Typhoon & Tempest

Chapter Twenty Five

Lily Morgan stepped out of Jack's car, gently shutting the door as she took in the sight of Tyrill's bonfire. The logs had been rolled back into place, the fire burning low to keep the spiralling smoke from hiding the stars beginning to shine. Fairy lights had been restrung amongst newly formed flowering vines.

They'd arrived later than intended. Before dropping Claire off to see her family, Jack and her cleared the air, Lily too, apologising for the fight that unintentionally landed her in rogue custody. It would take more than a few words to heal from what they'd shouted at each other, but time was something they had now the rogues had stopped hunting Lily, and anyone more powerful enough to overrule them, down.

Once Claire was home, they took Ollie back at the hospital with Jacob, and visited Karen - who would make a full recovery thanks to the fairies who healed her legs in time. Lily's next stop was more difficult, but made easier knowing it was the last before she could go to Tyrill to collect her things, and return to Trawalla; putting her family's gravestone safe in her house on the spare bed until it could be repaired.

Lily put the events of the last few hours aside as she gazed up at the chandelier of bright yellow sunflowers hanging from Jack's vine dome, twirls of colourful petals running down each stem looming over them. The house beneath was alight with activity like a boiling kettle under a cosy. People walked around with wide grins, holding their glasses of freshly poured champagne to the four who'd come home. They applauded and cheered seeing them all step out Jack's car.

"Niall!" Annie shrieked before the three Guthrie siblings tackled their brother to the ground. Haidan stepped over their squabbling and walked to the front of the car, looking between Lily and Jack.

"Is this what your life is like?" Haidan asked, waving to the large buffet table running out the house with steaming hot food plated and ready to eat.

"Definitely not," Jack said, eyes locked on the roast chicken sitting atop a bed of crispy potatoes. "But you'll hear no complaints from me if this is what it's like from now on."

Haidan laughed. Lily watched Nick haul Niall to his feet and drag him to his uncle. The two shared a tight hug. When Niall locked eyes with Lily, a pleading expression on his face as he was passed from one hug to another, Lily couldn't help but smile. She wouldn't be getting a moment with him at the celebration of his return.

Jack suddenly grabbed her arm. When Lily jumped, asking what was wrong, she followed the witch's wide eyes to the dark-haired woman walking out the bonfire house. Her long skirt swayed delicately as she carried a large sponge cake decorated with white and violet icing. Her familiar green eyes lit up seeing her daughter again.

"They're here, just on time!" Freida Slater cheered. "Let's dig in!"

The people immediately leaped for plates to fill their rumbling bellies but Lily waited as Freida slowly walked between them to greet her daughter and her friends. Niall walked back over, dragging his family with him when they didn't let go of his arm.

"I knew you'd be back now," Freida grinned when she faced the three powerful kids and the Supernova. "Everyone was hungry so I brought food."

"You...cooked?" Jack asked, stunned.

"Of course not, I ordered everything." Freida lunged forward and wrapped her daughter in a hug, Jack stumbling back in surprise. "I'm sorry for pushing you out the nest, you never would have flown otherwise. I will never do that to you again but I'm glad to see you've found your wings." She looked under her lashes at Haidan, who shifted on his feet. "Lovely to see you again, Haidan Tariq."

Haidan cleared his throat. "Thank you for hosting the buffet, Ms Slater."

"Oh, little flame, I'm not hosting." Freida suddenly pointed to Niall. "You! You're quite the little hurricane, aren't you? Everyone's always chasing you up in the clouds!"