In the realm of Ahura, there are two lands, one of light and one of dark. The land of light is where the mountain lay, and near its top is where the Zoroastrians dwell. They are the people of the land, and the chosen Twelve are their most powerful leaders and protectors. It is a beautiful sight, not like anything in mortal existence. The peak stretches up toward a sky of amber and blue. During certain hours, a purple hue explodes along the skyline, stretching out into the distance of one side of the mountain, extending farther than the eye can grasp. This is a constant. Never without light.

... You make me feel as if I am a bird soaring in the sky. When you are not with me, I am bound to the ground.' He touched her soft cheek. 'I want you to marry me, Ruby. Will you?

Cupid had struck his heart to the core but had forgotten to put even a mere scratch on his beloved's.

Lucy saw the delighted expressions of the guests and knew they looked like something out an Austen movie. Well, at least Jem did. She giggled a little and cleared her throat. “Something funny?” he murmured out of the corner of his mouth. “Just thinking how you’re just like Captain Wentworth and I’m just like Tina Turner.

The party was at its peak and everyone was taking full advantage of the moment. Each lady had her eye on a certain marked beau. Elegant women conversed with eligible men, handsome and well bred. Ruby felt sorry for the under-endowed ladies and plain girls, who stood together in a small group with their mothers. Passing by the conniving little circle, she heard too clearly the strategies they had concocted. They were like vultures hunting for rotten meat. Mothers sent out their girls to meet the wealthiest and nearly deceased men of the ton.

He gave a nod. 'My future lies in your hands.' 'Not your future, Gerard, but the path leading to it,' she suggested.

He rolled his neck, as if to relieve the stress of his shoulders. 'Your body is encased in a strong spell. It will not open up to me,' he said in frustration. 'Who guards you?

It was quite apparent that he'd been bestowed all the charms of any handsomely clad rake. A demeanor to match, Ruby thought.

He had accessorized his life with everything but paternal instinct.

There he was, her confidant—strong, solid, and unbending.