I flicked my wrist, and the air shifted course, flowing through her hair. I could tell the ends of the strands were tickling her skin, because she laughed.
“Keep quiet, pidge,” I whispered. “The guards will hear you.”
It wasn’t true. These walls were thick, and the guards had never bothered us before. But Ava liked it when I gave her orders. I could feel the thrill travel through our connection. Ava snapped her mouth shut, and she didn’t make another sound.
This was a trick Ivy had suggested. The more trust we established, the more I’d be able to feel her thoughts through our bond. I didn’t need to hear her moan to know how she felt. It was a test of our bond, for sure.
I continued tickling her with my Air magic, sending tiny sensations up and down her belly and over her breasts. Fabric rustled as Ava wiggled on the bed, but she didn’t let a sound escape her lips.
I stripped my shirt off, then climbed onto the bed beside her. I hovered my hands over her skin, but I didn’t touch her. Tiny whirlwinds of Air wisped out of the ends of my fingers, targeting sensitive areas of skin. I swirled my fingers around her nipple, and she moaned.
I stopped what I was doing and pressed an index finger to her lips. “Hush, pidgeon. Safe words only.”
Ava pressed her lips together.
I was supposed to give her commands. That’s what Ivy had said. I didn’t know if I liked it yet. It was a weird dynamic, telling Ava what to do— and she actuallylikedit. That never happened.
Then, after I’d thought about it for a while, I’d figured it out. Ava actually preferred it when I gave her direction. Her thoughts were so chaotic and scattered that she had trouble maintaining control of them, and control of herself. She didn’t have any sense of direction, and that chaos wore her out. It was easier for her, sometimes, for someone else to make decisions. This was supposed to help with that.
“Stay here,” I told her, even though there was nowhere for her to go. It was all part of the game.
Ava nodded obediently, and I pulled my finger away from her mouth and got out of bed. I went to the other room, where we kept our water bottles, then returned to the bedroom.
I sat beside her and leaned down to kiss the side of her neck. “Every time you make a sound, I’m going to stop,” I warned.
“Yes,” Ava whispered, and I immediately pulled my lips away from her. I was teasing her— testing her. She didn’t say anything again, and after a few beats, I kissed her again.
“I’m going to draw magic from you,” I told her. “Offer me a piece of your magic, and I’ll reward you.”
I felt our bond open wider immediately. Ava was intrigued.
I uncapped the water bottle and poured a few drops into my hand. Using Ava’s Toaqua magic, I turned the water to ice, then pressed the small cube between Ava’s breasts. Her chest lifted, but she didn’t make a sound. A thrill traveled through my heart, and I almost felt the cold sensation on my own chest. The bond was getting stronger.
I moved the ice cube over her skin, swirling it around her nipples, then dipping it down to her belly button. The cube melted on her warm skin, until it disappeared completely.
“Eyes on me,” I told her as I created another ice cube, larger this time.
Ava didn’t say anything, but I felt confusion cross the bond, like she was trying to ask a question.
“How can I tell?” I asked. “I know you— the way you close your eyes and tilt your head back when you’re enjoying yourself. But I want you to focus. Don’t look away for a second.”
Okay, Ava agreed through the bond.
“Ava,” I warned.
Hey, you said I couldn’t make a sound. You said nothing about talking to you through our bond. Technically, not a sound.
“That’s a tall tale sign of a bad girl. You know your way around the rules.”
And I pride myself in it, she replied.
“Not another word,” I warned.
Ava didn’t say a thing. She didn’t want me to stop. I placed a large ice cube on her belly, then ran it over her skin, until she was trembling under my touch. I could feel the tingles of pleasure coming through our connection. When I was satisfied that she was grounded in the moment, I guided the ice cube downward, over her most sensitive areas. She must’ve been able to feel something, because my heart fluttered to mimic hers.
I placed the ice cube in my mouth for a few moments, and she shivered beneath me. Slowly, I lowered my mouth between her legs and slipped the ice cube inside of her with my tongue. She gasped. I drew away, because I’d told her I’d stop if she made a sound.
“How does that feel?” I asked Ava.
