at Sariana.
    Gryph nodded and turned back to face Sariana. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.” He drummed his fingers lightly on the tabletop in a gesture of barely suppressed annoyance. “My own fault,” he muttered. “I must have seen the bottom of too many ale glasses by the time Mara the sexy tavern wench sat down at my table. I was careless.”
    “About our business proposition,” Sariana continued in a brisk tone.
    “What about it?” Gryph eyed his weapon kit and wondered if he was up to making a quick grab for it. The heaviness that gipped his muscles was fading, but not very rapidly. Whatever had been put into his ale had probably mixed with the alcohol already in his bloodstream and created a strong drugging effect. Given the small differences between a Shield’s physical reactions and those of other people, it was predictable that the drug hadn’t worked quite as planned.
    Sariana spoke quickly. “A certain valuable object has been stolen from the Avylyns. We wish to engage you to get it back for us.”
    Gryph glanced at her, considering. “Why didn’t you just ask me straight out if I wanted a job? Why the drug routine?”
    Sariana sighed. There was regret in her eyes but her voice didn’t falter. “We sent three messages to the apartments you are renting. You chose to ignore all three.”
    “You were behind those stupid little notes requesting a business meeting?” he asked in astonishment. If he’d known she’d been the author of those very formal, very elegant, very arrogant notes he would have been at the Avylyns’ front door immediately.
    “Yes, as a matter of fact, I was,” Sariana replied. “Now, as I was saying, if you hadn’t ignored them—”
    “I ignored them,” Gryph said calmly, “because I’m not looking for a job at the moment.”
    Bryer spoke up, his curiosity getting the better of his nervousness. “Then why are you here? Shields rarely spend much time in Serendipity or any other town unless they’re looking for a job.”
    “Or a wife,” Gryph reminded him.
    The Avylyns stared at him.
    “I wondered if that might be your reason,” Lady Avylyn said quietly. She looked uneasily at her daughter.
    Gryph could have told her not to worry about her precious Mara. He had absolutely no interest in the young woman. She might have made an amusing bed partner for one night, but she was not a potential Shieldmate. He had known that as soon as she had sat down across from him and asked him to buy her a glass of ale. He’d already had a fair amount to drink and he had given up his search for the evening. Under such circumstances, Mara had appeared temporarily interesting.
    Sariana was paying no attention to the undercurrents in the room. She seemed unaware of the Avylyns’ new source of anxiety as she plunged ahead with her business proposition. Gryph had to admire her perseverance. And her tongue. The