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"Well, right now my best is to stay here, with Erin, and watch over her until dawn"

"It is an ancient tradition that those who most loved the dead remained by their beloved’s pyre from its first flame until after the first fla you to blessed be, Shaunee"

Shaunee fisted her hand over her heart and bowed to Thanatos respectfully before turning back to watch the pyre blaze

"You don’t need to stay, either," Shaunee spoke to the i from the shadows "Stevie Rae and Zoey will need you I’ll be fine"

"I did not like how Dallas looked tonight He wants retribution for this death, which is impossible," Kalona said

"He looked sad when he lit the pyre Maybe that’s all it is--she was his girlfriend," Shaunee said, wanting to believe it

"If he had truly loved her, he would be keeping vigil as are you" Kalona said what Shaunee hadn’t wanted to think about

"Everyone grieves differently," she said

"I recognize his way of grieving, and knoill turn to anger He will lash out, trying to erase his pain with violence and vengeance"

"Is that what you did?" Shaunee looked froed ih his brilliance held an Otherwordly silver light

"Yes," he adnize it in Dallas That is also why I understand how dangerous he could become"

"Here’s what I don’t understand," Shaunee said "How can losing love make you want to destroy people? When Erin and I weren’t Twins any anything ood enough for her" When the ih she kept one hand raised, pointed pal its familiar heat to soothe the sadness within her

"I believe your question can be answered only by each individual"

"So, you’re not going to answer me?"

Kalona hesitated, and Shaunee could see several e his handsos lifted restlessly, but finally he did answer her "When I lost Nyx the only way I could bear it was to replace all the love I’d felt for her with anger As long as I burned with anger Ithe Goddess had been a lie" Kalona ht she could see eons of er came with a price, and that price was violence and destruction, death and darkness"

"But wouldn’t it have one to Nyx and admitted you didn’t want to live without her?"

Kalona’s s any way back to her"

"Does it still?"

"No It is Nyx herself who keeps me from her side now," Kalona said

"I don’t think she alill," Shaunee said

"You are young," he said "You haven’t lived long enough for life to kill your ability to hope"