Until he crashlands on the Wynne Farm near St Anne, Alderney, Edmund Bolton will have insisted the most prudent thing about himself is his medical degree and his willingness to fight fascists. But of course it’s that island, and that farm – and that family.

Aidan Wynne is tortured by the shame of others and tormented by a freedom he feels he can never possess. Until the handsome military doctor with far too much understanding and far too little self-preservation comes to turn his life on its head.

The war makes fighters of all affected, but none so much as the lovers and those who must love quietly. Often, the fray has less to do with weaponry and bloodshed, and everything to do with keeping tame a passion that seeks to send the world up in flames without burning oneself up in the process.

”Once more into the fray,
into the last good fight I’ll ever know.
Live and die on this day,
live and die on this day.”

Fray is created by Li Walt, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

FRay

Aidan comes to lean casually in the kitchen doorway, looking just west of horrific: bones protruding, skin bruised and papery, eyes mildly bulging, lips cracked and hair lacklustre. Seems the meds have really set in now.


“Surely he can’t still be licking his wounds. It’s been a week,” he presses, looking between his family members.


When their parents don’t answer him, Aures reckons they must be battling with their trifling little feelings again, and she is oh-so-sick of those. 


“For fear of mimicking our brother too closely,” Aures says, buttering a piece of toast, “you’ve f*cked that relationship up quite well, brother-mine.”


“Aures,” her mother warns, making some sort of warning face at her that she completely disregards.


“He’s a military man,” Aidan responds, coming to take a seat at the table. “He can’t possibly be that fragile.”


Chapter 10: It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy.