Page 227 of Lady of Ashes

“You are a queen, my Love.”

“That is what they say,” she murmured, ?nally sliding onto the bench. For a moment, he hadn’t been sure she was going to sit. Her ?ngers curled slightly over the keys, her foot hovering over a foot pedal.

And then she played.

Sorin moved to one of the chairs, his glass dangling from his ?ngertips as he watched her fall into the music she created. Her body swayed with each chord, breathing in each note.

For nearly two hours she played, before he pushed to his feet and moved behind her. His ?nger traced the scoop of the back of her dress. Still her ?ngers didn’t miss a note. Not until he bent to whisper in her ear, “Happy Birthday, my Love.”

Her ?ngers tripped over themselves, the music distorted by the mistaken keys. She scowled at him. “You just ruined this by making it a birthday present.”

“So much animosity over the day you entered this world,” he quipped.

“You know that is not why. I assume you spoke with Cassius about it,” she replied, her eyes dropping back to the keys.

“You may have denied your family the ability to celebrate you, but will you really deny my desire to worship you?” he asked, his ?ngers moving to skate up the side of her neck.

“If you’re going to consider it abirthday gift,then yes. I will deny you,” she bit back, her eyes coming back to his.

“But I have so much to give to you tonight,” he continued, ignoring her slight outburst. His other hand dipped into his pocket.

She rolled her eyes. “On this day I do not want anything from anyone,” she replied, turning back to the piano, but she stilled when he pulled his hand from his pocket and held the object he’d been carrying around with him all day before her eyes, pinched between his thumb and fore?nger.

“Sorin,” she whispered, her voice catching.

A gold band. A diamond in the center with two smaller rubies ?anking it.

“You never once asked of it,” he said softly. He leaned forward,his chest pressing gently against her back as he reached for her hand.

“I trusted you to return it when you were ready,” she answered, her voice hushed while she watched him slide the ring onto her ?nger. “After what I put you through … I did not have the right to ask for it back.”

“My love,” he sighed, his lips pressing a tender kiss to her cheek. She leaned back against his chest, studying the band back on her ?nger where it belonged. “I have more to give you.”

“I need nothing else, Sorin.”

“I disagree,” he murmured onto her skin. His hands slid along her sides, down to her hips before he whispered into her ear once more. “You need a Source.”

“What?” she demanded, her entire body twisting to face him. Her eyes were wide as she stared back at him.

“I discovered what a Source is,” he answered, bringing a hand up to cup her cheek. “And I found you one.”

“When? How?” she sputtered, clamoring over the bench to stand.

Sorin chuckled. “You are not the only one capable of working things out.”

“I know that,” she admonished with a frown. “When did you ?gure this out?”

“Two nights ago.”

“And you are just informing me now?”

“It seemed like a good birthday gift,” he replied with a slight shrug. “You are incredibly hard to buy for, outside of things that kill people.”

“Sorin!” she snapped. He just winked at her.

“Gods,” she snapped again, her ?ngers coming up to rub her temples. “I’ve been drinking blood for two days longer than I needed to be.”

“One day,” he corrected. “You have not had any today.”

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