Lily woke to birds chirping, the sunrise tickling her face, and someone yelling about all their cereal being eaten.
"Annie! Did you eat my cereal?!"
"No, Nick! People are still sleeping!"
"What?"
"I said people are sleeping!"
"Cay, did you eat my cereal?"
"Nick it's seven in the morning! What are you doing waking everyone?!"
"Someone ate my Lucky Charms!"
"Have you asked Niall?"
"He's blind not stupid! He wouldn't eat my cereal!"
"But he invited people over last night!"
"What! Since when was Niall social?!"
"Why don't you ask him Nick, you've probably woken him up!"
"Hey Niall? Did you eat my cereal? Niall!!!"
Lily groaned, her hand slamming against her forehead. She sat up, struggling as her shoulder spasmed. The knot, which she guessed was Yuric's claw fragment, was moving with her shoulder. Lily hissed as her left arm shook bracing her weight. She couldn't go much longer with it still embedded.
She lifted herself off the bed, swaying slightly. Her right arm was still paralysed, her left trembled when she moved it, and Lily knew she wouldn't get anymore sleep thanks to this Nick guy yelling. A quick look around the room told her that she was alone. She had no idea where Jack was.
Lily saw she was still dressed in the clothes from yesterday so she reached for her suitcase, flinching as she pulled her shoulder again, but managed to tug the zip enough to open the case. She frowned when she saw what lay on top - her blue formal dress with a note stuck on from her aunt.
You can't not never go without a great outfit on a trip - wear it Lily! Let your hair down and party like your old aunt!
- Ollie Xo
Lily shook her head at the message but shoved the dress aside to pick out some fresh jeans, singlet, a button up blue and purple plaid shirt and some soft socks. Her hair needed to be washed soon but Lily couldn't wash it with two bad arms. Maybe Jack would help her wash it? She didn't know where the bathroom was anyway, she fell asleep before Niall could give her the tour of his family home so she'd have to wait.
As Lily removed her clothes she checked her body over in the mirror against the wardrobe. The sling was too dirty to wear again so she removed it and the bandage beneath, her paralysed arm hanging loosely against her side.
Two deep red bands circled her ankles and four her wrists from the zip ties Kristofer used on her, and from her mother's bracelets melting over her wrists. The scars from Yuric's claws peaked over her shoulder, five swollen lines going over her shoulder blade from where her neck met her collarbone. Lily's fingers gently touched the inflamed skin around the newly-healed area, swallowing the thought a piece of claw still in her flesh.
Lily's right arm didn't move. Her fingers brushed the harsh white lines almost like cobwebs - the lightning had seared her veins, leaving an almost white mesh behind. It was like wearing a long lace glove. Every piece of her arm was covered in the lightning scar. The only piece of difference was the large white scar at the last knuckle of her smallest finger, where the strike left, and the identical scar at the top of her shoulder, where it had entered.
Lily's eyes welled up at the sight of her scarred body. The light from the sunrise faded from the room as clouds blocked the view. A chill raked through her and Lily turned hastily away from her reflection and threw her clothes on as quickly and painlessly as possible.
When she was dressed Lily left her hair down and knotty. She couldn't brush it with the state of her arms but she managed to roll on a new bandage for her paralysed limb. She held it delicately while clutching her dirty sling. After shoving her phone in her back pocket, Lily drew a deep breath and opening the door.
Immediately the sounds of an argument hit her at full volume. Lily followed the sound anxiously - how did she introduce herself to Niall's family? Hi, I'm the girl that jumped off a waterfall yesterday to get away from rogues. Niall offered me the spare room - how are you?
"Oh for goodness sake Nick, it's just cereal. Have some fruit!" A female voice shouted.
"Fruit!? Did you just offer me fruit Cay? Let me tell you, fruit is not fit for a man!"
"You're not a man, Nick! And fruit is perfectly fit for someone - it has a tonne of vitamins and other good things!"
"How dare you, I am a man!" Nick scoffed playfully. "Dad's gone for two weeks so I am the man of the house!"
"Uncle Rodger's here, dumbass. He's in charge!"
"I'm twenty years old I don't need a baby sitter!"
"You forgot to turn off the stove last night Nick!" Cay snapped.
"So what? I turned it off!"
"After three hours!"
"Mistakes happen!"
Lily turned the corner of the corridor and followed the open hall under the balustrade, the front door on her right, and took the left to find the kitchen and living room. She finally got a look at this Nick and Cay whom she guessed were Niall's siblings.
Lily blinked in surprise seeing a tall, broad shouldered boy with his back to her, wafting his arms about like a balloon at the front of a car garage. His dark hair flicked about as he spat at his sister's unimpressed face, claiming that his leaving the stove on was an honest mistake and it didn't render him not a man.
Cay, who must have been the girl behind the counter holding a knife with a platter of uncut fruit and some yoghurt, stopped immediately at the sight of Lily entering the kitchen. Her brown eyes were wide as she realised they weren't alone, that her brother actually had people over.
"And besides, there was that one time you forgot to do the laundry before Annie's primary school formal!" Nick boasted. "I'm not that cruel a sibling!"
"Nick!" Cay slammed the knife down. "We should introduce ourselves to Niall's new friend."
"Well duh, probably, I will when Niall has some friends that aren't the bonfire family. He needs to get out more."
"Nick." Cay hissed. "Turn around you idiot."
"Don't tell me what to do Cay!"
Lily cleared her throat. Nick froze, his back tensing, and he spun on his heel. His eyes, a bright blue, raked over her quickly, then again. Lily shuffled her feet and tightened her grip on her limp arm. "Hi." She said. "I'm Lily."
"Hey Lily," Cay smiled. "I'm Caoimhe."
"Key-vah?" Lily tried to pronounce but Niall's sister waved the attempt aside.
"Just call me Cay, it makes things a lot easier." The brunette wafted a hand to Nick. "This is my idiot and loud brother who is the human alarm clock for the house."
"Nicolas." He smirked as he extended his hand, his blue eyes mischievous. "Just how I like my ladies."
Lily blinked, ignoring his outstretched hand. "What?"
Cay groaned. "Nick, seriously?!"
"What?" Nick shrugged. "It's my line."
"Yeah, your line as in your noose. Never say that again." Cay gagged. "That was actually disgusting."
"Hey! It's a great line!"
"I'm telling Niall you hit on his friend."
"Oh please," Nick winked at Lily. "If he could actually see Lily then he'd understand."
Lily frowned. She wasn't quite sure what to make of Nick. "Um, where is Niall by the way? And Jack?"
"Nick, go and find Niall before you make a fool of yourself again." Cay ordered, picking up the knife again.
"Your face makes a fool of yourself." Nick muttered but he strode out of the kitchen. Cay shook her head at his antics as Lily approached the island bench. She sat down at the plush bar seats, lifting her paralysed hand onto the marble counter-top.
"I'll be apologising for my brother for the rest of my life." Cay muttered. "I'm sorry if he woke you up."
"It's okay." Lily shifted in her seat. "My aunt is a nurse so I'm used to waking up early when she does."
Cay raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Are you a nurse too? I'm in my final year of school now and I want to get into the medical field - I'm thinking nursing."
"I'm not a nurse no, but maybe you could help me?" Lily wet her lips as she pointed at her vulnerable arm with her dirty sling. "Do you have a spare sling anywhere? My arm's, um, paralysed."
"Oh!" Cay immediately stopped preparing breakfast and rushed to a cupboard above the two-door fridge. She pulled out a large tub filled with boxes of tablets and rolls of bandages. "Absolutely, I have plenty of spares. Mum always has it overstocked because Nick and Niall would get into lots of trouble as kids."
Lily smiled. "I heard having a brother meant a higher risk of broken bones?"
Cay paused in thought. "Nick's definitely broken a lot of bones but they've been from his own stupidity. However I did accidentally make him fall off the monkey bars when he was six and he broke his leg."
Lily's jaw dropped in shock and warily looked between Cay and the knife she was using to cut the fruit. "In fairness," Cay continued, "he cut off my hair when I was sleeping."
"I'm glad I don't have a brother." Lily awkwardly laughed. Cay rounded the bench and held out a clean sling, before pointing at the dirty one.
"How'd it get that dirty? Did you roll through mud?" Cay joked.
"Something like that." Lily smiled and blinked in surprise when Cay took the old sling and threw it down the corridor.
"It's Annie's turn for laundry today, she'll clean that up for you." Cay smiled. "I can put your sling on if you want?"
Lily nodded. Cay was gentle in lifting her arm and slowly but securely wrapping the new sling in place. She lifted her thick, red hair out the way to tie it at the back of her neck just as the front door opened.
"Cay!" Nick bellowed. "I've found Niall! He's on his way back from the shops!"
Lily's heart jumped. Where was Jack? Cay's dark brows furrowed. "Why did he go to the shops?"
"Don't know," Nick said as he walked back into the kitchen. "I just hope he bought more cereal."
Cay groaned. "I need a coffee."
"You're seventeen. Drink water." Nick smirked.
"I'll drink whatever I need to deal with you at seven in the morning on the first day of my school holidays." Cay snapped, shoving the medicine box back where it belonged and grasping her food like it was her only salvation in the morning rush.
"Ooh, someone's cranky." Nick whispered in Lily's ear, narrowing his eyes at her slung arm. "What'd you do to your arm?"
"Nick!" Cay slapped his arm. "Stop being nosy!"
"What? She's in our house so we have a right to know." Nick joked. "Are you a cyborg planning on killing us all? Are you finally taking Niall away to a secret base to be experimented on?"
"Nick!"
"Ooh, please tell me you're taking Cay away, she's been driving me insane for seventeen years."
Lily couldn't keep up with their sibling quips. "I, uh, injured it last week." She said, fidgeting with the new sling. Nick and Cay shared a look; he was shrugging like he still suspected she was a cyborg but Cay glared at him, warning him not to press Lily further.
"Did you want breakfast Lily?" Cay asked. "We have some fruit?"
"We don't have any cereal." Nick said sadly. "But if there was some I'd share it with you."
Cay rolled her eyes. Lily was saved from a response when the front door opened again and a cool breeze wafted at their feet. Seconds later, Niall skidded into the kitchen with Jack at his heels. She was carrying a large shopping bag and looked unimpressed at the sight of Niall's brother sauntering over to her.
Nick whistled low at the sight of the witch. "Well hello," He drawled. "I'm Nicolas, just how I like my ladies."
Jack scrunched up her face. "Ew, you're not wearing any underwear?"
Cay shook her head. "Please ignore my brother, he's already tried that line on Lily."
Niall blinked, stilling his movements. "Seriously Nick?" His hands stretched out in search for someone to balance him and Cay once again ditched her breakfast to round the island bench and stabilise her brother. "They've been here for one night."
"If you could see how beautiful these ladies are, you'd do the same." Nick shrugged. "Can you blame me? We only see the same people every day, Lily and this other girl are fresh meat."
Niall shook his head in unison with Cay's eye-rolling. Jack looked at Nick like she would gum under her shoe. Lily paused for a second to take in her friend - she was dressed in fresh new clothes and had two wrist compression bandages on. Her rings shone brightly in the morning light and Jack took Lily in as well. Lily was concerned for the faint bruises still visible over Jack's throat - Jack didn't like how dark the circles were under Lily's eyes. Her friend looked exhausted.
"Look, you'll have to excuse Nick," Niall said. "He's not used to talking to a lady he didn't have to inflate first."
Lily's jaw dropped and Nick recoiled. "Bro! Dude, that's not cool!" He blurted but Jack was already laughing and Cay was blinking at her brother in shock.
"Where'd that come from Niall?!" Cay grinned.
Niall shrugged, his eyes drifting towards the red-head at the kitchen island. "Dunno. Hey, uh, Jack grabbed some breakfast for you Lily?" He said. Cay narrowed her eyes on the blush rising from his cheeks.
"Oh?" Lily smiled. "Thank you."
Jack pointed a finger at Niall. "He paid but you should thank me. I grabbed a bunch of everything and some chocolate because we both need it after yesterday."
"What happened yesterday?" Nick asked curiously as Jack lifted the grocery bag onto the kitchen bench.
"None of ya' business." Jack quipped.
While Cay was telling Nick off for being nosy, Jack quietly leaned close to Lily. "Are you okay?" She whispered, her green eyes soft. "Yesterday was hectic."
"Yeah," Lily agreed. "It was insane. I'm okay but I can't move my arms much. My shoulder's screwed up."
Jack's brows bunched together. "The fragment?"
"I think it moved when I jumped off the waterfall." Lily admitted. "It's got to come out but I don't know how that's going to happen. Does everyone here know about, about us? About Niall?"
"That we're supernaturals?" Jack clarified. "His family knows apparently. I managed to get a little more information from him about the two hidden ones in Tyrill? Apparently both supernatural, different kinds, but one is a witch."
"What's the other?"
"That's when Niall remembered to shut up." Jack shook her head, her dark hair falling forward. "Annoyingly loyal, that one."
Lily pursed her lips. "I can't go to a hospital to get it out."
"No, no, of course not." Jack sighed and took out a small smoothie from the bag. "We'll think of something. We'll get it out Lily, I promise."
"Thank you Jack."
Jack narrowed her eyes on Lily's attire. "Did you dress yourself?"
"Yeah? Of course?" Lily blushed at the thought of someone helping her.
"Because your buttons are one off," Jack pointed to the one loose at the end of her plaid shirt. "You spanner."
"Great." Lily whispered under her breath. "Do you think Cay, Nick, or Niall noticed?"
"Nah, you're fine." Jack shrugged. "I'm just a great friend and pointed it out before you left the house."
"Thanks." Lily fiddled with the new sling and shyly looked at the Guthrie siblings. They were still bickering. It was much more chaotic to how she interacted with her sisters, but she was a young teenager at the time they were around. "What's Tyrill like?"
"High in altitude and attitude." Jack mused. "Many great shops and pubs and lots of snow. There's bowling alleys, and a toboggan slope all the way to the bottom of the mountain too."
"You didn't go explore Tyrill did you?"
"Nah."
Lily chuckled under her breath and hesitated for a second before looking Jack in the eye. "Could you help me with my hair later? I can't lift my arms up."
"So you've mentioned." Jack's eyes glimmered in amusement. "Yeah I'll help but I can't do any braids and stuff, I'm useless at that."
Lily smiled. "That's okay. Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Hey listen," Jack unscrewed the smoothie and pushed it towards Lily, "if we head out into Tyrill and get Niall to show us around, we might be able to find out more on this witch and this other supernatural."
Lily quickly realised where Jack was going. "What if the other supernatural is a rogue?"
"Exactly." Jack motioned to her slung arm. "You're in no state to do another stint like last week. Just because we're in the Nymph with Trapped Wind's home doesn't mean we're safe."
Lily grasped the smoothie and sipped from it. It was blueberry and banana flavoured, with a dash of dragon fruit she realised after looking at the label. "We need to find out if anyone here has ties to the rogues."
"And a damn good surgeon with supernatural ties." Jack said, frowning at the redness on Lily's neck that wasn't there yesterday. "And somewhere that does pancakes. I'm starving."
Lily sighed. "What a great start to the morning."
"Well it's going to get worse. It is Monday soon."
"Don't mention it, Jack." Lily pleaded but only made her friend laugh.
~
Ms Winters stood with her hands resting on her hips, staring off at the river bend. She was down stream and boiling with rage. It had been less than twenty-four hours since she had pesky Jacinta in her grasp when her world flew apart. She didn't know how the witch managed it but she'd flown over the forest, over the road where she'd confronted Lily and Jacinta and into the forest beyond, unconscious.
She'd woken up hours later to her rogues checking to see if she was okay.
She'd been angry since.
"Lucia!" One of her rogues called out. The former PE teacher turned to see one of her squadron returning holding an old jacket covered in dirt. "We found this in a clearing further downstream. It has her scent."
Lucia snatched the jacket out of their grasp and pressed it to her scrunched nose, breathing in deep. The sharp tang of ash and smoke clung to the jacket, it must have been amongst the bushfire last week, but the new crisp scent of Lily clung like a stray, loose hair.
She also smelled the rich, wild aroma of Yuric in the shoulder of the jacket - she'd know her lover's scent anywhere.
"Where did it lead?" Lucia hissed.
"Not far." The rogue informed. "The girl's scent isn't strong enough to pick out in this forest, there's too much ash around, but we managed to find her scent back to the road. Their car's gone and tracks head north."
"Where does that road go?" Lucia scowled. "They're not escaping our clutches again - Yuric will kill you."
The squadron flinched in unison. "It goes around the mountain and leads to the city beyond." Another rogue chipped, not looking her in the eye. "It's a long drive, they would need to stop somewhere before they got to the city."
Lucia looked back upstream, the river sparkling in the rising sun and her eye caught the huge obstacle on the horizon. "Mount Tyrill." She whispered. "That's the closest place between here and the city. If they go into the city we'll lose them in that stench."
"Lucia," The first rogue spoke up again, narrowing his eyes on the large mountain. Snow was already coating the peak like sprinkles on ice cream. It was a steep drive and a steeper climb for wolves. "They'd be trapped up there if they went up."
"So we'll block them in." Lucia growled in delight. They'd backed themselves into a corner.
"The last time we trapped one of them, they exploded within a storm and broke us in seconds." One of the squadron hissed. "We'd need more than twenty if we're going to try attacking them again."
Lucia scowled at him. "Alright, Tyler, what do you suggest?"
Tyler held firm. "You're not going to get the numbers, especially now we know for sure the red-head is the new Supernova. You need to draw her out."
Lucia narrowed her eyes at the offer. "If I recall, we had a wolf girl as bait last time. Lily came to her aid."
"Poppy wasn't a friend of Lily's though." Another rogue, Willow, said. "Lily didn't come immediately. Our bait needs to have a stronger connection to her."
"Someone she cares for," Tyler agreed. "We'll piss her off either way. She's going to bring a fight."
"Why do you think we're doing this?" Lucia hissed. "No more higher powers, no more threats. We're rogues, we're meant to be free from hierarchy. We can't be free if the Supernova is around threatening us."
The squadron was silent as their cause was repeated back to them again. They all knew why they were searching the forest for a red-haired girl who could wipe them all out in seconds. Power was a hungry addiction and Lily had enough of it to make her a superior. Superiors were a threat to their rogue and free lives. They'd be safe if she was gone.
Ms Winters turned and narrowed her eyes on Mount Tyrill again. "If she's on that mountain, she'll be protecting herself." Lucia mused. "Let's head back to the others, gather as many as we can, and when we have proof she's there we'll grab our bait and lead her on our terms."
"I hope you find the right bait." Tyler muttered under his breath as he and the squadron shifted into their wolves and ran back to the rest of their rogues. Because if we pick someone she loves, she'll kill us all.
~~~
What did you think of this chapter? Do you like Niall's family? I've heard someone use the Nicolas/Knickerless line in public before and I kid you not, I roared with laughter. It's the funniest line I've heard and I knew I had to include it in Tempest.
Libby x