Across the Ages (Across the Ages Book One) (17 page)

TWENTY-SEVEN

SON OF BASTET

THE LANDSCAPE
was barren. Holes, large and small, pockmarked the ground. Lucy walked and walked, searching for something that would explain where she was. With every step, dust danced in the air. A quick glance down allowed her to see she was wearing her nightdress. She checked to make sure the locket was still around her neck.

“Hello,” she called. It echoed. “Is anyone there?”

“Lucy, so nice of you to come.” Bastet materialized in front of Lucy.

“Where am I?” Lucy asked.

“You’re on the moon. This is where I reside.”

Lucy remembered Bastet telling her that she was the moon. She examined her surroundings with new eyes.
Of course,
she thought.

Bastet took hold of the locket. She opened it. Lucy wanted to stop her but her arms wouldn’t cooperate.

“I implore you not to touch my locket.”

“You need to find the other half. The pieces must be returned to each other.”

Lucy shook her head. “I can’t. I’m being held prisoner by a man named Mihos.”

Bastet frowned. “I’ll take care of Mihos. He thinks he’s protecting me, but he’s wrong. I do not need his protection.”

Lucy remembered where she’d seen his name. “Mihos is your son.”

“Technically that’s correct. I gave birth to him.”

“He’ll listen to you?” Lucy asked.

“Of course he will. He won’t have a choice.” She turned away. “Follow me.”

***

Lucy opened her eyes. Light filtered into the cave from somewhere, shining on the bones that surrounded them. It was daytime. The lions were gone. Her head rested against Will’s shoulder.

“You awake?” Will said softly.

“Yes.” She lifted her head. “Sorry.”

Will smiled sadly. “It was the least I could do.” He tried to stand, but the cage shook.

Lucy glanced down, expecting to see the sandy floor. Instead she saw that they were hanging above the chasm. She grabbed onto Will’s shirtsleeve. “I’m frightened.”

Will wrapped his arms around her. “It’s okay. We’re going to be fine.” His voice sounded scratchy.

Lucy nodded, studying his face. “Are you sick,” she asked.

“No, but I am thirsty. Do you have any water left?”

“Yes. Of course,” Lucy said, opening her pack.

She took the canteen out. It was more than half full. She handed it to him. “Drink as much as you’d like.”

“Thanks.” He took a long drink from the canteen.

Lucy nodded. “Have you been awake all night?” She readjusted, trying not to move the cage.

Will gave her a strange look. “I’ve been awake the past two nights.”

“What? How long have I been asleep?” She checked her watch. It showed time and the date. It said seven thirty in the morning, but the date had to be wrong. How had she slept nearly two days and two nights? That seemed impossible. She thought about her dream. She’d spoken to Bastet, then followed her around the moon while the goddess spoke. About what she wasn’t sure. The details were just out of reach of her mind. “I’m so very sorry, Will. Why didn’t you wake me?”

Will’s features turned grave. “I tried. Several times.” He shook his head, “You wouldn’t wake up.” His blue eyes darkened. He looked away, glancing at the darkness below. “I thought you were dead. You didn’t have a pulse. At least not that I could find.”

She squeezed him tighter. Going against all propriety, she rested her head against his shoulder again. “I’m sorry I had you worried.”

Will tightened his grip. “You don’t need to be sorry. I shouldn’t have allowed—” As he spoke the ground began to rumble. Bones tumbled from the piles. Those on the floor danced. Below Will and Lucy the floor filled up with lava. The heat burned. Red cinders flew into their cage.

“What’s happening?”

Five lions entered the cave. Each held a limp body in its mouth. The one in the middle had Abasi. Lucy recognized his clothes. One of his shoulders dangled at an odd angle and one of his feet was missing. The other men were just as ragged. Like dolls that’d seen too much playtime.

Lucy wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. Will wrapped his arms around her. “It’s okay. We’re going to be okay.”

Lucy knew he didn’t mean it. There was no way they were going to get out of this alive. Their end was near.

The lion carrying Abasi walked over to the chasm and dropped Abasi’s body into the boiling lava. She watched as he was consumed. The smell of burnt flesh reached Lucy’s nose. Her stomach roiled. She pushed away from Will and retched until her stomach muscles hurt and the tears in her eyes had dried.

Will knelt beside her and massaged her back.

“I do not wish to die, Will. I’m not ready. I just found you.” Tears of anguish dripped through the bars. Kneeling on the bars hurt, but she was too afraid to move.

She heard tearing and the clink of Will opening the canteen. Then she felt a cool cloth against the back of her neck. “Can’t you use your amulet to return to your time?”

She didn’t know for certain. “How many days have I been in your time?” 

He smiled sadly. “Time’s up for you and it’s looking like for me as well. Perhaps I shouldn’t have taken all those curses so lightly.”

“You aren’t cursed, Will,” she said firmly.

The cage started to lower, the chain making a clinking sound as it moved.

Lucy reached for Will. Her fingers against his skin felt funny.

“Stop,” someone shouted.

Lucy saw Bastet standing in the flames. “Do not do this, Mihos. These souls aren’t yours to take.” The flames dissipated.

“Go away, Mother. I’ll have my souls.” Mihos appeared in front of her.

That’s where I heard the name,
Lucy thought, watching the scene unfold. Their cage was still moving down. They only had seconds before the lava consumed them.

“I will not go away and I cannot allow you to destroy these two.” She glanced up and the cage stopped moving.

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced down at her hands. They were fading in and out. She was going back to her time.

But Will? I can’t leave him,
her mind screamed. At that moment something occurred to her. She glanced at Will. His focus was on Mihos and Bastet. The gods were battling each other. Mihos sent his lions after his mother and blue light shot from the tip of his staff as he aimed it at her. Bastet threw stars at Mihos as she dodged the blue light and the lions by running along the walls and across the ceiling.

“Two can play at that game, Mother,” Mihos screeched.

Lucy turned her attention back to the locket. She would give her idea a try. “Will,” she said softly.

He turned.

“Good-bye.” She leaned in, pressed a kiss to his cheek. It was bold, but it felt right. 

He grabbed hold of her, wrapped her in his arms tightly. “Lucy, I’ve fallen for you. I don’t want you to go.”

She gave him a sad smile. “And I’ve fallen for you, Will Godwin.” Her plan would work. It had to. “I’ll see you soon.”

SECTION THREE

TWENTY-EIGHT

LORD GODWIN

LUCY SHIVERED.
Her grandmother’s gravesite loomed in front of her. The ghost of her grandmother was still just visible. A smile lit her face. “You went, didn’t you,” she asked Lucy.

“Yes. I met him, Grandmother. And Grandfather too. You were right.” Lucy shivered in the cold.

“I knew it. You’ll have many, many years of…” The smile on her Grandmother’s face faded. “Where’s the locket, Lucy?” Her grandmother was gone.

Lucy glanced down. The locket was gone too. Her plan had to work. If it did, she’d see him at any moment.

“Lucy,” a male voice called.

“I knew it,” she said, running toward the person walking toward her. It was hard to make him out because of the swirling fog, but it had to be him. “Will,” she shouted, joy bubbling up inside her. She didn’t even care that he’d see her in her nightdress again.

“Who’s Will,” Dashel asked, stopping her in front of him.

“Oh.” A lump climbed through her chest and blocked her throat. She spun out of his hands and searched the graveyard. The locket had brought her to Will. Surely it would bring Will to her as well. “Will,” she called as she ran. She heard Dashel chasing after her.

“Will! Will! Where are you?” He had to be here. He’d said he’d fallen for her. He’d said he didn’t want her to go. Theirs was true love. “Will!”

Dashel caught up to her. He grabbed her shoulders, stopping her. “Stop, you’re dreaming.”

Lucy knew this wasn’t a dream. It was a nightmare. Why hadn’t he come? She fell to her knees. “Will. Will.” She said his name over and over. Even when Dashel picked her up in his arms and carried her home. She didn’t stop even when her mother and father tried talking to her. Nor did she stop when Harriet tucked her into bed. It wasn’t until Ellen coaxed her into drinking some laudanum and she fell asleep that his name left her lips.

***

For the next several days Lucy spent all of her time in bed. She was sick at heart and couldn’t eat. Harriet finally convinced her to have some tea and toast and read her grandmother’s journals. Lucy reluctantly agreed to both and by the third journal and the fourth or fifth cup of tea, Lucy was positive there was still hope.

She began eating again. She took care of herself. Dressed for visits with Dashel and for supper. It was difficult going back to her life in eighteen fifteen. Changing into a different dress for every occasion. Relieving herself in a chamber pot. Bathing in water that became cold after a few minutes. But doing so kept her mind focused.

There’s still a chance,
she told herself again and again as the days past.

On the eve of the first quarter moon, she’d tucked herself in the drawing room. Her mother and father had gone out for the evening with Dashel and his parents. Lucy had declined, saying she still wasn’t fully recovered. Her brother and sister, Ellen and Beaumont, had gone to bed.

Lucy sat near the window. Every once in a while her gaze drifted to the moon, its half circle glowing brightly in the sky.

Soon,
she thought.

As it neared midnight, she heard a soft knock at the door. Lucy dropped the book and stood. She ran to the entryway. 

“Harriet, answer the door,” she called.

“But Miss, it’s too late.”

“Answer the door. Immediately.”

“Yes’m.” Her lady’s maid trotted to the door.

Lucy smoothed back her hair, pinched her cheeks, and straightened her dress.

Harriet pulled the door open. “May I help you?”

“Is Miss Channing available?”

“Miss Channing isn’t entertaining visitors, sir.” 

Lucy nearly tripped over her feet as she made her way forward. If the one person she’d been waiting for, the man who had opened her heart, and lit her up inside were at the door, then she most certainly was entertaining.

Harriet stepped back about to close the door.

“Please. I need to see her.” Lucy heard the urgency in his voice.

Lucy’s heart leapt into her throat. Butterflies danced in her belly. He wore trousers tucked into boots that stopped at the knees, a white shirt with ruffles spilling down the front and a navy blue jacket. His blue eyes shone with nervous happiness when they met hers. She sucked in her breath. He was okay. He’d survived Egypt. Around his neck hung her locket.

Lucy clasped her hands over her heart and began to laugh and cry at the same time.

Harriet gasped. “You’ve upset my lady. Leave and don’t—”

He took a step inside.

“Will.”

“Good evening, Miss Channing.” He gave her his amazing lop-sided grin.

THE END OF BOOK ONE

Coming in 2015

PAST THE AGES

(Across the Ages, book #2)

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M
any thanks for reading ACROSS THE AGES. I hope you enjoyed meeting Lucy and going through her experiences with her.

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Thanks again!

Sincerely,

RaShelle Workman