Shaunee tried to be encouraging. She told them they were doing a good job, and that Dragon would be proud of them, but that only seemed to make them quieter, grimmer. Darius was even silent and almost felt like a stranger. It was only after Aphrodite breezed up, tossing her hair and talking with her usual take-no-prisoners attitude that things started to get better.

“So, handsome, do you remember the lecture Dragon gave you when you and I first started going out?” Aphrodite winked at several of the other Warriors. “I’ll bet Stephen and Conner and Westin remember it, don’t ya? Wasn’t it the three of you who had to pull extra training with Darius after Dragon found out he was fraternizing with a fledgling?” Aphrodite had lowered her voice and affected a tone that sounded weirdly like the Sword Master.

The Warriors had actually smiled. “Three days in a row Dragon made each of us have a go at your boy there.”

Darius snorted. “Watch yourself, Conner. I have not been a boy for decades.”

Conner laughed. “I think that’s what Dragon was having a problem with.”

Aphrodite smiled flirtatiously and ran a hand down Darius’s thick bicep. “He was trying to tire you out so that you wouldn’t be energetic enough to fraternize with me.”

“That would have taken an army of vampyres,” Darius said.

It was Stephen’s turn to snort. “Really? Is that why Anastasia had to intervene?”

Aphrodite’s blond brows went up. “Intervene? Anastasia? You didn’t tell me that, handsome.”

“It must have slipped my mind, as I was too busy fraternizing with you, my beauty.”

“Ha!” Westin scoffed. “There is no way any one of us could forget Anastasia, hair flying, descending upon our Sword Master, calling him to task for picking on poor, young Darius.”

Shaunee had to join the laughter. “She seriously said Dragon was picking on Darius?”

Conner, who was tall and blond and almost as hot as Shaunee’s element, said, “She absolutely did. She even called him Bryan and reminded him that had she not fraternized with a fledgling a century ago, his life would be much less interesting.”

“I’d known Dragon Lankford for fifty years,” Stephen said. “I’d never seen him bested by any other Warrior, but Anastasia could stop him with a single look.”

“It is good that they are together,” Darius said.

“He lost himself without her,” Westin said.

“Something I can well understand.” Darius lifted Aphrodite’s hand, kissing it gently.

“You truly did see them reunite?”

“Yes.” Darius, Aphrodite, and Shaunee spoke together.

“He’s happy again,” Shaunee said.

“She died first, but she waited for him,” Aphrodite said. She was smiling at Darius, but Shaunee could see tears in her eyes.

“She died a Warrior’s death,” Westin said.

“As did Dragon,” Darius said.

“We need to remember this tonight,” Shaunee said. “Remember their joy and their oath and that they still have love.”

“Always love,” Darius said softly, touching Aphrodite’s cheek.

“Always love,” she echoed. Then she raised a blond brow. “If you’re not too tired, that is.”

“Ha! So Anastasia was right! We were picking on poor, young Darius.” Stephen and the other Warriors laughed and Darius sputtered while Aphrodite teased.

Shaunee backed away from the growing pyre and the group that surrounded it. Fire, warm this small spark of joy that Aphrodite managed to ignite within them. Help the Warriors to remember that Dragon and Anastasia are together and happy. She felt the warmth of her element rush from around her and circle the group, invisible to the eye, and almost undetectable to anyone who didn’t have an affinity for fire. But it helped. She had helped. Shaunee really believed it.

Feeling slightly less awful, she wandered away. Shaunee knew she needed to go to the stables, but that didn’t mean she was eager to face the destruction that her element had caused. I wasn’t wielding it, though, she reminded herself. Still, she meandered, taking a circuitous route and heading toward the courtyard that had the pretty fountain in it. From there she’d walk the back way, by the parking lot, that led more directly to the field house than to the stables.

Shaunee heard water before she heard Erin’s voice.

She hadn’t meant to be all creeper-like and lurky. She’d only moved quietly into the shadows around the courtyard because she hadn’t wanted a scene with Erin—not because she was spying on her.

Then she heard the other voice. Shaunee didn’t recognize who it was at first. He wasn’t talking loud enough. She only recognized Erin’s flirty giggle. Shaunee was trying to decide if curiosity was the same as nosiness when his voice got louder and she realized the guy Erin was aiming her flirty giggle at was Dallas!

Feeling sick to her stomach, Shaunee moved closer.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m sayin’. I can’t get you off my mind, girl. You know what water and electricity make when they come together, don’t you?”

Shaunee stayed completely still, waiting for Erin to call him a douche bag and tell him to run back to nasty Nicole where he belonged; instead her stomach dropped as she heard Erin’s flirty answer, “Lightning—that’s what electricity and water make. Sounds hot to me.”

“That’s because it is hot. You are hot. You’re like a sauna, girl—or a steam bath I’d like to soak in.”

Shaunee had to press her lips together in a tight line to keep from yelling eew and calling Dallas a douche herself. Erin would. No way would she want anything to do with Dallas. He was a total asshole. He hated Stevie Rae and Zoey! Stevie Rae had said he’d tried to kill her! Erin was just setting him up to smack him down and put him in his place.

Shaunee waited for it. Nothing. She heard nothing. Walking quietly, Shaunee moved even closer. Erin was probably gone. She’d probably rolled her eyes and walked away and not even bothered with telling Dallas to get lost.

Shaunee was wrong. Real wrong.

Erin had backed up against the fountain. Water was flowing all over her. Her hair, her clothes, her body. Dallas was staring at her like he was starving and she was a T-bone steak dinner. Erin lifted her arms over her head, making her boobs press against her soggy shirt, which was white and wet and now totally see-through.

“How’s this for a wet T-shirt contest?” Her voice was all sexy and she shimmied a little, making her boobs bounce.

“You win. That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen, girl.”

“I can show you something hotter,” Erin said. With one motion she pulled her soaked T-shirt off and then unhooked her lace bra.

Dallas was breathing so hard Shaunee could hear him. He licked his lips. “You’re right, girl. That is hotter.”

“And what about this?” Erin hooked her thumbs in the waist of her little plaid skirt and pulled it off. She smiled at Dallas as he stared at the little lace thong she was still wearing.

“How ’bout takin’ the rest of that off?” His voice had deepened and he’d moved closer to her.

“Sounds good to me. I like wearing nothing but water.” Erin peeled off the thong. Now all she had on were her Christian Louboutin boots. She ran her hands all over her body with the water. “Wanta get wet with me?”

“Wet isn’t all I wanta get with you,” he said. “Girl, I’m gonna open up a whole other world for you.”

“I’m ready for it,” she said silkily, still touching herself. “’Cause I’m sick of the boring-ass world I’ve been living in.”

“Lightning, girl. Let’s make some lightning and some changes.”

“Bring it!” Erin said.

Dallas closed the distance between them. The two of them were wrapped together and so into each other that Shaunee didn’t have to worry about them hearing her when she rushed away, totally nauseated, her eyes filled with tears.