Free Shield's Lady by Jayne Ann Krentz Page B

was pushed off a high cliff. He fell into a deep mountain lake and was drowned. His body was never recovered."
        Gryph decided not to mention the more mundane fact that many Shields had been privately relieved to learn that the valiant Targyn had met his end in a suitably noble fashion. Had he lived, it was felt, Targyn might have proved to be a problem. The man had not been completely sane. Gryph was more relieved than most when Targyn met his glorious end. He'd had a sneaking hunch that the Council of the Shields was seriously considering sending him out to get rid of Targyn. But there was no need to mess up the great legend Gryph was relating to Luri with that minor detail.
        "Tell me about his last battle," Luri urged. But the boy's plea was cut off as the grand doors of the main hall were opened by a household attendant in response to thundering chimes.
        A drenched Sariana stood on the doorstep, futilely trying to wring out the hem of her long narrow skin. Her clothes were plastered to her, revealing the soft, gentle curves of her slender frame. She looked up apologetically as the attendant exclaimed in dismay and urged her into the hall.
        "My fault, Letta. I misjudged the weather again."
        "My Lady, you're drenched." The stout, older woman fussed around Sariana, getting her inside and shutting the doors behind her. Then Lena turned to regard Sariana with an admonishing expression. "When win you learn that you must always take a rainscreen with you during the summer months in Serendipity? By the Lightstorm, just look at you. You're soaked to the skin. You must go and change immediately."
        "Yes, Letta, I think I'll do exactly that." Sariana started quickly across the wide hall, peeling off her tight jacket as she went. "You'd think I'd have teamed my lesson about trusting the weather around here months ago," she added just under her breath.
        Gryph heard the remark. "What's the matter, Sariana?" he asked as she strode, dripping, toward where he stood with Luri. "Still having trouble with a few of the local customs? Isn't our weather tame enough for you?"
        "No, it is not," Sariana snapped, clearly annoyed at finding him in her path. She glowered at him as she pushed wet hair back off her face. "Your weather is frequently as outrageous, unpredictable and contrary as - " She saw Luri and stopped talking immediately.
        "As the people who live here?" Gryph finished helpfully. "You'll have to forgive us. Sometimes it's hard to figure out exactly, what an easterner wants, let alone what she needs."
        He kept his voice pleasant so as not to upset Luri, but he knew Sariana was well aware of the expression in his eyes. He also knew it alarmed her slightly. He nodded, satisfied. At this point he would settle for making any impression at all on her, even if it wasn't the best. She had been going out of her way to avoid him for the past two days. It irked Gryph, because he had made up his mind to be on his best behavior around her. She seemed determined not to give him any chance at all to impress her. It was impossible to court a woman who went down another hallway in order to avoid greeting him.
        "Don't waste your valuable time trying to figure out what I want or what I need, Shield," Sariana advised as she made to step around him. "We're not paying you for that particular service. Speaking of your services," she added firmly, "I will expect a progress report from you tomorrow morning. Meet me in my office after breakfast."
        "You do have a way of putting a man in his place, Sariana," Gryph made himself say smoothly.
        "Some men need to have their proper place explained to them. Now if you will excuse me, I would like to go to my rooms." She glanced down and her voice softened miraculously. She broke into a dazzling smile. "Why, hello, Luri. What have you got there?"
        Luri thrust the golden cage toward her. "It's a present for you,