Sci-Fi / Fantasy
Date Published: 09-18-2024
Publisher: Bright Communications
WOULD YOU SACRIFICE AN ENTIRE CITY TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE?
A massive explosion rips through the outdoor seating area of a popular
restaurant in downtown Trondheim. Two days later, fourteen people are found
dead in a church along a remote section of coastline. The souls of the
victims have been ripped from their bodies. Moments later a spirit from the
Otherworlds steps through the Black Void to find the ancient relic that
killed them.
On a secluded island in the Arctic Circle, a troubled man sees a world that
has lost its way and feels compelled to change that. He plans to wield the
formidable power of a mysterious artifact to reshape the moral fabric of
eight billion unsuspecting souls—knowing that his actions will wipe
out the inhabitants of an entire city.
David Skye and Jade “Epiphany” Hendrix set out to stop him and
save the lives that would be lost if he were to succeed. Their efforts to do
that are complicated by Kari Salversen, a dedicated police detective with
the Norwegian Police Service. She believes David and Epiphany are involved
in a recent string of deadly attacks and is determined to apprehend
them.
A reckoning of souls is quickly approaching, as the battle for humanity
unfolds in the snowy, arctic fjords of Norway, and the vast spirit realms of
the Otherworlds. The possibility of a peaceful future for billions of souls
and the lives of tens of thousands of innocent people are both at stake. In
a clash that pits two opposing sides against each other, which one is on the
more righteous path?
EXCERPT
Anders noticed a big man with a beard and long hair enter the café. He looked like some kind of lumberjack. The guy had a backpack slung over his shoulder and was walking toward the booth in which Anders was sitting. The lumberjack stopped next to his booth. His physical size and muscular build presented an imposing figure. When the man sat down across the table from Anders, it surprised the hell out of him. There was something about his dark, penetrating eyes, the way they locked onto his. Anders tried to look away, to break the stare, but he couldn’t.
“We have important things to discuss, Anders,” the man said.
“How do you know my name?” Anders asked curtly. He leaned forward and whispered, “Are you with the Brotherhood?”
“I knew you’d be here this morning, and I also know the police have a warrant for your arrest. They don’t like what you and your Brotherhood stand for.”
“Who are you? What do you want from me?” Anders asked gruffly.
“My name is Asgeir. I have a mission for you—one that will raise your standing within the ranks of your Brotherhood. You do something for me, and I’ll keep the police away from you.” Asgeir reached his right hand across the table.
Anders felt the warmth of the man’s hand as it gripped his left forearm. But no, it wasn’t warmth. It was something different, like electricity almost, a sensation that flowed into the base of his skull and permeated his thoughts. It felt as if the inside of his head was charged with a pulsing electrical current. A normal Anders Gustason would never have allowed a complete stranger to get this familiar, to invade his personal space, to make physical contact. Ever! He wanted to do something about it. His blood was beginning to boil. The muscles in his arms tensed. But all he could manage was to sit there—quiet, motionless.
The electric sensation at the base of Anders’s skull intensified. His thoughts were slowly blanketed in a silky haze. The noise in the café—the sound of espresso machines, clanking coffee cups, people’s idle chatter—became a dull blur of indiscernible background noise. Anders stared into the eyes of the man sitting across the table from him. Never once did the man move his lips, yet Anders heard the man’s words inside his head loudly and clearly.
“I have a mission for you. Two people will come in here later today. They represent the things you hate the most about the direction this country is taking. I am giving you the chance to stand up and take your country back from the hands of people like this, Anders. This is your chance to be a hero, to be the spear of the Gods.” A deluge of hatred and violence flooded the inner reaches of Anders’s mind like a tidal surge, latching on to his darkest of thoughts, the kind that are buried deep, never to be entertained.
Anders slowly came out of the fog that had clouded his mind. He looked down at the table. Various nicks, scratches, and coffee stains all blurred into an obscure collage. The words that had filled his head stayed with him for a moment. They were all he could focus on, resonant, deep, and so very clear. The cloudy rumble of background noise came whooshing back to crystal clarity, the clanking of coffee cups, the sound of espresso machines, the idle chatter. The miasma that had clouded his thoughts receded. Anders looked up. The seat across from him was empty. He didn’t remember seeing the big man leave. What was his name? He couldn’t remember it. The electric hum that filled his head had dissipated.
Anders looked at the backpack on the seat next to him. The man had left it for him with specific instructions on what to do with it. Anders stood, hefted the backpack over his right shoulder, and exited the coffee shop. He paused to breathe in the cold morning air. The names and images of the two people he’d come back for were etched into his brain. Anders Gustason had clarity. He knew exactly what he needed to do.
About the Author
Harrison Edwards lives in eastern Pennsylvania with his wife and their
black Lab, Deacon. Harrison’s writing is a blend of science fiction
and urban fantasy. Subject matter for his stories comes from deep interests
in science, technology, and mythology. When he’s not compiling and
developing ideas for future novels, you can find him composing original
works of contemporary instrumental music for his next CD release.
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