Can't Look Back (War for Dominance Book 1) (23 page)

The following is an

Chasing the Past

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Chris Kennedy

Available from Chris Kennedy Publishing

Summer, 2015

eBook and Paperback

Excerpt from “Chasing the Past:”

Although there was no source of illumination that could be seen, the end of the tunnel stood out as the companions approached. The tunnel ended in a flat stone wall, into which the outline of a doorway was carved. The floor directly in front of the doorway was stone in a three-foot square, with a six-inch band of metal that surrounded the block in a large “U.” A metal plate stood out from the front of the doorway at what would be eye level for a gnome or halfling or at a human’s waist. In the plate were five depressions in the shape of a right hand’s fingerprints.

Dantes moved to the side of the tunnel and made a sweeping motion with his hand toward the door. “It’s all yours, ‘Unchosen,’” he said with a smirk.

John glared at him, but walked past him to the doorway. As he stepped onto the square stone area in front of the doorway, it depressed slightly with an audible ‘click.’ John froze where he was. “Did everyone else hear that?” he asked.

“Aye, laddie,” said Fitzber, who got down on his hands and knees to look at the floor more closely. “It sounded like a trap arming.”

“What should I do?” asked John. “Step back off it?”

“That is the last thing I’d be doing,” said Fitzber. “Right now, your weight is holding the trigger down; if you get off, it will activate.”

“So what do I do?”

“Isn’t it fairly obvious?” asked Father Telenor
.
“What do you suppose that plate is for?”

“Oh, I see,” John said, turning back to the wall. He reached out to the metal plate with his right hand. He noticed that his fingers were shaking. Timidly, John placed a finger in each of the depressions.

He vanished.

“Where did he go?” asked Lady Ellyn.

“I think he’s still there,” replied Ghorza, holding out her hands. “Some sort of force field just sprang up that is blocking our sight of him. I could feel it come into being. It’s like when an air mage casts a Wall of Force spell.” She leaned forward on it, and the invisible wall supported her weight. “The metal band on the floor is projecting it, but I don’t know what purpose it serves.”

“If we can’t see him, it also probably blocks his ability to see us,” Dantes observed. “If he can’t see us, we can’t help him. His success or failure is riding on his abilities, alone.”

“I don’t think he’s ready,” Ghorza said. “He’s only done a couple of the cantrips once. What if he can’t remember one of them or gets it wrong?”

“I would imagine that he dies,” said Dantes. “Probably the rest of us, too.”

The companions heard another ‘click,’ and then Ghorza fell forward as the force field dissipated. Off balance, she stumbled all the way to the wall across the empty stone block.

John was gone.

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An Amazon Top 30 Science Fiction author and speaker, Chris Kennedy is a former aviator with over 3,000 hours flying attack and reconnaissance aircraft for the United States Navy, including many missions supporting U.S. Special Forces. Chris is currently working as an Instructional Systems Designer for the Navy.

Chris' full length novels on Amazon include the "Occupied Seattle" military fiction duology and "The Theogony" science fiction trilogy. Chris also wrote "Chasing a Spectre," a short story that is the prequel for "Can't Look Back," and the "War for Dominance" fantasy trilogy. Chris is currently working on "Chasing the Past," the second War for Dominance fantasy novel and "The Search for Gram," the fourth book set in the Theogony universe.

“Red Tide: The Chinese Invasion of Seattle” – Available Now

“Occupied Seattle” – Available Now

“Janissaries: Book One of The Theogony” – Available Now

“When the Gods Aren’t Gods: Book Two of The Theogony” – Available Now

“Terra Stands Alone: Book Three of The Theogony” – Available Now

“Can’t Look Back: Book One of the War for Dominance” – Available Now

“The Search for Gram: Book One of the Codex Regius” – Available Soon

“Chasing the Past: Book Two of the War for Dominance” – Available Soon

“Indie Publish Your Way to Wealth” – Available Soon

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