Book excerpt: An ancient betrayal echoes across time and space Boring—that’s what Marilyn thinks her family is. Completely, horribly normal. All except for her great-aunt Zenobia, a scandalously independent world traveler with the most exciting stories. Marilyn always looks forward to her spirited great-aunt’s visits, but this time, Zenobia seems to have something unusual on her mind. Marilyn can’t refuse when the obviously worried Zenobia asks her to hold on to something for safekeeping—a beautiful amulet found in the Egyptian desert, with a center stone so vivid and sparkling, it almost seems . . . alive. Suddenly Marilyn’s dreams turn dark as she’s tasked with a terrible mission: to keep whatever is inside the amulet from gaining its freedom—and with it, revenge. This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Bruce Coville including rare images from the author’s collection.