bothered to sit more than half an hour and this virtual stranger whom her sister called family sat all night in case the headache returned. No wonder Dana never came home. Not with people this welcoming and warm to stay for. Even the imposing Rekkus showed moments of softness her mother could not summon.
“Why are you crying?” Sage asked, concern marring her perfect brow. “Is the pain back?”
Shaking her head, she buried her face in the pillow. How could she overcome such sadness and the realization she had never been given motherly love?
Sage climbed into the bed and embraced Ashlynn, holding her tight and secure as she wept. When the sun came up, she slept, dreaming of a tall, dark man with skin the color of melted caramel, eyes the color of shamrocks in the Irish countryside, and hair of silken black.
She awoke refreshed, filled with a new vigor as if the world might not be a painful thing.
“You’re awake.” A whisper washed over her and the voice soothed her mind. “Shall I call Sage?”
“No, not yet. Who are you?” The curtains were closed, leaving the room drenched in forgiving darkness. She sat up, hesitant at first, surprised to find the woman at her side to assist.
She passed Ashlynn a glass tumbler. “Sage said you must drink this before you start your day. I’m Serena. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Are you another Rowan?”
“No, I am a staff member but at one time a guest, too.” Serena walked across the room, humming as she picked up a blanket which lay on the floor in a puddle of fabric.
“What’s the tune you are humming?”
“I didn’t mean to hum. I am so sorry.” Horror pinched the woman’s beautiful face.
“Please continue. It’s….” Searching for the right word, she bit her lip before deciding on, “Comforting.”
Serena smiled and hummed as she straightened the room. “Drink up and I’ll go draw you a bath.”
“What time is it?” The room had no clock. Considering the place ran on tight timetables for classes, Ashlynn had yet to see a clock.
Serena cocked her head to the side and stood stock-still. “Six, I would guess from the tides.”
Mid sip, Ashlynn stopped. The tides? Was everyone crazy here? Or perhaps the loony bin had been disguised as a resort. Focusing on her shake, she decided to roll with whatever came at her. After all, what did she have to lose? A slight knock on the door sounded, and Serena opened the door enough for the other woman to chat with whomever came to the door but not enough to allow the person to come in. Although she couldn’t tell whom she talked to, Serena apologized in hushed tones for something.
“Take a chill, girl.” Cyrus came into the room, removing his dark glasses and resting them on his head. She realized the last couple of times she had seen him he even had worn those glasses even at night. “I’m here at Sage’s bequest to check on her patient and see how your head is.”
“Much better this morning. I should thank you. Sage informed me you were the one who helped me back here last night.”
“It is the least I could do. Luckily, I happened to be close by when Shade rang the alarm.”
Crazy, sexy hunkman? “Shade?”
“Yes, he can sense when a soul’s in pain.”
“Soul?”
“Soul…person. It’s very much the same thing really.” Cyrus smiled, and she wondered why no modeling agency had ever picked this man up. Granted, all the men here were gorgeous, but something dark and mysterious made him a bit more dangerous. Even beautiful. “It occurred to Shade that part of your issue might be the lights.”
“But Trixie had no lights.”
“No, but she did say she had the class focus on the flames of a bonfire.” Oh, his smile would get anyone to agree. “We have created a special pair of glasses we think could help you.”
“Are they like yours?”
“No, why would you ask?”
“Well, you wear them all the time.”
Cyrus gave a sad smile. “It’s so my family doesn’t
“Why are you crying?” Sage asked, concern marring her perfect brow. “Is the pain back?”
Shaking her head, she buried her face in the pillow. How could she overcome such sadness and the realization she had never been given motherly love?
Sage climbed into the bed and embraced Ashlynn, holding her tight and secure as she wept. When the sun came up, she slept, dreaming of a tall, dark man with skin the color of melted caramel, eyes the color of shamrocks in the Irish countryside, and hair of silken black.
She awoke refreshed, filled with a new vigor as if the world might not be a painful thing.
“You’re awake.” A whisper washed over her and the voice soothed her mind. “Shall I call Sage?”
“No, not yet. Who are you?” The curtains were closed, leaving the room drenched in forgiving darkness. She sat up, hesitant at first, surprised to find the woman at her side to assist.
She passed Ashlynn a glass tumbler. “Sage said you must drink this before you start your day. I’m Serena. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Are you another Rowan?”
“No, I am a staff member but at one time a guest, too.” Serena walked across the room, humming as she picked up a blanket which lay on the floor in a puddle of fabric.
“What’s the tune you are humming?”
“I didn’t mean to hum. I am so sorry.” Horror pinched the woman’s beautiful face.
“Please continue. It’s….” Searching for the right word, she bit her lip before deciding on, “Comforting.”
Serena smiled and hummed as she straightened the room. “Drink up and I’ll go draw you a bath.”
“What time is it?” The room had no clock. Considering the place ran on tight timetables for classes, Ashlynn had yet to see a clock.
Serena cocked her head to the side and stood stock-still. “Six, I would guess from the tides.”
Mid sip, Ashlynn stopped. The tides? Was everyone crazy here? Or perhaps the loony bin had been disguised as a resort. Focusing on her shake, she decided to roll with whatever came at her. After all, what did she have to lose? A slight knock on the door sounded, and Serena opened the door enough for the other woman to chat with whomever came to the door but not enough to allow the person to come in. Although she couldn’t tell whom she talked to, Serena apologized in hushed tones for something.
“Take a chill, girl.” Cyrus came into the room, removing his dark glasses and resting them on his head. She realized the last couple of times she had seen him he even had worn those glasses even at night. “I’m here at Sage’s bequest to check on her patient and see how your head is.”
“Much better this morning. I should thank you. Sage informed me you were the one who helped me back here last night.”
“It is the least I could do. Luckily, I happened to be close by when Shade rang the alarm.”
Crazy, sexy hunkman? “Shade?”
“Yes, he can sense when a soul’s in pain.”
“Soul?”
“Soul…person. It’s very much the same thing really.” Cyrus smiled, and she wondered why no modeling agency had ever picked this man up. Granted, all the men here were gorgeous, but something dark and mysterious made him a bit more dangerous. Even beautiful. “It occurred to Shade that part of your issue might be the lights.”
“But Trixie had no lights.”
“No, but she did say she had the class focus on the flames of a bonfire.” Oh, his smile would get anyone to agree. “We have created a special pair of glasses we think could help you.”
“Are they like yours?”
“No, why would you ask?”
“Well, you wear them all the time.”
Cyrus gave a sad smile. “It’s so my family doesn’t
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