She disappeared into the darkness with the horses at her heels. Stark's hand was warm and steady on my shoulder. Remember, Kalona is gone, and so is Neferet. That leaves fledglings and vamps for you to handle, which should be simple after what you've gone through, he said. Heath stepped up to flank my other side. He's right. Even dealing with hurt fledglings and vamps isn't as bad as Neferet and Kalona. It is our home, no matter what has happened, said Darius. Yeah, home. It's about time we took it back, Aphrodite said. Let's see what kind of mess Neferet left for us, I said abruptly. I stepped away from Stark and Heath, leading everyone to the sidewalk that went around the pretty fountain and garden area outside the professors' entrance and the castle-like round wooden doors, beside the turret that was really a media center. Finally, the central grounds of the school came into view.

Oh, Goddess! Aphrodite gasped. My feet stopped without me consciously telling them to. The scene was just so awful that I couldn't make myself move forward. The funeral pyre was an enormous mound of firewood that had been placed under and around a wooden picnic bench. I knew it was a picnic bench because even though it was burning, the structure was still completely recognizable, as was the body that lay on top of the table. Professor Anastasia, the beautiful wife of our Fencing Master, Dragon Lankford, had been dressed in something long and flowing and covered by a white linen shroud. Horribly, her body could still be seen through it. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her long hair fell toward the ground, lifting and crackling in the fire. A terrible noise, like a heartbroken child's cry, pierced the night, and my gaze, which had been fixed on the grisly pyre, shifted to a place near the head of the bench. Dragon Lankford was there on his knees. His head was bowed and his long hair swept forward, though it didn't hide the fact that he was weeping.

Beside him a huge cat I recognized as Shadowfax, his Maine Coon, leaned into him, staring up into his face. In his arms was a delicate white cat who was yowling and struggling to get free, apparently willing to hurl herself onto the pyre with her vampyre. Guinevere, I whispered. That's Anastasia's cat. I pressed my hand to my mouth, trying to hold in the sob that was building there. Shaunee stepped quickly away from us and walked over to the pyre, standing way closer than any of us could have. At the same time, Erin moved to Dragon's side. As Shaunee raised her arms and called loudly, Fire! Come to me! I heard Erin's softer voice asking water to join her. While the pyre and the body were suddenly engulfed in camouflaging flames, Dragon was surrounded by a cool mist that reminded me of tears. Damien moved close to Erin. Wind, come to me, he said. I watched him direct a soft breeze to blow away the terrible smell of burning flesh. Stevie Rae joined Damien. Earth, come to me, she said. Instantly the breeze that had blown away the scent of death was filled with the delicate sweetness of a meadow, bringing to mind images of springtime, growing things, and the verdant meadows of our Goddess.

I knew my part was next. Filled with sadness I walked to Dragon and gently put one hand on his shoulder, which shook with his sobs. I raised my other hand and said, Spirit, come to me. When I felt the beautiful rush that was the element answering my call, I continued, Touch Dragon, spirit. Soothe him and Guinevere and Shadowfax. Help their grief to be bearable. Then I concentrated on directing spirit through me, into Dragon and the two devastated cats. Guinevere stopped yowling. I felt Dragon's body jerk and slowly his head raised and his eyes met mine. His face was terribly scratched, and there was a deep gash over his left eye. I remembered that last time I'd seen him he had been battling three Raven Mockers. Blessed be, Dragon, I said softly. How will it ever be bearable, Priestess? His voice was rough. He sounded completely broken.

I felt an instant of panic--an instant of I'm seventeen! I can't possibly help him! Then, like a perfect circle, spirit spiraled from Dragon, through me, and into the Fencing Master again, and I pulled strength from my element. You'll see her again. She's with Nyx now. She'll either wait for you in the Goddess's meadows, or she'll be reborn and her soul will find you again during this lifetime. You can bear it because you know that spirit never really ends--we never really end. His eyes searched mine, and I held his gaze steadily. Did you defeat them? Are the creatures gone? Kalona and Neferet are gone. So are the Raven Mockers, I assured him. Good . . . good . . . Dragon bowed his head and I heard him praying softly to Nyx, asking the Goddess to look after his beloved until they met again. I squeezed his shoulder once and then, feeling like an intruder, stepped away to allow him some privacy for his grief.

Blessed be, Priestess, he said without lifting his head. I probably should have said something mature and wise in response, but just then I was so filled with emotion I couldn't talk. Stevie Rae was suddenly there beside me, Damien next to her. Erin moved away from Dragon to stand at my other side, and Shaunee stepped into the space beside her. We stood there silently, respectfully, a circle un-cast but present as Shaunee's magickally enhanced fire took the last of Anastasia's physical shell. The silence that surrounded us was broken only by the sounds of flames and Dragon's murmured prayers. Which was when a new thought struck me. I glanced around the pyre. Dragon had placed it in the middle of the paved drive that circled between Nyx's Temple and the main school buildings. It was a good choice--there was plenty of room for the fire.