Haidan sat on the furthest log from the bonfire with his back to the forest and watched the party in full swing. He wore his best shirt, silently thanking his mother for convincing him to pack it, and kept his eye on the host herself. Cody floated around to each attendee, personally thanking them for coming, but she avoided Haidan - or more, he avoided her.
He sat in the shadows, knowing the bonfire light would ignite his skin if he bared any flesh, so he watched the party from the outside. He did have Niall for company but he left soon after Lily did, despite Nerida's call for her to be alone while she was emotional. No one could stop the nymph though; he flew off as soon as his uncle's firm hands were off his shoulders.
Haidan leaned back a little on the log as he saw Nick laughing with a girl, her hearing aids gleaming in the light of the bonfire. He smiled seeing Nick's attire - he was wearing one of Cay's dresses because of Cody's "Dresses Only" theme for the women and seemed to be the life of the party.
"You must be Haidan." A sweet voice said before someone joined him on the log. Haidan internally groaned, knowing he'd been caught.
"You must be Cody." Haidan greeted, looking over at the witch next to him, holding a glass of water. "You're party's been quite entertaining."
Cody smiled softly, adjusting herself in her golden dress. "Thank you! It's been a crazy day planning it all, from the food, the theme, who's invited-"
"Even tripping Lily in the river yesterday?" Haidan raised an eyebrow when Cody's smile fell. "I saw your magic."
"Haidan, darling," Cody rested her hand on his arm, quickly frowning at how hot his skin was through his jacket. "I felt how stuck her ankle was and I used my magic to free her from the seaweed. I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression."
Haidan's brow was still raised as he looked at her hand on his arm. "Seaweed only grows in salt water - Lily would have tripped on moss." He said, and Cody immediately removed her arm.
"You're quite smart aren't you Haidan?" Cody grinned, looking him over. "Lily's lucky to have you at her side."
"I'm not at her side."
"Every queen needs her council." Cody surveyed her party with a small frown.
"Lily's not a queen, she's a Supernova." Haidan said. "She's the most powerful here. She doesn't need anyone."
"But she's not here." Cody looked pointedly at Haidan. "So who's the most powerful after Lily?"
Haidan shifted in his seat, thinking. "I don't know. I don't know what everyone's capable of."
"What have you seen your friends do?" Cody leaned forward slightly. "What are you and Jacinta capable of?"
Haidan snapped his gaze to Cody at the mention of the wicked witch, flickering over her shoulder. "Ask her yourself."
Cody leapt to her feet and stood her ground as Jack herself approached, with hands on her hips. "Cody, sweetie," Jack grinned wickedly. "I'm loving your party. The cakes are divine."
"Thank you Jack," Cody's expression fell slightly. "I'm sorry for before, I didn't know about Lily. I was just fol..." Her hand clammed tightly around her water. "Never mind."
"You were just following...?" Jack frowned. "Following orders?"
Cody brushed the imaginary dirt off her dress and stared long and hard at her fellow witch. "I've just seen Rodger and Nerry over there, I've yet to thank them for attending," was all she said, staring for a little longer before heading over to them on the other side of the bonfire.
Haidan watched while Jack sat down next to him as Cody walked up to Niall's uncle and Lily's grandmother, who left down the alleyway as soon as Cody greeted her with a hug.
"Hey," Jack nudged his arm. "Quite a party, huh?"
Haidan looked back at the wicked witch, her eyes shining brightly in the light of the bonfire. "You would enjoy it - we're by the bonfire after all, and you like hot things."
Jack glared at him. "Did you know I can use my powers to birth a full-grown tree right beneath your arse in a matter of seconds?"
"Did you know you still haven't denied that you think I'm hot?" Haidan quipped back, enjoying riling her up.
She looked away at the bonfire with a clenched jaw. Haidan saw her rings flash in the light as she brought her phone out of her pocket. "Speaking of that conversation, though, a bit of what you said stuck with me."
He frowned. Haidan remembered the conversation vividly, he'd been replaying it in his mind since. "Which bit?"
"What you said about reading the Qur'an, what it said about fire." Jack said, unlocking her phone. "I did some research."
"Wait, what?" Haidan shifted so he was completely facing Jack. "You looked at the Qur'an?"
Jack held up a hand. "Not exactly, I looked at Google, but you're going to shut up and listen."
"Jack-"
"Shut up." Jack pressed her hand against his mouth and Haidan ignored how smooth her skin was. "You mentioned how fire's mentioned as something bad - here's some verses that show it's something good."
"Jack-" He muffled against her hand but she ignored him - it was a talent of hers.
Jack opened her mouth to begin quoting his book, but frowned when her hand slipped on her phone. "Wait, hang on, where's it gone? Oh, here, wait no, dammit I scrolled past it but shut your face Haidan I'm getting to my point!"
Haidan laughed although a part of him warmed at how Jack had researched his religion, his books, to make him feel better.
"Stop laughing," Jack said, and began reading, speaking the verses he'd been reading since he was a kid. He could name exactly where she'd read them from, and the verses following, but seeing the determination on Jack's face as she told him, through his own texts, that he was more than the fear he harboured, that he was worth something, spoke louder than anything she could read to him.
"Jack-" Haidan pulled her hand away from his mouth but didn't let it go.
"Stop struggling!" Jack glared at him when he tried to reply. Haidan blinked as Jack put her phone away and gripped his hand tightly, now bare to the bonfire before them. The verses had context, a deeper meaning, and related to the segments of the book she hadn't read aloud but Jack's glare stopped his thoughts in their tracks.
"Listen here hot shot," Jack said. "Fire is life, healing, and creation. It's a part of your faith as much as it is a part of your humanity."
"You're not evil Haidan." Jack prodded his chest firmly. "Phoenix's aren't evil. I don't see you as evil, or someone sick in need of curing - I'm not afraid of you and I'm not scared either - and if you don't believe me still after my second motivational speech then I'm going to keep trying.
"I know religion is a huge part of your life and it's been confusing since you realised you were a phoenix, but you have to know that I'm not confused." Jack held Haidan's hand on his knee tightly. "I see you; a hothead, stubborn, annoying guy who has this incredible ability, like my own. I don't see anything wrong with you and there isn't anything wrong with you. Embrace who you are - you can have both faith and heart - and it's about time you saw that you still have both."
Haidan didn't respond for a while, holding her hand tightly in the heat of the bonfire. He couldn't look away from her eyes, more fiery than his would ever be. Of all the things he expected when he ventured to Tyrill, he never could have expected Jack Garcia-Slater - the witch whose power wasn't just with the nature around her, she also refueled his beliefs in faith and in himself once more. Her words scorched his bones, the kindling in his chest how a flame ready to burst free.
Haidan twisted his hand so their fingers intertwined. He leaned in, his dark eyes smouldering from the bonfire's glow and smiled a little. "There you go again calling me hot."
Jack wet her lips and shrugged, but Haidan saw the raw emotion in her face. "There you go focusing on small, meaningless things and ignoring everything else." She whispered back.
"I heard everything, Jack." Haidan stared into her soul, feeling completely exposed under her narrowed gaze. He didn't know how Jack's heart stammered at he said her name. "And it means more than you could know."
"Enlighten me then."
Haidan's mouth turned up at the corners at Jack's request. He leaned towards her to whisper in her ear, to tell her how brilliant, brave, feisty and funny she was, and how she'd answered the questions he'd come to Tyrill with branded on his soul. As he drew breath, ready to tell her, a twig snapped in the forest.
Jack's eyes blazed. Her eyes no longer olive green, but a bright juniper swirling as her magic coiled around her fingers. Haidan jerked away as Jack stood, sensing something was wrong, and when he turned to the forest behind him he paled.
The bonfire was surrounded by wolves and men with glowing gold eyes.
A blonde man sauntered forward, eyes cold as ice, and stretched his arms wide in declaration - he was in charge of the party now. The wolves around him leaped forward with a snarl, the attendees screamed in fright and huddled close to the bonfire. Jack's hands were still glowing, magic coiling around her rings, but Haidan now stood behind her with everyone else, watching as the wolves feral-gold eyes lit up at the sounds of the screaming kids.
Jack didn't look away from the blonde rogue. "Hello again, witch." He said, lowering his arms but not unclenching his fists.
"Kristofer." Jack snapped. "How's Yuric's arm?"
Kristofer's jaw locked. "Your running is over, witch. You're coming with us."
Haidan saw the flare of magic twist sharply up her wrists. "Or what?" Jack said threateningly.
Kristofer looked at his rogues around them. "There are thirty seven of you here," He said, glimpsing the crowd shift a little closer to the bonfire, burning a little lower than before. "Two of you are witches. The rest are human. You can't take on all of us alone and protect them at the same time."
Haidan saw Jack stiffen, shifting her feet, but her chin never lowered. Haidan kept still and put the chatter in the back of his mind and tried to think. Why were they after Jack? And why couldn't they smell his scent? He wasn't human...but maybe he could use that to his advantage.
Haidan twisted slowly, looking over at the wolves between the party and the house - if they could get to the house, they could barricade it from werewolves until Lily or Niall arrived, someone else to help. Jack couldn't do this alone, Kristofer was right, but Jack wasn't alone right now.
He looked down at his feet. He was closest to the bonfire out of everyone, the charred logs almost brushing his heels. Haidan stretched out his fingers gently and the embers immediately lit up beneath his skin. He let out a shuddering breath, slowly, and curled his fingers, the embers crackling in his palm.
"Why me?" Jack taunted, stalling for...something. Someone. Haidan knew she was probably waiting for Lily to summon a storm to wash them away, or Niall to fall from the sky and fling the rogues off the mountain, but who knew how long they'd be before they realised something was wrong.
It was his turn to do something.
Kristofer stepped forward, his wolves matching the pace. Haidan stilled hearing Annie scream, curl further into Cay and Nick. He looked up to find Cody in front of the Guthrie family, her hands spread wide in defense. There were more rogues in front of her, smelling she was a witch and more of a threat, but there was panic as well as determination written on her face.
Haidan had to get her attention. He was wondering how when Nick looked around in fear and locked eyes with him. He pointedly glared at Cody, relieved when Nick realised what he was asking, and nudged the other witch protecting them. When Cody turned, looking to Haidan, he hoped she understood the message he was motioning; the shift of his eyes to the bonfire, the glimmering embers curled in his hand, the slow nod to the houses beyond.
"You're going to bring down the Supernova for us." Kristofer's smile was as crooked as his morals. "You're going to help us kill Lily Morgan."
"Absolutely not." Jack said, stepping back against Haidan's side accidentally. "I'd rather die."
"That can be arranged." Kristofer took another step towards the party, the wolves following suit. Haidan's embers spread to his other hand, he could feel his eyes burn aflame and saw Cody's own widen. They were close enough, it could work, this could work. You can have both faith and heart. Haidan took a breath, letting that kindling burning in his chest flare through his bones.
He was a phoenix.
Haidan turned to whisper in Jack's ear, shrugging off his thick jacket. "Get everyone to duck." He whispered, looking up at Kristofer. The rogue froze seeing the orange, fiery eyes of the supernatural he couldn't sense, the tendrils of fire quickly racing up his tanned, bare arms. All he could smell was witches, humans, and the bonfire - what was this boy?
"Wait-" Kristofer rapidly stepped back as Jack's magic flared again, vines springing from the ground and bringing the party to their knees, except Haidan.
Haidan stood tall as the embers sparked in his skin and fire erupted everywhere in a wave. Wolves tumbled as they met the flames head on, Kristofer flying back from the force of the heat, and the bonfire beneath Haidan's toes flared to life once more.
The phoenix whose fire births the sun - he could not contained by claws and fangs.
Jack stood when the fire was no longer above her head and snapped the vines off the party, flinging her magic towards the house. The wolves had been knocked out the way thanks to Haidan, and now two walls of vines and trees lined the way to the safety of the brick. "Go!" She bellowed, and Cody began leading the humans away.
When Cody passed her, Jack quickly grabbed her arm and thrust a fresh vine into her hands. "Use it." Jack said. "They'll break through quickly - Haidan and I will hold them off, just secure them in the house."
Cody opened her mouth to say something but instead nodded, running with the humans through the vines and inside. Jack turned, guarding the rear of the party while watching Haidan's phoenix abilities release, snapping any wolves away with a rebellious tree root and a flick of her fingers.
Haidan turned slowly to Kristofer, who twisted onto his feet, crouched low and ready to shift if need be. The wolf assessed the new player to the game, remembering the loose warning they'd received; if you go after the witch you will burn by his flames.
The phoenix stepped forward, Kristofer scurried back. Haidan clenched his fists, the bonfire behind him reaching for the clouds screamed its freedom. The flames under his skin broke free, curling around his arms. His eyes burned brightly like the sun was breaking from its host, tendrils of light following the muscles over his body. The air behind him rippled, shimmering, as the mirage took hold from bonfire's heat - stretching either side of him like wings.
"Jack's not going anywhere." Haidan said coldly, throwing a hand out when a wolf inched closer to the new threat. Flames shot from his fingers and singed muzzle. "And you're not coming back here."
Kristofer slowly stood, looking between his scorched kin and the phoenix. "You can't keep us back and protect the humans, boy." Kristofer's hidden command was picked up by his wolves, who launched themselves at the house Cody, the Guthrie's, and the rest of the party were hiding in - but they had to go through Jack first.
Jack thrust her hands skyward, mimicking the bonfire behind Haidan, and more vines followed her movements from the forest around them. They shot to her ankles and launched themselves high, twisting and knotting together around the house like a domed net. The wolves skidded to a halt when they realised the maze of vines halted their way, and Jack slowly walked to Haidan, bearing the heat sizzling her legs and arms.
The witch and the phoenix stood together as the wolves turned on them. Jack cocked her head to Haidan. "Don't suppose you have a plan?" Jack yelled over the roaring bonfire.
Haidan watched Kristofer step forward, his flames still dancing across his skin. "You've seen all the movies, which one are we copying?"
Jack's hands flared, the ground beneath her rippling as she searched for more tree roots to use against the rogues. "Hopefully the one where back up arrives before we die, like in The Losers. Zoe Saldana comes in with a rocket launcher when they're about to die-"
She was interrupted when the wind suddenly whipped around them, the bonfire's tall flame tipping and kissing the forest canopy, quickly catching alight. They all covered their eyes as the smoke twisted around them with such force the wolves stumbled back, their sensitive eyes burning at the ash now flying in their faces.
Kristofer peaked out from behind his raised arms, seeing the wind wild and unleashed. A lone howl ran out on the other side of town, and with a sharp whistle from his mouth, he and his rogues ran into the forest, dodging the burning leaves falling at their feet.
Haidan, while Jack was watching all the rogues flee, flung out his hands and brought the fire back into his bones, calming the ferocious flame once more. The bonfire returned to its sparking embers, the tree tops bare and blackened already, with the small spot fires dying by themselves around the clearing.
Jack turned to Haidan when his eyes shifted back to brown and his skin wasn't glowing with sun-blessed fire. "What was that?" She asked, covering her eyes when the wind howled again and slammed more ash against their backs. "Why'd they just leave?!"
Haidan was breathing heavily, the fire in his bones not settled yet. They could be back, the rogues could return. "I don't know, but we need to check and see if everyone's okay." He forced out, clearing his throat and swallowing to try and relieve the dryness of his tongue.
Jack nodded, leading him to the dome of vines surrounding the house safely. Some of the vines were blackened from when the wind whipped the bonfire to the trees, but the fires were all out as soon as Haidan's eyes had shifted back. He was still alert as Jack waved her shaking hands to move the vines, swaying slightly.
"Are you okay?" Haidan asked, gently grabbing her arm to stabilise her.
"I don't know yet," Jack said, shrugging off his grip and marching to the house door. "I've had a bad feeling all day and it still hasn't gone."
Haidan frowned, wondering what else could have happened, when Jack knocked on the door, calling for Cody. They heard the ripping of vines before Cody appeared, the vine Jack had given her crumbled at their feet from when she'd yanked the door open - she'd used her magic to weave the vine in between the hinges to jam it shut.
"Where are the rogues?" Cody asked as she surveyed the scorched clearing behind them. "What happened?"
"They just left." Jack said, the three of them wincing when the cold mountain wind slammed into them again. "The wind picked up and they bolted. Haidan put the fires out but they could still come back."
Cody frowned. "The wind picked up?"
"Yeah." Haidan motioned to the smoke from the dead bonfire, twisting around as the icy wind let loose. He spotted goosebumps up Jack's arms. "How's everyone?"
"Shaken but okay I think, they went in the cellar while I stayed up here." Cody said, but kept a firm hand on the door, dark eyes wide in fear. "The wind's not been this bad for years, Niall's always kept it under control when he's around."
"Niall?" Jack asked but Haidan pieced it together when Cody locked eyes with him.
"'When he's around'..." Haidan repeated aloud, looking back at the wind tipping the trees and ripping the last of the smoke from the bonfire. "The rogues weren't just after you Jack."
"What?" Jack whipped to him, eyes wide in alarm. "What do you mean?"
"They were after ways to get to Lily," Haidan said, looking between the two witches in shock. "They went after you, and they must have gone after Niall too - but the wind's only in control when he's around, so it wouldn't be doing this right now if he was in Tyrill."
"But...but that means-" Jack paled. "Oh no, I'm...I'm gonna be sick."
"The rogues must have got Niall." Haidan said the truth no one wanted to hear. "Yuric has Niall."