I cleared my throat. “We should probably get back, too. We don’t want anyone coming to look for us out here.”
“You’re probably right,” she agreed. She took my hand and led me out of the Lair. Oberi followed.
Ava must’ve been excited that I’d agreed to go along with her plan to test out the keys, because she walked with a bounce to her step, like she feared nothing— not even the Warden. As we stepped out of the Lair and into the forest, I felt a few water droplets hit the top of my head.
“What was that for?” I asked.
Ava laughed under her breath. “I’m not doing that. It’s raining!”
She sounded delighted. She let go of my hand and pranced on ahead. Oberi barked and hurried after her. Big, heavy raindrops splattered the top of my head and started coming down faster.
“Can’t you make it stop?” I asked.
Ava’s laughter filled the forest. “Ilovethe rain! Isn’t it great?”
She sang a note, the kind a kid would make when they turned their head to the sky and tried to catch the raindrops in their mouth. She spun around me, then accidentally ran into me and stumbled to the side. I caught her, and my breath hitched as I held her in my arms. Her delight was infectious. It bled through our bond, and I couldn’t shy away from it even if I wanted to.
Laughter bubbled up in my throat. “Pidge, what are you doing?”
“I’m dancing in the rain!” she cried. “I used to do this all the time as a kid. It was my favorite. Come on, Charlie. Dance with me!”
Ava grabbed my hands, and we twirled around. I wanted to resist, but it meant the world to me to see her happy. For a second, I felt like I could actually forget the prophecy, because in this moment, Ava was safe, loved, and carefree. The least I could do was let her enjoy it.
I succumbed to her joy. My magic felt for the trees around me, and we wove through the forest in a blissful dance. As the sprinkles turned to a downpour, it became easy to understand why she loved dancing in the rain so much. There was something spiritual about it, as if the rain was a blessing from the Great Spirit himself— a blessing that could cleanse our worries and refresh our spirits.
Oberi barked happily and pranced around trees. His jaws snapped, like he was trying to catch the raindrops as they fell.
Ava spun me around faster, until I lost my footing and tumbled to the ground. Ava came crashing down on top of me, and we landed together on a soft bed of moss. Her wet hair draped downward and tickled the tip of my nose. I laughed and pulled her close to me.
Her lips pressed into mine passionately, and my hand trailed down to her ass. She snickered as I grabbed it, obviously enjoying it. Oberi paid no attention to us, as he continued running around trying to catch raindrops in his mouth, barking with glee.
As she came up for breath, I joked, “Ava, you’re so wet.”
“Oh, no,” she said innocently. “What will we do about it?”
“We’ll have to take our clothes off, so they can dry,” I teased.
She kissed me again, then whispered, “Ah, my favorite rainy-day activity.”
Our lips moved over one another, and my tongue slid inside her mouth. Water trickled down our faces. My mind raced with all the things I could do to her— good and bad. This prophecy shit was so depressing. I wanted all the good we could get together.
Ava’s hands plunged into my hair, and mine moved to the buttons on her blouse. I waited to see if she’d protest, but she just tugged my hair harder, as if begging me to do it.
Our hands did the talking as I slowly undressed her. I undid the buttons on her uniform, then slid the soaked blouse off her shoulders. My fingers trailed over her wet skin and across the key hanging from her neck— the one that could open the door to Forevermore.
I didn’t want to think about that, so I put my mind— and my hands— on other things. I cupped her breasts. She straddled me and arched her back, welcoming my touch. I squeezed her breasts, and my dick hardened.
Ava seemed to think I was taking too long, because she reached behind herself and undid the clasp of her bra. The wet fabric fell away, and I gasped in pleasure as my hands moved over the swell of her breasts.
“It’s a bit chilly out here, huh?” I teased as my fingers touched her hard nipples.
“Just a bit,” she snickered. Playfully, she brought Fire to her skin, until she was so warm that I drew away. Raindrops sizzled as they hit her body.
“Anyone tell you you’re fucking hot?” I asked.
“Hotandwet? My two favorite things!”
I loved how playful she was being right now, and I didn’t want it to end. She let her Fire subside, and I wrapped my arms around her waist and rolled us over. I tossed her onto the ground below me, and she gasped— like she was excited about whatever came next.
