Something was wrong. Lily was shivering, her hands curled tightly against the fluffy blankets and yet she was sweating like it was summer. Her legs were drawn up, her heels pressed against her bottom, but when Lily tried to twist her back pain ricocheted through her body like lightning. Her shoulder throbbed in agony and Lily didn't know how long she could last with this pain.

Her eyes remained shut, somehow the darkness mulling the pain only just. Lily breathed through clenched teeth as the smallest things grated on her ears; the coarse fabric of the sling knotted at her neck, the cuffs of her shirt brushing her scarred wrists, her jeans had twisted in her wriggling and now the seams weren't straight. A piece of her hair was across her forehead, stuck in place with sweat, but Lily couldn't move it.

Both of her arms were now useless; one rigid in pain, the other rigid completely.

Lily couldn't think straight, her mind was foggy and a dull throb was beginning to ache at the base of her neck. She hadn't had migraines often, but this was by far the worst. Her triggers were normally exhaustion or hunger, things she dealt with during her depression when her family had only just passed, but she wasn't tired nor starved right now.

The only thing aggravating her was her shoulder - Yuric's claw fragment must have shifted when she jumped off the waterfall, or maybe she hadn't noticed it because she'd been too focused on her paralysed arm, or Ryan's words to her only days ago, or her induction as Supernova from Jacob.

Lily groaned as she heard the front door slam open, the sound like a gunshot in her ears. Her shoulder now throbbed in time with her migraine. The fragment had to come out, it had to leave. She wouldn't endure this pain forever, she wouldn't let Yuric try to take another limb of hers. Lily wouldn't have this - she'd lost enough, endured enough, and she wasn't going to live with this pain if she could help it.

Her bedroom door opened wide, the darkness behind Lily's eyes reddening as light rushed in from the corridor, along with several people. She vaguely heard someone curse, it had to be Jack, and someone brushed their fingers over her wrist to check her pulse.

"What happened to her?" Lily heard someone ask. She knew that voice, why was it so familiar? Her mind was clogged with pain.

"I don't know," Someone answered. Lily registered a hand with five cold rings press on her forehead. She whimpered at the cool feeling, her mind's haze lifting for a fragment. "She was just pale an hour ago - she wasn't feverish like this."

"What happened in one day Jack?" The familiar voice said. Lily heard them walk around to her right side.

"I don't know Haidan - she ran away from werewolves, jumped off a waterfall, met a phoenix and a nymph, fell asleep, had a parmigiana, and then this. What part of that sticks out to you as unusual?" Jack snapped.

"The parmigiana, weirdly."

"Enough," Another voice said and Lily hissed as someone laid a hand on her sore shoulder. She didn't recognise herself, the guttural groan of pain she released when they pressed harder. Her stomach twisted - this wasn't help like she thought. This was pain and she didn't need more of it.

Lily's eyes snapped open and everyone backed away when the eerie grey light enveloped the room. The light cut out rapidly as Lily tried to blink the pain away but she registered Haidan on her right, Jack on her left, and Niall was perched at the foot board like a bird. Lily frowned when she spotted a familiar set of blonde ringlets over her shoulder and the shy silhouette of a vampire at her doorway.

"Karen?" Lily whispered as Claire pushed her into a sitting position. "C-Claire? What...?"

"Lily, long story." Karen swallowed as she saw Claire take a pair of scissors out of the bag she'd taken into Lily's room. "I'm going to wait outside."

"Karen, wait." Jack called, the vampire halting. Lily's eyes rolled as Claire pushed the knot in her shoulder. She hunched over as nausea rolled in her belly, trying to tune out all the noises everyone was making. "This is going to be bloody, I know, but can you stay around the house? I don't know how Lily's creature is going to react what's going to happen."

Karen nodded and shut the door behind her, leaving Niall, Haidan, Jack and Claire in the room with Lily - the nausea stayed not because of pain, but panic now laced her bones. What were they about to do to her?

"N-No." Lily groaned but Jack ignored her.

"Shut up Lily, now Claire, how's this going to work?" Jack focused on the fairy now kneeling behind Lily. Lily heard the sound of scissors opening and her plaid shirt being pinched.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Haidan said and Niall moved to sit at the end of the bed by Lily's curling toes.

"Her shirt has to come away Haidan." Claire said. "I need to get to her shoulder."

"That's kind of how surgery works." Jack quipped, smirking as Haidan scowled.

Haidan looked between Claire and the wicked witch, seeing how determined they were, and turned to give their back to them. "I'm not watching this." Haidan snapped, sitting at the bed by Lily's paralysed arm. Jack blinked at the respect and turned to Niall.

"I'm blind remember? I can't see anything anyway." The nymph shrugged but his violet eyes remained low on Lily's feet.

Claire's own eyes softened in pity but Jack didn't have time for pity. As Claire cut Lily's plaid shirt down her back, horror widened the witch's gaze. "What the..." She said, seeing her entire shoulder had swelled up to the point her neck was now red with infection. "This wasn't like this before."

Claire's eyes shifted to violet as her magic raced over Lily's bare shoulder. Her magic never soaked in her skin like Jack had seen when Claire had healed Jack's sore hand from writing dreaded essays. Magic didn't work on Lily - but Jack's might. She'd injured Yuric so maybe she could heal her friend. It was the least she could do after not being fast enough to stop Yuric from getting his claws into her. "How long has Lily known about the fragment?" Claire asked.

"We all found out yesterday." Niall chipped in. "Jack's mum called to let us know it was how the rogues were tracking her."

Claire's head shot up, ringlets bouncing. "And then she started to get sick from then?"

"Yeah," Jack realised. "She was constantly touching her shoulder."

Claire watched as Lily opened her eyes again, the eerie glow filling the room as her creature was almost completely in control. "Her creature didn't know about the fragment until your mum's call. It's been trying to get the fragment out since." Claire whispered.

"Huh?" Jack frowned.

"Can, can we even do that?" Haidan asked, still staring at the curtains rustling in the breeze of the open window. Clouds were quickly forming outside and sealing the light of the sun away.

"I can't do that." Niall said in awe before Jack's words drew him back.

"This isn't going to be pretty, is it?" Jack muttered to her fairy friend. "Not with Lily's creature out. You remember what happened to us in Meditation the other week."

Claire nodded slowly. "I don't know if there's anything we can do to ease this."

"What do you mean?" Niall asked slowly, his violet eyes drifting over the fairy and the witch. "What did Lily's creature do?"

Jack pursed her lips. Lily hadn't told them she was the Supernova and she must have kept it secret for a reason. "Lily felt threatened in class and her creature tried to protect itself."

Niall narrowed his eyes at the lack of detail. "Because that's a rock-solid fact right there, right?"

"Hey," Jack hissed. "We're about to cut open my friend, okay? You can leave that attitude by the freaking door and interrogate me later."

Lily stiffened. "What?" She whispered. Jack paused when she noticed the light from the sunset die out completely, leaving Lily's supernatural eyes as the only source of light in the bedroom. Thunder cracked in the distance. "Don't touch me. D-Don't."

"Lily," Jack said warily with her eyes on the covered window. Goosebumps raced up her bare arms as the cold embraced them all. "The claw has to come out."

"Don't carve me up." Lily's voice broke. Lightning flashed outside and Jack grasped Claire's arm tightly seeing both Lily's fists shake. Her other arm was losing its paralysis - her creature was wrathful - this was a bad idea. "I don't want to be carved up again, please."

"Lily," Niall said and reached to gently rest a cool hand on her tense feet. Lily froze at his touch but her bright eyes landed on the nymph. He couldn't see anything with her gaze on him, he swayed as Jack said his name with warning. "We're not carving you up, we're helping you. The claw is hurting you and we don't want to see you in pain. Will you let us help you?"

Lily didn't respond. Haidan reached out behind him and gently rested a hand on Lily's other shoulder still wrapped in its sling. His warm touch was so different to Niall's cool grasp and Lily drew a deep breath in. Haidan's hand was near enough to her sore neck that it soothed her pain, Niall's was touching the pulse point in her ankle. For a moment she could think. They were trying to remove the fragment, to heal her shoulder, and to get rid of the last bit of Yuric there was-

"We don't have time for permission." Claire interrupted her thoughts and pain erupted in her shoulder as something sliced her flesh open. The sky lit up in colour as lighting struck all around them, thunder screaming alongside Lily as blood poured over her back. Jack screamed at Claire and tried to press her hands over the gushing wound.

"Are you insane?!" Jack shrieked as Claire attempted to pry her ringed-fingers off Lily's bloody shoulder.

"Move your hands! I need to get the claw!" Claire yelled back.

"You need to go to an asylum you idiot!" Jack shouted into her ears. Haidan and Niall's grip on Lily tightened as she screamed in pain and rage. The storm outside slammed into Niall's home and his gaze snapped to the door as he heard someone else scream over the chaos.

"Annie," He said and went to move. Haidan felt the bed dip at his leaving. The phoenix began shouting at him to not move his hand, that they were meant to stabilise Lily according to the instructions he'd received from Freida Slater, but Niall wasn't hearing him. His little sister was in trouble and he was going to help his family no matter the cost.

Niall jolted as his hand didn't leave Lily's leg. It was as though it was frozen in place. He tugged and tugged but each finger was stuck to her flesh like glue. He started pulling in panic, not understanding what was going on. Why was he stuck? He couldn't be stuck, he was just holding Lily's ankle, but it was as though his arm was no longer his own.

He tried yelling at Jack and Claire to get their attention but they were too busy roaring at each other. Claire had a pair of tweezers in her violet-lined hand but Jack's grip was still on Lily's bleeding shoulder.

Lily herself wasn't even present anymore. Her body was curled up like a wounded animal with sweat coating her completely. Her shirt was wet in blood, turning the blue singlet chaotic purple. Her pale skin was sickly white and Lily's glowing eyes were fixed at her feet. Her jaw was clenched in pain, her fists raised in defense. Her sling was forgotten, her powers rendering her arm usable once again.

Niall's eyes shimmered pink as the wind raced around the room, prying at Jack's fingers. If the claw was gone, then Lily's creature would let them go, and he could check on his sister.

The phoenix blazed in Haidan's gaze, the fiery glow enveloping the rustling curtains like one last stream of light before the darkness of the raging thunderstorm. He'd never seen weather like it in his life. His hand on Lily's hand grew hotter and Lily groaned in pain.

"Jack!" Haidan snapped, glimpsing the outside world when the curtains momentarily parted from Niall's gusts. "Do something or Tyrill's not going to be here when Lily comes back!"

"Jack!" Claire screamed over her stubborn friend. "Let go! I need to get the claw!"

The witch refused, utterly refused, to let the fairy near Lily wounded. She hadn't waited for consent before slicing her up like beef on a spit. Jack switched on her magic and the room filled with the green glow racing up her still-bandaged arms. Her iridescent eyes didn't waver from Claire's widened gaze as her magic delved around her rings and into Lily's shoulder.

Lily screamed. Her back arched in pain as Jack's magic tumbled into her flesh. Jack had no idea what she was doing and let her magic guide her like always. She ignored the shouts of everyone in the room, focusing on the tendrils pouring from her hands and searching for the foreign claw in Lily's shoulder.

She found it in seconds - the large chunk resting against her shoulder blade like a forgotten book on a shelf. Her magic grasped it tightly and withdrew from Lily's body. The claw scraped across muscle, Lily twitching like she'd been electrocuted again as Jack thrust herself off the bed and slammed into the wall beside the bed.

In her bloody hands was a dark, pointed claw tip.

Lily's dark blood poured faster and faster. Claire screamed, dropping the tweezers and tried to put pressure on the wound but her magic wouldn't touch Lily's skin. Lightning struck a tree nearby and bark shattered against the window, thunder roaring with Lily's scream of pain.

Lily's eyes flared, the searing silver of her supernatural soul a beacon and a promise. Something cracked when Jack's magic left her shoulder, like a chain unlocking, and Jack remembered what Haidan had said about keeping Lily stable. Their magic, their magic, was keeping her grounded.

Lily's grey eyes whitened with another scream from her throat. Their ears popped as the pressure dropped. Jack's magic was still coiled around her fingers so she immediately threw it all at Lily.

Witch magic simmered over Lily's wound and lit her pouring blood like foxfire. Haidan's eyes flared and flames shot over his fingers to smother Jack's magic, cauterising the wound. The smell of burning flesh shot up Lily's nose before Niall's wind swept it away, instantly cooling her shoulder.

Silence softened the chaos as Lily's eyes closed, darkness surrounding them all. The thunder rumbled, quieter than before, and the lightning seemed to have stopped. Haidan removed his hand, rubbing the unharmed palm as his eyes shifted back to brown. Niall tugged at his fingers and found he could let go of Lily's ankle. He didn't hesitate in flying out the room towards where he heard Annie scream.

Lily was breathing heavily as her mind cleared. The pain in her shoulder was only on her tightened skin. Tears rolled down her cheeks realising she had another scar on her back now. How many would she bare before she stopped being hunted for her own soul?

Haidan followed Niall out the room, not looking at any of them out of respect for Lily's ripped shirt, and went to see what had happened outside. He had taken a step outside the door when Niall slammed into him with a short girl with chocolate skin close at his heels.

"Claire," Niall's violet eyes were wide in horror, his hand in the grip of the younger girl. "Karen needs you."

Claire shot past Jack and Haidan. "What happened?" She asked Niall, eyes alert. "Where's Karen?"

"I-It was my f-fault." The girl immediately burst into tears. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't know, I-I'm so sorry, I-"

"Annie," Niall kissed the top of her dark ringlets. "It's not your fault, it's okay."

"Where's Karen?" Claire trembled. "Where is she?"

"A tree fell in the back garden and-" Niall didn't get the chance to explain as Claire shoved past him, Haidan stabling Niall as he blindly spun at Claire's carelessness. The fairy left instantly to find her vampire and Haidan looked at a flabbergast Niall as he found his balance again.

"I'll check on them." Haidan said while Niall regained his balance. Jack watched them all, seeing Annie's alarmed face at her blood-covered hands. She quickly hid them behind her back.

"N-Niall." Annie tugged on his arm as she began breathing heavily, the whites of her eyes showing. "N...N....Niall?"

Niall immediately held Annie tightly in a hug. "It's okay." He said as he picked her up and left Lily and Jack's bloody room. Jack heard him assure his little sister everyone was alright and they hadn't just murdered someone. The witch turned to the assumed murder victim in question to find her staring at the wardrobe in front of her with her own dark eyes still shadowed in pain.

"Lily?" Jack asked. "Are you okay?"

Lily's lip wobbled but she clenched her jaw, her gaze not moving from the mirror in front of the wardrobe. "Can I have a moment?" She whispered.

"Lil-"

"Please." Her voice broke. Jack sighed and left, still clutching Yuric's claw in her hand. Lily heard Jack shut the door behind her with a soft click.

Staring at the mirror in front of her all Lily could see was carnage. Her left shoulder was almost black with drying blood and she spotted the new scar peaking out. Lily didn't have to reach up to know there was a deep blackened line across her shoulder blade like a disfigured tally. Lily could feel heat from her other shoulder too from Haidan's searing touch. Her red bands across her ankles and wrists stood out more with her sickly-pale skin, the white bandage almost mocking her with how clean and undamaged it was.

She was scarred, burned, and numb.

The rest of the storm covered the sound of Lily bursting into tears and curling in on herself - a wounded animal indeed, pinned on a lone island surrounded by an rising ocean. Lily was drowning and she didn't know how to save herself.

If she could save herself at all.