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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."Advertisement

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

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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." pqdm.com