Borrowed Ember by Samantha Young Page A

closed his eyes and bowed his head, remembering how it felt to have her in his arms. The softness of her skin, the brush of her gentle hands, the vanila scent that clung to her silky hair; the breathy sighs… her loving smiles.
    Her ‘I love you’s’.
    Longing coursed through Jai and it was dangerous. Dangerous and addictive and…
    Why can’t I say it back? He slanted a look at her out of the corner of his eye. She seemed steadier now as she addressed Michael Roe, Falon’s father and leader of the Roe Guild.
    Stil… why?
    You know why, a vicious voice whispered in his head.
    Nicki.
    Jai clenched his hands in to fists, forcing the memory back… the one memory that scarred him more than al the others…
    … His stepmother Nicki Bitar stood sneering at him, her arms folded over her chest, her manicured nails tapping ominously on her upper arm. It signaled
    violence. On her left stood her youngest Stephen. At ten years old he stood warily by his mother’s side. And on her right stood David, six years older than Jai. An eighteen year old man-boy. He was grinning at Jai with anticipation and bloodlust in his eyes.
    Nicki eyed the man holding him. Twenty year old Tarik whose strong hands were gripping him so tightly there was no way the much younger Jai could get
    out of his hold. “Don’t let him go, son. Stephen and David are going to take their turns punishing the boy for bruising David in training.”
     
    Jai pulled again at the arms gripping his. “We were training!” he yelled indignantly.
    “Really, mom.” Tarik sighed. “If David let’s himself get taken unawares by a twelve year old, he deserves the bruise. Can we just let this go?”
    Nicki’s eyes flashed in outrage. “No! If you love me, you will stay and see the boy punished.”
    “Fine. Let’s get this over with. I have a life you know.”
    “Stephen,” Nicki pushed her youngest forward. “You first.”
    Eyeing his half-brother with something akin to horror, Stephen shook his head and turned to look back at Nicki. “Mom, do I have to?”
    “Yes,” she hissed. “I told you he’s a bad boy. He deserves this.”
    “But I don’t want to.”
    “For the love of…” David sighed and stepped forward, taking a grip of his younger brother’s wrist. He tugged him roughly over to Jai and guided his
    hand back before cracking it across Jai’s face. The sting of the smack flared up his left cheek and he closed his eyes, feeling the heat follow in its wake.
    “See!” David smirked. “Now do it yourself but this time punch him. If you don’t… I’ll punch you.”
    When no rebuke came from his mother, Stephen turned back to Jai with tears in his eyes. He punched out but it barely grazed Jai’s chin.
    “That was pathetic,” David snarled. “Get out of the way.” He shoved Stephen aside and drew back his fist.
    It caught Jai in the cheek and sent him careening back in Tarik’s arms. The eldest immediately let him fall, his head cracking against the black and white checkered flooring. As the kicks and punches rained down on his body, Jai sent his mind to another place, to a sparkling ocean and sandy beach where no
    one else was around, where he could feel no pain and no torment. It was his place whenever the abuse got violent.
    “Enough!” Jai heard Tarik growl through the ringing in his ears. He eased open his right eye since his left was swelling shut and saw Tarik nodding at his mother as he wiped blood from his knuckles. “Father will be angry if we go too far.”
    Jai tensed with hope – hope that it was over – and he rolled a little, catching Stephen’s eye. The young boy blanched and turned to his mother. “I think Tarik’s right, mom.”
    In response Nicki shoved Stephen towards the door. “Get out,” she snapped. “All of you. Out.”
    As soon as the boys left, Nicki glanced back at Jai. Her lip curled in disgust as she strode carefully towards him. “Is that what you think, boy? You think Luca actually cares if you