Chapter Fourteen

                                    

                                          
Aunt Ollie had been called by the time Lily arrived home. She had three packed emergency duffle bags out already and was just getting her personal bag sorted when the door opened to Lily, wrapped up in drenched gauze and soaked clothes with Jack. Lily barely had time to shower and change into something more comfortable before they all cleared out with everything they needed. 
                          
In Jack's car over, they left Ollie's car behind, her aunt was happily chatting to her new school friend, getting to know the exhausted witch. 
                          
Despite the bags under her eyes Jack kept up the conversation. She was driving slowly, at least 5km under the limit, so Lily was relaxed in the back seat. While Ollie and Jack were talking to each other Lily looked at the gauze falling off her arm. 
                          
The tissue was damp, the tape losing its stick, so it came away easily in Lily's fingers. The scratches from the glass and bark under the bandage had healed almost within the hour, only a pale line remained on her flesh. 
                          
Lily gulped, pressing the weak gauze over her non-existent wound. The chatter faded to the background as Lily trembled; she'd never seen healing like this before. It had only been an hour since she flew through the window and was attacked by the familiar rogue. 
                          
Yuric's been after something like you for a long time, little river. 
                          
The rogue's words were now coming back to her. What did he mean? Who was Yuric? Was he behind the attack on the wolves' packhouse only last week? And what did he want with her?
                          
Lily sighed, staring out the window as the neighbourhood shifted from smooth-stoned two-story homes to rusted, crumbling bungalows with graffiti scattered along the fences. Lily frowned at the change in scene as she glimpsed kids playing football on the streets, families lounging in deck chairs with cigarettes, and large dogs barking as they drove past. 
                          
She looked to Jack, seeing her reaction to this neighbourhood. Her knuckles were a little white as she turned down a side street that was, for a lack of a better word, more wild than the rest. Trees lined the crumbling road, potholes housed wild plants that had grown despite no clear dirt underneath, and strangler vines gripped fences so tightly they were almost horizontal, like nature was slowly bringing the neighbourhood to its knees. 
                          
Jack pulled into the dirt driveway at the end of the street, Ollie gasping at the sight. It was a bungalow like all the others but had significantly more land. It was barely visible with the dozens of trees in the front garden alone, the only colour Lily could see was the small flowers that littered the ground; it was like someone had build their home around the wild, rather than remove any plant or tree. In fact, it looked like they'd added more. 
                          
"Oh it's beautiful!" Ollie beamed. "It's so lush I love it." 
                          
Jack clenched her jaw a little as she turned off the car. "It's definitely something." She agreed, opening the door. "Come on, I'll help you with your things." 
                          
"Oh you're too kind!" Ollie said, but turned back to Lily when Jack was out the car. "You holding up okay Lils'?"
                          
Lily forced a smile. "Fine, thank you." 
                          
Ollie returned the grin before coaxing her out Jack's car. The witch was already unloading the duffle bags and her own school bag by the time they'd got to the boot. When they grabbed their bags, Jack held up a hesitant hand. 
                          
"I feel like I have to give a warning, um, for my mother." Jack scratched the back of her head. 
                          
"Oh I'm sure she'll be fine." Ollie beamed. "We'll have to thank her for opening up your home to us."