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under the
     bridge. I know they’ve arranged a surprise party for me on Beetle’s boat—Michael accidentally
     let it slip last week—but I play along, screwing my eyes shut as Day leads me toward
     the barge.
    “Here we are,” Day says.
    I stretch out a tentative hand so I can be helped on board the barge. A cool, firm
     hand takes mine in response. An electric shock zings into my heart.
Ash.
He lifts me onto the boat, and I giggle, falling against him.
    “No peeking,” he says.
    He softly kisses me, making butterflies flutter in my stomach.
    “Can I look now?” I say when he brings me inside the cabin.
    “Go ahead,” Ash replies.
    I open my eyes and give a little squeal of delight. Beetle has decorated the entire
     barge with colorful paper chains and ribbons, and a handmade banner hangs over the
     window announcing HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY . Everyone is here: Ash’s father, and my former housemaid Martha, as well as Beetle,
     Roach, Sigur, Amy and Stuart. Amy rushes over and gives me a big hug. We’ve become
     quite close since she joined the rebellion. We even got our Cinder Rose tattoos at
     the same time.
    “Juno’s running late,” Amy says. “She got called to the station because of some breaking
     news story, yada-yada-yada. You know how it is with reporters.”
    We all find a place on the long benches. I squeeze in between Ash and Day, wincing
     slightly as I sit down.
    “Is your leg still hurting?” Ash asks.
    “A little.” I lift up my purple tulle skirt to reveal the nasty bite mark on my leg,
     where a Darkling boy took a chunk out of me a couple months ago. The wound still hasn’t
     completely healed, and the flesh around it is raised and sore. I scratch at the scab.
    “Don’t pick at it, or it’ll scar,” Day chastises.
    “Sorry,
Mom,
” I say, lowering my skirt.
    “Let’s get this party started!” Beetle says, clapping his hands together. He’s made
     a bit of an effort to look nice tonight, wearing a clean shirt and black pants with
     just one tear at the knee. He’s even brushed his usually scruffy brown hair. “Who
     fancies a game of Lady Fortune’s Wheel?” Beetle asks.
    This is met with cheers from everybody, even Ash’s dad, who gives a rueful grin. He
     may be a minister, but he likes to gamble. Beetle places a twelve-spoke wheel in the
     middle of the table, and places a container on the end of each spoke. MJ drops a bean
     in nine of the containers, and coins in the remaining three. Beetle pops the lids
     on the pots, so no one can see what’s inside, and spins the wheel.
    “The birthday girl goes first,” Ash says, kissing my cheek.
    I glance up at him, and my heart squeezes. A thought glimmers in his smoldering eyes.
     He lowers his long lashes, like he’s trying to hide it from me. I don’t have much
     time to analyze it, as my attention is dragged back toward the game.
    As the wheel spins, I quickly lift the lid off one of the pots. Inside is a gleaming
     coin.
Yes!
People ooh and ahhh.
    “Lady Fortune’s clearly on your side tonight,” Ash whispers in my ear, passing me
     the coin.
    It’s impossible to concentrate when he’s so close by, his cool breath spilling over
     me, delicious, intoxicating. Yearning unfurls inside me, a flower blooming in winter.
     Memories of our time together this morning fill my mind, and I touch my glowing cheeks
     with my hands, willing them to cool down.
    We play ten rounds of the game, and Day wins the majority of the coins.
    “No fair! Day’s cheating,” MJ huffs.
    “Don’t be a sore loser, son,” Michael says, ruffling MJ’s hair.
    Day gives her winnings to her brother.
    I look at Ash, who is sitting silently beside me. Even though he’s right next to me,
     he doesn’t seem to be really here.
    “A coin for your thoughts,” I say.
    Ash smiles, but it seems forced.
    “Everything okay?” I ask, suddenly worried.
    “Everything’s fine.”
    “You’re lying to me.”
    “Let’s not talk about it tonight,” he