Bane of Existence - Melissa El-Hajjar

Blamed for the death of his older brother and cast out by his father, Bane is running from his past. Addicted to a deadly drug and distrustful of others, he must learn to channel his gifts and overcome his faults if he wishes to be reunited with his brother and feel complete. From his haunting past to his attempts to make something of himself, Bane must learn what it means to be a Triace in a land that has shown him nothing but heartache.

Excerpt:

 Kel pushed himself out of the water and retrieved the towel. He used it to dry himself off before going to claim a second one for Bane. As he returned, Bane sat on the edge of the pool staring down at the swirling water. He didn't know what to make of Kel's silence or his insistent tone that implied the wounds were from him. Kel draped the towel over Bane's back and crouched down next to him. He pointed to his left arm, to the three deep gashes that were slowly healing, the ones that Bane had run his fingers over. "These are from that impromptu class that I called. When I demanded you stay in the yard and tell everyone what you had done…even though I had promised you before that I'd never do anything like that. When I left you there, punching trees didn't hurt enough."

Bane pulled his bottom lip in with his teeth and bit it until it hurt as he looked at the gashes. "And the other arm?" he asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"One for each day I got after you in class after that." Kel counted the four cuts on his right arm. "You wouldn't apologize," Kel said as tears began. "I thought if I scared you in front of your classmates…and then you just blurted everything out, accusing me…so I cut myself to feel more pain. And each day you pushed farther and farther away, I thought you were going to leave and find a new house." Kel closed his eyes, bringing a hand up to wipe away the tears that glistened on his cheeks. "We should go, or Lon will come looking to see if I've killed you."

"You wouldn't kill me, would you?" Bane asked cautiously, still fearful that if he said or did something wrong Kel would do just that.

"No. Never," Kel said, wrapping his arms yet again around Bane's body. Not waiting for a response from Bane, Kel kissed him—a hungry, seeking kiss that both startled and confused Bane. He struggled momentarily but Kel refused to allow him to pull away. When he finally surrendered to the action, the kiss softened. Kel smothered him with a multitude of smaller kisses that encircled his mouth, teasing at the corners of his lips, and then dipped back along his jaw line and down his neck. "I've been wanting to do that for the longest time," Kel murmured, releasing him.

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Author Bio:
Born among a flurry of snow in New England at the start of 1969, Melissa El-Hajjar has always been a quiet, imaginative person. Her love of fantasy began as a child where she dreamed of dragons and elves. As a teen she began writing, inspired by a teacher who told her to always follow her imagination. She has a degree in computer programming and even worked in the business for a while. At the turn of the millennia, she moved overseas with her three children and husband. There she returned to her writing, where she enjoys creating strong, intriguing characters that you want to become better acquainted with. She spends her days in her imagination, typing fervently at her laptop.