Past the Ages: Book Two by Rashelle Workman Page A

man in the images was more than just a man. Exactly what he was however, she didn’t know, but he seemed the embodiment of lust, a predator in need. The women symbolized the man’s desire. By the look on the man’s face it was apparent he wanted to do more than seduce the women, he wanted to consume them. The realization set Lucy on edge. What was worse, the man looked precisely like their host, Sebastian.
    She glanced at the duke uneasily before turning her gaze on the rest of the room. It was a spacious, with a fireplace, a pianoforte, much seating, and various tables.
    Lucy sipped her tea, admiring the flavor. Then she took a bite of the scone on her plate. It was light and buttery and delicious. She wanted to ask Sebastian if he would mind having his cook share the recipe.
    As they sat, they discussed all kinds of small, menial items like the weather and the ball that occurred earlier that evening. Eventually, the conversation lulled. Lucy guessed it was because they were tired. The grandfather clock chimed, telling the group it was three-thirty in the morning.
    Sebastian leaned forward, gazing at Harriet. “Well, I don’t think we can put this off any longer, Miss Harriet. Please share what you have found regarding the gods and the amulet.”
    Lucy set her cup and saucer on the side table and clasped her hands together nervously. What she really wanted was to be alone with Will so they could finally reunite the two halves of the amulet. According to Bastet it would allow them to be together without the need to travel back and forth in time. A quick look at her beloved told her he was anxious as well. 
    “Right.” Harriet opened the large book she’d placed on the table in front of her and flipped through the pages. Near the end, she stopped, removing the golden ribbon marking the spot. She cleared her throat. “See, right here in this book, it says that many millennia ago the sun god Ra created a child without a heart. He named her Bastet. As she grew, the other gods mocked her, bullied her, and made her into their plaything. Unable to take their torture any longer, she determined to make all others feel as she did. That meant destroying any and all romance. If a couple were in love, she conspired and schemed to break them up. One night, Ra threw a party for the god of darkness and chaos, Apep, and the goddess of love, Hathor. He celebrated their love as the greatest of all time. Furious with her father, Bastet vowed to destroy them both.”
    Lucy made a noise causing Harriet to pause and look up. “What is it?”
    “Will and I have met Bastet and Apep,” Lucy said. “As did all of you. Tonight. The gods you are speaking about are the same ones trapped inside the box.” She indicated the glass cube sitting on the coffee table between them.
    Stunned silence filled the room. They all nodded in understanding.
    “That explains a lot,” Dashel said, ending the quiet. He went to pick up the box, but Sebastian stopped him.
    “I wouldn’t do that. Without druid magic, the box will suck you in.”
    Dashel sat back. “Very well.” He crossed one leg over the other, doing his best not to show how much that knowledge unsettled him.
    “That wasn’t the first time Apep tried to kill us,” Will admitted. “Also, I’d love to discuss the details of the box sometime.” The last part he said to Sebastian.
    “There will be time to discuss it later.” Sebastian clasped his hands together in front of him. “Continue the story, draga. You were telling us of Hathor and Apep.”
      “Yes. Bastet spent millennia doing all she could to separate them. But it was all for naught until she discovered their secret: an amulet. Created by Hathor, it was used to keep Apep’s destructive nature in check. Without it he would return to the wrathful and chaotic god he’d been, destroying anyone in his path. So one night Bastet snuck into Apep and Hathor’s room while they slept, stole the amulet from Apep’s neck, and broke