What is Rainbow Snippets? Click on the rainbow to be transported to the Snippet page on Facebook. There you will find links to many wonderful places where you will be teased and tormented by snippets from many wonderful works. This is mine.

This is an exciting time for me. On 29th November we will be revealing the new cover for Book II and on 6th December Book III will be released.,So this is the last snippet from Book II. .Next week you’ll have a snippet from Book III

Book II Fighting the Man

This is the current cover

Blurb

Silver has been freed from sexual slavery and settled down with River, who adores his lover and former patient, yet cracks begin to form when the stress of constantly having to care for Silver, start to tell on River. When River’s parents die, leaving him to care for his 12 year old brother, at first, it seems the introduction of the lively twelve year old into the mix will to do them all the world of good. However, when spiteful relatives involve Social Services, the added stress on the papered over cracks threatens to tear them all apart.

Faced with the dilemma of keeping either Ben or Silver at home and sending the other to stay with Sam, a personal friend, River chooses responsibility for his brother over his love and concern for Silver. Things come to a head when a series of misunderstandings lead Silver to believe River doesn’t love him anymore and that everyone is secretly ashamed of him because of his past. After running away, Silver reasons the only place he can fit in is with his own kind and he sets out to search of a new “home.”

At the Theatre de la Vie he meets Tony, a club owner with big ideas, who ‘looks after’ a group of young men who dance and “entertain” patrons of the club. There, among others, Silver finds Ariel, an ephemeral little minx with a knack for getting into trouble, and Asher, a former sex slave like Silver. In Asher, he finds a kindred spirit and soon, finds himself falling for the beautiful, broken boy.

Together, Ariel and Asher show Silver a whole new way of looking at the world, a transformation echoing in the sleeping chrysalis of his soul, and soon his inner self emerges as the beautiful butterfly he was always meant to be. Yet as happy as he is with his new friends, Silver eventually realises his heart lies with River and intends to return to his side, but a shadows of his abusive past return to threaten both a possible reunion and the new friends who would protect Silver.
In this snippet, (which is  more than 6 sentences, but there’s nowhere in the book that I can take a sensible six sentence snippet from I’m afraid) Silver talks to the boys of Theatre De La Vie about his past and the conclusions he’s reached after some soul searching.

“I love River very much and, in the beginning he loved me too. I stayed with him and he took care of me until I was strong again. He tried to make me whole, part of his world, but I couldn’t be what he wanted me to be. I couldn’t be part of his world because his world is cold to people like me. In the end even he was ashamed of me, of what I am.

“So here I came here. I don’t know who I am anymore. I don’t know where I belong. I just know that I am scared and lonely and I… I don’t know what to do.”

There is a stunned silence and I can’t look at them. I am afraid of what I will see in their eyes when I do.

A soft voice speaks and makes me jump half out of my skin.

“You have nothing to be ashamed of. I can tell you the person you are. You are the strongest person I have ever met, the most beautiful. You went through something that was meant to take away from you everything you were, everything you are. They tried to break you, to make you something less than human, to take away your soul.

“With most people they succeed. Most people who have been through what you have are never quite able to be… whole. There are scars that never heal. The welts on your back and the marks of the cuffs disappear with time but the wounds to your soul… I have never seen anyone who has come through that ordeal with their humanity completely intact. I didn’t.” Asher is speaking quietly, but his words are very clear. The silence stretches and their eyes widen. I can look at them now because they are not staring at me anymore. I feel strong, when I look at him. I feel brave, because he is brave, because I am not alone.

“You have wounds, but they will heal. They will heal because you have never lost your soul. You are strong because you can allow yourself to be weak. You can fight for those you care for and, if you can stand up to the person you looked on as your Master, you can stand up to anyone. You are your own person. You’ve broken your chains. You have done more than I have, than I ever will.”

Asher’s eyes are very bright but I know he will not cry. He won’t ever cry, not with them. I can see it now, the thing that broke, that can never be mended.

“You have earned the right to be whoever you want to be. But… if you ask me, I think you should be Silver. Not just because it suits you so well but because Silver is not the person who was born when Matthew died, not like… not like…” He stops, as his voice cracks, and shakes his head. Then he looks me in the eyes and smiles. “Silver is the person Matthew grew into and he is the person who will continue to grow.”

For a moment, there is absolute silence, then all hell breaks loose. Suddenly, I am grabbed and taken into such a hug, my sore ribs scream in protest and I am left gasping for breath. Then another hug, more gentle, and a kiss on the cheek. And then more. I find I am shaking. I can barely keep my feet. My head is spinning and I’m not sure what it all means but I am sure of one thing- a hole that has been there inside me, ever since I first stepped out of the darkness of my mind, is filled.

I am overwhelmed and the room spins around me. My ribs still hurt, making it difficult to breathe and I feel as if I am going to pass out. And then there are arms around me, gently drawing me close, to rest my hot cheek against a cool shoulder, while soft hands stroke my back. I feel safe as I have only ever felt safe with River before. I lift my head and Asher kisses me.