Typhoon & Tempest

Chapter Twenty Two

Jack and Haidan were thrown back with the wall of water, the phoenix's fire extinguished immediately as they tumbled and landed either side of Yuric's hostages. Jack was spitting the salt water from her mouth when she realised she wasn't dead. The witch looked up and locked eyes with Haidan as he was wiping the soaked hair from his face before they both turned to where they'd been standing moments before.

Jack could glimpse the flare of red hair in the wall of water before them, completely loose from the sheer force of the tsunami curling around her body, but Lily held firm. Her body was clenched. The upper half of her was in the tsunami's wave and her ankles were just free, but the water churned and roared. The wall grew taller by the second. It did not waver. It was set on drowning them all.

Lily Morgan held back the tide.

Her eyes were shut as the ocean swarmed. She could feel the current stabbing at her body, pushing her back. It screamed to be released, to be free, but Lily couldn't allow it. Her hands had come up on her own accord when the tsunami hit them. All she knew in that moment was she held the ocean on a leash; a very, very thin leash.

There was a building pressure in her chest from the lack of air. Lily groaned at the growing pain and the ocean crept forward. Darkness surrounded her, unrelenting in its quest to feel the sun on its surface, to be free from the seabed's chains.

Lily's fists eased to open palms, her fingers shaking at the force pushing them back to the point of almost breaking. Her hair was fanned out in the water, her ankles almost submerged - despite the water's suffocation she was calm.

Yuric had taken her family's gravestone. Kristofer had kidnapped Niall. Lucia and the rest of the rogues had taken Andrew, Ryan, Alice, Ollie, and Claire. People she held dear to her, whom had forged her journey to Tyrill and beyond. Her past and her future.

If the tsunami got past her, they would drown and die - Lily swore she'd leave a mark on death itself if she had to bury another person in her life.

The storm above them growled viciously as the tsunami thundered higher into the darkened skies. The water flying past Lily twisted back on itself, a typhoon emerging in the cracks the ocean was making in Lily's strength.

Lightning flashed as Lily took a step forward against the current and the tsunami banked, cresting. Her hands stretched out as the tsunami reluctantly pulled back, little by little, and released Lily from its clutches. When Lily opened her eyes again, silver shone through brightly, illuminating the wall of water above them now almost ten metres high.

If it fell, her family and friends died. If Lily relented, if she didn't hold firm, she could lose the people she loved forever.

Lily was the Supernova - the strongest supernatural creature this world had seen in centuries. She didn't lose herself in her grief, survived a superbolt, and brought dozens of rogues to their knees. She had the battle scars to prove she could survive it all over again.

The tsunami pushed back, pressing against her hands. It was adamant on flattening them all, the fierce current screamed and roared in Lily's ears. Her silver eyes flickered. Lily could feel its rage and pain. Desperation clawed against Lily's strength, thundering at her to move, to let go, to free the ocean she had bound.

Lily narrowed her eyes, lightning flashing behind her and the thunder cracked with such ferocity the tsunami's current wavered. It would not fall. She would not let it fall and crush everyone behind her.

Lily took another step forward. The tsunami leered back, the water still racing towards her and still screaming. Lily's hands stopped shaking as she pushed back but the water growing towards her was too great.